SOLON & BEYOND: So long to a long newspaper career; it’s time to call it a day

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This will be the last column I write in my long newspaper career. Father time and modern technology have taken their toll on me. It has been a pleasure writing for The Town Line all these years.

The following is from an old clipping that I am sending which is from The Town Line dated October 10, 2019, with the words: Don’t Worry, be happy!

It has surprised me greatly, that there are so many people who have never heard of Flagstaff, Dead River and Bigelow being flooded out by Central Maine Power Co. in 1949! Have been trying to get all my old history of the event together and came across an old clipping from Central Maine Newspapers dated June 6, 2002, with the headline “Make Flagstaff Lake a certain stop. History only one reason to visit area.”

This story was written by M.J. Kaniuka. There is a picture stating that “A view of Flagstaff Lake from the causeway in Stratton. The 26-mile long lake was formed more than 50 years ago by flooding three communities. When travelers on Route 27 first view Flagstaff Lake, in Stratton, from the causeway just beyond Stratton, their typical reaction is,” What is this?” For Flagstaff Lake, a seemingly endless puddle, looks like no other body of water in Maine . Yet it is the centerpiece of a story that encompass the Revolutionary War, progress in mid-century America and evolving ideas of outdoor recreation.

“Flagstaff Lake is a man made lake, approximately three miles wide and 26 miles long.” Its banks really recede in a drought. ” said Forrest Bonney, regional fisheries biologist. The lake was created in 1949 by Central Maine Power Company as a water storage facility for Long Falls Dam, “progress” in controlling the flood-prone Dead River. Subsequently, the lake submerged three communities: Flagstaff, Bigelow, and Dead River. The next year CMP received permission from the Legislature under the government’s right of eminent domain to buy property as it became available.

Over the years CMP bought land and buildings and moved some homes and razed others. Eventually, CMP also clear cut 18,000 acres of woodland. Wildfires took care of many of the stumps and other debris that remained. By 1939 only 30 adults and their families were left to be moved. That summer the Flagstaff and Dead River cemeteries were relocated to a site on Route 27 beside the newly-built Flagstaff Memorial Church. CMP erected the church to replace the town’s Congregational Church that they flooded. Stained glass windows from the Congregational Church were removed and installed in the chapel.

Today a memorial marker beside the chapel refers to much earlier events. In the fall of 1775 Col. Benedict Arnold passed through the region on his ill-fated march to Québec. He had left the Kennebec River below Carratunk to cut across the wilderness and reach the height of land, the dividing line between Maine and Québec. To avoid the twists and turns of the meandering Dead River, Arnold and about 1,100 men portaged their bateaux and dwindling supplies through the uninhabited Maine wilderness. They suffered incredible hardships with few or no trails to follow, rough and wet terrain, bad weather, fatigue, accidents and illness. Finally they reached the camp of an Indian named Natanis. Here Arnold erected a flag, an act that gave the town of Flagstaff its name. The historical marker on Route 27 commemorates the event, but states, “the actual spot is now under water,”

Now I’m going to end this column with a few words from a little book called Don’t Ever Give Up Your Dreams. The only way to find rainbows is to look within your heart; the only way to live fairy tales is through the imagination and power of your mind; the only place to begin a search for peace is within your very soul; because rainbows, fairy tales, and peace are treasures that grow from the inside out. – by Evelyn K. Tharp.

Poor Percy, I haven’t been sharing his great sayings lately,” As long as you can admire and love, then one is young forever.”

I take a simple view of living, it is: Keep your eyes open and get on with it.

Editor’s note: Marylin Rogers-Bull began writing for The Town Line in 2003. Prior to that, she wrote weekly columns for the Somerset Reporter and Somerset Gazette, until their closings. She has been a delightful and refreshing addition to the many volunteers who have contributed to the success of this newspaper. I have known Marilyn for over 30 years, and she has been a pleasure to work with all this time. It is also hard to say goodbye to Percy, whom I never met, but greatly admired. Her name will definitely be added to our Wall of Fame.

SOLON & BEYOND: The time I let Percy write the column in my absence

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This week I’m going to use a April 1, 2020, that was in The Town Line called, “The time I let Percy write the column in my absence.”

Now I would like to thank Roland from the bottom of my heart, for leaving Percy’s picture beside mine on our column; for all these years. For those of you who don’t know, Percy died quite a few years ago, and I still miss him every day, he was a very remarkable animal! I came across a small clipping that I found recently dated The Town Line, January 3, 2008, with only Percy’s picture (Percy was alive and well at that time, and I had let him write our column that week because I was down in sunny Florida!).

