You may have heard of the pheromone androstenone, found in boar saliva, that is similar to what men secrete through sweat glands. It is said to drive some females into a frenzy. Did you know that truffles (the wild mushroom kind not the chocolate kind) smell similarly? Truffles’ scent is what makes sows such effective…
Dating after 40
Midlife dating is like garage sale shopping
Do you like to shop at garage sales, swap meets, flea markets or eBay? I do. I’ve noticed some similarities to midlife dating. Some friends eschew bargain shopping, as they say it reflects scarcity thinking. This could be true if you felt hand-me-downs were the only option for you — that you couldn’t afford —…
The truth-telling session
It’s happened. Something we have been discussing in this blog and comments for a little while. The issue is if you tell a guy you’ve dated but released what drives you batty about him, so he can fix it so it won’t bother future love interests. Yesterday, my first post-divorce beau emailed asking if I’d…
Midlife dating etiquette
The other day I was asked me for some rules of etiquette for when one is beginning to date. While etiquette is, according to the dictionary, “the customary code of polite behavior,” there are no hard and fast rules. What is rude to one is not a big deal for another. Following are what I’ve…
Care of newbie daters
Many midlife daters reenter the dating scene after a long absence. If they aren’t a long-time single, they are available again because of divorce or death of their spouse. At this age, many are sensitive to fading looks and possibly squishy bodies, even though others are buffer and more attractive than ever before. Midlifers are…
Do you project life with your date?
Do you project your life into the future with the guy you’ve just started dating — sometimes even before you’ve met? I’ve been guilty of this, as well as been on the receiving end. Let me give you some examples: Yesterday I had a first coffee date with an award-winning professor at a local internationally…
Review of “Rescue Me, He’s Wearing a Moose Hat”
A year ago when I began writing my experiences of and lessons on midlife dating I was told to check out a book by another woman on her stories of reentering the dating world after 50. I was told my writing style was somewhat similar, but I purposefully didn’t read it because I didn’t want…
What do others see through your glasses?
In Dorothy Parker‘s 1936 poem “News Item,*” she wrote of feeling that men were not likely to be drawn to — make a pass at — women who wore glasses. I don’t know if that is still true, 70 years later. Some men, like my last beau, said he thought women in glasses were sexy….
Do you think you’ll change his mind?
Yesterday, I ran into a high-school buddy — someone I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. He stopped me at our neighborhood’s dance party, to which the whole city is invited. Out of 10,000 people, he picked me out of the crowd. I guess I haven’t changed a great deal since high school! Catching up,…
Tips for initiating online contact
Recently a DG reader asked: Do you have any tips on initiating online contact in a way that will get someone’s attention without sending them running for the hills? I’ve tried commenting on common interests or similar life situations with little success. In the last 3 weeks I’ve contacted 6 potential dates and had one…
The working date
I was interviewed yesterday by a Wall Street Journal reporter on the concept of working dates. Does this mean you bring your date to work, as you would bring a son or daughter on those “bring your kid to work” days? Does it mean you agree to have a date where you do chores around…