TIM’S TUNES: After more than five decades, Canadian musical legend continues to make music

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At 80 years old, Canadian musical legend continues to perform. (Internet photo)

by Tim Forsman
Colby Radio Host

Gordon Lightfoot
Solo

Rhino / Warner Records – 2020

Gordon Lightfoot surprised fans in March 2020 with his first album of new music in nearly 16 years. Some background: Solo is a collection of songs that Lightfoot had initially started to record between 2001 and 2002. A health crisis occurred in September 2002. Suffering stomach pain, he entered an Ontario hospital and underwent surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm which brought him to the intensive care unit. Medical staff monitored his condition through a six-week coma and a total of four surgeries. The more than two dozen songs he had been working on all got set aside and some were forgotten.

And now: These forgotten song demos were found in his office files last year. Nine were completed for the album Solo. And solo is appropriate as the stripped-down recordings were just Gordon and his six or 12-string guitars. Upon review, he decided that this was the sound that these songs called for. He said, “I thought my fans would be interested in hearing what songs sound like when first written.” He recorded one more song early this year to round out the 10 songs on this new release. At age 81, Gordon Lightfoot still has a strong singing voice and when matched with his gentle guitar work, this makes for a pleasant listening experience. One that is easily taken in during one setting.

The album starts out with Oh, So Sweet… “It’s so easy to live with no fear or deceit. But sometimes I think maybe I have skipped a beat. The road I chose was not all it should be. But sometimes it was, oh, so sweet.” I think it is an observation from a man who has seen much over his eight decades. Triumph, grief, adoration, pain, Gordon has lived through much but still finds life’s sweetness.

Other songs also have the feeling of reflection over a life well lived, through high highs and low lows. In one song he is asking, “are we really better off than before?” The next states, “We will return into dust, through the years, a time meant for us, all our fears, will return into dust.” Further on, lyrics speak of a getting tired “just a little bit” with life’s little daily grinds. And what are we seeking in life’s travels … is it friendship … or laughter?

The song Easy Flo is the recent song, written for his third wife, Kim. It expresses a feel of being at ease, and the happiness that they share these days, “Easy come, easy go, easy Flo – She’s with me wherever I go.”

Minor health issues aside, Lightfoot still has plans to continue touring this new album. Before Covid-19, he was playing dozens of shows each year. Much like his contemporary, Bob Dylan, Gordon loves the performance, and gathers strength from the audiences. Dylan has been quoted: “I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like. Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.”

In the end, will the songs from Solo anchor another edition of greatest hits, another “Gord’s Gold?” Probably not. But are they fine songs, presented in a simple way, just a man and his guitars. And well, that can often be pretty darn good.

RIYL – (Recommended If You Like) –

  • “Lightfoot” (2017) – a thorough biography by Nicholas Jennings – this book covers from childhood to life at the top of the music world and into an award-winning elder statesman spot … the author gain unprecedented access to the notoriously reserved artist.
  • Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind – a 2019 documentary by Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni. It includes reflections by other Canadian celebrities who were inspired or influenced by him, including Randy Bachman, Anne Murray, Sarah McLachlan, Burton Cummings, & Sylvia Tyson.

Tim Forsman – I have had a lifelong love of music and no talent to create it myself. I’ve hosted a radio show, “Jigs, Hoedowns & Songs O’Tragedy,” at Colby College, on WMHB Radio for over 30 years.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: COVID-19 Can Cause Kidney Injury, Yet Most Americans Don’t Know It

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(NAPSI)—According to a recent Harris Poll, too many people don’t know all they should about the dangers of coronavirus—particularly how it can affect the kidneys.

COVID-19, it seems, attacks more than just the lungs.

In the new National Kidney Foundation-Harris Poll Survey on COVID-19 and Kidney Health, the findings show low levels of awareness on both the risk of developing an acute kidney injury as a result of COVID-19 and of the long-term effects of kidney damage.

