It must be nearing springtime because the monsoon rains are afoot. It has rained quite a bit here in Littletown the past few days. It seems that Mainers are better at driving in snow than in rain, which is weird. I remember driving through hurricane-like rains on my way to school thinking "my god, can't you snowbirds go any faster?! I'll be late for class!". But I digress. The good news is that there is VERY LITTLE snow! Huzzah!
My spirit is soothed a bit now that I can look out my window and actually that green stuff on the ground. What's it called, again? Oh right, grass! I love being able to see the greens of nature, it is so comforting now. I feel like (for now) I have entered the awesome world of Technicolor, and stepped into Oz. With the snow everywhere, life is conducted in shades of gray. Dull, really. Like a young kid back in the 50's whose parents have finally bought a color television, I can finally see things in color.
Of course this is bad news for those who enjoy snowy outdoor sport. Sorry guys, but I'm not sorry. Snowmobiling is out of the question now, as there is no snow. Snowshoeing is also out. But hey, now you can use those tennis rackets for other activities!
I cannot fully express to you how excited I am about warmer weather. I'm a Floridian, and I just can't take the bitter cold. One step outside, and it's like I've spotted Medusa or something-- I just turn to stone. Instant human popsicle. I can't wait for the rest of this snow to melt, and for the trees to turn all lovely and green again. For the sun to come out every day and make everything warm. I often get jealous of my friends still living in Florida. They can head to the beach at any time and lay on the sand or swim in the enormous salty bath that is the ocean. Must be nice, guys! Although I can't do either of those things at the moment, I am grateful that the sun is shining today and that the winter weather has paused, even if just for a moment.
Be thankful for the little things, readers. See you next time.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
The Blogger and the Snow
Hey readers! Take a look at my backyard. I promise, it's there somewhere...probably underneath all of that snow. It's like a desert out here. The wind blows, and kicks up all the snow, creating a sand storm (but instead of sand, it's snow). Being out in the wind and snow and harsh cold makes me feel like I'm in a movie. Except I'm not Natalie Portman, and the soundtrack for this particular scene is my teeth chattering.
However much I hate the snow, I am not ignorant to the beauty of it. Especially if I'm not actually IN it for very long. When the wind starts to blow, it creates cool patterns in the snow on the ground. Have a look.
The last one looks like a weird melting skull, right? When I think about it, snow isn't ALL bad I suppose. Except for the cold, and when it turns to ice, or gets in your boots, or is all over the road when I'm driving. Oh yeah, and shoveling it--hate that. But aside from all those things, it does have some (sort of) good qualities. I guess that's part of being a Mainer: finding semi-good qualities about things that really suck.
Friday, January 18, 2013
You Are What You Eat-- A Bunch of Meat
Living in this part of the country is quite an experience. There are many aspects that continue to amuse, interest, and baffle me. For example, food. Now, I'm aware that everyone likes food. Some of it tastes good, looks pretty, and it can generally make you feel like there is a party in your stomach. There are many places around the U.S. that may not have healthy eating habits, we all know this. But here in The County, people are eating a hearty diet of meat, potatoes, and McDonalds.
Just to paint you a whole picture here, I have been vegetarian since I was in the 7th grade. Furthermore, I have been observing a vegan diet for approximately 5 months. These lifestyle changes have made me acutely aware of the dependency our culture has on meat and dairy products. Here in Littletown, people base their entire meal around meat: bacon and ham for breakfast, lunch meats for lunch, and a roast or casserole for dinner. Very rarely do those green things (normally called vegetables) make an appearance on a Northern Mainer's plate.
Like The Russians, Mainers up here enjoy a lot of potatoes with their meat. As we know, potatoes grow up here like some sort of mutant fungus. They are everywhere! So residents don't have to go far to find a good tater to sink their collective teeth into. Not that I don't enjoy the potato-- I love french fries (curly or straight, I'm very open minded), baked potatoes, hash browns, and latkes. I simply take a bit of an issue with the fact that too much meaty, starchy, fatty, greasy food might be a tad...unhealthy. For goodness sake, where is the fiber?! Yeah, you need fiber people, trust me. But I wonder about what these eating habits are teaching the kids that live here.
We all know that obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are big problems in our society. But how can we combat these issues if parents keep shoveling Hamburger Helper down their children's throats every night? Where is the nutrition?
Just to paint you a whole picture here, I have been vegetarian since I was in the 7th grade. Furthermore, I have been observing a vegan diet for approximately 5 months. These lifestyle changes have made me acutely aware of the dependency our culture has on meat and dairy products. Here in Littletown, people base their entire meal around meat: bacon and ham for breakfast, lunch meats for lunch, and a roast or casserole for dinner. Very rarely do those green things (normally called vegetables) make an appearance on a Northern Mainer's plate.
