Lobster Dipping for Special Olympics

Raymond is such an incredible place to live, not only for its natural beauty but also because it is a town filled with wonderful people who dedicate their time and energy to helping others. Five teachers from the Jordan Small Middle School are such people. Team Raymond will be participating in the 20th Annual Lobster Dip by jumping into the Atlantic Ocean on New Year’s Day to support the Maine Special Olympics. The team consists of Mr. Carter, Mr. Dionne, Mr. Fitch, Mr. Keller and Mrs. Thornton. They will brave the freezing temperatures of both water and air as they take the plunge to raise money for this incredible program.

The Maine Special Olympics provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. Special Olympics is founded on the belief that people with intellectual disabilities can, with proper instruction and encouragement, learn, enjoy and benefit from participation in individual and team sports, adapted as necessary to meet the needs of those with special mental and physical limitations. Special Olympics believes that through sports training and competition, people with intellectual disabilities benefit physically, mentally, socially and spiritually; families are strengthened, and the community at large, both through participation and observation, is united in understanding people with mental retardation in an environment of equality, respect and acceptance.

Please support Team Raymond by making a donation to the Special Olympics in their name. Checks can be made out to Special Olympics Maine and mailed directly to Jordan Small Middle School. A special thank-you and congratulations are in order to Team Raymond for dipping into the icy waters to help others.

Full Moon Folklore

In the midst of the busiest time of the year with holidays around every corner, I received an invitation to join some friends for an evening of adventure. Temporarily ignoring our holiday obligations, we strapped on snowshoes and ventured out for an hour in pristine fields under a star lit sky and nearly full moon. I am blessed to have friends who, despite the overwhelming workload that is commonplace with preparing for the holidays, chose to gather together and spend the night of the winter solstice enjoying a trek through the incredibly deep snow while gazing at the stars and the shadows the full moon cast on the new fallen snow. Conversation and laughter were as plentiful as the beauty of the night sky as we plodded through the fields.

Occasionally, we dipped back into the thicker deepness of the forests and although the light of the moon faded slightly, the feeling of joy was still burning brightly. Being outside with friends and the wonderful natural beauty of the land is a gift that I will treasure this season. Forgotten were the presents still needing to be wrapped, food yet prepared and a house begging to be cleaned. My thoughts were only on the magical night sky and my friends, and this is just what I needed as I entered into the holiday weekend.

In a similar adventure a year ago, I spent an evening cross country skiing under the full moon and witnessed something I had never seen before. Looking up at the sky that night, I noticed the most spectacular ring around the full moon. Shivering in the single digit temperatures in the late night hours, I was mesmerized. Although simplistic in many ways, this single ring of brightness left me curious and perplexed. With my curiosity piqued, I did some research to see what causes the ring around the moon. Scientifically, the ring appears for similar reasons as a rainbow, it is a result of refraction from the moonlight caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. That was good to know and interesting in its own way; however, these halos had a magical aura and an emotional effect on me and seemed worthy of something more than simple weather and astronomy. I researched further. Folklore states that a ring around the moon signifies bad weather is ahead. I wondered if the warning is a metaphor or if the bad weather to which they refer is to be taken literally. Regardless, it puzzles me how something so mystical and beautiful could result in troubling times.

Even at the risk of stormy weather, it is my hope that you are able to witness the beauty of a moon ring sometime. It will leave an impression on you that will not be easily forgotten. I highly recommend you grab some skis, snowshoes or just go for a walk under the bright moon. By doing so, you may be fortunate enough to see a moon ring, and I sincerely hope your sighting will not be followed by difficult times or stormy weather.

Happy New Year!

With the ending of the current year and the beginning of 2008, many of us will spend plenty of time reflecting on what we have accomplished over the past year and what is yet to be done. Common areas such as improving our weight, careers, and financial situations will top the lists. As I think back on 2007 and set goals for 2008, none of those topics will receive much emphasis. I will concentrate my thoughts on the time I spent strengthening old friendships as well as building new ones. As we celebrate the arrival of the New Year, I will spend my time focusing on how grateful I am for all the wonders I did experience rather than allowing my thoughts to dwell on what could have been but was not. I look forward to another new year, one filled with new beginnings and discoveries. I hope to continue on my path of deeper learning and understanding of myself as well as of those I love. Whatever it is that you are happy with and however you wish to improve your life over the upcoming year, I wish you success, happiness and a happy and healthy new year.