An Amber Visit in October

The Apple Cider Donut Machine at Russell Orchards

Amber was able to come visit us and stay a few days during her birthday month.  We picked her up in Boston last Saturday which was convenient because we were invited to a wedding that same day in Gloucester.  After spending the night in Magnolia we headed over to Essex Seafood Restaurant and met up with the Watson's for lunch.  This would be Don, Ada, Donnie, Kirsten and little Lexi.  Amber and I shared some steamers and fried calamari. Lauren had some fried shrimp. Amber and I have been sharing steamers ever since she was about 2 years old.  She loves lobsters and steamers.

We then headed over to Russel Orchards in Ipswich for the sole purpose of getting some Apple Cider Donuts. These donuts are addictive so we paid, went straight to the car, and starting driving north to Bethel while shoving donuts into our drooling mouths.  Our hope was to be far enough away by the time we finished the donuts where we didn't feel the need to return for more. We just made it.

Yesterday Amber and I walked into town to pay the real estate taxes and the water bill.  Paying bills isn't one of my favorite things to do however I enjoy paying these bills the most because I get to interact with the friendly people like Amy at the town hall and Cally at the water department. In this day of online bill paying and regular mail the face to face interaction is wonderful.  In the afternoon Lauren took Amber over to Jackie's used furniture shop and then over to Nabos which is owned and operated by Amanda who is always friendly and full of zest. After dinner we headed over to Gould Academy where we saw a performance by Burlington Taiko.  Sponsored by the Mahoosuc Arts Council this show was impressive. Taiko is Japanese for Big Drums and that's what this performance was all about. It's an artistic, physical and as you might imagine loud show of this group playing big drums.  Taiko has been used for many purposes in Japanese culture over the years including to dispel evil spirits, pray for rain, and the Samurai used them to instill fear in the enemy.  Sitting in the audience you feel these drums as well as hear them. Thumbs up on this show.

In keeping with the Asian theme we've decided to go out to dinner tonight at Cho Sun and get some Sushi.  Right now we're headed up to the gym and pool at the Bethel Inn to burn off some calories before our dinner.  It's also "dump day" so we need to, have to, must, go to the "transfer station" and see if any goodies await us.  Nothing but the best for Amber when she comes for a visit.

Amber at the Bethel Common

Cancer

On April 25^th Lauren had a portion of her lung removed (a lobectomy) to remove a cancerous mass which was growing within.  After testing the mass it came back as related to the cancer which she had in her kidney that was removed just 13 months earlier. This means the cancer has travelled from her kidney to her lung and for us….it is scary. Although she was scanned from head to toe and is now clear of any cancer….it still makes us worried.   

Lauren did fantastic during and after the surgery and was back at home in just three days.  Of course she is still healing and runs short of breath quicker than before but all in all she is progressing well.

We know that with some cancers people go through radiation treatments or chemotherapy but so far we’re being told there is no other treatment for renal cancer other than removal.  On one side of the equation this sounds good because we know what some of the side effects are to these types of treatment but on the other side of the equation; we’re asking if nothing further is done, isn’t there a greater chance of it returning?  So we are confused and are hoping to get another opinion from an expert in the field as soon as we can. 

In the meantime we have experienced, yet again, the love and support of family and friends who were able to visit and send good wishes our way and even deliver us some home cooked meals during this time. Thank you. 

August Summer Fun

Lissy at Songo Pond

My sister Ingy and her kids came to visit us last week after Amber and Tommie’s wedding. It was short but sweet and the day they were here was perfect weather for swimming at the lake. I wonder if it’s possible to be angry or sad when you are frolicking in a lake that is perfectly refreshing? I don’t think so. Besides swimming at the lake we showed them downtown Bethel, the view from the top of Paradise Road, the Covered Bridge on Sunday River and Sunday River Ski resort where we watched a few folks fly down the zip line. Then we went to the Swain Farm Stand and picked up some fresh corn for supper that night.

Just some of the family

On Saturday we drove down to Cape Elizabeth to have a family lunch after my nephews Luke and Ezra and their dad Artie had completed the Beach to Beacon road race. We made it back to Bethel in time to catch one of the comedy shows at the first annual Maine Comedy Festival http://mainecomedyfest.com/ which took place right here at the Bethel Inn Conference Center. It was very funny, easy to get to and a perfect way to end the day. Is there any way to make the summer last longer?

Four of a Kind

New Month - New Couple

It’s August and that means Amber and Tommie did it… they got married. It happened on July 30^th and it was an uncharacteristic day for New England in that it was….perfect. No rain, no clouds, not too hot, not too humid….Sunshine and blue skies all day long….how did they pull that one off?

