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Wet and sticky beautiful snow. Painting in Somesville was canceled due to the road conditions...it had rained on top of the new snow. This is the view out my back door. The snow was already melting and falling off the trees. And then it got really, really cold. Treacherous walking.
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It was getting really cold when I went to Everybody Eats. The homemade soup and sandwich hit the spot. And, a super duper chocolate brownie was dessert. There was a good size crowd for a day after Christmas...lots of conversations and laughter. Seeing more families with children show up.
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Six Word Journal Monday December 26, 2011
Snow/rain/cold/supper: warms hearts ♥.
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This is the little tree in the park I can see from my livingroom window. As long as I have lived in my house, except during the mid 70's fuel crisis, there has been a tree I could see at Christmas time.
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Six Word Journal for December 27, 2011
writing group/computer FINALLY working/happy
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PS…my computer was locked out of hotmail for four
days. On Christmas even took it to my friends house
and the computer geeks couldn’t even get it to go on
line. Followed instructions I got from hotmail from yesterday
…my friendly computer guys at Computer Essentials helped
me. But again, no go after waiting the time it was supposed
to take. Went back to CE and one of the guys figured how
to get back into my emails….such a genius, in my eyes☺.
Every time there is a problem I learn more and more how
to be a do it yourself gal !
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License plate on trailor: TWINKIE. I like that.
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The snow has disappeared...the temp is in the 40's. Snow melted and the snow people are just puddles, carrots and peices of coal. The temp started dropping about when Iook this photo...brrrr.. The weather should "make up my (it's) mind " what I am going to wear. (The "make up my mind" phrase, tho it sounds weird, I think is a local expression for something being confusing...I don't get to use it often.)
The above photo is the Common at Parker Ridge
Retirement Community.
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Six Word Journal for December 28, 2011
portrait group/weather changing/too cold
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My "clever" wrapping for an after Christmas birthday gift...Walmart cloth bag and duct tape. My family has two birthday two days after Christmas and I know people with December birthdays don't usually don't want Christmas wrap on birthday presents. The bow took some thinking to get it not to stick together but wa-lah, I did it !
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The living room of the Crocker House. To the left is a smaller sitting room. Both rooms are a step back in time.
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Dinner at the Crocker House Country Inn, Hancock, Maine. Celebrating the birhday of one of the writers in our group. We don't usually go some place as classy as this, but it is a special birthday.
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Six Word Journal for December 29, 2011
Crocker House birthday party/scrumptious food
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Painting at the Somesville library...dry paintings up for viewing and making decisions as what to do next.
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Six Word Journal for December 30, 2011
Somesville/painting/afternoon ride/took photos
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It snowed during the night and morning...no painting today...a winter wonderland in my back yard.
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I'm sorry for the poor image...It was wicked cold, and these carolers had stopped at my house...I was so surprised I didn't get a photo and chased them down in the neighborhood. They changed my mood from pissy to cheerful when they stopped...and I stayed out and took photos of Christmas lights. Joy to the world of carolers.
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The children were willing to stop a bit longer for a better photo. The dogs and the children didn't seem to mind the bitter cold that arrived after the snow.
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December 23, 2011, the Bangor Catholic Church against the stormy sky.
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I decided to go to Bangor and Brewer, 20 ish miles away for some larger light displays...the biggest I know of is in Brewer ...their electric meter must spin when the lights are on !
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Six Word Journal for December 23, 2011
Snow/no painting/carolers/light displays
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"Silent Night" sung by candle light.
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Six Word Journal December 24, 2011
Church. Joyful. Seeing friends from away.
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A friends yule log with advent candles ... the log bought at a church Christmas fair many years ago.
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9 year old Raiya made her first cake, a birthday cake for Jesus. A birthday party for Jesus is a long tradition at her grandparents house. It was chocolate, moist and yummy.
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My Christmas tree inspired by the tree my granddaughter, Sabrina, decorated last year. She had more lights and some blue ornaments on it. On the right of the photo you can see one of the tiny ornaments she forgot to take off the tree. I left it there as a reminder of her visit.
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Six Word Journal December 25, 2011.
Peace/Quiet/family called/Jesus’ party
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Review. I Review.
Life passes quickly unmarked
Goals met: none. Made: none.
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Big sigh. I must sigh.
Service to others a must.
Listen to my soul.
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Review. I Review.
No goals. No progress. Life flies.
Goals. A must. I must.
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Resolutions. Goals.
Measurable Goals Life flies.
Meaningful life lasts.
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Big sigh. I must sigh.
Service to others a must.
Listen to my soul.
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Repeating myself.
Time to listen to my soul
Service to others.
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Review Next Years goals.
Resolution. Planning. Same.
Listen to my soul.
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They met when he "accidentally bumped into her ice skating and "had" to stop to help her up. They married. When did they think how old they were, and about the amount of time they had left that they'd be together?
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I am trying to decide
about birthdays.
Do other people consciously think
of how many birthdays
they may have left when they
are seventy, eighty,
ninety, one hundred.
