Our BerkshireGreen Magazine

Dec 2011 - March 2012, vol11

Take One, It's Free!

Our BerkshireGreen

™

Your Healthy/Green Resource

Green Living ● Holistic Health ● Community

“Great Food, Great Friends and a Magical Turn of the Century Atmosphere.”

Sullivan Station Restaurant

Open for lunch & dinner Tuesday through Sunday

Visit our historic landmark Railroad Street, Lee, Massachusetts (413) 243-2082 Vegan, Gluten-free, Vegetarian upon request Live Entertainment on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights

www.SullivanStationRestaurant.com

Jay Rhind BUILDERS, INC. Building and renovating in the Berkshires and beyond for more than 25 years Considering Green, Energy Star, or LEED certified? Contact us.

413-298-4380

info@jayrhindbuilders.com

www.jayrhindbuilders.com

The wonder of Montessori.

Toddler • Early Childhood • Elementary • Middle School • Summer Camp Challenging and creative academic environment.

Focus on individual learning styles.

Optimal learning experience on 40-acre LEED-for-Schools campus.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please call (413) 637-3662 or email info@BerkshireMontessori.org Transportation from South County available.

21 Patterson Road, Lenox Dale, MA BerkshireMontessori.org

 

 

Acoustic guitar, a keen lyrical ear, intimate and honest vocals . . . delight your guests with a personal and memorable musical experience.

Available for house concerts and intimate gatherings.

Call to discuss how to host a House Concert - at no cost to you!

 or call

413.269.7229

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     





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Do you want the kitchen that you’ve always dreamed of?

It's time.

Hartsville Design Woodworking Call today.

(413) 528-6133 FSC Certified Wood Upon Request Kevin@HartsvilleDesign.com Kitchens Baths Entertainment Centers Home Offices

www.HartsvilleDesign.com

About Us Welcome to Our BerkshireGreen™, your healthy/green magazine and community resource. We give our readers the opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and inspire one another through our resource guide, growing online services, and networking events. If you would like to receive our free eNewsletters and invitations to our events, please join our mailing list at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com.

Our BerkshireGreen™ is free to the public and distributed throughout the Berkshire region−see our website for a location near you. In 2012 we will be changing our format and expanding from a quarterly to a bimonthly publication. We will also be adding an additional general community resource guide that will be printed with the same beautiful environmentally friendly "satin" paper that you see before you.

We use solvent-free, vegetable oil-based ink, on paper that is Forest Stewardship Council certified (FSC: www.fsc.org), and contains a full 30 percent post-consumer recycled wastepaper.

ADVERTISE AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS We offer a flexible and cost-effective way to reach your target market. Our affordable advertising also comes with many additional benefits−one such perk is the opportunity to speak at our popular networking events mentioned below. For more information, contact us at (413) 274-1122 or at advertise@OurBerkshireGreen.com.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Most of our editorial content is contributed by our community members. We welcome your ideas, articles, and feedback, and encourage you to submit original material for consideration through our website at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com. You will find complete instructions on our online digital form.

NETWORKING EVENTS Our popular networking events are held at fine locations throughout the county and publicized by press releases to the local papers and by eNewsletters to our extensive mailing list. There is no admission charge or reservation required for most events, and you will find great company, interesting speakers, delicious free appetizers, a cash bar, and a place to display your advertising material. Please join our confidential mailing list at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com for an invitation.

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR Check out www.OurBerkshireCalendar.com to find out what is happening around town. Take advantage of this free service to upload and publicize your events instantly yourself. It’s easy to do, and you don’t have to be green, holistic, or a computer expert to use it; simply register, fill out your event information, and post!

As we said, It's all about community!

PUBLISHER Kathy I. Regan publisher@ourberkshiregreen.com _______________ EDITORIAL Editor Kathy I. Regan editor@ourberkshiregreen.com Assistant Editor Rodelinde Albrecht rodelinde@ourberkshiregreen.com Copyeditors/Proofreaders Rodelinde Albrecht Patty Strauch _______________ DESIGN Magazine Design/Layout Kathy I. Regan Advertisements Independent Graphic Designers Christine Dupre cedupre@msn.com Elisa Jones, Berkshire Design Studio elisa@berkshiredesignstudio.com Shirley Sparks, Graphic Design on a Dime sms234@aol.com _______________ ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Patty Strauch patty@ourberkshiregreen.com ______________ EVENT COORDINATOR Patty Strauch patty@ourberkshiregreen.com _______________ MARKETING CONSULTANT Andrea Feldman, Paperclip Studio andrea@paperclipstudio.com _______________ CONTACT Our BerkshireGreen P.O. Box 133, Housatonic, MA 01236 Phone: (413) 274-1122, Fax: (413) 541-8000 www.OurBerkshireGreen.com www.OurBerkshireCalendar.com All content in Our BerkshireGreen™ is accepted in good faith. We do not necessarily advocate and cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by our authors, illustrators, and advertisers. We reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason. For printing errors of the publisher's responsibility, liability is limited to the cost of the ad space in which it first appeared. Unless otherwise noted, we use a Creative Commons License in place of a standard copyright. Illustration: ifong/Shutterstock

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December 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

CONTENTS December 2011 - March 2012

departments 6

Letter from the Publisher

6

Directory of Categories

7

Our Contributors

8

Resource Guide Berkshire Region

10 Lifestyles & Perspectives Personal experience of green & healthy living 12 In Business: Greening Up Spotlight on green & healthy businesses 28 Film Reviews 30 Spotlight on Nonprofits

features 13 Is Your Computer Slow?

Help is on the way with these handy tips

15 Wononpakook Lake

One of the hidden treasures of Lakeville, Connecticut

16 Eye of Shawenon

A fascinating historical exploration of several Berkshire towns

18 The Ten Commandments of Holiday Feasting Plan your holiday survival strategy now

19 Slow Cooking Cookbook review of Slow Cooking

22 Wisdom of Winter Health Boost energy, improve immunity, shed weight

26 Good Tidings

Good news from our community!

29 Country Life Brindle, a cow spawned by the devil

30 Free Yourself from Anxiety The path to peace, joy, and mental freedom

Cover Illustration, Stephanie Anderson www.stephanieandersonart.com

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Friends,

T Dear Reader,

A

s 2011 comes to a close and 2012 begins, my family (husband, Kevin, and daughter, Brianna) and I would like to give our heartfelt thanks for your continuing support.

Our BerkshireGreen has exciting plans for the new year.

We will be expanding our core issue from a quarterly to a bimonthly publication, changing its format, and more than doubling the circulation of each issue so that we can include, and better represent, the entire community. This summer, look for our additional new annual general community directory that will be printed on gorgeous “satin” FSC certified paper and ink.

Also, make sure to check out our expanding online services at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com. So many good things to share!

to you Many blessings healthy Kathy I. Regan and a happy and r!

Publisher and Founder publisher@OurBerkshireGreen.com New Yea

he holidays are upon us, and it can be easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the preparations and forget to enjoy each day and each person you share it with. Remember to take some time to center yourself, breathe deeply, and take pleasure in the simple things.

I grew up in a small town in NJ, in a large family.

We didn’t have much, and I’m sure that everything was not “perfect”—but it seemed so to me. I have wonderful memories of winter and the holidays—so much love, laughter, and music, along with fun indoor games and outdoor snow activities.

My husband and I hosted Thanksgiving in Otis this year, and although not all of our family members could be there, it was a special time of sharing and continuing childhood traditions.

As we approach the New Year, remember that it is the love we share that makes our dreams come true. All my wishes for health and happiness, joys of the season to last all year, and a life full of blessings and love.

