Our BerkshireTimes Magazine, March-April 2017

Mar-Apr 2017 vol 30

(41)

Complimentary

Our BerkshireTimes

™

Local Events | Art & Culture | Home & Garden | Vibrant Living

Home & Garden / Visit us at www.OurBerkshireTimes.com Cover Art by Leon A. Comstock Jr. / www.neumannfineart.com

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CARING FOR PETS SINCE 1957 Convenient Location with Ample Parking on Route 7 less than a minute south of Guido’s

Monday-Friday 10a-6p Saturday-Sunday 10a-4p

BENSDOTTER’S PET

940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 413-528-4940 The health, vitality, and peace of mind that comes with raw-feeding?

Priceless.

Our BerkshireTimes™

*March-April 2017

Contents

PUBLISHERS Kathy I. Regan publisher@ourberkshiretimes.com Kevin J. Regan kevin@ourberkshiretimes.com _______________ EDITORIAL Kathy I. Regan editor@ourberkshiretimes.com

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art, culture & entertainment

BIG PET VET

SHHH, YOU’LL SCARE THE FISH

RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL

Copyeditor/Proofreader Rodelinde Albrecht _______________ DESIGN Magazine Design/Layout Kathy I. Regan Brianna I. Regan _______________

YOUR HEALTH & YOUR HOUSE

Debra Johnson debra@ourberkshiretimes.com Allen Timmons allen@ourberkshiretimes.com _______________ Our BerkshireGreen, Inc. P.O. Box 133, Housatonic, MA 01236 Phone: (413) 274-1122 advertise@ourberkshiretimes.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com _______________

Cover - Daisy Fairy

by Leon A. Comstock Jr., Artist www.neumannfineart.com Leon A. Comstock Jr. was born and currently lives in Springfield, MA. Since 1970 his love of art has been in constant competition with his love of motorcycling and guitar playing.

Comstock works out of his home studio in Springfield producing landscapes, seascapes, still life, and fantasy pieces in his signature style of exacting yet deeply personal realism.

He has won multiple awards in juried art exhibits and you can find more of his work at Neumann Fine Art Gallery in Hillsdale, NY. www.neumannfineart.com

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THE SHAKERS

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FUN DENTAL FACTS

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spring gift guide

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food & drink

mind & spirit IS IT YOU?

SPRING IN THE BERKSHIRES

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health & wellness DRINK YOUR WAY TO HEALTH

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS THE UPTOWN STORE

education & workshops TIME FOR CONNECTION

home & garden FAIRIES

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT Account Representatives Kevin J. Regan kevin@ourberkshiretimes.com

animal talk

FUN THINGS TO DO BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS

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featured advertisers

Like Us On

CORNMEAL CRANBERRY CAKES

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This publication is printed with soy ink on environmentally friendly Forest Stewardship Council ® certified paper.

*special note: Readers, we have changed Our BerkshireTimes magazine’s printing schedule in 2017 to better accommodate our advertisers. To make this possible we extended our previous issue through February. Our new schedule has now started with this March - April 2017 issue.

“11:11 is the Universe knocking itself out to give you evidence of your alignment.” ~ Abraham Hicks

Our BerkshireTimes magazine was first published in 2009 and is enjoyed by community members and visitors alike. We publish and distribute bimonthly (six times per year). Most of our editorial content is contributed by our readers. We welcome your ideas, articles, and feedback, and encourage you to submit original material for consideration through our website. To find out more about advertising and submitting articles, see our website at left, and join our mailing list to receive our free eNewsletter.

All content in Our BerkshireTimes™ 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.

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art, culture & entertainment

Fun Things to Do Around Town Ward’s Celebrates 60 Years with Free Classes & Giveaways When: March 4 through April 1, 2017 Most Saturdays at 10am and Sundays at 1pm Where: 600 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA Cost: Free In 2017 during March Open House, Ward’s offers free classes on a range of gardening topics including soils, design, pruning, troubleshooting, small fruits, shade plants, birds, masonry, and mushroom foraging! To find out more about speakers, topics,and preregistration information, go to www.wardsnursery.com, or call (413) 528-0166.

Then April 19 through April 30 in honor of founder Don Ward Jr’s community legacy, Ward’s will give away easy-care, white pine seedlings to youth from ages 2 to 18. One per child. Present this notice at Ward’s to claim a 60th Anniversary Tree!

Record Store Day When: April 22, 2017, 10am-6pm Where: 31 Water Street, Williamstown, MA Join Toonerville Trolley Records for the eagerly awaited national day to celebrate independent record stores. Companies release special limited edition records to be sold only in these stores. Get there early! Toonerville Trolley does coffee, doughnuts, 10-percent off sale, sometimes in-store live music. Contact (413) 458-5229, toonervilletrolleyrecords@yahoo.com.

Visit www.recordstoreday.com.

CATA’s Annual Performance & Gala Everyday People When: May 13-14, 2017 Where: Shakespeare & Company, 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA Cost: call for more information Please join Community Access to the Arts (CATA) for Everyday People, CATA’s annual performance and gala celebrating the artistry of people with disabilities! Everyday People will take place on May 13 and 14, 2017, at the Tina Packer Playhouse at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. Saturday, May 13 – CATA’s Gala evening includes cocktails at 5pm, performance at 6pm, buffet reception with music and dancing to follow.

Call (413) 528-5485 for more information.

Sunday, May 14 – CATA’s Matinee is $20 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Performance begins at 1 pm. www.cataarts.org

Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival When: June 17, 2017 10am-10pm Where: Bowe Field, Adams, MA Cost: $6. Kids 12 and under free.

413-458-7077

296 Main Street, Williamstown, MA

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Join us for the day as the Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival celebrates the Summer Solstice. The veil shielding the Faerie Realm will fall away revealing a family-oriented experience celebrating creativity, learning, and stewardship of the Earth. Come in costume, help build the Faerie Village, decorate wings, and meet the Queen and Court. Our Festival will be a day of storytelling, music, dance, artisans, creative activities, and tasty delectable treats. Presented by the Adams Arts Advisory Board with proceeds going to public art and art promotion within our region. A time and place for all ages! (413) 664-0197, www.berkshiremountainsfaeriefestival.com

art, culture & entertainment

TOONERVILLE TROLLEY

RECORDS & CDs New ● Used ● Imported

Stop by Sat, April 22 on Record Store Day for a selection of limited edition vinyl by various artists!

Open 10-6 Mon-Sat ● 413-458-5229

131 Water Street, Williamstown, MA www.toonervilletrolleyrecords.com

Open in the New Location

 TO READ?

Framing on the Edge

Fine Art & Custom Framing Contemporary Craft 325 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington 413.528.0432 LaurenClarkFineArt.com

Visit us and find out more about our Frequent Buyer Program!

Discounts available for seniors, teachers, students, and military.

(413) 528-1521 ● Great Barrington, MA ● www.thebookloft.com

C: 413-441-2239 ● P: 413-243-0025 395 Laurel Street (RT 20), Lee, MA

www.RetroPopShop.com

Planes, Trains & Automobiles!

LODGING • FOOD • MUSIC • SPECIAL EVENTS

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We carry a complete supply of metal detectors and accessories by Whites and Garrett! models & kits ● kites ● remote control trains ● airplanes cars ● metal detectors ● puzzles ● paint sets ● and more!

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17 Main Street South Egremont, MA 01258 413-528-9580

theegremontvillageinn.com theegremontbarn.com

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

March | April 2017

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art, culture & entertainment

Shhh, You’ll Scare the Fish!

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By Michael Romano

met Bruce when I moved to the little town of Amenia, New York, to take a job as a chef at a local restaurant. He was a bartender, and over a couple of shared cocktails I learned that he liked to fish as much as I did. We became fast friends and enjoyed each other’s sick sense of humor. We also liked the fact that all the pubs stayed open until 4:00 in the morning, but it made it hard to get up early to fish so as a result we became experts at afternoon fishing. We figured that there had to be fish on the same schedule as us, and those were the fish we would concentrate on.

Bruce’s father belonged to a very exclusive fish and game club in Millbrook, New York, and we knew he wouldn’t mind if we sort of made believe that we belonged too. So on the chosen day we got up at the crack of noon and drove to the outskirts of the property, put a note on the car explaining we had broken down, and hiked up into the woods. The trail followed a beautiful stream with high and rocky banks. The forest was made up of very old large trees, and some of the views were breathtaking.

Bruce explained that very few people came to these woods, and the trout, though large, were easily spooked. Whenever I tried to talk to him, he would admonish me with “Shhh, you’ll scare the fish,” and that would end the conversation. We fished in every pool we came to, leapfrogging each other so we wouldn’t scare the fish by overcrowding a small area. The trout were indeed large, and we caught and released several beautiful browns.

