Missy Gaffney is an esthetician and owner of three health and beauty businesses — The Skin & Body Spa, The Hair Company and The Medical Skin Clinic — all located in Nashua.
Explain your job.
It’s different every day. I could be interviewing [potential employees], proofing or brainstorming marketing plans, ordering [products] or meeting with the managers and delegating [tasks]. … I constantly have my face around at all the different businesses, interacting with all of our employees and making sure everything is perfect for the clients.
How long have you had this job?
We’ve had The Skin & Body Spa for almost 14 years, The Hair Company for almost six years, and The Medical Skin Clinic for almost two years.
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I struggled with acne myself as a kid, so my mom would bring me to get facials and get good skin care products to help my skin, and I really noticed such a huge difference. I always had the dream of one day being an esthetician and helping people like myself [improve] their skin and boost their confidence. I worked as an esthetician for other [businesses] for years, but I always had a vision of opening my own, and that I could [run] it really well.
What kind of education or training did you need?
I have a bachelor of science degree, and then I went to esthetics school for 450 hours. … I was constantly going to continuing education classes after that, and still go to a lot of conferences on spa management and business management.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
Business-casual.
How has your job changed over the last year?
We’ve had to really home in on what we need to do to create a safe and comfortable environment for our clients as well as our team members, without getting too overwhelmed. It has taken a lot of patience and research and being proactive to make sure that we always have all the right policies and the proper PPE.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
To not get worked up over every little thing that goes wrong. There are always going to be problems, and there are always going to be solutions. Think, ‘How am I going to solve this?’ instead of stressing out about it.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
Some people are scared [to go to a spa] because they think it’s going to be a snobby environment, but I would want them to know that they never have to worry; we’re very non-judgmental, and very good at putting people at ease and making them feel very welcome.
What was the first job you ever had?
Working in a clothing store, folding clothes.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
When you’re stressing about something, ask yourself, ‘Is this really going to matter in five years?’ If it’s not, it’s easier to let it go.
Five favorites Favorite book: Tuesdays with Morrie Favorite movie: The Sound of Music Favorite music: Folk Favorite food: Japanese Favorite thing about NH: All the options; I can get to a little historic town, skiing [destination], Boston or the beach without a lot of [travel] time.
Dear Donna, Can you give me any information on this metal piece? I thought it was interesting and decorative. My husband believes it’s old. Can you tell me anything? Tina from Merrimack
Dear Tina, Let’s start off by saying there are definitely lots and lots of reproductions out there, mostly for decorative purposes. When something is reproduced it can be hard to tell. Some things to look for are multiples. If you see them around in shops, flea markets, etc., you can be sure they are mass produced. Also, sometimes when the original was iron, the reproductions would be tin, for example. Where you got it could be telling.
I would suggest having someone look at it. From the photos, I think you found a real outdoor fountain sign. If so, I’d say it’s in the $100+ range. It could have fallen off or been removed and ended up in the secondary market. You were right in saying it’s a decorative piece and a treasure too.
Goffstown Main Street’s Old Home Weekend. Courtesy photo.
Town celebration
Goffstown Main Street is hosting the town’s Old Home Weekend on Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, in Goffstown Village, featuring games, food, a kids’ fishing derby, a charity auction and more. The fishing derby is for ages 12 and under and will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, with results announced Sunday at 2 p.m. The cost for the derby is $5. General admission to the downtown activities is free, with food and games priced per vendor. Visit goffstownmainstreet.org/old-home-day.
Cast a line
Take the kids fishing on Saturday, June 5, during New Hampshire Fish and Game’s Free Fishing Day. State residents and nonresidents are allowed to fish any inland water or saltwater in New Hampshire without a fishing license that day, which makes it a good opportunity for families to try the sport. If you get “hooked,” adults can get a license online, and youth under 16 can fish without a license. Visit wildlife.state.nh.us.
Just dance
Dance lovers can watch a livestream of Concord Dance Academy’s annual recital on Saturday, June 5, at 1 p.m. The event is being hosted by The Capitol Center for the Arts. Tickets cost $20. Visit ccanh.com.
Find summer fun
The Upper Room in Derry (437-8477, urteachers.org) is offering a workshop for parents to help them find fun things to do all summer long. The family resource center will host “Things to Do, Places to Go” on Wednesday, June 9, at 6 p.m. online at bit.ly/parentingsessions, free of charge. You’ll hear about low-cost, local ideas to keep the kids entertained this summer, including visiting the state’s many parks, trails, lakes and rivers.
