Usually when I talk about organization, I am referring to organizing the data you’ve found. But it may be even more important to organize your research plans. Over the years, especially in the beginning, I wasted a lot of time researching sources I had already searched, or looking in the wrong town, at the wrong family, wrong year, etc.
Stressful faces. Commuter races. Last-minute compartmentalized parking spaces. Local traffickers faithfully discharge their duties, laying their burdens down in the retail emporiums and mail order altars of our brave new times. Store managers cheerfully, yet frantically oblige in return for our paperwork. Our personal orbits overshadow the undisturbed motions of the mechanical solar system.
Christmas is an occasion to spend time with family and friends, both new and old, in a cozy, comfortable setting. It’s a time for a renewed sense of spirituality for many. After all, the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ.
Coming home for the holidays is the pinnacle of the year for many who have moved away. And there really is no better place to come home to than Houlton (or any of the other surrounding communities in southern Aroostook County for that matter.) No place else do nose hairs seem to freeze instantly the first time you walk out the door on a cold winter morning.
Every farm needs a good dog. Four years ago, my family adopted a one-year-old male black lab retriever mutt from the Houlton Humane Society. Our hearts melted when we saw his gentle brown eyes and friendly, black puppy face. When we knelt down to pet him, his whole body wriggled with excitement as he slobbered our faces with kisses.
‘Tis the season for holiday movies. Turn on your television and you are likely to be bombarded with a variety of shows — some good, some cheesy and some downright awful.
My children have discovered I have a soft spot for holiday flicks. At this time of year, all they have to do is ask if they can watch a “family Christmas movie” in the evening and they know my response is likely to be a definitive “yes.”
Cell phones. They have become an integral part of everyday life. But have we become less considerate because of them?
That was a question posed to me by Lou Laney. Lou is the store manager for the Houlton Food Trend store on Military Street and was in our office recently when the subject of cell phones came up. He’s noticed an increasing trend of customers talking on their phones or texting while not only standing in line, but also as they approach the counter, causing delays in completing transactions.
I sometimes wonder if man discovered how to make fire completely by accident. Was some observant caveman walking along with a cool new rock, dropped it on another rock, and happened to notice that it created a spark which caught the nearby grass on fire? Even though it was an accident, it was still a great discovery, but it never would have occurred if that caveman hadn’t been particularly observant.
Last names are like the old riddle about the choice between a doubled penny or a million dollars.
Last names double with every marriage. Every person has at least two parents, four grandparents, eight greats, etc. Within 16 generations you have over 65,000 unique ancestors, and unique last names.
The Christmas season was officially kicked off in style Saturday evening as the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce held its annual Holiday Light Parade.
An atypically warm evening greeted the thousands of individuals who filled downtown’s Market Square and parade route as they anxiously awaited the arrival of Santa Claus. For many, the prime watching spot was from their vehicles as a trip up North Street found people huddled inside their cars, filling every possible parking lot along the road.
The holidays are now officially upon us. It’s a cliché for sure, but time does really seem to go faster the older we get.
Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorite holidays because it combines two things I enjoy immensely — eating and football. What’s not to like about that? Gathering with family and friends for a bountiful meal of turkey with all the fixings.
