What 'tis the season?

By Terri Barnes
Published: December 27, 2008

It used to be that we could open a greeting card in December that read "Happy Holidays" or even "Season's Greetings" without wondering what the sender has against Christmas. Why all the hypersensitivity to the correctness of good wishes these days?

Like Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of "A Christmas Carol," I hope to keep Christmas in my heart all year long. But some enthusiasts have twisted another page from Dickens' book, proposing a stake of holly for the hearts of all who do not go around with a "Merry Christmas" on their lips.

Deck the blogs

By Terri Barnes
Published: December 21, 2008

You can relax .... All the mailing deadlines are past, so if you haven't written your Christmas letter or mailed out your cards, they won't get there in time anyway. Just sit back, put on the Christmas carols, eat some gingerbread, and plan on a Valentine newsletter.

Or, you can start a family blog. Some military spouses featured in the Dec. 21 Spouse Calls said their blogs offered more space for news and photos, as well as freedom from the ubiquitous Christmas letter. Some families write blogs about their children's lives, especially for grandparents back home. Others made their blogs all about travel. Still others created blogs for special events, such as Advent devotions.

Column: Where the heart is

By Terri Barnes
Published: December 16, 2008

Spouse Calls column: Dec. 14

“Home is where the heart is.”
— Pliny the Elder (writer, military man)

Home Sweet Temporary Home

By Terri Barnes
Published: December 13, 2008

This week's Spouse Calls was about "home" and what that means to military spouses who live around the world.I discovered quite a few quotes from well known people on the subject of home. Some of them seemed very applicable to this life we live. Maybe one of these fits you, or maybe you have your own.

Home is where one starts from.
T.S. Eliot

Column: Authors books fit military kids

By Terri Barnes
Published: December 9, 2008

Eileen Spinelli writes books for children, but the families in her stories are not always picture book families. Her stories, about dads who work the night shift and moms who in the military, depict life as lived by real children.

“I don’t consciously look for families that may have a different configuration,” Eileen said of her work.

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Spouse Calls Archives

2012 (41)

2011 (55)