SOLON & BEYOND: No news! so this is what Leif and I did in our travels

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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!

Here I sit once again at this computer, hoping against hope to find some news that I can share with all of you. But there is nothing… and so I’ll write a bit about what Lief and I have been doing. We have been on the road quite a lot. Last weekend, we spent three days up in Lief’s favorite, the ‘County.’ We had a wonderful time, visiting with some of his family, and going to his annual school reunion supper. On Saturday the veterans were honored in the parade, and Lief was among them on a float with many of his friends. It had rained in the early morning, but cleared up before the parade started.

Many of the fields were full of different crops: potatoes, wheat, grain, cabbages, and some others; but there was a new one added this year! Acres and acres of sunflowers, all in bloom! Such a beautiful sight, it was breath taking for our artists ‘ eyes to see so many different colors in the wide open spaces up in that county.

Now, I’m going to share with all of you about the mystery that Lief and I are having to put up with, (especially with all the traveling we’ve been doing!) Lief had discovered some evidence a while back that we had some unwanted critters traveling with us. He found lots of torn up toilet paper in the back under the seats and other things that were wrong. We had discovered the problem on one of our trips up to camp. Eleanor had given Lief two mouse traps as we were leaving, and they put peanut butter on both traps. The next morning after we got home, he checked the traps and lo and behold, the peanut butter was gone but the trap had not been sprung! My only explanation is, there must be two of these critters, and one holds the spring while the other one eats the peanut butter, and then they switch places!

Anyway, we haven’t been able to corner whatever has been traveling with us, and when we were on the interstate traveling to the ‘County,’ I suggested that it might be wise not to go 75 miles an hour, because if that “whatever it is” climbs up my leg, I’m going to yell bloody murder! We did make it up to the county and back, as you can see.

And so, as always, I would love to hear from you, with some of your news, but since I haven’t recently, ” I’m going to end with more of Percy’s memoirs.

One entitled: Little Things: It’s not the great things in this world that make our lives worthwhile, It’s the little things like a tiny flower or perhaps a baby’s smile. A little word, sincerely spoken, can lift our spirits high; Like a tiny bird perched on a limb sends his message to the sky. A little dewdrop on a rose and tiny blades of grass, All sparkle in the sunlight, to cheer us as we pass. The lovely johnny jumpups, the smallest flower that grows, Delight the heart of youngsters peeping up around their toes. A friendly gesture or a smile mean more to me than gold. They help us feel that someone cares when we are growing old. Money cannot buy the things that mean so much to me, They are part of God’s creation, and all of them are free. (words by Laina Owen.)

And now for two that I hope give you a good laugh. They were sent to me back in 2002. In a Uniontown, Pennsylvania, cemetery: Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. Stepped on the gas instead of the brake. And this one, on the grave of Ezekial Aikle in East Dalhousie Cemetery, Nova Scotia: Here lies Ezekial Aikle. Age 102. The Good Die Young.

May you all have a wonderful week! Will try and gather up more news next week.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Multi-purpose items

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by Debbie Walker

There are a lot of items now that it seems have multiple purposes. My question is “exactly how were these uses for items discovered?”

One item on my uses list for Coke Cola (and store brand cola) is giving a scrapbook page a vintage look. Apply a few drops to a copy of a photo or document, pat, let dry and ta-da an “old” photo. So … someone tipped a glass over, quickly wiped it off and “Oh My look what happened.” Making pennies shiny was probably a similar situation.

Shiny hair – after spilling on your hair (or dog’s hair) and rinsing off would I notice it was shinier? Supposedly you can de-gum hair by soaking the area in Coke for a few minutes and rinse.

Have you ever defrosted your windshield or washed a home window using Coke? Gargling with Coke for a sore throat; why not just drink it? Soaking a steak covered in Coke to tenderize (I could probably follow that recipe for a marinade!)

How exactly do we go from recipes to cleaning off battery terminals and rust from bumpers or to clean toilets (that didn’t work for me!).

Now, I am moving onto uses of toothpaste. I have used toothpaste to patch a hole in a wall and then moved. I hope it worked. However, I never thought of using it to clean the underside of my fingernails. From feet to teeth, who would have thunk it!

Have you seen the kits to clean headlights? Toothpaste can be used to clean them. But are they talking about the actual bulb or the cover? Anyone know?

