Sylvia Sim (ssim@downeyca.org)
-- Downey, CA
12/21/01 -- 02:40:54 PM
Happy Holidays to everyone
in the State of Maine. I miss you all so very
much. I miss the fresh air, the solitude, the
changing seasons. I was there in September
about a week after 9-11. The patriotism was
over-whelming. I grew up in North Berwick
Maine (home of Jumangi and Carpe Diem coffee).
****************************
Richard Wagner (woodelf_2002@yahoo.com)
-- Portageville, NY
12/18/01 -- 06:33:26 PM
Hello fellow exilers......born and raised in
Gorham, ME.....lived in Baldwin ME 24 years where I
raised my daughters and operated a logging business.
Now in WNY employed buying hardwood logs for an
exporter in Lebanin NH. You really travel around in
the forest products industry. Heading back to Gorham
ME for the holidays to be with family and friends.
First stop will be Amato's in Gorham for an italian
then some of mom's home made apple/strawberry pie.
If the chickens are laying, the the custard should
be good also. Hapy holidays to all.
**********************************
Maureen Bayer (maureenbayer@hotmail.com)
-- Oakland, CA
12/18/01 -- 03:26:22 PM
Going home to West Paris Maine this weekend,
thank the good lord. Oakland is going to be
hard to come back to after being home. Thanks
to all of you who gave me suggestions on where to
get lobster. I used lobsterdirect and it was
AMAZING. Can't wait for that lobster bisque on
Christmas eve! Anyway, happy holidays to all you
exiles, especially those in California - we're a
long way from home....
****************************
Neil Bonney (boltz33@yahoo.com)
-- Athens, GA
12/18/01 -- 01:37:38 PM
I am living down here in the south and love
it.Maine is a great place but I love not having to
shovel SNOW!!!
I go on the sunjournal web site to stay up on the
news up there.I will always love Maine but its not
home anymore to me.
Must say im missing the stuff like moxie,whoppie
pies and of course Sam's food.
Hope tobe up when snow is gone and thats all..l
*******************************
meg (frogladymim@chartertn.net)
-- Maryville, TN
12/17/01 -- 08:00:56 PM
J.G.D. I am a Mainer, but have lived here in the
foothills of the Smokies for 13 yr. now. I am
fighting hard now, not to lose my Mainah accent. So
far, so good, I still get teased about the way I say
things, and especially "wicked". Here it
is bad, in Maine, it is exceptional !!!! I have just
recently caught myself slipping, and using a
southerner accent. I think it is cause I haven't
been home in 1 1/2 yr. to strengthen it. BUT...I
leave WED. for Maine until the 31st, and am
"wicked" excited!!!!!!!
***************************
Keith Stanley (klstanley@worldnet.att.net)
-- Plano, TX
12/17/01 -- 06:30:42 PM
Born in Portland and grew up in Charleston.
Graduated HCI Class of '59. Had a grat visit with
friends and family last June. Usually make it back
once every 2 years. Wish it could be more often.
*****************************
Alice Dunning Lewis (allew22@yahoo.com)
-- Oxnard, CA
12/17/01 -- 12:37:27 PM
Happy Holidays to my fellow exilers - it is all
so much more precious this year! I will miss
being in Freeport for the holidays - family and
friends are there - My folks are gone so have to be
here in California with my Mom - a lovely lady!
It's even harder this year - one of my two bosses
(born in Hawaii and lived his whole adult life in
California) moved to Brewer, Maine, opening an east
coast office - he and his wife are enjoying all that
Maine has to offer - it's so fun to hear someone so
excited about the first snow - wish I could have
some snow on my front lawn for the holidays!
Again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THE BEST OF THE NEW YEAR
to all you exilers!
*****************************
Wayne St. Clair (wane9779@hotmail.com)
-- Roanoke, VA
12/17/01 -- 11:59:43 AM
One christmas eve as I was getting ready for the
holidays busily puttering around in my kitchen
making mincemeat pies & puddings, crab stuffed
turkey & the like I suddenly realized I was out
of something...GOD knows what now...rice let us say.
It was late, about 8 pm or so. The Goodday Market
was closed so I bundled myself up & trudged out
into the snow. It wasn't a blizzard or anything,
just a nice steady Maine snowfall of those big
goosedown pillow sized flakes falling down ever so
quietly. The sky was a low grayish white lost in the
snow. The night sparkled like only a Maine christmas
can. I walked down Pine Street out of the Westend
where I called home & down Congress st. I
stopped briefly to admire the white christmas lights
in the big old cooper beech besides the art museum.
