Walking Back In Time

Climbing to altitude is like walking back in time.I dwell in a valley 1,000 feet above sea level, where spring is greening into summer.Even before the snow left the ground, we pruned the fruit trees and berry bushes. Wearing hats and fleece, we replanted the fence and...

The Middle in Middle Age

The “Middle” in middle ages refers to both the growth of one’s middle and being between the generation that spawned you and the one you raised yourself. Attempts to control the growth of one’s waistline is a Sisyphean task that requires eating less, exercising more,...
Hang the Laundry

Hang the Laundry

My thirty-year old clothes dryer bit the dust last week, leaving me no choice but to hang the laundry out to dry.We bought this appliance when we bought our first house and in anticipation of using cloth diapers.Ew, you say? Consider the alternatives: We lived twenty...

Accepting Rejection

There was a time when I took editorial rejection personally, allowing Dear Writer letters send me into a tailspin of despair. Having my work passed – even with praise – was so painful, that for a while I stopped submitting entirely – and delayed becoming published as...
Stratton Mountain Caretakers

Stratton Mountain Caretakers

 Lots of people come to Vermont “to get away from it all,” but few get away quite like Jeanne and Hugh Joudry, who’ve been spending summers atop Stratton Mountain for thirty-two years, first as fire wardens and then as caretakers for the Green Mountain Club....
The Writing Life

The Writing Life

For me, Living in Place is all about the writing life, and it’s pretty great, especially since the invention of the web, which allows me to connect with readers without even having to get dressed.But the tension between the need for solitude and the pitfall of...