My mother had folk wisdom for every occasion. I’ll try to add to this list as I recall more of her sayings. Many of these are well-known, and she inserted them into the conversation with some regularity. Many others I know only from hearing her repeat them, and I assume she got them from her …
Category: Personal
May 28
A Peak Experience in Three States
Early Draft: to be revised upon completion of our hike tomorrow (May 29). As of the night before, we have about 15 people signed up for a 6-to-7-mile hike tomorrow, featuring 3 peaks in 3 different states, and a bonus visit to the high-point in Connecticut (not its highest peak, although that is nearby). We …
May 01
Steve Silberman @AutismConnectMA
Autism Connections was honored to have Steve Silberman keynote our 28th Annual Autism Conference on April 27. Among many other services, Autism Connections houses the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Autism Resource Center for the western four counties of Massachusetts. I was privileged to introduce Steve to the Conference. I prepared remarks for the 15 …
Apr 29
Blogging Hiatus
I’ve not been a regular blogger lately. That’s about to change (I hope). I have been doing lots of writing over the past few months, but haven’t shared it here. I’ve given lectures and talks for which I’ve prepared notes, and I have more in the works. Most of what I’ve just described relates to …
Feb 11
Equivalent Lands
A piece of local (New England) history. Did you know? I had never heard this term, although I was familiar with some of the boundary problems that had existed between Connecticut and Massachusetts. In the 1970s, I lived in Southwick Mass, which has a block of land that juts into Connecticut, and disrupts the otherwise …
Dec 11
Hello OLLI Interview: Autism in the Age of Neurodiversity
Advance publicity for my OLLI course on autism is in full swing. Last week (on December 6), I attended an Open House in Pittsfield and gave a short pitch, and then (on December 7) I appeared on local public access TV in a half-hour interview, available here. The interview was a lot of fun, giving …
Nov 15
Before the Days of Dial Phones
In doing some research at the Stockbridge Library, my brother came across an article (reproduced below) that appeared in the Berkshire Eagle in 1958, five years after the events he described in his recent article. A related picture appeared the next day. Notice the phone numbers given. I think dial phones came to Stockbridge in …
Nov 12
Guest Blog: Historic Preservation in Stockbridge
My interest here is in the family connection, as well as my own memories of Stockbridge in the 1950s. I have reproduced here, without further comment, an article written by my brother that appeared in the Berkshire Edge recently. On Wednesday, Sept. 16, 1953, the Berkshire Evening Eagle published an op-ed article penned by Grace Bidwell …
Oct 09
A 5-Mile Ride Through the Alford Valley
A recent day (October 2) was an absolutely spectacular autumn day for a long ride on the trails near my house. Alice (on Spot) and I (on Stewart) headed north (as we usually do) and wandered through the sun-dappled forest, seeking out some trails we hadn’t traveled for a while. There are so many trails …
Sep 29
In Search of Doctor Beebe
I hardly know where to begin this story, because its roots stretch back a long way before my time. It centers around an old foundation, abandoned more than 100 years ago, that is now in the middle of the woods, but in its day was at the center of much activity. I first encountered this …