Good morning , dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

This is Percy wishing you the happiest of New Years! I am missing my human, she has been down in sunny Florida since before Christmas. I am thrilled beyond belief that she is letting me write this column again, since so many of you have told her that you prefer my writing instead of hers. Since I don’t have any real news to share, I have been reflecting on what subject to write about, think perhaps Happiness might be a good topic to delve into. Our byline each week being, “Don’t Worry be Happy, and she’s been using it for years before I started helping her. Does that make you stop and think just how happy you really are?

Some quotes I can think of are, “Cheerfulness greases the axles of the world. “Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.” True happiness consists in making others happy.” But the one I like the best is “There are two essentials to happiness: something to do, and someone to love.”

It gives me great pleasure to behold the sappy look on my humans face when I lavish her with love, ( I curl up in her lap and put my paw as far around her neck as I can and sing at the top of my lungs!) That is pure ectasy, and makes me happy, also. As I have told you before, the first thing she does when she gets up in the morning, even before she gets her breakfast, is to give me my dish of tuna fish, such love is beyond measure. Do I appreciate it ? You betcha ! She gets pretty upset when I do things I know I’m not supposed to, but she comes around when I make up, unconditional love is the greatest! Are you gaining insight about finding happiness from my words? I do hope so, but to continue, with more wise words. When you do the things you do with love, you give life a gleam that most people only carry a glimpse of. Your attitude affects the outcome of so many things. Smiles inspire smiles. Reaching out brings people in. Looking on the bright side doesn’t entail being naïve and donning rose colored glasses. It simply means leaving the cynicism and complaining to someone else, someone who will spend their whole life wondering why good things don’t come their way.

Anyway, my human and I would like to wish you the Happiest New Year ever! Signed by Percy.

Percy got many of these quotes from different books, and just to let you know, to those of you who have been reading this column for years, Roland has let me get away with lots of mushy stuff over the many years he has been my editor.

SOLON & BEYOND: The teacher-less painting group

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning to all of you; I hope you all have a wonderful day! This week I am using parts of a column that I wrote in 2019, when I don’t remember that it was as cold as this year has been so far. It was called, “Looking back on journalism career”.

I have enjoyed writing for several different papers over these many years, and during that time I also started taking the oil painting classes at Skowhegan Adult Education and enjoyed them very much. Peggy Riley was the teacher and I had learned many new techniques through her instruction, and had made many new friends. Peggy decided that she wouldn’t be teaching when the January’s sessions started up again, and when I saw that the classes weren’t going to be offered for that semester I was disappointed. I came up with the crazy idea of having a teacher-less painting club. I went to the administrator’s office and asked them if they would let me do this with a teacher-less painting club. I went to the administrator’s office and asked them if they would let me do this with a teacher-less person running. Was very, very happy and pleased when they would let me do this when they gave their permission.

When I arrived the first night I was given the attendance folder with M. Rogers, instructor, on the cover. The word “Instructor” went to my head a little, and one night when one of the members was misbehaving, I gave him a push and he nearly fell over, bending his glasses in the near fall. Since then I don’t rule with an iron hand! Some people would not agree with that statement, I’m pretty sure!

And now back to the picture and write-up about this teacher-less painting class! Members at that meeting were Suzanne Currie, Shirley Foxwell, Linda Sullivan, Gerda Pilz , Betty Dow, Dana Hall, Linwood Turcotte, Peter Foxwell and me. The column ended with these words: We meet every week for three hours of relaxation in a pleasant atmosphere and I know I look forward to our Monday night sessions. I’m pretty sure the other nine members feel the same way. And now for Percy’s memoir: Enthusiasm may mark the difference between success and failure. Undertakings entered into half-heartedly often lack the extra or the plus that can lift them over the hurdle in one piece.

This one piece from this week: there will be a Cross Country Ski Meet-up with Skowhegan Outdoors, 1 – 3 p.m., Sunday, January 30, 2022, at the Western Woods & Waters River Trail.

SOLON & BEYOND: Continuing with events at Solon Elementary School

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This is a continue of Solon Elementary School news:

Winter Session of After-School Program To Begin: This program will run on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 2:30: 4: 15 p.m., at the school. This program is run by a partnership between the Town of Solon and RSU #74 for students in grades K – 5. Participants will have healthy snacks and will engage in fun and educational activities focused on reading and math and hands-on crafts and cooking projects geared around a weekly theme. We hope to get students outdoors for some winter fun activities as well.

