Our Nest is Best

A few weeks ago on a Saturday morning in Bath, there was music in the air. The birds were singing, and I was reminded of Oscar Hammerstein's classic song, Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’:
            Oh what a beautiful mornin’.

            Oh, what a beautiful day.

            I’ve got a beautiful feelin’

            Everything’s going my way.

Unlike Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, however, Joe and I were in Maine, not Oklahoma! When we stepped out to meet the day, we were wearing woolen caps and long scarves. But to our surprise, we were greeted by a splash of color, which was clearly the last crimson and gold hues of autumn. Our neighbor’s Japanese maple was so spectacular I had to snap a picture. All summer long I watched people passing by take pictures of that magnificent tree, but I believe that particular Saturday was its best day, and I sealed its beauty in my photo album. As Joe and I walked toward the Freight Shed, home to Bath’s Farmers’ Market, I spied another one of my favorite trees, the enormous Copper River Birch Tree planted in 1871. On November 8, 2014, it was pure gold!

Our walk downtown was stop and go because the streets were crowded with so many beautiful views that we just had to stop and stare. Clearly, the light was  just right for gazing at 9 o’clock in the morning. For the first time, I noticed the stone bench in the shape of a bird on the east side of the Patten Free Library, and I had to sit down and look out on the Kennebec River for a while. Fortunately, this gave Joe time to snap a few more pictures. Both of us have always been drawn to benches. Perhaps that's because they're made for two, and that Saturday morning was definitely turning out to be a love song. Beneath my hand I could read the sculptor’s carved inscription: “Love from Ruth.” I don’t know who Ruth is, but I suspect she used to sit and watch the Kennebec, too!

Joe and I decided to fuel up and fully wake up at the Starlight Cafe. We ordered two mugs of coffee and two plates of sunny side up eggs with home fries. When I asked if I could substitute a blueberry-lemon scone for toast, the waitress recognized me! All the tables and chairs in this cozy corner of Bath were filled, and Joe and I enjoyed turning the pages of a newspaper left by someone who must have started their day an hour before we arrived. Why is it better to read a newspaper in a crowded place than alone in your kitchen? Whatever your answer, it’s a good thing for local businesses! After stretching out breakfast as long as we dared, we strolled down to the waterfront and stepped out of the cold and into the historic Bath Freight Shed, built in 1894. Once inside, the bright sunshine receded as twinkle lights and vendors transformed the space into a bustling farmers' market. Music filled the room, and I felt transported to a simpler time. Within a few minutes, I found the source of the happy sound, the Married with Chitlens Band. I saw a guitarist, a base player and a fiddler making beautiful music as three little girls and their dad watched in complete awe. Actually, the three little girls were watching the musicians while their dad watched them with a little bit of laughter and endless love. I snapped another picture!

Joe is looking for a few good apples. He is about to find many!

From time to time, we all encounter a gloomy day, and I find it infinitely helpful to remember how bright true love can be! With that in mind, I caught Joe on camera buying fruit and vegetables. It's a beautiful portrait in sepia, and I intend to keep it forever. Seriously, what could be more romantic than buying local produce at a farmers' market? It’s naturally delicious! And to add a touch of honey, I bought a candle made of beeswax in the shape of a turkey. There are so many treasures to be found in The Freight Shed!

The vendors at Bath's Farmers' Market are busy, and they're charming, too!

By Saturday night, the good people of Bath were ready to party, and there were several exciting venues available to everyone. Music was definitely the common thread: Melissa Manchester in concert at the Chocolate Church Arts Center and a Speakeasy Party with the Hadacol Bouncers at the Winter Street Center. Because Joe and I can never resist Chicago style jazz, we chose the brassy music of the Hadacol Bouncers. Truth be told, secrets intrigue me, and I wanted to use the Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc.'s secret password, "Bunny McClure," to slip into the WSC through the side door. Once inside, I thought I heard Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet! Gillian Davis, a key member of the Portland Swing Project, was also in the house, and along with her amazing partners, she made the WSC roar like the 1920's! I have never seen such fancy footwork look so smooth and easy. While the dance moves were dazzling, the signature cocktail, “Fireball,” lit up the night and kept us all swinging! Some of us even had a chance to sit on a paper moon and kiss the one we love! (Did you know there is a paper moon in the WSC?)

The Snowy Owl Room

In the wee hours of the morning, when I finally climbed into bed, I couldn’t help but count my blessings. As I pulled up the extra warm down comforter and laid my head on the divinely soft pillow, I thought about our “adult-children.” Next month they will be arriving in Bath to celebrate Christmas with us! For a night or two, our nest will be full again. What a sweet dream to place on a pillow! Upon waking up eight hours later, I told Joe we should officially name our guest rooms: The Snowy Owl, The Love Nest and The East Room! He agreed. Saturday, November 8, 2014 was an unforgettable day. As fate and Bath would have it, The Patten Free Library’s "bird bench" made a Saturday morning especially memorable. I truly believe that sculpted bench is a beautiful love letter to everyone who comes to Bath and sits for a while! Let’s feather our nest and enjoy each other this holiday season!

Thank You Notes

I believe Robert Fulghum, the author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, is a luminary because he focused our attention on Albert Einstein’s guiding principle that imagination is more important than knowledge. Fulghum wrote, “I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” In my heart of hearts, I am also convinced that lessons 13 and 16 on Mr. Fulghum’s list of things learned in kindergarten are the most vital: “When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.” “And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – Look.”

Whenever I am in Bath, I like to walk along Front Street and stroll through Waterfront Park. Surrounded by beauty, I strongly feel the need to LOOK because I fear in a blink I may miss a moment of this heavenly place. Of course, it wouldn’t feel like heaven if I were by myself. I love to see the bubbles of people at work and at play in downtown Bath. This cool little city is a community of vibrant people who know how to stick together. It’s easy to strike up a conversation here because the shoppers and shopkeepers, the artists, tradesmen and chefs, the tour guides, teachers and students are happy and ready to share their talent and their stories. Bath is always humming, and everyday life along the Kennebec makes me want to whistle, but I don’t know how to whistle, so I am making a joyful sound on this keyboard, and I hope all the playful members of Bath Time Society hear my tune and tap their feet right along with me. I suspect that most of the Bath residents I have met were superstars in kindergarten. They are definitely creative and fun loving people, and this blog is my way of thanking them for making such a cool little city possible!

