A woman over 35 smiles while on a dinner date, discussing dating preferences with her companion.

DatingWomen Over 35 Reveal the Age Gap They’ll Actually Date, and Some Answers Will Surprise You

An adult daughter speaks earnestly to her emotional mother, reflecting a heartfelt moment of apology between parent and child.

FamilyApologies Your Adult Children Still Need to Hear from You

Couple embracing in a romantic silhouette above city lights, a scene that looks like a fairy tale but hides harsher truths about love.

DatingThe Harsh Truths About Love That Movies and Fairy Tales Completely Lied to You About

A couple engaged in a heated argument in their kitchen, illustrating relationship conflict over unreasonable demands.

All Love Notes

A woman at a bar glances back invitingly over her shoulder while a man nearby looks her way, hinting she wants him to approach.

Dating

Family

Marriage

From the Kitchen

welcome to the nest

Real Talk About Love, Marriage and Life After the Kids Leave Home

I'm Linda. When the last of our three kids moved out, Tom and I had to figure out how to be just us again. It turned out to be one of the most surprising seasons of our marriage, the good parts and the hard parts both. This is where I write about all of it, honestly. What keeps a long marriage warm, the small things that quietly pull couples apart, what men and women wish the other understood, and how to date your spouse again when the house finally gets quiet.

Meet Linda Read the Love Notes

love, marriage and everything after

Newest Notes on Love

Honest lessons from over thirty years with Tom, and from the couples who made it to fifty.

All relationship posts

A couple lies in bed turned away from each other, the woman's guarded expression hinting at underlying mistrust.

Relationships

If a Woman Cannot Be Trusted, You’ll Know It When You Hear Her Say These 15 Phrases on Repeat

My husband Tom rakes leaves on Saturday mornings. He has done that every fall for more than thirty years. This October I…

11 min read

An older couple holding hands on an evening walk

Relationships

21 Things Couples Married for 50 Years Do Differently

My parents, Tom's grandparents and a few dear couples from church taught me more about marriage than any book ever could. Here…

13 min read

Marriage

Now That I’m Over 50, Here Are the Things I Wished I’d Known Before Getting Married

Last month I went to a bridal shower for the daughter of a longtime friend. The hostess passed around index cards and…

18 min read

A husband and wife sit side by side on the couch, each absorbed in their phone instead of connecting with one another, reflecting emotional distance in the marriage.

Marriage

Signs Your Husband Is Checked Out of the Marriage Without Saying a Word

The winter after our youngest left for college, the house got quiet. I expected that. What I did not expect was that…

17 min read

A man lies awake deep in thought beside his sleeping partner, keeping his private reflections to himself.

Relationships

Women Should Know These Thoughts Men Keep to Themselves (Because It Matters)

The last week of August was hot, and my husband Tom decided it was the week to repaint the garage. I did…

18 min read

A woman gazes happily at a man, hinting at the subtle signs of hidden affection in a budding relationship.

Dating

Ladies, Here’s How to Tell If He Secretly Likes You

This spring I asked the readers of this blog a simple question. How did a man show that he liked you before…

12 min read

Love that lastswhat long marriages do differently

The empty nestbeing just us again

Understanding himwhat men rarely say out loud

Date night ideassweet plans that cost little

Marriage

Lessons from a long marriage: the small habits that keep love warm, the warning signs worth noticing and how couples find each other again after the busy years.