Dylan's Graduation

Dylan graduated from Brunswick High School on June 5, 2009. I am so proud of him and this accomplishment. This has not been easy for him, but he made the best of a new situation. Dylan was looking forward to starting his sophomore year at Roy High with me. However, it was not to be. For as most of you know, we moved to Maine shortly after school finished. Dylan faced the daunting idea that he would start a new school knowing no one. Lucky for us, however, I was able to get another teaching job, and at the same school Dylan would be attending. So when many students were beginning their year with kids they have known their entire life, Dylan began 10th grade in a new school knowing no one but his mother.

After three years, I am proud to say that he made many new friends and was voted "Most Friendly" by his high school peers. I am so grateful that Dylan's good friends shared the same values.


I was honored to stand as a teacher as he entered the graduation ceremony and walked through the teachers honoring the students. Yes, I did take a quick picture, and yes, it did not turn out to well. Way to go Dylan! You have proven you have great strength and courage. The future is yours for the taking!

The entire "Maine" Jeppson gang celebrating Dylan's graduation. I know that many of you had us in your thoughts this night. We wish you could have been there to share it with us.

GOOD LUCK DYLAN!!!! WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday My Love!

Well, it is official. The love of my life has finally reached the half-century mark! I thought this day would be 50 years away. However, much to my surprise the years have melted away, and here we are. Twenty-eight years ago, I fell in love with a tall, dark, handsome and mysterious man. Although the mystery is gone, the tall, dark and handsome remain.

We have shared many ups and downs, but as long as we were together, I knew things would always be okay.

Thanks for all the wonderful memories!

You can be a bit crazy, so I have learned to be spontaneous. Many wonderful memories have been made from those moments when we decided to just go.

You are my joy and happiness!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE!!!!

A Shipwreck! Aargh!

As I sail through life I have developed many romantic notions about living. I have come to believe that romance is just another synonym for mystery. For many times, once the intrigue is removed, the romance sails into the sunset, and the knowledge gained is that curse which sets the ship on a neverending journey. (I hope you can bear with my cliche analogy, but I couldn't resist.). A shipwreck sends my mind spinning. The long lost love returning home, but a storm prevents his return, and his true love wanders the shore forever looking for him.

I must know the answer. Curiosity begins to take over, and soon I have googled an answer, for I cannot bear the thought of lost love. What a disappointment to find the truth!

A good mystery with a little love mixed in always sparks my imagination. Finding the broken and shattered remains of an old ship on a beach in Maine sent my mind on a talespin. I am and will be forever fascinated with this shipwreck. Now, I could spoil the tale and give you the knowledge, but I would rather you have the same romantic notions I have created, especially if they concern a young man's desperate tale of adventure to return to his true love. I might even share it with you if you ever make it my way.

No, I will not tell you what beach because then you could google it too!

I Love FISH!

Alive or Dead, I LOVE Fish. This may sound a bit odd, but fish are fantastic. I must admit that I am not a big fan of actually touching a live fish, but I do love watching them. I did touch the rays and sharks. I thought they would feel the same, but I was surprised by the slimy feel of the sharks compared to the rubbery texture of the rays. Kaleb is the fellow in black.Good seafood is a favorite. I have eaten most kinds of fish. The raw oysters were rather interesting, but as long as you didn't chew too long, they were actually pretty tasty. I do prefer salt water fish to fresh water fish though. For some reason, fresh water fish have such strong "fishy" tastes. I know there are some fish I haven't tried, but give me time .I could spend hours watching fish, especially at aquariums. Dylan, Jamie, Kaleb and I had the good fortune of going to the Atlanta Aquarium. It was spectacular. Now, nothing outdoes Sea World, but this was pretty good. Of course, the kids got bored long before I did.

Extremely fascinating are the tunnels that you can walk through and experience life underwater without ever having to hold your breathe. I just wish I could get everyone to look at the camera at once.

Dylan is the person with the blue plaid hoodie. A simulated river stands above him. To put it into perspective, you have to remember that Dylan is 6'7' tall. The flash takes away from the scenery, but without the flash it is difficult to truly get an idea of how large the displays were.

Keep in mind as you look at this picture that the large fish in the water is probably about 50 to 60 feet in length(His relfection is what you see on the top of him.), and there were four of them in this tank along with thousands of other fish.

