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CONTENTS

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SPRING 2019

CONCORD

VOLUME 12, NO . 1

39 Get more

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Features 39

52

Spring Renewal Section

Renewing Mind & Body

BY ALYSSA DANDREA

45 Spring Renewal Section

Ubuhle: The Art of Independence

BY NICK STOICO

You, 1,100 Pounds of Epsom Salt, and Total Solitude

The light, color, and art of South African women at the Currier

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM

60

48 Spring Renewal Section

Make More Time for You

BY CAITLIN ANDREWS

4

52

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Faraway Places

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CONTENTS

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CONCORD

VOLUME 12, NO . 1

16 26

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Editor’s Note

Food & Spirits

10

BY JENNIFER SPELLICY

Contributors

12 Personal Essay

BY JOHN GFROERER

14 Poetry

BY JAMES W . SPAIN , II

16 Neighborhood Profile

BY KATHLEEN M . FORTIN

30 Local Destinations

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM

34 Health & Well-Being

BY SHANTI DOUGLAS

66 Calendar

72 Last Word

20 Humor

BY ERIC PINDER

22 Home & Garden

BY AMY MITCHELL

When a puddle no longer attracts your feet like a magnet, is that the moment you officially grow up? page 20

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On the cover WELCOMING SPRING AND ITS INVITATION OF RENEWAL .

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CONCORD community • culture• lifestyle

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EDITOR ' S NOTE |

BY JAMES BUCHANAN

Spring, Oh,

Exasperating Spring S

pring is a time of mystery for folks who live in snow country. We know that each day’s weather report is a mere suggestion of possibilities and the weather will be what it will be.

We remember the spring where warmth crept in as we received the just-right amount of sun and rain, no snow. We also remember that spring where we became emotionally undone by a late May snowstorm after weeks and weeks of dark, cold, and rain. And then the first two weeks of June were the cruelest compendium of meteorological extremes.

One minute we were struggling to put an AC in the window and swearing the next as we notched up the thermostat.

And so we pass through the vernal equinox each year fully aware that spring—at least, whether it will delight or inflict—is a daily mystery. But we are resilient.

We begin to pick away at last fall’s remainders, and the cleared grass and dirt feel good to see. We are even pleased and a little surprised to see a few green shoots poking through in the sunlight. We leaf through seed catalogs and get excited for Carolina Golds, Cherokee Purples, Bush Blue Lakes, and all manner of other vegetables and flowers. And then there is updating the garden map, emailing the guy we rent that summer cabin in the mountains from, wondering if we should get tickets now for the summer show we don’t want to miss, trying to remember if we have Memorial Day plans this year, and thinking, Does the lawnmower work?

From optimism and anticipation resilience is born. So yes, let winter tell its final tale because we know that spring is on its way. Probably.

No worries. While we let anticipation and optimism do their work, in this issue we’ve got some solid suggestions for your personal spring renewal, a day at the Currier, a night out, an evening hosting friends, or simply kicking back with a lovely short story and poem.

Who’s looking out for your

Future Contact us today to get started

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CONTRIBUTORS

ALYSSA DANDREA

SYD SENNETT

ERIC PINDER

Alyssa Dandrea is the Concord Monitor’s crime and courts reporter.

She began her career at the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript after graduating from Franklin Pierce University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication/ journalism. Alyssa grew up in Vermont and enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends.

Syd Sennett has been a photographer for four years and is currently pursuing photography and English literature majors at Marlboro College.

Her favorite form of photography is street art and group events, such as pride festivals and protests.

You can get in contact with her via s.sennett16@gmail.com.

Eric Pinder is the author of Life at the Top: Weather, Wisdom & High Cuisine from the Mount Washington Observatory, If All the Animals Came Inside, How to Share with a Bear, and other books for all ages. His latest is Counting Dinos. He teaches creative writing at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. He can be found online at ericpinder.com.

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JAMES W . SPAIN , II

NICK STOICO

AMY MITCHELL

James’s poetry is simply inspired by his love of family, history, and nature. He was born and raised in New Hampshire and still resides with his family in Concord, the same community that his family immigrated to in 1850. James enjoys writing poetry, prose, and short stories, and his work has been published in multiple magazines and anthologies. He has enjoyed a career in consumer food management for more than 30 years.

Nick Stoico is a staff writer and copy editor for the Concord Monitor. He joined the paper in 2015 shortly after graduating from the University of New Hampshire in Durham where he was executive editor of the college newspaper, The New Hampshire.

These days, Nick covers local news in towns west of Concord as well as general assignments. He previously spent two years as a reporter and editor on the Monitor’s sports desk.

He lives in Manchester.

Decorator and color consultant Amy Mitchell is the owner of Home Glow Design (homeglowdesign.com). Each week, she writes for Home Glow’s Saturday Blog, focusing on fresh twists on classic style, American craftsmanship, and value and quality for dollars spent. She lives in Hopkinton with her husband and two boys.

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PERSONAL ESSAY |

BY JOHN GFROERER

The Inexorable March of Spring AND WITH IT LET NEW THOUGHTS, NEW FREEDOMS EMERGE The term mud season as a synonym for spring never resonated with me. Though it is somewhat descriptive of the season, it obscures other more inviting possibilities. It is the reveal of nature that draws me into spring. What are the things buried beneath winter’s snow that reappear in an April melt? And what do I need to do about them?

Leaves that November winds never blew away lay soggy on the ground, still waiting for me to rake them. The dog’s favorite ball is back

for another throw. The garden gloves I never missed appear out near the flower garden, waiting to be useful.

This early piece of spring is all part of clearing the path for May’s warmth. Not only does it appear in the things that reappear, there is also an attitude, maybe even a swagger, that takes confident control of the air. It is nothing that you can touch, capture, or save. You can’t even really plan for it.

You just know it will come and you know when it has arrived. Our nature crosses a threshold and there will be no going back. Not even a late-season snowfall can change it.

The yard will turn from brown to green no matter the momentary constitution of the precipitation.

And with every reduction of snow on the ground, possibilities appear for consideration like new forms of life learning to walk.

Within it all, expectations build as we await the inevitable goodness of warmth. It reminds me of a song from West Side Story: “Something’s coming, something good.” Former-

Let the dust and dirt wash away in the thaw to make room for fresh air worth breathing.

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ly subdued by cold and snow, we emerge from hiding to seek discovery. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. But when spring brings these things back into view, be ready to pounce.

There is also a moment when frozen thoughts defrost for consideration.

Maybe this time, this year, we will see those thoughts in a different way, from a different perspective that will lead to some unexpected place. No longer stuck in February ice, we can be free to splash around a bit without constraint. Let the dust and dirt wash away in the thaw to make room for fresh air worth breathing.

Draw it in, deep, deep breaths of halleluiah pushing forward, leading us to renewal.

In New Hampshire we get to experience the four seasons as equals. Nature allots each a full four months to demonstrate some unique usefulness. We know they will begin and we know they will end. We can regulate ourselves to accept each turn of the month, each turn of the season. The seasons pass by like clouds in a blue sky. Some days they command more notice. Some days they just blow by without any special attention.

There is no favorite season for me.

There are things I like and don’t like about each. But spring always feels like opportunity. Something is coming, something new. That I can have that expectation every year nurtures a bit of persistent hope. Things will change. The earth will spring open and release what it holds.

There is also a need to leave some things buried after the snow has gone.

This time of year, letting go becomes acceptable. Looking ahead requires not looking back, not letting wistful thinking about things gone by distract us. Change is the seed that spring plants and it needs to be fresh.

No, rather than get bogged in the mud of early spring, I would rather move ahead in expectation. After all, I endured the winter. Now it is time to consider the option of June heat.

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POETRY |

BY JAMES W . SPAIN , II

The Last

Sugar Bucket I walked the same

I do remember his very last year, quite elderly

hundred acres that my grandfather did

but still producing the best maple syrup in

so many decades ago.

the state. He was forgetting things and laboring twice as hard as he once did.

A slight fog was burning off as I crested the hill at the center of the

The year he passed was difficult. Each spring I think

property and looked out over the

about the old days collecting all that the

hundreds of New Hampshire sugar maples.

sugar maples could give us.

A family tradition at first and then a

I recently traveled to the old hundred-acre sugar maple

very lucrative business for my grandfather.

lot and stood on the hill just remembering him with

Early mornings collecting the maple sap

a fondness during a nostalgic moment.

from each tin sap bucket followed by late nights feeding the fire in the sap house.

As I walked back to the main road, I came upon a large tree, lonely and quite stark without foliage so early in

He was a frugal Yankee that collected every drop

the season. Hanging on the side of that tree I found a rusted

of sap and mastered the art of boiling it

tin sap bucket still attached to a tap long grown into the trunk.

to a rich dark sweet amber.

A simple rusted bucket. A very emotional moment in At the end of each season he would take me

the lonely deep woods that once belonged to Grandpa.

to the fields to collect the tin sap buckets

Looks like I found one of those sap buckets that he lost

and gently store them in the barn until the next year.

that last year he worked the land.

I remember him telling me to collect each bucket

I walked the same

and pull all the taps from the grand trunks.

hundred acres that my grandfather did

He counted the buckets and in his calloused hands

so many decades ago.

treated them with respect.

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NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE |

BY KATHLEEN M . FORTIN

“There is room at the table for everyone.”

Peggy Senter, founder and president of the Concord Community Music School. Photo by Geoff Forester.

Strolling Through a

Warming Tide of Music

THE CONCORD COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL OFFERS A PROFOUND MUSICAL EXPERIENCE Until I met Peggy Senter, founder and president of the Concord Community Music School, I thought a music school offered only instrument lessons such as piano, violin, and guitar. But the 34-year-old school offers so much more and has grown to become a center for community arts education.

Peggy’s idea to start a community music school came from America’s historic settlement movement. Settlement houses, such as Chicago’s Hull House cofounded by Jane Addams, were established around the turn of the 20th century. Other similar houses sprang up in major cities throughout the

country and served primarily to help new immigrants feel at home in America through language lessons and other services.

It became clear that no matter their country of origin, immigrants found musicmaking their shared language. The Community Music Center of Boston (formerly the South End Settlement) is still in existence. Others in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and New York survive as major community arts organizations and are proudly celebrating 100- and 125-year anniversaries.

Peggy’s idea took flight in 1984. From the start it was the community that helped build it—the founding faculty, trustees, and original supporters, many of whom remain involved today. If Jane Addams knew of the school’s impact in serving participants of all backgrounds, she would be immeasurably proud.

On a frigid day after a big winter storm, one would think it might be a quiet day at the school, expecting teachers and students alike to use the wintry conditions as a reason to stay at home. However, as soon

Peggy emphasizes that the school serves everyone for the simple reason that everyone has a voice, be it vocal or instrumental.

Learn more 16

W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

www.ccmusicschool.org

as I closed my car door, I heard a panoply of song and music coming from inside the building. I joined several young adults running up the stairs carrying their instrument cases and backpacks. The closer I came to the main door, the more the music and voices swelled. This sounds like it’s going to be fun, I thought.

BUILDING COMMUNIT Y THROUGH MUSIC Echoes of clapping and laughter drifted from the Women’s Ensemble in the Community Room. I turned a corner, and Peggy greeted me with a gracious smile and asked if I was ready for the tour. Her choice for the schedule turned out to be a distinguished lineup of faculty members and some incredible programs.

Although the hallways are reminiscent of a typical school, it does not sound or feel at all typical. Sounds of a fast-paced piano came from behind one door. A violin hummed behind another. A couple of times Peggy stopped to peer through the glass in the closed door’s upper half. She then waved to students and teachers. “I like strolling like this,” she said. Clearly, she enjoyed what she saw, and heard.

The Concord Community Music School’s mission is twofold. First, it is to build community through music. Second, its goal is to accomplish this by providing the fullest possible array of musical experiences for people of all ages, musical abilities, and backgrounds. The breadth of the school’s programs is impressive.

Right from the school’s beginning, Peggy was ambitious. After only three years, a devoted and hardworking board of trustees purchased the school’s first building in 1987, a former church and rectory located at 23 Wall Street. While buying a building is a risky endeavor for any fledgling business, the support from the faculty and the

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NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE

community gave the board the confidence that the school would continue to grow.

The school eventually required an expansion. In 2001, an addition doubled its size. The current 23,000 square feet of space includes a Community Room, teaching studios, larger ensemble rooms, business offices, and a recording studio.

In the Recital Hall, the room that was once the church sanctuary, a shiny black grand piano graces the stage.

Each week, 1,600 participants work with the school’s faculty of 50 career musicians, many of whom have been recruited nationally. Their credentials are impeccable. Many of them have master’s and other advanced degrees, including from the Juilliard School and the New England Conservatory of Music. They have studied under notable professionals, have their own recordings, and have performed in Europe, Asia, Canada, and across the United States.

The Concord Community Music School is

one of the largest private employers of musicians in northern New England.

EVERYONE HAS A VOICE The faculty members teach students at all levels. Some students seek traditional music lessons, be it instrument or voice, and may be on track to attend college music programs and become professional musicians. Fifty-nine percent of participants receive free or reduced-cost instruction because of low income, a number that includes participants with special needs. A long list of dedicated donors and funders support the school’s mission with grants and charitable gifts.

Lessons are offered for 20 different musical instruments. Programs include an individual instruction curriculum that serves more than 400 students, 15 instrumental ensembles, and 5 choruses.

Students’ ages cover the life span. There is a music and movement program for

Learn more 18

W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

infants. The Purple Finches Youth Chorus includes kindergarteners through eighth graders. Teens have folk and jazz ensembles. The school has students in their eighties and nineties. “There is room at the table for everyone,” Peggy says.

There are Jazz Jam sessions, the March Mandolin Festival, Summer Music Camps, and a Fall Fiddle Festival. Recitals, concerts, and other performances are open to the public. Some events are ticketed.

The catalog and extensive list of events are found at www.ccmusicschool.org.

Peggy emphasizes that the school serves everyone for the simple reason that everyone has a voice, be it vocal or instrumental. The faculty’s unstoppable drive is fueled by this philosophy. It is the school’s mission to keep developing inventive programs that offer new ways for students and participants of all backgrounds to find their own form of self-expression.

www.ccmusicschool.org

HELPING STUDENTS REACH THEIR POTENTIAL The teachers and students at Concord Community Music School are extraordinary. The school surprised me from the start of my visit and the surprises did not end. David Surette has been a faculty member in the folk department for 26 years.

