Bangor Metro - April 2021

EATING RIGHT? TRY AYURVEDA COOKING

SELF CARE?

CHECK OUT THE BOOKS, PODCASTS AND NOW COFFEE WE’RE OBSESSED WITH RIGHT

CURBING ANXIETY? LEARN FROM ONE WRITER’S PERSONAL JOURNEY

GETTING OUTSIDE? TAKE A SOOTHING WATERSIDE HIKE $5.95

April 2021

BEING CREATIVE? MAKE YOUR OWN JEWELRY HOLDER

GLOWING SKIN? WE’VE GOT TIPS FOR ALL AGES

MAINE MADE US DETERMINED

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Eastern Maine Medical Center

CONTENTS

APRIL 2021

FEATURES 44 HEALTHY SKIN, HAPPY SKIN Practicing good skincare through all your decades

50

MIRROR, MIRROR

Lessons from taking selfcare too far

54 THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW Healthy bodies through the decades

IN EVERY ISSUE 08

54

THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW

36

BURNED OUT

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Local news & our monthly Pop Quiz

16

OBSESSIONS

What we can’t get enough of this month

40

PERSONAL FINANCE

62

WOODS & WATERS

Maine moose are in trouble

64

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Getting into a springtime mindset

ON THE COVER What does healthy look like to you right now?

Design by Amy Allen

2 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTOS: ©DRAGONIMAGES, ©MARIA SBYTOVA/ADOBE STOCK

Rebounding financially after divorce

ARTS & CULTURE 10

NOW READ THIS

Meet a new online farming journal filled with tips and creativity

10

A POEM EACH DAY

The power of a daily read

FOOD & DRINK 20

IN SEASON NOW

Enjoy savory mushroom recipes

22 FINDING BALANCE IN THE KITCHEN Bring Ayurveda into the kitchen

HEALTH & FITNESS 26

HIKE ME

Take a trip along a waterside trail

32 HOW THE PANDEMIC FORCED ME TO FACE MY AXIETY. AGAIN. Tips on modifying coping strategies

HOME & FAMILY 34

CREATE A RING HOLDER

Make a cone ring holder at home

36

BURNED OUT

Strategies for overstressed parents

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3

Focus on HEALTH EDITOR’S NOTE

IN FEBRUARY, I sat in my hair stylist’s chair, talking about the shows we’d been binging and the changes we’d made in how we live since March 2020. He asked me about working from home — did I like it?

And that got me thinking. Do any of us really like it these days?

This wasn’t my first go at home-based working. I did that for years when my children were very young, balancing motherhood and deadlines. But seven years ago, an opportunity arose to work full time in an office again and I jumped at it.

Back then, the shift from working at home to being in an office was a dramatic one. I gave up working in utter silence, setting my own schedule and conducting interviews without so much as a pet listening in for being surrounded by colleagues, hustle and bustle — and I loved it.

But working at home during the pandemic hasn’t been the same.

I am not alone. Not ever.

There’s no silence, no solitary time for interviews.

As I write this letter, my daughter is talking to me about an essay she wrote using the phrase “beach of problems.” I have no idea why it’s a beach.

THIS FEELS LIKE THE PERFECT EXAMPLE FOR THESE DAYS — I AM CONSTANTLY DIVIDING MY ATTENTION BETWEEN ONE TASK AND ANOTHER. So when this ends — when my kids return to going to school every day and I resume going to the office — I won’t look back. And it won’t be a seismic shift this time either.

In the meantime, keep wearing masks, practicing social distancing and keeping an eye on eligibility for the vaccine. We’ll get there.

In this issue, we’re talking about health: Mental health (see Rosemary Lausier’s essay on page 32), physical health (see Julia Bayly’s story on page 54) and skin health (see Sam Schipani’s story on page 44). But more than that, we’re talking about all the ways we can stay healthy — whether it’s maintaining healthy relationships (see my story on page 36) or developing new healthy eating habits (see Erinne Magee’s story on page 22). And we’re doing it with a clear eye toward our current reality.

As you read this issue, consider the ways that you could be a little healthier and happier. Perhaps getting outside more (see Aislinn Sarnacki’s Hike ME column on page 26) will help. Perhaps you just need to spend some time on a simple project (see the DIY by Katie Smith on page 34). Whatever it is, I hope you take time for it.

And I hope you love this issue as much as I do.

SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR

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

4 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

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

STAFF WRITER

Sam Schipani sschipani@bangordailynews.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Bob Duchesne, Erinne Magee, Emily Morrison, Todd Nelson Katie Smith www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 5

6 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

WHAT’S THE

Bangor Metro Magazine. April 2021, Vol. 17, No. 3.

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

BEST THING ABOUT APRIL IN MAINE?

“

April is the month that I first set foot in Maine, so I have a great fondness for it. I love that April is filled with four seasons of weather — it’ll snow, get warm, rain, cool down, ice over, get muddy and rinse-repeat. I also love that it’s the month when we feel drawn to explore again.”

— SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR

“It’s not March.”

— JULIA BAYLY, STAFF WRITER

( ORIGINAL PHOTOS: ©COLNIHKO/ADOBE STOCK)

“I love the weather. The sun is out for longer, the flowers start blooming and you can just start to feel spring in the air. As Cheryl Frasier in ‘Miss Congeniality’ said, April 25 is the perfect date ‘because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.’ I know she misunderstood the question, but she’s not wrong.”

— ROSEMARY LAUSIER, STAFF WRITER

“Fishing season starts, so my boyfriend stops distracting me from work.”

— SAM SCHIPANI, STAFF WRITER

“The best thing about April is knowing that May is following it. Then June, July and August. It’s a month of sweet anticipation!”

— EMILY MORRISON, COLUMNIST

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7

WHAT’S HAPPENING

APRIL APRIL 7, 14, 21, 28 EXPLORERS CLUB AT FIELDS POND MAINE AUDUBON

the duration of the show’s run. To get tickets visit www.PenobscotTheatre.org.

Every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. kids can head to the Fields Pond Audubon Center for the Fields Pond Explorers Club. There is a different, nature-related theme each week with activity instructions and materials provided. Explorers can learn about fields, wetlands and forests within their own family pod. Materials are geared toward kids in kindergarten through fifth grade who must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and may be picked up outside the pond’s nature center prior to registration time the day of the session. Cost is $12 for Audubon members and $15 for nonmembers and each week’s programs must be registered individually. For more information or to register go to www.maineaudubon.org.

APRIL 17 54TH KENDUSKEAG STREAM CANOE RACE

APRIL 11-MAY 12 BEE PARKS AND THE HORNETS PENOBSCOT THEATRE COMPANY

APRIL 23 LYRICAL WONDERS BANGOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The indie pop-rock band for the ages and insects Bee Parks and the Hornets offers up a streamed high energy concert party. The combination of rock music, puppetry and audience participation is aimed at inspiring young people to get up and move at home and in their communities. The all-original songs promote kindness, equality, self-confidence, social justice, environmental awareness and dancing your heart out. Bee Parks and the Hornets takes its audience members of all ages — and insects — on an imaginative musical adventure. Purchasing tickets gets you a unique link to access the performances uploaded to Vimeo for

Lucas Richman conducts this Digital Masterworks III production featuring Jamilyn Mainning-White, soprano; Kate Maroney, mezzo-soprano; and Dominic Armstrong, tenor celebrating the power of the human voice. It’s a combination of musical instrument and voice never before heard on the BSO stage featuring selections from song, opera and chamber ensemble music. The performance is part of the digital season subscription or available as an individual household concert pass. It will be available for online viewing for 30 days beginning April 23. For tickets, visit www.bangorsymphony.org.

8 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTO: AISLINN SARNACKI / BDN FILE

The 54th Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race will be held on Saturday, April 17 with some new rules in place to keep participants safe, including staggered starting times beginning at 8:30 a.m. and a limited number of paddlers. River vultures (i.e., spectators) can catch all the action along the banks of Kenduskeag Stream, but Six Mile Falls on Broadway, one of the most popular spots to watch the race, will be closed to the public this year. Want to participate? Register by April 8. Find more info at www.bangorparksandrec.com.

IT’S A DATE!

Many historic events took place in April — can you name the year for each of the following?

Find answers below. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9

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

PHOTO: TKTK

ARTS & CULTURE

10 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

Now Read

THIS FARMER-ISH IS A NEW “HOME” FOR FARMERS TO TELL THEIR STORIES

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CRYSTAL SANDS

C

BY SAM SCHIPANI

rystal Sands couldn’t find a home for her words. With over two decades as a writing teacher and freelancer under her belt, she was no stranger to the publishing world.

But as she increasingly wanted to write about her connection to the land, she found a void in the media landscape.

Sands and her family have lived in Eddington on a homestead, Sands End Farm, for the last 10 years. Homesteading, she said, was “life changing,” and gave her a new lens to process and write about her experiences — a lens, unfortunately, that mainstream media didn’t have space for. She recalled receiving multiple rejections from publications for a personal essay about processing the grief of her miscarriage through losing a clutch of baby chicks on her farm.

“I would get feedback that would say, ‘It’s pretty interesting, but cut back on the chickens,’” Sands said. “This thing that I really wanted to say, there just didn’t exist a home for that kind of thing. I wanted to make that home.”

Sands and her husband, Ronald, decided to start their own publication, Farmer-ish, a quarterly online journal that publishes essays, poems, recipes and art about farming and homesteading life, all told by farmers. Sands said it was the rush for baby chicks as the coronavirus lockdowns kept more people at home that gave her the kickstart she needed to commit to her idea.

