Local, close to home activities in Maine are plentiful when you live in a state known as “Vacationland”.
This Christmas bag the ugly tie, another scented candle and go for outdoor experiences in Maine. Like a open horse carriage ride around Acadia National Park. Enjoy a Maine day admiring ocean views, granite stone bridges and miles of country riding the roads around Acadia in the Mt Desert – Bar Harbor ME area.
Or plan a complete trip to Baxter State Park for some hiking little hills or Mt Kathadin with the family.
Camp out, get the reservations with most of your questions answered at the Baxter State Park Authority website. Baxter’s Mount Katahdin is Maine’s highest mountain. Whether to get a cabin at Daicey and Kidney Ponds or to reserve a bunk house for cost savings depends on the number in your party. Get the 28 page planning book for your trip to Baxter Park. It’s accessible on line at the Baxter Park website link above.
Whitewater rafting in Maine on the Dead, Kennebec, Penobscot Rivers is another outdoor never forget vacation experience. Leave the trip details in a map to Maine you put under the Christmas tree of those you love, would like to take a little fast paced boat raft ride with. Watch a video on a Maine whitewater rafting adventure and see yourself in the excited, paddling for all you’re worth boat.
Or plan your own special adventure on one of Maine’s 2500 lakes, ponds. The biggest top three Maine lakes are Moosehead, Sebago, Grand Lakes. Campsite rentals for your fifth wheel camper or tent are available along with cabins for the largest party of vacationers. Being next to a Maine lake. With an open fire to sit, talk around nights. To plan your next day. It’s just the present you should be putting under all those Christmas trees needing a never fade memory gift this holiday season. Give an outdoor, any season Maine experience present this Christmas.
Maine, big state, friendly people, more wildlife than people.
Seek out and find, make the perfect gift. The one the loved one on the list really really wants. But put a lot of the holiday time, money, love in to the bigger picture of Christmas. To start with, continue family traditions but around more larger life purposes, meaningful areas. Helping those that know real hunger, kind of a carry over of sharing the Thanksgiving harvest of bountiful food theme should be part of the local Maine celebration.
Soup kitchens, food pantries, putting on meals for shut ins, the homeless, the lost, tired, depressed and confused are the “others” the church sermons spot light.
Remembering not home for Christmas, out of country service men and woman, their families with cards, home made goodies.
Knitting mittens, scarves for those needing them more than you and I. Special attention to reaching out to kids that deserve a Christmas like you provide your own should be a nagging poke in the ribs. Kids deserve to know Christmas, Santa and his flying reindeer are coming to town.
Making sure where they live is warm, safe, secure and that no one is left shivering, cold, forgotten. Caring for others in your local Maine community without calling attention to yourself in the process. Lots of behind the scene steps taken individually by secret Santas. Are you one every year? Is that the real Christmas that hits home for you, brightening it, providing it for others ?
And Maine church, civic and service groups amplify individual efforts where the real Christmas treasure is. Your kids are watching, learning about the responsible side of the end of the year holiday. That is more than electronic gagdets, anything requiring batteries, expensive accessories.
Repairing broken relationships caused by divorce which over fifty percent of us struggle through, endure, weather the best we can.
Some long long in the past wrong that was not righted. Causing family splits the parents, grandparents if alive would be bring you to task about. Reaching out, again. And again. So others know you care, forgive, and take ownership of your role in the relationship train wreck. Family is everything, the only thing that matters like food and water to survive, to enjoy a rich life experience.
Too many people get to the point of it’s just easier not to stir up the painful memories.
But going back and reaching out to loved ones, especially in your family is more hurtful for everyone if you don’t. The wrist lock of mental barb wire will drag you down, continue, not go away.
Like an embedded poisonous sliver of sharp glass that gets harder to remove as it lodges deeper. Becomes part of you. A daily reminder you can not stuff, bury, cast off, just forget. Like an elephant in the the room that causes all kind of problems. Distracts, derails any of the joy of Christmas that depression, rejection, or just being all alone, thinking no one cares can cause.
Not fun, warm and fuzzy to talk about, but needing to be brought out in to the holiday lights, ribbon candy, egg nog and peanut brittle hoopla too.
Don’t choose to get angry, frustrated, or rationalize the way it is that you wished it wasn’t is beyond you. That is not healthy, loving, kind. Casting blame on others when we all have a hand, role in making a mess of life’s events. Repair, reach out, forgive and seek continuation of family relationships. Communication that was once in place but got horrible misplaced.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year from the giant staff of the Me In Maine blog.