He teaches 20 weekly private lessons and multiple folk ensembles, leading with his guitar, mandolin, and ukulele. Some of his students have gone on to collegiate music schools, including Boston’s Berklee College of Music. As a professional musician, David also teaches internationally in festivals and music camps, and performs frequently in a duo with his wife, Susie Burke.

Peggy and I joined a music therapy session in progress. Music therapist Julieann Hartley and her student Sarah, an adult with Down syndrome, were sitting at the piano. Julieann said that Sarah writes lyrics and poetry and then Julieann works with her on the musical composition. Julieann played the piano while Sarah sang her newly composed rap song. Afterward, I shook hands with Sarah and congratulated her on her remarkable songwriting. Peggy gave Sarah a high five. Both of them could not have looked happier.

Julieann directs the school’s music therapy program. She is a board-certified music therapist, one of only ten in the state. Although the numbers of music therapists are growing, the need is great. This young woman exudes a passion for what she does.

Julieann has helped newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a group of conditions that are the result of drug exposure in the womb. Music therapy has been found to help babies during drug withdrawal. Studies show that with music therapy, their hospital release may be hastened by almost two weeks.

Aiming to reach those who could not come to Concord, the school developed strong partnerships with many important organizations, Julieann has released a CD to help a broader group of young children reach their learning and developmental potential.

While some of these conditions can be very emotional for her to see, Julieann focuses her attention on the improvements, which helps her maintain an enthusiastic outlook.

Watching her sing with Sarah was evidence of that.

Peggo Horstmann Hodes has been a voice teacher at the school for 33 years. She directs Songweavers, a chorus of 120 women.

The idea of this group was inspired by Dr. Ysaÿe Barnwell, a nationally renowned American composer and the creator of the Building a Vocal Community program, which is based on offering untrained singers an opportunity to explore their voices.

Women travel to this session from up to

Learn more

two hours away. Some members are new Americans from Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The method is to learn songs by ear using no sheet music. The women’s beautiful harmony inspires Peggo every day.

Sitting in on a private voice lesson gave me a new appreciation of voice training.

Teacher Ellen Nordstrom is a trained opera singer and has a distinctive speaking voice: her diction is clear; her voice carries. As she instructed Sophie, a high school student training for an audition, she alerted Sophie to avoid “shadow vowels,” like a sloppy add-on to the word me, making it sound like me-ah.

Facing a mirror as she sang, Sophie held beautiful composure. Her singing voice became clearer and stronger. Ellen also coached Sophie on moving her body in a way that reflected the emotion in the lyrics. Peggy leaned forward in her seat as she watched Ellen and Sophie with an intense focus.

Beyond the walls of the Concord Community Music School, tens of thousands of people have been reached. In 1998, the school launched the Music in the Community Initiative. Aiming to reach those who could not come to Concord, the school developed strong partnerships with many important organizations, such as Laconia Head Start and Riverbend Community Mental Health. Concord Community Music School has reached school districts across New Hampshire and other educational and human service organizations, mainly through music therapy and dance movement therapy.

It was late afternoon when I left the school. Throughout the studios and ensemble rooms, the voices and music continued.

Once outside, a stream of students, young and old, rushed up the stairs. Seeing their energy, I felt excited for them, having some idea what they had to look forward to.

www.ccmusicschool.org SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

19

HUMOR |

BY ERIC PINDER

Since not one of my college-age and up test subjects care to get their feet wet on this cold spring day, it’s time to stop asking when we lose the impulse to puddle jump and start asking why.

Making a

Splash

AN ODE TO EARLY SPRING PUDDLE STOMPING It’s too bad I don’t have a lab coat, a monocle, or cartoonish Einstein hair because I began class on Tuesday morning with a mysterious experiment. One student tells me, “You’re like a mad scientist running tests on us.”

Without telling them why, I lead a dozen college students like the Pied Piper down the hall, past the school’s office assistant, who blinks at us in surprise, and out into the cool spring air. A slate-gray sky arcs overhead. Puddles dot the parking lot.

Such outdoor excursions normally raise no eyebrows in a class called Literary Landscapes, but when I steer everyone

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W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

toward the library instead of the trail, the students start to murmur. Something strange is up. Usually our feet have left the pavement by now.

I pick a good spot at the edge of the parking lot and hold up a hand. “Does anyone have the urge to do something?” I ask. “Right here, right now?”

“Yes!” declares dark-haired Danni. He grins and reaches down into the snowbank beside the last parked car. His friend Heather, bundled up in a jacket and hat, hops back in alarm. “Don’t you throw that snowball!”

Danni’s grin widens. He cocks his elbow like a pitcher, and Heather flinches, but it’s a balk. He tosses the snowball into the puddle at my feet instead. The water is so shallow the impact barely splashes.

“Any other urges?” I ask. The puddle, not the snowbank, is what I’d hoped they’d notice. They stare at me as if I’m crazy.

Time for a hint. “If you were five,” I say, “what would you want to do right now?” Heather gestures toward the puddle.

“I’d jump in that. But not now, because I’d have to wear wet clothes for six hours.”

Danni nods. “Yeah, it’s not a very good jumping puddle.”

He tilts his head and gives the rest of the ground a discerning look. “Over there in the mud, now that’s a good jumping puddle.”

“Or in the swamp,” Stephen says. He points to a stand of reeds and cattails. The tallest student smirks and says, “You can’t jump there! That’s a protected wetlands area.” Stephen barks a laugh in response. Our unofficial protected wetlands are about the size of a cafeteria tray.

Two other students do stomp on the snow mound to clean the spring mud off their shoes, but that’s stomping for a utilitarian purpose rather than for fun, so it doesn’t count.

No one indulges in a good puddle stomp. Not even me.

Hence my experiment: At what age do puddles cease to attract us? I want to find out.

Younger kids know what to do with a good puddle. Not long ago, in the rainy autumn, two four-year-olds walking

home from preschool in a nearby town stopped and splashed so long in a big puddle that their slurping, squishing boots were soon filled to the brims.

“We had to take their boots off and pour them out,” one mom told me, “and then they wanted their boots back on so they could go jump in the puddle again.” Okay, that’s two data points collected.

So far, my experiment has provided evidence that the allure of puddles disappears sometime after age four and before age 19, the age of the youngest test subject in my non-puddle-jumping class. When a puddle no longer attracts your feet like a magnet, is that the moment you officially grow up? I wonder.

Further research is required. National Science Foundation, please send more funding. And, well, rain.

Since not one of my college-age and up test subjects care to get their feet wet on this cold spring day, it’s time to stop asking when we lose the impulse to puddle jump and start asking why.

“Why is this fun when we’re kids?” I ask the class.

“Because we’re dumb,” Amber says, folding her arms. “Or maybe when we’re letting our parents dress us, it doesn’t matter. But now we’re old and have to dress ourselves.”

Next to her, Stephanie smiles and adds, “I recently realized the best part of driving in this weather is you can drive on the side of the road through the big puddles.”

Ah, perhaps that’s the answer. We do still love to play in puddles all our lives; we just hate doing laundry. So, we’ve traded our galoshes for cars.

Sounds like a workable hypothesis to me. Next rainstorm I’ll force myself to stomp in a big puddle and see if it makes me feel like a kid again. If not, I’ll know my theory about puddles is, well, all wet.

UBUHLE WOMEN

BEADWORK AND THE ART OF INDEPENDENCE MARCH 23 TO JUNE 10, 2019 Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence was developed by the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, Washington, DC, in cooperation with Curators Bev Gibson, Ubuhle Beads, and James Green, and is organized for tour by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. Image: Ntombephi “Induna” Ntobela, My Sea, My Sister, My Tears (detail), 2011, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

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HOME & GARDEN

|

BY AMY MITCHELL

A Wooded Path to Opioid Recovery

hipster crowd, the mountain cabin crowd, and the tree-hugger, minimalist, Scandi crowd. This style can even be beautifully incorporated into neotraditional interiors.

There are many sources for live-edge furniture, from Etsy and various custom craftsmen across the country to big retail outlets like West Elm and World Market. But I guarantee you, none of them have a story like furniture maker Randy Bartlett.

HOW LIVE-EDGE FURNITURE IS HELPING PEOPLE RECOVER FROM ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION

R

emember the Shel Silverstein story The Giving Tree? It’s about a tree who loves a boy. Through the years, the tree gives the boy everything she has so that he can make a new life for himself and be happy. After years of striving, empty-handed and old, the boy at last finds rest simply by being with her, even though she is reduced to a stump.

This story reminds me a bit of The Giving Tree.

It’s of the trees that endured the stress of years and nature to create beautiful art in their very cores, and the men who created new lives for themselves bringing out the tree’s beauty through live-edge furniture.

THIS ISN’ T ABOUT THE L ATEST TREND If you’ve watched HGTV often enough, I’m sure you’ve come across plenty of interiors that use liveedge furniture: island counters, dining tables, coffee tables, bars . . . you name it. It’s definitely a favorite look with the California-cool crowd, the mod and

RIVERBANK HOUSE It’s impossible to be oblivious to the devasting toll that the opioid epidemic is taking on the lives of our neighbors, friends, and family here in New Hampshire.

However, one man is combating this problem in a very interesting and exciting way. And, wonderfully, it has to do with furniture.

Randy Bartlett first started using drugs in the fourth grade. Pot and booze from his parents’ liquor

There are many sources for live-edge furniture, from Etsy and various custom craftsmen across the country to big retail outlets like West Elm and World Market. But I guarantee you, none of them have a story like furniture maker Randy Bartlett.

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riverbankhouse.net

www.vantzfurniture.com

stash, mostly. At age 16, he tried cocaine for the first time, and he was hooked. “I was a horrible addict until I was 21. Miraculously, after a few near-death experiences, I was able to quit on my own,” he says.

He continued to use drugs recreationally until he was 32 but made sure to stay away from cocaine.

He had a wife and kids, and a flourishing business. “I was successful in spite of myself,” he quips.

Unfortunately, he eventually picked it back up again. So began the vicious, nightmarish cycle of addiction all over again—except that this time he dragged his family into it. Needing a change in the way he saw recovery, Randy went to Burning Tree Ranch, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center whose focus is not only treating addiction but also preventing relapse into the old patterns of addiction through long-term relapse-prevention planning.

“I’d had enough of crashing and burning,” Randy says. “It was the first time I ever saw recovery

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HOME & GARDEN

through the lens of long-term treatment and the first time I was ever really and truly well.” He returned to New Hampshire as the opioid epidemic raged and decided to do what he could to be part of the solution. In 2012 he founded Riverbank House. An addiction-recovery community for men located in Laconia, Riverbank helps residents build new lives— central to the philosophy of long-term wellness—so they don’t relapse after they leave.

Riverbank helps residents build new lives—central to the philosophy of long-term wellness—so they don’t relapse after they leave.

HELPING ADDICTS RESHAPE THEIR LIVES While the normal stay for most residential detox programs is 28 days, success rates for such programs hover around 50 percent—often less—for long-term sobriety. Riverbank promotes an extended-care model, leading men through a 12-step program based on meditation and reflection, friendships, responsibility, accountability, and career training.

Though they believe a 12-step program is important, they also recognize that the field of addiction science reveals that a one-size-fits-all approach to opioid addiction is not optimal. For this reason, they incorporate multiple avenues to recovery and consider the 12 steps as one of those paths along

with Smart Recovery, resources of the Buddhist Recovery Network, and a range of self-responsibility practices.

These concepts are entrenched in their four guiding principles: • Effective addiction treatment requires longterm care.

• Responsible recovery care addresses the brain impairments that can hinder success.

• Responsible addiction treatment promotes many pathways to recovery.

• Successful recovery requires practice within a safe community.

A key aspect of their treatment program’s belief

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riverbankhouse.net

that there isn’t a single right way to recovery is their belief in spiritual exploration—yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, for example— as well as growth, and internal shift as the foundation of sustainable recovery. To this end, they work with the Venerable Lama Naomh Tomas, their first Spiritual Mentor and Friend-in-Residence, to provide gentle guidance and a compassionate example for their residents.

Maintaining a healthy local community is also paramount, so residents have to be clean and sober for five months before they can begin working for Riverbank’s affiliate businesses. “What we’re doing is really unique. We introduce guys to a healthy way of life,” Randy says with smile. “This is a community of guys who are trying to live and grow spiritually. If you do something out of line—not just using drugs but also behavior or responsibility wise—someone is going to call you out. We’re all getting adjusted on a daily basis here.”

Riverbank only sees about one in ten of its clients relapse within a year of leaving. “If you get sober for a year, you’re going to change. We don’t have a lot of repeat customers.” Another key piece to the sobriety puzzle is learning a skill that can lead to a career.

Enter Vantz Furniture.

www.vantzfurniture.com

FROM LIVING ON THE EDGE TO CRAFTING LIVE-EDGE FURNITURE Vantz Furniture specializes in live-edge designs and is just one of six businesses that Riverbank runs and staffs with residents and former residents. Randy, always on the lookout for new ventures for his guys, saw an opportunity when one of Riverbank’s businesses, the Karma Cafe in Laconia, needed tables and a bar. Providentially, two of Riverbank’s residents—Kyle Martin and Andi Bauer—have backgrounds in woodworking trades. Andi’s and Kyle’s stories are no less compelling than Randy’s.

Once upon a time, Andi was a carpenter framing houses, but due to his addiction he was homeless for a year and a half. He found Riverbank via the Internet using a restaurant’s WiFi. Despite calling well after midnight, Randy answered the phone after a couple rings and got Andi into care right away.

Kyle was referred to Riverbank House after overdosing. Before that, he built custom lobster boats in Maine, which made him a natural fit for Randy’s plans.

Randy brought in volunteers from the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen to train Kyle and Andi to create those first tables. With that, Vantz Furniture was born. Now both men work at the shop full time—in addition to hours spent mentoring current residents—and are supported by one to two part-time residents, a part-time sales associate, and an administrative assistant.

