Stephani Teran
Express staff
Well, the pumpkins are on their way out, the cranberry harvests and frozen turkeys are front and center at the grocery stores, and the only ghosts on our minds are the ones of Christmas Past. It’s the in-between time of year where some are still reveling in late Autumn and looking forward to the culinary customs of Thanksgiving, while others already have their tree up and gifts slowly making their way into closets and attics to hide until the big day -whichever “big day(s)” you celebrate in the coming month with its various festivals of light. Regardless of which group you find yourself in, it is the perfect time of year to bring your focus as local as possible for your gifts, activities, and all your upcoming holiday needs.
If there is one thing I have learned after a little over a year of being a part of the PHK Express, it is that our area of coverage may be on the smaller side compared to the big-time newspapers up north, but the amount of talent, services, brilliant minds, hard workers, opportunities, life-enhancing experiences, and overall goodness offered in our area is boundless and, frankly, a bit overwhelming, in the best way. So, whether you are looking for a special gift, a meaningful experience, a holiday card picture of the fam, the perfect tree, a delicious meal at home or out and about, or something to do with your friends and loved ones when its cold out and you are off from work and school, you don’t have to look or drive far!
Here is an outline of some of our favorite local businesses and services -many of them featured in the PHK Express over the last year and a half. Though online one-click purchasing might be tempting, and grabbing takeout on the fly might be quick, I hope you at least occasionally gift your patronage to one or many of these local gems where your support makes more of a difference than you could possibly imagine. Happy Everything Season! Let’s make it local!

Some of Our Favorite Retail Stores, Goods Suppliers, and Farms:
Mayflower Mercantile: A beautifully curated, country-chic retail store in the heart of Plympton offering local, handmade goods, antiques, and specialty foods.
4 Mayflower Rd., Plympton
http://www.mayflowermercantile.com
Nessralla Farm: A charming full-service local farmstand offering fresh produce, flowers, groceries, and locally sourced foods.
416 Plymouth St., Halifax
(781) 293‑6792
Bamps Toy Vault: Good old-fashioned toy-store charm meets a fantastic, imagination-fueled shop with a huge selection of toys, games, dress-ups, trinkets, and an ice-cream bar.
https://www.bampstoyvault.com
36 Main St., Plymouth
Pewter and Sage Hand-Painted Signs and Wall Art: Whether you need a sign for your business or a lovely holiday decoration, Sarah has you covered. Her natural talent, eye for aesthetic, and remarkable painting skills will be sure to give you a product better than you could have imagined.
Tinyurl.com/Shop-Our-Fall-Collection or @pewterandsage on Instagram
Once Upon a Thyme Farm: A lovely local flower farm and stand right out of a fairytale offering floral services, fresh honey, and natural-seasonal decorations.
http://onceuponathyme.ag
32 Parsonage Rd., Plympton
Revival Farm: A local pork farm providing sustainable, humanely raised pork with a farm shop.
http://www.therevivalfarm.com
6 Cross St., Plympton

Some of Our Favorite Christmas Tree Suppliers:
The Farm at Raven Brook: A family-run Christmas tree farm on some of the most beautiful acreage in Halifax. They offer stunning trees, a food truck, and seasonal décor in their farm shop.
http://www.thefarmatravenbrook.com
137 Wood St., Halifax
Schatten Berg Tree Farm: A family-owned, cut-your-own Christmas tree farm with winding woodland paths and stunning views of the Plympton forests.
Follow: Shatten Berg Tree Farm on Facebook or call: 339-832-8212
134 Brook St., Plympton
Falconer’s Garden Shop: A local favorite for all your gardening and outdoor space needs, Falconer’s offers pre-cut Christmas trees, local goods, and festive ambiance.
@falconersgardenshop on Instagram or call: 781-585-6035
94 Center St., Plympton

Some of Our Favorite Businesses to Take a Class:
Hello Peach Arts: Join local fiber artist, Jennifer Godbois, in her local workshop, to learn various fiber art techniques and make beautiful projects to be proud of.
https://www.hellopeacharts.com
North Main St., #1, Carver
The Cosmic Bee: Join local artists, Kara LeClair and Melissa Kowal Duggan on an art-fueled adventure to learn new art techniques and let your creativity flow uninhibited!
https://cosmicbeeart.wixsite.com or follow @cosmicbee.art on Instagram
Peaceful Pines Farm and Floral: Join Stephani on her beautiful flower farm, often in her cozy farmhouse kitchen for a seasonally themed craft or project and a seasonal meal. Visit the roadside farm cart for seasonal floral arrangements and decorations or contact her for event and floral design.
Follow @peacefulpinesfarmandfloral on Instagram and Facebook or call: 801-949-2232
109 West St., Plympton
Children’s Art Classes: Kids can learn about, and make art in, all kinds and mediums in a positive, self-esteem building environment from October-June.

Hanover, MA (Serving Boston and South Shore)

1376 Washington St., Suite B, Hanover
111 Love Yoga: Explore the practice of Yoga in an accepting, calm space with Meg Murphy Garfield -all experience levels welcome.
Follow @111loveyoga on Instagram and Facebook
111 Upland Rd., Plympton
Middle Street School of Music: Gift your kids or yourself (they have more adults enrolled than children!) the adventure of music lessons with a team of professional teachers and musicians in a healthy, positive environment.
ttps://www.middlestreetmusic.com
12 Middle St., Plymouth
Plimoth Patuxet Museums: Aside from the infamous living history museum we all know and love, don’t miss out on the vast array of incredible classes and workshops, seasonal feast and dining opportunities, as well as free lunchtime lectures to attend online or in person to enhance your own education and interests in local history. They also hold a large craft fair in early December for your gift-giving needs.
https://plimoth.org
137 Warren Ave., Plymouth

Some of Our Favorite Local Places to Eat:
Keegan Kreations: If you are looking for the most delicious, straight-from-France quality, creative patisseries around, you must visit Keegan Kreations. Watch out for the eggnog morning bun -your taste buds won’t soon forget it.
https://www.keegankreations.com
136 Main St., Kingston and 20 Court St., Plymouth
The Tasty: Comfort food with a twist, locally featured, fresh ingredients, creative cocktails, and a local following, you can’t find a bad meal here.
42 Court St., Plymouth
https://thetastyplymouth.com
A3 Pizza: Coming from a legacy of family-centered, Italian food and business, Chef John Cataldi’s menu is anything but boring at this unique, locally beloved pizza place with plenty of delicious non-pizza items on the menu. The Ricotta Crostoni is a frequent flier in our household.
65 Summer St., Kingston

A3 Pizza Pasta Parm, Kingston, MA

Solstice: Creative American cuisine and time-tested favorites fill the menu at Solstice with each seasonally-featured dish. The “Chicken Under a Brick” is never a miss here.

Home

63 Summer St., Kingston
Rye Tavern: Come enjoy exquisite farm-to-table food in a 1792 Tavern located deep in the Plymouth pine forests on the oldest highway in America (unpaved and perfectly spooky).

Home

517 Old Sandwich Rd., Plymouth
Grille 58: For classic dinners and something on the menu for everyone in the family, Grille 58 is a great place to gather family for a nice meal.
http://www.grille58.com
284 Monponsett St., Halifax

Some of Our Favorite Places for Entertainment:
Blake Planetarium: A perfect adventure for family and friends, enjoy a feature educational presentation under a full-dome screen. On the first Friday of each month, local astronomy expert, Steve Davies, will talk about the current night sky and teach you how to find and identify celestial objects.
http://www.blakeplanetarium.com
117 Long Pond Rd., Plymouth
True Repertory Theater: Local theater at its finest, don’t miss a chance to see passion and professionalism combined to give both tried-and-true pieces, as well as locally, modern day-written plays and artists a place to shine.
https://www.truerepertorytheatre.org
222 Main St., Kingston
Spire Center for Performing Arts: Enjoy a concert via local and well-known musicians and bands in a historic, specially restored venue with marvelous acoustics and a unique indie music atmosphere. Shows run most weekdays and weekends.

Home

25 ½ Court St., Plymouth
Pilgrim Festival Chorus: Enjoy one of the many holiday programs from a premier local choir right in your backyard. With members from amateur to professional, each performance is pure artistic excellence.

