Just because it's called the Pine Tree State.....

   People often make assumptions that are not necessarily true. For example, Michigan is known as the 'Mitten State'. Does that mean everyone wears mittens instead of gloves? New Jersey is called the 'Garden State', but I'll bet there are a number of people who have never planted a garden in their life. Or Idaho...the 'Spud State'. (There is one you want to make sure not to misspell. Can you imagine being called the “Stud State'?)

   Maine is called the “Pine Tree State' and people from away often ask me if we have a lot of pine trees in Maine?? And if we do, it must make it easy to find the “perfect” Christmas tree. "Where do I find the “perfect” Christmas tree?" they ask.

   We recently returned from a trip 'south of the bridge in Kittery' and although still several weeks away from Thanksgiving and the official start of the holiday season, I was surprised at the number of trucks loaded with freshly cut trees that were heading South to far off places like NYC, Pittsburgh, maybe even Miami, locations where Christmas trees don't grow. Who wants to cut down a palm tree, stick it in a tree stand, bring it inside and decorate it with colored lights and shiny ornaments? Bet you won't see too many of those in “Country Living Journal".”

   I will admit that over the years I have spent a great deal of time in search of the 'perfect' tree. Like the U.S. postal service...through rain or snow, sleet or hail, my mission to find the 'perfect' tree, I can not fail. Often I would spend hours, well maybe just a few minutes, wandering in the woods or at the local Christmas tree farm looking for the 'right' tree. It had to be about 7 ft. tall, straight as an arrow, plenty of branches and a nice top on which to place the angel.

   Some years it was a Scotch Pine, very pretty but difficult to decorate because of the sharp needles. Other years, it has been the more traditional fir tree. One year we decided to go with a Blue Spruce, and I ended up needing to get a loan to pay for it. (This one came from a tree farm.. Not too many Blue Spruce grow wild in the Maine woods)

   There were a few years when several families would get together and make it a social event, Armed with chain saws and a cooler or two, the dads were off into the woods, the older kids tagging along, and the younger ones at home with the moms in the kitchen baking cookies.

   After a short ride into the “backwoods” the search would begin. Soon there would be the roar of the chain saw, the shout out of “timber” and the crashing sound of a 30-40 ft pine. That 7 ft top looked perfect from ground level, but now I wasn't so sure! “Well maybe there is a better one over there.”

   By the end of the afternoon the truck was loaded with trees, some extra greens for decorating and if we were lucky it might even start to snow a bit, just for the romantic touch. The house was filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies, the hot chocolate was on the stove and after taking a second look at what we had managed to bring home, the afternoon was deemed a success.

   Families grow and move on, traditions change and the search for the 'perfect' tree takes on new form and life. It's no longer walks through the woods or the tree farm armed with a saw. It is now looking for a parking place within a reasonable walking distance to the store, armed not with a chain saw but a credit card. Once inside, the selection of artificial trees is endless....and expensive. Every type and style of tree is on display, with or without lights and in some cases they even come with scent  packets  you can hang  on the tree branches to make it smell almost real.

   The buy of the day? A Blue Spruce, 10 ft tall, with lights and a stand, marked down from $499 to $429. What a deal!

   After visiting several more stores and finding similar results, it was time to put 'plan B' into action, after all.... this is Maine, the Pine Tree State. Tomorrow, I'll  gas up the chain saw, put on my LL Bean boots and..........

Sometimes it only takes a bridge...

