By Maria

Don't Forget Your Vitamin D

Don’t Forget Your Vitamin D

This time of year, it’s easy to only be outside while you are going from your house to your car to your job and back again. But I often forget why that’s such a big mistake. And if I get into that cocooned ritual, it’s not very long before I start feeling depressed and sad […]

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It's Time to Order Seeds

It’s Time to Order Seeds

Holidays are over; decorations are put away. The winter darkness is starting to lift a tiny bit, but the cold doldrums are here to stay for a while. These are all the indelible signs that it’s time to order seeds and plants for this year’s garden. Sure, you can wait until spring, and rush to […]

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It's Farm Show Time!

It’s Farm Show Time!

This week is the 94th Annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, “the largest indoor agricultural event in the country,” or so they claim. I am devastated that due to work schedules I probably won’t be able to attend. But that shouldn’t stop you from trying to go—or at the very least, like me, watching it all week […]

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Secret Stress-Relieving Remedy! Sunday Movies

Secret Stress-Relieving Remedy! Sunday Movies

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time relaxing. With all the work and chores that need to be done, it feels impossible to slow down. And yet, I know I need to. Sometimes I just want to be taken away to another world, another time and place. I used to LOVE, […]

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Crazy for Popovers!

Crazy for Popovers!

A month or two ago I had the pleasure of dining at the exclusive corporate headquarters of the Hearst publishing empire. It was a private dining room on the 44th floor, and a waiter brought in a giant golden thing as big as my daughter’s head and put it on my bread plate. Hungry woman […]

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In Memory of My Mother, Ardie Rodale

In Memory of My Mother, Ardie Rodale

It took me 19 years to be able to properly eulogize my father, Robert Rodale. So it doesn’t feel right to take only two weeks to try and write a proper memorial for my mother, Ardie Rodale, who passed away from cancer the week before Christmas. But I also feel like I can’t go back […]

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Season's Greetings and a Sad Farewell

Season’s Greetings and a Sad Farewell

As many of you know, my mother passed away peacefully this morning. She courageously fought a battle with cancer for more than 20 years, and while she lost the battle for her life, she won the hearts and spirits of many people along the way. She died a good death—at home, surrounded by family, with […]

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Recipe: Oyster Stew in 15 Minutes

Recipe: Oyster Stew in 15 Minutes

I remember loving oyster stew since I was a small girl. Frankly, it’s kind of like mother’s milk from the Earth and Sea. I know that sounds weird, but that’s how I felt about it today when I ate three bowls right before a long nap. I actually don’t like oysters very much. I prefer […]

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