MaryAlice Musings and More

Well, I am hopeful, that I have done the last of shoveling for the 2019-2020 season.  It may be possible that it will snow after I  am home,  doubtful and would melt almost immediately.  The sun will be high in the sky....  For now I am hunkered down in a beautiful winter wonderland.   The checklist is done, except for the last minute items.   Antiseptic wipes have been purchased.  I have Young Living Thieves oil blend, and hand sanitizer in my carry on bag.   I have been getting email reminders about check in times that are happening next week.  I have a little worry about Covid-19, but traveling during the flu season is probably more of a risk.  I just checked out the CDC website , despite the guy who is president and his cronies, the website has good and accurate information.   I am assuming all will be well, if that changes then maybe plans will have to change, but for right now I am doing my p...

Today was another day of checking things off the to do list.  Better than the feeling of checking off a task was this amazing spring like day.  The sun felt warm on my cheeks and I had to unzip my jacket as I walked around town this morning doing my errands.  The streets and sidewalks (where they are ones - and they are not concrete but asphalt) told a story of late winter after a couple of warm days.  The south facing side was mud and lots of it, and the north facing side was ice.  Made for an interesting walk.    After a long walk I came home and began to think about next week at this time,  on Wednesday I will arrive in Chicago on the train.  I know where I am staying, and had a few ideas about what I would do once I got back on my home turf.   I found a very good jazz club, Andy's that is just a few blocks from my hotel.  On Wednesday night I am going to see Joan Collaso a Chicago native, who has traveled the world...

There was something today, and I am not even sure of exactly what it was, in the UU Service this morning in Houlton that started me thinking about my Gramma, the one that I loved so dearly, and then my other Grandmother that I never knew at all.   My name is MaryAlice and I have gone by MaryAlice since my earliest memories.   I have my dear Gramma, Mary Thelma Washington Stanford that is my first name,  and then my middle name (only legally) is Alice.  Alice M. Bragg Mowry was the Mother of  my Father.   I have been quite saddened that I never legally changed my first name to MaryAlice, when I turned 65 and dealt with Social Security for the first time ever all of the legal documents that were sent to me (social security, medicare, etc) were addressed to  Mary Mowry.  It felt like my unknown Grandmother Alice was abandoned. Some of my most distinct memories as a very little girl are about correcting people who call me Mary....

Today was the first days in many that my day did not have appointments, meetings, errands --- there was nothing besides just one "must do" task - and that was done with many hours to spare!  I started my day by unexpectedly sleeping in, it was after 8 a.m. when i opened my eyes and saw that the sun was brightly shining. I know that may not be sleeping in for some of you -- for me it is and it was a treat.  I felt rested,  got up and made a cup of my most favorite tea and sat down to read the Bangor Daily News .     It was fun to read about the high school basketball tournament - Katahdin region girls team in the semi-finals, class C, and everyone is excited for them and the county has class d girls in their semi-final...it is what in the midwest is March Madness only it is February here. Had a little  breakfast and then a good phone call - sent off the email that had to go out and felt the expansiveness of the day. I have this wonderful ...

Brrrr....it was another cold one today!  Very frosty out there.  And Beautiful.   The morning started with an 8 a.m. zoom call,  it is the steering committee for the Katahdin Collaborative.  Jon comes over and we zoom together with the rest of the members.  We did some very good work this morning and as soon as the call was over I got ready to head outdoors!   Today I had my first check up of my hearing aids.  Yup, hearing aids.  I have these super duper you wouldn't believe the technology Widex hearing aids .   My check up was in Lincoln, and that is a little less than an hour from my house.  The sky was so very blue,  the sun was brilliant, and the mountain was majestic.  I was feeling bad that I didn't stop to take a picture - and I found myself thinking about blogging today -- and in the absence of an amazing pic I wanted to share the feeling when I see Katahdin and the mountain range.  It grounds...

When I was a young woman and lived in rural southwestern Wisconsin in the driftless land, we lived in a holllow in the valley.  We had friends who were ridge runners -- but I liked being nestled in under the bluffs - well mostly.   When I was on the ridges I loved the big sky,  the expansiveness, the being in the open.   I don't live in the valley anymore.  In town I am protected by trees, houses and other buildings, but a few blocks from my house I am in the wide open spaces and boy was it blowing today. I drove into Millinocket this morning to get my taxes done.  They are done, filed and someday I will have a refund in my bank.  Well done.   The wind was whipping along the highway as I drove back home in the bright sun.  The sky was blue and every once in awhile the snow was just whirling and whirling around,  there were places on the road where the snow was starting to pile up.  On the final stretch to Patten ...

