Corie Weathers Hosts Independent's Wellness Summit March 4-9, 2019
2019-03-04 - 2019-03-09
Corie Weathers, author of Sacred Spaces: My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage, returns to host the Military Spouse Wellness Summit for InDependent on March 4–9, 2019.
As host of the virtual event, Corie will interview experts in various areas affecting wellness, including fitness, nutrition, relationships, and finance.
A licensed professional counselor and wife of an Army chaplain, Corie focuses on healthy families and marriages for military and first-responders.
InDependent is a wellness program created by and tailored to military spouses. Tickets to the Wellness Summit are $9 for general admission and $97 for an all-access pass.
Tickets and more information about the online summit are available on In-dependent.org. Check the public Facebook page for select updates throughout the week.

Soldier's Wife Crazy Life Hosts Rachel Robertson March 8, 2019
2019-03-08 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
The Soldier’s Wife Crazy Life online community will host Rachel Robertson, author of Deployment Journal for Spouses (3rd edition): Memories and Milestones, for a Facebook live chat with Julie Provost on March 8, 2019, at 11 AM Central. Rachel will talk about deployment and the benefits of journaling and answer questions from commenters. The event will be held on the Soldier’s Wife Crazy Life public Facebook page.
The newly-released (March 1) third edition of Rachel’s journal has all the features that make Deployment Journal for Spouses a perennial favorite, plus a fresh new design and enhanced content.
Julie will feature Rachel’s Deployment Journal for Spouses on her Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life blog and will give away a copy of the journal on March 15. To enter the giveaway, visit the Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life Facebook page and leave a comment using #DeploymentJournal by March 14.

Jacey Eckhart Presents at Military Spouse Employment Conference March 14, 2019
2019-03-14 09:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Jacey Eckhart, coauthor of Stories Around the Table: Laughter, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life, is a presenter for the Military Spouse Employment Conference on March 14, 2019. The event takes place 9 AM–2 PM EST at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th Street, Virginia Beach, Virginia. The career-focused conference for military spouses is sponsored by CORE of Hampton Roads and Navy League of Hampton Roads.
Jacey is the creator of The Next Door Project which reaches out to people undergoing life and career transitions.
Registration is required. Tickets are $15 and available online.

Seasons of My Military Student Book Club, RAF Alconbury, UK
2019-04-02 08:30 - 09:30 (Europe/London)
The Student Liaison Officer supporting military-connected students at RAF Alconbury, UK, is sponsoring a book club featuring Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.
The group will meet 8:30—9:30 AM (GMT) in four sessions: April 2, April 16, April 23, and April 30. The location for all sessions is the CAC, Building 685.
Discussion topics include tools and strategies for supporting military-connected students academically, socially, and emotionally, through moves, deployments, and other aspects of military life.
Registration is required for this free event, which is open to parents, education professionals, and anyone who supports military-connected students. Each participant will receive a copy of the book.
For more information and to register, contact Alyssa Bond , SLO for RAF Alconbury, at DSN 268-3232 or CIV 01480-843232 or email schoolliaison.alconbury[@]us.af.mil
For information about hosting your own book club, please contact team[@]seasonsofmymilitarystudent.com.

Weathers and Lightfoot to Speak at Evolve Retreat for Seasoned Military Spouses
2021-04-17 - 2021-04-18
Corie Weathers, LPC, NNC, author of Sacred Spaces, is a keynote speaker on April 18 for The Evolve Retreat for Seasoned Military Spouses, April 17-18, 2021. Lizann Lightfoot. author of Open When, will serve as a coach/table leader for the retreat on April 17.

The Evolve Retreat for Seasoned Military Spouses is a two-day interactive virtual event for seasoned military spouses and newly retired spouses to discuss the challenges after many years of military life and approaching transition out of the military. Hosted by Pride & Grit, the event will be on April 17 (11 AM to 5 PM Eastern) and April 18 (1 PM to 5 PM Eastern) and will include four keynote addresses with life coach-led small group discussions.
The event aims to help attendees:

Cultivate personal identity
Invest in their marriages
Learn tools to support their families
Identify and own their strengths

More details are available on PrideandGrit.com. Tickets are available for one or both days of the event, and you can purchase your ticket here. Please note, a recording of this event is not included with your ticket.