Needless to say, I didn’t learn all of my life lessons in kindergarten. I did in fact learn a lot from my Brownie troop, and that is probably because my mother was the leader. Without a doubt, my mother’s common sense influenced me more than Einstein and Fulghum’s combined genius. I should also add that my mom was the best whistler I have ever known. Her favorite song was You Are My Sunshine. Okay, I have strayed, but the Brownie lesson is important: “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” Following the Girl Scout rule, I invited my “old” friends to visit me in Bath, and they came! I have always been grateful for their company, but never more than this past summer. Joni, my friend of over 30 years, came up to Bath from Westford, MA to spend a few days! We were girls again ---giggles and flip-flops---at Popham Beach!  And Kathy, my BFF from the College of the Holy Cross, joined me for the Maine Maritime Museum’s architectural heritage tour. Once aboard the trolley, we met Judy Mansfield, our volunteer docent (and a great supporter of Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc.). For one magical hour, Judy, a retired teacher and an exceptional storyteller, took us back in time to the 19^th century, and we all listened like school children to the the family sagas of the original shipbuilders who first made this little city cool! What a hoot! Later, Kathy and I dined at Grey Haven’s Blue Restaurant in nearby Georgetown.

 But best of all, that night Kathy played the role of  “dog whisperer” and managed to quiet our family dog, Penny, and my daughter’s puppy, Moo. It’s not surprising these two canine pals fell asleep on the couch as they listened to The Art of Racing in the Rain because Kathy is a kindergarten teacher!

Bath is clearly teacher friendly! Perhaps that’s why I feel so at home here. Several of my neighbors are teachers, and amazingly a few of them are fluent in Spanish, so on occasion we enjoy chatting about the artisans of Oaxaca as we care for our gardens. I am grateful for all the conversations I’ve enjoyed with Peter and Susan, and Shelley, too. Life in Bath Time is simply educational! Heidi, my first friend in Bath, recommended a morning eco tour aboard the Horizon III to celebrate my birthday and entertain my family. Since Heidi is an accomplished college professor, I decided to take her advice. On a glorious mid-summer morning, seven family members and I boarded Captain Brooks’ 35-foot pontoon boat, and together we discovered that the best view of Bath is from the water. We also learned a lot about the life of the Kennebec River. I spied a harbor seal at play, and for the first time in my life I caught a glimpse of a bald eagle. Doubling Point Lighthouse, built over the marshes of Arrowsic Island in 1898, was another spectacular sight, and I must admit that its light was more romantic from the water than from the shore. For a moment, we all felt the fair and stormy winds of history. I don’t think I will ever tire of touring around Bath, its nearby islands and peninsulas in a boat!

In the City of Ships, river safaris and starry nights are par for the course, but Friday nights are especially entertaining! For the last few seasons, I have been experiencing ArtWalks in downtown Bath, and my appreciation for art has been forever enhanced. On one frolicking Friday night, my friend Jill accompanied me to the studio of Judson Pottery, which sits like a bird’s nest atop several flights of stairs in one of Front Street’s taller buildings. Jill and I kept following the signs upward until at last we opened a door and fell into Carolyn Judson’s unique view of our planet. As I surveyed the open space around me, I was reminded of an old Donny and Marie song: “A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock and Roll, but I felt a need to “Judsonize” the title: “A Little Bit Mid-Coast, a Little Bit Savanna.” Clearly, Carolyn Judson has been to Africa, and she knows how to sculpt magnificent, large animals, like elephants! I think Jill and I both thought we were entering a different dimension, and it was enormously refreshing. Carolyn greeted us personally and engaged us in deep conversation. Within minutes, I learned that she had once lived in Brooklyn, New York, my birthplace, and in addition to painting and sculpting, she loves to teach! 

Shortly after that discovery, I met Carolyn's talented student, Nan Moran. As fate and Bath would have it, Nan is the sister of Mary King, a previous owner of our home on Washington Street! This is not just a coincidence; rather, it is proof that people in Bath are connected and know how to hold hands when it counts the most! I believe a close, loving community is a powerful blessing, and since I felt blessed that evening at the pottery studio, I bought the most cheerful daffodils I have ever seen in clay, and they were sculpted by Nan Moran. These sunny flowers now hang in the entrance hall of our Maine house, and they always make me smile when I come down the stairs!

Truth be told, the people of Bath know how to relax on Friday nights. Whether they are kicking back on the Kennebec, or forming a circle on Carriage House Lane for chili, cheese and wine, they are enjoying each other’s company. Joe and I are missing this Friday night’s celebration, but we will be there in a few short weeks, and we are looking forward to shaking hands with our neighbors! Last summer, Shelley, the kindest, fairest neighbor of them all, suggested I visit the Healing Garden at Mid Coast Hospital because she felt it was one of the prettiest gardens in Maine, and she thought I would appreciate the flowers there. Well, I found that garden, and I learned a valuable lesson: a hospital surrounded by evergreen trees and nurturing a garden at its heart can indeed offer us peace. Anticipating November and a time of thanksgiving, I hope we will always be able to see in our mind’s eye the wildflowers of summer, and the loving people who brought them to us. 

Thank you!

  

Legends of Washington Street

When the autumn breeze begins to blow, I feel like a child, and I want to catch the falling red and yellow leaves and gently press them between the pages of a treasured book, like

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, written by an Irish author, Josephine Leslie, under the pseudonym R. A. Dick in 1945. Leslie’s romantic fantasy tells the story of a young widow, Lucy Muir, who struggles to chart a new life for herself and her young daughter in a cottage by the sea in Whitecliff, England, which happens to be 58 miles south of the English city of Bath. Two years after its first publication, it was made into a timeless black and white film that is still enjoyed today. Gene Tierney, a serenely beautiful American actress, brought the character of Lucy Muir to life, and Rex Harrison, a dashing British actor, gave a second chance at love, if not life, to the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg. When Mrs. Muir loses her fortune and fears that she will have to leave Gull Cottage and be forced to live with her overbearing in-laws, it is Captain Gregg who saves her by helping her to write a best selling novel, Blood and Swash, based on his own seafaring adventures.

