If you recall movies like Funny Farm with Chevy Chase,  Baby Boom with Diane Keaton, The Cider House Rules, Beetlejuice, The Trouble with Harry (filmed entirely in Stowe), or Four Seasons... they were all filmed in Vermont.

Since new film releases have been few and far between during the pandemic, I thought I’d share what it’s like in the ski village of Stowe, Vermont, where these films were made.

“Habits are more about who you’re being than what you’re doing,” says NY Times bestselling author of the Badass Series, Jen Sincero in her just released Badass Habits. If that doesn’t feel like cold water thrown in your face, I don’t know what does. It’s the New Year and no resolution or goal can be met without identifying the habits that are keeping you from achieving your wants, needs and desires. In the last year, we all have developed a backbone strong enough to get real with ourselves. You can’t change your behavior to aspire to new goals if you don’t change your habits—the pesky routines on autopilot that may be holding you back from reaching your full potential. You don’t mean to be working against yourself, but your bad habits sure do.

Like a grand marshal waving in the first float of the parade, a grand lunar trine kicks off this month on a high note with expectations of ascending tones. A procession of ever-more impressive happenings is on display for anyone inclined to give them attention. Mars will change signs and people begin to relate differently, seeking a connection between their experience and the experience of others.

Read on for your horoscope...

January can get you down with more than the blues. It’s the month down South when the cold really kicks in, and brings with it common winter illnesses such as cold, flu and respiratory infections. Ugh! These winter woes can make you feel terrible. That’s why it’s important to know as much as you can about how to avoid and rapidly cure these sneezing, coughing, stuffy, achy, miserable ailments. 

My first job when I went to back to work after 11 years home with my two children was as a substitute teacher. I lasted about three months and hated it. It was the worst thing I had ever done. There are some things you just can’t substitute and teachers are one of them. Either I fell in love with the class and then had to leave right away, or I really did not like the class and the teacher was out for weeks. I couldn’t win. I feel the same about many things we call substitutes. It’s not the real thing, and that’s a fact. Sometimes it works, but most of the time it just doesn’t.

Q: We have a 10-year-old daughter who runs our family. We allowed her to begin dictating to us when she began talking and it’s just gone slowly downhill ever since. She manipulates us with shrieking tantrums, disrespect, and downright refusal to do what we tell her to do. We must have done something right, however, because she gets nothing but praise and compliments from teachers, coaches, and her peers’ parents. We can hardly believe they are describing the same child. Is it too late to turn this around? If not, what should we do? We’re desperate.

Happy New Year and much hope for a return to life
as we knew it soon. In the meantime, major films
are starting to be released! Now that’s exciting.

The sun is in its send-off phase of the wild ride of 2020. Dec. 10 brings the final solar trine of the year, and the sun has chosen Mars, the warrior, in fully armored Aries. It’s a bright push of aggressive energy, like the charge of battle or a surge of war cries, each led by its own conquering spirit. Now, where should this mighty power be directed? The enemy is our own resistance to evolving.

Read on for your horoscope...

Toxins: The most common procedure performed in the world of plastic surgery today would be toxins such as Botox or Dysport. These actually paralyze muscles, such as the muscles that cause frown lines, crow’s feet, forehead furrows and even bunny lines on the nose. It’s even used to raise the brow and the corners of the mouth. They specifically and temporarily interrupt the nerve supply to the injected muscles.

Fillers: Next would be “fillers,” which are products used to re-volumize areas on the face that have lost volume with aging or weight loss, such as cheeks and hollows under the eyes and even chin and jaw line. Juvederm and Restylane are examples. These can be very effective at turning back the clock non-surgically. A comparison is a deflated beach ball. Inflate it, and it no longer sags.

As many of you know, I subscribe to a variety of magazines, and I’m not liking what I’m reading. Both this and last month almost all of them are advising what I call shutting down, even from my very special favorite people Joanna Gaines and Dr. Oz, for heaven’s sake! Be quiet, snuggle up, curl up by a fire, long winter’s nap and on and on. How absolutely depressing! If you think you are going to get that kind of advice from me, think again. I am advocating just the opposite.