Regner to speak at Survivors of the Fallen Event, hosted by Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
2021-06-05 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Chicago) | Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC, United States
Mary Regner, author of Semper Parents: Supporting Your Marine and Sharing the Journey, will speak at the Survivors of the Fallen event, hosted by Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, on June 5, 2021, at 10 AM eastern.
Mary is a seasoned Marine Corps mom and spouse. Through her more than 40 years as a Marine spouse, Mary has worked as an educator for the Department of Defense (DoD) Schools CONUS and OCONUS, a Department of Labor contractor for the DoD Transition Assistance Program, and a leader in her Marine Corps communities. Mary now serves on the board of the Patriots Point Foundation, which supports the educational goals of the Patriots Point Maritime Museum.
Medal of Honor Recipient Major General Jim Livingston, USMC (Ret.), and the Patriots Point Foundation are hosting this special event to honor the surviving spouses of those service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested. You may register here. The event will take place at the Gold Star Family Memorial Monument at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. Should there be inclement weather, the scheduled rain date is June 12.

Lightfoot Presents "Share Your Story" at NMSN Summit, Oct. 13, 2021
2021-10-13 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago)
Lizann Lightfoot, author of Open When: Letters of Encouragement for Military Spouses, will present a workshop called “Share Your Story: Using Military Life to Connect With Your Customers” at the virtual National Military Spouse Network (NMSN) Milspouse Career Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, at 5 PM CDT. The interactive virtual workshop will air on Facebook Live, streaming on the NMSN Facebook page. RSVP on the event page.
Session description:
Storytelling is an effective way to make yourself memorable to customers and potential clients. Many military spouses don’t realize they have great stories that can showcase their unique skill set. In this session, Lizann will demonstrate why storytelling is an effective strategy for your business, and explore several types of stories that have a maximum impact in a social media world. Then, she will lead you through a brief storytelling workshop where you will brainstorm storytelling strategies for your business websites.
Follow #milspouse #nmsnsummit21 on social media. The weeklong summit runs October 11-15, 2021, led by NMSN founder Sue Hoppin, coauthor of Stories Around the Table: Laughter, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life.

Molinari Reads at Arlington Army Navy Country Club, Oct. 14, 2021
2021-10-14 18:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Award-winning humorist Lisa Smith Molinari, author of The Meat and Potatoes of Life: My True Lit Com, will read from her memoir at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, October 14, 2021. The event is open to ANCC Arlington members and their guests. Members please log in to register on the ANCC website.
Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 PM in the Fort Richardson Room, followed by Lisa’s reading and discussion at 7 PM.
Cost to attend is $6 per person. Copies of the book will be available for sale.

Lightfoot on Military Spouse Panel at IAM Conference, Oct. 15, 2021
2021-10-15 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Lizann Lightfoot, author of Open When: Letters of Encouragement for Military Spouses, will be a panelist speaker at the International Association of Movers (IAM) Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, 10:30–11:30 AM Eastern.
Lizann’s panel is part of a new IAM military track, where professional moving companies can learn more about the details and specific challenges of military moves. For the first time, a panel of military spouses will speak to conference participants to improve communication between military families and moving companies. Lizann is one of three military spouses selected to speak on this panel.
Session description:
IAM Learning Lab: Military Spouse Perspectives on the DoD Moving Process

Join us for this special, first-ever session where we feature a panel of military spouses to discuss the moving process from their perspectives. Hear what it’s like from their eyes; and how it might be different from what a non-DoD family experiences in their move. What makes for a successful move? What increases their stress during an already stressful time? Ask them questions and make sure you understand a military move from their side of the process.

The panel will be live for those attending in person, and also streamed on the IAM website for those with a virtual registration.

Veterans Experience Project Showcases Photos by JT Blatty, November 11, 2022, New Orleans
2022-11-11 10:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago)
JT Blatty, author of the forthcoming memoir Snapshots Sent Home (Elva Resa, 2023), will read excerpts from her manuscript and talk about her photojournalist exhibit “Front Line, Peace Life” during Bastion Community of Resilience’s Veterans Experience Project (VEP). Sponsored by Got Your Six, a Bob Woodruff Foundation Initiative, VEP takes place Friday, November 11, 2022, 10 AM—6 PM Central, at Gallier Hall, 545 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans.
The hands-on event explores diverse military experiences through artistic expression and interactive exhibits, including visual art, the written and spoken word, performances and curated discussion panels, followed by a dialogue with the audience to provide further understanding into the servicemember experiences. A number of nationally renowned veterans will be presenting at VEP.
JT will take the main stage at 1:30 PM. As a photojournalist, JT’s work has been featured in many publications, including Bloomberg, Oxford American, and The Daily Beast. She spent the past four years in Ukraine. “Front Line, Peace Life” shares the stories of Ukrainian volunteer soldiers fighting to preserve their country’s democracy.
Bastion is an intentional community for returning warriors and families with life-altering injuries, with a mission to provide a supportive living environment for injured veterans and families and a holistic approach to community integration.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information about Veterans Experience Project, visit JoinBastion.org.
*Photo with this event posting is a portrait titled Yulya “Valkyrie” Tolopa by JT Blatty.
Valkyrie crossed the Ukrainian border from Russia in 2014, when she was 18, inspired to understand the true events of the Maidan revolution versus reports from the Russian media. By June she was on a bus heading to the frontline to fight with the Ukrainians against the Russian invasion. She joined the Aydar Volunteer Battalion and helped liberate and defend towns in the Luhansk region until 2015. She served on the frontline in the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a Russian citizen until 2019, protected by Ukraine from Russia’s request for extradition. She finally received Ukrainian citizenship in 2022, after a six-year battle fighting Ukraine’s law requiring her to renounce her foreign citizenship on Russian territory, where she is not safe and is wanted as a traitor.

