Our BerkshireTimes Magazine, June-July 2015

June-July 2015 vol 20

(31)

Complimentary

Our BerkshireTimes

™

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

Special Art, Culture & Entertainment and Health & Wellness Features Visit us at www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Dream Kitchen

Bathroom Remodel

Interior Renovations

Siding & Windows

Roofing Contractor

Additions & Decks

“Any job large or small, we do it right or not at all.”  FULL LINE REMODELING CONTRACTOR  CONVENIENT FINANCING  LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1992  MORE CHOICES  PERSONAL SERVICE  DOWNTOWN SHOWROOM  BETTER PRICES

Fully Licensed & Insured Lic# 051408, Reg # 131832

(413) 442-3001  674 North Street, Pittsfield, MA  www.morrisonshomeimprovement.com

Contents

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

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art, culture & entertainment

PORCHES BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS

FUN IN THE SUN GIFT GUIDE

SEA OF ENERGY

fashion & beauty health & wellness

MOVEMENT MATTERS

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT Our BerkshireGreen, Inc. P.O. Box 133, Housatonic, MA 01236 Phone: (413) 274-1122 advertise@OurBerkshiretimes.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com www.OurBerkshireCalendar.com _______________ COVER ILLUSTRATION

Theater of Shells and Spirits (detail)

by Ann Getsinger, Artist Ann has been creatively working in the Berkshires for decades – painting, drawing, and sculpting. Her home and studio are in New Marlborough, MA, but she also has a strong connection to the coast of Maine. Using a stream of consciousness process, her work takes a narrative form, leaving space for the unconscious and the conscious to unfold in surprising ways. Her work is widely collected.

Visit www.anngetsinger.com.

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FACE HAVEN MAKEUP TIPS

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS HAVE YOU HEARD?

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real estate & professionals

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS

Copyeditor/Proofreader Rodelinde Albrecht _______________

Elisa Jones, Berkshire Design Studio elisa@berkshiredesignstudio.com _______________

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EVENT SAMPLER

REAL PICKLES

Ads–Independent Designers Christine Dupre cedupre@msn.com

Photo by Antonia Small

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Rodelinde Albrecht rodelinde@gmail.com

DESIGN Magazine Design/Layout Kathy I. Regan

June - July 2015

food & drink DARK CHOCOLATE PÔT DE CRÈME LOVING LAVENDER

home, garden & landscape WHEN HOUSES WALK

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education & workshops WHAT HAPPENED?

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mind & spirit A SCOTTISH ODYESSY

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animal talk UNDERSTANDING RAW FEEDING

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Our BerkshireTimes™

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

All content in Our BerkshireTimes™ is accepted in good faith. We do not necessarily advocate and cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by our authors, illustrators, and advertisers. We reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason. For printing errors of the publisher's responsibility, liability is limited to the cost of the ad space in which it first appeared.

Unless otherwise noted, we use a Creative Commons License in place of a standard copyright.

This publication is printed with soy ink on FSC-certified paper.

Theater of Shells and Spirits (detail) by Ann Getsinger is a 32" x 44" oil on linen. This painting will be among those shown in a one-person show called Stillscapes from June 6 to July 18 at the Minor Memorial Library Community Studio and Gallery in Roxbury, CT, www.biblio.org/roxbury.

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art, culture & entertainment

june-july event sampler / go to www.ourberkshirecalendar.com Ah, the Artful Abundance of Life!

Summer Soirees at Nine Mountain Retreat Date: Wednesday, June 10, 17, and 24, 2015, 7pm Place: 9 Mountain Street, Plainfield, MA - (413) 634-0321 Price: $40/person for the evening, $80/person overnight with brunch.

Come enjoy a relaxed, elegant evening of art and fine dining in the Hilltowns. Nine Mountain Retreat’s Summer Soiree Series features a gallery of local artists’ work, live musicians, and delicious food prepared by our gourmet chef Brahim Ainabi. Chef Ainabi fuses Moroccan, French, and German cooking and each soiree features a different 3-course menu. Dinner is served at 7pm, performance extends into the evening. Overnight options available, and include brunch. RSVP required, please email hilary@ninemountain.com. www.ninemountain.com Butterfly & Bug Safari Date: Saturday, June 20, 2015, 10:30am-12pm (weather permitting) Place: Project Native, 342 North Plain Road, Housatonic, MA (413) 274-3433, Price: Free. Join us on an adventure through the farm. We will go on a safari with nets, bug boxes, and magnifying glasses to find eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies to relocate into the Butterfly House. We will identify the butterflies we collect and in some cases release them into the Butterfly House. All ages are welcome to participate. Please note, safaris do require walking on uneven

ground, and children should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Participants will gather at Project Native. www.projectnative.org Strawberry Fields Forever Date: Thursday, June 25, 2015, 3-7pm Place: On the Green at Harris Street, West Stockbridge, MA Price: Free. The strawberry crop will be our focus this week at the West Stockbridge Farmers’ Market with sweet and savory items to buy. Thursday afternoons 3-7pm, through October 8, selling local produce with entertainment and weekly raffle, rain, or shine. weststockbridgefarmersmarket.org Just for Fun: West African Dance and Drum Workshop Performance Date: Friday, July 17, 2015, 1pm Place: PS21: Performance Spaces for the 21st Century, 2980 Route 66, Chatham, NY - (518) 392-6121 Price: Free. A high-energy performance of dance and drumming by the participants in the PS21 West African Dance and Drumming Workshop taught by dancer/choreographer Jamal Jackson and members of his company including drummer Frank Malloy III. This is the fourth year that we are offering this popular workshop and performance. www.tinyurl.com/k5ct6y5

art show STUNNING, VIVID ARTWORK CREATED BY CATA ARTISTS

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ATA’s annual art show, “I Am a Part of Art,” takes place at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts (28 Renne Avenue, Pittsfield. MA) on Thursday, July 9 from 5pm-7pm. The exhibit features stunning, vivid artwork created by 100 CATA artists with disabilities, honoring their talents and expanding public perception of disability. Free admission and reception. All artwork for sale. To learn more about Community Access to the Arts, CATA, go to www.communityaccesstothearts.org.

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June | July 2015

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com 413-637-1224 www.tobislimo.com tobislimo@aol.com

enjoy the ride FUEL-EFFICIENT CHAUFFEURED TRANSPORTATION

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obi’s Limousine Service offers a full range of luxury vehicles. Professional chauffeurs will drive you safely to or from New York City, Boston, JFK, LaGuardia, Logan, Newark, Albany, Bradley Airport – anywhere and any time. Travel in style and let Tobi’s worry about traffic. They will always get you there on time, any time. For the business traveler or leisure travel, call (413) 637-1224 in Lenox, MA, to reserve your ride.

Visit www.tobislimo.com for more information.

art, culture & entertainment

25th anniversary JOIN BIDWELL HOUSE MUSEUM'S CELEBRATION!

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he Bidwell House Museum, the Berkshires’ own colonial history museum, is marking 25 years of welcoming visitors to the historic homestead and grounds this year.

The 1750s house on 192 acres of fields, gardens, and forest tells the story of the early settlement of the Berkshires. It was the home of the Reverend Adonijah Bidwell, first pastor to the pioneer community. The museum opens for the season on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25th. Tours are offered Thursdays through Mondays from 11am to 4pm on the hour.

The museum’s location at the end of a country lane is part of its great appeal: a visit is an authentic experience of eighteenth century life.

Special anniversary events include Township No. 1 Day, the museum’s free community celebration of local history, on Friday, July 3, and the 25th Anniversary Gala Garden Party on August 15. The full event series can be found on the museum’s website at www.bidwellhousemuseum.org. Plan a visit to the eighteenth century this summer in Monterey, MA!

the camp experience ENHANCE SELF-ESTEEM, INDEPENDENCE & SOCIAL VALUES

amp Half Moon located in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts offers a traditional sleepover camp experience as well as a day camp program for local campers ages 3-15. Our sleep-away camp in the Berkshires is an engaging and rewarding experience for children ages 6-16. The essence of this experience enhances a child’s self-esteem, independence, and social values, in addition to providing wonderful memories that often last a lifetime.

We feel that children gain the most from their camp experience during a minimum stay of three weeks. This allows time for each camper to develop a sense of accomplishment through the development of new activity skills and to cultivate special friendships and enhance personal growth and independence, which is the essence of the summer camp experience. Thus we only accept a limited number of one- and two-week enrollments in order to maintain continuity within our program.

We believe in giving children sound learning skills, based on consistent skill improvement, rather than rigorous competition.

Children gain in confidence when they are encouraged to see even small improvements as personal success.

Celebrating 92 93 Amazing Summers in the Berkshires!

