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It was barely 20 degrees and with the wind gusting it felt like 5… but we persevered.
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If the trolls could take it, so could we.
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It really was a beautiful way to spend an evening.
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So many places to explore, each one prettier than the last.
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If you’re wondering why I have so many pictures of the lighted sea and lighthouse, it’s because my husband found someone to talk to and I had to wait for his conversation to finish.
No surprise there.
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To be continued…
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Merry Christmas to me.
Or not…
We opted for a peaceful holiday this year, no travel no party no family, just a quiet day at home with a slow roasted turkey dinner.
And that’s where it went horribly wrong.
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Because turkey’s not supposed to be green.
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But ours was when I pulled it out of the fridge to cook this morning.
It was a fresh bird I purchased on the 20th with a sell by date of the 26th… but clearly the big storm that knocked out power last week claimed this gobbler as victim.
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Good thing I made lasagna last night because it looks like it’s leftovers for us.
Ho, ho, Hell….
🥴
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The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay puts on a fantastic Christmas light show every year. We went years ago when they first started and having heard they’d grown bigger and better I decided we needed a return trip.
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Bigger and better? Yes.
More crowded? Hell yeah. Judging from the steady flow of traffic, I think the entire state’s population was there.
The tiny parking lot had multiplied into lettered tiers and the small entry building had morphed into a massive welcome center.
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It was well organized, fully staffed and with advanced ticketing required, had no lines or long waits to enter.
How much bigger was it than our previous visit?
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Enough to require a map bigger.
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In a word?
It was magical…
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I’m not going to write a lot of commentary as it pretty much speaks for itself.
Just walk along with us and enjoy…
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Did I mention there were giant wooden trolls?
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The show only runs Thursday thru Sunday nights in December and has segmented entry hours. You have to reserve your spot weeks in advance as they sell out quickly. This means the weather is a crap shoot. Since it’s been unseasonably warm we weren’t worried…. until we woke up that day to 14 degrees and 35 mph winds.
Yeah, it was frickin’ freezing and we were bundled up like Nanook of the North and walking around with cups of hot chocolate to withstand the cold.
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To be continued…
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With the closure of so many brick and mortar stores, I admit I do a lot more Amazon shopping than I used to. And as much as I dislike the idea of lining the already full to bursting pockets of Jeff Bezos, it’s hard to argue with the ease and convenience he provides.
Will I get in the car and drive an hour to the mall, fight the last minute Christmas shopping crowds and drive an hour back through mad traffic just to purchase my yearly calendar?
I will not.
I’ll just sit on the couch, cruise Amazon, push a button and have it in my mailbox in two days.
Of course, calendar shopping isn’t what it used to be.
As proof, I offer these three selections that popped up during my search.
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Uh… no thanks.
I see enough of that in person.
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That’s a definite hard pass. I don’t need twelve months of rhinoceros urination.
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Price drop?
I can’t imagine why those aren’t flying off the shelf.
So I ask again, who buys these things and why are they so preoccupied with poop?
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By the time we finished the craft show and museum at the college we were famished, not to mention thirsty, and headed for a restaurant I’d heard good things about in Bangor called Timber.
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Upon entry we saw snow globe dining had made a return. This started during Covid and people liked the private option so much some places have continued the trend.
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I don’t want to eat in a plastic bubble, but to each their own.
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Timber was named to reflect the logging heritage of Northern Maine…
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So rustic woods met casual elegance in the decor.
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Being with my husband, naturally we sat at the bar.
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Which is never my first choice, but it is closer to the cocktails so I don’t complain too loudly.
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Round one? A blood orange cranberry margarita.
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Timber’s cocktail menu is multi paged and varied and I happily sampled a few.
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Round two was a Stoli blueberry fog with a fantastic elderflower foam. The only thing wrong with it was the size of the glass. Bring me a pitcher!
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Yes, there was food. Perfectly prepared crab cakes with spicy corn relish for me.
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French onion soup for the husband. He was a bit disappointed in this as it wasn’t the traditional preparation… but I thought it was wonderful.