It was nice for me to see both of them plan and put together this beautiful event. It reflected their personalities and their style, it was wonderful. Needless to say it was great to have family get together and also see some of Amber and Tommie’s long time friends. There were two I did not recognize at first probably because I have not seen them since they graduated high school or because I’m just getting old. I’ll let Tommie and Amber share the wedding photos they like with the blogosphere. I just saw some of the photos that Don Watson (Tommie’s Dad) took of the wedding and they are beautiful. Of course any of you reading this who would like to see the great photography of Tommie and Don Watson just need to click on this link http://www.coast2coastimages.com/ and it will take you there.

Anyone who knows Amber and Tommie probably thought that this might have happed awhile ago seeing that they’ve been with each other since 9^th grade and they’re both 28 years old now. But they are planners and sometimes good plans take awhile. Congratulations Amber and Tommie; may desire take you where you want to go.

Mother of the Bride with some of the Beautiful Girls

Of Mussels, Raccoons, and a New Door

It has been a busy July with no signs of slowing down. Recently we had the in-laws stay a few nights and while they were here Lauren cooked up some mussels over the fire pit….Yum! Frank and Joan know about our episodes with critters around the house so we joked that they may get a visitor during the night while they slept. It almost happened. The day after they left we heard this “noise” up in the eave beside the guest bedroom. Armed with a flashlight and a stick I opened the door to this area of our house, looked up in the rafters and saw 4 baby raccoon faces staring down at me. They started moving once I disturbed them so by the time I got the camera I could only get a good picture of this one. To hopefully keep them away we turned on a light, turned on a sports radio talk show and put some ammonia in open bowls….so far, so good which just means…I don’t know where they are now.

I also installed a new insulated fiberglass side entry door to replace the old beat up wood door we had and we stained the deck. Just like putting a little lipstick on a pig. The door was good buy from Marden’s for $149. We also bought a new $8.50 door knob for it but it wasn’t making the grade so we ending up buying an $86.00 door knob that works ten times better, I guess.

I hope your July has been as nice as mine so far.

Early July - 2011

My brother Erik and his family came for a visit over the 4^th of July weekend. It was their first visit since we moved here and first visit ever to Bethel. With the hostess Auntie Lauren organizing you can be sure there is always swimming on the agenda. So between the pool at the Bethel Inn and the lake house at Songo Pond swimming was accomplished. Saturday night (July 2^nd) they shot off the fireworks at the Bethel Inn and we decided to see how the view was from our house. So we lined up the chairs on the front lawn and Wow….what a show. Not only was it easier but it may have even been better viewing. A bonus we did not even know about when we bought this place.

When we were at the lake house on Songo Pond, my sister-in-law Amy and I read on the deck (because we’re so intellectual), Rachel and Lauren went swimming and Erik and Logan went fishing. Of course we did burgers and hot dogs on the grill and sat around the campfire after the fireworks ended. When we were at the Bethel Inn Pool Rachel and Logan enjoyed the Pina Colada’s (virgin) while Becca made sure Erik and I didn’t run out of Molson’s Golden. I say this every summer and I’ll say it again….I Love Summer.

TURBULENT WATER

Most of our friends and family know by now that on March 17^th Lauren had her left kidney removed after a trip to the emergency room and a CT scan showed a tumor growth in the kidney. The bad news was it was cancerous but the good news is it appears that it was limited just to the kidney. All the lymph nodes around it came back negative. A follow up visit we had with an oncologist last Friday was good. No further treatment such as chemotherapy was recommended, just follow up CT scans in the months to come to see if there have been any changes.

This was turbulent water that we had not expected and like many unexpected things it was scary. Would everything be okay once the kidney was removed? Three weeks later and looking back it seems so far, so good. We were both impressed by the quality of care, the professionalism, and the kindness Lauren received from the nurses and doctors at Stephen’s Memorial Hospital in Norway and at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

Family and friends rallied around us although it happened so fast we didn’t have a chance to get the word out to everyone. It turned out to be another family event however and some were able to visit while Lauren was recovering at the hospital. I know this pleased her a lot and made the healing process all the more easier. Lauren is doing great right now. Thanks to everyone for your love and support.

