Maine 2009

Okay, so here's a few shots from our recent return to home in Bangor, Maine. We did the traditional annual lobster quest down in Trenton at Lunt's Lobster Pound. Aunnie and I each had a 2 lb. lobster, and it was GOOD! I made it back to my church on a visit and got a nice shot of the glass as you enter the church on your left. The house you see is the one I grew up in before we moved to Norfolk St.. It is still the one I dream about when I dream about being home. The coastal pictures were taken down in Bar Harbor on my iPhone. In fact, all the pictures were taken on my iPhone.

The table is one my dad made by hand, sanding by hand for hours. It is made out of various parts of a wooden pallet. I've got some more pictures of other things he's made to show you later.

Of course, on the way up we had to stop at LL Bean's in Freeport, ME. Always a nice break from the road. Got a windbreaker there and we got a cooler for our road trips. Would have loved to get yet another bag, but I think Aunnie would have killed me. LOL. Since we were there close to dinner time, we stopped at McGritty's Pub down the road from L.L. Bean's. It's actually closer the end where you get on the interstate. Anyhow, if you find yourself up in that neck of the woods, make sure you stop by. I had the lobster mac n' cheese with fried jalapenos on top. While that may sound counter-intuitive I have to tell you it was fabulous. Big chunks of lobster, and the jalapenos were not hot, but more tangy. It was really a treat. Then of course that was followed by the strawberry rhubarb crisp. Yummy. It was really nice to get home again.

Fighting the Cancer Battle- Courageous Choices

Just in case anyone thinks I mean myself with this title, I don't. As far as I am aware, I do not have cancer. Okay, now that that is straight, let's move on. (My Mom should feel a lot better now.)

I don't normally post things about Celebrities' and their health issues, but this one strikes home a bit. Years ago, when I first saw "Red Dawn" I had an instant crush on Patrick Swayze. Later when we all saw him and Jennifer Grey in "Dirty Dancing" well, that was also crush inspiring. So what does that have to do with posting an article on Swayze nowadays? Well, the man is made of steel.

Over the almost 20 years of my being a nurse (yikes!) I have had the privilege of taking care of many stricken with cancer. In my opinion some of the worst cancers are the head and neck cancers. If you survive the cancers with therapy, people are often left very disfigured and altered for life. Not too mention there is a high rate of relapse with these cancers. And most of those I saw literally lost their voice to laryngeal cancer. Cancer is painful at several points along the way, and in many ways.

There is much discussion out there about the alternative modalities that can help people survive cancer. In my head, I keep thinking he is in the beginning stages of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's stages of dying. His sheer determination to stick with the fight and not go further is really quite amazing. Filming without taking pain medication for what I am sure is absolutely excruciating pain makes this even more impressive. What we are seeing now is some recognition that he may actually not live much longer. But what is impressive about this is that instead of looking at a win as beating cancer, he is looking at how he isn't going to let the cancer beat his quality of life.

So many times over the years not too mention currently, I have seen family members and patients when faced with almost certain death due to disease, make choices to keep fighting despite what that means to the quality of life they may have in the time that they have. Everyone has to decide what is right for them, so I am not judging these choices. However, I do find it especially courageous when someone continues to fight, but, also considers what kind of time they want left not just how much time.

I have seen this in my own family. In the past few years, we have lost two of my uncles to cancer. One was the eldest and the other the youngest in a family of 5 kids. My uncle Hilton lived with what he was told was a "slow cancer of the colon" for quite a while. And he and my aunt Laurie had a wonderful life together until the end. My uncle Jimmy the youngest, died at 57 of Melanoma. He found out at the beginning of the year he had it, and then did everything he could to beat it but was dead only a few months later. However, due to the aggressive treatments (and it my mind too aggressive) he died in a lot of pain despite so-called pain management, and unable to really enjoy what time he had left. But if you knew my uncle Jimmy, this was much like his time on this earth. He had more ups and downs then most people I know. But I digress.

So what's the point in all of the previous? What has inspired me to write today? Well, I'm not entirely sure. It is inspiring to see people make courageous choices. I'm fortunate to be in a profession where we see that a lot. Okay, so maybe it's a lingering crush from my adolescent years. More than likely though, it's the hopeless romantic in me that sees the romance between Swayze and his wife and it reminds me of my uncles and their loves. Either way, it is an epic story of life, love, and a courageous battle in the face of certain defeat. Who couldn't go for that?

Be inspired. Live your own epic story. Be courageous in your choices. Your example can make the difference for others.

"We are not here to see through one another, but to see one another through"--Unk.

Patrick Swayze Dispels 'Reckless Reports' of Death By Radio Station - ABC News

Patrick Swayze Dispels 'Reckless Reports' of Death By Radio Station - ABC News

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Ayuh...Mainers Stand Their Ground!

Here's the story link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090717/ap_on_re_us/us_disappearing_mailboxes


I have to give kudos to my fellow Mainers in Otisfield, ME for taking on the "tyranny" of the USPS. Here's a small town of a few thousand people who have a singular mailbox for the town's use and the USPS wants to take it away. This town doesn't have its own zip code, nor does it have a Post Office. The nearest mailbox is miles away.

There is a town mailbox a few feet away from the standard public mailbox. Residents of Otisfield don't want the mailbox removed because curbside mailboxes are often taken out by snowplows and vandals so it is an unreliable route at best, to get mail out.

People were prepared to chain themselves to the box to keep it. The road commissioner even put heavy machinery around it at night to prevent a late night removal. That brings a whole new meaning to the old phrase... "you can't there from here".

Kudos, Otisfield!

Prisoner Not Allowed to read Obama's books

Here's the story link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090709/ap_on_re_us/us_supermax_obama_s_books

What I don't understand is this: if there is a national security threat by allowing this convicted Al Queda member to read the books, then is there not a national security threat for anyone else to read them on the open market? I mean if they cite a national security threat as a reason for their banning the books, should we not be concerned about what is stated in the books for anyone and their brother to read?

I'm all for protecting the country and everything, but this seems odd. And now, because of the press on this story, everyone knows about the concerns with national security. Shouldn't that be concerning to national security? I mean anyone can go into a book store and buy books, but this one guy shouldn't read it?

On the completely idealistic and naive side, maybe if he read the books he'd like what he saw and wouldn't be so anti-American. And if he doesn't, well, he's in jail for life so what does it matter?