Notes from the Hungry Heron Farm, February 10, 2012

We need each other; that’s the message I bring from New York City, my weekend destination.

I happened to be driving former Waldo resident Ena Lupine to her new digs in Jackson Heights, Queens this last weekend. The apartment is adorable; the neighborhood rich with ethnic mixes; her roommates, ambitious and fun. Our world traveler from Waldo couldn’t have found herself a better situation for her first, independent living situation in the USA, except maybe a job. But that will come (saying a prayer here, you are invited to join in).

It was driving home to Waldo that I was struck with a reality so shocking that it continues to rock me: human beings aren’t terribly smart. This is a painful admission. The thought is so radical to me that I wonder what I was thinking before.

Our best asset is our ability to reproduce, something we do very well. Perhaps that’s all any animal can do. Beyond reproduction, we tend to huddle together in fear: it’s dark out there, in the land of the yet-to-be-invented.

It was when I left New York early in the morning to avoid rush hour traffic that I saw what seemed like millions of cars parked on the highway, commuters encased in steel carriages, crawling into the City to work. I thought about the automobile and the brilliance of the man who invented it; then, the men who came and built the roads – a feat of monumental proportion.

All this happened before the population swelled up like a flash flood and the roads as quickly clogged with traffic. Where were the brilliant then, standing up to say, “This used to be fun, but it just isn’t convenient anymore; I’m wasting my life just sitting here.”

Nowhere in sight: no, we sit docile, waiting a turn to move forward, inch by inch. Had we been confronted by a negative person or people, we might well have responded, “Don’t bother us; we’re going to work, reproducing. This is life. Sit down and shut up.”

We hear a lot about the winning ways of positive thinkers, but more than ever before I treasure my negative friends. I love the humor they bring to a world of mindless goal seeking.

Waldo Booster Meeting, as reported by Kellie Jacobs

We have some very new and exciting ideas.  We are trying to put together “emergency kits,” baskets for families that have been burnt out.  Kits will be filled with supplies that will help the family until their insurance or the Red Cross steps in. We are looking for donations of gently used unisex clothing in various sizes, from infant to adult, as well as blankets.

We would like to raise enough money to purchase a nice wooden road side sign that says, “Waldo Town Hall and Community Center.” We are taking bids on the project, and we are accepting donations of materials and time.

We will be hosting a family music festival this summer we will be calling, “Waldo a go go”.  We will be looking for lots of volunteers and help with that endeavor: more information to come.

As usual, anyone wanting to join the group is welcome. We are always looking for new people, new ideas and new volunteers. For any questions, or for anyone who would like to bid on the road side sign, please call me (Kellie) for more information: 342-3295.

Cabin Fever Reliever

Cabin Fever Reliever Day, will be held at the Methodist Church on Mill Lane in Belfast on Saturday, March 3 from 9-2:30 pm. This event is co-sponsored by the Waldo County Extension Homemakers’ Council and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Each of five workshops will be led by an experienced volunteer:

• String Quilting to use Your Scraps with Judy Hanson
• The 1930s Revival of the Yo-Yo Quilt with Sue Blais
• Non-Traditional Log Cabin Quilting with Khris LaChance
• Paper-Pieced Blocks with Nancy Sullivan
• Paint with Acrylic on Fabric (quilt blocks, sweatshirt, tote bag) with Charlotte White

For a flyer detailing the workshops or to enroll, call 1-800-287-1426.  The deadline to register is February 17.