I had ridden bikes all day with a couple of friends. In my memory, it was one of my friend’s birthdays, and we were working on her goal of being able to ride Yo Vinny. Not without putting a foot down because that section of ladder around the big rock would always be tight.  But…

Not a week goes by that I’m not yelling at my son about eating snacks in his bedroom. Initially, I wasn’t opposed to the idea, but after years of finding stale and rotted food underneath his bed and behind his furniture, I finally put my foot down (getting fresh wall-to-wall carpeting installed also prompted the…

In early spring, a reddish haze appears in the woodlands. With most deciduous trees still dormant, the red maples are living up to their name. Their awakening buds lend color to a gray landscape and signal that spring is coming. I love watching the steady progression of red as I look out my window. A…

If you haven’t watched either season of AppleTV+’s “Severance,” this review probably isn’t for you. Let this serve as a warning and opportunity: If you haven’t yet watched “Severance,” why on earth would you want to read on and spoil the fun? If you haven’t dipped into the wild world of “Severance,” with its second…

“One of Them Days” is the first theatrical R-rated female-driven Black comedy since 2017’s “Girls Trip,” and that is a shocking statistic. Released in theaters in mid-January of this year, “One of Them Days” was a modest hit, making $49 million off a budget of $14 million. The movie’s high-concept premise, two friends/roommates have just…

Chip and Dan Heath, in their book “Switch,” tell the story of a young MBA who ran a chunk of the Brazilian railroad after it was privatized and broken into pieces. The newly minted railroad CEO ended up with a share that included steam locomotives and infrastructure in dire need of repair and maintenance, with…

Just when you think all is lost, some way, somehow a yellow brick road appears. Teeming with golden yellow light, the vision almost blinds you. Confusing. Discombobulating. Almost scary. What would it mean for you to take a step forward in the direction of the light? What would you have to sacrifice? What would you…

As steam rises from sugarhouse cupolas and early morning coffee pots, sugarmakers are working overtime to turn maple sap into golden syrup. But as it turns out, they aren’t alone: other living things are sugaring too, and their stories affect the syrup that is poured on your pancakes (or into your morning coffee). Many sugarmakers’…

Spring looks a little different this year. Never mind that the rain stole all the snow off my lawn way before I was ready to put my Nordic skis away for the season. Or that all the local snowmobile trails shut down because the water bars are now exposed, and no one wants to ride…

If there’s one thing I’ve been lucky with in my life, it’s sleep. Other than my spat with cancer several years ago, I’ve navigated my night times with relative ease. I hear countless stories from people who suffer from insomnia or nocturnal restlessness, and I always feel thankful that I’ve avoided that life pitfall. I’ve…

Paper is rapidly disappearing from our day-to-day world. Many readers prefer to view newspapers, magazines, and books in digital format. However, I heard recently that young people, particularly Gen Z, are trending toward paper versions. This is an unexpected discovery as that generation is a “tech-savvy” group. If you are anything like me, you don’t…

In 1995, Chicago experienced a heat wave in which the temperature reached 106 degrees, which translated into a heat index of 126, the temperature that the body felt. Within a week, the streets were buckling, the power grids failed, and over 700 people were dead. By all accounts, the cause of death was the heat.…

Women’s History Month (WHM), celebrated nationally in March since 1987, offers a perfect opportunity to highlight the remarkable contributions of Vermont women, past and present.  In fact, the Downtown Rutland Partnership (DRP) is hosting a mingle-and-learn mixer featuring local women business owners at The Mad Rose pub on March 26th.  (At the end of this…

By Matt Anderson Hello readers! I’m Uncle Matty, here for your help, but please be advised to swim at your own risk. I am not a doctor, therapist, lawyer, or man of the cloth. My professional certifications are limited to slinging cocktails and umpiring. If you have serious medical, financial, legal, or faith-based questions, please…

The sign went up this week: a beautiful diamond sign, construction orange with a reflective black border. In many ways, the sign brings uncertainty, a harbinger of what will come over the next few weeks and months. We don’t really know how big the monster it warns of will be—or how long it will be…