Bangor Metro - June/July 2020

Explore Maine

LITERATURE

DIVE INTO BANGOR’S LONG BOOK HISTORY DISCOVER THOREAU’S MAINE

Find new

WATERWAYS TO PADDLE

$5.95

June/July 2020

CONTENTS

JUNE/JULY 2020

FEATURES 40

THOREAU’S MAINE

Discover Maine through the eyes of Henry David Thoreau

46 SETTING: QUEEN CITY OF THE EAST Read all about the books inspired by and set in the city of Bangor

56 MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER Six things to see and do this summer in Maine

40

THOREAU’S MAINE

56

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER

IN EVERY ISSUE 08

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Local events & happenings

16

OBSESSIONS

62

WOODS & WATERS

Keeping an eye on the neighbors

64

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Quarantine truths revealed

ON THE COVER Explore Maine Literature Design by Amy Allen

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PHOTOS: (TOP) STEPHEN DAGLEY/ADOBE STOCK; (BOTTOM) BDN FILE

What we can’t get enough of this month

ARTS & CULTURE 12 BOOK CLUBS FOR MODERN TIMES

Love to read? Start a virtual book club with these tips.

FOOD & DRINK 20

IN SEASON NOW

Basil is the shining star in three must-try summer recipes

HEALTH & FITNESS 26

HIKE ME

Test the water at these scenic spots to paddle and get away from it all

32

STRESS LESS THIS SUMMER

Consider one of these calming hobbies

HOME & FAMILY 32

CRAFTING WITH KIDS

Make your own chalk paint to create sidewalk fun and games

34

OUTDOOR STYLE

Bring a splash of style to your outdoor living spaces this summer

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Literary MAINE

THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT in the late spring and summer in Maine. Coupled with the awakening of green lawns, many-hued flowers and long dormant trees, it makes for a beautiful sight that draws many a Mainer outside.

I am one of them.

A few years ago, I bought a few chairs and a small table to create an outdoor space for relaxing. It’s gotten much use in these lonesome, troubled days as our normal to-dos have been canceled. I find myself going outside to work, dig in the garden and read. My kids go out often too, working on art projects, reading or playing in the driveway.

In some ways, I love this quieter life where I’m spending so much time with my kids and also finding time to read, take long walks and enjoy this space where we live.

If you have an outdoor space that needs some sprucing up, writer Katie Smith has some ideas on how to do that.

See her story on page 38. And if you have kids looking for things to do, check out Amy Allen’s genius how-to on making homemade chalk (and what to do with it!).

Over the past several months, I have also developed some new hobbies. With my cookbook club on hiatus,

Issue

tea with friends on hold and trips to see and celebrate family waiting for a brighter day in the future, I needed some new things to do.

So, I started taking dance classes and yoga classes via YouTube, I reorganized the kitchen so I would be inspired to cook more and I developed a walking habit that has me snaking my way through the Tree Streets of Bangor nearly daily. All of this together has helped me find peace during this difficult time. One idea I am just beginning to explore is creating a virtual book club.

Jen Hazard’s story on page 12 inspired me to text some friends and set it up. I hope we all love it.

But the great thing about living in Maine is that we can social distance safely and still explore our state. See Aislinn Sarnacki’s great ideas for summer paddles on page 26 and Julia Bayly’s staycation ideas on page 56.

I do hope as you read this, you are safe, healthy and doing okay. We all miss the before-time. Let’s hope the after is even better.

BEST,

SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR

PS: THE 2020 BEST RESTAURANT AWARDS WILL LAUNCH IN LATE JUNE. FOLLOW US AT FACEBOOK.COM/ BANGORMETRO TO FIND OUT HOW TO CAST YOUR VOTE.

Connect With Us Online bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro @BangorMetro bangormetro talkback@bangormetro.com

4 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000

PUBLISHER

Richard J. Warren

EDITOR

Sarah Walker Caron scaron@bangordailynews.com

SALES MANAGER

Laurie Cates

lcates@bangordailynews.com

ART DIRECTOR

Amy Allen

aallen@bangordailynews.com

SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER

Fred Stewart

fstewart@bangordailynews.com

STAFF WRITER

Julia Bayly jbayly@bangordailynews.com

STAFF WRITER

Rosemary Lausier rlausier@bangordailynews.com

STAFF WRITER

Aislinn Sarnacki asarnacki@bangordailynews.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Bob Duchesne, Jen Hazard, Emily Morrison, Crystal Sands, Richard Shaw, Katie Smith www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 5

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MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

HOW ARE YOU STAYING

Bangor Metro Magazine. June/July 2020, Vol. 16, No. 5.

Copyright © Bangor Publishing Company.

Bangor Metro is published 10 times annually by Bangor Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form without the written permission of the Publisher.

Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates from Portland, Maine.

Opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements do not represent the opinions of the staff or publisher of Bangor Metro magazine. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit.

Bangor Metro magazine to the best of its ability ensures the acuracy of information printed in the publication.

Inquiries and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Letters to the editor, story suggestions, and other reader input will be subject to Bangor Metro’s unrestricted right to edit and publish in the magazine both in print and online.

Editorial: Queries should be sent to Sarah Walker Caron at scaron@bangordailynews.com.

Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Sales Director Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129.

Subscriptions/Address Change: The one year subscription cost is $15.95. Address changes: to ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of the cover date. Please contact Fred Stewart at 207-990-8075.

Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129.

COVER DESIGN: Amy Allen

CONNECTED

TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY RIGHT NOW?

“

A lot of Zoom. The biggest problem with Zoom? I can see myself on the screen, and the view is disappointing. Also, we had neighbors over for a socially distant glass of wine. They brought their bottle and glasses. We furnished our own.

Chairs on the deck, pre-set 8 feet apart.”

— BOB DUCHESNE, COLUMNIST “To stay connected, I talk on the phone, schedule socially distant get-togethers outside, and send my friends and family pictures and texts during the long days.

We remind each other ‘This too shall pass’ as often as humanly possible.”

— EMILY MORRISON, COLUMNIST “My friends and I have been using the Houseparty mobile app, which I think is great for casual, impromptu video chatting. You simply open the app and it tells all of your friends that you’re active. Then they can jump right into a video chatroom with you, and other friends can jump in and out of the room at any time — like a house party. There are also simple games everyone can play together, such as trivia and a picture drawing guessing game that can be hilarious. It takes planning ahead out of the equation.”

— AISLINN SARNACKI, STAFF WRITER “Inspired in part by the movement to fund the U.S. Postal Service by purchasing stamps, I have been sending a lot more snail mail and care packages than I usually do. Sending small gifts from the downtown Bangor shops to my friends and family living in other states allows me to support local business while also bringing them a little bit of Maine — if they send something back from their own quarantined locale, all the better. Sometimes, I will even make my own cards out of cereal boxes and magazine clippings. They turn out hilariously kitschy, and my friends love them.”

— SAM SCHIPANI, STAFF WRITER “I have a writer’s group that meets weekly. My family and I Facetime every so often. We’ve had holiday Zoom gatherings and I am attending a birthday party for a dear longtime friend tonight. But my favorite thing has been the friend who saw my kids and I outside and pulled into the driveway for a socially distanced hello. It was so nice to see their faces in person.”

— SARAH WALKER CARON, STAFF WRITER

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7

WHAT’S HAPPENING

NOW THROUGH JUNE 30 VIRTUAL TREK ACROSS MAINE

THROUGHOUT JUNE VIRTUAL TREK ACROSS MAINE Out of an abundance of caution and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the American Lung Association has adjusted plans for the 2020 Trek Across Maine for the safety of participants, volunteers, staff and partners. Instead of a physical event on Father’s Day weekend as usual, you can now participate in a virtual Trek Across Maine option now through June 30. The virtual Trek Across Maine encourages our Trekkers to stay active and enjoy time on their bike, while practicing safe social distancing and supporting the work of the American Lung Association.

Register today as a virtual participant at Action.Lung.org.

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BEGINNING JULY 1 BOOTHBAY OPERA HOUSE BOOTHBAY HARBOR Boothbay’s historic opera house has played host to actors and musicians from around the state and the world since 1894.

Beginning July 1, the Boothbay Opera House can seat audiences of 50 in welldistanced, reserved seats. 2020 summer events will have limited seating, and include The Boneheads Play the Music of 1972 on July 3; Seth Warner Band on July 10; Kevin Kiley and Friends on July 25; Murky Water Band on July 30; and more. For additional shows, updates and a list of shows rescheduled to 2021, visit Boothbayoperahouse.com.

Everyone is making adjustments this summer to keep their communities and loved ones safe and healthy. As you plan to attend events this summer, be sure to call ahead or check the websites and social media pages of the following events and organizations often for updates. We carefully researched dates and information, but COVID-19 guidelines are changing frequently to help keep the public safe and information may no longer be accurate.

If you’re able, consider making donations to your favorite organizations and activities that may be closed, cancelled or facing much smaller crowds than usual this summer. Visit their websites for ways to show your support and keep these organizations up and running so we can continue to enjoy them in the future.

PHOTO: ©GORILLA/ADOBE STOCK

JUNE/JULY

BE SURE TO CHECK FOR UPDATES OFTEN

PETER COLLIER EARNS NAR PRICING STRATEGY ADVISOR CERTIFICATION PETER COLLIER with Lynam Real Estate Agency has earned the nationally recognized Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the PSA certification to REALTORS® as determining property values depends more than ever on professional expertise and competence, the best use of technology, and a commitment to approach the pricing assignment from various perspectives.