Ever get stains and smells in plastic ware? Toothpaste clean. Get garlic and onion smells (etc?) off your hands. Toothpaste clean. Clean off your sticky iron base (if you still have one!). Scuff marks on wood floors. Toothpaste clean. Erase crayon marks from walls. Toothpaste clean.

I had not even heard the term Witch Hazel since I was a young girl. My great-grandmother used it but I was too young to remember for what purpose. Then I saw uses for it in Woman’s World magazine. Yes, I now have a bottle. Soo…..

Declump (new word) nail polish by adding a few drops and stir. Window cleaner – use one cup witch hazel, one cup water and a few drops of dish soap. Spray on glass.

Poison ivy – soak paper towel in witch hazel and dab on itch. Mosquito bites – 1 cup of witch hazel, one cup of water and 20 drops scented essential oil in spray bottle. Might be a good one?

For the last hint: Need a cool nights sleep? Think I will try this one: fill a hot water bottle with equal parts water and rubbing alcohol, freeze it, lay a dish towel over it and slide into pillowcase on top of pillow. The liquids should turn into a very cold slush. Maybe, who knows.

I am just curious who and what happened to the person who discovered using Preparation H for bags under their eyes? Contact me a dwdaffy@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading and don’t forget that we have a website and archives thanks to Eric!

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Composer: Felix Mendelssohn, Part 1

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Felix Mendelssohn

This week I am focusing on the recordings of the Violin Concerto of Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), conceived in 1838 and completed and first performed by the composer’s concertmaster, Ferdinand David, of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, where Mendelssohn was music director from 1835 to 1847. David also proved invaluable with his advice on many as­pects of scoring.

The Concerto has been performed and recorded innumerable times. This week, I would like to briefly comment on recordings that have given much pleasure over the decades and particularly emphasize the work’s rich catalog of different individual violinists who have their own styles, yet have conveyed the beauties of the Concerto itself.

Ferdinand David

Several historic recordings are worth searching out. Fritz Kreisler recorded a Victor 78 set back in the ‘30s, with the very competent Sir Landon Ronald, that was warmly expressive in its aristocratic framework. During the same decade, Joseph Szigeti gave a reading with the most exquisite bowing and phrasing, with Sir Thomas Beecham’s elegant, vibrant conducting of his own carefully formed and meticulously rehearsed London Philharmonic, then at its peak as possibly the finest recording orchestra in the world and creating a catalog of pristine Columbia

Fritz Kreisler

Mischa Elman did an RCA Victor album in the mid-’40s with the Chicago Symphony, under the Belgian conductor, Desire Defauw, in a style best described as that of tasteful reserve and nicely matching Defauw’s own interpretive worldview . Within a couple of years, Beecham’s elegant, vibrant conducting, provided for Szigeti more than ten years earlier, would rev up his recording with the then newly-formed Royal Philharmonic into a riveting collaboration with the dashing Jascha Heifetz, also an RCA Victor release.

To be continued next week!

(Read part 2 here.)

Give Us Your Best Shot! (Week of August 23, 2018)

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To submit a photo for The Town Line’s “Give Us Your Best Shot!” section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@fairpoint.net!

EARLY HALLOWEEN: Steve Nichols, of South China, found what could be early Halloween masks when he sliced open this green pepper.

CLOSE UP: Emma Salisbury, 16, photographed this grasshopper at the Benton Falls.

OOPS: The photographer of this White Admiral butterfly, Kaleb Brown, 12, of Palermo, was misidentified last week.

Give Us Your Best Shot! Week of August 16, 2018

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To submit a photo for The Town Line’s “Give Us Your Best Shot!” section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@fairpoint.net!

SALUTE THE ADMIRAL: Kaleb Brown, 12, of Palermo, snapped this White Admiral butterfly resting on a leaf.

LOON FAMILY: Karen Spehler submitted this photo of a family of loons enjoying a swim together on July 29.

REFRESHING: Lindsey Varney caught her dog, Toro, enjoying a swim in China Lake at sunset.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Struggling With Addiction? Tips On Finding Quality Treatment

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(NAPSI)—It can be overwhelming and confusing to know where to start if you need to find treatment for an alcohol or drug addiction. Addiction touches nearly everyone in some way, yet there is no one-size-fits all approach to effective treatment. With many addiction treatment options, finding a program that will provide the quality care you or your loved one needs to address their specific addiction issues can be challenging. These steps will help you know what to look for to find a treatment program that is high quality and tailored to your needs.