“A significant number of patients going into the hospital to be treated for COVID-19 are coming out as kidney patients,” said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant patient himself. “We believe this may be a looming healthcare crisis that will put a greater strain on hospitals, dialysis clinics and patients, for whom chronic kidney disease will be a lasting remnant of the coronavirus crisis—even after a vaccine is, hopefully, found.”

Acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden episode of kidney failure or kidney damage that happens within a few hours or a few days, and is happening in about 15 percent of all hospitalized coronavirus patients, many of whom now need dialysis.

If a patient ends up in the intensive care unit (ICU) their odds worsen; reports indicate that one in five intensive-care patients have lost kidney function. COVID-19 will likely result in a higher number of Americans with chronic kidney disease and/or kidney failure than before the pandemic. Once kidneys fail, dialysis or a transplant is needed to survive.

Hospital shortages

Hospitals aren’t prepared for the expected increase of kidney patients. In hot spots of the outbreak there are shortages of dialysis equipment, supplies and nurses properly trained to administer dialysis in the ICU. Most Americans, according to the Harris Poll, are concerned and want the federal government to step in.

Further, the Harris Poll found that the vast majority of Americans want the federal government to provide more resources toward diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease, and significantly increased funding for kidney research because of kidney-related illness from COVID-19.

More poll results

The poll also found:

  • Only 17 percent Americans are aware of acute kidney injury as a result of COVID-19;
  • Only 46 percent of Americans are aware that COVID-19 will likely increase the number of Americans with chronic kidney disease or kidney failure;
  • 58 percent of Americans are aware that COVID-19 can cause acute respiratory failure;
  • 54 percent know it can cause pneumonia;
  • 52 percent of those surveyed know COVID-19 can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Learn More

Additional information about COVID-19 and how it affects kidneys can be found at www.kidney.org/coronavirus.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: My encounter with brown-tail moth caterpillar not a pleasant one

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Brown-tail moth caterpillar, left, and the adult moth.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

I have seen and been around brown-tail moth caterpillars before, but this past weekend was my first contact with one.

We’ve been doing some extensive outdoors renovations at camp this spring. With the tick population at record high numbers, we’ve been clearing and pushing back growth and decaying leaves further back into the woods, away from the camp. We have also torn down our old screened-in room, and preparing a new platform for the new one to be installed later. During all of this, we dress accordingly, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and boots, to try to aleviate the possibility of ticks jumping on-board.

Apparently, there was another enemy out there. With the high, sustained winds over the weekend, I somehow came in contact with airborne hairs from the brown-tail moth caterpillar. Saturday found both my forearms, left shoulder and upper thigh on my left leg, covered with a pinkish rash, that itched like the dickens.

I have since dispatched three of the caterpillars I have found strolling along my deck.

They were accidentally introduced to the United States in the 1890s. During the early 20th century they were present from eastern Connecticut northward into New Brunswick, Canada, but a subsequent severe population collapse reduced the territory to parts of coastal Maine and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, by the late 20th century. One theory for the decline appeared to be a parasite introduced to combat gypsy moths. Starting in 2015 there has been a population spike and territory expansion in coastal Maine.

Hairs from the caterpillars are toxic for humans, causing a poison ivy-like itchy rash of up to weeks duration due to mechanical and chemical irritation. Direct contact with larvae is not necessary, as the hairs are shed and can become windblown. Toxins in the hairs remain potent for up to three years. Outdoor activities such as mowing a lawn or raking leaves in the fall can cause exposure.

The brown-tail moth is an invasive species in the United States and Canada, having arrived in Somerville, Massachusetts, circa 1890, and becoming widespread there and in neighboring Cambridge by 1897. Initial outbreaks were most evident in pear and apple trees. Doctors reported “poisonings” (skin rash) far worse than poison ivy rash. Within a few years it was seen as a serious, fast-spreading, horticultural and health problem – apparently, not enough though, to cause a complete shutdown of the country. Through the early parts of the 20th century it was present in much of New England from eastern Connecticut to Maine, and northward into New Brunswick, Canada, but the 1906 introduction of the parasitic fly Compsilura concinnata to counter gypsy moths collaterally impacted brown-tail moths. By the late 20th century the habitat was reduced to the coast and islands of Maine, and also parts of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Cold and wet weather hinders re-expansion of the population outside its current territories, although starting in 2015 there has been a population spike and territory expansion in coastal Maine, from Portland to Bar Harbor.