“It was in my mind for a long time, but it was really [during] the pandemic when I could see that there’s such a need for education,” Sands said. “Farmer-ish in my mind was both SANDS AND HER art and education.’”

HUSBAND, RONALD, DECIDED Sands started reaching out to potential contributors through online creative non-fiction writing forums and TO START THEIR OWN Facebook groups. The response was overwhelming.

PUBLICATION, FARMER-ISH, “It just went crazy,” Sands said. “I couldn’t believe there were so many people with this interest.”

A QUARTERLY ONLINE JOURNAL The educational element went beyond teaching readers how to raise chickens, too. Sands wanted to use THAT PUBLISHES ESSAYS, her experience as a writing teacher to show farmers how POEMS, RECIPES AND ART to tell their own stories.

“There are quite a few farmers who have contacted ABOUT FARMING AND me who have never written before but wanted to share HOMESTEADING LIFE, ALL their stories,” Sands said. “I can help some of those voices publish for the very first time.”

TOLD BY FARMERS. Farmer-ish publishes quarterly, tied to the seasons, and Sands tries to choose pitches and pieces that reflect that. Aside from that, www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11

ARTS & CULTURE

“I AM JUST KIND OF NATURALLY AN INTROVERT, SO I’M ALL KINDS OF OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE TRYING TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS, BUT DEFINITELY IT HELPS WHEN I GET TO PUBLISH SOMEONE WHO I THINK IS MAGNIFICENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES. I’M JUST SO MOTIVATED

BY THAT.”

though, she tries to find stories that resonate with her experience, hoping that they will do the same for readers.

“One of the very first submissions that I ever got was called ‘Asparagus = Hope’ [by DK Crawford],” Sands said. “The things that the author was talking about are words that I have said to my husband about my struggles to plant asparagus. If we are arriving at this independently, who else is thinking this?”

Since their first online issue in the summer of 2020, Farmer-ish’s audience has grown considerably. Sands said that Farmer-ish has had 20,000 unique visitors since the site launched, and hundreds of pageviews every day.

12 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

In many ways, Sands said she is out of her element when it comes to managing some elements of her project — namely, social media.

“I struggle with marketing,” she admitted. “I am just kind of naturally an introvert, so I’m all kinds of out of my comfort zone trying to spread the word about this, but definitely it helps when I get to publish someone who I think is magnificent for the first time in their lives.

I’m just so motivated by that.”

Luckily, Sands knows when to ask for help. Sands recently formed an advisory board for Farmer-ish, which she said is “full of...women with amazing expertise both from farming and academia and publishing as well.”

“I am excited and grateful,” Sands said.

“Farmer-ish is growing, and I got some amazing, just humbling help.”

Sands’s immediate goals are to release an annual print edition of Farmer-ish and launch a podcast, which she said will be

starting in March. It is Sands’s first time dabbling in audio storytelling, and she is nervous, but excited about the format they have crafted.

“We wanted something that would reflect Farmer-ish,” she explained. “The plan is to include interviews with farmers [and] to close with the reading of a poem or literary passage that will kind of combine this kind of arts and farm life that we live.”

As the project grows, though, the financing will become more challenging.

Sands has been using the proceeds from her Etsy shop called Farmerish, selling items like upcycled homemade candles and homemade quilts, in order to pay her contributors and keep Farmer-ish as accessible as possible.

“In terms of long-term figuring out the financing, I [want] to keep the bulk of it free and online because there’s so much education — some of it practical education, some of it education of the heart,” Sands said.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13

ARTS & CULTURE

A P EM

EACH DAY THE OUTSIZED POWER OF A DAILY POEM

BY TODD R. NELSON

14 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTO: ©BRAT82/ADOBE STOCK

“P

oetry,” said Elizabeth Alexander, Mellon Foundation president, has an “underrecognized ability to communicate with outsized power.” Amanda Gorman’s poem written for Joe Biden’s inauguration, “The Hill we Climb,” confirms it. Every day needs such an inspirational fillip or thought provocation.

Alexander was announcing a $4.5 million dollar grant to the Academy of American Poets last year, which delivers a daily poem to subscribers. Nothing gives equivalent meaning like a regular diet of poetry — a daily vitamin, tonic, injection of second sight.

Poetry is balm and inspiration.

I’ve been stashing my daily poem discoveries for a long time. It’s my language pantry — provisions, a larder, nourishment. Todd’s Favorite Poems — the compendium I share with my kids each Christmas — could be an English major’s gleaning run amuck. Or, it could be a vital, soulful practice.

“Poems are companions for life,” I tell them. Only time will tell, as I share the companions that have been vital in my life.

Poets synthesize life’s beauty, joy and tribulations; distill experiences, observations and feelings. Poems are the most astute commentary on sailing all waters.

Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins said, “The history of poetry is the only surviving history we have of human emotion. It is the history of the human heart.

There is no other one. Without poetry, we would be deprived of the emotional companionship of our ancestors.” Collins has been holding a daily poetry meet-up on Facebook since the start of the pandemic, like home delivery of hot soul food.

My growing anthology includes poems I’ve been harboring since high school, college and my teaching career, plus new daily additions. It is the poems I have taught, or that have taught me; that I have shared, or have been shared with me; that gave me the insight and love, truth and beauty, of which only poetry is capable.

Does this poem reward for having been read? Is it immediately valuable? Does it sound good, or feel good, or go swiftly into my memory vault? I add it in.

Each poem links to a time and place, a person or experience; a laugh, a slant of light, an inspiring thought — “Fern Hill,” “The Silken Tent,” “Feedback,” “To have told you so,” “A Wedding toast,” to name a few. My anthology is where my thinking comes from; scaffolds my world view; forms an almanac of emotional experience. Collecting turns into a life syllabus … and a syllabus for life.

On a good day, it works like this. My artist daughter shares a lithograph. It’s a leaf. It summons a poem. “You need to read ‘Year’s End,’ by Richard Wilbur,” I write.

“It’s in The Anthology.” We both look it up.

Poems re-enact their movement in fresh ink on paper in a daughter’s art studio off in Scotland. Poems flatten the world. Poetry pervades.

My anthology documents such encounters — new poems to me … or old friends reappearing. It is my record of harvesting emotional companionship — the poems that crossed my threshold or sailed over the transom this year.

Poetry is a practice, seeking, selecting, and archiving words coming down river. There’ll be some spry turn of phrase, point of view, revelation, beauty or truth; a spark noticing the surrounding world of language in its complexity, rawness, surprise and wonder. “Poetry is what we turn to,” said Joy Harjo, current U.S. Poet Laureate.

Good poems can make you ornery. They are irksome.

They demand answers. They get under your skin. What is this reaction I’m having to the experience, emotion or rhetoric of this poet? Wry amusement is fine; guffaws too. A pretty poem will stand the test of time. But I include poems that rankle, demanding a reckoning.

You’ll know when the words are working.

Paul Valéry said, “Whereas a good poet sees the difficulty in the poem, a great poet makes the difficulty part of the poem.” Sure, you could have my anthology.

However, it’ll mean more if you make your own. Only collect. A poem a day. Outsized power is yours. Today, I’m adding Amanda Gorman’s poem to my anthology.

Todd R. Nelson is a retired English teacher and school principal.

OBSESSIONS

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

SIT THE EVERLASTING COMFORT SEAT CUSHION

— JOHN HOLYOKE

WATCH “SEDUCED: INSIDE THE NXIVM CULT” STREAMING ON STARZ, HULU PREMIUM OR YOUTUBE TV PREMIUM WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Over the summer, my boyfriend and I religiously tuned into HBO’s “The Vow” every Sunday, a documentary series that followed the downfall of the NXIVM sex-cult-disguisedas-business-success-program. That documentary, which was extremely popular, is ultimately unsatisfying, exploitative and despite all of those things, super boring. “Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult” is the documentary series I wanted the entire time I wasted hours watching “The Vow.” Told from the perspective of one of the survivors of the cult itself, the series is heartfelt, personal and not afraid to tackle tough topics that really shed light on how horrible the cult was (and, frankly, how complicit many of the main characters in “The Vow” were in its abuse).

— SAM SCHIPANI

16 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTOS: ©NERUDOL, ©MAX SOKOLOV, ©PROXIMA STUDIO, ©NERUDOL/ADOBE STOCK

WHY DO WE LOVE IT? After a few weeks working at the pandemicmandated home office, my back began to ache. I walked with a limp.

There had to be relief, somewhere. But what would cure me? The Everlasting Comfort seat cushion. Period. The memory foam cushion relieves pressure on the tailbone and is advertised to help those with sciatica. I’m not sure about that, but I can tell you this: If sitting for long periods is causing you back pain, this may be the best 40 bucks you ever spend. Get your very own at www.everlastingcomfort.net.

SIP

KEY WEST CUBAN ESPRESSO ROAST FROM COFFEE ON THE PORCH WHY DO WE LOVE IT? How do I take my coffee, you ask? Seriously, very seriously. Which is why I have spent years searching for a locally roasted coffee here in Maine that meets my exacting standards. It’s taken a while, but at long last my search is over. Camden-based Coffee on the Porch and its Key West Cuban Espresso Roast makes a smooth, deeply rich strong coffee with enough caffeine to jump start my morning. It doesn’t matter whether I use my espresso machine, drip coffee maker, moka pot or French press — I told you, I am serious about my coffee — I get a perfect cup each and every time. You can find them online at www.coffeeontheporchme.com.

— JULIA BAYLY

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17

OBSESSIONS

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

READ Every month, many new books cross my desk. I purchase even more. These are a few that I particularly enjoyed and recommend.