Once awarded the certification, REALTORS® can better guide clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about home values.

Paid Advertisement for Lyman Real Estate Agency

STILL STUMPED?

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Answers to this month’s Pop Quiz on page 11: Question 1: A; Q2: C; Q3: C; Q4: B; Q5: B.

Here are the answers to last month’s Pop Quiz.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9

WHAT’S HAPPENING

JULY 10-12 MOXIE FESTIVAL LISBON FALLS Love it or hate it, this festival celebrates that famous Maine soft drink with the funny aftertaste. Festivities include parades, a 5k road race, delicious food, music, kids activities and fireworks.

This year’s festival is still being planned for July 10-12. For more details, visit moxiefestival.com.

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BEGINNING JULY 22 CAMDEN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL CAMDEN A professional, non-profit theatre committed to producing Shakespeare’s plays chiefly in the Camden Amphitheatre. 2020 summer performances, opening July 22, include “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” (one of Shakespeare’s early romantic comedies in which a young man tries to steal his best friend’s girl) and “The Winter’s Tale” (a masterpiece featuring a jealous king who imprisons his wife, and one of the most spectacular endings in all of theatre) on various dates. Check camdenshakespeare. org for updates.

JULY 25 TOUGH MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE NEWRY The Tough Mountain Challenge, set for July 25 at Sunday River Ski Resort, is an adventure obstacle race that tackles alpine terrain and throws in natural and man-made challenges.

You’ve certainly got to be in shape. Visit toughmountain.com to register.

JULY 25-26 GRAND LAKE STREAM FOLK ARTS FESTIVAL GRAND LAKE STREAM Grand Lake Stream hosts a folk art festival each year packed with talented artisans

from around the state. Handmade canoes, instruments, housewares and more, paired with paintings, fabric arts and jewelry.

There’s a variety of traditional and contemporary music as well. This year’s festival is set for July 25 and 26. Go to grandlakestreamfolkartfestival.com for more information.

JULY 26 OPEN FARM DAY STATEWIDE

SUMMER TRIVIA!

Avoid the summer brain slump and challenge yourself with these Pop Quiz trivia questions!

(Answers on page 9)

Open Farm Day, set for July 26, lets you see how your food is made, with many farms offering demonstrations, displays, farmraised products for sale and animals and crops to experience. Activities may include barn and field tours, hay rides, petting zoos, tastings, nature trails, and more. Visit getrealmaine.com for updates.

JULY 31-AUGUST 1 NORDIC TRAIL FESTIVAL PRESQUE ISLE This outdoor adventure weekend, set for July 31-August 1, features mountain bike races and a biathlon in the Presque Isle area, sponsored by the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle. Events include a single track and a downhill mountain bike race, a biathlon event and youth races, as well as musical entertainment, a craft beer garden, kids activities, and fireworks. For more info, visit nordictrailfestival.com.

JULY 26

PHOTOS: (THIS PAGE) ©IRINA SCHMIDT/ ADOBE STOCK; (OPPOSITE) BDN FILE

OPEN FARM DAY, STATEWIDE

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PHOTO: ©BILLIONPHOTOS.COM/ ADOBE STOCK

ARTS & CULTURE

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BOOK CLUBS for Modern Times HOW TO START A VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB

BY JENNIFER HAZARD

WHILE WE ARE all at home tucking in and staying healthy, most everyone is yearning for social connection. With this idea in mind, my book club decided we would continue our monthly gatherings virtually. The ability to connect with these seven smart women, many of whom I’ve known for over a decade, is something I look forward to each month. We catch up on our personal projects, families and new changes in our lives, and of course, the latest book we’ve read.

Whether you already have a book group of your own and are missing the connection, or are hoping to begin one as a means to escape the everyday through stories, here are a few ideas to get started: FIND YOUR MEMBERS My book group began via word of mouth. Its forming was kind of like that 80’s Faberge Organics Shampoo commercial, where Heather Locklear tells two friends about the shampoo she

loves, then they tell two friends, and so on and so on. Obscure commercial references aside, book group members can also be found via work colleagues, local organizations such as a library or women’s club, or even family members. Teresa LaGrange, an illustrator from Portland, started connecting with her six older sisters about books at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. Her sisters, who range in age from 54 to 71, are all avid readers, so a virtual book club made sense. When asked about the challenges of meeting virtually, she said, “It always takes a few minutes for everyone to settle in and get their technical difficulties worked out, but we are getting used to the Zoom thing.”

DECIDE ON A PLATFORM If you’re not familiar with Zoom, it’s a video-conferencing app that can be used on your mobile phone, tablet or computer. You don’t need an account to use Zoom, but without an account, your time on the app is limited to 40 minutes. You can choose

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ARTS & CULTURE one member to set up the meeting via a password-protected invite, which arrives in your inbox or text messages as a link.

On the day of your book group, you simply click on the link and enter the meeting.

Another popular video-conferencing platform is Google Meet, which is similar to Zoom and free to Google users (anyone with a Gmail address). Meetings are currently free for 60 minutes, and invites can be sent by email or through your Google calendar. You can also join the meeting via your mobile phone, tablet or computer.

For some, technical challenges that initially arise on both platforms are finding the camera, locating the volume, and figuring out screen preferences. And unlike meeting in person, it can be hard to pick up on when it’s your turn to speak on-screen.

Anne Kemper, a retired adult education counselor from Lewiston, who has been part of a book group for 40 years, agreed. “I think we are struggling with conversation flow — how to jump in and not interrupt and people talking all at once — but I think we are beginning to get the hang of things.

Next meeting we are assigning a person who will make sure there is a better flow.”

MAKE TIME FOR EVERYONE Since we’ve all been social distancing, it’s not surprising that everyone wants to talk at one time. However, there are ways “EXCHANGING RECIPES, to give all members a chance to speak.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, Zoann Guernsey of Groton, MasWAYS TO DEAL WITH sachusetts, whose Freeport-based JUGGLING WORK AND book group has been using the FAMILY, AND ON AND ON. Zoom platform IT FEELS GOOD TO BE THERE to meet, said that they kick off their FOR ONE ANOTHER, EVEN IF meetings by catching up with each IT ISN’T IN PERSON.” person before talking about the book. “Because we love and miss each other, it’s good to do a check in. Some of us are caring for elderly parents, out of work, or just anxious about the future. We help process worries and give support where we can,” Guernsey said.

If you’re just starting a virtual book group for the first time, keeping your 14 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

numbers small also helps with conversation.

A core group of 10 or less people is an ideal number, as it cuts down on side conversations. Four years ago, Kathy Nichols, a communications director from Cumberland, joined a group of eight women that have been together for 15 years. As their newest member, she thinks their group size works well. “Everyone feels like it’s small enough so each of us can contribute to the discussion if we want, but it’s large enough that there is diversity of opinion and often vigorous debate about the merits of the book and the writing,” Nichols said.

CHOOSE YOUR TITLES Once you have your members and virtual platform in place, it’s worth taking time to think about how you’ll choose the titles you want to read. In its beginnings, everyone in my book group came to meetings with suggestions, but that led to longer meetings and a lot of deliberation. Now we take turns. Two members at a time bring books (we go alphabetically), and then we vote.

When we can’t decide, we’ll choose both titles, one book for the next meeting, and one for the following.

Other groups plan well in advance.

Kim Wilson, a freelance writer and editor from Bath, said her book group decides on their titles a full year ahead. Each person in the group recommends a book, and if their choice is selected, they’re in charge of leading the discussion. To keep track, Wilson said her group leader keeps a Google doc of all of the books they’ve read for the year.

Other groups take a more informal approach. Teresa Legrange, who shares her book group with her sisters, said they randomly selected their first two books, but now they’ve decided to let the choice go from oldest to youngest.

ADVANTAGE OF GOING VIRTUAL For me, the ability to connect with my book group friends from all over the world is one of the best benefits to meeting virtually.

Amy Harris, a nurse, midwife and health writer from Falmouth, who currently lives in Madremanya, Spain, is one such member.

“I love that we’ve become a source of inspiration and support for ways to cope and survive,” she said. “Exchanging recipes, book recommendations, ways to deal with juggling work and family, and on and on. It feels good to be there for one another, even if it isn’t in person.”

LOBSTERING & LIGHTHOUSE CRUISES DEPARTING CAMDEN ABOARD LIVELY LADY

LOBSTERING & LIGHTHOUSE CRUISE

During this 1-hour cruise we’ll see two lighthouses, haul a lobster trap and explain how lobstering is done on the rugged Maine coast.

ECO–TOUR

The popular 1-1/2 hour tour explores the bay, looking for birds and marine life—and we will haul a lobster trap to see what’s lurking on the bottom of the ocean floor.

SUNDAY MORNING LIGHTHOUSE CRUISE

This fantastic 3-hour cruise passes by five lighthouses, including some that can only be seen by boat. There will also be plenty of opportunities to see wildlife along the way. Bring your camera!

GRINDLE POINT LIGHTHOUSE EXCURSION

The Sunday afternoon 3-hour cruise takes us to the island of Islesboro where we depart from the LIVELY LADY to explore Grindle Point Lighthouse and the Sailor’s Museum! Enjoy wildlife & marine life sightings, too!

MORNING HAUL

CAMDEN HARBOR CRUISES Tours Mid-May through Mid-October

RESERVE AHEAD TO ENSURE YOUR SEAT!