Even though the clever dialogue between Captain Gregg and Mrs. Muir is quite dazzling in the novel, the 1947 movie version of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir truly touched my soul. Watching this movie classic with my husband, after planting a few mums and finding the perfect pumpkin for the front step, was a Sunday afternoon delight. Under an October sky, saints, sinners, sea captains and ghosts seem to appear all around us, but it is all part of the season. We are in an October state of mind! For me, the best part of a ghost story is the ending because that is the moment when you face your fear, see the truth, and breathe again. It’s also the best time to lean in and listen to someone’s heart. It’s uncanny how fear, whether real or imagined, seems to bring us closer together! In 2013, John J. Puccio, a movie critic for Movie Metropolis, described The Ghost and Mrs. Muir as “director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ 1947 postwar love letter to the world.” In Bath, where I always long to be, I know that master story tellers are warming up their voices to whisper ghost stories, and just like the residents of Whitecliff, England, Bath historians know scores of legendary sea captains, and it doesn’t have to be Halloween or All Souls Day for them to tell their stories.

Not unlike Mrs. Muir, a sea captain’s widow used to live in our house on Washington Street in the late 1800’s. Abigail Page Magoun, a native of Bath and the sister of the city’s first mayor, married Captain William Henry Duncan on October 3, 1844. He was 36 years old, and she was 26. The captain was a widower with one son at the time of his marriage to Abigail, and his career as a mariner was going well. Records show that he commanded at least 6 ships in the middle of the nineteenth century. To name a few, he was the captain of the J.P. Harward, built in 1844, the Asia, built in 1855 and the Platina, built in 1838. City records show that Captain Duncan sold a house on South Street, formerly owned by a Patten, a prominent shipbuilding family in Bath, on August 5, 1854 for 1,000 dollars. A city directory shows Abigail Duncan living on Washington Street in 1873. According to ancestry.com, Captain Duncan resided at the same address from 1871 to 1872, the year of his death. Of course, this begs the question, have I felt the presence of the ghost of Captain William Duncan? Truth be told, I do not appear to be spirit sensitive because I have not experienced a single encounter. Perhaps the captain’s ghost could not stay in the Maine house because the master bedroom was built with witches’ corners facing the river so spirits could pass through quickly. With or without friendly ghost corners, I prefer to think of Captain Duncan as a courageous man who was ready to move on toward the morning light. In 1872, Captain Duncan had a clear view of the Kennebec from the master bedroom window, and he could see the sailing ships docked along the river’s bank in the bustling shipyard along Front Street. It’s uplifting to imagine him passing through that bedroom window and sailing away on a white cloud surrounded by a sea of blue sky. Records show that Mrs. Abigail Duncan stayed in the Federal Colonial on Washington Street, near Cedar (now Holly) Street, until 1877. I suspect she was sad when she finally left the house, and just like Mrs. Muir she glanced over her shoulder for one last look before departing. Although I am not spirit sensitive enough to see ghosts, I do feel happy and peaceful in our big, old house. The entrance hall with its turning staircase and exquisitely crafted banister, is my favorite place to stand on a sunny afternoon. In my heart, I believe that every former owner for the last 150 years has stood in that same hall, looked up, and admired the work of the unknown carpenters who built this stately home. There is so much art in the construction of an old house. I certainly understand why Lucy Muir couldn’t bear to leave Gull Cottage!

Around the corner from our house on Washington Street, there’s a cottage worthy of Mrs. Muir, but today it is both the home and studio of Claudette Gamache, a master painter who captures the white cliffs and breaking waves of Popham Beach as well as the wildflowers that frame the Kennebec River with her pastels. I first met Claudette last summer when I was walking my dog, Penny Lane, and our meeting was indeed fortuitous. We were standing near the Galen C. Moses house, one of the most historic inns in Bath, and Claudette told me she once lived in the white house across the street, the one with the striking red door. I was not surprised when she told me she was an artist and was living and painting in the cottage that once served as the office for Arthur Sewall & Company’s shipyard. Clearly, Claudette has an eye for beauty because that little cottage on Front Street is a slice of heaven! At our first meeting, I told Claudette how I was drawn to Bath because of its architectural beauty and its shipbuilding history, and she understood instantly. A few weeks later, I visited Claudette’s gallery and had the pleasure of viewing not only her beautiful paintings, but a collection of old photographs  as well. The photos show the shipyard at the corner of Cedar and Front Street as it was at the turn of the twentieth century. In one of the photos, you can see our house at the top of the hill, and at the bottom of the hill, near the river bank, you can see a sailing ship standing tall in the shipyard. Today, handsome wooden drawers, each bearing the name of a ship built by Sewall, still line the south wall of the cottage. This wall of fame includes the legendary Dirigo, which was torpedoed and lost in 1917 during WWI. While visiting, I also spied a very distinguished portrait of Mr. Arthur Sewall, which reminded me of the portrait of Captain Daniel Gregg (a.k.a. Rex Harrison) in the movie The Ghost and Mrs. Muir! Of course this all begs the question, “Is the cottage on Front Street haunted?” Claudette assured me it was not. In fact, she happens to have a friend who is a shaman, a person believed to have access to the world of good and evil spirits, and the shaman visited the cottage to assess its energy. As fate and Bath would have it, Claudette’s gallery has only bright, positive energy. Thank goodness!