I love December, Christmas and all that goes with it, and I intend to keep as much of it as I can. My Husband and I had planned a gathering for a group of us who all volunteer at a thrift shop, but it got canceled. We had two other parties—also canceled. Just so you know, I am putting up all of the decorations I had planned on anyway. We were the first people in the neighborhood to have our lights up, and the day after Thanksgiving we went out and got our tree. And, I am wearing my Santa hat instead of one of those grey knit things, too. I need to keep my ears warm and this works just fine. Bah and Humbug are not welcome this year!

Q: We sent our daughter a recent article of yours hoping it might cause her to rethink her approach to raising our grandson. It was not well-received and she is no longer speaking to us. The child, age four, is quite ill-behaved. Our daughter makes one excuse after another for him: he was premature, he was hospitalized at age three and now has PTSD, he might have a biochemical imbalance, and so on. We feel that his real and only problem is lack of discipline. For example, when he’s with us, he’s perfectly well behaved. We love our grandson, but don’t like being around him when his parents are running the show. What should we do now?

Hallmark Channel is well-known for its “Countdown to Christmas” and original family-friendly movies, and this year is no exception. Hallmark has announced 40 brand new Christmas movies for its 2020 holiday schedule! The movies will air on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

Though Hallmark movies can be formulaic and simple, they are also free of profanity, sexual situations and heavy drama. They are movies you can watch with anyone from age 2 to 92.

There's a reason why the channel refers to itself as the Heart of TV; there is little ugliness to be found in these shows and movies. You can always find a smile on the faces of the characters, even though there may be some tears, as well. But there's not a lot of arguing or disagreements. What disappointment you find is often fleeting, as is the sadness, because Hallmark knows we watch to be uplifted. Hallmark Channel is, indeed, a happy place. And that's why it had a 9 percent growth last year alone.

Like the large diamond found glistening on the ground in a state park, this month brings cosmic treasures we won’t have to dig for. Mercury returns to Scorpio promoting blunt honesty, then Jupiter and Pluto come together in an embrace of abundance. There is no need to go back in history or seek esoteric knowledge. Solutions are simple instead of profound and will be found through practical communications that go the usual depths.

Read on for your horoscope...

If something is named heartburn, reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), it can’t be good. While usually not life-threatening, acid reflux, and all it’s monikers, definitely can threaten your quality of life. GERD has no respect for decadence on the dinner table, and no one wants to enjoy a delicious filet minion paired with a big, full-bodied glass of cabernet only to have to follow it up with plop, plop fizz, fizz as dessert. So what is GERD and how can you manage it? Read on to comfortably digest what our local medical experts have to say about this uncomfortable condition.

I have been writing and talking about emotional, physical and mental health for quite a number of years, and you might think those things would be pretty constant. I mean good eats are good eats, right? Also, if you are on the ball and can do a cross word puzzle, you are pretty okay. If you don’t cry at the drop of a hat, and you aren’t hoarding automatic weapons, you should be pretty stable too, yes? Well, not so much.

First of all, food advice seems to change regularly with each new book that comes out, or every time Dr. Oz appears on the cover of a magazine. And, we all know from standing in line at the grocery how often we see him on the cover of everything! Spinach used to be really great for you, but now it has too much acid. Oranges are all right, but… acid! An apple a day used to keep the doctor away, but now it has to be an organic apple grown on a sustainable tree. I grew up on a farm, and we ate eggs. Now there are so many different kinds of eggs, it boggles the mind. Cage free, gently raised, vegan diet, vegetarian diet, more Omega-3s, and on and on. Honestly, and you know this, eggs range in price from less than a dollar a dozen to more than five dollars. It’s all a lot to keep up with.

As just about everyone who has lived with a child for more than two years knows, the most potentially dangerous thing one can say to a toddler is “no.” That single syllable strikes deep into the core of the reptilian portion of the toddler brain, arousing a reaction that dwarfs Godzilla’s most destructive rampage.

“Should I simply ignore my two-year-old’s tantrums?” a young mother asks.

 “Can you?”

She ponders that for a moment or two. “Not really.”

Ignoring is about as over-rated as it gets, especially when it comes to toddler tantrums. Nothing brings out a toddler’s inner Godzilla like being ignored. That same mother, for example, reported that when she ignored a tantrum, it quickly escalated into hitting, biting, and head-banging. If she began walking away, her live-in maniac would wrap himself around her leg, shrieking like a banshee.

