Monadnock Table

As I write this note in late February, snow continues to swirl outside my window — piling atop the already deep blanket covering the ground. It is like winter will never end. And suddenly — instead of the familiar winter screeches of blue jays and caws of ravens — I hear a bluebird! There, in a nearby tree, singing an early, sweet warbling song. Bluebirds — and their cousins, robins — are the first of the migrating birds to return to northern New England.

A. This is a really interesting house and property. It’s an 1850-vintage post-and-beam farmhouse on 11-plus rolling pasture acres that’s been completely remodeled and — I would say — “reimagined” over the past seven years. As part of that remodel, the owners stripped the entire envelope of the house to its beams — both exterior and interior — fully insulated it, and then reclad the entire exterior with white-cedar log siding. Q. So it’s been converted into a log home of sorts? A. That’s right.

We spoke with real estate professionals from Better Homes and Gardens, The Masiello Group, to get their best advice for buyers heading into the 2026 real estate market. Decide what truly matters — location, layout, features — and keep those at the top of mind as you search. Staying focused helps, but leaving room for flexibility can uncover options you may not have considered.

Museums have a way of slowing time, inviting curiosity, and often inspiring repeat visits. Once you make a habit of day trips like this, you may find yourself planning the next one before you even leave the parking lot. One such destination is the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts — a perfect excuse for a scenic drive through rolling Berkshires hills and a day immersed in American art and culture.

“We're seeing cute pastels. We're seeing yellows, baby blues, and great chocolates, even for summer, where people are doing really rich colors,” says Beth Doyle, owner of MOE Momentum Clothing on Main Street in Keene. For women who typically lean toward black, shades of chocolate offer a chic alternative that Doyle equates with the timeless navy. And for those who see “yellow” and think it’s not for them, she says: think again. “Every color is good for everyone. It’s just what hue it’s in.

“Mud season is very real, and a well-designed entryway begins with intention,” says Katie Rainey, who specializes in interior design for waterfront and mountain-view homes. When it comes to mudrooms, she believes they’re pivotal for any home in New Hampshire or Vermont, and “You have to make sure it works for the family,” she says. What that looks like is different in every home.

“This is what Vermonters do — they make do with what they have,” she says. She moved to the area when her husband began teaching at Vermont Academy in 2023. Although she had not yet met many people there, she brought with her past artwork, talent and plenty of time. Raab’s dining room table is spread with an array of partial paintings, photos, various adhesives and an X-Acto knife for cutting shapes and pieces that she arranges as if "putting puzzle pieces together," she explains.

The recipes are arranged seasonally, beginning in spring. Although you could pick this book up at any time of the year, springtime aligns with new beginnings and the availability of fresh local ingredients, which can inspire us to spend more time in the kitchen. Despite the recipes being plant-based, Bodzak writes, “If your body is craving animal products, it’s easy to substitute eggs and dairy back into all these recipes.

Jimmy Tan, the heart and hands behind Kogetsu Boiler House at Noone Falls in Peterborough, N.H., ventures out before dawn — often between 3 and 5 a.m. — to Boston’s bustling seafood markets. He combs through the day’s catch, hand-picking only the best, ensuring every plate at his restaurant tells a story of freshness and care. The freshness of food is key to its taste, more so than the way it is prepared, he says.

On Main Street, look for spring festivals popping up and signs that the town’s farmers’ market is getting ready to return. Stop into your favorite spots and say hello to neighbors who have finally let the woodstove die down and have come out for a bite. At the welcoming Arlington Inn, you’ll find things all spruced up as they prepare for the busy season ahead.