Oh, the weather outside has been, actually, pretty mild. It’s the middle of January and we haven’t had any significant snow this winter. We did get a tiny bit in October, and an inch or two over the past week, but I haven’t had to break out the shovel once. It’s weird. Mind you, I’m not complaining. I’m not a snow person, and do not miss cleaning off my car in the morning. It’s nice to be able to send the kids outside without their snowpants and boots, and they’ve been in school every single day, thank goodness. But, honestly, it feels pretty strange. Last year by this time I’m sure we’d had …

Recently, the Copeland Foundation announced a generous grant to the Milton Animal League for the construction of a new animal shelter on the Governor Stoughton property. The $1 million gift is a boon to animals and animal-lovers in town, and I hope the new facility will help the League continue its good work for many years to come. I will admit, however, that I’m a little disappointed I haven’t received notification of any $1 million grant, from the Copeland Foundation or anyone else. While I don't begrudge the Animal League its good fortune, I can think of ways to put a grant like that to …

This is it. It’s Christmas Eve. Gifts are bought and wrapped; stockings are hung; eggnog is spiked. I’m feeling generous (maybe it’s the eggnog). In the spirit of giving, here is my list of what I’d like to give around town. To the Milton Public Library: $10,000 to cover my fines for the next six months. To the Department of Public Works: the biggest salt pile ever, plus hot chocolate every time you don’t plow a four-foot high wall at the end of my driveway this winter. To my neighbors: earplugs, so my Christmas-crazy kids won’t wake you at the crack of dawn tomorrow. To my children’s …

The holidays are filled with music. Some is sublime – transformative, even; some is awful (Dominick the Donkey, anyone?) So instead of my Christmas list, I offer you my Christmas playlist: the songs that make my days merry and bright. 10. “It Snowed” (Meaghan Smith): This little gem was a freebie with the iTunes Holiday Sampler a couple of years ago. I’d never heard the song or the singer before, but the combination of the swinging band and sweet, sing-songy tune made me a fan. The song captures the wonder of an overnight snowfall with childlike playfulness, but Smith’s grownup delivery winks…

It’s two days after Thanksgiving. Some of you, no doubt, are just getting to bed after 24 hours of power-shopping. You can sleep for the rest of the weekend, knowing that you’ve accounted for everyone on your gift list. For you, it’s all over but the wrapping. I didn’t set foot in a store yesterday. I’ve picked up some gifts here and there over the past few weeks, but am by no means finished with my Christmas shopping. This means that the next month will be very busy in my house, as shown in the timeline below. Four weeks before Christmas: It’s early, so the “here and there” shopping approach…

I love November. It begins with chocolate and ends with turkey, two of my favorite things. Although the retail world insists that it’s the Christmas season, I’m not there yet, preferring to take these thirty days as a quiet, reflective time before the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Chief among my topics for reflection is the beautiful tradition of giving thanks, of gratitude for the good things in life. As I think about my many blessings, I am struck by how many of them started out as what seemed like misfortunes at the time. For example: In 1996, after two years of public-school teaching…

Dear Mean Lady who lives on the next block: I don’t know you. You don’t know me, either, but that didn’t prevent you from accosting me on my walk last weekend. You might remember me: it was Sunday afternoon, and I was still in my church clothes, walking with my tweenaged daughter and our little dog, too. You must not get many dog-walkers on your street, because when you saw us, you apparently saw an opportunity to right a great injustice done to you in the past. While we stopped on the sidewalk in front of your house so my daughter could tie her shoe, you opened a second-story window and …

Ho-hum. Usually fall brings me a sense of energy and purpose, if for nothing else than the cooler temperatures and the fact that my kids are back in school. Fall 2011, however, has brought not only its share of hot, muggy weather (which, thankfully, has abated at last) but also a sense of ennui, or at least less motivation than usual. During the summer, I spent time thinking of all the home-improvement projects I was going to tackle as soon as the temperatures cooled down. That bathroom wallpaper that needed replacing would be the first to go, I thought. I’d organize the kids’ bookshelves, …

My husband got an interesting email last week. The subject line was our address in Milton. “Dear Earl,” it read. “If you are still living (there) that was my childhood home. My sister, parents and I had many happy memories there. We moved away in 1963.” The email went on to describe features of our house, some of which are still there and some that are long gone. We learned that the built-in bookshelves in our living room were the handiwork of the writer’s father, and that our front yard once had a fence that served as a low trellis for her mother’s roses. We chuckled at her question about …

It was a typical Friday morning. The kids were in their school-morning flurry of activities: eating breakfast, getting dressed, finishing homework, practicing piano. I was simultaneously emptying the dishwasher and packing snacks when the phone rang. The caller ID said “Department of Corrections.” Who was calling me from jail at 7:30 in the morning? I picked up the phone, and Earl’s voice said, “Hi, it’s me. I’ve got a little problem.” Why was my husband calling me from jail at 7:30 in the morning? Last spring, he spent some time in the back of a police cruiser; today he took the dog out for …