Like The Russians, Mainers up here enjoy a lot of potatoes with their meat. As we know, potatoes grow up here like some sort of mutant fungus. They are everywhere! So residents don't have to go far to find a good tater to sink their collective teeth into. Not that I don't enjoy the potato-- I love french fries (curly or straight, I'm very open minded), baked potatoes, hash browns, and latkes. I simply take a bit of an issue with the fact that too much meaty, starchy, fatty, greasy food might be a tad...unhealthy. For goodness sake, where is the fiber?! Yeah, you need fiber people, trust me. But I wonder about what these eating habits are teaching the kids that live here.
We all know that obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are big problems in our society. But how can we combat these issues if parents keep shoveling Hamburger Helper down their children's throats every night? Where is the nutrition?
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Back from the Dead
I know, I know. I've been gone for a long time. But hear me out. I went to North Carolina for a few weeks to spend the happy holidays with my folks. The weather: fantastic. My parents: awesome as ever. My time spent in somewhere other than Littletown: thank god.
Let me just remind all of you that I do not come from a microscopic town. I'm from Florida, where the beaches are nice and there are actually people. Thinking back, I wish I had spent more time playing in the sand and enjoying the warmth of the blazing sunshine. Because right now I'm wearing two pairs of socks and I can't go outside my door without slipping on the two-inch-thick ice. Yeah.
When I was back at home with my parents, I realized how little there is to do here in Northern Maine. In North Carolina there are hangouts aplenty. A movie theater with more than two screens. Enough variety of restaurants that you could go a year and never eat at the same place. Here in Little and Bigger towns...well, not so much. There's nothing for kids to do. No way to get out of the house and socialize in a fun way.
The stark difference between the two places that I have resided is mind-blowing. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a partner who loves and cares for me. However, I can't help but feel that if we lived in a more enriching environment, our personal and professional lives would be blossoming like the flowers will when the damned snow melts. I feel like the people who live here would benefit from getting out and seeing what the rest of the country is like. What can they bring back to this itty bitty town that would benefit others?
Let me just remind all of you that I do not come from a microscopic town. I'm from Florida, where the beaches are nice and there are actually people. Thinking back, I wish I had spent more time playing in the sand and enjoying the warmth of the blazing sunshine. Because right now I'm wearing two pairs of socks and I can't go outside my door without slipping on the two-inch-thick ice. Yeah.
When I was back at home with my parents, I realized how little there is to do here in Northern Maine. In North Carolina there are hangouts aplenty. A movie theater with more than two screens. Enough variety of restaurants that you could go a year and never eat at the same place. Here in Little and Bigger towns...well, not so much. There's nothing for kids to do. No way to get out of the house and socialize in a fun way.
The stark difference between the two places that I have resided is mind-blowing. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a partner who loves and cares for me. However, I can't help but feel that if we lived in a more enriching environment, our personal and professional lives would be blossoming like the flowers will when the damned snow melts. I feel like the people who live here would benefit from getting out and seeing what the rest of the country is like. What can they bring back to this itty bitty town that would benefit others?
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Old Man Winter (what a jerk)
Well, winter is not "officially" here yet, but oh man is it here. Grey days are plentiful and I'm pretty sure Northern Maine has a monsoon season. It has been raining on and off for the past few days, and there is mud and muck everywhere; yeah, monsoon season. But there is a bright side! When it isn't raining, it's cold and windy. Well I suppose that isn't really a bright side, but it's a less-of-a-dark side.
Most of the trees have lost all of their leaves; leaves that several weeks ago were beautiful. They were in varying shades of yellows, oranges, reds, and even purples. I felt like I was living in a painting. I have to say that Maine trees do put on a good show in the autumn. But as the leaves continued to fall, the skies continued to get darker. The brilliantly colored landscapes have now turned into something from a Tim Burton movie: grey, dark, and kinda scary-looking. (Although if I was in a Tim Burton flick, I'd probably be wearing a really cool outfit)
Another interesting but perhaps inconvenient turn of events is the sunset. Now I know this doesn't sound promising, but just wait. Ever since daylight savings time, the sunset has been different around here. Different in that it starts at about.... right now. And by the way, right now it's 4:13 pm. Four: Thirteen! By the time 4:30 rolls around, it's pitch black outside. 5 pm feels like bedtime and it's messing with my head, man! Freaking Ben Franklin.
Anyway, once winter "officially" rolls around, I'll let you all know. Although I'll probably be awfully busy strapping tennis rackets to my shoes and digging my car out of a mountain of snow. Until next time, readers!
Most of the trees have lost all of their leaves; leaves that several weeks ago were beautiful. They were in varying shades of yellows, oranges, reds, and even purples. I felt like I was living in a painting. I have to say that Maine trees do put on a good show in the autumn. But as the leaves continued to fall, the skies continued to get darker. The brilliantly colored landscapes have now turned into something from a Tim Burton movie: grey, dark, and kinda scary-looking. (Although if I was in a Tim Burton flick, I'd probably be wearing a really cool outfit)
Another interesting but perhaps inconvenient turn of events is the sunset. Now I know this doesn't sound promising, but just wait. Ever since daylight savings time, the sunset has been different around here. Different in that it starts at about.... right now. And by the way, right now it's 4:13 pm. Four: Thirteen! By the time 4:30 rolls around, it's pitch black outside. 5 pm feels like bedtime and it's messing with my head, man! Freaking Ben Franklin.
