Spouse Challenges

Sarah Smiley | January 03, 2012

Until Thanksgiving Day, I had not paid much attention to the Occupy movement. I had followed the news stories and listened to debates for and...

Sarah Smiley | December 29, 2011

When Dustin is gone, I get creative with ways to count down the time. The standard way, of course, is with a paper chain. But a chain with 390...

Liz Weston | August 10, 2011

Dear Liz: My bank unexpectedly charged me a $25 annual fee for overdraft protection, which ironically caused two checks to bounce because I no...

Liz Weston | March 22, 2011

Dear Liz: I recently got married and have always had a tight grip on my money. Now, I realize, I sometimes may come off as cheap. However, my...

Snowblower Lesson Spells Trouble | February 07, 2011

For military spouses, it is an ominous sign when your service member loved one suddenly says something like, "I need to teach you how to start...

Starlett Henderson | January 06, 2011

It’s the “million dollar” question: What can I do to get back “me” time, find more time to volunteer, or...

Sarah Smiley | November 11, 2010

On Facebook, I asked civilians for their questions about military life. No one answered. Maybe it's just me, or maybe it was the format, because...

September 27, 2010

I'm neither prepared nor eager to make any New Year's resolutions. I haven't even gotten around to dealing with last year's promises. This...

September 27, 2010

A reader recently sent me a list of naval terminology, and I immediately understood the implication of the gesture: Despite being a military...

September 27, 2010

Recently, my friend Kelly vented about her husband's work hours and the fact he's rarely home. Kelly's husband is a civilian, so naturally, she...