Enroll Today For Summer 2015

Day Camp and Sleepover Camp ~ Ages 3 to 16 Flexible Sessions ~ Beautiful Lake Buel Campus Only 5 miles from Gt. Barrington, MA

S40658

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~ 888-528-0940 camphalfmoon.com 9 Camp Half-Moon Rd | P.O. Box 188 Great Barrington, MA 01230 (888) 528-0940 | (413) 528-0940

www.camphalfmoon.com

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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CHERISH

art, culture & entertainment

Fun in the Sun Gift Guide PROTECT

jane iredale Lip Drink SPF 15 Lip Balm at Face Haven

Get ready for summer activities this season with a protective drink for your lips in two NEW tinted shades that add a pretty hint of color to your protection. A combination of waxes and oils create a protective shield while broad-spectrum UV blockers, along with a blend of powerful antioxidants, help protect against future damage, leaving your lips soft, smooth, and beautiful. Retail $15. Face Haven has been providing quality cosmetics in Great Barrington for 12 years and offers all services related to makeup including bridal and special occasion, color matching, consultations, makeovers, and lessons for every level.

Face Haven, 323 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA, (413) 528-4053

IMAGINE

Tree Houses and Kidscapes from Backyard Heirlooms

Most of us dream of having a tree house as a clubhouse, a retreat, or observation platform with a rope swing or zip line, secret door, and a keep out sign. A place to make memories. I love working with children and the child at heart to make their dreams a reality.

A tree house, kidscape, or architectural replica birdhouse in your backyard is a wonderful way to get back to nature while making memories that last a lifetime. Your imagination is my only limitation. We offer quality craftsmanship with safety as our priority. Come visit us at Backyard Heirlooms, 525 S. Main Street, Great Barrington, (413) 528-3095, www.backyardheirlooms.com.

spectacular music 2015 HOTCHKISS PORTALS – PIANO CONCERT SERIES

saVe tHe Dates

Hotchkiss portals ~ piano Concert series July 12 - July 26, 2015 Featuring concerts by:

Boris Berman July 12 menahem pressler July 17 Fabio & Gisele Witkowski, luiz de moura Castro, and many others.

- Check our website for updated concert listings -

HotCHkIssportals.orG the Hotchkiss school 11 Interlaken road, lakeville, ct 860.435.3775 | hotchkissportals.org

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June | July 2015

s u m m e r p o r ta l s

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

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he Hotchkiss School welcomes everyone to enjoy its annual summer series of world-class concerts – free and open to the public. Whether for a pre-concert picnic at Hotchkiss or simply to take in spectacular views of Lake Wononscopomuc and the Berkshire Mountains, visitors are invited to come early before enjoying performances inside the school’s spectacular Katherine M. Elfers Hall, Esther Eastman Music Center.

This year, featured performers include renowned pianists Boris Berman, Chair of the Piano Department at the Yale School of Music, and Menahem Pressler, founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio, whose career spans 60 years. Of Berman, The Los Angeles Times writes, “[Boris Berman has] the unmistakable stamp of the great Russian tradition of breathless virtuosity and absolute security.” The New York Times calls Pressler “a poet, time and again revealing unexpected depths in works that have been endlessly plumbed and surveyed.” Mr. Berman performs July 12 and Mr. Pressler July 17.

For more information, visit hotchkissportals.org or call (860) 4353775. The Hotchkiss School, 11 Interlaken Road, Lakeville, CT. The concert hall is air-conditioned and handicapped-accessible.

art, culture & entertainment

antiques show

SHEFFIELD

THE FINEST ANTIQUE DEALERS OF THE NORTHEAST

ANTIQUES SHOW

S

heffield, MA, is the home of the longest continuously running antiques show in the state. Held every summer since 1948, this year’s show features fine 18th-20th century furniture, oriental rugs, fine oil paintings, watercolors and prints, rare advertising posters, antique and vintage jewelry, exceptional accessories, china, glassware, sterling silver, and more! Held in the Mount Everett High School, ample parking, A/C, lunch, bake sale, quilt raffle. Sponsored by the First Congregational Church, Sheffield. Starts at 10am daily (see ad for dates).

Bel Canto Chamber Players Classical String Musicians for Your Wedding Call Carol to Book Your Event

(413) 586-4992

www.belcantochamberplayers.com

Aug 7, 8, 9, 2015

Mt. Everett Regional High School 491 Berkshire School Road Sheffield, MA 01257

www.sheffieldantiques.org

for your special event CLASSICAL STRING QUARTET

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f you want the best classical string quartet music live at your wedding, the Bel Canto Chamber Players have more than 25 years experience doing just that! Listen to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons floating across the lawn from the porch of your home or special Berkshire County inn. We play for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, reception; the favorite music you want every time! Whether it’s Bach, Pachelbel, Mozart, or the Beatles, you’ll love the music as much as we do.

something for everyone UNIQUE COMMUNITY CENTER IN SOUTHERN BERKSHIRES

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erkshire South Regional Community Center is the one and only nonprofit community resource that has something for everyone. Young or old, well-off or in need, able or disabled.

Berkshire South works hard to offer something for everyone.

Unique to the Southern Berkshires, the Community Center has a splash playground that provides endless fun for children, a therapy warm pool for recovery and recuperation, childcare programs for working families, and wellness programs that enhance your life.

berkshire made

HIGH-QUALITY CUSTOMIZABLE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

www.magicfluke.com

gic

Fluke Co.

Ma

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he Magic Fluke Company was started in 1999 by Dale and Phyllis Webb in New Hartford, CT, and relocated to Sheffield, MA, in 2010. World-renowned for USA-made Fluke, Flea, and Firefly ukuleles, and more recently the Cricket electric/ acoustic travel fiddle and electric bass. Visitors are welcome to stop by our solar-powered shop and retail store 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday, or call for an appointment. 292 S. Main Street, Sheffield, MA, (413) 229-8536, sales@magicfluke.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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Take Her Breath TakeAway!

Her Breath Away!

fashion & beauty

OW ON SALE S NOW ON SALE S NOW ON SALE S NOW ON SALE S NOW ON SALE S NOW ON SALE S NOW ON SALE S NOW ON SALE

Face Haven Mak

the perfect pout  go

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he following tips will help keep you looking fresh and pretty this summer.

the perfect pout

The quality of the lip product you use is essential. It should not only provide color but also treat and protect your lips, which is why we use jane iredale lip products here at Face Haven. They are gorgeous shades and have tantalizing finishes that accentuate, quench, and define your lips, all without lip-drying, petroleum-based ingredients.

We prefer helping you choose a lip product and hue that is more about your personal style rather than about following “the rules.” Knowing which finish you prefer; glossy, sheer, or matt will narrow the choices. The right shade will ideally work with your skin tone and complement the natural color of your lips, and the right product will fit into your lifestyle.

Fine Jew s ’ n ele a i b rs a Est. 1985 Z 15 Main Street, Lee 413-243-0508 www.zabians.com 8

June | July 2015

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

gorgeous eyes

In addition to color, the finish of eye makeup plays an important role in constructing a look that suits the shape of your eye and can completely change not just how a product looks, but how it should be used. For example an eye gloss can be used on its own as a single shadow to soften and brighten or as an amazing primer to keep powder shadow on all day. jane iredale eye shadow possibilities are endless when combining high-quality ingredients and different formulas.

Colors range from neutral sheers to moonlit matts. The minerals are highly pigmented and simple to blend,

fashion & beauty

keup Tips

FACE HAVEN NATURAL COSMETICS & MAKEUP STUDIO

“Our focus is on service and providing the ultimate jane iredale mineral cosmetics experience. I guarantee we can transform your look in minutes and transition you from day to night in seconds.” ~ Sherie K. Ross, Proprietor

orgeous eyes  beautiful cheeks

(413) 528-4053 323 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

sensitivity-tested and they stay put for a gorgeous, creasefree, long-lasting look.

beautiful cheeks When choosing a blush, the color should mimic your natural flush and the formula must work with your skin type. Dry, oily, or textured skin can affect your choice and layering formulas can deliver amazing results. For a dynamic duo of luster, combine a bright blush for a pop of color with the warmth of a beautiful bronzer. The key to achieving a natural healthy-looking glow is using pure pigmented products. jane iredale blushes and bronzers are great for all skin types and designed to keep you radiant all day long.

radiant complexion With so many foundation options, how do you choose what is right for you and your lifestyle? Are you looking to conceal redness, blemishes, brown spots, or wrinkles? Is your skin dry, oily, or a combination of both? Depending on how your skin looks and feels, and the coverage you prefer, will determine which formula is right for you. ~ Face Haven has been providing quality cosmetics in Great Barrington

for 12 years, and owner Sherie K. Ross says “Our focus is on service and providing the ultimate jane iredale mineral cosmetics experience. We only carry jane iredale products because they are dermatologist recommended and free of chemicals, dyes, and preservatives. At the same time they remain cutting edge and not only look amazing but can actually improve your skin.” Face Haven offers all services related to makeup including bridal and special occasion, color matching, consultations, makeovers, and lessons for every level. We understand that most people have trouble picking out foundation colors, understanding undertones, and realizing that makeup is not as complicated as it seems. When you are using the right line of cosmetics it is really hard to make a mistake. At Face Haven we offer beginner to advanced consultations where we not only give color advice, but also recognize areas of concern and teach problem-solving techniques. A simple lesson in concealing or a quick tip on lifting a droopy eye can not only liven your appearance but also change your whole outlook on wearing makeup. We can absolutely map out a daily routine to suit an individual’s lifestyle. jane iredale products are multipurpose, so if time is your issue I guarantee we can transform your look in minutes and transition you from day to night in seconds. Sherie K. Ross, Face Haven, 323 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA, (413) 528-4053.

