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 | Jul 9, 2017 | On My Mind
My seasons of purple have been racing by without much notice on my part. I’ve been too busy to enjoy being at home. I’ve all but missed the lilac bushes that were in bloom for all of a week. The Lupin has come and gone. Today, I blissfully had a day to...
by Susan | Jun 22, 2017 | On My Mind
A few weeks ago, Hannah and I went for a walk on the beach. Heading home, we were crossing the bridge when Hannah began yelling, “Stop the car! Stop the car! Get your camera!” When I didn’t stop fast enough (there was NO place to pull over) she hollered again,...
by Susan | Jun 16, 2017 | On My Mind
For more than seven years I’ve passed this blueberry field on the way to work. A solitary tree rising above the blueberry barren like a sentinel, creating focus, depth, and perspective in the landscape. This was the view as I drove into work this week. My...
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...
by Susan | Jun 9, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
It’s been a wildly crazy couple of weeks. Watching Hannah wrap up her high school career has been bitter-sweet. Happy for her accomplishments, and sad that this chapter of her life is winding down. Prom, senior night, class night, and finally graduation today....
by Susan | May 6, 2017 | On My Mind
I woke last night to the sound of pouring rain. Torrential rain. As I lay there listening, I dreaded morning. I organized the annual Elaine Hill Love a Nurse 5K scheduled for today – rain or shine. Ugh. We had 73 folks pre-registered as of yesterday. I...
by Susan | Apr 28, 2017 | On My Mind
It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve spent any time here at Downeast Thunder Farm. Life has been a little too crazy. Hannah and I spent a week on the road visiting colleges she’d been admitted to but hadn’t yet visited. Denison University in Ohio was her top choice...
by Susan | Apr 16, 2017 | On My Mind
It was a glorious Easter Sunday here – rare 74 degrees and sunny for April. Since my partner in crime (Hannah) is off on a trip to New York, I recruited Paul and Gidget for this afternoon’s walk by the river. The water was high, roaring past the railroad...
by Susan | Mar 28, 2017 | On My Mind
Many mornings I take a short detour through Columbia Falls to study the river. It’s a beautiful spot. This morning I spotted a juvenile bald eagle chilling on the ice. As I looked around, I saw a large bird sitting atop a chimney. You can imagine my excitement...
by Susan | Mar 20, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
The movie Beauty and the Beast has a special place in my heart and in our family. Hannah has never been an over the top girly-girl. As a kid, she enjoyed Legos more than dolls. She was never into princesses but rather thought she’d be a firefighter. Yet there...
by Susan | Feb 26, 2017 | On My Mind
In a week overloaded with challenges, stress, and entirely too much work, where the ordinary suddenly goes off track, I’ve been in search of a bit of serenity. Thankfully, I’ve found it in stolen moments. The sun rising over ice shacks on a quiet river....
by Susan | Feb 18, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
I know I’ve mentioned before how fortunate I am to have such a handy husband. Paul, a marine engineer by training, describes himself as an engineer, designer, fabricator, and maker. We joke that he’s the idea guy. I, however, have veto power. I always seem...
by Susan | Feb 14, 2017 | On My Mind
We’ve had snowy winters before. It seems like every couple of years we get a doozy – snow up to the eaves. Yet, this last week has been one for the record books. Eighteen inches last Thursday and then yesterday, we got 30 inches in 30 hours. It...
