Our Blog is here to help keep you informed about new local projects, concerns, and news events going on in Maine and the country.
CAREGIVING | HUMAN TRAFFICKING | FOOD | SPIRITUAL | BUILDING COMMUNITY
Topic ~ Caregiving
Be Present in the Moment. It Will Not Come This Way Again
As 2019, all too quickly draws to a close, I stop and reflect on how well I treated the opportunities it presented. A few years ago, all of our kids were home for Christmas over college break. For these occasions, like so many parents, I try to make as many of their...
In Every Ending the Beginning is Already There
It is said that we can learn much from nature. I’ve found this to be particularly true of this year’s season of autumn. I’ve taken the opportunity for more walks and biking adventures and have better noted the etchings on leaves. The vibrant colors of reds and golds,...
Reflecting this Mother’s Day on Mother Mary
I always have mixed feelings about "holidays" such as Mother's Day but I went to bed last night thinking of Mother Mary. I thought about how much she went through as a mother of which we can choose to identify. First, she was pregnant without being married, then she...
Topic ~ Human Trafficking
Trafficking Food
This morning as I had my morning coffee, I read about a young, Indonesian man whose life as a slave on a Thai fishing vessel began 22 years ago. His name is Myint. The first time Myint asked for his release that he may go home to his mother and family, he was...
Never About Grapes and Lettuce – Always About People
“It is never about grapes and lettuce. It is always about people.” ~ Cesar Chavez Cesar Chavez was Mexican-American fighting for the rights of farmworkers. In 1968, he organized a five-year “grape boycott,” working to ensure better pay and working conditions. His work...
Topic ~ Food
Casseroles: The Darling of the 1950s American Homemaker
Casseroles are an American classic. In the 1950s the American homemaker designed casseroles to be easy, budget-friendly, and nutritious and often used leftovers. Food shortages existed during World War l and ll. These shortages taught homemakers to be thrifty and the...
Experience the Taste of Maine with Springtime Foraging
This girl had a flu virus for eleven days, so now she's addressing the need to catch up. I prefer to be ahead, but now that I'm behind, I may just accept that I'm not going to catch up. Like in high school how I dealt with the old math problem about two trains leaving...
Romancing the Kitchen This Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day has been celebrated every year since about the 14th century. Pakistan and Indonesia forbid the idea of Valentine's Day, but in America, many of us think about it and how we will make the holiday our own. Part of me isn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day,...
Topic ~ Spiritual
Grampa Stiles and His Stately Grandfather Clock
This year, I aim to be happy and know peace inside and out. For each of us, peace may mean something different. And for sure, we each get there on our terms. Maintaining a peaceful balance amid change, which we are all experiencing, is essential to our well-being. To...
Moving Forward into the New Year 2023 with Faith, Hope, and Trust
The past year, 2022, was incredibly challenging, and maybe you found it that way, too. There were the passing of loved ones, concerns for friends in countries experiencing severe uprisings, recovery from my shattered elbow, and moving through COVID, not once, but...
Joy is the Lantern that Lights the Way
"Joy is the lantern that lights the way through the dark times and the motivator propelling us toward dreams." (Moss) Carols are playing in the background of pre-Christmas festivities. The tree that stands so proudly in front of me is gaily lit with the brightest of...
Christmas Card Greetings for the Grieving
Grief lies between the light and the dark. Grieving is especially hard during the holiday season. Seeing sparkly tinsel, shiny gold and silver ornaments, or even light-adorned trees takes significant effort and may even be impossible. For many, Christmas cards hold a...
Topic ~ Building Community
Grampa Stiles and His Stately Grandfather Clock
This year, I aim to be happy and know peace inside and out. For each of us, peace may mean something different. And for sure, we each get there on our terms. Maintaining a peaceful balance amid change, which we are all experiencing, is essential to our well-being. To...
Moving Forward into the New Year 2023 with Faith, Hope, and Trust
The past year, 2022, was incredibly challenging, and maybe you found it that way, too. There were the passing of loved ones, concerns for friends in countries experiencing severe uprisings, recovery from my shattered elbow, and moving through COVID, not once, but...
Joy is the Lantern that Lights the Way
"Joy is the lantern that lights the way through the dark times and the motivator propelling us toward dreams." (Moss) Carols are playing in the background of pre-Christmas festivities. The tree that stands so proudly in front of me is gaily lit with the brightest of...
Christmas Card Greetings for the Grieving
Grief lies between the light and the dark. Grieving is especially hard during the holiday season. Seeing sparkly tinsel, shiny gold and silver ornaments, or even light-adorned trees takes significant effort and may even be impossible. For many, Christmas cards hold a...