I crossed Congress square where Dunkin Doughnuts
once stood & where we hung out as teens &
young adults waiting for something to happen to our
lives. I walked towards Paul's food center. As I
went in I noticed a cluster of wino's huddled in the
doorway of the coffee shop across the street. I
didn't think anything about them. Wino's in Portland
are endemic & unless you're in their sights for
a handout or are downwind of them they can be safely
ignored. I went into Paul's & bought my rice
& a few other things. As I was leaving I heard
the worst singing ever. A streetkid had joined the
wino's with an old beatup out of tune guitar &
was playing christmas carols with the wino's
singing, if thats the correct word, along. They
croaked, hacked & groaned out little drummer boy
& silent night, O little town of Bethleham &
do you hear what I hear. It was hideous. Distrubing
the peace would have been much nicer but GOD bless
em they were putting their old drunken hearts into
it. I stood there in the snow for a few minutes
watching them totally tranfixed by the absurdity of
it all. Finally I turned around & went back into
Paul's & bought the largest jug of
"decent" rotgut wine I could & walked
over & gave it to them & wished them all a
very merry christmas. They were shocked &
dumbfounded then asked if I wanted to share it. I
gracefully declined & headed home huuming an out
of tune drummerboy. Happy holidays to all.
*****************************
Nancy -- Wake Forest, NC
12/16/01 -- 06:29:00 PM
Hello fellow exiles...The holidays approach and there is a slight chill in the air here in North Carolina. Of course it was 75 last week! But they are cutting and trimming the Frasier Furs and they do smell so much like a Maine Fir Christmas Tree.
I have to share my most recent
"back home" experience. My husband
and I are in the process of purchasing a lake house
on a nearby lake. Lake Gaston is nothing like
a Maine lake or my dear Spring River, but it will do
when I live 1000 miles away. Anyway, we were
having a home inspection prior to the purchase and
my husband ran into the cottage where I was saying
"Nancy, you have to come outside" I
came out to view the water and to my surprise a loon
was swimming off the dock and two more were coming
up the cove! They dance and called just like
the loons on Spring River do. Loons are not
native to NC, but I guess these ones are wintering
here, they have their brown plummage, but they are
distinctly loons and their call is so easily
recognized. The closing on the cottage is
Friday and I truly believe the Loons from Spring
River in Maine came to greet us and tell us we were
making the right decision. We plan to spend
Christmas there and hope the loons will be with it
and the place will definitely have a new name with
something Loon in it. Happy holidays to all.
******************************
D. J. -- Capitola, CA
12/16/01 -- 09:55:33 AM
Visited summer of 2001 - love at first sight.
I love Maine!!
*************************
Ellen-- Port Orange, FL
12/15/01 -- 11:08:51 PM
Merry Christmas to everyone. Wish I were in Maine
for the holidays.......80's here, to hot for this
time of year!
*****************************
Shawn -- Charlotte, NC
12/15/01 -- 09:26:31 PM
Julie,
Here's the ingredients for
Italian Sandwiches, or at least as close as
you can get to the real deal.
Soft Submarine Rolls
Sliced Pressed Ham, or Salami
Processed White Cheese
Sour Pickles... (It's impossible to get the right
kind here in Charlotte, So I have to substitute
Hamburger chips)
White onion
Bell pepper
Tomato
Brine cured Black Olives
Salt & Pepper
Blended Olive oil ( I just use Olive oil)
Art,
I always preferred Jordans hot dogs over
Kirschner's. I always thought that Kirschner's
had a funny taste.
******************************
Joyce Devoe Lawrence St. Pierre (charlie32@att.net)
-- Sumner, WA
12/15/01 -- 07:16:03 PM
WISHING ALL MY FELLOW MAINERS A VERY MERRY
CHRISTMAS AND THE HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS. HOPE
SOME OF YOU RECOGNIZE MY NAME AND EMAIL. LOVE
HEARING FROM OLD FRIENDS.
****************************
Joyce Devoe Lawrence St. Pierre (charlie32@att.net)
-- Sumner, WA
12/15/01 -- 12:16:27 PM
Hello Mainers. I have been living here for
almost 4 years and love it. I go back to Maine
every summer for a visit with son Ken in Cumberland,
Maine, and brothers and sisters. I don't miss
the snow and cold at all nor the shoveling.