“CITY OF VILLAINS” BY ESTELLE LAURE — This young adult novel imagines a world where magic was eradicated in a dramatic event. In the Scar, the area that used to be where wishes were granted and dreams were fulfilled, Legacy teens and adults — those who used to be magical — struggle as gentrification changes their neighborhood. But more than that, they struggle to hold onto their heritage.

This fairy tale-inspired crime story is fun, engaging and creative. My 13-yearold daughter, who loved it, insisted that I read it — and I am so glad I did. (YA)

LISTEN LOLITA PODCAST WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Lolita Podcast is an insightful, if somewhat heavy, podcast obsession of mine. It’s hosted by the acerbic, droll Jamie Loftus, a comedian also known for podcast favorites like My Year in Mensa and The Bechdel Cast (highly recommend both of those as well). Through the series, Loftus breaks down the twisted cultural prominence of Vladamir Nabakov’s most famous work of literature, “Lolita,” and how it is so often misunderstood. Trigger warning for anyone who has experienced childhood sexual abuse, obviously, but if you are still curious, the podcast treats these issues with so much care and thoughtfulness, I think it is well worth a listen.

(INSPIRATIONAL)

—SARAH WALKER CARON 18 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTOS: ©FOCUSSTOCKER, ©ANDRZEJ TOKARSKI, ©MATEJ KASTELIC/ADOBE STOCK

— SAM SCHIPANI “PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO EAT ARE ALWAYS THE BEST PEOPLE AND OTHER WISDOM” BY JULIA CHILD — Growing up, Julia Child’s unique voice and commanding presence introduced me to cooking in a way that was unique at the time: through a cooking show. Since then, I have cooked from her recipes, read her memoir and enjoyed other books featuring her. So this little, easyreading gift book makes me smile. It’s filled with Child’s familiar wit and wisdom from the kitchen. I love leafing through and reading a page here and there when I need a little inspiration.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 19

FOOD & DRINK

in season now

MUSHROOMS FROM DARKNESS COMES A TASTY MORSEL

BY SARAH WALKER CARON

OH, APRIL. This is the month when warmer temperatures mingle with lingering cold ones. This is the month when trips to the farmers markets reveal the last of the winter produce, and leave you longing for the greens that will soon appear.

But readers, don’t be dismayed. There’s still much to enjoy, even as we feel so, so ready for the joys of spring and summer produce. And this month, I’d like to turn your attention to something that grows in darkness, producing a lovely produce item that can be used in salads, sandwiches and so much more.

I am talking about mushrooms. According to the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets, mushrooms are among the produce items available fresh in the cold months from January through April. And there are so many wonderful ways to enjoy them.

Lately, I have been quartering cremini mushrooms and sauteeing them until tender, then adding a marinade to get soaked up. Then I serve them on a bed of rice with sauteed veggies.

Looking for more ideas? Try these.

BARLEY RISOTTO WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, SAUTEED MUSHROOMS AND ROASTED RED PEPPERS 4 servings

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 Vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup pearl barley ½ cup dry white wine 4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 8-oz. package raw sliced mushrooms 1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese 2⁄3 cup diced roasted red peppers

INSTRUCTIONS Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions, salt well and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown — about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden and soft.

20 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

Push the onions to one side of the pot and add the barley. Increase heat to medium and toast for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir well to combine.

Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the stock a little at a time, allowing it to fully absorb before adding more. Continue until the barley is plump and chewy, and sauce is creamy.

While the risotto is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned — about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir the Romano cheese into the barley mixture. Add the mushrooms and roasted red peppers. Stir well. Taste, and season as desired with salt and pepper.

HERBED ROASTED MUSHROOMS 4 servings

INGREDIENTS 6 oz package cremini mushrooms (button mushrooms) 1 tsp olive oil dried thyme dried rosemary salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove dirt.

Spread on a nonstick baking sheet.

PHOTOS: (TOP LEFT) ©NEW AFRICA/ADOBE STOCK; (RECIPE PHOTOS) SARAH WALKER CARON

Drizzle mushrooms with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes. Stir well. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Stir again, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and enjoy.

SARAH WALKER CARON is the editor of Bangor Metro Magazine and the author of five cookbooks including the “Easy Frugal Cookbook,” released in July. Her book “Classic Diners of Maine” is available where books are sold. Signed copies are available at The Briar Patch in Bangor.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 21

PHOTO: ©ASAB974/ADOBE STOCK

FOOD & DRINK

22 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

Finding Balance

in the

KITCHEN BRINGING AYURVEDA INTO THE KITCHEN

P

BY ERINNE MAGEE

ortland native Kate O’Donnell remembers teaching yoga when she started to notice many of her students were turning to her for advice about healthy eating.

Specifically, they wanted to know more about Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is defined as the science of life. The ancient healing dates back to India 5,000 years ago and is rooted in curing imbalance of psychological, emotional and physical health. In terms of food, Ayurveda belief teaches that we all have a unique energy within that moves nutrients where they need to go. The same energy is used to digest what we eat.

When it comes to eating, O’Donnell says following Ayurvedic principles can help with overall digestion as Ayurveda reduces bloating, gas and hyperacidity while also improving sleep.

In O’Donnell’s book, “Ayurveda Cooking for Beginners: An Ayurvedic Cookbook to Balance and Heal,” she simplifies the body’s connection to food by breaking down what a person needs from each season.

While Ayurveda can be implemented in many aspects of day-to-day living, nutrition is a main component of living an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

Here are O’Donnell’s tips to bring Ayurveda to the kitchen:

LIMIT THE FOCUS ON DOSHAS A combination of the three doshas (Pitta, Vata, Kapha), or substances, are what make up that unique energy we each possess. Certainly the doshas can inform different aspects of our mind, body and spiritual health but O’Donnell advises not to rely heavily on figuring out which dosha needs balancing (there are many online tests to determine which dosha is dominant for an individual).

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23

FOOD & DRINK

WARMING SPICES

Turmeric Black Pepper Cardamom Bay Leaves

GO BIG AT LUNCHTIME In general, our digestive fire (known as agni) is strongest midday, says O’Donnell, which means our biggest meal should be lunch. Think about it this way: when we wake up, our digestive system is also waking up so a heavy breakfast won’t be digested the way it needs to be. In terms of dinner, our bodies use energy to prepare for sleep rather than for digestion. Eating a big meal or consuming food late can be problematic because anything not digested turns into toxins and stored in fat cells.

CHANGE SPICES WITH THE SEASON Spices play a big role in Ayurvedic cooking, and shift with the seasons. For example, in the winter, O’Donnell suggests warm foods paired with warming spices like black pepper, cumin, turmeric, coriander and ginger. In the summer, offsetting the heat with cooling spices will aid in balance and digestive health.

KEEP YEAR-ROUND STAPLES There are a few pantry staples to keep on hand year round. Ghee, which is clarified butter, is commonly used in Ayurvedic cooking, as are white basmati rice and mung bean.

Cloves COOLING SPICES

START WITH AN EASY DISH Since one pot meals have become popular, O’Donnell recommends what is often referred to as the “perfect Ayurveda dish” due to its overall balancing properties.

The dish is called Kitchari, a stew made with ghee, mung beans, white basmati rice and a variety of spices, depending on which in-season vegetables are used.

Dill

For more in depth information, O’Donnell has published three Ayurveda books and can be found online at www.kateodonnell.yoga.

Coconut

24 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

Mint

PHOTOS: ©PROSTOCK-STUDIO, ©NEW AFRICA/ADOBE STOCK

CONSIDER HOW YOU PREPARE FOOD Prana is a Sanskrit word that means life or breath.

Ayurveda teaches that each food has its own prana, which should be preserved as best as possible.

Destroying prana often happens in overcooking, deepfrying and microwaving.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 25

HIKE ME

WATERSIDE

Trails ENJOY THE RUSHING WATERS OF SPRING STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

SHE COULD HEAR THE BROOK long before she spotted its dancing waters through the trees. Nearly overflowing with spring runoff, the waterway churned, frothed and roared.

Standing atop its muddy banks, the hiker stared into the fastmoving water, mesmerized.

Covered with patches of soggy snow, the trail turned to travel alongside the brook. As the hiker followed the painted markers, the sound of the rushing water soothed her, blocking out all other noises — even the ones inside her head. Her daily concerns melted away as the brook sang a song of spring, a promise of warmer days.

Ahead, a long wooden footbridge spanned the brook, leading her to the other side and deeper into the woods. Reluctant to leave the hypnotizing waterway, she stood for a while on the bridge, leaning against the rail. She breathed in the earthy, aquatic scent of the freshwater. She watched bubbles and foam form and swirl.

She watched sticks and other debris float on by. And she wondered about where the water would carry them — a pond, perhaps, or a wetland or lake. Maybe a beaver would snatch them up to build onto its lodge.

Ready to continue exploring, she left the waterway behind. As she walked farther from its banks, the brook’s song slowly faded.

But all she had to do was find another stream, brook or river to hear a similar tune. Winter’s snow and ice was melting from the landscape, and it was on the move.

McLELLAN-POOR PRESERVE

IN NORTHPORT EASY TO MODERATE The 66-acre McLellan-Poor Preserve is home to two large brooks, Brewster’s Brook and Ramsey Brook, which flow with a ferocity in the springtime.

On the property, four hiking trails weave through a mature forest to visit both brooks and cross them on scenic footbridges. Altogether, these trails total just over 2 miles.

The preserve is owned and maintained by the Coastal Mountains Land Trust. Other features on the property include an abandoned field and viewpoints near the banks of Belfast Reservoir Number One, a 37-acre pond maintained by the Belfast Water District.

