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News & Views

Photo of Sandwich Village by Joe Janis

Meet Our Members ~ Heather Cameron of Eastman House Creative Counseling & Yoga

2/18/2023

 
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Heather and Happe on the Kancamagus Highway
What is your name and the name of your business?
My name is Heather Cameron, owner of Eastman House, LLC dba Eastman House Creative Counseling & Yoga.

How did you get to Sandwich, NH?
That’s a long and lovely story. In 1983 my husband Ray, whom I was dating at the time, brought me to New Hampshire to meet his family for Thanksgiving. After spending Thanksgiving Day with extended family in Andover, MA, Ray learned that the Lakes Region had received some snow. Ray was excited to share his beloved Squam Lake and family history that was deeply woven into the fabric of Rockywold Deephaven Camps where he had spent most of his summers growing up. ​
We decided to venture north and hike up Rattlesnake Mountain, Ray’s Golden Retriever, Haller, joining us. Being an outdoorsy southern girl, I was overtaken with the natural beauty of the entire area. Ray chose the Ramsey Trail for our hike up Rattlesnake. Little did I know that there were other trails to meander that may have been a bit less strenuous. Our hike was exhilarating and once we summitted West Rattlesnake I took a deep breath and absorbed what I saw and felt. I was energized. Ray smiled as we took it all in and made the comment… “hmmmm, wow, you did it…” A month later on Christmas Day Ray proposed. 
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Heather and Ray enjoying the NH outdoors in 1983
Over the next 40 years our family, including daughters Hannah and Darrow, have spent time on Squam Lake vacationing at RDC. Summers brought annual rituals like pursuing the various businesses in charming Center Sandwich. As time went on, we began to ponder the next chapter of our lives and where we might want to spend our time. In the summer of 2017 during one of our familiar “what if” conversations, I offered the idea of retiring to New Hampshire. Needless to say, Ray was immediately on board and we began the exciting adventure of exploration. We had a lot of help along the way and ultimately knew that we wanted to live in the Center Sandwich community. 

In March 2018 we closed on our new home. Ray and I were fortunate to have bought Leo Dwyer’s fully and creatively renovated 1792 farmhouse on Holderness Rd. We were thrilled at the prospect of what lay ahead and began making plans. Over the next couple of years, we traveled back and forth from North Carolina and our work life there. Ray retired in 2020 and moved to NH permanently while I was figuring out my work exit plan. Then in late 2021 I finally arrived in Center Sandwich, making it my home.
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Eastman House
Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? 
My business is service oriented. I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (NH and NC), an Expressive Arts Therapist, and a Registered Yoga Teacher. I offer counseling for adolescents, adults and elders. My work with individuals is collaborative and holistic. It is based on an appreciation for the connectedness of the mind and body. It addresses all aspects of a person's health and well-being. This includes spirituality and sense of purpose, social connectedness, physical health and living an authentic life.

​In therapy, I create a safe, non-judgmental space that allows the individual's own healing wisdom to direct the work. I teach practical coping skills that address immediate concerns like overwhelming emotions and anxiety. I may invite clients to explore their creative nature through expressive arts-based therapy and yoga, providing another level of insight.
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The Barn Studio
In addition, I offer yoga classes in my barn studio as well. I explain yoga as an ancient Hindu philosophy that encompasses a variety of practices which most commonly include postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation, mantras, and lifestyle changes. In my practice I teach all aspects, generally with a focus on gentle yoga. Currently I provide three in-studio classes per week and may also hold virtual class opportunities when requested. I work with groups, and privately for individuals seeking deeper knowledge or those with specific needs.​
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Yoga in the Barn Studio
How did you get started in these professions?
In late 2003 my life took a sudden and dramatic turn, shaking up the foundation of what life had been, giving me an insight on defining a new focus and direction. It was then that I began to explore what this life meant and how I wanted to BE in it. I decided to investigate a graduate program in counseling with a certification in expressive arts therapy. I wanted to better understand the psychological aspects of the human condition and how healing can be accomplished through the use of various therapeutic interventions such as art. 

My graduate school experiences were wonderful, challenging and life changing. After completing my graduate work in 2009, I had gained experience with treating cancer patients, their caregivers, and medical teams. I counseled women who had experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, and their families, as well as staff who worked with this population. Soon after graduation, I provided addictions counseling for opioid addicts at a methadone clinic, and later served as the clinical director for a day treatment center for children. Since then, I have continuously had a private practice where I hold gratitude for all my clients and their stories of hope, faith, resilience, pain, and their desire to live the life of their choosing.

