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[In Opinion]
Strange But True
[Mar. 4, 2008]
Committee Plans Could Change the Skyline
[Jan. 29, 2008] Windmills May Take the Town by Storm
Can I afford it, what kind of dollar return will I get, is this the right economic time, will we need an override, should we begin with one and then test the waters? These will be the questions the town is faced with when it comes to our own decisions regarding windmills.
[In Extra]
Strange but True: October 2007
[Oct. 30, 2007] Question: In the GREAT TUG-OF-WAR of human affairs, does the good or the bad have the edge?
Strange but True - December '06
[Dec. 16, 2006] QUESTION: Imagining the old expression "If I had all the money in the world, I would..." were taken literally, how much would you have? What might you buy?
[In Editorial]
Strange But True
[Mar. 4, 2008]
Committee Plans Could Change the Skyline
[Jan. 29, 2008] Windmills May Take the Town by Storm
Can I afford it, what kind of dollar return will I get, is this the right economic time, will we need an override, should we begin with one and then test the waters? These will be the questions the town is faced with when it comes to our own decisions regarding windmills.
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[In Kingston History]
The Weekend Warrior
[Apr. 16, 2008] Back in the early 70s, for reasons which will forever remain a mystery, I became nostalgic for military service and almost on a whim I decided to join the active Army Reserve and become a Weekend Warrior.
Getting the most out of the moment...
[Mar. 4, 2008] Sometimes it seems like my wife and I take turns driving each other nuts. We have vastly divergent philosophies; she worries about everything and I worry about almost nothing. I tell here it's an ideal situation because between the two of us we have just the right amount of anxiety.
[In Books by Nancy]
Books by Nancy: April 2008
[Apr. 16, 2008] Hari, now living in Maryland, recently served as translator for courageous journalists like Ann Curry and Nicholas Kristof and others both here and abroad when they investigated the genocide of the indigenous peoples of Darfur in Sudan. He was imprisoned and tortured for his work after immigration violations brought him to the attention of the authorities.
Books by Nancy: March 2008
[Mar. 4, 2008] Buchanan takes on George Bush and the neo-conservatives whose ideology it is to bomb recalcitrant countries into democracy, or perhaps more accurately, capitalism, whether they want it or not. Buchanan’s position is ‘America first’, and given the decline of the American economy in the past eight years, it’s hard to disagree with him even if you’re a liberal democrat, and I am.
[In Farrell's Forum]
There’s no accounting for opportunity...
[Mar. 4, 2008] The potential retirement of John LaBrache as Town Treasurer has set a chain of events in motion leading to the possible inclusion by the Board of Selectmen of an additional article (or perhaps several) for the Special Town Meeting warrant. Presently, selectmen are evaluating whether to ask voters if they approve of changing the Treasurer’s position from elected (which it currently is) to appointed (which it currently is not).
Viewing Kingston’s Future
[Jan. 29, 2008] Early this month, I consulted with the region’s leading psychics and prognosticators for their input as to what might lie in store for our fair village this year. My sources included the pollsters who predicted a double-digit win for Barack Obama in the New Hampshire primary, a former "House of Fun" fortune teller dismissed for drinking on the job, and a (now) unemployed sports reporter who predicted that Eric Gagne would be the best acquisition the Boston Red Sox ever made.
[In Naturally Kingston]
Maple Moon
[Apr. 16, 2008] I wrote last month’s column long before that terrible car accident. I couldn’t know that it would appear in print at the same time as the accident. My heart goes out to all the families involved. I only mentioned driving and accidents because so many people are hurt on the roads, especially young people. I hoped my comments might make a difference to the way a driver thinks.
On the Road Again
[Mar. 4, 2008] If you take exit 13 off the north bound lane of Route 3, you see a large, dead white pine on the far side of the exit. Look to the top, and quite often, you will see a red tailed hawk sitting in that tree. Recently, I saw three of them, one in the tree, and two circling above the highway.
[In Neil Mobile]
Getting Your Car Ready for Winter...
[Sep. 22, 2006] Fall is coming, folks, to be followed by winter. Now is the time to get the car(s) ready for the bad weather. I know times have been tough, with gas being over $3 a gallon for the better part of the summer; with kids back to school, which seems to get more and more expensive every year, especially those who have kids in college. Mine all graduated several years ago, but I remember how expensive it was then. I can’t believe how much it is now. I see it in my business. Customers that were normally great on preventive maintenance have let things slide. I can’t fault them one bit. Money’s tight. When gas (oil) inflates as fast as it did in such a short time, it is felt throughout the economy.
Politically Uncorrected
[Aug. 18, 2006] I was in Vermont over the weekend, and if you know anything about Vermont, you know it's a very politically correct state, borderline socialist paradise. And taxes are extremely high. Activists of any and all types pretty much dominate any public debates. How to tell? Bumper stickers. Bumper stickers on cars that are total *%$! boxes. But anyway, one sticker in particular caught my eye over the weekend, "Celebrate Diversity." I laughed out loud. Why? Vermont is the whitest state in the union. The woman driving was white and probably has never even met any minorities.
[In The Culinary Adventures of Suzy Suburb]
Food Prices are Rising - Tips to Outsmart the Register
[Apr. 17, 2008] With food prices on the dramatic rise, consumers need to get creative on how to reduce their bills while still leaving the store with food for a week. My grovery bill used to hit nearly $300 per week. Thanks to some store savvy strategies, we have (and you can too!) cut the bill in half! Here are some tips to make this possible.
I’ll Have a Gym and Colonic with a Twist of Lime
[Mar. 4, 2008] Have you stuck to your New Year’s Resolutions? By February most people are off the wagon. Me? I’m going strong with my resolutions. I wanted to work out more, cleanse my body and eat healthier foods. Let’s start with the gym. I started teaching a yoga class to force me to go. I’m the type of gal that needs someone to pay me to workout, so for $25 an hour, I do downward dogs, bridge lifts and deep breathe with some great men and women at Namaste Yoga Studio in Wareham, Massachusetts.
[In Him & Her]
Playing Hide & Seek with Myself
[Apr. 16, 2008] I think I’m beginning to acknowledge the fact that I’m getting older. Now mind you, I still think young, but there are reminders out there that no matter how I think, old age is creeping in. There are times I head out of the office and drive up the hill heading North. Halfway up I start wondering where is it I’m heading? I figure that if I just keep driving I’ll spot something that will trigger my memory; most of the time it works and it’s either Sovereign Bank or Stop & Shop that is my destination.
Now, I can’t tell you how many times I can’t find my car in the S & S parking lot. I just become just another person going up and down the rows with my shopping cart in tow. I become convinced that the car has been stolen, when, there it is, parked nowhere near where I swear I put it.
Forward through the ages...
[Mar. 4, 2008] When I turned 66 two days after Christmas it was no big deal. Men can deal with things like getting older. I feel pretty good, I can lose those extra pounds whenever I want and with a few prescription drugs life is not so bad. The fact that I have a paunch doesn’t bother me, baldness doesn’t keep me awake at night, the wrinkles could be worse, the varicose veins don’t show and my blood work is usually pretty good. The gist of it all is that being old doesn’t bother me. Actually, there are benefits; if you forget a name, or are late for an appointment, you can blame it on old age. The Dunkin’ Donut senior discount is available seven days a week and people very often give up their seats in deference to your age.
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