“I booked three nights in a one-room cabin in Woodstock, Vermont with two queen beds, a fireplace and an air mattress!” my husband Francis bellowed excitedly, after searching for a last-minute excursion for our family during the long holiday break. After two tours in Europe, our three kids were accustomed to these spontaneous trips, otherwise…
Self Improvement
From the Archives: Give resolutions a shot
When the holiday is over, the presents have been put away, and the leftover roast has been made into soup, there’s a part of me that just wants to savor it all. To snuggle up on the couch with the kids in my new pjs, nibbling from the tin of stale Christmas cookies, basking in…
Small stuff to sweat in 2017
As we board life’s runaway train for another year of twists and turns and ups and downs, we can’t help but wonder, “How can we ensure our happiness, when we have no control over the economy, deployments, interest rates, orders, our health and the future?” Fact is, we can’t control the “big-ticket” items in our…
Misty and mindful under the mistletoe
I’ll admit it. I’m a sap, a spineless, simpering, soft-hearted, sentimental fool. I’m one of those people who tears up at the slightest little things — a tidbit of news, an earnest child, the national anthem playing in the distance, a touching television commercial. And when the holidays roll around, I’m schmaltzier than ever. The…
What I believe about Hell and hand baskets