Lobsters, lobsters, lobsters! On this 1-hour interactive lobster fishing demonstration tour, help us haul, bait & re-set our lobster pots during this once-in-a-lifetime hands-on experience!

PRIVATE CHARTERS & SUNSET CRUISES Would you like to have the boat all to yourselves?

Charter the LIVELY LADY for up to 35 passengers for an hour or two, or even for a half or full day.

PHONE 207.236.6672 • BOOK ONLINE www.CamdenHarborCruises.com LOCATED ON THE PUBLIC LANDING, CAMDEN, MAINE 04843 www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 15

OBSESSIONS

OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.

SIP TEA MAINEIA

DO NEW HOBBIES

—SAM SCHIPANI

PHOTO: TKTK

WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Right now my family is obsessed with doing the things we’ve never had time for in our pre-pandemic life.

The quarantine has brought us more hours in the day. No more two-hour commute, no more getting out of our PJ’s or washing our hair if we don’t want to! Now we have time to do all the things we’ve read about but never thought we had time for. Making pretzels (yummy), raising chickens (harder than you think), baking bagels (also yummy), starting seedlings under a lamp (easy), whipping Dalgona coffee (not worth it), pickling beets and frying donuts (both extremely worth it). Who knows what else we might try but we’re really happy with using this time to not only stay safe but gain some new experiences. Maybe we’ll be milking goats next week!

—BARB MOWER

WHY DO WE LOVE IT? I’m all about supporting local businesses right now, especially if it gives me the opportunity to experiment during my down days.

Recently, I ordered around $80 of tea from Tea Maineia (thank you, stimulus check). My boyfriend and I have not only been enjoying mid-day teatime complete with a little cake, but also because I have been trying out different iced teas and tea lattes. Everything Tea Maineia makes is fantastic, but I can’t recommend the following flavors highly enough: caramel toffee pu-erh tea for hot tea, mango pear white tea for iced tea and vanilla spice chai tea for tea lattes. We can discuss best practices for preparing these various types of tea later (in fact, that could be a whole other article), but just trust me on the selection.

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READ Every month, many new books cross my desk.

I purchase even more. These are a few that I particularly enjoyed and recommend.

“LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE” BY CELESTE NG — Everything is perfect in Shaker Heights. Or is it? This book, which follows the intertwined lives of a big family with a big house and a new-to-town single mom with a daughter, explores the imperfections that lie just below the surface. It’s a real page-turner. And when you’re done, watch the Hulu miniseries of the same name. It’s different but also good. (FICTION)

PHOTOS: ©LILY, ©SONYAKAMOZ, ©BUTENKOW, ©LUGOSTOCK, ©KOLDUNOVA/ADOBE STOCK

“SUMMER LONGING” BY JAMIE BRENNER — After Ruth’s retirement, she is untethered and looking for what’s next. She decides to retire to beachside Provincetown on Cape Cod. But her carefree summer of house hunting and relaxing in a place near to her heart is upended by a mystery baby and the owners of the house she’s renting. This book has many nuances — about relationships between parents and children, spouses and families — and some twists and turns. But it’s also light and airy, just like I like my beach reads. (FICTION) “SMOOTHIE PROJECT” BY CATHERINE MCCORD — My daughter plucked this off our shelf and started trying different smoothies for breakfast daily. What I love about it is that it’s gotten her to be creative with the ingredients she makes smoothies with (thank you, dear Paige, for using those dates I bought with no plan for using them). And she’s really enjoyed the creations. But this book does have a downside — some of the recipes call for specialty ingredients that might be harder to obtain. (COOKBOOK) —SARAH WALKER CARON www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17

OBSESSIONS

OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.

WATCH THE AMERICANS WHY DO WE LOVE IT? In my opinion, the perfect TV show for shelteringin-place is one with multiple, binge-able seasons that is set in a time other than this one, but also has already ended so you’re not left hanging waiting for more episodes. Using this formula, my boyfriend and I have started watching “The Americans,” a critically-acclaimed FX series that ran from 2013 to 2018 about a family of Russian spies embedded deep undercover in America during the 1980s. Oh, and did I mentioned their neighbor is an FBI agent? I know, we’re late to the party, but it’s so, so good. (Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.)

—SAM SCHIPANI

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LISTEN ALL SPOILER RECAP WITH JULIA CUNNINGHAM WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Julia Cunningham will save you the effort and regret of watching a terrible movie. But you won’t regret listening to her podcast. What started as a segment on Cunningham’s radio show on SiriusXM, All Spoiler Recap features Julia taking poorly-reviewed movies and giving us a play-by-play. Filled with her hilarious commentary and sound effects, she takes horrible movies and makes them enjoyable — at least when listening about it. Some of my favorite spoilers include “The Boy,” “Brahams: The Boy 2” and “MA.” All “scary” movies that turn into comedies by the time she’s done with them. Great to listen to when you’re cleaning the kitchen, making dinner or just need a good laugh. You can watch it on your podcasts app on your phone.

—ROSEMARY LAUSIER

PLAY SEQUENCE

SHOP

PHOTOS: ©RAWF8, ©DEKDOYJAIDEE, ©JASON STITT/ADOBE STOCK

THREDUP

WHY DO WE LOVE IT? I miss the thrift store. To get my fix, I have been doing a lot of shopping on thredUP, an online used clothing retailer. There is so much to choose from, and you can filter by size, style, color, price and more. They have really everything, from Gap to Gucci, so you’re bound to find something you like within your price range. They have even sort of gamified thrift store shopping with ways you can earn “points” for shopping at certain times and weekly challenges where you can win coupon codes and the like. A little retail therapy never hurt anyone, right?

WHY DO WE LOVE IT? When the shelter-in-place orders started, my boyfriend and I picked up a slew of board games to entertain ourselves screen-free for at least a portion of the day. One game that I didn’t know about until we bought it (but am now obsessed with) is Sequence, a board game-card game hybrid where players draw cards from a deck and place chips on the corresponding spot on board until they form “sequence” of multiple chips in a row. The rules are so simple, but once you get into it, you realize the strategy is extremely complex. I think the thing that I like the most about it right now is that you can play one-on-one or in teams, so once we’re all allowed to congregate again, we can teach our friends to play, too.

—SAM SCHIPANI

—SAM SCHIPANI www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 19

in season now

FOOD & DRINK

BASIL

BY SARAH WALKER CARON

IF I HAD TO PICK only one herb to grow or cook with, it would be basil.

The bright flavor reminds me of summertime and leisurely days visiting farmers markets and cooking. And it has so many uses — as part of a caprese salad, tucked into sandwiches with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto, torn and tossed on grilled pizzas, and more.

Keep your eye out for bundles of basil stems at farmers markets. Or, if you happen to be lucky, buy the basil leaves by the bagful from your favorite farmers. If you are growing your own, it’s even better. Just step outside and pluck some from your plant.

And if you are growing your own, here’s a hint: never pluck individual leaves — break off a stalk with many leaves so that you encourage the plant to keep growing.

These recipes use fresh basil to create vibrant dishes perfect for summer evenings. Try the vinaigrette on salads, boiled potatoes or the tomatoes that will come ripe eventually.

SIMPLE BASIL VINAIGRETTE Serves 6-8

INSTRUCTIONS Add the red wine vinegar, basil, honey, salt and pepper to a blender and whirl until well combined. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil a little at a time until fully combined. Enjoy on your favorite salad.

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PHOTOS: ©NOLONELY, ©FAHRWASSER/ADOBE STOCK

INGREDIENTS ½ cup red wine vinegar ¾ cup packed basil leaves 1 tbsp honey salt and pepper, to taste (start with about ½ tsp each) ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

PHOTO: SARAH WALKER CARON

CLAMS WITH PANCETTA, ONION AND BASIL Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 3 oz diced pancetta 1 small red onion, diced 2 lbs clams, scrubbed clean ½ cup white wine ¼ cup finely sliced basil

INSTRUCTIONS Heat pancetta in a large saute pan over medium heat until just beginning to brown. Add the onions and cook until softened.

Add the clams and the wine. Cover, and cook for 5-8 minutes, until the clams are opened.

Remove clams to a serving dish. Boil the liquid in the pan for an additional minute before pouring over the clams.

Scatter the basil on top. Enjoy.

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IN SEASON NOW

PHOTO: SARAH WALKER CARON

FOOD & DRINK

TOMATO BRIE PASTA WITH FRESH BASIL Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 7 ounces brie cheese, cut into pieces (freeze for 5-10 minutes to make cutting easier) 2 cups fresh diced tomato 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper, to taste 1 lb dried pasta of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS In a medium bowl, stir together the brie, tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook the pasta, per package instructions, to al dente. Drain well.

Toss the hot pasta with the brie and tomato mixture. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

SARAH WALKER CARON is the editor of Bangor Metro magazine and the author of several cookbooks including “One-Pot Pasta,” “The Super Easy 5-Ingredient Cookbook,” and “Grains as Mains.”

Her latest cookbook, “The Easy Appetizer Cookbook,” is out now from Rockridge Press.

She is also the creator of the popular food blog Sarah’s Cucina Bella (www.sarahscucinabella.com).

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HIKE ME

TEST THE

WATER SCENIC PADDLING SPOTS TO TRY THIS SUMMER STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

STEERING INTO A QUIET COVE, the kayaker dipped her paddle gently into the still water of the pond. Left, right, left, right. Each stroke propelled her forward, her boat’s bow cutting through the water with ease.