Vantz boasts a varied inventory of native and exotic live-edge slabs, which have sold well.

The venture has already outgrown its first site and has moved to a much bigger warehouse.

Currently, most designs are custom-built to order, but their plans for the future include creating an eBay or Etsy shop with some ready-made options. All profits from Vantz and Riverbank’s other businesses fund grants for residents and Riverbank’s program offerings.

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SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

25

FOOD & SPIRITS

|

BY JENNIFER SPELLICY

Bringing Home

Charcuterie SOMETIMES THE BEST MEAL IS THE SIMPLEST TO PREPARE

T

he increasing popularity of charcuterie boards comes as no surprise to anyone who grew up in a home where meals consisting of smoked and cured meats with cheese were de rigueur. My father, who hails from Lithuania, often served family meals with such delicacies. One of my favorite food memories from my childhood is our family’s typical Sunday lunch. My father would go to our local delicatessen and bring home thinly sliced Westphalian ham*, smoked sausages, whole smoked whitefish, Havarti or Jarlsberg cheese, and a couple loaves of rustic bread.

He’d open up all the paper-wrapped packages and informally place them in the center of our kitchen table alongside a bunch of grapes, sliced Granny Smith apples, a jar of cornichon pickles—tart French pickles pickled with tarragon—and Pommery whole-grain mustard. Our family would eagerly sit down to enjoy our lunch,

The meal was exceedingly casual, filling, and required no cooking or labor.

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www.aroundconcord.com

Charcuterie might appear to be a newly crafted food fad by chefs in the trend-obsessed culinary world, but it’s actually been around for a long time. cutting small slices of bread, spreading grainy mustard, and making little open-faced sandwiches with a combination of meats and cheese or smoked fish. My parents would pour themselves glasses of German pilsner beer or Gewürztraminer wine—a usually sweet white wine originally from the Alsace region of France—to go with the food.

The meal was exceedingly casual, filling, and required no cooking or labor. It was a perfect time for our family to eat and enjoy some time together on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I greatly enjoyed those meals, but back then I had no idea that most Americans didn’t eat like my family, or that

this style of eating would eventually become a fashionable food trend.

Charcuterie might appear to be a newly crafted food fad by chefs in the trend-obsessed culinary world, but it’s actually been around for a long time. Europeans have been eating it for centuries.

Charcuterie is a culinary custom that dates back to 15th century France and arose out of the necessity to preserve meat principally via methods such as salting and smoking. Originally, charcuterie referred only to products made from pork, though now it is used to describe any poultry, fish, seafood, or meat that is preserved.

MAKING A CHARCUTERIE AND CHEESE BOARD 101: 1

When assembling your charcuterie and cheese board it’s important to keep in mind the interplay of sweet and savory, crunchy and creamy. A variety of flavors and textures will ensure that your board has something interesting for everyone.

SOME PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS TO USE AS A GUIDELINE 1

Meats: Calabrese salami, dry-cured coppa, prosciutto di Parma, roasted porchetta, prosciutto arrosto

2

In general, allot two ounces of meats and cheeses per person.

2

Cheeses: aged cheddar, Italian fontina, Boucheron goat cheese, Gruyère, Parmigiano Reggiano, St. Stephen triple-cream Brie

3

Bring all cheeses to room temperature before serving.

3

Crackers, grilled slices of French bread

4

Sour cherry or fig jam

5

Mixed olives

6

Marcona almonds

7

Cornichons

8

Pickled asparagus

9

Grainy mustard

10

Red or green grapes

4

Plate everything decoratively on a large serving platter, wooden board, or piece of slate with small bowls to hold pickles, nuts, olives, and condiments.

5

Have plenty of knives available for cutting the different cheeses.

6

Serve the charcuterie and cheese board with your favorite wines or beer and enjoy.

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FOOD & SPIRITS

WINE PAIRING SUGGESTIONS 1

Dry prosecco, Cava, champagne, or sparkling white

2

Gewürztraminer or Riesling – slightly sweeter white wines

3

Albariño – crisp Spanish white wine

4

Pinot noir – mediumbodied red French or New World wine

5

Barbaresco – heavy-bodied red Italian wine

6

Barbera d’Alba – medium-bodied red Italian wine

In recent years, charcuterie has garnered a large following in the United States. From simple to fancy, we are now seeing scores of restaurants offering charcuterie boards that have familiar products like prosciutto di Parma to the more exotic meats like wild boar salami or Ibérico ham.

Though charcuterie boards could be considered sophisticated restaurant fare, one must keep in mind that humble hot dogs and all-time favorite bacon are examples of preserved meats that are commonly eaten on a daily basis in many American households. Essentially, we’ve been eating charcuterie without even knowing it.

With the advent of modern refrigeration and ample food availability, we no longer need to preserve food for long-term storage. We now eat preserved foods simply because they taste

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good. Products like salami, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and duck confit are widely available and are either imported from Europe, or are being produced by small, artisanal companies around the United States who take charcuterie making very seriously.

The easy availability of excellent quality meats and cheeses allow anyone, with minimal effort, to put together an elegant charcuterie board at home. The best part of making your own is you can use your favorite products and accompaniments. Even better, it’s an excellent appetizer for a party as it requires no cooking and only a small amount of preparation.

*Westphalian Ham is made from the hind legs of pigs allowed to graze on acorns in the Westphalia (Westfalen) forest in Prussia, Germany. The meat is dry-cured and then smoked over a mixture of beechwood and juniper branches. The resulting meat is rindless and pink, with a delicate, smoked flavor.

www.aroundconcord.com

Goldsmiths Gallery LLC “Turning Ideas Into Memories”

WHERE TO SHOP CHARCUTERIE & MORE Local Baskit Marketplace

Wine’ing Butcher (Pembroke)

Specialty cheeses, wines, craft beers, pre-prepared meal kits, and a growing list of locally sourced food products.

SHOP.LOCALBASKIT.COM

Find something a little different for a protein such as quail, rabbit, venison, wild boar, and game hen.

WINEINGBUTCHER.COM/PEMBROKE

Celeste Oliva

Bread & Chocolate

Artisan olive oils and balsamic vinegars, Stone & Grove Olive Leaf Tea, and extraordinary sea salts.

CELESTEOLIVA.COM

Fine breads and pastries with an Austrian lilt.

29 SOUTH MAIN STREET, CONCORD,

Wellington’s Market

Crust & Crumb Baking Company Pastries and a wide range of breads such as baguettes, sourdough boules, Shaker squash rolls, olive bread, and sauerkraut rye.

THECRUSTANDCRUMB.COM

Concord Food Co-op If you haven’t found it at the wonderful shops above, more than likely the Co-op has you covered.

CONCORDFOODCOOP.COOP

57 N. Main St Concord, NH

603-224-2920

NE-269294

High-end wines and cheeses, specialty crackers, anchovies, quince paste, preserved lemons, and prosciutto.

WELLINGTONSMARKETPLACE.COM

OR (603) 228-3330

Tue - Fri 10-5:30 • Sat 10-4

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Live Free & Stay 11 South Main Street, Concord, NH 03301 (603) 504-3500 • HotelConcordNH.com SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

29

LOCAL DESTINATIONS |

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM

Your Local

Pied-à-Terre

THE HOTEL CONCORD OFFERS A RELAXING ESCAPE FOR AN EVENING OR OVERNIGHT

Arrange a babysitter for the kids and head downtown for drinks, dinner, a show, and then, if further escape is desired, a quiet night in a beautiful room. The next morning enjoy breakfast and pop into Gibson’s Bookstore before returning to regular life. It’s a pied-à-terre—a romantic diversion—from the routine that doesn’t have to take you far away.

Although The Hotel Concord draws a lot of businesspeople and tourists, Sue O’Donnell, the hotel’s general manager, says they host quite a lot of Concord residents and people from surrounding towns looking for a unique hotel experience and getaway. And why not? The Red River Theatre is attached to the hotel as is the Storrs Street Municipal Parking Garage. There is also the hotel’s bar and lounge area, The Lobbyist, which is attached to O Steaks & Seafood. If the mood suits, you don’t have to take one step out into spring rains to enjoy a full evening out.

Beyond the hotel’s amenities, there is the Capitol Center for the Arts, downtown shops and restaurants, and the Audi (Concord City Auditorium) just a few blocks away on Prince Street.

“A lot of local people stay here because they feel like it’s a home away from home,” Sue says. “Especially in the winter with the snow and the ice and everything. How convenient—you can park in the garage and you don’t even have to clean off your car.”

THE COMMUNIT Y ’S HOTEL In fact, Sue adds, their first-ever guest was from Hopkinton, and they have regulars from Bow and Concord that come to stay

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www.hotelconcordnh.com

every month. Primarily, she says they are drawn in by the hotel’s amenities, particularly the 10 rooms on the sixth floor with balcony access that overlooks Main Street, the State House, or the Merrimack River. “To be able to sit and have a glass of wine or dinner, it’s just different,” Sue says. “Even if you’ve lived in the area your entire life, it’s not an experience you could get anywhere else.”

But you don’t have to spend the night to enjoy a respite within the hotel as you take an evening out. Michael Simchik, The Hotel Concord’s owner, says he hopes the hotel’s first-floor space be-

comes a hub for people in Concord to relax, drink coffee, listen to jazz music over the lobby speakers, or read a book. It’s also a quieter, more low-key atmosphere for meetings, he adds. “We view ourselves as a community-oriented hotel. We aren’t a chain,” Michael says. “We like the vitality of having people being in that lobby space and the vibrancy of being the downtown meeting spot.”

President of the Concord Chamber of Commerce Tim Sink says The Hotel Concord is a perfect addition to the progress the downtown has already made toward being a hub in the capital region.

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“The downtown is so full of culture and art right now and The Hotel Concord gives visitors an access point to all of that. We hope it makes people who live here proud of the downtown, and that it makes the downtown a place where they want to spend their time."

– TIM

SINK , PRESIDENT OF THE CONCORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

“The downtown is so full of culture and art right now and The Hotel Concord gives visitors an access point to all of that,” he says. “We hope it makes people who live here proud of the downtown, and that it makes the downtown a place where they want to spend their time.”

COMFORT AND ST YLE THAT CELEBRATES OUR STATE Each room in the hotel is unique, Sue says. None of them are designed with the same layout or with the same art. The rooms also include Amazon Alexa programming so guests can deliver messages or requests to the front desk using voice commands. Guests can opt in and out of it, Sue adds.

The fourth floor has an executive lounge with a fireplace and cozy couches and

books. The sixth floor also has similar space with seating and flat-screen televisions. There is also a large fitness room full of state-of-the-art equipment.

The Hotel Concord also pays homage to the city’s and state’s political heritage by displaying a series of iconic presidential campaign images. There is George W. Bush enjoying a picnic at a colonial farmhouse in Stratham. John F. Kennedy is chatting with Saint Anselm College students after a campaign rally. Ronald Reagan is holding up a knit sweater reading, “I love New Hampshire.”

“It’s really a tribute to New Hampshire history, like a walking tour of political art,” Sue says. Michael spent months reviewing and captioning close to 80 photos from the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm’s College in Manchester be-

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www.hotelconcordnh.com

Design

fore the hotel opened in August. Some photos are displayed on the first floor of the Capital Commons—a multiuse building where The Hotel Concord is located—and many are on the fourth and sixth floors of the buildings, where the hotel’s rooms are.

For Michael, the photos are a way to help visitors appreciate New Hampshire’s rich political history while maybe learning a few things, too.

They’re also a way to create an inviting atmosphere for locals to celebrate and interact with the Granite State’s past, he adds.

Jamie Simchik, Michael’s son and the hotel’s developer, adds that the imagery is just one piece of their desire to create a welcoming environment for the community that the hotel calls home as well as for business travelers and tourists visiting our region.

Form Function

The Hotel Concord

A Landscape Architects Collaborative

11 South Main Street Concord, NH (603) 504-3500 www.hotelconcordnh.com

97 Dow Road • Bow, NH 03304 603.228.2858 • Fax 603.228.2859 Peter Schiess ASLA • landformsltd@aol.com

www.landformsltd.com

LANDFORMS

SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

33

HEALTH & WELL- BEING |

BY SHANTI DOUGLAS

|

BY SHANTI DOUGLAS

Love—Don’t Fight—

Your Body

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS LIKE GUILT AND SHAME DON’T LEAD TO CHANGE AND APPRECIATION When you look in a full-length mirror, what do you see?

Are you inspired, encouraged, and appreciative, even if your reflection doesn’t match your desired state? Maybe

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you smile and think, Hey, winter wasn’t always easy but all in all, I’m looking and feeling pretty good. Or do you drift to the other side of the spectrum and completely avoid mirrors, especially full-length ones? Are you secretly disappointed in yourself, angry even, that you didn’t keep your New Year’s resolutions to eat better and exercise more and that you wasted the past few months of potential improvement?

If the second scenario resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. As we come out of winter, most of us carry a few extra pounds that make us uncomfortable, especially as we shed heavy winter clothing and reveal what’s under-

Come to change through your heart by reflecting on the true love and care you have for yourself and the real reasons why health and feeling good are important to you.

neath. You may look at your belly or thighs with regret and shame, wishing you didn’t indulge in those warming comfort foods.

Or perhaps you didn’t indulge at all and the weight is simply a result of reduced physical activity, a common occurrence in winter.

Whatever the reason, it’s not so much the weight itself that’s the heaviest but rather the thoughts and emotions about that weight. Judge and jury may be quick to arrive on the scene, reprimanding you for not doing better with lots of coulda, shoulda, woulda that just has you feeling bad. This negative self-talk and view of your body is not helpful and can actually cause you to be less motivated to take healthy action, fostering an even greater downward health cycle.

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART To change how you relate to your body, first connect with your mind-set and attitude, but not through the door of your mind.

Brain habits are very strong and take time and effort to break. The war of words can deplete willpower and lead to even more frustra-

tion and shame. Instead, come to change through your heart by reflecting on the true love and care you have for yourself and the real reasons why health and feeling good are important to you. When the heart is front and center, commitment becomes easier, and it builds a more collaborative relationship between what you truly want and how to get there.

