IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of December 1, 2016

by Katie Ouilette

WALLS, you sure do have a lot to write about today! Thanksgiving was wonderful at Samantha and Leigh’s house in Canaan, as they not only had both sets of parents present for the simply divine turkey dinner, but their two little ones, Reese and Owen were absolutely wonderful with their books and, yes, Reese’s performing what she would be doing at her dance recital on December 10.

Also, with the last issue of The Town Line on my desk, how could WALLS not congratulate China for having Maine’s largest solar farm! Frankly, faithful readers, WALLS sure got a bit nostalgic when reading about the large solar farm that is planned for China, as thoughts of such incredible scientific developments haunted everyone who grew up when such science was only being thought about. Ah, sweet memories! In fact, WALLS, it has been said by many of my era that we grew up in the best of times….but, my being a Great Depression born and bread kid, when folks bought only what was needed, as there was no money for what was wanted.

I wonder what scientists would do today, if times were like that? Yes, Madison has created a beautiful view in Maine with its Electric Works Solar development and last week, Lew and I rode from Bingham to Athens in order to view the great wind towers that will bring electricity to our, once, forgotten countryside. Yes, these have been a long time coming to our area, as the reminiscing of them occurred of our riding the countryside in upstate Little Falls, New York, en route to our friends in Starks, New York.

O.K, WALLS, that also goes for the telephone. Wow, our old telephone service at 29 Chestnut Street, in Skowhegan, was far different than what we are accustomed to today. In fact, son Nick called us from Ferndale, Washington, and with Lew’s hand-held phone, we could even see Nick as he talked to us. Wow, I question if we were really the Great Generation that everyone of my era professes!

Speaking of the phone, Marilyn Rogers-Bull, who writes Solon and Beyond for The Town Line and I talked and we wished each other a very Happy Holiday … and Percy sent us all a message via The Town Line: “Life’s greatest celebration comes from the heart”.

One of our family members missing for Thanksgiving dinner was Roxie Paine, but we call her our World Traveler. In fact, on Thanksgiving Day, she was in Antarctica……yes, you faithful readers read it right…..Antarctica. We will learn all about how one runs a marathon race in Antarctica, but our Roxie did it on the day after our traditional Thanksgiving,……we think. Yes, you will read about Roxie’s running a marathon in Antarctica after she tells WALLS and her brother, Leigh, all about it.

Now, Lew and I will send the Christmas gift from all our adults to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee, in honor of our great-grandson, Landon Ouilette, who was diagnosed with ‘rare’ Wilm’s cancer at five years old, and was at St. Jude’s for seven years…..but is now 17 years old, cancer free, and planning to attend college……and we hope he will choose to attend in Maine!