Home

Plymouth Philharmonic
Edaville’s Winter Wonderland: South Shore’s beloved holiday outdoor lights and train-riding experience is back!
https://www.edaville.com
5 Pine St., Carver

Some of Our Favorite Services:
Allison Thompson Photography: Professional, local photography for all portrait, headshot, and family events and occasions, Allison will make sure your images are the highest quality. They will easily become your personal treasures or great assets to your business profile.
http://www.acephotographyne.com
The Hot Mess Healer: Do you need some help with home organization for the holidays or to start the new year? If so, don’t hesitate to call Kelly of the Hot Mess Healer. Her expertise in home organization and functional design will take you from scrambling to find the Christmas decorations to having your ornaments color-coded.
https://thehotmesshealerma.com or call (781) 915-4050
Jillian Walraven: Professionally trained and brilliantly creative, Jillian offers the most incredible personal chef experience for every occasion. Each dish features seasonal, fresh, and local when-possible ingredients with a personal flare that is unmatched in the area. If you need inimitable food for a holiday party or a quiet dinner with friends, Jillian will deliver an unforgettable dining experience.
https://chefjillianwalraven.com
The Barker House: If you are going out of town for the holidays or just need somewhere for your beloved pup to play during the busy season, Dr. Bartlett of The Barker House and her team will make sure your pup is loved and spoiled to the fullest extent until you return.
http://www.barkerhousedogs.com
4 Elm St., Plympton
Colchester Farm: Though the growing season is coming to an end, don’t forget that beautiful Colchester Farm offers rental for their restored barn for your holiday entertaining needs.
Follow on Instagram @colchesterfarmsince1751 or call (781) 422-3921
90 Brook St., Plympton

Some of Our Favorite Local Publications and a Literary Haunt:
The Plympton Halifax Kingston Express: For the news that matters close to home, don’t miss out on weekly issues about important topics, events, and happenings in the tri-town area of Plympton, Halifax, and Kingston. Local newspaper is the heart and soul of communities and a gift subscription makes the perfect present for anyone in the area!
www.plymptonhalifaxexpress.com
ArtyPants Magazine: Subscribe to this independent print publication spotlighting New England-based artists, stories, and creative inspiration, blending curated art with editorial storytelling.
https://www.artypantsmagazine.com
edible Southeastern Massachusetts: Treat yourself to this regional food magazine covering local farms, restaurants, markets, and food culture across the South Shore and South Coast of Massachusetts.
https://ediblesema.com
Modern Midwife Mystery Series, by Duxbury-based author, Christine Whelan Knapp: Christine Knapp practiced as a nurse midwife for many years and is also a writer of academic texts and journal articles. Now, she combines her passion for midwifery with her love of mysteries in her award-winning fiction series.
https://www.thoughtfulmidwife.com
Balance is a Scam, by Plympton-based author, Dr. Amber Bartlett: Business psychologist and multi-business owner Dr. Amber Bartlett had written an unapologetically honest, psychology-driven, laugh-so-you-don’t-cry account of what it actually means to be an ambitious mother in a culture obsessed with the myth of balance.
Available for purchase on Amazon
Book Love: Visit a locally owned, independent book store in the Pinehills featuring local events, author talks, classes, and book clubs. Forget the box-stores for books and support book stores with heart and community in mind.
https://www.book-love.com
7 Village Green South, Plymouth

Some of Our Favorite Local Public Groups and Services:
Plympton, Halifax, Kingston Public Libraries: For a constant line-up of interesting classes, enriching events, clubs, and speakers, don’t forget to check out your local libraries! They are working hard to provide free activities, learning opportunities, and resources for your everyday needs.
Holidays in Halifax: Each December, the town of Halifax gathers in its town center for Holidays in Halifax, an evening of tree lighting, holiday cheer and family festivities organized by a dedicated volunteer committee. A tradition since 1996, it is the town’s warmest celebration of the season. This year’s event will take place on December 12.
https://www.festivalsinamerica.com/festival/holidays-in-halifax-halifax
Kingston Luminary Walk: Don’t miss this beloved evening of entertainment, food, fun, crafts, and music -all beautifully illuminated with luminaries.
https://www.kingstonma.gov/753/Luminaries

Some of Our Favorite Charities and or Community Service Programs:
South Shore Community Action Council: SSCAC offers fuel assistance, weatherization, childcare, food resources, transportation, and other support programs for residents across the South Shore.
https://www.sscac.org
The Arc of the South Shore: The Arc is a nonprofit organization in Hingham, Massachusetts, providing programs and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, across the South Shore region.
https://arcsouthshore.org
South Shore Foster Closet: A 501c charity that helps to provide clothing and supplies to families who foster children.
https://www.southshorefostercloset.com
End Hunger New England: End Hunger New England is a regional branch of The Outreach Program that packages and distributes meals across New England, operating from a warehouse in Pembroke, Massachusetts and having delivered over 50 million meals since its launch.
https://www.endhungerne.org
Plymouth Area Coalition: The Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless provides emergency assistance housing for families at the Pilgrim’s Hope Shelter. Clients are placed at the shelter by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Living Conditions (EOHLC). Coalition shelters provides clients with safe temporary housing for their families, professional case management, and support services.
https://plymouthareacoalition.org
Here at the PHK Express, we hope you find this list helpful in making your holiday more local and special for you, your loved ones, and the businesses and organizations you will be supporting. If you are a local business, there is no greater gift you can give your local newspaper than supporting us by placing an advertisement with us to reach several thousand residents each week. Happy Holiday Season!

