Kimberly Dalferes | Author

Crazy, Southern, Irish Gal, Author

Midlife Swagger: We All Deserve An Anthem

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The State of the Union address happened this week. As I watched President Obama it occurred to me that part of the swagger, in addition to being one of the most powerful people in the world, is that he has a theme song. Interestingly, they didn’t play Hail to the Chief as he walked into the House chamber–guess they figured all eyes were already on him. Hail to the Chief – A Brief History There’s some fun history behind Hail to the Chief. First Lady Sarah Childress Polk is most often … [Read more...]

The Year of the Challenge Envelope

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“Hon, what exactly do you do with your allowance?” “Well, that’s my business.” “Yeah, but, you work from home…” “Hey, we made an agreement a long time ago that we each get the same amount of cash each week to blow as we see fit. No questions asked, remember?” “Yeah, but…” “Yeah, but, what?” “You’re right, forget I mentioned it.” Kiss kiss. Throughout 2014 this exchange between me and the Hubs reared its little head a few times. In each instance, I managed to dodge the … [Read more...]

Dear St. Peter, About Those Christmas Lights

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When my son Jimmy was young, circa second or third grade, he shared with me that he was pondering – as children often do – some of the secrets of the universe. I recall the conversation going something like this: “Mom, I have an idea about how we get into heaven.” “Why are you thinking about that?” “Don’t know. So, when we’re born we get 100 sins.” “OK…” “We get to make 100 mistakes. Anymore, and we don’t get into heaven.” “How did you come up with this?” “Don’t know. Thing … [Read more...]

The 12 Broads of Christmas

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Jerry Lewis has it wrong. For years he’s been stumbling over the idea that women can - or can't - be funny. OK, he’s 88 years old, so maybe we should cut him a little slack and not go straight to what an uber-schmuck. On the other hand, come on dude! It’s almost 2015, do we really need to have this discussion? photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/numberstumper/112564031/">numberstumper</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a … [Read more...]

That’s What He Said

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Psst! Hey, it’s me, the Hubs. Kimba is off snoozing away in a turkey-induced tryptophan coma. She left her blog dashboard open! I’m grabbing what may be my one and only chance to set the record straight regarding a few things. Image provided courtesy of Pixabay - http://pixabay.com/en/sleeping-reading-woman-reader-book-32750/ Kimba is a great storyteller as well as a fabulous wife, mother, and friend. But over the years she's gotten a few things wrong during her tall tale telling. Examples … [Read more...]

So Tucked Up

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There seems to be quite a bit written lately regarding what couples argue about. Just last week one of my favorite writers, Crystal Ponti, penned a piece for the Huffington Post - 5 Crazy Things Most Couples Fight About. I especially liked Ponti’s take on how assumptions are often the root cause of most misunderstandings and arguments. Ponti is a bit of an expert in this arena: she contributed to the hilarious and recently released Clash of the Couples, which is filled with fabulous tales of … [Read more...]

Stripping Lessons

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I’ve tackled many DIY projects throughout my 1980s colonial style house. You’ve experienced my “joys” as I’ve described my budget powder room makeover and my trash to treasure patio re-do. Hubs and I have painted almost every room, pulled up nasty green shag carpet, replaced cabinet handles and hinges, reupholstered chairs and benches, and completed a honey-do list that is varied and extensive. However, for the past 13 years we’ve chosen to ignore one particular room: the spare bathroom … [Read more...]

Mystery Solved: Why Women are Late

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A guy friend – not Hubs – recently lamented: Why are women ALWAYS late?? Oh, this is an easy one; I got this. When men leave the house each morning: The TV is on – in every room. Yesterday’s clothes are on the floor. Dirty dishes are in the sink. The kitty litter box is over-flowing. The kids are still in bed. photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelotuscarroll/9810243124/">Lotus Carroll</a> via <a … [Read more...]

Stupid Sh*t Said to Women

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A friend recently recommended I read the interview of Hillary Clinton by Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive of Glamour magazine. This September 2014 article focuses on career advice for women – the article was suggested because I’ve developed a keen interest in the whole “lean in vs be balanced” debate. FYI, excerpts from this interview can we be found online at: http://www.glamour.com/inspired/2014/08/hillary-rodham-clinton-career-lessons (accessed 9-29-14) Clinton’s discussion of what it was like … [Read more...]

One Gal’s Trash

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My mama raised me right. In our house, nothing ever went to waste. Leftover bacon grease was saved in a can on the kitchen counter. Aluminum foil was reused until it disintegrated. My lil’ brother and I often joke that Mom can spot the sales rack in a store faster than green grass through a goose (I cleaned that one up a bit for you Mom). But it’s not just good common sense instilled from Mom. My thriftiness can be traced to all sides of my gene pool. A couple of years ago my Dad introduced … [Read more...]