Flash Mob: Do you feel the love? (UPDATED)

Maya:  cutest campaigner in Maine

In Maine, we are a week away from voting on Question One, the issue of gay marriage (again) and I have all my fingers and toes crossed that Maine is going to come out on the right side of history this time:  voting for equal rights for all people.  Love is love.  Fair is fair. 

The election season has been especially heated and contentious on this issue.  There have been businesses boycotted,  op eds with nasty comments, intense debates, campaign signs posted and vandalized and stolen. 

If you've read this blog for a while, you probably know that my best friends Sandi and Suzanne are a gay couple raising two amazing girls, Ella and Maya, who also happen to be the best friends of my children.  I believe so strongly that if everyone knew their family, this issue of whether gay people could get married would be behind us, because hanging out for even a few minutes would make you understand what love, commitment, and family is all about.

When Skyler was little and she heard me say something about the fact that Sandi and Suzanne weren't married, she said:  "Wait, what?  Why aren't Sandi and Suzanne married?"  and then:  "They can't get married?  Who says?  Well, that's not fair."  It seems pretty simple to me too.

Frankly, I don't really understand why we are still talking about this issue.  
To quote Suzanne in her awesome and recently published op-ed:

"Am I just stating the obvious when I say that if gay marriage is against your religion, then you aren’t obligated to get one?"

For a different perspective, read what Sandi wrote about the issue.  I challenge you to not be moved by her words. 

In one of her most brilliant moments (there are many), Suzanne dreamed up the idea of a bunch of us doing a Flash Mob in Bangor in support of voting YES on Question One.  She had the idea on a bike ride.  Don't we all have our best ideas on bike rides or runs?  I do too.

But this idea quickly turned into an organized and spirited plan.

The Flash Mob is on.  You are all invited.  Wear bright happy colors.  Bring supportive signs.  Come dance with us.  Let's have fun and make a statement about this issue in the most positive way we know how.

Details:  The flash mob will happen SATURDAY NOV. 3 at 12 noon in downtown Bangor.  Meet at 11:30 in Pickering Square.

If you want to come, learn the dance by watching the rehearsal here.  Practice, practice, practice.  You can also come to the last rehearsal at 4:00 on Friday in the OLD Home Depot parking lot next to Bangor's Target.

Questions?  email me and I'll get the answers from the boss.  Check on this facebook page for all the directions, announcements and step-by-step explanation of the dance moves.

I cannot overstate how excited I am.  I have always wanted to be in a flash mob, and this issue is so near and dear to me, that I could dance about it all day long.  Come dance, or just cheer from the sidelines. Supportive signs encouraged!

Hope to see you there!  Watch for us on the news.  :)

RunME t-shirt winner.

Dear friends!

Here is the winner of the RunME giveaway: 

JILL!

Jill!  Email me and I'll hook you up with your shirt. 

The rest of you, don't forget to shop and use the discount code MaineMom10 for a 10% shopping discount.

AND  send your self addressed stamped address to:

LiveME 
P.O. Box 2793
South Portland, ME 04106

 for your free RunME sticker. 

  We are riding out the (so far not so bad) hurricane winds.  Stay safe, everyone!

this just in.

WABI (TV 5) in Bangor is doing a 2-part story on Monday and Tuesday evenings of this week about people who do endurance events and the popularity of marathons and triathlons.  It will run on the 6:00 news.

 I was interviewed by Tim Throckmorton for the 2nd half of the story (the part that airs onTuesday night.)

Part of the package of being interviewed for this story meant my kids got a tour of the TV station this morning.  

  
The kids thought Tim was hilarious and fun.    And he let them touch and look at everything.

They spent some time tracking Hurricane Sandy.  Skyler predicts total madness.

And Tim pitched balls to Reed in his office.  He (Reed) only broke one clock.  True story.

I haven't seen the story yet either, so I'll be watching it on Tuesday night. 

I'll figure out the winner of the RunME t-shirt tomorrow.  Happy Sunday night!

a sweet fall day.

This week has been so full and busy. I'm getting into a good groove.  Feeling happy.  Shifting. 


I started today with 6.75 miles of trail and perfect weather.  This photo was taken on the side of the road, not at the trails where we ran.  That's because we forgot to take a photo and my girls said we should stop here and take a photo before we dropped one friend off because they know how I am.  (Must document everything.)  I love my friends.

Then there was sunshine, a lot of coffee, a hot shower, and then preparation for TWO Halloween parties.  First, the annual Pumpkinfest at Jody and Justin's farmhouse. 

Skyler is obsessed with cats and the small problem is I really don't like cats.  So she can't HAVE one, but she can BE one.

I did that face painting all by myself.  Kind of lame in comparison, I know. 

Reed was Wolverine.  Behold the pectoral muscles.

Jody's mom is a retired Kindergarten teacher and puts together the best treasure hunt you ever saw.  Kid heaven.