The preserve is open for low-impact recreation year round during daylight hours. Wheeled vehicles,

horses, camping and fires are not permitted. Dogs are permitted but must be leashed at all times. For more information, visit coastalmountains.org or call 207-236-7091.

DIRECTIONS: The preserve has two parking lots.

The largest parking lot is on Route 1, about 100 yards south of the Belfast-Northport town line. If driving from Belfast, it will be on your right. The other parking lot, which only fits about two vehicles, is on Herrick Road, about 0.6 miles from where Herrick Road begins at the intersection of Perkins Road and Lower Congress Street. Driving away from that intersection, the parking lot will be on your left.

Both parking lots are marked with signs.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 27

HEALTH & FITNESS

HIKE ME

MARIAVILLE FALLS PRESERVE

IN MARIAVILLE MODERATE

The trails of Mariaville Falls Preserve travel along the West Branch of the Union River to scenic waterfalls in the form of stairs or steps. Conserved and managed by the Frenchman Bay Conservancy, this 141-acre preserve is home to just over 1.5 miles of trails, which travel over hills and along a steep slope. For an unobstructed view of the falls, you must take a steep, rocky side trail. Watch your step.

While following the trails through the shaded evergreen forest, imagine that the land was once the location of a village. In the early 1800s, William Bingham

28 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

of Philadelphia established a settlement at Mariaville Falls, and it grew to include a dam, two timber mills, a tannery, a boarding house and homes for about 50 families. Today, there are no noticeable traces of this village along the preserve trails.

Authorized uses for the preserve are canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting, hiking and nature observation.

Dogs are permitted but must be kept under voice control or on leash at all times. For more information, visit visit frenchmanbay.org or call 207-422-2328.

DIRECTIONS: From US Route 1 in north Ellsworth, turn right onto Mariaville Road. In just a few feet, you’ll pass Boggy Brook Road, the entrance to Ellsworth Business Park, on your left. Drive 8.3 miles on Mariaville Road, then turn right onto Route 181 (just past the Beech Hill School). Drive on Route 181 for 9.7 miles, then turn left onto a gravel access road to the Mariaville Falls Preserve, which is marked with a sign. Drive about 0.1 mile to the parking area, which is located at an old gravel pit near the river. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 29

HEALTH & FITNESS

HIKE ME

RIVERBROOK PRESERVE

IN WALDOBORO EASY TO MODERATE Riverbrook Preserve in Waldoboro comprises 371 acres of fields and forestland sandwiched between the Medomak River and Meadow Brook. The intersecting trails on the property total nearly 3 miles and visit both bodies of water in several locations. Features along the waterways include a series of rapids, an old mill site and a beaver dam.

The property is owned and maintained by the Midcoast Conservancy. Some of the trails are wide and fairly smooth, following the old wood roads, while other trails are narrower and a bit rougher.

About 40 acres of fields, leased by a local farmer, are located on the eastern portion of the property.

Much of the forest is fairly young because trees were harvested within the past few decades. This new growth includes a wide variety of native plants, including jewelweed, blackberries, raspberries, pearly everlasting, bunchberry and ferns. It provides habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife. In addition,

rare species of plants are found in the many wetlands and along the river’s edge.

The preserve is open year round for hiking, crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing during daylight hours. Hunting is permitted with permission. ATVs are not permitted, but snowmobiles are permitted on one designated trails. Dogs are permitted but must be under control at all times. For more information, visit midcoastconservancy.org, or call 207-389-5150.

DIRECTIONS: The preserve parking area is located off Washington Road in Waldoboro. From Atlantic Highway (Route 1) in Waldoboro, turn onto Washington Road (Route 220) and drive north 6.7 miles, crossing Old Augusta Road on the way. The parking lot will be to your left, just after the bridge. If approaching from the north, the preserve parking lot is 3.3 miles south of where Route 220 intersects with Route 17.

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 April 2021

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HEALTH & FITNESS

32 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

How the pandemic forced me to FACE MY ANXIETY. AGAIN.

B

ack in 2018, I decided to share with Bangor Metro readers my then-10 month journey with generalized anxiety disorder and some tips I learned to help manage my symptoms. But flash forward to 2020, and we were thrown into a mental health crisis due to the high rate of disease, death and social isolation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

With my anxiety worsening as the pandemic continued — exhibiting symptoms such as nonstop overthinking and compulsiveness — I realized I no longer knew how to live with it like I once did.

So I tried to change that. Although I do not speak for all when it comes to mental health, here is what I found to help create a safe space for myself when the outside world stopped feeling so safe.

MODIFYING COPING STRATEGIES The five things I wrote about back in 2018 that helped manage my anxiety were thinking positive thoughts, medication, exercise, journaling and talking to someone.

But my triggers and symptoms have changed since then and I had to modify my coping strategies in turn.

In my efforts to find ways to pass the time in quarantine, I found respite in new things. I found a love for baking and coloring and saw how focusing on one task would prevent me from going into an episode of overthinking. When I decided to try therapy again, I discovered online therapy was a better option for me as I could message my therapist everyday. Instead of just thinking “positive thoughts” I started to meditate so that I could deal with my overthinking and stress in general. And once I determined that journaling was actually making me feel anxious for a period, I stopped. I might find

BY ROSEMARY LAUSIER

my way back into journaling or in-person therapy again, but I’m going to do what works for now.

if they are for you, reach out to someone), but I know that my feelings, especially now, are perfectly valid.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY I learned the hard way that consistently working to manage my anxiety is extremely important. I started getting lazy in managing my symptoms a few months before the pandemic started. I stopped going to therapy because I felt I no longer needed it. But I wish I hadn’t. I had to start all over when I wasn’t feeling well instead. Feeling good mentally before the pandemic didn’t mean I should have stopped working on myself. I knew that if I wanted my coping skills to stick this time around, I had to work at it.

MAINTAINING STRUCTURE I become increasingly anxious and paralyzed with indecision if I don’t maintain a daily schedule. The only way I can get myself out of it is to basically force myself back into a routine. I used to rely heavily on external factors to help me get that structure. Going to work made me get dressed and do my hair, and training at the gym or yoga studio got me out of the apartment.

As the initial two to three week shutdown lasted longer than anyone expected in March 2020, I let go of those small routines. When I started to become anxious and indecisive like I used to in the past, I thought that maybe getting back into a routine would help create some normalcy in my life again. I decided to start doing my hair and getting dressed as if I was going into the office even though I was staying in my living room all day. Even though I prefered in-person instruction, I decided to go to yoga online because I wasn’t comfortable to be indoors with people yet.

I started to enjoy the online format and eventually restarted teaching classes from my apartment — something I’m enjoying immensely. It’s surprising how much of a difference those small changes made.

IT’S OKAY TO FEEL ‘BAD’ EMOTIONS As the weather grew colder in November and coronavirus cases started to skyrocket, I decided to move indoors because I was terrified of getting sick. When the weather was nicer, I was able to take solo walks, see my parents on their back porch and go on distanced hikes with my friends. I hadn’t really been alone up until that point. In my newfound isolation, I started to think about the life I had before the pandemic, what I wished I could be doing, and how going back to “normal” might not happen as soon as I thought. Add that to some personal non-pandemic related events, and I started to feel a weight of sadness, grief and frustration. After talking with my therapist daily about my feelings (and using breathing and meditation techniques) I learned that it is normal to have these feelings and I should not be hard on myself for having them. I’m lucky that my emotions don’t become all consuming or debilitating (and

The pandemic has reminded me that I need to listen to my body and how I’m feeling. My goal is to turn these positive changes into habits so I can prepare for whatever my post-pandemic life turns out to be. I just need to be patient and do the work. I guess that can be one small positive thing the pandemic has done. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 33

HOME & FAMILY

CREATE your own RING HOLDER HOW TO MAKE A CONE RING HOLDER STORY & PHOTOS BY KATIE SMITH

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • White FIMO clay and a contrasting color of your choice. I like FIMO clay because I find it easier to work with than any other kind and it marbleizes so nice. For my contrasting color I used black but, you can use any color (or colors) you’d like.

Remember in order to get the marbleized look, you will want to use equal parts white clay and equal parts colored clay.

• Butter knife. They sell little plastic knives to use with clay, but I think using something you already have on hand works just as well.

• Rolling pin or glass to roll out clay • Baking sheet

34 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTO: (ABOVE BACKGROUND) ©MAGLARA/ADOBE STOCK

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED JEWELRY and find myself not satisfied if it’s all tucked away in a drawer or a jewelry box where no one can see it. I also tend to take my rings off when I wash dishes or get into a project that requires some elbow grease. It’s nice to have a place to put my finger candy where I know it won’t get knocked off a shelf, or fall down the drain.

I’ve been eyeing cone ring holders which I’ve seen in lots of stores for at least $20 (or more) and figured it would be easy (and a lot cheaper) to make one myself. Plus, it was also the perfect project to do with my kiddos during a school break.

If you are looking for a super satisfying clay project to keep for yourself, or give away as a gift — I say do both — these marbled ring holders will do the trick.

HOW TO MAKE THE CLAY RING HOLDERS: 1. First, roll your clay into sections with your hand until you get a tube measuring about 6 inches. It doesn’t have to be exact and the clay tubes don’t have to be the same length. I did 2 black and 3 white and 1 kind of a gray color by rolling the white clay on my hands after making my black tubes.

2. Next, combine all tubes and form one tube.

3. Make it into a ball with your hands and roll out with a rolling pin.

4. Now you will make your cone: Press your flat clay circle on a flat surface and roll with your hand making a cone shape that’s bigger on one end than the other. You can’t mess this up and it looks better if it’s a bit wonky and organic looking. Just make sure a ring will slide over the skinny top of your cone.