Peter

Apple Picking

Sunday Lauren and I went apple picking at Lyon Orchards on Grover Hill Road in Bethel which is only 3 ½ miles from our house.  It was an overcast and cool day which was perfect for apple picking.  The Lyon Orchard is a picturesque place with rows of apple trees the follow the gentle slopes of the hillside.  They have five varieties of apples; Cortland, Red Free, Macoun, Red Delicious, and Macintosh. What I noticed most was how healthy all of the apples looked and how so many were growing on each tree so close together.  They were absolutely vibrant and we ended up picking 16 pounds of them for the two of us.  When we returned home Lauren made what I believe was the most delicious apple pie I ever tasted.  The crust didn’t come out picture perfect but I did not care because flavor trumps look any time.  I came across this article written by Donald Bennett on the history of Lyon Orchards and Herbie Lyon; http://www.thebetheljournals.info/Names/Herb_Lyon.htm

This apple picking adventure reminded me of a time when I was nine or ten years old and my brother Erik who was six or seven were trying to pick some apples off of one of those old abandoned trees out in the field behind our house in Easton, Mass.   The tree was big and overgrown while the apples were high and out of reach.  My genius idea was to grab the steel rake, throw it up in the tree where the rake would get stuck on some branches and then with the long handle hanging down, grab hold of it and shake the living daylights out of the tree branch until the apples fell to the ground. 

I remember telling my brother to stay the heck out of the way while I threw the rake up in the tree branch. The rake went up, hung on the branch for a brief second and then fell down; right on Erik’s head with at least one tine that poked into his head and another that poked right through his lip.  I imagine that didn’t feel too good and he started to cry and bleed at the same time.  I did what came natural to me at that age… I yelled at him.  I yelled something like “You jerk…I told you to stay out of the way” and I’m sure that made him feel better.  Yes, he needed some stitches which by this time were something my Mom was familiar with.

I feel bad about yelling at my brother that day, so Erik I’d liked to say I’m sorry for yelling at you then.  I should have waited until after you had your stitches. J   Hey I know why don’t you come up and visit soon and we can go apple-picking?  Don’t worry, we don’t need a rake.

Summer..and the Living is Fun

Summer is my favorite time of year. This July had been so nice with family coming to visit and doing all those summer things like toasting marshmellows on a campfire, swimming in a river or pond, watching fire works, hanging at the Mollyockett Days fair and celebration here in Bethel, listening to live music at the gazebo, eating lobster rolls, watching the frog jumping contest, watching the parade, looking at fireflies blink off then on in our yard. Summer is my Nirvana and here are just a few of the photos taken over the last month.

Amber and Tommie

Amber and Tommie sitting in a Tree
Mom is W-A-I-T-I-N-G
First comes LOVE
Then comes College
Then comes Maya and
Then comes Marriage

Yep. Who would-a thunk? 11 years together and Thomas Locke Watson pops the question to Amber Elizabeth Gailitis and she says…..YES. (Although I think she first said…Are you kidding?)

So it is Official. Amber and Tommie are engaged to be married. We don’t know when yet because I don’t think they know when. First the Planners must Plan and then they will reveal that Plan at the Planned upon hour…so stay tuned.

Congratulations Tommie and Amber. Maybe it was Pre-Destined when you could smell each other in the Maternity Ward at Addison Gilbert Hospital 26 years ago. Who knows? You two are definitely kindred souls and amazing individuals.

Thanks for letting us know on Father’s Day. You definitely caught me by surprise and it was such a neat gift even though it’s about you. I love you both and I wish that all your Desires move you True.

Happy Birthday Lauren!

Today is Lauren’s Birthday and one these pictures is of the fancy homemade card which took me hours to make and which greeted her this morning when she went downstairs. The other picture is a creation of art and love and symbolizes what Lauren is all about. To the untrained eye it’s just some pine boughs and a pine cone stuck in a crock pot. But to those who know Lauren it is a carefully thought out creation of caring. You see Lauren knew Amber and Tommie were coming up last week for a visit and although we lack quite a few items of comfort right now she wanted to make the room they were going to sleep in feel homey despite the lack of a bed and crazy green walls. So the week before when we were at the transfer station a.k.a. The Dump, Lauren noticed that white crock pot vase with blue flowers and pine bough motif sitting in the “free stuff” section. So she brought it home, cleaned it up and just before Amber and Tommie arrived she went out to the yard and picked some of the pine boughs I had already started to cut down, found a nice pine cone and made this beautiful, simple, loving, and free arrangement to put on the window sill in that bedroom.

This really does symbolize what Lauren is about and that’s what I love about her. Thanks Lauren for making the small stuff count and making the house a home.

