Newsletter Archive

It’s August and “fair season” kicks off with ribbon cutting, music, beauty queens and state dignitaries. What an exciting way to celebrate the end of the summer season. In 1811, farmer Elkanah Watson organized the first county fair in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The early fairs were designed to showcase agricultural competitions, livestock and farming innovations. The very first state fair took place in Syracuse, New York in 1841. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, fairs evolved from purely agrarian showcases into much larger, multifaceted entertainment venues…

Time flies. One minute our forefathers are signing the Declaration of Independence and in the blink of an eye we’re celebrating the semi quincentennial of its signing. Two hundred and fifty years sounds old, but we are considered a young nation among other modern nations that have already passed the millennium mark. Sweden, France and Denmark have all reached or surpassed 1,000-years, while Japan leaves everyone in its dust at 2,700 years old…

If you’re looking for inspiration, your search is over. The month of June is full of it with the longest days of the year, perfectly timed to take in it’s beautiful outdoor weather. Whether it’s a gardening project, home improvement or personal undertaking, now is the time. If you need ideas, there are plenty of how-to shows that will get your creativity running wild. At my home, we watch a lot of home improvement shows with This Old House being one of our favorites. The show has been on national television for 47 years with 1,500 episodes, more home improvement than you would ever need. My attention usually perks up when the gardening section comes around…

The birds are back in town and it’s a sure sign that spring has taken a firm hold on our world. May is the pretty month and sits right in the middle of the spring season, which is not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Goldilocks would love it. Although, I’m not so sure about the three bears who might apply the same idea to Goldilocks herself after the prolonged winter, we’ve just had…

The birds are back in town and it’s a sure sign that spring has taken a firm hold on our world. May is the pretty month and sits right in the middle of the spring season, which is not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Goldilocks would love it. Although, I’m not so sure about the three bears who might apply the same idea to Goldilocks herself after the prolonged winter, we’ve just had…

“Beware the Ides of March” said the Shakespeare soothsayer’s to Julius Caesar, who should have listened to this caution of impending danger. Unfortunately, the forewarning was ignored and on March 15, 44 BCE Caesar was assassinated by Roman senators who feared his power. Leaving us to think that March could be a month of bad luck or betrayal. Let’s take a new direction and call in the leprechauns to boost March’s profile. Erin go Bragh…

February has arrived and you might be thinking, I just have to get through this month then spring is right around the corner. Rather than resigning yourself to dealing with the cold and being stuck indoors for a month, how about reframing your outlook to include a little loving, vacationing and shopping. Doesn’t that sound a whole lot better?

Over the years, how many construction paper hearts have you created…

There is no tiptoeing around it, winter is here to stay for a couple of months. January is considered the height of the season for good reasons including face numbing cold, road blocking snow, freezing winds, and the sneaky one we call black ice. It’s also the month when days get longer, sunny days are blindingly beautiful, skiing, skating and sledding are possible, and we are gung-ho about our New Year self-improvement resolutions….

It’s October and high time to “Pack up your troubles in your old Kit-Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile”. These are the words to a song written in 1915 by George and Felix Powell. The song was a popular music hall tune designed to boost morale during World War I, providing a sense of optimism and resilience during the conflict. I can still hear Sister Loretta Timothy blowing into her pitch pipe so my class of forty 7th graders would launch into the ditty…

It’s November and time for you to plug in and charge your batteries. The holidays are about to begin and your get-up-and-go is about to be put to the test. Thanksgiving kicks off the season and things do not slow down until New Year’s Day. All the family traditions you enjoy don’t just magically happen, they are tended to by the holiday heroes among us. These heroes make Santa Claus’s job look easy, but let’s not jump ahead, although I did see Christmas decorations in the stores around Columbus Day. I just shook my head and walked on by…

It’s December and our world tilts slightly to be the best it can be for a brief time. The holiday spirit is working overtime as we decorate our homes both inside and out. Personalities emerge going from the bright lights with animated reindeer and snowmen to the quiet spotlight on a nativity scene or just a few candles in the window. Garland, white lights and wreaths help set the scene and remind us that the world is in sync with the magic of Christmas and is celebrating the holiday season. Inside, all the decorations are being pulled out and placed to their best advantage on tables and mantels, in the living room, dining room and everywhere there is an empty space. Others, like me, opt for a much simpler approach and focus on the tree…