Begin by scanning each individual part of your body (including your organs and systems), bringing to heart what each part does, how it takes care of you and makes life possible. Spend time here. Meditate on the 30 trillion cells (wow) that are always working behind the scenes to create health. Send yourself lots of loving kindness and be grateful for all the joys and the miracles of your body, even if things aren’t the way you imagined. Help your body to do its best by being its best supporter.

Recall a time when you felt great in your body, flowing and free.

Really feel those feelings and sensations. Maybe it was in the summertime at the beach or laughing with a friend on a hike when

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HEALTH & WELL- BEING Y

SHANTI DOUGLAS

Moritomo Sushi Bar & Japanese Steak House 32 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, NH (603) 224-8363 www.moritomonh.com Established in 2001, Moritomo has been voted the best of the best sushi and hibachi for 15 consecutive years in the Concord area.

We continue to be one of the best restaurants in New Hampshire, attracting countless sushi and hibachi lovers from all around.

Come and enjoy our authentic food and enthusiastic service.

you felt confident and sassy in your clothes. Invoke kindness, friendship, positivity, acceptance, love, and care—all energies from which your desired change can more easily take place.

POSITIVE CHANGE COMES FROM LOVE Change doesn’t come from guilt, shame, deprivation, or threats. It comes from love and the heartfelt wish you have to feel and be your best. From this positive mind-set, your attitude more easily shifts to one of doing what’s best for you because care is led by your heart and not your head. With this heart focus, it’ll be easier to make healthier choices. You’ll keep coming back to “What would be best for me right now?”

Practice small, daily actions that add physical and emotional value:

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• Break the sitting cycle by stretching for two minutes every half-hour.

• Try one new vegetable every week.

• Let go of the notion that your day will happen as you planned it.

• Fall asleep with gratitude.

• Turn off the electronics to turn on family time.

Integrate these things into your daily routine to make them your new, everlasting lifestyle. One small thing today . . . and the next day . . . and the next day. As you go along, notice the changes that are taking shape in your body, mind, emotions, relationships, and energy. It’s amazing how quickly small, consistent effort adds up to big results. Stay on your path, stay in your heart, and don’t worry about the rest. With the endless energy of the heart, everything is easier, including managing your weight.

Revival Kitchen & Bar 11 Depot Street, Concord, NH (603) 715-5723 www.revivalkitchennh.com @revivalkitchennh Casual upscale dining with farm to table influence. Reviving Old World classic dishes using local meats, produce, and dairy. Unique and classic cocktails and every wine available by the glass.

Open Tue–Thu 4–9pm, Fri–Sat 4–10pm; closed Sun & Mon.

Dining Out In & Around Concord

DINING GUIDE Your table awaits you!

Alan’s of Boscawen

Granite Restaurant & Bar

Daniel's of Henniker

133 N. Main Street, Rte. 3, Boscawen, NH (603) 753-6631 www.alansofboscawen.com

96 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH (603) 227-9000 www.graniterestaurant.com A popular dining and socializing spot among Concord locals, our awardwinning Granite Restaurant & Bar is a beautifully styled, modern eatery.

Our talented culinary team brings creative sensibility to a sleek dining space enhanced with contemporary spirit and warm service. Using locally sourced ingredients at every opportunity, Chef Daniel Dionne infuses New American cuisine with French, Mediterranean, and Asian influences.

Overlooking the Contoocook River.

Visit our gift shop upstairs. Casual dining at its best!

Offering something for every appetite.

• Sunday Brunch • Lunch & Dinner — 7 days • Private function room • Frequent diner program

Makris Lobster & Steak House

Vibes Gourmet Burgers

Alan’s of Boscawen, a family-owned restaurant, has been a local favorite in the Concord area for over 35 years providing great food, catering, and dining experiences.

Featuring live entertainment Fri & Sat 8:30pm–12am.

Open daily, including breakfast Sat & Sun.

Cheers Grille & Bar is a place where you can bring your family for dinner or come in to watch a game at the bar. Serving lunch, dinner and drinks.

Patio opens April 1st (weather permitting).

Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sun 11am-11pm 17 Depot Street, Concord, NH (603) 228-0180 www.cheersnh.com

The 19th Hole at Beaver Meadow 1 Beaver Meadow Street, Concord, NH (603) 228-8308 Serving golfers and general public alike in a casual atmosphere with mouthwatering pub-style fare. Enjoy open-air dining and a full-service bar with a large craft beer selection. Banquet facility and catering is available, call us for more information!

Mon–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun 10am–6pm with expanded summer hours

Route 106, Concord, NH (603) 225-7665 www.eatalobster.com

48 Main Street, Henniker, NH (603) 428-7621 danielsofhenniker.com

25 S. Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 856-8671 www.vibesgourmetburgers.com

An experience you won't forget! Enjoy fresh seafood and steak at an affordable price. Comfortable setting for all ages.

Banquets and catering available!

Open Tue-Sun, 11am-9pm (8pm on Sun)

Our handcrafted burgers start with Open Prairie Natural Angus®.

Raised on ranches and 100% vegetarian fed, this fresh, premiumquality beef contains no added hormones, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients. Our signature brioche buns are baked fresh daily.

Mon–Thu 11:30am–8pm, Fri 11:30am–10pm, Sat 12–10pm, Sun 12–6pm

Building Community

Constantly Pizza

Our retail store in Warner serves espresso drinks, artisan drip and french press coffees, loose leaf teas, fresh smoothies, fresh baked pastries, soft-serve ice cream, quiche, soups, and sandwiches and offers free Wi-Fi in a relaxing space.

Open daily 6:30am to 4pm.

39 S. Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 224-9366 www.constantlypizza.net @ConstantlyPizza

Located between exits 8 and 9 off I-89.

1 East Main Street, Warner, NH (603) 456-3400 www.schoodacs.com

Great food at great prices and selection can’t be beat!

Specializing in catering – office parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, anniversaries, retirements, special events, and more. Check out our website for our full menu.

Mon–Thu & Sat 11am–10pm, Fri 11am–11pm; Sun Noon–9pm

SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

37

Hello, Spring!

SPRING IS THE TIME NATURE GOES

FROM FROZEN TO FLOWERS. IT'S A

GREAT TIME FOR US ALL TO BLOOM, TOO. HOPEFULLY, THE STORIES THAT FOLLOW WILL OFFER SOME IDEAS AND INSPIRATION.

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“All food gives us energy, but nuts and seeds are a great

source of protein, compared to if we grabbed a candy bar, which has a lot of sugar and refined oils.”

— Traci Komorek, registered dietitian

Renewing Mind & Body

A

BY ALYSSA DANDREA

fter a long and cold winter, spring can be a time when people look for ways to regroup, refresh, and renew themselves to achieve a more balanced and healthy life. As nature blooms, communities have more locally sourced and fresh food options available. Spring is also a time when our sheltered bodies want to get outside and stretch and become more active after the winter slump. Several health providers and businesses in the Concord community are giving us a taste of how to do just that.

NUTRITI ON AND HERBS The Concord Co-op’s Wellness Program is one place where holistic practitioners can get their start educating the community about health and nutrition. Some have found their niche by teaching classes and helping customers identify the best whole foods and herbs to meet their needs.

Eating the best combina-

Learn more

Registered dietitian Traci Komorek focuses on providing a realistic diet plan featuring whole foods to support good health.

tions of nutritious foods can be a challenge, especially when so often people are eating on the go or too busy to prepare a meal from scratch. But identifying the right food to meet our body’s specific needs doesn’t have to be a daunting

task, says registered dietitian Traci Komorek.

Traci, who began as a wellness educator at the co-op about seven years ago, says people fear a dietitian’s recommendations may be too restrictive and that they’ll learn more

concordfoodcoop.coop/wellness-educators SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

39

Recipes and remedies recommended by Wintergreen Botanicals, LLC feature springtime herbs that can help stimulate digestion.

about what they should stay away from rather than what they can eat. Through her own business, Fresh Roots Nutrition in Concord, she focuses on what people can have, as well as how food can be used as medicine to improve one’s digestion, energy, and autoimmune system. “All food gives us energy, but nuts and seeds are a great source of protein, compared to if we grabbed a candy bar, which has a lot of sugar and refined oils,” Traci says.

Individuals or families meeting with Traci for the first time provide a health history overview, their goals for the visit, a list of medications and supplements they’re taking, and a list of foods they commonly eat and what their weekly meal

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preparations looks like. “Everyone leaves with an action plan that they feel is realistic,” she says.

In addition to encouraging people to eat healthy foods, clinical herbalist Maria Noel Groves helps clients look for natural support from herbs to address their unique medical needs and concerns. Maria began as a wellness educator and volunteer at the co-op before opening her own business, Wintergreen Botanicals, LLC, in Allenstown in 2007.

She teaches classes across the country and is preparing for the publication of her second book, Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies, in which she shares 50 of her favorite easy-to-grow healing plants, plus recipes

www.freshrootsnutrition.com

and remedies that can be made from them.

“I look at herbs as training wheels. As you get better, you may find you can maintain a good state of balance with diet and lifestyle changes and stop taking the herbs, or you may not need as many,” she says.

wintergreenbotanicals.com

“I’ve worked with a child as young as 10 and my wife taught a relative who is 92. Transcendental Meditation is universal and can help anyone.”

— Bill Rist, Transcendental Meditation

In springtime, bitter herbs that stimulate digestion become available as the ground thaws. After eating a lot of storage foods and grains, herbs like dandelion root can help bring the body back into vitality, she says. Dense herbs can be made into teas, broths, and vinegar extracts.

Traci Komorek, Fresh Roots Nutrition (603) 244-0549 www.freshrootsnutrition.com

Maria Noel Groves, Wintergreen Botanicals (603) 340-5161 wintergreenbotanicals.com

YOGA AND MEDITATION Stress can fuel a chaotic state of mind. For many, stress is a normal part of life as we juggle too many commitments, leaving too few hours in the week for self-care and relaxation. Meditation and yoga can help people step back from that chaotic universe and gain a more balanced perspective, says Jim Readey, owner of the Yoga Center in Concord. For those unfamiliar with meditation, the image of someone sitting cross-legged on a cushion in a quiet room with

Learn more

Jim Readey, owner of The Yoga Center in Concord and his dog, Dozer.

a lit candle may come to mind.

That image may accurate, but it fails to tell the full story.

“Meditation can happen in that environment, but it can also happen when you’re out walking in nature,” Jim says.

“Meditation is simply a way to observe our own functioning and it leads to more selfawareness. Yoga is designed to do the very same thing, but it does it initially through physical movement and breath work, both of which are designed to get energy flowing through our bodies again.”

Jobs often require people to sit at their desks or in their cars for long periods of time,

www.nhyogacenter.com

causing the body to become stagnant and depleted. Meditation can help the body recover from inactivity and learn to heal on its own. “When we step away from our lives, we start to see things much more simply. Our priorities shift and we start to remember what’s important,” Jim says. “We must learn how to relax, breathe, feel, and allow.”

In addition to yoga for beginners and advanced students, Jim teaches yoga nidra, which is a guided form of meditation that helps the busy mind relax on physical, mental, and emotional levels. His work helps people combat insomnia, anxi-

ety, depression, and physical ailments.

For those interested in trying another form of meditation, an introductory workshop on Transcendental Meditation fol-

www.tm.org/transcendental-meditation-new-hampshire SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

41

“You truly get a full-body workout, and that includes really using your core. Climbing is

something you really have to work at, and you

can’t let yourself get discouraged. It can be a fun but also humbling experience.”

— Mark Vasta, EVO Rock + Fitness

Jim Readey, the Yoga Center

lowed by one-on-one instruction are available in Concord.

Transcendental Meditation teaches people how to access the silent part of the mind that is always there but often drowned out by the hustle and bustle of daily life. Through instruction, students learn the practical details of sitting down for two 20-minute meditations each day.

“This is a completely natural and effortless technique; it doesn’t require focus like other forms of meditation,” says Bill Rist, who taught in Concord for about 10 years. “I’ve worked with a child as young as 10 and my wife taught a relative who is 92,” Bill says. “Transcendental Meditation is universal and can help anyone.”

Learn more 42

(603) 224-2183 www.nhyogacenter.com

Transcendental Meditation www.tm.org/transcendentalmeditation-new-hampshire

MOVEMENT A warmup on the treadmill, a couple miles on the elliptical, and some strength training are aspects of a more traditional workout at the local fitness club or gym. But not all forms of exercise fit into that narrowly defined box.

At EVO Rock + Fitness in Concord, staff members say those who learn to rock climb work muscles that those traditional workouts don’t often touch. Plus, the act of rock climbing and bouldering challenges the mind because people must plan their next move and find the best way up the wall.

“You truly get a full-body workout, and that includes really using your core,” says Mark Vasta, general manager at EVO.

www.evorock.com

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Participants at EVO Rock + Fitness get a nontraditional workout that challenges both their body and their mind.

“Climbing is something you really have to work at, and you can’t let yourself get discouraged. It can be a fun but also humbling experience.”

EVO has several options for beginning climbers. The staff recommends an introduction to climbing class for people looking to learn the basics. The gym also offers adult classes and courses for the more experienced belayers.

“It’s really a social sport,” Mark says. “When you’re climbing and it’s you against the wall, it helps to have friends cheering you on from below. We have families that come together and people

concorddanceacademy.com/adult-classes

who regularly meet up here to climb.” In addition to individual classes, the facility also has a team-building program that welcomes businesses and collegiate sports teams to use exercise to build trust and bolster communication in an outof-office setting.

If exercise that defies gravity is of interest, EVO’s fitness studio also offers classes in aerial yoga. Aerial yoga combines yoga, gymnastics, dance, aerial arts, and meditation while using a fabric hammock, sometimes called a yoga swing, to help students achieve different positions.

For those who want to stay more grounded, Concord is not short on options. Concord Dance Academy is open to students of all levels and offers adult classes for folks 19 and older. Classes in jazz and tap incorporate floor exercise and movement, while hip-hop incorporates jazz. All teach musicality and rhythm.

EVO Rock + Fitness (603) 715-9171 www.evorock.com

Concord Dance Academy (603) 226-0200 concorddanceacademy.com/ adult-classes

AROMATHERAPY AND BEYOND Surgery, cancer treatment, the birth of a baby, or an accident are just a few of the many life events that could require hospitalization. The time spent receiving medical care can trigger a wide range of emotions for people, including fear and anxiety.

