Publisher: Midlife at the Oasis

about me Hi, I’m Lois! I’m an award-winning writer who sees the world through rose-colored bifocals. Okay, I don’t really even need glasses yet — although a magnifying glass would definitely be helpful — but I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life since turning 50, including going to Australia with Oprah, winning two BlogHer Voices of the Year Awards and making my bucket list trip to Londolozi in South Africa. At this point in my life, I know what makes me happy, and I’m going for it. I want to form a community of women who feel the same way, and who have the power to make things happen — for themselves and others. As someone once said — and, really, I would credit them if I could remotely remember who it was — it’s the second act that has the happy ending. This new site is still being created, but in the meantime, here are 25 random things you should know about me. 1. I have an unnatural obsession with Dunkin’ Donuts. 2. I knew I would marry Michael the minute I saw him. 3. I have a thing for movies like Into The Wild, Gorillas In The Mist and The Mosquito Coast, but am really a five-star hotel kind of girl. 4. I’m on medium on bass, guitar and vocals in Guitar Hero, but my drum playing still gets us booed off the stage. 5. Smell good, and I’ll follow you anywhere. 6. I used to write the lyrics to Thunder Road over and over again in my school notebooks and was happily surprised to learn my sister did too. 7. I gasped in recognition when I read Anne Lamott’s line, “She lived in fear of ironic endings.” 8. I once smacked a woman for taking my cab. (Okay, not my proudest moment.) 9. I have pedestrian tastes when it comes to chocolate, and will take Hershey’s over Godiva any day. 10. I wanted to be Joni Mitchell when I was a teenager. 11. My iced tea needs to have extra ice and my hot tea needs to be extra hot. 12. I will always be a New Yorker, but I often drive by the ocean to appreciate how lucky I am to live in San Diego. 13. I have two little vertical lines over my lip that I hated until the dermatologist told me they were from too much kissing. 14. I get teary whenever I see a guide dog. 15. I totally relate to the saying, “You’re only as happy as your least happy child.” 16. I discovered sushi and massages late in life — and fell hard for both. 17. I have laughed so hard, I’ve peed in my pants. 18. I passionately love to travel, hate to pack and envy people who can fall asleep on planes. 19. I’m a terrible Pictionary partner because I can only draw houses and flowers. I am a great Taboo partner, though. 20. The car is the only part of my life where I’d rather be a passenger than steer. 21. I would seriously have considered moving out of the country if Obama hadn’t won the election. 22. I won a fiction writing contest in American Girl magazine when I was 12 years old, and have only written non-fiction since then. 23. There are certain pieces of music that touch me so deeply, they make me want to cry. 24. I find something endearing about people’s Starbucks orders. 25. I say thank you a lot — and mean it.