Living

Living story sections

Disrespecting Nurses

by RDavis | Activism

This country has faced a critical nursing shortage for years. The situation was made worse as a result of the COVID pandemic when health care workers were burned out and left professions that already needed to increase their numbers. Now, the Trump administration has created a new threat to the nursing profession by changing its definition of a professional degree to exclude nursing.

This a gut punch to the 5.86 million nurses in this country. Of that number, 920,000 are LPNs and 5 million are RNs. These are significant numbers, and I hope that all nurses are reminded of the disrespect that this Republican administration is showing to nurses when it comes time to vote.

November 2025 Precipitation Report

by local | Nature

November was an overall dry month but seemed wet at times.  There was measurable precipitation on 13 of the first 17 days but only in small amounts.  Less days of moisture the second half of November. The monthly total is 2.36 inches compared to the normal of 3.53″. More than an inch below the average.  Year to date with just one month to go my total is 43.42″, just a few hundreds above the NOAA normal of 43.24″.

Prepare For A Difficult Flu Season

by RDavis | Health

Every year strains of influenza spread around the world. In the United States we look to the southern hemisphere and the U.K. to get an indication of what might head our way.

Drug manufacturers develop vaccines based on their best information, which is partly guesswork, and hope they come close to identifying the strain of flu we will face.

The 2025-26 U.S. flu season may be bad this year because the vaccines that were created are not a good match for the strain of flu that we will experience. According to a recent report on NPR, “And now, parts of the Northern Hemisphere, such as the United Kingdom, are being hit hard. That often foreshadows what’s in store for the U.S.

A Deadly Turn

by RDavis | Activism

The day that the government shutdown of 2025 ended was the day that any hope for preserving the quality of life of millions of Americans ended. On the surface, the shutdown was presumably about extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. But there was a lot more at stake.

The Republicans had already had success in shredding the Medicaid program by making sure that millions of people will not be able to access the program. Those changes have not played out yet. When they do, there will be a new epidemic of untreated disease that will have consequences throughout the entire health care industry.

Northern Lights Last Night

by local | Nature

Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights were out bright last night. Photo from the new bridge over the river on a cold windy night with clouds blowing thru.  Flare on the lens from the strong town lights .

Leda’s Kitchen Chef-Prepared Meals, Menu for November 13

by LedaS | Food

At Leda’s Kitchen, I draw on my adventures as a private chef, cookbook author, and co-owner of Dosa Kitchen Food Truck to offer weekly-ish gluten-free heat-and-eat meals designed to awaken your senses and fit seamlessly into your schedule. My menus feature curries, stews, nourishing soups and stews inspired by diverse food traditions. I cook with high-quality ingredients including free-range meats and focus on local and organic sourcing. You decide when to eat, as all dishes are designed to reheat beautifully, maintaining or even increasing their original deliciousness.

Health Insurance and Our Hospital

by local | Health

I am a retired 68 year old with Medicare and BCBS plan G supplemental insurance.  Was on Medicare.gov yesterday checking out the supplemental plan and my Plan D prices. Ended up calling BCBS for the correct price and of course it came in the mail today.  Relatively good news, the plan only goes up about $22 per month which is better than expected.  $257 compared to this years $235 a month.

While on Medicare.gov looked at my profile and saw that I have paid less than half of the required deductible everyone who turned 65 after 2020 is required to pay.  Believe what has been paid is from an eye exam earlier this year.  I have been to a primary care provider twice and have had blood drawn twice.  Have not received a single bill from BMH this year and the first visit was in early June.  With the hospital running out of money wondering if many are not being billed.  My insurance combination is quite good, paying most costs, but I think the deductible should have been billed.   What is your experience?

Soup Supper to Support a New Brattleboro Winter Shelter

by RobertOeser | Activism

As winter approaches, a new community-led initiative aims to ensure that there are open doors to anyone who needs a warm and welcoming overnight shelter. You are invited to a free Soup Supper on Thursday, November 6, from 5:30–7:00 p.m. at Beloved Community Church, 18 Town Crier Drive, Brattleboro.

The supper will offer a chance to hear from Steering Committee members about the project and what support is still needed from the community.

Initial setup costs for the shelter are funded by the State of Vermont’s Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP). The ECWSP grant will also cover staffing and operating costs for 20 of the coldest nights this winter. However, the Beloved Shelter, named for its host site at Beloved Community Church, aims to remain open every night from December 1 to March 30. Additional funding and community support will be critical to meeting this goal.

Leda’s Kitchen Menu for November 6: Saag Paneer + more

by LedaS | Food

Hello food lovers,

This week’s menu features my most requested dish: saag paneer, along with a classic chicken curry and Mexican pork tinga. 10% off your first order with the code ibrat. Orders due Tuesday, November 4 at 7PM for pickup Thursday, November 6. Questions? Message me at ledaskitchen@gmail.com or 802-246-7592.

SAAG PANEER (GF, Vegetarian)
A saag that goes above and beyond: small-batch house-made paneer combined with organic spinach, lots of onions, ginger, and garlic, and  finished with a hint of cream to elevate the soft, earthy flavors of the dish.​
$28 for 24oz container (2-3 servings)

October 2025 Precipitation Report

by local | Nature

I believe in this part of Vermont the drought is winding down. Over the past 2 months my numbers are within 0.44″ of the averages.  For October my total is 5.10 inches of rain compared to the NOAA average of 4.77″.  Across Windham County the monthly totals range from a low of 4.09″ to 6.73″ from the 13 CoCoRaHS observers with full data. October is the wettest month of the year followed by June from the averages.

For the year to date with 2 months to go the total is 41.06″ compared to the norm of 39.71″.  More than an inch above on a dry year.  I think if you go back in time 40 years or so the yearly normal was only about 40″.  Every 10 years the NOAA normals or 30 year averages move up by 10 years and have been increasing.

Filling the SNAP Gap

by Sherry | Food

The Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market has an update for all of our SNAP customers at the market. While VT is providing funds for VT SNAP beneficiaries, those funds will NOT be available until later next week.

HOWEVER, NOFA-VT has informed us that we can still distribute $20 in Crop Cash PLUS coupons for market shopping this week, Saturday, Nov. 1st to SNAP shoppers with no remaining balance on their account.

In addition, through Post Oil Solutions, we are launching a local charitable fundraising effort to “Fill the SNAP Gap.” Stay tuned for details and please do share the fundraising link when it goes live.