Humans are creatures of habit and comfort. We choose certain traditions, customs, and practices and weave them intricately into our lives for a myriad of reasons -often without fully understanding their origins or purposes other than our entertainment and love for them. On Oct. 31 as the sidewalks fill with youngsters in costume (hopefully plenty of adults, too), and the early darkness is pierced by glowing jack-o-lanterns and illuminated inflatable lawn decorations -as clubs for adults blast “Thriller” over speakers while serving “Bloody Mary’s” and kitchen tables are set with dough-wrapped mummy-dogs and pumpkin shaped cookies, it might be worth considering why we go to such extensive lengths (and expense) to continue doing these things year after year. At first, you might think the reasons for all of this beginning centuries ago may be drastically different from the reasons we do them now, but once you get the bigger picture, you will find that you need a bit of Halloween as much as the first revelers in ancient Ireland did. Halloween is, after all, entirely rooted in community and hope.
Halloween was first Samhain (pronounced sow-win). Samhain means, quite literally in Irish, “to assemble or gather”. It was one of four main festivals in ancient Ireland, Imbolc (the waking up of nature and lengthening of days), Bealtine (the start of the growing season and renewal), Lughnasadh (the summer’s peak harvests), and Samhain (the end of the harvest season and beginning of shorter days and winter). The first records of Samhain celebrations and traditions date back to the 9th century BCE in mythological cycle tales such as Cath Maige Tuired and The Dagda and the Morrigan -both origin stories of ancient Irish heroes, wars, and how the island was saved from the villainous Fomorians.
For people in ancient times, their entire lives and quite literally their survival, largely depended on how things went for them at these times of year via harvests, hunts, slaughters, preserves, and storage. To head into the Lughnasadh with a lower-yield harvest meant a more fervent worry that things would be very difficult for you and your loved ones or community until Imbolc. In ancient Ireland, cattle were currency, and having security meant good breeding years, plenty of slaughter, and preservation of the yield to last the winter through. In fact, although there were many physical tests and trials required for the process, the people often chose their Ard Rí (high king) and Rí’s (lower king but above a chieftain) somewhat based off who had the largest herd and harvest of cattle to take care of the community.
Samhain was a time of inventory, stockpiling, and connection for communities as they headed into the most dangerous time of year to be human -the season of no growth, cold, and easily spread illness. To facilitate the mass harvests and to boost moral for the season ahead, various customs and traditions were kept by the communities -some fun, some tragic, some logical, some frivolous -but all tying back to the human need for connection, community, and hope.
The Celtic calendar was divided into segments based on the alignment of the moon and sun, growth cycles, and harvests. The first part of November -which scholar’s debate could have ranged from November 1-10, was marked as the beginning of winter and the end of harvest. October 31st, then, was the eve of this poignant time -a gateway to the new season and a fine line between life as it was and possible or pending death. This meant, to the Irish, that the veil between their world and the Otherworld was at its thinnest. The Otherworld was the sacred land where their deities, the Tuatha Dé Danann of the Land of Tír na nÓg, resided. The portals to Tír na nÓg were believed to be the ring forts and “fairy mounds” throughout the countryside, and sometimes near peat bogs, and there are legends of seeing masses of spirits entering and exiting the mounds, at will, on Samhain -therefore, it was best to be at home or in your settlement around groups of the living until dawn.
In Irish homes, steps were taken to both welcome and shun these visiting spirits -the welcome extended to loved ones who were missed or honored, and the casting out of visiting troublemakers. The Irish table was set with an extra place setting or serving of food as a gesture of hospitality for the presence of those yearned for or missed.
Candles were set in the windowsills as a sign to passing spirits that they were welcome in the home if their heart was pure. To counter that, ox blood was blessed by the village Ollamh (wise man and court-appointed scholar) or Cailleach (wise woman and healer) was smeared above the door or hide-flap frames to make entering difficult for those with “dark hearts” as they called it.
The Samhain feast included meat from the cattle harvest, dried fruits, fish, and two very important staples: Barmbrack and Colcannon. Barmbrack is a flour-based, sweet, dried-fruit-filled speckled bread. Oftentimes, symbolic objects were placed in the dough before baking, that forecast the fate of the person who cut into that part when eating it. A popular token to place in the Barmbrack were small rings or other pieces of jewelry and the person who discovered these was said to be next to marry. Colcannon, a potato dish with milk, kale or cabbage, and a well in the center holding a fresh pat of butter, was also used as a vessel for tokens of fate and fortune to be found by those consuming the meal. Of course, many of these tokens were placed with an agenda in mind via the maker -perhaps a mother eager to urge her child into a marriage, or to urge a young adult to choose a certain trade. Anyone who has an Irish mother, ancient or modern, knows how these not-so-subtle hints seem to find their way into many aspects of life.
Another way to ward off the malignant spirits wandering on Samhain was with masks and costumes. It was believed that ill intent made one physically ugly, so spirits who were traveling that night to make trouble were depicted as hideous and frightening. As a way to keep them in check and appear too foreboding to bother tormenting, the Irish would spend days before Samhain constructing masks and, sometimes, entire costumes, of natural materials to be terrifying. The scarier the mask, the more maligned spirits you would likely be spared from. Samhain gatherings featured people wearing these masks and costumes, and usually one person wore them at the feast table as an extra precaution to make sure only welcome guests were at the table.
Community was at the heart of Samhain, and the main event featuring this gathering was the local tine chnámh, or bonfire. As many historical tales recount, a large tine chnámh was made on the nearest hill adjacent to settlements -ignited from the torch brought by the local Ollamh, Rí, or chieftain’s own hearth fire in their home or fort. Community members would come in masks or costumes or as they were with bones or other offerings from that season’s harvests and cast them into the fire. Thus, the term “bone-fire”, later “bonfire” came to be.
This was a symbolic gesture of cleansing the soul of the person adding to the fire and invoking the powers of the Otherworld to watch over them through the dark season. Some families had carved boxes from sacred trees and types of wood, or satchels made from the hides of prized family bulls to carry their offerings to add to the fire. Dancing and singing naturally took place around the tine chnámh and the more cheerfully rowdy the gathering, the better chance at keeping bad fortune and spirits away. As dawn approached, each family would take their own torch brought with them and light it from the tine chnámh. They would take it back home and light their own hearth and the longer you could keep that fire and embers burning from the night of Samhain, the better your fortune and fate were said to be through the winter.
One common story of light associated with Samhain, but less inspiring, is Jack of the Lantern. Stingy Jack was said to be a local miscreant who caused great harm and trouble to any community he wandered into. He was also a notorious drunk. One Samhain, he was passed out in a roadside ditch when the devil came to claim his soul. Jack, still strikingly clever even when inebriated, was able to fool the devil into leaving him there and coming back for him later. When the devil returned, Jack was gone. In the following years, Jack fooled the devil two more times out of taking his soul.
When it came time for Jack to die of natural causes, his soul was obviously rejected at the gates of heaven, but he was also rejected at the gates of hell for thrice offending the devil. He was given a single ember from the pits of hell and sent to wander the earth, neither fully dead nor alive, for eternity. He placed his ember in a hollowed-out turnip that had been left on a stone wall by a farmer and is said to wander the Irish countryside with his glowing lantern as his only light. Carved out turnips were lit with candles and placed on doorsteps and windowsills to keep mean spirits away for they, too, were said to fear the man who was so evil that hell rejected him. Jack of the Lantern was passed down as a cautionary tale in later Samhain celebrations and carried on to this day on our front porches.
In addition to customs of food, light, and costume for Samhain, there were also games played to pass the long hours of the last night of autumn. Apples, long believed to be a sacred fruit brought from Tír na nÓg by the Tuatha Dé Danann, were used in most feasts throughout the year and especially during Samhain. They were baked, dried, pressed, shared, and used as divining tools to forecast fates on sacred nights.
One custom was to have freshly harvested apples placed in a tub or trough of water. A group was selected to gather around the tub to “bob” -or try and retrieve the apples with their teeth -which is very difficult to do! The more people able to secure the fruit in their teeth from each group, the better the fate was predicted to be for each person in that group. Later on, it became a game of one person claiming victory by being the fastest to retrieve an apple. Apples were also commonly peeled and then the peels thrown over the shoulder of the peeler. The letter nearest the shape that the peel landed in was said to be the first letter of the name of the person you were to marry -or sometimes, depending on the diviner, the name of the person next to die.
Perhaps it is easy for us tech-clad, overstimulated, logic-bound moderners to dismiss all this as superstitious, primitive, or strange, but if you take each custom for what they are rooted in, you will see their needs were not so different from ours in spite of centuries between us. They missed deceased loved ones and looked for ways to connect with them again, they sought wisdom from trusted elders and community members, they celebrated with food and drink and games, they found coping mechanisms to dilute the very real fear of not making it to the spring.
They gathered together as families and communities to support and encourage each other in spite of basic existence being incredibly challenging, and they made light of a time when most of us would feel like spiraling into depression and panic. Imagine knowing that every single winter you would not have much to eat, you would be very cold, resources for survival were quite finite, illness was likely to take at least one of your loved ones, fatigue from survival would be consuming, and this would repeat again and again for your entire life.
Of course, there are still plenty in the world who face these things every day -not just in winter. In modern times, perhaps we are facing our own season of darkness and isolation as the world continues to seemingly fracture as a safe, dependable place before our eyes. Screens are our companions, meals often come from a drive-through windows or frozen boxes, superstition and frivolity is for “weirdos”, and bonding together is a rare occurrence when we allow ourselves to pause from our career-driven, over-saturated with hustle-and-bustle lifestyles which are sadly required to stay afloat in the current economies. Perhaps it is our modern society that need a bit of Samhain again. I hope you and your loved ones carve out a bit of time for warmth, hearty food, friends and family, light, superstition, games, and a bit of healthy nonsense this coming Saturday.
As the song taught to me by my Irish-Samhain loving family members went: “Samhain, Samhain, Let winter begin, Bring the harvest home, Let no traveler roam, Keep the tine lit from within, Samhain, Samhain.”
A blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween to all~

