by Jennie Reichman Lately I find myself doing battle with a word: Aging.  I rebel against the idea that after, say, age 50, I should think of myself as “old” and act, dress, talk and engage in the world differently than I previously did when I...

by Jennie Reichman My friend Carol is a devotee of the spice company Penzey’s. Every year for Christmas and my birthday she gives me a little jar of their Vietnamese cinnamon and a couple of their signature herb blends, all very inventive and delicious on any...

by Jennie Reichman There are so many reasons I love living in Vermont, but the month of May is definitely near the top of the list. There are bright, blooming colors everywhere: daffodils, tulips, forsythia, azalea, tiny electric green leaves emerging on the trees. The sun is actually warm,...

by Jennie Reichman I recently heard an interview on NPR with David Frum, a senior editor and writer at The Atlantic.  He had written a piece for the magazine called “Miranda’s Last Gift,” about the sudden death of his 32-year-old daughter and the grief he and...

By Jennie Reichman Well, I’ve finally joined the club. After 4 years of avoiding being infected with Covid-19, I came down with it in mid-February. It all started with gastro-intestinal distress, symptoms I’ve never associated with Covid, and after 24 hours of that I decided to...

By Jennie Reichman Remember The Spice Girls? The mid 1990s pop singing group from England? There was Scary Spice, Baby Spice, Ginger Spice, Posh Spice, and of course, Sporty Spice.  Although she doesn’t sing or dress in skimpy outfits, our intrepid manager Karen has acquired the...

by Jennie Reichman If only I had decided to have granola instead of cheesy toast for breakfast that morning in early December. While attempting to slice a wedge of Trader Joe’s Italian cheese with black pepper crust, my (very sharp) chef’s knife slipped and lopped off...

by Jennie Reichman I recently took myself on a mini adventure, driving the three and a half hours up to North Hero, Vermont to attend a memorial for a friend who died too young and under unfortunate circumstances.  Despite the sad reason for the trip, I...

by Jennie Reichman The garlic is planted, tucked into the cool soil for its long winter sleep. The grill is cleaned and stored on the porch, where the screens have been replaced with windows. The snow tires are on my Subaru, maybe a little early, but...

By Jennie Reichman Fall arrived this year by turning the seasonal page with a flourish. One day I’m out in the garden swatting black flies and the next I am wearing a sweater and turning up the heat in the house for the first time since...