Nevertheless, in October everyone is looking for Casper, the friendly ghost, and according to Claudette, Casper may have a few friends in Bath. On that summer evening when I was viewing Claudette’s gallery for the first time, she told me that when she lived in the white house on Washington Street she felt a presence upstairs where she used to paint. Years before, the Donovan girls, who grew up across the street, had felt a presence in their neighbor's house, too. When Claudette moved in, they asked her if the ghost still resided in the house. Since Claudette was not sure how to answer, she invited her friend, the shaman, to come for a visit, and her friend seemed to connect with a sweet spirit. Apparently, the little girl liked the colors in Claudette’s artwork, and she was very complimentary. In response, the shaman told her gently that it was time to move on, and she listened. What intrigues me most about this story is the fact that the white house is across the street from possibly the oldest copper beech tree in the state of Maine. One of my Bath neighbors told me this spectacular tree was planted in 1871 in remembrance of a young child who had just died. Ironically, copper beech trees are not known for their longevity. The memorial tree on Washington Street has defied gravity and has continued growing for almost 150 years. And that is what we call positive energy!

On one of my daily summer walks down Washington Street, I saw two artists painting the lovely white Federal Colonial with Italianate modifications. They had set up their easels on the street close to the curb, and they both seemed completely absorbed in their work. Sadly, I cannot paint, so I snapped a photo of the artistic process. I could hear a dog barking from inside the house, there was an American flag flying over the door, and although there were no children playing in the yard that day, there was evidence of children. The house was full of life, and the scene was picture perfect. I have no doubt that the two artists shared the same view and captured the happiness. There wasn’t a ghost in sight, but love was all around! In 1968, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir premiered on NBC starring Hope Lange as Mrs. Muir and Edward Mulhare as Captain Gregg. From the movie drama of the 1940’s to the more light hearted television show of the 1960’s, the most significant change was the setting: Whitecliff, England became a fictional fishing village in Schooner Bay, Maine. Could that be Georgetown or Phippsburg? Everything is possible in Bath Time! There may not be ghosts, but there is certainly magic in Maine’s Cool Little City!

September.

It’s time to put the bouquet of pencils on my big teacher’s desk that sits in front of the blackboard framed with posters and poems and a few “Ojos de Dios” made by students who have long since graduated. September always brings me back to school, to Room 23 on the west side of Chicago. I am not in Bath anymore, and I could feel sad about that, or I could feel refreshed by all that salt air I breathed in so deeply while I listened to music by the dock at Waterfront Park. I choose to be happy. Besides, I am a teacher, and it’s good to be back at school. I have a lot of work to do to convince those sophomores that speaking Spanish is helpful if you want to build peace around the world. I’m also busy writing letters of recommendation for the seniors so they can go to college next year and learn how to fly. In September, I wake up at 5:30 a.m. with Spanish on my mind, and I am ready to face my wide-eyed students when the school bell rings at 8 o’clock, but for at least a minute of every hour I find myself thinking mainly about Maine! I wonder where all the Delphiniums, Daisies, and Dahlias have gone? In June, July and August, I hurried to Bath’s Farmers' Market every Saturday morning to buy some of the prettiest flowers I have ever seen from Linda Mercer, the fair lady from Sheepscot Flower Farm. And like Eliza Doolittle, I felt so pretty when I carried flowers home in my basket.  It’s surprising how good one feels after shopping at a Farmers’ Market, and it’s those summer surprises that I will remember all through September.

Truth be told, my husband gave me my first surprise in early July. As a teacher, I was free to stay in Bath and play all summer long, but Joe occasionally had to return to Chicago to work. Knowing that I would miss him, Joe left a package under my pillow before he departed for the first time. When I went to bed that night, I found a note and a bottle of Chanel No. 5. Joe is the only man who has ever bought me Chanel. I think it reminds him of Paris, and that is lovely because we saw Paris together! The next morning I went downstairs and opened a kitchen cabinet to grab a box of cereal, but instead
I found a second package. This one was a small glass jar topped with a yellow silk flower. Inside the jar was a dozen colorful hair ties, and a note from Joe suggested I wear them on my morning runs. He also told me to enjoy my cornflakes and banana. He knows me so well! Joe has always had to travel for work, and we have learned how to connect despite the geography that sometimes separates us. Believe it or not, the U.S. Postal Service still helps people in love. Just when time apart seemed to be getting too long, I would hear a swoosh of mail slide through the slot in our front door, and sure enough there would be mail from Joe, a real letter written on a piece of stationery, and there were usually newspaper clippings attached. The articles, which discussed everything from gardening to antiques, were always interesting to both Joe and I. We were together in thought all summer long, and after 35 years of marriage that is amazing!

When the school bell rings at 2:20, and my period 10 class exits the room, I like to sit for just a minute to collect my thoughts. Those thoughts turn to Washington Street quite often, and I have to laugh because my classroom in Oak Park faces Washington Boulevard. I must have a natural affinity for American history and architecture! Oak Park was once the playground of Frank Lloyd Wright, a famous American architect born in the middle of the 19th century. And as fate and luck would have it, Bath was once the playground for several 19^th century architects. In 1843, Anthony C. Raymond designed the Winter Street Church, a Gothic Revival building with a Greek Revival influence; in 1860, Francis Fassett designed the adjoining parish hall in the Italianate style, and decades later his apprentice, also a prominent Bath designer, John Calvin Stevens, made interior alterations to the sanctuary. Whenever I walk along the streets of Bath, I tend to look up at the tall, white steeple of the Winter Street Church, and it never fails to direct my thoughts toward heaven. Today, the Winter Street Church is referred to as as the Winter Street Center (WSC), home of  Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc (SPI). Meeting with SPI’s new director, Lorena Caverly Coffin, was one of summer’s coolest surprises. Lorena is incredibly knowledgeable about architectural preservation, and she is committed to restoring the sanctuary of the WSC to its former glory. Lorena’s passion for preservation stems from her distinguished family tree. Her grandfather, Dr. Herbert Caverly, purchased the Captain Percy House at 702 Washington Street from Captain Percy’s widow after WWII, and subsequently two generations of Caverlys, father and son, made this historic residence their family home and practiced dentistry in a home office. Lorena, is truly a native daughter, destined to identify and treasure the architectural gems of Bath! She is also a loving wife and a mother of two active sons who make her beam with pride. She is likeable in every way, and the short time I spent with her fueled my desire to support SPI. According to Lorena, the SPI’s Blarney Ball is fun disguised as a fundraiser. Joe and I hope to discover that fun next March!
 