The theme of the first week is Weather. The After-School Program staff members are Mrs. Jen Mello, Mrs. Ellie Howell, and Mrs. Melisa Dube from the Town of Solon and Mrs. Jen LaChance, Mrs. Mary Keenan, and Ms. Samantha Taylor from the school. The program will run for five weeks starting January 11 and ending February 17. There will be no sessions the week of January 31. Permission slips are going home with students this week. Parents will need to pick up their child or children after the program at 4:15 each day. If you have questions, please call the school at 643-2491. We also plan to run a spring session, which will probably begin in March.

Principal’s Message: I want to wish all of our students and families a Happy New Year. I hope you had a festive holiday season and some special times with family and friends during the Christmas break. The Christmas spirit was alive and and well in our community this year! Many generous individuals and organizations supported our students and families during the Christmas season by donating food baskets, Christmas gifts, winter weather gear, and other items.

We thank all of these wonderful people: Solon Congregational Church, New Hope Church and Homeless Shelter, Mrs. Ann Jackson, Mr. Leland McDonough, Mrs. Peggy Luce, Mrs. Terry Hoops and Embden Town Office. On January 5, our school board will consider extending their mask mandate through March 4 as a way to curb the spread of COVID in our schools and reduce the number of students and staff who have to quarantine .

During the month of January we will be administering the NWEA assessment to students in grades K-5. Students took these tests in reading, language, use, and math in October and will take them again in May. The winter assessment helps us to check students’ progress and make adjustments in there instruction if needed.

Now for one of Percy’s memoirs: Everyone one in life goes through a hard time sometime, but you can’t let that define who you are. What defines you is how you come back from those troubles and what you find in life to smile about. So onward and upward, with renewed spirits.

SOLON & BEYOND: Catching up with news from Solon Elementary School

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

I am so happy to have received the report from the Solon School about all the exciting news about what has been going on there recently.

It starts out like this: Solon Fire Department Presents Fire Safety Programs/; On November 18, two firefighters, Todd and Jenny Rollins, from the Solon Fire Department, visited our school to teach our Pre-5 students about fire safety. This is an annual event every fall to remind students how to keep themselves and their families safe in the event of a fire. The students also learned about all of the safety gear that fire fighters wear and use in fighting fires.

We thank the Solon Fire Department for supporting fire safety programs in our school every day.

The following is from the Principal’s Message: I want to wish all our students and families a Happy New Year. I hope you had a festive holiday season and some special times with family and friends during the Christmas break. The Christmas spirit was alive and well in our community this year!

Many generous individuals and organizations supported our students and families during the Christmas season by donating food baskets, Christmas gifts, winter weather gear, and other items. We thank all of these wonderful people. Solon Congregational Church, New Hope Church and Homeless Shelter , Mrs. Ann Jackson, Mr. Leland McDonough, Mrs. Peggy Luce, Mrs. Terrie Hoops, and the Embden Town Office.

On January 5 our school board will consider extending their mask mandate through March 4 as a way to curb the spread of COVID in our schools and reduce the number of students and staff who have to quarantine. During the month of January we will be administering the NWEA assessment to students in grades K – 5 .

Students took these tests in reading, language use, and math in October and will take them again in May. The winter assessment helps us to check students progress and make adjustments in their instruction if needed.

Holiday Highlights: We enjoyed the Christmas season at Solon Elem­entary School this year. We were still not able to hold events such as a Christmas program or holiday concert due to COVID restrictions, but we did plan some fun activities for our students and staff. We had a Holiday Theme Week with a dress-up theme each day. We did a Secret Santa ornament exchange to make ornaments for others, and those ornaments decorated our Christmas tree. We had a contest to guess how many M&Ms were in a Santa ear jar. And the Solon PTO held a Christmas Shopping Day so students could buy gifts for their family members. The PTO asked each teacher to submit a wish list with items for their classrooms and they shopped for those. M&M contest winners were Xavier Poulin, Kabella Chreitien and Mrs. Rogers.

During the month of November, Solon Elementary School held a Thanksgiving Food Drive to benefit the Solon Food Cupboard. It was very successful, bringing in 581 items. The third grade class collected the most items with 129 with the fifth grade class in second place with 116 items.

