After eight long years, the Revolutionary War finally drew to a close in 1783. The Continental Congress had successfully managed that valiant struggle for independence. However, with the arrival of that freedom came new concerns. Knowing that a framework to govern was needed, Congress hastily drew up the Articles of Confederation to combine the Colonies into a weak confederation of sovereign states. Adopted by the Second Continental Congress in November 1777, the Articles were ratified in March 1781.

Richmonders awoke to a typical June day. The weather was in the upper 70s with a possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. On that sunny Tuesday morning, Thalhimers department store was running a sale on ladies’ dresses—$16.95 for a lovely frock suitable for everyday wear. Nolde’s Bread, in conjunction with the Home Services Department of the Virginia Electric and Power Company, ran a quarter-page ad in

Jimmy Fiore lived in New York City with his widowed mother, two older brothers, and five sisters. The son of Italian immigrants, he was a good-looking kid, a little on the rowdy side, with a lopsided smile that most likely melted the hearts of the sternest nuns and the prettiest girls. Jimmy enlisted in the Army in 1942, at the age of 17. In a life cut far too short, he was killed during the airborne invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944—along with approximately 2,500 other young American men who died there that brutal day.

In a recent column, I attempted to relate a little of what happens during a Marine recruit’s transformation from civilian to warrior at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island. Since then, I have heard from many former and current Marines who remembered well their time on that island. In what may seem a baffling paradox, just about everyone recalled those seemingly endless weeks of hardship and misery with genuine fondness.

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. Hilton Head Island is famous for its 12-mile stretch of beautiful sand beaches. The barrier island, located just off the coast of South Carolina’s Low Country, is an upscale vacation spot where the well-heeled go to rest and re cuperate. Few people realize that little more than a stone’s throw away from the trendy shops and fabulous golf courses of this resort is another, smaller island. The views of water and beaches are every bit as beautiful as on Hilton Head, but there is precious little rest or recuperating done here.

Easter Sunday found our family on the shores of Lake Moultrie, about 15 miles outside of Charleston, S.C. Thanks to the ever-helpful Greta (our Garmin), we were able to locate Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church for Easter Sunday services. Had it not been for the wonders of global positioning technology, we would never have found the tiny mission parish in Bonneau, S.C. (pop. 354).

In 1991, the TV program “Eerie, Indiana” first aired. It was the story of 13-year-old Marshall Teller who moved with his family from a New Jersey suburb to what appeared to be an idyllic small town. But things were not always as they seemed, and young Teller soon discovered that the Midwestern burg was actually the “center of weirdness for the entire planet.“

In her first solo trip outside Washington, First Lady Michelle Obama recently visited Fort Bragg, N.C. She used the opportunity to tout her commitment to the “plight of military families.“ In an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,“ Mrs. Obama underscored how important it was that military families know they now have an ally in the White House.

After many hours on a trans-Atlantic flight, one grows anxious to see land. So it’s a bit off-putting that when flying into Ireland’s Shannon Airport, the plane sharply descends and enters what seems to be merely a bank of clouds. Then suddenly, like an emerald hidden in the drifting brume, appears Eire and her thousand shades of green. Even from the air, one can sense the mystical aura that abides in her ancient lands.

This may be blasphemous to suggest, but the correlation between the state of our economy and the onset of the Lenten season is too striking not to comment upon. Lent is—and has been since the days of the very early Church—a time of penance through prayer, fasting, and alms-giving as Christians prepare themselves spiritually, physically, and mentally for Easter. The 40 days of the Christian ritual begin on Ash Wednesday and end at sundown on Holy Thursday.

Our son is a Marine. Well, not yet, but soon—the date seems to be rushing toward us. In what was a well-thought-out process for him, he has enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves and will be leaving for Parris Island a few weeks after high school graduation. If the fates are smiling, he’ll return sometime in November after boot camp and combat arms school and will start college in January, drilling on the weekends.

Catholic politicians seem to be everywhere these days. In Virginia alone, the governor and attorney general are both Roman Catholic. On the national level, Catholic politicians seem to be spilling out of every tabernacle in town. This is not surprising given that 24.5 percent of Americans are Catholic. Except for brief interruptions, American Catholics have remained loyal to the Democratic Party since the days of mass Catholic immigration when the party was quick to dispense desperately needed jobs and cash to struggling families in return for votes.

‘Slide down the banister of the solarium, go to T-ball games, have swimming parties, and play Sardines on the White House lawn. Have fun and enjoy your childhood in such a magical place to live and play.“ Such was part of the advice that Jenna and Barbara Bush left in an open letter to Sasha and Malia Obama regarding life in the White House. The two Obama girls join a select list of children who have lived in the executive mansion during its 200-year history.

The economy is in a downturn. President-elect Barack Obama recently said that the economy is so bad he is not going to be able to do everything he promised he was going to do as soon as he became president. So, maybe it is true that there is a silver lining to every cloud. Even well-intentioned big plans tend to come with big price tags.

The holidays are over and the new year has begun. Americans—for the most part an eternally optimistic bunch—begin 2009 with trepidation, unsure of what the coming months hold.