MaryAlice Musings and More

  One year ago I was trying to sort out what was I going to do.  I had started my trip west and south at the beginning of the month.  Once again I was traveling across the country on a train. Boston to Chicago, Chicago to Winslow.  A couple of days in Chicago were the last time that I saw a play live (Goodman Theater) and the last time I heard live music (Jazz Club near north side).   Myah had just arrived back in Minnesota from Spain, just squeaking through before a total lockdown.   I was not supposed to fly back until Mid May. The conversations that we had with my friends were ones I never had before.  I remember asking out loud if I should just "stick it out here".  Cindy would be moving to her new home and I could help.  Karen and Jen were there and the Desert Oasis was another place where I would be welcomed.   We scoured the internet,  reached out to folks that I worked with in the beginning of the AIDS epidemi...

  Hug | Definition of Hug at Dictionary.com www.dictionary.com › browse › hug verb (used with object), hugged , hug ·ging. · to clasp tightly in the arms, especially with affection; embrace. · to cling firmly or fondly to; cherish: to hug an opinion. · to  ...     Within a month of moving to Patten, one of the pieces of information that had floated around in this very tiny town about me was, "she's a hugger".  And even in this cross of frontier and new england, I got some good hugging right back to me.   I think that as the years have gone by since my retirement, four years now, I have allowed myself to more of my unrestrained hugging self.  Hugs are great, and hugs do come into gradients of enjoyment: "too much", "too little" or "just right".   A just right hug, ummmm, I can feel it as I type.    Just to be clear, I am not talking about bad, inappropriate, abusive touching.  That is not a hug, ans as a child and growing girl I en...

  Well March 2, 2021 can go down in the memory book.  There is wind up here on ridge, and there have been big winds since I moved into my house in Patten, but yesterday topped them all. After an almost balmy start to the month, the arctic blast happened,  the winds blew, and I mean they blew hard and long.  I heard house and outside noises that I have never heard before.   The wind chill was -20+ something.  I was concerned about being able to attend my second session of Decolonizing in Conservation Communities by the Wabanaki Reach Program Tuesday morning.  Even though the winds were roaring and the temperature was continuing to drop we all got online, almost 50 of us zooming from 9 to Noon.   We spent most of yesterday talking and sharing about white privilege, micro agression and thinking about ways that conservation efforts of today follow a colonization history.   It is hard to sit in how the color of my skin has never rea...

  More snow today, like another 6+ inches.  Wet, heavy snow.  Good snow family making snow.  The temperature hovering just above/below freezing. It was mostly above and there may have been a little bit of freezing sleet, but it was mostly snow.  At times the snow was so heavy and the flakes so big I felt like I was inside the snow globe and the outside had all the snow!  This is all going to change,  with each hour for the rest of today and throughout the night the temperature is going to drop.  The winds are going to start to blow. By 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning the wind chill is supposed to be -20 degrees.  Yep, -20 degrees.  The good news is this arctic blast is short lived. I do not have to leave my house until Thursday morning when I drive to Lincoln to get my second vaccine dose.  I went to the post office and the grocery today.   I am ready to once again be hunkered down.  The good news about the temperature dro...

 I have had the most pleasurable day,  it was one of those days that I could just find and go with my own rhythms.  I woke up early with sun streaming onto my bedroom window.  After a few moments watching the sunbeams I fell back to sleep.    I like that "fall back asleep" morning time.  I woke up and the sun was even brighter.  I came downstairs, made a pot of tea, listened to NPR and looked through the NY Times.  I decided to make my favorite winter porridge, wild rice, dried fruits and nuts, with a little maple syrup and whatever kind of milk you like.  This is my bowl of fruit and nuts that I will put in with the cooked wild rice.  This winter I have found a very easy way to cook my wild rice.  I put in even more water than you need,  cook the rice for about 45 minutes and drain off the excess water.  No measuring, no fuss and wonderful wild rice   I did not take a picture of my finished bowl, but it was...

Well,  it was cold this morning, and I had to get out of the house a little after 8 a.m.  Today was another vaccine clinic at the firehouse in Patten.   I volunteered to help,  this was our second clinic and today it ran like clockwork.  I think we had around 100 people signed up and there was less than a handful of folks who did not show up.  I came home and continued my closet downsizing.   I decided that if I had not worn things this winter yet, and I couldn't remember if I did last winter, then it was time to go.  I called Pir2Peer Recovery Community Center in Millinocket to see if they would like good, gently worn clothes, many of them just right for wearing to work.  They were really happy that I could drop off clothes and I am glad that there are women who can use the clothes.   A good Friday,  helping out my community, sorting and clearing of my closets, and 2 large bags of clothes and plus clothes that will stay ...

