Less than two weeks until Christmas, and I haven’t sent out our annual photo cards. I haven’t finished buying gifts for my various relatives, friends, family, neighbors and pets. I haven’t baked Francis’ favorite Cranberry Pinwheels or Hayden’s favorite Onion Swiss Bread or Grammy’s favorite Cheese Ball. I haven’t moved the Elf on the Shelf…
modern culture
Hitting Home: Domestic terror and military uncertainty
Usually, during the second or third year of my husband’s tour of duty in the Navy, I start waking up at dawn, my mind swirling with questions. What’s next? Where will we live? How will we afford it? Will I be able to find work? What about the kids? I wondered if I was having…
An Impossibly Perfect Holiday
While picking bits of pumpkin pie from our teeth on the last night of Thanksgiving break, my husband Francis and I sat alone in the family room, mulling over the holiday in silence. It had been very different from other Thanksgiving Days. Our college son’s desire to sleep in his own bed convinced us to…
My gravy’s better than your gravy
We do it every year. We cut out recipes. We make lists. We go to the commissary. We elbow each other out of the way to grab turkeys, cranberries, yams, and mini-marshmallows. We jam enough food into our pantries to feed an Army . . . or Navy, as it were. Why? Because it’s Thanksgiving,…
