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

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

It is time to begin the preschool application process for the fall of 2018 at Solon Elementary School. If your child will be four years old by October 15, 2018, you can apply for enrollment into the RSU #74 2018-19 preschool program. The program is open to all four-year olds regardless of family income.

Applications can be picked up at any of the elementary schools, you can have one mailed to your home by calling the school at 643-2491, or you can download one from the district website.

You will need to provide income verification and a copy of your child’s birth certificate, MaineCare card, and immunization record.

If you have any questions about the preschool program, please contact the school at 643-2491.

Grades 3-5 students at Solon Elementary are preparing for State Assessment Tests.

Grades 3-5 students are getting ready to take the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA), which will start the week of March 19. Students in all three grades will take tests in reading, writing/language, and math. Later the fifth graders will take a test in science.

This test will be taken on the computer. The test will be administered over multiple days so that students do not get too tired. Teachers are using practice items and teaching test-taking strategies with the students to help prepare them. Please encourage your child to do his/her best on this important test, which helps us to assess each child’s achievement level as well as the progress of our school.

Again this year Solon Elementary School scheduled some fun activities to brighten the winter season. The Solon Kids Care Club sponsored a Secret Cupid activity in which each of us decorated a heart with some kind words for another person in the school. The hearts have been displayed on the bulletin board in the lobby.

Received this e-mail from my good friend, Nancy Whittemore, and she wrote: I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of the folks in the community of Solon, and surrounding communities for all of the many kind deeds and encouraging words to me during my difficult journey with Terry’s illness and death. It meant so much to me.

And now an e-mail from the Happyknits Crew with some news that perhaps many of you didn’t know about. “We’re starting to notice that the days are lengthening and the temperatures are shifting as we move in fits and starts towards spring. Happyknits is making a bit of a shift too. Julie Cooke, who first opened this yarn shop on her own and gave us all a little place for yarn paradise, has decided to change directions and move on to other interests. We’d like to express our gratitude to her for being our partner and good friend for the last several years, and we wish her the best in her new adventure!

Sarah, Mary Lou and Karla are looking forward to continuing to serve you all. They are grateful to all of you for helping to make Happyknits such a happy place and we hope to see you soon!

Percy’s memoir this week is entitled, The Magic of Love:

Love is like magic.
And it always will be,
For love still remains
Life’s sweet mystery!
Love works in ways
That are wondrous and strange
And there’s nothing in life
That love cannot change!
Love can transform
The most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor
And sweetness and grace!
Love is unselfish,
Understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart
And not with its mind!
Love is the answer
That everyone seeks –
Love is the language
That every heart speaks –
Love can’t be bought,
It is priceless and free,
Love like pure magic
Is a sweet mystery!

(words by Helen Steiner Rice)

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

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

The Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club met on Saturday, February 10, with Cooper Dellarma presiding.

The members taking foods and nutrition are planning to meet with Mrs. Burbank during the February vacation.

Mrs. Pooler did a demonstration on how to make chocolate chip bars. This was to show the members how to do a demonstration.

Plans were made to do a food sale to benefit the Solon Food Cupboard and a dinner to benefit the club. on Saturday, March 3, which is town meeting day.

After the meeting the members put together 20 food and fruit trays for the elderly. This was one of their community services for the year.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, March 10, at 9:30 a.m., at the fire station. Last years members will be doing demonstrations.

The Solon Congregational Church will be having a bake bean and casserole supper from 5 – 6 p.m., on Saturday, February 17, at the Solon Masonic Hall.

Last week I wrote about the e-mail I had received from the Somerset Woods Trustees about them wanting pictures of ” the most creative, exotic, or elaborate ice shacks” that they will post them on their Facebook page! Another statement on that e-mail read, “Love your forests? Do you want to leave your land to your family but not sure how? There is a video provided by the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine.

The other item in this e-mail starts with, “Are you curious about owls? Owls are now calling to find mates so this is an excellent opportunity to learn their calls. Do you know the call of a barred owl? By mimicking their call, I can attract one or more to my deck!” The person who sent this e-mail, stressed that owls are magnificent birds (but keep your cats inside night AND day)

Speaking of birds Lief and I really enjoy all our little visitors at our bird feeders. This year, for the first time, we have some cardinals, there are three of them, a male, a female and we can’t figure out what the third one is, it has the colors of a female’s body, but it’s head is red. (Can anyone out there explain this?)

A few weeks back I wrote about the 10 commandments for good manners and didn’t have room for all of them and said I would write more when space allowed, so this week I’m printing another of them; Thou shalt speak with kindness: Before speaking to others, consider what effect your words will have. Pause and weigh your words carefully and say them with a quality of softness. A slip of the tongue can inflict needless hurt. Also, remember the language of the body (your posture and your mannerisms) is as important as the language of words. (I have a real hard time with that one, because I have been told by friends and family that my face gives me away every time!)

I would like to thank the Solon Pine Tree 4-H members and their leader, Eleanor Pooler, for the wonderful plate of cookies etc., that was delivered to our door by one of the members recently. Lief and I greatly appreciate being given this gift of love.

And so for Percy’s memoir entitled, The Meaning of True Love: “It is sharing and caring, Giving and forgiving, Loving and being loved, Walking hand in hand, Talking heart to heart, Seeing through each other’s eyes, Laughing together, Weeping together, Praying together, And always trusting And believing and thanking God For each other… For love that is shared is a beautiful thing — It enriches the soul and makes the heart sing!” (Words by Helen Steiner Rice.)

Hope all of you had a wonderful Valentines Day!