Photographs taken from aerial fly-overs are used to identify areas where the trees have been denuded of leaves, by the moth, and where the branch-tip tents are present. The white-winged adults are nocturnal and strongly attracted to light; a report from 1903 likened their appearance around streetlights as being akin to heavy snowfall.

The brown-tail moth produces one generation a year. Eggs are laid in July and hatch in August.

In the United States, many species of birds prey on the winged adults, including English house sparrows and blue jays (I wonder if that is what has led to an increased number of blue jays around our bird feeders at camp?)

How to control it? Branch-tip webs can be clipped in winter and very early spring, and either dropped into a bucket of soapy water or burned. Gloves should be worn. Appropriate pesticides should be applied before early May because that is when the larvae start to develop harmful hairs. For organic garden and farm situations there are sprays that use a strain of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

A rash that will develop when contact is made with the hairs of a brown-tail moth caterpillar.

Cicely Blair wrote a paper about the rash caused by the brown-tail moth caterpillar in the British Isles. It, and other descriptions, confirmed that loose hairs can break off and cause very itchy rashes on contact with skin, as well as breathing difficulties similar to asthma if inhaled. Rashes can persist for weeks. The same symptoms have been reported as far back as 1903. The reactions are due to a combination of mechanical and chemical stimuli, the barbed hairs in effect becoming lodged in and physically irritating the skin.

The species should be handled using protective gloves at all stages of its life cycle. Shed hairs blow about, and can be brought indoors on clothing and shoes, so rashes can occur without the victim coming in direct contact with the caterpillars.

Brown-tail larvae have been reported as feeding on 26 genera of non-resinous trees and shrubs belonging to 13 different families. This is considered unusual. Non-specific host plant feeding combined with its tendency to reach extreme outbreak densities makes this species a major pest of fruit orchards, ornamental trees and hardwood forests. Partial list of plant species: apple, cherry, beach plum (Cape Cod, Massachusetts), beech, elm, grape, hops, maple, oak, pear, raspberry, rose and willow. An early description of the introduction to the United States in the 1890s identified pear and apple trees as most greatly afflicted, but mentioned that once trees were entirely bare of leaves, the larvae would descend to the ground in great numbers and move toward any leafy plant, including vegetable plants.

The hairs are almost like silent attackers. You may acquire the rash without even knowing it, as I did. All the precautions and protections I took were to no avail once the hairs became airborne.

I did find out, though, that baby powder will relieve the itching, but the best “antidote” I found was Benadryl spray. That completely took away the itching, though the rash remains. I’ll see how long it takes to go away.

Meanwhile, be on the lookout for the little irritating critters.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which outfielder made his debut for the Red Sox in 2016 despite never having appeared in Triple-A ball?

Answer can be found here.

SOLON & BEYOND – Water Witching: My experience

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

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

This morning I’m going to write about Water Witching! This information is from an old yellowed bit of paper that I saved from years gone by… “Nearly every rural community in the United States has a water dowser who claims to be able to locate underground water by means of a diving or dowsing rod. The gift seems widespread or, at any rate, there are quite a few people who think (or try to persuade others to think) they possess the knack of finding water by use of a stick.

What is dowsing? Kenneth Roberts in his book Henry Gross and his Dowsing Rod gives a definition: “When certain sensitive individuals hold between their fingers a flexible Y -shaped branch with no intention of bending it, twisting it or moving it, the branch will, under certain conditions, turn downward. It bends in the hands of the individual who is holding it, even seems to turn itself with extreme force and independent of the will of the operator.

When such an individual grasping a branch or a dowsing rod, passes over a region crossed by subterranean and unknown sheets of water, the rod twists down with almost irresistible force.