Feeling New at 52

Happy Birthday Peter! Today’s my birthday, I’m 52 and for reasons that I think I know, I feel good.
I am feeling a real peacefulness now and it’s because I’m doing what I want to be doing and I am right where I want to be. I am feeling content and thankful for my situation.
Some of my family is doing well and some are struggling. I hope those who are struggling are able to find a way that makes it better.
There’s a special feeling that I get each time we accomplish something here in Maine. Early last week we had our first good rain because prior to that it had been snow. Well that rain pointed us to a leak we had in the roof and that leak happened to be directly above our heads in our bedroom. It was a bit depressing to be honest because we thought the bedroom and my office were the two rooms in the house that were “good enough” to move into without much work (except major cleaning) so when this leak started it was a bummer. It wasn’t a major leak but not certainly one you could sleep through unless you like Chinese water torture. It had only managed to drip on one pillow by the time we noticed it. Fortunately the next day was sunny so I went to Western Maine Supply (my life-line) and purchased a gallon of roof patch tar. I climbed up on the roof, straddled the ridge, made it to the front chimney which is where the leak appeared to be coming from and noticed plenty of gaps for water between the chimney, flashing, and roof shingles. So for the next hour or so I used the whole gallon around the two chimneys we have. Today it was raining all day and I’m happy to announce No Leaks! That’s the special feeling I’m talking about.
Last Thursday Amber, Tommie and Maya came for a two night visit. They were our very first sleep over guests but the catch was they had to bring their own beds. It worked out well except I think it took Tommie some getting used to the lack of a bathroom door on the first floor and the lack of a complete floor on the second floor bathroom. At the moment if you’re sitting on the toilet you can look to your left under the tub and see down to the first floor which of course means if you’re on the first floor you can look up to the toilet. So yes, total bathroom privacy is still an issue here but we’ll fix that.
Amber and Tommie helped Lauren paint the kitchen while they were here and though it’s not quite done it is looking really good. Thanks for your help.
While they were painting I went out to the yard and started cutting down a few trees with my new Husqvarna Chain Saw that I bought at Lowell’s Saw Shop in Bethel. I don’t have many trees on the property but we wanted to clear out around the edge of the lot where the stone wall runs so we could get some more sunlight and have the stone wall stand out better. It felt good to cut down the trees and gather up the brush. I love trees but we happen to be surrounded by them. Last night Lauren and I went to Sud’s Pub and had a Baked Haddock dinner for our birthdays and then Lisa the bartender brought us out a nice piece of chocolate cake with a candle on it. 52 is good.

The First Meal

Today is our official 1 month celebration of living in this house and we have lots that we’ve accomplished. One big accomplishment was having our first dinner guests for a sit down meal. My sister Anna, Doug, and their daughters Helen and Ella came for a visit last Saturday and were our very first dinner guests. This is yet another example of how Desire Moves because Lauren had a strong vision of having family over for some homemade beef stew served in blue bowls and on red plates around a big table in the dining room here in Maine and… it happened! Lauren bought the bowls and plates at Crate and Barrel in California with a gift certificate that some of her friends had given her from work as a going away gift. Doug helped me bring in the dining room table from the barn to set it up and minutes later we were having our first meal. The beef stew was delicious as Lauren had the beef slow cooking in a Crock Pot from the night before and pre-roasted the vegetables before adding them in near the time of eating for a great texture and taste. Served with hot bread, butter and beer it was Delishio! Nice job Lauren.

We have been doing so many little projects that I’m starting to lose track of what was done. We’ve cut doors to make them fit better, primed and painted the kitchen ceiling, painted the bathroom floor, installed two new sets of accent lighting in the kitchen which required installing junction boxes and we put in a new countertop in one section of the kitchen to make it clean and workable. For the counter we used ¼ inch birch plywood and then put three coats of Good Stuff on it which makes it a food safe surface. Good Stuff is more like a paste then a poly-urethane so you apply it with a rag versus a brush. To be honest, I don’t know how this can be food safe because you need to have ventilation when you apply it, you’re supposed to avoid eye and skin contact and it ate through the fingertips of the latex glove I had on. The pictures above show how the kitchen looked when we bought the place and then how it looks now. We’re calling this temporary because we have plans (in our mind) to really re-do it nicely when we have the money (in our pocket).

I also started to cut some of the limbs on the pine trees in our yard which I’ll be cutting down to allow for more sunlight and it will also make the yard look bigger and our stone wall will be more noticeable. There’s also a fair amount of bamboo I have to get rid of. It’s not the nice tall bamboo that Panda Bears eat. It’s about 4 to 5 feet high and from everything we can tell and from everyone we’ve talked to this could be a real challenge.

Finally I need to talk about “noises in the night.” When we moved into the place we replaced and installed a bunch of new smoke alarms. To be exact five new smoke alarms and one carbon-monoxide alarm and they are all battery operated. About a week ago at 3:05 AM one of them went off. It only beeped once but it was loud and one beep was all I needed to bolt out of bed to see if the place is on fire. I couldn’t smell smoke or see flames upstairs so I ran down stairs and checked out all the rooms and the basement. Nothing, no smoke, no flames, just one loud beep. I chalked it up to weird smoke alarm behavior and eventually went back to sleep.

