The Surreal Housewife Blog

Welcome to my blog. Now laugh and tell all your friends.

Finally, a plan

August 29, 2019 By Lisa Lucke Leave a Comment

I’m not sure what the shelf life is for “What are you doing with all your free time now that the kids are gone?” but I’m still hearing it on a regular basis, and we’re entering year two. That’s the second year of a clean, fresh-smelling, private … [Read more...]

Home Alone

April 13, 2019 By Lisa Lucke

Here we are, just past the half-year mark without any referees, wardens, or ADHD pushers, a.k.a., children, underfoot. For 13 years we all lived under the same roof, and that was plenty, I mean, perfect. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. No more … [Read more...]

Helping, not helping

March 7, 2019 By Lisa Lucke Leave a Comment

New patient paperwork. The very idea of it gives me a tummy ache that I probably should see a specialist for. How is it in this day and age we don’t all have a secret little online portal where we simply sign a paper, one little bitty signature line, … [Read more...]

How to Introduce a Third Person into Your Relationship

February 22, 2019 By Lisa Lucke 2 Comments

A few years ago, as I anticipated the end of our completely full nest and knew that in two more years the place would be a ghost town of sorts, I decided it was time to liven things up around here. What better way than with that ho, Alexa. Two years … [Read more...]

Fourth Time’s a Charm…Isn’t It?

January 26, 2019 By Lisa Lucke 6 Comments

We had what amounts to a parenting milestone two-fer last fall. Our youngest two children, step-sisters, both graduated in June and moved away to begin their freshman year of college at their respective schools. While our nest-emptying began … [Read more...]

Raising Jayce

January 15, 2019 By Lisa Lucke 10 Comments

Last fall, we implanted our youngest two children, step-sisters, at their chosen universities, which makes our nest officially empty, most of the time. Over the years, I’ve written about having one, then two, then four in high school at the same … [Read more...]

How puzzles are like sex

December 22, 2017 By Lisa Lucke 3 Comments

About a month ago, as I wandered around Walmart in a jump-start-on-Xmess-shopping high, I drifted past the aisles of plastic toys, just for fun. I was feeling a tiny bit nostalgic, but mostly grateful. No longer must I venture into the dark recesses … [Read more...]

Give and Take: A Note of Thanks

November 16, 2017 By Lisa Lucke 12 Comments

(This blog post is dedicated to Annette Adam, who passed away in August 2017.) Full disclosure, I really wasn’t a close friend of Annette’s, but it is hard not to develop an affinity for someone who was so genuinely nice. In fact, my adoration for … [Read more...]

I Miss My Hot Mess of a Friend, New York

October 23, 2017 By Lisa Lucke 3 Comments

I spent several days in New York recently, and like almost every other time, about a dozen in the last 25 years or so, I had the time of my life, but sure was glad to get home. But I miss it. I miss it like I miss an exhausting, crazy friend that I … [Read more...]

Here We Go Again: Table for Four?

September 13, 2017 By Lisa Lucke 8 Comments

Our kitchen table just took another hit last week. The big oblong shape formed when all three leaves are inserted in the tiger oak table lost a leaf last year when our first kid hit the college road. This September, I took two leaves out. Now, the … [Read more...]