Weaving through the complimentary-beverage-clutching crowd on Saturday night in Room 940 at the National Society of Newspaper Columnists’ Conference in Washington, DC, one hears a mixed cacophony of chatter and laughter. Columnists are everywhere: smooshed together on furniture, clustered in corners, and leaning against windowsills. “But really, what’s the best measure of the value of…
Book Review
Teen dreams and summer jobs
Despite the fact that the school year has ended for our kids, I started my normal morning routine this week on autopilot — scrambling eggs, fluffing laundry, mopping the kitchen floor, and microwaving the same cup of coffee three times. I darted out to the base commissary at about ten, in desperate need of paper…
Bathing suit shopping season begins
Ah, summer is officially here! This balmiest of seasons evokes sunny scenes of kids running through sprinklers, smoky whiffs of charcoal grills, soft sensations of waves lapping bared toes, and sweet sounds of crickets on steamy starlit nights. Who doesn’t love summer and all that comes with it, right? But, hold up a minute. Believe…
Life, hot flashing before my eyes
Last week, on the morning of my 48th birthday, I had my very first hot flash. The uncanny coincidence of this occurrence made it seem psychosomatic. However, I could not deny the unsettling reality of the sweat moustache that had formed while I was eating my scrambled eggs. I tried to pass the event off…
What I believe about Hell and hand baskets