Saving historic buildings is a huge undertaking, and I am in awe of what SPI has been able to accomplish since its formation in 1971, but as a classroom teacher, a private on the front line, I am also impressed with the many ways, big and small, Bath’s business owners and their employees have improved the quality of life for Bath residents and visitors alike. For example, the red-haired girl who works at Starlight Cafe is a change maker, and I don’t mean change at the cash register. I have experienced first-hand the effect of her charm. One day in July I entered the cafe looking for my guilty pleasure, a white chocolate raspberry scone. She took my order to go and followed Starlight protocol. In other words, she handed me a brown paper bag and a sheet of waxed paper to choose my scone from the glass jar on the counter. The charming difference was that the paper bag was decorated with rainbows and clouds. She told me some local children offered to decorate some of their brown bags. When I told her I was a teacher, and I was thrilled to have drawings made with crayons on my paper bag, she said she knew I would be pleased with the up-grade. Intuitively, that red-haired girl knew how to treat her customers, and that is a gift. I probably visited the Starlight Cafe more than twice a week during June, July and August. Clearly, I like their muffins and scones, but secretly I like the cashier girl, the cook, and the waitresses, too! By the way, the cook is a master of sarcastic banter; he and I have been known to compete in verbal volleyball!

Sometimes, even in Bath Time, it rains, and that’s when I go to the library.  If you are looking for hidden treasure, Bath’s Patten Free Library will not disappoint you. Galen C. Moses, the son of Bath’s first tinsmith, Oliver Moses, donated the necessary funds to build the library in 1889 and requested that it be named after the Patten family, a family of ship builders who helped insure Bath’s prosperity for generations. George E. Harding, a native of Bath, designed the 19^th century library in the Romanesque style. The artistic additions that were added years later in 1961 and 1998 underline Bath’s commitment to art and education, and the park that surrounds the library extends the space for exploring both nature and culture in perfect harmony. During the summer, I could hear live music at the gazebo on Tuesday and Friday nights, and I could also admire the bronze statues that show the heart of Bath. Most tourists are drawn to the fountain, the Spirit of The Sea, by the famous sculptor William Zorach, but I prefer the smaller statue near the entrance of the library: two children sitting on a bench reading. A three dimensional sculpture can truly capture the value of a library! Free of charge, young and old can find pleasure at the Patten Free Library. On one rainy day, I was able to check out  a priceless book, All Available Boats, by Mike Magee, M.D., and I was able to order Questions About Angels, an anthology of poems, by Billy Collins, through the inter-library system. Neither of these books are presently on a best sellers list, but both were written by fellow alumni of the College of the Holy Cross, and I highly recommend them. The first chronicles the rescue of 300,000 people from the island of Manhattan on September 11 by volunteer boat captains who answered the call, and the second is brilliant poetry from the pen of a renowned poet laureate. Good libraries are a blessing, and the Patten Free Library is fabulous!

The 1889 Romanesque part of the Patten Free Library 

For ten weeks of summer I was not in school, but the community of Bath made sure I kept learning!   

Kindness Rules At Sweet Sixteen

Theodore Roosevelt, one of my all time favorite presidents, led the Rough Riders to victory, established our national parks system, inspired the creation of countless “teddy bears” and called us all to dare greatly:

 “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Two dreamers: Taylor and Bryanna (left to right)

 If Teddy Roosevelt were alive today he would be making a whistle stop in Bath, Maine to give a cheer for Bryanna and Taylor and their Morse High School Dream Team. On August 16, 2014, these brave hearts opened Bath’s first annual “Random Acts of Kindness Day,” and at least for a day they washed all of our cares away. From their Information Station on the corner of Front and Center to their “Children’s Zone” between Country Farm Furniture and Dot’s Ice Cream Shop, there were more than a dozen "Kindness Stations," and there was also an open microphone in front of City Hall for John Ater, Max Ater, The All Ways One Band and a stream of male and female musicians! August 16 turned out to be the sweetest day of the year in Bath because of the daring “can do” spirit of a rising high school senior. When I first met Bryanna, she was standing on the corner like the captain of a ship. The purple t-shirt that she was wearing had a “Be kinder than necessary” bumper sticker pressed across its front, and as she watched all the happy people walk by, she was grinning from ear to ear and bubbling over with glee! Bryanna’s mom, who was sitting at the Information Station, had pointed to Bryanna when I asked who was the inventor of this fabulous event. Later, when I congratulated Bryanna, she was quick to introduce her friend and fellow dreamer, Taylor. Both young women were eager to share the applause with teammates and, most especially, with their families, who had turned out in large numbers for the first ever Random Acts of Kindness Day! 

Leslie Trundy visits with fellow dreamers

Bryanna was a poetic 16 going on 17 year old  junior when she first joined Morse High School’s Dream Team and voiced her wish to start a Random Acts of Kindness Day in Bath. As fate and Bath would have it, Darreby Ambler, the founder of Dream Teams, had opened an office at 72 Front Street and was ready to develop a team at the high school. Darreby had already launched over 20 dream teams and over 100 dreamers, and she was enthusiastic about Morse’s team and Bryanna’s idea. Leslie Trundy, a guidance counselor at Morse, was also keen on helping Bryanna’s dream come true. The little engine that could was beginning to pick up steam; however, as Teddy Roosevelt’s famous speech suggests, there are always skeptics in the crowd. Would people come to a kindness event? Would anyone sit down at the “Listening Station” and talk to a perfect stranger (probably a trusted community leader) who promised to only listen? Would skilled participants gather at “Relay Knitting” and knit a few rows of a wool scarf for someone in need? Of course, people would “Take a Treat” from Tracey Bushnell at the Cosmopolitan Club’s station because how could anyone resist cookies and brownies baked by the kind ladies of Bath, and Tracey does in fact have a great smile! Pretty flowers are almost as irresistible as gingerbread, so the “Pick a Flower” from the Bath Garden Club would see a crowd, too. By the end of the day, there would be a line at the “Chair Massage” station where Ruthanne Greenlaw, a licensed massage therapist, was giving away relaxation as her random act of kindness. Personally, I have enjoyed one of Ruthanne’s massages at InspireMe, located in the Customs House, and I smile more often now! Massages make everyone feel better!