Summer was launched in June. Then we slid through July and August finally splashing down in September, at the start of the fall season. With cooler weather, shorter days, and the changing color of the leaves, it is a marked difference from the long, hot, humid days of summer. While I love fall, let’s just put the brakes on saying goodbye to summer so quickly…

“Watch the pendulum swing back and forth, back and forth… As you focus deeply on this moving object, notice your breathing becoming heavier…With every swing, your eyes will begin to get heavy, and tired…The more you try to keep those eyes open, the more they just want to close… Now, as you go on relaxing, down into a wonderful deep hypnotic relaxation…”. If these words have put you in a trance, take a break…

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America; and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”

The first time I heard these words was in grammar school. At the beginning of every day the whole class stood, facing the flag and repeated the words after our teacher, Sister Cornelius, who was fearsome to a seven-year-old. At the time …

Hello sunshine! Bring on the barbeques and step into your shorts because June has landed. The summer solstice on June twentieth heralds a day that is 14-16 hours long depending on where you live. Midsummer has been observed for  thousands of years, with celebrations rooted in ancient traditions. The people of pagan Europe would light bonfires and dance all night with druid led rituals. In ancient China workers were given the day off to celebrate with ceremonies honoring the earth and the feminine force known as yin. Similarly, the ancient Romans focused on Vesta, goddess of the hearth, home, and family….

The behind-the-scenes to this yearly event is epic when it comes to yard work…

March Madness is a catchphrase that captures the excitement and frenzy surrounding the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament held in March. When I was in college at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights were part of the tournament and made the final four. The campus went wild celebrating with overindulgence of all kinds. It even stoked the “streaking” craze, which was a popular insane activity at the time. I never participated because sprinting around without my clothes on and being a slow runner didn’t seem like a good idea. In fact my friend Mary said she heard someone call her name as she was streaking outside one of the dorms. I would have had a full body blush.

Brrrr………. That sums up how cold, frigid and arctic the month of February can be. While we may guard against the cold with heaters, puffer jackets, and Smartwool everything there are others who embrace this kind of weather. Buddhist monks who choose to live in monasteries in remote parts of the Himalayas can experience temperatures dropping well below freezing, with some nighttime lows as cold as 1 degree. Sounds like Vermont. The monks feel their environment is ideal for practicing “Tummo” meditation, which is believed to allow them to generate internal heat to withstand the cold temperatures, and essentially a way to further their spiritual development. The monks are draped in ice-cold, wet sheets of fabric that start to steam until they are completely dry. In about an hour the first sheets are dry, and they are replaced with new wet sheets. This ritual is repeated three times over the course of several hours to complete their spiritual practice. Do not try this at home, that’s what clothes dryers are for…

January

Here we are, at the beginning of another new year. Ho-hum, you may think, it’s January just the first page of my new calendar, but not so fast. It’s 2025 and the completion of a quarter of a century with many significant events that will shape the next 25 years of our lives. Remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Iraq War, the global financial crisis of 2008, the rise of social media, the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the increasing concerns about climate change? Maybe that’s all a little too much to think about right after the holidays. Right now, living in the moment is the best I can do…

August
August is hot, in so many ways.

I’ll kick it off with the obvious one, which is the weather with high temperatures and plenty of humidity. Wearing shorts, going to the beach or a lake, slathering on sunscreen, and drinking plenty of cold water, iced tea and lemonade are summer essentials to battle the heat…

Red, White and Blue…
Say, can you see
By the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly, yeah, streaming?

And the rockets’ red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

These are the words to our national anthem. The lyrics come from the poem, “Defence of Fort M’Henry”, written by the American lawyer Francis Scott Key …

I was on my way home one day listening to an interview on BBC Radio. The subject was a British children’s author named Cressida Cowell, best known for the book series How to Train your Dragon, which sounded intriguing. During the conversation they discussed how to be a good storyteller, which got me thinking about how storytelling is such a big part of everyone’s life. It’s everywhere you turn, if you think about it. It’s in the obvious places being the books we read, the theater we attend, and the music we listen to. A good story line is what makes these things so memorable….

