Margery Niblock

Winter Events

The Portland Police Department held its third annual Recognition Ceremony at a breakfast event held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.

Officer of the Year

Officer Robert Bickford was proclaimed Officer of the Year. Bob has been a member of the force since 1987. He's assigned to the Traffic Unit and has received numerous commendations during his years of service. He's also a very nice guy, and a credit to this community.

Congratulations, Bob!

Citizen Award

The young man in the center is John Lough, a nineteen-year-old Portland resident, who was given a citizen award for coming to the aid of a man who had been stabbed.

Tom Kane, (a former Mayor of our fair city) along with his wife Maureen and son Jimmy, were also in attendance, since John Lough is their neighbor. That's Jimmy seated to the left of John Lough.

Commissioned Painting Unveiled

Detective Sergeant Bruce Coffin unveiled a large painting he was commissioned to do by the Police Unions, depicting a roll call from the 1940s. It will be installed at Headquarters on Middle Street.

That's Chief Tim Burton on the left and Bruce Coffin on the right. If you'd like to see more of Bruce's paintings, read my article "Bruce Coffin: No Shortage of Talent."

Snow, Snow, and Yet More Snow

It seems as though it has snowed every second or third day this winter. It's quite beautiful, although it does make getting around somewhat difficult. We've already used up the money allotted for snow removal this year, as have most of the other Maine communities.

Beautiful Winter Sunset

A phone call from my friend (and neighbor) Dave Brackett, alerted me to the lovely color of the sunset behind the snowy treetops.

It's great to have people that are willing to take the time to let you know that something special is happening outside. Dave was also the person who alerted me to the presence of the barred owl around the corner.

An Odd Coincidence

[David Howe's roof creations]

My friend David Howe lent me this book, which he highly recommended. Titled American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center, by William Langewiesche, it describes the daunting task of removing the 1.5 million tons of ruins from an incredibly dangerous site. And the author was there for six months, usually seven days a week; traversing the site day and night with those in charge of the massive cleanup (he refers to it as the "deconstruction"); attending meetings with the engineers. He became, in effect, part of the crew, and was privy to all of the problem solving that went on, and the many disagreements that came into play during the process.

Langewiesche states in the afterword that his aim was "to maintain the narrative's detachment," which he has done admirably well.

As an artist, I was very drawn to the cover illustration by Lynn Buckley. I kept looking at it from differing points of view; its vantage point and perspective; the drawn shapes; and the eeriness of the color. I found it fascinating.

That afternoon I received a handwritten card from Annette Dragon, a dear friend and talented photographer, who moved from Maine to Rochester several years ago. Her card had a reproduction of a Grant Wood painting on its cover.

I was startled when I saw the color of the fields in this painting. They were the same as those on the cover of the book I'd just gotten a few hours earlier. I placed the two objects side by side and just kept looking at them. These aren't colors that you'd normally run into placed next to one another, and especially in one day's time.

I e-mailed the two photos to my friend Kate O'Halloran, associated with the WMPG Thursday evening show "Big Talk," and this was her comment: "Interesting, too, how they're similar in color and tone, but different in texture—one all smooth and sinuous, the other uneven and crystalline."

Kate definitely has a way with words. I had been so focused on the color similarity that I hadn't even looked further.

House Portraits

My friend Nini, who lives around the corner, commissioned me to do a scratchboard portrait of her home. I had a great time working on this project and I hope to do more of them.

She got the original scratchboard and plans to have note cards done with this image. She said she may also want to use it on letterheads.

What's New? Snow!

Those tracks were not made by a cat. I think Mr. TinyToes (the skunk) has been venturing out in the snow. Poor thing! What's out there to eat these days? I wish I could help him get some nutrients. I'm quite fond of him and I miss seeing him, and those wonderful photo sessions we had last summer.

I'm starting a new scratchboard of him and I'll show you the finished product when I'm done.

art of the month club: A Mystery

I received an envelope last week, and here's what it looks like.

Very artistic: lots of stamps; pale, lowercase typed lettering; and that hand-drawn circle around the typed date saying "art of the month club." The return address has the same title, with a post office box number. It was intriguing.

When I opened the envelope there were two lovely, small wash drawings, but no word of explanation as to why I had received this, and no name to attach to its source. I like mysteries; maybe that's why I do the police reporting for The West End NEWS.

These drawings are well done, and each was on a piece of heavy watercolor paper. I'm assuming the person who did the artwork found these items on the street. Two street names are listed next to the dates, which are the same, "1.18."

On February 13 another envelope arrived. The date typed into this one was "feb 08," within the red circles drawn on the envelope.

Inside this envelope were four pieces of fuzzy cloth, cut out to resemble mustaches (I'm using the Webster's preferred spelling). There was a card enclosed with an explanation regarding what to do with these mustaches.