As we moved on, the hike started to get steep and a little rocky, and the stream bank grew higher and higher. We came around a corner in the trail and saw what was probably the prettiest area yet – the bank grew to almost a cliff with fallen trees and a lot of big rocks, and at the bottom was a small waterfall that emptied into a rather large pool. In the pool many shelves of granite were 6

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visible even though the blue-green water was deep. It had to be the home of the KING of trout, but the only way to get to it was to climb down the embankment, so that’s what I intended to do. I was quite a few years younger back then, more than a few pounds lighter, and a whole bunch dumber, so over the side I went. It was so steep that I needed to secure my light fishing pole, grit my teeth, and grab the root of a fallen tree as I started to negotiate my way down the bank. As luck would have it, the tree had other plans. It popped loose as I used it for balance and took off down the steep hill with me in tow; several rocks joined in the fun as well, and in a few seconds I had my own private avalanche.

The tree, the boulders, and I landed hard in a shallow part of the stream. Dirt, rocks, and small pebbles continued to rain down on me for several more seconds as I tried to pull myself free of the root’s embrace. I could see Bruce hurrying along the path in my direction – good old Bruce, so concerned for me and coming to help. But after the dust settled and he stood at the spot where I began my luckless journey peering down at me, the only thing I heard was . . .

“Shhh, you’ll scare the fish!” ~ Michael Romano, a Great Barrington, MA, resident for almost 40 years, is an avid fisherman who in his own words “kind of treats fishing as a contact sport and has had more than a few misadventures in the process.” He has fished many local waters and also enjoyed quite a few saltwater trips.

Michael is a retired chef – he and his wife Susan worked at the now closed Kolburne School in New Marlborough, MA, for many years where he enjoyed taking many of the students fishing.

art, culture & entertainment

knit & crochet

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VISIT US TO BEGIN YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY

ellowship and community building are crucial for humans to share knowledge and grow in spirit. My favorite time at The SpinOff Yarn Shop is Sit & Knit, every Wed & Fri, 2-4pm, when knitters from all walks of life gather with infectious enthusiasm. Whatever the reason we knit and crochet – to escape life’s stressors, keep hands busy, or for creative outlet – knitting provides health benefits by exercising the brain and developing spatial skills, focus, and concentration.

Visit us to begin your creative journey. ~ Beth Phelps, Proprietor

love’s synergy LOVE MEANS LOOKING TOGETHER IN THE SAME DIRECTION

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ogether, we can do more than we can alone. Today, more than ever before, what we need is someone to walk beside us who feels as we do about our world, who cares about other people, and who wants to help make things right. If you are still searching for that someone, if you want a love that’s more than just a flash in the pan, a love with staying power, a love that means moving forward together into a life that’s nourishing and fulfilling, join the Concerned Singles community. ~ Rodelinde Albrecht, Director

Join us for Sit & Knit!

Wed & Fri, 2-4pm. All skill levels welcome.

Open Wed 12-5pm, Thu 12-7pm, Fri-Sat 10-5pm

130 Water Street, Lower Level, Williamstown, MA

www.spinoffyarnshop.com ● (413) 344-6257

“It was her compassion that was so pretty.”

Close your eyes. open your heart. concernedsingles.com

memories that last THE BEST DAY AND SLEEPOVER CAMP IN THE BERKSHIRES

or kids, a summer spent at camp is a special time: making new friends, learning new skills, and having fun. They are creating memories that last a lifetime. Since 1922, Camp Half Moon has been helping kids explore the world around them, while learning about themselves and others.

Our beautiful campus sits on the shores of Lake Buel five miles from Great Barrington center, and includes a full waterfront, heated pool, skate park, playing fields, challenge course with zip line, creative and performing arts facilities, all set among beautiful towering pines. Each child receives individual attention; we get to know all our campers by name. This kind of personal, individualized camping experience gives children a strong sense of importance, connection, and belonging.

As camp directors, it has been our great pleasure to observe first hand how summer camp can transform children into strong young adults. Camp Half Moon is proud of our heritage of building lifetime memories, summer after summer. As part of that heritage, your children can look forward to a summer that is safe, healthy, happy, meaningful . . . and fun! ~ Gretchen Mann-Fritch and Ric Fritch, Camp Directors

Celebrating 95 Amazing Summersin Inthe theBerkshires!

Berkshires!

Celebrating 92 Amazing Summers 93 Celebrating 92 92 Amazing Summers Summers in the Berkshires!

93Amazing Celebrating in the Berkshires!

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Enroll Today For Summer 2015 7 Enroll Today Today For For Summer Summer 2015 2015 Enroll Day Camp Camp and and Sleepover Sleepover Camp Camp ~~ Ages Ages 33 to to 16 16 Day Flexible Sessions ~ Beautiful Lake Buel Campus Flexible Sessions ~ Beautiful Lake Buel Campus Only 55 miles miles from from Gt. Gt. Barrington, Barrington, MA MA Only ~ 888-528-0940 camphalfmoon.com 9 camphalfmoon.com Camp Half-Moon Rd | P.O. Box 188 9 Camp Half-Moon Road Camp Half-Moon Rd P.O. Box 188 188 ~~ 888-528-0940 99 Camp Half-Moon Rd || P.O. Box Great Barrington, MA 01230 Monterey, MA 01245 Great Barrington, MA 01230 Great Barrington, MA 01230 (888) 528-0940 (888) 528-0940 | (413) 528-0940 (888) 528-0940 (413) 528-0940 528-0940 (888) 528-0940 || (413) www.camphalfmoon.com www.camphalfmoon.com

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March | April 2017

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Fairies

know there are some adults shaking their heads right about now, but you’ve got to hear me out before you pass harsh judgment. There is no scientific evidence of any kind that fairies do not exist. No one, anywhere, has ever proven that fairies are not real! Now with that being said, I will further lay out my evidence that these magical “gentle folk” of legend do indeed inhabit our world.

Everyone knows there is no fossilized evidence of fairies.

Why, you ask. It’s simply because when a fairy dies it immediately turns to fairy dust. And yet, there is ancient folklore from all over the world about fairies and fairy folk of every description. They have appeared in paintings and in literature for centuries.

But most importantly, I’ve had my very own personal experience.

My first encounter with a fairy was about the time I discovered books – I must have been five or six years old.

She would enter my room at night through a little tear in my window screen only when she thought I was sound asleep. I tore a small hole in my blanket just big enough that I could see through, and every night at bedtime I would cover my head and be very still, pretending I was asleep. I’d peek through that hole watching and waiting – sometimes for quite some time before she would appear. Sometimes she never came at all. But when she did, it was magical! She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. My visitor would fly all around my room with the most brilliant twinkling light, landing on my curtains and my toys, and even on my bed at times. I knew I was special and blessed because fairies are rare and discriminating creatures. They have a strong sense of goodness and kindness, which explains why they love children so much. Children are innocent and their hearts and minds have not yet been spoiled by all the things that do so as we get older. Which explains why some children see fairies more than others.

Humans can’t hear fairies speak, but certain humans can sense their presence. When fairies enter a room they sound like baby wind chimes. That’s probably how Tinkerbell got her name! Only the pure of heart can see a fairy. And even then, only if you are very lucky and blessed.

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Fairy House at left was handcrafted by Allen Timmons of Backyard Heirlooms and given to his daughter Emilie Jewel on her 25th birthday. Photo by Emilie Jewel Timmons.

home & garden

I grew up way too fast, and had to wait 30 long years before I would see another fairy. It was up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where our daughter, Emilie Jewel, was born.

When she was about three years old, she told me the fairies had visited her one night. They wanted her to come play with them and see where they lived in the forest. So, we headed out for our daily walk down around the beaver pond deep in the forest.

Emilie and I had some special places along that path through the forest, but one place in particular was enchanting. It was that place, she said, the fairies had told her that they lived! This small island covered in moss and dwarf pine trees was accessible only by way of a fallen tree. It looked as though it had been there for a thousand years or more – a place where no human had ever been before. We would spend hours in the summertime, lying there in its softness, exploring the world of these little creatures.

Emilie would tell me the most amazing stories about what was occurring in the fairy kingdom, and she kept me up to date about all the things I had forgotten since I was a child. It was truly one of the most magical times in our lives.

Emilie and I built fairy houses from twigs, moss, bark, and various items we could find. We made little pathways with stones. We also collected berries and nuts along with some breadcrumbs from our lunch, and placed them on the small table we had made for the fairies so everyone would have plenty to eat after we left. We never left our trash behind because nothing breaks a fairy’s heart more than throwing trash on the forest floor. I told Emily that if you love someone you will always respect them. Nothing says I love you more than respect!

Emilie, Nancy (my wife of 29 wonderful years), and I took a trip a couple of years ago, back up to our special place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was still the hauntingly beautiful place we all remembered, but our little island was no longer there. Time had erased all evidence of its existence and it was as though a thousand years had passed by.