Later we went to the school Halloween Party.  It was warm and balmy and sunny and great to catch up with friends. 

Suz and Maya

Reed and his buddy Emerson, two Wolverines.

And oh my goodness, my friends Mindy and Charissa's twin babies!  They were holding hands.  Please!

 It was a good, good day.  We're soaking in the sun before the hurricane arrives. 

Don't forget to enter the RunME t-shirt giveaway.  Comments close tomorrow evening.
Happy Weekend, everyone!

RunME [a giveaway!]

 If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably love Maine and you probably love running.  You also probably know how I love the products of LiveME, the company that makes Maine-loving apparel.  I already have the LoveME shirt, BikeME and the SurfME shirt, and lots of stickers on my fridge and classroom walls.

Obviously, I was really excited when Chris from LiveME announced the RunME t-shirt and sticker.  I have run all over the state of Maine, and it's time I had the shirt to show it.

I did a little photo shoot with my friend Kate of Kate Crabtree Photography wearing my new RunME shirt.   I love the colors:  heather gray with either blue or green logo. 

LiveME has offered up some cool things for readers of One Mom in Maine.

•  One lucky winner (chosen randomly) will win a RunME t-shirt. 

•  ALL OF YOU are eligible for 10% off any shopping you might want to do on their website if you use the code:  MaineMom10

•  And ALL OF YOU can have a RunME sticker.  If you just send LiveME a self-addressed, stamped envelope, they will send you a sticker.  Do it!

  
LiveME 
P.O. Box 2793
South Portland, ME 04106

To win the t-shirt, please like One Mom in Maine on facebook, like LiveME on facebook, and leave a comment here on the blog saying you did so.  One entry per person.  Comments close on Sunday at 5:00 pm. 

It's your new favorite t-shirt!  Good luck!

wonderful little things.

On Thursdays I swim from 5:45 to 6:30 before work. Then I go to Tim Horton's to get oatmeal and coffee and go to work. That's my little routine. Yesterday when I got to the window to pay for my breakfast, the cashier said that the woman in front of me had paid for my order. I had no idea who it was, and she was gone before I could get out of the parking lot.

For a few dollars, some stranger made my day.

I've been keeping a regular old journal lately. Like with a real pen! I haven't done this in years and years, but I'm trying to make a daily practice of it again.

One of the things I'm doing is keeping a list each day of five things I'm grateful for. It's a simple maybe hokey little practice, but it really does change your focus throughout the day. It makes you look around to find things that make you happy.

#1.  Yesterday, having someone buy my oatmeal and coffee was an easy one. I was so grateful for that.

But there are wonderful little things everywhere once you're looking for them.

#2.  Like this tree. And the fact that I had time to pull over to photograph it on my way to yoga.

#3.  And the sunlight yesterday that flooded the yoga studio.  I put my mat down right in one of those rectangles of light. 

 Another sunny shot from inside Central Street Yoga.

#4.  I had dinner at Kim and Dean's last night, friends who are like family to me.  Having someone cook a delicious hot meal for me, and then sitting around a table and talking and feeling loved and understood.  Yep, I'm grateful for that. 

#5.  I came home to find this status posted on facebook from a former student. 

Five things I'm grateful for.  Kindness from a stranger, something beautiful, something good for me, love from friends, and a thank you note.  Wonderful little things.

Now go out there and pay attention,  and buy a stranger breakfast.

our city day.

When you need a day with your friend Kristina who lives near Boston, you get to meet halfway, which just happens to be Portland. Score for all of us. 

In case you don't read Kristina's blog already, she's a runner, writer, coach and badass mama.  She has also become, since our visit together in August, an incredible friend and sender of daily text check-ins and affirmations. 

We met for the amazing pizza and organic, local salads of Flatbread Company on Sunday.

Skyler, smart, precocious and silly 2nd grader, I'd like you to meet
Henry, smart, precocious, silly 2nd grader.

They challenged each other with hard math problems at the table.  Love.





Reed, energetic wild boy drawn to dragons and dress-up clothes, meet Henry (energy, dragons, dress up, etc.  )

Portland Children's Museum:  a total hit.   Highlights were the space shuttle, and the tour of the inside of a life-size cloth whale, and of course the fire-fighter outfits.

It rained but we didn't care.  We walked from the restaurant to the museum and back.  We learned that Henry is an expert at Greek Mythology and magical realism story telling.  He's sassy and smart like his mama. 

I love this city.  And I love that I had Flatbread leftovers for lunch.  And l am amazed at how quickly Kristina has become one of my best people.  xoxo to Kristina, Henry, and Portland town.  We'll be back soon. 

my shining star

Sunday evening, I had just gotten the kids bathed, jammied, fed, and settled after a super fun and long day driving to Portland and back, when I opened Skyler's homework folder to fill out her snack milk/ lunch form for the week.