With a loud, rattling call, a belted kingfisher hurtled overhead to perch in a tall tree on the water’s edge. A few minutes later, the bird silently launched back into the air, then plunged into the water and emerged with a small fish shining in its bill.

Ahead, two turtles basked in the sun on a halfsubmerged log. Yellow, cup-shaped blossoms of spatterdock floated on the pond’s surface, and purple spikes of pickerelweed lined the shore. Gliding

along, the kayaker felt a deep sense of tranquility.

Fluffy white clouds scuttled across the bluebird sky. Dragonflies of all colors and sizes zipped around, snatching up smaller flies. Every once in a while, one would land on her kayak, hitching a ride as she slowly navigated her way around the pond.

In kayak or canoe, paddling leisurely around a pond or lake is a great way to view wildlife, feel a connection to nature and simply unwind. So pack a picnic. Secure your electronics in a dry bag or waterproof container. Wear your life jacket. And do your research before you hit a body of water.

Here are just a few of the many excellent paddling locations to explore in Maine.

WIGHT POND

IN PENOBSCOT Covering just under 200 acres, Wight Pond is a long, narrow body of freshwater on the Blue Hill Peninsula. With a public boat launch at its south end, the pond is a great paddling location. The pond’s shoreline is mostly undeveloped, and its calm waters, filled with aquatic plants and warm water fish, attracts an abundance of wildlife.

From the boat launch, paddle east, then north, following the curve of the long pond, which is so narrow at first that it feels more like a calm stream. Tall, wispy grasses line the shore, and floating spatterdock leaves dot the surface of the water. The widest part of the pond is at its north end. There you’ll find one last beaver lodge near the outlet of McCauslin Stream. This makes for a great turn-around point.

The boat launch on Wight Pond is owned by the Town of Penobscot. For more information, call the town office at 207-326-4364.

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of Route 177 and Route 175 in Penobscot, drive east on Route 177 (Western County Road) for 1.4 miles and turn left onto a narrow gravel drive, which leads to the boat launch and parking area in just a few hundred feet. If coming from the other direction (the east), this gravel drive is about 3.2 miles from where Route 177 meets Route 15 in Blue Hill. Coming from that direction, the drive will be on your right.

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HEALTH & FITNESS

HIKE ME

SILVER LAKE IN BUCKSPORT Covering about 680 acres, Silver Lake in Bucksport is a man-made body of water that serves as a place to fish and paddle, as well as the town’s water source.

The entire shoreline is under resource protection zoning, which doesn’t allow development close to the water. Therefore, there are no private docks on the lake, and the few houses visible from the water are set far back from the shore.

As is the case with many man-made lakes, Silver Lake is fairly shallow, with much of it less than 20 feet deep. The lake is especially shallow at its north end, where submerged stumps and small islands make it a tricky place for motorboats to navigate, but

a great spot for canoeists and kayakers to explore.

The area is home to a variety of birds. Loons have consistently been found in the lake during the Maine Loon Count, which takes place each July. In addition, bald eagles and ospreys nest near the shore, and a few small wetland areas attract birds that nest in marsh vegetation, including red-winged blackbirds.

For more information, call the Bucksport Town Office at 207-469-7368.

DIRECTIONS: The public boat launch for Silver Lake is located on Silver Lake Road in Bucksport, approximately 1.6 miles south of where Silver Lake

Road intersects with Town Farm Road.

If coming from the south, from Main Street in downtown Bucksport, turn onto McDonald Street (across from Sawyer Auto Sales) and drive 2.1 miles to the boat launch. Along the way, McDonald Street becomes Silver Lake Road. The boat launch includes a concrete ramp and a long wooden dock. Parking is not permitted at the launch. Unloading and loading of boats is limited to 10 minutes.

A parking lot is located 200 feet down the road, to the south. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 29

HEALTH & FITNESS

HIKE ME

HERMON POND IN HERMON Covering approximately 460 acres on the south border of Hermon, Hermon Pond is a shallow body of water that warms up quickly in the summertime, making it a popular spot for swimming, small boating and fishing. Camps and homes are located along the shore of Hermon Pond, but there are considerable stretches of shoreline that are undeveloped. Keep your eyes peeled for a variety of wildlife, including resident bald eagles.

During the summer, dragonflies and mayflies cruise over the surface of the pond, and bullfrogs call from the lush vegetation along the shore. In the shallows, a variety of water plants grow in abundance and fish snatch insects from the pond’s surface. Brook trout, rainbow smelt, creek chub, banded killifish and pumpkinseed sunfish are just a few of the many species found swimming in the water.

After your paddle, Jackson Beach is a great spot for a picnic, with a stretch of lawn and a strip of rough sand

along the shore. The area also includes a small wooden dock, a concrete ramp for putting in boats, covered picnic tables, toilets and changing rooms.

For more information, call the Hermon Town Office at 207-848-1010.

DIRECTIONS: A public boat launch is located at Jackson Beach at the end of Jackson Beach Road in Hermon, at the west end of the pond. To get there, take I-95 Exit 174 and head west (you’ll technically be going north) on Route 69 (Hampden Road) about 1 mile, then turn right onto Hinckley Hill Road. Drive 1.2 miles, then turn left onto Newburg Road. Drive about 0.8 miles and turn right onto Jackson Beach Road, which is marked with a large sign for Jackson Beach.

Drive to the end of the road, following the signs to the boat launch and parking area.

AISLINN SARNACKI is a staff writer for Bangor Metro and the editor of Act Out, a section of the Bangor Daily News.

An expert on the Maine outdoors, she is author of the guidebooks “Dog-Friendly Hikes in Maine,” “Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path” and “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine.” Follow her adventures at bangordailynews.com/act-out.

30 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

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HEALTH & FITNESS

32 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

STRESS LESS THIS SUMMER EXPLORE THESE RELAXING HOBBIES COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE

STRESS IS A PART of everyone’s daily lives. Even before the global pandemic hit, a survey from the American Psychological Association found that 44 percent of Americans felt their stress levels had increased over the past five years. Children also are struggling, with almost a one-third reporting that they have experienced a health symptom associated with stress, such as stomach aches, trouble sleeping and headaches.

Calming activities that can tone down the body’s stress responses are great ways to alleviate stress.

Summertime is an ideal time of the year to embrace relaxing activities, particularly now as the hustle and bustle of everyday life has slowed down. These hobbies and other interests can help tame stress by promoting calm.

· LISTEN TO AND/OR PLAY MUSIC. Music can be energizing or calming, depending on which music you choose. Researchers at Stanford University found that rhythmic music may have therapeutic effects for treating a range of neurological conditions, as it stimulates the brain and can perhaps change how it functions. Familiar melodies and gentle music can reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol.

· GRAB A GOOD BOOK. Taking the time to unwind and read can help ease tension in the muscles, lower one’s heart rate and induce calm. Research from the consultancy Mindlab International at the University of Sussex found reading reduced stress levels by 68 percent.

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HEALTH & FITNESS

· GARDENING: Gardening lets a person tend to living things while getting some fresh air. Both the sunlight and the activity itself can be soothing and have a positive effect on mood. A study from the Journal of Health Psychology found that gardening, like listening to music, lowers cortisol levels. · START PAINTING OR CRAFTING. Engaging in a creative hobby sharpens the mind and improves focus. You may also want to try focusing emotions onto the canvas to help release tension. A 2014 study published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that 81.5 percent of respondents with depression reported feeling happy after knitting. · TAKE A DANCE CLASS. A form of art and music, dancing can promote well-being through exercise and expansion of creative ability. It also can be good for the mind. A study from Swedish researchers that was published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that a dancing intervention program, twice weekly for eight months, helped teenage girls struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, and other problems. And there are lots of online options for classes to try out.

Many relaxing activities can tame stress, and these activities can be perfect for lazy summer days.

34 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

Vote Safely. VOTE FROM HOME. REQUEST YOUR OFFICIAL ABSENTEE BALLOT TODAY! DEAR READER: As you know, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Maine State Primary and Special Referendum Election will be held on Tuesday, July 14th.

Both in-person and absentee voting are available for the July 14th election, and we urge you to cast your vote in this election.

To minimize interaction with others during this public health pandemic (COVID-19), AARP Maine, the League of Women Voters of Maine, state and local election officials, and others are asking Maine voters to Vote Safely, Vote from Home. While your local polling place will be open, voters can vote by absentee ballot instead of voting in person.

If you or others in your household would like to vote absentee, please note the following: Absentee ballots may be requested in writing, by phone, online, or in person up to and including the day of the election, without specifying a reason.

• You can request an absentee ballot by calling your Municipal Clerk’s office.

• You can request an absentee ballot online or by mail from the Secretary of State's website.

Visit www.aarp.org/mainevotes for the details.

• Absentee ballot requests are being accepted right now. Once you have requested your ballot, you should expect to receive it beginning mid-June. Then you have up until 8PM on Election Day, July 14th, to deliver it to your town clerk’s office.

• Absentee ballots will be available in person at your town office beginning June 15th.

If you have any questions, please check with your local town clerk or call the Office of the Secretary of State at (207) 624-7650.

The state of Maine needs every voter to participate in this election. Let’s vote safely by voting from home. Thank you for completing and sending in your absentee ballot.

Warmest wishes to you and your family,

Lori Parham

AARP MAINE STATE DIRECTOR

On July 14: Vote Safely.