Whether we accept this as fact or fiction, the art of dowsing is as old as the hills. It has been suggested that Moses had something like a divining rod in his hand when he found water in the wilderness. Such rods were a favorite subject with writers for centuries. In 1659 Gaspard Schott denounced the dowsing rod in his Magiae Universalis Naturae et Artis, proclaiming it an instrument of the devil. However, Schott seems to have had second thoughts on the matter, for some years later he wrote that people “…of great piety have used it with really marvelous results.”

Divining, or dowsing, for minerals was common, too. A large number of the Cornish tin mines are said to have been discovered by a diviner from Saxony in Elizabethan days.

There are people who refer to water dowsing as “water witching,” feeling that it is a supernatural procedure, but they are outnumbered by the skeptics who see nothing but fraud in the entire affair. These disbelievers claim that the movements of the stick are faked or they are due to unconscious muscular contractions. Dosing exponents, on the other hand, maintain that the movements are independent of the muscular control of the operator.

Would like to add a few words to the above article. I am very proud to state that I am, indeed a dowser or Water Witcher!… and I can’t explain the wonderful feeling when I first feel that stick starting to turn in my hand and point down to where the water is!…. It is beyond a miracle!

And now some news from Happyknits: In the “remaining the same” column, they are still closed to the public, but they can provide a curbside pickup or mail delivery for anything they have that your heart desires. Give them a call when they’re in the shop (Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., or contact them by email or on Facebook and they will be happy to fulfill your request.

The Maine Yarn Cruise carries on in 2020, with a new format, through September 7. Instead of traveling from shop to shop in your car, try visiting each of the participating shops virtually. There is no passport or entry fee this year, so it’s easy to participate at any level. Each shop will feature its own special event or project, and a purchase from Happyknits will give you a chance to win one of the prizes, which they’ll reveal over the summer.

And now for Percy’s memoir: LIFE: Life’s made for living, And giving and sharing, And daring and caring. Life’s made for doing, Pursuing of dreams, Sowing and growing, Whatever the means. Revealing and feeling, And finding that you Must learn how to take it, To make it come true. Along with its ups, In spite of its downs, Life’s made of losses, and crosses and crowns. (words by Grace E. Easley).

And now an extra special one from Percy….Laughing Helps…it’s Like Jogging Inside.”

Hope these few words help in this difficult time.

AARP OUTREACH: Primary balloting – Be safe, vote from home

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by Japhet Els

I followed my mother up the town hall steps, into the large meeting room wondering why this didn’t feel like “just another errand.” I was at the age where everything was “up” – everyone was taller, countertops might as well have been rooflines, ceilings were skies of sorts, and the floor was comfortably close at all times. As we entered the hall, I recall organizing the world by all the different lower body apparel jostling about – jeans, khakis, skirts, leggings, and a few brave souls in shorts. Perhaps we all have that distant memory of grabbing the wrong pair of legs in a crowd and looking up in terror at an unfamiliar face. Being four years old has many benefits but height is not one of them.

We waited in line among our fellow neighbors until a woman who wore her gray hair in a tight bun, whose glasses dangled dangerously close to the end of her nose, ushered us to an open booth. My mother led me inside. I suddenly felt like something special was about to unfold. It was as though we were entering confession only there was no priest on the other side. She pulled a large lever from left to right in front of her and suddenly a curtain pulled shut directly behind us. Ta-dah! We were ready to punch our ballot for the 1984 general election. To my four-year old brain it wasn’t just special, it was magic.

I vote on my own now but it still feels like magic even at the worst of times. I’ve learned how important this duty is within a strong, engaged, community. But it’s not easy to feel inspired these days. Often elections have boring issues, terrible candidates, and zero motivating factors. But, as my grandfather reminded me once, “the boring ones are the most important ones,” so we can’t afford to ignore them. Indeed, the act of voting is not about how inspired you may feel. Instead, it’s about how much inspiration you can bring to Election Day.

