By Kevin Theissen “The only money that’s really yours is the money you spend. Everything else goes to somebody else,” said Teddy Chafolious. That piggy bank we remember from childhood wasn’t just a place to store our birthday money and spare change: it was a lesson, a way our parents encouraged us to get into…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul The big white birds paddling gracefully across a Massachusetts pond last November surprised me. I’d grown up in the town I was visiting and had never seen swans there, although my friend assured me they were resident birds. The only mute swans I’d seen before, years ago, were floating along the…

A little poem I wrote in my 20s still holds true today: A Walk, Just a Walk A walk, just a walk, without destination, not hampered by unhappiness, or pressured by time. A walk, just a walk, that exercised thought, shared a smile, and amused a pup. A walk, just a walk, that awakened memory,…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of Moon that turned full at on April 29. As this column goes to print, the Moon is technically still in its full phase, in the sign of the Scorpion. Ordinarily this would be no big deal. After…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg The Shrewsbury Community Meeting House in Cuttingsville is the place to be at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 27, for a double bill concert with The Plumb Bobs (Bobs) and Miss Guided Angels (MGA). I had the pleasure of speaking with both George Nostrand of MGA and Marcos Levy of the…

By Mary Ellen Shaw If you grew up in the 50s you probably spent a lot of time outdoors. There were no digital devices to keep your eyes glued to a screen. In fact, many homes in our area were just getting their first television. My parents and those of my friends didn’t allow us…

By Marguerite Jill Dye Climbing a tree is a path to self-discovery. Building a woodland fort is an exercise in creativity. Stepping across a babbling brook develops confidence and brings joy. Our most treasured childhood memories are often from outdoor adventures. While 71 percent of adults played outside as kids, only 21 percent of America’s…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Leo Moon. With all kinds of aspects to consider let’s keep in mind that Chiron is still sitting on top of the Aries Point and will remain within orb of that conjunction until the end of…

By Marguerite Jill Dye Thank heavens we live in Vermont, where our connection to nature is ever tangible. However, not all of our countrymen and women benefit from the great out-of-doors. Did you know that the average American spends 93 percent of his or her time indoors—87 percent in buildings and 6 percent in vehicles,…

By Carolyn Lorié In the pre-dawn hours of April 22, the Lyrid meteor shower will peak. About 15 to 20 meteors will be visible each hour, which really is not very many. By comparison, the Perseid meteor shower in August averages about 60 to 70 an hour, and the Geminid in December can top 120.…

By Dom Cioffi My wife and I were out to dinner this past weekend when a flash of bright red from the corner of the restaurant caught my eye. In an instant, I knew what it meant: prom night. A slew of eight beautifully dressed couples sauntered into the dining room, each looking more glamorous…

By DJ Dave Fresh off an incredible pond skimming event, Killington Resort has another big party this weekend combined with an awesome concert. This Saturday, April 21, the Roaring Brook Umbrella Bar will be hosting the season pass holder party with a free barbecue from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Right on the snow in front of…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Moon that will enter Taurus right before sunrise on April 16. As usual, there are a ton of aspects to consider: Venus and Pluto are trining each other – the Sun is entering a conjunction with…

By Kevin Theissen Does investing strike fear in you? We once heard somebody say the word “fear” stands for “False Evidence Appearing Real.” That seems to apply to investing. Here’s why. The stock market makes some people nervous. This can be especially true for young people who grew up during the Great Recession. Not only…

Painting by Marguerite Jill Dye by Marguerite Jill Dye Vermonters and fellow nature lovers know the power our magnificent mountains, forests, and woods have on our wellbeing. If I hadn’t experienced nature’s healing effect myself, I may not have understood the forest’s curative energies on the human immune system. Years ago, after travels in Turkey…