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Round 3 for me was a Hendricks cucumber cooler. Crisp, green and herbal. Perfect.
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Loggers on the way to the rest room.
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Brick oven forest mushroom pizza with arugula and fontina cheese for me. Hand tossed and so rich I barely got through half… but it was heavenly.
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Butternut squash ravioli with cranberries, feta cheese, tomatoes and spinach for my other half. Thankfully he loved this.
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When it came to dessert I drank mine off the special menu.
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A sugar cookie martini. I don’t usually like these over sweetened concoctions but in place of pie? It works.
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Husband opted for lemon meringue cheesecake and coffee.
Heck, someone had to drive…. and it certainly wasn’t going to be me.
🤣
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Thanks to modern technology that keeps us in constant touch, I don’t write letters anymore… but I do still send cards. Not for every occasion like I used to, but definitely for birthdays, graduations, new babies, and weddings. Okay, I send sympathy, thank you and retirement congratulations as well.
Maybe I do still send them for everything.
But not the lesser holidays… no more Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day cards. Those are a thing of the past.
But I do enjoy the annual Christmas card swap. For some of our old friends it’s the only time of year we correspond and I look forward to seeing what brightly colored festive greeting they’ve chosen to celebrate the season.
Though I’ve cut back my list dramatically, dropping the dead beats who haven’t sent us one in 3 years or more, I send a lot of cards…. and it takes me a few days to write personal notes and hand address the envelopes. Don’t get me started on those impersonal photo cards and computer printed labels.
I’m old school.
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Every year I buy three different types of cards. There’s a Maine themed card with a moose or lobster for my southern friends. A sweet and glittery card for friends who like those, and then a slightly funky, artistic type of card for my more creative friends.
This year, those boxes were an assortment of four designs from an artist I was unfamiliar with but will be looking for again.
I love them!
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Very cool indeed Charlie.
❤️
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Sharing a few more interest items from our visit.
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That’s supposed to be a mask, but for the the life of me I don’t know how you’d wear it.
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The bat dance would definitely be more on point if you wore that.
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Ribbit!
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“She who catches the bird” is the best translation of midwife I’ve ever heard.
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Okay, that’s a bit much.
🤢
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Beauty is in the eye of beholder.
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As I said, for a small museum …. it was a decent collection.
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Though thinking about all these countries having their heritage looted a century ago is hard to swallow.
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This fellow was impressive.
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As well as too tall to photograph in detail in one picture.
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As usual, I liked the shoes.
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The beadwork was lovely and they look so comfortable.
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Inspiration for Madonna’s torpedo bra?
Could be…
😉
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Just a few things that made me chuckle.
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Dan…
I think you need to invest in one of these.
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Vegetarian Vampires?
If you don’t think that’s odd enough, check out their 4 legged rooster pets.
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I never doubted this.
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This is news?
Heck, I think we’ve all kissed a pig or two in our dating days.
And speaking of pigs…
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I’ve never really thought about a vacation in the Bahamas, but if you can swim with wild pigs…. Why not?
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I saw something on a friend’s Facebook page recently and knew I had to explore further.
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Yes, it really exists.
In Missouri.
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The ad campaign virtually writes itself.
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Seems pricey to me, but I’m not much of a fudge lover.
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I knew they were going there.
But I had to laugh at some of the reviewers. They jumped right on board.
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Please make my day and tell me someone has actually visited Uranus.
😉
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I had a birthday recently… though I swore I was done with all that aging nonsense, the years still keep coming …. and woke up to find these in the kitchen.
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Bless his heart, my husband does try.
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Two boxes of fat bomb truffles even though he knows I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar.
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And no, he didn’t buy me the usual unwanted expensive small appliance this year, but I did get a marble and river rock spoon rest… complete with spoon.
🥴
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And though I really wish he wouldn’t, he bought me jewelry. A rather odd silver bracelet with attached rock.
Now, I do love me some rocks…. but I have a feeling this particular one will be quietly exchanged.
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But there was a pretty flower arrangement delivered later in the day…
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And I do love him for trying.
💕
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