I couldn’t help but think to myself as we all stood there looking out over a piece of our past, that perhaps concealed somewhere along its shore, nestled in a tiny cove hidden from all but one special child, the Kingdom of the Fairies is just waiting to be discovered once again.

Celebrating

60years

Ward’s Where Gardeners GroW

From miniature gardens to landscaped acreage

Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center 600 S. Main St. Gt. Barrington MA Open Daily 8 am - 5:30 pm www.wardsnursery.com 413-528-0166

~ Allen Timmons designs, builds, and sells

one-of-a-kind custom heirloom-quality architectural sculptures including fairy houses, birdhouses, doll houses, playhouses, tree houses, and more. His business, Backyard Heirlooms, is located at 525 South Main Street in Great Barrington, MA, (across from the Wainwright Inn) and is open on weekends and by appointment. Contact Allen and his wife, Nancy, at (413) 528-3095, atbackyardheirlooms@gmail.com, and on Facebook. www.backyardheirlooms.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

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home & garden

The Shakers, Early Organized Minimalists ’TIS THE GIFT TO BE SIMPLE, ’TIS THE GIFT TO BE FREE / By Julie A. Ulmer

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he United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing were known to the world as Shakers. A small religious sect that came to America from England in the late 18th century to escape religious persecution, they were led by a woman, Ann Lee, who they believed was the second coming of Jesus Christ. The first settlement was in Watervliet, NY. Later on 18 more communities were formed, mostly in the East but extending as far west as Kentucky and Ohio.

By the mid-nineteenth century there were approximately 6,000 men and women who lived as Believers, practicing celibacy, pacifism, equality of the sexes, and living as simple a life as possible putting their “Hands to work and hearts to God.” While their spirituality was of high importance, in order to remain self-sufficient, they farmed their land and produced goods for sale to the outside world as a form of income. They were known for high-quality garden seeds, herbs, tinctures and remedies, furniture, housewares, preserved foods and candy, bonnets, cloaks, and fancy hand sewn goods. Work was a form of worship, so everything they made, be it for themselves or for the world, was of the highest standard. Everything was to be simple and functional, and extravagance and elaborate decoration were looked down upon. “Where there is no order, there is no God” was a cornerstone belief, and all work was considered of equal importance no matter how lowly the task.

Society members were allowed personal possessions, but upon entering the communal order, they were required to give most of their belongings and property to the community. Of course in those days the majority of possessions were integral to day-to-day living such as tools, farm equipment, livestock, and some home goods. The Shakers embraced the premise of working smarter not harder. If there wasn’t a tool or a trick to get the job done they invented one, such as the flat broom and an early clothes washing machine. They held patents on a number of designs and products.

Unlike the Amish, Shakers embraced technology and advancement in the workplace. Workshops were neat and tidy – like the rest of every Shaker village – with toolboxes, cabinets, and workbenches where tools were cleaned and put away at the end of each workday.

Large numbered cupboards where garden seeds were kept were well labeled, journals were kept about everything that went on in the dye house, sewing desks were built with lots of little drawers for all of the scissors, needles, and bobbins, and ice was cut and stored in orderly squares or rectangles to fit snugly in the icehouse.

I developed a deep interest in the Shakers when I worked at some of the local Shaker Museums and sites in my younger years, including when I was a demonstrative cook and interpreter at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA. As someone who believes that clean and tidy is essential to a productive workspace, seeing how the Shakers had built their homes, workshops, and 10

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farms impressed me immediately. It’s easy to admire furniture that was built to last with simple lines, chairs that are lightweight and easy to hang upside down on the famous peg rail so it’s easy to sweep, or better yet, drawers built directly into the wall therefore not allowing dust to settle as it would on the top of a bureau.

Kitchens were state of the art: vast kettles with fireboxes built underneath them, huge ovens with rotating racks inside, running water in the 1830s, and lots of windows to allow natural light.

It’s not just the physical and material aspects that were kept orderly; the communities themselves were overseen by the Central Ministry at Mount Lebanon and each village was guided by ministry leaders. Precise and dedicated journal and bookkeeping helped Trustees to manage the financial aspects of each village and has allowed us to learn a tremendous amount about all sorts of matters, temporal as well as spiritual.

In the later portion of the twentieth century as the Victorian Era was in full swing, a number of Shaker villages loosened up their plain and simple guidelines somewhat and even allowed a few buildings to be updated with a little Victorian flair. I can imagine that certain Sisters might have been less than enthusiastic about trying to clean around bulky, overstuffed armchairs and heavy tasseled window curtains. By this time membership had been in decline for many years and some aspects of the villages that had not already closed were looking a bit rough around the edges and sadly dilapidated.

With the industrial revolution and western expansion, few people were interested in living a deeply spiritual, celibate, communal way of life. Other Utopian societies such as the Oneida colonists had failed and even though the Shakers continued to take in orphaned children, many of them left to seek their fortunes in the world. Today just one active village remains with a few members at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, but their legacy is carried on by the numerous museums which were once original Shaker communities.

I have embraced many of the Shaker philosophies and dictums, but the one you’ve probably heard more than any other comes from a song “’Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,” an idea for us all to contemplate, minimalist or not. ~ Julie Ulmer is a professional organizer, productivity consultant, and speaker who founded Minding Your Manor in 2003. Julie is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, and the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. Please visit www.mindingyourmanor.com, email julie@ mindingyourmanor.com, or call (518) 821-4682.

home & garden

spring is here!

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EMERGENCY ON CALL SERVICE ● Emergency Water Damage Remediation Locally Owned ● Emergency Fire, Soot and Smoke Remediation and Operated. ● House Wide and Post Construction Cleaning ● Floor Maintenance ● Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning ● Animal Debris and Odor Clean Up ● Mold and Odor Remediation ● Sewer and Septic Clean Up ● We Will Use Green Cleaning Products Upon Request

Certified & Trained Technicians With More Than 15 Years Experience.

3 Westview Road, Pittsfield, MA

www.ServiceMasteroftheBerkshires.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

March | April 2017

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Your Health & Your House

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ARMED WITH A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN CREATE A HEALTHY HOME / By Nina Anderson

id you ever wonder why we seem to get sicker during winter months when we are indoors most of the time?

Sure, maybe it’s the lack of copious amounts of vitamin D from low sunlight, but could it be toxins from inside your closedup home that are putting your immune system into distress?

Did you know that mold, electromagnetic stress, and formaldehyde from composite/glued furniture can mess up your immune response to the flu? Mold can also trigger asthma, as can volatile organic gases from paint in addition to the pesticides you spray for bugs. If you have trouble concentrating, are dizzy, or are suffering from depression, you may be susceptible to paint fumes, accumulations of lead or heavy metals from water pipes, and possibly frequencies from home electronics. Carbon monoxide is well known to be lethal but early signs are nausea, confusion, headaches, and coordination problems. Do you have a detector (or better yet two) in your home? That carpet you just installed might be outgassing chemicals and fungicides, especially if it is a stain-resistant one. If you are sensitive, you may get symptoms from that new rug such as burning eyes, memory problems, chills and fever, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and more.

Critters in your water can contribute to diarrhea and if that water is fluoridated it can facilitate collagen protein breakdown, making you look older than you are. Even though the American dental industry says it’s okay, fluoride has been proven to be a toxic substance that can also contribute to hypothyroidism, hormone imbalance, lowered IQ, hypoglycemia, and calcification of the pineal gland. Fluoride has been banned, stopped, or rejected to date by 11 countries. Chlorine is used in most city water systems to keep those critters at bay, but when chlorine reacts with water it combines with other natural compounds to form trihalomethanes that trigger the production of free radicals in the

body, causing cell damage. Chlorine has been linked to problems with the circulatory system, low blood pressure, change in blood pH, throat pain, and digestive disturbances, to name a few.

Microwave radiation leakage becomes worse the older the unit gets and the more times you open the door. This can not only affect your cognitive ability and cause nervous system anomalies, but it can also affect your muscles, making them weaker. In addition, microwave radiation can affect your eyes if you are too close to the oven and stare at the food being cooked. Electromagnetic stress on the body from wiring, compact fluorescent lighting, and personal electronics can raise a whole new set of symptoms ranging from fatigue to heart arrhythmias, to headaches and other symptoms no one can seem to find a cause for. EHS or electrohypersensitivity is a real illness for people who are incapacitated in the vicinity of electromagnetic frequencies. In Canada, EHS is recognized as a disability.