I’m going to end this column with words from one of my many little books, this one is called Sunny Thoughts. And it states Words to Keep You Smiling, Shining, and Looking on the Bright Side: Resolve to see the world on the sunny side, and you have almost won the battle of life at the outset. Hope you have a wonderful day!

SOLON & BEYOND: Remembering Percy and his words of wisdom

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This week I’m going to print an old article from The Town Line dated April 1, 2021: It was called, The time I let Percy write the column in my absence. Now I would like to thank Roland from the bottom of my heart, for leaving Percy’s picture beside mine on our column, for all these years. For those of you who don’t know, Percy died quite a few years ago, and I still miss him every day. He was a very remarkable animal!

I came across a small clipping that I found recently dated The Town Line – January 3, 2008, with only Percy’s picture (Percy was alive and well at that time, and I had let him write our column that week because I was down in sunny Florida!).

Good morning dear friends. Don’t worry be happy! This is Percy wishing you the happiest of New Years! I am missing my human. She has been down in sunny Florida since before Christmas I am thrilled beyond belief that she is letting me write this column, again, since so many of you have told her that you prefer my writing instead of hers.

Since I don’t have any real news to share, I have been reflecting what subject to write about, think perhaps to delve into. Our byline each week being, “Don’t Worry be Happy, and she’s been using it for years, before I started helping her. Does that make you think just how happy you really are?

Some quotes I can think of are “Cheerfulness greases the axles of the world.”

“Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.”

“True happiness consists in making others happy.”

But the one I like the best is unconditional love is the greatest! Are you gaining insight about finding happiness from my words? I do hope so…….but to continue, with more wise words. When you do the things you do with love you give life a gleam that most people only carry a glimpse of. Your attitude affects the outcome of so many things. Smiles inspire smiles. Reaching out brings people in. Looking on the bright side doesn’t entail being naïve and donning rose colored glasses. It simply means leaving the cynicism and complaining to someone else, someone who will spend there whole life wondering why good things don’t come their way.

Being a positive person, someone who looks forward to so much, is not only rewarding, it’s refreshing. The wisest people on earth are those who have a hard time recalling their worries….and an easy time remembering their blessings. Now my human has edited what I have written to share with you, but, will it get by the real editor ?

I have been told that she asked him once how much mushy stuff he would let her get away with. I’m pretty sure he likes me best and hopefully some of you have told him that you like my writing better than hers.

Anyway, my human and I would like to wish you the Happiest.

SOLON & BEYOND: Goofed…and went camping

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This week I’m using some of a column I wrote back on December 19, 2019 . It starts with these words: Good morning, my friends, Don’t worry, be happy!

Don’t worry, be happy! Received a most welcome letter this week that pleased me greatly. It was from the National Resources Council of Maine… and it starts with these words: “Thank you for submitting your letter to the editor titled, Thankful for Strong Opposition to CMP Corridor that ran on November 17, in the Kennebec Journal. We value your commitment to make the public aware of this critical environmental issue,

We welcome you to become an NRCM member. Your letter to the editor is aligned with the work that we do. You are helping safeguard large tracts of land that are home to treasured wildlife and are our solace. “United we can do what no person can do alone.” Thank you again for everything.

This week my column may be a short one, but most of it will be from an old August 9, 1996 Somerset Gazette . My humble apologies for the lack of this column last week but I goofed and went camping  When someone commented about it not being in I said that I thought everyone should have a vacation once in a while , this person said the reporters need to be on the job all the time. A Rogers family reunion was held at the home of Betsy and Arthur Rogers on the River Road last Sunday with 60 family members and friends present. A delicious pot luck lunch was enjoyed at noon. followed by an auction with Lee Turcotte of Cornville doing a great job as auctioneer.

This will be a short one today with Christmas right around the corner. I do hope all of you have a very happy Christmas with family and friends.

I am going to end this with a few words from a special book called Sunny Thoughts (I used it many times in my writing. I used the following 4 –02–09 hope you like it. Sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most: the song of a bird, a warm breeze blowing through the trees, a friendly voice on the other end of a telephone ,a note written by a friend to us when we need encouragement, the wag of a dog,s tail as we come home from a hard day at work. These things are intangible — we cannot put a price tag on what they mean to us or how they help us to feel abiding peace even in the midst of turmoil. written by Heather Parkins .

SOLON & BEYOND: A look at some back issues

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This morning I’m going to write some of the August 4, 2005.

