The Old Round Church in Richmond

The Old Round Church in Richmond is one of the most iconic buildings in Vermont. Built in 1813, the church was originally designed for Vermont town meetings and church services. These days, this National Historic Landmark is open to the public during the summer and fall, and is a popular venue for community events and weddings.

According to the Richmond Historical Society, the church is possibly the sole surviving example of an early 19th-century, 16-sided wooden meetinghouse. It's a beautiful, peaceful place worth visiting any time of year.

**If You Go: Richmond Historical Society
Map

My Challenging Path to Motherhood

Photo by Andy Duback

Here's a post that I want to share with you that is a bit off topic and rather personal. I published an essay in the May issue of Kids VT about my struggle to become a mother at age 40 and the challenges and rewards of being an older mom. I hope you enjoy it!
Late Start: My Journey to Motherhood Took Longer Than Expected

A Perfect Rockwell Scene in West Arlington

Just off sleepy Route 313 is one of Vermont's most photographed and beloved landmarks: the West Arlington Covered Bridge. The bridge, built in 1852 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, spans the famous Battenkill River.  Nearby is the Gothic-steepled Chapel on the Green and up the street is a Vermont inn that is the former home of Norman Rockwell.

The scene in this photo is the same view Rockwell enjoyed from the 19th-century farmhouse in West Arlington where he lived from 1943 to 1953, some of his most productive years as an artist. 

I have seen many beautiful photographs of the covered bridge and church in the summer and fall. On a recent chilly April day, I wanted to see these landmarks in the starkness of early spring. The scene was different, but still beautiful. 

Then I found this quote from Norman Rockwell, and it made me appreciate my visit even more.

“Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative. We find that it is not a new scene which is needed, but a new viewpoint.” 

-Norman Rockwell

**If You Go: West Arlington Covered Bridge
Inn on the Covered Bridge Green

Waiting for a Change in Landscape

It won't be long before the trees are in bloom and the grass is green in Vermont.  April is an iffy month in the Green Mountains -- the weather can be dreary and the hillsides lack color. But May is when you really start to see the landscape shift from bleak to bright.

Just four more weeks. I'm so ready.

A Visit to Solar Sweet Maple Farm

For Vermont's annual Maple Open House Weekend, we decided to check out Solar Sweet Maple Farm in Lincoln. Owned by Tom and Rhonda Gadhue, the farm is an energy-efficient sugaring operation. The Gadhue's stunning sugarhouse is made from recycled and energy efficient materials (the main building was moved from Jamaica, Vermont to Lincoln). The sugarhouse is powered by solar energy and heated from wood that is harvested on the 200-acre property.

We've been going to Maple Open House Weekend for the past several years, and Solar Sweet Maple Farm offers an interesting, environmentally-focused twist that we haven't seen before. Tom and Rhonda were great hosts and we hope to see them again!

For more information, visit solarsweetmaplefarm.com.

Late Winter in the Champlain Valley

Red shed in North Ferrisburgh, Vermont.

At Last, Snow in Vermont

A winter wonderland at the University of Vermont.