MaryAlice Musings and More

Yesterday I was just too crestfallen to blog.  I came home from my library shift, made a delicious meal for myself, continued knitting on my swatch to get my gauge and when i opened up the computer and typed Wednesday I was just flooded with images of Trump embroiling and inciting and feeding off of his lies and his power feeding manipulations to incite hate in others and to justify all of his entititlements of white supremacy, money mongering and just plan destruction of democracy. Well you see why and you as a reader can be glad that I didn’t let it rip yesterday! So today is a beautiful day.  It was pre dawn light at around 3 this morning.  I took it in, and then promptly fell back to sleep until 8:30!  I made myself a breakfast smoothie and am sitting on the back deck. I am going to Bangor this afternoon and staying overnight.  There is a Pride Event at the Penobscot Theater and I am looking forward to the reception and then seeing Sheer Madness! ...

Tuesday night, Minnesota Lynx play Dallas in Minneapolis.  Had a good day.  My heart breaks with all the destruction of our democracy and human rights.  It is frightening to have a maniacal man as a person in power, and most especially the president.  My heart breaks for families,  for the ways in which there is just focus on making us polarized and against each other.   That we are a country that has not been able to acknowledge and move beyond our white supremacy and privilege.  I just hurt. So I am taking a break and going to spend 2 hours just rooting for my Minnesota Lynx.  So glad for WNBA League Pass!

I still find myself being totally tickled that I can just go to the coast for the day!  I usually plan to do an overnight to stretch out and do more exploring.  That is just what I did yesterday.  I headed off to Belfast late morning, it was a good driving day, hazy sky and not too hot.   I took I-95 to US 1-A, and then onto US 1.  I love US 1.  It is not the fast route, but rather slowly moving through tiny towns, glimpses of great vista's and lots of fun business new and old as the car heads toward my destination. I spent last night at the Nightfall Inn , but before I made it to the Inn I made the stop that I had been thinking about since I returned home.  I stopped for lunch at Young's Lobster Pound. I love Young's and realized that I had not done good planning for my stop.  You can bring your own picnic, drinks, all the fixings to Young's.  I will be planning a wonderful picnic basket for my next trip.  As for...

I know that I thought I might take a "blog break" on weekends, but today on the spur of the moment I contacted our KWW volunteer coordinator and decided to go a "loop road tour".  It is was a great June day, warm, sunny and crystal clear.  I have been hankering to see the "mountain range"  and inside the monument is one of the best places to view the entire range and see Katahdin in all of her glory!  I took off at noon,  stopped by our contact center and picked up maps, supplies and headed off!   I went down the "Grindstone Road"  also known as Rt. 11 or the Scenic Byway.  I love driving along the East Branch of the Penobscot River, and today was no exception.  There wasn't much traffic so I could slow down and take in the beauty and get good looks at the river.  I takes awhile just to get off of the "byway" and onto to the logging road that takes you into the Monument and the 15 mile "loop road" . You get fun glim...

Here I am visiting the neighbors after my first volunteer shift this summer at the National Monument Office!  It was a fun day,  there were a few visitors.  I was reminded about how much I like to talk to people about the monument, the area, and find out what they are interested in doing, and what they are thinking about their visit.  It was a beautiful sunny day, that just invites you to spend some time outside in the wild!  I am going to do that myself tomorrow!  It has been a good week,  I have felt some reigniting of the pace and rhythm of Millinocket and home.  I have had good sleeping nights loving my own bed and my own pillows!  I have been making good food, and brought a delightful pasta dish and salad to my neighbors tonight.  Jan is really under the weather and it felt good to be able to just try and help her out.  When I am sick I don't want to cook.   We visited for awhile on the back deck until the black...

I woke this morning with full throttle rain on the metal roof.  The rain came and came, it is such a welcomed sound.  I love the rain and how it sounds on our oh so sturdy roof!  I had a morning planned that fit beautifully with a rainy day.  The temperature had dropped and the rain went from pouring to just a mild little patter as the morning moved forward.   I made a pot of tea and got out my paperwork,  my note cards, and  envelopes and spent a good part of the morning paying bills,  making needed business related phone calls, and writing cards and letter to friends and family that felt long overdue.   The rain continued and it felt so satisfying to just one after one get a letter written, a card addressed, a bill paid, and checks mailed to the bank! It was also a good morning to do a little cooking and I brought up the 'instant pot" and made some stew.  It tasted really good and after it was done I packed up a conta...

I just got home from the Quarterly Katahdin Collaborative Meeting.  It is so fun to be a part of such a fun visioning project!  "Never doubt a small group...." lots of good ideas and things are happening.  Tomorrow afternoon is the public hearing on the Millinocket budget.  The library is asking for a one year increase!!  While I was away they had the first public meeting and 35 people showed up to support the library!  Tomorrow will be the final approval of the budget.   The town council is also voting on the formation of a utility to bring broadband to the area, it is a great proposal and will change the entire foundation of development in our region by bringing really really fast broadband to all residents at a very very reasonable price!  As I type I am feeling better.  I had an easy day,  took naps and rested.  I also worked out the dates that my friend Marcia is coming for a two week visit!  I got many offers of ...

Well today started out quite fine.  Up early, my car got picked up to get a good spring cleaning.  I did a few things around the house and then walked to the library for the operations committee meeting.  Had a good meeting and walked home.  Made some lunch.  I got an update about freshman orientation, talked to my friend Kathy, set up time to go to the CT Shore, and bought tickets to the CT Sun - MN Lynx game, and as a bonus bought tickets to the final Sun game of the regular season against LA.  It will be fun to have another perspective on the WNBA.  Not so much later bad tummy,  bad headache, got worse.  Laid down.  Spare the details, but got up and got ready for my library shift and to go vote.   Voted, then went to library, where after one look at me, sent home.   Sleeping on and off, not feeling worse but not feeling better!  Hoping that whatever it is, it will pass soon, and that it is food rela...

