There is a fire in the fireplace and two dogs not so subtly reminding me that dinnertime is upon us. If they wore wristwatches, they would be glancing down at them, tapping the glass faces with their toenails. Snow is falling on the lawn outside. Easter has come and gone, and the first day of spring was weeks ago.
I want to thank Peter Trombley for his excellent article, “CVU students travel to Washington to join March for Our Lives.” He captured the tone, the message, the scope and the importance of this very stirring gathering. In addition to the 38 students and five chaperones on the CVU bus, there were hundreds of other Vermonters there, including more than a few Charlotters.
I was in Panera on Shelburne Road the other day, and while I was waiting for my coffee, I looked around at the other customers, many of them sitting two or three to a table. There probably were 15 to 20 people there, of which more than half were devoting their time to some sort of mechanical device—iPhone, iPad, Mac or other portable computer.
I’ve begun to realize changes are happening to my eyes. A few years ago I had two separate cataract operations, both of which were successful and greatly improved my vision’s clarity.
I prepare my weekly lesson plan for the freshman writing course I teach at the University of Minnesota every Sunday. An integral part of the Ph.D. in English Literature program, teaching the basics of writing and research to students majoring in economics, agriculture and biochemistry can be an exercise in dues-paying, the kind of academic scrub work meant to inspire us to become scholars qualified to teach literature courses.
During Easter week what you have is a news editor with very few words. Or, rather, a pastor with a lot going on. Also, while I’m sitting here feeling a little lacking in vision, let me mention that one of us three hospice chaplains who cover hundreds of Vermont miles is out with a broken arm, and I have two papers to write for my Fordham classes.
When I saw the misspelling on the cover of the last issue of the paper my stomach started to hurt and didn’t stop for the rest of the day. Sure, we were under the gun because of the timing of Town Meeting and the push-back of the deadline—the need to get the paper to the printer that afternoon—still, it was sloppy work and there is no excuse for it.
March for our lives The students of Champlain Valley Union (CVU) High School intend to participate in the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., on March 24. This march is in protest of school shootings and government inaction. This march is the second action in a series of events CVU has chosen to participate in. Last Friday, the leaders of the Student Justice Committee led a very successful school walkout, but we aren’t done protesting.
I recently had a lovely vacation to Cat Island in the Bahamas. While ultimately my trip was wonderful, the getting there was not. Traveling now, as an adult, is not nearly as much fun or as carefree as when I was a kid. I remember back in the day when kids would actually dress up to go on the plane. Yes, most of the time I was going to Florida to see my grandparents, and I think it made them happy to see me in my flowered dress and Mary Janes. Oh, and let’s not forget the ubiquitous white tights, because, really, every girl needs to understand the laws of thermodynamics at six. What started out with me fresh as a daisy wound up with me looking much like a prom corsage the day after the dance. My grandparents always wiped the damp hair off my face and asked after my health.
Apparently, we feel it behooves us as a society to start at an early age to embrace a military bent to our culture. I didn’t think much of it when I was young and even when I was in the Navy. All I wanted to do was get it over with, and I joined my shipmates dumping garbage off the fantail of our carrier into the Gulf of Tonkin while getting teary eyed as Hanoi Hanna played Scott McKenzie singing, “For those who come to San Francisco…” That was us to be, man.
I am going to Florida soon, and so this afternoon I had a window in my schedule and, instead of heading back to Charlotte, decided to get a much-needed, walk-in pedicure. Luckily for me, the place wasn’t crowded (it often is), and they took me right away. In no time, my feet and ankles were happily soaking in a basin of hot water. Ahhhhh. For my color, I chose gold, something I have never done before and may never do again, but I think I quite like it. I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think it’s okay.
From the dark mists it was oozing, in a long steady thread of sweetness, finally. Two days after beginning the fires at my homemade arch and a week after drilling my first taps, maple syrup had arrived from my own maple trees surrounding my home. The idea was simple enough: make a gallon of syrup this year, at home. The devil, it turns out, is in the execution. But having good friends and family along for the ride makes for a memorable effort.
Perhaps the title says it all about aging—both the interesting and the pesky things we must recognize and adjust…
I wish to thank the voters and citizens of Charlotte who voted at Town Meeting to approve the funds to install emergency generators at the Senior Center and the Town Office. As Selectman Fritz Tegatz and others explained at Town Meeting, two generators allow the Senior Center to function as a community resource center and warming shelter during times when storms take out the power. The installation of the generator at the Town Offices provides power so that the town’s administration functions can continue, and it ensures that the septic system pumps that serve the Senior Center, the fire station and the Town Offices will function when the power is out. This investment in emergency power gives our town administrators, town clerks and emergency service providers the capability to better serve Charlotte residents should we experience an extended power outage. Given the recent pattern of extreme weather events, this investment is prudent and timely.
Town Meeting isn’t over until it’s over. Kudos to Meghan Nelly, who reported on all the events at Town Meeting 2018. This is in noticeable contrast to “the other” paper, which saw no need to mention the advisory motions on the Spear property and the ban on assault weapons. Of course, these items were passed after the meeting had been active for more than three hours, but once we get through all the official reports and public reaction to those reports, Town Meeting always takes the time for ideas from individual citizens. A newspaper that does not find these ideas “fit to print” is not doing its job.
Protesting gun violence – I believe CCS should march and protest gun violence in school on March 14. On February 14, a deadly mass shooting took place at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The lives of 17 innocent people were taken that day, by the alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz. No one did anything to stop it, but can we fix the problem now?
Don’t let the current hubbub and steady stream of misinformation from Washington distract you from reality. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obama Care, is working and will not be done in by the recent tax bill. Medicaid continues to expand, increasing the numbers insured. Tax credits will hold premiums steady for the majority of Americans. Young adults can continue to remain on their parents’ insurance until they turn 26. Those with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage. Premiums will not depend on health status. Safeguards are also in place to penalize insurers who cherry-pick and look to insure only those in good health.
It started simply enough. Two little things made me think I could renovate the downstairs bathroom by myself. The first was a piece of linoleum that was curling up, practically begging to be lifted up and removed. Of course, I naively thought, with that one curl of the floor the whole thing would just come off in one glorious sheet.
Did you ever wonder how kids pick out their likes and dislikes? No, I mean real likes and dislikes, things that become central to their lives, things that they often can equate with momentous occasions.
With snow falling and icicles dripping, what’s a passionate gardener to do in the depths of February? It’s still a bit early for seed starting. The houseplants have limited needs right now. I have a suggestion: there is something I’ve found invaluable for years now and want to encourage you to try. Do you have a garden journal? How about a compendium of your special plants? I actually have both, and they are not as time-consuming to maintain as it would seem.