Tag: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Maine Moments: Photos & Books

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MAINE DAYS

Although the Chief Penguin and I are retired, the rhythm of our days is different when we’re here. It’s like being on vacation as we take a more leisurely approach to life (if that’s possible, but it is—no medical or other appointments!)  Earlier this week, on the most perfect day thus far, we enjoyed a boat cruise with M & J down to Christmas Cove for a lovely lunch on the deck at Coveside in South Bristol. The other morning we got an early start and were at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens just before they opened.  Ten years old this year, they are Maine’s #1 attraction according to Trip Advisor! Thanks to generous donors, they have big plans for the future. In between outings, we continue to binge on The Americans (have to get through season 5) and even do some reading.

Here are some photos from our doings.

 

 

RECENT READING

I like historical novels. A well written one is a pleasurable way to learn about other times and places. I also assiduously follow the reviews of current fiction. Oprah did a lot to promote reading with her book club and it’s gratifying to see her return highlighting a very accomplished and timely first novel.

If I Could Tell You by Elizabeth Wilhide

Another historical novel set during WWII written by an American who has lived in London for more than 40 years. As a depiction of what it was like to live and work in London during the Blitz, it’s graphic and well conveys the hardships and the stress on one’s spirits. Wilhide also presents a detailed picture of the challenges facing those tasked with making documentary films and the unusual jobs women took on working with artillery. While the main character, Julia, makes a wrongheaded choice in her affair with Dougie, I felt that the novel was more a vehicle for the history Wilhide wanted to share, than a well-shaped story. I call it a mixed success. (~JW Farrington)

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Oprah is back in the business of recommending books and this is her pick for 2017. Not surprising, it is a very engaging and accessible read. It is also timely given that its topic is the immigrant experience. The novel opens in 2007, and Jende Jonga and his wife Neni are immigrants to the U.S. from Cameroon, full of optimism and hope for all that America will provide.

With the help of his successful lawyer cousin, Winston, Jende gets a job as chauffeur to Clark Edwards, a high level executive with Lehman Brothers. For a while, life is good for the Jongas and their small son Liomi. Neni goes to community college and even does some short term work for Cindy Edwards, thus bringing the families closer together.   Everything changes when the financial crisis hits and Jende’s status in the country is challenged. Marriages are threatened and life becomes much harder and more tenuous requiring difficult decisions.

Ms. Mbue, a native of Cameroon and now an American citizen living in New York, knows whereof she writes. Her book is warm and generous and balanced in its portrayal of these two families. Neither family is perfect and each individual has faults, but both families want to provide the best opportunities for their children. Named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and the San Francisco Chronicle. (~JW Farrington)

Another perspective.  I don’t usually link to anyone else’s blog, but I found this woman’s comments about Hillbilly Elegy very thoughtful. Here’s the link.

Note:  All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved)

Colorful Maine

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BLOSSOMS

One of the attractions of this part of Maine is the simply glorious Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Less than ten years old, these gardens are beautifully designed, incorporating native stones midst the plantings, and encompassing not only the expected flowers, trees and shrubs, but the unusual and the unexpected. No matter how many times we visit—and we visit often, this week with my younger sister and brother-in-law—we are always pleased and surprised at new discoveries.

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You can even walk a labyrinth and meditate. Bare feet suggested.
You can even walk a labyrinth and meditate. Bare feet suggested.

SUNSETS

I think sunsets over water are more impressive than those over just land.  Several nights ago we were treated to a dazzling intense Maine sunset.

DSC00298  DSC00294   Molly's Point Sunset

Note:  All photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved).  Header photo is a panel of sun-loving plants.

Maine Musings: Winding Down of Summer

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We just ended a week of house guests as we wind down our Maine time. My sister and her husband were easy to have and together we visited the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, ate lobster as often as possible, and enjoyed another excursion to Pemaquid Point.

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We then welcomed our 3 year old granddaughter (and her wonderful parents) who provided nonstop commentary on what she and everyone around her was doing. That was when she wasn’t making up family stories about sticks, stones, and her dolls or involving her grandmother as playmate in various scenarios: going to the dentist, lying on the beach, being sick and requiring a trip to the hospital in an ambulance, making pancakes (clementines stood in for the pancake batter), and arranging a tea party. She and I did all of these things and we even read a few books together; for the one she especially liked, it was, “again, Grandma, again.”

We also made blueberry pancakes for breakfast (for real) and spent many hours in the children’s garden at the aforementioned botanic garden. A lively visit and a real gift of their precious time.

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What I’m Not Reading

Despite a recent article in the Wall St. Journal about the demise of the summer reading list, I still try to read tomes on vacation that I don’t attempt the rest of the year. This summer I have one of Trollope’s novels on my stack which I will start soon.

I also subscribe to a first editions book club and receive an autographed novel in the mail each month. I seldom read these books as soon as they arrive and over time I accumulate a small stack of them. I brought two with me to Maine. I have started both of them and abandoned both of them, probably for good. I anticipated being absorbed and even engrossed in them, but not so.

The first one is about a young woman who masquerades as a man and goes off to fight in the Civil War. She leaves her husband and their farm behind. The writing is spare and the images of war are graphic and bloody. The author keeps the reader at a distance and I didn’t stay engaged. Maybe not just the right time or mood for me, so perhaps I’ll return to it. It is Neverhome by Laird Hunt.

The second novel, Flying Shoes, by Lisa Howorth, is a first novel built around the re-opening of a murder case in the 1980’s that was the actual murder of the author’s brother. It’s set in Mississippi and has a sassy, what I would characterize as southern, tone. I found the narrator’s voice too flippant and saucy; hence it’s on my discard pile.

One of the liberating aspects of this stage of life is that I don’t need to finish every book I start. I sample fifty to a hundred pages and if I don’t like what I’ve read, I give myself permission to set it aside without guilt. Life is short and there are too many books I want to read to get bogged down in one that is not compelling or enjoyable in some way!