Category: Maine

Maine to North Carolina & Books

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GOING HOME

After our wonderful week in Sweden, we enjoyed ten more days in Maine. The air was cool to chilly, there was an occasional stiff breeze, and we felt that fall had already arrived. We left behind our view of the ocean water, our favorite botanical garden, and good friends. At our last dinner, we tucked into one more lobster roll—lobster makes Maine Maine.

Back home in the Triangle Area, we had several days of constant rain, an unnamed tropical storm which flooded southeastern parts of the state, and then a return to sunshine and 80 degrees.

Carolina sunrise

READING–WAR FICTION

AMERICAN CHARM AND DONUTS FOR SOLDIERS

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

Luis Alberto Urrea (nytimes.com)

One might rightfully query, do we need yet another historical novel about WWII?  There are many good offerings out there.  I too wondered, but I ended up being captivated and engrossed in Good Night, Irene.  

Inspired by his mother’s experience in the Second World War, Mexican American poet and novelist Urrea focuses on the Red Cross clubmobiles, something I’d never seen referenced before.  These vans or buses traveled around Germany and France and even to the UK where soldiers were based, serving up American warmth and charm along with coffee and donuts.   Two young women, Irene from New York. and Dorothy from a Midwest farm sign up, not having an inkling of what they will see and experience in their tour of duty. 

Irene is escaping an abusive fiancé, and Dorothy is in it for the adventure.  With their vastly different backgrounds and life experience, they are an unlikely pair.   But they become close friends and each other’s strong support amid challenging living conditions, occasional bombs, and the sounds and sights of battle.   

Urrea is a wonderful wordsmith. His descriptions of battle conditions and these women’s travels and travails are punchy, graphic, and simultaneously mesmerizing and haunting.  Named by NPR and others as one of the best books of the year (2023), it received high praise from critics and is well worth reading.  Recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

BRINGING THE LIBRARY TO CHILDREN

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

Janet S. Charles (simonandschuster.com)

You may have noticed that libraries and librarians feature in recent fiction and nonfiction.  Examples include The Personal Librarian about J. P. Morgan’s librarian, The Library Book (fire in the Los Angeles Public Library), That Librarian (dealing with book banning), and The Paris Library, also by this author.

Jessie Carson, nicknamed Kit, was a young New York children’s librarian, chafing under the constant correction of her work by her boss.  In 1918, she applied and was accepted for a 2-year post to France to create children’s libraries in war torn Blérancourt in northern France.  CARD (Le Comité américain pour les régions dévastees) was started by heiress Ann Morgan, daughter of J. P. Morgan. Young women, usually affluent ones, volunteered and were assigned to serve villages that had been destroyed.  They lived not far from the front midst the noise of guns and the sight of injured soldiers.

With no intact library structure and no chance of one anytime soon, Kit and her compatriots improvised.  They visited women and children camping in huts and other makeshift shelters bringing them food and provisions.  Initially, Kit created a roving story hour taking books to the children, reading to them, and coaxing traumatized adults to sample a book.

Linking Kit’s experiences to the present day is Wendy Peterson, an archives librarian and aspiring writer who becomes intrigued by a newsletter published in 1918 from Blérancourt and the CARD project.  Her determination leads her to dig deeper into the archives to ferret out the story of these women and Kit’s groundbreaking work in establishing an actual children’s library. (Note, in the France of that day, a library dedicated to children was a radical proposition.)

Charles’ work is refreshing; it unearths yet another aspect of wartime service.  It’s a novel of relationships among colleagues, lofty goals, and coming-of-age, both for Kit Carson in the early 20th century and for Wendy Peterson in 1987.  Midst the horrors of 1918, friendships are fostered, some goals realized, and strong support provided to these French communities.  Thanks to my friend Alice for this recommendation! (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header photo of the Maine coast and all unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Maine Moments: Wyeth Family Art

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FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM: PART 2

Three Generations of Wyeths

The Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland is a center, along with the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa., for the artwork of three generations of Wyeths.  A former church building houses almost exclusively Wyeth paintings and sculptures, while the contemporary building has a variety of different exhibits, often one highlighting one Wyeth or another.   

