This Month’s Featured Articles…

Volunteerism is the engine that makes many of our communities run. Look around your town, and you’ll see what I mean. From houses of worship, fire and ambulance services, food pantries and soup kitchens, libraries, environment and conservation efforts, and social service agencies, lives are enhanced and needs are met through the work of volunteers and the non-profits they serve. Aside from the good that volunteering does for the recipients in our communities, the act of service carries benefits for the doer. While ethics may [...]

For those of us who have grown up tucked within the congenial fabric of rural life, that which breeds the kind of familiarity whose beauty is only rivaled by the backdrop of our beloved local landscape, there are those figures who feel as though they can simply never leave us. Those that have been a permanent fixture during our youth and whose visage does not seem to change despite the passage of time. Sometimes it’s the hairdresser or the bartender, many times it’s the educator [...]

Within the last few decades, technology has certainly kept the pace buzzing. While access to a wealth of information on our phones certainly has its advantages, we’re also continually distracted and interrupted by the constant flow of emails, texts, and phone calls. During our leisure time, we often scroll through Instagram or check Facebook or Twitter rather than enjoy the reality of the world around us. While we scroll our devices, we’re missing out on connecting with those around us or just taking in the [...]

It’s Sunday, and I’m on a walk and casting about for something to do. A manicure? Nah. Hmmm… what’s this? A drop-in tarot reading? Why not? I’d been seeing posts about tarot on Instagram and in articles here or there. This year, Dior launched its spring/summer collection with an opulent tarot-inspired video, and the UK’s The Sun has a daily tarot card interpretation on its website. Significant upheavals in my life and the never-ending COVID cloud have me wondering about the bigger picture, a universe [...]

The holidays are over. The lights will soon be coming down. The dreariness of January, February, March, and – yes – even April looms like a black hole of bah humbug. And yet, this seemingly dreary time of year in our beloved Northeast can be a great gift. A new year symbolizes hope and beginnings. It’s time to leave last year behind and be present to what’s possible now and going forward. Days and weeks that are characterized by cold temperatures and early nights are [...]