Tag: military spouses

Joint marital seasoning mix sparks envy from unlikely source
Lisa Smith Molinari Contributing Writer It was another gloomy winter afternoon in our working-class English village. Ever since we’d been stationed at Joint Analysis Center Molesworth in the flat Cambridgeshire, England, countryside know as “The Fens,” I’d found myself counting the minutes until my husband, Francis, got home from work. At that latitude, the sun […]

You should understand what is MSRRA
The MSRRA amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, to provide that the spouse of a service member does not lose or acquire a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation by reason of being absent or present in a tax jurisdiction of the United States solely to be with the military member in compliance with the service member’s military orders if the domicile of the SM and the spouse are the same.

Enduring a colonoscopy means turning the other cheek
Lisa Smith Molinari Contributing Writer It seems that every humor writer on Earth has penned an amusing account of his or her root canal, mammogram or other cringe-worthy medical procedure. Arguably, the intimate details of one’s doctors’ appointments should not be published for the masses to read. However, many unscrupulous writers have plucked this low […]

Military life offers a different holiday lens
For most military families like ours, frequent moves are an unavoidable part of life. And at some point, Uncle Sam stations you somewhere that looks and feels completely foreign. Since holidays are all about tradition, the absence of those traditions can leave you longing for the holidays you grew up with back home.

Hey Mom, tricks (and treats) are for kids
Lisa Smith Molinari reminisces about taking her son trick-or-treating when he was 2 years old.

Football parents guilty of excessive celebration
Lisa Smith Molinari contrasts her experiences cheering on her son at football, and her daughters at cross-country.

The Meat and Potatoes of Life: Explore the injustices of eternal teenage angst
I’d lay on my mock-brass twin bed, ensconced in my Kliban Cat comforter, staring at the yellow walls. None of the billions of teenage girls who had lived before me had ever been through what I had been through. No one understood me.

The Meat and Potatoes of Life: Graduation generates a journey down memory lane
Lisa Smith Molinari Contributing Writer Believe it or not, hoarding comes in pretty handy around high school graduation time. Over the years, my family has been concerned about my propensity to save everything from hospital bracelets to matchbooks. But I’ve always felt compelled to squirrel things away, like my old Holly Hobby sewing machine, our […]

Operation Homefront offers 2016 ‘Star-Spangled Babies Shower’
Operation Homefront’s Star-Spangled Babies showers offer military moms the opportunity to develop relationships with other military families and to learn about educational resources in the area.

The Meat and Potatoes of Life: Get lucky on St. Patrick’s Day and skip the cuisine
There is one saving grace of St. Patrick’s Day cuisine.