Beverly and June provide wisdom

The “Wisdom Station” was a definite wild card, but as a grateful recipient, I can testify that this station was pure genius! As a high school teacher who is accustomed to working with 14 to 18 year old students, I am not surprised that a group of teenagers organized an all inclusive, loving event, but I must also note the irony. Life experience has taught me that many accomplished adults are afraid of adolescents. Their unpredictable behavior, bold fashion statements and fiery choice of words, often drive mature men and women to sit as far away as possible from them at restaurants, movie theaters, or train stations! Simply stated, Bryanna and Taylor, the loving designers of “Random Acts of Kindness Day” are proof positive that teenagers are beautiful and should be hugged as often as possible! The endearing quality of the “Wisdom Station” and the “Children’s Zone” was undeniable from one end of Front Street to the other because they engaged all age groups!  At the Wisdom Station, I sat down to seek the advice of four residents of the Plant Home, Bath’s distinguished home for the elderly. I asked John, Alice, Beverly and June, what I should tell my own “adult children” (clearly an oxymoron). Without a moment’s hesitation, all four of the elders leaned in and replied in chorus, “Tell them nothing!” Now that is pure wisdom! Ironically, I am often more comfortable with teenagers than senior citizens, and I would not have sat down next to June if Betsy Pare, the owner of Maine Shades, had not invited me to take her place at the wisdom table. Betsy also kindly took her iPad and began snapping pictures to capture the love. Every photo taken shows that people did indeed come to Bath's “Random Acts of Kindness Day!"
 

Young artists offer to paint portraits for free

Traditionally, American girls celebrate their sixteenth birthday with as much exuberance as Mexican girls celebrate their “quinceañera,” their fifteenth birthday. I wonder if Bryanna and Taylor chose August 16 randomly? If they did, it was randomly brilliant because many of us remember 16 as being “sweet,” and I believe one of the sweetest stations was located on the far corner between Front and Water. The “Have Your Portrait Painted by a Child Artist” station pulled at my heart strings so strongly that I had to just stand and watch for a while. The event program listed cousins Sammy, Evelyn and Jonathan as the artists, but I also caught a glimpse of Goldilocks, a little girl with bright eyes and wavy hair, who looked remarkably like Leslie Trundy. Perhaps it was Leslie’s own little dreamer. After all, this day was definitely a family affair! One fine lady, who was having her portrait drawn by a young artist, had her dog, a beautiful tri-color Welsh Corgi, sit beside her. It was a picture right out of a Tasha Tudor story book! Of course, families include pets, so I brought my Dachshund-Sheltie, Penny, who received lots of compliments and lots of loving pats. She even received a treat at the "Animal Shelter" station.  All of God’s creatures were happy in Bath on that randomly kind day!

Father and son spell love

On planet Earth, there were some definite highs and lows in August, but the young and the young at heart of Bath clearly played a happy song on August 16 and allowed all who arrived on the corner between bitter and sweet to embrace kindness, to talk, to eat, to draw, to sing and be happy! I believe my hero, Teddy Roosevelt, recently portrayed by Robin Williams in “Night at the Museum,” would have approved of the sincere wish of Bryanna and Taylor, the hard work of Morse High School’s Dream Team, the caring guidance of Leslie Trundy and the courageous imagination of Darreby Ambler. One cannot help but notice that Darreby’s name suggests the “daring” acts that Teddy Roosevelt called us to perform. In the same way, one cannot help but notice that Robin Williams, that bright light of comedy, passed away on August 11, just days before Bath’s first annual "Random Acts of Kindness Day."  I don’t believe in coincidence; rather, I believe we live our lives on purpose and some paths are destined to cross. Whether we remember Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, as the Genie in Aladdin, as the therapist in Good Will Hunting, as Mrs. Doubtfire, as the teacher in Dead Poet Society, as the disc jockey in Good Morning Vietnam, or as Mork in Mork & Mindy, I trust we will all remember the way his random humor made us laugh out loud. For a while, he made us forget all of our troubles, and he made us feel happy! Mork ended every episode by reporting to his alien supervisor, Orson, on human behavior. Celebrating the life of Robin Williams, a writer for Time, James Poniewozik, recalled one of Mork’s closing observations: “Love doesn’t make sense. That’s why earthlings think it’s so wonderful.” Morse High School’s Dream Team poured us all a tall glass of love on August 16. In Orkan speak, “Nanu nanu!”   

A Welsh Corgi offers a smile to people passing by

Paddle Slowly and Enjoy the Blue

"Mark's Canoe Shop"

I am a true blue fan of CBS’s hit television drama NCIS, and I confess that Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, seems like a hero I know. For the past 11 seasons, Gibbs has been constructing boats and other wooden masterpieces in his basement to steady his hand and focus his thoughts. Gibbs’ private “wood shop” has become a fascinating place that thousands of viewers like to visit every Tuesday night. Building a boat by hand, naming it, and giving it away, is a powerful act of love. Over the past 11 months, my son, Mark, built a canoe out of cedar wood and synthetic fabric for his dad in his spare time. On July 25, 2014, he drove down Washington Street with that long, light canoe tied to the roof of his Chevy Impala as his dad stood waiting in front of our house. It was a Kodak moment, and it was purely nonfiction! Sometimes the people we know and love stand taller than all of the action heroes we watch on TV or see in the movies. When Mark pulled into our driveway and told his dad the canoe was for him, he was way taller than Gibbs!

The hand-made canoe arrives at Lake Nequasset

Without a doubt, Bath, Maine, inspired Mark to build a boat. Mark was with Joe and I when we first visited Bath during a February snowstorm, and, of course, we went to the Maine Maritime Museum. At the museum there is an interactive tugboat exhibit, and we rang the bell and pretended to steer as I told Mark about his grandfather’s experience working on the tugboats of New York Harbor after WWII. Across from the museum’s gift store there is a display case with a ship’s engine and a photograph of Steve McQueen playing Jake Holman in the motion picture “The Sand Pebbles.”  As we read Jake’s quote about the beautiful sound of an engine in motion, I told Mark about my dad’s service on naval destroyers in the Pacific and the North Atlantic as a chief in the engine room, and my brother’s service as a naval officer in the Indian Ocean, the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. Mark is a high school math teacher, and he listens better than anyone I know, so it’s not surprising that he absorbed the naval history of our family that day and saved it to his hard drive. 
 

