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Life Is Short, How Much Time Robbed, Wasted Waiting?

Seems Like It’s Been A Dog’s Age Waiting, Hanging Around, Killing Time. Cat’s Need Chasing.

Traffic is the biggest time spender, waster for most.

Getting to the hardware store across town in a city can eat up the better part of an afternoon. And when you consider the folks that commute to work two hours. One way. Have done that milk run for years, decades. Whoa. A lot of idle time to count cows. And if behind the wheel 10 and 2, not being able to read to make the most of the travel. The down time if driving themselves to the nine to five. Telecommuting to work from Maine has helped many big time.

A little commute from home to work and following the bread crumb trail back is healthy.

Because you can shift gears. Have a little pause, space to prepare for the decompression from an action packed day at the office, factory, out in the field. Much of the year my “commute” is 32 feet from home to work.

Two things cause the need for gobs of time spent getting to and fro from home to work. Too many people to move around, avoid hitting on the way into the urban office. The conveyor belt to deliver the workers is big, cumbersome. And add some inclement weather to the roller coaster ride and chaos happens. Expect longer delays, waiting away from the home where you long to be, where your heart is parked.

The other cause of major portions of your life allocated to travel back and forth to work is employment.

What you are trained to do, good at or just pulling down steady employment may mean another zip code far away from the one from the one where you mail gets delivered. You do what you have to do to put food on the table, keep the lights on, home fires burning right?

The trick to steady employment living in rural Maine is to live small. Spend less. Save more. And always find a niche, employment where for the most part, local is your audience for customers. But using the Internet, harnessing it’s vast exposure power. To put the small burg on the map. For a greater client pool to draw from, peddle services, goods to in scratching away a living. To keep you, your family clothed, fed, warm, safe, secure. They say love will find a way. If applied to anything you enjoy doing in life, relationships. Where that passion propels the labor put in and the paycheck return that comes out the other end of the pipeline.

How Do You Handle Waiting, How Fast Would You Like Life to Go Video.

Or Is Time Standing Still, Tension Building Excitement Causing Video

Life ticks by regardless.

No matter how you use it. Rack and stack, pack it. Lock and load. Time sifts by. Like the red hour glass sands that the terrified pig tailed girl with the small dog found out. Dressed in blue, white and clicking her ruby red sparkling slippers on script cue. How concerned are you for the time wasted waiting? And is that the pause, space between events to catch your breath? The only time to reflect, search inside and spend time with yourself in transit from A to B?

Waiting for good or bad news. Routine check ups. While pretending to read outdated magazines in a dentist, doctor’s office waiting areas. Or killing more time in the dark car repair reception nook droning out. Detaching, day dreaming. Tilting your head back. Cranking your neck high to see the hoisted now being fed to you sight and sound. On the reality show boop tube production blaring loudly to drown out thought, conversation. To those huddled, hunkered down. Next to the same strong smell of day old or more Joe steaming in the Mr Coffee maker canister pot.

Maine, what are you waiting for? Come for a day, end up staying a lifetime.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

October 20, 2013
Love Where You Live, Maine Small Town Living Blog Posts.

Maine Moonlight Shines The Way, Time Yet To Move On Down The Line To Simpler Rural Living?

Mainers are fiercely independent, resourceful, proud of their small towns.

And each one is unique, special because of the people who live there. Make them shine. Stand out. Like the stars dotting a Maine night sky. The surroundings help. The natural back drop creates the perfect setting for simpler Maine rural living. Something folks in a crowded, expensive urban setting have been missing. Trying to locate. Forgot existed except in history or canned movies from the town with the white letters on the hillside.

The small Maine town members, population have a greater stake in the community too. All of them. Because each is a corner stone of the social fabric. When there are less of us here to drive the fly wheel. To each year pick your events. Step up to the plate. Sign up, pitch in, work the local activity you can. Which all cause a deeper love and appreciation of the small Maine town. There is a strong connection among the individuals in rural areas where everyone is pretty self sufficient. Has a personal stake in what happens in the rural areas of Maine.

The life template you apply to a small Maine town is so vastly different than the filter you screw on, the lens you look through in a big city, urban area.