6. Use your hands to smooth and shape it until you are happy with it, and cut the end off with a knife if you’d like.

7. Bake in the oven on a baking sheet following the clay baking instructions. Let clay cool off and display your lovely wares.

HOME & FAMILY

BURNED

OUT

36 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PARENTS ARE DEALING WITH UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES. HERE’S WHAT CAN HELP.

PHOTO: MARIA SBYTOVA/ ADOBE STOCK

F

BY SARAH WALKER CARON

or more than a year, life has been upended. That’s been felt acutely by parents who have weathered school shutdowns, activity cancelations and mental health concerns for their kids while balancing work and school in an unprecedented way.

While life as a parent is often busy, it’s taken on a whole new sense during the pandemic.

As a result, parents have been strained to their limits.

This is parent burnout and it’s impacting many, many families.

Expert Liz Dempsey Lee, who teaches a course called Parenting Resilience at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that parent burnout is characterized by exhaustion, inability to get on top of work, irritability and missing deadlines.

“You wake up and it’s like you didn’t even sleep,” Dempsey Lee said.

Sound familiar? These are sensations that many people have been describing in social media posts, messages to friends and in essays, though they might not have characterized them as burnout per se.

And worse, many parents are struggling with a feeling of not being able to do enough, said Celeste Orr, a personal development coach based in Mount Desert.

“As if parenting weren’t hard enough … now we have this whole pandemic on top of that,” Orr said. “When a stressor comes, anything that we were managing or ignoring [such as anxiety or depression], it will surface or it will manifest.”

Now is a time for parents to make sure they are taking care of themselves, as well as their children. This comes in many forms including eating a healthy diet, managing mental health and ensuring that physical health needs are cared for.

So, what is a parent to do? Dempsey Lee said that it starts with letting go of expectations.

Marketing might make us think that kids need tutoring, sports enrichment and other luxuries, but really, they will be OK without it.

“Stop and think. That thing you have to have — is that something that your kid actually needs or is it something that everyone else says they need? Try to see the difference,” Dempsey Lee said.

While students may not be experiencing science labs, field trips and school activities that families have come to expect, they are — as people — learning other skills during this time.

“This offers opportunity for new ways to grow and learn. We’ll go back to those other things, but right now, there are other things to focus on and it’s okay to acknowledge that,” Dempsey Lee said.

That also means changing how you operate as a family. The old rules — like eating dinner at a table every night — may not make sense while everyone is home all the time.

“Be open to doing things differently,” Orr said.

Likewise, it’s important to stop and get fresh air, Orr said.

“No matter the season or the weather, as long as a family has access to the right outdoor gear (even something as simple as coats and hats for the winter), getting outside and doing something fun can do wonders for parent burnout,” Orr said.

Spending time outdoors serves a dual purpose of helping to clear your mind and reset things and also taking care of physical health.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 37

HOME & FAMILY

38 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTOS: ©IURICAZAC/ADOBE STOCK

REALTORS “Especially in Maine, we have this amazing [landscape],” Orr said. “For me, when I get outside, it’s easier to forget about my phone or to forget about the emails that are waiting for me. It’s not just the emotional thing, it’s the mental thing.”

In addition to benefiting the parents themselves, practicing selfcare demonstrates its importance to their kids. Dempsey Lee says that this balanced approach to life “allows the mind time to settle.”

And kids will notice.

“Kids are keen observers — they will notice if you tell them to take breaks but don’t do it yourself,” Dempsey Lee said.

Many parents are feeling the crunch of a weird and different year due to the pandemic. Even parents like Dempsey Lee, who are experts in parenting, are feeling the stress of pandemic parenting. But, she said, it’s important to know that the kids are going to be OK. “I do this for a living and I still struggle with this,” Dempsey Lee said. “The thing that I think helps people feel better about this is that kids are truly resilient. We know that kids bounce back from truly adverse experiences.”

Resilience is a term that refers to the ability to overcome hardship. Considered a skill, children build resilience through having strong relationships with adults, including at least one parent, and by developing good coping skills, according to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child.

“This combination of supportive relationships, adaptive skill-building, and positive experiences is the foundation of resilience,” according to a fact sheet about resilience from Harvard.

For parents, this means your kids will be OK even if the situation is not.

“We’re stuck in a really terrible, really difficult situation, but it’s not one that kids cannot recover from … Your kids are going to be OK. It’s OK if they miss a year of consistent school,” Dempsey Lee said.

And ultimately, any parent feeling burnout should know they are not alone. Talk to others. Share experiences.

Let it be something that we help each other through.

“We are all burnt out. You are not alone. We’ve all hit a wall,” Dempsey Lee said. “You don’t have to keep tap dancing.

Figure out which pieces of the dance have to get done, and then sit out the rest.”

Your listing could be on this page.

Sell it faster.

Advertise in Bangor Metro’s Home section.

Call 990-8000.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39

PERSONAL FINANCE

40 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

Money MATTERS REBOUNDING FINANCIALLY AFTER A DIVORCE

BY SARAH WALKER CARON

PHOTO: ©5SECOND/ADOBE STOCK

WHEN A MARRIAGE ENDS, it brings with it all sorts of emotional, physical and practical changes. Among those, and an important one not to overlook, is the changes it brings to finances.

“Going through a divorce can bring up a lot of emotions, and that’s normal as this is a time of transitioning into the unknown. The best way to combat fear is action, and action combined with knowledge is empowering,” said Randa Hoffman, a financial planner with Radiant Wealth Planning, LLC. Here’s what you should know about financial matters after divorce.

WORK OUT THE DEBT DETAILS During a marriage, a couple may incur small or large debts. They may purchase a house, cosign on loans, share credit cards or merge finances into joint accounts.

When divorcing, the joint finances have to be divorced as well.

During a divorce, the jointly acquired property such as the house, cars and savings will be split up. But what about the debt? That too will be dealt with.

Once you know who will pay for what debts, it’s time to take charge of those expenses.

“If there are debts that you have co-signed on, it is best to try to have them refinanced so that they are only in your or your ex-spouse’s name,” Hoffman said. This is beneficial because it means that the person paying the debt will be the only one impacted if late payments are made, for instance.

And then work on paying down the debt.

“Create a plan to pay off your debt every month and look for ways to pay off more than the minimum to reduce interest,” said Chris Abrams, founder of Abrams Insurance Solutions. “I recommend speaking with a financial advisor. They can put together a repayment plan that takes into account debt from your marriage as well as legal fees.”

ESTABLISH A NEW BUDGET Your old budget — the one that factored in joint expenses and incomes (or at least compensated for it) — won’t work anymore. It’s time to create a new budget using your new expenses and single income.

“Establishing a budget at divorce is critical in ensuring you don’t overspend, especially if you’re used to living off two paychecks,” said Ben Reynolds, CEO and founder of Sure Dividend.

Grab a notebook and write down two things: the income you’ll be bringing in and the expenses you’ll have.

Remember to include your rent or mortgage payment, car insurance, loan payments, credit card payments, alimony, child support and other fixed amounts. You’ll need to estimate other expenses as well such as gas, food and entertainment. Then see if your income will cover your anticipated expenses.

If the numbers aren’t working out, then it’s time to make some changes such as cutting spending or downsizing your living situation.

“You might have to significantly reduce your discretionary expenses temporarily to make sure you can afford to pay those infrequent bills like taxes,” Reynolds

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 41

PERSONAL FINANCE

BUILD YOUR CREDIT When a marriage ends, it can be tempting to rely on credit to fill in the income gaps or handle unexpected situations. Other times, a marriage ending can mean that a partner without credit needs to build it. Whatever the case, paying attention to your credit score — and acting responsibly with your finances — is essential.

“A good credit score is key to your future.

You won’t be able to purchase a home, secure loans, or even find gainful employment with a poor credit score,” said Abrams.

42 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

Start by making sure that you make loan and credit payments on time. And if your credit is particularly bad, find ways to rebuild your credit score.

“One option to rebuild your credit score is to apply for a secured credit card.

These credit cards require users to back up their line of credit with a deposit,” Abrams said. “Since they limit risk for lenders, these credit cards are often available to those with poor credit scores. You can build up your credit score by making purchases and paying your card on time every month.”

You’ll also need to work on correcting any financial wrongs on your credit profile to keep your credit healthy into the future.

“You can practice more healthy spending habits by limiting your credit limit to under 30 percent, which can

help rebuild any actions your ex-spouse might have taken on any joint accounts,” Reynolds said.

DON’T FORGET TO SAVE Even if you’ve never had much of a savings account before, now is a good time to change that. Having money in savings means you have a cushion for life’s unexpected events.

And that, in turn, will alleviate the stress of things like car repairs or medical expenses.

Include money to put into your savings in your personal budget, and follow through with it. Or, if your budget is particularly tight, kickstart your savings through other means such as selling items from your marriage that you no longer want or need.

However you do it, having a little money in savings will make life going forward a little easier.

PHOTO: ©SUCHADA TOEMKRAISRI/ ADOBE STOCK

said. “Getting a second job or a side job might help you navigate the challenging financial situation after being divorced.

An extra $300 can help you pay off any lingering debt you need to take care of that your ex-spouse was responsible for.”

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FEATURE

Healthy skin,

HAPPY

SKIN HOW TO PRACTICE GOOD SKINCARE THROUGH ALL YOUR DECADES

BY SAM SCHIPANI

D

eveloping a skincare routine is important, no matter how old you are — and it is never too late to start. Over time as your skin changes, your routine will need to change as well.