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It is starting to annoy me
when someone uses the euphemism
“young lady” or “young man” or
“years young”
inferring someone is the opposite.
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When I was young,
in my early 30’s...
now that is OLD to some,
to me, VERY YOUNG.
I was working in a nursing facility
and was curious about how the
residents felt mentally,
so when someone had a birthday,
their age would come up,
I would ask,
“What age do you feel in your mind
and how you think ?”
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To a one, “in my 30’s? was the answer
over several decades of my working
with the aging population
(remember, now, we are ALL aging
from the day we were born !)
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Now there are people who think like
someone we would think of as old
in their teens and twenties…
and older…
you know who they are in your life.
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Now that I am older,
there is a more delicate question
that I think of
when someone is older than me
by a few years…
(be very sure of this if you
tread into these deep waters)
this is VERY delicate,
and must be asked of the right people,
people can get very upset
if the wrong ones are asked:
“Do you think about being
past middle age ?”
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The answer the other day,
was another question:
“How do we know when
we are middle aged ?
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Change is in the air...on the way home from painting, temp 42F, and dropping. Winds brisk. Pretty soon, rain drops on the windshield. Dark clouds towards Bangor, Bar Harbor still under blue skies. The edge of the front, over Walmart !
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You have to have weather
whether you want it or not.
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The words of my father sneak in
and whisper to me at times
like today…unseasonably warm,
the heavy rain from last night,
melts snow into puddles and ponds ,
snowmen from the Christmas storm,
disappear leaving only
traces that they were here…
a carrot, some coal, and maybe
a hat or scarf.
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Then came the arctic front….
wind chills below zero !
skating may be next on the docket.
School vacation
may be redeemed yet.
Skiers will be sad,
skaters, glad.
Mothers with toddlers,
preschool teachers, too,
dressing the kiddos in so many
layers they can barely walk !
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High today, Bar Harbor, 54 F,
wind gusts to 47 mph.
AM, cloudy. Noon, sunny.
rain at 5 PM !
And then the arctic front !
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You have to have weather
whether you want it or not !
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Memories Are Made Of Times Like These
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Christmas is for happy ecstatic moments
I have been told by many who sigh
after the day of opening presents
and the ecstasy didn’t happen.
Expecting something that was not in
their control…
Romance and excitement, diamonds and
moonlit dinners.
Those mostly happen in movies,
not in real life.
Not those I know anyway !
It seems that’s real life...
expecting and not always receiving
and remembering how it was that year.
.
And it is.
Memories are made of years like these
of unrealistic expectations.
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My memories are down to earth.
The first year married, first hubby,
we didn’t have a lot of money
so small things like socks
and candy bars were wrapped to have
something to open
far, far, away from “home”…
we didn’t “get” it yet that where
we were was now our home.
It seems a normal way to think
for young marrieds.
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It is.
Memories are made of times like these.
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Christmas Eve we went to a Catholic
service in a Japanese church,
the first service to be in Latin, Japanese,
and some English.
We weren’t Catholic, but friends invited us
so it seemed like a nice way to spend
Christmas Eve in a foreign country.
.
And it was.
Memories are made of events like this.
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The next year was Christmas shopping…
Christmas “window” shopping, in Tokyo.
Seeing the wonderfully decorated stores,
lots and lots of lights.
That shouldn’t have surprised me but it did.
Center of the store, lights strung several
stories ceiling to floor,
we got to see all the beauty from balconies,
riding on the escalator.
It was a fun thing to do.
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It was, in retrospect, a good decision.
Memories are made of times like this.
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It was also memorable,
because the two wives, myself and a friend,
were soon to deliver babies.
We seemed to have no fear of venturing
to far off places to see how
the Japanese celebrated Christmas,
even though a large percentage of the Japanese
weren’t Christians.
It seemed the thing to do far from home,
one wife a teenager, the other,
a registered nurse…both soon to deliver,
but not afraid.
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And it was.
Memories are made of events like this.
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There were then Christmas’ with children
growing up, in Florida, San Juan, …
Feliz Navidad was big in Puerto Rico,
every where, I guess that year.
Then there was Maine, with the children
becoming grown-ups,
later with children of their own.
Home was Maine,
when they were growing up,
now they have memories of things Maine,
they do on a holiday far from “home”
but in their own homes.
It seems the thing that grown-ups do.
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And it is.
Memories continue to be made of events like these.
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Now for the first time,
I am alone….
well, the cat lets me live with her,
so I’m really not alone.
The tree is no longer the ceiling scraping wonder,
that took a zillion lights and ornaments.
The scheffleua donned with miniature lights
and one left behind light blue ornament…
a new memory of last year,
when a granddaughter was here.
It seemed to be the thing to do,
decorate the tree Sabrina style.
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And it is.
A memory was made last year and continues
this year.
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Now this year
I got what I’ve asked for year after year.
PEACE and quiet.
And it was good.
It was not lonely.
