Maine Postcards

I was looking over all the postcards I bought during our trip to Maine. That's what I do instead of taking pictures...... I buy a postcard-view of every place we go. Almost all of my Maine postcards are of the lighthouses we saw. I still can't believe we saw 20 lighthouses. From start to finish during that trip, my husband put 1500 miles on the rental car. And nearly all of those miles were on Route 1, which is a two-lane highway way up there.

Looking back on the trip, it was fun, but also exhausting. Too many miles, too many days, and being in a different town for each night's stay wasn't the easiest way to travel. We got to see more than we would have if we had just stayed in one place, of course, but the living-out-of-a-suitcase method is what tires you out. If we did ever go back there, I'd want to stay in just one place for five or six days. We missed out on looking through so many great antique shops, but we were limited as to what we could buy..... when you're flying on a plane with two small carry-on pieces of luggage, you have to be selective.

Our young friend C called here at 8:00 yesterday morning...... she's so happy to have us home that she was wanting to spend some time with us before she goes back to school next week. I had errands to do yesterday...... so I told her if she'd like to come with me for my "boring errands," she was welcome to join me. She did just that, and didn't find the errands boring at all. I swear, that child finds fun in every blessed thing, which is an inspiration.

After the errands, we went to the local Thai restaurant for lunch. Young Miss C, who can use chopsticks like a pro, used her fork instead for the meal... she decided to save the chopsticks for the cottage. She is as excited about the cottage as we are, and has two boxes of stuff all packed up for her little cabin at the lake.

We're going to rent a U-Haul truck today and start packing it up. I can't wait to get all of these boxes and chairs out of my sitting room. I feel like I'm typing in a storage closet when I'm in here now... everything is behind me and the clutter is more than I can take. I will be very happy to have my pretty room back again. Not to mention the garage.... half of the garage has been filled with boxes and furniture for Mayberry...... it's a challenge getting my car into the garage and opening up the door without bumping up against a box.

I'm hoping that all the utilities will be turned on and ready to go when we get up to the cottage. I've mailed in all the applications to the utility companies up there. Such a small town... when I gave them the address of the property over the phone, each person on the phone told me the former owner's name before looking up the location. They've assured me that everything will be set to go tomorrow morning. (Is that real time or Texas time? "If it doesn't get done today, it might get done tomorrow.... and if not tomorrow, then next week could be soon enough." )

On the priority list for shopping up there...... a fridge, a bed for us, a bed for the guest room, bunk beds for C's cabin. If I can find a washer/dryer in the same store as the fridge (and get a good deal on all three) then I'll just buy them all and have them delivered at the same time. I'm also hoping to look around the consignment and resale shops up there and find a nice sofa for the living room. The town has just one furniture store, but I'd rather not pay brand-new prices unless we can't find something suitable anywhere else.

Another adventure........ which isn't a bad thing. Adventures keep life interesting. (Unless, of course, the adventure involves a boat in the middle of the ocean. Been there, done that, and I choose never to do it again.)

I sent my piano teacher an eMail yesterday. She's out of town herself now, but when she comes back, she'll find the following message: "We're home from Maine, and getting ready to go to Mayberry. There's a strange piece of furniture in my living room here: very big, lots of wood, pretty black and white things on the front. Oh yes..... that's my piano."