Patty Strauch Event Coordinator & Independent Sales Representative patty@OurBerkshireGreen.com (413) 269-6119

(413) 274-1122

Directory of Categories Alternative Energy .................................................8 Animals .................................................................9 Art & Music ..........................................................11 Automotive ..........................................................11 Bookstores ..........................................................11 Boutiques & Gift Shops .........................................11 Business Services ..................................................11 Cafes & Restaurants ..............................................14 Dance, Exercise & Fitness ....................................15 Education & Training ...........................................17 Food & Cooking ..................................................17 Food Stores: Co-ops, Markets & Health ..............19 Green Building, Renovation & Landscape Design ..20 Health & Beauty ..................................................21 Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative ..21 Acupuncture ..................................................21 Apothecaries ...................................................24 Chiropractic & Kinesiology ............................24 6

December 2011

Health Care: continued Coaching ........................................................24 Counseling & Therapy ....................................24 Massage Therapy & Bodywork ......................24 Naturopathy ...................................................24 Osteopathic Medicine ....................................25 Physical Therapy ...........................................25 Reconnective Healing®....................................27 Reiki ................................................................27 Wellness Centers & Spas ................................27 Yoga ................................................................27 Love & Laughter Are the Best Medicine ................29 Mind & Spirit .......................................................31 Wine & Beer .........................................................31 Calendar of Events .....................................................32 Event Sponsors .....................................................32 Index of Advertisers ..............................................32 Magazine Sponsors .........................inside back cover

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Our Contributors Glenn Geiger

Cover Illustration

Stephanie Anderson, Artist

Geiger Computers

A 1999 graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design illustration program, Stephanie has currently completed illustrations for three children's books—Weaving the Rainbow, Sleepy Boy, and You and Me and Home Sweet Home, all published by Simon & Schuster Publishing. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and exhibitions. stephineanderson@aol. com, www.stephanieandersonart.com

Glenn has offered computer service and graphic design since earning his bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University, MD, in 1997. His work has taken him to countries around the world. He began Geiger Computers in 2003 and in 2009 moved to the Berkshires, where he provides computer repair, software training, and web design services. glenn@geigercomputers. com, www.geigercomputers.com

Photo By: Stephen Dietemann

Miriam Jacobs

Gary Leveille

Berkshire Creative Communications

Cookbook Author/Columnist Miriam is a local food columnist and author known for her commonsense approach to delicious and nutritious eating. Her cookbooks include The School Lunchbox Cookbook and Cooking with Edible Flowers. She also works as a Forensic Document Examiner and lectures on signature fraud for FTC Red Flags Rule compliance. www.forgerydetective.com

Gary resides with his family in Great Barrington, MA. He is the author of several books, including Eye of Shawenon, the subject of an article in this issue. Gary is principal of Berkshire Creative Communications, and has more than thirty years experience as a writer, editor, author, publisher, and newspaper columnist. He is also an avid local historian and researcher. berkarch@verizon.net

Steve Meyerowitz

Pam Youngquist

Sproutman , Author

Traditional Naturopathic Wellness Care

®

Steve, “Sproutman,” is the author of several books on health, diet, and nutrition, including Sprouts the Miracle Food, Sproutman’s Kitchen Garden Cookbook, and Wheatgrass: Nature’s Finest Medicine.

Steve is one of the world's leading proponents of sprouting, juicing, fasting, wheatgrass, indoor gardening, raw foods, and pure water. You can visit him at www.sproutman.com.

Susan Jameson

Pam is the owner of Traditional Naturopathic Wellness Care, a holistic health care consultation practice both national and local to Berkshire County. Her services provide individuals with a supportive environment to explore the interconnectedness of their personal health through body, mind, and spirit. (413)229-9013 www.naturopathicwellnesscare.com

Jeffrey Gordon

Healing Winds

Traditional Acupuncture

Susan is the Co-Director of Healing Winds, Humanity in Concert, and the Rock, Rattle & Drum Pow Wow. She is a dancer, healer, and passionate metaphysician committed to her lifelong work in the fields of energy, consciousness, and spiritual development. She is on the board of the Women’s Interfaith Institute of the Berkshires. humanityinconcert@ earthlink.net, www.healingwinds.net

Jeffrey is a licensed Five-Element Acupuncturist. He was born and raised in Pittsfield and received his masters degree in acupuncture from the Tai Sophia Institute in 2007. Jeffrey enjoys helping people experience a more harmonious connection between body, mind, and spirit. (413) 446-6231, jgordonacupuncture@live. com, www.jgordonacupuncture.com

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

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Alternative Energy

Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS 46 Howland Avenue, Adams, MA 01220

Tel. 413-743-0152 • www.bpvs.com MA LIC #'s HIC131996, CSL 73150

S

ince 1985, recognized for careful designs, proven components and high quality workmanship, BPVS solar electric systems are user friendly, efficient and reliable.

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Member: American Solar Energy Society, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Solar Energy Business Association of New England, Solar Energy Industries Association.

We offer system design with Mother Earth in mind.

Solar Electric Solar Hot Water Solar Pool Heaters Geothermal Heat Pumps High Efficiency Boilers and Furnaces 26 Years Local Solar Experience LEED Accredited Professional Think Globally. Act Locally.

Renewable Energy Solutions, Inc., Lee, MA

413-243-0909

Seen the price of heating oil?

(413) 458-4966

A stable investment in unstable times.

Solar Photovoltaics Wind Energy Solar Hot Water Green Design Geothermal Systems LEED Building There has never been a better time to invest in green energy.

Reduce your electricity bill and your fossil fuel consumption now.

55 North Street Williamstown, MA NESOLARANDGREEN.COM

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ONE REGENCY = ONE TREE For each Regency sold we plant a tree AmericanForests.org

220 Albany Tpk. (Route 44)

Canton, CT 06019 860-693-3403 • www.valleyfireplaceandstove.com

ONE REGENCY = ONE TREE For each Regency sold we plant a tree AmericanForests.org

ONE REGENCY = ONE TREE

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December 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

For each Regency sold we plant a tree AmericanForests.org

Alternative Energy

Animals

BENSDOTTER’S PET 413-528-4940 940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA

The peace of mind that comes with raw-feeding?

Priceless.

Animals

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Catering to the needs of the well loved pet since 1993. Premium foods. Quality toys, treats, bedding and accessories for your furry friends!

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A

ccording to tests made at the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems in Washington, DC, dogs and cats, like people, are either right-handed or left-handed—that is, these animals favor either right or left paws.

 

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www.vcaallcaring.com   

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

9

Lifestyles & Perspectives

P&

ersonal Experience of Green Healthy Living in Our Community

JoAnne Spies

How You Know Her: JoAnne is a singer/songwriter who

has co-created songs with Alzheimer groups and elders through the Art Cart program with Community Access to the Arts for the past twelve years. Her songs about the watershed travel to schools with Marmalade Production’s Watershed Waltz.

She also leads musical/historical walks in Stockbridge. She has three CDs of original music. JoAnne is also president of Women’s Interfaith Institute in the Berkshires.

Why the Berkshires: I was hired to run a B&B in Pitts-

field in 1988. At the time I was working 9 to 5 in New York City and taking an art therapy class at the New School. Drawing a picture of where I’d like to be in five years, the place I envisioned was peaceful and full of tall pines.

What Would We Never Guess About You: I wrote a show called Me & Melville that I performed for Herman Melville’s great-grandson in his living room.

Who Is Your Inspiration: Everyone I meet inspires me, especially the elders I work with whose humor and strength shine through every tough circumstance.

Inspirational Quote: When we pay attention to nature’s music, we find that everything on the earth contributes to its harmony.~Hazrat Inayat Khan

She’s Gone Green: In 2004, I organized a performance celebrating the joining of the east and west branches of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield. We made V-shaped shakers from tree branches. This celebration brought me into contact with the Mohicans, the first people in the Berkshires. Since then I’ve collaborated with Tammis Coffin and the Mission House to create Sounding Mohican Pathways, a program that aims to build bridges between the Stockbridge community here in Massachusetts and the Stockbridge Mohican community in Bowler, Wisconsin. I’ve co-led several walks that combine music and history so participants can experience the rhythm of the river and the silence of the Mohican burial ground while learning historical facts. I use songs every day in my work to create peace for a hospice patient or to convey facts about the watershed to school kids.

You could say that all musicians, even the most hi-tech, are green in that their common ground is growing or tending sound. Sound, as is everything, is in a state of vibration; your intention is your trowel. Sound can be used to destroy a kidney stone, to sing a healing song, or to rally people.