Going to the polls isn’t in the cards for me on July 14. That’s our next primary election here in Maine where we’ll decide on congressional candidates, important local issues, and ballot measures that I hope Mainers won’t ignore. Even if you’re not affiliated with either party, you have a ballot, and community, that needs your voice. Instead of going to the polls on July 14 I’ll be casting my ballot from home, absentee. Why? Well, I guess I’d rather be cautious and wise today than risk being a fool tomorrow. We aren’t any less free filling our ballots out at home. We aren’t any less patriotic mailing them into our town clerks. Indeed, I’d argue we’re even freer, more patriotic, by carrying out our duty safely and securely from home during a questionable public health moment.

There are many unknowns in this strange new world we’re all adjusting to. I don’t feel I can address all of them and perhaps you feel the same. So, I end up taking it one day at a time. When it comes to July 14 and carrying out our duty as Maine citizens, it’s not a hard choice: Vote safe. Vote from home. Getting your absentee ballot is simple. Call your town clerk or the Secretary of State’s office and request your absentee ballot today so you’ll have it securely in your mailbox around June 15 with plenty of time to fill it out and mail it back in. We’re asking more and more Mainers who don’t feel the need to take the risk of voting in person to “Vote safe, vote from home.”

Will I miss piling into my local elementary school gym to vote alongside my friends and neighbors? Sure. But do I want to put others, myself, or the volunteers handing out ballots, at risk? Not really. Especially if voting absentee is an easy and established option.

I hope you’ll join me, and thousands of other Mainers on July 14 in voting absentee. We can carry out our duty wisely from home. It won’t take away from the magic built into an American tradition but it will help stamp out this pandemic, and that’s something we all can get behind no matter your age (or height).

If you’d like to request your absentee ballot you can go to https://bit.ly/ME_AbsenteeRequest and fill out the request form on the Secretary of State’s website. Or, simply call your Town Clerk’s office and request an absentee ballot directly.

Japhet Els is Outreach Director for AARP Maine.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Smiles from children

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by Debbie Walker

In Country Woman magazine, in its March/April 2003 issue, I read such a cute page and decided I would share it with you. We all need things to laugh about these days. Laughing helps to lower stress and aids in weight loss (if that’s the case I should be skinny!). Please enjoy the following:

After my husband showed our grandson the green beans he had planted. Ryan, 3, wondered “where are the jelly ones?” (Wanda Wyatt, Arkansas.)

Chatting with my granddaughter ,4, I listed the many chores I planned to do that day. “Whew,” she responded, “What you need is a Mom!” (Beth Tayson, Idaho.)

My three-year-old great-grandson came to me wearing his baseball glove and said, “Grandma, let’s play catsup.” (Wanda Thompson, Missouri.)

Explaining Colorado’s location to our grandson, his mother said it was above his home state of Texas. Promptly, Colton gazed skyward and said, “I didn’t see it!” (Nancy Roath, Colorado.)

At report card time, I told our young son he’d be rewarded for bringing home straight A’s. “That’s a sure thing,” he noted confidently. “My teacher makes all her A’s straight!” (Reba Martin, New Mexico.)

I even have one about my niece, Haliegh. It was close to her fifth birthday. I said, “Aren’t you excited, you’re going to be five years old.” She promptly told me, “NO. I don’t want to be five, I only know how to be four! ” (me) ”

“Why didn’t you have any kids, grandma?” Michael, aged 4, asked, “When I told him his mom and uncle are my children he replied “I mean kids you get to keep.” (Linda Isaacs, Oklahoma)

Thrilled by a book about dinosaurs, my then-young niece told her sister, “we should ask grandma and grandpa if they took any pictures.”

One chilly morning we passed a field full of newly-shorn ewes. “Look, mom” our four-year-old son noted with a shiver, “those sheep aren’t wearing their coats!” ( Rachel Wellman, Michigan.)

When I told the little girl I babysit for that I was going to color my hair, she responded, “You can borrow my crayons!”

