Charlie and me are pretty much over our Happy New Year colds. Well, me mostly. Charlie still has that pesky cough. It’s the kind of thing that really revs up at night, just when you’re trying to sleep. But we’re both happy to be on the other side of it, starting to have our usual energy back. Remember when a cold lasted about three days, five max? I do. And then you’d snap out of it? Now we’re talking ten days to two weeks. What happened? Have the bugs gotten nastier or is it because we’re old? On top of recovering from this bug, I had myself what I can only call an “old snap” …

Both Charlie and me are recovering from colds right now. I’m a few days ahead of him ’cause I got it first. I was trying to push myself into doing my blog, then I thought, Hey, wait a minute! Is this the way I want to start off the new year? Pushing myself to do something that I just don’t feel like doing right now? Not listening to that little voice in my head that’s telling me to kick back and relax, to take care of myself so I can get better quicker? No siree Bob! We started 2024 with Covid and it turned out pretty good. And this cold has not dimmed my hope …

Phew! Only one more holiday to go! But New Years is kid’s stuff compared to the Big Enchilada: Christmas. What a production! I feel like a Mack truck hit me, but, you know, in a good sort of way. I wish I could be more relaxed about these things; having the house clean and not getting so caught up in making everything just right. But at this point, it’s kind of hard to change. My sister Irene’s the same way. Tidiness was passed down to us from our mother, who got it from her mother. It’s worth all the hard work, though, seeing the family gathered ‘round, talking and eating and laughing, and eating some …

Down to the A&P, thing are hopping, as you’d expect. Busy, busy, busy! We’re selling poinsettias and wreaths up the yin-yang. There was one small spot of gloominess on Friday. My co-worker Courtney was all shook up because she’d started getting Christmas cards from some of the customers. She’s in her early twenties, and still in the process of figuring out what she wants to do with her life. “What’s wrong with getting cards from customers?” I ask her. “Don’t take this personal, Ida,” Courtney replies, all mopey-faced, “but I think it means I’ve been working here too long.” “No offense taken, Courtney. But you know, there might be another way of looking at it. …

Now, I don’t know if you know, but the Women Who Run With the Moose, (Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot, Shirley and me) are big into crafts. We just love to get together and cut, paste and hot-glue. Then we put sequins on everything to cover up the boo boos! We usually spend half the year trying out different ideas, see if anything flies. When we find one with potential, we focus on that for the last half of the year, in preparation for the Christmas Bazaar down to St. Hyacinth’s. I come up with our item last year and it was pure inspiration, if I do say so myself. It happened one night when Charlie …

The holiday spirit is upon us! Mahoosuc Mills is getting ready for the Down Home Holiday Festival next weekend, and they just put up the tree down to Town Hall, the one with stars on it. On each star is a request for a present from a kid in town. You know, a kid whose family needs a little help. Some of them will just break your heart: a Barbie doll, Play Dough, a new winter hat and mittens. I mean, these kids have nothing. Anyone can go down there, take a star, buy the present, wrap it and drop it back to the Town Hall. If there are any stars left over, the Knights …

Me and the Women Who Run With the Moose not only survived Black Friday, we had a heck of a good time to boot. Nothing new there. Though, to be honest, my right arm is still feeling a little wonky. Must’ve strained it carrying all those shopping bags. And my purse, of course, which my sister Irene calls “the overnight bag.” Even though I try to remember to switch off, I always tend to carry the heaviest stuff with my right arm. Gotta say, smart phones and texting have made things so much easier. For a casual shopping trip, me and the girls tend to stick together. But all bets are off on Black Friday …

Charlie and me buzzed over to the Agway, Saturday. He was picking up his snow blower, which was in for a tune up, and I wanted to get some more bulbs to sneak into the ground. You know, before it’s too late. I got some assorted tulips and daffodils. Come spring, you can’t have enough of them, in my opinion. Those hopeful, green shoots pokin’ their way up out of the remaining patches of snow. Then, gorgeous flowers: red, yellow, pink, orange! It perks my spirit up, no end.  I also got three amaryllis, the kind that come in a box, you grow from scratch. Boy, when they bloom, they look so pretty on our …

I learned about integrity early on by observing life in Mahoosuc Mills. Back then, people made deals with a handshake. You gave your word, and that was good enough. Some folks still do business that way. See, when you live in a small town, it’s important to protect your reputation ’cause people have long memories. My Grampy Gilbert taught me the value of giving my word when I was a young whippersnapper. I was reminded of this last weekend when I was straightening out our storage shed, and I come upon his old fishing creel tucked way in back. Beautiful thing. I opened the lid, and inside was a blood oath he made me sign …

Wow! What a week! The election is finally over and we’ll be in the midst of the holiday season in no time. Let’s savor this pause and take some time to do something nice for ourselves. You know, nourish our inner spirit, as my niece Caitlin would say. One of the best ways I know to nourish my inner spirit is to give back. You don’t have to write some big check to a charity, but you could buy some Girl Scout cookies or put a dollar in the Salvation Army bucket. You can volunteer on a weekly basis or for a special event. Or bake some brownies and take ’em down to the Senior …