Kathy D'Agostino

I'm realizing that as I age, I still can prepare some recipes from memory, recall profound emotional events and remember joyful moments — oh, those escapades full of laughter that will be etched forever in my heart. I remember one spectacular moment in particular, when I was about 7.

While pondering a theme for this month's column, I kept remembering the summers of my childhood. When we were in grade school, there wasn't a feeling in the world that could compare to hearing the last bell ring for dismissal and the start of summer vacation. It was pure freedom.

May has arrived. We made it through another winter and, in my opinion, there isn't anything more beautiful than seeing the month of May arriving and breathing new life into Maine.

Amazing goodies always came out of our kitchen during the Easter season. This was a time of celebration, and my grandmother's influence was all over every dish.

I set out to make a light recipe this month to celebrate the beginning of spring, then it occurred to me. Who am I kidding? March in Maine is very much a winter month.

The holidays are over, all the goodies have been eaten or given as gifts, holiday decorations are put away, and once again home has some semblance of order and calm. For many, though, something is missing from all this zen: chocolate.

Now that the holidays are pretty much in the rearview mirror, it's time to look at the year ahead. A new year is an opportunity for a reset, a time to ponder changes in our habits to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Each year I make resolutions at the beginning of January that I promise myself I won't break, no matter what.

My husband and I recently upgraded our heating system. When they came to remove the large oil tank, we were informed that it had to be cut up and removed in sections.

Whenever November arrives, it reminds me of a line from a song by the late Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" — "When the gales of November come early."

Now that it's October, one of my yearly tasks is to take down my gardens and clean them out. I usually use compost and mulch to prepare them for the winter. The only plants I leave in place are my blooming flowers and my precious tomatoes.