By Dom Cioffi I take great joy in decorating my house for the holidays. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it when the lights are on, the tree is up, and the house is filled with Yuletide imagery. I decorate early (usually the day after Thanksgiving) so I can enjoy the atmosphere…

By Gary Salmon This headline is not related to politics. The term is the goal of people who make windows for homes and businesses and the clearer the better for those of us looking through a pane of glass. Early glass windows were limited in size and had “waves” in them due to the primitive…

By Laurie D. Morrissey If you are out walking on an early winter morning, you might be lucky enough to see some of nature’s most beautiful and ephemeral sights: hair ice and frost flowers, both snow-white and delicate against the dull forest floor. Recently, a friend sent me a photo of hair ice, seemingly sprouting…

By Cassandra Tyndall So much has changed astrologically in the last couple of weeks. As we cross the threshold into a new calendar year, the sky is reasonably quiet, comparatively. Dec. 30 brings the Full Moon in Cancer. It’s been three years since the Moon has been at her most powerful without the influence of…

By Merisa Sherman As V.A.S.T. (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) opening weekend approached, there was an admission of defeat. While I was stoked to pick up the sled from her annual maintenance check late Wednesday evening, there was no thought in our minds that we’d be making our way through the Vermont mountains. Instead, we…

By Dom Cioffi I took my son for his annual check-up at the optometrist earlier this week. Prior to the appointment, a woman from the doctor’s office contacted me and asked if I would fill out an online health questionnaire for my son so our waiting time in the lobby would be reduced. I had…

By Kevin Theissen For many older adults, finding time to experience nature can be one of the greatest pleasures in retirement. And what better place to take in America’s splendor than one of our over 400 National Park Service sites? For over a century, generations of retirees have explored these stunning landscapes, marveled at the…

By Tyler Hoar As winter settles in, people watching their birdfeeders hope to catch a glimpse of something out of the ordinary – perhaps a visitor from the Far North. Nothing satisfies this desire like the bubbly and charismatic common redpoll. A member of the finch family, this small songbird is similar in size to…

By Cassandra Tyndall You’ve probably heard a lot about this week’s rare fusion between Jupiter and Saturn. Known as the Great Conjunction, this happens every twenty years. What’s especially unique about this particular conjunction is that it heralds a new almost 200-year cycle of Jupiter and Saturn conjoining in the air signs of Gemini, Libra…

By Merisa Sherman There is no time that simply awes like the first few days of winter settling into itself. Those snow covered days are plump and luscious, the beautiful fluffy world that we dream of when we say “powder day.” We imagine being wrapped in blankets, snuggled by the fire with a hot chocolate…

By Vanessa Robertson Rutland Young Professionals is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to building up Rutland County and creating social and fun networking opportunities for young professionals in the area. Just as important as growing networks and business, Rutland Young Professionals is dedicated to giving back to our community. A majority of our board members…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Christmas will be celebrated differently for many of us this year thanks to the pandemic. While large gatherings are a “no-no” the spirit of Christmas and its true meaning will remain the same. I noticed Christmas lights went up in our neighborhood in early November. Some people even turned them on…

By Dom Cioffi Most people can review their life and easily point to two or three individuals who were major influences on the person they became. Hopefully, one of those was a parent, but other likely candidates might include a coach, teacher, or other relative. I was one of those lucky kids who had both…

By Meghan McCarthy Mcphaul One night just before Christmas last year, my youngest daughter and I opted to walk the short distance home from dinner at my parents’ house, rather than drive with the rest of the family. Our eyes adjusted to the night, and the snow beneath our feet shimmered, even in the winter…

By Cassandra Tyndall A total Solar Eclipse occurring this week may help you re-arrange old ideas, perspectives and beliefs of what you once held dear. From the remains of what’s left, innovative new structures, ideas, beliefs and possibilities can be created. This eclipse is heavily influenced by the flurry of planetary changes that surround it.…