Every October, sleepy, picturesque Plympton don’s autumn so beautifully that it looks like you have stepped into a calendar. The classic New England autumn foliage that draws millions of tourists to the region each year can be found in spades due to the abundance of forests and protected land -but minus the massive crowds. Quiet ponds reflect neon leaves that cascade onto the water one by one to make gentle ripples, and lonely streams take on golden hues from gathering fallen pine needles along their banks.
Antique Cape homes flank their largely unused front doors with smartly potted chrysanthemums and corn stalks, and old stone walls are lined with the ubiquitous pumpkin -soon to be carved into pumpkin moonshines. Chimneys begin to smoke and scent the morning and evening air, and wood piles accumulate before your eyes like little rustic high-rises to be plucked from all winter. Cranberry farmers corral their last berries -making mini crimson oceans to be sucked up and carried out in trucks that make their way down Main Street, heavy-laden with mountains of the festive fruit. Everything here carries on rather the same as it likely has for hundreds of years -that is, aside from one weekend in October when Plympton wakes up. On a Friday morning, people begin to file down Crescent St. in their cars, trucks, and trailers with tents, wares, tools, and decorations -all converging on a lush hilltop for the weekends exciting event: Mayflower Market Days.
Mayflower Market Days is an annual vintage fair held each October at 41 Crecent St. in Plympton. Set on a beautiful, 300-year-old hay farm in the rolling hills, the market features antique dealers, artisan vendors, food trucks, live music, demonstrations, and family activities. Mayflower Market Days is the creation of Plympton residents, Jennifer Macdonald and Mike Lemieux -owners of Full Circle Homes and former hosts of HGTV Houses with History. Though relatively new to the town, this market has quickly become a much-anticipated event drawing over 100 vendors last week. Though rather fleeting, this weekend packs a punch in many ways and takes an enormous amount of work and planning.
“It takes all year to plan. We are already signing up vendors and food trucks now for the same weekend next year,” says Macdonald only two days after closing the 2026 market. “Mike and I plan it all, but we did hire Tara in our office who helps keep us organized in all things ‘Full Circle’. She just started in June and it really helped having her organizing it all this year. It was the largest market yet with over 100 vendors and she had never done anything like this before.”
Though Mayflower Market Days now offers a variety of types of vendors and dealers, it all started with a shared passion for antiques. Macdonald explains, “This idea came from both of us as we used to sell antiques at smaller fairs. When we had the opportunity to buy the Plympton lots that were for sale and put the farm back together, we thought it would be a nice spot to celebrate the farm and local artisans and antiques.” Anyone that knows Macdonald and Lemieux knows that their love for antiques runs much deeper than a hobby or pastime. From this shared love, they have built a highly successful business, Full Circle Homes -a historic home renovation and interior design company. The success of their company gave way to a show on HGTV, Houses with History, that premiered in 2021 and ran for two seasons. In addition, Macdonald owns and runs Mayflower Mercantile, a retail store housed in the historic Martin Perkins’ house circa 1827 on Mayflower Road in the center of town. The Mercantile is more a general store feel than a retail store and carries local goods, antiques, specialty food, and handmade items.
With a devoted following of antique enthusiasts, in addition to the existing New England penchant for all things old and reusable, Mayflower Market Days has gained momentum enough to draw growing crowds to the countryside hills each autumn. There were, however, a few learning curves to lead to the smooth execution of the event.
“The biggest challenge in the past was the weather and the fields,” says Macdonald, “We did add gravel roads so the parking lot and roads for food trucks are great now. We learned that was needed during year one.” During a previous stormy market, the parking lots turned to mud and trapped many vehicles that had to be pulled out. The New England October weather has thrown in some hitches, but all of them are now planned on and prepared for by the Mayflower Market Days team. “The other challenge, of course,” Macdonald continues, “is keeping it all organized and making sure we have a very curated fair with lots of different artisans, antiques, and other vendors.”
Hosting over 100 vendors this past week, it is clear that variety has been achieved by Macdonald, Lemieux, and their team. From alpacas to blacksmiths, and grilled cheese to glasses of wine, Mayflower Market Days covers all areas of possible interest. Macdonald says this is just the beginning. “For expansion this year, we added an 18th century cooking demonstration group, face painting, bunnies, and more. We will keep adding more family-friendly activities so there is something for everyone!”
As for their favorite aspect of the market, Macdonald says, “My favorite thing about this event is to see it all come together after a year of planning -to see the same patrons and new ones coming back each year saying this is their favorite event, makes it so special. To see families having fun is amazing. I love seeing all the dogs at the fair too! We love supporting local and to see them happy after a long weekend makes it all so worthwhile. I think Mike’s favorite is the antique cars and all the antiques, for sure.”
Also, new to the Market Days this year was a guided paranormal investigation in their Crescent St. house which, apparently, yielded some intriguing results. “The 1707 house across the street from the fair on the farm has remained largely intact since it was founded,” explains Lemieux, “We are only the third family to own it. This year we did a paranormal investigation and the results were amazing!”
Throughout its colonized history, Plympton has had a colorful past of hosting fairs, shows, tours, and events that brought crowds from all over. Macdonald and Lemieux have made sure to keep this tradition going -that of sharing the magic of Plympton with others -even if just for a couple of days. “We love Plympton”, Macdonald exclaims, “When we moved to town, we had a dream of one day hosting an antique fair just like the ones we attended as a vendor years prior. It is amazing to be able to host this on our favorite Crescent St. farm. We love seeing so many from the community. It is all about keeping it local and enjoying our little town. The hayfields on Crescent St. have been there for 300 years. The proceeds from the fair go into running it and also maintaining the hay farm. Thank you all that supported us this year. It was the most amazing turnout and we can’t wait to see you all at the fields next October!”

For more information on Full Circle Homes, Mayflower Market, or Mayflower Market Days, please visit:
https://fullcircle-homes.com/index.html
www.mayflowermercantile.com
https://mayflowermarketdays.com

