Rebecca Guay’s (pronounced “Gay”) paintings and illustrations have been called romantic, vivid, rich and elegant in color, and powerful in design and line. She has a strikingly classical, feminine style that favors the use of acryla-gouache and oil.

Born and raised in eastern Massachusetts, Rebecca began her art career in 1992 after graduating from Pratt Institute in New York City with a degree in illustration. Since then she has established a broad career in art/illustration. Her clients include DC, Vertigo, Marvel, and Dark Horse Comics, Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro (MtG), MTV Animation, Lucas Film, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin, Barefoot Books, and more. Additionally, Rebecca’s illustrations and personal paintings are in museums and private collections around the world, including the American Museum of Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in NYC.

Buying the right insurance is a crucial part of running a business well, or taking good care of one's family, but most people don't look forward to the process. Not so for the customers of a fast-growing and independent agency in this area called GoodWorks Insurance.
       GoodWorks is making a name for itself in the Berkshires and beyond with a refreshing, new approach to insurance that powers an engine of generous donations to local charities. Moreover, customers say the firm has a winning formula for taking the pain out of the process by helping people navigate the daunting complexities of risk management with confidence and clarity. 

The “ZLT Zandwich”

Blue Ribbon Prize Winning Recipe from the 2011 Zucchini Festival 
created by David Sotnick 

Zucchini is among the most popular, plentiful, and versatile of the summer squashes. Just like the tomato, the zucchini is technically a fruit. It’s low in calories and a very good source of potassium, and vitamins A, C, and B complex. It can be eaten raw to retain its health-giving enzymes, or cooked in an endless variety of ways in savory dishes as well as desserts. Even the delicate flower of young zucchini may be consumed and is considered a delicacy. 

Golden Moments
Somehow the picture of a child lying in a hammock looking up through leaves at blue sky . . . daydreaming her way towards her next burst of playful creativity . . . doesn’t quite mesh with the other picture, of a child hunched up indoors in a darkened room, with an electronic gadget in her hand, staring at a screen.

Parental Resolve
Most of us would love for our children to have a whole inner treasure box full of Golden Moments (as Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting, calls them), as a source for peace of mind and enjoyment. In this media-saturated culture, it will take some parental resolve to make sure that our children have lots of media-free time for Golden Moments of creativity and connection to be born. We may even have to wriggle out of its addictive clutches ourselves!

What We Offer
The Starving Artist Café & Creperie is located in downtown Lee, Massachusetts. Our philosophy is Always Organic & Local When Possible. We are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the summer, and serve savory and sweet crepes along with delicious sandwiches, fresh salads, homemade soups, organic baked goods, fresh organic juices, smoothies, Barrington coffee, and much more. There is something for everyone, including buckwheat gluten-free and vegan crepes, vegan and gluten-free baked goods, and organic meat options. Eat in, outside, or takeout are all available.
We are located next door to the Good Purpose Gallery. Our name pays homage to the many “Starving Artists” of the area with local artists’ paintings hung on the walls and a live musical brunch every Sunday, combining the art of food with our beautiful crepes.  

The room is quiet, and I am swathed in a sheet and blanket, my face and décolleté covered with a rich layer of organic herbal creams that give off a faint pine-like scent. My feet, which have just been similarly massaged and moisturized, are enveloped in cozy booties. I hear faint strains of music and the esthetician preparing her next potion in a corner of the room, but the sounds seem far distant. In fact, I could be lying next to a train track with a freighter clattering past and not much care: I am that blissed out.  
     Though I think of myself as a low-maintenance person, I am no stranger to facials and massages, and I’ve been coming to Seven salon.spa, at Seven South Street, Stockbridge, for my hair since it opened six years ago. But this is the first time that I have ascended to its spa – several generously sized, well-appointed, and immaculate treatment rooms on Seven’s second floor. Ascended seems the right word: this facial and the massage that follows it make me feel as though I’m floating on a cloud.

This is truly a one-bowl meal! And fast – try cooking the barley and lentils in a crockpot all day – the longer they cook the creamier they get. You can add the veggies at the beginning and let them cook all day, or add them after the barley and lentils have cooked, about an hour before eating. And here’s a bonus tip: Soaking the beans and grains together overnight and throwing away the soaking water makes them easier to digest and helps them to cook faster. 

What is education? It is how we develop the abilities of the mind, it is how we acquire the powers of reasoning and judgment, it is how we “learn to know.” As the Irish poet  William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) observed, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
     In this article, we shine our spotlight on three nonprofit organizations that light the fire of learning in our children. 

Southwest Sushi Recipe by Katherine Miller of Kosmic Kitchen

Sushi from the store can be quite expensive, but it's very easy to make and extremely tasty! This delicious recipe makes approximately 36 pieces.