The amount of debt you rack up for a Christmas is not how Mainers determine how memorable, how special the holiday season was any given year.
The dollar amount and number of gifts spread under the real fir or pine holiday tree in Maine with the white angel on top and twinkling lights, tinsel, garland is not the determining factor of how good, memorable the holiday season played out in the final analysis.
Christmas in Maine is about traditions, family get togethers and usually involves lots of home cook food.
Delicacies, special recipes passed down from generation to generation. Divinity fudge, peanut butter balls, ribbon candy, chocolate Santas, reindeer sugar cookies with frosting, sprinkles in red and green. Decorations around the inside of the home with items you saved from your childhood house hold.
The plastic 1963 red and white Santa holding the Christmas bulb to light the room brought out to perform.
The one with the crack in it from many falls to the floor during family holiday gatherings. Or just years of use as a reminder that reindeer are coming if you’ve been moderately good. Hand knit large stockings with your name on them wait to be filled. Hanging on a fireplace mantel, or draped on a couch back. Old, special, cherished. Whoever pearl one, knit two their pattern long gone, but not forgotten. Part of the Maine Christmas celebration just the same.
Christmas songs like Up On The House Top Click Click Click, Have A Holly Jolly Christmas with a singing snowman sounding a lot like Burl Eves. Rudolph learning to fly, not treated the best by his fellow reindeer but ending up the hero leading the sleigh team. Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the crew showing right up time to spell out the true meaning of Christmas.
Linus asking in a strong single voice “Lights please”.
One elf wanting to be a dentist. Kevin left home alone for Christmas, again.
Candle light Christmas Eve services. Caroling to shut ins. Decorated houses with outside lights around the small Maine town. Food pantries to make sure others have a brighter Christmas, free of hunger worries. Christmas trees with cards saying take one, “Boy, Nine,” or “Girl, Twelve”. You shop for a few more special people you have never met but reach out to any way at Christmas time. Not for show, or to have anyone else know you are doing it. Christmas is an inside job. It’s secret Santa gifts behind the scenes.
Christmas is painful for those who lost a loved one this year, or that are reminded annually about who is missing.
What they enjoyed about Christmas, and making sure others in the family knew the person departed, but not forgotten has its time in the conversation during party platters, peanut brittle sampling.
The wonderment of small children, so excited about white beard, red suit, reindeer and elves, the North Pole. Writing letters to Santa read over a local radio station. School and Christmas pageants, concerts. In the air of a small Maine town, there is a spirit of Christmas. And it does not mean multiple cart loads of merchandise. It means passing on family traditions. Everything home made, with special meaning.
The oyster or Maine lobster stew, lasagna, prime rib or whatever is on the menu year after year for Christmas Eve to dine on as you dress up, wear Christmas garb. With children of all ages sharing in the wonderment while new snow usually falls outside. Dusting, laying a blanket of white fluff to play on the next day.
The large table the Pilgrims would drool over on Christmas Day of ham, turkey, multiple home grown vegetables, canned and preserved goods. To enjoy after the pretty paper has been torn away. More Christmas music, old and new filling the home.
The right Christmas gift discovered by the person on the written present tag.
Smiling, laughing, part of a Maine family Christmas celebration. Or invited in to a Maine house hold, church to not be alone at Christmas. That is not a native, but just finds himself, herself seperated from their real home this tail end of December. Or that usually has a house full, but logistics just did not allow it this year. Away in military service, kept away because of stormy weather, lack of resources to make the long trip to “Vacationland”.
Warmly pulled in, included, welcomed in to a special family knit group to share their special Christmas holiday. And asked what are you doing for New Years? Plans made to include you because nothing is on the social agenda for the end of the year celebration. You are not going to be alone. Or let’s be alone together the plan. Happy Holidays to all our MeInMaine blog post readers.
Worthwhile causes, projects in a Maine town need funding and Rotary clubs raise money, recognize the areas needing a helping financial hand.
A shot in the arm of money coupled with the strong heart of a Maine volunteer is a beautiful union, partnership, marriage. The entire listening area gets involved in donating to the auction, bidding on the Maine Rotary three night project.
This year’s Houlton Maine Rotary club celebrated it’s 56th annual Radio – TV – Internet Auction.
