Discover More from This Category: Columns
Underneath it all: Discovering a new world
December 15, 2021
By Dom Cioffi Many, many decades ago, my grandmother bought herself a lake property. She had been ill for some time and was looking for a place to recuperate. In hindsight, it’s clear she was severely depressed, but back in the 1940s, they simply called it “exhaustion.” The property was old but my grandfather, being…
RCHS has holiday gifts for everyone on your shopping list!
December 15, 2021
Do you have animal lovers and supporters of the RCHS on your gift list this holiday season? If so, RCHS has lots of items that will make purrrfect gifts for everyone on your list! Our stylish and cozy knit pom beanies will let people know you support RCHS, while keeping you warm this winter, and…
How to preserve a snowflake
December 15, 2021
By Frank Kaczmarek Wilson Bentley (1865-1931) lived his entire life in Jericho, Vermont, where he developed a passion for snowflakes at an early age. He started by collecting snowflakes and trying to create detailed drawings of each one, but the snow crystals’ tiny size and the speed at which they melted made this a futile…
Is it really bad news?
December 15, 2021
By Kevin Theissen Financial markets can be challenging to understand. But when markets enter a “bad news is good news” cycle, it becomes even more difficult to follow along. For a recent example, at its November meeting, the Federal Reserve outlined its plan to taper monthly bond purchases, which will end this pandemic-era policy response…
Peak silly season
December 14, 2021
By Cassandra Tyndall A new week brings a change in the Astro-weather. Action planet Mars arrives in Sagittarius, infusing the skies with a dose of enthusiasm and confidence. This once in every-two-years visit can bring a “more the merrier” vibe, especially as it coincides with the holidays and New Year period. This time, Mars will…
Balsam fir is a favorite Christmas tree
December 8, 2021
By Susan Shea Every year my husband and I cut a Christmas tree on family land. We look for a young balsam fir growing in the power line right-of-way or in a forest clearing. Fir is our favorite type of Christmas tree because of its delightful, pungent fragrance. While Christmas tree farmers cultivate a variety…
Inflation and the real rate of return
December 8, 2021
By Kevin Theissen The real rate of return is an important personal finance concept to understand. It’s the rate of return on your investments after inflation. The real rate of return indicates whether you are gaining or losing purchasing power with your money. So, if inflation checks in at a rate of 3%, does that…
Saving the day
December 8, 2021
By Dom Cioffi I was lucky enough to grow up next to a municipal playground. I could run from my back door to acres of limitless fun within 60 seconds. A pool, jungle gyms, baseball field, a hill that was perfect for winter sledding, and numerous tennis and basketball courts were always at my beck-and-call.…
Help RCHS exceed our $20,000 year end matching challenge
December 8, 2021
Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) has a fabulous opportunity to end 2021 with a bang! Two very generous supporters have offered to donate $20,000 to RCHS if the community will match it by Dec. 31, 2021. What a great opportunity to help the homeless animals in Rutland County! Before you know it, we will have…
Preparing, crunching
December 8, 2021
By Merisa Sherman It’s crunchy season. A gorgeous afternoon, with the shining sun strong in the sky, but the ground beneath is the loudest it will be all year. A few inches of beautiful snow had melted back to reveal snowy patches alternating with leaves frozen on the ground. It was like a chorus of…
Weekly horoscopes for Dec. 8-14, 2021
December 8, 2021
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="194740" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=".vc_custom_1582852508329{margin-top: 40px !important;}"][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_raw_html]JTNDc3BhbiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyaWNvbmlmeSUyMiUyMGRhdGEtaWNvbiUzRCUyMm1kaS16b2RpYWMtYXJpZXMlMjIlMjBkYXRhLWlubGluZSUzRCUyMmZhbHNlJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc3BhbiUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text="Aries" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1568082984251{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"] March 21 - April 20 [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]When it comes to your professional life, as well as your overall life direction, a turn of events may occur this week. You might decide or circumstances may dictate a change in direction thanks to new…
The revolving door
December 8, 2021
By Cassandra Tyndall December is an interesting month. On the one hand, energies are amplifying as they usher us into a new year, while on the other, closures and endings clear the space. As one door closes, another door opens. This week sets the scene for ongoing relational structures to be examined and changed, as…
Arctic shower; or, getting clean in the snow
December 1, 2021
By Sandra Dee Owens Living without running water for 8 years was the hardest part for me. In our early 20s my husband and I had bought a small piece of land with a burnt-down house on it. It was cheap and had important features we needed in order to shift from homelessness to first-time…
Skiing experiences over the years
December 1, 2021
By Mary Ellen Shaw If you are a skier or snowboarder you must be excited that the time has come to do what you love! However, just because we live in this beautiful state doesn’t mean that we all love snow! If you are here to hit the slopes, you are probably saying to yourself,…
Getting back to basics
December 1, 2021
By Dom Cioffi During one of my late-night forays into the depths of YouTube, I stumbled upon a video of a guy playing individual keys on a piano while his young son, who had his back turned, rattled off the identifying notes. Once they finished with individual keys, they moved onto chords, whereby the kid…