Editorials

The reason plumbers charge such exorbitant prices is because they are worth every penny. From recent experience I have learned that one good plumber is worth four regular people.

A few weeks ago we bought a new faucet, and it seemed like the best thing we could have done.

As the Christmas season enters its peak, and family members from across the world return to be with their loved ones, we see an incredible opportunity for communication. Think about it. The world is full of perspectives, and those abroad may find themselves more easily exposed to other ways of thinking. I've been back in Fort Kent for nearly 48 hours now, and have found the blur of new (old) faces to be an exciting opportunity for continued personal growth.

As they've grown older, my sons have been trying to do more and more of this yearly Christmas chore, which wouldn't bother me except I know that when they head off to college I will be left to do the whole dang thing, and by then all my youthful vigor will have been sucked dry by the trials and tribulations of parenthood.

To the editor,

Hi! I live in Texas, but I am a Fort Kent Native. My mom, Francoise Daigle, showed me your newsletter this summer and told me about this recipe on Wednesday. I made it for Thanksgiving and loved it.

Sunday morning I used up about 1 1/2 c of leftovers with 2 c flour, 2 t baking soda, 4 T melted butter,an egg, a dash of salt. 1/3 c sugar and enough milk to make it pancake batter consistency and made sweet potato pancakes with some fried slices of leftover ham. :)

I'm the leftover queen!

Thanks for sharing!

Melanie Esqueda

What is that bright star near the horizon at sunset?

I'll give you a hint: it was near the full Moon a couple of weeks ago.

This was actually a tricky problem one of my colleagues gave on a test in his college-level astronomy course a few years ago.  I was delighted when seeing the star in real life reminded me of the problem.

Back in the day when I had no idea how fragile the human body actually was, all I could think of was how to convince Lisa from my

11th grade history class that it was her destiny to teach me how to properly French kiss.

About twelve or so months ago, while he still had some of that innocence that makes child-rearing somewhat rewarding and enjoyable, I took my eldest son aside, and I explained to him what he should expect as he moves into his teenage years.

In a very serious voice I said, "Now Son, don't be scared, but alien beings from another planet are going to kidnap you sometime in the next year or so."

When I sat down to write this article, I thought that I was going to write about unemployment and the struggle to find a new identity without a job.

I've hinted at this topic in my previous article. I know a few people who are currently dealing with the loss of a job and all of its attendant frustrations and fears.

If you are one of those special people who never smoke, never drink, exercise religiously, eat a balanced nutritious diet, always use sunscreen, and goes to the doctor for regular checkups, I have some news for you.

You are going to die.

By Grace Boutot

Everything is currently in full swing. There are still a few carefree weeks of summer left, the raspberries are out with abandon, and there is still some hot weather to endure. Writing can be difficult in a humid haze and a rainy day spent inside seems much more suited for that activity.

By Troy Jackson

By Noelle Dubay

In May of 2003, mountain climber Aron Ralston was hiking in the canyons of Utah when a boulder dislodged and trapped his right arm against a canyon wall. Unable to free himself for days, Ralston eventually resorted to sawing his own arm off with a dull blade in order to survive. Such measures must have been prompted by a state of total helplessness not hitherto experienced by the human psyche. That is, until today, when I got my car stuck in the car wash at DOC's.

My snow blower winked at me today.

I was out in the garage replacing the cutting blade on my lawn mower and cursing at the heat and the sweat.  I had special words for the tall grass that hid the rock that ruined my lawn mower blade.  I glanced over at the corner of the garage, and I swear that green gas-powered snow-puker winked at me.

A hallucination like that can make a man pause.

Occasionally the universe rattles its gears and spits out a bonafide sign, an omen of what's to come, a divine tweet from the iPod of God that tells you in no uncertain terms that you had better listen.

For me, that message came two weekends ago.