So, if anyone is bored and wants to sit for hours mesmerized by the beauty of the fish. Let me know. I am always up for a good aquarium.

A Yard Full of Snow is slowly melting.

I do love the change of seasons. This year, however, I was hoping for a change earlier than usual. I was seriously beginning to wonder whether winter would end. Fortunately, I am beginning to see signs of another world. I am still in awe of the amount of snow we received this winter. Maine actually had mountain ranges in parking lots as there was no where to go except up with the snow. The first picture is our home after about the second or third storm in December. I am quite grateful that the ice storm froze the grass because it was much easier to push the snow on a hard surface than a soft one. We had already pushed the snow at least another six or seven feet from the tree.

By the time the last storm hit, our yard was completely full of snow. The tree on the right of the picture is the one in the middle in the picture above. Our driveway had narrowed to allow for a vehicle to pass, but two at a time would be impossible.

Beauty still reigned amidst the cold and the snow. Sunrises were even more spectacular with the barren landscape below. Strength could always be found. Look at the tree that refuses to give up its leaves until new ones bloom. I must admit though that as our snow pack is melting, my heart is rising. I have made it through another winter, and summer is mine to enjoy.

At this point, I think I will have leaves on the trees before the snow melts. I guess, we will just have to wait and see.

A Ferry Ride, A Good Lunch, and A Nice Walk!

Exploring new places has always been something Jake and I have and continue to enjoy. Through our explorations, we have discovered many quaint places that we have come to love.

The joys of being brothers! Waiting for the ferry can be such fun especially when you can torment each other while you wait!

I must admit my vanity here. This is a farily decent picture of me, but Jake looks like a hoodlum with his glasses and hat. However, he likes his ears warm. Imagine that! He did take them off for other pictures, but this is the best one, so we are stuck with the hoodlum look. I love him anyway. Yes, I did tell him this!

The ferry ride to Peaks Island is a favorite. Peaks Island is a small island located about 3 miles east of Portland. Peaks Island has become a favorite destination. The ferry ride to the island is quite relaxing. On a hot summer's day, the ride can be refreshing as a cool breeze blows off the ocean. In the spring it can be a bit chilly, and in winter downright cold. We love going during the spring before the tourist season arrives. Our first visit to the island we fell in love with a quaint restaurant called "The Cockeyed Gull." Now, a couple times a year we hope on the ferry for a ride to the island to enjoy a good meal and a pleasant walk. The north loop of the island is about 4 miles. On a warm spring day, such as the one we had this day, the walk proved to be relaxing and enjoyable.(Well, most of the time. Unless your eight-year old would rather be playing video games and whines and plods along as though you are completely torturing him, hoping that he is torturing you, so you will go home. We did win this one though.)

We were fascinated watching the tug boats push this huge oil tanker to the docks.

Cold!

I figured it was time to blog (or rather whine) about the cold since I blogged (whinned) about the snow. I have never been nor do I think I ever will be a great fan of the cold. Our first year in Maine, it didn't snow until about the middle of January. We were even on the beach in January taking pictures and walking around with jackets, but not the last two years.

Winter seems to be unending. According to our local meteorlogists, January was the third coldest on record. YUCK!!!!! It will be interesting to see if any records are broken. I can't believe that some haven't fallen, and the winter doesn't seem to be ending to soon either. We plowed the driveway again today! Thank Heaven the temperatures aren't where they were, but the snow isn't melting too quickly either.

We actually had pipes freeze this year. I guess 30 below zero is a tad bit cold. We were quite fortunate though that the pipe didn't burst and no real damage was done. I do know that I am praying for warm weather and sunshine.

I am beginning to wonder if there is/was this thing called grass!

Hopelessly Powerless!!!!

