The Only Child Diaries Podcast

Send us Fan Mail How do you find hope?  Strap yourself in for a rollercoaster of emotions as we journey through the heartwarming narrative of my furry friend, Bubbie. When your beloved pet is in crisis, does it feel like your world spins out of control? Discover the raw and real account of my struggle with Bubbie's health scare and the deep realization of how our well-being is intertwined. Ve...

Send us Fan Mail Growing up as an only child can be quite the adventure - and that's exactly what Amy Brick and I explore in this funny and insightful episode! We chat about Amy's unique experiences navigating childhood friendships and social situations, while also reflecting on the reasons her parents decided not to have more children. As a parent herself, Amy shares how her own upbring...

Send us Fan Mail Strap on your historian's cap as we journey into Philadelphia, a city that effervesces with both the birth pains and the triumphant strides of American history. Amidst the rich tapestry of its past and the vibrancy of its present, join me, Tracy Wallace, as I engage with the city's heritage, share the tale of our visit to Betsy Ross' House, and delve into the nuance...

Send us Fan Mail After years of navigating the often-confusing world of physical therapy, I've learned the importance of choosing the right provider for my needs. Join me in this episode of the Only Child Diaries podcast as I share my personal journey, encounters with interesting characters (including a Wizard of Oz munchkin), and the lessons I've picked up along the way. You'll hea...

Send us Fan Mail Can you imagine navigating the world of dating without any guidance? Welcome to my life! Join me in this episode of the Only Child Diaries podcast as I recount my journey through the confusing world of dating and relationships. From my earliest crushes on media personalities to my first boyfriend, I share my experiences in taking the lead in finding love and the valuable lessons l...

Send us Fan Mail Being an only child, my relationship with my dad was key.  My mom and I didn't always get along or see eye to eye, but my dad and I had an understanding, for most of our lives together. He had a good sense of humor, he was hardworking and he had a joy for life.  For the simple things.  Was he a good parent?  Maybe not in the traditional ways that you would think of a dad. In...

Send us Fan Mail It seems like such an innocent task.  Go to the paint store.  Or go to the home improvement store.  Proceed to the paint section and look at the colors.  Pick one.  Go home and paint.  Oh no.  There's nothing easy about it. Choosing the perfect paint color is complicated. Painting the inside of your house - or even the outside - takes time and money.  It's not like you c...

Send us Fan Mail You've seen that one apartment balcony with all the plants?  Yeah, that was me for a while...before the squirrels found me.  Now that we are living in a house, the garden needs a LOT of work.  It's again become an oasis for me.  It all started when I was a kid.  A quirky kid who learned all the botanical names of the plants in our yard.  And was looking for a way to be c...

Send us Fan Mail Women needs to have other female friends.  Friends they can confide in, plan fun things, gossip and be there for each other.  In this episode, I'm going to talk about one friend in particular, my best friend of 32 years - Gina Zamparelli.  The month of May marks her birthday but also the anniversary of her passing.  In 2023, it is five years since we lost her to cancer.  But...

Send us Fan Mail Last week's episode - The Brochure on Ambivalent Mother's Days - was one of my most popular recently.  I was surprised since honoring and respecting your mother while staying positive and overlooking the negative is definitely at thing.  It seems like negativity and showing that negativity have no place where mothers are concerned.  I get it.  Mothers give us life.  But...

Send us Fan Mail As a child, Mother's Day seemed innocent enough.  But then as I got older and experienced some of the complicated moments between my mother and myself, Mother's Day started to become a stressful day I didn't look forward to in any way, shape or form.  Hear about my personal journey around Mother's Day and my family's female relationship legacy.  Hint:  It&...

Send us Fan Mail Do you have something to say to the world?  I bet you do!  This week I'm talking about sharing what you have to say with others.  It's my opinion that everyone has something valuable to say.  Why not share that message with those around you, and beyond?   Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/...

Send us Fan Mail Recovering from my knee surgery, I've been plagued by an unfortunate UTI that just won't go away, and getting in to see the right doctor has been frustrating.  So I needed to go to the emergency room, not once, but twice this past month.  And it's been a real experience getting treatment.  Hear about my medical journey and something about the medical profession in g...