How Do You Find A Treatment Provider?

If you have insurance, a good first step is to contact your insurer. Ask about your coverage and whether they have a network of preferred providers. If you don’t have insurance, you still have access to quality care. Each state has funding to provide treatment for people without insurance coverage. Find out where to call for information about payment for services at: https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/ssa-directory.pdf.

What Should You Look For In A Program Or Provider?

Quality treatment programs offer a full range of services accepted as effective in treatment and recovery from addiction. Keep these points in mind when weighing your options.

  1. Accreditation: Make sure the treatment program is licensed or certified by the state. This ensures the provider meets basic quality and safety requirements. You should also check that the program is accredited, which means it meets standards of care set by a national, compliance organization. Be sure to ask the program to show you how people using their services have rated them.
  2. Evidence-Based Treatment: Check to determine if the program offers effective and proven substance use disorder treatments, such as medication management, cognitive behavioral therapy, drug and alcohol counseling, education about the risks of drug and alcohol use, and peer support. Quality treatment providers or programs offer more than one form of effective treatment. Effective programs will also be mindful of or address mental health and physical disorders that will affect substance use treatment.
  3. Medication: Confirm whether the program offers FDA approved medication for recovery from alcohol and opioid use disorders. However, keep in mind that currently, there are no FDA approved medications to help prevent relapse from other problem substances.
  4. Families: Family members have an important role in understanding the impact of addiction on families and providing support. Make sure the treatment program includes family members in the treatment process.
  5. Continuing Care: For many people addiction requires ongoing medication and supports. Quality programs provide treatment for the long term, which may include ongoing counseling or recovery coaching and support, and helps in meeting other basic needs like sober housing, employment supports, and continued family involvement.

Once you’ve identified a treatment program that meets the criteria above, call for an appointment. Many programs provide walk-in services. If they can’t see you or a family member within 48 hours, find another provider. (It is important that the provider or program connect you to care quickly).

You can find more information about finding addiction treatment by visiting: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ or calling the National Helpline at (800) 662-HELP (4357).

SCORES & OUTDOORS: The poor, misunderstood, unappreciated brown bat

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brown bat

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

While sitting around a campfire with family last weekend, the conversation, for some insane reason, resorted to bats, and the many myths and misbeliefs attached to them.

Bats have long been maligned by humans, a taboo, a creature to be shunned. These little furry animals that fly seemed to be half bird, half mammal, and looked ugly – which they are.

But today, they are being given their proper recognition as valuable to mankind in the ecological system. Many plants, such as bananas, are dependent on bats for pollination because they bloom at night. Bats are responsible for 95 percent of the reforestation of the tropical rain forest through their dispersal of seeds.

Their immediate appeal to most people is their enormous capacity for consuming insects. A nocturnal animal, bats eat when the insects are out, as opposed to birds, which eat during the day. Some bat species consume half their weight in a night – as many as 600 or more gnat-sized insects an hour.

A single little brown bat, Myotis lucifugas or a big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, some of the most abundant and widespread bats in North America, can eat 3,000 to 7,000 mosquitoes each night, and a bat can live to be 20 years old. That’s a pretty effective insecticide, especially when you consider that it doesn’t poison other creatures or make holes in the ozone layer.

Bats are also misunderstood creatures that are generally quite harmless to people. They do not become entangled in your hair, nor do they attack humans. Contrary to misconceptions, disease transmission from bats to people is easily avoided. Never handle bats, and the odds of being harmed will be extremely remote.

Over the last 40 years, public health records show that only 16 people in the United States and Canada have died of bat-borne diseases. That means the odds of anyone dying from a bat bite are pretty slim.

In the Orient these gentle animals are symbols of good luck, long life and happiness. They are meticulous in their grooming, spending a fair part of the day and night combing and grooming their fur.

When bats fly, they navigate by means of a sophisticated echo location system. The bats send out signals of sound energy, which are reflected back, giving it the location of an object as well as its texture and other characteristics. They can avoid a single human hair with extreme accuracy, even in total darkness, contrary to the myth that bats are blind.

