MaryAlice Musings and More

The snow has been falling for several hours, for awhile it did not stick,  now it is picking up and the trees are covered, the wind is blowing and there is lots of snow coming down.  I think that it is expected to snow through the night.  8-16" predicted.   Yep,  April 9th.  There are gale warnings,  maybe some flooding along the coast,  it is a real spring storm.  Good thing I have ample experience of being hunkered down in my home.   Before the snow came today I was being a busy volunteer.  The morning started with taking notes for the Mobilize Katahdin Coalition zoom meeting.   This afternoon I had another zoom meeting, a training session for those of us who are in the first group of "responders" for Mobilize Katahdin.  I have incredible empathy for all the people who are juggling working at home,  kids, schooling, and everything else.   I am proud to be a part of this effort of people helping peop...

At this time yesterday I decided that I absolutely had to try to see the Pink Supermoon Moon Rise.   I have not been outside of my yard since March 28th.   I am still in my quarantine period until Sunday but I decided I had to hunt for the moon, so off I went.    I first went on a road that I thought might get me to a good viewing, and quickly realized yes it is mud season, and I turned around and headed to Ash Hill.    Ash Hill is one of the few places in Maine where from your car you can see an absolute amazing 360 degree vista.....It is one of my home bases, and takes just a few minutes to get to from my house.    I was so happy to get out of my car.  To open my arms wide to take it all in, to let in the  the beauty, the "purple mountain majesty"... It was so affirming to be able to let it all in,  to just sit in that which has not changed.  The earth is glowing in this pause and there is a big lesson there - as ...

I tried to find some kind of quarantine calendar,  they were either something so structured or of such dark humor that I just decided to put up some good color, not sure when, where or how I took this picture.  It seems fitting that is almost how I feel about everything right now.    It is Tuesday,  I lost Monday - it started out lovely,  did morning meditation,  did my immunity boosting tai chi and then there was just a series of little things.  Made grocery list,  did some dishes,  had several phone calls, and did a load of laundry.   I was just off,   on one phone call I felt like I was a little crabby, not very able to listen well and it just felt like we weren't connecting as well as usual.   I also tried a new recipe,  it took some concentration and there were a number of steps.  Not the best choice on a day when I was clearly less than grounded with myself. I remembered ...

This morning I saw a Facebook post asking people to list the #1 Song of the Music Chart on the day you were born.  I thought that I had done this in the past, but when I looked it up - I was in for a surprise: Goodnight Irene by Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers, it was the #1 song for thirteen weeks.    My Grandmother loved this song,  she would sing it and many times she would tear up,  I never questioned why the song touched her so much, but I learned to sing along with her at a very early age.  I have distant glimpses of her and I in her kitchen singing softly to each and looking at each other so tenderly. I was very happy this morning to be taken back to that kitchen, back to my Gramma's arms, and singing and twirling as we both sang Goodnight Irene.    I found this YouTube clip of the Weavers singing Goodnight Irene  I was able to have my own love affair with the Weavers and especially with Ronnie Gilbert as she and Holly Nea...

Deb Gilmer Delivering my Cypress Grove Cheese Box! This is my second Saturday night at home.   I am feeling the heaviness and gravity of our life in the time of this pandemic.   I for sure have felt this before and will feel it again.  I am half way through my absolute quarantine.  I am good,  I take my temperature every day, sometimes more than one time.   This morning Deb Gilmer arrived with the box of exquisite cheese that was delivered to my old, not my new address. It was good to see her, it was also almost painful.  We have no idea when we can sit in the same room.  Our conversation included what we had done to wipe the things we were exchanged with our bleach solution.  Deb was just in the side porch, I was looking at her from the glassed in front porch.   It was so good to see a big smile, to have a conversation with someone so close.  How different life is in 4 weeks.  I had a few...

It is the end of this week.  I have been at home for a full work.  I am so very glad to be home.  I have these little moments each day that just seem to lift me up - yesterday my UPS guy (I don't know his name, but he always smiles wears an Australian style hat, and just seems to be an incredibly friendly kind of guy) was knocking loudly on my door.   I was upstairs and came down and out onto the front porch.  I waved and he was holding out his phone and said that his boss wanted to have a picture of my heart on the door, but he didn't want to take it without my permission, what a mensch!   I am glad he likes my heart,  I know that they are doing a lion's job right now and I am very appreciative of my home deliveries.  I hope his boss liked the heart too.   Today,  I got another box, my Misfits Market box.  I let the box sit for several hours, then sprayed with my bleach solution.  Then opened up my box o...

I had a very connected day today.  I came downstairs around 8 a.m.   I put on my water kettle, and I rinsed the dry beans that had been soaking overnight.  They were big and plumb and ready to go into the chili.  I got out the insta-pot, cut onions, opened the tomato jars I had canned in September and got out the tomato paste tube to give a little more oomph to the mix.  I browned the local beef and onions,  put in the tomatoes,  added what seemed like a huge amount of beans, but it was just the right amount,  added Penzey's Chili Powder (God Bless Penzey's) and set the pressure cooker to do its work.  I loaded the last things that could go in the dishwasher, turned it on and sat down to enjoy my czeup of tea.    I was excited,  I was joining my first tai chi class (since I returned home) with my instructor Susan and my BFF Lonnie was also joining the group, a super double bonus that was starting at 10:30 a.m....