The featured exhibit this year is Jamie Wyeth Unsettled.  It’s a collection of his eerie, sometimes spooky, and outright ghoulish paintings from several decades.  I didn’t love this exhibit. Some images I found too graphic and very disturbing, but I’m including a few works I did appreciate.  

There’s also a small exhibit of abstract watercolors by Andrew Wyeth, father of Jamie and probably the most famous of the Wyeth threesome.

N. C. WYETH

In a separate exhibit of works associated with Maine, I was struck by an action-filled painting by the first Wyeth, Newell Convers, known as N. C.  He lived from 1882-1945 and was both a painter and an illustrator.  He illustrated a series of Scribner’s classics, and he is likely best known for that work.  Born, raised, and educated in art in Massachusetts, Wyeth then moved to Chadds Ford where he made his lifelong home.  

Cleaning Fish, N. C. Wyeth, 1933

There is so much suggested motion in this Port Clyde painting with the flock of birds surrounding the fisherman while he calmly guts the fish. I also like the soft light and the almost pastel colors.

JAMIE WYETH: HAUNTED, SUPERNATURAL, STRANGE

Julia on the Swing, J. Wyeth, 1999

Jamie Wyeth Unsettled is a large exhibit divided into three sections.  They are “Strangers and Specters,” “Haunted Places and Disturbing Spaces,” and “The Natural and Supernatural Worlds.”  Paintings of indoor places and outdoor spaces are sometimes eerie or suggest imprisonment. In others, Wyeth uses bones to depict grotesque scenes, and in still another, an uprooted tree appears distorted into something threatening, possibly evil.  It’s a strange collection overall.

Gull and Windsor, J. Wyeth 1993
Farm Talk, J. Wyeth, 2016
Lightning Struck, J. Wyeth 1975

ANDREW WYETH:  WATERCOLOR STUDIES

Unseen Andrew Wyeth is a small selection of abstract watercolors, a stark contrast to the Jamie Wyeth exhibit.  These have never been displayed before and show Wyeth working with shapes and moods in blacks and browns primarily.  Some of these pieces were studies for later paintings, but not all of them.  For such a representational painter as Andrew Wyeth was, these works show a different side of his aesthetic.  Here are two of them I found striking.

Fog & White Dory Study, A. Wyeth 1941
Untitled, A. Wyeth

SUSTENANCE: MIDCOAST DINING IN ROCKLAND

WATERWORKS RESTAURANT

After an intense morning of art, where does one eat lunch?  We used to have a favorite corner grill that produced a good lobster roll, but it closed and became a cannabis shop.  Other places we’d tried after that were just ordinary.  This time I did some research and discovered WaterWorks on a side street not far from the Farnsworth.

Casual and attractive with lots of tables and a bar, WaterWorks delivered an excellent cup of clam chowder (one of the best we’ve had!) followed by tasty, not greasy, cheese and chicken quesadillas.  It was a delicious lunch and just what we needed.  Recommended!

Note: Header photo is of the painting, Boothbay Harbor by Edward Redfield, 1937. All photos taken by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Maine Moments: Art & Drama

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FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM: PART 1

The Farnsworth Art Museum is in Rockland around two hours north of Portland.  It’s noted for its extensive collection of works by three generations of the Wyeth family and its focus on Maine and artists working in Maine.  The Chief Penguin and I visit this museum annually; this time our motivation was a new exhibit of Jamie Wyeth’s work, but more about that exhibit in a future blog post.

This week we enjoyed Magwintegwak: A Legacy of Penobscot Basketry, were impressed by Louise Nevelson’s paintings and sculpture, and were introduced to a tsunami of color in Lynne Drexler’s recently restored pieces, Color Notes, Paintings from 1959-1969.

WABANAKI BASKETS

The Penobscot Indian Island Reservation, informally known as Indian Island, was the site of basket weaving going back to 1800. North of Rockland along the Penobscot River, part of it extends to Bangor.  Wabanaki weavers here made a variety of baskets for daily life as well as more decorative artistic ones.  For many years, they set up basket-selling tents on well-traveled routes and sold their handmade creations to tourists and others. Their baskets were, and still are, generally made of brown ash and lovely fragrant sweetgrass.  