Macrobats like the large fruit bats love to eat ripe fruits. As the seeds pass through them, they spread them all over the forest. A fruit bat can disperse thousands of seeds to help replant the forests they live in. Unfortunately, with the loss of rain forests, these bats are endangered because of loss of habitat.

Bats also help farmers. Microbats eat mosquitoes, moths, locust and grasshoppers. Such bugs can destroy crops and spread disease. The American farmer’s biggest pest is the corn earworm moth. One bat can eat 20 female moths a night, reducing the number of crop eating caterpillars.

And, forget everything you’ve ever heard about vampire bats. Vincent Price and Boris Karloff, in their vampire movies, did a lot to give the bats a bad reputation.

There are lots of stories about vampire bats that drink blood. Vampire bats do exist, but are three species out of about 1,000 from the bat family. They mostly live in South America – not Transylvania – and feed on the blood of farm animals. A vampire bat does not suck blood. They usually walk up to the animal while they are asleep, and use their sharp teeth to puncture the skin and lick the blood. Their saliva has a blood thinning chemical that scientists are studying.

So, you see, all the bad rap is unfair. The bat is actually a friend, not a foe.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Mookie Betts recently hit for the cycle in a game; Brock Holt did it in 2015. Who was the last Red Sox player to do it before?

Answer can be found here.

SOLON & BEYOND: Rogers-Safford families renew tradition of reunions

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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!

On August 4 one of those special family reunions was held at the home of Arthur Rogers, in Solon. When I went down to see him yesterday to find out more information, he said that his daughter, Shawna Albert, did most of the planning and getting in touch with family members, etc..

It was a Rogers-Safford reunion and it had been several years since one had been held. But as Arthur said, “It was a good turnout.”

If you remember, the Sunday it was held was one of those really rainy days we’ve had lately. Arthur had arranged several tarps over a large area on his lawn and everyone was having lots of fun visiting with each other. As Arthur said, “Rain didn’t dampen their spirits,” and that was so true! A potluck luncheon was being enjoyed by all and the children were having lots of fun, outside the protection of the tarps, running in the rain. Arthur said there hadn’t been any complaints about the awful weather.

Everyone was having such a wonderful time, including me, it was great to see all these people that I hadn’t seen in years. Some of them I didn’t even recognize and had to ask. It is very special to get together for a family reunion, thanks for having that one Arthur.

The Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club took part in the 4-H Day parade at the Skowhegan State Fair this week. Leader, Eleanor Pooler took 84 exhibits done by the members of this club to be exhibited at the fair. The next meeting will be on August 20.

Received an e-mail about upcoming events at the Embden Community Center: On August 18, Steve and the Good Old Boys band will be there from 7 – 11 p.m., and on August 26, Country Sunday/Open Mic from 1 – 4p.m./second and fourth Sunday.

That is all the real news I could gather this week. It has been one of those busy weeks when everything happens at once….and as always, I welcome any news you might want to share.

I came across this little bit of what I consider good advice in this troubled world, entitled: “Treat others with kindness”. Unexpected but sinple acts of kindness surprise and uplift us. We’re stuck in traffic, sure that we’ll never make that left turn, when suddenly a stranger waves us on and lets us go ahead of him. Little gestures like these can make our day.

Practicing kindness means taking one extra second (really) to think about what we’re doing. Instead of ridiculing a friend, we can hold our tongues and avoid unnecessary embarrassment and hurt. Rather than repeating a rumor about a colleague, we can give praise instead.

It is important to treat ourselves kindly also. We do so by not criticizing or demeaning ourselves, in word or deed, and by refusing to accept abuse from others. Preventing hurt feelings and bruised egos (including our own) is what kindness is all about. Simply put, kindness improves the quality of all our lives.

Now for Percy’s memoir: “One kind word can warm three winter months.” (Japanese proverb.)

Now we are off to the fair!!!

Hope to have more news for you next week.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Grieving

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by Debbie Walker

I remember thinking when we got out of school in June: “Wow, I’ll have more time for my projects!” I had been collecting the necessary items to be able to complete those projects. Well, that creates a mess of sorts because the house is not huge. So I also figured I would be making the house look less cluttered, too. I wasn’t expecting:

Mom just up and died! I think the train came along and said, “All aboard!” and Mom always has enjoyed a train ride, so off she went. She had just gotten her new driver’s license two weeks earlier. That’s how we know she didn’t know about the train ride coming so soon. If she had known she wouldn’t have bothered with taking that driver’s test for just two weeks of driving!

