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!

           

Northern Exposure Lights up the Fourth

I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney with my brother, Mike, every Sunday night on NBC, and I think that is partly why I am always looking for magic. This past weekend I witnessed some true magic in Bath. I discovered music and laughter and fireworks at Waterfront Park! Most of us in the USA go to Disneyland or Disney World at least once in our lifetime. If we are blessed, we go multiple times, and each time we are enchanted in a different way. At that happy place, every day ends with a parade down Main Street, and every night begins with fireworks. In Bath, every Fourth of July weekend feels like Disney because of a nationally recognized organization called Main Street Bath. This creative group of volunteers produces a little magic for Heritage Days every year, and the entertainment comes in a wild and crazy assortment of flavors to please the most discerning participants!

Mark and Lauren at the Cosmopolitan Club's Strawberry Shortcake Festival

In Maine, the weathermen were predicting rain for the Fourth of July, but because of the luck of Bath, they were only partly right. Nevertheless, for me, the pure magic began in the rain. I was helping the women of the Cosmopolitan Club scoop strawberries on to homemade biscuits, and I was topping them off with fresh whipped cream for their Strawberry Shortcake Festival ( a hugely popular bit of magic), when I noticed the kitchen clock said three o'clock, and that was my time to go because I had convinced my family that the "must see" performance of the weekend was Rob Morrow at Waterfront Park, and his act started at three o'clock sharp. With hoods up and umbrellas in hand, my family and I jogged over to the Main Stage to see Morrow and his fellow guitarist, Carlos, singing and playing in the rain. I was surprised to see only a small crowd; however, considering the weather, the faces seemed  remarkably cheerful and very enthusiastic. I suspect we were all loyal TV fans of Northern Exposure and Numbers. It was easy to find a place to stand close to the stage. I don't think I have ever enjoyed such an excellent vantage point for viewing a concert. I could actually see that bright, Hollywood smile and those famous brown eyes that crinkle boyishly.

Rob Morrow live!

Rob Morrow today looks almost as youthful as Dr. Joel Fleischman, the newly graduated physician who arrived in Cicely, Alaska fresh out of Columbia University's medical residency program in 1990 to confront the trials and tribulations of Main Street, USA. Northern Exposure showed millions of viewers how people from very diverse backgrounds could pull together and form a strong, albeit eccentric, community. At first glance, the townspeople of Cicely seem to have little in common: the former astronaut turned radio station owner, the ex-convict disc-jockey, who served as the resident philosopher and non-denominational pastor for local weddings, and the beautiful bush pilot. Cicely was definitely populated by an entertaining crew of colorful characters! Is there a Bath connection? Truth be told, in TV land the town of Roslyn, Washington provided the backdrop for Northern Exposure, and I believe those of us who have spent time in both the Pacific Northwest and the Mid-coast of Maine can see some similarities: evergreen trees, blue water, wildlife, cold winters, and moose. In the opening titles of the show, there was a moose walking down Main Street. (For trivia buffs: the moose was named Mort and was borrowed from a herd owned by Washington State University.) All of this begs the question: Why would Rob Morrow, who also played an F.B.I. agent and protective brother in Numbers (2005 to 2010), headline an outdoor concert in Bath, Maine on the Fourth of July? Well, his wife is from Gloucester, Massachusetts, and his family probably prefers to summer in Maine as so many smart people do! Of course, this is just a wild guess.

Can you find the Northern Exposure t-shirt in this picture?

On the Fourth of July, surrounded by a rainbow of pink, blue and yellow rain jackets, there was a man and woman standing together under an umbrella, and the man was wearing a Northern Exposure t-shirt with Cicely, Alaska printed below a border of moose. Morrow noticed it between sets and used it to begin his banter about his now iconic television show. A consummate performer, he moved from music to stand up comedy without missing a beat. With a few quick jabs and a lot of wit, he proved to be the perfect choice for Bath's Main Stage. Morrow is a great story-teller, and I am a fanatical fan with good reason! According to Morrow, the infamous scene where Dr. Fleischman and a group of men run nude down Main Street in Cicely was authentic. He offered  all the extras a mere $10 to run without their protective cover ups, and as they approached the town's City Hall, they were greeted by the mayor who proceeded to press charges against Morrow. Fortunately, the studio's attorneys were very skilled and negotiated a settlement without grave consequences for the rising, young star! Morrow laughed long and hard at his own folly, and that made him all the more endearing. He also spoke lovingly of his wife and daughter, and he shared another anecdotal story. When he first met his wife, he thought her name, Debbon Ayer, was "cool" because it sounded just like the word "debonair," so when his daughter was born he kept the cool flowing and named her Tu Morrow. We all laughed together with that sweet confession; however, by far the sweetest moment of  Morrow's concert came later when a young man with Down Syndrome approached the stage and asked if they could do an Elvis song. Morrow flashed his biggest Hollywood smile and said he knew the words to Jailhouse Rock if Carlos could play it on the guitar. Carlos said yes, and the Hollywood star and the brave young man from the audience began to move like Elvis. Earlier in the show, Morrow shouted with a grin, "We've got the fireworks right here!" Well, as soon as he started singing and dancing to "Jailhouse Rock," the fireworks metaphorically exploded! It was a heart-tugging, unrehearsed moment that won Morrow our love and applause!

