As long as you are here, why not have a look at a book I wrote and published in September, 2014? This is not about wood turning, but if you are at all interested in life in Vermont and the unique Vermont experience, you may well be interested in this work of 174 pages.
Unsolicited Comments from Readers of Van Cortland Chronicles
“I sat down last night and read your new book without once leaving my chair, which should give you some sense of how much I enjoyed it. The book is not only very interesting, but is remarkably well written.” Tom Warner, Greenbush, NY
“You need to print more and it needs to be on the best seller list! I am in awe! Tears started on page 4 and between laughing and crying I cannot stop! More people need to read this! Many, many more!!!” Angela Phillips, Tempe, AZ
“Wow! I was totally unprepared for the insight and thoughtfulness of your words. You seemed to capture the true reason we are all here. IT’S THE PEOPLE!!” Butch Shaw, VT House of Representatives
“I loved your easygoing, folksy style; it felt like you were telling these stories to me personally. And the humor that infused so much of the book added so much.” Martha Molnar, Castleton, VT, Author of Taproot
“Just finished your book!! Loved it – the sudden death part made me cry though. You need to take the book on the road – other libraries and bookstores.” Bonnie Robinson, Brandon, VT
“I just finished reading it this evening and found it so pleasurable and thought provoking, and in many ways it reflected my ideals. I identified with much of what you wrote about and think you did a really nice job articulating why Brandon and Vermont are such special places.” Rick Ward, Roslindale, MA
“I loved your book. I feel as though I know you (fairly well, even) through your sensitive and interesting narrative of your experiences since moving up here.” William Brown, Fort Ann, NY
Have a quick peek inside:
Preface
This is, when all is said and done, a love story. It is not your typical, sappy, boy-meets-girl love story we are so familiar with, though it does involve two people who love each other deeply and are completely devoted to their life together. No, it goes well beyond that. It is about love of a place, and a people, and of rejuvenated and rewarding lives because of that place and those people. It is about the state of Vermont in general and the town of Brandon in particular, and a life that is intensely embraced there. It is about finding and settling in a place where your only regret in doing so is not having done it much sooner.
I have been a legal resident—paid taxes, voted, had a driver’s license—in five different states in my life. With no disrespect intended for New Jersey (my natal state), Arizona, South Carolina, or Florida, I can say with complete conviction that Vermont is the only one of those states of which I am proud to be a resident. It is the only place I have lived that I deeply love, that I hate to leave for any reason, that I can brag about, that I am happy to serve, that I am fascinated with, that I am honored to be a tiny part of.
Why is this? What is so special about the 7th smallest state in the Union, tucked up in a remote corner of the continent, that easily could be overlooked, and who’s biggest claims to national fame are maple syrup and great cheese and black and white cows? Why fall so hard for this quirky, quaint—some might say backward—little state? I have asked myself that question many times, and some possible answers are contained in the essays that follow. They offer a perspective of Vermont and its way of life from a particular vantage point, a geography very special to me. I write from my home on Van Cortland Road in the town of Brandon, and from here and its environs I have observed and experienced and chronicled life for seven years now. This is not a long time, certainly, but long enough to have tasted and tested life in this area and to have drawn some conclusions, the main one being that things here are very interesting, sometimes funny and weird, occasionally frustrating, but overall quite pleasing. And I hope to remain here for many years to come because life is so special in this corner of the world. If you read on, you may gain some sense of why that is. In the process I hope you will examine your own particular geography and discover something new and special about your part of the world, even if you have to dig under the surface just a bit; you might be surprised at what you find there. I certainly was and I’m glad I did! Welcome to my chronicles.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Getting Here
How it All Started
A Better Life
Why Vermont?
Part 2: Adapting
Better Friendships Through Biochemistry
23.5 Degrees Off Kilter
The Thrill of the Hunt
The Sno Bros
The Rock Quarry
The Garden of Eatin’
Part 3. Learning
An Irrational Obsession
Car Wash Blues
Major League Meat
Thursdays With Betty
Fridays With Gary
A Debilitating Disease
The Allure of Water
Alone
Part 4. The Town
120 Minutes
Child’s Play
British Invasion
The 7th of July
Come Together
Part 5. Reality Bites
What’s the Buzz?
Oh Deer!
Know Your Boundaries
A Horse’s Patoot
Sudden Death
Totally Awesome (Not!)
Part 6. What is Vermont?
Vermont is Special
Vermont is Vulnerable
Vermont is a Model
Vermont is Home
To Order:
Books are $17, including postage. Send an email with your interest in the book to “GMeffe@conbio.org”.
Frowning Fish Woodworking 