Queen Maureen

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."  These words are famously attributed to Elenor Roosevelt, wife of president Franklin D. Roosevelt, and first lady of the United States from 1933-1945.  Elenor was a classy and inspirational woman whom many, myself included, look up to.  But one might easily find her words condescending toward those interested in their friends and family.  Being very extroverted myself, I find other people to be one of my greatest interests!  Does this make me a small mind?  Well, Elenor Rosevelt cannot make me feel like a small mind without my consent, but let's talk about it! Some people are naturally interested in ideas, some in facts, and some in people.  Each of these interests comes with its own set of strengths and temptations.  People who are interested in other people often face a temptation to gossip, just as those interested in facts and ideas face temptations toward o...

Many of our loved ones are having birthdays right now, and we are left to wonder how we can make their day special, even though we cannot be with them.  A birthday is not merely an occasion of recognizing an age, but a day of appreciation for a person and their life.  This is worthy of celebration, whether near or far.  So to all the socially distant party planners, here are a few ways to celebrate someone without breaking the health and safety guidelines. Carline Parade : The most popular solution to a socially distant birthday seems to be rallying up the friends, and driving slowly past the house, while the birthday boy or girl sits and enjoys the parade.  If you want to add extra pizzaz, bring balloons to fly out your window, or confetti to throw. Virtual Karaoke:  If not everyone is close enough for a drive-thru party, gather them over Zoom, FaceTime, or your favorite online platform.  Have everyone belt their favorite song, and share their birthday...

I have now been quarantined for well over a month, and I can finally say that I am settling into a routine.  For the first time in human history, everyone is workin from home, all students are homeschooled, and all relationships are long-distance.  But depending on your state's guidelines, you may be able to see each other in person, so long as you keep your standard 6 feet.  Is that still long distance, though? Seeing each other through a screen is better than nothing, but at a certain point, we miss face-to-face communication.  It just isn't the same when you can't hang out with your friend, neighbor, or significant other in the same room.  I have been using my thinking cap, and watching various couples and friends on social media, and I have compiled a few date ideas that are both social-distancing-friendly, and do not involve the use of electronics. Water balloons .  Start 6 feet apart, and see how much further you can go.  This works well on ...

During our time of social distancing, quarantine, and isolation, a lot of us are left wondering what to do while at home.  It can be easy to get cabin fever, or to get sucked into the internet, so here are a few ideas of things to do while at home without using the internet. Read a book .  Think of all the books you have wanted to read, but lacked the time.  Now is your chance!  Read that book, annotate it, and maybe even write a review! Fly a kite !  It's cliche, but if you have a little wind, why not dig out that childhood toy and have some back yard fun? Make a rubber band ball .  This is a good one if you have a lot of time to kill, as you will need to hunt down about 100 rubber bands of all different sizes.  But once you're done, you will have all your rubber bands in one place!  You'll thank yourself later, as long as you remember where you put them:) Call or video chat your friends and family .  Now is a great time to "waste time...

This is a post for the gents.  It's been awhile since I've done one of these, so I thought it was about time to revive them. A lot of guys these days are left wondering what a girl really wants in a guy, and what qualities are universally attractive to women.  Well, here it is gents! We want honor and respect. We are done with cat calls and whistles.  Nobody wants deep down to be treated that way.  Although you will see some girls dressed or acting in a way that does not demand much respect, if a guy respects a girl anyway, without making a big show of it, it strikes a chord.  It reminds her that she has more to offer than what society tells her to flaunt.  It challenges her to a higher standard. We want protection. We want security in the knowledge that we are protected.  Even if a woman is single and not looking for a relationship, it is appreciated if a man will walk her to her car, or intervene if she is in danger.  Especially those o...

This post will be a shorter one. Do you ever hear your friends say terrible things about themselves?  Have you ever wondered how to helpfully respond when they do this?  It can be hard to know exactly what to say, and it's painful to hear a friend say things like, "I'm so stupid", or "I suck at life".  I have heard people I really care about say these things, and I've found myself saying them too.  It's hard on both ends!  So what do we do? When someone expresses a sentiment like this, don't shut them down.  Clearly, it's something that's been going through their head, and will continue if it's not addressed.  If your friend says "Nobody loves me" or "I'm ugly", clearly this is something they are either believing, or it has just popped up on a whim.  Don't suppress it.  If you respond by saying, "Oh that's terrible, don't say that!", all you are telling them is that you don't want ...