Farming has long been a family business -often passed down from founder to subsequent generations in the same family since agriculture took the place of hunter-gatherer-forager societies and became the staple form of food and livestock production, domestication, and consumption some 10-12,000 years ago. Though nearly everything else about farming has changed, the ties between farming families and their communities are still there when small, local, family farms are supported and protected.
In fact, local family-run farms have found an appreciation renewed through the newly growing field of agrotourism -creating tourist destination experiences amidst producing, fully-working farms, thereby allowing guests and non-farmers to learn about, participate in, or be immersed in farm life and harvests. One such local farm is Bensons Pond Cranberries, and one of the driving forces and brains behind its continued success is Plympton local, Erin Williams.
A Cornell University graduate who grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, Williams was long-instilled with the appreciation of farm life, and aware of the work ethic, problem solving, and innovation required to keep an agriculturally based family business running amidst the changing landscape from family to cooperate farming models. By chance, she met her match in someone from another farming family in Massachusetts -Cassander Gilmore, a third-generation cranberry farmer.
“It all started when Cass and I got married,” explains Williams, “We had a traditional reception in Pennsylvania -you know, two farms, two families, but when we got to Massachusetts, we wanted to celebrate with people there, so we hosted a family clambake on the bog. I got permission from my in-laws to clean out the top part of the screenhouse and we got it ready to host the clambake. At the reception, we had some people show interest in using the space for more events and it gave me the idea.”
After a bit of uncertainty as to how this idea would go, and what Williams joked about as “too much free time on my hands that winter”, she got the approval of her in-laws, as well as the necessary town permits and legal clearances, to make some changes to the space to be appropriate for its intended use. “We kept most of it original and only updated a few things like the electrical and some basic rehabbing, but we wanted to keep is as intact and unchanged from the classic cranberry screenhouse as possible.”
That winter of excess free time was certainly fleeting, as Willliams’ business model for the farm has given way to Bensons Pond Cranberries and The Barn on Bensons Pond becoming a local tourist attraction now drawing up to 10,000 people a year. This dramatic transformation from a traditional cranberry bog to a wedding, educational, and event center, in addition to staying a working farm, was the result of Williams acting on the expressed interests of guests and locals and thinking of ways to meld them while sustaining farm production. “We would have family and friends visit and they expressed interest in the process of cranberry farming -particularly in harvesting, so we started offering ‘Berry Bog Adventures’,” explains Williams, “We host about 350-400 people a year to spend two hours in the bog. They wear waders and harvest with us and learn about the whole process. We have one full-time bog tour manager and 3-4 bog tour assistants, and we do groups of 25 people, with two groups a day, so that we can also keep up with the harvest side of things.”
Williams says that maintaining the working-farm aspect of the business while trying to incorporate tourism is a challenge but they are finding ways to make it work. “Some bogs have a ‘sacrifice bog’ where it is strictly for tourists to have bog experiences and harvests for commercial means are not taken from that bog, but we don’t have that here. I am passionate about keeping it a pure-farm model and balancing harvest with the volume of guests -we try to find a way to blend both.” Williams says that people who attend the Berry Bog Adventures are about 50% locals who have been here all their lives and never had the chance to be immersed in the cranberry harvest, or people who have been here a few years and are looking for ways to explore their new home. “The other half of our guests come from all over the country and even the world. We had some lovely people from Britain the other day on one of our adventures.”
One of the other challenges in an agrotourism business model is trying to plan guest’s schedules around Mother Nature. “The first few years we were learning how to time the Berry Bog Adventures around the needed time of harvest -which can vary by the date each year based on the season and weather, explains Williams, “We used to announce our dates for bog tours in July or August, but now, in our ninth season of offering tours, we have enough data and experience to be able to announce the dates as early as March or April and start booking then.” In addition to paid bog experiences where harvesting is part of the offerings, Bensons Pond Cranberries also offers strictly educational tours in the form of field trips for local schools. “We are part of the Ocean Spray Cooperative and so we largely do a wet harvest -which is what people love to see.”
Bensons Pond Cranberries is not, however, just a cranberry farming business anymore. Williams has taken the former screenhouse -now called a “barn” to better fit Google searches for event destinations, and made it a popular spot for local weddings, as well as events like Cranberries and Cocktails, and the Harvest Dinner with a Berry Bog Adventure. The Barn on Bensons Pond is now a stunning event space offering everything needed for events. Currently, however, Willams has scaled back on the number of weddings hosted each year to spend more time with her two young boys and her other full-time job at Rockland Trust as an SVP and Commercial Loan Officer. “We were hosting about 25 weddings a year,” says Williams, “but we have scaled back to ten a year.” The beautiful circa 1942 screenhouse has been transformed into a country-chic space -complete with strung white barn-lights, a gorgeous bar, long wooden tables, and carefully curated, antique and vintage farm-equipment-lined bride and groom rooms downstairs for the wedding party to change and get ready in. Truly, Willams has taken a common cranberry screenhouse and made it into a countryside fairytale spot for families to celebrate and gather together surrounded by 80 acres of bogs, woods, and local history. The Gilmore family purchased Bensons Pond Cranberries and Barn in the 1980’s, and it had been a working bog since the 1920’s, but Williams has taken it into the 21st century with creativity and style while insisting it stay true to its roots and function.
“My biggest challenge is the time constraint” says Williams as she is fitting in the call on her drive to work amidst her chaotic schedule, “I just don’t have time to do everything I think of, but the juggling act is worth it to be able to share this place with the community.” Any local, family-run farm would be so lucky to have someone like Williams taking risks and coming up with new ideas to keep their farm relevant and respected in a modern society that veers dangerously toward mass production and business models that damage, rather than support, the small-farm business model. Benson’s Pond Cranberries and The Barn on Bensons Pond, however, seem to have found a way to keep the core values of family and community at the heart of all they do while yielding an uncompromised volume of glorious cranberries each season -and that is the kind of well-rounded harvest our communities need.
For more information on Bensons Pond Cranberries and The Barn on Bensons Pond, please visit:

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Fall is the perfect time of year to get outside, enjoy the crisp air, and explore some of the beautiful trails in Plympton! The Plympton Public Library and the Plympton Open Space Committee invite families to enjoy two fall Story Walks throughout the month of October. Visit Cato’s Ridge to take a short walk and enjoy The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming. Over at Two Brooks Preserve, families can walk a little longer and read Hello Autumn, Goodbye Summer by Kenard Pak while taking in the sights and sounds of fall. Story Walks are a fun way to combine reading, nature, and time together as a family. Visit one, or both, throughout October and enjoy a story while experiencing the beauty of fall in Plympton!

