A VISIT TO MAINE...

I'm thinking that I will take a break from writing my blog but before I do, I would like to share a visit to one of our favorite places!!  Years ago, we decided that our experiences to the Northeast needed some refreshing so we decided to visit Acadia National Park. What an amazing decision that was!  While there we were a bit adventuresome and we drove north to Lubec, Maine to visit the famous lighthouse located there.  Another choice that has had lasting effects.  We continue to return to this wonderful place...in fact, we kind of feel right at home there.

Retirement tends to give one a bit more free time so this September we spent a whole month in the Maine area.  I do think God especially enjoyed the creative work that was done there.  I believe a bunch of huge rocks were left over from another part of creations, in addition to lots of extra ocean water...amazing crashing waves needed those rocks.  There were extra stars by the billions...what better place to put them.  What else can I say!  We spent more than a few minutes imagining the glaciers traveling across this area...ice more than a mile high carving out these wonderful places.

I really can't imagine how this planet earth was created.  I've read a lot of books by people who think they really do have the answers...but I'm not sure that anyone knows exactly how God managed all of this.  Have you ever looked at the stars in a totally dark place?  Have you ever settled in by a large body of water and experienced the gift of the sound of the waves...any size body of water actually can have the same affect.  I have literally spent hours waiting for the 'next wave' to crash against the rocks.  Just one more minute - there will be another big one soon!!!

Traveling in September seems to work well for us since children are back in the routine of school and there are fewer people traveling...just lots of gray-haired folks like us!  But then, we tend to go to those out of the way places anyway.  This time the owner of a gallery asked if we knew about a couple hikes that are not well advertised.  That was all that was needed to get us on our way.  We found them, hiked them and were blessed by the amazing outcome at the end of the hikes!

Often a hike meanders through a wooded area, leading you on wondering if you are ever going to reach a spot where you can actually see anything.  (Does that sound a bit like life??)  This time is often spent with much concentration on the path.  One of these  paths was very rocky and another had boardwalks made tree trunks that had been cut in half vertically, with the flat side turned up for ease and safety while walking. We walked and walked.  Even the area on the secluded path was beautiful...maybe it was because of it being the Autumn season.

Finally we could tell we were coming to a clearing as we could hear the waves slapping against the rocks.  It was one of those "Wow!" moments.  A breathless pause and then quiet while we took in the scenery.  There are several Psalms that address the wonder of nature but one in particular finds that author so totally in awe of the splendor of all that has been created for us to enjoy.  And not only to enjoy, but to care for as well. ( Don't you just go crazy when you notice someone throw something from their car window!!)

God, you had a good idea and you certainly outdid yourself in the Northeast!  Now I suppose that readers in other parts of the country and the world are going to say, "You should see where we live!"  And you are probably right...maybe our next adventure will find us traveling to your part of the world.  

In the meantime, I am enjoying a bracelet that was made for me while in Lubec by the jewelry artist, Laura Pierce.  You will find her work on-line.  I brought some lovely pieces of sea glass with me that I had found over the years.  Small, perfectly polished pieces.  Laura added a couple other found objects I had collected and then completed the design with blue glass shapes that look like the sea glass and finally added some small brown beads...all coming together to remind me of the colors of this favorite place in Maine.  Thank you, Laura.

So now it is back to work at home in Ohio.  It is always good to come home again.  I have several jobs that need to be done, then a couple fun days to spend with our daughter and grandson on a birthday adventure, leaves to be moved to a place other than in our yard, and a stack of interesting books waiting to be read.

The Autumn season is a peaceful time for me.  The colors are calming, the air is fresh, the nights are cool and we don't seem to be in such a hurry.  God, maybe you had some quiet time in mind when you put us into the Autumn season.  Good thinking...we need it!

I hope you enjoy the photos.  If you can't get away from where you are right now, maybe you can take a blog vacation for just a few minutes.

And blessings to you in whatever you are doing.  I hope you are well and finding time to slow your life down a bit as Autumn comes to your part of the country.  I would love to hear from you.  Ohio is also beautiful this time of the year and the welcome mat is always out.
Blessings, Corrine

Lubec, Maine

Who knows where a path might lead...

The path...

with this amazing view at the end.

Sunrise from our window in Lubec...

Reminders of the days when Lubec was a bustling fishing village...

Even the gulls find time to rest and be still...

Fishing boats in the harbor at Campobello Island

A bonus view on our whaling trip...and we did see some of those big sea creatures!