  It has been a long day.  Snow started again in the night and I wine to the now familiar sound of snow sliding down the metal roof,  I still remember the first time I heard this on Aroostook Avenue!  I thought the house was falling apart.  It was not. There are still little sounds of the metal roof that throw me off guard but mostly it has become a part of my winter landscape. This morning was Session One of a four part training with Wabanaki Reach on Decolonizing Conservation Communities - I will write more later but for right now:  powerful, necessary, uncomfortable and timely!  It is so hopeful to be a part of this desire to learn, to do our work in understanding our historical and current colonizing actions. How many times, how many ways do we need to reminded of the horrendous damage of making any person or group of peoples less than, to dehumanize another living human being.  His to take this weight and move to action to reconciliation- fir...

  I have been thinking about a little get away to Mt. Chase Lodge for awhile now.  They spent the early part of winter completely remodeling their rooms in the lodge and they were just recently finished.  I wanted to go and after needing to change my overnight two times I finally landed on yesterday.  A Sunday, not too cold, sunshine predicted and Mike was cooking. I loaded up the car,  overnight bag, books, journal, and kick sled.  The sun was shining brightly,  the mountain was majestic and there was no wind. Lindsey was great,  gave me my breakfast card to fill out and the keys to South Branch!    Off I went, I kicked the biggest speed I have done yet, and I also walked the sled where I needed to on trails through the woods.  I stopped everyone once in awhile to just stop for a moment of a sun bath.  I like those February sunbaths the best.  The  bright sun spilling over my face.  The snow packed and hard good...

  While volunteering at Patten's Covid Vaccine Site earlier this month,  I got to talking with one of the nurses and somehow he and I got on the subject of my new kick sled.  He got excited, he knew about kick sleds and shared that when him and his partner were in Norway he saw them everywhere.  He talked about going to a tavern in the little town and parked outside everyone's "spark" !  He sent me a couple of pictures and the next day he texted that he had ordered two kicksleds from Ely Bike and Kick Sled, maybe we will have kick sleds parked in front of the new micro brewery that will be opening later this year....so next winter we can hop on our sparks and kick on over. Tomorrow I am going out to Mt. Chase Lodge and will bring my "spark" - the sun is supposed to be shining bright.  There are groomed and packed trails and I am ready to go.   So I have been learning about kick sleds and in no importance here are a few random "spark" facts:  ...

  When I went out to late this afternoon to bring out two more new globes,  sweep the snow off the bench, and light the globes there was still light in the sky.  When I started lighting the globes it was dark at that time.  Each day a little more light, a little more experimentation, delight and simple happiness in making my globes.   I am still hanging onto simple pleasures as I swing back and forth in my daily coping of Covid life.  Meanwhile so much of the country is coping with very cold, too few vaccines, and no electricity. It all feels too much.   I have been being very busy, my volunteering is in full swing.  I have been spending lots of time on my laptop.   So much so that I am in search of a desk and looking to make a sweet work space on my top landing in the second floor.   My ever changing life here, how is it that I connect,  what are the ways that I can be a part of my community, my region.  Th...

  The snow did come today.  By mid-morning I was out clearing off the back porch and stairs, making pathways to the garage and the front door.  I used my push shovel to move snow around and Charlie came by and pushed the snow from the plow. I got a path to the front door, got the stairs all cleared, and the back porch shoveled out.   I hung my newest ice disk out so that I now have one on each side of my front door!  I think it will be into next week before they will even start to melt! Excitement, I had some visitors for a little bit today.  Sam and Gabrielle stopped by on their way to cross county ski. I took the kick sled out of the garage and they both took a little spin.  It was very fun to have a little visit, such a rarity and very appreciated.  So they went off to ski and before the town spread lots of sand on the roads I went out on my kick sled.  I started to get some rhythm in my kick and I got a better feel for getting a goo...

  The light continues and we are also deep into winter.  I am so happy to be hunkering down in my house.   I go out and look at my kick sled, but have not put it into my car.   I am happy to be in the warmth and comfort of my home.  It is cold and the next storm is on its way.  I continue to experiment with the beauty of ice.  Today I put out a new ice disk at my front door.  I am surprised and somewhat in awe of how beautiful the flowers remain after they have been placed in the water that then turns into ice.  Beautiful flowers, held in the ice.    Just before I started my blog tonight I got a message from my neighbor Terry,  she has been trying her hand at ice globes and tonight she has several globes shining from her side porch.  I love that we have ice globes glowing on our little street!  I have cooked and created and am ready for this next storm.  More snow.  Maybe a better surface for my ki...

  The good thing with this cold, is that often with the cold comes the sun.  We had lots and lots of grey days, so even when I was enjoying the mild days, I missed the sun.   Well the sun has come and with it the cold. This morning on my way out of town I took this shot.  It doesn't do justice to the absolute clarity in the air and the brilliance of the reflection of the sun on the snow and on the mountain range. The sun is streaming in my windows and I am enjoying the light, the ever lengthening light.  I once again have a dining room table that needs to be cleared off all the papers from a week of zoom meetings and correspondence that needed attention.  Laundry is in the washer and in the dryer.   I am making more ice and flower disks.  This cold weather is great for that.   I have new candles to be put out today for the ice globes.   I am reading several books, and have two audio books started!  I have managed...