Upon becoming a resident of Sandwich, my friend Leslie Jose informed me that Dragonfly Yoga Barn was offering a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training that fall. As I was in the midst of a huge life transition and having been a student of yoga, I decided to enroll. I was not sure where the training would take me. I hoped that my desires would unfold naturally. For a long time, I could see the potential intersection of counseling, expressive arts and yoga, so that is where I began. Once I completed the program it was clear that I enjoyed teaching yoga and that my desire to integrate yoga into my counseling practice would add value and benefit my client’s wellbeing and healing. 
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You can practice yoga anywhere! Heather standing on the Eastman Brook.
What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? 
Making a difference in the lives of others. That’s all that matters… I have so much fun practicing yoga with others and I gain satisfaction when my students feel successful and less stressed as a result of the practice, connecting mind, body and spirit.

What is the hardest?
Living in today’s world can be very difficult and for some it can feel scary, unsafe, and hopeless. When faced with a client who has reached a dangerous space of hopelessness one must reach deep and access the necessary training and resources to provide immediate assistance. That’s hard…

What are your goals and hopes for the future?
My primary goal is to continue to grow and develop my counseling practice. I hope to offer group opportunities in areas of need, workshops, and expressive arts events just to name a few. Additionally, I hope that my yoga classes develop and provide an outlet for students to achieve physical health, mental clarity, spiritual growth and expansion.

What else can you tell us about yourself, your business, and your life in Sandwich?
The business name Eastman House is a historic revival of our home’s identity. The Eastman House was named through the ownership of Nellie Eastman (widow of Charles Everett Eastman) who had inherited the property from her family named Watson (Dana). Although the earliest known owner and presumed builder of the home was Gilbert Hodgdon, the name Eastman House seemed to prevail for some time until the reference became lost. 

I thought it important to focus the business around the land and history associated with our property. Eastman Brook flows through the land as it has meandered to Squam Lake for thousands of years. Eastman House Creative Counseling & Yoga is located in our barn which was relocated from a property on Wiggin Farm Road in 2020. Rich Benton and his amazing team took care of the dismantle, transportation, and re-assemble of the barn. My husband Ray then took on the finishing aspects of the space creating a beautifully warm and inviting studio for counseling, yoga, and art-making. It was truly a labor of love.
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The Barn Studio outside
What does living and working in Sandwich mean to you?
It is as if I have come full circle, 40 years later. I am living my dream and so grateful for the new opportunities and friendships that have met me along the way. And what a place to land! The natural environment, flora and fauna, and the most interesting collection of humans… life is good!

Note: All photos are by Heather and Ray Cameron

Heather Cameron, MA, LCMHC, RYT200
eastmanhouse.heather@gmail.com
828-964-0828

Meet Our Members ~ Ashley Benes of Papa Beans Ice Cream

1/7/2023

 
Ashley and Brad outside the Sugarhouse
Ashley and Brad outside the Sugarhouse.
What is your name and the name of your business?
My name is Ashley Benes and I am the owner of Papa Beans Ice Cream. 
 
How did you get to Sandwich, NH?
I grew up in the Lakes Region and my first time I can remember being in Sandwich was at the age of four going to the Sandwich Fair. This is where I experienced my first pony ride and my love for horses.  

When I was in my early 30s I taught lessons and volunteered for the local Mt Washington Valley Pony Club that was fortunate enough to use the fairgrounds for their practices. Around that same time, 2011 or 2012 I believe, I helped organize a 5K Turkey trot based out of the Sandwich fairgrounds as a fundraiser for the Pony Club. My father is an active member of the White Mountain Milers running club and I had dabbled in some races by this time in my life and was hooked. I went on to attend a 5k turkey trot from the Beach to Bar, Christmas Jingle Bell Run put on by a yoga studio, Booty Farm 5k, and the Old Home week triathlon.

 I remember thinking this is the kind of community I want to live in. When Brad and I started dating a few years back our first official date was hiking Mt. Israel and eating ice cream afterwards. As life partners and residents of Sandwich we find it important to enjoy the nature and beauty in our area as often as we can and our busy lives allow.
Ashley, Brad, and Chuck on top of Mt. Wiley.
Ashley, Brad, and Chuck on top of Mt. Wiley.
Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? 
I make small batches of homemade ice cream using local New Hampshire diary and source ingredients locally when ever possible to stir in the ice cream. We are located inside Young Maple Ridge Sugarhouse. You can purchase pints, half pints, ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cakes or pies. One of the most popular flavors is the Maple Bourbon Ice cream that is flavored from Maple Bourbon aged syrup made by Brad right in the Sugarhouse.
Inside Young Maple Ridge Sugarhouse
Inside Young Maple Ridge Sugarhouse.
How did your business get started?
 In the late 1980s my father’s construction business was taking a hit due to the economy. My parents decided to take a chance and open a homemade ice cream business they called Bobby Sue’s, located in West Ossipee where M & V’s gas station is located now.

