Dirigo*

1 Year
12 Months
365 Days

However you say it, December 3rd marks my first full year in Maine. It has been a year of transitions and discoveries, for all of us.

Some transitions were easy.  It was not hard at all to get used to the smell of salt air, walks on the beach and the cry of sea gulls when running errands in town.  It was also not a hardship to discover the wild strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry patches for fresh summer fruit.
Also not difficult....
Waking up to a backyard of pine, birch, and maple trees every morning.
Settling in with people who "get" my New England sense of humor, and who wear Red Sox shirts and Patriots ball caps.
Adding a chicken coop and eight chickens to the chore list.
Living life in our current town...where the library buildings are on the historic registry, a house isn't "old" unless it was built in the 1700s, and the families that aren't "From Away" have cared for and worked for the municipality for generations....and made room for those of us from weird places like "Iowa".

Some transitions were more difficult:
Leaving the #bestsummerjobever....and the people and cookstove that went along with it.
Starting a 3rd (short-lived) career, then restarting a first career...with all of the paperwork, testing, and licensing requirements that entails.
Kiddos making life changes and major decisions while I (mostly?) cheer on instead of nag....maybe....sometimes....
Knowing it was time to say goodbye to our beloved fur baby.

These were not unusual, or unexpected stressors, just all piled into a shorter time span than I would have liked.

*But today I finally looked up the translation for the Maine State Motto,  Dirigo   Latin for "I Direct" or "I Lead".
Which, intended or not, is the best summation of the 23rd Psalm that I have found.
There is an entire back story as to why I shake my head and chuckle every time I think of my plans in college to be hired on at a school in small-town Maine, settle in, and live in the state that has been tucked in a corner of my heart since childhood.  Ask me about it when you have a few minutes or time for coffee. It covers a few years/decades.  The short answer is.... I was led.

And I didn't miss the class on that.

Summer

A Mainer's*  timeline for summer....

May
1) For the first 3 1/2 weeks spend as much time as possible at the beach. This is the last chance for a long while to have easy-to-find, whenever-you-want, free parking.

2) Get your teens to start job hunting at the best local ice cream shops where they give family discounts.

3) Remind your husband to not mow over the wild strawberry patch in the yard.

4) Think about putting the snow shovel in the cellar.

5) Think about packing away your sweatshirts and jeans.

Memorial Day Weekend.  The Official Start of All Things Summer.  It is an unwritten state law that summer does not start until this weekend. Ever.

June

1) Forget the beach.  Unless it's a random, rainy, Tuesday morning, there will be no parking available, but there will be all.the.tourists.in.the.world** complaining about how cold it is in the ocean.

2) Find all the wild strawberries.  And eat them. :)

3) It may be warm enough to get your veggie garden it.  Or it may not.

4) Think about putting the snow shovel in the cellar.

5) Think about packing away your sweatshirts and jeans.

July

1) Spend some time looking at the long-range forecast to plan the 2-3 days you "maybe" will go to the beach this month.  Sometimes it's cheaper to pay for parking at the beach than it is to run the A/C....if you even have one. There will still be tourists complaining about the temperature of the ocean.

2) Find your local newspaper.  It will have all of the free concerts and firework displays to help with the entertainment budget, since you think you may pay for beach parking this month.

3) Remind your husband not to mow over the wild blueberries in the yard. Pick the blueberries. Make muffins, pies, and jam.

4) Forget about the snow shovel still on the front porch. It's blocked by the 4th of July decorations.

5) Dig out your two pairs of shorts and your summer T-shirt while you think about packing away your sweatshirts and jeans.

August
1) Still no beach. The tourists are still here. Unless you know someone with lake or ocean-front property that can be bribed with a blueberry pie to let you park at their place....then....beach.

2) Start picking the wild blackberries before the birds and bears get to them. Continue with the blueberry hunting and the muffin/jam/pie making.

3) Pick the green beans out of the garden your husband planted, because they were the only thing that survived the month of June.

4) Rediscover the snow shovel on the front porch when you finally take down the 4th of July décor.  Decide it's not worth it to bring it down to the cellar.

5) Put away your two pairs of shorts and your summer T-shirt. They're getting in the way of your sweatshirts and jeans.

Labor Day Weekend.  The Official End of Summer.  Also an unwritten state law that it can not be summer after this weekend.  Ever.

September
1) Start planning trips to the beach, mostly to avoid all the tourists/tour busses heading inland with leaf-peeping tours.

2) Get the rest of the produce out of the garden before the frost comes. Get the apples off the tree before the deer start snacking. Make apple jelly and pie filling.

3) Winterize the chicken coop....you don't want to have to thaw your eggs before you make breakfast.

4) Start thinking about adding another shovel on the front porch.

5) Assess the sweatshirt and jeans situation. You may need to add a few of both to the closet rotation.  And a new flannel shirt.

Because while the snow may be a few weeks off yet, nothing says "Fall in Maine" like a warm, comfy, plaid, flannel shirt.  And I didn't miss the class on that :)


*I know....I'm not a Mainer. My kids are not Mainers. My husband is not a Mainer. My dog is not a Mainer. My chickens are Mainers.  They were born here.   I'm from away.  But a piece of my heart has always been in Maine...


** I really don't have a problem with tourists.  I occasionally am one.  They bring money and job opportunities for the state.  Especially jobs for teens who work at local ice cream shops that give family discounts...