Relationships & Family

Swing Shift

mcherkezian — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:24:05 -0600

Talk radio blared in my ear. I reached over and hit the snooze button for the third time that morning. Or maybe the fourth.

My husband was working the graveyard shift—midnight to eight—and I didn’t expect him back for another hour. I hadn’t slept well and was desperate for more rest. If only I could adjust to Joe’s new schedule!

Joe works on the Illinois River. He used to be a crane mechanic, a stressful and physically demanding job with a lot of travel and overtime.

Extreme Makeover (Attitude Edition)

jbloustein — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:24:04 -0600

Gordon worked his crowbar between the base molding and the wall in the upstairs bedroom of our beach house.

He gave it a jerk and the baseboard popped loose. He moved on to the next piece of molding. He was like a machine.

It wasn’t yet 8:00 a.m.—the first morning of a four-day job installing oak laminate floor in two bedrooms and a hallway—and already my husband was sweating. And he seemed to be enjoying it.

The Green Bean Episode

batch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:21:14 -0500

Around this part of Texas we have a saying about the pill bugs that feast on our gardens: If we could figure out how to sell them, we'd all be rich.

If you've never seen a pill bug, they look like tiny caterpillars but curl up to the size of an English pea. Two years ago the pill bugs were especially hungry. My husband, Dave, and I have grown vegetables off and on since we moved here 36 years ago. We have a small plot in the backyard with around 30 blue-ribbon plants.

The Koi Pond

admin — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:34:00 -0600

I've always hated the question, "Do you have any hobbies?" My usual response is to shrug my shoulders and mumble, "Reading. That's about it." Not so my husband, Rick. He can't sit still long enough to read a book. We've been married for more than 25 years and he's always had hobbies. He keeps coming up with more and more of them, and they get quirkier every time.

Boomer Sooner

admin — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 07:22:00 -0600

How do I know it's fall?

Every Saturday my husband, Michael, plants himself in front of the TV with snacks and sodas to watch his beloved OU Sooners play football.

After our daughter, Micah, was born nearly three years ago he had to keep his cheering to a minimum so as not to disturb her naps. This only caused him to concentrate more intently on the action.

Precious Time for Talking

jbloustein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:14:08 -0500

Long-distance relationships are rarely easy, testing even the most resilient couples. And when one or both partners is in the military and has been deployed abroad, the separation can leave each one feeling like a stranger.

Experts say some of the biggest challenges facing military couples come when they finally reunite. Each partner has gotten used to living without the other and may not know how to open up. Meanwhile, it can be difficult for one spouse to adjust if the other has gone through a personal change.

Home Team

jbloustein — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:57:49 -0500

You need to know your priorities in life.

As head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, that’s probably the most important message I deliver to my players, especially the younger ones. Focus on what’s truly meaningful, I urge them.

I’m a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve, so when I say these things, my players know I speak from the heart. What they don’t know is that I learned that lesson the hard way.

I Do, I Do

batch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:19:50 -0500

John
Like that it was over—eight years of marriage to Jackie ended with a perfunctory thud of the judge's gavel and a finality that was unexpectedly hard to grasp. My lawyer squeezed my shoulder and Dad patted me on the back. I stole a glance across the aisle at my wife, my ex-wife. Jackie dabbed her tears with a handkerchief while her sister half consoled, half congratulated her. Where had it all gone wrong?

Playwright Finds Hope and Healing After Abuse

batch — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:05:05 -0500

A victim of domestic violence is hoping to bring her message of faith and hope to audiences, after writing a play about her experience.

Carolyn Louise Herring Moore told American Forces Press Service that her play, Women Shoptalk While Real Men Wait, tells the story of her 10-year relationship with an abusive and controlling man.

Just Listen

admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:07:11 -0500

Balancing a bag of groceries in one arm, I pushed the kitchen door open. Meredith, my 11-year-old, followed me, talking a mile a minute. "Mom," she said as I set everything down, "you're not listening."

"I am listening," I said, putting my brain on mental rewind. "You were telling me about your math test tomorrow, and before that you were saying you didn't like P.E."