The first step, according to Michael Noparstak, board-certified dermatologist at Acadia Dermatology in Ellsworth, is to see a board-certified dermatologist to get an individualized approach based on your skin and your specific concerns.

“Certain therapies can only be given via prescription [and] understanding the skin on a histologic and physiologic level to aid in discussing and recommending treatments is paramount,” Noparstak said. “There are also many products that I commonly see used incorrectly. A simple explanation can go a long way.”

Mackenzie Kelley, owner of M Kelley Skincare in Bangor, agreed that seeing a professional is an important first step. She said that consulting with an esthetician after you see a dermatologist will help you to address some of the more aesthetic concerns you may have about your skin, while dermatologists focus mainly on the health of your skin and any diseases.

Whatever you do, though, resist the urge to get skincare tips from social media.

“Try not to get information from the internet, social media or someone trying to sell you something,” Noparstak said. “Avoid clicking on ads for skincare.”

“Most people just do what they see on TikTok and they get fed through their Instagram feed but a lot of times that product isn’t that great,” Kelley added.

44 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTO: ©OLESIA/ADOBE STOCK

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 45

WHAT HAPPENS TO SKIN AS YOU AGE? As you age, your skin will change in many ways as your body changes.

“Every 10 years, your skin has a hormonal change,” Kelley said. “They’re kind of just phases of your life.”

Noparstak said that changes to the skin will vary depending on factors like stress, diet, genetics, underlying medical conditions and other environmental exposures, but there are some general trends that everyone can expect.

“Bone resorption and changes to the underlying fat pads of the face cause significant changes from a cosmetic standpoint,” Noparstak said. “Skin can become drier and develop more lines [and] wrinkles. Over time, it is normal to develop benign growths, especially once one reaches the fourth decade of life.”

“As people age usually they lose elasticity and collagen volume,” Kelley added. “[As skin thins], more hyperpigmentation comes to the surface. Skin damage is done when you’re young, and as you age, it comes up to the surface.”

Skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis — which Noparstak said can change with age — are best selectively targeted with a treatment plan designed by a dermatologist.

46 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

Another issue as you age: skin cancer.

“It is more common to develop skin cancer the older you get,” Noparstak said. “Squamous cell carcinoma, now shown to be the number one killer in the United States when it comes to skin cancer, is more common in elderly people with lighter skin types and an extensive amount of cumulative sun damage to the skin.”

SKINCARE IN YOUR TEENS AND TWENTIES In a person’s teenage years, they should develop a solid foundation for a skincare regimen.

“I think it’s a good idea for teens to start with a very basic skincare regimen,” said Linda Forgues, owner and esthetician at About Face Skin Care Salon and Cosmetic Boutique in Damariscotta.

“Cleansing the skin once in the morning, once at night [and I would] definitely suggest a moisturizer, but it would have to be something according to their skin type.

It’s fine to add a toner to absorb the oil but just to keep in mind not to overdry the skin. If you take away the oil, the body is going to produce more oil.”

The teenage years are a great time to start wearing sun protection every day.

“Get into the habit of wearing a lotion or moisturizer with an SPF in it,” Forgues said.

As you move into your twenties, Forgues said that you will begin to lose collagen and elastin in your skin. As such, there should be some adjustments to your skincare routine.

“There is no too early time to start with anti-aging,” Kelley said. “It’s all preventative. Using more moisturizer as you age is really important. Start getting facials.

Start using anti-aging serum such as retinol or vitamin C. A teenager doesn’t really need anti-aging serums but in your 20s is definitely fair game.”

“I would probably recommend the vitamin C [serum] first,” Forgues added.

“Most people in their 20s are not that dry so I think the vitamin C is probably a little bit more important. It keeps skin bright [and] prevents it from sun damage [and] premature aging.”

Forgues suggested adding an eye cream as well.

“The difference between eye cream and moisturizer is that there may be ingredients in moisturizer that you don’t want close to your eye because the skin around your eyes is thin and very delicate,” Forgues said. “Keep that skin moisturized and hydrated.”

PHOTOS: ©WAYHOME STUDIO, ©YAKOBCHUK OLENA/ADOBE STOCK

FEATURE

SKINCARE IN YOUR 30S AND 40S In your 30s, your skin will likely start to develop more lines and wrinkles, and the texture of your skin will be a little duller and not as smooth.

Forgues said that adding a chemical exfoliant like alpha hydroxy acids, particularly glycolic acid, which can be found as individual serums or incorporated into night creams.

“They gently exfoliate the skin and simulate cellular turnover,” Forgues said.

“As we get older we don’t slough off the dead skin cells naturally like we used to when we were young. We need help to get rid of those dead skin cells so those new cells will come to the surface. I would recommend that to be used at night.”

Kelley said that you might want to start doing more regular anti-aging facials and peels — a good rule of thumb, she said, is to get a facial for every seasonal change.

“Your skin is affected by the environment every season,” Kelley said.

“As you get older, I start recommending facials once a month.”

You may also consider starting some Botox or collagen injections, as well as facial yoga, which will help you work out and tone your facial muscles.

“Any time you put a moisturizer on, you should give yourself a pretty good facial massage,” Kelley said. “You want to rub in an upward motion, and then drain it down through your sinuses and lymph nodes.”

In your 40s, Forgues said your skincare routine will remain relatively the same.

“You may want to add a retinol if you’re not sensitive,” Forgues said. “If you are sensitive, stick with a glycolic [acid].

They kind of do the same thing.

“AS PEOPLE AGE If someone has really sensitive skin, I probably wouldn’t USUALLY THEY LOSE suggest a retinol or try it ELASTICITY AND COLLAGEN very slowly and use a time release retinol which will VOLUME,” KELLEY ADDED. not be as irritating.” “[AS SKIN THINS], MORE Forgues said you also HYPERPIGMENTATION COMES might want to swap in a heavier night cream.

TO THE SURFACE. SKIN DAMAGE “We lose moisture in IS DONE WHEN YOU’RE our skin [at night], so it’s YOUNG, AND AS YOU AGE, a good time to use a night cream that might have a IT COMES UP TO few more active ingredients,” THE SURFACE.” Forgues said. “It might be a little heavier, [and] might have some ceramides that add more moisture and things like that.” www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 47

FEATURE

48 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

In your 60s and beyond, Kelley said you may experience volume loss and consider doing face lifts, collagen injections or Botox.

“I personally don’t love the frozen look,” Kelley admitted. “Too much Botox isn’t a good look. I always recommend facial exercises. You can take collagen chews or capsules. We just up the ante on everything.”

Forgues reiterated that prioritizing hydration at this stage is essential.

“Adding a facial oil to your regimen might be nice, too,” Forgues said. “It causes a barrier so that your moisturizer will soak in better. Argan oil type things are good to add just again to add more hydration.”

And, of course, keep up the sun protection.

“No matter how old you are, always use your daytime sun protection, whether it’s a chemical sunscreen or mineral based sunblock,” Forgues said.

KEEPING UP THE HEALTHY SKIN Forgues said that perhaps the most important element of your skincare routine is maintaining it.

“Just keep it as a habit,” Forgues said.

“It does help through the years as we start at a young age and get into the habit of following a good skincare regimen. I definitely see the difference in my clients who have been practicing a skincare regimen since they were in their early 20s. Their aging process has definitely not happened as quickly.”

PHOTO: ©FIZKES/ADOBE STOCK

SKINCARE IN YOUR 50S AND BEYOND In your 50s, you will focus more on the skin’s increasing dryness.

“Women mostly in their 50s are going through menopause and our skin because of hormones will definitely change,” Forgues said. “We want to concentrate on hydrating.

I definitely suggest that age group add a type of hyaluronic acid to retain moisture, in addition to a vitamin C serum. Usually you want to put on the product that is the thinnest. Vitamin C is really liquidy [and] hyaluronic [serum] is a little bit thicker.”

Forgues said to let one serum absorb for a few minutes before applying the other.

A stabilized vitamin C serum may help promote absorption as well.

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Noparstak noted that everybody is different, though, and the way you adjust your skincare routine may be different than somebody else’s.

“I have seen young patients with genetic conditions that are covered in skin cancers and 90-year-old patients who barely have any growths on their skin,” Noparstak said. “I have 20-year-old patients whose skin is so dry they need to moisturize five times a day, and 80-year-old outdoorsmen who can get along just fine without any moisturizer. Age is just a number.” www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 49

FEATURE

50 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

MIRROR, MIRROR WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT MY BODY AFTER MY MIND HIJACKED IT FOR A YEAR

PHOTOS: ©FIZKES & ©LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/ADOBE STOCK

BY EMILY MORRISON

WHEN I ROUNDED THE BEND on my fourth decade I rounded it in more ways than one.

I think it might’ve had something to do with all those black balloons tied to our front porch when my mom turned 40 accompanied by the “Look who’s over the hill!” sign hung over the front door. At the time I was only 8, so 30 would’ve seemed just as old to me, but 40 was a big deal.

It meant a thinning list of activities I could do with my parents.

Sledding was questionable, swimming was optional, badminton was risky and running was downright deadly. No kid should say, “Last one in the water’s a rotten egg!” to people over 40 unless they’ve got an ambulance standing by.

So, a couple of years ago, as my own friends and family wished me well, I kept looking around the corner for the hearse. Where was it? Where were the black balloons? The sign? Even though none of these hallmarks presented themselves, others showed up for the party on my face.

Every new wrinkle, the crows feet, the angry 11s, the dynamic forehead lines, they all screamed, “Don’t let this happen! Don’t let them hang the sign out front!”