This elegant bird didn't like that we came too close to his territory...and he wasn't afraid to let us know!

The sky, the ocean, the rocks and the waves...this is Maine!

And for a change there are the quiet waters of Jordan's Pond  -  diamonds on the water.

                                                                

How much better can it get!

I guess one should pay attention to signs...Isn't that why a sign is there!  We visited Kiawah Island and while on one of our bike rides...there was that creature.  But, as you can see...the bike path was gorgeous.  How does that song go..."All God's creatures have a place in the choir...".  :)

Nothing really on my mind....

 Well, we are moving through the month of July...just about the time when one thinks that summer will never arrive, July is sneaking out the back door.  Our very rainy days finally moved elsewhere.  Wish we could have shared some of that rain with the very dry and hot states in the south west.  I remember living in the Cascade mountains one summer when there were forest fires...and as we watched one huge cloud of smoke pour up into the sky, we realized that the fire had taken the lives of several firefighters.  Weather can bring such tragedies...and yet, on the other hand, some days are too beautiful for words.  

This is one of those months when I don't have many thoughts in my head.  Sometimes, when I write, a significant issue has jumped out and grabbed my mind.  Other times, I am thinking back on some special memory.  But, today there is nothing in particular on my mind.  I guess that is good...kind of a quiet time.

Our neighbor brought over a bag of garden green and yellow peppers.  Not being a gardener, that was a very nice treat.  The hanging tomato plant that our grandson gave me for my birthday has grown beautifully...but as soon as the little green tomatoes popped out, he thought they were ready for picking!  He carried the little green tomatoes around for a very long time so his mom said that he had enjoyed them...in just another way.  The Farmer's Market is open at the entrance to our community.  Peaches, blueberries ( which reminds me that the blueberry season here is about due), and everything else wonderfully edible. 
All good signs of summer...

We bought an IPad.  I don't know what to do with it yet but I am thinking I can learn.  It seemed that maybe we should be doing something to keep up with the times and this was a good place to start.  I also have a PhotoShop for my 'picture taking' and am having fun changing what I 'really' saw.  I can make a sunset more fabulous than you could ever imagine!!  My husband says, "But that seems like cheating!"  I guess he is right.  Several years ago someone told me that photos of politicians are enhanced so much that we probably wouldn't recognize those people face to face. Now I understand what that person meant...but it is kind of fun to play around with reality!

I'm reading...still into Tolstoy.  I am about up to my ears in Russian history.  After I complete this last one it is time to move on to something else.  I have two new books - both speak to an issue that breaks my heart.  The first in the series of three books is  "A Child Called 'It' ".  All three address the issue of child abuse and growing through and out of the experience...as though one could ever grow out of such trauma.  I remember, as a very young teacher, how traumatic it was to see children living in less that ideal conditions.  Hungry, dirty clothes and dirty bodies and sad faces.  When I think of very young children in dangerous or even unhappy situations, I feel sad right through my whole being.  It's one of those things that I really don't know how to change... I guess that's what the quote "It takes a village" means.

Maybe that's why I am so into loving our grandson...If you ask me on any Thursday or Friday what I have been doing I would have to tell you that I have been 'playing cars'.  He and I can play cars any time of the day for as long as we have time!  My husband and I brought him to the bi-plane show in our town.  He loved the airplanes.  We also took him on the lake in our boat but I'm not sure that was a much fun as the airplanes...or playing with his cars! 

So, I guess this is what you call the 'lazy days of summer'.  And lazy days are good too.  I'm glad to be retired...actually it allows me to have lazy days in every season.  Not boring days, not empty days...just lazy days.  Days when I say in the morning, "I can't believe it is already that late!!"  Days when I can read all morning and say, "Well, I'll finish my work tomorrow."  Days when the most exciting thing in the day is 'playing cars' or listening to the rain!

So, I really don't have anything special on my mind.  I would still like to know how people manage to find this blog in Indonesia,Cambodia, Brazil, Russia...do you think someone is checking up on me???  If that is the case, I hope they take my advice and find some time to have some lazy days this summer.  I'm a little off schedule from my 'first of the month' posting but that's okay.  I'll check in with you again...someday when I am through being 'lazy'. 

AH, IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN A DAY IN JUNE...