Send us Fan Mail There's National Gardening Day.  Even National Laundry Day.  Really?  Almost every day on our calendar celebrates something in our world.  Did you know that April 12th is National Only Child Day? We finally have our own day!  Hear more about the day, and more about some of the research that has been done about the dynamics of only children families.  There's a lot!  Here...

Send us Fan Mail Spring!  It's about renewal, right?  This week I'm discussing renewal in myself.  More on my recovery from double knee surgery.  Being inspired by Jeremy Renner's recovery.  Have you seen the interview?  And the new Brooke Shields' documentary.  Wow, that gal really went through a lot.  Who knew?  But she persevered and survived.  Isn't that a part of what...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when your phone has a mind of its own?  And it keeps telling you every day to keep moving?  To reach a goal that you haven't set?  But you've had knee surgery and you're resting?  Frustration ensues!  This week I'm exploring the funny side of double knee surgery recovery!  Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ o...

Send us Fan Mail Recently I had knee surgery.  Bilateral partial knee replacements to be exact.  Yes, both knees at the same time.  People told me I was crazy, and maybe I am.  Hey, I've always been an overachiever.  Okay, maybe not ALWAYS.  Anyway, I had to decide if I was going to have only one done, or both.  My surgeon instilled great confidence in me that I could manage with both done, b...

Send us Fan Mail In honor of my birthday, which is March 22, I offer up some stories about my best and worst birthdays, and a discussion about honoring YOURSELF for your birthday.  It's YOUR day!  Happy Birthday, whenever your special day is!  Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onlychilddiariespodcast/ or On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onlychilddiaries/

Send us Fan Mail This week you'll hear the last part of my journey dieting, and dealing with food.  My crazy wonderful relationship with food.  I ended up losing 80 pounds.  Did I keep it off?  You'll find out.  You'll hear about more of my weight loss struggles, which aren't new to anyone, but I hope you can find some commonality in my experiences that might help you.  If you&...

Send us Fan Mail This is Part 2 of 3 about my journey with food, dieting, and trying to maintain a healthy weight throughout my lifetime.  This episode starts in college, and details out some of the crazy things I binged on, and then takes you through my 20s and 30s, when I had my store and started working.  And when  I could still eat carbs and get away with it!  Now, if I walk past carbs, I get...

Send us Fan Mail Food, oh glorious food.  I love food.  I hate what it can do to me.  I've almost always felt CONTROLLED by food, and so while I NEED food, I have a love/hate relationship with it.  It feels like that dysfunctional boyfriend, the one I really was crazy for, but the one who wasn't good for me.  I come from parents who both enjoyed food too much, and who used food as an emo...

Send us Fan Mail Time management is an important part of life, but it changes a bit as your life changes, or transitions.  This week, I'm sharing why I've often been called the Energizer Bunny, but also how I'm approaching my time management now that I'm not working.  I'll also share some thoughts on the word retirement.  People have used the R word to describe me, but I&a...

Send us Fan Mail How do you feel about trees?  All my life, there's been a tree shadowing my life.  A redwood tree.  We have a relationship of sorts.  Sometimes it's a love/hate kind of thing.  Can you be jealous of a tree?  In this episode, I talk about that tree, as well as some of the symbolism and meaning of trees in our lives.  Here are some links to info discussing trees in our liv...

Send us Fan Mail At certain points in my life, I've found the need to do something for ME.  Something that has brought joy to my life, or meaning, or both.  I'm not just talking about that piece of chocolate, or bowl of ice cream, or even that shirt you really like.  It's important to have something in your life that brings meaning....to YOU, but it's not always easy to cultiva...

Send us Fan Mail My "good" knee recently took a deep dive into the dark side.  It's frustrating when your body doesn't keep up with your personal goals!  So it looks like I'll be having knee surgery in the near future.  And it got me thinking about my experiences with surgery.  Looking back on them, I ended up being glad I had each procedure, because eventually yes, I ende...