Eager to share a safety rule he’s learned, grandson Chad, 3 , advised, “In case of fire, stop.. drop… rock and roll!”

One day, grandson Hunter and I were studying family photos when he piped up, “that boys wearing my face!” He was looking at a picture of his daddy at age three.

Defending why he liked to sleep with a night light, our then four-year-old reasoned, “it helps me see my dreams better.”

Catching me mumbling about how his baby sister had cried and fussed all day, my four-year-old pointed out, “she’s just doing her job.”

I’m just curious if you remember some of the stories you have heard over the years? How about sharing some of yours? Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with questions or comments. Thanks for reading and have a great week!

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Conductor: Felix Weingartner & Guido Cantelli

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Guido Cantelli

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Felix Weingartner

Felix Weingartner

Felix Weingartner (1863-1942) was the first conductor to record all nine Beethoven Symphonies, and the four Brahms. He was friends with Liszt, Wagner and Brahms; was music director of the Vienna Philharmonic for over 20 years; composed large amounts of his own music; and taught and wrote about conducting and other musical and non-musical subjects, having a special interest in astrology, the occult and theater. He guest-conducted extensively to the U.S., Soviet Russia and Japan. Finally, he was married five times.

His most distinctive quality as a conductor was the naturalness of it; one felt as though he/she were hearing music as the composer wished it to be heard. I recently listened to a re-issued LP of his very good 1938 London Philharmonic performance of the Brahms 3rd Symphony, a piece that I recommend as the best one of the four for listeners experiencing Brahms for the first time. And this recording and sizable numbers of the others can be heard on YouTube.

Guido Cantelli

Guido Cantelli (1920-1956) was drafted into the Italian army, when it was forced to fight alongside the Germans against the allies during World War II. He refused to, out of a matter of conscience, and thrown into a labor camp; by pretending to be sick, he managed to escape and worked as a bank teller with forged papers until the war’s end.
Having already showing incredible promise before as a pianist – he was in a jazz combo for a while – and a conductor, he started again doing concerts and opera at various Italian venues, such as the La Scala Opera House in Milan, where Arturo Toscanini spotted the young man and was so impressed that he took him under his wing like a long-lost son and gave him concerts and recording dates in New York with the NBC Symphony.

As a conductor, he had a phenomenally high level of inspiration, passion, elegance and precision, much like Toscanini, Reiner and Szell and yet had his own individuality in terms of an ear for the most wondrous hidden sonorities in whatever piece he was interpreting. I am now listening to a superb 1954 recording of Debussy’s La Mer, a piece in three sections that evokes the movements of the sea. It can be accessed on YouTube by budget-minded music lovers who are not collectors, unlike me.

On November 24, 1956, just one week after he was appointed music director at La Scala, Guido Cantelli was killed in a plane crash just after taking off from Paris’s Orly Airport on his way to New York to conduct the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. He was only 36 and left behind a wife and baby son. The 89-year-old Toscanini was never told of his death and passed away of a stroke on January 16, 1957, less than two months later.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Turn your summer vacation into a staycation

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You and your family can have a fun vacation without ever leaving home.

by Samantha Clayton, certified personal trainer

For many people, social distancing brings concern about summer plans. In previous years, summertime was when families planned their vacations. The kids would be out of school, the weather could be fantastic, and the days are longer — allowing optimal time to venture to new places, catch some sun and spend more time with friends and families.

Since you may have already been spending a lot more time with your family then you ever imagined due to coronavirus outbreak, you may be looking for ways to keep your family entertained. Between possibly working from home, managing your kids’ schoolwork and maintaining a functioning household, this time probably hasn’t felt much like a vacation.

Social distancing guidelines are likely to remain in effect in many places during the summer. Activities and entertainment options, lodging, and dining will be affected. The good news is, you really don’t have to totally give up on enjoying the summer at home with your family. Here are some tips to make your staycation exciting for the whole family.