Rob Morrow (a.k.a. Dr. Joel Fleischman) and I

Naturally, Rob Morrow, the actor, had to promote his upcoming film, Begin Again, but he did it with great style and teased us with insider information. This soulful comedy, which pairs Keira Knightley as a young song writer and Mark Ruffalo as a disgraced record-label executive, was originally titled Can a Song Save Your Life?. Morrow plays a CEO in the film, but as an actor and a singer/guitarist, he believes most musicians would prefer the original title because it implies every songwriter's greatest hope. Ironically, Rob Morrow resembles my older son, Matthew, who is a new doctor like the main character in Northern Exposure; however, there is an obvious difference. Dr. Matthew is an easy going Midwesterner who is now practicing medicine in New York City; Dr. Fleischman was an edgy New Yorker practicing medicine in a very relaxed Alaska! My daughter, Katie, on the other hand, is a singer, and she would whole heartily agree with Rob Morrow and prefer the title Can a Song Save Your Life? for his new film. To sum up all the good parts of the concert in the park, there was something for everyone in Rob Morrow's performance. Main Street Bath played all the right notes this Fourth of July!

Dr. Matthew (a.k.a. my son) and I

P.S. Joe and I said good morning to the Fourth by 

We ran the race in Maine's Cool Little City!

running the 5 Mile Road Race at 8:15 a.m. for the second year in a row. It's our new tradition. Joe, of course, ran much faster than I, but I did manage to finish with a P.R.! Five miles in 50 minutes and 13 seconds isn't terrible for a 50 something lady, especially if you factor in the hills. God bless America, God bless Bath, and God bless the countless volunteers who make our national celebrations so memorable!

 

Morning Runs and Summer Races

Short and sweet, a morning run usually lasts 30 minutes to an hour depending on the day and weather conditions. My dog, Penny, wakes me up at o'dark early, so our day begins with a sunrise walk along the Kennebec, and then I put on my running shoes. I step out the side door, stretch a bit, and run less than a block before turning toward the river. The running views are so different from the walking views! When I'm walking with Penny, I like to take pictures of the boats, the buoys and, of course, the wildflowers, but when I'm running the images soften and blur like a Monet. It's really difficult to snap a photo when your feet are in motion, so I try to breathe in the beauty and save it to my hard drive, my collection of happy thoughts!

For a runner, the route is all important. In Illinois, I run along flat roads, but in Bath I run up and down hills, serious inclines that slow you down and make you sweat. It isn't always pretty! To quote Jackson Brown (Yes, I did see him in concert in the 1970's!), when I'm "running on empty," I simply look out on the water and fill up with all that morning glory! The endorphins usually kick in as I reach Bath's City Hall at the top of Front Street and round the corner to approach Waterfront Park. The short stretch through the park is one of my favorite places along my five mile route. Perhaps that's because it comes early, and it's so peaceful there that time of day. There's rarely a tourist in sight, but I always have a chance to say hello to the groundskeeper, and we agree that it's a great day to be in Bath! From the park, I loop back to Front Street and pass by the Patten Free Library, which for me is a sweet spot in Bath. Across from the library stands the rather new Hampton Inn, which is super convenient for travelers heading north on Route 1. My warm-up is complete at this point, and the real miles begin. I run north now on Front Street until it intersects with Washington and Drummond at the top of an incline which requires a glance to my right, to the Kennebec, as I continue north on Washington up towards the dead end with no turn around for large trucks. This is the prettiest part of my morning run. The views keep getting better and better! In my mind's eye, I'm gathering the flowers at the side of the road and saving a picture of a red canoe, and a boat house, and a front porch at the bend in the road. It all seems like a warm slice of cinnamon coffee cake! Yesterday, I decided in a short breath that I would have to return to this stretch of road to take pictures. Later that day, around 4 o'clock, I returned with Penny and my camera to capture the river's smile. At 50 something, I've learned you cannot trust your brain to remember all the details clearly. Photographs really do help!

