I started amuse4mama four years ago, at the halfway point of my life, when I turned 50, to take stock without considering how it would impact anyone else.

You know when you ask, Do I want my remaining years to be half-empty or half-full?

Half full, no doubt! That’s the correct answer!

However, the total of my life seemed half-empty. My daughters were almost grown. Alex and I have a great relationship, but we couldn’t spend all our time together, and my other baby, the fictional book I’d been writing for 30+ years, seemed just as pointless.

I had to face the music. Do I want to spend the rest of my life unpublished and invisible?

I needed a life—more like a muse.

So I did Mamma Mia! Thanks to the girls. Something I would never have dreamed of doing since I can’t sing, act, or dance (unless in the shower, car, or unchoreographed).

Somehow, the comedy of me publically having the time of my life making a fool of myself got me to London on my fiftieth birthday to don gold lame pants and white boots and dance to my heart’s content at Mamma Mia–the party!

You know my secret if you ever wondered where I got my name for amuse4mama. My muse was Mamma Mia!

I had so much fun through my midlife fun that I wrote a book about my experience- nonfiction, anyone?

Only nonfiction is more challenging to sell than fiction (not that I know how to publish a fictional book, either).

You need to be famous or have a lot of followers. Hence, this blog was born.

Like ABBA and all the greats before them, I decided to get my name out there and be a smash success. How hard could it be to drum up a few followers?

Name one great person who was looking for followers.

Exactly, but I didn’t know that yet.

And looking for followers wasn’t the answer to making my life half full, but I didn’t know that either.

Plus, I had made this massive turnaround where I wanted to share my life experiences with someone more than Alex, the girls, and the dog, though she’s the best audience for my singing, dancing, and acting if a treat’s involved.

While I obsessed over the small things, like if anyone was reading me, life had a bigger plan. I got cancer.

And then I let my hair down (fall out, actually) while I mused my way through cancer. There was no telling who was following me (or not) then.

That’s when I lost so many left brain cells I needed Alex to edit what I wrote to make sure I didn’t make a fool of myself. He kept this Mama afloat and still does. (On top of being a great husband and father, he’s an excellent editor).

And eventually, the novelty of me writing about cancer faded, and I had my life back, which left me in the same mess that started this mid-life fun. Now what?

Oh, right, I nearly forgot I needed to focus on my muse and marketing. Does Taylor Swift’s PR person want to take me on?

“In my wildest dreams,” says none other than Taylor.

Before I could figure out a marketing front gameplay, my friend asked me to guest write for her online mag Philly Flair.

It’s tough to guest post and keep up with my blog, so I stopped writing consistently for my muse.

It took those times when we were apart when I got the picture finally. You’re what makes the second half of my life half-full. 

As fun as it is to write for a different audience and try out a different journalistic style, I get 0 comments.

And that reminds me, you’re always commenting on my posts or dropping me a line.

You remind me that this muse is personal—between you and me.

And though I’ll continue to write for Philly Flair, I’ll do so knowing this is where my heart is. 

You’ll always find me here, being real with you, because that’s what we’ve been doing for four years! We’ve got a lot more years ahead of us.

By starting this blog, I never had to worry about how to fill the other half of my life; you’ve filled it for me.

You’re the heart of the muse!

It only took me 156 posts (including this one) to figure that out. But I’m so glad I did.

Don’t worry; I’m not looking for followers anymore, plus I need way more money than I’ll ever get followers to hire Taylor Swift’s publicist.

I know how to fill the next half of my life–all it takes is a muse and you.

Together, we can keep it real.

My mission statement is as simple as the bottom of every newsletter–be amused or unsubscribe.

Your time is too valuable. So amusing you is essential, but that’s not the only thing I’m doing here.

I’m pouring my heart into yours and being filled up by your heart, too.

And while our glasses are half full, let’s raise our glasses and have a toast–to us!

We’ve filled our hearts with joy for four years, and may we have many more moments, one muse at a time!