A Year?! Already!!

A year ago on June 15, 2016, we turned on to a dirt road leading to a house at the end of a dead end street. We had arrived in Maine! So many things have happened in a year, and God has been faithful every step of the way. I remember trying to comfort my children in a hotel room somewhere in Indiana on that first night after leaving Wisconsin on June 13. Little did my children realize that mom didn't sleep well that night either as she also cried herself to sleep. We were moving 21 hours away from all that was familiar and dear to our hearts to begin life together as a family complete again in Maine. Roger had already been in Maine since the end of February so we were ready to be together as a family again, I just wasn't prepared for the long summer ahead of me. But all that is behind us now, and we've been together as a family in Maine for a whole year. We have learned so many things in a year, and it would be impossible to share them all. However, I thought some of you might want to have a glimpse of some of the new things we've learned and experienced.

1) Moxie- a Maine made soda. It was first marketed as a health elixir, but then began to be sold as a soft drink. Everyone has a different opinion of what it tastes like ranging from sasparilla flavor, to tasting like bubble gum, to tasting like an over done cola! Personally, it's not my favorite drink, but my kids don't seem to mind it.

2) Pink hot dogs...yes, they are really pink! Emma likes these hotdogs, but I think it's strictly because they are pink! It's a hotdog in a natural casing and the casing is pink. The boys don't care for them, but maybe it's because they are PINK!

3) Trash- a pain in the back side to get rid of! Recycling is HUGE around here, and you actually have to pay to get rid of trash. It's 2.00 for a large trash bag, and it has to be taken to the "transfer station" of the town you live in. I can see why people have huge piles of trash in their yards as it's an inconvenient hassle to try to get rid of stuff! At our particular transfer station all recyclables must be sorted according to the number in the little triangle on the bottom of the container. Since recyclables are numbered 1-10 this can end of taking far more time than you want to spend on trash!

4) Mainers- a term given to people that have lived their entire life up here. As a general rule, Mainers are conservative liberals. I say that because they want gun rights and free speech, but they also have no problems with accepting marijuana, same sex marriages, transgender or whatever else might seem acceptable. This is certainly not true of all Mainers, just so you know!

5) Traditionalism- so much history is in New England, and Maine is not any different. I'm referring mostly to traditionalism in churches in this particular setting. When we visited so many churches back when we first moved here, this was something that Roger and I both caught a glimpse of. Many of these churches meet in old, old buildings, and along with the buildings sometimes comes the traditionalism of the way they've done things for 200 years or more! I'm pretty sure some of these organs in these church buildings are well over 100 years old! (Organ music is not my favorite by the way!)

6) Family ties- these ties run deep and run strong out here in Maine. So many people are related to each other and their family tree has been seeded, planted, watered, and flourished right here in the same 60 mile radius. It's not a bad thing at all, it's just hard to figure out sometimes who is connected to whom!


7) Grocery bags- bring them with you! Along with recycling, I've learned to bring my own grocery sacks when shopping! Many places down by Portland charge a .05 fee for a plastic bag. There is a petition out to outlaw styrofoam as well across the state. These people take environmental responsibility to a whole new level!

8) Organic- huge deal out here! While I love our local farmers market, I simply cannot afford the prices for our family! Everything is organic and expensive! While I love organic food, how about just keeping the pesticides to a minimum and reducing the price?!

9) "Down East" - this one took me a bit to figure out! When a person says that they are from "Down East" they aren't referring to Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, etc., They are actually referring to a geographical location in Maine known as "Down East". Because of where Maine is located the shoreline does not always run North to South. The shoreline can actually be due east. "Down East"  refers to a shoreline section in Maine which is more East than North. A bit confusing to me at first, but I think I've got it now!

10) Rolls- this does not refer to a dinner roll as my mind would tend to think of a roll. Instead this generally refers to a hot dog or hamburger bun, but they're always called "rolls".

11) Fiddleheads- a vegetable that I had certainly never heard of before moving to Maine! It's part of the ostrich fern family, and it grows in wetter areas. We actually found a few on our property and might have better success next year as we will know what we are looking to find! It's a green vegetable that is kinda a cross between broccoli and asparagus. It is delicious!

 

We've learned many more things, but I must close for now. We love and appreciate each one of you.