Now in 2 Locations!

684 Main Street Great Barrington, MA Wed - Mon 11-5 Sun 12-4 2 Albany Road West Stockbridge, MA Thur - Mon 11-5 Sun 12-4 Featuring a curated collection of fashion, art, jewelry, antiques, and more.

DR .

Dr.

413-248-7778

www.facebook.com/NEXTConsign

J a y W i s e , D D S Casey Jones, DMD

33 Park street, suite 6, lee, ma 01238 ( 4 1 3 ) 2 4 3 - 1 2 2 2 • D r j ay w i s e d d s .c o m T h i s i s wh e r e h e alt h , b e au t y a n d we l l b e i n g b eg i n .

T hat ’ s O Ur B u s i n es s .

ndy WeOPTICAL

Wendy is a licensed optician with 25 years experience fitting happy customers with beautiful frames and lenses in the Berkshires.

REPAIRS | CLEANING | ADJUSTMENTS 56 Elm Street, Pittsfield, MA 413.445.5700 Wed-Sat 10am to 6pm

www.wendyoptical.com

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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health & wellness

real pickles

HEALTHY, DELICIOUS & DIFFERENT!

Raw, naturally fermented vegetables are enjoying a cultural and scientific renaissance in recent years. Research shows that including these foods in our diet can improve our health from gut to brain. The microbiome of our intestines carries 100 times more DNA than the entire human genome. This complex community influences our health in many ways and is highly impacted by our diet. By consuming foods rich in probiotics, we can improve the health of this microbial community, as well as our general health and wellbeing.

Similar to those found in yogurt, probiotic cultures produced during lactic acid fermentation of vegetables are known to have many health benefits, including improved intestinal tract health, enhanced immune system function, improved availability of nutrients, decreased allergies, inflammation relief, protection against microbial infection, and maintenance of gut flora that may help to control weight gain and appetite. Additional potential benefits include improved pediatric health and immune system development as well as the reduction of cold and flu symptoms and the need for antibiotics. Evidence also shows that probiotics may reduce the risk of colon cancer, and recent studies suggest that gut microbiota communicate with the central nervous system

and positively impact brain function and behavior, including anxiety, mood, cognition, and pain. See our website listed below for more information and references.

Beet & Goat Cheese Toasts ingredients: Crusty sourdough baguette, (sliced into 1/2 inch slices) Soft goat cheese Organic Beets, well-drained Parsley, chopped (optional) instructions: Brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Let cool. Spread generously with goat cheese and top with Real Pickles Organic Beets. Broil until warm. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately. ~ Real Pickles is a small, worker-owned cooperative located in Greenfield, MA, that produces pickled products that are raw, vinegar-free, 100% organic, and rich in probiotics. Their products (including pickles, sauerkraut, beets, carrots, hot sauce, amazing beet kvass, and more) are made using the traditional natural fermentation process that has been used for centuries all over the world. In support of a regional food system, they buy all of their vegetables from family farms in the Northeast and sell their products only within the Northeast. www.realpickles.com

here's to your health

Berkshire Home Health Solutions, LLC

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY STARTS HERE

B

erkshire Home Health Solutions is your single source for the supplies you need and the service you deserve. After all, getting you better is what we do best.

No one in the tristate area has a larger inventory of home healthcare products, from lift chairs to wrist braces, blood pressure monitors to cloud pillows, fish oil to fitness balls.

 Exercise / Fitness/Orthopedic Supplies  Mobility Aids  Compression Stockings  Back/Neck Support  Home/Bath Safety  Mobility Aids  Nutritional Supplements  Rental Beds/Chairs Wound Care Supplies  Lift Chairs  Stairlifts The most comprehensive collection of supplies and services for home health & personal care in the Berkshires. We utilize an integrative approach to meet the needs of every client.

Call (413) 528-6083 789 South Main Street in Great Barrington, MA

www.BerkshireHealthSolutions.com 10

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Just as important, no one in the tristate area has more experience. Chances are you already know Gary Williams, long a familiar face in South Berkshire. Gary served at Fairview Hospital and the former Bill’s Pharmacy for over three decades. Gerry Meenagh is a long-time registered nurse at several private institutions in the Berkshires – and if laughter is truly the best medicine, Gerry will have you feeling better in no time. He has nursing experience in geriatric, psychiatric, and pediatric care.

Get on the road to recovery today. Call 413-528-6083 if you have any questions or, even better, stop by our store at 789 South Main Street in Great Barrington, across from East Mountain Medical Center. www.berkshirehealthsolutions.com

health & wellness

winning smile WHERE HEALTH, BEAUTY & WELLBEING BEGIN

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ow in our new location! With all of the uncommonly healthy food options here in our Berkshires, don’t forget: it takes great teeth to enjoy great food! We can help. Dr. Wise and Dr. Jones place a high value on overall health, prevention, and self care . . . we think our dental team is second to none!

All phases of restorative, implant, and cosmetic dentistry done with patient first focus in our brand-new and modern facility in convenient Lee, MA.

empower yourself ACHIEVE OPTIMAL WELLNESS

M

adden Chiropractic now offers cellular inflammation testing. Cellular inflammation is the type of inflammation that is below the perception of pain. It disrupts hormonal signaling at the cellular levels that leads to increased fat accumulation and acceleration of the development of chronic disease. You can’t feel cellular inflammation, but you can measure it. The only way to measure cellular inflammation is by testing the ratio of two essential fatty acids in your blood.

the value of vision WE ARE COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE VERY BEST CARE

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id you know that 80 percent of your brain’s activity has to do with vision? Here at Berkshire Eye Center, we will discuss with you the three main aspects of your vision: visual quality, visual comfort, and visual protection. We offer routine and comprehensive eye exams to patients of all ages including newborn evaluations, exams and medical care for young and school-age children, and treatment of age-related conditions in adults and the elderly.

When you come in for a routine eye appointment our doctors and clinical staff will provide several tests to evaluate the health of your vision. These routine evaluations typically include a refractive test, color blindness test, ocular pressure check, peripheral vision check, and a review of your overall eye health and vision. If any findings are discovered or diagnosed during the exam, then further tests may be performed or scheduled at a later date for further evaluation.

We are committed to delivering the very best in eye care. Our team of doctors, technicians, opticians, and support staff will work to treat each of our patients with dignity and respect; provide dependable and courteous service; communicate clearly and honestly; protect patient confidentiality; and earn our patients’ trust.

DR .

Dr.

J a y W i s e , D D S Casey Jones, DMD

33 Park street, suite 6, lee, ma 01238 ( 4 1 3 ) 2 4 3 - 1 2 2 2 • D r j ay w i s e d d s .c o m T h i s i s wh e r e h e alt h , b e au t y a n d we l l b e i n g b eg i n .

T hat ’ s O Ur B u s i n es s .

Madden Chiropractic LLC Convenient Locations 22 Convenient Locations

Dr. Keith Madden & Dr. Brian Traversa Graduates of Palmer College of Chiropractic Open week.

Most insurances accepted. �� 6���days ����a ��� ����� �� ���� ��� � ���� � �����

rAchieve Optimal Wellnesss Allendale Underground, Pittsfield, MA (413) 442-0913 35 Canal St., Lee, MA (413) 243-3994

Celebrating 20 Years

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of Knowledgeable, Friendly Service.

