I was tooling around LA during the holiday weekend with the top down and radio blasting (I have never grown tired of this) when Fleetwood Mac’s, “Landslide” came on the radio. The lyrics, written by the unparalleled Ms. Stevie Nicks, inspired today’s column:

“Well, I’ve been afraid of changing

‘Cause I built my life around you

But times make you bolder

Children get older

I’m getting older too”

Change…who craves permanent change? We may all like an occasional shake up, but most people are creatures of habit. We don’t relish tectonic upheavals. For example, change hits us like a sledge hammer when our children go away to college. It generally freaks mother’s out (although father’s are happy to have wives attention back, but that’s another story). Unless your child has been displaying Lindsey Lohan behavior or having socialization issues like Carrie White in the Stephen King thriller, most parents get weepy. We want our children to move on and experience college, but empty nest is a difficult transition.

It is actually a perfect time for marital change and an opportunity to re-acquaint yourself with your spouse. After all, for over 18 years the kids have been front and center. Now it is “couple time” and that means shaking things up.  During our Marin County sojourn, it was apparent that a disproportionate number of families from our daughter’s school were divorced. My personal observation was that couples just lost touch with each other. Husbands went to the city every day and their assistant or business associate showered them with attention and even sex…something many mothers’ don’t have time for. I also noticed and, Gloria Steinem don’t kill me, but many women stayed in the same place, unaware of things changing around them as being a mom and can certainly be all consuming.

I was happily married and engaged professionally, but I craved change. So, when Courtny went off to college I convinced David that we were dying in Marin and we needed to change. We staged the house, sold it before the tide turned in the real estate market, had a 3 day tag sale and hauled ass across America to New York City…change, freedom and people of like minds.

Another change hit us when the market crashed most recently in 2008 and boy, did things change overnight. We woke up a day later and had lost half of our hard earned savings. That will interrupt your regular scheduled programming. We knew that a life of leisure was not in our future and that we would have to sell a kidney and other random body parts on the black market in order to leave an inheritance.

Life got rear ended when our daughter was hit by a bus crossing Central Park West on her way to work and was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital. A change we decided against was of a retail nature. Her large, engorged Balenciaga handbag saved her from permanent damage (true story)…our motto now is always buy designer because real quality saves lives!

We have had more technological change in the past decade than ever before. This has become a free pass for our children and husband’s to denigrate our mental ability to operate the computer, cell phone, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. But revenge is sweet. I have stepped up technologically and now I am a savvy blogger with a forum of my own. If I can change technologically, anyone can!

 I say the time has come to Re-think, Re-imagine and Remember Stevie’s lyrics, “I’m getting older” and so are you. Get out there and initiate changes….even if it is only changing that same old hairdo you have had since high school!

*Note to self and all the flushed fellow ‘pausers: maybe there is a positive component to menopause…after all, it is called the change of life. So if you are in the change, why don’t you?

Cha, Cha, Cha, Changing’ Cauliflower
-2 lbs. cauliflower (Trader Joe’s has cauliflower in bags, use 2)
-Capers-2 tablespoons
-EVOO
-Fresh Ground Pepper
-Pasta (Bowties or tubes)
-Parmesano Reggiano-grated
Cut cauliflower into bite size pieces. Spray pan with cooking crack, PAM, and saute for 10-15 minutes on high flame. Add 2 tablespoons capers and a tablespoon caper juice to mix. Cook until cauliflower is golden brown. Cook pasta and then saute for 10 minutes in pan with EVOO IF you like your pasta crunchy. I think it adds to the flavor and texture of the dish. Combine pasta with cauliflower and saute for additional 2-3 minutes. Add grated Parmesan and serve.
Easy, delish and you have changed cauliflower into a new healthy dinner!