Three nights ago at 5:15 AM Lauren and I both woke up to this sort of high pitched squeaking sound. I jumped out of bed to try to figure it out. What was it and where is it coming from? At first it sounded to me like a bird had somehow gotten into the house and was now flying around frantically trying to get out. But as I searched around the sound had stopped and I was stumped. So I went to the bathroom, because I usually do that anyway once a night and heard the noise nearby again. With my flashlight in hand I aimed it at the noise just in time to see the tail end of a mouse scuttle under some boards in the floor. I told Lauren what our noise was and she laughed saying something like “Oh brother…. a raccoon, mud, and now a mouse. So first thing in the morning I went to Western Maine Supply and came back with eight mouse traps. I smeared peanut butter on all of them and set three in the basement, three near the area where I saw the mouse and two in the ell to the barn. I felt confident I would have one by the next morning but when I woke and checked all the traps, nothing. Mmmm?

Oh well… we went to Portland today and had lunch with Amber and Tommie and to give Amber “The Pickle” which is the green van we have borrowed from Lauren’s parents for the last two months to take back to Gloucester. Of course it was nice to see them…because it always is. We ate at Gilbert’s Chowder House having some seafood and chowder. Speaking only for myself I’ll give it 3.5 out of 5 Lobster Claws…Sorry Gilbert….the chowder was too cool to begin with and the clam cakes were…eh…okay but not great. Your waitress was very nice though.
We made it back home about 5:30 tonight and lo and behold… I got one. Sorry Mr. Mouse but the trap I had set pretty close to where I saw him was too much temptation. It must have snapped perfectly and then it fell eight feet down hitting the bathroom floor landing just one foot away from the toilet. Can you imagine….? Oh well, never mind. Here’s to one month of living in Bethel and more adventures! Thanks for checking in.

Our First Weekend in Bethel as Homeowners

Okay we still don’t have heat in the house we recently bought but we were able to find a small place to rent for awhile in the neighboring town of Gilead. It’s clean, has a nice kitchen and bath and it has heat. Last night Lauren and I decided to try out the Mountain Explorer which is the local free bus that runs constantly between the downtown area of Bethel up to the Sunday River Ski Resort making several stops between at key hotels and restaurants. We got on at the Bethel Inn which is right across the street from the house we just bought and got off at the South Ridge stop at Sunday River. Once there we entered the main building and were greeted by throngs of skiers and snowboarders clomping down the hallways in their ski boots. It was just after sunset Friday afternoon and the place was hopping. We spent some time at the Foggy Goggle and had a drink while we watched the skiers coming down the mountain and ride back up on the Chondola. Everyone was clearly having a good time inside and out. We then hopped back on the Explorer back into town and got off at Suds Pub for some dinner and drink. While we were waiting for our food a couple from our old neighborhood in Gloucester, MA came walking in the door at Suds. Matt and Sari Rochford knew we had bought a house in Bethel because the grapevine is alive and strong in Gloucester. Matt’s dad Billy was one of my groomsmen when Lauren and I got married almost 29 years ago and Matt’s mom Arlene and my mother-in-law Joan “talk”. It was so nice to see them and it made us feel at home. In addition we met two other couples who live in York, Maine but own homes in Bethel. Lauren seemed to hit it off with the women and I was so glad to see her talk, laugh and smile. We really don’t know many people here and Lauren definitely needs some other people besides me to talk to.

Today we went to Western Maine Building Supply to buy a snow rake for the roof and some 2 x 6’s. It’s supposed to rain Monday and that will make the snow on the roof heavy so I needed to at least get some of it off the low pitched porch roof. Lauren looks pretty professional using that snow rake, doesn’t she? The 2 x 6’s I used to help prop up the barn roof. The barn is in very sad shape because not only has it been neglected but over the years different people or maybe just one cut out some key support members and it has been falling apart. I’m not sure I can save it because the closer I look the more OMG things I see. After this we decided to check out some of the festivities at the Bethel WinterFest which starts today and runs until the 31st of January. First we went to the Gazebo on the Common to view a few ice sculptures. They were very nice but not kid-proof because as we were leaving we heard a crash only to look back and see the one with bears had been knocked over by a two year old. Then we drove down to Festival Plaza by the Casablanca Movie Theater and tried out some snow shoes which I really enjoyed. After this we tried out the snow-maze which is only 4 feet high so really tough for kids but not so easy for 5 to 6 foot adults either. It was bright blue and sunny skies today and no wind so it felt great. So far, so good.