Vote from Home.

Request an absentee ballot today.

A lot has changed due to COVID-19, but not your right to vote. State and local officials are encouraging Mainers to vote safely from home in the July 14 primary election. Voting from home is easy. Just follow these steps: • Request an absentee ballot online or by calling your town office • Look for your absentee ballot around mid-June • Return your completed ballot by 8 p.m. on July 14th

Request an absentee ballot today.

Learn more at aarp.org/mainevotes. facebook.com/AARPMaine @AARPMaine aarp.org/ME

Anna Kellar

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MAINE

Paid for by AARP

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HOW-TO

CRAFTING WITH KIDS

DIY CHALK PAINT CHALK PAINTING FUN FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD STORY & PHOTOS BY AMY ALLEN

WALKING AROUND OUR neighborhood over and over is starting to lose its appeal. We’re grateful for the warmer weather and being able to get outside, but there’s little left to explore as we do our best to stay close to home. Some clever kids nearby, however, started creating chalk paths, games and happy messages for passersby to enjoy. They’ve made our walks a lot more fun — so we decided to follow suit on our own sidewalk.

Sensory paths have become popular in elementary school hallways, and they are easy to copy in chalk on a sidewalk or driveway. Hopscotch, swirling pathways, jumping challenges, follow the numbers — the sky (or end of the sidewalk) is the limit. Add simple instructions like hop, tip-toe or jump on one foot to add to the challenge.

Running low on sidewalk chalk? No problem — homemade chalk paint is super simple to make and lots of fun to use. And we were pleasantly surprised by how vibrant the colors were when it dried. Get outside and start creating something for the whole neighborhood to enjoy.

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Cornstarch • Food coloring • Paint brushes

DIRECTIONS & TIPS 1. Chalk paint is easy to make. Simply mix equal parts cornstarch and water. We used a 1/ 4 cup of each to make each paint color. You can mix them in small bowls or if you wanted to make lots of colors in smaller quantities, a muffin tin would work well.

2. Cornstarch and water makes oobleck (another fun project for another day!), so whisking the two together is awkward — just keep mixing until the corn starch is fully incorporated and you have a liquid. Add a few drops of food coloring and mix it in.

3. Use a paint brush to apply the chalk paint to your sidewalk or driveway. It looks a little runny at first, but as it dries it takes on a normal chalk appearance.

CRAFTING

with KIDS

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HOME & FAMILY

Outdoor STYLE

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BRING STYLE TO YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE THIS SUMMER

BY KATIE SMITH

WE ARE ALL sticking closer to home these days, and with the temperatures warmer utilizing your outdoor space as much as possible is an easy way to live better. After all, stepping outside can be a great escape.

Maine is the perfect backdrop for all of our outdoor spaces regardless of where we live. But, why not give our porches, decks, and patios all a little boost with a few simple tweaks? The good news is, it doesn’t have to be expensive.

TWINKLE LIGHTS Lighting is everything. Twinkle lights make us happy around the holidays, and they can bring the same joy to your outdoor spaces.

You can purchase bigger ones that are specially made for outdoor use and hang them anywhere. It doesn’t have to involve several hooks or perfect placement. Draping lights over a railing or underneath a sun umbrella adds so much ambiance on a summer’s night.

They also look inviting on a rainy day or cloudy afternoon if you want to set a cozy mood.

Solar lights are another great option. They can easily be stuck in the grass leading up to your front door or around a prized garden. Maybe you have a path that leads to the woods or your mailbox you’d like to highlight a bit? It can be as easy as popping a few into the ground where you’d like them.

PHOTO: ©PHOTOGRAPHEE.EU/ ADOBE STOCK

LAYERED RUGS There are so many options for outdoor rugs these days. They don’t hold onto stains and can be hosed off. You can purchase rugs with quotes and messages as well as mats with sophisticated prints.

The look of layering two rugs on top of each other is an easy way to add depth and character to your front door. Mixing and matching prints is a great way to showcase your individual style.

CREATING OUTDOOR ROOMS If you have a deck, porch, or patio, don’t limit it to one table with chairs. If space allows, add a few lounge chairs on one side and your table on the other.

Your pieces of furniture don’t have to be matching or facing each other.

Creating outdoor rooms can make your space inviting and give it depth.

And remember, if you have guests over, things can easily be rearranged to accommodate your gathering.

If your porch or deck don’t have enough space to provide different rooms, consider using your yard as an extension and placing adirondack or lounge chairs on the lawn next to it.

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PHOTO: KATIE SMITH

HOME & FAMILY

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ADD FAKE PLANTS Fake plants look so real these days and there are so many varieties, all tastes will be satisfied. They are maintenance free and can be brought inside during the colder months to decorate indoors, or you can leave them outside without worry.

Also, think of the money you will save without buying fresh plants or flowers each spring. There’s nothing easier than pulling out some fake plants that will help anchor your door, chairs, or walkway.

PHOTO: KATIE SMITH

ACCESSORIZE Your table outside can always use a little sprucing up and a centerpiece is just the right touch. Think rocks from your favorite spot to hike, plants, figurines, or shells from the ocean.

OUTDOOR PILLOWS ADD COMFORT AND CHARM Little birdhouses or a chandelier hanging from a tree are incredibly charming.

Think of how much the little touches add to your indoor rooms — they will do the same for your outdoor spaces so don’t forget to add them. You can probably find

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PHOTOS: ©DAN, ©JAVANI LLC/ADOBE STOCK

HOME & FAMILY

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a few things you already have on hand to spruce up your outdoor living area.

SPRAY PAINT GOES A LONG WAY If you have some outdated furniture, or got a great deal on something that doesn’t quite go with the rest of your look, don’t keep it hidden away. You can give anything new life with a few coats of indoor/outdoor spray paint.

DON’T FORGET SECRET SPACES Maybe you have a nice tree that would be a great place for a bench or loveseat.

Consider adding storage hooks outside if you would like to store your dog’s collar, a sunhat or hang extra towels if you have a pool or live by the water. And if you have a nice, safe clearing, that may be the perfect spot to house a firepit. Keep a cooler stored outside for drinks and place a cushion over it for extra seating when it’s not in use.

There’s no place like home and while the inside of our abodes often reflect our personal style, so should the outside.

Making the most of your outdoors doesn’t have to take a lot of time, energy, or money.

Just don’t forget ingredients for s’mores!

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FEATURE

Thoreau’s

MAINE

MAINE THROUGH THE EYES OF HENRY DAVID THOREAU HENRY DAVID THOREAU lived in New England from 1817 to 1862 and is most well-known for his landmark work “Walden,” in which he chronicled his experiences of living for two years, two months, and two days, mostly in isolation, in a small house he built himself in the woods next to Walden Pond in Massachusetts. While Thoreau is, perhaps, most famous for his environmentalism, he was also a philosopher, activist (he was a conductor for the Underground Railroad), and life-long learner. He urged humans to live in the moment and to stand up for what is morally right. His works were influential on the likes of important figures, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Perhaps lesser known is that Henry David Thoreau had a profound connection to and love for the state of Maine, though he grew up and lived most of his life in Concord, Massachusetts.

Dr. Laura Dassow Walls is Professor of English at the University of Notre Dame and author of the most comprehensive biography on Henry David Thoreau in our time, “Thoreau: A Life.” According to Dassow Walls, Thoreau’s connections to Maine run deep. Bangor, Maine, “in particular was a big part of his imagination — thanks to all his close family connections there. It was virtually an extension of Concord,” she said.

Thoreau’s connections to Bangor can be traced to his French grandfather, but Thoreau’s aunt, Nancy Thoreau, married and moved to Bangor where she and her husband opened a store at the turn of the 19th century, Dassow Walls said. John Thoreau, Henry Thoreau’s father, moved to Bangor around 1808, nearly a decade before Henry was born, and opened a store of his own.

The store didn’t make it, so Thoreau’s father moved back to Concord. Still, the Thoreaus in Concord and the Thoreaus in Bangor remained close and visited each other often.

In fact, Henry Thoreau tried to move to Bangor himself in the spring of 1838 when he was looking for a teaching job after he left his teaching position at a grammar school in Concord because he didn’t want to hit his 44 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

BY CRYSTAL SANDS

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students, as was customary in grammar schools at the time. Thoreau didn’t find a job in Bangor, and, instead, returned home to start his own school, which he ran with his brother for three years.

“But imagine. What if there’d been an opening? Would we have a ‘Walden’ set in Maine instead?” Dassow Walls said.

Still, Thoreau did write some important autobiographical essays about his experiences in Maine, which were published shortly after his death in “The Maine Woods.”

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The collection of essays recounts Thoreau’s journeying into the Maine woods. Thoreau ventured by foot and canoe into the Maine woods three times, in 1846, 1853, and 1857.

Each time, he began his journeys in Bangor and traveled north into areas past Moosehead Lake and into what is now known as Baxter State Park.

In the essays, Thoreau eloquently and thoughtfully describes the beauty of Maine’s unspoiled nature and protests against the destruction of nature in the

name of commerce. But Thoreau’s writings on Maine’s wilderness represent a kind of spiritual questing as well, as Thoreau looked to nature to help him understand himself.

“What Maine opened to him was a wilder, less settled country than Concord, and he was also strongly attracted to the Penobscot people, who were so closely connected to Concord through their own water journeys, all the way from Indian Island down the Atlantic coast and up the Concord River,” Dassow Wall said.

PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

FEATURE

“So Thoreau thought of Maine as quite literally an extension of his Concord home, a wilder version, the place where he could recover something dear and important that Concord had lost — the wild, the spiritual center of life, the source of renewal.”

It was this quest for the spiritual that drew Thoreau to climb Mount Katahdin.

When he wasn’t able to reach the summit due to a storm, Thoreau was haunted by the incomplete trip. During a later journey into Maine, when Thoreau was finally able to

make it close to the summit of Katahdin, he was disappointed to find that the area had been over-logged and that the white pines he loved so much had been clear cut to the brink of existence. But this experience on Mount Katahdin was extremely important for Thoreau.

“This helped break Thoreau out of his romantic preconceptions, but it also strengthened his belief in the intrinsic value of the wild. It was in Maine that he conceived the idea of the national

park system — what he called ‘national preserves, where no villages need be destroyed, in which the bear and panther, and some even of the hunter race, may still exist, and not be ‘civilized off the face of the earth,’” Dassow Walls said.

Therefore, for Thoreau, Maine became a symbol of renewal, where nature, even when lost, can be regained. And nature, though we may sometimes forget it, is a critical part of the human experience. The wildness of Maine continues to be a reminder of this, www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 47

FEATURE

PHOTO: STEPHEN DAGLEY /ADOBE STOCK

“THOREAU REMINDS US THAT THE NATURAL WORLD IS FOREVER INVITING US TO EXPLORE BEYOND THE SPACES WE ALREADY KNOW, OR THINK WE KNOW... JOURNEYS TO SIMPLIFY OUR DAILY LIFE, TO PUSH AWAY DISTRACTIONS, AND ... LEARN TO APPRECIATE EVERYDAY OCCURRENCES AS SOURCES OF WONDER.”

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of what is possible, where we can still see a moose or a big cat and appreciate both our significance and insignificance in the grand scheme of all things.

Thoreau’s work is so important that it continues to be taught in classrooms across the United States. Here in Maine, his work is especially important to students because of his close ties to our area. Adam Crowley, associate professor of English at Husson University, is teaching Thoreau’s work this summer in his Early American Literature course. Crowley said that in “The Maine Woods,” Thoreau’s “attention to the landscape and the native people who call that landscape home has inspired generations of readers and writers to adopt Thoreau’s concept of Maine as their own. For those of us who call Maine home, ‘The Maine Woods’ can remind us of how special our part of the east coast is and why we must be vigilant in preserving its natural wonders.”

Of course, one doesn’t have to travel into the Maine woods to find the spirituality in Thoreau’s writing. In fact, Thoreau wrote as much about solitude as he did about his journeying into nature, and all of it can be helpful to a modern reader.

“Thoreau reminds us that the natural world is forever inviting us to explore beyond the spaces we already know, or think we know. Sometimes, those explorations involve the kinds of extensive travel that most people in Maine simply cannot undertake at the moment due to the pandemic,” Crowley said. “But, other times, those explorations involve journeys of another kind: journeys to simplify our daily life, to push away distractions, and to find out we might learn to appreciate everyday occurrences as sources of wonder.”

In 2007, the Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail was created here in Maine to honor Thoreau and his Penobscot Nation guides. The trail actually consists of three trails, each following the three routes Thoreau took each time he journeyed into the Maine woods. The trails are open to the public and take visitors into areas of Maine’s Bureau of Public Lands, Baxter State Park, and the Penobscot Nation. Maps of the ThoreauWabanki Trail are available from the University of Maine.

In “The Maine Woods,” Thoreau described Bangor, Maine, as “a star on the edge of night, still hewing at the forest of which it is built.” For Thoreau, Maine was a place of wildness and beauty. So much of that is still here.

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FEATURE

SETTING:

Queen City of the East BANGOR HAS BEEN A BACKDROP FOR MANY NOVELS THROUGH THE YEARS

BY RICHARD SHAW

FROM “THE STRANGE WOMAN,”

BY BEN AMES WILLIAMS, 1941: “... During her lifetime only seven men – and no women – really knew Jenny Hager for what she was; and Lieutenant Vincent Caruthers of His Majesty’s frigate Endymion was the first of the seven. No man of lesser qualifications could have been so quick to recognize Jenny’s essential attributes. ...”

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PENNYWISE THE DANCING CLOWN obviously never met Jenny Hager, the multifaceted vixen of Bangor’s lumber-capital days. They lived in different centuries and used different eye makeup. But both characters sprang from the minds of novelists who saw the Queen City of the East as fertile ground for rich characters and engrossing stories.

The sewer-dwelling clown burst onto the literary scene in “IT,” Stephen King’s 1,200page 1986 homage to Derry’s (aka Bangor’s) darker side. Forty-five years earlier, Ben Ames Williams penned “The Strange Woman,” termed by The New York Times “the most original and controversial novel” of his entire career.

Williams’ then-shocking novel made it to the big screen in a campy 1946 movie starring Heddy Lamarr and George Sanders. King’s opus, dotted with such local staples as the Thomas Hill Standpipe and the Brady Gang shootout, appeared on the small screen in a 1990 miniseries featuring Tim Curry and John Ritter, and two movies starring Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgard.

Most other Bangor-based novels, including one predating the Civil War, never got the Hollywood treatment, but still are worth perusing in this season of quarantine and social distancing. Writers never seem to lose interest in the river town, with its glut of natural beauty and tantalizing secrets.

“Why is Bangor a favorite locale for novels?” asked author Ardeana Hamlin. “It all goes back to the history. Henry David Thoreau wrote that the place was ‘like a star on the edge of night.’ It was a frontier town; a jumping-off place to other parts of Maine. It all comes down to the people — the mix of Irish, Jews, and other immigrants.”

In 1987, Hamlin published what turned out to be a regional best-seller. “Pink Chimneys: A Novel of Nineteenth Century Maine,” spanning the years 1814 to 1852, is set in Bangor, Hampden and surrounding towns. It has seldom been out of print. New readers come along all the time, she said. And original ones devour it over and over, along with its sequels, “Abbott’s Reach” and “The Havener Sisters.”

“I thought the book would sell a few copies the first year,” she said. “It really is a novel I wrote to learn how to write a novel. Few people have said they were offended by the subject matter.”

Sometimes compared to “The Strange Woman,” because of its similar time span and delicate subject matter (Pink Chimneys is a brothel), Hamlin might deny the comparison, feeling that Williams’ female characters are nonsensical. Instead, she prefers the works of Holman Day, in particular, his acclaimed work of the North Woods, “The Rider of the King Log,” published in 1919. Bangor, the 19th century’s lumbering boom town, often appeared in his books. She also likes the nonfiction work of that city’s most famous resident, Stephen King, and books by his wife, Tabitha.

“I hosted a bus tour, perhaps back in the 1970s, when I first knew King,” recalled author and historian Sanford Phippen. “It covered many writers’ locales in Bangor and Brewer. We saw the home of author Fannie Hardy Eckstorm. I taught classes in Maine literature and mentioned Bangor in ‘The Police Know Everything’ and my other books. That city has a colorful past. It was going to be bigger than Boston. It was Bangor people who built such coastal towns as Camden and Hancock Point, where I grew up and still live.”

Phippen singled out “The Big House,” by Mildred Wasson, a 1926 study of lumber barons in Hamlin, Maine (that’s Bangor in disguise) as a readable classic. Like so much fiction inspired by the city in the past 150 years, the book’s protagonist is a woman, Victoria Price, described on the book jacket as a defender of her house’s values among the Roaring Twenties’ “greedy and pleasure-loving generation.” Novelist Wasson moved to the city in 1916 and quickly absorbed its history and culture. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 51

FEATURE He also appreciates the work of another writer who grew up in Bangor. Christina Baker Kline’s 1999 novel, “Desire Lines,” is a local mystery that also features women characters. Critics described the novel as suspenseful and emotionally compelling with the themes of home, friendship and loss. Two young women lose their way and one of them sets out to discover why.

Hampden bookseller Bill Lippincott likes to chart novels with a Bangor theme.

Gardner Patterson wrote a lively 2002 book, “Bangor,” about life in the fading lumber capital. The late horseracing aficionado also penned the charming

52 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

1999 children’s book, “Ben Blue: The Story of a Racing Colt,” also set in the Queen City.

There are Bangor references in Henry James’ short story, “A Bundle of Letters,” in Horace Porter’s “Young Aeroplane Scouts” novel series, in Lev Grossman’s 2004 novel, “Codex,” and in Hayford Peirce’s time-travel novel, “Napoleon Disentimed.” Not to be forgotten are Lily Strange’s novel, “Lost Beneath the Surface,” Kathy Lynn Emerson’s “Diana Spaulding Mystery” series, “Prussian Blue,” by Tom Hyman, Tennessee Williams’ short story, “Sabbatha and Solitude,” Rudyard Kipling’s and Wolcott Balestier’s “The Naulahka: A Story of East and West,” Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and John Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charley,” in which the author learns an important lesson in a small restaurant near Bangor.

Ardeana Hamlin, author of “Pink Chimneys: A Novel of Nineteenth Century Maine,” which spans the years 1814 to 1852 and is set in the greater Bangor area.

(Below) Downtown Bangor in 1963.

FROM “PINK CHIMNEYS,”

BY ARDEANA HAMLIN, 1987:

PHOTOS: PROVIDED BY RICHARD SHAW

“... Fanny settled herself a little more comfortably against the smooth leather seat.