Fit Focused Days

Plan hiking trips or long walks or bike rides close to home. Enjoy nearby parks and take time to look over the architecture in your neighborhood. A quick Google search of interesting facts can help you to plan what you want to go to see. Being a tourist in your own community will help you have a greater appreciation for the place. Challenge your kids to identify certain plants, landmarks or wildlife when you’re out walking. It will make the walks more engaging. Having prizes helps with motivation, too. Additionally, backyard games can be a blast — sprinklers, hula hoops and jump rope are things kids love.

Embrace The Farmers’ Markets

A trip to a farmers’ market is not just a treat, it’s a great way to shop locally. Many of them have adopted social distancing guidelines, so they can be safe for family outings. These markets usually have beautiful fresh and seasonal options to explore, and perhaps find some fascinating new fruits and vegetables. Also, getting the kids involved in selecting ingredients for your meals may help spark their interest in healthier eating. Breaking your usual grocery shopping routine by browsing the stalls in beautiful weather can help spark a vacation vibe.

Create Your Own At-Home Retreats

With a little planning, you can make your own backyard or home feel like an enchanting vacation spot. For a spa weekend, buy or make your favorite products, and set up time to relax and treat yourself. Turn off all your tech distractions, set up a space outside or in a quiet room. You can even make spa water by cutting up some cucumber or fruit to flavor the water. Consider creating your own yoga retreat. Turn to your favorite online trainer, set up your mat in a designated space, light some candles or incense, and be sure to practice daily, with relaxing music. It’s all about being creative.

Travel With Your Cooking

With travel on the back burner, consider themed cooking nights to help transport your taste buds to any destination. It can be really fun to make drinks, shakes and meals with ingredients from places that are on your future travel list. Enjoy a nice Italian spritzer with your pasta one night, try cooking a beautiful curry meal or ordering takeout from a restaurant you’ve never tried before. Take it a step further and print out some fun-facts you can find online or rent a movie about the particular culture you’ll be indulging in that night; it’s a great opportunity for your family to learn about other cultures through food.

Finally, take time to plan out your staycation in the same way you would with a travel vacation. Having an itinerary of what you want to do helps to prevent the lazy, do-nothing blues from taking over. A vacation is about rest, relaxation, discovery and recreation — all of those things can be accomplished right where you are. Studies have shown a positive correlation between taking vacation time and an overall feeling of well-being, so no matter what’s on your itinerary, make sure to thoroughly enjoy yourself.

Samantha Clayton is the vice president, Sports Performance and Fitness, Herbalife Nutrition. She’s also the mother of four and lives in Los Angeles with her family. You can find further tips and facts at www.IAmHerbalifeNUtrition.com.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Are you a craftsman?

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Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

There is a show on cable called A Craftsman’s Legacy. On this show, host Eric Gorges visits various craftspeople who build everything from guitars to bows to saddles to well, just about anything cool you can produce by hand. It’s a fascinating show to watch because the people who are featured on the show are true craftsman. (PC police, please forgive my use of the term, it’s purely used generically, and the term craftsperson is too clumsy and does not convey the true sense of the word craftsman).

Okay enough of that. What I want to talk about today are the pure craftsmen that have worked at my house over the years doing things better than anyone I ever saw do them. People who are true artists at what they do. People who have such a love and passion for their crafts, regarding jobs that they are better than anyone else in their field…at least in my humble opinion.

This column’s shout out goes to Larry Costanzer, who has done painting in our house and our neighbor’s houses for years. In fact, I love that he worked on our house years before we got there. When he started working on our kitchen by removing the wallpaper, he knew exactly how to do it because he was the one who had put it up many years before. He could even show us his penciled markings on the bare walls.

Larry, like all true craftsmen, spends much more time on preparation than the actual painting or wallpapering. He’s explained to me a number of times how his work’s success relies completely on the preparation of the walls and woodwork, patching and sanding holes and irregularities on the surfaces, making sure that the walls will be “sized,” if necessary, so that the wallpaper will adhere perfectly once it is applied to the walls.

When Larry looks over a project he doesn’t just act as our painting contractor, no, he is much more invested than that, he acts more like our advisor, more like our expert consulting, sharing his year’s of experience and knowledge with us, advising us on the best way to go.