Also contained in February's envelope was this charming pin. How curious this all is.

I picked up my camera, looking for likely suspects to place the mustaches on. I didn't want to go around knocking on friends' doors or just carry the mustaches with me, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting people I might run across during my daily travels.

When it comes to something like this, I want to do it now. I decided to find things in my home to place the mustaches on, and then photograph the results, which I'll now share with you.

Here's my favorite: the Doughboy. I've been very fond of him since he made his appearance many years ago.

The mustache makes him seem a lot older, and not quite as adorable as he actually is. But he was a good sport, and he didn't mind posing for this photo.

This is my chainsaw bear, wearing sunglasses found in the ocean during a sea-glass collecting expedition, and wearing his FBI hat that he's quite attached to. He is not an FBI agent, in case you might be wondering. I prefer the way he looks without this mustache, but he's not going to keep it on forever.

I tacked mustaches on to this redheaded boy doll and this bear from a sign that had great meaning to me in my childhood.

I followed the instructions on the announcement and sent the four pictures to the e-mail address listed. I was hoping I might get some sort of acknowledgment but that didn't happen.

The drawing of this little bird was done by Susan Winn, whose beautiful fabric/bead art is astounding in its delicacy and complexity. I would have bet money that she'd sent the two envelopes. She has the time, the whimsical nature, and the talent to have imagined this "art of the month club."

I called her and asked her if this was something she was involved with and she gave me a hearty "No!" She claimed that if it were her idea, she would admit it.

So I'm back to square one; no idea who is responsible for this; no clues; the trail is dead. I'll just have to wait and see if any other envelopes arrive in the coming months.

I'll certainly let you know if there's an ending to this tale. Perhaps I'll have to ask some of Portland's detectives for their help in solving this mystery. They might be able to give me some tips.

Bruce Coffin: No Shortage of Talent

On Saturday, January 12, 2008, Detective Sergeant Bruce Coffin unveiled a large painting he was commissioned to do by the Police Unions, depicting a roll call from the 1940s. The event occurred at the third annual Portland Police Department's Recognition Ceremony, held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.

It will be installed at Headquarters on Middle Street.

Doesn't it make you feel as though you're in an old detective movie?

That's Chief Tim Burton on the left and the very talented artist Bruce Coffin on the right.

Bruce Coffin is a tall, elegant man with the voice of a TV or radio announcer. He has been interested in art his entire life. As a youngster, he drew all the time. As is common with many children who have a talent for drawing, he was treated specially because of this artistic gift. Coffin has had no formal training, but his wife Karen encouraged him to pursue his love of art after Coffin’s mother showed her some of the things he’d created during his youth. Karen bought him lots of art supplies and signed him up for a short period of art lessons as a surprise. Coffins says "I picked it up quickly; I read and tried to do things on my own."

Coffin enjoys working with watercolors and oils, and especially likes the effects he can achieve using glazes on oil paintings. He has an affinity for the outdoors and enjoys painting landscapes.

He also likes to do portraits and has done many of deceased relatives of the people who commission him to do such paintings. "You get drawn into portrait work. I try to capture what those people appeared to be at their best; the way you’d want them remembered." Pet portraits are another area where Coffin excels, and he’s done numerous commissions of animals. Coffin also has a Web site featuring many fine examples of his work.

Coffin hit it off and became friendly with a local artist, Suran (Sam) Kaklegian, who had been in art his entire life. Kaklegian became his mentor and was "a huge influence. He gave me critiques that were really helpful. After Sam died I did a pencil drawing of him for his wife Suzanne."

All of the Wyeths are favorites of Coffin, particularly N. C. Wyeth, whose work he was fascinated with when reading books in childhood illustrated by him. Norman Rockwell is another artist that Coffin admires. "His portraits tell a story," says Coffin.

At the present time, Bruce Coffin’s art is a second career. He’s a Detective Sergeant working for the Portland Police Department, where he’s been on loan since 2004 to the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Coffin’s law enforcement career spans a 23-year period. He started out working a foot beat and has been in many different units, including patrol and traffic, where he investigated fatal accidents. Coffin joined the Detective Bureau in 1997 was promoted to Sergeant in 1998, rejoining the Detective Bureau as a Detective Sergeant in 1999, and holding that rank since then.

Coffin says that he has become more of an extrovert because of his art, and he enjoys combining his art and his law enforcement career. In 2006 Coffin did a portrait of Sergeant Michael J. Wallace, who was a beloved member of the Portland Police Department and had mentored many of the young officers. An award had just been named in Wallace’s honor and Coffin presented his painting at the department’s Recognition Ceremony, in 2007. The painting was very warmly received and now hangs in Headquarters.

Coffin shows his work in Portland’s summertime Sidewalk Art Festival and will be having an exhibit in August at The Gallery of Casco Bay Frames.