Let the Spring begin…
I know Spring is officially from March through May, but this year I think it’s been shortened to just the month of May. What a relief to finally come through a long uneventful winter, that ended with the bang of a big snowstorm in April, and slowly evolved into some semblance of Spring. So let’s celebrate May with a positive outlook and put the thought of “mud season” to the back of our minds…

The Collector

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon and I was rummaging through some drawers where I keep my “stuff” (everyone has stuff). I found my button box in an end table and thought, I haven’t used one button from that box and it’s pretty full. I know why I have a button box. It’s because my mother had one, and it kept me busy for hours sorting and counting and asking my mother too many questions on each button! The difference is that she used the buttons because she was always sewing and knitting clothes for us. I, on the other hand, just collect them…

Bookworm
If you are looking for ways to entertain yourself during the last remnants of the winter weather in March think about reading. It is definitely my favorite pastime and doesn’t require sneakers, a plane ticket, or reservations. In fact it can be completely free if you join a library or exchange books with a friend. My favorite type of book is historical fiction because I can relate to the place in time and get lost in the story of the characters. I find myself mentally praising them, scolding them, being astonished by them, and even feel myself blushing during some of the more romantic paragraphs. For me, it is an escape from the stress and routine of everyday life and I can step into that world at any time I choose. I find myself reading whenever I have a little down time even if it is just 10-15 minutes at the start of the day or longer on a quiet Sunday…

I found myself quietly laughing this morning when I visited one of my daily websites and I read this little blurb:

“I just watched my dog chase its tail for 10 minutes and thought, “boy dogs are easily entertained”, and then realized I’d just watched my dog chase its own tail for 10 minutes.” 

I am easily amused, so this hit home with me; an instant moment of self-realization. It’s nice to start the day with a laugh.

I have always been able to find the humor in most things…

A Month for Giving and Believing

I’ve lived in the Northeast my whole life and the thing I like the most about this area is the changing of seasons. All seasons have their good points and bad points, but put them all together and it keeps life interesting. No boredom going on here. It’s December and we are heading toward the cold, dark winter portion of the seasonal program. Everyone gets out their puffy coats and layers up with sweaters, boots, hats, and gloves. Layering up is one of those things you learn after you’ve frozen half to death one or two times! Life changes around our house with the cold and snow. We put our studded snow tires on the car, crank up the heat, put the plow on the truck (not a fun time) and take the snow shovels out of the shed. The days are shorter, so driving to and from work is in the dark, but thank goodness for heated car seats; keeps the buns warm. There is a silver lining to almost everything, isn’t there?

My Favorite Holiday
When I think of November the next thing that pops into my mind is Thanksgiving. The Macy’s Day Parade, the big dinner, and the important leftovers. When I was very young, we would have the day off from school and to me that was the first great thing about the day. Up early and waiting for the Macy’s Day parade with the giant balloons, the Rockettes, and last in the show was ho-ho-ho Santa. Next came watching a movie, which for a long time was The March of the Wooden Soldiers with Laurel and Hardy! ( a super oldie). And of course, there were always the football games. In high school, my brothers and sister and I were either playing in a game or cheering from the sidelines, to be followed by a couple of NFL games….

Something for everyone…
October is a month that quietly comes along, but packs a punch with its beauty, celebrations and fun. Fall foliage is at its peak in Vermont and there is probably nowhere in the world that can beat this breathtaking site. The cool crisp air is refreshing and builds our appetites that are easily satisfied with the abundance of apples, cider, and cider donuts (the best of both combined)!

Summertime

Written in 1934, ‘Summertime’ is one of the first compositions George
Gershwin worked on for his brand-new opera, Porgy and Bess. The jazz-inspired song went on to be covered by thousands of artists in every genre, from disco to reggae.

The slow cadence of this lullaby really does make me think I’m sweltering in the hot summer heat…

This line is spoken by Harry Callahan, played by Clint Eastwood, in the film Dirty Harry (1971).

California cop Harry Callahan is not happy to have his lunch interrupted by a robbery. He shoots the bank robber and his getaway driver, all while finishing a bite of his lunch….

