Do You Have to Sneeze or Are You Doing Your Laundry

I had two important goals as a young girl. I was going to be either one of Charlie’s Angels or Bewitched’s Samantha Stephens. I spent hours working on my silhouetted angels’ pose and my nose twitch. I’m still pretty good at both, if I do say so myself.

Imagine being Samantha Stephens. Your housework, cooking, and childcare all done at the expense of a little nasal irritation. Sure, your mother and neighbors are a little annoying, but whose aren’t? Top that off with the fact that you get to change husbands without a messy divorce proceeding. As long as you keep calling him Darrin, no one will even notice!

Bring out your inner Samantha at the Witchy Women’s Celebration at Van Otis Chocolates’ Elm Street, Manchester retail store on October 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Costumes aren’t required to attend the event, but there will be a $50 prize awarded for the best costume. There will also be wine tasting hosted by Zorvino Vineyards, chocolate fountains, giveaways, and raffles. Kids’ games will also be available because unlike Samantha, we can’t all leave our Tabithas unattended upstairs.

I'm Bored

Elongate the vowel sounds, add a little whine, and there you have it – my kids’ summer theme song. I typically respond with a dramatic eye roll, but who can blame them? If you live in New England, your child is longing for outdoor activity during what has been a very dreary, rainy start of summer.

In an effort to prove that boredom can spawn creativity and imagination, we’re making a list of “Fun Things To Do When It’s Raining” - and in this economy, “inexpensive” is inferred. Of course, some of the obvious activities made the list such as visit the library, read a good book, play a board game, and my addition, take a nap. (Insert child’s dramatic eye roll.)

I was pleasantly surprised when the kids added ideas such as try a new recipe, learn to type, and organize their bedrooms. We can all benefit from such an assignment. It’s a great way to circumvent monotony, and you might even discover something new in your area.


Manchester, New Hampshire residents can add “Tour Van Otis Chocolates” to their lists. Tours are offered at the Elm Street facility every Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. during the summer season (June – August). Kids and accompanying adults will learn about the process of handmade confections and the best part – it’s FREE! For additional information, visit http://www.vanotischocolates.com and select “upcoming events”.