Resources to Make Your Own Music:

Music Improvisation: www.musicforpeople.org Jonathan Goldman: www.healingsounds.com Health Rhythms: www.remo.com JoAnne Spies: www.soundingtheriver.blogspot.com spiesarts@gmail.com

Art & Music

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increase your productivity reduce stress & frustration save time

Thea Basis

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER

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413 528-8084 | TheaBasis@verizon.net

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Marketing Help for Small Business Let’s Begin

413-655-7766

ANDREA FELDMAN • PAPERCLIPSTUDIO.COM

Boutiques & Gift Shops

Upstairs Basement

E S T. I N 1 9 7 2 B Y H E L E N “ B U N N Y � L A R S O N

Rick Clayson, Manager/Owner Open 7 days a week! • 53 Main Street • Lee, MA 01238 • (413) 243-2565

CONSIGNMENT SHOPS OF THE BERKSHIRES

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Outstanding Clothing Jewelry & Accessories Easy Wear • Easy Care cotton, tencel, bamboo, linen, wool

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www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

11

In Business: Greening Up!

SB

potlight on Green & Healthy Alternative Energy usinesses in Our Community

Bizzy B’s Boutique Owner: Keri Nelson

Bizzy B’s Boutique carries a collection of hand-selected, gently used and new clothing for infants and children.

Here, in our cozy cream-colored cottage with the pink front door, you will be greeted with a warm smile, an antique pram filled to the brim with beautiful flowers, and a wide selection of clothing and adorable items for your little ones.

We offer a 50/50 split to consignors who just want a store credit, and a 60/40 split for those who may not have an opportunity to shop with us and would prefer to receive a check.

Our girls’ and boys’ clothing sizes range from newborn to size 10. We also have a selection of cloth diapers, bedding, Boppy® pillows, books, baby gear, car seats, swings, strollers, and wooden toys. Most of our infant and toddler clothing is like new, and a portion of them come into the store with the tags still attached.

My husband, Eric Vincelette, who helps families in 12

December 2011

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Berkshire County develop a game plan for their financial hopes and dreams, encouraged me to start this ecofriendly business. In today’s economy, getting the most for your money just makes sense. As a mother of three (Shanti 10, Trinity 7, and Jacoby 2), I know from my own personal experience that consignment works—it helps us share our resources, it’s great for the environment, it puts a little money back in our pockets, and it brings like-minded people together.

I have created a comfortable and fun atmosphere at the store. We are very kid friendly—the store was designed with children in mind. We have toys and activities available to keep them safe and engaged so they can play and Mom can relax and shop. For me, it’s all about community, sharing our resources and information, and helping our children understand how rich our lives really are.

Where To Find Us

We are located in a picture-perfect setting at 8 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, MA, at the junction of Route 7 and Route 23. Please park in the back (access from Route 23). Call (413) 329-7208 and check us out on Facebook!

Is Your Computer Slow?

By Glenn Geiger

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common question I am often asked is what to do with a computer that’s slow, and sometimes outdated. The answer depends on many factors, but I’ll give a few scenarios that might be close enough to home to help you make the right choice regarding your laptop or desktop computer.

Your computer is riddled with spyware/viruses This is the computer I see most often. In some cases it’s just slow and unresponsive, but in other cases it won’t connect to the Internet at all. And most of the time the computer is not that old. Depending on the severity and number of problems the computer is having, it can either be repaired or Windows can be reinstalled. But either way, this is a problem that can be fixed. So before throwing a perfectly good computer out the window, consider this: • Most slow computers can be cleaned of spyware.

• Even if the computer has no hope of recovery from the Internet beating that kids put them through, Windows can always be reinstalled.

• If buying a new computer still looks attractive, remember that your new computer won’t have any of your saved documents, music, photos, Internet favorites, and email. These things can be transferred from your old computer to your new one.

• Before buying memory, do a search on the Internet for your memory type to get the best price.

You really need a new computer!

The ugly truth is PCs are not made to last. Sometimes, no amount of care is going to help bring your computer back to life. At least back to the modern life it’s expected to live. The first place I tell my customers to look is www.Dell.com, and I’m not getting a cent for saying so. Their computers are reasonably priced and they work as well as any other computer make that I have come across. Then there’s Mac. What can I say other than they’re the best computers made to date? If you don’t want to learn how to use one, stick with a PC (it’s what I use!), but if you’re still fresh at using the computer and are interested in a Mac, head over to your local Apple store and try one out. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

One of my main concerns is the environment. We throw away so much technology every year, it’s staggering. The idea of throwing a computer into a garbage truck just because it’s got spyware is insane. See what the cost is for cleaning it up first, and ask if it can be upgraded while you’re at it. If your computer can’t be saved your local computer guy might want to take it off your hands. If you can’t give it away, take it to Goodwill or to Staples. They’ll recycle it for you there.

Your computer won’t start I don’t mean the computer is slow, or that once the computer starts you can’t see your Windows icons. I mean the computer gets no power, no lights come on, no whirring sounds, nothing. There may be hope . . .

In most cases this is caused by one of two things. Either the power supply has blown or the motherboard has gone bad. The good news is that a new power supply is inexpensive to buy and install. The bad news is that if it’s the motherboard you might be better off getting a new computer. In either case you should have the computer tested.

Your computer is just too slow Computers today are being used primarily to surf the web, and the web is growing—new technologies are being added to websites, slow connection speeds are becoming a memory—probably faster than your computer can handle. Should you junk it for a new one? How about an upgrade?

Upgrading a computer usually involves adding memory.

A common misconception is that you need a bigger hard drive. Here are a few tips about adding memory: • Call your computer manufacturer and find out how much memory your computer can take.

• Ask the manufacturer what type of memory your computer needs. Write down whatever they tell you.

Illustration: Smitt/istockphoto

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

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Wononpakook Lake / By John Harney

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ne of the hidden treasures of Lakeville, Connecticut, is Wononpakook Lake, more commonly known locally as Long Pond. Located just south of Lakeville Lake, Long Pond is a shallow lake with 170 acres of surface water. It runs north to south about a mile in length, and at its widest section it is just over a half mile in width. It was created at an earlier time with a dam across the small stream at its southern end. This past spring the long-awaited replacement of the existing dam was started, and it is still a work in progress. The main effect has been a lowering of the lake by several feet, which has had little impact on using the lake for recreational purposes.

Public access to the lake is off of Long Pond Road where you will notice two old stone pillars and a sign identifying it as the Maria Peters Memorial Park. This land was donated to the Town of Salisbury back in the early 1970s by Tony Peters, who owned the Interlaken Inn at that time. From 1917 to 1955 it was the location of the Camp Cedars Country Club, which featured a golf course, tennis courts, athletic facilities, theater, and a large beautiful dinning hall, complete with boardwalks along the shore of Long Pond. All the buildings have been taken down and now herons and waterfowl roam where the orchestras used to play. I had the good fortune of meeting one of the owner’s relatives at the pond several summers ago. She related that we were standing at the location where they had celebrated V-J Day when World War Two ended, so there is a rich history to this park. To research this further, a good place to start is the Salisbury Association’s website at www.salisburyassn.org.

Today, the park is a wonderful recreational resource.

In the spring, summer, and fall, many people enjoy fishing, boating, and throwing balls out into the water for their dogs to retrieve. There are healthy populations of largemouth bass, perch, crappies, some pickerel, and rumors of large catfish in the deeper part of the pond. In the spring, most of the crappies tend to be close to the western shore where there are fallen trees in the water. The bass tend toward either the lily pads in the south part of the pond or the rocky structures just below the surface that are sprinkled in the lake. These rocky areas are next to impossible to find on your own, but luckily in the summer the YMCA Camp Sloane marks these structures with orange buoys so that their water ski boat will avoid them. Camp Sloane, www. camp-sloane.org, runs a first-class summer camp.

Many people bring their kayaks and canoes on the lake, and others bring their fishing boats. The boat landing is at the first parking area. The Berkshire School runs their crew program there, so in the spring you will see four-man shells rowing across the lake with their coach close by in the motor boat.

They are beautiful to watch.

What is truly amazing is that the town keeps the park plowed out during the winter, which opens up the pond for ice fishing, skating, and cross-country skiing. ~ John Harney, John Harney Associates, LLC, www.

HarneyAssoc.com. See ad on page 11.

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www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

15

Eye of Shawenon

By Gary Leveille

S

hawenon was a Stockbridge Mohican Native American Indian in the 1700s who negotiated the sale of tribal lands in the south Berkshire area now known as Egremont and Alford.