Our Our Superior Superior Quality Quality Lenses Lenses and and Our Superior Quality Lenses and Staff Staff Expertise Expertise Exemplify Exemplify Our Our Commitment Commitment to to You. You. Staff Expertise Exemplify Our Commitment to You.

www.berkshireeye.com www.berkshireeye.com www.berkshireeye.com

We Have a Variety of Designer Frames to Fit Your Individual Style and Fashion Needs

WW eW eCC arry PP rimary rimary eyeWear eyeWear &&S&unWear SunWear earry C arry Primary eyeWear SunWear •D •D igital igital ProgreSSiveS PMA rogreSSiveS •t•t ranSitionS ranSitionS •D igital ProgreSSiveS •t ranSitionS Pittsfield, Great Barrington 740 Williams Street 342 Stockbridge Road •t•t rivex rivex •P•P olarizeD olarizeD & &g& g lare lare Free Free enSeS lenSeS •t rivex •P olarizeD glare Flree lenSeS

Our Superior Quality Lenses and 413-445-4564 413-528-8911 Staff Expertise Exemplify Our Commitment to You. Adams, MA

1 Berkshire Square www.berkshireeye.com State of the Art Facility for Cataract and Laser Surgery

Valatie, NY

2967 Route 9 Hannaford Plaza 518-758-9276

We accept most insurance.

We Carry Primary eyeWear & SunWear •D ProgreSSiveS •tranSitionS Ourigital Superior Quality Lenses and Staff Expertise Exemplify Our to You. •trivex •P olarizeD & gCommitment lare Free lenSeS www.berkshireeye.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

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health & wellness

why osteopathy?

AN APPROACH MUCH NEEDED IN TODAY'S WORLD

O

steopathy is the practice of medicine based on the essential relationship in all living things between structure and function, that is, between anatomy and physiology, or between physics and chemistry: a noninvasive yet powerful approach to healthcare.

gol dm an / tripp osteopathic healthcare As osteopathic physicians, we use our comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology to promote health and healing. We work gently with our hands to help your body restore optimal function – based on optimal structure – to help solve musculoskeletal problems and health issues of all kinds.

As fully licensed physicians, we have all of the full and current medical pharmacopeia, nutritional science and medical training at our disposal.

Your individual treatment may include a wide range of approaches, but is always founded on our gentle hands-on work.

Andrew M. Goldman, DO, Osteopathic Physician Kim E. Tripp, DO, PhD, Osteopathic Physician www.goldmantripp.net Great Barrington, ma 413-528-3334 | Sharon, ct 860-364-5990

sauna

therapy

Behind Zorn Chiropractic

Infrared Sauna Health Benefits • Lyme Symptom Relief • Detoxification • Pain Relief • Weight Loss • Relaxation • Improved Circulation • Skin Purification

Summer Special!

One month of unlimited sessions for only $100.

Call for appointment.

(518) 965-3315 • www.enlightensauna.net June | July 2015

The human body is one of nature’s most beautiful and intricate systems whose health and healing depends on the primary relationship of structure and function. Traditional osteopathic physicians are unique in practicing medicine based on this fundamental relationship from nature – an approach much needed in today’s world of complex health challenges.

infrared technology

46 Main Street South Egremont, MA

Convenient | Private | Single Sessions | Packages

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Why is traditional osteopathy so powerful yet benign? Because it studies and applies how nature heals through the use of gentle, precise hands-on work with our patients. The relationship of structure and function is nature’s first principle of health and healing. Any biological system, from forest to flea, is not healthy if its structure has gone awry: from macroscopic bones and muscles to microscopic genes and molecules. A vessel, a nerve, a joint, even a brain, cannot work well if its structure is compromised.

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

RELAX  DETOXIFY  REJUVENATE

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weating is one of the body’s safest and most natural ways to heal and maintain good health. Traditional saunas were first invented in Finland more than 2000 years ago. The earliest sauna was dug into an embankment in the ground and later they were built above ground with wooden logs. Saunas were first brought to America by Finns who settled in the current state of Delaware in 1638. Modern saunas have evolved quite a bit since that time, especially with the addition of infrared light.

Enlighten Sauna Therapy utilizes infrared technology which has been shown to raise core temperature, lower blood pressure, and aid in weight loss. Traditional saunas heat the air to extremely high temperatures, which can make it unbearably hot and difficult to breathe. Because infrared technology heats the body directly instead of simply heating the air, infrared saunas are seven times more effective for detoxification. At Enlighten you will experience the deepest, most detoxifying sweat of your life.

Sauna therapy is known to deliver many health benefits for many conditions including Lyme disease, weight loss, relaxation, pain relief, improved circulation, skin purification, detoxification, wound healing, and more.

health & wellness

metabolic detoxification ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON YOUR HEALTH

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By Anne Browne

ong-term exposure to toxins can cause them to build up in our body’s organs and tissues. Toxins include pesticides, herbicides, and industrial chemicals that enter the body through food, water, and air. Over time, these toxins can negatively impact our health and vitality and may contribute to the development of chronic illness. Our bodies naturally contain a metabolic detoxification process that primarily involves the liver, digestive tract, lungs, and kidneys. Sometimes, however, the volume of exposure can overburden these natural processes and allow some of these substances to accumulate.

Lenox Village Integrative Pharmacy, Inc., LVIP, offers a 28-day metabolic detoxification program by Metagenics to enhance the body’s ability to cleanse itself. This program encompasses a three-

step approach: clearing, detoxification, and reintroduction of approved foods.

This complete program includes comprehensive daily menus, nutritional supplements, a booklet of instructions, and a webinar.

The Metagenics program is designed to be gentle to your system and easy to follow. It includes readily available foods for macronutrients such as high-quality protein and carbohydrates, plus specific micronutrients for targeted nutritional support (“UltraClear” two-pound canister for $76.95). Please visit LVIP at 5 Walker Street, Lenox, MA, for Metagenic’s complete line of natural, science-based formulas that nutritionally support the natural pathways of metabolic detoxification to promote overall health, vitality, and resistance to disease. www.lviprx.com

the feldenkrais method™

Flowing Form Bodywork

REDUCE PAIN, IMPROVE EASE, FLEXIBILITY, AND FUNCTION

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By Deborah Gerard

he Feldenkrais Method™ is an approach to improve the physical and mental function of the body.

Based on the brain’s innate capacity for ongoing learning; guided attention in tandem with movement are applied.

Movement is used as the medium towards understanding one’s habits and acquiring ease, relaxation, and improved function. The applications of the Feldenkrais Method™ include pain reduction, the improvement of neurologically based difficulties and mobility, as well as enhancing performance of athletes, dancers, and musicians.

The method is comprised of two modalities. The first, Awareness Through Movement™ is a group session where participants are led through a series of structured sequences designed to evoke a more synergistic approach to oneself

in movement. Individuals establish more efficient movement patterns as they practice developing their self-awareness through a series of comfortable and easy led exercises.

Functional Integration™ is the second modality. This session is designed to meet the client’s individual needs and intentions.

Sessions are conducted clothed, usually sitting or lying on a treatment table. A supportive and noninvasive touch is used to guide the client into experiencing alternative, less effortful movement patterns.

People who have experienced The Feldenkrais Method™ report decreased pain and improved flexibility, as well as improved posture, balance, and breathing.

As a result their daily movements often invite more grace and feel lighter, allowing for more vital and pleasurable participation in life. www.flowingform.com

Deborah Gerard Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner Licensed Physical & Massage Therapist Craniosacral Therapy _________________

Pain relief through gentle touch and movement. Individual sessions and classes are offered.

www.flowingform.com debhands1@gmail.com 413-429-5438

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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health & wellness

movement matters

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IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOUR BODY TO FEEL GOOD EVERY DAY? / By J. Antoine Alston

ith a topic like this the average reader might quickly turn the page thinking, of course movement matters. For their sake I hope they read on though because the right type of movement can add quality years to your life but conversely the wrong type of movement can decrease years from your life, with the latter of those years being much less than desirable! After 20 plus years in the field of fitness and finally running into Grey Cook and Dr. Lee Burton – well-known gentlemen in the fitness, rehabilitation, and sports community – I am able to support many of my findings from both a quantitative and qualitative standpoint. Cook and Burton came up with the meaningful phrase “First move well, then move often!” But how do we move well, especially living in an age of computer sedentary lifestyles? Mobility exercises done correctly with proper body alignment are vital to improve the quality of your life and prevent injury in daily or fitness activities.

We all deserve to be super-efficient in our bodies. Whether your daily activities include dog walking or marathon running, you should be able to do it comfortably. What causes pain, discomfort and weakness? We call it asymmetry (the absence or violation of symmetry). Your body was designed to move flexibly, with all the parts working together seamlessly. Over the years, trauma, injury, overuse, and occupational or sport hazards can upset your body’s

design. The outcome? Pain, injury, discomfort, weakness, limited mobility, and decreased wellbeing are just a few. By correcting the asymmetries, and getting our body to a state where everything works in harmony, we become more mobile, more functional, and ultimately live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

A functional movement screening by a qualified fitness trainer can access your body and its areas of asymmetry. Then, following a customized exercise prescription created specifically for you will take you through three tiers including basic body mobility to help you regain full range of motion; stability to turn your range of motion into movement and help you gain the control and stability that supports full body connectivity; and dynamic mobility to achieve whole body connectivity that lets you perform daily activities with ease, without pain, and without injury. ~ J. Antoine Alston, the owner of Berkshire Functional Fitness, has 20-plus years in the fitness industry. Functional Fitness is the only consistent way everyone can get specific, prescribed exercise based on all of their needs. It can change lives! Today, Berkshire Functional Fitness is the first and only fully functional fitness center in the area. 325 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-0067, www.berkshirefunctionalfitness.com

body, mind & spirit WE HOST A VARIETY OF PRACTITIONERS AND WORKSHOPS

At Embody Healing Arts™ we believe that every body is an expression of the unity of mind, emotion, and spirit.

