Has something like this ever happened to you?  One day last week, I bent down to pick up a stack of newspapers for the recycling bin and the next thing I knew, I was writhing on the floor in pain.  I laid there crying for several minutes before I could get myself up and make my way to the couch.  For the next eight days, all I did was move myself from the couch to the floor, and to the bed, trying to find a comfortable position.  

As I was staring up at the ceiling,  I kept thinking about that episode of “Sex and the City” where Miranda, who lives alone, almost chokes.  She basically performs the Heimlich Maneuver on herself and then she calls Carrie, freaking out, thinking she could have died alone in her apartment.  That’s how I was feeling, totally helpless and all alone.  I had visions of being found, laying prostrate on the living room floor having starved to death because I couldn’t get to the kitchen.  But then I realized I was just feeling sorry for myself.  Several friends had called while I was laid up and when I told them what had happened, they all offered help.  I hate to impose, so I declined.  But then everyone called again to check up and  several insisted on coming by—with food, heating pads, and just to keep me company.

Having friends stop by and take care of me made a huge difference.  It made the days go by faster and completely uplifted my mood.  And I realized—my situation really was just like Miranda’s.  Like her, I don’t currently have a significant other and I live alone.  But I’m not alone.  Like Miranda, I have my own Carrie, Samantha, and Charlotte and many more good friends.  Maybe soon there’ll be a Mr. Big.

After a resounding victory in our “Who Gets the Coffin?” poll, Jo Wood, the former wife of Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood, became the proud new owner of a Wedding Ring Coffin.  The United Kingdom’s Daily Mail  ran this story (click here) about Jo and her Wedding Ring Coffin. We were thrilled to discover that she loved it!  Jo had a little ceremony and placed her ring in the Wedding Ring Coffin, a perfect way to close the lid on her 31 year marriage. 

We wish Jo good luck as she competes on Strictly Come Dancing as well as lots of happiness as she begins this new chapter in her life.

Did you watch “Secret Lives of Women” last week?  Both Amy Botwinick and Angie Schmidt were so impressive.  They’re great examples of women who were able to turn lemons into lemonade. 

When Amy suddenly found herself getting divorced, she ended up writing a book about her experience,  Congratulations Your Divorce .  She continues to help women get through the painful process of divorce by running workshops as well as offering counseling. 

Angie Schmidt started a website, www.smashingkatie.com, which sells a variety of fun, unique items to help deal with a breakup.  BTW, Katie is the name of the other woman in Angie’s marriage—a good business woman and a good sense of humor!

Life after divorce—you never know what the future holds…

In the last couple of years, I’ve gotten to meet some great women with really interesting divorce stories.  Amy Botwinick is the author of “Congratulations on Your Divorce” and Angie Schmidt is the founder of smashingkatie.com.  Both women will be featured on “Secret Lives of Women” airing Tuesday, September 8th at 10:00 PM on the WE network.  There’s even a chance that the Wedding Ring Coffin will get some air time.  Don’t miss it!  Set your DVRs and pop some popcorn!

A very smart woman I know says of men who cheat, “once a cheat, always a cheat.”  She firmly believes that if a man (or woman) cheats on his spouse, odds are pretty high that he’ll do it again.  But if someone cheats at one thing, is it also pretty certain they’ll cheat at other things? 

I couldn’t help but wonder about that when I heard the latest news about Bernie Madoff.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme bilked investors out of $50 billion.  Now comes the news that he had a long term affair with Sheryl Weinstein, a woman who invested millions of dollars with Madoff on behalf of Hadassah.  She also invested all the money she and her husband had (yes, she was married, she’s a cheater, too).  The media coverage is reporting the “latest shocking news” about Madoff.  But is it so surprising that Madoff was cheating on his wife?   He cheated at investing, carrying on his Ponzi scheme for decades.  Is it so hard to believe he cheated on his wife for decades, too?

So maybe it is true—once a cheat, always a cheat.  Cheat with money, cheat on your spouse, cheat at golf.  If you’re capable of one, you’re probably capable of another.

I was just cleaning up around the office and came across a discarded Wedding Ring Coffin plaque. It was one that a customer had wanted for his/her coffin, got scratched and so was just laying around. But it was one of the more witty ones we had been asked to create, and I thought I’d share it and a few other favorites with you.

Some happy, some sad.  Some bitter, some resigned.  At the end of the day, it’s all about whatever helps you move forward.

You may have heard about the JK Wedding Entrance Dance video that exploded onto YouTube with over 14,000,000 views and made celebrities out of newlyweds Jill Petersen and Kevin Heinz. Well now there is the JK Divorce Entrance Dance created by Indigo Productions.  The parody doesn’t take place in a church, but in a courtroom complete with dancing bailiffs, jiggy judge, flipping groom, and a slow-motion fight scene.