Jade Walker's comments

Facing a Marriage Crisis

23 Dec 2008 08:10 AM

While your husband may or may not be having a sexual affair, he's certainly having an emotional one. The compulsion to check his e-mails means you felt a lack of trust in the relationship. His denial only confirms your feelings. If he's unwilling to be truthful and trustworthy, then your marriage is in serious trouble.

People who refuse to tolerate adultery, even the emotional kind, will urge you to leave him (after all, you deserve someone who will love, honor and respect you). Those who believe in giving second chances will urge you both to go into marriage counseling immediately. Only you can decide which path to take. Neither option is easy, but the situation can no longer be ignored.

Marriage Blog, I Bid You Farewell

12 Dec 2008 11:49 AM

Thank you for all your great work on this blog, Court. I look forward to seeing where your next adventure takes you.

Why Do People Think of Marriage as Hard Work?

09 Dec 2008 09:59 AM

I think where you and I part ways is on the definition of 'work.' As a workaholic, and someone who loves her chosen profession, work is a pleasurable experience. It's also tiring, exhilarating, troubling, enlightening, frustrating and freeing. I imagine my future marriage will be the same way.

As for the 20-something, her mother is right. She is too young to wed. People who consider marriage a hassle aren't ready for it. She needs to figure out who she is before she even thinks about sharing her life with someone else. And, if she's lucky enough to find the right person, perhaps then the hassle will be worth it.

Weddings: Putting All That Planning Into Perspective

06 Dec 2008 09:07 AM

As you know, we're not having a huge wedding. To us, an intimate ceremony is ideal, not only because it honors our commitment to each other but because it allows us to revel in our other passion: travel.

In this economy, it's wise to look at a wedding as a celebration of love, not a celebration of excess. And despite what the wedding magazines/shows claim, I don't need to be in the spotlight to feel like a queen/princess. My beau treats me like one every day.

China? No thanks. $1,000 dress I'll wear once? That $1,000 would be better spent on plane tickets. Cake topper? We're not even having a cake.

So what do we consider important? Nice rings since we'll wear them for a lifetime. Handsome outfits that we can wear again (even if it's only for a party or a Renaissance faire). A beautiful location for the ceremony. Decent photographs to capture memories of the day. And, most importantly, an outstanding honeymoon. As for all the other accouterments that we're "supposed" to have -- i.e., wedding parties, receptions, bands/DJs, $150 a plate meals, cakes, engraved invitations, butterfly launches and parting gifts -- forget it.

Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving with Your Spouse

28 Nov 2008 06:09 AM

Our first year together, my beau and I flew to Seattle to spend Thanksgiving with my ex-boyfriend-and-still-friend. The two men got along fabulously, as I knew they would, and a great time was had by all. Our second year together, we spent traveling through Scotland (my first trip abroad). And this, our third year together, we spent at our new home. We watched the Macy's parade, feasted, played games and generally just hung out together. It was lovely. (For what it's worth, we invited my ex to come visit for Thanksgiving, but he had other plans. Ah well!)

Change Your Bedding, Change Your Sex Life

25 Nov 2008 11:26 AM

I have another suggestion. If you normally wear pajamas to bed, stop doing so for one week. Nothing promotes intimacy like skin on skin.

For those of you who say, "But Jade, it's winter and freakin' cold in our bedroom"...I say, "All the more reason to cuddle close to the one you love." I'm betting that after a week, you'll never wear PJs again.

Do You Play Games with Your Spouse?

20 Nov 2008 06:39 PM

Our favorite gaming site is Pogo.com. I got my beau hooked on it when we were in a long distance relationship (he now has half a million more tokens than I do). Yesterday, we received a lovely table off our wedding registry. Needless to say, we're already planning future game nights of Uno, Scrabble, Monopoly and Trivia Pursuit. The Wii is awesome too, though I tend to use the Wii Fit program more than the games. We're huge fans of arcade games as well; give us 20 bucks in quarters and a game we can play together and we're set for an hour.

An Engaging Website

19 Nov 2008 08:12 PM

The best part about the honeymoon fund is that it isn't required. We're saving up enough money to pay for the entire thing ourselves, so any extra money we receive from friends and family will simply enhance our experience. Our current plan is to use that dough to upgrade from coach to first class plane tickets, or to skip the B&B route one night and stay in a castle.

Spouses Behaving Badly

18 Nov 2008 07:46 PM

I guess I'm lucky; my beau hasn't strayed into the 'spouses behaving badly' category. We've been together for a few years now. I imagine if it was going to happen, it would have already.

Constanza Syndrome...that's a hoot. I had a friend who behaved similarly back in high school. We were walking together one day, and a large dog came out of no where and lunged at us. My friend's first reaction was to physically place my body in front of hers, thus protecting herself from danger. I guess that explains why we're not friends anymore.

I have the opposite habit. If I'm driving, and I have to stop suddenly, my right arm automatically reaches across to cover M's abdomen, as if I could somehow protect him from any harm (more than the seat belt he already wears and the airbag that would pop out if a collision occurred). I know it's a silly habit, but it's an instinctive one.

Spotlight on Two Families.com Wives: Dale Harcombe and Jade Walker

07 Nov 2008 11:07 AM

Awww, thank you Court. You're very sweet.