I am hoping you all have an effective way of dealing with grief and I know some folks rely on time lessening their pain. Grieve as you need to, acknowledge and accept the feelings you have a right to have and don’t beat yourself up if someone foolishly tells you, “It’s been long enough.” But please do try to fit in some of those special memories that are yours and make you smile. I suppose the time thing is part of ours, too. But in the meantime:

When Uncle Allen died in a white water canoeing accident the adult nephews who had been with him put things in his coffin they felt he needed to have: Twinkies and a can of Coke like they had shared that day. They all emptied their pockets of change and put that in because, “Unc didn’t go anywhere without money.” They also included a mini motorcycle (he was an avid rider).

When Grammie Bailey died my cousin Dennis and I got Gram’s last pack of Winstons [cigarettes] and put them in with her as she once requested. She told us she wouldn’t need a lighter! My Mom put in a crochet hook and a little yarn, she was a little shy about doing this (the process was new to her) until she stood by the casket and saw the big skein of red yarn and knitting needles, Mom let out a chuckle. My cousin Christy went up and told Mom that Grammie had promised her a pair of red mittens that winter and Christy was holding her to it!

We’re not really being disrespectful of the person who passed or anyone’s personal beliefs. Fortunately, some parts of this process are a bit less solemn with Celebration of Life gatherings. We had a DJ at Mom’s. It was our DJ’s way of expressing his love for Mom.

I pretty much lost the whole month of July and the first half of August has been given to a close friend’s wedding. Life does go on.

I am NOT just curious about what is next! Thank you for reading. Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with questions or comments.

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Book: The Fifties by David Halberstam

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

David Halberstam

The Fifties
Villard Press, 1993, 733 pages

A maxim that underscored journalist David Halberstam’s work ethic was that being a professional meant doing the work one loved on the days one didn’t feel like doing it; this combination of passion and painstaking self-discipline resulted in roughly 22 books and countless articles.

David Halberstam

Born on April 10, 1934, in New York City and raised in Connecticut, he was a classmate of consumer advocate Ralph Nader. In 1955, he graduated from Harvard in the bottom third of his class and was hired as a reporter by newspapers in Mississippi and Tennessee, being the only one to cover the Nashville sit-ins. On a lighter note, I remember reading his liner notes for an LP of country pianist Floyd Cramer.

Beginning in the early ‘60s, Halberstam’s books on Vietnam, the media, big business and sports occupied him for over four decades. His gifts for story telling characterized the 1979 The Powers That Be, a riveting study of Time magazine’s Henry Luce, CBS’s William Paley and the Washington Post’s Phil Graham. The Post chapters contained one very good account of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s news investigation leading to the Watergate trial.

The Fifties is a massive-sized narrative panorama of a continually fascinating decade. Halberstam’s mastery of the character sketch shines in his portraits of Presidents Truman and Eisenhower; Red-baiting Wisconsin Democratic Senator Joseph McCarthy,”shrewd, insecure and defensive,” as tellingly and understatedly described by the author; mystery writer Mickey Spillane, creator of the vigilante lone detective Mike Hammer who went after Communists instead of gangsters and the politicians; the McDonald brothers, whose hamburger stand was transformed by Ray Kroc into a multi-billion dollar empire; Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Milton Berle, and Sid Caesar, who brought low-brow slapstick comedy to the mass television audiences, who clamored for more; nuclear scientist Edward Teller and his hydrogen bomb; Elvis Presley; sex researcher Alfred Kinsey and publisher Hugh Hefner, with their launching of the insidious sexual revolution; and a huge range of other personalities in as many spheres of influence who contributed so much to the decade’s perpetual interest. For me, the quiet seamstress Rosa Parks is arguably the central figure of monumental interest – her refusal to move to the back of the bus was a significant contribution to spurring the long-needed and awaited Civil Rights movement.

David Halberstam was killed in an automobile crash near San Francisco en route to interview football legend Y.A. Tittle for one of two books he had in preparation. He was 73 years old.