How can one wait for the end of the month to write a new post when the days are so full of 'summer'!  After waiting for sunshine and rain and warm days...summer is finally here!  So, I decided - I might as well share the excitement of small town living during the beautiful month of June.
Surely by now you know that I love living in this beautiful rural community where we are also blessed with a very nice lake just a stones throw down the road.  Those of you who live in larger cities will smile when I share my 'days of June' with you.  Those of you who live in small towns will know just what I mean.  (But I do remember the days, long ago, when I couldn't wait to 'leave' small town living)  

So what's been happening...

     Well, one beautiful warm afternoon we were taking care of our grandson and after having had some good play time, I mentioned to my husband, "How about going out for ice cream?"  No hesitation from him !  I had already checked with our grandson and he was all for it.  
     There is a Dairy Queen in our nearby 'big' town but we know that the best place for ice cream in a cone is the gas station in a much smaller community!!  Not only is the ice cream super good but the price is amazing...the smallest cone is more that we can eat comfortably at the astounding price of $1.50.  So...we had our ice cream cone and enjoyed eating it on the bench in front of the gas station, watching the big trucks and Amish buggies with our grandson.  Now, really - how much better can it get than that! (I think I have already mentioned he absolutely loves watching trucks!) 

     And then one day we drove out into another part of the county to visit friends who have a spectacular assortment of interesting animals...that day the baby goats being the most fun.  They bounced like little kangaroos!  Once again, our grandson loved the visit.  He had told us about the 'funny chickens' that he just loved.  Now we had a chance to see them for ourselves.  I kind of wondered on the way home if maybe we couldn't have some farm animals in our back yard but I guess the neighborhood isn't designed for that.  :)   After enjoying the animals we stopped at the best small town diner ever!  Homemade food just like your mom used to make!

     That was just the beginning of the month!  Last week end was the Turkey Festival.  Those of us new to the area wonder why it is called that as there are really no hints of anything 'turkey' at the festival.  Those who have lived here for a much longer time can recall the very large'turkey farms' that are no longer in business.  So the Turkey Festival must be a name that remains to honor the past. 
And again it was a warm June day when my husband and grandson joined me - with our favorite little guy being pulled in his wagon - and we strolled through the festival area.  Wow!  We had barely hit the grounds when what should we see but John Deere tractors of all sizes and shapes and abilities - and then as a real topper...there were fire trucks to look at right up close!  And if that wasn't enough we stopped at a yard sale bordering the festival grounds and bought a child's chair for a dollar.  We wrapped up the grand tour with soft ice cream while we enjoyed watching the biggest garbage truck ever going down the street.  It was a 'drop your jaw' sized truck - or so our grandson thought!  He watched it until it was out of sight.  Four Amish buggies pulled by beautiful horses drove right by our little wagon and we all exchanged waves to each other.  

     Sunday we drove five minutes down the road to the marina and finally put our boat in the water.  It was a cool evening with huge clouds in the sky.  Usually we stay out until the first star comes out but this maiden voyage was also in the company of our grandson and his momma and bed time comes before star time.  As we left we were entertained by a huge gathering of geese who were visiting the marina with their toddlers and teenagers.  One large group flew our right over our heads which was quite a sight!  It was a good night even if we didn't wait for the stars!

     We love the change of seasons.  Winter is good as we settle in, waiting for a first snow or maybe a white Christmas.  Spring is good as we watch the bare trees once again turn green and the birds deciding that they can fend for themselves rather than depend on our feeders.  And then...summer.  Is there anything better than garden vegetables?  Is there anything more fun than choosing the best of everything at the Farmers Market?  Is there anything better than finally being able to swim in the lake without freezing?  Is there anything better than ice cream on a warm June day?

     Maybe it's because I am a bit older.  Maybe it's because I am a bit wiser.  Whatever the reason, it is so easy to please me right now.  It is so easy to feel peaceful at the end of the day.  It's so easy to feel so very blessed.  It's so easy to think there is just nothing more I need than the sweet smell of a June day!

I know not all is well in the world.  I will continue to work to do my part in trying to make the day better for maybe even just one person.  I know there are things that need to be changed so that life can be safer and more secure for so many people.  I will continue to do my part to share what I have with others, hopefully helping in just a small way. 
But...even with that said, there is nothing wrong with rejoicing in the amazing blessings that come to us each day.  Watching the fireflies in June.  Eating the first strawberries that really came from someones garden...in June. Looking forward to blueberries following the strawberries.  Feeling the hot sunshine in the daytime followed by those delightful June evenings.  We are so frequently made aware of all the problems in the world that we sometimes forget to notice the 'blessings of June'...the little things that make life what it is.  

