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Winter by Train
For today’s topic, let’s rewind the clock back to 1802. In Shropshire, England, on the Welsh border, inventor, engineer (and wrestler interestingly enough) Richard Trevithick, introduces the world’s first steam locomotive. It’s hard today to really explain the revelatory nature of that moment but suffice it to say, the world was forever changed. Today, steam engine

Holiday Film Favorites
Sing it with me, “It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeeeeeeeaaarrr!” Yes, the winter holiday season is upon us. It’s time to grate the nutmeg, hang the mistletoe, decorate the tree, light the menorah, and promise yourself that come January 1st, you’re going to get your diet and finances back on track. Or, maybe not. Some of the time-honored traditions of t

Shopping on Black Friday
Well, it’s here. Tomorrow is turkey day. Families across our great nation will gather in their masses to give their thanks and probably consume way more calories than necessary. Two seconds later, they’ll pack into a gas-guzzling SUV and head over to the local Wal-Mart where they’ll battle Grandmas in electric scooters for a half off air fryer. Over in the toy department, the twi

Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? Is it the sentiment? Giving thanks? Is it to honor the perseverance of the human spirit? The kind that would see them traversing a vast frozen sea to shores unknown, to establish a new life unencumbered by the societal ills of their native soil? There’s probably a little bit of all that in there somewhere but come Thursday, November 23, we’ll probably

A New Home for the Holidays
While conventional wisdom might suggest that the holiday season is a slow time for real estate, there’s also compelling counter arguments for why it isn’t or, at the very least, why it shouldn’t be. If we break it down to purely numbers, then yes, you’re likely to see less new listings and less sales in the time period between mid-November and January. That rings true even

Soup Season is Here!
Go ahead, laugh it up, sun worshipers. You know and I know, these 70-degree days won’t be able to hold out much longer. If there’s one thing about cold weather, I think we can all agree on, it’s soup. I guess there are dissenters out there somewhere. An old friend of mine once broke up with a girl who told him she didn’t like soup. “How can you unilaterally declare yo

Scholarships 2022-2023
Every year at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred & Stouffer Realty, we grant scholarships to three lucky students who exemplify the traits of our Dream Innovate and Grow Scholarship Program. Each student receives $1,000 toward his or her education, every year for up to four years, for a total value of $4,000. It’s the least we can do. We get it: college is expensive. It’

The Pumpkin Takeover
Is there any singular item more indicative of the Fall season than a pumpkin? When it comes to Fall décor, from mid-September to late November, pumpkins reign supreme. Their staying power has to, in some small part, boil down to their simplicity. Sure, you can carve a face into one or paint it but it’s far from necessary. Pumpkins come in all shapes, sizes and colors, allowin

The Colors of Fall
Depending on the survey, anywhere between 29 and 42% of Americans rank Fall as their favorite season. I know what you’re thinking; doesn’t this fly in the face of conventional wisdom that suggests most people are at their happiest half way through their third Mai Tai on a tropical beach in early July? I bet if you asked them by the time they finished that Mai Tai, they’d reply, &

The Joys of Reading
Go ahead and groan. It’s okay. I get it. Reading is not for everyone. Indeed, some people will tell you it’s a chore or worse, a punishment. My theory? They’re just not reading the right material. Don’t think I’m here to convince you that you should spend your downtime brushing up on the philosophical musings of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy or crossing off a who’s who