Recently, I was pleased and proud to learn that Milton was ranked #2 by Money Magazine on its list of the best small towns in America. Among Milton’s attractive qualities were listed our “tree-lined streets…dotted with historic homes,” our “outstanding school system,” including our new buildings and the French immersion program, and our proximity to Boston, with its employment and cultural opportunities.  By comparison, the number one best place to live was Louisville, Colorado. Never heard of it? Me, neither, but then again, it’s only been around since 1878. Milton had been a best place to …

I can’t believe how quickly the summer has flown. These waning days of vacation inspire me to think of a perfect Milton day. If I could do anything I wanted for a whole day in Milton, what would I do?  I’d start by sleeping until I was good and ready to get up. After some coffee, a little yoga (no early-morning bootcamp for me) and a hot shower, I’d meet a girlfriend for breakfast at the Marketplace Café or Newcomb Farms, where I’d count no calories, but wash them down with more coffee. Of course the weather would be perfect (sunny, dry and mid-70s) so I’d come home and do a little gardening …

Regular readers of this column will know of my affection for the Cunningham Pool, and, by extension, all of Cunningham Park. It’s one of my favorite places, with the playground, soccer fields, tennis courts and walking trails. But recently, my eyes have been opened to a whole different dimension of one of the nicest spots in town – that of dog park.  My friend Bonnie and I have been taking walks as part of our efforts to keep moving and keep in touch this summer. A few weeks ago, she suggested we go to Cunningham Park, where she likes to bring her dog, Indy. I wasn’t a dog owner, and so was a…

With the summer cooking along nicely, here are some tidbits of advice to preserve your skin, your sanity and your quarters for parking.  Dos Buy passes for the Cunningham Pool. Even if you just sit on the side, like me, it’s always breezy there, and your temperature will go down as your kids cool off. Ride your bike. I just discovered the Neponset River Greenway trail (after 11 years in town. I know, I’m pathetic) and it’s a lovely little ride out to the Pope John Paul II park in Dorchester and back. Just watch out for a couple of street crossings, and wear your helmet. Wear sunscreen. And a …

I hear it long before I see it. The unmistakable strains of “Turkey in the Straw” reach out from the truck, through the late-afternoon heat, and wrap their insidious tendrils around the necks of my children, turning them into ice-cream zombies. They burst into the kitchen.  “Mom, can we have ice cream?” they whine.  “No,” I answer, for the 150th time.  “Come on!” they insist.  “No,” I repeat firmly. “We’re having dinner soon.” Make that 151. They stomp back outside, certain that they have the meanest mother in Milton. *** My family is enjoying a lovely evening of music at the Baron Hugo …

The last week of school is always a cause for celebration. Children and teachers alike spring free from the daily grind of lessons, schedules and homework, and rejoice in the freedom of summer.  I’ve spent the last ten months as the part-time music specialist at St. Mary of the Hills School, right here in Milton. It had been many years since I’d taught in the classroom, having given up that noble calling in favor of work that didn’t require such a high level of executive function and psychological fortitude. But, last August, upon learning the position was available, I was fortunate enough to…

There are some movies that every kid should see. Bambi. Miracle on 34th Street. The Sound of Music. My children have seen very few of these classic films (and by classic, I mean the ones I loved as a child) and I decided a couple of weeks ago that it was high time to correct this situation.  I chose to begin with The Wizard of Oz, a children’s classic if ever there was one. Off I went to the library, returning home with a copy of the DVD for our next family movie night. I warned my kindergartner about the flying monkeys, reminded the other two kids that it was all just pretend, and settled in…

My car was broken into a few years ago. Well, not really broken into; I had left it unlocked in my driveway, as was my habit. Still, I felt violated when I discovered the next day that some desperate character had opened the passenger-side door and helped him- or herself to the loose change in the cup holders.  At the time, I was upset, but mostly relieved that the thief didn’t steal our stash of children’s music CDs. That would have been a real loss, as we relied on the kiddie tunes to keep our then-preschooler and infant relatively happy in the car, especially on long trips.  Since that …

Spring, finally. By “spring” I mean the end of the warm-up-the-car-before-you-get-into-it season. It’s been at least a month since I’ve preheated a vehicle, and in that time, I’ve only used my electric blanket once or twice. The furnace is mostly off in my house, and I’m starting to think about opening the porch for the season. Yes, spring has arrived in Milton.  A walk around my neighborhood confirms this. Forsythia, azalea, dogwood and a host of other flowering trees and shrubs have burst into bloom. Tulips, at least those that our backyard-dwelling rabbit haven’t munched, extend their …

Milton looks different from the back of a police car. Or so my husband tells me. No, he didn’t steal copper pipes from construction projects around town. He didn’t hold up any convenience stores, nor has he been breaking into people’s cars under cover of darkness. I’ve been married to the man for nearly 18 years, and trust me: he isn’t cut out for a life of crime.  Rather, he acquired his back-of-the-cruiser perspective due to a fender-bender earlier this month. Well, more than the fender got bent; our minivan has been in the body shop for going on three weeks, and the little car that made …