My many thanks to all of you who have told me you liked the Flagstaff article, my thanks also to Roland for doing this series, it means so much . This week I’m going to let Percy (he was still alive then ) have more space, he would like to share these words with you: Realize that you are capable of working miracles of your own making. Remember that it’s up to you to find the key that unlocks the door to your happiness. Understand that increased difficulty brings you nearer to the truth of how to get beyond it. Cross your bridges. Meet your challenges. Reach out for your dreams, and discover how to get closer and closer to a more fulfilling life. Get rid of the ‘if only,s and get on with whatever you need to do to get things right.” ( words by Douglas Pagels.)

A regular meeting of the Solon Historical Society was held at the Masonic Hall on July 25 with 18 attending. A short business meeting was conducted by president Lois Starbird. It was reported that someone has cut the cable across the society’s land on Parkman Hill and fires have been started there. Betsy Graboyes has given an answering machine for the History house and Enid Tozior donated a step ladder. The next meeting will be a picnic at the home of Harriet Dolan, in North Anson, on Monday, Aug. 22. The program, The History of the Boston Post Cane will be presented by Marilyn Rogers.

Now Percy and I will end this column with these wise words from George Washington: “Be courteous to all but intimate with few; and let these few be well tried before you give them your confidence.”

The following information is from another of The Town Line papers on December 19, 2019. Received a most welcome letter this week that pleased me greatly. It was from the Natural Resources Council of Maine….. and it starts with these words: “thank you for submitting your letter to the editor titled Thankful for Strong Opposition to CMP Corridor that ran on November 17, in the Kennebec Journal. We value your commitment to make the public aware of this critical environmental issue.”

I was very pleased to get that letter and, of course, I saved it! The letter ended with these words, “Thank you again for bringing awareness to concerns facing the nature of Maine. You have made a difference.”

And now I will end this week’s column with these words: And now for Percy’s memoir called Of Gifts of Life! Do what you can with the gifts of life and gifts of heart and mind, while they are still within our power to share with humankind – for it is seldom meant to be that gifts we own today, will be forever ours to keep or ours to give away. Don’t let them fade to trials of time or waste to dearths of age, for they are like the joys of youth luxuries of wage, they’re ours to own for just a while, to do with as we can, that will endear our souls to God and grace our fellow man. (words by Michael Dubina.)

SOLON & BEYOND: News from Solon Elementary School

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

We were not able to hold our outdoor Fall Open House because at the time half of our students and some staff members were quarantining. Please check out our open house webpage created by our new Title I ed tech Samantha Taylor. You can see our classrooms and read about each teacher’s goals for 2021-22 school year. You can find the webpage at https://solon.carrabec.org/home. We hope to have a big outdoor open house in the spring.

Parents and teachers have been busy meeting for fall conferences during October and November. Together they have set goals for each student for the school year. Thank you for participating in this process. Your involvement in your child’s education means so much.

Our school board has instituted a mask mandate through the holidays to be reassessed at their January 5 meeting as a way to curb the spread of COVID in our schools and reduce the number of students and staff who have to quarantine. Keeping students healthy and safe is our top priority. This year students have the whole week of Thanksgiving off as vacation time. I hope that even though we all have to follow COVID safety protocols, you will be able to enjoy time with family and friends over the holiday week. And Christmas is right around the corner!

The First Quarter Honor Roll : All A’s ­ – Maxxwell Caplin, Lydia Dixon, Hunter Ingersoll, Hunter Poulior, and Spencer Rogers. All A’s & B’s – Keirra Brooks, Kabella Chretien, Ehren Hill, Allyssa Hutchins, Landen Jacobs, Olive MacDonald, Kira Medwick, Ryan Medwick , Martin Plourde, Emma Pooler, Dylan Priest, Wilder Taylor Braelin Vaughn, Ally Williams, and Madison Wyman.

Solon Students Win District Awards : Solon Elementary School is proud to have three award winners in the 2020-21 school year. Each year one student in third grade, one in fourth grade, and one in fifth grade, win an award for scoring the highest in the district on the Maine Educational Assessment in reading or math. A science award is usually given to a fifth grader, but since the test was new last year and just given as a field test, the next winner in science will be for 2021-22.

Award winners each received a certificate and a check for $50, and their names are displayed on a plaque in the lobby at Carrabec Community School. The monetary prizes for this program are donated by Mr. & Mrs. Chet Hickox and the three elementary school PTO’s.