The most important thing about Larry is that he is always taking a long view of this projects, considering what they will look like in five years or ten years, or longer.

The pride he takes in his work and the respect he has for what he does is exactly proportional to the pride we take in our home. I feel like Larry’s approach to a project is to assume the responsibility to adding beauty and love to a home that is so already loved by the family that lives there.

And that’s precisely what makes Larry a craftsman and the most sought after painter in our area. And that’s why his business is always growing.

GARDEN WORKS: Exciting times in the garden

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photo by Emily Cates

Emily Catesby Emily Cates

This time of year is buzzing with possibilities! The last spring frost of the year most likely has passed us by, clearing the way for warm-weather plantings. And although it’s a bit on the late side for trees, shrubs, and peas, we can be sure to plant greens, cole crops, cover crops, carrots, radishes, potatoes, onions, perennials, flowers, and herbs with abandon. To be on the safe side, it’s always a good idea to wait until after May 31, for tomatoes, corn, squash, peppers, eggplant, pumpkins, and the like. Unless we have another freak late frost, I would say, “Plant away after Memorial Day!”

If the weather continues to be so dry, however, make sure anything planted receives adequate moisture. Drip irrigation systems are preferable to a soaker hose, since a large proportion of moisture sprayed from a hose or sprinkler is lost through evaporation. Watering at night will conserve moisture by preventing water from evaporating in the sun. I noticed this spring that the trees and shrubs I planted needed an extra five gallons or so of water per tree every other day in May. Usually there is adequate of rain this time of year- but this year, like most years as of late, is a typical Maine spring; the one thing you can count on is the weather being unpredictable! Being prepared for this challenge is one way we can stay ahead of the game.

Naturally, there is little most of us can do to prevent a late heavy frost. That pattern would fool many flowering shrubs and fruit trees into blooming only to be nipped by the frost. Though that would mean little or no fruit this year for the affected specimens, we can take to heart that hopefully that wouldn’t happen again the following year. And if it does, it may help to consider planting cultivars that are late blooming, frost tolerant, or extra hardy. Most of our area is zone 4 (-20 to -30 degrees F.) with occasional zone 5’s (-10 to -20 degrees F.). Choosing a perennial plant, shrub, or tree that is rated to grow in the next zone down- zone 3 (-30 to -40 degrees F.), for instance – will ensure a plant’s hardiness. Remember, too, that a heavy snow pack should act as a blanket and keep a plant warmer than if there is low accumulation; so might a heavy mulch.

One thing that certainly doesn’t mind the weather was the weeds. These guys are public enemy Number One in many gardens. Any efforts to minimize them early in the season before they go to seed will help keep them at bay throughout this growing season and others. Cultivating, hand-pulling, mulching, and growing in raised beds and containers are all earth-friendly ways to make the job easier without resorting to chemical herbicides. Undiluted plain distilled vinegar works wonders on the ones in the cracks in the walkway and driveway. Plus, it’s cheap, eco-friendly, and safe to use around children and pets. Give it a try. And if you’re really adventurous, maybe you’ll consider the possibility of raising weeder geese in the garden. Many folks pen them in the strawberry patch until the fruit forms. They eat the weeds, but not the strawberry plants – though it should be noted that they love the fruits as much as we do. (Hence timing is important with this particular venture.)

While you’re planting seeds in the garden, remember to grow some plants that attract beneficial insects. Most of these have umbrella-like flowers such as those found on dill, fennel, carrot, caraway, valerian, angelica, and Queen Anne’s lace. And don’t forget to plant some edible flowers like nasturtiums and delicious herbs like basil. And for a change of pace, try growing heirloom and open-pollinated seed varieties and save the seeds for next year. Or try making a completely new variety altogether by cross-pollinating two different varieties of the same plant that will cross, such as cucumbers. Ah, the possibilities of the late-spring garden!

Emily Cates can be contacted by email at EmilyCates@townline.org.