This painting of a sunrise over Portland's skyline was done from a view along Back Cove, where Coffin often jogs.

After retirement, he plans to work on his art full time, quipping, "I won’t be a starving artist because I’ll have a pension."

I hope you’ll mark down his opening date on your calendar.

Be My Valentine

Sweet Hearts

The street near my car was scattered with tiny, shiny, wonderful little hearts! What could be more pleasant on a drab wintry day? That was a reminder to place my Valentine's Day decoration on my door, which I did. Here it is.

Valentine's Day is a holiday that many people berate because they say it's made up in order for consumerism to rear its ugly head. I like it! How can it be a bad thing if people buy gifts and candy and flowers for loved ones? And all of those beautiful red hearts! It's wonderful to have some pretty decorations to look at in the bleak month of February.

Deb Eaton's Valentine Card Party

My good friend Deb Eaton hosts a weekend party for the express purpose of making valentine cards.

Deb is an author with oodles of delightful books she's written for children. She is one of the most imaginative people I've ever known. And the whimsy fairy has given her more than her share of sprinkles, which she puts to excellent use to charm her young readers.

These covers are from two of her books. Deb is also a gracious hostess, providing delicious food to those that attend the card-making event.

There are all sorts of fancy papers, hearts, and old books to be cut up and used for making cards, with all of the necessities provided by Deb. Whenever she sees something that might be appropriate for this event, she'll bring it home. She now has quite a stock of supplies for people to choose from.

A potpourri of equipment also confronts the card makers.

This was my favorite paper. I think it's just luscious!

Deb also makes fantastic cards. Here's one that was done a couple of years ago, which I was lucky enough to receive. I take it out and stand it up for several weeks in my celebration of Valentine's Day. I think it's one of the most humorous things I've seen. Each time I look at it I just have to smile.

Deb's cat Bebe was guarding some of the equipment. She was very well behaved, just observing the women working at their projects.

These are some of the hearts that were available for use. Just the sight of them puts me in a festive mood. I think that's part of the magic of Valentine's Day; the pleasant visuals attached to it.

Deb's party was a resounding success, with people making wonderful cards. I'm certain everyone in attendance will be looking forward to next year's event.

Portland's Valentine's Day "Bandit"

                [photo by Jess Kilby]

This building is Portland's downtown fire station. A couple of years ago  it was adorned with a Valentine's Day flag. We have a "bandit" who celebrates Valentine's Day by taping paper hearts to buildings in the downtown area. Then there's usually one special building that has the flag attached to it. This event has been going on for many years. There's probably a whole gang of "bandits" involved, since it takes a lot of work to place so many hearts on so many locations.

         [photo by Jess Kilby]

Keep up the good work!

Hearts at Home

The lovely creation above is a beaded work by Susan Winn. Susan uses seed beads for her art. Many times she'll do a design and stamp it on fabric in a repetitive fashion, then beads one area of the overall pattern. It's fascinating work and I've never seen anyone else do this type of art.

Susan likes coming across found objects and putting them to use. The design above was from a child's drawing that was lying in the street. The actual beaded work is eight by ten inches. You can get an idea of how tiny those beads are. Just imagine all the time it takes to sew them onto the fabric.

Susan is someone who makes the world a more beautiful place, and I really enjoy viewing her transposition of one form of art into another.

This glass heart was a Valentine's Day gift many years ago.  I was instructed to "take good care of it," and I've done that.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Ending a Year, Starting a Year

Who Are Your Favorite People?

My friend Kate O'Halloran gave me this delightful little gift on the way to the party that is the next subject.

It's just too precious to hang in my car, so I placed it on a wall in my kitchen. What a perfect item for the "police-beat" reporter for The West End NEWS!

I felt I had to share it with some of the police personnel that I deal with on a regular basis, and sent the photo off to a few of them. Detective Sergeant Robert Martin, a highly-decorated officer with many commendations and citations, who also possesses a finely-honed wit, responded with the following e-mail.

"That is funny. It probably won't get you out of a ticket but it might get your window broken."

It was excellent cautionary advice from one who knows what he's talking about.

Here's the back of the air freshener; it's a little badge.

Glitter Party

I was invited to a solstice party on December 22, hosted by Hannah Holmes and John Dorvee, which happened to be—you got it—the solstice! Everyone attending was supposed to wear something that glittered. The sequined "butterfly" above is the blouse I wore. It was a good choice. I was the "glitteriest" person there. I thought I might be.

One of the men there, who admired my shiny blouse, after hearing me make mention of my leopard-skin tuxedo jacket, said he'd like to come to my home and see my wardrobe closet. That jacket was purchased for my "dinosaur" party, a terrific event, with a magician, and of course lots of good food and great company.