E

mbody Healing Arts was founded with you in mind: your body, your mind, and your spirit! At Embody, we offer the highest-quality practices for body, mind, and spirit in a beautiful and energetically clear environment.

Services we offer include GYROTONIC® for the strengthening, toning, and rehabilitation of your body, as well as individual yoga and bodywork. Acutonics, a type of sound healing using tuning forks, is also available, as is Reiki. We offer counseling based on your unique needs.

 Yoga  Body Therapy  Products  Counseling  Gyrotonic®  Classes  Energy & Sound Healing  Events Dr. Jan Seward, Founder 33 Rossetter Street, Great Barrington, MA

413-644-8890 ` www.embodyhealingarts.com 14

June | July 2015

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Here at Embody we host a variety of practitioners and workshops addressing the evolution of your spirit with an emphasis on evolving consciousness. All of our practitioners are licensed and certified in their field of expertise, and are waiting to assist you in creating your most beautiful, realized life.

To find out more about our services, workshops, practitioners, and events, visit our website at www.embodyhealingarts.com.

Sign up for our mailing list, and look for our coupon at www.ourberkshiretimes.com/coupons for a discount on your first service. Come to Embody, because your body is a beautiful place to be!

health & wellness

individualized treatment

Naomi Alson

LIC. ACUPUNCTURIST & HERBALIST

ACUPUNCTURE AND HERBS CAN HELP

For general wellbeing . . .

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cupuncture is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine that helps stimulate one or more points in the body to promote the flow of Qi (internal energy). Numerous studies support the use of acupuncture in reducing symptoms such as depression, facial pain, headache, peripheral neuropathy, lower back pain, nausea and vomiting, neck pain, postoperative pain, shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, hot flashes, and side effects caused by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, as well as infertility.

With specialized training in: ● Alleviating the side effects chemotherapy ● Infertility ● Herbal treatments ● Regulating the immune system

At Lee Family Practice, Lee, MA

(413) 243-3223  naomifalson@gmail.com

burning question?

Hope Fitzgerald

Wave Energy Center

PEOPLE COME TO ME WHEN THEY ARE AT A CROSSROADS

P

eople come to me when they are at a crossroads with burning questions about a direction to take, a partnership in business or love, a potential move, or an overall confusion about what to do with their lives. Whether it’s coaching alone or in tandem with Neurofeedback, I provide a supportive platform to guide you through challenges and decisions, and help you to establish and maintain new habits and perspectives.

For more information visit www.we-infinity.com.

*Intuitive Life Coach *Neurofeedback Practitioner

413-528-2260

“Hope Fitzgerald is an amazing, authentic and very powerful spirit - having a session with her is truly life changing!”

www.we-infinity.com

improve your health INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS, CLASSES, AND WORKSHOPS

I

mprove your health and fitness and reduce stress with Ming Lash through movement, large or subtle. Build a strong, flexible body that supports health with GYROTONIC® exercise. Connect and unwind from the inside out, with Somatic Movement. Relax into deep stillness with Healing Bodywork, where the inherent, natural healing and integration of life’s challenges takes place.

Go through the transformation of healing with the support of Flower Essences. Individual sessions, classes, and workshops!

HAVE YOU HEARD?

S

acred geometry is a universal language that describes the inner workings of nature and the intrinsic order of the universe. As www.sacred-geometry.com aptly puts it, “The strands of our DNA, the cornea of our eye, snow flakes, pine cones, flower petals, diamond crystals, the branching of trees, a nautilus shell, the star we spin around, the galaxy we spiral within, the air we breathe, and all life forms as we know them emerge out of timeless geometric codes. Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the

Code, by Stephen Skinner, will show you how over the centuries, temple builders have relied on magic numbers to shape sacred spaces, astronomers have used geometry to calculate holy seasons, and philosophers have observed the harmony of the universe in the numerical properties of music. By showing how the discoveries of mathematics are manifested over and over again in biology and physics, and how they have inspired the greatest works of art, this illuminating study reveals the universal principles that link us to the infinite.

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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food & drink

dark chocolate pôt de crème THE MOST UNASSUMING-LOOKING LITTLE CUP OF PURE DELICIOUSNESS AROUND

By Rachel Portnoy, Chez Nous Bistro

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n a world of chocolate-lovers, I usually stand alone. Quite frankly, I like chocolate just fine, but give me a choice and it’s vanilla, lemon, fruit, caramel . . . really almost any other flavor that I’ll pick first. As a pastry chef, I might have been considered “Chocolate Challenged.” It didn’t take me long to figure out, however, that dessert = chocolate in many people’s minds, and if I’m going to set out to please (which is, naturally, what we pastry chefs are generally aiming for), I’ve got to have lots of delicious chocolate desserts up my sleeve and on my menu! For me, when I try a new

chocolate recipe, my criterion is this: If I just take a taste and have had enough, it’s a no-go; if I can finish a whole portion of it, it must really be good. This Chocolate Pôt de Crème has to be the most unassuming-looking little dessert around. There’s no bells and whistles to it, no complicated techniques. I’ve learned that where chocolate is concerned, that’s really all you need: Chocolate lovers will love it because it’s chocolate, and the rest of us love it because it’s a little cup of pure deliciousness. And not only that, it’s a breeze to make. Happy baking! ~ www.cheznousbistro.com

recipe adapted from flour by Joanne Chang / makes 5 desserts ingredients 180 ml half and half 220 ml heavy cream 4 oz bittersweet chocolate 4 egg yolks 75 g sugar ½ tsp vanilla ¼ tsp salt 2 tbsp Kahlúa, or other chocolate-friendly alcohol of your choosing

instructions Boil the cream and half and half in a heavy-based saucepan, whisk together yolks, sugar, and salt, then slowly temper in (pour over gradually) the cream mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling the eggs. Pour everything back into the pot and slowly bring up to barely a simmer. Off the heat, add the chocolate and whisk in to melt, as well as the vanilla and the Kahlúa. Strain through a fine sieve and pour into jars or cups. Allow to set in the fridge before serving.

CATERING

THOSE WHO FIND US SEEK AN INSPIRED EXPERIENCE Local food, cooked on-site in the open, over huge fires in our custom-built ironware and antique cauldrons.

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OUR EVENTS ARE ENLIVENED BY FIRE

RUGGED ELEGANCE | UNIQUE FOOD EXPERIENCE

fireroastedcatering.com ● 413-297-3473

food & drink

1/8-H

“ A Nostalgic Dining Experience”

T A V E R N

(413) 232-8565 5 Albany Road West Stockbridge, MA 01266

www.shakermilltavern.com

Taste, Quality, Service, and Respect for the Environment “Our mission is to offer a beautiful selection of local, grass fed, and sustainably raised fresh cuts of meat, charcuterie, and salumi made from traditional recipes. We believe that eating local foods is a definitive way to support physical health, our farming community, and the earth.”

389 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA

413-528-2022 • www.themeatmarketgb.com

Meadow Farm Market Procuring exceptional organic and conventional produce and goods, both locally and regionally grown, as to ensure the best quality offerings for our customers.



Serving certified free trade organic coffee, nitrate free meats and cheeses, dairy from local farms, bakery fresh breads and of course sundries.

(413) 394-4308 | MidgesMarket@yahoo.com Route 102, 905 Pleasant Street, South Lee, MA

www.MeadowFarmMarket.com

LIKE US ON

facebook

C O O P E R AT I V E LY O W N E D • C O M M U N I T Y F O C U S E D

Food Shopping with Value(s)

42 BRIDGE STREET • GREAT BARRINGTON, MA • WWW.BERKSHIRE.COOP

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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food & drink

loving lavender FRAGRANT, HEALING, CALMING, BEAUTIFUL, DELICIOUS / By Mary T. Makuc

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avender has been around for at least 2,000 years. Lavender residue has been found at Egyptian mummification sites, and it is believed that Jesus Christ was anointed with it at the time of his burial. In the Bible, it is referred to as spikenard. This fragrant aromatic herb from the mint family has thirty different varieties and is found on many continents.

Lavender is derived from Latin lavare, meaning to wash.

