The year 2020 was a year I will always remember. First there was the loss of my wife of 59 years, Marjorie, in April. Funeral arrangements were altered by COVID-19. Sunday church services were called off in our area. Doctor’s appointments were canceled and rescheduled and canceled again.

It’s a lovely, snowy day here in Whitefield as I write this introductory column. While sitting by a fire and watching a light, fluffy snow piling up, the birds fly from feeder to feeder enjoying the much-needed nourishment.

The winter holidays seem to bring out our nostalgia for the warmth of home, family, and friends. Whether the celebration is in the light of one small candle during a war, the seven lamps of Hanukkah, or the glory of a candlelit Christmas tree, we all yearn for peace and connections to loved ones past and present. This year has made it more difficult for everyone, but we still strive with those feelings in our socially distanced lives.

In examining a package to be discarded, have you ever felt confused about whether or not it can be recycled? Current recycling protocols place the responsibility for making such decisions on consumers. But merely affixing the chasing arrows symbol or printing the words “please recycle” on a package offers little guidance on how to do so. In some cases, claims of recyclability can be downright inaccurate.