SOLON & BEYOND

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

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

After the Solon Budget Committee meeting had ended the other day, I went over and introduced myself to Keith Gallagher, who is running for the selectman position, and told him I write for The Town Line newspaper, and asked him if he would like to have me put something in the paper about this fact. He said he would like to and brought it down to me one day this past week. The following is what he wrote:

“My family and I moved to Solon in June 2016 from Montana. We have developed our property on Hole In The Wall Road into an off Grid Home. We are also striving to become self-sufficient . I am a father of four children under 10 years old. I have a strong faith in God and believe that living and acting with integrity is very important. I am a former successful business owner and put 110 percent into everything I do. I feel like Solon needs more involvement from younger people. I currently serve as vice chairman of the Solon Planning Board and look forward to serving Solon on a bigger scale.”

I also went over and spoke to Gaye Erskine, who is running for that same position, and told her the same thing, but at this writing, I have not received a response from her. Mary Lou Ridley is the selectperson not running again.

I have been rather bothered since that Solon Budget Committee meeting. Something happened there that I never would have dreamed would take place in Solon, Maine. The meeting started with the solute to the flag and one member of the committee did not stand and salute the American Flag. I am a strong believer that everyone has a right to their own opinions, but…. in this case, my thoughts are that America needs more Love than Hate.

And now for Percy’s memoir: Guidelines for Sane Living: 1. Strike a balance between work and play – between seriousness and laughter. Go to church regularly, and also to the ball game. 2. Stick with the truth, even if it makes you look or feel bad. Falsehoods are like wandering ghosts. 3. Forgive your enemies as part of the price you pay for the privilege of being forgiven. Realize you are sometimes a pain in the neck yourself. 4. Walk. Gets lots of air and sunshine, and occasionally get some rain or snow in your face, some dirt on your hands. 5. Talk through your troubles and mistakes with someone you trust–and your dreams too. 6. Don’t underestimate the ability of God to straighten out a situation even when you can’t, and give God a little time! 7. Discriminate among your fears. Learn to tell which ones are useful and which ones are destructive. 8. Remember that the ultimate death rate is still 100 percent. You would be getting short-changed if everyone got to die and you didn’t. 9. When you can’t sleep, say, “Aha! Here’s a chance fror a little privacy and creative thinking. All day I’ve been too busy to pray, and now I can get around to thanking God.” 10. Fall in love with life – with children, older people, (that’s hard to find for me these days!) middle agers, sports cars; the theater, music, books, cities, hills, the sea, the Bible – with everything except money. (words by James Angel) This from another one of those old yellowed papers I saved, not sure it kept me totally sane, but I hope it will help you, who may read it!

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

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

Have been sitting here at my computer desk cleaning out cubbyholes to see what I can find to write about this week. It’s an awful feeling not to have any real news to share with you, especially after coming across an old yellowed clipping that I had saved with many names telling of who had been visiting who in those long ago times. Now-a-days, people prefer their privacy.

Anyway, my being old-fashioned, I feel that this modern world could benefit by reading the words of this old yellowed clipping (no date on it, or what newspaper printed it) called, Ten Commandments for Good Manners. It starts with, “Good manners is not a typical subject students study in school, yet it may well be the most important skill they can learn for getting a job and succeeding in life.”

For parents who feel that their kids need better manners, Larry Evans may be able to help. He has surveyed the good manners and traits of successful people from Confucius to Emerson to modern times, and distilled the essence into the Ten Commandments for Good Manners. The key to these principles is their simplicity, yet they deal with the most important aspects of life.

Thou shalt be thyself: (my modern computer would not accept the t instead of an L at first) Good manners begin with a good sense of self. Unless you are true to yourself, you can never be true to others. You are unique. Don’t try to shape your personality to meet circumstances. Be natural, and the world will respect you for what you are.

Thou shalt say “Thank You.” Thanking others is a way of praising them and is one of the keys to having good manners. Send thank-you notes whenever someone does something nice for you, or telephone to express your gratitude. This simple act will help build lasting relationships. When someone gives you a compliment, the best response is a simple “thank you.”

And don’t forget “Please,” “Excuse me,” and “You’re welcome,” which are other marks of good manners.

Thou shalt give compliments: A fundamental rule of good manners is to give. Think about what you can give to others, and remember that the most precious gifts cost nothing, When you meet someone, you can always think of a genuine compliment to give. A “Hello” or “How are You?” is not enough. You can also give your undivided attention and interest to others. You can be generous with words of praise, warm greetings, sympathy, love, or other good news.

Thou shalt not be boastful: Always exercise restraint and good taste. Your voice, your behavior and even your clothing should reflect understated elegance. Only a small person brags about accomplishments; a well-mannered person has no need for self-advertisement. Let your deeds speak for themselves.

Thou shalt listen before speaking: Respect for others is a pre-requisite of good manners. Listening to others is a way to show respect. There is no worse company than a person that does not listen. Be genuinely interested in others; learn their names, and encourage them to talk about themselves. Never interrupt. Look them in the eye, and listen carefully. The listener learns and gains.

Thou shalt speak with kindness: Before speaking to others, consider what effect your words will have. Pause and weigh your words carefully and say them with a quality of softness. A slip of the tongue can inflict needless hurt. Also, remember the language of the body ( your posture and your mannerisms) is as important as the language of words.

Thou shalt not criticize: A person with good manners is above criticizing others or complaining about circumstances. Negativity in any form is to be avoided. If you hear gossip, don’t join in, be indifferent to it.

If you disagree with others, do so respectfully. Don’t verbally attack or condemn them. You may win the argument, but lose a valued friend.

If there is room next week I will print more; but I’m hoping I’ll be deluged with real news.

Now for Percy’s memoir; it is an Irish Blessing: “May God grant you always… A sunbeam to warm you’ a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you. Faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”