MaryAlice Musings and More

  Susan, did a lot of rolling for change in her life.  Today in death I am sure she rolled over mightily as she sneered, laughed and dismissed the "pardon" that                     'you know who' gave to her today on the 100th Anniversary of the Woman's Right to Vote.   Women take note.  We will not be fooled.  We want real action -- here are a few quotes by Susan B. Anthony that resonate as much today as 100 years ago. Join the union, girls, and together say Equal Pay for Equal Work Organize, agitate, educate, must be our war cry Failure is impossible There shall never be another season of silence until women have the same rights men have on this green earth There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers  There is lots that I could say about all of his dog whistles all of his actions.  You can check o...

    I stopped blogging after my post on May 27 th , two days after George Floyd’s death.   I just could not find a way to share my voice, to  continue to keep a window open into my life here in Patten, Maine.   - The country has erupted in outrage at the death of George Floyd, and the floodgates from systemic, long term racial inequality have burst open - and it might just be that white allies will at last stand up and be meaningful participants in change.  Eight minutes forty-six seconds that touched the world, sparked that latent, unattended place inside us that wanted to pretend that color of your skin does not matter.   - 170,000 dead, 5.4 million cases of covid-19. 100,000 dead in the US from corona-virus.      - The administration is closing down the census early,  there is rampant cries about what  is happening to the data,  who is getting counted, where is under-counting occurring is a very real question. - Th...

As I start this blog while sitting on my porch, the rain has just started to fall.  I can hear the rain drops on the metal roof of the garage.  The thunder is rolling and there is a breeze that is bringing some cooler air onto the porch. It has been a day of much activity on the home front,  the Misfits Market box arrived with a whole lot of goodies,  I had my morning Tai Chi class, and then I spaced out my afternoon class.  I did go and get water from the spring.  Stopped by Mt. Chase Lodge and left a little birthday present for Lindsay.  Bought some fiddleheads from our little farm stand on Mt. Chase Road.  Dropped off some of my applesauce for the new teacher's baskets that are being put together.  Whew.... I seemed to have gotten a whole lot of phone calls today.  Lots of activity.  Emails, texts, phone calls.  But I did manage a little nap.  Lots to process,  Larry Kramer's death -- The Normal Heart, Gay ...

May 24th 2017 First Drive to Patten Summer days are here.  Not sure for how long, but last week was so very summer like, we cooled down over the weekend, and we are back in the 80's again.  Makes me very happy.   I stopped in at the Greenhouse to inquire about my kitchen garden boxes and other containers that they are putting together.   They have been so busy, and they said that the delay was just fine because there would be frost on June 5th,  the Strawberry Full Moon.    The weather swings are very real here in Northern Maine.  We had 13" of snow the second week in May, and it is supposed to be over 90 degrees tomorrow. The porch is such a refuge.  I still can't hardly believe that I have this lovely lovely porch.   Such sweet breezes, morning sun and afternoon shade.   The lawn got mowed,  I did a little more cleaning of the gas grill, and tomorrow Heidi comes to rake leaves and get them bagged up....

No parade in Patten today to honor the war dead.  No ceremony at the cemetery,  I did hear some sirens, and maybe there was some kind of motorcade, it did not come down my street and I heard nothing about any way that the town was marking the day.   I stayed near to home today,  did not leave my yard.  An antidote to yesterday when I made a trip to Millinocket that included three stops.  All safe.  All socially distanced.  All had masks.   Today I woke up with a pull and push of feelings.  It was so good to see the eyes, the expressions, feel the connections with a few of my friends.  It was very good to good a chiropractic treatment.  And it is so clear that the new normal is not normal.   I don't want to put anyone at harm,  I don't want to be at harm's way.  Each day, each time I leave my home it is weighing and calculating risk.  Earlier today, I never wanted to leave my porch again, by late aft...

UU Coffee Time started my day today.   I sat myself up on the front porch for the zoom hour.  Big news was that this morning there was a fire in Houlton on the block of our church.  All is well with the church,  no people were injured, but the house was destroyed.  All other houses and buildings on the block were saved.  Such sorrow.   After the UU check in, I got in the car for Millinocket.   Today, finally I was off to see the chiropractor.  Before my appointment I got a little tour of the new Moose Print Gallery on Penobscot Avenue.  Wow,  it is so very beautiful.  The walls are filled with such amazing photography, and all around the gallery are other wonderful pieces of art and craft the show some of the best that Maine offers.   I was transported.  Someday they will open and it will be quite the talk of the town.   For now you can go to their website:  Moose Print Gallery  to check out...

Bog time and Black Flies (Spring 2019)  It was a cooler day today.  Red Flag warnings, as the wind was still gusting.  The sun was bright and the sky was so very clear.   My lupine are coming up, and I am so so very happy!  I love the lupine and hope that they just take over, I don't care!  It will be just fine. Other parts of the flower beds look pretty sad, not sure yet what is going to come up or if things just died over the winter.  Tonight is a frost warning.  Eighty-five yesterday frost warning tonight!   Today was a day without anything scheduled.  It felt great.  I sat at the new drop down desk at the kitchen window, wrote in my journal and drank my tea. I had toast with Houlton Farms butter and french breakfast radishes.  Oh I love them and was so happy when they arrived in my misfits box this week.  I listened to AM Joy, and just kind of putzed around the house.   I wrote some cards, and hea...