So...that's my June thoughts.  I wonder what is happening in the month of June where you are.  Take a break on a nice afternoon and enjoy an ice cream cone...or maybe think about how good those garden tomatoes are going to be in just a few short weeks.  

Blessings to you wherever you are on this June day.  
Corrine

Actually...this is not an additional blog for the month of June.

I have always been interested in history and maps and traveling so...
As I look at the 'stats' of who you are out there that happen to be reading my blog...or at least checking in to see what is happening...I am wondering who you are!

Especially, from Russia...Do you know someone I know or did you just happen to find this blog?

And from Germany, France and England...are you 'friends of the family'?  Just kidding but I'm wondering if you know me.

Both my husband and I are searching for a globe to have in our house.  We page through travel offers.  We look back over photos of adventures we have had in numerous places, mostly in the U.S.  Years back we enjoyed have so many International students visit our home.  The world is an interesting place!!

I'm not going to try to sell anything and I promise not to peek into your lifestyle.  I am just very interested in learning more about how we have gotten together.  Hmmm...maybe it is just one of those  'technology' things....

...

 These are some of the baskets 
I have created....

These two baskets are created by a Gullah artist in South Carolina, and the book I refer to in the blog.

May was a busy month...a good month but there were numerous things on our calendar.  Spring came...and went...and came again.  It seems some of the blooming trees loved that kind of weather.  The lilacs provided perfume for the whole neighborhood!
May was a month when the cover came off our grandson's sandbox and he excitedly watched as 'Pappy' added fresh new sand.  May reminded us that it was time to tend to the spring jobs in our yard...always a lot of work.  May was my husband's birthday...a new decade gives one significant reason to celebrate and recognize the blessings of life!

So...I believe we are well on our way into the season of sunshine.  I probably have mentioned it before, but it is amazing that each morning the sun reappears...even if, to us, it might sometimes be covered with clouds.  We enjoyed an early vacation to an interesting place...Kiawah Island, just off the coast of South Carolina.  There were several days when the sun was hidden because of clouds but we enjoyed it just the same.  The island is so flat - perfect for bike riding, both on the paths and on the 'road-hard' beach.  As we rode past one small pond in a neighborhood, an alligator 'smiled' at us and wished us as good a day as he was having...Yes, a real alligator! Such interesting creatures in our world!!

I also became aware of a culture that is thriving in that area.  On an earlier trip to South Carolina I had visited with a Gullah artist who was creating sweet grass baskets .  After sharing ideas, we traded baskets - one of mine for one of her's.  A real treasure for me!  When we visited this time, I learned so much more about the history of those beautiful baskets.

And I quote from the book I purchased Gullah Culture in America by Wilbur Cross:
"Since long  before America's independence, the nation has had hidden pockets of a bygone African culture, rich in native history, with a language of its own, and long endowed with beguiling talents in its traditions, language, design, medicine, agriculture, fishing, hunting, weaving, and the arts.  Although thousands of articles and hundreds of books have been written on discoveries of Native American cultures and Indian lore, the Gullah/GeeChee culture has been almost totally overlooked.  It is known only to a handful of North Americans, mainly professional historians whose findings have been published in specialized journals and scholarly books." 

I treasure hand-made creations whatever the skill involved.  Just think of the beautiful quilts created out of necessity when our ancestors were cutting up clothing no longer able to be worn...sewing them into quilts we now value as 'works of art' but then were made just to keep them warm.
I visited with a lady this past week who had just purchased a large, apparently very old, spinning wheel.  Being a bit envious of her purchase, I asked if she spun or was a weaver.  "No," she said. "This spinning wheel just looked interesting."  Don't you wonder what stories it could tell!

And not only art treasures...but think of the tradition of gardening and preserving foods.  It has become so popular once again but when I was growing up it was the only way to have garden vegetables in the winter.  My mother had a garden that would inspire anyone today.  Our basement canning shelves were filled to the brim with jars and jars and jars of anything and everything that grew in her garden. I didn't know people could buy those things in a grocery store!  Fresh fruits would be at the small grocery in our town later in the fall and then my mother would can dozens of quarts of peaches, pears, cherries, apricots...you name it!  And today...well, I go to the grocery and fill my shopping cart with 'cans' of those same things...hoping for some fresh food in the produce aisle.  

