Are you an entrepreneur with a passion for charity? I have a passion for charity, but I am not a good entrepreneur--most likely because I have two full-time jobs already which literally absorb all of my time. I have a lot of ideas, though. One of my ideas is to sell used clothes as a fundraiser for the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children to raise money for them. The clothes in these pictures are from a clothing drive which The St Nicholas Project conducted among the Catholic churches in Vermont this fall. They were all donated by some very generous people and I am very grateful to them. We will pro ..read more

If you are of a certain era, you will remember this opening by the Mamas and the Papas: California Dreamin'. But, if you live in northern New England, you'll also know that a lot of our weather this time of year is exactly that: brown leaves and grey sky. We are all hoping for a dash of color again once the October foliage has fallen to the ground. A little excitement! A little something new! Children revel in new things. Their sense of curiosity and excitement knows no bounds. Even the smallest things can be fascinating for them. Sometimes they get excited about things that most adults would ..read more

(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette) A new school year and a new start! Every year as the new school year would approach, I remember eagerly awaiting that first day back. I remember mostly excitement to meet my new teachers, spend time with friends and participate in many activities I enjoyed. I always loved going back to school shopping with my mom and having a chance to pick out some new clothes for the upcoming year and choosing some school supplies like binders and colorful folders, pens of every color and a brand-new backpack. The back-to-school shopping ritual led to even more excitement ..read more

Yes, I know the title is spelled incorrectly. I hope it caught your attention! This year I am teaching a religion class to 5th and 6th graders and, among other things, we are working on their spelling. Because we live in a generation of "spell check" and "auto correct", generations of young people are not learning how to spell correctly, not to mention, how to look up words in a dictionary. What's even more challenging is when children from troubled families have been bounced around from one school to another for a variety of socio-economic reasons. They have had inconsistent education along w ..read more

If you watch YouTube, you can find many entrepreneurs giving advice about how to be successful. Some of them are very interesting and offer reasonable advice. Some of them offer advice I would never follow: such as getting up at 3:30 AM, taking cold showers, working out at the gym at 5:00 AM, etc. That lifestyle may work for them, but I could never do it. The entrepreneurs whom I do find inspiring are those who advise you to think big, aim high and work hard--otherwise, you'll just remain a day dreamer and never get started. That I understand. Day dreaming can be fun, but it should never be a ..read more

Have you ever had the experience of going back to your school as an adult and thinking to yourself, "It all seemed so much larger when I was a kid"? I've had that experience many times in my life visiting my old grade school and high school. As small children, we perceive things and places as being much larger than they really are. Even teachers seemed to be larger than life. For the alumni at the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children who return to visit, or even to work there, I wonder if they notice the same thing? It's not that the buildings have grown up, but that the kids have. And, that's what ..read more

The other day I had a young man visiting my house who had just arrived from a recent trip back to Vermont. He's staying at my house until he can get an apartment. He arrived with a car full of dirty laundry which I said he could do at my house. He started the first load and then took off for the day leaving me to finish the rest! Such a simple gesture as washing somebody's clothes, drying, folding and putting them away is a normal experience for most families. Parents (usually mothers) teach their kids how to do their own laundry. But what if you grow up in a family that doesn't have a normal ..read more

(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette) What do you want to be when you grow up? I remember when relatives would ask me this question when I was a child. You may have been asked the same question growing up. While our choice profession as a child may not have been realized in our life, sometimes we will pursue our interests in other ways. To learn what interests us, or in what areas we have talent or skill, we need the opportunity to experience a variety of activities. This is not always possible, especially if you are a child living in a situation where opportunities are scarce due to distressing ..read more

What makes a house a home? Anyone who has moved knows that moving into a new house doesn't always seem like home for a while. It helps to have familiar things. These could be treasured objects or photos that make the space feel more comfortable. More than this, what's important is the interior peace one feels when a person is truly "at home" in a place. And that takes time. In my experience, a house doesn't feel like home until we grow accustomed to it, feel secure in it, find things we enjoy doing there and most importantly, make memories in that space with family and friends whom we care for ..read more

This time of year many alumni of the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children return to visit. Some have come to attend graduation. Some are on vacation from college. Some have come back with their spouses and children. Some have just finished their first year at high school and want to talk about how well Kurn Hattin helped and prepared them. For whatever the reason, it's thrilling to see them again. Most striking, of course, is how they have grown up into young men and women since their 8th grade graduation. There is always a flood of memories, lots of laughs and talk about dreams for their future car ..read more