GypsyNester

Adventures in Nest Swapping

One of the many advantages to having an empty nest is the freedom to swap your nest with other adventurous types. We decided that before we sold our house, we would try using it as bait for a cheap month in New York City. Being in the habit of Googling ... Read >

The Second Annual Combine Demolition Derby

"Oh, we have got to see this!" It was an ad for the Hillsdale, Michigan County Fair. The entertainment for the opening night was the Second Annual Combine Demolition Derby. We could hardly stand it. Long a fantasy of mine to demolish a '73 Chrysler ... Read >

From The Minors to October

Ah, autumn. A nip in the air, the trees are changing, football is back, but mostly... October baseball. I'm a sports fan. I grew up on minor league baseball. The Wichita Aeros were a big part of my youth and the first professional sporting event I ... Read >

Honey, Who Are We Again?

I've read that one of biggest pitfalls to having kids is that couples tend to forget who they were prior to breeding (though I personally think the the loss of perky breasts is high on the list). As a Gypsy Nester, one who is looking forward to life after... Read >

Digging Up History in Porto Torres, Sardinia

Can you imagine? You are building a new train station, and every time you put a shovel to the ground you dig up an ancient statue, vase or Roman coin. This is the case in Porto Torres--a working dock city on the island of Sardinia. Like a great many... Read >

Chocked Tentacle In Alghero, Sardinia

It's a pleasant thirty minutes ride from Sassari, where we were staying, to the seaside gem of Alghero on the famous "Little Green Train" (Trenino Verde). This popular narrow gauge railroad serves Sardinia and dates back to 1888. In 1921, author D.H. Law... Read >

Sardinia Has the Best Donkey

The Italian island of Sardinia (Sardegna) brought out the adventurer in us. Our first stop was Sassari, a city of about 120,000 with a rich history dating back to the early Middle Ages. A college town, home to the University of Sassari with about 18,000 s... Read >

Boomerang "Kids"

From GypsyNester.com I'm an advice column junkie. I can't help it. I kick off my morning with a frothy soy latte, my "Crack"berry and a heavy dose of the "Dear crew". When I'm lucky, I can persuade David to play along with a game of "What would Abby do... Read >

Jump Up! St. Croix

From GypsyNester.com Four times each year the people of St. Croix take to the streets of Christiansted for Jump Up, a Caribbean flavored festival showcasing music, art, food and dancing. The town is packed with revelers on the oceanfront boardwalk and ... Read >

My Dirty Little Secret

David and I have one chick left in the nest. He graduates from high school on June 8, 2008. And I am marking the days. I keep a gigantic calendar and mark a red X each day. For my son's sake (and to avoid horrified looks from house guests), I keep the cal... Read >

Life After Kids

When Veronica and I came up with the idea to write this blog about life after raising kids, and actually looking forward to it, one of the first things I did was Google "empty nesters." I wanted to see if anyone was looking at this the same way we are. Yo... Read >