I once did a photography project on walls. Amazing, the varieties and textures of the walls around us. And now it seems the theme of walls is inundating my inbox. Beyond crying, sometimes you just gotta laugh… Here’s one from a friend vacationing in Mexico:

“Hola Amigos: Blue skies and 28 deg C and Margheritas. One can be forgiven for forgetting “The Wall” and worrying about minus 39 deg C…”

Accompanying it was a photo of the menu board of the Café San Angel in Puerto Vallarta. “Keep calm. You’re on the Fun side of Trump’s Wall,” it read.

Then I received a “Now You Know” episode about the almost invisible walls created by people who observe the Jewish religion’s rules regarding the Sabbath, the day of rest. One of them prohibits carrying things from the private domain (a home) into the public domain (the street, for example). So how do you carry your house keys with you to the Synagogue on the Sabbath?

The workaround is to create a symbolic wall around a space that encompasses both your home and the Synagogue, putting both inside a “private domain.” You do this by stringing a wire around the space, maybe from light post to light post. Apparently, such a wire surrounds most of Manhattan.

I think the worst are the walls we build in our minds, whether shutting people out or in. Robert Frost says it best in his poem, “Mending Wall”:

“Before I built a wall I’d ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offence. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That wants it down.”

SUGAR IN NEWPORT

A Sugaring-off Party for the citizens of Newport, free of charge, is offered by the Municipality on Sunday, April 2, at 1:30 p.m. It’s at the Municipal Hall of Newport in Island Brook, 1452 Route 212.

CRAFTS IN BURY

The annual Flea Market/Craft Sale is planned for Saturday, April 29, at the Bury Armoury/Community Center. It is sponsored by the Bury Women’s Institute. To rent a table: Frances at 819-872-3318 or Irma at 819-872-3600.

TAXES IN SAWYERVILLE

Last call for the bilingual tax clinic of the Centre d’Action Bénévole du Haut-Saint-François (CAB, or Volunteer Action Centre) at the Sawyerville Community Centre, 6 Church Street. Wednesday March 22 (preferably), from 1 to 4 or from 6 to 8 p.m., and March 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., are the last dates to take your tax papers to the clinic. You collect your finished income tax forms after the trained volunteers fill them out.

Eligible for the free service are: (1) Single persons having up to $25,000 of income, plus up to $2,000 for each dependent. (2) A couple with income of up to $30,000 plus up to $2,000 for each dependent. Not eligible: persons with more than $1,000 in interest revenues, or rental or self-employment income.

Bring a RL-31 form from your landlord, to receive the Solidarity Credit. If you own property, bring a copy of your municipal tax bill. Bring your 2015 notice of assessments. Info: Diane at 819-560-8540, option 9 for English, or coordo@cabhsf.org.

THEATRE IN SAWYERVILLE

Hank holds Patsy warmly in his arm. Is this even possible, or is it a fantasy? Let’s see, Hank Williams died in 1953 at the age of 29; Patsy Cline in 1963 at the age of 30. So yes, an encounter could have happened, maybe briefly, between the young Patsy at the beginning of her country music career and a slightly older Hank near the end of his.

On this premise is based the popular “Tribute to Hank Williams & Patsy Cline” starring musicians and actors Ralph Steiner and Laura Teasdale. It’s a musical about the two country music legends, and it’s the Eaton Corner Museum’s theatre benefit performance of this spring. This is your last call to reserve your tickets for the one-performance-only on Saturday, April 1st, at 7:30 p.m., at the Sawyerville Community Centre, 6 Church Street. Admission is $10 if reserved in advance; $12 at the door. To reserve: Elaine Lebourveau at 819-563-8700.

BRUNCH IN BULWER

Plan ahead for the Eaton Corner Museum’s annual Spring Brunch is on Sunday, April 23, at 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Bulwer Community Centre, 254 Jordan Hill Road. It will feature “all the good homemade food you remember,” says Jackie Hyman. Admission is $10/adult; $5/child.

MARKET IN SAWYERVILLE

Now really looking ahead, think about having a booth at the Village Market at the Sawyerville Community Garden. The Market features local gardeners who offer fresh products without pesticides or artificial fertilisers. It’s on Saturday mornings from July to October, and offers activities and services that aim to please, such as pizza or scones baked fresh at the traditional outdoor bread oven on site at the Garden. Now is the time to speak up if you would like to sell your products at the Market, or take part in the Market’s steering committee. Info: Chantal Bolduc at chantalbolduc99@bell.net or 819-889-3196.

CHURCHES

Baptist. In Sawyerville, the Sunday worship service is at 9 a.m. in French, and 11 a.m. in English. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. in English and French. Info: 819-239-8818.

United. Sunday worship services are at 9:30 a.m. in Cookshire and 11 a.m. in Sawyerville. Info: 819-889-2838 (listen to message).

Anglican. Sunday worship services are at 9:30 a.m. in Bury and 11 a.m. in Cookshire. The Cookshire services are in the basement of the Trinity United Church, 190 Principale W. Info: 819-887-6802.

Messy Church. A joint United and Anglican intergenerational event. Free of charge. Stories, crafts and supper at the St. Paul Anglican Church, 550 Main St., Bury, on Monday, March 27, at 5:15 to 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Info: Tami Spires (United Church Minister): 819-884-1203 or spiresta@hotmail.com.

Do you have news to share? Call 819-300-2374 or email ra.writes@gmail.com by March 27 for publication April 5 or by April 10 for April 19.