 Like most runners, I feel a day or two younger at the end of a long run. That feeling never ceases to amaze me. I don't feel "newer" like the Hampton Inn on Commercial Street; rather, I feel refreshed like the old houses on Washington Street that have been purchased by new owners! I have to give credit to Sam Armentrout, the seller's agent for our Maine house, for sharing her intuitive wisdom with us. When Sam greeted Joe and I at the Bath Farmers Market for the first time last summer, she said "Old houses love new owners!" As fate and Bath would have it, she was right. There are quite a few new home owners along Washington Street. I see them as I run by their gardens and driveways, and they are certainly busy planting, painting, repairing and refurbishing. You can feel the endorphins of active people in motion! In some ways, Bath reminds me of a busy beehive, and we can always use more sweet honey!

Joe and I are a couple of early birds. Over a month ago we registered for Bath's annual 5 Mile Road Race on the Fourth of July because the first 50 runners to sign up receive a free t-shirt. Last summer five family members proudly wore the numbers 37 through 41, and we triumphantly put those free t-shirts on after the race! This year my son, Mark, and his girlfriend, Lauren, will be joining us. Competitive by nature, we've all been training hard. Knowing that, I am fairly certain that I will be the last of our daring group to finish, but I hope to PR (set a personal record). After all, it's the hopefulness that counts. Truth be told, Bath keeps me hopeful!

P.S. Next Bath Time, I will let you know how the 5 Mile Road Race turns out for our merry band of runners. May our feet take flight!

     

House and Garden Tour: 3 Anniversaries, 2 Weddings and 1 Room with a Loom

Flag Day, June 14th, is usually a beautiful day for flying Old Glory, celebrating anniversaries, walking down an aisle with someone you love, or creating art with your own two hands. On June 14, 2014, Joe and I launched our second summer in the Maine house by going on the Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc.'s 12th Annual House and Garden Tour. For the first time, SPI's tour left the City of Bath and chose to spotlight the "Architectural Gems & Hidden Gardens of Phippsburg." It was a good and timely decision because Phippsburg is celebrating their bicentennial this year. Such a significant historic event deserves an anniversary party, and thanks to a committee of 14 history loving SPI members, headed by the talented Judy Barrington, and a score of well informed docents, SPI put on quite a show for a continuous stream of people on a picture perfect day. The entire event felt like a progressive brunch among good friends, but instead of serving blueberry pancakes, gracious hosts opened their doors to share quaint rooms, picturesque views, and insightful facts about the architectural details and family histories of their homes. The Kennebec River seemed to be overflowing with extraordinary, almost scandalous, stories! Who knew that the history of an 18th century house would sound a lot like a J. Courtney Sullivan novel (Maine, The Engagements).

Jackie Hogg and John Atkinson, the charming English couple who own and operate The 1774 Inn at 44 Parker Head Road, had some lively tales to tell about Pre-Revolutionary War America. History tells us that sailors and shipbuilders are legendary risk takers. The McCobb-Hill-Minott House, now the 1774 Inn, has a colorful history that illustrates that notion. According to Jackie, the Georgian mansion was originally the property of James McCobb, a successful merchant, who landed on the peninsula in 1731 and bought up much of the land that is now Phippsburg. He had his elegant home along the Kennebec River built for his second wife. Yesterday and today, numbering wives usually foreshadows family drama, and so it was for the McCobbs! For James McCobb there was a third wife, who upon his death altered his will and claimed his mansion as her own so that she and her son, Mark Hill, could remain there.  This selfish act ignited a scandal because Thomas McCobb, James' son from his second wife, was at sea when it transpired. With revenge in mind, Thomas built a new, and even grander mansion, "The Spite House," across the road. Ironically, Mark Hill grew up to marry his stepsister, Mary McCobb, and partnered with his stepbrother, Thomas, in shipbuilding and ship ownership to create an enduring legacy. Charles Minott later purchased the grand house and its nearby shipyard in 1854 and went on to build 34 more vessels, including the last commercial wooden full-rigged ship built in North America. Visiting the 1774 Inn today is like stepping back in time. There is a Linden tree on the front lawn which was planted in 1774. Its graceful branches seem to reflect the long and intriguing history of this daring community. Our docent, Mr. Minott (not a ghost, but possibly related to Charles Minott) described the inn's back door as a "witch door" because it had both Roman and Greek crosses on it to ward off evil spirits. Personally, I found the "Woodshed Room,"tucked in a corner on the ground floor to be the most enchanting part of the house. This hideaway room opens up to a private verandah facing the Kennebec River. Now, that is what I call "magic!" Jackie told me it is by far the most popular room at the inn. On June 14th, it was reserved for a couple celebrating their anniversary (anniversary #2). I uncovered this fact surreptitiously by reading a note from the innkeeper on the nightstand. (Sorry, hand-written notes left on nightstands are simply irresistible!) Finding best wishes for a happy anniversary was a very sweet discovery at The 1774 Inn!