Featured photo: Goffstown Main Street’s Old Home Weekend. Courtesy photo.
When you face a flower bed and can’t immediately tell what’s a weed and what’s a flower, you have a situation my wife, Cindy Heath, calls Code Red. It happens to the best of us at times, myself included. So what does a gardener do?
Cindy likes to begin a weeding project by edging the bed. She has a pair of wooden pegs 12 inches long that anchor a 50-foot piece of twine. She unwinds the twine and stretches it between the two pegs when edging a straight bed. Curved beds have to be edged by eye.
The edging tool Cindy uses is a half moon-shape on a long handle. She pushes it into the earth with a foot, then tips the handle back to create a little moat when she removes the soil and grasses. Edging discourages lawn grass from creeping into the bed.
Next, she said, find the flowers. At this time of year weeds and rambunctious spreaders like forget-me-nots may be taller than some of your perennials. Get close, and paw through the foliage. Pull a few weeds around your perennials so that you can see them, and so that you will avoid stepping on them or inadvertently pulling them.
If you pull a “weed” you don’t recognize but see that there is potting soil in the roots, you know you just pulled a flower you bought. Oops. Get it right back in the soil. If you have an inexperienced gardener helping you, you could flag the plants with bright orange surveyor’s tape.
Cindy said she likes knee pads because she likes to weed on her hands and knees. I personally find them hot and uncomfortable, but you may wish to try some. Me? I like something to kneel on, a foam cushion, or such.
In this season, Cindy says bug spray and a good hat are essential — black flies can be real pests, reducing your willingness to continue. Some gardeners like beekeeper hats to keep black flies off their faces, but I don’t. I spray the top of my hat, which does a pretty good job of repelling biting bugs without getting repellent on my face.
A good hand tool is essential for loosening the soil and teasing out roots. I think I have tried every weeding tool made, and I like the CobraHead weeder best. It is like a steel finger: a single curved tine with a sharp, widened tip. Made in the U.S.A. and with a blue handle made from recycled plastic, it never seems to get dull and lasts forever.
If I have a large clump of grass to remove, I loosen the soil around it, then push the tool into the soil; the curve of the tool allows the blade to get under the clump. Then, pulling from above with one hand and below with my weeder, I can pull the clump right out. It is great for loosening tree roots that have invaded a bed, too.
When should you weed? Whenever you have the time and inclination. I recommend doing a little weeding every day. Sort of like brushing your teeth or washing your coffee cup. Just make it a habit so the weeds don’t get ahead of you.
Clay soils are heavy and sticky when wet, and much like concrete when dry. If you have them, work when they are moist but not soggy. If dry, water moderately with your hose. Keep a bucket of compost with you and mix it in as you go along. Compost will lighten the soil, making it easier to weed or to plant things to fill in the spaces where the weeds were.
Sandy soils can be weeded any time, but I recommend adding compost as you go along. Nice loam is what we all want, and even that can benefit from some compost. I buy a 3-yard dump truck load once a year and it has helped my soil become close to perfect.
But back to Code Red. If you have weeds that spread by root, things like goutweed or witch grass, you may need to “bareroot” the flowers that have been invaded. That means digging up a clump of flowers and washing all the soil off so that you can identify and separate the weed roots from the roots of your perennial flowers. Then replant.
Learn to recognize the roots of your garden flowers. Many invasive weeds have long, whitish roots with nodes along them and can send up new leaves from any of those nodes.
Lastly, after weeding it is advisable to either mulch your bed or install a ground cover that will shade out any weeds that try to establish themselves. If you grow your flowers close enough together, weeding will become a minor chore.
It does take time to establish most ground covers, so you may wish to plant some annual flowers in the spaces between your peonies or phlox. Buy six-packs of common annuals like snapdragons, cosmos and zinnias at your local garden center. Plant them 6 to 8 inches apart, stand back, and let them grow! They will delight you with blossoms for much of the summer and into the fall.
Featured photo: An edging tool helps create clean lines. Photo courtesy of Henry Homeyer.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
“Along the Marginal Way,” a watercolor by Frederick Dobrowolski, on display at Creative Framing Solutions. Courtesy photo.
