A Good Meal with a Great View!

According to one of our news channels, Portland, Maine(not Oregon) has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States except San Francisco. While it may be a difficult thing to prove, Mainers are definitely proud of their cuisine. We have a few favorites of our own. While good food is always important to a meal, there is something to be said for ambiance as well. One of our favorite restaurants is on Bailey's Island(The islands are connected by bridges. Wait till you see this bridge. My Fav!!!!). Cooks' Lobster House Restaurant, one of our favorite, is located on a peninsula about 15 miles south of Brunswick. We love the view. You can check out more pictures on their website and order lobster if you want at http://cookslobster.com/. I would rather you came visit me, and I will cook the lobster for you!!!!!


Lobstermen bring their catch to this warehouse and the lobsters and other fish are moved from there. Keep your eye on the bridge in the background.

Depending on the time of year the lobster traps will vary in number. There are those hearty men who lobster year round, but most lobster from about April until September. It is hard work. The pay was decent, but the lobster industry has been hit hard.

Jake enters the lobster house. There is a large deck to the right that is great to sit on during the summer. It is a bit chilly now, however.

Tha table lamp is well, you look at it. The shade is a map of the Gulf of Maine. I wish I could point out to you where we are. The base of the lamp are wooden pulleys used long ago that have been shellacked and glued together.

The walls are lined with old paintings of ships, small boats and just about anything to do with fishing. Their are replicas of old boats, old wooden lobster traps and buoys along with clapboard siding. A bit cheesy, but fun nevertheless.

Sitting in my booth, you can see the view of the harbor. It is grand. Houses line the shore with the blue water below constantly moving in and out. The tides are INCREDIBLE here! There is no way to describe it until you come to visit. They fluctuate 10 to 12 feet every 12 hours.

The Cribstone Bridge is my absolute favorite. It is the only one of its kind in the world. Look arefully at the bridge's construction. It is made out of huge slabs of granite placed like Lincoln Logs. I did look on wikipedia and the information is fairly accurate. After every major storm, men crawl in and out of each one of those spaces in the rocks to make sure that everything is in the right place.

The water surrounds the restaurant as you can see as we get ready to leave. Sorry for the dirty car, but the salt and dirt take a toll around here.

I would love to take you to this awesome place. We have a few others I will post soon!

Upgrade

After much thought, I decided that I needed to change the title of my blog. When I started this blog, I thought I had the perfect title. However, technology is continually evolving and so must I. As I become more familiar with this world of technology, I am constantly in awe of what is available to us.

I must admit that I am truly an infant in this world of technology. Looking at a variety of blogs, I realized that it was necessary to make a step to become a bit more grownup and sophisticated, so with a heavy heart I hope to move from my blogging infancy into a toddler. I have my sights set higher, but realistically I know I have a lot to learn.(I don't even have a playlist for mine.)

I also felt the need to change the title to something I felt more appropriate for my situation. Life is definitely hectic and full of challenges, but when I really stop to think, I realize that I am fortuanate to lead a fairly "simple" life. As you are running here or there, I hope you stop to ponder on the simplicity of life, and that we are merely getting from one place to another. Welcome to my "Maine"ly simple life.

Back to Reality!!!

Time to face the music! Reality starts again tomorrow. We have had a great holiday, and a fantastic two weeks. It is hard to believe that we have been able to enjoy each other's company for such a long time. However difficult it may be to get up in the morning, I know that I will be excited to be at school when I get there. I have so much to be thankful for that to grumble to loudly about getting up would be unappreciative, so when that alarm goes off, I will TRY to happily get up and get going.


There is something absolutely invigorating about the energy of youth although it can also be a bit challenging at times, so with great excitement I look forward to going back to school!!!

Dylan is excited too!!!!

Kaleb wishes he could go with his dad!!!!

Jamie can't wait to be with her friends at school and on the bus??!!!!!

I wish you all well as you all go back to your own realities, and for those of you who never left reality, maybe next time!

Happy New Year!!!

Wow! As each year comes and goes, I am mystified by the quickness that the year begins and ends. However, I hope I can say another year gone another year wiser!? There is so much to learn and enjoy.

This year has been a great year for us! We are fortunate to have jobs and security for the moment, but we never take this for granted because all could change in an instant. Life is full of change and challenge. Learning and appreciating these changes and challenges make life an experience to embrace. Some are definitely more difficult than others.

The highlight of our year was having our family together. Even though it was just for a week, it was a wonderful week. How grateful I am for those moments because I never thought I would be this far from family and friends.

Thank you to all of you for your love and support. Your blogs, e-mails, phone calls, comments(which I wish more of you would make), etc. keep me up-to-date and current on everyone, and I never feel too far away. Although we live in chaotic times, we are blessed with so many advantages as well. My mother may be 2500 miles away, but I can punch a few buttons and there is her beautiful face on the other side of a computer, or I can watch my grandson open his Christmas presents and share in his joy. Besides if I am ever needed, I can jump on a plane and be there in a day.

Here are a few pictures from our New Years events. As the kids have gotten older, they are less willing to participate in all the frivolities. They can tarnish their reputation. For the past I don't know how many years, we go to the grocery store and the kids can pick whatever they want to eat for New Year's Eve. You wouldn't think they would get too excited, but they don't let you forget. Everyone was toooooooo embarassed to let me take a picture except Kaleb. Thank Heaven for eight year olds.

Maine's lobster industry has had a tough year, so Jake and I thought we would support the local economy. HeHe. We have eaten more seafood since we moved here than we ever have. You can't beat fresh. Whenever you come to visit, we will go to the Harrassakeet Clam Shack, or the Clambake. WOW!!!!

At midnight, we all grab pots and pans and head outside to ring????? in the new year. This year Kaleb was the only taker. You think he is a bit excited, or maybe just a bit cold.

Apparently, it is really cool to listen to the vibrations between your ears.

This is as far as Dylan, Jamie and her friend Felicia would go. Sorry for the blurry picture, but when you see the thermometer next, you will understand. In Dylan's defense, he did come outside for a moment. We live in the country, who would have seen or heard them??????

I hope you can read our thermometer. The thermometer sits right outside our kitchen window. This is the temperature at 9:00 A.M. I am sure it was colder at night. The winds are blowing quite nicely, so add a wind chill factor and it is about -25. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

It is with satisfaction that 2008 ends. It was an interesting year, but it was great for us. I truly wish each of you a marvelous, stupdendous and absolutely fantastic 2009!!!! DON'T FORGET THAT OUR DOOR IS OPEN!!!!! WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU HERE!!!!!!!