Summer’s startin’ to rev up, here in Mahoosuc Mills. The last couple of winter’s have been something else, huh? Which makes me appreciate these long, hot, sunny days even more. Insects buzzin,’ bird’s singin,’ flower’s bloomin’, their colors eye poppin’ against the green of our lawns. The clothes on lines, with their bright colors flappin’ in the breeze do my heart good. It’s always such a hopeful time, isn’t it? The world filled with promise. Graduation season is upon us. I love seeing the kids in their prom dresses and tuxes, posin’ for photos in their front yard. The boys still look like boys to me, but the girls? Man, oh, man! I can’t remember …

Now, as many of you know, a women’s relationship with her hair stylist is a special one, and mine is no exception. It’s a bond born of loyalty, rooted in trust. Heck, no one knows your head like your hair stylist. The way I see it, you’re on a journey together, through the ever changing seas of style. Some storms you weather better than others, but you don’t just jump ship on a whim. Gynecologists come and go, but let’s face it: with hair dressers, you’re in for the long haul. I’ve been going to Pasty since she graduated from Bangor School of Cosmetology and opened Hair Affair some twenty-five years ago. Always on Saturday …

You know how we tend to confide in our hairdresser or bartender? As a cashier down to the A&P, folks tend to confide in me, too, even if they don’t always know they’re doin’ it. ‘Cause checkin’ out a person’s groceries is more intimate than you image. You know who’s drinkin’ a little too much, who has a Doritos habit and who’s addicted to the National Inquirer. You see the same folks once a week, minimum, and you can kind of sense whether they’re feelin’ their oats or not. So I’m workin’ register 3 per usual, cashin’ out Roberta “Bobbie” Robbins, makin’ conversation, like you do. “How’s that cute little dog of yours? Blah, blah. …

A good relationship is like your favorite whoopie pie, you know? Sweet, simple and easy. Thing is, what happens when your bakery runs out of the kind of whoopie pie you’ve been enjoyin’ for years? Well, a different flavor can still be good, especially if you’re realistic about your expectations.   There’s this gal, Doris, in my book group. She lost her husband Mike a few years back, and just last fall, she started dippin’ her toe back into the datin’ pool. Boy, that can’t have been easy. But now she’s seeing a nice fella, Gerry, that she met at church. I run into her the other day down to the Busy Bee. “The weird …

You can’t help but think about it. Unless the two of you are in a plane crash or something, chances are, one of you is gonna be the last one standing. And, if you’re like me, you don’t know which is worse: dyin’ first, and makin’ your husband go through that trauma, or him goin’ first and bein’ left all by your lonesome to pick up the pieces. Good thing it’s outta our hands, right? There’s other kinds of leavin’, too, of course. I know from watchin’ my mom go through her cancer journey, your loved one can still be here sittin’ with you, but you’re actively missin’ the healthy person they once were. Same …

Man, I didn’t get enough sleep last night. I feel like I’m in a total fog this morning. I drove about eight hours yesterday, going back and forth to a book reading, which, by the way, went great. I love doing those. But Jeez, that’s a lot of time on the road. Now you’d think that when I got home at 11:00 p.m. last night, I’d be exhausted from doing all that, and you’d be right. But apparently, a little muscle in my left leg wasn’t as tired as the rest of me, and kept twitching just as I was about to doze off. Happens to me every now and then, and it’s irritating as …

Last week, I come down with that pesky summer bug that’s been going around. Well, as a cashier down to the A&P, you run into all sorts of folks, some who really should have stayed in bed! So, off I trot to the Rite Aid to pick up some decongestant. On my way through the store to the pharmacy, a few things I didn’t know I needed mysteriously made their way into my basket ‘cause, well, it’s Rite Aid. There’s always stuff you need, right? At the counter, I ask Carrie, the pharmacy assistant, for Advil® Cold and Sinus. You never used to have to do this, but apparently, given half a chance, folks will …

Just a gentle reminder, folks: we have officially reached the cut off for all Christmas decorations. Do it now, and avoid the shame of being one of those houses where the crocuses have to nudge aside a deflated, inflatable Santa. Oh, I can get a real bee in my bonnet about this! There are some people in Mahoosuc Mills who never seem to take their decorations down. (White Hebert? I’m talking to you!) I’m sure this happens where you live, too. Folks who figure they went to all that trouble to put ‘em up, why take ‘em down, just to do it all over again next year? Thing is, as the years go by, the …

Happy 2014! I hope your holidays were wonderful, and if they weren’t all you wanted ‘em to be, well, at least they’re over! Time to take a deep breath, regroup, and move on. As you may or may not know, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. No, I do what my niece Caitlin calls “setting an intention.” She’s works down at Mahoosuc Health Food, and seems to have the inside scoop on all things New Age-y! “An intention is gentler,” she says. “When you break a resolution, well, it’s done. With an intention, you may lose sight of it, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost forever. All you have to do is refocus on …

It’s the first blog of the month again. I know, November kinda snuck up on me, too. 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! We’re on chapter eleven in the book, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Especially as the holiday season gears up, we don’t want to lose track of the main ingredient. You can’t underestimate the importance of fun: follow-your-bliss fun, take-a-mental-health-day-from-work fun, good, silly fun. Adding more fun to your life will make you happier and healthier, and as a result, voila! You’ll end up …