My poem, Inapposite Inquiry: Did Your Husband Kill Anyone in Iraq?, was selected for publication in Volume 14 of Proud To Be: Writing buy American Warriors. It also received an honourable mention. Many thanks to Missouri Humanities and Green Tower Press for this opportunity to be on the pages of this premier publication of military-themed literature.
There will be a free virtual reading from this volume on January 28th, 2026, 6:30-7:45 Central on Zoom. I will be reading my poem along with other contributors who will share and discuss their work. Please join in if you can. The reading is free but does require registration. You can do that here:
I have posted a review of this book on Amazon and Goodreads. I am posting the review here as well because I think it is an excellent resource, whether you are writing for yourself, mentoring, or teaching.
In her latest book, The Wounded Line: A Guide to Writing Poems of Trauma, Jehanne Dubrow provides an accessible, meaningful, and practical approach to the difficult challenge of writing about trauma, from the global to the personal. The book is neither academic or clinical but it is clear that Dubrow has done her research in both of these areas. This, combined with her experience as both a stellar writer and a master teacher, give her latitude to present ways to explore trauma using the written word. Each chapter gives a meditation/exploration of a way in which trauma can manifest, followed by well-chosen examples of poems, presentation of craft elements, and excellent writing prompts. The book is easy to navigate and immediately applicable. As a writer and teacher who works with Veterans, I have already put this book to the test with excellent results
I hope you have enjoyed this brief journey of nostalgia and family history. For the last day of 2025 I chose this mercury glass ornament. It is one we picked up in Poland. Whenever I hang this ornament on the tree I think of a song that Layden composed back in the ’80’s. He found an antique volume of children’s poems and stories and set several of them to music. The Sea Gypsy is one that I think is fitting as we contemplate the new year that begins tomorrow. Listen to it here:
Where will this year take you? What are your heart’s desires? Where do you find wonder? For what does your soul thirst?
We got these ornaments when we visited our son who lives in Australia. These ones came from our first visit there, when he was living in Sydney. We got to do all sorts of things – visit the Sydney Opera House (one of my favorite buildings in the world), pet a koala, see kangaroos up close, and learn about all the deadly animals and insects that inhabit the Australian continent – there are A LOT. We were stationed in UIjeongbu, South Korea, so Australia wasn’t nearly as far to visit as it is from the US. We made our first visit in 2011. Since then, we have been back several times (not enough) and become acquainted with our two lovely, lively grandsons who live there. I am posting them on the 30th because this year, our son and his family are coming HERE! Today! To San Antonio to spend some time with us and welcome in 2026. What a treat!! We know how l-o-n-g the flight is, and how expensive. We appreciate the effort and are looking forward to seeing these wonderful people who live so very far-away.
What? A Jell-O museum? Yup. A Jell-O museum. We encountered this place on a trip we made to Toronto to attend a conference for Layden. At the time, we were stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We decided it would be fun to explore the East coast so we decided to drive. Along the way, in up-state New York, we encountered a BIG sign welcoming us to Leroy, home of Jell-O, and inviting us to the Jell-O museum. We couldn’t pass that up. It was actually a very informative museum. I learned a lot about that ubiquitous, seemingly un-impressive dish often presented at church picnics and back-yard BB-Q’s. While Jell-O is a rather humble thing, it was also transformative in many ways for middle-class America, allowing any housewife the luxury of serving gelatine dishes, a privilege once reserved for the wealthy who could afford servants to do what was once a very labor intensive process. Here is a link if you want to know more: https://jellogallery.org/ When this ornament goes up on the tree, it reminds us not to underestimate what might seem ordinary or commonplace.
This small ceramic ornament is part of the Hallmark ornament collection. We got it because we had a brown dog named Ginger. We got her in Utah, moved her with us to Texas for our first full-time Army assignment, and then to Germany for our next one. She was a friendly, gentle Labrador/Weimaraner mix. Though not as clever as Solomon, she was much wiser. She had a knack for responding to people’s moods and feelings. We knew she was responsive to family, but until an incident in a German hospital, we did not know this extended to others.
Germany is a very dog-friendly country. It is possible to take dogs many places we usually do not in the US. Many restaurants, public transportation, and even hospitals welcome a well-behaved dog. We found this out when Layden got a call requesting a military Chaplain to assist with an American woman who had been admitted to a German hospital. She was not doing well. We had been out on a walk with Ginger and the hospital was nearby, so we headed straight there. Layden got out of the car and the dog tried to follow. A hospital attendant noticed me putting her back in the car and asked if we were there to visit someone . I said yes. She let me know that it would be ok for me to take the dog inside. So, I did. We caught up with Layden who was trying to communicate with the woman. She was unresponsive to his efforts. When Ginger got in the room, she immediately sensed the sadness and promptly laid her head in the woman’s lap. Soon the woman was petting Ginger, and then talking to her, and eventually talking to the Chaplain. We brought the dog on subsequent visits. It made a huge difference in her recovery. After this experience, Layden would take Ginger with him when he made informal visits to soldiers, especially Sunday afternoons when he would visit the barracks. Ginger was a welcome addition for everyone, made many friends, and lifted many spirits. It doesn’t always require a PhD in counseling to have a positive impact on mental/emotional health.