Houston

When an unexpected problem pops up, people will humorously say, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”

Not all problems are extremely serious or urgent (like the Apollo 13 explosion when that phrase was first used), but the problem probably needs your
attention. Or, you learn to just to live with it. I think I would rather look at it like a puzzle and figure it out. This must be how inventions evolved,…

Off to see the Wizard

One of my favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz. Probably one of the best scenes is when Dorothy opens the door to the farmhouse after she lands in OZ. Up until this point, the movie is in back-and-white, but when she opens the door it is to a world of color. I think one of the reasons I like this scene is because the first time I saw it was on my family’s new color television. (Now that’s a while back). Not only is the scene beautiful, it is filled with fun, laughter, and ruby slippers…

Cabin Fever

What the heck happened to winter? Over the past couple of months, it’s been cold and sometimes windy, but a very poor performance in the snow department. If it’s going to be cold, it might as well be pretty and that means a little white from the heavens. Now I’m done with the rant and I’m ready to move onto spring. Before we really jump-in, we need to deal with the cabin fever hangover that comes from having to stay indoors most of the time, and COVID certainly hasn’t helped the situation…

“Top o the mornin to ya”

Everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but I’m sure I’m a lot Irish, as my mother was born in Ireland and my father was first generation in America. My mother, Eileen, travelled to America at the age of eighteen on a boat (seasick all the way) and landed in America to be met by relatives who sponsored her. My mother has a brogue, can speak Gaelic, loves potatoes, and makes a great Irish stew. That’s all the proof you need to know she was born and raised on a farm in Ireland. If that’s not enough, know that she and my aunts use to Irish … stepdance at parties, noisy and the floor took a beating! To be sure, to be sure.

Short and Sweet

Into February we go, middle of winter, cold, dark, and … boring? I don’t think so. While February is the shortest month of the year with 28 days, and sometimes 29, it does not lack in giving us reasons to celebrate, contemplate, look at the world with eyes wide open, and eat! …

Color Your World…

Winter is certainly the season for white. Is white even a color? Well, it depends on your perspective. In art, white is the absence of all color, but to a scientist white is a bunch of colors. Okay, that’s confusing. My view is that white is nice, but doesn’t really do anything for me except to make me think something is missing. Color has been an important part of our existence …

Resilience

Best Friends

Grasshopper

Are You an Ironman?

The Dog Days of Summer

Remembering My Father

Time for a Fresh Start

Hope

As I write this message I am at once sad, proud, and hopeful because of the war on Ukraine. The daily bombings and strikes on Kyiv, Mariupol, and Karkiv have brought out the best and worst of humanity. Volodymyr Zelensky and all of the nameless heroic Ukrainians have astonished the world…. This crisis has hit home as we see the pictures of destruction and register the look of despair on the faces of Ukrainian men, women, and children. We, the Equinox Village family, which includes residents, management, staff, and friends have stepped up in a big way. We know we are not helpless and can offer comfort and care to those in need. Over the past two weeks, we have raised $25,000 to go toward the humanitarian crisis created by this war. Our funds are being sent to Project HOPE.  This organization is on the ground responding to the Ukraine crisis and is actively shipping essential medicines and medical supplies to assist Ukrainians….

Community Bucket List

Not Another Trend

Just Do It

Naughty or Nice?

‘Tis the season to be jolly! Who wants to review the year we just had? It’s been one for the history books, but not something I want to dwell on, so forget about asking whose been naughty or nice and let’s jump into celebrating the holidays and starting a new year.

Did you ever wonder where the first holiday cards originated? The custom of sending holiday cards was started in the UK in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. He was a senior civil servant (Government worker) who had helped set-up the new ‘Public Record Office’ (now called the Post Office), where he was an Assistant Keeper, and wondered how it could be used more by ordinary people…

Attitude-of-Gratitude

  I was ordering some Thanksgiving Day cards and without thinking about it, I noticed that pretty much all of them expressed the sentiment of gratefulness. When I did start thinking about it, I realized this is the most used sentiment connected to the Thanksgiving holiday. It makes me wonder why for some people it takes a holiday to remind us to be grateful, then there are others who always have an attitude-of-gratitude…

Hocus Pocus …..

is my favorite Halloween movie. It has a scary theme, but the humor and characters, plus the fact that you can guess that all will be okay, make it lighthearted. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about three diabolical witches from the 17th century that come back to life and wreak havoc on a town as they work to become immortal. The chemistry between the three witches is something like real life and you will know someone like each witch: bossy witch, sweet witch, and confused witch. When you think about it, it could be different sides of the same person…

Welcome September ….