To the consternation of the Broadway ladies, she rode with the top down so she could enjoy the pleasant weather. She’d been snubbed a total of eight times since she’d turned the corner at Oak onto State. ...”

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FEATURE

(Clockwise from top left) A Bangor postcard from the 1940s. The original 1941 dust jacket of ”The Strange Woman.” Stephen King outside his Bangor home in 1982 (BDN photo by Carroll Hall) and his 1986 novel “It.” West Market Square in Bangor circa 1859.

PHOTOS: PROVIDED BY RICHARD SHAW

“It has received little critical attention, but Laura Bullard’s 1854 novel, ‘Now-A-Days,’ deserves to be read,” Lippincott said. “It is the story of a young woman, Esther Hastings, who rejects a marriage proposal and leaves Bangor after the death of her once-wealthy father to earn her living as a teacher in backwoods Maine.”

One would be remiss without asking area librarians about Bangor-themed fiction. Betsy Paradis, of the Bangor Public Library, cited Arthur Train’s “Mr. Tutt Comes Home,” which includes the story, “A Salmon for the White House,” Helen Nichols’ “Healing Love,” “Dark Hollow,” by John Connolly, and the “Bainbridge of Bangor” 1912 magazine stories, billed as complete novels written by Burt L. Standish, aka Gilbert Patten.

Desiree Butterfield-Nagy, of the University of Maine Fogler Library Special Collections, mentioned “Wicked Good: A Novel of Unconditional Love,”

by Amy Lewis Faircloth and Joanne Lewis; another Holman Day classic, “King Spruce,” and 1848’s “Voices From the Kenduskeag.”

Often overlooked is the lumbering-era paperback novel, “The Irish Bride,” by Mary Mayer Holmes.

Today’s authors, and those of tomorrow, probably will never tire of chronicling Bangor’s people, places and things. Christopher Smith, of Hermon, has sold millions of novels, including a four-part series on bullying. And due out later this year is “American Valor,” by Jack Cashman of Hampden, set in Bangor in the early 1900s. Historical references include Daniel Webster’s stay at the Bangor House and Oscar Wilde’s infamous Opera House talk.

The possibilities are endless, just like the characters and dialogue in “IT” and “The Strange Woman.” Both novels live on, well after their initial publication. Stu Tinker makes a living showing Stephen King-based locales in his SK Tours. And as for the Mississippi-born Williams’ legacy in Bangor, let’s just say it is mixed.

Local people imagined colorful characters in the book to be friends or family members. There is even a yarn about Eckstorm chewing out Williams, who had visited her home while researching the book, when she suspected the oval-framed portrait of Jenny Hager on the book’s dust jacket was a ringer for her late grandmother, whose painting hung in her residence.

“I know that Eckstorm did not want Williams to write that type of book,” said Bruce Moore, an avid researcher from Bangor. “I often think there should be a gravestone at Mount Hope Cemetery for Jenny Hager.”

Stranger than fiction, to be sure. Just like Pennywise the Dancing Clown. But the final words must go to Stephen King, who made an art — and millions of dollars — out of reworking his home town’s people and places.

In “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” he writes, “So okay, there you are in your room with the shade down and the door shut and the plug pulled out of the base of the telephone. You’ve blown up your TV and committed yourself to a thousand words a day, come hell or high water. Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want.”

FROM “IT,”

BY STEPHEN KING, 1986: “ ... Maybe there aren’t any such things as good friends or bad friends — maybe there are just friends, people who stand by you when you’re hurt and who help you feel not so lonely. Maybe they’re always worth being scared for, and hoping for, and living for.

Maybe worth dying for too, if that’s what has to be. No good friends. No bad friends.

Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their houses in your heart. …”

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GET OUT

Making the Most of

SUMMER SIX THINGS TO SEE AND DO THIS SUMMER IN MAINE

BY JULIA BAYLY

NOTE: As of this writing each of these destinations was open to the public. Given the ever-evolving nature of stay-at-home rules, social distancing and executive

56 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

orders, it is highly recommended you check the status of these places before heading out.

TAKE IN A DRIVE-IN MOVIE What better way to spend a warm evening with your family, friends or significant other than snuggled up together in a car and enjoying a movie? Driveins harken back to gentler times when they were among the most popular forms of entertainment in the country. There are seven drive-in movie theaters in Maine with at least five opening over the summer.

Drive-ins were among the businesses included in Gov. Janet Mills’ first phase of reopening in May. By their very nature, drive-ins are set up to operate while maintaining social distancing between customers and between customers and staff.

Theaters will take additional steps to keep that social distancing including to make tickets available for pre-sale online, modified concession purchases with orders placed by phone and delivered to individual cars and reduced capacity to keep cars at least 6-feet apart and total audience numbers down.

PHOTO: BDN FILE

SUMMER IN MAINE means so many things. It’s usually the time of high school and family reunions, school vacations, getting together with friends and planning excursions to points near and far. For many Mainers who started planning for summer 2020 back when there was still snow on the ground, those warm-weather plans may have been drastically altered or cancelled outright due to travel restrictions imposed to control the spread of COVID-19.

But no pandemic is going to stop summer in Maine or make June and July any less enjoyable for getting out and about. But this year that may mean staying a bit closer to home. Here’s the good news: there’s plenty to see and do in Maine this summer. Afterall, we call it Vacationland for a reason, right?

Here are six ideas for some in-state travel that’s fun, accessible and in which you might just learn a few new things about this amazing place we call home.

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GET OUT

The Bangor Drive-In has two screens where it shows movies to customers. (Below) The Ridge Trail in Bog Brook Cove Preserve travels through a mossy forest for over 2 miles, stopping off at a rocky beach on Moose Cove along the way.

DRIVE-INS TO CHECK OUT: BANGOR DRIVE-IN 1774 Hammond St., Hermon www.bangordrivein.com BRIDGTON TWIN DRIVE-IN THEATER 383 Portland Road, Bridgton 207-647-8666 NARROW GAUGE CINEMAS 123 Narrow Gauge Square, Farmington www.narrowgaugecinema.net SACO DRIVE-IN THEATER 969 Portland Road, Saco www.thesacodrivein.com

HEAD TO A PARK OR TO THE BEACH As of May, 36 of Maine state parks, beaches and historic sites were open for day use with more scheduled to open by June.

Miles of walking and hiking trails ranging from easy strolls to technical terrain means you can tailor a day hike to suit your family and friends. The state’s parks are the perfect place to get a real feel for the Maine outdoors be they woodland, mountainous, coastal or a combination of all three. Throw in the very real likelihood of spotting some of Maine’s storied wildlife like moose, deer, eagles, or osprey and there are few better ways to spend a day.

When planning your trip to a park or historical site, it’s a good idea to check its website or call ahead to see what their hours are and what facilities — if any — are open and staffed. Don’t limit yourself to one destination. Pull out a map and look at several options in an area. That way if one park or site has a full parking lot, you can head to the next one on your list.

GO RIDE A BIKE Maine has some of the best bicycling in the country. Whether your preferred surface is paved roads, dirt roads or single track, there is something for you in Maine. Pick your preferred scenery — mountains, woods, lakes or the coast — load your bike on your car and get ready for a day of great pedaling.

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PHOTOS: (TOP) NATALIE WILLIAMS / BDN FILE; (BOTTOM) AISLINN SARNACKI / BDN FILE

PRIDES CORNER DRIVE-IN 651 Bridgton Road, Westbrook 207-797-3154

PHOTO: AISLINN SARNACKI/BDN FILE

A great blue heron hunts the wetlands near Sprague River in the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area in Phippsburg.

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GET OUT

Aroostook County’s Maine Solar System Model offers a 40-mile galactic road trip through northern Maine.

If you are not sure exactly where to ride, a great place to get some ideas and find detailed maps of routes is the Explore Maine website maintained by the Maine Department of Transportation. It can be found at www.exploremaine.org/bike and it breaks cycling routes down by region and includes helpful information on where to eat and special sites to look for.

LOOK UP AT THE NIGHT SKY Thanks to its low population density and the amount of open spaces, all you need to do in Maine is head out of a lighted town or city, pull over and look up. Make a wish on a “falling star,” see how many constellations you can identify, look if any planets are visible and just enjoy the beauty of a Maine sky after dark.

In some of the really remote parts of Maine on a clear night you can see countless stars, constellations and even the band of the Milky Way galaxy. Some nights the aurora borealis puts on a show.

If you plan to be out for more than a few minutes, and it’s not a warm summer evening, dress warmer than you think necessary. An hour of observing a meteor shower can chill you to the bone. A blanket or lounge chair will prove much more comfortable than standing or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead. Bring binoculars, some snacks and some hot chocolate and settle in for some great stargazing. Early June is the best time to see Mercury with Saturn and Jupitor most visible in July. On July 28-29 60 / BANGOR METRO June/July 2020

PHOTO: JULIA BAYLY / BDN FILE

MAINE SOLAR SYSTEM By taking a drive north to Aroostook County you can explore our solar system and its plants — no space ship or zerogravity training needed. You don’t even need to leave the comforts of your climate controlled car.

The 1-to-93 million scale replica stretches from the visitor’s information center in Houlton where the diminutive Pluto hangs on the wall, over the next 40 miles north on US Route 1 to Presque Isle.

Along the way all the planets are visible from your car. It takes about an hour to drive one way through the entire system.