I felt a bit like Julia Roberts’ character, the evil queen, in “Mirror Mirror.” There was no price I wouldn’t pay or procedure I wouldn’t try to reassure myself that I was still young and vibrant. Unlike Julia, I wasn’t trying to be “the fairest of them all” or land a hot sugar daddy.

I just wanted to look and feel 10 years younger than I looked and felt.

Was that such a crime?

In and of itself, no. It wasn’t. But the lengths that I found myself going to in order to achieve some impossible ideal of youth and beauty felt wrong even while I was doing them.

I started out with a consultation with my dermatologist. What could I do to turn back the clock?

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FEATURE

FOCUSING ON MY BODY WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT I TRULY NEED IT FOR LEFT ME FEELING FOOLISH AND HOLLOW. IT’S ALSO LEFT ME PAYING FOR PROCEDURES I COULDN’T AFFORD, AND FOR WHAT? 52 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTO: ©JACOB LUND/ADOBE STOCK

His response went something like this.

Here, try this ridiculously expensive sunscreen, and if at all possible, avoid the sun for the next five decades. Oh, and you’ll need to have a skin care routine. Just buy these soaps, serums and creams and use them twice a day from now into perpetuity.

Now, let’s take a look at your face. How about a platelet rich plasma facial? First, we’ll use a laser on your forehead, erase some of those dynamic expression lines. Then, we’ll draw some blood from your arm and insert the plasma back into your face with microderm needles. This’ll stimulate collagen growth.

Remember, we really gotta brutalize your skin to get cell turnover.

Better hit your neck too. Did you know that the neck ages four years faster than the face? True, true. Better start there.

For good measure we’ll add some botox. A little botulism for your eyes and forehead never hurt anybody. Well, some people get weird reactions, but you’ll probably be fine. And if one eyebrow looks higher than the other after a week, just come back. Happens all the time.

Sadly, all this “self-improvement” wasn’t enough for me. I’d never really liked my nose. Wasn’t a woman allowed to change something about herself if she didn’t like it long enough?

Of course she is. No one should tell someone who’s feeling self-conscious not to feel self-conscious, least of all her husband, who reminds her that getting a new nose is like buying a new car only you can drive and no one even notices it.

Add rhinoplasty to the list.

Honesty, I probably would’ve kept going, but my body wouldn’t let my mind hijack it anymore. Whether it was from surgery or the way I slept after surgery, suddenly, I couldn’t look down without pain.

I couldn’t run. Couldn’t use my laptop. Couldn’t carry on conversations with loved ones or anyone really without a stabbing pain in my neck. Whatever I did to my fascia, the skin that keeps you all together under your skin, I really pissed it off.

Actually, this is a great metaphor for my mentality at the time. My mind wasn’t holding me together either. Whether you call it a midlife crisis, turning 40 or a case of body dysmorphia, I definitely had a break with reality.

The prolonged physical pain, while uncomfortable, was what brought me back to myself. My brain was done with the craziness. It helped me realize that what’s truly important in life has nothing to do with a new nose, face or expressionless forehead.

What feeds my soul is my ability to be present with my family, to do things with them and enjoy them, to communicate with the world, to write, to teach, to do the things that enrich my spirit.

Focusing on my body without understanding what I truly need it for left me feeling foolish and hollow. It’s also left me paying for procedures I couldn’t afford, and for what?

To brainwash myself I’m not really getting older? To pretend that I’m not really going to die someday?

I am getting older. I am going to die someday. And I am okay with that. But first, I’d like to live without judging myself too old or imperfect to enjoy life as I am.

This year, I was so excited to turn 42 I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t wait to tell people, “Look who’s made it to 42? Look who’s two years over the hill?”

I survived the most painful year of self-discovery ever, and I’m damn proud of it. Consider this the sign above my front door. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 53

FEATURE

The Doctor Will SEE YOU

NOW HEALTHY BODIES THROUGH THE DECADES

BY JULIA BAYLY

54 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

A

s we get older, our bodies and minds change — and with that change, our health needs evolve as well.

Things that came without much effort in our 20s are a greater challenge in our 50s. Likewise our health providers may recommend certain medical tests or screenings as we hit certain ages. At the same time, screenings that had become routine may no longer be needed.

“There are physiological changes that occur in our bodies as we get older,” said Dr. Sara Crane, a provider at Northern Light Primary Care in Hampden “Our bodies experience the normal wear and tear of aging [and] we find ourselves older and wiser but a bit more worn.”

Paying attention to what our bodies are telling us is one way to age with the best health possible, according to Crane.

“Having a good picture of what’s going on with your body is crucial,” Crane said. “Visiting your primary care giver once a year can help you see where you are doing well and where you may need help.”

THE 20S For a lot of us, our 20s is when we strike out on our own. No longer under our parents’ roof — or watchful eyes — it’s also the first time we are responsible for our own medical care. A 20-year-old body is pretty resilient, but Crane said there are things to consider. In your 20s it’s important to look at your lifestyle and behaviors realistically and how they can impact your health.

“People in their 20s tend to engage in risky behaviors,” Crane said. “There can be issues with inexperienced or aggressive driving, dangerous alcohol use, experimenting with drugs and high risk sexual behaviors.”

People in their 20s who are sexualy active should discuss contraception methods with their healthcare provider and use them. They should also take precautions against sexually transmitted diseases — STDs — by using condoms, internal condoms or dental dams to prevent the exchange of bodily fluids. It’s also a good idea to be screened for STDs on a regular basis.

It’s never too early to start paying attention to your body’s vital statistics either. Health screenings in your 20s will give a baseline for your blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.

For women, cervical cancer screenings should start at age 21 and be repeated every three years until age 30. If you start in your 20s building good diet and exercise habits, those will help you maintain a level of fitness as you age. Crane said people in their 20s should plan on spending at least two hours of moderate intensity or an hour and a half of vigorous intensity activity a week.

THE 30S Things like sexual health, contraception, diet, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and exercise remain important in the 30s. But things are starting to change in our bodies. The biggest is our metabolisms are slowing down a bit, so it can be a bit more difficult to work off those extra pounds. For some, desk jobs and a more sedentary lifestyle may result in less moving about.

Likewise, work or family commitments may be starting to take up time, so now you may have to pay more attention to carving out time to exercise.

“Primary care in your 30s is still about prevention and wellness,” Crane said. “We like to look at diet and exercise as part of a plan to keep people healthy.

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FEATURE

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PHOTO: ©DRAGONIMAGES/ADOBE STOCK

IN OUR 40S IS WHEN WE START SEEING ELEVATED RISKS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, DIABETES AND ELEVATED LEVELS OF CHOLESTEROL. SCREENINGS FOR ALL THREE SHOULD BE DONE PER YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER’S RECOMMENDATIONS.

According to Crane, for women in their 30s, the cervical cancer screenings move to once every five years.

THE 40S In our 40s it may seem as if human biology is conspiring against us. Things like hormones and the ever slowing of metabolisms make it more of a challenge to maintain lean muscle mass and not gain weight in body fat. In our 40s is when we start seeing elevated risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and elevated levels of cholesterol. Screenings for all three should be done per your health care provider’s recommendations.

Women in their 40s should start regular breast cancer screenings that will continue until around 75.

“Breast cancer is pretty common and it is not unusual to [diagnose] it in your 40s,” Crane said. “Screening early and screening often is often your best chance of survival.”

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop a form of breast cancer in their lifetime.

How often you are screened depends on your family history and your comfort level with the procedure — a mammogram that some women find uncomfortable or even painful. Your health care provider can help you create your “percentage of risk” based on your own risk factors and family history.

This can be used to determine the frequency of breast cancer screenings.

To keep fit in the 40s cardiovascular exercises are crucial. For women it’s also the time to really hit weight-bearing exercise to build bone mass that can help prevent osteoporosis — brittle bone disease — down the road.

THE 50S Welcome to midlife — but it’s not a crisis by any means. It is, however, the time for women when major hormonal changes can usher in new health concerns with the onset of menopause, according to Crane. You know you have hit menopause when you have not menstruated for 12 months. You may experience symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy and sleep disruption, all of which can create anxiety or depression. Menopause is perfectly natural and you can talk to your health care provider about different strategies or medications to manage the symptoms. It’s also a good time for women to start taking calcium supplements and Vitamin D to further prevent osteoporosis. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 57

For men, the 50s is when you start prostate cancer screenings. When to start the screenings and how often to have them is based heavily on family history and the individual. Generally speaking you should be screened every three years.

Men and women should have their first colonoscopy at 50 to screen for colon cancer.

From there, regular colon screenings should happen every 10 years until age 75. Newer non-invasive colon cancer screenings are also available now. Fecal samples are simply sent into a lab for testing, Crane said.

“These at-home tests mean you no longer have to take off a day of work for the colonoscopy prep and a second day for the procedure,” Crane said. “Plus, with so many people not wanting to go to hospitals to get screenings due to COVID concerns, this home test is a God-send.”

However, she points out if the at-home test indicates any irregularities in the 58 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

colon, you then will need to schedule a full colonoscopy.

Your 50s are no time to cut back on your activity level, Crane said. It’s important for your heart, weight, bone density and wellness to keep on doing those cardio and weight-bearing workouts.

Smokers should start having lung cancer screenings at 55 and continue to have them annually. Crane urges anyone who smokes to quit. Not only will you see improvements to your overall health, but after 15 smokefree years those annual lung cancer screenings can stop.

THE 60S All those screenings and health considerations of the past five decades are still important, but now you may need to start paying a bit more attention to your surroundings, according to Crane. In their 60s, people start to have

greater risks associated with losing their balance and falling.