Curly bowl Penobscot basket, 1920
Glowing Sunset Carrabbassett, Sarah Sockbeson, 2011

Robert Anderson spent much of his life collecting and documenting the basketry of these Penobscot weavers, learning from his grandparents Leo and Florence Shay and from successive generations of weavers.  It’s thanks to his legacy that this exhibit was possible.  The Wabanaki also made miniature baskets to use or to show off their skills.

Strawberry, blueberry & pumpkin miniatures

LOUISE NEVELSON: SCULPTOR & PAINTER

Child from a collection, Nevelson

Louise Nevelson was born in Ukraine, but grew up in Rockland after her parents emigrated.  Years later, she was astonished and delighted to discover this wonderful art museum in her small hometown.  She donated many of her works to the Farnsworth, and this exhibit is just a sample from the collection.

I liked the small black figures and also her two self portraits. She favored black for virtually all of her sculpted work, but later she created an elaborate and monumental wedding piece in white. The Farnsworth owns one column from it.

Woman with a Red Scarf, self portrait, 1947

COLOR NOTES: “I COULD ALWAYS FIND THE COLOR”

Lynne Drexler (1928-1999) was considered a second-generation Abstract Expressionist whose work was influenced by time spent in Hawaii, California, and Mexico.  She created with colored chalk, crayons, paint, and colored pencils. Later in her life, she lived like a hermit on Monhegan Island. Years after her death, this little known artist’s paintings sold for more than a million dollars.

Shimmering Rays

Some of her works use different materials that make the colors pop and look alive like this vibrant study in pinks, greens, and lavender.

Untitled, Lynne Drexler

WATCHING: SPANISH SOAP

Betrayal (PBS Passport)

Roberto backed by mother and siblings (rmpbs.org)

Passport offerings curated by Walter Presents are generally very good.  I’m less sure about Betrayal, although the Chief Penguin and I seem to be committed enough to keep watching.  We have completed six of the eight episodes.

Influential, well-connected attorney Julio Fuentes and his firm were close to merging with a UK law firm when he died suddenly.  His family—widow, three daughters, and one son—are in disarray when his death is ruled a murder and when another son, Carlos, unknown to them, shows up. 

Emotions in this group run high with shouting, angry outbursts, and hasty actions.  Son Roberto wants to divorce his wife and has another woman; brother-in-law Victor, the firm’s financial manager, has personal money troubles; and sister Almudena’s son Sergio is suspicious of his stepfather’s behavior and believes he’s lying to his mother.  Meanwhile matriarch Pilar works mightily to control everyone’s actions to her bidding.  

This is just a sampling of the layers of complexity, the lies, and the secrets.  Who is betraying whom or how many betrayals are there?  And who killed Julio Fuentes?  Overall, the plot is less than convincing, the characters lack depth, and yet we keep tuning in!  In Castilian Spanish with English subtitles.

Note: Header photo is a point basket by Ganessa Frey, 2006. Unattributed photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Maine Moments: Blogging & Dining

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This week I’m sharing some blog history, an early blog post, and comments on a new favorite restaurant.

10th ANNIVERSARY FOR JAUNTING JEAN!

On July 29, 2014, I published my first blog post from Maine.  I signed up to purchase a domain name, jauntingjean.com, and set about learning WordPress.  The Chief Penguin and I were ready to retire in August and then move to Florida in September.   Trying my hand at a blog seemed like a timely project.  In 2014, I published five posts, roughly one a month from July to December.  In January 2015, nicely settled into our Florida life, I committed to publishing weekly.  When we travel, I post almost every day. 

This was the beginning of Jots & Jaunts.   After ten years, I’m still at it and still enjoying the challenge and the discipline of this weekly mental exercise: organizing, writing, and then sharing my thoughts.  To date, I have written and published 638 posts; this latest one makes 639!  

