Signs of Spring

There are some definite signs of spring in my neighborhood! Yesterday the temps rose to the mid 50s. The average high for this time of year is the low 40s, so we were delighted to enjoy some early spring weather.



The other thing I am rejoicing about is the lack of snow. We have no snow on the ground! This winter, as places such as Washington, DC, and New York got dumped on, Coastal Maine was spared. The last sizable storm here was about 7 weeks ago. As near as I can tell, Portland, Maine has received less than 40 inches of snow this winter, compared to our annual average of about 72 inches. I predicted a mild winter, and I was right.



Now indoors, there are also sure signs of spring. Tonight is the Academy Awards ceremony in LA. Yesterday I helped my friend prepare for her annual Oscar Party. She had gotten a few Oscar posters, which we managed to get framed and ready for display.



She also bought some special booze for our festivities. It's called Hypnotiq, and the company's website says it is an "exquisite blend of premium vodka, natural tropical fruit juices and a hint of Cognac." Of course, we had to taste-test it. It reminded me of my Millennium visit to Moorea, an island in the South Pacific. I guess it was the tropical juices that rekindled that memory. In any case, it's good stuff. The color is a lovely turquoise-y blue which my friend calls Avatar Blue. (I had to have this explained to me, not having seen the movie.)



Well, it is too nice a day to stay inside. Whatever you have planned today, I hope you have an enjoyable Sunday & a wonderful week!

Love is in the air ~ Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!



Whether you're happily married, joyously single, or frenetically searching for that special someone, I hope you will make the effort to have a happy and satisfying Valentine's Day.



I always like to take this day to remember all the special people in my life.





Shown are some of the Valentines I made for others and some that I received.



Sending thanks and big hugs to all who shared their love with me this year! I heart you all!

P.S. I'm going to include below a poem I wrote for friends who got married recently...

Poem for Laura & Keith
October 2009

To dream,
Then playing a song together,
Two voices, one tune.
To love,
Then to share the love with each other,
Two people, one life.
To know,
Then to act on the knowing,
Reaching deep into the heart,
Where dreams and truths reside.
To wed,
In celebration of a life created
By twin souls,
Walking through life together,
Living the dream of the heart.

8 years & counting

On February 3, 2002, I moved to Maine.



My family is from Maine, but we moved away when I was 2 years old (and was too young to protest!). Luckily for me, my parents were teachers, and so I got to spend every summer in Maine.



I always had a dream of returning to live in Maine.



It's always been my favorite place.



In late 2001, it seemed the time was right to make a change.



I had been living in New York for almost six years.



And as much as I love NYC, I decided I was ready to come home to Maine.



So today marks my 8th anniversary of moving (back) to Maine. I feel so fortunate to be here! It's hard to imagine living anywhere else.

Light through the Trees

[please click on photos for a better view]

We're deep into winter here in Maine, and it's easy for me to become a total couch potato.



But yesterday I managed to get up, get out, and take a walk at our local Audubon center.



I took my camera and got plenty of shots even though I was not there long.



I'm so glad I made the effort, because it was exhilarating!



The recent heavy rains had washed away a lot of the snow so walking was easy.



And since it was nearly sunset, the light through the trees was really lovely.



It was the ideal way to end the day and wrap up the month of January.

Silver Sunday ~ January 31st

I am taking part in Silver Sunday hosted by Gypsy Fish Journal. I wasn't able to participate for a few weeks due to camera problems, but I am back. And this time around, I decided to share some vintage silver jewelry. Both of these pieces are from the 1960's, when I was a girl. My dad brought back the whale bracelet from a trip to Nantucket, and my best guess about the fish pin is that it came from the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. I think both designs have stood the test of time -- these pieces still look good to me today, especially the fish!

The Beauty of Maine ~ January

[Please click images for a better view]



I always say that Maine is beautiful in any season...



Oh, the summers are certainly sublime. During the months of July and August, I cannot imagine being in a better place than Maine.



But in January, there is still lots to love about the Pine Tree State. You just might have to look a little harder to appreciate winter's beauty.



This past week, I made a point of going to Portland Head Light to see if there was much wave action.



It turned out that the waves were pretty active although the sea was not as rough as I've seen it after other big storms.





Luckily, I arrived in late afternoon, when the sky was putting on a lovely light show. I took about 80 or 90 photos before heading back home.





The sun was setting as I was driving through Portland so I raced to the Town Landing in Falmouth to get a good view of the sunset over Casco Bay.



I made it in time to see a beautiful pink and gray sky...







And so you can see that winter sunsets here are glorious.



And they're just one reason that I say that Maine is beautiful year-round.

Edgar Allan Poe's birthday

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809. One of my favorite poems is his Dream Wtihin a Dream, and so to celebrate Poe's birthday and his writing talents, I am sharing his words with you today.

A Dream Within a Dream
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?


[Photo: Reid State Park, Maine]