“The focus in the 60s starts to shift to safety,” Crane said. “You want to start really paying attention to your hearing, vision and balance.”

This is the decade when new health screenings enter in. Women in their 60s should be actively screened for osteoporosis and anyone with a history of smoking should have abnormal aortic aneurysm screens.

It’s in your 60s that you may for the first time hear the world “geriatric” used in connection to your own health care. But geriatric does not mean you need to stop being active. On the contrary, for those who have led an active lifestyle, the 60s can be when you start having more time for those activities as you near retirement age. But you may need to modify those activities to reduce the risk of injury.

PHOTO: ©CRIZZYSTUDIO/ADOBE STOCK

FEATURE

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FEATURE

THE 80S AND BEYOND It’s time to have a discussion with your care provider on your overall health and reevaluate your own life expectancy. You may decide that, after decades of tests, screenings and exams, you can stop having many of them because the treatments for whatever a specific test reveals, will do nothing to add to the length or quality of your life. A shift to new medications or treatments to manage any health issues might be in order.

It’s also the time to take a frank look at the level of independence you can maintain.

Things like the ability to make sound financial decisions, mobility and possible isolation may mean it’s time to consider assisted or group living arrangements.

“I have seen people as they age and are in their 60s but feel more like they are in their 70s,” Crane said. “Then I see the people who are in their 70s or even 80s who are extremely physically fit and are still out there mountain biking and skiing.

It’s your body — pay attention to it.”

Maintaining your best health over the years means paying attention to the big picture of aging, Crane said. But it also means paying attention to your own body and not being afraid to ask questions.

60 / BANGOR METRO April 2021

PHOTO: ©RIDO/ADOBE STOCK

THE 70S As you continue to age, your health and medical choices are going to shift a bit from preventive to maintenance. It’s at this point the average life expectancy comes into play — 78.7 years, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In your 70s, detection of certain diseases or conditions would require treatments that not only don’t extend life beyond the normal expectancy, but also greatly reduce the quality of that life. So things like breast cancer screenings and colon cancer screenings can stop at 75. However, since every person is different, the decision to stop screenings, or to not treat something detected during an exam or screen should be discussed with your care provider.

“Focus on home safety becomes important in your 70s to avoid falls and injuries,” Crane said. “When you get into your 70s that’s when you start having memory screening tests, too.”

Keep on being as physically active as you are able, but shift your focus away from cardio to stretching exercise since in the 70s you are really going to notice the loss of flexibility and range of motion.

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WOODS & WATERS

Maine Moose are

IN TROUBLE

KEEPING WINTER TICKS IN CHECK

THE BALANCE OF NATURE is a beautiful thing, except when it isn’t. Moose are in trouble. Although Maine’s moose population is stable, the herd is sick, and getting sicker.

Maine has the highest population of moose in the lower 48 states, perhaps too high.

Nature has a way of correcting overpopulations, and it’s often not pretty. Predation, disease STORY & PHOTO BY BOB DUCHESNE and starvation are some of nature’s tools.

For moose, the winter tick is today’s main culprit.

The balance has swung wildly. A century ago, only about 2,000 moose were left in Maine, due mostly to overhunting. Improved conservation over the ensuing decades allowed populations to rebound. Then, timber harvests and spruce budworm infestations opened up the forest. Regenerating saplings and shrubs created a bounty of food that moose could browse, without predators to worry about. By 2012, the population had exploded to 76,000, as estimated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

ONE ANSWER IS SIMPLY TO DIF&W operates one of the most intensive moose study programs in the country. As other states have watched their moose populations LET NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE, plummet, eyes have turned toward Maine. This is a state where moose BUT MAINERS HAVE LITTLE numbers are counted from helicopters, flying just above the treetops.

This is a state where biologists jump out of those helicopters to TOLERANCE FOR WIDESPREAD collar moose. This is a state that regulates its hunt so tightly that populations are managed separately across 21 distinct districts.

PESTILENCE IN ANY WILDLIFE When trouble came, DIF&W biologists were quick to notice.

POPULATION, LET ALONE Winter ticks have been in Maine since at least the 1930s, when they were first documented. Most ticks have a two-year life cycle.

A CHARISMATIC SPECIES Winter ticks go through all their life stages in one year, and they prey primarily on just one species — moose. In the fall, they cluster in huge SUCH AS MOOSE.

masses, waiting for a moose to brush by.

The unlucky victim can suddenly find itself the host of 50,000 to 90,000 ticks. The ticks feed all winter, dropping off in the spring to lay eggs for the next generation.

If the winter is long enough, they drop off into snow and die.

As the climate has warmed, Maine winters have shortened. Now this huge mass of winter ticks is more likely to drop off into leaf litter, vastly increasing the next year’s tick load. As moose and tick populations increased simultaneously, moose began to suffer. Maine’s population remains stable, but the warning signs have become obvious. Calves are dying.

In one district, half to three-quarters of the collared calves failed to survive their first winter, with that trend repeating over several years of the study.

Worse, reproduction rates have plummeted. In the 1980s, one could expect to find four calves per hundred cows. Over the last decade, that number has been cut in half. Moose cows formerly produced twins 42 percent of the time.

Over the last decade, twinning occurred only 19 percent of the time. Cows are also getting older before first getting pregnant. Though adults stand a good chance of surviving the agony of winter ticks, they are much weaker for it. Many have scratched against trees in hopes of relieving the itch, removing the fur that protects them against the cold. Sapped of strength, cows ovulate less.

Across North America, the typical density of moose in a healthy herd is one moose per square mile. In a few places, up to three moose occupy a square mile without consequences. In the areas of Maine where the moose herd is least healthy, there may be five or more moose per square mile. For the winter ticks, overpopulation is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Climate change has tipped the balance against moose, and nature will reduce the herd one way or another.

One answer is simply to let nature take its course, but Mainers have little tolerance for widespread pestilence in any wildlife population, let alone a charismatic species such as moose.

Another solution is to reduce the moose population to sustainable levels, but after years of careful research, DIF&W’s biologists are loath to apply a broad solution without testing it first.

In a district along the Quebec border, above Seboomook Lake, moose density exceeds eight per square mile. If all goes according to plan, the department will divide that district, and grant sufficient hunting permits this autumn to reduce the population to a sustainable level in one of the two halves. They can then measure and compare the effects on both the moose population and the tick load.

Their ambitious goal is nothing less than finally discovering how to break the tick cycle.

It’s a tall task.

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

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 63

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j THINK Spring z THE VIEW FROM HERE

BY EMILY MORRISON

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sticking to my body. That’s what it feels like, little personal postits reminding me to focus on what’s really important.

Plus, what 42-year-old doesn’t like feeling a little edgy now and then?

My husband laughs at me and calls me trashy, but when he sees the tattoos come out he knows it must be dark times. And that’s why I love him. Because he never makes fun of me for being 40-something and wearing fake love tattoos when it’s a wide open shot at the net, you know?

Next, I went right into morning stretch mode. I do 14 minutes of stretching followed by 28 minutes of strength training to get my body feeling less creaky. This and a cup of coffee with whipped cream and chocolate sauce is an essential part of my morning.

Then I wrote a little. Writing is free therapy for me. When I was young (third grade through college) I used to journal every night before I went to bed. Now I’m more of a morning writer because I like to get it all out while I’m limber and caffeinated.

Sometimes the writing stalls (which is what happened today) and I need to jog both my body and my mind before I can return to the blank page. The roads were a wintery mix of sleet and snow and many times I questioned why I couldn’t simply stay in front of the heat pump and enjoy the coziness of not running in a sleet-storm.

But after the shower, the blowdry and more self-tanner I felt good about it. The hot bowl of chili, more writing and a fresh coat of mascara ushered in my afternoon. And now, as I write this at night (just like the old days) I feel like I’ve come full circle. I’m feeling good about tomorrow.

There’s more self-tanner on the shelf, more tattoos in the manifestation pack and more words to share with you all. The thought of spring has saved me.

PHOTO: ©CANDY1812/ADOBE STOCK

TODAY I WOKE UP on a cold, gray day, and I felt like I was living inside a song by The Mamas and the Papas. At the time of this writing, dear reader, I’m in the last dregs of winter on a blustery day that, had it not occurred during school vacation, would certainly have been a snow day.

When I opened the door for the pups to go outside they put one paw on the deck and did a quick back-paw-pedal back inside.

And I know just how they feel.

Don’t get me wrong. I love this great state of Maine in all its seasons. I love the crisp fall air as my kids play soccer in the early twilight. I love mud season. All that wet dirt, the poopy smell of it, even tracking it everywhere has never bothered me any.

For me, it’s a reminder that winter’s over and better times are ahead. But it seems like the older I get, the more I’ve come to loathe it.

By the time you read this, spring will be in half swing and all of this moaning about bleakness will seem obsolete to you, but I still want to tell you how I combated my self-diagnosed seasonal affective disorder.

Okay, so I started out with self-tanner because when I can’t go lie on the back deck and bake in the sun (with sunscreen of course) I get a little sad. And I know that self-tanner is not like vitamin D or a tanning booth or a sun lamp or anything, but when I slather it on and see that JLo glow, I allow my eyes to convince my mind that it’s summertime.

And I feel better.

Then, I bring out the fake tattoos. Yep, you read it right. I’m obsessed with fake tats, particularly the kind by Conscious, Ink. They have these amazing manifestation tattoos (little sayings that help you get into a positive headspace) and their ink is environmentally and humanly friendly — hooray!

Anything that has love, strength, courage or breathe in it, I’m all in. I pepper those suckers all over myself and feel the happiness

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.