Recent Teresa Santoski Columns

A supper where everyone winds up with stuffing

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, May 17, 2012

For me, it’s important to know exactly why I live in New Hampshire. Among other things, it helps justify those winter nights devoid of electricity, …

From egg shells to handmade cards, an evolution of Mother’s Day presents

Teresa Santoski | Sunday, May 13, 2012

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tete-a-tete runs every other Thursday in Encore. Today’s column is a special tribute to Mother’s Day. Today, as I hope most of you …

Planting the seeds of a new pastime

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, April 19, 2012

I’m accustomed to spring bringing blue skies, warmer temperatures and our house’s annual plague of ladybugs, but this year, the season has brought me something …

New family Easter tradition has explosive beginning

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, April 5, 2012

Those of you who are regular readers of this column may recall that kitchen-related tasks, such as cooking and baking, aren’t exactly my strong suit. …

Best intentions often result in road to nowhere

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, March 22, 2012

In Maine, they have a saying, “You can’t get there from here,” which means exactly that. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered this saying to be true outside …

Not quite ready to make the grayed

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, March 8, 2012

A few months ago, my stylist combed out my hair to give me a trim and made a confusing discovery. “Are you using a new …

For kids about to rock, we salute you

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, February 23, 2012

A recent conversation I had with my two youngest siblings revealed a surprising gap in their overall education. To my utter amazement, neither Youngest Brother …

When saying ‘sweetheart’ just won’t do

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, February 9, 2012

As someone who dabbles in etymology and foreign languages for fun, unusual words have always made my heart go pitter-patter. The more obscure the word, …

Family’s ju … uh, treasures hold value all their own

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, January 26, 2012

If you’re in search of a new look for your living space, look no further than your family. Why spend your hard-earned money on new …

Scaling the heights of family’s music achievement

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, January 12, 2012

Whether it’s private piano lessons you beg to take or singing in your elementary school chorus against your will, musical instruction is considered a key …

Porcupine’s visit has Youngest Brother on guard

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, December 29, 2011

Whether or not a fear is rational is entirely a matter of context. A fear may seem irrational, even silly, at first, but turn out …

To call it a ‘mooving’ ride would be inaccurate

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, December 15, 2011

Many adolescents mistakenly assume that if they tell their parents how embarrassing they are, their parents will refrain from doing things that embarrass them. As …

Spirit of Christmas gift giving burns brightly

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, December 1, 2011

For many, the phrase “Christmas shopping” conjures up images of predawn Black Friday sales packed with shoppers or battling traffic on Daniel Webster Highway in …

Taking a dry run at using an emergency shelter shower

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, November 17, 2011

When the power goes out, the biggest obstacle my family faces – apart from, you know, the lack of heat and electricity – is not …

Hold that thought, because here are a few more

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, November 3, 2011

It has been said that language separates us from the animals, but anyone who has ever had a hungry pet knows they communicate pretty effectively …

Milestone Moment in the Family Room with the TV

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, October 20, 2011

With a few exceptions, most people enjoy a good scare. Since everyone enjoys being scared to a different degree, ascertaining the appropriate amount of scare …

Museum proves to be good place to mine family history

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, October 6, 2011

October is National Family History Month, a time to visit grandma and grandpa and pore over old photo albums while listening to stories about your …

Lazy River makes a splash on unsuspecting riders

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, September 22, 2011

My first visit to a water park since I was a teenager reinforced a lesson so ancient, it’s the moral of one of Aesop’s fables: …

Keeping track of family can be a shot in the dark

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, September 8, 2011

My family got an early start on our power outage quota for the season when Tropical Storm Irene blew through our town last week. Fortunately, …

Time hasn’t dimmed family’s colorful journeys

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, August 11, 2011

With one side of our extended family living in upstate New York and the other in Pennsylvania, road trips have always been a quintessential part …

Turning the page of maturity to Option 4

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, July 28, 2011

When you’re a child on vacation with your family, you have to stick to the budget established by your parents. As is the case with …

Household chore isn’t all it’s cracked up to pee

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pets express their emotions in a variety of ways. A dog might chase its tail if it’s excited or a cat might rub up against …

Declaring your independence is rarely an easy feat

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, June 30, 2011

U.S. history is chock-full of important events, but in my opinion, the Colonies’ decision to declare their independence from Great Britain occupies the No. 1 …

Dad always applied a magic touch to his fatherly duties

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, June 16, 2011

Father’s Day is an occasion to thank our fathers and father figures for their unique contributions to our lives. I would like to take this …

Shedding light on an age-old problem

Teresa Santoski | Thursday, June 2, 2011

As the oldest of four siblings, I have a number of memories my brothers and sister don’t share. I’m the only child who remembers Dad …