Opinion
At 94, my grandmother Doris is still fighting
My favorite story Doris told me was about their new phone number in Boston. Big Jack was going…
Opinion
The Smileys go to the State Dinner, Part 2
The invitation read, “The President and Mrs. Obama request the pleasure of the company of Ms. Smiley at…
Opinion
The Smileys go to the State Dinner, Part 1
When the first invitation came via e-mail, I thought it was a joke. I mean, how often does…
Opinion
Thirteen years later, meet husband Dustin
Maybe I don’t write about him enough. I mean, I write about what he does for work and…
News
Treasured art a gift through time
My husband and I went back to visit Dot last week and hear about life
Opinion
Lincoln’s lessons on depression
During one of my first depressive episodes when I was younger, I clung to stories of Lincoln and…
Opinion
The Quiet Stories of 2013
There are so many wonderful, quiet stories in communities across the country that never “trend.”
News
Life lesson: clean while no one watches
Last week, I couldn’t take it anymore. It was time to clean, purge and reclaim space.
News
My thoughts about Christmas then and now
Christmas Day always seemed like the longest day, when in fact it falls soon after the shortest day…
News
Child’s stuffed animal is member of family
All of my children have had favorite stuffed animals during their childhoods
News
Military healthcare has its own set of pros and cons
Long before the debate over the Affordable Care Act, the military’s own government-run healthcare system has been, for…
Opinion
Great Stuff: our last line of defense
Of all the household chores and repairs I’ve had to face on my own in Dustin’s absences, the…
Opinion
My feelings about Uncle Sam: It’s complicated
If Facebook had a status update option for users’ feelings about the military, mine would be, “It’s complicated.”
News
Responding to last week’s Vets Day column
I don’t actually believe that spouses are true veterans. Nor do I think Veterans Day is for or…
News
Do military spouses qualify as veterans, too?
Dustin told me not to write about military spouses forVeterans Day, but I’m going to do it anyway.
News
Lots of ‘he said, he said, he said’ in the household
When the boys asked what I wanted for my birthday last week, I decided to make it less…
News
New way for family to bond
Lately, the family and I have been doing something really old-fashioned at night. Because the sun is setting…
News
Hard to move past this
These are the times when it’s difficult to write a column. After Theresa’s powerful message last week, I…
News
Words from a grieving Navy widow
I regretted last week’s column as soon as it was published. In particular, I regretted that I wrote…
News
So … about that fear of flying…
After nearly 17 years of an all-consuming fear of flying that left me grounded, I got on a…