By Mary Ellen Shaw Halloween was always a fun time back in the '50s. For many of us kids the holiday got a head start when our parents brought us to one of the local farms to pick out a pumpkin to carve. In our house it was a tradition to put a candle inside…

By Mary Ellen Shaw It seems like my inbox has a lot of “remember when” emails that take my age group back to the “good old days.” We all seem to enjoy remembering how things were and comparing those times to the present day. Something that frequently comes into our conversations is the television of…

By Mary Ellen Shaw It won’t be long before fall is in the air! It’s been a very hot summer compared to the weather we used to have many years ago. I don’t remember one house on our street having an air conditioner when I was growing up in the '50s and '60s. Everyone had…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Several years ago I took a trip down Memory Lane in this column when I reminisced about the concerts held in Main Street Park. I was reminded of those memories when I read recently that the bandstand needs to be replaced. The Sunday night concerts were an important part of my…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Someone asked me recently what it was like to have observed all the changes that have occurred in my neighborhood during the 70-plus years that I have lived here. The conversation led to such questions as, “Which house was built first?” and “What was Howard Avenue like back in the '50s?”…

By Mary Ellen Shaw We are about half way through the allotted time in Vermont to enjoy watching our flowers bloom. If you have a perennial garden you know that it’s a challenge to have constant color through October. For me the spring garden is probably the one I look forward to the most. After…

By Mary Ellen Shaw If someone could come back into the world that they departed from many years ago they would certainly find that a lot has changed. In my case I wonder what my parents would think about the changes that have occurred to my family home since they passed away. Time has not…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Those of us who are in the “senior” category are often amazed at all the changes that have occurred during our lifetime. My friend Mary Jane said that she and a college friend were discussing whether the changes that their parents had experienced were on the same level as what our…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Reminiscing about the old city swimming pool on North Main Street never gets old! I took a look back at it a few years ago but it’s worth another look as the topic inevitably comes up among my age group at this time of year. There’s nothing like the “good ol’…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Some of the items that you may have planted in your garden can be enjoyed beyond the time that you pick them to eat fresh. Most of us have limited space so why not grow things that can be frozen and enjoyed throughout the year? You just need to do a…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Well, planting time is just around the corner! On Memorial Day weekend garden centers will be overflowing with people who are full of enthusiasm. They are excited about planting flowers to beautify their yards and planting veggies to enjoy throughout the summer and into fall. I love gardening to the point…

By Mary Ellen Shaw For most of us writing began when we learned to print our names. Occasionally, letters of the alphabet got printed backwards in the process but eventually we got it right. School classrooms had alphabet charts on the wall facing the students. Printed letters were in one row with the matching cursive…

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 King School. Young’s Grocery Store was just a few feet down the street. Considering that…

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, there is still plenty to do in your yards and gardens as we get ready…

By Mary Ellen Shaw It’s hard to believe that it’s almost Easter. This holiday can fall any time between March 22 and April 25 (this year it’s April 4). In Vermont the earlier dates mean the possibility of snow on the ground. That just doesn’t seem like Easter! In a picture from the 1950s my…