Church still was attended on Christmas Eve
as it has been for the forty years
in Maine.
At the end of my day,
I was invited to a birthday party for Jesus.
His cake was made by a nine year old girl.
Her first cake, a master piece for the baby Jesus,
a new memory of participating in the tradition,
not being a guest at the party.
It was a lovely thing for her to do.
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As it should be
A memory was made on Christmas Night
that will last everyone’s memories for years to come.
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This tree speaks to me of this season of light and hope.
This is one of loveliest Nativity displays o the season. Seen in Brewer, Maine, ...so simple and elegant. It is on the same street as one of the biggest and brightest light displays in the region.
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everyone celebrating all holidays
and festivals of the season…
this is the season of light and peace
for people around the world
a common bond.
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Apologies are in order for my belated message to all of you.
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Christmas Eve I must have pushed a wrong key on
my computer and it took til this afternoon to fix
it with the advice of our local computer experts.
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Thru the last few days I realize how much I enjoy the
company of my email and blogging friends.
Thank you all for enriching my life through the past year.
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Peace and love,
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Siggi in Snowy Downeast Maine
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The Somesville Library has a tradition of lining the windows with beautifully painted nutcrackers, garland and lights. As you can see the grass outside the window is a beautiful green. No sign of snow for the near future.
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Six Word Journal for Friday, December 16, 2011
Cold/windy/painted/Time Warner Cable VCR ☺.
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Went out to take photos of Christmas Decorations. Sort of sad looking in the stark winter day without snow and green grass! But, it is what it is, this year. No snow.
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Six Word Journal for Saturday December 17, 2011
Photos/sunny/bleak/SNL Jimmy Fallon ☺.
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You can see 3 VCR tapes on next to Bianca. The tapes had been on each end and in the middle of the top of the VCR. She pushed them together to have a p.lace to lay done on her chosen spot. Then, one by one she removed them "accidentally" with her tail or hind feet. I, of course, sat here and surveyed the situation, taking photos til I saw how she did it. It seemed impossible, the way the tapes landed, but she did it more than once !
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Six Word Journal for Sunday 18, 2011
8 AM Church/routine shopping/nap/blogged
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I love this sight. I can see it from where I sit in the library if place my chair "just right"...I used a telephoto lens to capture the cabin on the left side. At low tide, the two islands are joined with land as you can see.
Six Word Journal for Monday December 19, 201
Somesville/Everybody Eats/wonderful day
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The lunch counter at the Riverside Restaurant where the writing group had lunch. It is designed to look like an old fashioned diner...booths, tables, dark wood. There is seating on the far side of the counter, also.
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Six Word Journal for Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Writing group/lunch Riverside..crowded…shoppers
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Note: The parking spaces were at a premium, the
restaurant crowded, but it was cold and blustery
outside…people did not linger between stores.
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This is a "cataract" painting...painted when I did not know I had cataracts. One thing noticeable is that is is plein aire, on a sunny day. It is of an island near Blue Hill Mountain. It is on exhibit at Parker Ridge in the room we paint our portraits.
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Claire, our model, had driven to Ellsworth earlier and had to drive past Parker Ridge to go home. The roads were by 9 am becoming a glare of ice. So we stayed and painted. When I got my car at Ari's, his driveway was a skating rink and my car covered with a thin coat of ice...a bright blue ice cube. My driveway was the same. I went thru the side door to the cellar since I was able to park next to it. Stayed home after that !
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Six Word Journal for Wednesday December 21
Portrait group/ice/rain/stayed home
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A wild and wonderful trip to Portland, Maine, with my friend Jennifer to visit her daughter Erin, and her family In the photo, Erin is on the left, Jennifer, who I call, Jeff, spelled "Jfef:" She calls me Siggi, spelled Sgigi☺...
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This will end up an entire blog some day...Jfef and I stopped at LLBeans in Freeport, ME. She hadn't been there for many years, and I found out it was longer than I thought. Confident, I told her it was a piece of cake to find LLBeans from the Desert of Maine Road. Ha ! Everything was different...it didn't look the same, I thought I'd entered the Twilight Zone. We reached an intersection and I told her to turn right. She did. She said:: We are in a parking garage. I could see we were, but I said that Freeport didn't HAVE parking garages ! Long story short for now...we found LLBean's, we both bought ice gripers and got home in a timely manner !
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Six Word Journal forThursday, December 22, 2011
Portland/met Jfef’s grandchildren, Erin’s husband.
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I celebrate Christmas. To my friends and readers who don’t,
the season of light is celebrated by most beliefs and cultures.
As the days are at their shortest,
the light of the season represents to me hope for the future.
I want to honor everyone as I think of how we all are common
in our beliefs, not different.
At the stopover on the Interstate
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LL Bean's store in Freeport, Maine
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Celebrate Hanukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Family
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Celebrate lighting the night with humor.
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Sharing food spreads love, companionship, joy.
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Universal season: light, hope, peace, caring.
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LOOKING A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS EVERYWHERE
siggiofmaine 