A TRIBUTE TO DAUGHTERS

I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend but one of the things that I’m most thankful for is my daughters.

Amber and Eva, they are beautiful in so many ways. What I’m thankful for is that at ages 26 and 22 they are both taking control of living their lives as they want to live them. Amber and Eva are very different even though they have the same parents and grew up in the same neighborhood. During those first few years of life Amber was the loud one and Eva was the quiet one but then it flip-flopped and Amber became the quiet one while Eva roared to life.

Amber was academic, organized, and diligently doing her homework saw mostly A’s on her report card. Her bedroom was a showpiece of neatness and order. Eva was social and it seemed to me that maybe she thought the purpose of school was to meet and talk with your friends. Her homework usually got lost under some mound of clothes on her bed or the floor.

As time went on the differences became clearer and I realized they were being true to themselves. Nowadays Amber will drive an hour to hear a poetry reading while Eva will travel to a local pub to belt out a song on Karaoke. Amber reads Edith Wharton while Eva listens to Lady GaGa.

Impossible as it is for me to be unbiased, let me say that Amber is a wonderful writer and poet. I hope she continues to write more. Amber who is very careful in her decision making process decided she wanted to move back to New England last May. So both her and her boyfriend Tommie quit their jobs in San Diego with no prospect of a job in their pockets and put themselves where they wanted to be. Amber has already said no to jobs that don’t match her desires. She’s picking, choosing and trying out things that interest her. Right now she’s working at a place where she meets with different artists every day. I know if these jobs don’t remain interesting and fun she’ll move on. I love that she’s making those scary and unknown choices and testing the world to see what’s best. I know she will find a very comfortable balance in her life.

Eva is a wonderful teacher and karaoke singer. For years she’s been known in the family as a kid magnet…they gravitate to her. Now she has her own preschool class of 3 to 5 year olds that she handles 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. She does projects with the kids, she nurtures them, she loves them and they love her. Eva says she’s never going to leave San Diego. She loves the glitter, the glam, and the pop culture. She loves her gay neighborhood of Hillcrest with all it has to offer. She has good friends and good times. I’m thankful that she’s independent and in a good place in her life.

So there sisters….this blog’s for you. Keep following your dreams and desires.

Love,
Dad

YOUR WIFE CAN CHANGE

Sometimes or most times I think people won’t really change much. I mean when you describe a character you’re describing what that person looks like, says and does most every day of their life. Most democrats will remain democrats (with the exception of Joe Lieberman) and republicans will remain republicans. Those who regularly watch Glenn Beck on Fox will likely agree with him and think he is so right and those who watch Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC will likely agree with him and think he is so left. You can TRY to change the opinion or habit of someone else but it’s not likely an easy or possible thing to achieve.
I tend to accept others (those who don’t view the world like me) “as is”. If they think Obama is ruining the nation I know I am not going to get them to think otherwise. If I point out that the report card on George W. Bush for the past 8 years looks like the typewriter got stuck of the letter F and that the first big government bailouts a.k.a. the TARP monies were conceived by and given out by the Bush administration because the system in place had failed so badly, well I would likely get an answer like the one I received a month ago… “George W. Bush was never really a Republican, he was just a Democrat on the Republican ticket.” Once you realize the person who said this actually means it you know that there is a screw loose and you need to a) change the topic, b) avoid that person, or c) laugh and have a beer. I believe I chose all three options that night.Back to my main point…although it’s not usual to see someone change their beliefs or habits, every now and then it does happen. Case in point; my wife. Lauren has many, many wonderful traits like patience (mostly with me), she’s a good cook, caring mother and although I know she would appreciate a complete listing here, I’m stopping just to mention that she has never really ever been “into” sports. You know football, baseball, who’s who, how many games are the Red Sox behind the Yankees in the American League East (7.5) or why is a field goal sometimes worth 3 points and at other times only 1 point? Now to be fair…I’m not a big who’s who guy in sports like many of my male counterparts, but I do enjoy watching a ballgame every now and then. So “knowing” she would rather watch the latest episode on HGTV I was surprised when I walked into our bedroom last Thursday to find her watching the Pittsburgh/Tennessee game and further amazed when she was cheering the Steelers as they were marching down the field in the last two minutes of the game and then moaning as they fumbled a turnover with only 63 seconds left? What is going on here? This is so unlike her? Fast forward to today, Sunday September 13th, 2009 and we just came back home from shopping at the Farmer’s Market in Hillcrest and Lauren flips on the TV to… the football games? She was actually bummed that the Redskins were behind the Giants 0-17 in the 2nd Quarter? I’m at the computer and turn around to look…..who is this woman? 28 years of marriage and she’s never been so interested in football. Does she have a new boyfriend who loves football? Nope…Well, I don’t think so anyway. The answer is she joined a football pool at her office for $2.00 to pick the winners of all the games for this week (She thought this list was for the whole season originally). She likes to win and she would get a big thrill in beating most of the “the guys” in her office because they know football and she doesn’t and I get that. It just seems so weird to see Lauren on the couch with her list, pen and yellow highlighter in hand watching the games. The Packers are playing the Bears right now and if Green Bay beats Chicago she’ll be 7 wins and 7 losses, so 50%. What’s next…will she be drinking Bud Light? Your wife can change.