Anniversaries usually follow weddings, but on the SPI tour, the opposite proved true. The Sebasco Harbor Resort, down east on the Main Road, offered us a glimpse of our first wedding of the day. We spied a young woman carrying her coral bridesmaid dress to her cottage. A few minutes later we saw two men setting up 100 white chairs on the lawn overlooking the harbor. Later that afternoon the wedding guests would enjoy the same water view that Eleanor Roosevelt enjoyed when she stayed at the Sebasco Lodge. Nathan Cushman, the baker from White Plains, New York who founded the Cushman Baking Company in Portland as well as the Oakhurst Dairy, added Sebasco's unique Lighthouse accommodations in the 1930's. The Sebasco estate, however, dates way back to 1767 when Henry Totman bought 500 acres from James McCobb. (That name sounds familiar!)

The present owner, Bob Smith, invested millions of dollars to give the resort a new facelift. The Pilot House Restaurant and the Fairwinds Spa may be wrinkle free, but the stunning harbor view remains unchanged. And God must truly bless June brides because not a single drop of rain fell that afternoon on the peninsula!

Love was definitely in the air because our tour uncovered a second wedding just a few miles up the road. Joe and I definitely enjoy fine details, so we move slowly on tours. Several hours into the SPI tour, we realized we were running out of time, so we advanced quickly to numbers nine and ten. We were especially drawn to 153 Fiddlers Reach Road because it strongly resembled our home on Washington Street, so we decided to make it our last stop. Cold Spring Farm was number 9 on our tour, and we discovered our second wedding of the day in its barn. Constructed of homemade bricks, the farm's main house was built in 1773 by William Lee, a former chimney pot maker from Yorkshire, England. Local historians tell us that Mr. Lee arrived in Boston Harbor with his wife and six children on December 16, 1773, the day of the Boston Tea Party. This is an amazing fact, and we only discovered it because of the in depth research of Jane Morse, an area resident who wrote most of the house tour program. When we met Jane earlier on the tour, I immediately thought of Morse High School in Bath. Names really do replicate around here! Well, in typical Maine fashion, the Lee family owned Cold Spring Farm from 1773 until 1895. Later, it fell into disrepair, but a direct descendant of William Lee, Mrs. Marie Forbes, purchased the farm in 1932 and restored it to its original grandeur. She also built the double barn. She actually found two exceptional barns, disassembled them, and brought them to Cold Spring Farm Road to be reassembled. This is the same barn that served as a wedding chapel for two people in love on  June 14, 2014. There is definitely a romantic thread here because William Lee, Jr. married the daughter of James McCobb, and James gave the newlyweds his island, Lee's Island, as a wedding gift. One can only imagine what spectacular gift today's couple received: Island Magic or a Cuisinart?

Finally, we reached 153 Fiddlers Reach Road, an address and a home that truly reminds me of "Fiddler on the Roof" tradition. And since family weddings are a seasonal topic, William Lee's daughter married Daniel Campbell in 1797. Six generations of the Campbell family resided on this property until selling it in 1957. Tradition! Today, this Federal-style home is owned by Roger and Marcia Clark, and I was delighted to meet them because if homes reflect our personality, we probably have a lot in common. As luck and Bath would have it, we do. (We have children who make music for a living!) After meeting Marcia at the top of the stairs, I turned to discover our last hidden gem of the day, a loom! The Clarks converted a bedroom into a weaving room, and Marcia's loom now owns the space. The Halycon yarn from Bath looks magnificent on that elegant machine! Marcia was quick to tell us that her loom had traveled with her from home to home over the years, but this 18th century colonial was the first to offer her a room solely for weaving. Every artist deserves their own space! Although I am not a weaver, as a Spanish teacher I have met outstanding Zapotec weavers in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Zapotecs told me about cochineal, their hidden treasure, a tiny insect that provides us with carmine, a crimson-colored natural dye. When I mentioned cochineal to Marcia, she knew the historical significance immediately, and that's when I knew I had found good people among the architectural gems and hidden gardens of Phippsburg! Priceless!

P.S. If you pay attention to numbers, you probably noticed we are one anniversary short. Anniversary number three is my heart's gem. If my mother and father were still on this Earth, June 14, 2014 would have been their 62nd Wedding Anniversary.