Living in the 21st century, I have rarely given thought to being without power for more than a day. I was thoroughly dismayed when we lost power in December for about 36 hours. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would be without power for 90 hours. I know that I am not a pioneer, nor would I profess to being rough and tough(I am proudly a girl!), but I thought I would deal with this better. Our family actually did okay for the first two days, but then as two turned into three the grouches and grumpies began to emerge. We did everything we could to avoid going home. It was sad to hear my own children say, "Mom, it's kind of sad when you don't want to go home," but I understood what they were saying.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but when the power goes out at our house, there is no water or heat. We live in the country, and we are on well water. Our only consolation was a wood burning stove. However, we were gone during the day, and the house never warmed above 50. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a pansy when it comes to the cold. Needless to say, on the second night we went in search of a generator, but there were none to be had in the state of Maine! I am not joking. We were able to borrow a generator from a co-worker of Jakes, but it would only work a few electrical things. Never enough power for the water pump or heater. I hope these pictures give you some idea about this storm.

I have to say that it was truly a beautiful sight to see everything literally covered in white. The denseness of the trees caused all the problems because so many could not bear the weight of the snow and snapped. If you look closely at the bottom picture, at the base of the pine trees is what appears to be a tree branch, but it is actually a tree about 8 inches in diameter that has broken. Thousands of trees caused all the problems for the power company. I do have sympathy, but my patience is not to great.

Maybe we will move to Arizona!

Olympic Memories

Visiting Atlanta brought back fond memories of the Olympic Games hosted by Salt Lake City in 2002. The lasting legacy of hosting the games is still enjoyed by visitors to Atlanta as well as Salt Lake City. I am amazed at the number of people who associate Salt Lake City with the Olympic games when you tell someone where you lived. It was so much fun to be a part of the Olympics. The transformation of Salt Lake City for those two weeks was fascinating to watch and the legacy left behind will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Although we were only able to see Centennial Olympic Park, I could appreciate the beauty of this park and the ability of the world to unite for a few short weeks when the Olympics happen. We were fortunate to witness this great event this summer in Beijing. My only wish is that somehow, someway the leaders of the world could find a more peaceful way to solve their differences than war. Unfortunately, in life whether in school, work, or play "Bullies" will only listen to one form of communication. It's too bad it can't be a pillow fight!!!!!

"Water, play, wet" were Kaleb's first thoughts I am sure, but my first thought upon seeing this fountain was "Gateway." Even though it is February, it was a warm 64 degrees this day, so getting a little wet was fun. Kaleb promised me he wouldn't get wet. Of course, the first shot from the fountain went up his backside soaking him.

You can look 360 degrees in any direction and the city stands proudly around this grand park. The fountains are the shape of 5 intertwined olympic rings.

This canopy inside the park has the flags of all those nations represented during the Olympics.

Not only did the park have a cool fountain to run through, but it also hosted several playgrounds. Yes, we did try them all out, and Kaleb liked this one the most. He could do the most running up and down the hills.

Raising the Flag - A milestone.

As a part of the "human family," I am always fascinated by and enjoy participating in the diverse ways we go about celebrating milestones in our societies. Experiencing small successes during a long journey makes that journey less stressful and more enjoyable. We, humans(?), need continual "pats on the back" for our hard work. Who doesn't like a treat for a job done well?

Jake has been involved with a large project in the Netherlands. He knew that it was mandatory for him to be in Amsterdam on February 4, but he was unsure why it was so important. Had he been aware of Dutch customs he would have had no confusion.

Celebrating a building's construction reaching its highest point is a Dutch tradition similar to the American groundbreaking cermony. He was, as I am sure the Dutch are with us and our traditions, amused at the pomp and circumstance involved on this day. The day began in a tent with hor d'oeuvres, champagne, and a few speeches from the mayor and other dignitaries(?). Jake was grateful all he had to do was eat. I am not sure what he would have said in Dutch. He sat there smiling and nodding. We have laughed because for all he knew they could have been talking about him, and there he sat nodding and laughing when everyone else did. When the speeches were finished, he and a few others stepped up to the platform and raised the flag commemorating this important milestone in the project.

A wide angle view of the building and its surroundings. Nebraska or Iowa? No, Hoofddorp!

The flag will soon wave on the top of the outcropping at the top of the building.

The four hard hats walking toward the orange machine are the ones who will raise the flag. Yes, Jake is the tallest one.

Since it was raining and extremely muddy, the flag-raiser stand on a wooden platform to raise the flag.

The flag is raised! The work continues! Jake gets to go back and forth!

When I married Jake 27 years ago, I had no idea I was marrying a dignitary. hehehehehe! Well, he has always been number one in my eyes. Now, if only I get to with him on one of his trips.