by Susan | Jan 5, 2020 | Family, On My Mind
It’s been ages since we had a family photo. I was determined to get one before Hannah heads off to Denmark. With fresh snow for the backdrop, I asked everyone to wear black and white. When I saw the photos I appreciated that although black and white – the...
by Susan | Dec 3, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Thanksgiving break came and went in the blink of an eye. Hannah traveled home for the holiday – two days of travel to get here and two days of travel to return between car, bus, and train. We had her for a short six days, and it was a whirlwind. I finally took a...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
The greatest joy in my life turns 20 today. Still my child, yet no longer a girl, but a curious, creative, courageous woman. I couldn’t be prouder of the person you’re becoming, your sensitivity, the way you see the world. Thank you for your humor, the...
by Susan | Jul 17, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Today is my father’s 83rd birthday. He retired from the Army in 1986 and continued to have a second career in emergency management retiring from that just weeks after 9/11. After catching up on years of lost sleep, dad began writing his memoirs. He wrote on and...
by Susan | Jul 9, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Hannah has been a jet setter this summer. She took a year of Arabic language her freshman year and ended up being invited by her Arabic professor to film the oral histories of Arab immigrants in the Columbus, Ohio area as part of a grant. As a cinema major, she jumped...
by Susan | Jun 16, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Understand that it’s been a crazy week here. Between Hannah traveling internationally for the first time (and her second plane travel excursion) the Wyman’s Wildly Better work day at the WHRL’s new home, and just life, I’ve been doing...
by Susan | Jan 20, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Hannah has been returned to college and I once again have an empty nest. Paul braved the storm for the trip, plotting and planning his route while I sat home and worried. It’s amazing how quickly the past month passed. And it was a wonderful time –...
by Susan | Dec 25, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
Another Christmas day is over. Although Hannah arrived home just a week ago, she still had final papers to complete and submit. It seems we pulled together this year’s Christmas together in just a few days. Bright and cold today – a short rise in...
by Susan | Nov 28, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
Today is mom’s birthday. What does one get Granny Gadget? Everything she does revolves around her family and taking care of them. She has little space for anything and she can purchase all the gadgets she wants. That’s where my Christmas Angel comes in....
by Susan | Aug 26, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
What a whirlwind the last few days have been since Hannah finished work for the summer. Back-to-school shopping. Every outing with her seems like an adventure. We explored Cadillac Mountain – something we see from a distance on our end of the coast. Smoke from...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
She’s 19 today. Hannah – the brightest star in my universe. There are so many things I love about this young woman. Her big heart. Her willingness to stand up for what’s right. Her work ethic. Her wacky sense of humor. Her sharp mind. Her fondness for crazy socks....
by Susan | Dec 25, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
Just yesterday I talked about family treasures. Today I have been gifted with new treasures. A couple of years ago Paul and I took a class on carving and printmaking. He put those skills to use in his gift for me this Christmas. He created this wonderful woodblock owl...
by Susan | Oct 26, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
When Hannah left for college in August, the toughest part of leaving home for her was leaving Snape, aka Boo, behind. While we have two cats and a dog, Hannah is Boo’s human. Since Hannah’s departure, Snape has moved into our room taking up permanent...
by Susan | Sep 5, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
Hannah and I have a tradition of taking mother/daughter selfies on our outings. I love the memories that stir when looking back those pictures. It hardly seems possible that just a year ago we were launching into Hannah’s senior year. At the time, I was in...
by Susan | Sep 3, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
I am very lucky to have a super mom. In all my adult years, we’ve only spent a few of those within easy travel distance of each other. Whether I lived near or far, she is always thinking of me – and the rest of her family. When she is out and about, it’s always with...
by Susan | Aug 25, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
The day I’ve been counting down to and dreading finally arrived; Hannah is off to college at Denison University. And there’s a big fat hole in my heart. Snape (aka Boo) the cat delayed our 5:30 am start; he was determined to avoid the goodbye hug. Hannah...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
She’s 18 today. In the blink of an eye, she’s grown up. No longer is she the shy little girl who did her best not to stand out – all the while marching to her own tune. Hannah is a woman with young, yet strong convictions and ideals. I couldn’t...
by Susan | Jul 30, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
The summer season is short here along the coast of Maine. For me, doesn’t feel as if summer is in full-swing until Milbridge Days, our community celebration. It’s a fun couple of days during which I seem to always be working – be it the the 5K, the...
by Susan | Jun 12, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
My folks made the trip from Pennsylvania for Hannah’s high school graduation. Their visit was short and we didn’t have a lot of free time, but I did my best to give them a snapshot of my Maine. For Mom, outdoors activities include her home and garden. Dad...
by Susan | Jun 11, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
I’m not a foodie and you’ll find more “oops” stories here at Downeast Thunder Farm than you will recipes. In planning for Hannah’s graduation celebration, I found these little graduation cap cupcakes on Pinterest. They looked pretty...