• NHAA comes to Manchester: The New Hampshire Art Association has partnered with Creative Framing Solutions, located across from the Palace Theatre at 89 Hanover St. in Manchester, to provide an additional venue for members to exhibit and sell their work. “After the city reopened last year, I moved … to this larger venue [in Manchester], with plenty of wall space,” Grace Burr, Creative Framing Solutions owner and NHAA member, said in a press release. “I was thinking it would be great to expand the [NHAA] group and have a presence in Manchester.” NHAA artists are now able to rent two 12×12-foot walls in the frame shop and gallery, rotating on a monthly basis. June exhibitors include watercolor artists Claudia Michael and Frederick Dobrowolski, sharing one of the walls, and photographers Dennis Rainville and Nicki French, sharing the other wall. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, June 10, from 4 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• Sculptures in progress: The 14th annual Nashua International Sculpture Symposium is happening now, with three renowned sculptors in Nashua creating three outdoor sculptures for permanent installation in the city. This year’s sculptors, all coming from the U.S., are Gavin Kenyon from New York, Sam Finkelstein from Maine, and Nora Valdez from Boston, Mass., originally from Argentina. They’re working Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., outside The Picker Artists studios (3 Pine St., Nashua) now through Friday, June 4, and then at the sculpture installation site in the courtyard at the corner of Church and Court streets from Saturday, June 5, until the closing ceremony on Saturday, June 12.During those times, the public is invited to watch the sculptors work and interact with them during their breaks (masks and social distancing required). The closing ceremony, at which the finished sculptures will be revealed, will take place at the installation site and will be available for the public to watch online. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org.
• Last chance to see “Retablos”: The “Retablos Reconsidered” exhibit at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) will remain on view through June 6. It features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. “[The works] reveal themes that personally, socially and politically affect [the artists’] lives,” the gallery stated in a press release. “Some reflect traditional religious themes within a contemporary context. Others are non-religious but are created to draw awareness to broad issues in our times and some reveal deeply personal stories.” Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
• A prince’s tale: The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents Pippin at its home theater (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) from June 10 through July 17, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. The musical, based on the book by Roger O. Hirson, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, is the story of a young prince searching for meaning in his life, as told by a traveling theater troupe led by the mysterious Leading Player. Tickets cost $32 to $50. The show is also available to livestream. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• Live classical: The Rockingham Choral Society returns from its Covid hiatus with a spring concert, “In Meeting We Are Blessed,” on Saturday, June 5, at 7 p.m. at Christ Church Episcopal (43 Pine St., Exeter). It will feature Mozart’s Missa Brevis in d minor with a chamber orchestra, as well as some shorter selections by composers Elaine Hagenberg and Troy Robertson. “As a way of maintaining our connection to each other and the choral music we love, we’ve spent the last year enriching and expanding our understanding of choral music and composers [and] learning new music,” Alex Favazza, the group’s director, said in a press release. “I’ve been impressed with the dedication and commitment of the choral society members over the past year, and it will be so satisfying to showcase their talents and passion for choral music for a live audience.” The concert is free and open to the public. Visit rockinghamchoral.org.
Art
Exhibits
• “RETABLOS RECONSIDERED” Exhibit features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). On view now through June 6. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
• “GEOMETRIC ABSTRACTION THROUGH CUT AND PASTE” City Arts Nashua and The Nashua Telegraph present an exhibition featuring the works of Meri Goyette, including statement collages and collectible greetings cards that she crafted from paper, fabric and glue during the pandemic. On display in the windows and lobby of the Telegraph offices (110 Main St., Suite 1, Nashua). Now through June 11. Visit cityartsnashua.org.
• “TRANSFORMATIONS: NATURE AND BEYOND” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by digital artist William Townsend. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through June 17. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “ROBERTO LUGO: TE TRAIGO MI LE LO LAI – I BRING YOU MY JOY” Philadelphia-based potter reimagines traditional forms and techniques with inspiration from urban graffiti and hip-hop culture, paying homage to his Puerto Rican heritage and exploring his cultural identity and its connection to family, place and legacy. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Sept. 26. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “CRITICAL CARTOGRAPHY” Exhibit features immersive large-scale drawings by Larissa Fassler that reflect the Berlin-based artist’s observations of downtown Manchester while she was an artist-in-residence at the Currier Museum in 2019. On view now through fall. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.
• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibit in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. Opens in June. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email [email protected].
Fairs and markets
• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.
