Freedom & Firsts

I celebrated this 4th of July at Pequawket Lake in Limington ME. A friend of a friend has a lake house and invited us to celebrate our freedom with a relaxing day on the beach & tasty cookout. Here are some photos of the highlights...

We woke up to rain in York, but it turned out to be a beautiful day! 

I enjoyed my first time kayaking. And, I didn't tip over!

Fred enjoyed a first too...he had a grand time taking his boat out on a real lake. He didn't tip over either, but he did get rather wet.

Fred also enjoyed making some new friends inside the house.

Mary's girls, Maggie & Furball, came along for a swim and a nap in the sand. 

The neighbor's dog, Jake, hanging out on his surfboard.

Our adventure ended with some timely thunderstorms & the beautiful sound of rain. All in all it was a wonderful way to celebrate our freedom!

Happy Kittyversary!

Today is my & Lucy's 4th anniversary. Four years ago today, this frisky feline came into my life making it better forever. She has been a trooper too. In 4 years, we've had 4 different homes...

Sleeping away in Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Checking out the neighborhood in Wilmington, North Carolina

Striking a revealing pose in Charlottesville, Virginia

Enjoying snuggle time in York, Maine

After 4 years and 4 homes, we hope to stay put for awhile. Whatever happens, we will stick together! Meow!

Mother's Day Tradition

A couple years ago, my Mom decided to come visit me in North Carolina for Mother's Day. The visit has since become a bit of a tradition for us. Last year she came to Virginia, and this year to Maine, for a fabulous time of soaking up local treasures, coastal bliss, warm sunshine, and each other's loving company.

She both arrived and left in the rain, but we managed to score several sunny days in between for plenty of fresh air and ocean breezes. Mom also had the chance to meet many of my friends and colleagues with a picnic at work, movies with friends, and church on Sunday. All were excited to meet her and to make the connection that Mom is a "Mainer" having been born in Lewiston, ME. It doesn't matter that she does not remember living there as they moved not long after her birth...she still counts as a Mainer, and I often use my Mom and her family's New England heritage as a point of connection to locals.

Here are a few of the highlights of our visit...

We walked along the Marginal Way...a wonderful mile long cliff walk that runs between the beach in Ogunquit and the harbor of Perkins Cove. The path is lined with oodles of benches for resting and taking in the view. There are also several places one can climb stairs to the beach below...at low tide, that is!

We stopped for a bite of lunch at Perkins Cove (in the distance) to refuel before walking back. One treat on the walk was a man who walked by us and said, "Hello girls!" He called us girls!

We savored the sights and sounds of waves breaking on the rocky shore.

We visited Fort Williams in South Portland which boasts the Portland Head Light, a frequently photographed lighthouse. Here too we found a cliff walk with places for rest and sightseeing. Rest was more necessary on this one as it had quite the hills in a few places. One hill on the return trip required a bottle of water for recovery!

Next, we went to the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, nicknamed the "Bug Light." This lighthouse sits in Casco Bay with the city of Portland as a backdrop. We strolled a walking path here, that thankfully after the hills at Fort Williams, was nice and flat. Yes, I am seriously out of shape!

We enjoyed a scrumptious Mother's Day Brunch at The Cliff House, a resort and spa in Cape Neddick. Wonderful food and lovely views a plenty. We walked down to enjoy more of the views after we ate. We then went home in a food coma!

After the food coma passed, we enjoyed another trip to Long Sands Beach here in York. We walked a bit and then sat awhile again enjoying the sights and sounds of the surf, and marveling at the bravery (or stupidity?) of those sporting bathing suits & playing in the 50 degree water. Brrrrrrr!

It was a wonderful visit and I look forward to Mom coming again, with Dad this time, for more Maine adventures in August!

Close to Home

You may have heard about the horrible tragedy in Greenland NH last night when 5 police officers were shot during a drug bust. If you haven't heard, read the story here. The Greenland chief of police, who was about to retire, was killed, 2 officers remain in ICU for gun shot wounds to the chest, and 2 others were treated and released. The gunman also killed his girlfriend and himself in a heated standoff.

For those of us who grew up in small towns, local events making national news too often comes only in times of such tragedy. Greenland is about a 15 minute drive south on I-95 from York. It is where I go shopping at Target and know coworkers who live in quaint houses. For the time being, it is a place in shock and mourning. Please keep the family of Chief Maloney and the other officers in your prayers. Peace & healing be with them.