It is the first night with a new, but familiar chill that nudges me to get back out of bed and trudge down to the linen closet to get out extra blankets. As I pull the summer-stored stack of cozy cloth up to my neck, I hear the nearby song of Cailleach Oíche -the Night Crone, as I learned from my Irish family as a child -or to most people, a Great Horned owl. Cailleach is a powerful figure in Irish mythology. Her name means “old crone”. She is the shaper and maker of the land, and autumn and winter are her seasons -the seasons of senescence. Her purpose is to remind us of the inherent wisdom of the cycles of nature -teaching us that transformation requires something dying away to bring forth something new. Perhaps no other season evokes such romanticism, such mystery, and traditions of both preparation and celebration, as autumn. Perhaps no other part of the world has harnessed this autumnal magic, or perfected it via a fusion of nature and custom, as perfectly as New England.
Even without human custom and observance, autumn in New England would be a spectacle unmatched worldwide. Mother Earth puts on a show in this region that is more function than frivolity -though you can’t convince me that creatures of the forest and sky don’t pause their pre-winter frenzy now and then to just look and take it all in -even if it’s more for confirmation of their instinctual changes in routine than reverence.
Of course, New England foliage is the star in the show and people come from around the world to see and experience the feeling of being enveloped in a jewel-colored riot of vegetation. The Division of Travel and Tourism Development reports that over 7.5 million people will travel each year to one of the New England states for “leaf peeping” -a particular vacation planned entirely around seeing the fall foliage and taking part in the many autumnal customs and experiences New England has to offer. Over $8 billion annually is generated in New England strictly from fall foliage tourism. Mother Nature has drawn quite a crowd simply doing her thing in this region. That said, the process of taking the land from summer to fall is no small feat and deserves our utmost admiration, respect, and protection.
When the dense, vert, New England “jungle” as I like to call it, begins to be pricked here and there with neon oranges, yellows, and reds, it is actually often a process of returning to true form rather than transforming into something new. Leaves are not, in their original forms, green. Once they develop from their often-colorful bud stage, they turn green due to the chlorophyll that dominates the chloroplasts -specialized organelles that carry out photosynthesis in late spring and summer. When summer wanes, the chlorophyll breaks down, unmasking pigments that were always present or, sometimes, newly produced during the season.
Leaves with yellow and orange pigments are due to carotenoids (xanthophylls, beta‑carotene) and are present all summer but hidden by chlorophyll. Once green fades, they become visible, giving aspen, birch, and some maples their golden tones. Trees with red and purple pigments, via anthocyanins, are the exception because they are produced in fall, not present all year. Their formation depends on trapped sugars, sunlight, and cooler temperatures. This active process can create brilliant scarlets in maples and other species. When the kaleidoscope of fall is past peak, tannins come into play and give the faded brown tones that come from leftover pigments and chemical changes as leaves die and cells break down altogether. These are the skeletons of the canopy that are left just before the first snow fall. I cannot conjure up a more beautiful process of senescence that occurs on earth than the changing of the leaves -though I am sure there are some that rival.
With the canopy of transformation evoking the instinct for survival as well as sentiment, we creatures here below also change from our carefree summer ways to rushed revelry. In New England, some creatures leave and some stay -each having their own winding-down (or up, depending on their habits) process that begins if you watch closely on late August nights. Hummingbirds, that flew thousands of miles northward in the spring -often returning to the same nesting areas, gardens, feeders, and territories they left behind the year before, become little gluttons at the feeders. There is never enough sugar water or an adequate number of feeding holes in my feeders as tiny battles carry out between the territorial, minute sword beaks. They have reason to hoard and hurry, for they are about to embark on a GPS-free, 500-4,000-mile (depending on the species) journey before the frosts set in and flowers die back. They can’t afford a moment to relax as they enter hyperphagia -a natural state of eating 2-3 times more than usual and doubling their weight.
For those that stay, preparations are no less mandatory and serious. The hibernation preparation of bears becomes a nation-wide sports bracket with the U.S. National Park Service enthralling us via social media with “Fat Bear Week” in which we eagerly watch (and be honest, laugh at) and vote for tagged or observed bears in various national parks as they unknowingly compete to inflate like oversoaked sponges in preparation to live off their own fat stores for months. Perhaps a lesser known, but no less dramatic and cut-throat contest, takes place in our New England woodlands with much smaller residents than bears.
The Eastern Chipmunk has quite a task each autumn to ensure survival and if they had tiny GoPro cameras attached to them, we would likely be observing their daily adventures with as much interest as our favorite tv dramas. Chipmunks must take full-advantage of the seasonal release from the oak trees above. Stuffing as many as six acorns in their mouths at a time, chipmunks must gather at least 100 acorns to make it through the lean winter months ahead. Not only will the feast from the trees likely be under snow soon, it will also be scarce, if not nearly gone. Theft of their stores by other creatures while out gathering, and countless other creatures with the same goal in mind (survival) make preparing for winter an intense and stressful task for the common chipmunk.
Animals are not the only ones making fall preparations. Many plants, shrubs, and trees are transforming before our eyes. Each Autumn, many people fuss over non-native chrysanthemums and ornamental kales, but New England is awash with delicate billows of deep yellow and purple, pink, and white as native goldenrod and asters. These late-blooming natives provide critical nectar and pollen when most other flowers have faded, and, contrary to popular belief, goldenrod doesn’t cause hay fever.
Goldenrod self-seeds at will with a vigor that usually indicates it should be yanked out immediately from any manicured area, but if you understood the critical role these nearly-glowing, starry-bloomed tufts play in ensuring the health of over 115 specialist-species of native pollinators, you would happily enjoy their stunning, cheery compliments to a fading landscape. In fact, if you leave them be in your yards, they will also reward you by improving the soil they have been grown in and they will outcompete invasive plants. Often dancing in the autumn breezes together, New England native asters and goldenrod that border the edges of neon woodlands and rain-soaked roadsides, should be as treasured as the pumpkins on our porch.
Should any of the millions of tourists need more than the stated above to be enthralled in the majesty of a New England autumn, they will easily find a nearly overwhelming number of other autumnal pastimes to satiate their Mabon itch. Any jaunt down a country road will inevitably lead you to an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, farmstand, or fall festival that will most likely look like a Tasha Tudor painting or something from a Thomas Kinkade gallery.
There are, apparently, so may apple orchards in New England, that there is no source with an official count, and more are added and closed each year creating a constant flux. What is easy to find out however, is how many varieties of apples can be found across the six states of autumnal abundance. Over 120 varieties of apples, both heirloom and modern, are grown across New England. Cult favorites, such as Roxbury Russet (the oldest named American apple, hailing from Massachusetts) and Northern Spy, draw the hard-core pome enthusiasts, while everyday cravings for McIntosh and Honeycrisp can be satiated with an hour or so wandering fruit-laden trees among children and families and foodies determined to tap into their inner-pomologist. Around $2.82 million a year is spent by orchard goers in New England each year -making this “as American as apple pie” pastime a crucial part of the local economies.
In addition to the fresh fruit, there is a seasonal quest for hard apple cider fans and New England has little competition for being the hub for the finest hard ciders around. Using heirloom apples like Kingston and Roxbury Russet, New England cideries have continued producing the historic beverage and earned it an immovable place in the local cuisine and culture. With most of the $6.1 billion made each year by apple cideries -most of them in New England, it is safe to say it is as much a part of local autumn industry as the humble apple itself.
In addition to the ubiquitous apple, there is little to no competition for the other autumn crop found in New England this time of year. New England pumpkin patches are a must-see and must-do event for the full autumn in New England experience. While again, the exact number of pumpkin patches in New England is not documented, there are over 200 according to newenglandharvester.com. While most pumpkin patches are privately run and do not publish annual income statistics, there have been some larger pumpkin patches in the area that reported over a million dollars in revenue from a single season. While that is the exception more that the rule, it is no joke to consider the colorful Cucurbitaceae an imperative part of the New England autumnal season.
Truly, the merits and wonders, both natural and human-made, of autumn in New England could run the entire length of this paper. Considering the confines of print, and the fact that all this and more is just outside your door, it is best for you, reader, to see it all for yourself -whether you have been in New England all your life or, like me, you are a fairly new transplant still in their green wonder of the region. Perhaps the crowds are off-putting and trendy destinations irritate those seeking a unique experience, but there are still so many passed-by moments of seasonal splendor found in a quiet walk in golden woods, or a solitary picnic of orchard apples and Vermont cheddar and a can of local hard cider. Perhaps you get a thrill from the scarf and boot-clad crowds hauling wagons of pumpkins and the happy riots of festival games being played by Halloween-anticipating children. Whatever kind of autumn experience you seek, you will find it best fulfilled in our little corner of this vast world. How lucky are we for that simple gift?
The most important thing I learned from the legend of Cailleach Oíche about autumn is that it is a time to come back home to yourself -to gather the abundance of lessons and experiences you grew and harvested for the year, to filter out the ones that don’t help, and to cozy up with and turn over in our minds the ones that are worth keeping. Cailleach Oíche would have found her lessons all the more perfectly mimicked here in New England -where autumn is an experience, not just a season, and where we can marvel at how beautiful senescence -letting go- can be.

Imagine being a child and arriving at a new house, with a new family, and only the clothes on your back. As of last year, that was the experience for over 8,300 children in Massachusetts alone. For one Kingston woman, helping children adjust to foster care and ensuring they have adequate clothing and other common childhood belongings has become a life mission.
Sharon Collins became a foster parent after her divorce. With two children of her own, she fostered other children for 9 ½ years and adopted three. Now, as a busy family with five children, Collins and her co-founder and friend, Jeanne Bello, dedicate time and energy to making sure other children in the foster care system do not go without basic needs and comforts.
“I was at a meeting about foster care and I sat next to Jeanne and another woman. We started talking about how foster children often arrive with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and usually those need to be thrown away,” says Collins, “We thought, ‘Why wouldn’t we create a place where they could shop for clothes and other things?’”. After that meeting in 2018, South Shore Foster Closet began to take shape and became a 501c charity.
Once donated clothing started to come in from friends and family, they needed a space to store and sort it. “We started out using basements,” explains Collins, “and then Jeanne got us a space in the Duxbury Baptist Church. We outgrew that space and asked if we could take the abandoned house behind the church. Jeanne’s family has a painting company and they helped us renovate it.” Now, the “Little White House” is full of shelves and shelves of clothing and supplies for foster families. Initially open to the public, Covid changed how they ran the organization.
“During Covid, we had to close to the public, so we had people request things. We put together bags of the items needed and they could pick them up. This ended up working out so well for us that we kept it like this. Our house is not open to the public, but we put orders and bags together to be picked up.”
As far as the items and supplies available from South Shore Foster Closet, they cover many bases and needs. “We provide things like clothing, footwear, underwear, socks, jackets, coats, diapers, toys, backpacks, and holiday items for celebrations,” says Collins. “We are always in need of new underwear, sneakers, toys, and boys and girl’s clothes -especially in sizes 5-12.” Collins assures that gently used items in good condition are accepted but underwear, and most toys and sneakers should be new. “We would accept used things like high-end gaming systems or other high-end toys if they are in good condition as well -we just want to be able to get the kids things they enjoy and need.”
One of the busiest times of the year for South Shore Foster Closet is approaching. The holidays can be difficult to prepare for -especially when caring for children in need. “We gave away 1,500 toys in one night last year to foster families for Christmas,” says Collins, “We have an event where the toys can be picked up in November and that way families can have some great things for the kids on Christmas. We even have an Easter event where we put together Easter baskets for the kids.”
For the most part, Collins and Bello run the South Shore Foster Closet on their own, but volunteers are often needed for their clothing drives and events -the dates and times can be found on their website and Facebook page. One of the biggest challenges they face is space. “We have run out of space again,” says Collins, “We just serviced 143 foster children for back-to-school supplies and it takes up so much room for that many supplies. Things like coats and shoes -it all requires a lot of room.”
Supporting South Shore Foster Closet is easy to do and Collins asks that all items be dropped off at 9 Page Ave. in Kingston -preferably with notice of what you are going to bring. “Anything you want to donate can be bagged up and dropped off on the lawn and we will pick it up and sort through it,” says Collins. In addition to foster children, Collins says that foster families with other children in the household may receive donated items. “Your children can be fostered, adopted, or biological -as long as they are part of a foster care family, we can help you have the clothing and things you need. We also give away groceries on a monthly basis at the same location.”
With so much of our attention going to our own lives and families, sometimes we don’t notice the miraculous and incredible things going on right under our noses. Collins and Bello are working every day to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in our communities and the families caring for them. “We try our best to provide whatever is needed for these kids. We want people to feel supported and heard when working with us and know that they are not on their own in this,” says Collins, “We are blessed to be able to live our passion to help others and provide children with things that comfort and make them happy.”
South Shore Foster Closet is a testament to what can happen when care meets passion. When we look beyond ourselves and our busy lives and see a need, instead of waiting for someone else to fill it, I hope we take initiative and network with others to help in whatever way we can. What more precious need can there be than that of a child?
For more information on South Shore Foster Closet and ways to help please visit:
www.southshorefostercloset.com or email: ssfostercloset@gmail.com
For contact or drop off information, or to organize a clothing and supply drive text Sharon Collins at 781-336-8439.

