What the election means to me: Political climate in constant state of flux

This election year, 2024, also marks the end of my four years studying abroad in a U.S. college. Four years at Middlebury was four years under the Biden administration as a noncitizen, a student from China.

Our family recently enjoyed an epic trip to California — a trip that lasted two weeks and spanned 6,500 miles.

“I’m Professor Van Winkle — you can call me ‘Rip.’” That’s how I introduced myself this fall on Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. to 16 fresh-faced Middlebury College first-year students.

My sainted mother, the original Jane Lindholm, had an aphorism for every occasion and loved to trot them out. She was a regular Ben Franklin, and I was a gold mine for this predilection, given my adolescent indifference to manual labor and disciplined eff … (read more)

I was excited to tell you how much my family has loved watching “Life on Our Planet,” the new Morgan Freeman-narrated nature doc on Netflix — a great activity for the whole fam! But then we watched the final episode, and it wasn’t fun and fascinating anym … (read more)

As the oldest of eight children, I’d like to think I’ve imparted some wisdom onto my younger siblings over the years.

“Hello, my name is Amie, and I have a sock problem.”

This one’s gonna hurt. Our beloved cat, Bart, was hit by a car last week. He didn’t make it.

I’m trying to break my newspaper habit. For all of my adult life, I have read a newspaper, real newspapers, made out of paper, newsprint. Hard copy. 

I have often thought that humans have an innate desire for communion and communication with other creatures.

Years ago, when I was the mom of a toddler and a preschooler, I bought a large whiteboard calendar at TJ Maxx because I thought it would bring order to the chaos of my life.

How can something so small and angelic be such a little devil?

While riding my bike to work one Wednesday morning I rear-ended a stationary pick-up truck on Main Street during morning rush hour. The pickup won.

The other day I watched my 8-year-old discover the joy of liner notes.

College is held on a pedestal. Next year, that pedestal will be raised even higher, with Middlebury College’s annual tuition and fees surpassing $80,000. I am left wondering: is it really worth it?