Molinari Entertains at Curiosity & Co., December 9, 2022
2022-12-09 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Settle in for a delightful evening of reading, laughter, and conversation with Lisa Smith Molinari, author of the multiple award-winning, hilarious memoir The Meat and Potatoes of Life: My True Lit Com.
“A Closer Look: Lisa Smith Molinari Author Talk” takes place Friday, December 9, 2022 at 6 PM Eastern at Curiosity & Co. bookstore and wine shop, 14 Narragansett Ave, Jamestown, RI. The event is free and open to the public. Capacity is limited to 40 people, with reservations for the first 25 seats available on the store’s website. RSVP strongly recommended.
Food and drink will be available for purchase, including a special wine pairing to go with Lisa’s book. Following a mix and mingle, Lisa will perform comedy and humor readings, followed by book sales and signing.
Lisa’s memoir is a witty and engaging look at her transition from practicing attorney to Navy wife and mother of three. A vivid writer and incredible storyteller, Lisa uses humor and wit to navigate the triumphs and challenges of special-needs parenting, military life, middle-aged romance, and those tricky moments when the best you can do is eat a can of chocolate frosting on the laundry room floor.

Lightfoot Speaks at Airlift/Tanker Symposium Nov 10, 2023
2023-11-10 13:30 - 14:20 (America/Chicago)
Lizann Lightfoot will be a seminar speaker at the annual Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium on Friday, November 10, 2023, 1:30-2:20 PM CT. The author of Open When: Letters of Encouragement for Military Spouses will present a session called “How Military Spouses Develop Warrior Hearts When Military Life Isn’t Getting Easier.” She will share her personal stories and offer encouraging advice for a variety of military life situations.
The Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium is a premier professional development forum with an aim to develop airmen into joint leaders. The 2023 Symposium and Tech expo is at the Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, Texas, November 9-12, 2023.
Lizann will be available to sign copies of Open When throughout the event.

Military Culture Discussion with Corie Weathers, Fort Liberty, Feb. 28, 2024
2024-02-28 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Gaston Brewery & Taproom, 421 Chicago Dr, Fayetteville, NC, United States
Fort Liberty area friends, join Corie Weathers, author of Military Culture Shift, for a rich discussion on some of the key shifts happening in the military today. Event takes place Wednesday, February 28, 6:30-8:30 PM Eastern at Gaston Brewery & Taproom, 421 Chicago Dr, Fayetteville, NC. This in-person event will be a casual opportunity to connect and engage around relevant topics with your military community. Taco Arepa (food truck) will be available and the Taphouse has a selection of drinks and non-alcoholic drinks for purchase as well. Don’t have a copy of her latest book Military Culture Shift? You can add it to your free RSVP ticket and a signed copy will be reserved for you! Bring your spouse, bring a friend, this discussion will be perfect for service members and spouses from every generation!

RSVP

National Museum of the US Army Hosts Countdown Storytime
2025-04-05 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | National Museum of the United States Army, 1775 Liberty Dr, Fort Belvoir, VA, 22060
In honor of April’s Month of the Military Child, the National Museum of the United States Army is hosting a special children’s storytime event featuring Countdown ’til Daddy Comes Home by Kristin Ayyar. The event will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time at the museum, 1775 Liberty Dr, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Following a reading of the book, Kristin will lead participants in a craft activity.
Countdown ’til Daddy Comes Home tells the story of a young boy who creates rituals with his family to stay connected and count down the days until his father comes home—a theme that especially resonates with military families experiencing a deployment. The book was inspired by Kristin’s experiences with her family during her husband’s deployments with the Air Force.
Participation in this event is free and is included with a free general admission ticket. Preregistration is not required but is recommended. ​For more information about the event, please visit the National Museum of the United States Army website.
Elva Resa published new paperback editions of Countdown ’til Daddy Comes Home and Countdown ’til Mommy Comes Home as well as new Spanish editions, Contando los días hasta que llegue papá and Contando los días hasta que llegue mamá, in March.