Although the light is getting longer, the weather is an ever present reminder that we are still in the deep of winter here in Northern Maine. The temperatures still have wide swings that include deep freeze temperatures.  In the midst of this I have been sorting and packing clothes, hats, and shoes for warm weather.  There have been lots of meeting and a general push to complete what needs to be done before I take the bus to Boston and then head west and then south.    After several trips to the town office I completed my absentee ballot today.  I will be on Amtrak Lake Shore Limited no television my Super Tuesday ballot already cast.   An adventure in the making.   I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends in Chicago.  Art Museums,  good food,  maybe a play or some music....then off on the Southwest Chief.   I have kindle books loaded up,  I have several books with paper pages...

Well, it has taken me a few days to sort out how to get my fingers on the keyboard and what it is I want to say.    Here are a few takeaways from the last couple of days.  I am deeply saddened and somewhat terrified by the unleashed rage of trump, I live in the state where the republican senator said that trump had learned his lesson---well he has Senator Collins (he is right back to  "I Could Stand In the Middle Of Fifth Avenue And Shoot Somebody And I Wouldn't Lose Any Voters".  I don't know what it will take for people to really start listening and get behind Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar - we need women to be heard - I am also so very saddened that we are not hearing voices outside of Yang from people of color.  Goodbye to the caucus/primary system that we have today - here's to something better the next time around!  I have had several other wow just wow moments this week --- and they won't go into this blog..... Despite the poli...

Winter View (2018-19)  Ash Hill It is not quite 9 a.m.  It is the day after the Iowa Caucus's (and we don't know the outcome) and the big win in Women's Basketball by Oregon over Connecticut on the Huskies home court!   Now, after a fun weekend and reflecting on these years of retirement that I have accumulated, it was back to the basics.  I had washed the dishes while listening to MSNBC on Alexa before I went to bed last night, but there were more chores waiting.   This morning, while waiting for the water to pile, I put things away that were sitting in piles.  Trying to make sure that there were open surfaces to settle my eyes.  Then while the sun was shining I sat at my window counter, drinking tea, writing in my journal and watching the blue jays, crows and squirrels in my "mini-back 40"!   I had not sat at the window in a few weeks and I enjoyed the noticing, being delighted as yet one more blue jay swooped in and then anot...

Today is my 3rd Anniversary of Retirement,  I have celebrated with friends at River Drivers, at Mt. Chase Lodge and today I am just at home in Patten, Maine.  I have a few photo's from this day over the past couple of years.  I still have good feelings and very fond memories of my send off at the Minnesota Department of Human Services and then the "let's just have fun" send off in Como Park!   A year later had a great dinner at River Driver's with the Fanjoy's and Debbie Gilmer,  last year I was celebrated my recent move to my own house in the Katahdin Region and the airing of Maine Life featuring Mt. Chase Lodge.  Today it is lots of things - the Super Bowl which I may watch snippets, but not really interested.  Candlemas - (the purification of Mary) and the half-way between Solstice and Equinox....I have a candle lit in honor of the faster coming light!   I could not have been able to imagine how my life would be today three years ago....

  I am back home in Patten.  My friend David and I had a wonderful evening at Canterbury Royale in Fort Fairfield.  I enjoyed the feeling of being in this opulent cottage which has been literally built my the hands and with the imagination of the two Chefs Barbara and Renee.  Not only are they classically trained French chefs, they are just plain talented handy and hard working.    They offer a brunch and lunch as well as their suppers, so I think a little trip up for lunch or brunch this summer will be in order.    We ate in the Captain's quarters, a small room with the centerpiece being a gifted charcoal drawing of Captain Somebody from the 1880's, a customer gave it to Barbara and Renee.  The pelican below sits on a shelf just below the Captain.  I really liked the pelican!    Much of the carving throughout the rooms has been done by Barbara, and it is quite beautiful but last night in the dark of midwin...