For decades, Concord Hospital has worked to offer complementary holistic services to those receiving healthcare through more traditional means. Thanks to programs like aromatherapy, therapeutic painting, and Reiki, patients have found artistic outlets to express themselves and also

a place to channel stress, says Alice Kinsler, an arts therapist and manager of the hospital’s Therapeutic Arts and Holistic Services.

“When people are feeling vulnerable and at the most fragile or difficult time in their lives be-

Concord Hospital's Therapeutic Arts and Holistic Services provides aromatherapy kits for patients to take home.

cause of a health crisis, we really want to help them feel more like themselves, to restore that selfesteem, pleasure, confidence, and delight,” Alice says.

Aromatherapy is one of the

“People want alternative ways to manage pain, discomfort, and anxiety.

That’s especially true for people who have a history of substance-use disorders and are very mindful of not wanting to go back to that.”

— Alice Kinsler, Concord Hospital's Therapeutic Arts and Holistic Services

Learn more

newer services available to patients who have the option of selecting from six different essential oils depending on their unique discomforts and needs.

More than 100 staff members have been trained in providing aromatherapy, and roughly 2,000 patients have received aromatherapy at no cost during their stays.

Nausea may be reduced through the inhalation of peppermint or ginger. Stress and anxiety may disappear thanks to the use of lavender. “People say they appreciate having something they can control themselves,” Alice says. “People want alternative ways to manage pain, discomfort, and anxiety. That’s especially true for

www.concordhospital.org/patients-visitors/therapeutic-arts-and-holistic-services SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

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Elements Massage incorporates essential oils into their message treatments to energize, calm, or refresh.

people who have a history of substance-use disorders and are very mindful of not wanting to go back to that.”

Patients are given small bottles that include a cotton pad and a few drops of the essential oil, which they can take home with them. Alice says she knows of one man who carried the bottle in his pocket wherever he went, including to a therapy session. He proudly showed his therapist how he was using lavender to help cope with anxiety. “We’re providing something that someone can leave with and introducing them to the idea that aromatherapy can support their health when coping with illness, not just in the hospital but after,” Alice says.

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W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

For those looking to incorporate aromatherapy as part of a regular massage, Elements Massage in Concord offers a wide range of essential oils to energize, calm, or refresh. Using essential oils can enhance the after effects of a massage and renew the mind and the body.

Elements Massage (888) 974-9261 elementsmassage.com/ concord/aromatherapy

Concord Hospital’s Therapeutic Arts and Holistic Services www.concordhospital.org/ patients-visitors/ therapeutic-arts-andholistic-services/

elementsmassage.com/concord/aromatherapy

“We’re so busy being busy that you forget about yourself and taking time to unwind. Floating forces you to stop.”

— Holly Rodrigues, Serendipity Day Spa

You, 1,100 Pounds of Epsom Salt, and Total Solitude

BY LEAH WILLINGHAM

I

t can be hard to find ways to break free from the minutia everyday life. Sometimes it takes a physical isolation from everything—your family, your phone, your job, your responsibilities, your senses—to be able to actually make that escape and take a breather.

Owner of Serendipity Day Spa Holly Rodrigues has found a unique way to make that happen: float therapy.

Float therapy involves participants lying in an eight-foottall pod filled with 12 inches of body-temperature water and 1,100 pounds of pharmaceutical-grade Epsom salt. Although the concept might take some getting used to at first, Holly says float therapy is “meditation on training wheels” for a lot of customers. “We’re so busy being busy that you forget about yourself and taking time to unwind,” she says. “Floating forces you to stop.”

Sensory deprivation, or float therapy, was invented by

The float therapy pod contains 12 inches of body-temperature water and 1,100 pounds of pharmaceutical-grade Epsom salt.

neurologists in the 1950s. The practice has seen an upsurge in recent years as a way to reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and alleviate depression and PTSD, among many other things.

Learn more

NASA employs flotation to simulate weightlessness. Members of professional sports teams have touted its healing qualities for athletic injuries. The Patriots have two tanks at their Gillette Stadium facilities.

serendipitydayspa.com SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

45

“Anything spa-like that you can

imagine, I can tell you I’ve tried.

This was just so different."

— Holly Rodrigues, Serendipity Day Spa

To enhance your experience in the pod, you can select from custom options such as turning on a blue, glowing light or listening to music.

Holly says she knew as soon as she floated for the first time in Canada that she had to figure out how get a float machine for her spa. “Anything spa-like that you can imagine, I can tell you I’ve tried,” Holly says. “This was just so different.” She went to work trying to find a way to incorporate floating into Serendipity, which is built into an old colonial house on Sheep Davis Road. The spa has been open for 15 years, and the business

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W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

offers everything from hand treatments to facials and stone massages.

The room Holly chose for floating was soundproofed for maximum privacy and lengthened to be able to house the pod. She also added a shower so guests could wash themselves before and after floating.

The pod Serendipity purchased is the same one Tom Brady has at his house, Holly says. With that model, you have the choice of whether to have a light on in the pod—a blue, futuristic glow—or float in total darkness. You also can decide if you want to float in silence or with music either provided by Serendipity or brought by you.

You also have the option to float with earplugs—Serendipity provides an array that you can choose from in the float room—or use a floatation device in the tank. Floaters get the choice of either a swimming noodle or a “halo,” as Holly calls it, that fits behind a guest’s head for neck support and comfort.

A major part of a first floating experience is working through different combinations of music, darkness, and floatation devices to find the most comfortable floating position. Once you get through that first float, Holly says, you know what works for you and it gets easier to get into your most relaxed state.

www.serendipitydayspa.com

And as great as the actual experience of floating is, the after effect is even better, Holly says. Many people who do it say they feel the most relaxed and tensionless they have ever felt. Maybe the best perk of all: Holly says that one hour in the float tank is equal to four hours of REM sleep.

Serendipity Day Spa (603) 229-0400 www.serendipitydayspa.com

NE-269645

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151 King St., Boscawen (across from Dunkin Donuts)

FREE Throw-aw Bouquet ay w any Wedd ith in Package! g

Family Owned For 3 Generations

SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

47

Make More Time for You

I

BY CAITLIN ANDREWS

t can be hard to find time to cook a decent meal or maintain a calendar amidst the pressures of everyday life.

But renewal isn’t limited to your body and mind. It can also be applied to your house and time.

If you have the ability to do so, having someone else take care of these details can not only free up your time but lead to long-term peace of mind and better habits altogether. To explore this idea, we talked to people who specialize in managing high-maintenance areas of life for others what giving the reins over to someone else can look like.

GARDENING More than ever, people are looking for ways to reconnect to nature. But tending a large garden can be exhausting and time consuming, especially at homes with lots of land. The demand for more outdoor spaces has skyrocketed in the last 10 years, says Dave DeJohn, who owns DeJohn Landscaping, LLC in Canterbury, though he does most of his work in Concord. These can be anything from a small bistro patio to full-blown outdoor kitchens and social spaces, often surrounded by plants. Those spaces aren’t your garden-variety spots, either. Dave says the trend has shifted toward more natural-style gardens that include native plants rather than your traditional sweeping lawns of grass.

One way these gardens can be less time consuming is by utilizing native plants. That term is relative, Dave says. For some people, that means plants that are native to the Merri-

A Concord garden designed by DeJohn Landscaping features native plants, stepping stones, and a dry stream bed.

mack Valley, but it can include the entire state or even New England. These gardens are much more efficient, Dave says.

They require less water, and when designed properly, require much less upkeep. “We’re getting away from those prim and proper, high-maintenance landscapes,” he says.

Another trend is to incorporate plants that are attractive

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to wildlife, like pollinators and birds. “We’ve lost so much of that connection to nature, connection to insects,” Dave says.

“Nowadays someone’s more likely to pull out a can of Raid rather than understand what [the bugs] are and what they’re doing there.”

Dave spends a lot of time educating people on the proper, most efficient way to care for

www.dejohnlandscaping.com

“People are more successful, happier, and less stressed when they ask for help. Sometimes people feel guilty, like ‘Oh my God, what am I

doing?’ But then they realize they are much happier now that they are able to spend more time with their family or focus on work.”

— Abbe Hardiman, Your Abstract Assistant

Your Abstract Assistant. “People are more successful, happier, and less stressed when they ask for help,” Abbe says. “Sometimes people feel guilty, like ‘Oh

Before

homework time. Some clients are able to schedule in-person updates, but checking in with a phone call or a video call is an option too.

If you want to do things yourself but just need a little more encouragement, accountability coaching is another

After

Abbe Hardiman of Your Abstract Assistant tackles a kitchen reorganization project for a homeowner.

their gardens, noting that most people don’t water their spaces correctly even if they have an irrigation system. If you want the beauty and minimal upkeep, hiring someone who utilizes nonchemical methods to care for your garden can give you peace of mind and more time to enjoy your space.

ORGANIZE YOUR HOME, ORGANIZE YOUR TIME Paying the light bill. Scheduling your next doctor’s appointment. Picking up the dry cleaning. Too much of our

Learn more

time is taken up by menial tasks that don’t move you forward. While smartphone apps that remind you to do these things can help—more likely they remind you of what you aren’t doing that you promised yourself you would do—it can be worth it to give those tasks to someone else.

While delegating tasks to another person can seem like a luxury, freeing yourself of tedious tasks can improve your focus and give you more time for the things that matter, says Abbe Hardiman, founder of

my God, what am I doing?’ But then they realize they are much happier now that they are able to spend more time with their family or focus on work.”

Eschewing the traditional desk-and-computer style of assisting, Abbe says she’s offered virtual assistance to all sorts of clients, from business people who need to get more work done to teenagers who need help scheduling their

www.yourabstractassistant.com SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

49

people to realize what items they really need in order to live happily, and then organize them accordingly.

service that is becoming more popular. “It’s like paying for a gym membership—having to pay for it makes you want to do it,” Abbe says.

Working with a personal assistant or an accountability coach doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment.

Abbe has clients who she has worked with since she started her business. But the idea of her clients developing the skills to manage themselves doesn’t bother her. “I want people to learn how to change their habits,” she says. “It would make me happy if they feel like they are being successful on their own.”

And if the clutter on your schedule extends to your home, Abbe says home organization can lead to similar effects. With international organization expert Marie Kondo reaching new audiences with the release of her Netflix show, the idea of minimalistic living has become more popular than ever. But that’s not really what Kondo is about. Her methods encourage

TAKING DINNER OFF THE TO -DO LIST With the proliferation of fad diets and clean-eating lifestyle promotions, it seems like there is more pressure than ever to make healthy food choices.

Pile on the stress of having to

Nancy McAveeney, owner of Daily Dish Personal Chef LLC, prepares a meal for appreciative clients.

W W W. A R O U N D C O N C O R D . C O M

follow to do cooking right, and it’s a simpler than they think,” she says. “There’s a lot of, ‘I should be doing this,’ ‘I should be eating that,’ and it’s not that bad. I think they just lack the confidence to do this or make these plans or make a recipe.”

And if a person grew up in a busy household where take-out or convenience meals were the only options, the idea of learning to cook can be daunting.

But a lack of time is perhaps the biggest barrier. Nancy says some of her clients include people preparing to undergo surgery, require a special diet, or are dealing with an illness in their family. To make it even easier, Nancy creates a menu for her clients and generally sticks to the same type of dishes. If a client wants to try something new—or doesn’t want to eat something ever again—she can accommodate that too. “Communication is really the key to any of this,” she says.

“There’s a lot of, ‘I should be doing this,’ ‘I should be eating that,’

and it’s not that bad. I think they just lack the confidence to do this or make these plans or make a recipe.”

— Nancy McAveeney, Daily Dish Personal Chef LLC

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navigate a busy grocery store, find the right ingredients, and actually prepare the food (and then face a mountain of dishes at the end of the meal), and it’s easy to understand why people forgo cooking altogether.

Using meal kits can be an option, but then you still have to go through cooking and cleanup. But if you employ the services of a personal chef, all you may be left with is a single pan and some containers left in your fridge or freezer, says Nancy McAveeney, owner of Daily Dish Personal Chef LLC. “My clients are generally people who are overbooked or for whatever reason don’t have the time or the desire to cook,” she says.

A big part of the stress around dinner can be traced to cultural expectations around food. “I think a lot of people think there are many rules to

www.dailydishllc.com

“I think it takes away the owners having to pack all of

their pet’s belongings and then they have to get them to the facility.

And then they have to get themselves ready. Keeping your pet at home gets rid of that whole level of prep.”

— Kimberly Pease, At Your Paws Pet Service

age around 30 minutes, which can include anything from dog walking to litter box cleaning, goat feeding, and horse grooming. She can give your pet its

them, but they’re like, ‘Don’t touch me.’”

There are benefits for owners, too. “It allows them to extend their workday if they need to, and they know the dog has been walked in the middle of the day,” Kimberly says. “They can go to the gym or run an errand and have that peace of mind.”

Some of the many happy clients of At Your Paws Pet Service who receive care and attention in the convenience of their home.

PUT TING YOUR PET AT EASE It’s hard enough when your pet gives you a mournful look every time you walk out the door. But knowing they may be alone for hours on end can almost make leaving the house feel cruel. It can be even worse when your furry friend loves attention or, as they get older, needs more of it to continue to be comfortable and healthy. Having a pet sitter, even for 30 minutes a day, can give you peace of mind knowing that your critter is being cared for during the day.

If the thought of putting your pet in a kennel gives you and

your pet hives, a pet sitter can make sure they never have to leave their comfortable environment. “I think it takes away the owners having to pack all of their pet’s belongings and then they have to get them to the facility. And then they have to get themselves ready. Keeping your pet at home gets rid of that whole level of prep,” says Kimberly Pease, owner of At Your Paws Pet Service. “As for the pets, it’s a familiar environment. They have their favorite comfortable chair to curl up in, their preferred sun spot, their dish is in the same location.”

Kimberly says her visits aver-

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needed medication, or just some extra love and attention if that’s what it needs.