While we have come a long way since I wrote the book Your Health and Your House in 1994, armed with a little knowledge you can improve the interior of your home to meet healthy standards. ● Look for low or zero VOC paints that don’t outgas. ● Use polyurethane that is water based and make sure all the windows remain open when you paint. ● Purchase wool or cotton carpets without the stain-resistant treatments, and don’t use chemical cleaning products or air fresheners that are chemical based. ● Beware of cheap composite furniture that contains formaldehyde glue, and avoid stain-resistant coverings. ● Don’t use garden pesticides, especially since they can be tracked indoors by your mud boots and your pets. ● You might want to invest in a water or air purifier, and absolutely get a carbon monoxide detector. And to be safe – get a healthy house inspection by an expert in this field. ~ Nina Anderson is a specialist in performance nutrition and a former healthy house contractor. Her company, NLP Berkshires, specializes in finding the underlying cause of health symptoms and performs healthy house inspections in Berkshire, Litchfield, and Columbia counties. Nina lives in a nontoxic home she built in 2001. She can be contacted at (888) 217-7233, www.nlpberkshires.com/houseinspect.

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home & garden

the gift of independence IT’S LIKE GETTING A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND®

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e understand that no one wants to ask for help. Seniors Helping Seniors® works with you to provide just the right amount of support to enable an optimal level of independence.

We’re the most flexible, lowest-cost, licensed, insured in-home senior service in Western Massachusetts.

It’s like like getting aa little little help from from a friend. ®® It’s It’s like getting getting a little help help from aa friend. friend. ® It’s like getting a little help from a friend. ®

(413) 822-9988 The Gift of (413) 822-9988 (413) 822-9988 Independence SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass Call us to find out SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass how we match seniors who need help, with seniors who want to help, throughout the Berkshire and Western Massachusetts region.

An active senior from our team can help with everyday chores like meal preparation, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, getting to the doctor or hairdresser, using the computer, and so much more.

Your mature personal assistant provides help according to your need and direction, not according to a contract or what’s easiest for us to schedule. Our helpers are background checked and trained.

We offer the benefit of a free initial assessment so you’re able to check us out. If you decide it’s a good idea, we’ll match you with a like-minded peer who will help you maintain your independence. It really is like getting a little help from a friend.

It’s like like getting aa little little help from from a friend. ®® It’s It’s like getting getting a little help help from aa friend. friend. ® It’s like getting a little help from a friend. ®

(413) 822-9988 (413) 822-9988 (413) 822-9988

Call owner Jane Apkin at (413) 822-9988 or check us out online at www.seniorshelpingseniors.com/berkshires. Jane is a medical speech-language pathologist and healthcare administrator. She lives in Lanesboro with her husband, Bill, and senior canine, Max.

Dress Up Your Windows Window Treatments

Hunter Douglas ● Graber ● Norman Shutters Upholstery, Draperies, Fabric & Wallpaper

SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/Berkshires SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com/WesternMass

ideas galore and more!

WE CAN TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR DECORATING NEEDS

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hen you have a home decorating project to do, but you aren�t sure where to begin, begin at Berkshire Fabric & Wallpaper. We understand that you want your home to be a wonderful place, a reflection of you. We�ll always give you friendly service, topnotch advice, and ideas galore. So whether it�s one pillow or a complete house transformation, together we�ll select the perfect fabric, wallpaper, and window treatments and help you get your project done.

Window Treatments

Hunter Douglas • Graber • Comfortex • Norman Shutter For all Your Decorating Needs Upholstery, Draperies, Fabric & Wallpaper

BerkshireFabric Fabric & Wallpaper Berkshire & Wallpaper 274 Wahconah Pittsfield, 274 Wahconah St.,St., Pittsfield, MA MA

(413) 442-4420 413-442-4420

Open 10-5, closed Open dailydaily 10-5:30, SatSat 10-4,10-4, closed SundaySun

www.berkshirefabricwallpaper.com

Our custom services include upholstery, slipcovers, window treatments, decorative pillows, cushions, shades, blinds, shutters, and more. We’ll install our window treatments and pick up and deliver upholstered pieces. Our fabric brands include Kravet, Duralee, Robert Allen, Carole, Thibaut, eStout, Tempotest, PKaufmann Sunbrella, Greenhouse, Barrow, Bartson, Textiles, Comersan, Belle Maison, Pindler & Pindler, Scalamandré, Ralph Lauren, Cowtan & Tout, and many more. Wallpaper brands include Thibaut, Wallquest, Carey Lind, York, Brewster, Seabrook, Paper & Ink, Anna French, Raymond Waites, Pierre Frey, Waverly, Jamia Brown, Chesapeake, Scalamandré, Ralph Lauren, and more. Shades and shutters brands include Hunter Douglas, Graber, Kirsch, Norman Shutters, and more. www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

March | April 2017

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home & garden

Q: What does Uptown offer?

A: We offer a great selection of hand-picked items for home, office, den, or play, including vintage stereos (receivers, turntables, speakers, and more), classic rock and jazz vinyl, furnishings, lighting, games and toys, books, crystals, and playful items.

I sell, buy, and consign. I’m happy to answer questions and share my knowledge about vintage and antique items. There may be some hidden treasures in your attic, basement, or garage!

Q: What is your philosophy?

A: To always find the coolest selection of items, and provide the best service for my customers.

T

he Uptown Store, located in beautiful uptown Lee in western Massachusetts, is one of the finest and funpacked stores in the Berkshires. Owner Marc Manoli offers a broad selection of mostly vintage and antique Americana items as well as a sampling of international items. Uptown also assists their clients in the valuation and sale of personal and business assets.

Q: Marc, please describe what you do at Uptown.

A: I am constantly on the hunt for fun, unusual, interesting, and useful items. I travel far and wide seeking the best possible treasures and offer them as competitively priced as possible. I acquire only the finest possible items from auctions and estate sales, as well as from walk-in clientele.

Q: How did you get started?

A: Twenty years, ago I was driving south into Lee and saw a great brick building facing me on the big turn as you reach the main street in town. It had that come see what treasures you can find inside look about it. The only problem: it was a water testing laboratory. I remember thinking, no, no, no, that is completely the wrong business for that storefront. And in my mind I pictured my shop, The Uptown Store.

Unusual and Thoughtful Gifts A Treasure Trove of Beautiful Things Visit our store in Lee or shop online at ebay: stores.ebay.com/arcnoli

413-358-0170

266 Main Street, Lee, MA gifts@theuptownstore.org

www.theuptownstore.org

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March | April 2017

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Q: How can our readers find you?

A: Uptown can be found at 266 Main Street in Lee, MA. Find us on the web at www.theuptownstore.org, and be sure to check out our Facebook page. You can also shop from the convenience of home by visiting our ebay store at stores.ebay.com/arcnoli. We carry a diverse selection of items online that makes shopping fun.

home & garden

clean energy

artisan gifts

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efore you choose a gift for a friend or loved one, a visit to Wonderful Things is a must! You will find a wide variety of artisan gifts all handmade in the USA. Wooden bowls and utensils are a big hit. Consider a door harp of inlaid wood for something unique, or who would not want to receive traditional Shaker boxes? There are pottery lines to suit every taste, as well as a full line of Judaica including menorahs, wedding glasses, plates, frames, and more.

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SERVING THE BERKSHIRES SINCE 1985

erkshire Photovoltaic Services (BPVS) has installed hundreds of safe, efficient, durable photovoltaic systems.

They favor photovoltaic components manufactured in our region to support the local economy and because these modules, mounts, and power electronics are the best in the world. BPVS is fully licensed and insured for commercial, institutional, and residential PV systems. BPVS now also provides repair and warranty service on PV systems installed by solar firms that have gone out of business.

Celebrate Our Forty-fourth Year!

Berkshire Photovoltaic

Wonderful Things

Services, BPVS

46 Howland Avenue, Adams, MA 01220 www.bpvs.com 413-743-0152 Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS Solar Energy Industries Association.

•

Largest Selection of Yarns and Unique Handcrafted Gifts in the Berkshires Gift Certificates S Free Knitting Lessons

46 Howland Avenue, 01220 Association, Solar Energy Business Adams, AssociationMA New England, MA LIC #’s HIC131996, CSL of 73150 Member: American Solar Energy Society, Northeast Sustainable Energy Tel. 413-743-0152 • www.bpvs.com

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MA LIC #'s HIC131996, CSL 73150

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WE CAN MAKE GIFT GIVING EASY

efficient and reliable.

BPVS electric systems userdesigns, friendly, incesolar 1985, recognized for are careful provencomponents componentsand andhigh highquality qualityworkmanship, workmanship, proven ince 1985, recognized for careful designs, BPVS solar electric systems are user friendly, efficient and reliable.

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Open Mon-Sat 9:30-5, Sun 12-4 Harry and Debbie Sano 232 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 (413) 528-2473 • www.wonderful-things.com

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MA LIC #'s HIC131996, CSL 73150

413-743-0152 • www.bpvs.com Member:Tel. American Solar Energy Society, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Solar Energy Avenue, Business Association New01220 England, 46 Howland Adams,ofMA Solar Energy Industries Association.

Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS

Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS

protect your home

CALL US TODAY, SLEEP BETTER TONIGHT

H

ome improvement should add value to your home.

How about adding value to your life? If you could be assured that your home is protected from intrusion, and you could know that an early warning system for fire, low temperature, and even water leaks was possible, how worry free could you be when you are working, shopping or even sleeping at home? Let New England Dynamark Security improve your life at home or away, at work or at play.

Since 1978

MA 982 C

New England Security Center for All Your Security Needs...

Call us today, sleep better tonight

DYNAMARK SECURITY CENTERS

“ We Protect America” ®

413.442.5647 www.nedynamark.com

55 Church St. Pittsfield, MA 01201

46 Howland Avenue, Adams, MA 01220

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

AND STROKES SinceAIR 1985,POLLUTION recognized for careful designs,

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proven components and high quality workmanship, he dangers of air pollution documented.

BPVS solar electric systemsare arewell user friendly, A study released by efficient a research team from Beth Israel Medical Center and reliable.

in Boston concluded that reven r moderate air quality can lead to a 34-percent increase in the riskNortheast of having an Energy ischemic stoke Member: American Solar Energy Society, Sustainable (fromAssociation, a bloodSolar clot).

Aerus Electrolux air quality tests Energy Business Association ofoffers New England, Solar Energyresidents Industries Association. to Berkshire County free of charge. If you are concerned about air quality in your home, workplace, or childcare center, please all us for an appointment at (413) 442-1544.

Do You Have a Guardian for the Air You Breathe?

Allergies?

Asthma?

Allergies?

Asthma?

Allergies?

Asthma?

Wood WoodSmoke?

Smoke? The US Food & Drug Wood Smoke?

Administration has recognized Pet PetDander?

Dander?

Pet Dander?

Wood Smoke? the Lux Gardian Air as a Class II Allergies?

Asthma?

Tobacco Smoke?

Lux Tobacco Smoke?

Pet Dander?

Lux Tobacco Smoke? medical device. Lux Wood Smoke?

Tobacco Smoke?

Guardian Dust?

Pollen?

Guardian Lux Guardian Dust?

Pollen?Mold?

Mold?

Dust?

Pollen?

Mold?

Pet Dander?

Dust? Pollen?

Air Air Tobacco Smoke?

Lux Angel Guardian Dust?

Pollen?

Mold?

The Aerus Angel

Lux Mold?

Guardian

Guardian BUY ONE System Air ● Two machines, "GUARDIAN AIRsame PURIFIER" innovative technology GET ONE ● HEPA filtration "ANGEL PURIFIER" FREE!

Air Guardian Air

Guardian Guardian Angel technology GuardianAngel Angel ● Advanced Guardian Angel (Offer good DecemberUV/PCO 2013 & January 2014 ONLY) Air Purifier AirAirPurifier Purifier Living Air Purifier Livinglife lifewell. well.

Living life well.

The US Food & Drug Administration Call now if you’re 383 North Street INTRODUCES has recognized the Lux Guardian Air US Drug Administration The USFood Food&& Drug Administration INTRODUCES THE GUARDIAN AIR INTRODUCES THE383 GUARDIAN concerned aboutAIR theStreet, North Pittsfield, MA ●The www.aerusonline.com INTRODUCES TheDevice US Food & Drug Administration Pittsfield, MA 01201 as a Class II Medical INTRODUCES the hasrecognized recognized theLux LuxGuardian GuardianAir Air The US Food &Air Drug Administration has recognized thehas Lux Guardian quality of the airTHE in 413-442-1544 GUARDIAN AIR GUARDIAN AIR (413) 442-1544 | (413) 743-0985 | (802) 442-9560 383 North Street as arecognized Class IIII Medical Device THE GUARDIAN Call now ifTHE you’re AIR as a Class Medical Device has the Lux Guardian Air as a Class II Medical Device your homeconcerned for an indoor about 413-743-0985 the Pittsfield, MA 01201 Living life well. as a Class II Medical Device quality of the air802-442-9560 in 413-442-1544 air quality analysis! your home for an indoor 413-743-0985Call now if you’re 383 NorthStreet Street 383now North Street383North if you’re now if you’reCall air quality Call analysis!

802-442-9560 Pittsfield, Pittsfield,MA MA01201 01201 about the MA concerned about the01201 concerned aboutconcerned the Pittsfield, 413-442-1544 quality of the air in 413-442-1544 quality of the air in quality of the air in 413-442-1544 your home for your home forananindoor indoor 413-743-0985 413-743-0985 your home for an indoor 413-743-0985 www.OurBerkshireTimes.com March | April 2017 airairquality qualityanalysis! analysis! 802-442-9560 802-442-9560 air quality analysis!

802-442-9560 Living life well.

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! g n i r p S y p p a H

Photos by Berkshire County resident Adam M. Kozik

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

March | April 2017

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home & garden

works of art

Backyard Heirlooms Architectural Sculptures

Functional Garden Art ` Tree Houses Custom Birdhouses ` Kid Scapes

525 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 413.528.3095 www.BackyardHeirlooms.com Open Sat & Sun from 10am-5pm atbackyardheirlooms@gmail.com

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ackyard Heirlooms just celebrated 25 years in business and more than 50 years in training! Owner Allen Timmons loves creating works of art that give pride of ownership and inspire wonderment. Backyard Heirlooms offers architectural and custom birdhouse replicas, architectural sculptures, doll houses, and beautiful fairy houses (see page 8 of this issue of Our BerkshireTimes magazine) – anything and everything architectural and natural. If you want to be inspired, visit Allen’s gallery!

professional gardening

Bloomin’ Idiots Design, Installation & Maintenance Perennial, Wildflower, Children’s & Vegetable Gardens

`

(413) 441-6602

bloominidiots@hotmail.com 525 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA Visit us on Facebook!

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN BUSINESS

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LIFE IS ALL ABOUT GROWING!

ancy Timmons, your local “bloomin’ idiot,” has been a professional gardener in southern Berkshire County for more than 15 years. Her pride and passion are well known by her many wonderful clients, as well as admirers of her own gardens located at 525 Main Street in Great Barrington, MA (home of Backyard Heirlooms).

Bloomin’ Idiots provides design, installation, and maintenance, plus “all the little things in between.” 100 percent organic and natural!

Free consultation/estimate. Life is all about growing!

family owned & operated SERVING CUSTOMERS FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS

Commercial ● Residential ● Industrial Jungle Gyms!

at our Sheffield location

● Automatic Gates ● Security Control Specialist ● Free Estimates ● Credit Cards Accepted

Sheffield: 413-229-9900 ● Pittsfield: 413-443-4515 Two Locations! ● www.berkshirefence.com

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erkshire Fence is a family owned and operated company located in Sheffield and Pittsfield, MA. We have been dedicated to meeting our customers fencing needs for more than 30 years. Our experienced representatives will work with you to help you choose your fence style, and our skilled residential crew will professionally install it. Whether your interest in fencing is large or small, residential, commercial, or industrial, Berkshire Fence is here to serve you. Visit our website for more information.

land management

Native Habitat Restoration restoring balance to nature

Wetlands  Woodlands Meadows  Fields Invasive Plant Control  Pollinator Habitat Brush Management  Field Restoration

(413) 358-7400

www.nativehabitatrestoration.com Licensed in MA  CT  NY  VT

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March | April 2017

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WE OFFER A VARIETY OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES

W

ith more than 30 years of experience, Native Habitat Restoration offers private and public landowners a variety of services specializing in invasive plant control, brush management, forestry mowing, pollinator habitats, and replanting. Our womenowned company helps you complete all aspects of restoration, from planning and permitting to grant-writing and implementation with appropriate management tools, including organic options. We specialize in restoring wetlands, woodlands, meadows, and floodplains.

spring gift guide

SHOP LOCAL

giftguide SPRING IN THE BERKSHIRES! Wool Fairies & Angels / Fiora Laina DELIGHT Handcrafted Charming handcrafted wool fairies and angels are the perfect gift for someone

special. These delicate and whimsical creations are made using needle felting techniques. Each fairy is unique and can be made to order with the colors and styles of your choice. Fiora Laina is a 14-year-old homeschooler, local artist, and crafter based in Stockbridge, MA. She enjoys making magical wool fairies in her spare time. Fiora says, “It’s like dress-up dolls for big kids. I give each fairy her own personality.”

