The Dog Days of Summer

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the “Dog Days of Summer” run from July 3 through August 11. With two official heat waves, before the end of June, it feels like they’re already here. Why do they refer to those forty days, as the dog days? It may surprise you to learn that it has nothing… Read more »

It’s All in How You Look at It

What do you see when you look at these wildflowers, surrounded by snow? Do you immediately think, it’s too soon, they’ll freeze to death? Or do you see three little fighters making their way through the bitter cold to warm themselves in the sun? It’s that age old question, stated in a new way. Do… Read more »

How to Beat the Winter Blues

So many people get the winter blues. The abundance of darkness, the cold, and snow or ice keep many people feeling trapped in their homes. Feelings of isolation and loneliness cause some of us to develop a case of the “Winter Blues”. Thanks to the pandemic, many people have felt this way for the entire… Read more »

Finding New & Old Ways to Celebrate

2020 has been an unprecedented and unusual year, to say the very least. The pandemic has changed how we do most everything. How we are educated or how we learn, how we work and how we communicate. Most importantly, how we connect with those we love. When we “celebrate” the holidays this year, many of… Read more »

The Value of Volunteering

Enriching your community will enrich your life. The day I walked into the back room of Ragamuffin’s, nearly six years ago, changed my life. I had no idea, when I showed up to volunteer on the Promotions Committee for Gardiner Main Street, that this would happen. I sought only to share my creativity and event-planning… Read more »

Putting on Pandemic Pounds? Count Your Blessings!

We have all heard of the Covid-15. It refers to the average of 15 pounds many of us have put on, during the pandemic. Some of us have turned to comfort eating or have been snacking out of boredom. Some may have been doing both. An over-achiever by nature, I have put on 17 pounds.… Read more »

How are you doing? Let’s reconnect!

I am not here to give you financial advice today. I am simply going to ask you, how are you really doing? For years, a greeting like “Hey, how’s it going” or “Hello, how are you?” were typical greetings. They were often said flippantly, out of habit, and did anyone really expect to hear how… Read more »

Staying Connected While Practicing Social Distance

Social distancing is hard, but even when kept apart, we are in this together! Thanks to this Coronavirus, Covid-19, we are all encouraged to keep our distance from one another, to prevent spreading it. I understand why that is so important, however it is hard to do. We miss our members, visiting us in the… Read more »

New Year, New Goals? There’s an App for That!

Do you still make New Year’s resolutions? Whether we declare we have made a resolution or not, it is natural to think new year, new slate, new chance to be a better version of ourselves. According to different internet reports, researchers claim that between 40 – 60% of us still make New Year’s resolutions, but… Read more »

Avoid Holiday Overspending

Avoid holiday overspending and enjoy the season instead. So many of us worry about finances year ‘round. When the pressure to buy holiday gifts is added to the mix, you may find yourself having a money melt down. It is a little late to “plan ahead” for this year, so here are a few handy… Read more »