Staff Blog
Notions: Theater costumes — so much drama.
Whenever I tell my friends that I have been helping out with costumes for the Town Hall Theater (THT), they immediately reference the popular mockumentary, “Waiting for Guffman.”
“Is it really that absurd?” they always want to know. And each...
Notions: Offbeat architect charms reporter
Even Plato had a sense of humor, I discovered recently, when interviewing Charles A. Dana Professor Emeritus Professor of Philosophy Victor Nuovo earlier this week. The ancient Athenian philosopher was able to laugh at himself in that charming,...
Middlebury Trailrunner: The wreckage formerly known as the Blue Bed House
In the late 1980′s a popular “out of bounds” ski tour from the Rikert Touring Center at Breadloaf included an abandoned homestead which people referred to as “The Blue Bed House”. Mind you, there was never a blue bed...
Table Talk: Ciderfest
By the time my friends and I arrived at Ciderfest on Saturday, the tent was already smoky with hamburgers cooking on the grill, attendees wandering contentedly while Run Mountain played in the background.
I’d been a little doubtful about...
Notes from the Border: Apple trees and cellar holds
Apple trees outlast cellar holes. In fact, one of the best ways to discover an old house’s laid stone foundation as you hike through the now heavily wooded landscape of Vermont is to happen upon an ancient apple tree, still blossoming and...
Notions: When I have fears...about fall foliage?
Perhaps it’s the English major in me, but I’ve been having these strange, semi-subliminal (is that oxymoronic?) moments ever since autumn set in and pastoral beauty began reigning supreme in all its multi-colored glory. I have...
Notes from the Border: Harvest in Vermont
As the harvest season begins in earnest in Vermont, I am once again grateful to live someplace where I and my children can be in tune with the seasonal changes that lead to fall’s bounty. As a child growing up in New Jersey, the brightest...
On the Ball: Defense never rests
Let’s just say I have the background to respect defense in athletics.
I played defense, one season for my high school varsity soccer team and then two years for the Middlebury College B team. My daughter started on defense for a total of five...
Notions: A south-of-the-border surprise
One morning this summer a friend of mine woke up with the words “si se puede” tattooed on his hip in a festive font — when he later told the story, complete with visual aids, another one of my friends drew an amusing comparison between it and the “...
Patchwork Recipes: Bill's recipe for garden tunnels
In this week's Patchwork column, Barbara Ganley writes about lengthening the growing season of her vegetables. Bill Roper's accompanying recipe won't get you any edible results, but with any luck it will help you get more edibles from of your garden...