Congratulations Pink!
200 issues is quite an achievement,
and The Reel Corner has been honored to a part of all 200 issues.

There are some interesting facts about the number 200:
> A quarter of the world’s wealth is controlled by just 200 companies.
> 200 miles a day was the average daily distance covered by the Pony Express, the United States first east to west mail service
> There are only 200 white tigers in the world
> The Great Wall of China was built in 200 B.C.

Dr. Ardra Davis-Tolbert
& Dr. Claude Tolbert

Married: 24 years

Children: Two, ages 20 and 17

Hometown: 
Dr. Ardra: Macon, GA 
Dr. Claude: Greenwood, SC

Career:
Dr. Ardra: Physician, specialty Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Dr. Claude: Physician, specialty Obstetrician/Gynecologist

Have delivered approximately how many babies:
Dr. Ardra: Around 2,000
Dr. Claude: Somewhere between 700 and 1,000

Have you ever met someone who radiates positivity, has a quick wit, and who simply oozes joy? Dr. Ronald Finger is a people-person whose optimism and authenticity has fashioned a people-magnet. He has a zest for life, and his driving force is his motivation to not only give 110%, but to live 110%.

At 81 years young, he says he is not even close to retiring from his plastic surgery practice, Finger & Associates, where he still gets 20-25 new patients each week. “Why would I retire from having fun?” he asked.

There is no doubt almost everyone in the world has had a brush with stress this year. For many, daily living routines have become overwhelming, sparking a growing trend of sadness, anxiety and depression. In our modern-day world, where we flit here and there, overload our to-do lists, argue over every little thing and rarely relax without some type of electronic device, the rat-race now sets the pace many follow. That combined with Covid-19, elections, violence and social distancing—it’s no wonder feelings of panic and hopelessness are at an all-time high. However, there is help. We asked our local health professionals to weigh-in on anxiety and depression to help us understand what it is, how it affects us and what we can do about it.

“Let’s talk about building.
I don’t mean a house, I mean ourselves!”
– The Uphill Skater –

Let me tell you something you probably already know: We have all been through, and in many cases are still going through, a really bad time. All the things that have come together in the last months have not melded gently, they have collided, basically smashing into each other with a boom heard around the world.

What does this mean for each one of us in our own little worlds? I like to see everything as an opportunity. Can we try to look at it that way? Read on and let’s think about building, rather than burning, creating rather than destroying!

Netflix may be one of the biggest and most well-known video streaming services in the world, but it sure isn’t the only one. There are a lot of Netflix alternatives out there that will keep you entertained every night, some of which are even free.

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is one of the best, if not the best, alternatives to Netflix. Prime offers plenty of popular movies and television shows, as well as quality original programming. The shows that stand out are: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”; “The Man In The High Castle”; “The Boys” and Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan,” to name a few.

The performing art form of purposefully selected sequences of human movement is known as dance. Now combine that movement with a creative imagination, and you have choreography. It’s not something that everyone can do; it takes a creative mind to see movement through music. It takes someone like Jamal Edwards. You might recognize this native Hilton Head Islander from 13 seasons of the local annual performance of the Nutcracker Ballet. Jamal began his dance career 20 years ago at Hilton Head Dance School. Now, he gives back to the school that propelled his life-long love and passion for dance.

The reversal of Jupiter and other planetary liberations will fly a permission slip into the month. Do your feelings. Emote. If happy, then feel the joy and dance on. Talking about why and trying to sort out the recipe diminishes the good feeling. The same goes for negative feelings. When you’re sad, angry, ashamed, just call it that, feel it and work it through. Don’t muddle things up by intellectualizing with a story or an explanation.

Read on for your horoscope...

Really? Do I still need the sex talk?

Of course you do! Sex isn’t a one-and-done when it comes to talking and learning about your sexual needs, desires and health. Our bodies change as the decades go by, which impacts your sexual health with new issues always arising. To achieve your best sexual health—and keep your intimacy in shape—be sure to talk to your doctor regularly about any concerns, strange sensations, or noticeable changes you may be experiencing. Don’t be afraid to ask any question, even if you find it embarrassing. Remember, sex is a science that your doctor has studied for years. One last thing: Tell all! You have to be 100 percent honest and detailed with your physician if you want the best solution. Rest assured, doctors really have heard it all!