Special events
• 14TH ANNUAL NASHUA INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE SYMPOSIUM Three renowned sculptors will spend three weeks in Nashua creating three outdoor sculptures for permanent installation in the city. The public will be able to watch the sculptors work and interact with them during their breaks (masks and social distancing required). Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., now through Fri., June 4, outside The Picker Artists studios (3 Pine St., Nashua), and Sat., June 5 through Sat., June 12, at installation site. A closing ceremony and sculpture reveal will take place on Saturday, June 12 and will be recorded for the public to watch online. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org.
• “FIRED UP!” OUTDOOR CERAMICS SHOW AND KILN OPENING Hosted by Kelley Stelling Contemporary at the studio of NH Potters Guild artist Al Jaeger (12 Perry Road, Deerfield). Sat., June 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit kelleystellingcontemporary.com.
Theater
• JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH JR. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) June 4 through June 12, with showtimes on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m., except for Sunday, June 12, which is at noon. Tickets cost $12 for children and $15 for adults. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• QUEEN CITY IMPROV The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Fri., June 4, and Thurs., June 17, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• CONCORD DANCE ACADEMY ANNUAL RECITAL Livestream presented by The Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. Sat., June 5, 1 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Visit ccanh.com.
• COMEDY OUT OF THE ’BOX The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Sat., June 5, and Thurs., June 24, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE The New Hampshire Theatre Project presents. Virtual. Thurs., June 10, through Sat., June 12, 8 p.m., and Sun., June 13, 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Visit nhtheatreproject.org.
Two new sculptures to be installed in downtown Concord
Downtown Concord becomes an open-air art gallery through Art on Main, an initiative by the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Creative Concord committee to commission public outdoor sculptures by professional sculptors from around New England for installation along Main Street.
Now in its fourth year, Art on Main is bringing in two new sculptures to be installed this month.
Both were created by Chris Plaisted, a Connecticut-based artist who was born and raised in Alstead, New Hampshire.
“This will sort of be a homecoming for me,” Plaisted said. “I still have many friends and family in the area, so part of the intent in participating was the hope that they will get to see my work.”
Plaisted’s large-scale, welded steel sculptures have appeared in dozens of outdoor art exhibits across the country. He described his work as being “primarily abstract, but often with figurative elements.”
His Concord-bound piece “Into the Wind” is a 12-foot-tall, 5-foot-wide and 5-foot-deep red steel sculpture that was prompted, Plaisted said, by a conversation he had with his friend about their shared sailing hobby and summer plans.
“I got to thinking about making a piece inspired by our boats, so this piece is an abstract of a sail cutting the wind,” he said.
At 9 feet tall, 32 inches wide and 32 inches deep, “Sunflower from Mars” is also red steel and was born out of Plaisted’s interest in the 1938 radio broadcast The War of the Worlds.
“The piece was then inspired by the idea that, what if Martians had actually landed in the U.S. and planted a seed? What would they have left behind?” he said.
The sculptures installed through Art on Main remain in Concord for one to two years, at the discretion of the Creative Concord committee. Plaisted’s piece will join several pieces that have been renewed for a second year. All are available to purchase, with 30 percent of the proceeds to be placed in a dedicated fund for Concord to acquire more permanent public art.
“The idea is that we’re bringing in new pieces on a fairly regular basis to keep sort of a fresh appearance of new art coming into the downtown,” Concord Chamber President Tim Sink said.
Sculptors are found through a call for art put out by Creative Concord in the winter. By the end of April, the committee makes its decision.
“We’re not looking for statues of George Washington,” Sink said. “We’re looking for [pieces] that are more non-traditional; that are large and capture your eye as you’re walking or driving down Main Street; and that are rugged and durable — something that kids could climb on.”
The best way to experience the art, Sink said, is to park on South Main Street and walk, starting in the area of the Capitol Center for the Arts, up to the New Hampshire Statehouse on North Main Street.
“It’s a very pedestrian-friendly atmosphere with lots of outdoor dining and shops, and you’ll pass these pieces along the way,” he said.
You can engage more with the pieces on Creative Concord’s website, which features professionally shot videos of the artists introducing themselves and discussing their sculptures. Sink said Creative Concord is looking to expand the Art on Main initiative to have a new mural created in downtown every year. They’re on track to have one completed by the end of the summer, though they haven’t chosen a location yet.
“We have plenty of canvases,” Sink said. “If you walk through downtown, you’ll see there are probably 14 or so sides of buildings that are highly visible and would be great for a mural.”
Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord and visitconcord-nh.com/art-in-concord, or call the Chamber at 224-2508.
Featured photo: “Into the Wind” by Chris Plaisted. Courtesy photo.
