Columns

After three mild winters, this year we have cold, snowy weather to satisfy our recreational needs. Currently we have a foot of snow in the yard, with another foot predicted for the next few days.

I am looking at a tall, white mound on the dinner plate that the waiter has just placed in front of me. "Is there anything else I can get you?" he asks. "How about what I ordered?" I think. Instead, I thank the waiter and he departs.

It's not often that a young, 20-something woman gives thanks to God for granny panties, but on that day, I did. I'd just started my first-ever truly adult job — the one that would launch my career and social life and get me off my parents' payroll.

It's interesting how a new layer of snow on an ordinary, nondescript object I pass by daily can become something picturesque, representing a completely different form.

This month I would like to talk about how to report a crime. It is very important to call when an incident or problem is occurring, not days after the fact.

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 day before had been cold and raw. A daylong winter storm had dropped 5 inches of windswept snow. What remained in the morning was a peaceful and idyllic scene. The pristine white blanket of snow was only broken by the intermittent tracks of animals.

February is a month of celebration of all things sweet and romantic. With Valentine's Day as its centerpiece, it's the perfect excuse to indulge in desserts that bring people together.

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.

It is not very impressive, even after several glances. It is 80 feet long and 60 feet wide, barely a tenth of an acre. As farm ponds go, it can only be called diminutive. But it is my favorite body of water, created when I bought the land and a derelict cabin 20 years ago, and it never ceases to surprise.