of gulls and beaches and a very long drive...

Now that is a BIG ship! See the tractor trailer to the right - it is dwarfed by the size of the ship. It was loading pulp from one of our paper mills to take to Japan. I drove one hour and 15 minutes in spitting snow to take this picture.
I actually went to the port in Eastport yesterday to do the interviews but the ship was delayed at sea and didn't get in until around midnight. So the return trip......and then I had to head to Lubec and cross the Roosevelt International Bridge to Roosevelt Park.

I was a bit early so I stopped at a small beach.
I walked a bit - it was debris covered from winter storms: kelp and rockweed, driftwood, bits of colored ropes off fishing vessels, shells, sponges.

Out in the water are salmon pens - large circular cages, each about the size of a half of a gymnasium, and the fish are raised inside. This attracts gulls and I surprised this flock on the beach. I could actually HEAR their wings as they rose.


When I returned home, I found TWO boxes of canvases that I had ordered last week. Oh boy - you know what I'll be doing every spare moment this week! My daughter and her family went to Florida this morning so it is going to be pretty quiet up here on Sweet Pea Cabin's hill....It is also supposed to be crummy weather. Just the atmosphere for painting......

So I started out to meet some ladies for breakfast....

and ended up buying a chair, and then another chair and a couch, and then, while loading the first chair, the passenger side window of my NEW car suddenly slid down inside the door.

The only good things about this whole scenario are:

1. I was not even 1/2 mile from the dealership where I bought the car and they were ready to repair and very accommodating, although they have to order the motor part that makes the glass go up and down and so they used a piece of wood to wedge the window up and taped the edges to make it watertight. I look so white trash now...

2. I got some kick ass new furniture.

I'm starving.

I'm sitting here working.....my long-term piece on Lubec's fishermen is almost complete, there is a second story about the Port of Eastport and a third about migrant labor....and I am starving. At 6:30 I had a cup of coffee and two pieces of rye toast.

I had an iced coffee about noon.

See? This is the problem with working at home. I get so busy that suddenly I'm hearing my stomach rumble louder than Mount St. Helens and I've missed lunch and it is still three hours until dinner time....

Normally I would go scavenging for something quick: candy, snacks, a bowl of cereal, some noodles, or my very most favorite: a bag of Smartfood.

Okay, you've talked me out of it. I'm going to take the high road here and make a quick salad.
Then I'm going to Helen's tonight and stuff myself with a steak.

Oh yeah - rewards.

oooops

My son-in-law Matt, who lives next door, said this morning that as he was trying to fall asleep last night some loud party music from a house nearby kept him awake.

Do I dare tell him it was his crazy mother-in-law in her new Jeep listening to the amazing sound system blast Led Zeppelin as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra?????

remember this little face from last spring?

This was Kiley, about last July or so - just learning to love water at the UMM pool.
Well.....take a look at that little fish now!

She's swimming! She's got the kicking and hand movements down - she can even float and turn herself around in a circle using her legs.....amazing. She's 20 months now.

And she really loves the water...

She even thought it was pretty funny when she got stuck in the VERY stretchy top of her bathing suit! What a cutie patootie!

uh oh...it's snowing.

As I awoke this morning to find snow on the ground and big flakes still wafting down, a feeling of doom surrounded me.

I was really scared. My accident has apparently affected me a bit deeper than I thought. I am absolutely terrified at the thought of driving anywhere today. How long will it take for this to pass?

This is a very special day in my life.....

Thirty-two years ago a bundle of energy and sweetness, my third son, Daniel, was born. He arrived with a huge curiosity already in place and a zest for life that has never abated. He was a precious baby, a wonderful toddler, a challenging teen and now has become an amazing father. Along the way he broke rules, broke cars, snowmobiles and motorcycles, once or twice he broke himself, broke a few hearts...
Today he is a master plumber. He has built a beautiful home, stayed loyal to friends and family, works incredibly hard and many long hours, and has done it all HIS way. He is the guy that stops and helps turtles cross the road, gives a hurting friend his last dollar, and his laugh is a sound no one can forget.

Three years later, while preparing for Daniel's 3rd birthday party, I went into labor and delivered Faye (Jenny), my daughter. She arrived with eyes wide open, softness and beauty surrounding her. She was gentle and precious. As a little girl, she never got or gave enough hugs; she dressed her puppies in dolly clothes; and smiled at every turn. Her sweetness provided a balance in our family of five boys...Her sensitivity became our barometer. She is the glue that holds all her brothers together. She is an amazing mother to her daughter Kiley - I am in awe of her parenting skills. Today she has put her education degree on hold and owns a blues' themed deli and pizzaria. She is a part of her community and can be counted on for everything from a hug to a hot meal.

I am in awe of my adult children. They didn't always have it easy. There were times in our life together when we truly struggled - not just emotionally, but financially as well. They can tell stories - now with laughter - about needing sneakers, about eating rice and ketchup for supper, about getting only a 50-cent coloring book and crayons for a birthday gift.

But even these challenges shaped and molded them; taught them respect and honesty and gentleness; taught them never to take anything for granted, nor to look down on anyone who had less, from belongings to education; it taught them to share, to appreciate, and to forgive.

My children love with ALL of their hearts - unconditionally. They are good people with good values and common sense. My heart bursts and my eyes shine when I think of them.

So Ground Hog's Day holds a very special place in my heart - happy birthday, my two piglets. I love you more than all the stars in the sky, all the snow in Maine and all the tea in China. XXXX Mom