Eye of Shawenon is the title of a new book by Gary Leveille. It offers a fascinating historical exploration of North Egremont, Prospect Lake, the Green River Valley, and its many links with Columbia County, NY. You’ll find 300 pages filled with amazing stories, and hundreds of vintage photos, maps, and illustrations. As you will soon discover, the people who have lived here, and the events that took place here, are of regional and national significance.

From the very beginning, this beautiful Berkshire oasis was part of a controversial land dispute with New York. Few realize that a major Indian trail meandered through the area.

Or that a military road through the village brought critical supplies to thousands of troops in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Or that North Egremont was invaded by British troops ten years before the American Revolution.

Colonel Knox marched through here with his artillery train in 1776—changing the course of U.S. history. But which trail did he actually take?

From pioneers and explorers to soldiers and statesmen, authors and artists to eccentrics and rogues, inventors and engineers to farmers and shopkeepers, North Egremont and the Green River Valley offer an abundance of fascinating characters.

Beautiful Prospect Lake—the Eye of Shawenon—is packed with more history per gallon than most other lakes in the Berkshires. Readers will relive the bygone days when picnickers first frolicked here, early Baptist baptisms took place, a giant hotel was planned, a gold medal for heroism was awarded, and an eccentric farmer grew an unusual crop.

Following are two short excerpts from the book, specially chosen and edited for Our BerkshireGreen.

given me more notice I would have sent my compliments, for we were once well acquainted, though I dare say Green River has forgotten me by this time.”

William Cullen Bryant and Green River William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878) was a legendary American poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post. As a young man, from 1816 to 1825, he practiced law in Great Barrington and served for a time as Town Clerk.

Unhappy with his law career, Bryant often hiked from the village to a spot along the banks of Green River. While sitting upon the gnarled roots of a large tree which towered over the stream, Bryant wrote the popular poem “Green River.”

Several years after Bryant married Frances Fairchild of Alford, he moved to New York City to pursue a literary career. He became Editor-in-Chief of the New York Evening Post in 1828, and remained in that position for a half century.

During his long tenure, Bryant amassed a small fortune, and exercised considerable political power in New York and nationally. After his death, a lovely park in New York City, located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue, was named after Bryant.

Green River remained a fond memory for Bryant his entire life. Several years before his death, Bryant wrote to a friend, “You spoke of going to Green River... If you had 16

December 2011

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Green River

By William Cullen Bryant

When breezes are soft and skies are fair, I steal an hour from study and care, And hie me away to the woodland scene, Where wanders the stream with waters of green, As if the bright fringe of herbs on its brink Had given their stain to the wave they drink; And they, whose meadows it murmurs through, Have named the stream from its own fair hue.

Yet pure its waters—its shallows are bright With colored pebbles and sparkles of light, And clear the depths where its eddies play, And dimples deepen and whirl away, And the plane-tree’s speckled arms o’ershoot The swifter current that mines its root, Through whose shifting leaves, as you walk the hill, The quivering glimmer of sun and rill With a sudden flash on the eye is thrown, Like the ray that streams from the diamond-stone.

Oh, loveliest there the spring days come, With blossoms, and birds, and wild-bees’ hum; The flowers of summer are fairest there, And freshest the breath of the summer air; And sweetest the golden autumn day In silence and sunshine glides away.

Yet fair as thou art, thou shunnest to glide, Beautiful stream! by the village side; But windest away from haunts of men, To quiet valley and shaded glen; And forest, and meadow, and slope of hill, Around thee, are lonely, lovely, and still, Lonely—save when, by thy rippling tides, From thicket to thicket the angler glides; Or the simpler comes, with basket and book For herbs of power on thy banks to look; Or haply, some idle dreamer, like me, To wander, and muse, and gaze on thee.

Still—save the chirp of birds that feed On the river cherry and seedy reed, And thy own wild music gushing out With mellow murmur of fairy shout, From dawn to the blush of another day, Like traveller singing along his way.

That fairy music I never hear, Nor gaze on those waters so green and clear, And mark them winding away from sight, Darkened with shade or flashing with light, While o’er them the vine to its thicket clings,

Education & Training

And the zephyr stoops to freshen his wings, But I wish that fate had left me free To wander these quiet haunts with thee, Till the eating cares of earth should depart, And the peace of the scene pass into my heart; And I envy thy stream, as it glides along Through its beautiful banks in a trance of song.

Two Cool Millards Joseph Loomis Millard (1843-1933), aka “Uncle Joe,” lived for most of his life at his family homestead that still stands at the intersection of Prospect Lake Road and Millard Road in North Egremont. According to one newspaper account, the farm land, originally comprised of 630 acres, had been sub-divided

by Millard’s father and siblings. Millard served Egremont as a justice of the peace, selectman, school committeeman, cemetery commissioner and was also a newspaper correspondent.

When in his eighties, Millard became a local legend for his vigorous lifestyle and interesting “hobby.” He was an expert scythe handler, and sometimes demonstrated his technique to onlookers and photographers. Nearly a lost art today, scything was the primary tool used to reap hay and grain on small farms well into the early decades of the 20th century. Even after his retirement from active farming, Millard stayed active by making brooms. In the spring he sowed a quarter acre of land for growing special broom corn, not often seen in Berkshire. He then cut and harvested the crop in early autumn. During the winter, after the straw had cured, Millard used his own press and unique tools to craft a variety of popular house and hearth brooms.

Louisa (Skiff) Millard Clark (1819-1901) was born in North Egremont and became a well-respected homeopathic physician in south Berkshire. She studied medicine in the Finger Lakes Region of New York and first built a successful practice in that area. In 1861, she married Ezra Millard of North Egremont and returned to her hometown. According to one newspaper account, Millard’s skill as a doctor (which spanned 50 years) was recognized even in the face of strong prejudice against women as medical practitioners. After the death of her first husband, Doctor Millard married Joseph Clark. Small blurbs in local newspapers mentioned her use of herbs and other Native American remedies. She was a strong advocate of abstinence from alcohol and was a leader in the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. ~ Eye of Shawenon may be found in local bookstores.

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Though forced to drudge for the dregs of men, And scrawl strange words with the barbarous pen, And mingle among the jostling crowd, Where the sons of strife are subtle and loud— I often come to this quiet place, To breathe the airs that ruffle thy face, And gaze upon thee in silent dream, For in thy lonely and lovely stream An image of that calm life appears That won my heart in my greener years.

Sustainability tours by appointment: i Ecological wastewater treatment i Wind and solar energy i Organic gardening i Composting & recycling i Sustainability Education Experience Days (SEEDs) for grades 7-12 Fourth Annual Sustainability Symposium: Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Photo by Jane Feldman ’74

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Food & Cooking

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December 2011

17

The Ten Commandments

of Holiday Feasting / By Steve Meyerowitz

A

hhh . . . The Power of Food. Sometimes food can be as addictive as drugs—ginseng, strawberries, and oysters are said to be aphrodisiacs and sugar in the form of ice cream or chocolate has been known to entrap even the most stoic. This is especially true at big holiday parties, family gatherings, and celebrations like New Year’s Eve where Decadence, Mirth, and Overindulgence meet. Of course, it is fine to go expansive as long as you don’t go explosive! Procter and Gamble sells more Pepto-Bismol at the end of the year than any other time. So, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, bloating, diarrhea are too often the results of our partying habits. But they don’t have to be.

The overpowering influence of lots of food, lots of friends, and lots of family can swamp our normal levels of discipline. The human palate, don’t forget, is a magical circuit board of nerve endings, taste sensations, memories, and programming built from years of associations with good and bad habits. So it’s not unusual for even the most disciplined among us to be challenged under these circumstances.

That’s why we need a plan.

Perhaps you’re thinking: “I’m going to be fine. I don’t need a strategy.” Well, maybe so. But I say, better to be prepared. Because you never know when that heavy cream chocolate mousse will seep into your temporal lobe and before you know it you’re “whipped” and the yolk’s on you!

There is no substitute for planning.

Your Holiday Survival Strategy 1) Keep Smiling and Talking Instead of Chewing (but no talking while you’re chewing)! People are more important than pastries. So the more talking and smiling you do, the less you’ll eat. Good cheer is good for digestion. On the other hand, anger and depression chill your furnace. So, try laughing at your uncle’s jokes even if you don’t want to.