I have been thinking that now that I am home and back in Maine, what about my blogging?  I have enjoyed blogging during my Spring Sojourn and liked the discipline of blogging every day.  I only missed one day, and was up early the next morning blogging because I woke up realizing that I did not blog when I had gotten back to the house late in the evening. I did not blog this weekend, and thought taking the weekends off might be a good approach.  I like to use this blog as a way to reflect on my day, to observe the world around me, and to share my quirky and sometimes not so stellar thoughts.  They are mine and this blog is a way for my wandering, rambling self to have a venue. Today is the last day before the primary election in Maine.  I spent time on Saturday and Sunday canvassing for Lucas St. Clair for Congressional District 2 a fine Democrat in a three way race!  Today I dropped off literature at houses.  It is always a mixed bag hitting t...

Wow,  what a first week at home!  Lots of catching up, enjoying the cool weather, taking care of a few things around the house and now on Friday enjoying a beautiful warm sun-shining day.  Deb has arrived for the big final push weekend in Millinocket before the primary on Tuesday.  Mike came over to pick up a check for mowing the lawn and I ran the snow blower to get all the gas out and got the lawn mower started. Tonight is a big kick off to the weekend for Lucas St Clair.  He is running for CD2 - and I think that he is the most viable candidate to win against Poliquin in the fall, and I am glad to be supporting him for congress. I love the sky and the way the light shines here.  I have been entranced by the clarity of the light since my first visit.  Today is one of those spectacular days- sweet clouds, gentle breeze, wonderful warmth from the sun, and such clarity in the air.  I am aware that I am a little tired, there has been lots o...

It is the fourth day of cool weather,  the coolest weather I have been in since I left Maine in March!  But it is slowly warming back up,  there was a little blue in the sky, and the sun peaked out just a little bit.  I have been on a little bit of a roll since my return on Saturday.  I am happy to say that today, Thursday,  I don't have to leave the house.  I may search out some veggies and might go to a program at the library!  But neither of these things have to happen.  I slept in late and am having a slow easy morning.  Listening to Annie Lennox, and enjoying my cup of tea.  There are many things about returning to home.  My own bed,  all of the "things" around me that are familiar and each have a story as they "made the cut" and were sent here from Minnesota.  A favorite wooden spoon, bowl, and skillet!  What I cherish and have noticed the most, is the warm welcome I have gotten each day this week....

Well I am definitely back in Millinocket.  Monday I had quite a few things that I had to attend to, and that included picking Derek Nord up at the airport and getting him to Waterville for the Maine APSE Conference.  I could not stay as Tuesday is my library shift day, and after being gone almost three months, I didn't feel as if I could not show up! So I arrived back home at 10 pm last night.  Many of you know that I hate driving in the dark.  I had over half of the trip in the dark, some rain, and after getting north of Orono it is not only dark but there are very very few vehicles.  I did see a big deer that thankfully stayed off the road.  I listened to  MSNBC, Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow kept me engaged, awake and moving forward. I was tired and not so very happy to have to get out of the house before 8 a.m. this a.m.  I wanted to see Betsy Sweet, who is running for Governor and let her know she was my #1 vote.  She was at ...

Prayer Flags on Porch Sunday was such a good full day back in Millinocket that I did not even have a moment to do my blog.  So it was a blogging day of rest, but not so much for other activities of the day.  I started Sunday slowly, watched a little Sunday morning television, had tea, made from my pot, and drank from my favorite cup.  What a simple pleasure to love the look and feel of a cup that holds my favorite tea.  I slowly unpacked a few things.  Then went to the basement, where I found my all assembled portable clothes closet!  It is a great buy and I moved it over to the place where I will put my winter clothes that are hanging in the bedroom closet.  I was so happy that it is sturdy and large enough and that someone else put all the pieces together, thank you Debbie Ball.  Then time for breakfast,  walked down to AT (Appalachian Trail) Cafe, saw a number of neighbors on the way, and people were happy and waving and enjoying ...

After almost three months, I am back home in Millinocket.  It was a beautiful drive north from Bangor to Millinocket, sun shining, a beautiful breeze that is keeping the black flies at bay.   We drove in the driveway and it was good to walk into the house.  At once so familiar and to have not been here for so many days.  I walked through the house just smiling and taking it in.  I left and there was snow up to the windows, the piles in back and front were enormous.  Now green everywhere!  And light at 5 pm light!  I was welcomed back with only one casualty,  a small table lamp and a framed architectural drawing in the little cove at the top of stairs was knocked over ( I am assuming from the wind and then the doors moving) glass everywhere, and light bulb glass is the worst!  So I gingerly swept and cleaned up the landing and got the glass up and carried out to the garage!  Then all well.   After glass removal...

I have had a wonderful time staying at my friend Beth's home.  I got to be here for two weeks by myself as she traveled for work, and then this last week we got to share the house!  Such a fun and gracious host.  I have had that throughout my time in Texas, Arizona and now in Minnesota.  It is a beautiful day here.  The rental car is dropped off.  One suitcase is packed and zipped up, the other has mostly everything in it, just waiting for a few last minute things that will need to be packed before I leave in the morning.  The sun is shining brightly and I am happy that the weather will be marvelous for Myah's Graduation Party~! I can feel the shift, one more transition and then I am back home in Maine.  I have meetings scheduled, people to visit, errands to run and things to see.  My next week looks Millinocket familiar.  Back to volunteering at the Library, meeting with the KWW Monument staff and others to talk about vol...