Lavender is often used as a bath additive and in natural cleaning products. It is also used medicinally as an herbal remedy, in cooking, perfumes, and in repelling insects.

When I was growing up, my mother bathed with Yardley’s English Lavender soap. We had a modest home, and she was affectionate, so I believed the lavender was part of our atmosphere.

It was after she passed on, in 2001, when I realized I had grown

fond of that scent. I started looking to incorporate it into my own home. Now I keep some dried lavender near the bed all year, but especially enjoy getting it fresh from the garden in the summer.

A friend I know from town distilled essential oils from lavender and shared some oil with us. An acquaintance who visits with her family in the summer says it grows abundantly where she lives in Istanbul. It should be harvested just before it is fully open to experience the peak fragrance, she advises.

Just a few years ago, a dear friend gave me a recipe for lavender cookies. They were a basic shortbread cookie with bits of lavender flowers in them. Delicious! We got hooked, but did not try to replicate them ourselves until this Easter. You can make lavender-scented sugar by immersing the flower’s buds in the sugar for a few weeks, or you can use a blender or food processor to blend the buds into the sugar.

Readers may purchase the dried food-grade lavender sans added chemicals from the bulk department of the Berkshire Co-op Market. Enjoy! ~ Mary T. Makuc lives in Monterey, MA, with her husband and children.

Salted White Chocolate Lavender Cookies / Yields 20-22 cookies ingredients - 2½ cups all-purpose flour  2 tsp cornstarch  ¾ tsp baking soda  ½ tsp kosher salt  2 tsp lemon zest 

1½ cups granulated sugar  2 tsp lavender  8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature  6 tbsp vegetable shortening  1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature  6 oz white chocolate chunks (about 1½ cups)  sea salt, for sprinkling

instructions - 1) In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest; set aside. 2) In a food processor,

process the sugar and lavender for about 10-20 seconds until the lavender is chopped into pretty tiny pieces, and sugar starts billowing like smoke up out of the top of the processor. 3) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and lavender sugar at medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat for 3 more minutes until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and the chocolate and beat on low until combined. 4) Using a large (3 tablespoon-sized) cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets an inch or two apart. Place the sheets in the freezer. 5) Preheat your oven to 375ºF. When the oven has finished preheating, take the sheets out of the freezer and bake for 12 minutes. They should look a little underdone when you take them out. Immediately sprinkle each cookie with a small pinch of sea salt (and extra lavender, if you like).

6) Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

La Fogata Restaurant Colombian and Latin Cuisine Lunch & Dinner

Home Delivery or Market Open 7 Days a Week 770 Tyler Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 (413) 443-6969

413.442.0888

813 Dalton Division Rd., Dalton, MA www.BerkshireOrganics.com

food & drink

NORTH EGREMONT COUNTRY STORE Wholesome ● Homestyle ● Delicious Warm & Friendly Service

We offer a full line of groceries and spirits.

Let us help you with your holiday needs!

Photo by John Phelan

Monday-Thursday: 6a-6p Friday-Saturday: 6a-7p Sunday: 6a-5p

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

Call (413) 528-4796

½

entrées available

M-m-m-yum! casual french dining

dinner only • 150 Main St., Lee 413.243.6397 cheznousbistro.com

Leon & Sons’ HIGHLAND RESTAURANT

Serving the Best in Italian American Cuisine Take out Available • Full Bar Family Dining • Family Prices Serving Customers Since 1936 Celebrating 75 years in business, our talented chefs provide everything from cold sandwiches to delicious Italian meals.

100 Fenn Street, Pittsfield, MA • (413) 442-2457 Off North Street (a few minutes walk down Fenn)

Pittsfield & Great Barrington, MA guidosfreshmarketplace.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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House Proud

Porches / By Gladys Montgomery

B

efore central air conditioning, and still for those of a more romantic, naturalistic turn of mind and mood, there was – and is – the porch. Shaded by its roof, cooled by breezes passing between columns and through screening, the porch is the warm-weather place to relax and read, gather for a conversation or a meal, and enjoy the surrounding scenery. The porch as we know it is a distinctly American phenomenon. Tracing its roots to ancient Greece and Rome, and influenced by the columned loggias of the Moors who occupied much of Europe in the Middle Ages, the porch as a form probably migrated from the sugar islands of the West Indies to the Southern American colonies. During the 19th century, the porch gained a foothold during the Greek Revival period and became a ubiquitous feature of the Queen Anne, Carpenter Gothic, and other Victorian architectural styles.

Americans claimed the porch as their own.

Andrew Jackson Downing, a prominent author of pattern books that trumpeted the porch’s virtues, called it “indispensable . . . agreeable . . . a positive luxury in all the warmer parts of the year.”

The rising popularity of the porch paralleled the rise of the Berkshires as a resort destination. Urban dwellers had every reason to escape to the fresh, clean air and open, green fields of the country: the 19th-century urban environment was dirty, polluted, and densely populated, a petri dish for disease, especially tuberculosis, an easily transmitted airborne bacterium that wiped out whole families and accounted for one out of five deaths nationwide. In the country, the porch was a healthful, even therapeutic luxury, a standard feature of Carpenter Gothic farmhouses, English-style cottages, and rustic retreats alike.

New railroad lines not only inspired the first commuter suburb 20

June | July 2015

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(in New Jersey in 1857), they also transported both tourists and factory-made building parts, such as iconic gingerbread porch trim, to rural areas. After the Civil War, these building parts also included screening, as manufacturers turned their attention from the making of sieves for military kitchens to peacetime uses.

On the first floor, the porch mediated between the house and its surroundings. By the last quarter of the 19th century, second-story porches gained favor as healthful places to sleep, and multiple porches, including second-story ones, became a hallmark of the Queen Anne architectural style.

Drive along a country road today, and you see wonderful porches with gingerbread trim on the white-clapboard farmhouses that dot the bucolic Berkshire landscape. Stroll through an older tree-lined neighborhood in Great Barrington or North Adams and you’ll see homes with multiple first- and second-story porches. In the 21st century, new homes often have token porches rather than useful ones, and we can be spoiled captives of central air conditioning. But if you are fortunate enough to live in a house with a porch and if you use it, as I do mine, you know what a distinct pleasure it is.

~ Gladys Montgomery is a Realtor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Great Barrington. Working with buyers and sellers, and licensed in Massachusetts and New York, she specializes in architecturally distinctive homes in all price ranges. Her background includes a 30-year career as a marketing specialist and as a writer/editor/ author focusing on architecture, design, and lifestyle topics. www.gladysmontgomery.williampitt.com

real estate & professionals

Steepleview Realty Expands to Pittsfield and Egremont.

Now Representing Clients from Connecticut to Vermont

No Other Real Estate Agency Sells More Properties. None!

Having begun in Great Barrington over 17 years ago, Jennifer Segala, Broker/Owner, is pleased to announce the return of Steepleview Realty into Central and South County. With a new presence in Pittsfield and Egremont, Steepleview now covers the entire Berkshire real estate market, from Connecticut to Vermont, like no other real estate agency! Known for selling the most real estate in the county for many years, Steepleview’s return to Pittsfield and South County offers the stronger local presence clients have been requesting...and well deserve.

Year after year Steepleview Realty has sold more properties throughout the Berkshires than any other agency. Its highly professional and dedicated agents – with over 145 combined years of experience – are committed to guiding clients through the buying and selling process to find them the best values and returns the market will bear. With the most up-to-date digital tools and strategic team thinking, Steepleview is the right call. Turn to the best agency in the Berkshires for the best real estate solution anywhere in the Berkshires, visit www.steepleview.com .

Williamstown 413-458-7001

North Adams Adams 413-664-0411 413-743-5903

Pittsfield 413-499-5903

Egremont 413-329-7266

Serenity now. Serenity forever.

25 Serene Serene Country Country Acres Acres Along Along the the Green Green River River in in North North Egremont.

Egremont.

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Simple, easy living with wonderful mountain views and the Green River bordering the western edge. 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, Simple, easy rooms, living with mountain views and thetoGreen RiverPlenty bordering the for western edge.

5 bedrooms 4 bathrooms, 2 living barn,wonderful and cleared acreage rolling down the river. of room horses.

Bring your toys.and $1,325,000.

2 living rooms, barn, and cleared acreage rolling down to the river. Plenty of room for horses. Bring your toys. $1,325,000.

Call Bruce Cumsky/Sales Associate at 413-329-7266 for a showing.

Call Bruce Cumsky/Sales Associate at 413-329-7266 for a showing.

No agency sells No agency sells more real estate! more real estate!

steepleview.com steepleview.com

We represent All We represent All of the Berkshires! of the Berkshires!