Shear Joy

Yesterday morning, I had the shear joy of going to the Triple G Farm for Sheep Shearing day. The farm is owned and the sheep raised by the woman who owns the local yarn shop in York, The Yarn Sellar. This is how I know about Triple G farm and Sheep Shearing day. The farm was open to the public to come see the sheep lose their wooly coats in preparation for the summer, and for a tasty bake sale. There was also yarn for sale made from last year's wool. What a treat to know the sheep who grew the wool for your knitting project! I indulged in a lovely piece of coffee cake and took pictures galore all the while in sheepish bliss.

Now you know how I LOVE sheep! And here's why....


This is Ty. How adorable is he?!?!? And how can you look at him and not love sheep?!?!?! When he came staggering out of the barn, my heart melted and I was immediately in love. Ty is about a month old. He was rejected by his mother when he was born, so he is being bottle fed and raised by the human family. This only convinces me that a sheep can indeed be a wonderful pet. Watch out Lucy!

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better or cuter...


I got to hold Ty!


I'm in love! I'm in love!


He even gave me kisses!


And he was happy for me to give him breakfast. Cuteness multiplied by infinity!



I also met the other sheep. There were about a dozen including other lambs, and one brown sheep. This is Dave. Dave grew up in the house with the family. Much like Ty is now.



Dave's turn to lose his wool...



Wrestled to the ground, the shearing begins...

Dave in a rather compromising position...

Help me!

Almost done! Check out that wooly blanket! It is hard to believe how much wool came off of one sheep.

Dave...naked & free!

I had a fantastic time hanging out with the sheep and found it difficult to peel myself away from the wooly cuteness. I had a plot to create a diversion and bring Ty home with me, but the friend who was with me stopped the madness. What a sheep-tastic morning!

Kudos to Mr. Clooney

I try at least occasionally to stay in touch with what’s happening outside my small corner of the world. The other night I had a friend over while World News Tonight came on. We weren’t paying much attention, rather we were catching up on our own small world news, when one of the opening clips caught my eye. George Clooney was arrested. What?! What happened?! Not my Hollywood husband!

Yes, that’s right. I frequently refer to Mr. Clooney as my Hollywood husband. Things like age difference, distance, chances of ever meeting & the likelihood of my star struck speechlessness if we did, and basic reality aside…I just know George and I will one day be together saving the world with humanitarianism and compassion. Is that really too much to ask?

Ok, maybe so.

Back in reality and on the evening news, I learned that Mr. Clooney was arrested in Washington D.C. for intentionally crossing a police line at the Sudanese Embassy. You can read the story here. In multiple interviews over the years I have heard Mr. Clooney state his spot on assessment that because of his celebrity he has a voice the world might actually listen to. And he is choosing to use that voice for good. The situation in Sudan is inexplicable and horrific. I am about as ignorant to the details as most of the American public, but I can imagine. After the conversations I’ve had in Haiti, the emails I get from friends in Kenya, what I have seen with my own eyes in
both of those places and the stories & photographs shared with me by a man from Rwanda….I can only imagine. And it makes me shudder.

And so I hope Mr. Clooney is right. I hope his celebrity voice brings change, healing, and wholeness to a people destroyed by war, famine, and corruption. I hope the people in power will not just take notice, but also take action to save the Sudanese from the worst humanitarian crisis our world has ever seen. And I hope more with powerful voices and big hearts will follow suit in support of other countries the rest of us have forgotten.

And fantasy Hollywood crush aside, I very much admire Mr. Clooney. I admire his tenacity and integrity. He’s not just making a show with a onetime donation or the adoption of an adorable foreign child. He is dedicating a portion of his life and his heart to a people who are suffering. He shows a level of love & compassion through his actions we need a lot more of in this world. He said in an interview after posting bail that it was worth the criminal record. Indeed.

So kudos to Mr. Clooney for using his celebrity in a rare and refreshing way for the betterment of our world. May God bless his work and the people of Sudan.

The Adventures of Flat Justin

I recently had a very fun visitor. His name is Flat Justin and he came to me from my nephew Justin, in Bethlehem PA. Justin's class is doing a social studies project where they read the book about Flat Stanley, drew flat pictures of themselves, and sent their flat selves to relatives for a visit. Hence, Flat Justin came to Maine.

I had a wonderful time helping with the project. You can see the adventures of Flat Justin for yourself here. Flat Justin went to all the local hot spots and met many new friends. I hope the photos will entice some 3D visitors as the weather gets warmer. As Flat Justin will tell you...it's fantastic!