Halloween Fun: On October 29, we held a Halloween Parade, and students enjoyed treats donated by families at a Halloween buffet. Thanks to the Solon Fire Department for providing a fire truck to escort us around town. Halloween Dime Raffle winners were Ellie Smith, Anthony Sandoval and Hunter Pouliot.

We want to recognize our top sellers in the fundraiser. Kindergartner Paul Yocum sold 37 items for a total of $426. Fifth grader Spenser Rogers sold 30 items for a total of $464. Great job, Paul and Spencer.

Solon HOLDS WALKING SCHOOL BUS ACTIVITY: On October 20, we held a Walking School Bus activity as part of our wellness action plan. Students and staff met at the Solon Thrift Shop and walked to school. Once they arrived , they enjoyed a breakfast prepared by our cook Mrs. Lawrence. We are planning a second Walking School Bus activity on December 1. NOTES FROM THE NURSE. School-BASED DENTAL CLINIC: We will soon offer this program, which accepts all insurances and offers services for students who do not have a regular dentist and would like to receive dental care. They do oral exams, oral hygiene instructions, dental cleanings fluoride treatments, sealants on molars and premolars and temporary fillings. The second dental program offers oral exams and fluoride treatment. This is free to all children in grades K-6. Please send in your permission forms to participate in any of these programs.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Students ages 19 Vaccine Clinic. Students ages 5 and up December 21, 2021. Immunizations. It is important to have your child up to date on higher on his /her immunizations before November 29, 2021. After this date, if your child’s immunizations are not up to date, he/she will be excluded from attending school until these immunizing are up to date.

Will finish the rest of this news next week, but now it’s time for Percy’s memoir entitled, “My Earnest Prayer: Today, I pray for others, Lord, Who seem less blessed than I. That in your love and mercy, You’ll heed their desperate cry. For those depressed and lonely, Please be their constant guide… And show them they are not alone, For You are by their side! For those in pain of body… Dear Lord, Please make them whole, And those who doubt….increase their faith, Reveal their glorious soul! Feed those who live in hunger, House those who have no home, And free this world from hatred; Show us we all are one Dear Lord, thank you for listening, And answering this prayer, This world seems much less frightening, Just knowing that you care.”

SOLON & BEYOND: Always keep a positive spin on life

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

This week’s column is being taken from the August 4, 2005, issue of The Town Line paper. It starts out, Good morning my friends, Don’t worry, be happy! My many thanks to all of you who have told me you liked the Flagstaff article, my thanks also to Roland for doing this series, it means so much.

This week I’m going to let Percy have more space, he would like to share these words with you; “Realize that you are capable of working miracles of your own making. Remember that it is up to you to find the key that unlocks the door to your happiness. Understand that increased difficulty brings you nearer to the truth of how to get beyond it. Cross your bridges. Meet your challenges. Reach out for your dreams, and discover how to get closer and closer to a more fulfilling life. Get rid of the ‘if only’s, and get on with whatever you need to do to get things right.” (words by Douglas Pagely).

I needed those words last night. I had this column almost written and I lost it all! Bet if you had looked down on Ferry Street the air would have been blue. Peter has told me over and over to save it when I first start writing, and do I do it ? NO, well this time I have.

That is what I did yesterday when I was writing this week’s column and lost every bit of it! And usually when I do something like that Peter can find it and get me out of trouble, BUT, guess I really did it up, if he couldn’t find it.

And so this will be a rather short column, but I’m going to put in a few “Rainy-Day” Remedies, if you are down. I hope they will cheer you up!

If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye and say, “I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.” Then repeat to yourself the most comforting of all words, “This, too, shall pass.”

“Resolve to see the world on the sunny side, and you have almost won the battle of life at the outset,” by Sir Roger L’Estrange. Ten Simple ways to Brighten Someone’s Day: Buy some chocolates and leave one on everyone’s desk at work. Smile at a stranger on the street. Give someone a compliment. Add happy faces to all the e-mails you send out. Lend a friend one of your favorite books or videos. Let somebody with fewer items go ahead of you in line at the store. Clean the house, even if it’s not your turn. Send a greeting card for no reason. Pay the toll for the car behind you. Tell someone how much you love them.

And now for Percy’s memoir, I’ve heard that people enjoy it: “The next time life gets you down, remember, you have a choice. You can either stay down in the doldrums where there is nothing but more negative feelings or you can make up your mind to laugh until the doldrums disappear. The choice is up to you. Find a reason to laugh!” – by Less Brown.