Each post is categorized, and also has relevant tags assigned to it.  Both attributes are searchable on the www.jauntingjean.com website and the most recent posts show up on the sidebar.

A PAST REFLECTION:  A Room of One’s Own [a la Virginia Woolf]

Original post from Sept. 20, 2014, with additions July 28, 2024

It is now 2 weeks and a day since we arrived at our Florida place!  And what a whirlwind! We unpacked and sorted, made two trips to Ikea, and delivered ten loads of kitchenware, linens, and books, etc. to Goodwill, continuing our downsizing from a large 4-story home to a spacious 2-level townhouse. And we thought we’d given a lot of books away on the west coast—and we had, hundreds of them.

Now I’ve had the pleasure of arranging our remaining books, quite a few, on the shelves.  Deciding which books should be downstairs on the den shelves, which on the common shelves in the 2nd floor loft area and which ones in my, note that, my, study.  I found old favorites like Cold Sassy Tree, thought-provoking and insightful books like Mary Catherine Bateson’s Composing a Life, and the perturbing but elegant memoir, An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison.  As well as many books I have not yet read.  Some of these get prime, front and center space on the shelves, to remind me of their presence and to nudge me to make the time to read them.

Almost as long as I can remember, I’ve had a desk of my own, from the time I was about seven or so, with drawers in which to secret away pens and papers and stuff.  In our various houses, I’ve generally had some sort of space for my desk and a few shelves for favored books.  

In Swarthmore, that desk was in a room my spouse and I shared, and each of us had a desk facing the window separated by a file cabinet.  (We gave our then teenage son the larger other bedroom complete with fireplace.)

In the Bethlehem house, my spouse had a generously sized study (he had a very big job!), and I had the servant’s cubbyhole. It was connected to a bedroom, but had room enough for a desk, file cabinet and chair, with some handsome old-fashioned built-in cabinets and blessedly, a door.  Tiny, but functional.  

In San Francisco, the top floor was wide open space, and I claimed the smaller end of this room for its windows and its peephole view of the bay.  The Chief Penguin had more space (he has more things), but less of a view.  I think I won out on this one!

My study in Florida

Here in Florida, I have a room that was a bedroom, now my study, all to myself.  I have my working desk and computer, a desk chair, a tripartite bookcase seven shelves high on one wall, two file cabinets, and a very simple table-like desk with just a center drawer.  This simple desk is where I write personal notes or work on my laptop.  There is a window and a door and the whole thing is just heavenly!  I truly have “a room of my own.” He says I can close the door and write a novel.  I probably won’t do exactly that, but I will revel in the space, the quiet, and possibly be inspired to do more than just write this blog!

Ten years later, we’ve moved from Florida to North Carolina downsizing yet again.  The Chief Penguin has generously ceded to me the second bedroom as my study while he has the cozy den.  Here again, I have several sections of shelving, a comfortable place to sit, and my desk with computer and printer. There is also a large window.  

Shelving in North Carolina study

While his space (his lair) is smaller, he too has a window, and both rooms have doors. They are on opposite sides of this light-filled apartment—offering an escape if togetherness becomes too much.  All in all, it’s lovely, and from here I can blog on for years to come!

MID-COAST DINING

Carriage House Restaurant (East Boothbay)

The Carriage House combines rustic Maine charm with delicious food.  There are picnic tables and an upper-level porch for outside dining.  Inside is Maine cozy:  blond wood tables in alcoves with folding doors that can divide what could be a cavernous main floor into semi-private dining.  

Carriage House interior (yelp.com)

Thanks to our friends, M and J, we’ve now dined here twice and consider it a new favorite.  Three of us enjoyed the shrimp scampi at our first meal, while the Chief Penguin dove into the luscious, seared scallops.  At a later visit. I tried the salmon piccata; it was a perfectly cooked piece of fish on a bed of risotto topped with sauteed spinach.  The Chief Penguin sampled a cup of the haddock chowder and the pickled chicken wings appetizer.  We also shared one of the best renditions of a grilled romaine salad we’ve ever had. Highly recommended so do make a reservation!

Note: Header photo of Maine rocks and interior photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)