You’ll be able to eat more.

2) Small Mouthfuls, Small Portions. The average stomach is a 12 by 6 inch sack. But because it is elastic, it expands when you overload it and that is when you feel full. Of course, at that point you are actually overfull—stretched out. Over time, your stomach will shrink again if you fast or manage smaller portions. Be careful of big plates. Too much room means too much food. Try using a salad plate instead.

3) Drink and Be Merry. True. But take most of your liquids on the front end of the meal so as not to dilute stomach enzymes. Sip small amounts of liquids during the meal, enough to lubricate stomach contents. Try to avoid icy drinks. Ice ®

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December 2011

numbs the stomach and turns off the flow of digestive juices.

4) Slow Down. Chew More. Eating slowly relaxes your stomach which in turn increases the secretion of digestive juices. Chewing until the food in your mouth is nearly liquid improves digestion and reduces your stomach workload.

5) Go Light on the Carbohydrates. You know . . . breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pasta, pizza, chips, crackers, etc. Take special care with sweets as they overtax your body’s ability to regulate insulin and can stimulate the production of unfriendly bacteria.

6) Break the Overeating Cycle. Here’s where the addictive nature of eating plays its devilish hand. Once you’re in the groove, it’s hard to stop. That’s when you need to get up from the table. Visit the bathroom even if you don’t need to. While you’re there, rinse out your mouth, suck on a mint, brush your teeth, or use some mouthwash. The cleansing of the palate shuts down the sensory neurons on the tongue (tastebuds) and stops the transmission of electrical impulses to the brain.

7) Pre-Dinner Stomach Prep. Some fresh air and a few deep breaths before you start eating adds more oxygen to light your furnace. Add some stretches and you’ll be amazed how a little blood circulation and oxygen enhance digestion. While you’re at it, bring a few digestive enzymes with you and take them with your drinks before the (solid food) meal. Water and enzymes help cleanse and prep your stomach for the big tsunami.

8) Choose. You Can’t Eat Everything. The big smorgasbord of foods, appetizers, desserts, breads, dips, and sauces is a huge temptation. Even the most strict amongst us could start to feel like a kid in a candy store. But if you are prepared for this Disneyland effect, you could easily control it.

Remember, your stomach is not a cement mixer. You can’t eat everything. Preview the array of foods before you and decide what to touch and what to leave alone.

9) Stimulate Digestion. Good digestion is fundamental to good health and a good practice is to add some supplemental enzymes or bitter herbs at the end of your meal. This is not an excuse to overeat, but it will help. Two popular vegetarian enzymes are bromelain (derived from pineapples) and papain (from papaya). And bitter herbs have been used in Europe for generations to help stimulate the secretion of our own enzymes. Some popular ones are cinnamon, ginger, anise, fennel, goldenseal, dandelion, and gentian root.

Chewing on a cinnamon stick is fun and it tastes good too!

10) Exercise to Eat More. Athletes prepare for a marathon.

They don’t just show up and start running. You need to get in shape too, if you don’t want your big feast to turn into a big funk. Active people can eat more without the same penalty. Aerobic exercise increases oxygen levels in the blood and lungs, which in turn enhances enzyme production and waste removal.

What if you overdo it? Well okay, the new year is a great time to start a cleanse. Cleansing is the opposite side of eating. And yin needs yang. Juice fasting makes fasting manageable even for folks who need to work and cleanse at the same time.

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Illustrations: p.18: Christopher Boswell/Bigstock, p.19: Francesco83/Shutterstock

Slow Cooking

Cookbook Review by Miriam Jacobs

F

or home cooks the year is basically divided into two major seasons: there is grill season and there is crockpot season.

Maybe this attitude is a bit extreme, but stick with me for a moment and I think you will agree. During grill season when the weather is hot your outside grill allows you to cook quickly and it does not heat up your house. When it gets cold again, you want the opposite experience—you appreciate the added warmth, and relish the aroma of soups and stews slowly simmering in your home. If you gave away your crockpot because it was so ’70s, let me assure you that you made a mistake. There is nothing as comforting as coming home to a delicious, healthy, ready-to-eat meal awaiting your arrival. Truly, short of hiring a private chef, the slow cooker is the perfect way to make this possible.

When crockpots first came on the scene, the cookbooks dedicated to recipes for the pot were not very inventive, but this has changed. Take, for instance, Slow Cooking (from the KNACK Make it Easy Series) by Linda Johnson Larsen.

I like this book in part because it is filled with useful information, such as how to adapt a stovetop recipe for the slow cooker. There are also some simple substitutions for those with food allergies, which is always a nice touch.

Another reason is that the book is full of pictures of the food preparation phase, which always gives me a lot of motivation to start cooking because it looks so easy and doable. Pictures of fabulously presented final results make me want to eat, but not necessarily cook!

So what are we eating? For breakfast you can put together a Vegetable Strata, or mix up Cranberry Oatmeal before you go to sleep and have a gourmet breakfast waiting for you upon rising. I have relied on this strategy when I have had overnight guests—in combination with preprogramming my coffee maker, breakfast makes itself, and everybody can help themselves to food when they wake up.

The place where the crockpot really shines is in making great family dinners. There are vegetarian dishes like Quinoa Pilaf with garbanzo beans and cilantro, and a Moroccan Tagine, that spices up humble root vegetables with turmeric, cayenne, and cinnamon. Main dishes include Lamb Ragout, with sweet potatoes and parsnip, Greek Chicken Stew, with lentils and olives, and the perennial family favorite, Beef Brisket.

If you feel like bridging the seasons by using your pot before the cold weather comes, you can make a Moroccan Chicken Salad, with couscous, garbanzo beans, and fresh cilantro. In the fall you can use the last of the farmers’ market produce to make Potato Kale Stew with caraway seeds and a pinch of nut-

meg, or Beets which might not be a terribly racy name for a dish, but it compensates for the plain name with orange juice and Swiss chard.

This handy pot can also earn its keep by lending a helping hand at Thanksgiving. Updated Stuffing can be cooking without supervision while you are busy with other dishes.

It has the added advantage that it will keep warm during the entire meal so that second servings are not lukewarm. Made with a base of cornbread and sweetened with cranberries, apples, and raisins, it will do your turkey proud.

The dish that truly surprised me was Risotto in the crockpot. It is well known in cooking lore that the only way to make risotto is by adding small bits of liquid to the rice as it is cooking, and stirring continuously for as long as it takes for the liquid to be absorbed. Who knew that the gentle, even, slow cooking process of the crockpot would do the same thing? It also releases starch from the rice to make a distinctive, addicting, creamy sauce. Risotto only takes 2-3 hours to cook in this way, and needs to be stirred only once.

If you don’t have a crockpot, be sure to put one on your holiday wish list! ~ For recipes, see Our BerkshireGreen’s Article Blog found in the Library at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com.

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Health & Beauty

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Health Care

Acupuncture Fertile Ground Acupuncture

Kelly Clady-Giramma, Dipl. O.M., L.Ac.

Acupuncture - Chinese Herbal Medicine Dragon's Way ÂŽ and Breast Health Qi Gong Classes 55 Concord Parkway, Pittsfield, MA 01201

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LIC. ACUPUNCTURIST AND HERBALIST SPECIALIZING IN

infertility, herbal treatments, cancer care at Lee Family Practice • 413-243-3223

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December 2011

21

Wisdom of Winter Health

A

s the fall season, harvest, and Thanksgiving give way to the descent of winter, many people begin to push themselves into high gear in preparation for the coming holidays. It is a well-known fact in our society that the holiday time is one full of extreme experiences, from excitement and joy to stress and despair.

We spend more energy running, planning, and preparing during this season than any other time of the year. In contrast to our social agendas, the actual season of winter, with changing light and temperatures, deeply affects our body rhythms with commands to slow down, replenish, nourish, and strengthen ourselves. It is no wonder that the space between our outward hurried movements and our internal need for rest often fills with acute illness that

gives us no choice but to lie down and surrender. When we choose to live our lives as if the round appendage at the end of our necks is the only body we inhabit, we find that the rest of our physical presence will suffer quietly only for so long. It is to this societal and biological conflict we hope to apply a bit of winter wisdom.