At the age of 7, I knew that my ice cream tasting passion would continue. My favorite flavor then was peach with rainbow sprinkles. After a successful couple of years my parents sold the business and my father went back to construction. My father has opened a couple other homemade scoop shops in Conway area over the years and acquired a few nicknames: “Scoop Man” and “Papa Beans.”

Since a young age I have always dreamed of owning my own small food business and had been brainstorming this idea for several years. I have a BS in Business Management from PSU and was working as Assistant Utility Manager for a water company the last 8 years and knew I was ready for a career change. My father had given me his ice cream machine and Brad offered to share his kitchen space at his sugarhouse. I began the process of filling all the requirements for a new business and inspections needed before making the big jump of leaving my office job. 
My parents, Bob and Sue, on the opening day of Bobby Sue’s Homemade Ice Cream in 1987.
My parents, Bob and Sue, on the opening day
of Bobby Sue’s Homemade Ice Cream in 1987.
What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? 
 Have you ever seen someone eat ice cream who is not smiling? The ice cream is not always the first thing guests look at when they arrive at Young Maple Ridge Sugarhouse. Often they are surprised by the assortment of maple syrup choices in glass & plastic bottles. Then they see the Maple Candy, Maple Sugar, Maple Cream, and Maple Bourbon Syrup.

What gets most of the attention is Brad’s evaporator, the 40-gallon barrels, stacked syrup drums, and the wooden bourbon barrel filled with syrup that is aging before being bottled. We love seeing people’s reactions to the sugaring process and the assortment of flavors of ice cream we have made. The ice cream sandwiches are a huge hit and many are thrilled to see our unique flavors.

What is the hardest?
The hardest part is not eating all the profits. Starting a business with unstable and rising product costs has posed a huge challenge for me especially in figuring out my own costs and pricing. I have attended many farmers markets and estimating what items to bring or have on hand has been difficult. Having the support of family, friends and community has allowed starting this business a little less hard.  Brad and his parents, Rae & Bob Streeter, are always available and willing to step in and help. My father is even finally sharing some of his secrets of success. 
 
What are your goals and hopes for the future?
I hope to have a successful sustainable business that allows connections with other small business and community. Anyone local that has ingredients that would pair well with our ice cream please reach out.
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Ice cream and hiking! Ashley on Franconia Ridge.
What else can you tell us about yourself, your business, and your life in Sandwich?
Being an ice cream eater, I must stay active and where else to do that than Sandwich. I am an avid runner, hiker, and in recent years gravel bike rider. I am a proud dog mom of Simon (14.5) and Chuck (2.5) and enjoy spending time in the woods with them and Brad. 

Sandwich offers so much for such a small town because of the compassionate people that choose to live here. I truly appreciate and value being able to eat while listening to local musicians at The Foothills and The Corner House, shop at the numerous farm stands on my way home, take a yoga class, and still be able to explore quiet trails and nature.

Ashley Benes
Papa Beans Ice Cream
301 Wing Road, Sandwich NH
603-393-6948
Papabeansicecream@gmail.com

Sandwich Historical Society receives Research Grant

12/21/2022

 
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Photo by Franz Nicolay
The Sandwich Historical Society has received a grant from Historic New England to do research on the authenticity and cultural context of the small grouping of Native American artifacts in our collection, and to create programming for the public related to it. We will seek the advice of cultural anthropologists, collegiate academic institutions, and Abenaki leaders in this assessment and planning. 
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This photo and the one below: A sampling of Indigenous Peoples artifacts within the collection of the Sandwich Historical Society. Photos by Franz Nicolay
Since its inception, the Sandwich Historical Society has primarily focused on the colonial and postcolonial Euro-American history of the town. We would like to explore, acknowledge, and document pre-contact and simultaneous uses of this land too. We wish to place in context the Indigenous Peoples, First Nation historical experience in the mountains and lakes region, as a foundational and inclusive element in our complete and evolving history.
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We are reaching out to the Sandwich community and beyond, with two questions that might assist us in our research, via crowdsourcing techniques: 
​

1. Are there any residents with direct Indigenous lines in their family, with stories that would be pertinent to our town’s historical timeline and before our incorporation as a town?
​

2. Do you have artifacts within your family that you would be willing to lend or allow us to document, or sites on your property we may photograph, for specific summer programming that would give us further insight on the Indigenous history of this town?

 If so, please feel free to contact Franz Nicolay at sittingrock@gmail.com,
 on behalf of the Programs & Education, Collections, and Exhibition Committees at the Sandwich Historical Society. ​
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