   The three men had traveled together for many days. They had been through storms, climbed over mountains, been attacked by wild  animals, robbed by gangs and had gone for days at a time without food or water. But now they stood on the banks of the river, looking across the cold and choppy water, trying to decide how they get to the other side and hoping this would be their last big challenge.
   After a few minutes and being in somewhat of a hurry, the first young man took off his shoes and socks, waded out into the water and began to swim toward the other shore, occasionally  looking back at the others and waving to them to join him. About half way across the river the current became much  stronger and being very tired, he stopped swimming for a moment. Suddenly he dropped beneath the water's surfaces and within minutes  was carried away by the muddy waters, too far from the others on shore to save him.
   He had been the 'risk taker' of the three. Free spirited, he had been the one who, when times were difficult, had kept the group together, either with his seemingly endless energy or his "wicked" sense of humor. A romantic at heart, he often forgot there was a practical and sometimes  harsh  side of life and in the end, he gave in to his youthful exuberance.
   After some time had passed, the second man decided he would build a boat. Not strong enough to even attempt to swim, he thought that "surely a boat would get them across the river  to the other side" and one step closer to completing the journey.
   Collecting what materials were available in the area, he was able to build something that resembled a boat. He was the 'creative one' of the group. They both laughed at its appearance and after naming it "The Ugly Duckling", it was ready for it's maiden voyage. Being the caution one too, he suggested that he "go out alone" not wanting to put too much weight in the untested boat and if he was successful, he would return for the third man. Both agreed that was probably a good plan since they had already lost one member of the trio to the turbulent waters. He would set out in the morning, but this night they would sit and talk, remembering their friend and their experiences.
   The morning air was clear and fresh as the sun peaked out from behind the mountain tops. There was little, if any, wind and the waters appeared calm. Carefully launching the boat into the water so as to not damage its weak and shaky structure, he was ready to set sail.
   Standing on shore, the remaining traveler could hear the his friend singing old shanty sea songs as he navigated his way from shore toward the other side.
   Within only a minutes from the other shoreline, strong winds broke the calm and peaceful setting, flipping the boat upside down and sending the sailor into the  water and like the other man, he too was quickly pulled below the surface. Feeling helpless, the third man could only stand and watch as his friend was carried downstream by the muddy and murky waters. Now alone, the third man sat and pondered what to do. Alone, did he want to continue the journey or turn around  and return to where they had come from?
   As he thought about his next steps a new group of three, on a  journey of their own, joined him. He briefly explained what had taken place as they attempted to comfort him. Their goal, too, was to cross the river, but based upon the story told, they decided that to swim or build a boat would not work. After several minutes one of group members suggested..."Lets build a bridge". The task seemed daunting, but there were now four of them and perhaps the extra hands might make it possible.
   They searched the area for items that could be used to build the bridge and found a place downstream where the span across the water was a bit narrower. As they worked, others passing by joined them and within several months they had built a bridge that spanned the river, was strong enough to support the weight of those who would  cross it and sturdy enough to withstand the rains and storms and turbulent waters below.
    It was now time for the first traveler to continue his journey and as he stepped onto the bridge he had helped create, he turned and waved to his new friends, thanking them for their help and within minutes after reaching the other side,  he was out of sight.
   Over time, the bridge became well known as a popular place for people to cross back and forth from one side of the river to the other.Within a few years, others would come and  rebuild the structure, making it bigger and stronger. What had once been a place where many were forced to end their journeys had been transformed into a place to gather and set out on new adventures into sometimes uncharted territories.
   Many of us will go through life and face challenges and obstacles we did not expect. We learn that life is not always as simple and easy to navigate as we had hoped and we learn that sometimes, when we reach what seems to be the end, with  help from old friends and new ones and a willingness to try new things and to trust others, we are able to move forward. Building bridges  and  trusting others  can take someone a  along way!
  
  
  

It can be a fine line between a good day and a bad one....

   Humans are a creature of habit. We tend to follow the same routines each day and if something causes that to change, even the slightest bit, it can ruin a day and in some cases maybe longer. There can be, without a doubt,  serious or major events in a person's life that can cause someone to have some difficult and challenging days, the death of a family member, being diagnosed with a serious illness or some catastrophic event.  But most often if someone is having just a 'normal run of the mill' bad day there is only a 'fine line' between making it a 'good' one  or a 'bad' one and it can begin even before the alarm clock goes off in the morning... if you remembered to set the alarm at all.

   With a sudden start you jump up and put your feet on the floor, only to realize that there is no electric power, the alarm did not go off and, at best, you are at least an hour behind your normal routine. With no electricity, there is no hot water for a shower and worse, no way to brew a fresh pot of coffee. With no power and no lights you stumble your way across the room to the closet in search of something to put on. Although the sun rises a bit earlier in the morning now because there is no daylight saving time, it is still pretty dark and by mistake, your foot becomes firmly planted on the dog's tail. Well... that will surely wake up the rest of the family.

   Within a few minutes, the power is restored, the coffee is made and the shower is complete, with hot water and all, as you attempt to get back into your 'normal' routine. 

   Late for work, but only by a few minutes, you realized that almost everyone else is a bit behind schedule too. And the day goes on, but it was a fine line between making it a good day and a bad one, Fortunately it turned out to be a good day. (Note to self...be sure to check the alarm clock.)

   I reached into my pocket to get my wallet to pay the bill at the local coffee shop. Fear griped my body as I realized that my wallet was not in its usual place, my back pants pocket. The line behind me was getting longer and people were becoming impatient. Come on.....come on! This could turn out to be a really bad day, no wallet and part of the world mad at me.

   Being a 'creature of habit', I always put my wallet on my dresser before putting the jeans in the laundry basket. But this time I just forgot to put it back in my pocket. I think you may know the feeling! (For those who are curious, I don't carry much money in my wallet, just a couple of credit cards and my driver's license. My money is usually in my front pants pocket. It's just a bit more difficult for pickpockets to get at it, a trick I learned in a big city many years ago. But I forgot that money too.)

   At that moment, the manager approached me, asking if there was a problem. I explained what had happened and being a regular, he told me that I could 'pay up' later. Again another 'fine line' between the angry people behind me and a manager who obviously had experienced this type of situation before. What could have turned out to be an ugly scene was transformed into a good day, both for me and those who stood behind me in line because of the understanding nature of the shop owner.