Anyway, once winter "officially" rolls around, I'll let you all know. Although I'll probably be awfully busy strapping tennis rackets to my shoes and digging my car out of a mountain of snow. Until next time, readers!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
This is Not a Test
Hello readers! Apologies for such a long hiatus; being sick and dealing with a hurricane can take precedence over a blog.
By the way, I do hope all of you on the East coast are alive, well, and safe.
Today's post is about school. I think I just heard a collective sigh from all of you, but don't worry. There won't be a test. Now, I know that teenagers dislike school. They all seem to have that in common. When I was in school, I had a blast but that could be because I actually like school. Anyway, the strange thing about Northern Maine is that education seems to be lower down on the list of priorities. Let me explain.
There are many things to be done around here, and most of those things are related to farming. Some people in the area own their own livestock, and grow their own food. Some folks eat the food they grow, while others sell it on. Same for livestock. I don't know how I didn't know this, but livestock take a lot of looking after. One has to make hay in order to feed the animals. Let the animals out, take them back in, clean the animal's living quarters, blah blah blah. Then of course one has to make sure the animal is "fit" enough to sell for slaughter (oh, my silent cries!).
Anyway, this whole farming deal takes a lot of time and effort. Naturally, children who are raised in this kind of environment think differently. Chores, work, and farming will come before school and homework. Personally, I find this to be...well, curious. Growing up, I always heard that school was my first job; it was the only thing I should be worrying about. However, that is not really the sentiment here in Littletown and Biggertown. As I said in a previous post, kids are allowed to take off weeks at a time in order to help with the Great Potato Harvest. Said kids miss out on lessons and tests, and quickly fall behind. But that's cool with the school apparently.
What I keep asking myself is, "why is this okay with the parents? why does the school system let this keep happening?". I really don't have an answer, reader. The whole thing just bothers me. In this (very) rural area, farming is an important part of the community. However! What does this logic teach the growing youth? Granted, work is and will be important to them, but education surely comes first. Without education, we'd all be living like backwoods neanderthals (oh, wait)! It is my feeling that the school system around here should wake the hell up. Their lessons need to grab the attention of the kids, and try to get them excited about learning. People need to stop thinking of education as a punishment, when it is the stepping stone for the rest of life! Basically, sense needs to be knocked into many heads.
I have heard teenagers say the words "I'd rather go work than go to school", and this is disheartening. I find it so sad that our youths do not find joy in learning new things. Yeah, I know tests are hard, you hate pop quizzes, that one book was so stupid, and your teacher smells. But education can be the most fabulous thing! Why can't they see that?
By the way, I do hope all of you on the East coast are alive, well, and safe.
Today's post is about school. I think I just heard a collective sigh from all of you, but don't worry. There won't be a test. Now, I know that teenagers dislike school. They all seem to have that in common. When I was in school, I had a blast but that could be because I actually like school. Anyway, the strange thing about Northern Maine is that education seems to be lower down on the list of priorities. Let me explain.
There are many things to be done around here, and most of those things are related to farming. Some people in the area own their own livestock, and grow their own food. Some folks eat the food they grow, while others sell it on. Same for livestock. I don't know how I didn't know this, but livestock take a lot of looking after. One has to make hay in order to feed the animals. Let the animals out, take them back in, clean the animal's living quarters, blah blah blah. Then of course one has to make sure the animal is "fit" enough to sell for slaughter (oh, my silent cries!).
Anyway, this whole farming deal takes a lot of time and effort. Naturally, children who are raised in this kind of environment think differently. Chores, work, and farming will come before school and homework. Personally, I find this to be...well, curious. Growing up, I always heard that school was my first job; it was the only thing I should be worrying about. However, that is not really the sentiment here in Littletown and Biggertown. As I said in a previous post, kids are allowed to take off weeks at a time in order to help with the Great Potato Harvest. Said kids miss out on lessons and tests, and quickly fall behind. But that's cool with the school apparently.
What I keep asking myself is, "why is this okay with the parents? why does the school system let this keep happening?". I really don't have an answer, reader. The whole thing just bothers me. In this (very) rural area, farming is an important part of the community. However! What does this logic teach the growing youth? Granted, work is and will be important to them, but education surely comes first. Without education, we'd all be living like backwoods neanderthals (oh, wait)! It is my feeling that the school system around here should wake the hell up. Their lessons need to grab the attention of the kids, and try to get them excited about learning. People need to stop thinking of education as a punishment, when it is the stepping stone for the rest of life! Basically, sense needs to be knocked into many heads.
I have heard teenagers say the words "I'd rather go work than go to school", and this is disheartening. I find it so sad that our youths do not find joy in learning new things. Yeah, I know tests are hard, you hate pop quizzes, that one book was so stupid, and your teacher smells. But education can be the most fabulous thing! Why can't they see that?
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