The author of the book about the Guollah people has an interesting section about medicine...much of it home remedies.  I remember being slathered with Vick's at the slightest sign of a cold.  I remember my mother cutting a square of cotton, pouring about a cup of salt in the center and then tying it securely.  She put this little pouch into the frying pan and heated it.  It was then placed on my ear when I had an earache.  Another interesting Gullah remedy was the use of spider webs to help heal an  open wound.

I am reading the book War and Peace.   I don't know why I felt as though I should take on such a task but I did and have now almost completed it.  I would highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading.  Near the end the author becomes very philosophical, talking about 'history' and how each piece of what has happened over time and continues to happen is so totally connected to whatever proceeded it.  Think back to your own family history.  Why did your family early on settle where they did and why do you live where you live?  Why do you eat the things you eat or keep the traditions you celebrate?  Interesting.  I would think we could continue looking back, researching and remembering, and finding connections that would bring us all together. 

And if that is the case...why do we seem to focus on things that separate us.  At a retreat recently, a speaker made a reference to the naturalist John Muir.  Muir was talking about our basic connections to all of nature and how all things rely on each other.  Maybe that is something we need to think about.  Maybe it would be wise to focus on our similarities rather than our differences.  Maybe we need to share our skills and wisdom rather than exploit/criticize other cultures/traditions.  Don't you wonder what this world might be like if we truly understood our connections to /with each other.

Well, it looks like rain today.  Good for my flower garden.  Good for the farmers in our area who have just planted their corn.  Good for the cattle who depend on the luscious grass.  Good for kids splashing in the puddles.  So much of what happens each and every day is good for so many of us, in so many different ways but somehow connecting us to all that Creation has provided.

I hope Spring...maybe even summer...has arrived where you live.  Find some time to do something special, even if it is right in your own back yard.  We have friends coming to visit later this week and we are taking the kids to a farm with some very interesting and unique animals and then to the area Children's Garden, a beautiful and special place that shares nature for all ages. it's a good time of the year to share time with each other and nature.  Hope your garden grows abundantly and that your flowers bloom beautifully.  Have good days and I look forward to visiting later in the summer.  Blessings to you!

Hmmm..short thoughts after the events of the past week. 
 I don't know that we are going to change the world by putting in place laws that focus on the 'after the fact' problems.  Oh, we do need the laws - I recognize that -  but it always seemed strange to me that we have plenty of money to build prisons but can't seem to find money to support the care of young children.  

It seems to me that people who become involved in horrific acts that destroy life and property have a serious and very real pain within themselves.  A pain they don't know how to resolve...or are unable to resolve by themselves.
 
What if...what if we could somehow reach out to each other at our moments of need at the earliest possible time.  Think of all the education one receives throughout life for a variety of tasks.  Then think of how quickly someone can become a parent without a bit of 'training and education'.  And is there any more important task on this planet!!  Loving and guiding a child!
 
  It breaks my heart when I see small children who are in harms way.  I remember a kindergarten teacher who said she could recognize, at that very early age, children who would be in trouble by the time they finished school...if indeed, they did finish.  It sometimes seems we have more concern for puppies and kittens who live in dangerous situations that we do for small children.  

What if there was just no question as to the help these little people in society need/deserve; no question about the services provided for families who have no where to turn; no question about the love each child deserves from the first breath he/she takes...No question.  

Would the world be a different place if...
Leaders...what if you promised me during your campaigning that you would first and foremost, care for the most fragile of our citizens.  What if you promised that our children - here and abroad - would never experience hunger.  What if you promised that the safety and security of our children would be first on your list of 'important things to do'!

No, friends - I am not naive.  I am just saddened by the thought of  the emptiness within that causes young people to act with no thought as to the pain it will cause themselves and those they hurt.  I am just saddened by the false hope and direction and guidance young people can be led into...knowing/hoping/believing that their actions are going to solve the situation.  

Leaders...if you would promise me, during your campaigning, that we would all work together to make this world a safer place, a more peaceful place...a place where our children would take their first breath knowing they would be loved...that would sound pretty good to me. 

And you are going to ask me...How on earth do you think we are going to do this?  I don't know.  Maybe by hugging and loving just one child at a time...unconditionally.  Everyday...one more child with a full stomach; everyday one more child knowing they are safe; everyday one more child receiving enough love to fill that empty space.  
I think we can do it............