The Chronicles of Marna

A time to remember and honor all the fallen who’ve served their country.

Jess at The Army Wife website has posted a review of Household Baggage Handlers: 56 Stories from the Hearts and Lives of Military Wives.

In her review, Jess writes “This book will bring you laughter, joy, and a sense of pride in being a military wife. You no longer have to feel alone in the military world. Trust me, there are others out there just like you and they want to share their story with you. Relax, get a glass of wine, and experience a lifetime of memories with wives just like you!”

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, The Army Wife is giving away a copy of Household Baggage Handlers. Go to thearmywife.com to see how you can win a free copy!

Today I inflicted my annual “Mother’s Day Torture” on my two teens. That is, I insist they accompany me to either (1) Botanical Gardens (2) A mansion (3) An estate or (4) A plantation for a tour. And (this is the biggie) they are not allowed to have a bad attitude about it. It’s Mother’s Day.

This year I force-fed them Blithewold, a Bristol, RI mansion with picture-perfect gardens and a view of the Narragansett Bay. As we drove into the grounds, Elena said “Haven’t we been here before?”

“No, that was Cheekwood in Nashville.”

“I was having flashbacks.”

Yet despite being hostile witnesses, they always have a good time during mandatory family fun. We estimate how long it takes to mow the lawn, try to name the perennials, make jokes about feeling like characters in a Jane Austen novel, and gaze at the 90 foot California Sequoia. Today we even played a game of checkers at a table set up in the cutting garden and then watched a bridal party be photographed. How sweet is that?

And then because I was in such a good mood, I bought everybody ice cream on the way home. I had my favorite—a Nor’easter with Reese’s Pieces. What is a Nor’easter, you ask? You might know it as a Dairy Queen Blizzard, a McDonald’s McFlurry, or a Friendly’s Frenzy. Anything with peanut butter, chocolate, and ice cream is the perfect ending to Mother’s Day.

If you live near Dulles Airport or Richmond, this is a good deal. Hurry–tickets must be purchased by May 7 (Thursday). More info at the JetBlue website.

“JetBlue proudly supports our men and women in uniform. In honor of National Military Appreciation Month, we’re offering active duty military personnel $1* fares for domestic, nonstop flights, for a limited time, departing from the two JetBlue cities nearest to our nation’s capital: Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Dulles, VA, and Richmond International Airport (RIC) in Richmond, VA. To further honor our military, JetBlue will donate $15,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors.”