I can't believe this every two week LJ poster is doing this...posting twice in a few hours. But here's the scoop. I read on Cindy's blog that this is the last day of our week long tour of where we live...and I've been saving the last spot for this....so here goes...

This is the Town Office of Appleton...but it used to be Appleton High School where my husband attended. I took the photo on my way to our 4th fun yesterday. He told me that there was  a lab somewhere tucked in there where they used to conjure up lots of good stuff-that's scary!!! ..and after that it was Appleton School that my kids went to for all their school days until 8th grade-no lab then, just the 4 large classrooms where each teacher taught 4 grades. Now our town hall...

  And this interesting black and white hangs on my kitchen wall and at the town hall...it's an enlargement of a postcard dated 1906 (I also have a postcard). I've told you that I live in an old house...well that's mine in the upper right hand corner..the barn and out buildings are gone, but the small windows in the attic still line across there. Where the barn was, there's a drop off and the garden is "down" below in back of the old barn cellar rock wall. That's why I always say that I've been down in the garden...and in the foreground everthing is gone but a few old rock cellar holes...if you can imagine or pick out, there's the river on the right of the road...not that much water in it now...and a stave mill on the left. there are piles of wood there...stave mill??? for wooden barrel making! People hound e-bay these for the postcards that a local man went around taking...in early 1900's!

and this one is my very favorite of my hometown...really it's what it is....

 We live on the extreme west end of the town where we now have the only store in town...(there used to be two others when this one didn't exsist!) don't do much shopping there, but they have all the essentials for when I'm in a pinch, gas, pizza oven,and hunting and fishing licenses...and much much more or less!
  So that's it folks...my hometown...really where I live!
    Mona

 

I missed posting yesterday but this is what we did, in keeping with the "hometown" theme of the week.
July 4th Independence Day, Family Day for us. Spent much of the day at Lake Quantabacook in Searsmont, ME...next town over toward the north end of town. Never know who's going to show up and what great food they'll bring..but it's an annual family
get-together for young and old....

Swimming of course

and the highlight of the day is our Yankee swap...that I didn't upload because it takes way too long for me to get these photos on...but we all bring a wrapped gift and after lunch put them in a big pile...SIL has numbes in a can that we choose from, then the fun begins...the men are weird about exchanging gifts with others...the kids and women are ruthless!!! I went and swiped up a wonderful stainless steel thermos and mug set/exchanged a 6 pac cooler...really glad I had a higher number because I got to keep it....Hub, well he's one of the guys that doesn't trade, but came home with the neatest set of artichoke candle holders and tealights....as if that would be his first choice...but they're nice and I like them!

   After spening most of the day at the lake, we drove to the kids' house in Rockport for a neighborhood feast (yup another one!) and concert by the campfire. The concert was conjured up by C and his music teacher who lives in their neighborhood.


can you see that someone has a s'more going while the two are checking the music? C hasn't been playing his guitar long,(he told me he knows 4 chords!) but loved being the featured musician for the evening! ...and what a great music teacher the kids have (he's the music teacher in the school for the lower grades too!)
   So that was our day in the neighborhood(s) yesterday....
You can go to Cindy's LJ  

cynthialord

  to see a list of "our town" participants" to visit  where they live. It's been a fun week of getting to see where we all live and what inspires our lives and writing.

Have a great day...
Mona

 Hi all

Before I get started on "my backyard" I want to tell you that I've really enjoyed the daily homestyle postings that was started by our friend Cindy 

cynthialord  I would love to respond to all of you because your photos and hometowns are wonderful...but I'll respond here...I love them.

....and...I'd like to thank those of you that have sent (or are sending) signed books for a benefit for my nephew. In case you missed t, Mike was hurt while doing his job as a woodsman, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. This book gift basket project started when I won Val's giogasauthor/illustrator signed In MY Backyard book and other goodies she enclosed with it...if you can help, I'll send you my address though the benefit cookout family day is next Sunday.

so now for where I live...or nearby...
Yesterday was kids day. Usually I have T & C, but we shared the day with D & H while dad (mike) and mom went to PT, and got a few hours alone.

the girls started by making Oversized Thick and Chewy Chocolate chip cookies...yum..I know it's not a place, but look....