The Last Days of Summer 2009

Here it is the last Friday in August and the summer of 2009 is nearing a close. We’re having record breaking heat here in San Diego where it’s 97 degrees at the coast and if you go inland you can find your way to 120 degrees, that is if you can make it that far before shriveling up to something resembling a Fig Newton. According to the weather map my sister Anna is enjoying a nice sunny 66 degree day back in Cape Elizabeth (Portland) Maine. Speaking of Maine I feel the need to recap our wonderful 3 week vacation back in New England. It was glorious. The weather was perfect, even the small amount of rain we had which Lauren and I had been missing. We got to hang out with Amber, Tommie, Maya and the Bo and the Dee (Lauren’s parents) for a while in Magnolia. One of the first orders of business was to EAT LOBSTER! We succeeded by hooking up with local Gloucester Lobsterman Chuck Parisi at his boat just as he came in after hauling his traps. We bought ten alive and kick’ in beauties, rushed them home and popped them in the pot. Mmmm….two lobsters each with melted butter, corn of the cob and some Ipswich Ale IPA….I was in heaven. We took a few sunset walks around Shore Road. I walked up to Dunkin Donuts every morning for a cup of coffee and kept running into people I haven’t seen for years and we just picked up where we left off. We saw our dear friends Doug and Ellen Guidry, had a cookout and sang songs around a wood fire accompanied by guitar, mandolin, a newly Doug-built washtub string base and a “boom-box” instrument that Jonathan Phalen’s dad bought about 20 years ago at FAO Schwartz. We went swimming at Black Beach at low tide, caught crabs and dug clams out of the sand for fun and then let them go and we went swimming at Half Moon Beach. Lauren went out with her friends sometimes while I just went out with Amber and Tommie or just met the locals. We walked in Ravenswood Park. We danced at the Cruise port Terminal on a Tuesday night with a cast of many friends and even an old flame of Lauren’s to the music of Bob Cooney and Mike McNair…..Aimee…what you going to do?.....I think…I could stay with you….for a while maybe longer…if I dooo…..
The next phase of the trip was to head Down East to the easternmost point in the United States…Lubec, Maine where my youngest brother, Basil III was getting married to Kelly. This was a good time to see and hang out with a large chunk of my family all at once. In addition to seeing my mother, brother, sisters and all my beautiful nieces and nephews I was able to spend time with my Aunt Helen and Cousin Susan. It was the first time I had seen Helen since my Uncle Don had passed away last December. The day before the wedding Helen, Susan, Tommie, Maya, Lauren and myself went over to Campobello Island, Canada and took a tour of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s summer home, inspected the beauty of the island and yes, ate more seafood. At the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding there was yet another campfire where many of us older adults sang impromptu campfire songs and show tunes while the kids ran around the field chasing and scaring each other in the dark. The wedding went off with the appropriate “hitch”. Have a blast Basil and Kelly and thanks for everything.
Now we were heading to the mountains of Maine near the New Hampshire border and there are no quick and easy roads that go east and west in Maine, but that’s okay because I’m on vacation and I do not want quick or even easy. I love the curvy, windy, wooded two lane road and if it’s dirt, all the better. Our first stop though was to stop in and visit my sister Lily and the army of Deans. They live in Orono near Bangor which is on the way westward. My sister Lily and her husband Artie are a prolific couple and have 9 children. When we arrived they were all there and so we were lucky enough to see everyone and spend a couple of hours together. It was short but so sweet. Lily’s kids are so well mannered it scares me. I would joke with Amber and Eva occasionally that we should have shipped them up to spend a summer with Lily. The kids offered and brought us out coffee, tea and water. I was able to order a special espresso with mine. Then they just hung out while we sat in the garden they built for Lily while she was recovering from her breast cancer. They participated in our conversation right down to the youngest. Some are talented musicians, others like art, all of them are loving.
Later that night we made it to our destination of Bethel, Maine. Not that long ago my Aunt Helen informed me that this was where Uncle Don’s mother grew up as a child. We rented a nice house in the village after spending the first night in a B&B. Lauren went swimming in Howard Pond, we had chicken fried steak at the Funky Red Barn and because Lauren was worn out I went by myself to “Hoot-Nite” at Suds Pub where every Thursday the local talent plays live music and yes the locals are talented. On another fine evening we had some Korean Food at Cho-Sun with our friends Cynthia and Paul Handlen. We took in the pace of Bethel which is mellow and slow. How slow? Well one morning I went to talk a walk down by the Androscoggin River and as I was headed down Main Street Paul Handlen noticed me and stopped his jeep in the middle of the street while we chatted for a minute or so. No worries, no traffic, no rush....when I compare that scene with what happens when I head out around here in San Diego I realize I am at the very opposite end of the spectrum.
After five nights in Bethel we stopped in to visit my brother Erik and Amy, Logan and Rachel. They bought a house last year in Saco, Maine and it’s a really nice home in a really nice neighborhood. I’m happy for them. This too was too short a visit. We then made it back to Gloucester that night so that early the next morning Amber, Tommie and me could help out long time friend and coach J.D. MacEachern in the first ever Gloucester Triathlon. Our job was to help direct runners at a critical intersection where on the first lap they had to take a left and on the second lap they had to go straight to the finish line. Because faster athletes tend to pass the slower ones some runners at this point would need to go different directions and despite our bullhorn instructions, signs, flags and others yelling out the same instruction we realized many of these participants were in pain. They had already swum 1/3 mile in the harbor, biked 15 miles and were now finishing up a 2.9 mile run. I’m sure their bodies were trying to pump as much oxygen to their leg muscles and all their ears could hear was…wha,wha,wha,wha,left,,,wha,wha,wha,straight. So a few went straight when they should have gone left but overall it went well. I can’t recall how many times we met up with friends and acquaintances or how much seafood we ate on this vacation but I can tell you it was all good and on the one to ten scale of enjoyment this summer vacation of 2009 was voted a big 10 by both judges.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