These paper mache apples covered in a shiny glaze were an after-Christmas purchase – a plastic container of 20 on sale cheap. They look great on the Christmas tree and are perfect for hanging on the lower branches when you have a cat that likes to swat your ornaments. It turns out the dog liked them too. At the time we had a lovely Airedale Terrier by the name of Solomon. Though not often wise, he was very clever. One day I happened to notice one of the apples in his dog bed. I figured he picked it up after the cat swatted it off the tree. I hung it back up. The next day there were two apples in his bed. I hung those up. An hour later they were back. Curious, I positioned myself to be able to see the tree while going relatively unnoticed. Pretty soon, Solomon came over to the tree, chose an apple, put his nose under it, lifted it off the branch and carefully carried it to his bed. Like I said, a clever dog. It became a bit of a ritual – hang the apples, retrieve the apples, hang the apples, retrieve the apples. These are the last few we have left. They are not all as shiny as they once were and they have tooth marks. When we hang them on the tree we think of that dog with great affection.
One of our favorite things in December is sending and receiving Christmas cards. Not digital ones, but real ones, with stamps, pretty or festive designs – maybe even with glittery snow – and perhaps a newsletter or photo enclosed as well. Christmas cards became the way we kept in touch with friends we made in the military, giving us the chance to continue friendships despite military transfers. We still have quite a few on our list and love seeing the handwriting and reading the messages.
This tiny wooden post box (or mailbox) ornament is another German Christmas Market find. Though that is where we came across it, this is not a German post box. It is a Danish post box. The particular shade of red is from the Coat of Arms of the House of Oldenburg, a line which includes the royal family. This red color was also used for the postmen, making them easily identifiable and also conveying their authority. The crown indicates ties to the monarchy, giving the message that this is an official post box. The horn is emblematic of the official postal service. These elements have been standardized on the boxes since the 1860’s. At one time, these boxes could be found all over the city of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It was hard to find a street that didn’t have at least one. They were also conveniently placed in smaller cities and towns, and were used often. Alas, the red post box is being phased out. Physical letters, cards, etc. have declined about 90% since 2000, with many boxes being little used. Soon the post box will be a relic found mostly in museums. This is a bit sad for many residents of Denmark, and for Layden too. When he was living in Denmark in the late 70’s there was no email, no facetime or Messenger, no texts, and overseas phone calls quite expensive. Sending a letter was economical – in 1977 the cost of a first class US stamp was 13 cents, and an international stamp was 25 cents for the first ounce, going up a few cents as weigh increased. Rates were similar in Denmark, and Layden relied on those red post boxes to keep him connected to family and friends in the USA.
Denmark is not the only country facing the decline of physical mail – most countries are seeing the shift to fast, cheaper digital communication. Mail is no longer the cheapest way to communicate. A regular US stamp in 2025 is 78 cents, and overseas mail starts at $1.70 an ounce. Despite this, we are doing our part to keep the tradition going – long live Christmas mail!
It is here! Christmas Day!!! For some of you, the morning may have started off early with eager young children anxious to see what has been left for them under the tree. For others it may have gotten off to a more leisurely start. However the day began for you, I hope that somewhere in the midst of the celebration, you take a moment to remember the reason we have Christmas in the first place. These ornaments came from various congregants over the years – seems a suitable gift for a Christian Chaplain. They remind us that the core of this holiday is a birth day, long foretold, anticipated, heralded by angels, marveled at by shepherds, honored by wise men. It is meant to be a day of joy, of connecting with loved ones and with heaven. I hope these things happen for you.
Maybe, though, this is a hard day. Perhaps there is loss, grief, disappointment or isolation. These aspects of the human experience are never easy, and the holiday season may increase the sharpness. I hope that you will encounter a measure of peace, that you might feel seen or heard. And I hope that all of us will be on the lookout for the stranger who might need room at the inn.
Perhaps this isn’t a religious holiday for you. That’s ok – we all find our own path for meaning. I invite you to be glad for those of us who celebrate this day as a holy day and take a moment to reflect on the stories and beliefs that add meaning to your life. Whatever this day is for you, may it be wonderful.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Note: This has been a lot of fun, so much so that I am going to continue til the end of the month, so check back for more ornaments.
Sarah T. Colby 