 

Then after lunch and cookies, we were going to go swimming someplace...The boys wanted to go to the ocean and the girls chose the lake..of course! Well D won the straw draw so off to their little spot on Alford Lake in East Union, Maine. No cottage or any other facilities, just a beautiful little sandy, covey area that looks like this,,,,

Is this not a serene view? That's Camden Hills in the background. They stayed in the water for about 2 hours. Notice the b boards on the tubes..thought they were great "knee surfers"! There's hardly a ripple in the water.  A loon swam close but D made her loon noises so I wasn't quick enough for a photo. didn't get the hawk or duck that flew over, but did get this mama and 3 babies that swam past one way and back again. She stopped for the cheez its I threw to her.

We're in sort of a basin when we're there except for a short noisy distraction....on that dirt road, on the way to the lake, there's a police shooting pit...for just a bit, there was a blast of gunshots..not even really close but sounded it. 
   So that's at the lake (or one of them)-tomorrow is another lake day.
See you around home!
Mona

In keeping with Cindy's challenge, cynthialord  today I'm taking you to work....19 miles from home so still within my 20 miles. Here's what's on the backside this week. Pretty cool, huH!

 
and this is just a few inches away on the clapboards...is it luna moth egs, or  some old spider eggs? Anyone? Isn't it romantic though, in the shape of a heart!



And this is what you see as you head north on US Route One in Waldoboro, Maine. Come on in if you're in our area. I work part time but the rest of the staff is friendly too. You may meet my boss-my daughter. Wouldn't you like to be your mother's boss! 


...and our front door...Welcome, and come on in!

 

No work for me today...gotta go see the kids and find out what they have in mind. Their cousins are coming
too, so we may just hang out. You'll find out tomorrow.
So toeay, have fun in your world.
Mona
  ps, go over to Laurie Halse Anderson's(don't dare look up her "stage" name for fear I'll delete this post!)  LJ and join her challenge too...think I will, if I ever get this posting straight!

 

#3 of the pictures of where I live...this is the Rockland, ME breakwater. Not what I'd planned to post, but one of my favorite places wihtin my 20 mile "hometown" span. The huge granite pieces have lots of spaces  and there's no side barriers so I was a wreck the first time I took the kids for a walk on it. At the end of the mile long walk, that's a lighthouse...notice the different colored lobster bouys bobbing. Each  "fisherman" (lobsterman) has his/her own colors to identify their own traps....and a sailboat drifting by.

 

I know that 20 miles to some of you might seem like the end of the earth to call hometown, but I have to go that far to shop, get car serviced, work, dentist, dr....whatever you might be able to do using public transportation or walk...even the high school is that far for kids here. So it is what it is. My friend and I have een carpooling to town way before it was "in"...More of a girltime for us...and get things done too.
   See you tomorrow!
      Mona

Cindy Lord cynthialord has a bunch of us posting pictures of "where" we live. 
You all know that I live in the "sticks" and need my car to get around...except yhe few miles I walk, just to take a walk...I've always said that I'm 20 miles from "everything" going on.- in any direction! These signs are in two different towns-both small towns within my 20 mile scope...I love how they've posted the  "feelings" of the settlers back in the 1800's or so. I'm only a mile from the Liberty town line and about 6  to the Union line-and Friendship borders the town I work in..and the place where I get on the lobster boat or whaler to go out to "the" island! 



What do you think the settlers of these towns were thinking when they were forging a new land to call home? mmmm...just had to grab my Maine Atlas and Gazeteer ...there are 2 Sweden's in Maine...never noticed that on this sign before-never knew it until just now!


    Today I'll let you ride to work with me,  from here in Appleton(for Sam Appleton) in Knox county (Gen H Knox) ,  through So Liberty on through Washington, to Waldoboro (Waldobourough/ waldo patent) in Lincoln county!... and that's part of  the magazine article I'd always intended to write for kids!
    Have a great day in your town!
       Mona
 

 I said I'd try, so here's my frist photo of places close to my heart, close to where I live. (I'm saving the best for last!)
#1
The kids and I had the pleasure of the ultimate low tide and warm summer day on Wednesday, so their choice was to go to Walker Park in Rockport, Maine. It's where they live and is in that circle of about 20 miles from here. Walker Park has a playground on top and down over the granite steps,the rocky beach that's "crab centraL" as C calls it. The hermit crabs ran rampant the other day and the kids gathered and put them in a tidal pool....
Rockport has another park that has remains of the old lime quarry, kilns and all and a statue of the infamous Andre'the Seal. T and C found a few of these for the first time...

   tiny fish. Anyone know what they might be? They usually can identify everything here, but this was a new  find. So the beauty of low tide and the gifts from the sea is today's entry. (must have been too cold for starfish and bigger crabs...but they'll come) T and I talked about how much those of you that don't have access to the sea are missing (with great compassion, I might add)
That's it folks!

