New England Inns - B&B's and Places To Stay:

Connecticut B&B's:

• Bee & Thistle Inn and Spa in Old Lyme, Connecticut

• Nehemiah Brainerd House in Haddam, Connecticut

Massachusetts B&B's:

• Centennial House Bed & Breakfast in Northfield, Massachusetts

New Hampshire B&B's:

•  The Spalding Inn in Whitefield, New Hampshire

• Lyman Orchard: Middlefield, Connecticut

Massachusetts Farms:

• Hager's Farm Market: Shelburne, Massachusetts

New Hampshire Farms:

• Beech Hill Farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire

Through heartache and devotion, Sheila Scheick is like a butterfly who has embraced changes and challenges in her life, transforming into something new and unexpected with colors that radiate strength, compassion and clarity.

A licensed and nationally certified muscular therapist, Sheila founded Zen Muscular Therapy and Wellness Center in 2001. Located off Route 128 in Woburn, Mass., Zen’s mission has been to help clients gain balance of body, mind and spirit through pain relief, stress reduction and education. The path that led Sheila here is a story unto its own.

With a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in education, Sheila spent several years as an alternative education teacher and teaching English as a second language. She later sought out new challenges and growth in the insurance industry, but felt out of her element in the corporate world. It was in the midst of this transition that something terrible happened–something that would deeply affect her and change her life forever. Sheila’s younger sister suffered a severe asthma attack that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, leaving her in a persistent vegetative state (PVS).

“At the time that this happened I wanted to find some alternative therapy to help her or, hopefully, heal her, and, at the very least, supplement the physical therapy she was barely getting at rehab,” Sheila says. “Her muscles were weak and atrophied, so I took a couple of massage and reflexology classes to learn techniques to work on her muscles and energy points. Once I started taking the classes, I realized how much I loved the work and decided to quit my job and go to school full time. Best decision I have ever made!”

The House

The Shabby Sheep isn’t just a furniture store; it’s a story of innovation and preservation…a labor of love. Entrepreneurs, Erika Deady-Wohlers and her husband Nick Wohlers moved from Chicopee to Granby in 2001. They had purchased the old Thorton Clark house off Route 202, on East State Street. The two story colonial was built in 1826 and home to generations of Clarks. The house was in poor condition and in desperate need of attention. The Wholer’s found a dusty, old plaque in the cellar, whose faded letters read: Home is where your story begins, and so began Erika and Nick’s story. Under the watchful eyes of a small town, frequent passerbys peered through their heated car windows as the young couple diligently worked through the frigid winter months.