The only predictable thing about life is that it is unpredictable. In fact, sometimes it seems the more we prop up our expectations on plans, the more life reminds us that it will not be tamed. Still, the lifelong dance between foresight and flying by the seat of our pants, though often unpleasant, is the means by which the human spirit is refined and made resilient. Such a resilient spirit can be found in True Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director, Donald Sheehan.
Developing a passion for theater at the age of thirteen, Sheehan holds an MFA in Acting from Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, RI, and has worked extensively as both an actor and director with major regional theatres such as Williamstown Theatre Festival, Trinity Rep, Beowulf, The Gamm, and The Theatre Cooperative. He founded True Repertory Theater in 2000.
A true talent, matched equally with passion, Sheehan was set to join a prestigious theater company in New York City, but life had other plans. “I woke up one morning and I was so swollen and felt very ill,” recalls Sheehan, “I found out, the summer of 1999, that I had kidney disease and it changed everything.” The decision to forgo acting opportunities in NYC was made all the more difficult by the fact that Sheehan would need to maintain employment with insurance benefits to manage his intense and expensive treatment. “I found myself having to focus on keeping a day job that didn’t make me happy while undergoing dialysis and keeping up with my treatment plan,” says Sheehan.
Staying in Massachusetts with family to provide support meant Sheehan had to turn to local opportunities to continue his passion while dealing with a chronic disease. While relying on medication for number of years kept his condition manageable, eventually dialysis was necessary. “I was going to my 9-5, which didn’t help my health, then going to dialysis three days a week for four-hour blocks, then to rehearsals for whatever project I was involved in, but I had to keep doing theater. I refused to give it up. It was what sustained me and gave me a sense of normalcy,” explains Sheehan.
While dealing with chronic health issues, Sheehan made sure to continue making a new plan for his life and found a dire need for local theater in surrounding communities. “I realized there was plenty of local and community theater in the big cities, but it was not easily found outside of places like New York and Boston, so I decided to make my own.” True Repertory Theater opened in 2000 and quickly became a hub for local talent and local ideas.
After over a decade of managing his kidney disease, Sheehan was finally able to receive a kidney transplant on July, 19, 2016 at Mass General Brigham Transplant Center. After his transplant, Sheehan founded a nonprofit, Project 719 which is a community-based outreach initiative that brings awareness and fundraising to various organizations whose missions align with the dramatic themes of the True Rep season.
This year marks the ten-year anniversary of Sheehan’s transplant and with that milestone came the inspiration to share his story in hopes that others waiting for a transplant or managing disease would be able to relate to and feel hope for a life past illness while in the thick of enduring it. “I had been journaling my thoughts and feelings about the whole process for a long time, and last year I came to my colleague, Victoria, and started sharing this idea with her. I wanted to tell a success story on the anniversary of my transplant and also be able to give back in some way,” says Sheehan. In a unique spin, instead of one person writing an original play, Sheehan began to work with four other people in the company -each of them adding their own unique style and perspective. The collaboration with Sheehan, and co-writers, Victoria Bond, Maureen Cornell, Mike Hoban, and James Sullivan, resulted in True Repertory Theater’s first original work, “Hold Please! Drama, Dialysis, Dead end Jobs and How Katherine Helmond Saved My Soul.”
“Working together on this was a huge educational experience,” says Bond, Associate Artistic Director, “We learned a lot about this disease and what it takes to overcome it.” “There are over 100,000 people in the U.S. alone waiting for a transplant,” says Sheehan. “Still, our play is relatable in many ways -not just for people with chronic disease or waiting for a transplant,” he assures. “Most people can relate to being tied to a non-fulfilling, 9-5 job that takes a lot out of you, or trying to juggle your dreams with reality, or using humor to get through difficult things -there are plenty of themes in the play that anyone can recognize and appreciate.”
In addition to Hold Please! raising awareness and being a relatable experience to many people, Sheehan is also donating a portion of the proceeds to the Mass General Brigham Transplant Center in honor of Dr. Cecil Coggins -a foremost nephrologist in Boston, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, and editor for the Annual Review of Medicine.
Sheehan’s play explores his journey through the phases of illness, treatment, and triumph and is a new, original work to the theater community. “We have been creating by the seat of our pants in real time,” says Cornell, “We came together with open minds and were aware that some things would not work, but we stayed flexible and appreciate that theater is, naturally, a collaborative art. This has been that on steroids -it is an unusual way to make a play, but we have loved it. This theater has made a huge difference in my life.”
Hoban had more of an outside take on the process, “I am a sketch writer, so I am not as immersed in the story and that means I can give kind of an overall, outside perspective that can get lost with too much hyperfocus. I love that this play, and this theater, prove that you can still have a good life, even if it doesn’t go exactly how you want it to.”
“I come here to learn -to learn from these people I work with. We show up, ready to work together with open minds and it’s been neat to see what we can do,” says Sullivan. “You can’t have an ego and if you leave that at the door, you can do some really great stuff!”
Bond had her own health scare and found that her passion for theater carried her through times that could have been all-consuming. “I had a health scare and it was surreal to be worried and going through tests, and waiting and feeling helpless, but I brought scripts along with me and reading those helped me find calm and focus.” Bond is also continually focused on True Repertory Theater’s mission -to be an incubator for new works, new voices, and new ideas. “Community theater should not just be the classic plays or the big titles -the ones everyone already knows about. Community theater should be a place to showcase new works and ideas from people around you. It is a place of connection in a world of disconnection.”
Sheehan has been connecting people and creativity to the community for over two decades as True Repertory Theater celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. Hold Please! is only one way you can be a part of the magic happening at True Repertory Theater. On Sept. 25, 26, and 27, the company will host Playwright Platform, their 4th Annual New Play Festival. These evenings will feature selections from 24 plays in 72 hours -chosen from over 100 submissions. Sheehan explains, “This festival gives new playwrights a chance to have their work heard and to see what impact it has on the audience. There are already some we have selected that are really special and we want to produce them as mainstay plays for the company.”
If you are looking for a way to celebrate and make a difference financially for this amazing local theater, then you don’t want to miss True Repertory Theater’s fundraiser, “The Greatest Gift on Earth” -a circus-themed fundraiser celebrating Sheehan’s transplant anniversary. “The theme started off with the idea that life is a roller-coaster,” says Sheehan, “And then it turned into life is a balancing act -like in a circus and before you know it, we had a whole circus- themed fundraiser going with the ‘greatest gift’ referring to organ donation and the healing power of art.” The fundraiser will take place at the Pembroke Community Center on Oct. 3 at 7p.m. The proceeds will also go to The Mass General Brigham Transplant Center and True Repertory Theater to help cover the cost of production.
With so many incredible things happening, and Sheehan at the helm of it all, it is hard to believe that ten years ago things seemed quite bleak for him. “I want to share my story to help others who feel stuck and scared. I want them to know that things can get better. The key is to find your personal ‘medicine’ -be it laughter, theater, or whatever moves you through the hard times.” For as unpredictable and cruel as life can be, it can also be constant in providing opportunities for connection and inspiration. Sheehan and True Repertory Theater have taken a could-have-been finale, and turned hardship into a story where not only Sheehan’s new dreams come true, but others have the space and opportunity for theirs to come true as well. Success in the big, flashy ways, doesn’t always mean fulfillment, and when it comes to creating a life of meaning and purpose, Sheehan is purely aspirational.
For Ticket and Upcoming Event Information please visit:
www.Truerepertorytheater.org