Jennifer Segala – Broker Jennifer Segala – Broker Williamstown • North Adams • Adams • Pittsfield • Egremont Williamstown • North Adams • Adams • Pittsfield • Egremont www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

steepleview.com steepleview.com June | July 2015

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real estate & professionals

Sisters Used Furniture Always Changing Inventory Terrific Bargains!

buying/selling (413) 274-9900 anastasiainmass@aol.com

www.sistersusedfurtiture.com 402 Park Street, Route 183 Housatonic, MA 01236

Historic Building for Sale in Hartsville, Massachusetts For more information: www.hartsvilledesign.com/building-for-sale

MICHAEL KE ITH I N T E R I O R D E S I G N 917-763-5121 www.michaelkeithdesign.com

“Visitors to our Manhattan apartment sometimes let out a gasp – it is that beautiful and inviting. Michael also renovated our historical home in Otis. They are entirely different spaces yet we are at home in each.”

– B. Hyman, Otis / New York City

sea of energy ANCIENT AND SACRED KNOWLEDGE

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By Kathy I Regan

e live in a sea of energy. Quantum physics tells us that nothing is actually solid. Everything from the cells in our bodies to the objects we hold is energy. Everything is vibrating, frequency. And beyond that, physicist Nassim Haramein, Director of The Resonance Project Foundation (www.resonance.is), states that everything is connected by the structure of space itself, even if it is not apparent to us on the surface. Space is infinitely dense – infinitely dense with information or energy.

Becoming aware of this invisible force (referred to as qi or chi in traditional Chinese culture, prana in the Hindu religion, pneuma in ancient Greece, mana in Hawaiian culture, lüng in Tibetan Buddhism, ruah in Hebrew culture, and vital energy in Western philosophy) and learning how to work with it can have a profound effect on our environment and our health. Misaligned energy can be corrected to make our environment feel and actually be more conducive to health, wellbeing, comfort, harmony, and success.

With the introduction of the detrimental effects of electricity, cell towers, Wi-Fi, and HAARP, doing anything we can to improve our surroundings will be to our great advantage.

The following scientific methods of working with energy go into much more depth than we can explore here, but they are well worth looking into and/or finding a skilled practitioner who can tell you more.

Many of you may have heard of Feng Shui, a Chinese system often referred to as “the art of placement.” This ancient science examines how the placement of things and objects within our living environment affect the energy flow in it, and how these objects interact with and influence our personal energy flow.

Starting out with even basic techniques, like removing clutter, can make a big difference.

Vaastu Shastra is the ancient Indian science of architecture and construction that stresses achieving harmony between home and body by eliminating negative and enhancing positive energies around us. Ancient Indian people believed your house is a living organism and treated constructing a house as a sacred ceremony. Careful attention is paid to placement of the home, room, and doors, colors used, ventilation, amount and quality of sunlight a building receives, and so forth.

BioGeometry (patented by Dr. Ibrahim F. Karim, DSc in Cairo, Egypt, during his research there) is the science of using the energy principles of shape to qualitatively balance biological energy systems and harmonize their interactions with the environment.

It uses shapes, colors, motion, orientation, and sound to produce a vibrational quality that balances energy fields. BioGeometrical shapes are specially designed to interact with the earth’s energy fields to produce balancing effects on multiple levels on biological systems. You may wish to contact Michael Keith Interior Design (ad at left) for more information. ~ Kathy Regan, Publisher, Our BerkshireTimes magazine. www.ourberkshiretimes.com

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home, garden & landscape

y call

Lo

ned rated Ope And

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Over 20 Years Experience In

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home, garden & landscape

when houses walk

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Weekend with Wildlife at Project Native July 24th - July 26th

Butterfly House Celebration Friday, July 24, 5pm - 7pm

The Caterpillar Lab with Sam Jaffe Saturday, July 25

Live Birds of Prey with Julie Ann Collier of Wingmaster’s

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342 North Plain Rd (Rte. 41) Housatonic, MA 413-274-3433 24

June | July 2015

IF YOU EXPLORE OLD HOMES IN THE AREA YOU MAY SEE A PATTERN

T

By Jennifer Lilienthal

he two-story building, no longer useful as a boarding house for the textile mill, crept slowly down Daly Avenue, which was unusually clear of traffic, its new electrical lines having been carefully moved out of the way. A miracle, Berkshires-style? After all, every year, everything bursts almost startlingly into life here each summer; out of the woodwork come joggers, gardeners, and children abuzz with activity. No, the Dalton house hadn’t actually come to life. Instead, it had been painstakingly bolstered, boosted onto wooden rollers, and winched, powered by a mule walking in circles.

Okay, so it was a miracle, by my way of thinking, anyway.

If you explore old homes in western Massachusetts, you’ll probably begin to notice a pattern. Thoroughly stretching the bounds of the possible, many homeowners in bygone decades made the surprising decision to pick their houses up and put them someplace else. I think we tend to think that our technological advances make it possible to do things that people a few generations ago couldn’t dream of doing. Yet the act of moving a building, which we generally see as intimidating, to say the least, was once fairly commonplace. Local building migrations include these feats: • The Stockbridge Casino was moved down Main Street. It became the Berkshire Playhouse (or the Berkshire Theatre Festival as it’s now known), located at the intersection with Yale Hill Road.

• The Mission House in Stockbridge was disassembled and moved in pieces in the late 1920s from Prospect Hill (known as Heaton Court) to Main Street.

• The Colonel Ashley House in Sheffield was moved about a quarter mile down the road.

• Henry Ward Beecher’s Blossom Farm in Lenox was moved to clear the view when the Gilded Age cottage Wyndhurst was built (present-day site of Cranwell Resort).

All of which inspires me to ask: why?

Wealthy Gilded Age residents could afford simply to act upon whims, moving homes

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

to more fashionable locations, or setting buildings back from roads that grew noisier and dirtier as automobiles multiplied.

Home-moving, however, was not limited to the wealthy, so it must sometimes have been regarded as practical. And sometimes there was little choice: a house, or even an entire neighborhood, had to make way for a new road or a reservoir. The house could be razed, or it could be moved, and New Englanders hate to throw things away.

Look at old directories for Massachusetts, and it becomes obvious that house-moving was not that rare. Companies actually advertised building relocation as a specialty. For instance, Babcock Building Movers of Worcester advertised their expertise in maneuvering “both wood and brick buildings, either with or without chimneys” in their 1875 ad. An ad for F. L. Pomeroy & Son of Amherst listed building moving as casually as house painting in their ad in a 1912 directory.

It’s hard to conceive of moving a building without modern trucks, but on the other hand, a lack of modern plumbing and electricity could really simplify the process, especially if it were then moved down a road unencumbered by power lines or heavy traffic. Most pre-1900 moves I’ve read about went in one direction: downhill, for obvious reasons. Still, the house would have to be bolstered and lifted, and then, its downhill progression would have to be controlled, so even the most ideal of housemoves were impressive accomplishments.

Was your house moved? Maybe you’ve heard stories from the past owner, or you’ve seen your home in old photos with different neighbors and you’ve wondered why your old home has a much newer cellar. Send your “walking house” story to me, and it may be featured in a future column. ~ Jennifer Lilienthal, Professional Genealogist, JLL Family Stories, jllportraits@live.com.

News story referenced: “Daly Avenue Property is Sold for Brown Oil H e a d q u a r t e r s,” T h e Berkshire Eagle, 8 May 1959, p. 27, cols. 1-2).

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Largest Selection of Yarns and Unique Handcrafted Gifts in the Berkshires Gift Certificates S Free Knitting Lessons Open Mon-Sat 9:30-5, Sun 12-4 Harry and Debbie Sano 232 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 (413) 528-2473 • www.wonderful-things.com

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June | July 2015

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Summer at Montessori Inspiring joyful learning and exploration on 40 acres of Berkshire woodlands and fields.

Two-week session for children ages 3-6 One-week sessions for children ages 6-12

Session themes include: Glorious Gardeners, Comic Book Camp, Games, Games, Games!, Mapping My World, Explore the Woods, and much more!

Visit BerkshireMontessori.org/summer for the full summer program descriptions and to register!

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education & workshops

what happened?

THE POWER OF WHAT & HOW

By K. Meagan Ledendecker argue,” we can ask, “How can you speak to me so that we can solve this problem respectfully?” Or perhaps a child is getting hotheaded. We may want to say, “Take a break and come back when you are ready,” or even, “You have a time-out.” Instead, we can ask, “What can you do to cool off right now?” With a whining child, we can ask, “How can you talk so that I can hear and understand you?”

“What” and “how” questions invite cooperation rather than resistance. Instead of telling what should happen, we can help children explore the consequences of their choices.

W

hat happened? This is a powerful question, especially when voiced with genuine concern and curiosity.