Instead of expensive productions where companies put on events and tickets to the venue are peddled, even scalped, it is home grown. Small investment of funds, major helpings, portions of volunteers time. Poured in talents, blood, sweat and tears. That’s what you find served up family style in a small Maine town.

More skin in the game is part of the deeper attachment. More of your personal effort to go over the top in the areas you have a skill set, aptitude for and because when you look over your shoulder, there is not a deep tier, row after row of replacements. To step up and take over if you decide to drop out. Small town individuals count on each other. Everyone is working hard to help row the boat.

There is nothing stronger than a Maine volunteers heart.

Especially if tied to something involving our kids. Just attend a couple home town sporting events. A local school play production or church bizarre. Or a benefit supper for a family in a bad way. Struggling with medical bills, serious illness or a loss of everything fire, other tragedy caused. Take in, watch a regular civic group fund raising for a local cause activity and whoa. It hits you as pretty darn impressive, special.

Get out of the way. The volunteers highly organized, well orchestrated, lubricated.

Seasoned with experience from the grass roots up. Built from scratch with what’s available and with a wish list created. So others add to the stew. Many contribute in lots of little ways. So eventually the entire town pretty much is on board, involved in some fashion. That is a very special experience to behold when you live in a small Maine community. Anything can be done with a spark that grows into a passionate fire with that kind of chemistry going on in a small Maine town.

Boatloads of creative spirit to put the event over the top. Make it memorable, special and causing other local community members to find their niche. Seek out “what can I do, how can I help” for a segment of events. To close ranks, join forces. Come aboard to put their shoulder where needed. To inject one big give it all you’ve got heave ho shove, push. You don’t just live in a small Maine town and spectate. Don’t hang around the shadows of the side lines. You are pulled into the fray.

You don’t move, relocate to an area of Vacationland and expect everyone to come knocking at your door anxious to meet you either. You get involved, you take away way more because like a good relationship, you build it together, collectively. And go above and beyond what just one person could have accomplished all by their lonesome.

Maine. Is it like that this where you hang your hat, call home now?

Did it used to be but suddenly a stampede of people cruised in from all directions and whoosh. Air brushed out that special small town feeling the smaller zip code used to radiate? Was it lost in the shuffle of the hustle bustle? Consider Maine, bring that job with you telecommuting. Feel stronger connections online, off line too in the Maine small town simple living lifestyle that is waiting when you are ready. To bail out of the city, to start enjoying life, living healthier, happier in Maine.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

October 18, 2013
The Attraction To Over Spend, Why It’s Done Without Much Thought, Worry.

Maine, Simple, Real, Natural. And Not Over Spending Flashy, Expensive, Artificial.

Simple economics drives home the point that you don’t continue to spend more out for expenses than is coming in for revenue for very long.

The cupboard goes bare. Becomes empty and as Billy Preston crooned “Nothing from nothing is nothing”.

The need for the basics of food, shelter, heat, security come with a price. And in a simpler Maine small town rural living atmosphere lots of those areas can be shouldered by the individual. With a home grown not store bought approach. Big gardens that get canned and preserved, stored. Tree length logs worked on in the back yard with the cutting, splitting and stacking for the next winter. Because this winter’s heat supply is already in place. Parked and ready, waiting for snowflakes to fall from the Maine skies this winter. Put on a sweater, don’t wear a t-shirt in winter if you are cold common sense works well here.

The car, pickup in the yard, the vehicles are not brand new and shiny.

Not Mainer’s not in the habit of being loaded down with thick like prime steak payment booklets. Needing monthly attention to keep them parked in the driveway, parking lot. Away from the tow truck big hook tugging, taking them away if you don’t. In Maine what you must drive is not to fill a need to impress, to fit in. Following the crowd or wasting money on something frivolous does not happen when the basic needs of a Maine family household need attention, funding.

When you remove the store bought temporary need to buy your happiness and replace it with making your own way under your own power, simple living happens. Less or no debt, an aversion to it happens. And you lose the habit of constantly reaching for your wallet or purse. To ching ching, count out one by one the saw bucks with the various President’s portrait stamped on them. Or to automatically swipe like a chain smoker reaching for one after another from the thick stack of small plastic rectangles with the magnetic strip. Without thought, a nasty habit grows because it’s how you live when life is higher higher, faster faster. Until something snaps. Breaks. Goes bankrupt.

