By Bonnie J. Fladung

“February. Get ink, shed tears.
Write of it, sob your heart out, sing,
While torrential slush that roars
Burns in the blackness of the spring.”
– Boris Pasternak, author Dr. Zhivago

The opulent ice palace in Dr. Zhivago is an unforgettable scene. The glittery icicles dripping off the roof. Inside – the chandelier, piano, furniture – all transformed into an ethereal dream. To create the scene, the production designers Continue reading...

By Bonnie J. Fladung

Eastman’s winter wellness program kicks off January 1st, and who doesn’t need motivation? Even those of us with the best of intentions get sidetracked. Now there’s a fun and easy way to track your progress and meet your fitness goals.

One of the hottest free apps available for your iPhone is Runkeeper. It not only tracks your daily activities by activity type, but provides all sorts of cool charts and graphs. You can track up to Continue reading...

Eastman Community Association is first and foremost an environmentally friendly community, so it was with great pride that we learned that the New Hampshire Green Building Council named our South Cove Activity Center the 2011 NH Sustainable Building of the Year.

This LEED Gold Certified building was designed by Warrenstreet Architects from Concord, NH and constructed by Milestone Construction from Concord, NH. This building opened in 2009, utilizing regional New Hampshire materials in construction and reducing energy consumption by Continue reading...

By Laureen Caponigro

If Norman Rockwell were searching for the perfect backdrop for one of his poignant Americana masterpieces, where white-capped rivers wind along roadsides, still lakes reflect white birch and needled pines, or distant mountaintops in magenta hues greet a cobalt sky, he would set his easel in Grantham, New Hampshire.

If you’re lucky enough to have family who lives there, may I recommend a visit during fall foliage? Imagine all this beauty, colored in shades of fiery orange Continue reading...

By Lynn Kisselbach

What a weekend!  The weather was absolutely perfect.  Old Mom Nature came through with crystal clear blue skies, fantastic foliage, and temperatures reminiscent of summertime.   Add in the Fall Fest activities at Eastman, an extra day off, and a 20^th wedding anniversary, and I have no idea what could top that!

Saturday’s Fall Fest activities included an apple pie bake-off, hay rides, apple dumpling making, and a host of other things for the entire family.  I heard Continue reading...

By Randy, Melissa, Ben and Olivia Britton

Well, it may be called the “Fall Festival,” but you would have thought it was a summer day from the absolutely gorgeous weather last Saturday at South Cove! You couldn’t have picked better weather, and everyone there seemed to be having a terrific time – whatever chill there was at 10:00 when it began soon melted away, along with everyone’s jackets.

It was truly a joy to scoop the insides out of a Continue reading...

By Lynn Kisselbach

I haven’t mentioned one of my favorite activities at Eastman!  Hiking trails abound both on the property and adjacent.  One of my favorite hikes is the trail that goes around the lake.  Last weekend, while the temperatures were comfortable and the skies the most amazing shade of blue, I decided to head out and revisit this hike.

The trail has a broad mix of terrain and is hilly in many spots, but the views are wonderful.  Continue reading...

By Lynn Kisselbach

A week – a whole week!  I couldn’t wait.  My husband was not so sure what he would do with himself for a week.  My list was long, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to come close to doing all that I wanted.  Vacation loomed big on the calendar, especially since this is the only one I was taking this year, due to a job change.

I came armed with books, golf clubs, sneakers, hiking Continue reading...

By Lynn Kisselbach

Having now spent a year at Eastman, and having been here through all four seasons, I have noticed (quite naturally) an uptick in traffic and activity in the summer time.  So when I was driving along Road Round Lake last week and commented on the traffic, my visitor darn near busted a gut laughing.

His perspective is Boston, so seeing three cars on the road ahead of us doesn’t even come close to the traffic he sees.  Continue reading...

By Lynn Kisselbach

Generally, Eastman is a very quiet place.  The only “noise” we get are the birds.  I have two species of owls that can make a fair amount of noise at night — a Barred Owl and a Great Horned Owl, which reign over our property.  You can’t miss either one of them.

And so I have been enjoying the peaceful, quiet evenings on the screen porch, reading or visiting with friends.  Sometimes, I just sit and listen Continue reading...