Collecting over $53,000 dollars worth of valueable items to bid on with over 1000 auction entries outlined in the newspaper supplement marketing insert.
Business products, services, gift certificates and a slew of private local home made goodies, means lots of worthwhile Maine groups will receive funding from the Rotary auction year after year.
All the fund raising done on the local level with gift certificates from local merchants, hand made food items, gifts from individuals. And everything in between. The Houlton Maine Rotary club funds youth student exchanges, sponsors a little league team, supports the Maine Soap Box Derby Organization and a different set of local needs that are voted on each year. To fund with proceeds from the Houlton Maine Rotary Radio – TV – Internet Auction.
For three nights, always the week of Thanksgiving, The Houlton Maine Rotary Club holds its Auction. After lots of solicitation, technical house keeping and marketing chores. The Rotary Auction is held at Watson Halls, on Main Street in the Episcopal Church of the Good Sheperd.
Watch, Listen To This Year’s 56th Annual Rotary Houlton Maine Auction Video.
Reading Houlton Maine Rotary Auction Bids, Pegging And Sorting.
Service, civic clubs in Maine like the Rotary group raise money year round to make the local communities stronger, more vibrant, healthy.
If a worthy cause presents itself, a shot in the arm of financial assistance from Rotary clubs really helps.
The first three nights of every Thanksgiving week, for the past 56 years, the Houlton Maine Rotary club has collected donated products or services and auctioned them off to raise money. This year’s Houlton Maine Radio, TV and Internet Auction has over $50,000 worth of items to place a bid on. Winning bidders pick up their item at Watson Hall in the Episcopal Church of the Good Sheperd on Main Street. Over one thousand items to bid on in this years three night Rotary auction.
The excitement of gathering the items, setting up the “stage” for broadcast and the entire Houlton Maine Rotary club, local area working together to raise money is part of Thanksgiving week.
College kids returning home for the holidays stop in to auction headquarters to see who else is home.
To socialize, have something good to eat and place a few bids.
The auction always, always has something for everyone. No matter how large or small their wallet so they can bid on the rotary auction. And often gift certificates from local merchants are ideal for early Christmas shopping that needs to be done anyway. Win win, secondary gain situation.
Kids calling in, competing with their friends for a McDonald’s happy meal or a beanie baby stuffed animal, season tickets to local sporting events.
Coin collections, bags of locally grown Maine potatoes, grocery store certificates, pizzas, clothing, oil changes, home made food items all donated during the Houlton Maine Rotary Auction
And many items with over $500 value that get bid on as nightly or three evening special items add to the excitements duriing the local fund raising project. Even a Ward log home cabin is being auctioned off to put on your land, in your backyard. Or to resell. The Presque Isle Maine Rotary Club has an auction for the same local fund raising too about the same time each year.
Highways At Night Are Dangerous In Maine With Loose Moose.
Blaze orange, it helps the wildlife, Maine game know where you are loud and clear.
Thank goodness Maine deer, black bear, moose, game birds don’t carry fire power, can shoot back. Now that would be add to the stakes of toting a gun, tracking wildlife in Maine. The Maine fall season means sporting camps, woods are full of out of state hunters.
The local Maine economy benefits from a financial shot in the wallet from the fall hunting wave of orange.
Rental of sporting cabins, feeding hunters tramping the woods looking for Bambi, gas and barley pop, ammo sales are just part of it. Meat processing, taxidermy, and use of facilities for other goods, services trickle down through the local coffers. Traveling to the four corners of Maine and back can use a little bit of gas, take a little time while the wallet is open during the fall hunting, sporting vacation.
Hunting camps trips in Maine are not just used for sleeping after a day in the wild to prepare for the next. Cribbage games, new members of the family or hunting party are intiated in to the Maine hunting ritual. Feasts with guys the chef or warming up chilli, lasagna from back home. To go with the story telling, buzz and laughter in the Maine woods cabin or camp.
Crisp cool air, the tail end of Maine fall with the last lingering fall colored leaves floating to the ground, finishing up what Jack Frost started.
Maine, pick your season, the recreation you enjoy outdoors and plan your next trip to Vacationland. Maine, wake up and start dreaming in blue and green. If you would like to own a piece of ME, sample some Maine real estate for a permanent vacation address through the year anytime you can get away. Make time for Maine, the way life should be.
