I’ve found it intriguing how the idea of military service hovers just on the periphery of Mad Men.  Roger can’t stand to work with a Japanese client because of his experiences in World War II.  Don acquired his false identity when his officer was killed in Korea.  And like that conflict, much was swept under the rug in Don’s life.  Duck, who did some real fighting as opposed to Don who took one look at the battlefield and took his first chance to get out of there, is able to …

Would you Bag It Forward with me and help school children throughout the country?

Money is tight everywhere and people are struggling to ensure their kids have opportunities and the families of our soldiers are no exception…

Normally I don’t post video of my kids but when my daughter started singing this song a few weeks ago I just had to share.

She was born while her Daddy was deployed to Iraq…

I missed a week of the Military Monday carnival…and hopefully haven’t completely lost the momentum we were building!

I’m sure you will forgive me once you hear about the drill gremlins, kissing cousins of the deployment gremlins.

We’ve looked at military family life from the active duty and National Guard perspectives. And there are definitely pros and cons to each…

Casey, who blogs at The Ever-Changing Life of a Military Wife, shares with us how she keeps balance when life is a moving target.

What topics do you write about on your blog?

I’m a mish mash of teaching, travel, politics, pouting, military life, and my never ending love for Texas. If it happens in my life, it goes on the blog! I try to keep it “real” rather than branded. While I have much respect for the niche blogs, I view my blog as a diary rather than a website. So, when you come, expect the unexpected!

A reader asks:

My husband hasn’t signed any papers yet but will be enlisting in the Army very soon. I am trying to be the supportive wife because I know this is something he’s always wanted to do, but I am scared for him and myself. Here is the problem: I am not going to be following him to wherever he gets stationed.

I know we can make it work but I am worried about being alone all the time…

Is it common for the wives not to follow their husbands?

Lorrie Nichols, who blogs at The Journal of an Army Wife, answered our questions about her life as an Army Wife…

Like a surprising number of military families, we own more than one house.  No, I’m not talking a lakeside summer retreat or a getaway at some tony ski resort.  We have the home where we live now, and the house we purchased when we were stationed in Texas.
When it was time to ETS, there was not much of a market.  Base reorganization and frequent deployments meant that people were more interested in renting than in buying.  Since then, the housing market has completely tanked, making selling even more difficult.
Renting out …

Whether you are moving to a new country, an isolated posting, or your servicemember is deploying, I advise you to “grow where you are planted”.

Get involved, get busy. Or, as Tim Gunn says, “make it work”.

Reach out to other military spouses. Find deployment support groups, try the FRG, volunteer on post. Most posts have a community center where you will find postings for groups, classes, seminars and events.