As toy trucks go, this one is quite small, just under 2 inches long with raised lettering on each door that spells out “Nash.” It is made of some sort of metal, and it looks pretty good considering that it spent roughly 75 years buried in the dirt of rural Virginia. The little truck surfaced, […]
Meetinghouse
Buddy Doyle, Gardiner: My guardian canine will protect me
I’ve harbored hundreds of mementos, souvenirs, tokens, remembrances and enduring reminders of people, places and events of my lifetime – so far. I would imagine that anyone inclined to take a whack at a memoir, as I have, is the kind of person who is hapless to avoid squirreling away keepsakes in a jar, a […]
Kay Wheeler, Raymond: The man who gave me my life in music
My love of Fritz Kreisler’s violin music began when I was 5 years old. I had just been adopted and the new family met every other weekend at the grandparents’ home. At this gathering of around 12 adults and children, I was totally intimidated by all these people I didn’t really know. My new grandfather […]
Gregory Greenleaf, Harpswell: Our kids don’t want our pop culture icons – and that’s OK
The other day my daughter asked me if I had seen any reviews of the movie “Godzilla vs. Kong.” She is 14 and her question surprised me because she has never expressed interest in either Hollywood movie franchise. I wondered if she had been binge watching the old classics – without me. Mindlessly throwing popcorn […]
Peggy L. DeBlois, Auburn: Chained to the past
In a recent, and rare, bout of spring cleaning, I decided it was time to open my mother’s hope chest. It sits in our dining room, the perfect complement to the antique dining room set we picked up at an auction for $500 – our first “big” purchase as a married couple. The dining room […]
Shirley Penrod, Falmouth: Like clockwork
Most people who come to know me are immediately impressed by my beauty, style and elegance. They make me feel so warm and welcomed, and when they touch me they touch the very depths of my soul through their long, lingering caresses, but they know they must be gentle, and so they are. It has […]
Gregory Greenleaf, Harpswell: When a UFO becomes an LOL
The military just released declassified video of unidentified flying objects it has filmed over the years. The video, sadly, was rather underwhelming. What I saw was a mix of circular blobs and geometrically unimpressive aerial triangles moving really fast through the sky. I guess the aliens don’t have cloaking devices or don’t care if we […]
Jody Rich, Waterville: Some lessons can’t be taught
There was the time, I was probably 9 years old and made Nana’s recipe for whoopee pies. Her recipe called them Black Moons. The yield was four dozen. And you know, there are two cakes to each, so there were 96. They smelled delicious and looked just right as they cooled. My brother, Russ, took […]
Lee Van Dyke, Portland: An exchange, a hiding place and a mistake – or was it?
Life is filled with them. We learn, or sometimes swear we will never learn when we repeat the same stupid one. They are fertilized by haste, laziness, naivete, fog and distractions and are woven into our lives. I’ve made mistakes while thinking myself smart. I have a hunch that happens to everyone. Spoiler alert: Mistakes also have surprises, […]
Sally Mackenzie, Brunswick: When ‘Apple’ calls, hang up
I was listening to an audible book and dozing off when my iPhone rang. Usually I look to see if I know the number. I answered in a slight fog. Mistake No. 1. The voice on the other end said he was calling from Apple. Someone was using my identity to try to make purchases […]