Chess TablesWritten by Michael Kanehl
Where design meets functionality A well made chess table isn't going to make you a better chess player but it is going to bring a level of class to both your game, and room that it resides in, that no ordinary chess board can match.More than a piece of furniture, chess tables make a statement that you are not merely a chess player, you are a chess connoisseur! As you might imagine, chess tables exist solely for playing chess. They typically are made of solid wood with rosewood, cedar, and mahogany being most popular. Exotic wood version are also available. The chess board is generally made of inlaid wood that is integral to table top. Most tables also provide two felt-lined drawers for storage of pieces and pawns. Like any other furniture piece, manufacturing process runs gamut from mass-produced to one-of-a-kind hand-crafted collector pieces. The prices range widely as well. Expect to pay in neighborhood of $500 for a higher-end manufactured piece and $1500 and up for hand-made pieces. Of course, there are chess tables available for under $100 as well.
| | You’re A Mom, She’s A Mom: Being An Adult With Your ParentsWritten by Mimi Azoubel Daniel, MS, CEC
On one of her quarterly visits to see her grandson, my three-year-old son, my mother ignores available front seat of car, crowds into back next to car seat and promptly unwraps a lollipop. Feeling tension rising, I recall numerous conversations where I so proudly tell my mother how I keep sugar away from my son. “Mom, what are you doing? Haven’t you heard a word I said?” And so it starts. The struggle of being an adult with my parent. So much is written today about taking care of our parents as they age. Monitoring medical care, determining living arrangements and providing emotional support are new roles that we have taken on to help our parents age gracefully and with dignity. We are “Sandwich Generation,” growing number of adult children squeezed between needs of an aging parent and demands of our own children, spouses and careers. But not much is written about stage prior to this phase. That time when our parents are still healthy and active and still very much involved in our own lives. I am talking about that period of time when you, yourself, are an active adult, with a family and a husband and life of your very own. That is when struggle to be an adult with your parents begins. So, which Mom really knows best? As a Relationship Coach, I often hear, “My mother can get under my skin in less than 10 seconds.” After all these years, your parents can still find ways to throw you off-balance and resurrect old habits. They are your biggest fans and your harshest critics. And, whether we like to admit it or not, we continue to want their approval no matter how old, how independent or how successful we are. In short, your parent’s opinions remain extremely important. We want our Moms to respect our choices and admire lives that we created. After all, isn’t our success a reflection of their efforts as a mother? But sometimes, they seem so quick to criticize. So what can we do? Find New Ways to Connect As a fellow mother and wife, we assume that best way to connect with our mothers is on issues of parenting, family and marriage. However, these are often hot-bed issues which lead to unwanted advise. Discover other mutual interests to talk about and share. Talk about politics, take walks, meet at gym, garden together, go to movies or theater, bring your Mother to your job so she can see where you work and meet colleagues, join a book club. Enrich your relationship by finding other ways to connect and other issues to talk about. Create Boundaries We have all heard this, but what exactly does it mean? In an effort to be closer, we sometimes offer too much information. A small detail becomes a point of scrutiny. It is all right to answer our parents’ questions with limited information. Be proactive. Offer information about something you know your mother will ask about before she asks. This puts communication in your hands. Be clear with your mother. Do not expect her to know which areas she can comment on and which areas are off limits. It is your job as adult child to define limits. But be careful, here. You cannot go both ways. You cannot tell your mother that she cannot comment on your husband and then call her when you have a fight with him. Call a girlfriend. Find another network of support for that area.
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