That means you can do a round trip and still have time for lunch at either end before heading home.

A map showing the location of all the planets and the sun can be found at www. pages.umpi.edu/nmms/solar.

Meteors fall through the night sky over Cadillac Mountain during the annual Perseid meteor shower, as seen from Schoodic Point in Winter Harbor.

PHOTO: BDN FILE

the Delta Aquarids meteor shower peaks with up to 20 meteors per hour.

GET YOUR FEET WET Navigating along any of Maine’s lakes, ponds, rivers or bays is a great way to get a different perspective of the state. When viewed from the water, the land is often at or just above eye level, meaning you see things that may escape notice you were to walk over that exact spot. Not to mention gliding along in a kayak or canoe is a heck of a lot quieter than tromping through the underbrush. You can spot birds and animals often before they

see or smell you and then observe them from a closer — albeit safe — distance.

There is nothing quite like the sight of a bull moose raising its head from below the water’s surface, water cascading from its antlers as he munches on the tender green shoots pulled from the river’s or lake’s bottom. Or how about sharing space with a gaggle of geese, flock of ducks or a single loon as they paddle along their own routes and occasionally dive for food. If you hear a loud slapping sound, it’s quite likely a beaver that’s a tad annoyed to see you drifting past his lodge. If you slow down

and look carefully, you may see that same beaver heading toward his home or his dam. Make a game out of it and see how many of Maine’s wetland critters you can spot in a day.

Maine is a big state and there is plenty of room to spread out and explore all it has to offer this summer. So instead of lamenting the trips that might have been, how about we all take some time to discover why so many people want to visit us every year? Who knows, you might just make a new, close-to-home annual destination tradition. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 61

WOODS & WATERS

Keeping an eye on the

NEIGHBORS

KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE ANTICS OF THE BACKYARD NEIGHBORS

LATELY, I’VE BEEN SPENDING a lot of quality time at home, and I’ve gotten to know my backyard neighbors better. That is, I’ve become better acquainted with the chipmunks and squirrels that call my home home. I’ve been watching their antics with fresh eyes.

Why aren’t chipmunks terrified of me? Somehow, they know they can make it to safety STORY & PHOTOS BY BOB DUCHESNE before I can lunge a single step. They regard me as slow and dimwitted, which doesn’t miss the mark by much. Several quirks about chipmunk biology contribute to this behavior.

Chipmunks are good climbers, but they are more at home on the ground, where they can disappear from predators in the blink of an eye. They forage widely, and cache prodigious amounts of food underground. They can gather up to 165 acorns a day.

Chipmunks are polygamous. Males seek out and mate with willing females wherever they can find them. Females stay closer to the safety of their burrows, while males go out on risky forays farther from home, RED SQUIRRELS sometimes over 150 yards away. Chipmunks raise two broods per year, MUST BE THE MOST one beginning in early spring, and a second through mid-summer. It takes only two months for the young to be on their own, and they’re CANTANKEROUS CRITTERS ready to breed the following spring.

Chipmunks are vocal. They make a variety of noises, sometimes ON THE PLANET. THEY politely warning each other of danger, sometimes impolitely warning each other to stay away. Because they are solitary nesters and defend ARGUE WITH EACH OTHER territories, they squabble a lot. Given their exhaustive schedule of mating and food-gathering, my chipmunks are simply too busy to CONSTANTLY, AND THEY worry about me.

Red squirrels must be the most cantankerous critters on the planet.

SCOLD ME REGULARLY FOR They argue with each other constantly, and they scold me regularly for no NO APPARENT REASON. apparent reason. They use their big bushy tails to make themselves look

imposing, and shake them around just to win arguments. When not quarreling, the tail provides balance as they leap about the trees.

Despite their tendency toward intersquirrel squabbling, red squirrels do warn each other of danger. It’s a high-pitched alarm for airborne raptors, and a barking call for land-based predators.

Of course, all that chasing around the trees isn’t just about defending territories.

Females go into heat for just a short time, indeed just one day. But, when they do, they advertise it by scent and noise, drawing males from all around. The treetop competition raises quite a ruckus, and she’ll mate with several males before heading off to rear her annual brood.

Red squirrels are omnivores. They primarily eat cone seeds, and thus they live in woodlands that have plenty of conifers.

But they also prey on insects, tiny mammals, and baby birds. They have a fondness for mushrooms, and often dry them on logs for winter storage.

Gray squirrels, on the other hand, are hardwood forest specialists. They prefer

acorns, beechnuts, and maple seeds. I’m lucky. My yard is full of balsams, pines, oaks, and beeches. I am infested with both squirrels.

The gray squirrels are much more sociable than the reds. They keep their distance from me, but don’t otherwise seem annoyed when I’m around. If I’m sitting on the porch, they’ll walk by gingerly, watching to make sure I don’t budge. I always know when the neighbor’s cat is around. The gray squirrels are quick to warn each other, and the kuk-kuk alarms persist until the cat moves on.

Despite their sociability, gray squirrels are born liars. Red squirrels and chipmunks also cache food, and engage in deceptive behaviors to keep their pantries secret. But the gray squirrels excel at it. If they suspect they are being watched, they will pretend to bury food — going through all the motions — then

secretly carry the morsel to a safer spot.

They use cover, hiding behind vegetation to avoid prying eyes.

Chipmunks tend to store their food in underground bunkers. Red squirrels scatter some of their food, but stockpile most of it. Gray squirrels scatter all of their food around, burying individual seeds, and remembering the locations.

Naturally, they don’t recover all of their caches, and this seed-scattering helps plant more trees.

Male gray squirrels also chase females around the treetops when it’s time to mate. Usually, she selects the most vigorous suitor. But she’s likely to choose a different mate each time, thus encouraging genetic diversity.

My backyard has become an outdoor theater. I watch my cute rodents interact with each other and me. Their procreation is my recreation. It’s come to this.

BOB DUCHESNE is a local radio personality, Maine guide, and columnist. He lives on Pushaw Lake with his wife, Sandi.

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THE VIEW FROM HERE

QUARANTINE

BY EMILY MORRISON

WHETHER YOU’RE an introvert, extrovert or some combination of both, this time of social isolation has either been heaven, hell or purgatory for you. Frankly, whether we enjoy it or not, we’re all in a state of limbo, waiting on life as we formerly knew it to resume. During this time of social distancing, we’ve had what seems like eons to reflect on what matters most in life, and like many of you, I’ve found myself thinking about what means the most to me.

So, in no uncertain order, I’d like to share my quarantine truths with you in hopes that you too can learn what I’m now discovering about life.

GRATITUDE IS EVERYTHING. Even when I’m having a hard day and upset about how much our existence has changed, I’m also deeply grateful for the gifts I’ve taken for granted in the past — health, home, food on the table and the relative comfort in which I live. When so many have found themselves without, my family has had the good fortune to have more than enough. Privilege is not something I’m bragging about — it’s something I feel deeply thankful for. In turn, I feel the need to pay this same gratitude forward by donating to food pantries, first responders and various charities who can help other people stock their pantries, recover from illness and hopefully get back on their feet.

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Truths

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY. There is a connection between our minds and our bodies, and it’s taken me four decades to realize that I can’t feel healthy as an individual without paying attention to them both. Whether I get out and run or stay in my own living room and do some high intensity interval training, I need to keep moving, drink water, and take my vitamins. I gave up alcohol a few years ago, and I’ve never regretted it (except when there’s a sale on rosé). I also eat relatively cleanly. For the most part, I stay away from red meat, avoid empty carbs and try to double my intake of green, leafy vegetables every day. Life’s too short to not eat dessert, so all the calories I’m missing from white zinfandel come right back to me in chocolate. The bottomline is, being physically healthy helps me stay mentally stable.

LOVE YOUR PARTNER. Over and over again during this time apart from people I’ve been reminded what a smart choice I made when I married my spouse.

Not only did I find my soulmate, but I married my best friend, a guy who will take out the trash, cook a meal, make a bonfire, rake the yard, play his guitar, hang up a dartboard, watch a romcom, stay busy with projects and warm up my rice bag even without being asked. When I think about spending all of this time with him, it still doesn’t feel like enough, and that’s saying a lot. He balances me in ways I never knew I needed, and I hope I do the same for him.

At the end of the quarantine day, which is like a month in people years, I’ve learned some important life lessons. Happiness doesn’t come from having things, going places, looking perfect or even having the perfect partner. Happiness comes from choosing to appreciate our things, places, people, health and partners.

Finding fulfillment is a matter of counting yourself blessed, and I’m so grateful for the blessings in my life.

Tomorrow is another day. Let’s all make the most of it.

PHOTO: ©KIEFERPIX/ADOBE STOCK

KNOW YOUR TRUTH. In times of uncertainty and fear in my life, I’ve found that being informed goes a long way to settling my worries. Whether that means researching information, watching media programs or reading the news, the solution to fear is knowledge. This is no time to be an ostrich. Times like this also remind me that I am more than a physical being — I have a heart and soul that needs just as much nourishment as my physical person. Spirituality is an easy thing to overlook when all is well, but it’s one of the first cornerstones I turn to when it’s not. I’m reminded now more than ever how important it is to center myself and my children around our beliefs in kindness, goodness, faith, hope and love.

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EMILY MORRISON is a high school English teacher, freelance writer and editor from coastal Maine. She is living happily-ever-after with her handsome husband, three beautiful children and two beloved dogs. And a cat.