Raise Your Personal Spending Debt Ceiling Video.

What happens on the local level can be elevated as okay on the national level too.

Like a cancer spreading and with less thought, worry. No pit in your stomach of dread or concern. Because this is how you, the local town, county, state and country roll too. Spend like a drunken sailor. Eat, drink, be merry. Because tomorrow you shall die. Don’t give it a thought, concern as long as it happens drive through window quick.

Right now, gotta have it quick and easy. Living in the moment and not giving thought to what happens in the long term with a pattern of spending more than you make. And saving money? Why would you do that when it burns a hole in your pocket? Someone else will “save” me, catch me, rescue me. not my problem. Expecting someone else to do all that fiscal worrying, creative book keeping to keep it coming strong and easy. Free to me. Cause it’s all about me.

It used to be “if it is to be it is up to me”.

Do or die, sink or swim. And you felt satisfaction because the best sparring partner is adversity. Every one saw what you were made of when up against it. The tough get going when the going gets tough thinking kicking into gear. And you felt good about yourself when you came out the other side of a storm in life. Because you took charge, made the effort. Did whatever it took to keep your head above water. Not looking around the room and with a default mode hand extension, looked, expected someone else to carry the load. While you sat in the wagon waiting for anyone but yourself to pull the cart.

How do you feel about debt?

Are you scared of it, is it viewed like a cancer draining you that you just avoid thinking about? Or feel powerless to get your financial house in order because it’s not the norm where you live, swim among your peers? Maine kids are taught work ethic early on. To pitch in, help out and earn their keep as responsible members of a family not flush with cash. But rich in love, everything that matters that is real, important and not man made artificial.

Maine, simple approach to life, taking the need for lots of money right out of the equation.

Replacing it with more self reliance, pulling yourself up by the boot straps. Cash spending only, long term goals, have a serious talk with the guy or gal you brush your teeth with each morning at the bathroom sink. To examine emotional spending, that is a form of retail therapy that does not last. Leads to more and more like any addiction to meet unmet needs. Good or bad.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, Real Estate Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

October 17, 2013
Driving To Maine, Wearing A Jean Jacket, Behind Wheel Of A 1965 Ford Mustang…

The Head Of The Maine Farm Stands Guard.

The radio antennae on the pony car made in Motown had a Budweiser can perch atop to improve reception.

The young lad from California, the west coast reporting for duty for Uncle Sam at Brunswick Navel Air Station. And kindly asked by his commanding officer, a lieutenant with more stripes, bars why doesn’t he attend a Baptist church service. Which the transplant from the other coast does during a Maine winter where he arrived totally unprepared for the weather. Seriously under dressed, lacking the layers for comfort around the snow flake holidays in Maine.

And in the opening stand and turn to meet and greet your fellow pew worshipers, for the warm friendly hand extension to acknowledge, welcome those around him, he met a lady.

That shook his hand. That eventually became his wife of thirty four years to date.

He noticed her instantly, there was a connection. She, not so much the other way. He did not show up on the initial eerie green radar scan but maybe she was distracted. Thinking of preparing the heart, opening the mind and settling in for the worship message about to be preached from up front. To receive what the Holy Spirit would lay on her heart. That she would leave the building with the steeple, bell on top. Carried deep inside her.

The signal between the two percolating nicely, going both ways now strongly. Felt, fueled with a little time. Pretty obvious for anyone in the room of the couple. And her prim, proper, black and white disciplined ways the total opposite of what this somewhat lost, confused lad was wearing, showing, presenting at first.

He was a long long way from home when they first met. Crossed paths. But drawn to the young Maine gal from Lubec who has an genuine, infectious full smile of straight white teeth. All of them. And the strong, playful spirit personality. That without a lot of words spared or the need to call attention to herself. Not requiring to be the center of attention, to be seen and heard from to make a long, lasting impression.

He was her challenge.