   The notion of a 'fine line' implies that there are two choices, one good and one not so good, in other words... bad. There have even been songs written about the “fine line'. Check out some of  the Beatles' songs.

   Breaking a shoe lace on one of your favorite shoes, losing a button on the only clean white shirt in your closet, or having a flat tire on your car could all be the little signs, the 'fine line'  for a day that could turn out good or bad. But regardless of what the event, the decision on which side of the line to come down on is really  the result of 'attitude'. If you want to have a bad day, then go ahead. You don't really need to have an excuse other than you want to make yourself feel miserable and probably do the same to those around you.

   But you do have a choice. With our daily routines of life, for many of us there is very little that is “really' that important to make the rest of the world suffer because things went a bit a wry . So, the 'fine line' between your good day and bad day... it is what you make it!

Things you just don't see much anymore........

    I moved up and down the aisles of the auction, doing my Friday morning preview. Tucked under and neatly lined up in a row on the floor beneath a table were nine early glass milk bottles. Since milk now comes in either plastic or cardboard containers, glass bottles have become a collector's item. ( I know milk still comes from cows. That hasn't changed... yet!)  As I turned to move on, the toe of my shoe hit one of the bottles, tipping  it over and most of the others too. No broken glass or chips, but it did attract a bit of attention from the others in the room. Being sure there was no damage, I lined them up and  moved away quickly to avoid another scene. But the milk bottles got me thinking.
   There are many things you  just don't see anymore. I can still remember the days when the milkman delivered milk to our home every other day, in glass bottles and placed them in a …..milk box!  Becker's Dairy in Roseland, New Jersey. You may also not remember the bottles that had the cream at the top. Today that would probably be considered a health hazard.
   No more home deliveries and it's too bad. There were some great one-liners about the milk man and why little Johnny looked 'different' than the rest of the kids in the family. You know, the old milkman thing, delivering more that just milk!!
   In addition to milk deliveries, there was also the bread truck. Wonder Bread! Today  we wonder if it was really bread at all, all gummy and chewy, but back then there was nothing better than Wonder Bread with peanut butter and jelly. There was always a special treat from the driver, if you had been especially good that week. He would pass out those packages of little chocolate donuts that tasted like freshly melted wax. You can still buy them in a store today  and they taste exactly the same, like melted wax.
   A younger generation may not recognize steam irons for pressing shirts and skirts or tire chains for snowy days. The old black Royal typewriters, fountain pens, dictionaries and the encyclopedia have been replaced by computers and cell phones that can do almost anything.
   Rotary telephones, black and white televisions, record players and 8 track tapes have also joined the lists of has-beens.
   Fewer and fewer newspapers and magazines are published as the Internet has taken over the way we get our  news and information and if you are not sure about the gathering information piece, you may want to contact the NSA about that..I have heard  they are very good at it.
   In addition to the home deliveries of milk and bread, there are other services that are no longer part of our  life. What ever happened to the gas station attendant who not only pumped your gas, but also washed your windshield and checked the air pressure in your tires, or the doctor who would make home visits if you were too sick to come into the office. Interesting though, in New Jersey you can not pump your own gas. There are still attendants on duty. I think it's called job creation. But do they wash windows?
   As towns look to cut cost, curb side garbage pickup has been reduced to fewer days per week or maybe even eliminated altogether.There are some places where you can pay to have your trash hauled away, but why pay when you can go to the 'dump' and not only get rid of your garbage but also hear the latest town gossip. Who knows? It could be about 'you'. And by the way, a few years ago they had been  called sanitary land fills.  I am still trying to figure out what is 'sanitary' about a  land fill. Today they are called transfer stations.The meaning behind a 'transfer' station. Transfer to where?
   Going on a trip? You won't see the cigarette smoked-filled passenger terminals, or smoking sections on planes for that matter, or those those heavy and cumbersome suitcases without wheels. Moving the suitcase  has become easier, but I am not sure that air travel has. (The ban on smoking?...That's been  a good change.)
   There is talk of doing away with Saturday mail delivery. That might not be so bad if it means less junk mail, although even junk mail is changing as it  now appears as spam on my computer screen instead of my mail box. Where is that spam control setting on my computer?.
   What about customer service in general. There was a time when you made a call and you actually spoke with a real person rather than a machine. Push '1' for option '1' and  if you don't like that option, push '2' for more options.
   Sometimes I feel sorry for the younger generations. There are so many thing we grew up with that they will never have the opportunity to experience. As Bob Dylan once sang... ”the times, they are a' changin'” and he was right.  It will be interesting to see what changes are in store for the next generation. Could it be...beam me up, Scottie?
   Bob Dylan! Who's Bob Dylan?