Parting is such sweet sorrow. Of course, that’s not my quote. But it’s fitting as I write my last Publisher’s Note before I retire. I’ve written 279 of these notes in a row.

Ready or not, here 2023 comes! For most of us, New Year’s is a time of reflection and hope, promises and plans. It’s time to take stock of our lives and decide what we can do to improve them. It’s time to correct our mistakes and do more of the things that went right last year.

For thousands of years, people have enjoyed breaking bread together. It’s a symbol of camaraderie, family, agreement, peace, and so much more. Think about it. How many events incorporate dining together? Everything from weddings and reunions to political fundraisers and holiday celebrations,…

October contains a somewhat controversial holiday: Columbus Day, which is being gradually replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day in many parts of the country. 

Movies are great. They can transport you to another time and another place. And you get a two-hour escape from your day-to-day existence. A vacation can offer a similar escape—albeit in a more immersive way and for longer than two hours! 

A wise Greek philosopher once said, “Change is the only constant in life.” And boy, was he right.

Just think of all of the changes that have occurred since July 4, 1776. For one thing, we have 50 states, rather than 13 colonies. And our land stretches from sea to shining sea, rather than to the Mississippi River.

June officially kicks off summer and a whole new mindset. Graduating seniors walk across the stage to get their diplomas with smiles that radiate hope for the future. Backyard BBQs present a perfect Norman Rockwell scene with Dad at the grill. Warm, nostalgic memories are the Facebook meme o…

The world was kind of small when I was a kid. It consisted of my neighborhood, the woods, my school, the local stores, and some of the surrounding area. Further was Connecticut, where my grandparents lived and where we visited perhaps once or twice a year. Much further still was Maine, where…

It’s classic: the plumber who forever has a drip in his own house, the electrician who never gets around to fixing that faulty outlet, the carpenter who never bothers to shave the door down so it doesn’t bind. It seems that people often use their craft to help others and make a living but ju…

February marks a month of Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, and Black History Month.

Cabin fever. It’s usually a term describing that pent up feeling and need to get out from being cooped up all winter long. Due to COVID limitations on travel, it seems these days that many of us have the turbo-charged version of cabin fever, even though winter is just arriving. But finally, …

How did it get here already? It was just summer, and now the holiday season is upon us. Kicking off with Thanksgiving and running through the end of the year, it’s a great time. Of course, Thanksgiving sets the tone with family and friends gathering, celebrating together, breaking bread, lau…

I still remember from ECON 101 the economic principles of supply and demand. I also remember being young and off school for the summer. All that time to fill, and we did: camping in the woods, going over to friends’ houses, seeking parties, rafting and tubing on the river, biking adventures …

Mobility increased drastically during the 20th and 21st centuries. With that came opportunities.

There are those who wish to throw darts and complain about our government. Certainly, there are some valid criticisms.

It’s the great conundrum of life: You don’t get to pick the genes you get, and you can’t pick the genes you give. How I wish I received my father’s near concert-level piano playing music skills. I had piano and lessons as a kid, took clarinet in late elementary school and early middle school…

Cabin fever happens every year in March. People have been all cooped up in the winter, many places close for the season, there are fewer outdoor activities, inclement weather limits travel and sometimes causes cancellations. We just can’t wait for spring. Spring is the time things come back …

Flying down Cub Hill Road’s long, steep, winding way down to the cool river at the bottom, wind in my hair, joy in my heart . . . it’s a memory I have of youthful days on my fancy state-of-the-art 10-speed bike, English Racer style. I worked hard to save up and buy it, and that bike was my t…

Diversity. It comes in many forms. Many instantly think of race when the word diversity pops up, however, several other differences create as diverse a background as well. Some are obvious: diversity in skin color, ethnic background, country of origin, gender, age or religious affiliation. O…

Opposites attract. This is true on many levels, from the north and south poles of a magnet to pairing wines with food. For example, salty foods pair well with wines that are acidic, fruity and crisp, like oysters with a Sauvignon Blanc. Happy couples often have one partner more outgoing, and…

We were heading to Southern California to help a friend out in need and figured heck, airline tickets are cheap, cheap, cheap now and they aren’t selling the middle seats, so crowds are down and comfort is up. Even better, a cousin lives nearby, a cousin we love to travel with, so why not vi…

We are heading to the beach with our friend Nancy and she grabs her tote bag: A rope handled canvas bag with a Paris motif. I remember she bought it in Paris while with Michelle and me and several others on a getaway. The bag’s art was flowery script French words, icons such as the Eiffel To…

We live in a disposable society. Think about it. Homes built in the mid-20th century typically had a three foot wide by two foot deep closet in each bedroom. Why? People didn’t have many clothes, it was all that was needed. A gift of a sweater was a big deal because you didn’t have many. 

You think the past three years went by quickly? Well actually they did. All three. By about six hours each. Don’t worry, you didn’t get short changed. It all comes back this month in February 29th, leap day on the leap year. That’s one extra day in the month of love. One extra day in our cel…

The holiday season is much like our nation, quite the melting pot. Consider our holidays — The season sort of begins with Thanksgiving, then the whole shebang that follows: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, etc. Most people are OK with putting up Christmas decorations once…

Gliding through the scenic waterways of Canada, sights of Adirondack chairs dotted the shoreline. Every cottage had a pair, and larger vacation homes may have had half a dozen. All of them were strategically placed for optimum views of the water, the wilderness, sunsets or sunrises and perha…

Technology is great. Consider navigation systems. Not only can they help you when you are lost, map out expedient routes, and guide you step by step, but they can help you drive in a foreign country where you don’t have to worry as much about differing signs like for one way streets or histo…

Labor Day and 9-11. Two days in September with roots a century apart, yet both help define who we are as a nation; where we came from, where we are heading and how we can come together to advance the common good of our country.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” George Santayana famously wrote. This affects our lives everyday here in the USA. We are not likely to have another Three Mile Island or Tacoma bridge incident again, or at least any time soon. The Tacoma Bridge is worth a YouT…

Freedom: It’s synonymous with our nation’s identity. And during our nation’s birthday, it’s a great time to focus on it. Freedom has several main avenues — freedom of speech, freedom to pursue your own career path, freedom of religion, freedom to live where you please, freedom to marry whom …

At the stopover in Chicago, heading to Portland, after the Chicago-bound travelers deplaned, we were allowed to relocate our seats on Southwest Air. Moving up front, a flight attendant asked if it as all right if the third seat in our row went to an eight year old traveling alone under the s…

It began with two simple words: “We’re in.” We were at the funeral for an old high school friend, so in many ways it was like a high school reunion — the somber nature of the passing of a friend balanced with the joy of reconnecting with friends we’ve not seen for many years, or in fact deca…

It began as Valentine’s Day. A holiday to celebrate love, built around the actions of a saint. Of course, as a fixed date, February 14, seven possible days of the week may be host to it. Nothing’s wrong with a midweek dinner out, but place the day on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday and it can b…

2019. The last year of the second decade in the new millennium. Could it be this century has moved along this quickly? On the other hand, it’s just a number. Many people are obsessed with numbers. How old are you? How much money do you make or have? How many years married? Sometimes numbers …