Wild, rough around the edges she says kindly. He needed patience to be led to the Lord. And she did extend it. You can tell the bond without explanation or further details from the pair. As they sat in the Maine real estate office this week. Helping a pair of Amish southern boys that were sent to scout ahead. Look for some Maine land. An abandoned Maine farm to establish an outpost. For the move of the rest of the two families left behind waiting. Anxious to learn of progress in finding a new home with lots of land in Maine.

New people of all ages are the life blood of a small Maine community. To keep it from becoming narrow, stagnant, stalled. To open up the idea channel on how things are done in other parts. For the comparing notes, group brainstorming to make solutions happen easily. For problem areas, for the things needing to be done to square away the day to day operations that happen in the local community.

The will, passion, desire and talents or skills to pitch in and make the small Maine town shine.

To bring with them as one by one they cross the town line. What they share, add to the local stew of characters, personalities, DNA. That make the small Maine town shine, vibrant, unique. Long lasting to endure whatever storms come up in life. They say your best sparring partner is adversity. Maine, experience her four seasons, meet and greet with the people that you will never forget. Where something rubs off. You are not the same at the end of the day as you were before the connection, collaboration.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

October 16, 2013
The Maine Moose On The Loose But Being Hunted.

Big Moose, Lots Of Meat, Trophy For The Wall Needing A Couple Railroad Spikes To Hang, Display.

This big fella with a rack of nearly six foot wide spread lost at the game of hide and seek in the North Maine woods yesterday.

The fall hunting season is underway for those lucky enough to have won a spot, hit the Maine moose lottery for selection to tramp the woods. Toting firepower, extra ammo, animal scents and calls. Looking, scanning the hardwood ridges and favorite wildlife watering holes. For grub to fill the big chest freezer. Better he met his demise in the woods rather than the tragedy of a car load of people hitting something this big on the open Maine highway. Like a recent big Maine black bear did kissing a red jeep called Sally.

Hunting camp in Maine, not always about the end all to bag some game, to go home with a deer, bear, moose or game birds. Sometimes it’s just the getting together part. Being away from the normal surroundings and off the beaten path at a Maine woods camp.

Sporting camp businesses in Maine make a healthy chunk of change from out of state hunters.

Eager to know where the game is and relying on locals to point out the locations. So they get up to speed quickly on just where to spend the week’s vacation hunting, looking dressed in blaze orange. Carrying a thermos of hot brewed coffee and snacks for the long lonely times up in a tree stand. Waiting, thinking, relaxing with the smells, sights, sounds of the forest around you.

Maybe hearing a brook babbling, bubbling, gurgling nearby. Cascading, splashing, dropping over rocks river waterfalls. As the flow zig zags, twists, turns, empties from a nearby waterfront source. Or makes a natural deposit into one of a chain of nearby lakes, ponds. Just teaming with fish calling the hunter’s name. When rod and reel replace the shooting iron with the deadly accurate cross hairs scope on top.

Watching, Studying, Wondering Is That A Friend Of Foe In The Maine Woods.

You can hear your self think when you are in the big wide open …

The volume of your thoughts get tuned in, turned up. Become crystal clear. When the regular to do list, task of chores for the day gets left untouched. When you take a break, spend some time with the regulars at the Maine hunting camp or sporting lodge.

This is your place, playground, spot in Maine.

To catch up, compare notes, share stories. Play cribbage. Sit in front of a crackling fire to warm your bones. What you do when the leaves chameleon the colors. Drift lazily to the ground one by one. To signal the approaching white out of winter. The change up of the four big backdrops. Slid into place in Vacationland to prepare for snow flakes, different frozen water fun options. Wearing, adding a few extra layers of clothing. As you continue to head outside as often as possible. No matter what the season in Maine.

Welcome hunters to Maine, the headquarters, cookie jar. Like the potato chip bag you can not leave alone. Stay away from, go back to for memorable trips into the woods. To areas where Bambi, Thumper live. Where it is a game of staying low, walking softly. Not being seen for a few weeks until the out of state plates do an about face. Heading downhill back across the big green bridge at the entrance to Maine, Vacation. And the wildlife, our cows and horses too can sigh in relief. Prepare for the holidays.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

October 15, 2013
When Your Kids Are In Their Home Beds, Behind Closed Door Safe And Sound.