Many mothers have the scenario perfectly pictured in their minds long before they walk through the door of their home with their new baby. There is often an idealization that upon arriving home, things will fall into place, routines will eventually come from the happy chaos of this new phase, bonding with your precious little one will be blissful, and those around you will support and help you heal and navigate. Nearly every mother dreams about the same kind of natural, beautiful transition after growing, carrying, and welcoming a new life into theirs. Of course, new mothers also know there will be intense fatigue, a recovery period, struggles of all kinds, new worries, a bit of anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed at times; no new mother expects a postpartum experience without the full gamut of adjusting to new or “added to” motherhood.
That said, what happens when the postpartum experience is all-but-consumed by the struggles -fatigue or insomnia beyond comprehension, recovery that never comes or is hindered due to a lack of support, struggles and worries that haunt the mind day and night and prevent basic functioning, anxiety that alters heart health and makes getting out of bed physically impossible, and depression and hopelessness that make life more unbearable and frightening by the day, and can even prevent bonding and feeling motherly towards the new baby in your arms?
Postpartum mental health disorders are more than just “baby blues”, they are chemical alterations and imbalances set off, and enhanced by, the giant internal chemistry experiment that goes on in a mother’s body for well over the nine months of pregnancy and after birth. The usual coping mechanisms and things like, “eating healthy” and “taking a walk” are not only largely ineffective, they are asking too much of someone in crisis who needs far more than an inspirational quote and a long nap to feel better.
While the gray clouds (which can be more storms of terror than just cloudy skies) of postpartum mental illness do not come for the majority of mothers, they are common enough and on the rise for a number of reasons. Statistics show that one in five mothers will experience significant postpartum anxiety and/or depression. Patricia Wasiolek of Plympton knows, first hand, the severity of the storms new mothers sometimes face with postpartum mental illness. After recovering from her own storm, she has dedicated her time and energy to help others find safe shores and see the sun again.
“After my son was born, I experienced awful postpartum anxiety,” explains Wasiolek, “So severe that I could not get out of bed.” Wasiolek and her husband knew things had gone beyond what could be remedied on their own at home, so they headed to the emergency room. “I was assessed in the ER by a psychiatrist and, though they were just doing their job, they were impersonal and unhelpful for what I was feeling and experiencing. The whole experience was very clinical. I was sent to a partial day clinic in Norwell, but it was more of a mood disorder clinic and I was unable to relate to anyone there. It was not, at all, a fit for new mothers with postpartum anxiety, so I kept looking for something else.”
Wasiolek found the Day Hospital at Women and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island and moved her care to their program. “You can bring your baby with you, which a lot of programs don’t let you do. They have clinicians, physicians, group and individual therapy, and lots of programs to help new moms with postpartum disorders. I was there for two weeks and it really helped me.”
In addition to finding professional support and treatment, Wasiolek also found solace and support in a friend who had suffered from postpartum illness during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I reached out to a friend I knew had struggled with this and she gave me a lot of advice. Her care was wildly mishandled, as is the case for many women, and I was shocked at the lack of awareness and resources for these things in such a large medical hub like Boston.” One invaluable resource Wasiolek’s friend shared was Postpartum Support International, PSI -a global nonprofit that promotes awareness, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing created by a worldwide network of individuals and organizations and professionals.
“I was invited to PSI’s ‘The Climb’ by a college friend where I connected with Kelly Winter who had started advocating for PSI locally,” says Wasiolek, “Kelly watched her friend go through postpartum illness and wanted to do something to show support, so she put together the first ‘Climb’ in Duxbury. I asked her if I could help and we started meeting in January.”
Founded in 1987 by Jane Honikman in Santa Barbara, Calif., PSI is a unique organization in that it provides global support to families and individuals through perinatal health support, education, advocacy, and research through helplines, educational and training programs for professionals and individuals, lists of resources and the perinatal care programs and providers closest to you -no matter where in the world you live, online support groups, webinars, and educational materials. Since its inception, PSI has grown to be an international resource that provides support and connection for over 100,000 people a year.
PSI’s “The Climb” is a family-friendly, community-building walk starting at the Pilgrim Church of Duxbury on Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. -1 p.m. The event is sponsored by many local businesses and also accepts individual donations. The walk aims to raise awareness and money for perinatal disorders, and to continue to work on erasing the judgment and taboo often associated with postpartum illness. One in five mothers and one in ten fathers will experience intense anxiety and/or depression after the birth of a child. Over 800,000 people a year are affected by perinatal mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, Perinatal OCD, enhanced Bipolar 1 and 2, Psychosis, and Perinatal PTSD. Sadly, only 25% of those impacted by these disorders are able to receive treatment or follow-up monitoring. “One of the great things about PSI,” says Wasiolek, “is that they do all the homework and research for you. When you are in the depths of postpartum crisis and trying to cope, its just too much to also be expected to make lots of phone calls and search online and stay on top of seeking out something that works. PSI makes all the information easy to find and it is specified to your area.”
PSI’s “The Climb” had resounding success last year -raising $10,000. “This year,” notes Wasiolek, “We set an initial goal to raise $15,000, but we have already raised over $18,000 and we aren’t even to October.” When asked what, beyond fundraising, Wasiolek and Winter hope to accomplish with “The Climb”, Wasiolek replies, “This walk shows the power of community and why it is important. Community can not only provide support, but validation and recognition for what so many go through -sometimes silently. There is such a spectrum of what a perinatal disorder can look like -for some it’s manageable with therapy and for some professional help in a care center or hospital is needed. We need to help people find resources BEFORE they reach their breaking point. Treatment plans need to include the mother, partner or spouse, and healthcare professionals -and family if possible. It should never be left largely up to the mother -the one enduring the disorder, to manage on their own.”
In light of recent events, perinatal health is on the minds of most of us -especially in our South Shore communities. Some of the public dialogue has been encouraging to see and hear, but some of it has been deeply hurtful, judgmental, uneducated, shortsighted, and ignorant. There are clearly many who do not understand the severity and reality of perinatal disorders, or comprehend the overall failure of our mental health system as it applies to perinatal care and women’s health. There is also a looming gap between realizing that a healthy and cared for mother is a healthy and cared for baby/child.
Perinatal disorders are not a phase, they are not imagined, and they are not usually something that can be dealt with alone or by simply “cheering up”, “being grateful”, or “snapping out of it” -as were some of the “tips” I was given over the course of having perinatal disorders with all four of my children the last 20 years. These are serious conditions and terrifying for the person enduring them at a time when their greatest desire and focus is bonding with, cherishing, and caring for the new little miracle in their lives. When you can actually feel the chemistry in your body “crash”, as I described it each time, and you have no control over the wild imbalances and reactions taking place inside of you, it is one of the most terrifying and helpless feelings someone can have. It steals away many moments of joy that you had dreamed of having with your precious newborn.
Please, reach out to new moms and their partners. Ask about the mom as readily as you do the baby. Please, don’t say, “Let me know if I can do anything for you,” because they usually feel like a burden, ashamed, or an imposition and they won’t ever ask. Please, listen to women when they say they are not okay or they need help. Please hold their hands and truly listen, without judgement, to what they feel and need. Please, show the same compassion to new mothers that you would wish for yourself and your loved ones. Be the catalyst for their treatment to begin and stay on course. Allow them to grieve, be angry, and collapse, safely, so they can begin to heal -because healing IS possible and the outlook is bright for women (and their families) who have the support they need. Mothers are superheroes, but sometimes even superheroes need someone to save them. It is time we all put on our capes and set out with a message that there is, indeed blue, beyond the gray sky.

To Register for PSI’s The Climb in Duxbury on Oct.3 visit:
https://Give.postpartum.net/event//2026-climb-duxbury-2026/e763328
To Donate:
https://give.postpartum.net/fundraiser/7050672
For Information on Postpartum Support International:
https://postpartum.net