Fiora also paints beautiful watercolor illustrations and greeting cards that you can find along with her fairies at local gift shops. (413) 243-4032, fioralaina@icloud.com / $25-$100

TREAT

Chocolate Gift Boxes / Chocolate Springs

Easter is coming! Fill your gift baskets with chocolates and chocolate gift box assortments this holiday. Chocolate Springs is a European-style chocolate and dessert café with decades of experience in crafting the finest handmade bonbons. Milk and dark chocolate, truffles, amazing ganache, and award-winning hot chocolate are made fresh every day using only the finest seasonal and organic ingredients whenever possible. Buy gifts online, or visit Chocolate Springs Café at 55 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, MA. (413) 637-9820, www.chocolatesprings.com / $5-$50

GROW

Succulent Gardens / Bella Flora

Going green? At Bella Flora we are dedicated to local artisans, sustainable products, Fair-Trade, and the latest styles. We are a family-based company that is fueled by our passion and creative energies. Let us share our love with your loved ones including: floral arrangements, gift baskets, plants, personal accessories, and more from our collection. Bella Flora at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace is bigger, better, and even more BEAUTIFUL than ever in Pittsfield, MA. Visit our sister location in Great Barrington, MA. Owners Annie and Chris Whalen enhance all their floral work with creativity and freshness. Local delivery available. Order today! (413) 496-8242, www.bellafloraberkshires.com / $35-$200

HARMONIZE

Spirit Quartz / The Crystal Butterfly Shoppe

Spirit Quartz harmonizes and aligns the different levels of one’s being, assisting in purification, protection, spiritual evolution, freedom from fear, and healing. Explore the magical world of the mineral kingdom from a metaphysical perspective! The Crystal Butterfly Shoppe offers an abundance and variety of beautiful healing crystals and handmade jewelry, from local to global, as well as original creations by local artists . . . natural and polished crystals, pendants, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, tote bags, pillows, clocks, collages, and more! Free crystal consultation! The Crystal Butterfly Shoppe is located in the Jenifer House Commons, inside Renaissance Arts Center, 420 Stockbridge Road (Route 7) in Great Barrington, MA, healingcrystalbutterfly@gmail.com.

(413) 717-8267, www.facebook.com/thecrystalbutterfly / $20-$75

food & drink

Cornmeal, Einkorn & Cranberry Cakes

By Rachel Portnoy / Photos by Greg Nesbit

A

few years ago, I had the opportunity to go to a conference in Boston hosted by The Chefs Collaborative, an organization which focuses on helping chefs source local foods. The theme of the conference was “Cooking and Baking with Ancient Grains,” and I had brought boxes filled with French butter cookies and almond financiers for tasting, all baked with my favorite ancient grain, einkorn. The lightness of einkorn flour amazes me, and the delicate French pastries showcase this quality, along with einkorn’s delicious flavor, perfectly. The entire day was fantastic and inspiring, but one chef really made an impression on me. While my passion is for baking with alternative flours, he was all about milling. His whole speech had one point: fresh-mill your own flour, and you will have superior results, just as you do when you grind coffee before you brew it. This made perfect sense to me, logically, but I couldn’t imagine how it could work for me, practically speaking. His response, “Spend $200 and buy yourself a mill; you’ll see!”

It’s taken me a while, but I’m finally there, the proud owner of my own grain mill. Our distributor, Marty’s Local, brings me local einkorn berries and now I can mill before I make a recipe and the results really are tangibly different, and incredibly satisfying.

Once I’d baked a few of my favorites using my freshly milled flour, I decided to branch out and try to make a cake that has been eluding me for some time, a polenta, or cornmeal cake.

20

These cakes turn up often in my research, and sound so delicious and tempting, but every one that I’ve tried has resulted in something grainy, or dry. My delicate einkorn flour seemed to be the first requirement as a base to a delicious cornmeal cake.

The only thing I needed to take this cake to the next level would be superior cornmeal, and for that I called Anson Mills in North Carolina. Anson Mills is famously appreciated by chefs all around the United States for their impeccable quality, as well as for their fresh milling. When I called, they told me that my corn would be milled Monday or Tuesday, and I would receive it on Thursday.

Friday morning I was in the kitchen with my mill, my awesomesmelling cornmeal flour, and, with the addition of some fruity olive oil, to enhance the flavor and moistness of the cake even more, managed to finally produce the cake I was looking for!

This cake recipe is delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, with or without freshly-milled flour, and can be made using regular flour instead of einkorn. But my adventures in baking with alternative grains continue, and I can hope that some Berkshire bakers will find some inspiration to come on the ride with me and taste how these flours can take baking to the next level, both in flavor and nutrition. For the winter, cranberry and orange are a fabulous addition to the cake, but I personally can’t wait for summer to try it with blueberries and lime, or raspberries and lemon! ~ Rachel Portnoy, Chez Nous Bistro, www.cheznousbistro.com

Ingredients

Instructions

4 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 orange (zest & juice) 1¼ cup fine cornmeal ⅔ cup flour (I use einkorn flour, but all-purpose is fine) ¼ cup cornstarch 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla 7 T butter, melted ⅓ cup olive oil 1 cup cranberries, chopped Glaze: ½ cup confections sugar mixed with juice and zest of 1 orange

Prepare pans: this recipe makes either four 5x3 inch mini loaf pans, two 8 inch rounds, or 10 individual cakes. All pans should be greased and lined with parchment on the bottom.

Heat oven to 350◦F (325◦F for convection).

In a stand mixer with the whisk, or a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and zest until tripled in volume. The mix will be pale and thick. Whisk together all dry ingredients.

Next, slow down mixing and add vanilla and juice, then the dry ingredients. Add butter and oil in a steady stream while mixing. Finally, fold in the fruit. Transfer batter to the baking pans and bake until golden and a tester comes out clean (loaves take about 30 minutes, small cakes about 14, and large cakes about 24 minutes). While warm, prick cakes with a toothpick and brush with the glaze. Allow to cool slightly, then unmold onto cooling racks and cool completely.

food & drink

½

Moroccan & Mediterranean WILD & ORGANIC

entrées available



(413) 645-3375

286 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA Open Sun-Thurs 8am-9:30pm Fri-Sat 8am-10pm

Breakfast served Mon-Thurs 8am-noon Fri-Sun 8am-3pm

NORTH EGREMONT COUNTRY STORE NEWLY EXPANDED DELI - FOOD MENU!

Wholesome ● Homestyle ● Delicious

D-e-e-licious!

SoCo Ice Cream ● Local Free-Range Eggs Milk ● Liquor ● Beer ● Wine ● Pastries Lotto ● Post Office ● Fishing Bait Photo by John Phelan

Route 71, North Egremont, MA (Near Prospect Lake)

Call (413) 528-4796

Tues-Sat dinner only • 150 Main St., Lee 413.243.6397 cheznousbistro.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

March | April 2017

21

Big Pet Vet

THE CORPORATE TITANS TAKE OVER PET CARE

By Kristina Dow

W

ay back when, I never worried about what I fed my pets. I bought my pet food from my veterinarian and therefore felt quite content that I was offering them the very best pet food my money could buy. After all, veterinarians were the loving, caring experts on everything having to do with pet health, nutritional needs included, or at least so I thought until shortly after acquiring my first parrots some 25 years ago. It was then that I began to question exactly how much knowledge and understanding about pet foods and pet nutrition veterinarians actually possessed.

In the early 1990s, an avian internet list posting warned against a particular manufactured avian diet that included the ingredient ethoxyquin, with the explanation that the Monsanto product was a toxin that was not allowed for use in human food, but its use as an antioxidant was allowed in animal feed, including pet food. A known toxin was being used in my parrots’ food!

But then I noticed that the bags of cat and dog food that I was purchasing from my veterinarian also listed ethoxyquin on their ingredient panels. A veterinary prescription diet company was putting a known toxin in the dog and cat foods that my trusted veterinarian was selling to me! But when I queried my veterinarian about it, it was quite clear that he had no clue about any of the ingredients in the pet food he was selling, nor did he really seem to care to know. It had the blessing of the prescription diet industry, and apparently that was all he felt he needed to know.

And so began my quest for understanding what was being put into my pets’ foods, a quest that I soon discovered was no small undertaking given the pet food industry’s deceptive labeling practices and campaigns rife with misinformation. But it wasn’t until I actually got into the business of selling pet food that I realized the importance of not just what was in a bag of food, but also who was filling the bag of food.

Time and again a decent pet food company with decent recipes and ingredient sourcing would begin to show signs of deterioration: A different look and smell to the food, pets going off feed, and, very often, a sudden spate of recalls. And every time that effect occurred, it was when a heretofore decent pet food company had been acquired by a multi-line investment group, or, worse yet, acquired by a widely diversified industrial titan. The outside of the bag didn’t change, the recipes on the bag didn’t change, but the sourcing and grades of ingredients inside the bag changed, boosting investor profits with most pet care-givers being none the wiser. Just business as usual for the pet food industry.

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But today is not a business-as-usual day. Today is a very different kind of day for everyone who cares about pets, a day when we are witness to an alarming trend, which mandates that pet owners educate themselves to consider ever more serious questions, not just about what we feed our pets, but about the entire spectrum of our pets’ care. Who’s now “filling the bag” of pet care?

