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Another chilly wet day in May. Ugh, how cruel our climate is, even in mid-May we huddle in our houses and wonder where the sun is.  I was up before the sun hanging with Sofie downstairs feeding her Cheerios and bananas. I met with some fellow business owners in Deerfield […]

We packed into a cozy, art-filled apartment on Cottage St. in downtown Easthampton last night, invited by my Facebook friend Mo Ringey to an Ethiopian food dinner party. Our hostess had ordered injera, the staple Ethiopian bread, from a Kansas City outfit, and as we arrived she was wrestling with […]

This morning as I lay in bed I got a text message from my old friend Ed Bryant.  We don’t talk that often…his message was in his signature way, out of the blue and off the wall. “Did you see the cover of the New Yorker this week?” came the […]

I opened my mouth in astonishment at the story I read in today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette. It’s such a cool and wonderful idea, I can’t believe I never thought of it.  The state has worked out an agreement with the Department of Conservation Resources to rig up wireless antennas on […]

When was the last time you opened up a phone book and found someone’s number?  To many people, this is a throw-back, an anachronism. To Verizon, it’s a big old waste of millions of dollars and something they’re trying to avoid delivering to everyone in New York City with a […]

If you own a million dollar yacht and register it in Rhode Island, the tax would be $600.  In North Carolina you’d pay $1500, South Carolina a mere $500. But if you docked your Hatteras yacht in Florida, you’d have to pay a whopping $60,000 in tax.  Wonder why 8 […]

I am in a place where it’s cool and comfy, and lively jazz is playing in the background. I am taking a meeting at the Cushman General Store, or at least that’s what it’s called but it’s way cooler than a plain old general store.  I am here for a […]

The difference between starting the day with a work-out and just slogging my way to the office is striking.  When I spend time on the eliptical getting a sweat on, and do some weights and some Nautilus, it makes the whole day just glow. I am stunned by how great […]

How easy is it to accept a compliment?  For many people, it isn’t easy at all. A column  by Elizabeth Bernstein in yesterday’s WSJ was about why compliments cause so much grief, and the fine line between ‘backhanded’ and real compliments.  Tips were provided, such as ‘be selective–be specific, such […]

We don’t look often enough at our South American neighbors…at least in most of the mainstream media anyway. I always appreciate the insights of Mary Anastasia O’Grady, who in tonight’s WSJ chronicled Hugo Chavez’ dismantling of the country’s coffee business. It’s just one of many industries that the Bolivarians have […]

We are in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Today Bill and I drove north on winding small roads beside stunning views of the giant of the east, Mount Washington. Our destination was the small village of Tamworth, on the east side of the narrow state. We found a place for some […]

Nicholas Kristof is one of Cindy’s favorite writers, and I gotta agree, his pursuit of the gritty reality of the world is admirable and selfless.  He journeys to places few other Westerners are willing to travel, and reports again and again about people who are making a real difference in […]