“I have some clients that request longer visits for dog walks if their dog is high energy and needs more of an outlet,” she says. “With cats, some cats really like to play and need some extra tender loving care every day. Other cats know that you’re here to feed

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BY NICK STOICO

Ubuhle:

THE LIGHT, COLOR, AND ART OF SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN AT THE CURRIER

The Art of Independence

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B

efore Ntombephi Ntobela inspired a new tradition of South African art, she was making and selling beaded jewelry to supplement the income of her husband, a migrant sugarcane cutter working on a plantation.

But the market for handmade jewelry shifted as cheaper plastic crafts became available.

Ntombephi—along with a group of women whom she had taught the craft of beading—reacted to this shift by transitioning to a different, much larger medium. Rather than make small pieces to be worn as accessories, they turned to ndwango, a

style of art where colored glass beads are applied to black fabric stretched tightly so that it can be hung on a wall like a painting. When thousands of these colored beads are delicately applied, they create a vibrant illustration.

Then in 1999—with Ntombephi as their induna, or leader—they created an artists’ collective that they named Ubuhle, which means “beauty” in the Xhosa language. Their home was a former sugar plantation in KwaZulu-Natal that they call Little Farm. Where they were once crafters of handmade jewelry, these women became creators of fine contemporary art that has garnered international praise, financial independence, and lives dedicated to their art.

“It is really overwhelming how beautiful it is and how intricate it is and to think about the time spent on it and how much forethought has to go into a craft like this. Every individual bead is like

Below: Ntombephi “Induna” Ntobela, Tree of Life, 2006, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

Opposite: Thando Ntobela, Ankoli Bull, 2013, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

a pixel of color, and they have to plan it out very far in advance to create an image at the end.”

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“The women in the group . . . make these large beaded panels, which are now travelling and collected as artwork. They also make other things like necklaces and that’s how they make their income. So, they’re using their talent and their ability in craft to gain

Above: Tshengi Duma, Sthembile Majola, Nontanga Manguthsane, Nonhlakanipho Mndiyatha, Kalipha Ntobela, Ntombephi Ntobela, and Thembani Ntobela, The African Crucifixion, 2008, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

Right: Ntombephi “Induna” Ntobela, My Sea, My Sister, My Tears, 2011, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

financial independence.”

UBUHLE Samantha Cataldo, curator of contemporary art at the Currier Museum of Art, says she was amazed when she got to see the work in person. A picture of one of the pieces is impressive enough, but it’s a new experience to see the details up close, she says.

“People need to see it,” Samantha says. “It is really overwhelming how beautiful it is and how intricate it is and to think about the time spent on it and how much forethought has to go into a craft like this. Every individual bead is like a pixel of color, and they have to plan it out very far in advance to create an image at the end.”

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The works vary in size and imagery. The centerpiece of the exhibit is The African Crucifixion, a stunning and massive piece where the beaded fabric covers the wall from floor to ceiling. It’s made up of seven panels and through biblical images, it tells “a contemporary story about hardship and hope in South Africa,” as described by the Smithsonian.

“It’s a real technical feat but it’s also very emotional,” Samantha says. “The women in the group—some of them live together—all work together to create this craft. They make these large beaded panels, which are now travelling and collected as artwork. They also make other things like necklaces and that’s how they make their income. So, they’re using their

Portraits of Artists talent and their ability in craft to gain financial independence.”

As museums have come to value the quality of their work—the first of which in the U.S. was the Smithsonian—it has validated and endorsed what these women believed their work is and what their lives are dedicated to: art. As Bev Gibson, who helped start Ubuhle with Ntombephi as cocurator in 1999, notes, “To have Dr. Jeanette Cole make the statement that the Smithsonian recognized each individual artist as international artists has elevated the status of these artists in their community, in the art world, and most importantly to themselves.”

She adds, “They were embraced by the American public as unknown artists because of the sheer beauty and integrity of their work. Further, the museums that have shown the work and the public that has visited the exhibition as well as their response—both verbal and practical through purchasing their other works—has changed these artists’ lives. And this reception among the American public of these women who have no formal art training has influenced the reception received from art collectors in Europe.”

In turn, this growing profile provides some control and autonomy as to where they exhibit, how they are represented, and how they are paid. “They no longer have to take cheap commissions because they are desperate for cash because the demand for their work is often more than they can produce in a week. They can therefore negotiate their own terms,” says Bev.

PHOTOS BY ZANELE MUHLOLI/UBUHLE ARTISTS

NTOMBEPHI NTOBELA

THANDO NTOBELA

ZANDILE NTOBELA

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“The craft of beading is normally applied to things like clothing, but they use it to create this brilliantly alive artwork. It’s on the wall, it’s framed, it looks

Above: Bongiswa Ntobela, Funky Bull, 2006, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

Right: Zondlile Zondo, My Mother’s Peach Tree, 2012, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

almost like a painting when you approach it but then you realize it’s made up of thousands and thousands of tiny, tiny glass beads.”

This financial freedom described by Samantha and Bev is a significant part of the larger meaning behind the exhibit Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence. Many in South Africa were living in poverty when the group formed in 1999, and Little Farm became a retreat for creative women seeking artistic opportunity. They continued selling jewelry to remain financially independent while raising their families and working on ndwangos, one panel of which takes more than 10 months to make.

The result is an array of beaded work done in a variety of styles unique to each artist’s approach and inspiration. These different voices are captured in each piece, and collectively

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they create an exhibit that is new and unique to the world of contemporary art.

“Some people work in more colors, some people like certain patterns, some women use similar design elements repeated in their works,” Samantha says. “It’s kind of a signature element to them. It’s beautiful to see that sort of evolution.”

BRINGING UBUHLE TO NEW HAMPSHIRE Traveling art exhibits crisscross the nation, introducing communities to new and intriguing works that explore different corners of creativity from around the world. Before coming to New Hampshire, Ubuhle first opened in Washington, D.C., in

Portraits of Artists late 2013. The Currier Museum—celebrating its centennial this year—will be the first in the Northeast to host the exhibit, which made its last stop at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, in February.

Planning for a traveling exhibit is usually done years in advance. According to Samantha, the Ubuhle exhibit came to their attention about two years ago. The museum’s curators came together and with Director Alan Chong decided to try and bring the exhibit to Manchester. Asked what attracted them to this collection, Samantha says that they’d never before seen work quite like it.

“It is a completely new artform for the most part,” she explains. “The art these women are making is unique to them. It’s taking a traditional craft that certainly other people practice in different forms, but they’ve turned it into this incredible artwork. The craft of beading is normally applied to things like clothing, but they use it to create this brilliantly alive artwork. It’s on the wall, it’s framed, it looks almost like a painting when you approach it but then you realize it’s made up of thousands and thousands of tiny, tiny glass beads. So, it’s quite labor-intensive, but they’re abstract and some are representational, or they have figures in them, and they can tell stories.”

The Currier Museum’s own collection is primarily European and American art. It has a strong collection of craftworks and contemporary art by African-American artists, but little from artists working in Africa. “This kind of traditional beadwork is something a

PHOTOS BY ZANELE MUHLOLI/UBUHLE ARTISTS

NONHLAKANIPHO MNDIYATHA

ZONDLILE ZONDO

BEV GIBSON AND NTOMBEPHI “INDUNA” NTOBELA

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“We need to make sure that we have the capacity to create art for all these institutions and have work

Above: Ntombephi “Induna” Ntobela, Tribute to My Sister Bongiswa, 2010, glass beads sewn onto fabric.

available in America. Our hope is that the exhibition will continue to travel and that curators from the U.S. west coast will visit the exhibition and host it in their museums.” lot of museums don’t really have,” Samantha notes. “It’s very special and unique. We thought it was a great opportunity to show something new, and then also have some connections to other collections we have with craftwork.”

STORIES TOLD BEAD BY BEAD When Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence opened at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, D.C., in December 2013, the museum’s director, Camille Giraud Akeju, wrote that she was “amazed by the intricacy of the beading” and the “majesty” of the large-scale works. But what moved Camille the most, and ultimately led

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her to bring the exhibit to the United States, were the artists’ stories and how they were told through the work.

“What seemed truly remarkable was the story behind the Ubuhle artists and their efforts using their own skills to build a self-supporting community of artists to empower local women and to provide a better future for children,” Camille wrote in a statement at the exhibit’s opening.

Ntombephi—the induna of the Ubuhle group—learned to bead from her grandmother, which inspired her use of patterns and vibrant colors. Ntombephi was a master at beading when she started Ubuhle with cocurator Bev Gibson. The group was the result of their shared vision to combine skills

The Currier and Contemporary Art and create jobs for women in rural South Africa. She believes her title, induna, carries with it a responsibility to the future of the group and its work. And she hopes to firmly establish the Ubuhle guild so children may learn to bead.

Ntombephi’s piece My Sea, My Sisters, My Tears shows her masterful command of color as thousands of different shades of blue beads come together to form a radiant image of water. The piece symbolizes human connection in its most basic form. As Ntombephi describes it, “Water is the connection between all that lives.

We are all related by water and water is the source of life.”

Zondlile Zondo, an Ubuhle artist who joined the group in 2008, uses a broad palette of colors in her beadwork. In My Mother’s Peach Tree, a piece from 2012, Zondlile employs explosive reds and bold patterns to show us a peach tree that stands out as a memory from her childhood. Her mother loved the tree, and “When planning this ndwango, I had a sudden memory of that tree where my mother used to sit when we were extremely poor.

We didn’t even have our own home and my mother was striving so that things would be okay for us, but we had this peach tree and when it bloomed it was blazing, blazingly beautiful.”

The largest piece in the exhibit, The African Crucifixion, was originally created for the Anglican Cathedral in the South African city of Pietermaritzburg to hang in a large space behind the pulpit. The piece was created by seven Ubuhle artists, led by Ntombephi, and took nearly a year to complete.

The artists use three trees to tell a story of hardship and hope in South Africa. The Tree of Destruction symbolizes the suffering of Jesus, the Tree of Sacrifice in the center represents the crucifixion itself, and the Tree of Hope to the right represents Jesus’s resurrection.

While the piece illustrates a biblical story, it is “seen through the eyes of a community of women who are dealing with the key issues of 21st century life in rural South Africa: health, food, water, jobs, and security,” notes the Smithsonian.

LOOKING FORWARD Ubuhle is continuing on their artistic mission, to be sure. According to Bev this includes working hard on two private commissions as well as working with galleries in Paris and Geneva, Switzerland.

“We need to make sure that we have the capacity to create art for all these institutions and have work available in America,” Bev says. “Our hope is that the exhibition will continue to travel and that curators from the U.S. west coast will visit the exhibition and host it in their museums.”

For more information on the exhibit and other features coming to the Currier Museum of Art this spring and summer, visit currier.org. Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence runs through June 10.

EXPLORING A WIDER UNIVERSE OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

A

s the curator for contemporary art at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, Samantha Cataldo’s job is to bring works and exhibits to the community that represent different facets of the art of our time. But how is contemporary work defined? Samantha says it’s always changing. “Contemporary art is always a loose term because over time contemporary art becomes art of the past, just like how classic rock stations are different now than they were 10 years ago,” Samantha says.

CRAVIOLA, The museum, which is celebrating its 1969, DESIGN 100th year serving the New Hampshire

BY PAULINHO arts community, presents a variety NOGUEIRA, of features throughout the year. The MANUFACTURED Ubuhle exhibit, featuring the bead work

BY GIANNINI. of living artists based in South Africa, is COURTESY OF THE just one example of contemporary work NATIONAL GUITAR MUSEUM. coming to the museum this year.

Later this summer, the museum will open Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar, an exhibit that dives into the long history of world’s most popular instrument. It’s exhibits like these that Samantha hopes will draw new visitors to the museum while also being of interest to its regular members.

“Showing things that people might not expect is something we like to do,” Samantha says. “That keeps things interesting for our visitors, especially people who come all the time and would like to see something new and different. At the same time there might be someone who loves guitars but has never been to our museum, and now they’ll have a reason to come. It’s our hope that they’ll have a chance to see other exhibits and gain a new appreciation for what we offer and the type of experience they can have at the Currier throughout the year.”

These exhibits are often planned years in advance. Samantha and the rest of the museum’s team of curators and educators work on everything from the layout of the exhibit to the font of the display text that helps explain the work to visitors.

When the time finally comes to prepare the space, the art is carefully shipped to the museum and then set up for display by specially trained art handlers. This process can take weeks as the art is handled delicately, whether it be a large ndwango made up of thousands of glass beads or a centuries-old guitar from medieval Europe.

The best way to keep up with the Currier Museum’s rotation of exhibits and other events is by checking out its calendar at currier.org.

Learn more

currier.org

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Faraway Places

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SHORT FICTION BY SYLVIA BEAUPRÉ

delaide had just discovered the word euphony in a 1934 Webster’s in Past Perfect, an antique shop and her new place of employment.

She wondered why she hadn’t heard that word in any of the night classes she was taking. Her professors never used it, not even Mr. Staley, who taught a class in poetry. She wished she had known it from the very beginning, from Mrs. Campbell’s first grade.

As interesting as she found their meanings, mere definitions of words never sufficed. And now, she had euphony

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(Early Spring 1964) Euphony: A harmonious succession of words having a pleasing sound –Merriam-Webster

for how she felt when she put them together and said them aloud. She pulled her journal from within her cherry rolltop desk and wrote: Perhaps to reach landfall by evening/Or to stay adrift forever/Watching iridescent stars, one by one/Shimmer toward the purple sea.

The journal, which she began as an assignment in last year’s English class, also served as a memory book about her father. When she reread the entries, she found herself better able to understand how his life influenced her own, the sequence of events that led to his death, and her feelings about him—good and bad: the warm, gentle Papa of empty promises and the drunken parent who terrified her and left her on shaky ground, as though she were always walking

When Adelaide heard the door to the shop jingle open, she put the journal back in the desk. A glance toward the entrance and she knew it was him.

around blindfolded, stumbling, afraid of the next moment. Her journal helped put those years in perspective, placed the fears outside herself without renouncing her love or disowning him.

