By Mary Ellen Shaw When neighborhood grocery stores disappeared so did the penny candy counters. Having the opportunity to browse in front of one was a daily occurrence back in the 50s when I was a student at Christ the […]
Category: Column
Can you pass this Social Security quiz?
By Kevin Theissen Social Security provides retirement income for many, but according to Mass. Mutual Life Insurance, most Americans fail to demonstrate basic knowledge of Social Security benefits. Mass. Mutual used a quiz to test peoples’ knowledge of Social Security […]
April powder day surprise
By Merisa Sherman I awoke to a deafening silence. The birds of spring, so vocal in their morning song, had vanished. In fact, there was no noise at all — an eerie silence had overtaken the earth. It was almost […]
Making your funeral arrangements
A good friend died recently. At the age of 80 all his life insurance had expired and his savings were spent. His family, financially, were living from week to week. His failing health along with Covid-19 put him in an […]
Returning to form
A week ago, I explained how I was sitting on the deck of a beautiful boutique hotel overlooking the pristine waters of the Caribbean while writing my column. This week, unfortunately, I’m back to my living room chair. It’s hard […]
Financial spring cleaning
By Kevin Theissen If you have been procrastinating on one, some or all aspects of your personal finances, why not apply the concept of spring cleaning to your money? The following are some ideas to get started or restarted: Get […]
Look out for yourself this week
By Cassandra Tyndall What is one area of your life that is so solid, you could never imagine it going wrong? Is it your relationship? Your career? Or maybe it’s something you’ve cultivated within yourself, such as a spiritual relationship […]
Snow swimming, Part 4: Meeting my wild voice
By Sandra Dee Owens All my life, I noticed it. The presence of a gentle, internal voice, offering helpful suggestions I mostly ignored. No, not ignored … flicked off my shoulder like a bothersome bug. I gave my internal guidance […]
Early spring yard and garden tasks
By Mary Ellen Shaw By the time April arrives gardeners tend to get a little antsy. The temperature can be toasty warm one day and chilly the next. You want to plant some flowers but it’s just too early. However, […]
Paddling the flooded forest
By Merisa Sherman For a few days every spring, there comes a magical moment for paddlers in Vermont. A section of the Otter Creek swells over the road and fills in a dairy farm pasture. The fields and some forests […]