No Injuries, Well Except The Maine Black Bear Had A Goose Egg On His Noggin.

Raising kids is the most rewarding privilege, honor a parent could ever have.

And after years of feeding, clothing, teaching them right from wrong and saying their prayers with the stories before lights out, you never lose the worrying part. Because you love them. Family is the top priority no matter what. You, the Maine village, other family members, the teachers, sports coaches, pastor… all helped shape them into young adults. And would do anything to keep them out of harm’s way even after they leave home.

You sometimes forget just how attached, connected, much you actually worry about kids who have left the nest when they return for a stint.

The volume of that tug of the heart glows ET brighter. The two boys were able to work a couple weeks of Maine potato harvest this fall before both bee lined, headed due west to Colorado. And with a loaded up red jeep called Sally that four kids developed their earliest driving skills in, the pair headed down Interstate 95. And in Howland Maine in the highway darkness met up, tangled with a black bear. No other cars, no property damage but Sally took a hit. The bear had had better days too. Probably won’t forget the rendezvous. The dance spin into the back door of the jeep after kissing the front corner of the Grand Cherokee chartered for Colorado.

So back to home base, regroup, down size the cargo freight weight for the heading west mission. Shoe horn, hop in the teeny tiny t roof black Del Sol Honda. All waxed, fluids checked, waiting and ready to be whipped into service when the call to the used car bull pen came in.

The thought of boy I am so glad that thump from the Maine black bear that took out the front driver’s side fender, rear passenger door, one headlight eye and half the bumper did not cause the vehicle to roll.

Skid out of control. Go end over end with gruesome results to the most precious cargo, the two brothers. As a parent you think for a moment of wheel chairs, hospital beep beep monitors and aluminum flip charts, funeral homes, visiting hours. And thank God, count our blessings instead. Because a little sheet metal can be fixed. Kids can not be replaced. You could never hammer out that hole in the heart left in the rest of the family, small Maine community that had a hand in the building of a young grasshopper into a young adult.

As they head west in the shuttle not the Starship Sally Enterprise. With nightly calls, daily texts and using the communicator to beam in. Determine just exactly where they are now on the big USA GPS map along the way. And tie in those coordinates with lap top, tag teaming with James T Kirk. To help find the best for the least. A motel room near I-70 for once they’ve had enough collecting mile markers. The gong sounds. Signalling the end of the long driving day.

To shift into sleep mode after putting on the feedbag for something not dropped out of a rest area, service center vending machine.

The head to bed for the night and some much needed shut eye, Zzzzz’s manufacture. Getting off the highway just in time to stretch out, relax. See the Red Sox lose to the Tigers last night by 1-0 in the opener of the playoffs. Darn.

The Replacement, Utility Hitter For The Ride West.

Growing up, when you crack the door to their rooms after the nightly ritual of getting them ready for bed. To check in, make sure they are warm, covered. Pick up the caught trying to escape stuffed animal or their special, high mileage blanket off the floor. And with a peck on the cheek to stand back. To take a one by one last glimpse of the miracle, wonderment of having a quiver full of kids. That you would do anything to protect.

Glad Sally got the boys through the head on with a hard charging Maine black bear.

And with the help of local parts providers, a skilled auto body man wearing a mask, with a pry bar in one hand, a paint gun in the other she will get the wrinkles removed. To be tip top, ship shape and ready for another adventure when any of the kids come home. Need a rig to throw a canoe on the top to head to Baxter for a hike, some paddling, camping under the stars.

We Mainers get attached to our vehicles because we hang on to them, take care of them and they are involved in major chunks of our life. Not traded every year for something new, shiny and that come saddled with a heavy payment booklet to boot. Small town Maine living is so so vastly different than the approach to life living in the concrete urban jungle.

Sally’s in sick bay, taking a pit stop. She, I will be waiting, on stand by until that moment of a kid’s return happens. When the children’s path brings them back to their Maine hometown. To be safe and sound in their original beds. Maine, it’s all about family. It starts, ends with the most sacred institution that affects, influences all the rest of life’s journey.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

October 13, 2013