Her more recent writing, however, had not been about her father. Both her neighbors on Puddingstone Hill had lost someone last fall, and although she felt sad for Kate, whose grandmother had died, the left-slanting loops of her words filled pages about Bobby Snow. He’d taken his own life with his father’s World War II souvenir. The news sent chills through her body, and emptiness at the loss of her father—quieted somewhat by the intervening years— reawakened and enveloped her. Could she have done something to help? There must have been something. But what?

When Adelaide heard the door to the shop jingle open, she put the journal back in the desk. A glance toward the entrance and she knew it was him. His sixth visit to Past Perfect, she thought, and then felt herself blush slightly about keeping count of the young man’s visits. His arrival always made her heart jumpy, set it off in directions as erratic as the flight path of a grasshopper. Was it just because it was spring? Well, early spring anyway. There was that occasional warm breeze that blew from the south, and she’d even seen a crocus or two poking their heads up through soft, cold dirt beside the library.

She didn’t even know his name. But then she didn’t know a lot of people who came looking for antiques. Unlike the customers at her previous job at Harris’s Grocery Store—who were her Kettle Crossing neighbors and people she’d known all her life—the people who came into Past Perfect were mainly tourists, or they were dealers who picked up items at discount for their own shops in other towns or distant cities.

To occupy herself, Adelaide grabbed a feather duster and busily dusted everything in sight. She liked the old things in this place. The owner, Edith Rich, artfully arranged them, from bottles to maps and pictures and things made of wood such as desks, bureaus, and even a Victrola with an assortment of thick 78 rpm records. Here, unlike Harris’s, everything had a history. Not that she would have gone looking for a job in an antique shop. The small grocery had been fine, and she would gladly have stayed if the owner, an elderly gent, hadn’t felt the need to sell it to two newcomers who decided to wear all the hats.

Things for Adelaide worked out all right. Edith welcomed the help and trusted Adelaide to maintain the shop while she was away on buying trips.

*** She heard his voice, but not his words. They came from near the door where a captivating show of light and shadow flitted across a

window and mirrored in it the promise of sunny days and bright new leaves bordering Main Street. He stood, a dark outline in the deep recess of a corner, next to a china cupboard with some prints stacked against its base.

Adelaide moved closer.

He pointed to a recently acquired painting. His glasses framed his hazel eyes, which scrutinized a stern-looking schoolmarm holding a stick and appearing to dole out advice to her students.

“School. I remember it well,” he said.

“Me too,” Adelaide ventured.

The picture behind the glass in an embellished gold frame did remind her of her days in the old elementary school, especially the harsh, unhappy Miss Green, who’d taught her in fourth grade.

“I liked it in spite of the teacher,” she added. In her mind she remembered how the word bomb described the teacher’s explosions of temper and the duck-and-cover bomb drills that sent students beneath their desks.

“Studious type, no doubt,” he said, inspecting the frame.

“Afraid so,” Adelaide said, instantly regretting the admission.

She’d thought he must be studious, too. Hadn’t he come in here time and again and studied everything in the shop? But, studious or not, it sounded as though he didn’t appreciate that quality in others. She turned away.

“My name’s Turner Benson,” he said.

“Adelaide Lemire.” She didn’t turn from her dusting.

He walked quickly by her in the narrow aisle between two highboys. As he passed his fingers brushed against her hand. She pulled her hand away as though she’d burned it on a hot pan.

Suddenly he was in front of her, facing her, blocking her. For an awkward moment they faced each other. She was aware of what they would look like to anyone entering the shop; two young people standing almost eye to eye, both slim, with long limbs, brown hair.

“I was a reject myself,” he said.

She knew she was staring at him but didn’t avert her eyes. “Surely you aren’t going to tell me you didn’t do well in school.”

“All As, unfortunately,” he said. He picked up a blue Delft coffee grinder and swung the handle back and forth with the index finger of his right hand.

“Unfortunately? A reject?”

“A high school reject,” he answered. “You know, a social reject.”

“Oh.” “How about you, Adelaide? May I call you that? Miss Lemire sounds so formal for a steady customer like me.”

Something came to mind from an old song—“Far Away Places”—she used to sing on her walk down Puddingstone Hill. There was pleasure and enticement in the unknown. Books gave her that,

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but so had the movie Picnic. Her Aunt Francine took her when she was hardly old enough for grownup movies, but she did recognize that a stranger had entranced Kim Novak.

“Of course you may,” Adelaide said. But how could he claim to be a customer when he never bought anything? “Well,” she said, then paused to choose the right words to answer his first question, “the teachers always liked me, but no one else seemed to know I was alive.”

Oh Lord, let that be the right thing to say, she thought, but then decided because it was the truth, it would have to do.

“Me too,” he replied.

“Really?”

“I wasn’t just your usual reject,” he said, placing the coffee grinder back on its shelf. “I was clumsy, real clumsy. Got an award for it.”

“You’re not serious,” she said, and couldn’t help but laugh. She’d caught on that the glint in his eyes was more than a reflection of his glasses. Still, she’d never had this teasing kind of conversation before.

“Oh yes. Very serious. Superlatives.

You know, everyone votes on who’s most

popular, best dancer, et cetera. Well, me, I got clumsiest.”

“But you weren’t really, were you?” He didn’t look at all clumsy.

“Do you want to hear the worst of it?”

“Only if you want to tell it.”

“Well, I’ll tell you and then you’ll let it go, right?”

“Me? Agreed.” She laughed again. The laughter healed hollow edges inside her and with that, possibilities took flight. The maw of self-doubt, legacy of an uncertain childhood, retracted slightly.

“Well, when they were passing out the awards, there were three steps to the platform and . . .”

“You fell down the steps?”

“No, actually, I fell up them.” He checked his watch. “Got to go. See you next time.”

Next time sounded fine, but Adelaide’s curiosity now got the better of her. If she had to make up a story about him, what would she say? He always seemed to arrive and leave at the same time each Sunday. Where did he come from? Why was he here? Where did he go when he left Past Perfect? And why did he keep coming in, turning over the same objects? By now he must have seen everything in the shop at least twice.

For an awkward moment they faced each other. She was aware of what they would look like to anyone entering the shop; two young people standing almost eye to eye, both slim, with long limbs, brown hair.

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President Kennedy’s assassination a few months ago, a new president in office—the focus of newspapers, magazines, and television news that one couldn’t escape, even in a small New Hampshire town.

***

“‘The fecund sea turned feculent.’

What is this?”

Adelaide fidgeted in her chair in Professor Moreau’s office and silently chastised herself. More than two years of this and still cowed by authority. She blushed with shame at her inability to confront her English professor. Perhaps because what he was saying was so unexpected.

She’d come to this appointment expecting praise, not ridicule. Understandably, he would present a point or two about her short story, find something she had overlooked, suggest ways to improve it.

But she hadn’t expected this type of criticism.

Nonetheless, she mustered the courage to question his judgment. “You said you didn’t want to read nice. You wanted real.”

“Oh, yes. Granted, it is an improvement over last week’s assignment. Purple stars, wasn’t it?” He raised his flinty eyes toward baggy brows in mock disbelief. Then his gaze returned to her. Adelaide dropped her eyes to his pointed beard. “Iridescent stars . . . purple sea.” Her voice faltered.

“So far, Miss Lemire, I know more about the sea and the stars than I do about the characters. Life isn’t all moonbeams and purple stars.” He paused the length of a breath. “No need for a Promethean effort on your part. Just get down to Earth and forget the sentimental stuff. You know,” he said, softening his voice, “I think you’ll make one fine teacher. But the writing . . .” He let his sentence trail off in dismissal.

Her mind ruminated on his words and their implication long after she left his office, even through the weekend and into her Sunday at the shop.

*** Adelaide decided to close the shop early because of the storm.

Spring and snow! She wanted more sun and crocuses and daffodils and new leaves, and she wanted Turner to come through the door, snow or no snow.

Wet and heavy flakes fell beyond the window as she buttoned up for the walk home. She repeated to herself that it was okay he hadn’t shown up this Sunday. The roads were probably getting slick. At least she’d managed to learn more about him over the past few weeks. He was in his last year at Boston University as a prelaw student. Each Sunday he drove his father, who had trouble with his eyes, to visit his ailing sister, Bertha Trombley. Adelaide knew Bertha. She’d been the town librarian until she’d become ill. Adelaide remembered her as a small gray-haired lady with twinkling eyes.

The door opened with a jingle and a blast of icy wind. With the

sound of his voice, something like joy leaped inside her. He asked to walk her home.

“Yes, in just a minute.” Yes! Yes! Yes! She’d never been anywhere, really, just lost in faraway places within books. The faraway places were calling—he was calling. Wasn’t he? “I have a couple of things to do first,” she added, trying to keep her voice steady.

“I’ll wait outside.”

“You’ll freeze!”

“Not me.” No smile accompanied his words. He looked so serious. Adelaide hoped Bertha hadn’t taken a turn for the worse. No, he wouldn’t have left his father alone with her had anything happened.

Maybe, as they sometimes did when there were no customers, he wanted to discuss serious subjects. President Kennedy’s assassination a few months ago, a new president in office—the focus of newspapers, magazines, and television news that one couldn’t escape, even in a small New Hampshire town. Increasingly, the world invaded the tiniest, quietest, remotest of places. It no longer knocked at the door. It invited itself into the living room. Terrible images penetrated her thoughts and threatened to take up permanent residence in her memory. Blood on a pink suit, for example.

Every death, especially those by violence—like her neighbor Bobby Snow’s—was too close to home.

By the time Adelaide put on her coat and went out, he was gone. She looked around. He must have changed his mind, she thought. Her disappointment was as heavy as the outside world and her old coat.

Then something caught her eye. There he was, in a row of saplings next to the shop; the tree limbs doubled over by the weight of heavy wet snow. He stood silently, his arms out to his sides, snow packed on his shoulders, large soggy flakes falling on his head and dripping down his face, his glasses opaque with steam.

“What are you doing?” she called, relieved that he hadn’t left.

“Come here,” he called back.

Adelaide hadn’t planned for the change in the weather. Winter gear had already been put away, boots left on a mat in the shed. She approached, carefully placing her loafers in his larger footprints.

When she got close, he said, “Who am I?” “Turner Benson, of course.”

“No. No. No. Where’s your imagination, Adelaide Lemire? Tut. Tut. Tut.” “I don’t know,” she said.

“I’m a tree! You couldn’t tell? See?” he said as she moved nearer.

“I’m a tree covered with snow.” He swayed. “I bend, I bend, I b-re-a-k.” He keeled over.

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Shop Local In & Around Concord “Turner, get up. You’re getting all wet!”

But she had moved too close and he grabbed her ankle and pulled her down.

“What are you thinking of?” she said trying to get back up. Was this the grave young man who’d left the shop a few minutes before?

“This,” he said, pulling her toward him.

“I’m thinking of this. Lately, it’s all I can think about. The absolute nitty-gritty.

Kiss me.”

Adelaide looked at his eyes, which looked intently back. She moved her face close to his and kissed him on the cheek.

“Right here,” he said, indicating his mouth.

“I’ve never—” “Right here. Right now.”

She complied. China! She’d discovered China! No time to consider that she felt 10 years old instead of 20. His next words made age a moot subject.

“Kiss me again,” he said, and she did.

She became an explorer beyond books.

She saw the glint of oceans, excited schools of fish swirling their rainbow colors beneath waves. She was that new island—Surtsey—blown to the surface by a volcano erupting beneath the sea.

Mountains dipped and swayed. Climates collided, desert heat burned inside, snow burned outside. She laughed and found herself entwined and rolling over and over in a thick wet bed of it.

“What am I going to tell Mama?” she said.

“About being soaking wet? About coming home early? About being with me? Or about that couple over there in the street, staring at us?”

Adelaide turned her head to find no one there. She pushed him over and fell on top of him.

“About your mother,” he said after several minutes.

“Who?” “You know, your Mama?”

“What about her?” she said, kissing him again.

“Well, Miss Adelaide Lemire, what will you tell her?”

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SHOPPING

Europe is closer than you think!

Featuring a delightful selection of European gifts, clothing, and fine foods.

19 North Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 228-1198 www.vikinghouse.com Mon-Sat 10am–6pm

NY Smoke & Vape We carry the largest variety of all vaping devices, including the POD system, JUUL, and Juices, as well as the biggest selection of glass, parts, and accessories of all sizes and price ranges. We are the authorized JUUL retailer in the area. Goodwill gestures and friendly dealing with the most competitive prices are the goal of our business. Customers’ advice and their satisfaction are the success of our business.

132 Loudon Road, Concord, NH (603) 724-6722 Open 7 days/week 10am–9pm

Shop Local In & Around Concord

UNIQUE SHOPPING

Facials, massage, body treatments, manicures, pedicures, hair removal, and more.

254 North State Street, Concord, NH (603) 226-4261 www.bodyandspiritdayspa.com Mon, Tue, Thu 10am–6pm Fri 10am–4pm, Sat 9am–4pm

AMISH HOMESTEAD LOTS OF

NEW

!

INVENTORY

Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co. Voted NH’s Best Boutique!

Beautiful spring fashions and accessories from over 100 designers, including Eileen Fisher, Free People, Uno de 50 and more! Our stylists will outfit you for any special occasion, including weddings, work, or travel.

13 North Main Street, Concord, NH (603) 228-1101 www.ClothingNH.com M–W & Sat 10am-6pm, Thu–Fr 10am-7pm

Visitpage us for at deals ourand specials: Visit our Facebook

New Location www.facebook.com/amish.homstead

80 S.S. Main Street,Street, Concord, NH (603) 715-1680 80 Main Concord NH

Great selection of Amish hand crafted furniture with many different finishes, along with lots of decor, braided rugs, linens, Bentwood rockers and much more!

The Amish Homestead is a genuine one stop shop for Amish made country style furniture and country decor.

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EVENT CALENDAR

|

THEATER

•

MUSIC

•

DANCE

•

LECTURE

•

ART

What's Happening In & Around Concord

May 21

Showtime with Shakespeare Climb into a musical time machine with Jack and Annie and travel back to Elizabethan England!

The daring sibling duo learns to overcome stage fright to save the famed bard’s show.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 10am CCANH.COM

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www.aroundconcord.com

April 10–14

Insignificance Imagine four historical and cultural American icons meeting for one night: a ballplayer and professor, an actress, and a politician, all famous celebrities in their own right. What would they say, and do? The characters are unnamed, but the audience will easily identify this quartet as Joe DiMaggio, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, and Senator Joe McCarthy.

