Are We Seeing the Return of Jimmy Carter? Share Share Editor’s Note: Because of my bike injury, I can now write with only one hand for the next couple of months. To help out, my dear wife Jo Ann has graciously written today’s Skousen Cafe. My husband Mark and I were married in the spring of 1973 — Patriots Day, to be exact. An unpopular war was winding down, and a president was being impeached. Inflation was heating up and production was slowing down. That summer, we were facing lettuce shortages, beef shortages and gas shortages. By winter, I was lining up early in the morning to fill our tank with gas — sometimes waiting for two hours or more. By 10 a.m., most filling stations were empty for the day. And by spring, I was looking into the eyes of my newborn baby, wondering what her world would be like.