6:15 pm: Inside Skyler's folder, I find a surprise. Skyler is "Shining Star of the Week" this week! "Please prepare a poster with photos of your child and the answers to the attached questions. Please bring your poster in to share on Monday morning!"

6:16: Skyler gets a look of total panic when I ask her about this. I immediately know that we indeed need to make this poster tonight. I tell the kids to get shoes on because we are going to Target.   I turn the oven off.  The roasted squash and asparagus will have to wait.

6:17: Reed has totally perked up at the mention of Target and says: "The thing is, I don't really have any good coloring books."

6:18: While the kids get shoes on, I think, first things first, and hop on facebook to explain my predicament because I know that there are other mommies out there who have lived this very moment, the unplanned night-time trip to the store for a project, and I feel the need to muster up some mommy empathy as I kiss my evening to-do list goodbye.

6:20: I find a random thumb drive in my kitchen drawer and start dragging photos of Skyler off of my hard drive onto it. I haven't printed a photo of my child in years. I tell the kids to cross their fingers that the Target photo machine is actually working.

6:45: While printing photos at the working (yes!) Target photo machine, Reed wanders off and gets lost. I'm about to call for code yellow, which I'm sad to say I've done before, when we spot him heading toward us. He cries because he was scared and there are hugs and tears wiped on the way to the craft aisle. 

7:00: We are in the checkout line with a Batman coloring book for Reed and with poster board,  colored paper, glittery letter stickers, and fancy star stickers, because dammit, my child is a shining star, yes she is. 

7:15: We are home, and Skyler gets right to work arranging sparkly stickers and trimming photos while Reed spreads out on the floor with his new coloring book. I find a shoe box in my closet of photos of her when Skyler was very, very small. I get nostalgic and distracted by how much my baby girl has grown. 

7:30: My friend who lives across the street comes over because I had asked her to help me break the bunk beds into 2 twin beds (the kids decided we should do this). So, while Skyler is gluing and cutting, we also start rearranging their bedroom. Skyler tries to move the poster operation upstairs to help with the room rearranging. We I decide this is a bad idea.

7:50:  I help Skyler put the final touches on the poster, and maybe because I had an afternoon cup of coffee, I find myself very excitable about this awesome poster that we just pulled off.

8:00:  Final touches on rearranging the bedroom

8:15:  Stories in bed followed by back scratching.

8:35:  Kids are asleep.

9:00:  House is clean and lunches are packed and mommy has some VERY well roasted veggies and  a glass of Malbec on the couch.  Phew!

Don't tell anyone we didn't work on this baby all weekend. 

I am proud of myself for... being able to take care of my own fish.

Something I like about myself is... I am funny.

My favorite thing about school is...  Art class.

My goal for the future is...  to be a Vet.

p.s.  I loved every minute of this.

this is what a good fall day looks like.

a snapping cold morning.

girlfriends.  city forest.  trail run.  30 degrees.  hats and mittens.

golden light.

warming up.

sunshine.  snuggles.  chapter books in bed.

happy hikers.

long shadows.

pretty things.

sun beams.

and muscle flexing.

This doesn't even cover the big new pumpkins, 2-for-1 ice cream cones at Gifford's, fall clothes shopping, and the apple crisp we made for dessert.  Awesome, awesome day.  

I'm just going to whisper this:  I'm really happy tonight.

What's for Dinner?

Slow-roasted veggies and Salad with Maggie's Goddess Dressing

Dinner for one.  

I know it has been forever since I posted any dinner recipes.  That is because I don't really cook with recipes right now.  But what I do just about nightly is roast a pile of veggies and make a big salad.  My current faves are potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, asparagus or zucchini, slow roasted at 300 degrees for as long as it takes for them to get soft and caramelized, and then I make a huge salad.  I'm not exactly intentionally a vegetarian right now, but I don't buy meat for the house. 

My salads are extra happy lately thanks to my friend Maggie's awesome dressing recipe.  You have to make this.  Trust me.

 


Maggie's Goddess Dressing


In a food processor blend:
1 cup olive oil (You can use less and add water to create desired consistency)
¼ cup raw tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon tamari
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3 - 4 tablespoons fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

And in case you missed it, the full text of the article written in Bangor Metro Magazine about me and my smoothie-making kids is now online.

We still make these green smoothies several times a week and my kids till suck them down and ask for more. 

The kids were thrilled to be in a magazine and both brought it in for show and tell. 

I wish you all a good weekend!

1 poem and 20 pictures: I got stronger today.

An excerpt from "Heavy" by Mary Oliver

 It is not the weight you carry
 but how you carry it— books, bricks, grief—
 it’s all in the way
you embrace it, balance it,
carry it.
When you cannot,
and would not,
put it down.

So I went practicing.
Have you noticed?
Have you heard the laughter that comes,
now and again,
out of my startled mouth?

How I linger to admire, admire
the things of this world
that are kind and maybe
also troubled— roses in the wind,
The sea geese on the steep waves,
a love to which there is no reply?