Winnipesaukee Playhouse, 7:30pm Wed–Fri; 7:30pm & 2pm Sat; 5pm Sun WWW.WINNIPESAUKEE PLAYHOUSE.ORG

April 9, 10

Wild Kratts 2.0 Dive into another classic adventure with the Kratt brothers as they combine live action and animation.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm CCANH.COM April 10

Camerata New England Audi, 7:30pm WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG April 10, May 15

Discovering Magic with Andrew Pinard Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATBOXNH.COM April 11

Million Dollar Quartet This smash-hit musical is inspired by the famed recording session that brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for the first and only time.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM April 11, May 23

Queen City Improv

April 12, May 24

April 13

Music Out of the ’Box

Hatbox Performance Lab

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATBOXNH.COM

Hatbox Theatre’s educational series for theater artists and the public looking to explore the theatrical arts and expand their capabilities.

Each month we hold a two-hour (plus!) workshop on different topics including lighting, sound, projections, costumes, design, acting, improv, directing, publicity, and more.

Hatbox Theatre, 2pm HATBOXNH.COM

April 12–14

Haphazardly Ever After Royal chaos ensues when the king and queen decide it’s time for their grown children to move out of the castle.

Jean’s Playhouse, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun JEANSPLAYHOUSE.COM

Join QCI as they perform a night of goofs, gaffes, and laughs through a never before seen show every night! Improvisational theater is made up on the spot, which means the games are planned but the scenes and stories are not!

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm HATBOXNH.COM

April 17

Rosie Revere, Engineer Ms. Greer’s classroom has three inquisitive out-of-the-box thinkers. Rosie Revere has big dreams. Iggy Peck has a relentless passion for architecture. And Ada Twist’s curiosity can drive her teacher crazy.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 10am & 12pm CCANH.COM

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CALENDAR April 27

Indoor Tack Sale to Benefit Becky’s Gift Equine Relief Table fee is $10.

Serenity Stable, Belmont, 8am–2pm BECKYSGIFT.ORG April 28

Pre-Derby Pasta Dinner to Benefit Becky’s Gift Equine Relief A $15 fee includes pasta, marinara sauce, salad, rolls, a beverage, and dessert.

Concord Common Man, 4–7:30pm BECKYSGIFT.ORG

April 18–20

Amelia by Alex Webb Amelia is a heroic Civil War tale of one woman’s search for her husband across the battlefields of America. Performed by only two actors, this tourde-force production embraces the theatricality of storytelling while sharing a beautiful and tragic love story.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

April 28

Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

April 13

The Jazz Arts Trio Audi, 7:30pm WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG

nonsense conversations about politics, the press, and the Trump presidency.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

Hispanic Flamenco Ballet

Walter Trout

Scott Kirby, Gary Green & Bob Doolittle Audi, 7:30pm WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG

April 17

April 14

Don White: Singer, Author & Storyteller

Pod Tours America Pod Save America is hitting the road again to have live, no-

April 25

Audi, 7:30pm WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG

The Magic of Jason Purdy Franklin Opera House, 10am WWW.FRANKLINOPERAHOUSE.ORG

April 17

April 18

Little Bits of Light

Kris Kristofferson and the Strangers

April 26

This unique adaptation of I Never Saw Another Butterfly intertwines poems and artwork from children at the concentration camp Terezin with major historical events and her own family’s history.

Franklin Opera House, 7:30pm WWW.FRANKLINOPERAHOUSE.ORG

Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

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April 24

Audi, 10am WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG

The Flying Monkey, 7:30pm WWW.FLYINGMONKEYNH.COM

Restoration Foursquare Church: Easter Service Audi, 10am WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG

April 15

April 13

April 21

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1964 The Tribute The Flying Monkey, 7:30pm WWW.FLYINGMONKEYNH.COM April 28

Dancing with the Community Stars The Flying Monkey, 2pm WWW.FLYINGMONKEYNH.COM

www.aroundconcord.com

April 23–May 5

The Treasure of Cirque Fou The Treasure of Cirque Fou takes audiences on a thrilling adventure with its oddly assorted crew aboard the Disco Volante, a research vessel on the hunt for treasure. Featuring a fusion of theater, circus, and dance, this adventure includes a mix of aerial arts, acrobatics, Cyr wheel, contortion, flow arts, and much more.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

May 2–4, 10–12

Mary Poppins Franklin Opera House, 7:30pm except May 12, 2pm WWW.FRANKLINOPERAHOUSE.ORG

May 3

The McCartney Years: The Experience The music of the Beatles and Wings, live!

Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

May 3–5

Community Players of Concord: Something’s Afoot This entertaining musical murder mystery is a spoof of Agatha Christie’s classic work Ten Little Indians. Bring your sleuthing skills and sharp eyes and see if you can untangle the mystery.

Audi, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG May 4

Heifer Parade Canterbury Shaker Village, 10am–2pm WWW.SHAKERS.ORG May 4

Felix Cavalieres Rascals

BRYNN R. BAILEY

The Flying Monkey, 7:30pm WWW.FLYINGMONKEYNH.COM April 27

Uprooted The Flying Monkey, 7:30pm WWW.FLYINGMONKEYNH.COM

May 4

Juston McKinney Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM

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CALENDAR May 10

May 18

Sara Juli

John Cusack

Sara Juli discusses her artistic process and the creation of her new work, Burt-Out Wife!

Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm CCANH.COM

Join John Cusack for a screening of Say Anything followed by a live conversation regarding his career and the making of the movie.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm CCANH.COM

May 10

The Machine Performs Pink Floyd The Flying Monkey, 7:30pm WWW.FLYINGMONKEYNH.COM May 11

12th Annual Canterbury Shaker Village XC5k Canterbury Shaker Village, 10am WWW.SHAKERS.ORG May 6

Animal Farm The animals of Mr. Jones’s farm believe they could build themselves a utopia if they could get rid of the humans in charge. When their dreams become a reality, life isn’t as easy as they thought, since old problems take new form.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 10am CCANH.COM May 7

Honoring Preservation Achievement The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance honors the best statewide efforts to revive and save landmarks and communities.

Audi, 4:30pm WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG May 8

Brooklyn Rider Capitol Center for the Arts, 7:30pm CCANH.COM

so (not that their marital states translate as bliss). This Tony-winning musical gives us not only a glimpse into 1970s Manhattan but is also considered the first of the “modern” musicals, combining dark humor with resilient characters.

Winnipesaukee Playhouse, 7:30pm Thu–Sat; 2pm Sun WWW.WINNIPESAUKEEPLAYHOUSE.ORG

Bob Marley The Flying Monkey, 6:30 & 9pm WWW.FLYINGMONKEYNH.COM May 13

17th Annual Perennial Exchange Audi, 8am–12pm WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG

May 9–19

Bo-Nita by Elizabeth Heffron Bo-Nita has a broke, man-crazy momma, Grandma Tiny the retired belly-dancer, and a philosophical semi-ex-stepfather—who may or may not be dying on her bedroom floor. Come let Bo-Nita, Mona, Tiny, Gerard, Leon, the Colonel, and Uncle Jacque take you on a wild ride through working-class America with all their dysfunctional glory.

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

May 14

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live – King for a Day Daniel Tiger and all his friends invite you for a brand-new adventure in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 6pm CCANH.COM

May 18

Spring Volunteer Cleanup

May 8

Klezperanto Music and Dance Audi, 7:30pm WWW.CONCORDCITYAUDITORIUM.ORG May 9

NEEDTOBREATHE Capitol Center for the Arts, 7pm CCANH.COM May 9–12

Company Robert is 35 (or about to be) and unmarried, unlike nearly all of his friends . . . unhappily

We are seeking volunteers who love to be outside and don’t mind a little yard work.

Our crew of volunteers will be asked to help with tasks such as clearing sticks and leaves and cleaning out the garden beds to get the ready for planting. You can volunteer for as little or as long as you’d like for the day, but those volunteers who participate for the four-hour shift will receive two free tickets to come back and enjoy the Castle during the season. We will provide lunch to all volunteers.

Castle in the Clouds, 10am–2pm WWW.CASTLEINTHECLOUDS.ORG

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May 11

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www.aroundconcord.com

May 26

May 19

Victoria Valentine: Paranormal Investigator

The Brigadoons Audi, 4pm WWW.CONCORD CITYAUDITORIUM.ORG

May 17

Finding Neverland Finding Neverland tells the incredible story behind one of the world’s most beloved characters: Peter Pan. Capitol Center for the Arts, 8pm CCANH.COM May 19

Ghost Ship Radio is thrilled to bring its production of Victoria Valentine: Paranormal Investigator to the Hatbox.

An original radio play series, Victoria Valentine mixes old and new. Set in 1940s New York City, Victoria takes the cases deemed too strange for her competitors.

Join us as we showcase several of her most exciting and harrowing cases live on stage!

Hatbox Theatre, 2pm HATBOXNH.COM

May 31–June 16

Little Shop of Horrors Seymour Krelborn is a meek floral assistant at Mushnik’s Skid Row Florists with a crush on his coworker, Audrey. One day, after a total eclipse of the sun, he stumbles across a new breed of plant life, which he affectionately names “Audrey II.” Prepare to be immersed in a vibrant and powerful production that will use various scale of puppetry and movement, as well as shadow, projection, and other multimedia effects to bring Skid Row to life!

Hatbox Theatre, 7:30pm Fri & Sat; 2pm Sun HATBOXNH.COM

May 28

The Brigadoons

Pete the Cat

Capitol Center for the Arts, 4pm CCANH.COM May 19

Purple Reign: The Prince Tribute Show Capitol Center for the Arts, 76:30pm CCANH.COM

When Pete gets caught rocking out after bedtime, the cat catcher sends him to live with the Biddle family to learn his manners—and boy are they square! But for the groovy blue cat, life is an adventure.

Capitol Center for the Arts, 10am CCANH.COM

ADVERTISERS INDEX 19th Hole at Beaver Meadow ....................................................37

Johnny Prescott Heating Oil & Propane ................................... 2

A&B Lumber/Belletetes..............................Outside Back Cover

Landforms ......................................................................................33

Alan's of Boscawen ......................................................................37

Laurie A. Rosato, DMD ................................................................. 5

Amish Homestead .......................................................................65

Ledyard Bank ................................................................................... 3

Annis & Zellers...............................................................................13

Makris Lobster & Steak House .................................................37

Better Hearing Center .................................................................25

Marshall's Florist ..........................................................................47

Body & Spirit Day Spa .................................................................65

Merrimack County Savings Bank ............................................... 8

Bow Plumbing & Heating ............................................................13

Moritomo Japanese Steak House ............................................36

Casa Dei Bambini .........................................................................35

Northeast Delta Dental................................................................17

Charter Trust ................................................................................... 9

NY Smoke & Vape Shop ............................................................ 64

Cheers Downtown .......................................................................37

Pats Peak Banquet Center ........................................................... 11

Concord Antiques ........................................................................47

Pine Rock Manor...........................................................................25

Concord Imaging Center ............................... Inside Back Cover

Revival Kitchen ..............................................................................36

Constantly Pizza ...........................................................................37

Rumford Stone ................................................ Inside Front Cover

Cowan & Zellers ............................................................................17

Schoodacs Coffeehouse .............................................................37

Currier Museum of Art ................................................................21

Speers ...............................................................................................21

Daniel's of Henniker ....................................................................37

Sugar River Bank ............................................................................15

Endicott Furniture ............................................................................ 1

Tasker Landscaping ........................................................................ 7

FW Webb .......................................................................................25

The Centennial ...............................................................................15

Goldsmiths Gallery ......................................................................29

The Hotel Concord .......................................................................29

Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co. ............................................65

Upton & Hatfield, LLP ................................................................... 11

Granite Restaurant & Bar ...........................................................37

Vibes Gourmet Burgers ..............................................................37

HR Clough ......................................................................................47

Viking House ................................................................................ 64

SUBSCRIBE Bring the splendor of Around Concord directly to your home!

Share the wonder of our beautiful area and the latest news all year long with an Around Concord gift subscription. Be sure to order a subscription for yourself too!

Send a check for $19.95 for one year (4 issues) to: Around Concord One Monitor Drive, Concord, NH 03301.

Or call 603-369-3212.

SPRING 2019 | AROUND CONCORD

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LAST WORD |

PHOTOS BY SYD SENNETT

A Few Favorite

Spring Things What do you like to do when spring rains keep us inside? Here’s a few thoughts from Around Concord.

Caitlin Andrews If I’m feeling like a hermit, curling up in sweats with a book is the way to go. If not, heading to True Brew or burn off steam at the Altitude Trampoline Park.

Syd Sennett Ever since I was little, my mom and I would always go out and dance in the rain if it was warm enough.

It’s such a fun and liberating little activity.

Kathy Fortin In a light rain I put on my Wellies and a slicker and go for a walk in my back field.

Brad Wuorinen I enjoy the often-avoided act of purging.

I’ll tackle a specific area of the house, like my closet or desk or kitchen cabinets, and pull everything out and start the selective process of “keep, toss, donate.”

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World Class

Medical Imaging Services The American Cancer society has recognized Concord Imaging Center as a Partner Against Cancer.

Nurse and patient discussing Open MRI.

The American College of Radiology has designated Concord Imaging Center as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.

For nearly three decades, Concord Imaging Center has been providing

Professional Medical Imaging Services

to the greater Concord area.

Continually investing in new technology

ensures the highest quality medical imaging.

Truly Open MRI

Each image is carefully reviewed by one, or more, of our on-staff, board-certified radiologist/physicians.

The result is world-class preventative and

diagnostic medical imaging services.

We are focused on patient comfort and providing

consistent, quality care. To learn more about the depth of care we provide, please visit our website.

3D Breast Imaging

ConcordImagingCenter.com

Appointment Line: (603) 230-7274

Around Concord One Monitor Drive Concord, NH 03301

PRSRT STD US Postage

PAID

Manchester NH Permit 792

Every Home Waits To Be A

MARVIN HOME Find inspiration at your local, independent Marvin dealer today.