Among traditional peoples the yearly progression from Fall Equinox to Winter Solstice marks the time for preparation of medicines to keep in store for meeting any illness that may arise until Spring Equinox. This would have included the roots, barks, flowers, and leaves from trees and plants. Storage would be in syrups, liniments, salves, and teas. Holes were dug in the ice for winter dunking, as these people all knew well the wisdom of cold-water bathing. In

By Pam Youngquist, PhD the ceremonial lodges special herbal blends were burned for their purifying and cleansing properties. Thoughts and actions collectively moved towards strengthening and remembering the teachings of the ancestors gone before them. In this way the people were prepared to move in harmonious rhythm with the winter season.

In modern American culture the individual is so intensely immersed in attainment, acquisition, and acknowledgement, that one does not notice the shift of seasons unless marked by social circumstance or personal upheaval. The idea of forethought and planning for seasonal change would mean pausing an overly busy schedule that allows little time for sleep, let alone meditation on internal rhythms. Hence we see, in our society, winter marked by holiday commercialism and the prominent display of cold and flu suppressive medications at the grocery and pharmacy. When the individual begins to feel sickness, they usually shift into “body denial” and forge ahead in their usual routine. Once the illness begins to affect their ability to function they stop long enough to take a symptom-masking medicine and move on. If that fails, the individual schedules a 5-minute appointment with their HMO who gladly signs a prescription for antibiotics. The individual, feeling ready to run again, curses the bacteria and viruses of winter that dare to slow them down.

With those examples in mind, stop for a moment and assess where you are between these extremes. Imagine, for just a few minutes, that you are standing in the body of an ancestor. Looking through the eyes of that ancestor, go into the cooking area of your home. Open all the cupboards; what medicines do you see? Is there cayenne pepper, sage, thyme, and cinnamon on the spice shelf? Are there fresh ginger root, garlic, lemons, honey, and pure water? If so, you have many useful medicines for winter season. If you add to your cupboards dried dulse seaweed and shiitake mushrooms, miso paste, fresh burdock root, and astragalus slices, you have all that is needed for an Immune Tonic Soup (see recipe at the end of this article).

Among the medicines in your cooking area, you also have the remedies for cold, fever, and cough: • At the first sign of a cold, make a strong cinnamon tea; drink as frequently as you can for the next 24 hours.

• Alternatively, you can make Ginger Lemonade. Grate fresh ginger root. Add to 16 oz. of water and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Take off heat and add fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

• To help the body expel toxins when a fever spikes, use this old Gypsy Fever blend. Take 2 Tbsp sage, add 2 cloves chopped garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, and place in 16 oz. pure water. Bring just under a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Drink 1/4 cup of this remedy hot every half hour. Wrap the body in a sheet and cover with heavy blankets. You will begin to sweat profusely Illustration: Sergey Rusakov/Shutterstock

within a few minutes, watching the fever break by the last cup you drink.

• For a cough gone deep in the chest use 4 Tbsp thyme to 16 oz. pure water. Bring to a low boil, turn heat to low and simmer reducing the amount of liquid by 1/2. Strain the thyme out and return the tea to the pot, keeping low heat, add 1 cup of honey. Stir, allowing the two to blend.

Remove from heat, place in an airtight bottle and refrigerate. Take 1 Tbsp 4 times a day until cough subsides.

Because you are remembering these old herbals through the eyes of an ancestor, it goes without saying that your medicines become a part of your everyday awareness. While sipping your Immune Tonic Soup, you may be burning incense of cedar, sage, and lavender throughout your surroundings.

Every morning that you shower you can turn the faucet to cold water and stand under the invigorating spray rubbing your body to stimulate immunity. The focus of your thoughts each day may center on gratitude for the gift of your body and all the medicine allies that assist in strengthening it.

The eyes of the ancestor that you are may help you to further remember the knowledge of the medicines through study and exploration in the coming winter months.

Immune Tonic Soup 3 cloves garlic - chopped Pinch cayenne pepper 4 seaweed leaves - reconstituted in water Handful shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dry) 1 lemon - squeezed juice 2 astragalus slices - broken up 1 burdock root - chopped 1 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp miso paste - or to taste 1” ginger root - chopped 32 oz. pure water Place all ingredients in a glass, enamel, or stainless steel pot, adding the garlic and honey last. Place on medium heat. May add any/ all root vegetables on hand (carrot, parsnip, turnip, potato, yam).

Bring to a low boil, turn down to low, and simmer 1/2 hour.

This nourishing soup can be taken daily or weekly throughout the winter to tone and strengthen the immune system.

Each of us has a choice as the seasonal wheel turns, to either rush about in a dance of chaotic movement or to openly embrace the harmonious rhythm of our own bodies with that of the natural season upon us.

Many Winter Blessings. ~ Pam Youngquist, PhD, Traditional Naturopathic Care, www.

NaturopathicWellnessCare.com. See ad on page 24.

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

23

Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative Apothecaries

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he term naturopathy, coined in 1895, is derived from Greek and Latin, literally translating as “nature disease� and defined as the inherent internal natural force that staves off disease. The traditional naturopathic philosophy favored a holistic approach, describing the body in spiritual and vitalistic terms with absolute reliance upon the cosmic forces of human nature, or “to heal in harmony with the natural functions of the body without harm.� ~ Pam Youngquist, PhD. www.NaturopathicWellness.com.

Osteopathic Medicine

Osteopathic Medicine

Berkshire Osteopathic Health FAMILY PRACTICE & OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATION Stephen Kisiel, DO and Mary K. H. Yee, DO OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATION Joshua Krembs, DO Now accepting new patients for Primary Care and Consultation Services.

Treating newborns through adults. Most insurance accepted.

Located at Berkshire Healing Arts 42 Summer Street, Suite 301, Pittsfield, MA

413.442.0085 | www.BerkshireHealingArts.com

Where there is love there is life. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Dr. Goldman, a leading international figure in the practice and continuing education of Osteopathy, has been in practice in Sharon, CT since 1992. He now brings his extensive healthcare experience to Great Barrington and the surrounding communities.

As a certified specialist in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and fully licensed physician, Dr. Goldman treats the whole person not just the symptoms by emphasizing the interrelationships of structure, function, and the ability of the body to heal itself.

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 

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

25

Good Tidings H

By Susan Jameson

appy New Year 2012! We are living in powerful times where great creative and transformative energy is available and accelerating. The time has come for us to recognize our capacity to make a difference, however large or small, and to know that every action, when done with authentic expression and consciousness, adds to the well-being of the whole. Action performed in concert with the sacred can take any form— from expanding our very own beloved Our BerkshireGreen to hosting a spectacular event for the Fresh Air Fund, producing a brilliant CD with children, or winning an outstanding achievement by the Berkshire Humane Society. Good Tidings highlights those in our community who contribute to the rise of a better quality of life and are committed to personal and community development and environmentally friendly living.

May 2012 bring all good tidings to you, your loved ones, our community, and our humanity. May Good bless you!

O

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ur BerkshireGreen has exciting plans for the new year. We will be expanding our core issue from a quarterly to a bimonthly publication, changing its format, and more than doubling the circulation of each issue so that we can include, and better represent, the entire community. This summer, look for our additional new annual general community directory that will be printed on gorgeous “satin” FSC certified paper and ink. Also, make sure to check out the expanding online services on our website at www.OurBerkshireGreen.com. So many good things to share. It really is all about community!

T

M

ountain Road School students created a musical CD, One Fire!

Conceived, produced, and recorded by music teacher Mark Kelso of Muddy Angel Music, the CD was a year-long, handson musical learning lab for the students. They were involved in every aspect of the project from composition to vocals, instrumentals to production. According to Kelso, “These young musicians have what it takes, from the 4-year-old who did 15 takes of ‘Over the Rainbow’ using a pictographic score to the kindergartner who ‘found her voice’ and now wants to be a rock star.” Proceeds from the CD’s sale are being shared between Mountain Road School and Hôpital Sacré Coeur, in Haiti. ~Aimee Johnson,

his year, the Stockbridge Sportsmens Club hosted an event for the Fresh Air Fund children and their host families.

Mike Buffoni not only organized a two-hour archery lesson for all in attendance, but also had many volunteers plan, set up, cook, serve, and clean up for about 60 people this summer! The children (and adults) had many laughs and enjoyed each others’ company.