Had enought of that to last a life time. Miss
my family back there but have 5 children and
grandchildren out here so I'm kept busy.
Anyone around that went to Portland High and
graduated with me out there. If so, write.
Merry Christmas to all your Mainacs out there from a
Mainer always, no matter where I live.
*********************
Maravene (J131934@aol.com)
-- Sarasota, FL
12/15/01 -- 09:04:27
J.G.D.of Tenn. You will probably always have a
few words or inflections in your voice that will
sound strange to some and familiar to others. 50+
years away and I still have a touch of Maine in my
language. I thought "ugly" meant ones
attitude, not their looks! "Flush" meant
the toilet, and "side board" meant the
counter top. But, Tennessee has some
"quaint" sayings too. Just don't give in
to the "word police".
******************************
Joyce Devoe Lawrence St. Pierre (charlie32@att.net)
-- Portland, WA
12/15/01 -- 01:39:55 AM
I was born and raised in Caribou Maine. Moved to
Portland age 9, graduated Portland High School 1950.
Married Ken Lawrence, 1953, widowed 1979. Remarried
Richard St. Pierre, 1984. Divorced 2001. Love
living in Washington State. No snow to shovel
or ice to worry about.
**************************
J. G. D. -- Dyersburg, TN
12/14/01 -- 10:38:24 PM
Dear Fellow Exiles
I lived in Limerick Maine. My son was born at
Maine Medical Center. The best years of my life have
been in Maine.
I now live in West Tennessee. Its flat here
like no other place Ive been. I really miss Maine
the most when I here the redneck language and its so
similar. But, at last not nearly as dear to my heart
as "aaaahhhha"
Someone today asked if I was
"ugly", and I remember the first time I
heard that term for being grouchy was in Maine.
Being from southern NH, I replied " your none
to cute yourself!".
I have not even been here for six months, I
wonder what an accent I'll develop, Bostoian,
Mainer, Tennessian, and Iam newly married to an
UpState NewYorker , who spent years in Texas, and
has quite the interesting tongue.Miss the snow and
apples and the White Mountains, over Rte 160 and
153.The Steamed Hotdogs and the friendly folk, take
a great big breath of cool air and send it in a
prayer down to Tennessee, Thank you x-maniac
Jeanne(plan to retire in Maine) see ya'all
*************************
Vince (vta1@msn.com)
-- Newington, CT
12/14/01 -- 05:30:38 PM
As time went on with this message board, I had a
great thought of where most of the people coming
into this place of Maine. At least 85% are
southwest. In those people, they have never
been to Maine until they have reach Bangor and above
to Fort Kent. All they have said about the
nice people is great, but what about the country of
Maine itself. It's beautiful up there with
free and easy breathing. You have to get into
Maine to know Maine. I'm retired and still
trying to get back there for good. Upper
Maine, that is!
*********************
Karen (K9Tiger@aol,com)
-- Aiken, SC
12/14/01 -- 08:48:54 AM
I am late in posting this, but...we spent
Thanksgiving in Maine. It was wonderful, but
unseasonably warm. It was fun to see half the
population dressed in blaze orange! Tried to hit all
the great spots: Hillman's Bakery in Fairfield, the
Big G in Winslow, and LLBean, of course. We went to
a Portland Pirates hockey game--it was so nice to
enjoy a game with people who really understand and
love hockey. Now we are back in the south and mum's
Christmas peanut butter fudge arrived yesterday to
save my soul. People in Maine are so much more calm
& friendly; I'll miss them at Christmas! Happy
Holidays to everyone in exile. A Maine Christmas is
always in our hearts.
************************
Cheryl -- Atlanta, GA
12/14/01 -- 06:21:43
I am SO glad my hubby stumbled upon this site and
told me about it. FINALLY, someone who knows
about Moxie, red hot dogs, Whoopie Pies, Humpty
Dumpty BBQ chips, italian sandwiches...
Hmmmm...all food references! Schoodic
Point, Katahdin, Moosehead Lake... Anybody here know
what I refer to when I write "Operation
Snowpants"? :)
I get back home once or twice a year, but reading
the messages here from other Exiles is a good way to
get a dose of Maine in the meantime.
Happy Holidays, everybody!
*************************