Boats and blue water surround Seguin Island

Later, after buying our Maine house, Mark returned to Bath in July, 2013 to help celebrate my birthday, and four of us took a boat ride to Seguin Island to picnic, hike, and take in the blue view! On a perfect birthday, we vowed that all July birthdays from that day forward would be celebrated on a boat, surrounded by blue water! I have always liked the color blue, but in Maine it is becoming my go to color! (Our painter, John Ater, advised us to paint the ceiling of our covered deck a sky blue because it is a Maine tradition, and I am so glad we did!) What’s astonishing about our July 27, 2013 commitment to blue is that Mark silently promised to build a boat to insure our future happiness! He began his canoe project two months later with the help of his colleague, an experienced boat builder and a phenomenal wood shop teacher!

Lake Nequasset

Even before Mark arrived with his birch colored canoe, Joe and I began scouting out sites that would be good for launching a 14 foot, lightweight boat. Thanks to a helpful neighbor, we discovered Lake Nequasset, which is located in nearby Woolwich and happens to be the water supply for the city of Bath.  As Bath and fate would have it, Woolwich was originally called “Nequasset” after the peninsula's 425 acre lake. The lake was named by the Abenaki Indians, and its wealth of fish, plants and surrounding timber encouraged early settlement. Edward Bateman and James Brown (no relation to “The Godfather of Soul”) purchased the land from the Abenaki tribal leader known as “Chief Robinhood” in 1639. Perhaps the area residents thought the prices were too high at the local trading post and the chief was really a noble bandit. I support the theory that history is a mixture of myth and fact in equal measure. History tells us, however, that beautiful Nequasset endured more than its fair share of violence and heartbreak one hundred years before the Revolutionary War. According to the history books, warriors attacked a trading post, which belonged to the Hammond family, on August 13,1676 at Day’s Ferry. The warriors burned, looted, scalped, and captured members of the family living and working by the Kennebec River. Nequasset was attacked again during King William’s War and again during Dummer’s War in 1723. The last recorded conflict on this striking blue and green peninsula occurred in 1758 during the French and Indian War. In 1759, Nequasset became a district of Georgetown and was renamed Woolwich after a city in England. If only the French and Indian War had been the last war, we wouldn’t have to worry about the alarming news reports we hear today from around the globe. And that is why paddling Mark’s canoe on Lake Nequasset is so extraordinary. It’s like taking a spoonful of sugar with your morning coffee or afternoon tea! Paddling a canoe makes swallowing the news a whole lot easier! I believe Mark’s birch like canoe reminds us all of the Native Americans who used to paddle on Lake Nequasset hoping to maintain their balance with nature and their way of life. Ironically, Mark's birthday is August 13, and he is a peacemaker!

The canoe is successfully launched!

By chance, when Joe and I viewed

 Fish Ladder Restoration Project underway at Nequasset Dam

Lake Nequasset's boat launch for the first time, we saw a crew of men working on the lake’s dam. Later, I discovered that they were part of the Nequasset Fish Ladder Restoration Project, and I became even more interested in the history of the lake. According to a Times Record article published last December, the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) received grants to the sum of $50,000 to support outreach, planning, design and management of the restoration project that will replace a 58 year old concrete pool and weir style fish ladder on the active alewife run at the Nequasset Dam. Alewives serve as food for striped bass, bluefish, haddock, halibut, seals, and whales to name just a few sea creatures that benefit from the safe passage of this fish which spends most of its life at sea but returns to fresh water to spawn. An improved passage for the alewives also helps to maintain a strong connection between our ocean, rivers and lakes. Last but not least, alewives are the preferred bait for spring lobster fishery. As we all know, lobsters and Mainers go together like a coke and a smile, but who knew that a favorite spot for local fishing and canoeing was also the number one priority for KELT and its commitment to fish ladder recovery along the Kennebec! One quiet ride in Mark’s hand-made canoe certainly taught me a lot about nature, and balance, and the beauty of a timeless form of transportation! It was fun to go native in Woolwich! And after an afternoon of paddling, we returned home to Washington Street for a barbeque topped off with a black raspberry and vanilla ice cream cake from Witch Spring Hill. Birthdays don't get any better than that!

P.S. Since Mark gave the canoe to his father, you may be wondering what Mark gave me for my birthday. Mark knows me well, so he gave me a dozen muffins from his favorite local bakery in Somerville, MA to share with the family. Sugar times 12 equals happiness in Bath and everywhere!

Finding Monhegan: The Perfect Giving Tree

A view of Monhegan and Manana Islands from the lighthouse

On a peaceful Sunday morning, Joe and I, along with our trusty dog, Penny Lane, set out for Monhegan Island because Susan Rayfield Wood told us we should. Susan, a Maine Ten artist, sent me an email shortly after I purchased one of her pastels at a winter art exhibit in Bath. In her note, she thanked me for appreciating her work and suggested that Joe and I visit Monhegan, an island ten miles off the Midcoast of Maine that has been inspiring artists for over one hundred years. Even though I have never met Susan, I would recognize her artwork anywhere. Her images are soulful, and her pastel, "Blue Haiku," captured Joe and I instantly! Following the creative trail of an artist is like following a trail of breadcrumbs to a secret garden, and we wanted to follow Susan's creative trail.

The garden gate of a Monhegan home

According to the 2000 census, the year-round population of Monhegan Island is 75, but every summer there are countless visitors that board a boat and take the hour long trip to the island to hike the trails and witness the beauty of nature up close and personal. In 1614, Captain John Smith  - who gave New England its name - visited Monhegan Island, and four hundred years later, on July 6, 2014, my captain and I landed on the island ready to explore as well.