The SSC truly made this event one that will never be forgotten! ~ If you are interested in learning more about hosting a child

Mountain Road School, director@mountainroadschool.org, www.mountainroadschool.org

from NYC through the Fresh Air Fund, please contact Lelia Bruun at lelia.bruun@friendlytown.org, www.freshairfund.org.

~ Karen Karlberg, Community Outreach Coordinator, Berkshire Humane Society, kkarlberg@berkshirehumane.org, www.berkshirehumane.org

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December 2011

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he Berkshire Humane Society’s television show Purr, Wag, Adopt has won the 2011 Annie Award from PCTV for outstanding achievement that has positively impacted the community through the use of television programming, while advancing the mission of the organization. The show is produced

by BHS volunteers and staff, and is seen on Channel 16 Tuesday and Wednesday and on CTSB and NBTV Corporation.

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Illustration: mountainpix/Shutterstock

Health Care: Alternative, Complementary & Integrative Yoga

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December 2011

27

s Film Revieitw h Friends

ing w n e v E y z o C a for Love u o Y e n O e h t or cht ~ By Rodelinde Albre

I

’ve always loved black-and-white movies. Like fables and fairytales, they get at the bare bones of truth, stripping away incidentals. The cinema itself is an abstraction, a two-dimensional rendering of three-dimensional reality.

Seeing things in black and white engages the viewer’s imagination even further: our mind’s eye supplies the color. In fact, on the rare occasions I see a colorized version of a movie I’ve already seen in the original black and white, I’ll often think something like, “Oh no, they’ve made that dress the wrong color!” I've supplied that information myself, and resent someone second-guessing me.

Without color to distract us, we see things in their pure state. There is a clarity, a completeness of contrast between two opposites, a sharper truth. Black-and-white films embody the ethos of earlier days, when life seemed simpler and morality was clear cut. The good guys wore white hats, the bad guys wore black.

The movies of the ’30s and ’40s tended to focus on a single theme. Not surprisingly, those made in the days of the Great Depression dealt with the subject of money. In The Amazing Adventure (1936), wealthy playboy Ernest Bliss (Cary Grant) consults his physician because he feels listless and depressed. Diagnosis: boredom. Ernest bets the doctor that he can earn his own living for a full year, without using a penny of his own wealth. As usual, romance rears its lovely head, and Ernest begins to see life through the eyes of his poor-but-honest love, Mary Brian (Frances Clayton).

Another rich-boy-redeemed-by-poor-girl story is You Can’t Take It with You (1938). Alice Sycamore (Jean Arthur), 28

December 2011

the only truly sane person in her happygo-lucky household, is in love with her boss, Tony Kirby (James Stewart), the son and heir of a ruthless tycoon.

When the straitlaced Kirbys come to dinner (on the wrong night!) at the zany Sycamores’ home, fireworks erupt . . . quite literally. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, this movie contains some truly memorable lines about what's really important and valuable in life. As befits a fairytale, true love wins out in the end.

Rocky romance is also at the heart of Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), but the main theme here is anti-Semitism. In order to get a fresh slant on this topic, the widowed investigative journalist Phil Green (Gregory Peck) poses as a Jew. Since he’s a stranger in town, he can pull off the ruse and is able to experience at first hand every expression of prejudice from the most subtle to an overt act of violence (directed against his young son). The most valuable lesson I took from this movie is that even those of us who believe ourselves to be free of prejudice may be guilty of it, if only by turning a blind eye to the prejudice of others. Phil’s beloved, Cathy (Dorothy McGuire), starts out as one of those people. In an Oscar-winning performance as Phil’s mother, Celeste Holm delivers the keynote of the film in a monologue that concludes “Wouldn’t it be wonderful, Phil, if [this] turned out to be everybody’s century, when people all over the world—free people—found a way to live together?

I’d like to be around to see some of that, even the beginning.” ~ Rodelinde Albrecht, Concerned Singles. www.Concerned

Singles.com. See advertisement on page 29.

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Illustration: onurdongel, Yurdakul/istockphoto

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Country Life

Brindle, a Cow Spawned by the Devil

By Russel Hannah

Rodelinde Albrecht Director, Concerned Singles

Stowaway Farm, 1936 - 1939

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Did you know that the waste produced by just one chicken in its lifetime can supply enough electricity to run a hundred-watt lightbulb for about five hours! ~ www.citycoops.net

rene, hereafter referred to as my sister, and I, each had a cow to milk. The procedure was to bring the two cows in from the pasture to the barn. Once in the barn they were guided into stanchions, an iron device that snapped shut at the top once the cow was in it. They could move their heads up and down, but could not back out.

The cow assigned to me was Brindle, a name I now know was because of her color. I am not now nor have ever been a bigot, but I surely hated that cow.

Very often Brindle would swim across the Grist Mill Brook, and take the other cow with her. Brindle ruled every animal on the place with head butts and that mace she called a tail. The other cow was afraid of her, as were Whiskey and Soda, our horses. We would have to cross the brook by the mill and drive the two cows back across, and then go another quarter mile back to the barn.

My sister’s cow would walk right up and stick her head in the stanchion. Not Brindle, she would walk up to the stanchion and stop. Many times I had to grab her filthy tail, twist it to get her in the stanchion, all the while watching to avoid being kicked. I would grab my milking stool and pail, sit, and try to start milking. My sister would be half done, and I had just started.

Then the dance would begin. Brindle would try to step on my bare feet (shoes were for school and cold weather) and I would yank them out of the way, almost falling off the stool. Next she would try to knock the pail over, and if that did not work, she would try to knock me out with that club she had for a tail. I truly believe that, out in the pasture while swatting at flies, her tail was capable of killing any bird that flew into its arc at the same time.

I do not know if there is a place called cow heaven. If there is, I know that Brindle is not there.I would gladly have paid to see the Devil try to milk that cow!

~ Dedicated to the three women in my life who were convinced they owned me: my younger sister Irene, my mother, Edythe, and my loving wife, Florence.

Illustration: caraman, Selenka/Bigstock

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

December 2011

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Nonprofit Organizations

SO

potlight on Nonprofit rganizations in Our Community

Free Legal Clinic

of South Berkshire County Their Mission

The mission of the Free Legal Clinic of South Berkshire County is to promote justice and support public interest by building strong community relationships. They fulfill their mission by graciously accepting all intakes without exception. Then they draw from community resources to form a strong circle of support around clients while they deal with their troubles, creating equanimity and an Economy of Good Will® in a community they can trust.

What They Do The Free Legal Clinic of South Berkshire County (FLC) works to connect local professionals with Berkshire County residents who are experiencing very real barriers to accessing the civil legal counsel they need and deserve. They also address the larger social issues that lie at the root of these gaps in the service.

The demand for FLC services grows monthly, primarily through word of mouth, and they respond to the needs of the community by holding clinics, offering community education programs, conducting interviews, and speaking publicly about the way that law and social issues interface.

Good News!

The FLC has received a grant from Legacy Banks, now Berkshire Bank, specifically to provide direct pro bono legal services to its clients. This grant will enable the organization to represent income-qualifying clients at no cost to the client. This is FLC’s first direct service grant, and a positive step toward becoming a public interest law firm serving South Berkshire County. Currently, FLC has 24 attorneys to whom it refers its clients in all areas of civil law, and it also makes appropriate and thoughtful social and community referrals.

Contact

Eve Schatz, Founder, Executive Director 4 Pleasant Court Great Barrington, MA (413) 854-1955 FLCBerkshires@gmail.com CommunityHealthPrograms.org Eve Schatz

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December 2011

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Free Yourself

he title of this article may seem to some to be a farfetched idea, or an impossibility, but I assure you it is not. From ancient times to the present day, many human beings have eliminated mental stress and anxiety from the root source—their own thoughts. The first step in transforming anxiety is to recognize that the only place it exists is in your own consciousness. Its source is not in the outside world; it is in your response to the world.

It is often said that anxiety is built into the human DNA, but that is potentially misleading. The possibility of anxiety exists in the human organism, yet that does not mean that you have to experience it. Also built into the human mind is the potential for freedom, a state of peace, and bliss. That state of mind is very real. During inspiring moments in life, most of us have had a taste of expanded peace, joy, or bliss; and through our own effort we can live in that state every day.

