On our drive across the river to do some shopping today, Bob and I talked about how easy it is to let unhealthy behaviors creep into a marriage. With the cold weather, we haven't been walking as much as we usually do. Since we work together, our walks are quality time for us -- no television, no unfinished projects staring at us, no distractions other than the beauty of the beach and ocean.

Here is a list of major red flags that could hurt your marriage.

• Lack of respect and kindness for one another
• Lack of time with each other
• Lack of sexual desire for one another
• Lack of sharing responsibilities
• Lack of having agreed upon financial goals

What You Can Do:

• Don't Take Each Other for Granted
• Improve Your Sex Life
• Agree to Do Your Share of Chores
• Talk About Your Finances
• Simplify Your Lives

Full Article:
     Five Things You Can Do to Improve Your Marriage

Ecourse and Daily Newsletters:
     Ten Weeks to a Better Marriage
     Daily Marriage Tips
     Daily Dialogue Questions
     Daily Marriage Quotes

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Although the NAPO, National Association of Professional Organizers, declared January as "Get Organized Month," we don't think we will meet that deadline.

Lack of organization and too much clutter have been issues in our marriage since we first got married. One of our first arguments was about the number of aquariums that Bob had -- 13.

Now that we are in the midst of remodeling our house, we are keeping our promise to one another that as a room is finished, it will be organized and clutter free. We have three rooms in that category and with the kitchen due to be finished next month, we will be able to add another room to the list.

But it isn't easy. Hopefully, by January 2010, we can say we are organized! Oh -- Bob only has two aquariums now.

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We are in the midst of lots of wind and lots of rain. Normally, I love rain. That's good since we live in the Pacific Northwest. But today I realized I'm tired of the rain. Really really tired of the rain. Thank heavens for Bob's spontaneity.

When the power went out this afternoon, I got grumpy. My plans and expectations for the day were obviously not going to be met. Bob didn't have to ask me twice if I wanted to go shopping. I became less grumpy right away!

Even though there was lots of wind and rain across the river, that area still had power. Aside from getting soaked and chilled every time we got out of the car, we enjoyed the afternoon and had a nice dinner out. When we got home early this evening, the power was back on. Instead of having a disappointing afternoon, we had a pleasant one.

Looking back through the years, spontaneous moments created some of our favorite memories. We highly recommend that you keep spontaneity in your marriage. Don't allow yourselves to become so attached to a schedule that you don't do something spontaneous now and then.

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There's a diamond commercial on television that shows a young couple walking quickly and passing an elderly couple holding hands and walking slowly. The message conveyed is that true love lasts. Couples in long term marriages know this. Now scientists are saying it too.

About time! Couples like us who have been married a long time still feel passion and wobbly knees.

According to John Harlow and Brendan Montague, a scientific team from Stony Brook University in New York scanned the brains of new lovers and couples married 20 years. "Brain scans have proved that a small number of couples can respond with as much passion after 20 years as most people exhibit only in the first flush of love."

"The findings overturn the conventional view that love and sexual desire peak at the start of a relationship and then decline as the years pass."

Full Article:
      Scientists discover true love

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