The Home Forum

All The Home Forum

On a mission to restore the Louisiana bayou

Retired dairy farmers, they were no strangers to muck as they helped revive the marsh of Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill.
A hidden gift tucked in a scarf

On a train ride across Turkmenistan, two women share a sleeping car and concerns.
Haiti earthquake aftermath: A baby and a plea for help

A Monitor photographer experiences the state of Haiti's recovery on a very personal level.
Beguiled by a loop of string

As the girl played cat's cradle on the train, the elderly lady beside her brightened with interest.
Moral relativism comes to the copy desk

A question from a colleague reminds the Monitor's language columnist how often an editor's notions of 'right' and 'wrong' are grounded in specifics, not absolutes.
A top-dog tale

When a new dog arrived, cocker spaniel Heidi seemed to lose more than her familiar status.
A chocolatey quest, Part 2

On a mission to find the best hot chocolate in New York, two researchers discover that most of the best brews have European origins.
Outback odyssey

An encounter with Australian Aborigines proves a life-changing experience.
A third-grader's theft

In this confession, the writer admits to elementary school thievery. She stole a classmate's stickers, and all that stuck was the guilt.
Hungry for books

In Zimbabwe, a police officer's request at a security checkpoint demonstrated his passion for reading.
A winter visit to a summer home

A woman's return to her old summer camp brings back fond memories.
Learning how to listen

As the sound of silence disappears, a mother embarks on a quest to find quiet moments.
The secret of Valentine's Day superpowers

James seemed so smooth with the ladies. Really he was just being human.
The fatherhood files

New to parenting, one man's motto for fatherhood: 'the last one to turn off the lights.'
How to buy control

A toddler in search of a remote inadvertently teaches his mother a lesson in life.
Awash with insight

A father sorts through socks – and his son's recent maturity.
An outsider dips into an aristocratic world

But the boundaries are clearly drawn.
Blizzard calculations

With the heat out and no water, a self-professed fat cat reassesses her creature comforts.
The dog that never was

Despite the 'Beware of Dog' sign, no canine – friendly or otherwise – managed to take up residence.
My lost daughter

When I picked up the phone, a young voice asked an unexpected question.