Please take a look at yesterday's entry...maybe you can help.
'til tomorrow (Ican't believe I'm doing this!)

Mona

Cindy gave us the challenge....     

cynthialord

 

  
 I said I'd try, so here's my frist photo of places close to my heart, close to where I live. (I'm saving the best for last!)
#1
The kids and I had the pleasure of the ultimate low tide and warm summer day on Wednesday, so their choice was to go to Walker Park in Rockport, Maine. It's where they live and is in that circle of about 20 miles from here. Walker Park has a playground on top and down over the granite steps,the rocky beach that's "crab centraL" as C calls it. (a different beach than sea glass central!) The hermit crabs ran rampant the other day and the kids gathered and put them in a tidal pool....
Rockport has another park that has remains of the old lime quarry, kilns and all and a staue of the infamous Andre'the Seal. tT and C found a few of these for the first time...

   tiny fish. Anyone know what they might be? They usually can identify everything here, but this was a new findSo the beauty of low tide and the gifts from the sea is today's entry. (must have been too cold for starfish and bigger crabs...but they'll come)
That's it folks!

Please take a look at yesterday's entry...maybe you can help.
'til tomorrow (Ican't believe I'm doing this!)

Mona

I won Val's giogas book last week...but this is what came in my package...her boo, In My Backyard-see the #5? It's the page with the baby bunnies..well I received a Webkinz bunny, baby animal stickers and a baby animal calendar too!!! Oh, and the book is signed by both author and illustrator. Sooo exciting!!!! Thanks Val, what a bunch of surprises. So when she asked who I wanted it made out to, I said no one. I couldn't make up my mind exactly what I'd do with the book...there are real good causes that I thought I might donate it to. So read on to find out where it's going.....

 
I've been asked to help on a benefit barbecue for my nephew that was injured in the woods in March...out doing his job. He's paralyzed from the waist down and friends, neighbors and everyone around want to do for him and his family. It's on Sunday, July 13th

I was asked to help with the kiddy events (others know me as well as you do!) I plan to wrap these gifts in a basket and have some sort of a raffle...so here's the thing. Believe me, this is hard for me to do, but does anyone else have a book that they could sign and send to me to add to the basket...this is perfect the way it is, but now my mind is running...any kind of  book would be welcome. It's a family day, so others besides Picture books would be wonderful too. If you can I would love it...if you can't, I truly understand. Everything is sooo expensive..books, postage...but it's a thought (my thought). If you can and want, I'll email you my address.

On the writing...I've been finally doing the follow up subbing to conference editors. Almost done..whew! but I'm slow.

Have you  seen Cindy's  cynthialord  LJ? I'm going to try to take her challenge and post a photo a day...huh! We'll see.

Have a happy week
Mona

I started this entry in a happy mood...but boy is the frustration building..up Up UP...
But anyway...photos are large, not in the order I 'd planned, but onward, right.

First off (not in original order!)
There's a birthday party going on....
Val Giogas is celebrating her book's first birthday..there's going to be a present and everything! All you have to do is post the announcement on your journal, then go over to hers  

giogas  and let her  know. She's going to let baby girl play in the paper stack of names entered to pick the author/illustrator signed copy of IN MY BACKYARD, published by Sylvan Dell...if you don't win, you may want to purchase a copy anyway...it's a "smartbook" and lovely!
 

and in living color...Val Giogas and Katherine Zecca

I've been working on getting manuscripts sent to NE conference editors...the time for most is drawing near my friends. If you plan to sub anything, then now's the time. Most of them gave a 3 month timeframe
...but this week wasn't all work,,,

...this was breaktime in my new second hand kayak that  I love...big opening for a big bazoom!!!


and BIG BIG new for our friend Brenda Sturgis....



she's going to be a Grammy...no, not going to the Grammy's ...she's going to be a real live Grammy and she can hardly contain herself...can you hear a strange screeching kind of noise...it's Brenda  shouting out her family's good news.  Congratulations to all of them! Brenda's a blogger at 
http://brenda-brendareevessturgis.blogspot.com

That's my latest scoop...      Have an adventuresome week everyone...and if you hear another screeching noise, it's because I'm not doing so well posting this journal entry!!!
Mona