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By CAROLE GARIEPY

 We feed the birds. In fact, we feed the birds every morning before we feed ourselves, and then while we are eating our cereal we watch them dining on their seeds. We are always awed at their beauty and entertained by their interactions with each...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

I had two experiences that made me actually see what a vital substance water is. I saw how being hydrated makes a difference to both life and land, a lifesaving difference.A few years ago, Gerry came in from outside confused, not able to function...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

‘Just because I think you should.” Did you ever get that response when you asked someone to explain the reason why you were told to do something?My mother sometimes said that to me. Maybe the request didn’t have a good explanation or it wasn’t...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

There are no friends smarter than the one that hangs out with me. I rely on my friend for so many things every day. And, no, it’s not Gerry. He’s with me every day, but my friend is smarter than he is. My smart friend is my cellphone.I call it my...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

Betty, an 1812 pirate, and her husband Mike, a confederate soldier, participate in reenactments that bring history to life.First, let’s learn about Betty the pirate. She’s a special education teacher with a passion for history who decided to expand...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

Everyone has happenings they’ll never forget, and I had that kind of experience recently on Aug. 12, Veterans Appreciation Day in Barre. Chris Higgins invited me to drive his 1942 World War II Army Jeep from his house to the VFW Post 2 Legion Hall...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

July Fourth. Our usual group from many years gathered to celebrate. We always have good food and stimulating conversation, and this year the conversation was on a patriotic topic, perfect for a patriotic holiday. Should the design on the Massachusetts...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

I thought it sounded kind of crazy when my Phillipston friend Karen Perkins told me she was making a bottle tree in her yard. Karen is a horticulturalist, a well-known specialist for raising Epimedium plants and giving presentations to gardeners...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

When a hospital patient has a breathing problem, the services of a respiratory therapist are needed. Recently we were visited by a respiratory therapist, and after all the news during COVID about people on ventilators and the hospitals needing...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

Some people haven’t been treated right, yet were able to let go of wrongs and make decisions about what was the right thing to do. Veterans are our country’s heroes, and this story is about an ethnic group that was unjustly treated by fellow...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

I don’t mind the job of weeding my garden because it is filled with so many good memories. It’s filled with good friends and loved ones.Flowers are a common gift on holidays, a gift when visiting someone, also a caring expression at times of...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

Recycling is finally being taken seriously. Landfills are designed to accept our trash metal, glass, paper and plastic so they can be put back into good use.It wasn’t long ago that Gerry and I were walking on a boardwalk through a wet area and saw a...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

Gerry and I like to read cemetery epitaphs, especially old ones, and when we were in Alaska we read one with a good message that has stayed with us. It sounds a bit gruesome, but it made me reflect on it in a deeper way than just life and death.Where...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

Recently, when Gerry and I were going to meet a distant relative, our cousin told us, “You’ll like him. He’s the salt of the earth.”That sounded like a good compliment, but not a usual description. Usually, a person would describe someone as shy,...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

I like to be inspired. A shot of inspiration benefits all of us. Sometimes we get it from a good sermon, a visit with someone, a book we read. It leaves us with something to think about and maybe makes us view a situation in a new way. I was recently...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

We all wear armor, yes we do. Sometimes we wear a full suit, sometimes just a small breastplate. A recent trip to the Worcester Art Museum made me think about armor in a broader way.The museum was gifted with the vast armor collection from the Higgins...

By CAROLE GARIEPY

I’m spoiled. My husband, Gerry, reads aloud to me every day, a shared time with stimulating topics we can think about and discuss together. He just finished reading “The American Story,” by David Rubenstein, which is about interviews with authors who...