Those of you who have followed my writings are well-aware that I have never, since those early days, held veterinary prescription diets in particularly high regard, although I have acknowledged those companies’ remarkable marketing strategies in co-opting the veterinary community as their sales staff. But that was just about food. What now looms ahead is a massive co-opting of virtually every element of pet care, from veterinary prescription diets to veterinary diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, surgical recommendations and procedures, and even doggie daycare.

First read about the antitrust lawsuit being brought against PetSmart, Nestlé Purina, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and Mars PetCare (the world’s largest supplier of pet food), as well as against Banfield (the nation’s largest veterinary clinic chain, majority owner Mars), and Blue Pearl (the nation’s largest veterinary emergency clinic chain, 100 percent owned by Mars). www.tinyurl.com/z4sn6dr Now read about Mars PetCare’s recent acquisition of another chain of some 800 animal hospitals nationwide, including diagnostics laboratories and daycare franchises. www.tinyurl.com/je762dq And now read this, and brace for impact. www.tinyurl.com/htkvc7j Simply because we love our pets so much, we pet owners have been targeted as a ripe, “resilient” market by the titans of the pet food industry and now, to be sure, we (and our veterinarians) are being similarly targeted by the emerging titans of the veterinary care industry. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary that pet owners are well-informed and vigilant about what constitutes necessary and appropriate pet care, lest we risk, in the words of one veterinarian, “The systematic destruction of pets by corporations for profit.” ~ Kristina “Tina” Dow is sole proprietor of BensDotter’s Pet, a retail pet supply store in Great Barrington, MA, that specializes in raw food diets, including those designed as Nature intended. www.bensdotters.com

animal talk

Return of the Prodigal

By Rodelinde Albrecht

C

alypso was given to fits of feline wanderlust. Several summers ago, she went walkabout for six weeks. The winter before that she was lost in a blizzard for ten days.

After that she vanished for two months. I had pretty much written her off.

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Imagine my delight when she reappeared one spring morning.

Here’s the scene. As a rule, EddyPuss wakes me up in the wee hours by mewling in a most piteous tone of voice, either because he’s hungry but disdains the food in his dish (after all, it’s been there for a few hours) or because he’s bored and wants me to noodle him. Slave that I am, I always oblige.

On that morning, though, I heard nothing until 6:30am.

And the sound I heard was not of the “Mommy, I’m hungry and lonely and bored” variety. Instead it was a robust and peremptory MEOWWWRR! that clearly meant “Well, are you coming or not?” I thought it came from outdoors, and I was right. When I opened the front door, in marched Calypso, head and tail held high. Tossing a “Hi, Ma, I’m home; so, what’s up?” over her little calico shoulder, she made straight for her food dish and sat there, confidently awaiting her due.

So I gave it to her. She seemed healthy enough, in spite of a stegosaurus backbone and a washboard ribcage. Poor baby!

I didn’t know whether to kiss her or kill her. Which do you suppose I did?

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Since I had selfishly consumed all the milk the night before, I had to cast about in the fridge for something else. Ah! Here we go. An elegant rosette of Reddi-Wip makes an acceptable appetizer, with a teaspoon of cream cheese to follow. And for the entree, a dish of finely chopped raw chicken liver in its own gory juices. Yummy-eouw! Now that’s what I call a fatted calf!

Her physical appetite assuaged, Calypso went to work on her emotional needs. She followed me into the bedroom, hopped up, and arranged herself decorously above my head on the pillow and commenced to purr loudly, flexing her sharp little talons in an ecstasy of contentment. Just as if she’d never been gone. And we slept until a more civilized hour.

She became my shadow. Whithersoever I went, she went. And purred. It’s years now since her passing, but I still miss her. ~ Rodelinde Albrecht is the proprietor of Concerned Singles, www.concernedsingles.com

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Time for Connection

By K. Meagan Ledendecker

W

ake up. Check emails. Wake children. Rushing.

Breakfast. Lunches ready. Brush teeth. Grab the snack. Coats. Boots. Don’t forget the mittens.

Backpacks. More rushing. Drop off. Pick up. Snack. Hungry.

Short on patience. Unpack lunches. Repack lunches. Dinner.

Maybe dessert. Baths. Pick out clothes. Pajamas. Endless emails.

Sleep. Wake up. Repeat.

routine, were my husband and I weakening our relationship with him and our other children?

On an endlessly recurring cycle, my husband and I felt like we barely had time to zoom through each day. Disconnected and disgruntled, our children – indeed all of us – were showing signs of upset and frustration. Everyone’s patience was stretched thin.

Recently, when my son ran up in the middle of the morning routine intent on showing something he found in his room, I watched my husband put down his phone, turn his whole body toward our son, make eye contact, smile, and say, “Wow! Tell me more.” Our son gushed about the item for all of fifteen seconds.

After this focus on his enthusiasm, our son was much more open to brushing his teeth and getting ready to leave for school.

One afternoon we paused for a parent-teacher conference with our four-year-old’s Montessori guides. I heard about new attention-seeking behavior from my son. Sitting with a new puppy on my lap, I felt time stand still. My heart ached as I thought about similar behavior we had begun to see at home. He was doing anything he could to be seen and heard.

Immediately, the Atlantic article “Masters of Love” sprang into my mind. The author cites psychologist John Gottman’s research into relationships and why some last and others fall apart. One of Gottman’s findings was that couples put out “bids” or requests for attention, perhaps noticing something or sharing a little tidbit. How the other person responds is an incredible indicator of the long-term strength of the relationship. Each positive response is like weaving another strand in the connective fibers that hold us together.

I thought about all the times that my son had tried to get attention, even though most of the attempts had been negative stabs to get us to notice him. By being caught up in the treadmill of our daily

After that conference, we both began to stop, take stock, and really see. When did our children need us to pay attention? We made sure to pause and put aside whatever we were doing when our children wanted to share something or be heard.

In Positive Discipline, this process is called “connection before correction.” Healing the relationship must come first before trying to deal with any misbehavior. When we connect, we feel a sense of belonging and significance. Our lives feel woven together.

Since we’ve been connecting more and rushing less, we’ve been hearing our son say “I love you” more and more. He feels like he matters. And really, that’s so much more important than the endless stream of to-do’s of each day. ~ Director of Education at The Montessori School of the Berkshires, and mother of three, K. Meagan Ledendecker feels much happier when she turns away from her computer and toward her children to really hear them . . . even when an article is late and she really needs to get it submitted. www.berkshiremontessori.org www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

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health & wellness

Drink Your Way to Health

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JUICES? SMOOTHIES? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE ANYWAY?

By Noah Meyerowitz

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W

hat’s the difference between a smoothie and a juice?

A blender and a juicer? With so much varying information, and so many marketing campaigns, sometimes it can become confusing. In reality, though, it’s quite simple. So let’s get down to liquid. I mean business.

Smoothies Smoothies are liquefied food. Think of a blender as someone who, at the push of a button, will (politely) chew your food for you. Imagine putting one mango in the blender. Press that button, and let it chew for about thirty seconds. The result? A beautifully pureed, delicate cup of liquefied mango. Yum. See, one of the virtues of blending is that it’s a perfect 1:1 ratio.

Whatever you put in, you get out. The volume of food never changes, only the form. Smoothies are therefore an excellent way to get your fruits and vegetables in a convenient manner.

Get creative with your drinks. But not too creative! Keep your notions of good food combinations in check. Simply having a machine that mixes and liquefies everything doesn’t mean everything is meant to go together. Even though ingesting it is easier, your digestive system must still go to work to digest the fiber and assimilate the nutrients available. You wouldn’t eat avocado, spinach, raspberry, mango, pumpkin seeds, and nuts together, would you? If not, then you probably shouldn’t drink them. (If you have questions about proper food combinations, refer to Food Combining & Digestion*, by Steve Meyerowitz.)

Juices Juices are the liquid water content from fruits and vegetables.

Juicing separates the pulp (fiber) from the water content, to produce a light, super-concentrated extraction. To produce a cup of juice it takes significantly more solid food than you might expect. You must feed one pound of carrots through the juicer to yield an eight-ounce cup of juice. The mighty gear(s) of the juicer slowly work to squeeze every last ounce of water content from the carrot before leaving a pile of perfectly dry pulp. You can easily drink that cup, and reap the incredible benefits of the juice. What are those?

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health & wellness

Digestive Ease I keep referring to the “water content” that’s extracted from the foods. Just like water, when you drink pure juice, no digestion is necessary. Vitamins and nutrients are instantly assimilated and travel straight into your bloodstream. Your digestive system can take some time off, because you’re getting the nutrients you need without exerting the energy required to run that intricate tract of yours. Less work, more nutrients.

Ultra-Concentration of Nutrients Let’s refer to the carrot again. I enjoy carrots, but not so many. I might eat one, or two, but that’s the most I’ll eat at a time.