Recently I came home after an evening event to learn that, while at the playground, my daughter had run off from her sitter . . . across a parking lot, no less. She was already in bed, so I had the benefit of elapsed time before addressing the issue. The next morning, I took a deep breath, set aside the frustration about her not listening to her sitter, and said, “I heard you ran off at the playground yesterday. What happened?”

Well, it turns out that my daughter had been trying to stop a spinning merry-go-round for a toddler who wanted to get off.

She wasn’t successful, though, and the boy fell and got hurt. In my daughter’s mind, she was responsible for his upset and thus felt ashamed and embarrassed. Unable to cope with these feelings in the moment, she tried to get away. Because I approached her with openness and a desire to understand, she could share these complicated feelings and we could strategize about safer options for the future.

All too often, though, we tend to swoop in with a question like, “Why did you do that?” The “why” questions tend to cause others to shut down rather than open up. In her Positive Discipline work, Jane Nelsen recommends avoiding “why” and stopping our tendency to tell what should happen. Instead, she advocates for asking “what” and “how” questions.

In Positive Discipline: The Classic Guide to Helping Children Develop Self-Discipline, Responsibility, Cooperation, and Problem-Solving Skills, Dr. Jane Nelsen provides some guidelines for asking what she calls “curiosity questions.” First, it’s important not to have an agenda for the questions. The goal is to understand the child’s perspective better rather than to get a particular answer. Also, the questions are best asked at a time when both parties are calm. Finally, the questions must come from a heartfelt desire to understand. Empathy and acceptance are critical.

The next time you feel compelled to give a command or ask why something happened, see what transpires when you shift to wanting to understand. “What happened?”

For more information about Positive Discipline, visit www.positivediscipline.com. ~ K. Meagan Ledendecker is a Certified Positive Discipline Educator and Director of Education at The Montessori School of the Berkshires. www.berkshiremontessori.org.

THE

BOOKLOFT

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For example, if a child begins to argue, rather than saying, “Don’t www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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mind & spirit

a scottish odyssey PART1 - LOOK FOR PART 2 IN OUR AUG-SEPT ISSUE

By Sheilaa Hite

T

here is something so pure, real, and special about Scotland that I’ve never found anywhere else; it invites you in and treats you like an honored family member. Somehow, Scotland is a home that your soul recognizes and thrives in.

My life’s goal is to help people recognize their value and enhance the quality of their lives. I do this in a variety of ways, including leading groups on transformational spiritual odysseys to enchanting sacred places. Last fall, I led seventeen participants on an odyssey to one of the most beautiful and magical places in the world – the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

For eight days we traveled throughout the Highlands and Islands, experiencing magic and miracles as we released outmoded, limiting behaviors and beliefs and realigned ourselves with the source of all joy – our hearts. Everywhere we went, we met wonderful, generous, heart-centered people whose very presence encouraged us to live free in the moment.

We joyfully resonated to the energy and beauty of a rare private visit to renowned Rosslyn Chapel; a powerful ancient stone circle; Fairy Glen on the picturesque Isle of Skye (with real fairies!); the beautiful, iconic Eilean Donan Castle; the Kelpies, a majestic homage to Scotland’s mythology and past – and the jewel in the Odyssey’s crown – the sacred Isle of Iona, home of ancient Iona Abbey and Dun I, the location from which the actual Well of Eternal Youth springs and where, from the summit, you can see all the way to Ireland.

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June | July 2015

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Even more beautiful than the physical sites were the transformations that the participants experienced. With each sacred site and meditation, they released the pains, doubts, and fears that had attended the most important moments of their lives as they became more and more committed to their own liberation and happiness. When I saw and felt the joy and wonder in their hearts and souls, I knew that those heartwarming memories would live with me forever.

Truly the gift that keeps on giving, last year’s Odyssey was infinitely rich and rewarding; so much so that six of last year’s seventeen participants are going on the upcoming Odyssey, October 1019, with even more wonderful, inspiring locations and events!

I wholeheartedly invite you to join us and participate in what will be one of the most energetically and emotionally liberating, empowering experiences of your life.

You can read more in depth about last fall’s adventure and this October’s upcoming Odyssey at www.sheilaahite.com. Look for part two of this article with more detailed information about the wonders of Scotland in the August - September issue of Our BerkshireTimes magazine. ~ Sheilaa Hite, CHt, CLC, is an Intuitive counselor, author, teacher, Life/ Success Coach, certified hypnotherapist, and spiritual guide who is listed in Paulette Cooper’s book, The 100 Top Psychics and Astrologers in America. She can be reached through her website, www.sheilaahite.com, (413) 637-0085.

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Join Us for a

Scottish Highlands & Islands Odyssey October 10-19, 2015 A once in a lifetime experience – sacred places, sacred soul-time, fun time, breathing time, Life Mastery Initiation opportunity! Heal and bond with the heart-centered part of yourself that yearns for wholeness, happiness, grace and peace.

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Our Odyssey Includes Spiritual Attunement  Sacred Geometry  Vocal toning  Ancient Stone Circles & Ley Lines  Loch Ness  Private Visit to Renowned Rosslyn Chapel  Isle of Lewis & Ancient Standing Stones of Calanais  Fairy Glen on the Isle of Skye  Mystical Isle of Iona  Special Yoga Class  Ancestrial Castles  The Falkirk ‘Kelpies’  A Journey on the ‘Hogwarts Express’– the Actual Harry Potter Train!  And Many More Wonders!

Registration Closes July 15, 2015

For full itinerary, more information and to book your space: Sharon Polidoro, Berkshire Travel Group, (413) 443-9188, spolidoro.btg@gmail.com.

Or Sheilaa Hite at www.SheilaaHite.com.

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heilaa Hite Intuitive Counselor

Featured in Paulette Cooper’s directory, ‘THE 100 TOP PSYCHICS in AMERICA’

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www.SheilaaHite.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

June | July 2015

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animal talk

understanding raw feeding

Join Us! We would like to invite you the grand opening of our Doggie Spa!

July 1, 2015

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

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CARING FOR PETS SINCE 1957 Your trusted source for quality foods and supplies.

Your trusted resource for raw-feeding information and advice.

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Convenient Location with Ample Parking on Route 7 less than a minute south of Guido’s

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www.bensdotters.com 30

June | July 2015

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

T

AN ADMONITION TO RAW-FEEDERS

By Kristina Dow

he person I stood next to at the veterinarian’s reception counter was there to pick up her dog who had choked on a whole raw chicken leg. She was complaining long and loud about how she’d never again try feeding her dog raw, about how it had almost killed her dog, and about how her veterinarian had been right. Raw feeding was dangerous.

As she and I waited at the counter, I quietly asked her a few questions. Years ago, I would not have been able to pull that off. I wouldn’t have been able to contain my frustration and resist criticizing a veterinarian who categorically dismissed raw feeding as dangerous. But, in so doing, I would have been missing the point entirely. My counter lady’s dog did indeed choke on a raw chicken leg, and did indeed almost die. So how did that happen? How did it come about that the local dog park now had another raw diet opponent espousing that raw-feeding is dangerous? How did it come about that another bullet was put in the gun of a veterinarian opposed to raw feeding?

It turned out that my counter lady had met a raw-feeder at the meat counter of a local grocery store. The raw-feeder was buying big packages of chicken legs, and told his fellow shopper that he fed them to his dogs. His dogs were on a raw food diet of whole chicken legs and other whole foods, and he advised my counter lady that she should try it with her dog. It was the healthiest way to feed, and would keep her dog’s teeth wonderfully clean. And so my counter lady bought herself a package of chicken legs, and happily took them home for her dog to try. She was open to the idea of feeding her dog a truly natural diet. Score one for raw-feeding!

But what that raw-feeder didn’t tell my counter lady was that her 5-year-old 80lb Lab, unaccustomed to being offered a whole raw chicken leg, might excitedly gulp the thing whole, and might choke and almost die. That raw-feeder didn’t explain that his own raw-fed dogs had learned as puppies that they needed to chew whole raw chicken legs into swallow-sized pieces. He didn’t caution my counter lady that her large adult dog might need help learning to chew a whole raw chicken leg, or might have to begin with having the whole raw chicken leg cut into swallow-sized pieces and fed a piece at a time. That raw-feeder conveyed only just enough information to be dangerous.

Our raw-fed pets are our best ambassadors for the way we feed.

Their health and longevity speak to the wisdom of our choice.

But we raw-feeders must be responsible communicators of how to feed the way we feed. We must convey the subtleties of how we feed, and if we don’t at that moment have the time for our remarks to be complete and appropriately cautionary, then perhaps it’s best to say nothing at all. ~ Kristina ‘Tina’ Dow is sole

proprietor of BensDotter’s Pet, a pet supply store in Great Barrington that specializes in raw food diets. www.bensdotters.com

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June | July 2015

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