What do you do when you know you’re going to die? Before your time. You have three young children, a loving wife, a good job, and you’re in the prime of your life, but without a doubt you have less than a year to live and there is no cure. In the case of Randy Pausch, who many people know his story, you make the most of each and every remaining day and you leave a message with a lesson, or many lessons. Randy Pausch who was dying of terminal pancreatic cancer left us a video and a book titled “The Last Lecture.” In his book you’ll find that he is an optimist and a goal achiever. One way or another he managed to achieve many of his childhood dreams. The best take away line from the book in talking about setbacks or roadblocks to ones goal was “The brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” This book should make you think, cry, and appreciate what you have and what is possible while you are alive.

A New Journey for Amber,Tommie and Maya

Changes. Here's the photo taken at 9:22 AM this morning of Amber, Tommie and Maya as they leave San Diego with all their belongings packed in the back of this Penske Truck and head east towards Gloucester, Mass. Maya likes this truck which is a big bonus. We hugged and cried and wished them safe travels until we get to see them again this summer. The family picture is of us last night having our final meal together on our deck. It was a beautiful night. It has been so nice to have both our daughters Eva, Amber and proxy son Tommie all so close to us these past 3 years. I guess we can't be hogs though so now it's time for Tommie's parents and Amber's grandparents in Mass to have this pleasure.

Looking back since the time they moved out here it's wild to think of all the adventures they had and changes they went through. They both made their mark at the jobs they had. If Tommie had decided to stay there's no doubt in my mind that he would have been on the San Diego City Council or some other power position. Amber excelled as the assistant editor for Mortgage Originator Magazine. Whatever they do next they'll shine. Amber is a poet so I wrote a poem for them.

A New Journey

A new Journey begins from West to East
the view of the future is known the least
It begins with a Penske and Toyota in tow
but the route they will take they don’t really know

Amber and Tommie with Maya between
stretching her neck for whatever can be seen

On this Journey they will go and on this Journey they’ll succeed
to reach the point that they have planned
The Village of Magnolia in the City of Gloucester
Home of the Fisherman
Birthplace of the Two

We know that this is just the start
with fits of fear if things look dark
yet forward is the way time moves so they’ll sync with it
test what they like, adapt and then change to have more likings
when they watch the clock
and Maya will jump and lick their faces
as they take her to these unknown places

On the journey they have some control and
sometimes no control
But they’ll do what they need to and do what they want to
So that joy comes more often than sorrow
And they’ll look forward to tomorrow.