Five to six medium-sized carrots make up one pound. (I’d never eat that many in one sitting!) To produce an eight-ounce cup of juice, you need one pound. You juice those carrots and yield a cup of flavor and nutrient-rich juice. Now you can drink it easily! After all, it’s as light as water. You’re getting the nutrients from one pound of carrots, but so easily ingestible in an eight-ounce cup. And, those nutrients are instantly assimilated.

Flavor Picture creating a meal comprised of spinach, parsley, sprouts, tomatoes, lemon, celery, green pepper, cucumber, and garlic. That would be a lot of food, and a magnificent array of colors – just imagine.

But you wouldn’t be getting much of each food, because even the biggest eaters

among us can only consume so much. So to make a dish encompassing all these foods would mean small quantities of each. When you juice, however, you can turn those pounds of vital vegetables into an easily drinkable sixteen-ounce cup of juice. You can now indulge in a brilliant kaleidoscope of flavors, and easily assimilate the enzymes, water-soluble vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that have been condensed into your cup of juice.

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Visit them at 280 Main Street in Great Barrington, MA. *Meyerowitz, Steve. Food Combining & Digestion. Great Barrington, MA: Sproutman Publications, 2002. Print.

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Juicers or Blenders?

Now, back to the original question: juicers or blenders, which is better? There’s really no simple answer here. Neither is the panacea to liquid health. Blenders are wonderful when it comes to making a liquid meal. Thanks to all the fiber, smoothies can make you feel full. Juicing, from a therapeutic standpoint, is the clear winner. This is because you get the ultraconcentrations of nutrient-dense food.

Sometimes it’s easier for beginners to drink smoothies; the texture is a little bit more “familiar.” But when you drink your first high-quality juice, you’ll be amazed at the vibrancy of the flavor, and how it makes you feel. Either way, both smoothies and juices are so good for you. Grab your juicer, grab your blender, or head down to your nearest juice bar and indulge. You’ll love it and your body will thank you later. ~Noah Meyerowitz is the president and co-founder of Sprout Brothers ®, a www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

March | April 2017

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health & wellness

Have You Heard? / Fun Dental Facts ►Researchers have traced dentistry back to ancient Egypt at 7500 B.C. The ancient Egyptians were the first to have replacement teeth as far as we currently know. ►Have you heard that there is a national museum of dentistry?

Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is located in Baltimore, MD. The collection of dental artifacts, educational resources, and artwork is one of the largest and most significant of its kind in the world, and includes more than 40,000 objects that celebrate the heritage and future of the oral health profession.

Their dental treasures include George Washington’s not-sowooden teeth, and cartoon character toothbrushes featuring Fred Flinstone and Mickey Mouse. Visit their website at www.dental.umaryland.edu/museum/index.html. ►In the early 1930s, a Cleveland dentist named Weston A. Price (1870-1948) began a series of unique investigations. For more than ten years, he traveled to isolated parts of the globe to study the health of populations untouched by western civilization. His goal was to discover the factors responsible for good dental health.

His studies revealed that dental caries and deformed dental arches resulting in crowded, crooked teeth are the result of nutritional deficiencies, not inherited genetic defects.

Price’s studies included remote villages in Switzerland, Gaelic communities in the Outer Hebrides, indigenous peoples of North and South America, Melanesian and Polynesian South Sea Islanders, African tribes, Australian Aborigines, and New Zealand Maori.

Wherever he went, Dr. Price found that beautiful straight teeth, freedom from decay, good physiques, resistance to disease, and fine characters were typical of native groups on their traditional diets, rich in essential nutrients. When Dr. Price analyzed the foods used by isolated peoples he found that, in comparison to the American diet of his day, they provided at least four times the water-soluble vitamins, calcium, and other minerals, and at least ten times the fatsoluble vitamins. Dr. Price’s work and well-revered health and diet advice can be found at www.westonaprice.org. ►Starting July 1, 2018, amalgam (silver) dental filling use is banned for children under the age of 15 and for pregnant or nursing women anywhere in the vast European Union – 28 countries in all, with a population totaling more than half a billion people. Visit www.mercola.com for more information. ►Gold fillings were first placed in America around 1800. It is believed, based on the texts and other documents, that gold was the most popular filling placed during the Civil War period.

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Is It You? IT MIGHT JUST BE, AND WHY THAT IS GOOD NEWS

By Vicki Baird

I

have heard from so many people lately asking how they should handle the energy and circumstances of life these days. I have waited and thought about whether to respond in a public way and then decided that I have to or I would be doing a disservice since so many are asking.

I am asking. I have asked myself what the heck is going on, on an almost daily basis. It normally takes a lot for me to be upset, cranky, or mad, but these last couple of weeks I have felt like I needed to be the groundhog and go back under to protect those around me from what could be a fascinating spew of words.

Perhaps you have felt this way too.

No doubt we are being asked to practice the skills we have in place and to develop even more of them. Mostly patience, tolerance, and love, I believe. While I cannot speak to the whole reason we have conflict or challenges in our lives, I do know for a fact they are there as a way to help us rise up and see what we are capable of. Not everyone is going to take that challenge as one of growth. They may react rather than respond. They may lash out and accuse, and they may show a side of themselves you have never seen before. Maybe you are that person. Maybe you are seeing aspects of yourself you haven’t realized were there. Maybe you don’t like it. Fantastic! We can only change when we realize there is something there to be changed!

I am not only referring to the political landscape, because I will not get into that, but to the energy of the universe and the request that we, as humans, need to keep growing and asking more of ourselves. That is the process of the soul and there is no getting around it. Each being is sending out a signal of growth and while they may not like it, or want to respond to it, it happens. It makes people downright miserable sometimes.

What I can suggest in this experience is to remind yourself that you are not responsible for how someone else acts, behaves, or speaks. You are responsible for you and how you are in the world.

The world is going to change. It is not always going to be to your

liking. It is not the world’s job to make sure you are okay with it.

It just isn’t. Get over that if that is your thinking.

Our response to the world and the actions of its people is up to us. Holding any kind of fear, hate, resentment, or accusatory energy will affect the world for sure, but it will completely affect your life first. When we hold this energy it not only changes the cells within our body, it emanates and then creates more conflict in the world. We all get mad. I think that is great. Emotions matter. What we do with the emotions may matter even more because it then becomes the example of who we are.

How many times have you lashed out in anger or in hurt and then thought about it after and realized that is not who you are but how you were feeling at the time? If you do it a lot; you need to look within and get clear on why this is who you want to be and whether there is anything you can do about it.

I have a theory that people who are lashing out are doing so because they are mad about who they are inside. Remember, each person is the only one who really knows what is going on inside and can speak with authority on themselves. So often unresolved issues are just below the surface ready to come out but we are (continued on page 30)

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mind & spirit

Is It You? / continued from page 29 afraid to look or ask ourselves what the heck we are doing. Then when someone cuts us off in traffic, disagrees with who we like or what we believe, the match is lit and the powder keg goes off. It is so much easier to point the finger and not realize there are three pointing back at ourself. So much easier to say they are wrong, or dumb, or misinformed, than to say wait a minute, maybe that is my sh*t.

There are going to be issues in life. There are going to be problems and disappointments. There are going to be arguments and there are going to be people you don’t like. That is fine.

That is life. How you respond to these circumstances is a good indication of how peaceful you feel on the inside. The problems aren’t the issue. The way they get addressed are.

Feel passionate about your life. Feel what is in alignment and what isn’t. Feel how you would like your life to be and who you would like in it. But for goodness sake, do not think for a moment that it is miserable because of someone else’s doing.

If it is miserable, realize that and do something to change it.

Once you get that, and really get it, then step forward and create change. Then use your voice to communicate how life could be different. Then educate.

So many people are yelling at the top of their lungs lately that they can’t even hear the voice within. I get being ticked off. I understand frustration and anger. I do not understand being mean to another, and I certainly do not understand how when we all have a soul and heart we can’t be accepting of ourselves and others.

Yes, the energy is freaking nuts right now. Yes, people are not happy with their lives, but external circumstances only affect your life if you let them. Get clear on what you are really upset about and then address that. I promise you, when you do that, the ups and down in energy will be something you realize is there, but not something that takes you out of enjoying the beautiful life we are blessed to have on this planet.

I heard a quote on a podcast I was listening to with Dr. Jordan Metzi. He said “if you aren’t actively building it, you are losing it.”

While he was talking about supportive muscle fibers, I heard it as a more internal process of if we aren’t practicing self-care, kindness, love, or acceptance, we are going to lose it. I believe in our ability to create a world where these muscles get flexed on a regular basis. I believe in our hearts and souls and I believe in you.

Be the change you wish to see in the world is not only a quote often used in the spiritual world; it is a credo we can all aspire to. Be that change, please. ~ Vicki Baird, www.vickibaird.com 30

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