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Big Name in a Small Room Concert Series Continues in the Hilltowns

Strange Coincidences I have a friend named Dave Taylor who I worked with in New Orleans. Dave now lives in New York. His best friend is named Seth Bernard. Seth lives in Michigan and his girlfriend is named May Erlewine. Dave Taylor’s mom was in the hospital having surgery in Florida. While she was recovering from surgery, a young woman came in to sing to her as part of the hospital’s new… Read More

Category: Ashfield, Contributing Writer, Notes from Nan, Suggested Activity Tags: Ashfield, Berkshires, concert, Elmer's, Hilltowns, music, Nan Parati, Pioneer Valley, western massachusetts

Scary Trees in Ashfield

Just in Case You Were Wondering … One day a few weeks ago, while walking down the sidewalk towards Elmer’s, I thought, “It’s almost Halloween! I should make bark-like faces to put on the trees on the Common!” I could use the same technique many of the float-builders use at Mardi Gras in their Papier Mache—same words, completely different process from what others think of as Papier Mache. I proposed it to the… Read More

Category: Ashfield, Contributing Writer, Notes from Nan Tags: Ashfield, Berkshires, Elmer's, Halloween, Hilltowns, Nan Parati, Pioneer Valley, western massachusetts

Grilled Pork Chops with Chimichuri Sauce

Summertime and the Porkchops are Grilling . . . BY HF Contributing Writer, Nan Parati Ice cream man! Ice cream man! Ice cream man’s gonna be at Elmer’s this Friday night! After dinner you can go outside (if you’re not already sitting outside) and get ice cream for dessert! He’ll be in his big truck! But you have to eat all your dinner first! Friday Night Menu (06/06/08): Here’s what we’re having… Read More

Category: Ashfield, Entertainment, Food, Notes from Nan Tags: Elmer's, Local Food

Lunch-Without-a-Special- Event-Surrounding-It Comes to the Hilltowns

Peggy has passed the grocery torch from her steady, capable hands to my trembling, sweaty ham-fists. Although I have already dropped it a few times, I’m determined to get to a level equal to roughly fifty percent of her competence, to hold the torch straight and true, and avoid further use of ill-timed metaphors.