Green Mountain Meandering Missives

  Although I have never played one in my life, nor know anything about playing it either, I came across this rather (ab)used stringed musical instrument downstairs of my apartment building among the collection of various items for the perpetual yard sale benefiting the senior meals program here and find myself interested in it. Have attached a note to it for office staff inquiring about how much it might cost (assuming it is for sale).

Two pieces of prose of mine were read during the Vermont House of Representatives devotional in honor of Homelessness Awareness Day this afternoon (Thursday, January 18, 2024):  Archived video, here   Text of prose: Homeless Sneakers, here ; In Lieu of Flowers, here . In the meantime, vtdigger reports that Vermont is turning away people seeking shelter in motels during winter weather, here .  Go figure!

  Although being retired from my thirty-plus years of volunteer activism and advocacy concerning various matters (including housing, homelessness and mental health), having learned of a press conference being held at the Vermont State House today regarding Housing First Vermont, since it concerns something rather near and dear to my heart, I attended in support of the cause.  Being retired, does not mean I stopped caring about these and related matters. Far from it. Photo: Housing First Vermont press conference placard (more photos of the press conference, here ). Update : Housing First Vermont:  Evidenced-Based Solutions to Homelessness:  2024 Policy Recommendations  (six page informational handout; scanned from hard copy; via Google Drive) , here . News articles and reports coverage of the press conference (this section will be updated as additional news coverage about the press conference becomes available): Brattleboro Reformer , here ; Vermont Public, here ; WCAX -- Channel 3 TV -

Screenshot (via Montpelier Police Department [MPD] Facebook page). My apologies, although I had meant to blog a retrospective post sooner than this in order to provide a final report and update concerning roaming Santa's Christmas Eve Day activities and observations, etc., I had ended up with a rather acute case of exhaustion that significantly sidelined me for a time. It has taken me a while to recover and, relatively speaking, begin to feel more rested. Had gotten a somewhat late start on Christmas Eve Day (Sunday, December 24th) and was not able to get out and about until roughly an hour and a half or so after noontime, doing brief visits at certain downtown shops and stores here and there as well as warming up over a cup of coffee at the cafe across from City Hall for a time. Afterwards, roaming Santa posed with two MPD police officers for a selfie that was later posted to the department's Facebook page. Interspersed, roaming Santa also did various greet and waves at the us