Penny Lane and I in search of the perfect tree.

 To begin our quest, Joe and I drove to New Harbor, down east from Damariscotta, to board the Hardy III, and we arrived early enough to find seats on the upper deck. What an amazing view! Even our nervous sea dog, Penny, was quieted by the water's majesty. Two seasoned travelers were seated in front of us, and they turned to comment on our well behaved dog. It's funny how our pets help us to meet good people. Within a few minutes, one of the ladies introduced herself as Ellen Hutcheson, an artist who was planning to spend a week on the island. As luck and Bath would have it, Ellen gave us a brief art history lesson and pointed out Manana Island, one of her favorite subjects to paint. (As a Spanish teacher, I wanted to add the tilde and say "Mañana," but several locals assured me that Manana rhymes with banana and is not pronounced the Spanish way.) After we arrived on the island, we did not see Ellen again, but we did find many of the inspirational views that she described during our boat ride, including a "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree that begged to be photographed!  It was pure serendipity because I later discovered  that it looked just like the little evergreen tree that inspired one of Ellen's favorite watercolors. 

Our Penny Lane (a.k.a. "Charlie Brown") Christmas tree!

Like the trails of Monhegan, there's a twist to this story. When I returned home from our day's outing and went online to learn more about Ellen Hutcheson, I misspelled her sir name and discovered another Maine artist, Marieluise Hutchinson, who also visits Monhegan Island for outdoor studies. Those breadcrumbs can lead us to surprising places! But before I delve into the homemade goodness of Marieluise, I must say I enjoyed viewing the whimsical and representational art of Ellen Hutcheson on her web page. In fact, I found her painting of the little evergreen tree. Clearly, it is one of her most popular works because she has reproduced it in both poster and greeting card form; however, it's not truly a "Charlie Brown" tree because it is shorter and chubbier. Since Joe and I both photographed this adorable tree, we may use one of our Monhegan photographs to make a unique Christmas card this year. I think we will call it a "Penny Lane" Christmas tree because it's short and chubby and oh so cute! As Auntie Mame used to sing, "We need a little Christmas, right this very minute!" I suspect Monhegan Island has inspired songwriters as well as artists! Nevertheless, I know for certain that Monhegan inspired Marieluise Hutchinson and Edward Hopper (Nighthawks, 1942). Hopper actually spent four consecutive summers on Monhegan, 1916-1919, painting mostly the distinctive rock formations, like Blackhead and Gull Rock. In 2011, the Bowdoin College Art Museum offered an exhibition of Hopper's Maine paintings that included over 30 of his Monhegan pochades ("pockets"), small plein-air oil panels.

Joe's photo of the distinctive rock formations that inspired Hopper

Surprisingly, modern day photos show little change in the landscape of Monhegan Island, and living artists, like Marieluise, whose style has been called "Hopperesque," continue to paint there. It seems rather ironic that Hopper, the creator of "Nighthawks," one of my favorite paintings to view at Chicago's Art Institute, influenced Marieluise. While most people can identify with the loneliness of the urban "Nighthawks," they yearn for the "Perfect Tree," which was inspired by a row of homes near Owl Head, south of Rockland. Marieluise resides in Cushing, Maine and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and she prefers to paint real places. To find out more about this authentic New England artist, I recently visited Bayview Gallery in Brunswick, which has several of her oil paintings on display. The Monhegan houses, in winter and summer, as well as the classic lighthouse, seem to jump off the wall and embrace you with a big hug, and that is the obvious difference between Hopper and Hutchinson. Marieluise offers us the same crispness without the darkness. Her solitude calms us like the quiet after a snowstorm. Viewing Marieluise's "The Perfect Tree" is like watching "White Christmas" and listening to the low and high notes of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. In a December, 2013 article published in the Portland Press Herald, Susan Starr, the co-owner of Bayview Gallery, said "Marieluise's images make it very easy to compose a story." One could make a similar observation of Hopper's "Nighthawks," and his urban paintings that followed his Monhegan summers. Both artists have used their brush and paints to create visual narratives that capture a feeling in a familiar setting. Typically, Marieluise conveys a sentiment without a single person in her painting. The light in the window, the wreath on the door, or the smoke from the chimney stir up our memories and take us to that safe place. Robert Colburn, the director of  Bayview Gallery, told me that "Perfect Tree" sold recently, and I am not surprised, but in my dreams I find that perfect tree first! 

The Pine Tree Society's Christmas card by Marieluise Hutchinson

In his December 25, 2013 article for the Portland Press Herald, North Cairn reported that 825,000 people around the world spied a picture of rural New England last December because Marieluise Hutchinson donated her painting, "The Way of Wintertime," to the Red Cross, and the Red Cross used the image for their holiday card. Each year Marieluise paints a winter scene in October to be offered to a charitable organization. In 2003, 2008, and 2012, The Pine Tree Society of Bath, featured one of Marieluise's winter scenes on their annual Christmas card. The cards are sold in packages of 25 to raise funds for Pine Tree's herculean efforts to help Maine people with disabilities maximize their abilities. The Society was established in 1947 as the Pine Tree Society for Crippled Children. In that same year, the granddaughters of Mr. John Sedgwick Hyde, a past president of Bath Iron Works, donated their Elmhurst Mansion to be used as a rehabilitation hospital for victims of the polio epidemic. Today, the  Hyde School, a private preparatory school, occupies the mansion and grounds, but in 1947 this Bath home provided hope to young children afflicted with a terrifying disease. As a child of the late 1950's, I often tell my high school students that I was among the first generation of school children to be vaccinated against polio, and I feel enormously blessed! The Pine Tree Society's mission is beyond noble, and in many ways it represents the perfect giving tree. Needless to say, I purchased a few packages of their  Christmas cards, which were designed exclusively for Pine Tree by Marieluise Hutchinson, and through giving I discovered that dreams can come true. I will mail the cards to friends and family, but I will keep one to remember the glow of a perfect tree as well as the beautiful joy of giving. Yes, sometimes we need a little Christmas in July!

On the "Penny Lane" trail!