I had started out on the 9th of February from Minneapolis.  The car was loaded and the weather reports were good.  Although what was looming for me when I finally made it east was the prediction of one "wicked" Nor'easter!  I had made it to Hartford, CT on the 10th.  The storm was looming, there was almost no one at the hotel.  I took a good soak, fell into bed and by 6 a.m.  I was in my car,  fruit, tea and few kind bars and I was ready to hit the road.   I was so committed to beat out this storm which was sounding more impending and harrowing by the moment.   I was driving to Millinocket.  I was on my way for my first day of being a full time resident of Maine.  I almost said "full-time Mainer" but understanding that I will always be a "new local"  I landed on resident.   I didn't stop until I got to the first rest area in Maine.  I stumbled into the building - did a few stretches, got a few more reinforce...

All those days in January when the weather seemed oh so much more milder than it was "supposed" to be I knew it would come, that we were not bypassing the 'dead of winter'.  Well, we have not.  It is not as cold as in Ely, MN  -35F below zero but it is nippy.  The good news is that along with the cold come the sun.  The gray days of January have been replaced by brilliant sun....no sun dogs but it is still very welcome.   I find myself sitting at my south facing window in the morning, and allowing myself a sun bath.  The sun streaming on my face as I sip my tea and have a little breakfast.   Yesterday I took some of the flowers out of the vase and put into my pie pan dish.  Today I hung my ice disk on the side of the front door.   I snipped more flowers and have another dish freezing up to hang on the other side of the door.   I am tackling the dining room table today.  Somehow it is like a magnet for "stuff".   I hav...

  It is a beautiful sunny morning, Saturday.  I have been prepping and cooking in the kitchen this morning, getting ready for a zoom cooking class - Coconut Chicken or Tofu Curry.  I have been coming back to my seat and bench at the window as I have been working through the steps of our dish.  The Bluejays are have decided to stop by this morning, and I am appreciating the blue flashes through my little woods. I like Saturday mornings, I listen to NPR - and this morning there was an excellent program: I s it ever ok to jump ahead in the covid line?    I have been rolling over questions regarding  who is getting the vaccine and who is not.  I received a phone call from my health care providers office last Wednesday and Thursday morning I received my vaccine at Penobscot Valley Hospital.  This is one of two hospitals that my health care clinic referred me to.   But I had also gone online and registered at a number of other sites....

  Wow, what a twenty-four hours.  Just as I was putting my kicksled into the car to take a drive out to Mt. Chase Lodge my phone rang.  Penobscot Valley Hospital - yah - this might be about getting the vaccine.  So I answered the phone, went and sat in the car and listened as the woman asked if I was still interested in getting the vaccine?  YES.... she says can you come in for a shot tomorrow?  YES   So after all my kvetching, my vaccine envy,  my feeling badly that I wasn't being as enthusiastic as I could be about others getting their shots,  I had my first appointment:  February 4th  10:10 a.m.  I loved Hamilton,  I love that "My Shot"  is being used to promote getting the vaccine.  I was singing it out loud driving to and from my appointment.   I am fine,  no side effects as of now.  My arm feels good.  My spirits are good.   Yesterday,  just that thought that I was actuall...

    Yep,  Box 2 arrived yesterday.  I called the post office just after I finished yesterday's blog (which I forgot to load onto FB until much later in the day) and yes the second box came.   She made me laugh, she said it doesn't look anything like the one from yesterday, and it didn't.   I zipped up to the post office, stopped at the hardware store and then brought both boxes into the house.   I will not go into all that went into my getting it assembled, I had a little coaching from a dear friend, and one phone call to Ely, MN to make sure that I had it  "folded" up correctly to put into my car.  I did.  I was going to go out but the wind gusts and the snow fall kept me inside waiting until today.  February 3rd my kick sled inauguration.  It is on the porch and I will go out early afternoon.   I am hoping I will be inspired to name this sweet blue winter fun toy that I have been waiting for and so excited...

  I woke up early this morning and could not go back to sleep.  I came downstairs and started the water for my tea.  The snow had barely started and there was a light sleet coming down.  Luckily and happily, it changed to snow very quickly.   I picked up my newspaper delivered by a good  guy that puts it on a little table just inside the front porch door!  Everyone seems to be excited about the coming of the snow.  I am glad to see the snow and hope that the overall total doesn't exceed our capacity to move it out of the way.   Today is the first day in a really long time that I have nothing, yep nothing on my calendar.  I am breathing in the comfort of just doing what I need and what I fancy.  It is February 2, we are halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, the days are lengthening.  This is the pagan holiday of Imbolc. 'Imbolc means “in the belly” and celebrates the pagan Celtic goddess Brigid, who i...