Doesn’t the changing of a season bring with it certain emotions and memories? Fall is the season that brings about the most feelings from me…. Vermont is an expert at Fall. It wears the most vibrant colors, flamboyant red, brilliant yellow and screaming orange. It displays the bluest sky decorated with puffy white clouds. It invites you to walk and feel it’s cool crisp air embrace you making you feel alive. It is thought provoking and brings up fond memories while coaxing you to create new memories. It is the place you want to be between summer and winter, and for those of us who live here, we understand it’s one of the reasons we choose to stay…

Magic Moments ….

I think I’ve caught onto something that I want to share with you. I was on the way to work listening to a talk show on the radio that was discussing all the unrest, violence, and politics going on in the world. There were a lot of people that called-in to comment, and all agreed that the world was crazy right now and they wished for the day it would turn around. There was one woman whose comments I took to heart and thought she had a simple solution to help people get through these tumultuous times….

A Feeling of Freedom ….

If I had to connect one word with the month of July, it would be freedom. There are moments in my life when I have experienced a great sense of freedom… learning to ride my bike, going on my first camping trip with the Girl Scouts, my first time skiing, my first airplane ride. At the time, I would not have called it freedom, but I am sure that feeling of excitement I had was freedom. There were also many significant life changes when I did know I was experiencing a sense of freedom…

I was my Father’s Favorite….

I had two brother’s and a sister, but something told me I was my father’s favorite. I didn’t appreciate it when I was very young, but as I grew-up, I understood the connection we had with each other. He was the one who told me I could be anything I wanted to be, never discouraging any crazy dreams I had. My father grew up during the depression, that explains some things to me. If we were eating dinner and left some ketchup on the plate, he would say that’s how Mr. Heinz got rich!  We used to tease him and say he was a cheapskate, but I think he was just trying to spend money where it was needed. He was the oldest son of three brothers, whom were all in the service during WWII. My father was in one of the flamethrower tanks on Iwo Jima. WOW.  I am incredible lucky to have the life I do because of my father; his name was John. Happy Father’s Day!…

May 2021
Everything looks and feels so fresh and new. The grass that resembled hay is turning a lush green and the bare trees are displaying their new buds. If I look hard enough, I can see the perennials in my garden grow. Really! I raked out the leaves last weekend and they are already 6 inches in height. Everyone is outside walking, exchanging their apparel from winter to spring styles. This past weekend, I had a conversation about going through your wardrobe and looking for a new home for clothes that are still in great shape. The local Good Will centers are going to be booming very shortly with some nice merchandise. Another dilemma this spring, is going to be “what to wear” with our new Covid-19 waistlines, but that’s a whole different conversation we can table for now! ….

April 2021
It’s the tangible items people spend time packing prior to a move, like their favorite furnishings, clothing, and household decorations. Then the moving truck arrives signaling a whirlwind of activity, by staff and other residents alike, to get our new resident settled into their home. The best part is that with all this “stuff” comes their experiences, memories, and talents, making each person an interesting gift to our community as they unpack themselves. Everyone being different, some residents we get to know quickly, while others may take more time…

March 2021
Every year, I really like the moment when I notice that the days are getting longer. It always catches me off guard, and I smile because I know it’s time to come out of hibernation. I stop wearing my mittens and leave my scarf at home. I have an urge to open the windows, take a long walk and buy some flowers. Simple things that I know will make me happy. When I hear people talk about mindfulness and living in the moment, I think, I never do that. Then again maybe I do….

February 2021
Winter can be a drab, lonely time or it can be magical and poetic. It’s a point of view. I want to share with you a gift-of-thought from a friend who spent his life as a police chief and when he retired became the poet he always wanted to be. Please enjoy it. ….

January 2021

I resolve to leave 2020 behind me and look forward to getting back to normal in 2021.

All the rules and regulations and all the “don’ts” and “must-dos” surrounding COVID have been a bit overwhelming. Instead, let’s focus on the easy stuff like resolutions. Whether we carry them out or not, they help us reflect on what would make us happy. …

….

If you’re looking for inspiration, your search is over. The month of June is full of it with the longest days of the year, perfectly timed to take in it’s beautiful Time flies. One minute our forefathers are signing the Declaration of Independence and in the blink of an eye we’re celebrating the semi quincentennial of its signing. Two hundred and fifty years sounds old, but we are considered a young nation among other modern nations that have already passed the millennium mark. Sweden, France and Denmark have all reached or surpassed 1,000-years, while Japan leaves everyone in its dust at 2,700 years old…