In so many ways, Maine is just one big town. If you are boarding the bus in Boston, the odds are actually pretty good that you will know a few of your fellow passengers – and if you run into someone from Maine while traveling the globe, there’s a bond. I think this sense of […]

Ah, the fresh, clean start to a brand new year. So much promise, so much potential. I am setting aside the “traditional” resolutions this year and focusing instead on this idea: What is out there already that I want to pay attention to and be a part of? First on my list: Libraries. Man, I […]

The new year is upon us. Farewell, 2024 and… welcome 2025? Sure, why not? Let’s hope for the best and ring in this new year with much joy and celebration. After all, who knows, it might just be the best year yet. None of us can see the future. As the late, and truly great, […]

Hello, hello, hello and Yuletide greetings to all. Last week, I gave myself the present of writing down some notes, a quick sketch if you will, of my ideal community. I had more to say – so I am keeping that rolling right through the holiday season up to the end of the year. OK, […]

Here we are in mid-December. Everyone doing OK? I hope all of you are getting an ample supply of cookies, eggnog and merriment. I have decided to give myself the gift of using this space to sketch out my ideal community. Right here, in black and white, the way I wish life would be. Now, […]

Sometimes things we think of as “usual” are not. This is how I have felt in the wake of the “I’m sorry, what now?” questions and comments, received following my mention that my family has adopted the Icelandic tradition of books on Christmas Eve in lieu of big gifts under the tree. To be honest, […]

The last of the cranberry sauce has been eaten, the first of the Advent calendar doors has been opened … I suppose we are well and truly in The Holiday Season. I am speaking here (or writing here to be exact) specifically about Christmas. There are, of course, many other holidays, both religious and secular, […]

November in Maine. Those gray skies, bare trees and golden leaves on the ground make for one of the most starkly beautiful landscapes I know of. November is a vibe. A slightly solemn one to be sure, but with side notes of joy, gatherings and last hurrahs. It is no wonder this is the time […]

What a weird, weird week it has been. I mean, yes, sure, obviously. Things are very weird all around the globe. Things are even weirder here at home, what with the nominee for attorney general being a man facing multiple charges himself. Dark ones. But none of that is what I mean. I am referring […]

What a strange moment in time we are all sharing. At least, it sure feels strange to me. How about you? This has been a hard week. If you are someone who has read my column before, this will likely come as no surprise – and if you are new to it, well, it’s always […]