Many of us live immersed in the storm of daily worries because we have allowed the habit to form over time.

It may be hard to picture yourself without anxiety, but there are proven methods to achieve that goal.

Actively Change Your Thoughts. If you allow yourself to entertain stressful thoughts, you give them the power to affect you. If you don’t allow stressful thoughts in your mind, you become free. You must act as a watch guard of your mind. The minute you see a stressful thought approach in the distance, observe it clearly, and send it off with a smile of victory. No matter what the thought is about—tension on the job, fear of disease or death, worry about money, concern about friends or family—just send it away. Laugh at it. Say to that thought, “Do you think you have the power to invade my peace? Not a chance. Begone!

You have no fertile ground in my mind.” You must realize that your anxieties don’t accomplish anything good for you or anyone else; they are useless. Take control of your mind and give anxious thoughts a one-way ticket out of your consciousness forever.

Talk Less About Your Worries or Stress. Each time you repeat the same worries to people, you create and imprint a welcome residence for them in your brain. You put a stamp on yourself that says, “I am a stressful person, I am focused on my stress, and I want you to know about it.” Ask other people about their interests and listen with joyful interest and curiosity, as if they were the only person on earth. The fewer times you mention your troubles to others, the fewer times you will feel you have troubles!

Worries cut you off from what is happening around you, and prevent you from being happy. Think about it, do you ever remember worrying and fully appreciating a majestic cloud floating by at the same moment? To the degree that you clear your mind of cluttering fears, to that degree you can truly enjoy life for what it is—a marvelous and dazzling array of energy and light which continually takes the forms of nature.

www.OurBerkshireGreen.com

Mind & Spirit

from Anxiety / By Jeffrey Gordon Meditation Is Effective. The single most effective way to achieve unshakable peace, joy, and mental freedom, and to cleanse your mind of stress, is through daily deep meditation.

Why? Because the mind is the territory where your stress exists.

It does not exist anywhere else. If a sports team wants to win a game, they need to show up at the right playing field. To find freedom, you must show up at the playing field of your mind.

Watching TV, reading books, going on vacation, exercising, eating, or drinking may temporarily ease your mental chatter, but it comes back again and again. Dealing directly with your thoughts is the only permanent solution. You cannot destroy a weed by trimming its leaves. Meditation will allow you to uproot the weed of stress so it will never grow again.

Every single time you meditate, you improve the function of your brain. Even if you feel restless sitting still, you are still making progress. In time your thoughts will settle to the point where you can very clearly see what is going on. In daily activity, thoughts and worries are usually on automatic mode, too fast for us to choose freely which ones are beneficial. A daily period of concentrated stillness will take you out of the frenzy of restless thinking into a state of grounded peace. It is simply a matter of shifting your mental habit from focusing on worry to focusing on peace.

When you recognize a thought for what it is, a momentary mental projection, it will vanish just like a snowflake falling gently on a lake. As each unwanted thought dissolves, more purity of mind will come to you. Eventually your anxious thoughts fade into the background of the mind and disappear altogether, and are replaced by a continual feeling of radiant peace. You will feel as if you are glowing, overflowing with an unfading source of light within yourself.

You will experience greater freedom. The day will eventually come when you can laugh freely and say, “I remember back when I used to worry about this or that. Boy, am I happy that’s over!” ~ Jeffrey Gordon, Traditional Acupuncture.

your soul path AnnE O’Neil | Spiritual Direction | Energy Healing www.yoursoulpath.com | 917-748-8463

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December 2011

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Index of Advertisers Allegrone Construction Co., Inc..................................................20 Andrea Feldman, Paperclip Studio ..............................................11 Andrew M. Goldman, DO........................................................... 25 AzureGreen .................................................................................31 BensDotter’s Pet .................................................9, inside back cover Berkshire Co-op Market ........................................inside front cover Berkshire Humane Society - Purradise .............................................. 9 Berkshire Organics .......................................................................20 Berkshire Osteopathic Health ......................................................25 Berkshire Photovoltaic Services (BPVS) ..........................................8 Berkshires Green Grocer & Claire’s Cafe .....................................20 Bodhi Tree Gallery of Fine Crafts ...............................................11 Bruce Mandel, Performing Songwriter ............................................3 Cafe Giulia LLC ..........................................................................14 Christine M. Tobin, APRN, PC, A-HNC ...................................21 Concerned Singles .......................................................................29 Country Bistro ............................................................................14 Darrow School ............................................................................17 Deb Koffman Art ........................................................................11 Dr Jerome F. Errico, Bd Cert Chiro Phys ....................................24 Eileen Lawlor, LICSW .................................................................24 Energy in Motion Studio ...........................................................15 Fertile Ground Acupuncture ........................................................21 Frog Lotus Yoga Studio and Retreat Center .................................27 Geiger Computers ........................................................................13 Genne M. LeVasseur, Certified Public Accountant ......................11 Good Life Natural Health & Wellness Center, The .......................27 GoodWorks Insurance .................................................................11 Grenergy Solar Store ....................................................................9 Greylock Physical Therapy ........................................................25 Guido’s Fresh Marketplace ..........................................................19 Hartsville Design Woodworking .................................3, back cover Hilltop Orchards - Furnace Brook Winery ....................................15 Integrative Health Solutions ........................................................21 Jacqueline Nicholas, Reiki Master & Teacher ..............................27 Jay Rhind Builders, Inc. ................................................................1 Jill Powell, Reiki ..........................................................................27 John Harney Associates, LLC - Real Estate Brokerage .....................11 Kosmic Kitchen ...........................................................................17 Lee Family Practice .....................................................................21 Lenox Dale Service Station, Inc. .................................................11 Lenox Village Integrative Pharmacy ............................................24 Life Rocks ....................................................................................31 Main Street Books ........................................................................11 Marion Bergan Irwin, Licensed Acupuncturist .............................21 32

December 2011

Marketplace Cafe, The ..................................................................32 Matt Albert, Bodywork ................................................................24 Michelle Manto, Traditional Chinese Medicine-Acupuncture...........21 Mikka Barkman ............................................................................24 Millie Calesky, Business & Life Coach ...........................................11 Ming Lash, Somatic Movement Therapist ....................................15 Montessori School of the Berkshires, The .........2, 17, inside back cover Naomi Alson, Acupuncturist & Herbalist ...................................21 New England Center for Osteopathy .........................................25 New England Solar & Green Solutions, Inc. ................................8 Okerstrom Lang, Ltd. ..................................................................20 Organize and Thrive, Thea Basis ..................................................11 Our BerkshireCalendar ...............................................................32 Perigee Restaurant and Catering ..........................inside back cover Petpourri, Inc. ...............................................................................9 Phoebe Williams, Life Coach .......................................................24 Randi Haskins-Jordan, Physical Therapy/Osteopathic ................21 Reconnective Healing® and The Reconnection® ...........................27 Renewable Energy Solutions, Inc. ................................................8 Route 7 Grill .................................................................................14 S/O/S Sarah’s Organizing Services ..............................................14 Salisbury Wines ...........................................................................31 Seven Salon.Spa ...........................................................................21 Sheilaa Hite, Intuitive Counseling ...............................................31 Sproutman® ..................................................................................18 Starving Artist Cafe & Creperie ...................................................14 Sullivan Station Restaurant ..........................................................1 Susan Spiegel Solovay ..................................................................24 Traditional Acupuncture, Jeffrey Gordon, MAc, LicAc .................21 Traditional Naturopathic Care, Pam Youngquist ........................24 Trattoria Rustica ..........................................................................14 Triple Gem School of Thai Massage ............................................17 TriYoga Berkshire .......................................................................27 Upstairs Basement .......................................................................11 Valley Fireplace & Stove, LLC .....................................................8 VCA All Caring Animal Hospital ..............................................9 Vlada Boutique .............................................................................11 Webnash Design-Build ................................................................20 Well Talk ..............................................................inside back cover Wellness Bound Coaching ...........................................................24 WholePerson Movement .............................................................15 Yoga Nude in Albany ..................................................................27 your soul path ..............................................................................31 Zaanti Yoga Studio .......................................................................27 .......................................................................................................

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December 2011

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