It’s the first blog of the month again, so you know the drill. We’re trying to incorporate a little change from my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, into our life each month, hoping it becomes habit. Our aim? Livin’ the good life, of course. Isn’t this year just is flying by? I mean, we’re already on “Chapter Six: A Good Marriage Starts With Please and Thank You.” Now like in real life, I do most of the talkin’ in my book. But I’m not the only one. My husband Charlie has a little section in each chapter where he weighs in on whatever topic I’m covering. You know, givin’ the guys point of view. His …

It’s the first blog of the month again, and if you’ve been followin’, you know the drill. For those of you who don’t, my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, has twelve chapters, and I’ve decided to dedicate the first blog of every month this year to a chapter. Not too shabby, huh? My intention is to choose a little change or two from that chapter I can incorporate into my life, hoping it becomes a habit. We’re on chapter five, “Tending the Roots,” which is about friends and family. I don’t know about you, but when I think about living the good life, I imagine myself surrounded by family and friends. They’re what keeps me …

It’s the first blog of the month again, and if you’ve been followin’, you know the drill. For those of you who don’t, my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, has twelve chapters, and I’ve decided to dedicate the first blog of every month this year to a chapter. My intention is to choose a little change or two from that chapter I can incorporate into my life, hoping it becomes a habit. Chapter Four in Finding Your Inner Moose is about aging, and today is April Fools Day. Coincidence? I think not. ‘Cause let’s face it, you gotta laugh, or you’ll cry, right? You know what I’m talking about. Sometimes it feels like just when …

Well, folks, this is my first blog of the month, and you know what that means. If you don’t, I’ll recap (or “cap up,” as my Grampy Gilbert used to say). I’ve decided to take my own advice and make this my year of “livin’ the good life.” Since my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, has twelve chapters, I’ve decided to dedicate the first blog of every month this year to a chapter. Clever, huh? My intention is to choose a little change or two from that chapter I can incorporate into my life, hoping it becomes a habit. January, I was focusin’ on bein’ kind to myself (much needed after that hectic holiday season), …

At the beginnin’ of last month, I told you about me needin’ to take my own advice and make this my year of livin’ the good life. Since my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, has twelve chapters, I decided that for the first blog of every month this year, I’m gonna focus on a chapter, and chose a little change or two I can incorporate into my life that month, hoping it becomes a habit. Like I told you last week, I had varying degrees of success with my intention of bein’ kind to myself. But just settin’ that intention made me a lot more aware of when I wasn’t doin’ it, which in the …

On Saturday, Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot, Shirley and me (a.k.a. the Women Who Run With the Moose) went to see that new movie, “Les Misérables.” And you know what? They don’t call it that for nothin’! I confess, it was my bright idea. I says to the girls, “Hey, it’s a musical with a high hunk factor! I mean, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe! How bad could it be?” Well, turns out, pretty bad. Let’s start with the fact that it’s a poor personal hygiene movie. There should be a ratin’ for that. To heck with the G, PG13, R stuff. Give me at least some hint that everyone in the movie is gonna look …

OK, it’s January. Time for makin’ resolutions, turnin’ over a new leaf, startin’ fresh. I used to make (and break) lots of New Years resolutions: lose fifteen pounds, work out five times a week, not eat sweets until the weekend. (Right, that one lasted about a week!) Now I set an intention. I got that from my niece Caitlin, who seems to have the inside scoop on all things New Age-y. “An intention is gentler,” she says. “When you break a resolution, it’s done. With an intention, you can lose sight of it, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. All you have to do is refocus on it.” That works for me! Besides, it’s …

Mahoosuc Mills is gearin’ up for our Down Home Holiday Festival. Used to be called the Down Home Christmas Festival, but we are now “politically correct.” The St. Hyacinth’s Christmas Bazaar is part of the Festival. I suppose we should change it to Holiday Bazaar, but hey, we’re Catholics! Who are we kidding? The Festival is a lot of fun. All the stores are open and the town is decorated real cute. The Kiwanis sell trees in the vacant lot where Pomerleau’s store used to be. There’s a horse drawn sled for the kids out in Bucky DuMont’s field. And on Enchanted Mountain, the bunny slope with a rope tow at the edge of town, …

I had a little down time this week, so I was checkin’ out the latest fall fashions, thinkin’ I’d update my wardrobe with a few must-haves. Holy fashion faux pas, Batman! If you’re a middle-aged woman like me, who topped out at 5’2” and is currently losin’ ground in that department, it’s pretty slim pickins!  Let’s start off with the “you’ve got to be kiddin’” category. This is where I’m puttin’ anything that uses the word “skinny” as part of its name, as in “skinny, mid-rise denim,” or articles of clothin’ that imply skinny, like leather leggings. Where are we livin’? Sherwood Forest? Oh, and any items of clothing that are flat out impractical; you …

So a few weeks ago, my washer finally bit the dust. It wasn’t like it happened all of a sudden. I’d been pushin’ it for awhile. One morning it started makin’ a clunking sound when it kicked into that final spin. No problem. Just shut it off, and end the wash there, right? But slowly the noise got louder and louder, ‘til one day it scared the you-know-what outta Scamp. And me! I adapted. I just ran a little quicker to the machine when it started protestin’, shut it off, calmed down Scamp and put the wetter than usual clothes in the dryer or out on the line. The last time I did this, though, …