[rear view of tuxedo jacket]

Several of my parties wound up with titles as a way of distinguishing them: There was the dinosaur party, held at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia; the bumblebee party; the dog- fight party; the gun-that-went-off party. I'll just mention that it was a tavern owner whose gun went off while showing it to someone in my kitchen. Scary! Unknown to me, he was holstered up with three weapons; one across his chest (.45); one at his waist (.38); and one on his ankle (.22). There were three unarmed off-duty officers (two of them a married couple) in attendance at that one, one of whom left immediately. The others remained and the rest of the people at the party thought that a firecracker had gone off in the kitchen. The gun-toting friend was removed from my party list after that event.

I just went to check my e-mail and one had come in a couple of minutes ago from the detective whose wife (now ex-wife) whisked him out of my house right after the gun went off. The bullet landed in the kitchen door jamb and I never removed it, as a reminder of how very lucky I was that night.

These guys must know that I'm writing about them. I checked my e-mail once again, and had one from the officer whose wife (also a police officer) did not drag him out the front door of my home.

Memories, memories, now back to the solstice event. Then the man who was interested in my clothing, proposed to me. I'd be happy to have him come over and look into my closet, but as far as marriage, "been there; done that"; x 2! That was enough for me. Some people just aren't marriage material, and I think I'm one of those. I love men, I just don't love being married to any of them.

More Glitter—on Flowers

Folks, do you see those shiny spots on the flowers that look like sequins? It's glitter! This is almost as bad as those donut peaches I wrote about many months ago. Why would anyone need to put glitter on flowers?

Old Port Fight

Three young suburban men in their twenties, no doubt buoyed by high levels of alcohol and testosterone, were engaging in fisticuffs in the middle of the street, a quarter after the hour of the closing of the local drinking establishments.

A Portland Police Department sergeant on routine patrol, after viewing the scene, brought his vehicle to a halt and ordered the combatants to cease and desist. One of the men heeded the command but the other two, somewhat in lack of good sense, were bent on finishing what they had started.

The pummeler on top was arrested and charged with assault and the pummelee was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

One can only hope they were pleased with their accommodations at the Cumberland County Jail, whereby they would be able to contemplate the result of their foolishness in quiet reverie, and possibly forge some worthwhile New Year’s resolutions based on the evening’s events.

Safe Sex Isn't Free

On New Year's Day at three o'clock in the afternoon, a twenty-four-year-old person of the male persuasion, catering to his libidinous urges, entered a Rite Aid drugstore in search of condoms. He is to be commended for his desire to have safe sex; however, he either didn't want to pay the price of the aforementioned items, or couldn't afford to. Whatever.

He was seen stealing condoms, police were called, and the guy was arrested for theft. We can only hope that his detainment didn't last long enough to prevent him from purchasing those same items and having a better start to the new year.

And He Had . . . What?

A guy goes into a Big Apple at 11:30 in the evening. He's wearing a ski mask (but after all, it is Maine) and after being aggressive toward the staff, refuses to leave the premises.

An employee promptly called for the help of the men in blue and upon their arrival the prominent feature pertaining to this 45-year-old man was a wooden handle protruding from his left jacket pocket.

Guess what? Upon the removal of the wood from the pocket, it was discovered to have a steak knife attached to it. The gentleman was relieved of said item before being transported to jail and charged with carrying a concealed weapon and criminal trespass.

Owl Takes Up Residence in Neighborhood

A magnificent barred owl took up residence around the corner in a giant fir tree for several days. I was hoping it might be a more permanent move, that I might be able to visit it and take photos on a daily basis.

Barred owls and spotted owls are very similar in appearance. Barred owls live in the eastern portion of the country and spotted owls' habitats are in the western parts of the United States.

He's gone! I'm going to keep checking out that tree though, hoping to see him once again. It certainly was a winter treat.

Reckless Conduct, Snow, and Ice: A Bad Combination

We've had a lot of snow and ice in Portland, more than the usual amount. People here usually don't turn the snow and ice into weapons.

But that's what occurred when police responded to a call after being notified that a man was throwing large chunks of ice and snow into the street directly in front of passing vehicles, causing them to either swerve or slam on their brakes.

When Officer Kent Porter arrived at the scene at three in the afternoon he saw pieces of ice in the street that were so large they could have caused serious bodily injury or damage to property.

Officer Porter, a gentleman with a pleasant demeanor, explained the reason he was asking the 53-year-old Portland man to stop this particular activity. The guy's response was "Get a life!" And then he threw a large shovelful of ice and snow at the policeman.

The officer, who has a very nice life, part of which is protecting the public from jackasses such as this, decided it was time for this man to take a short ride to the jail. He was charged with reckless conduct and disorderly conduct.

Beachcombing and Sea Glass

I've always loved beachcombing. So when I moved to Maine, that was one of the first things I did. There's a beach a couple of blocks from my home, which was amazing to me. I couldn't believe that I had the good fortune to live in a neighborhood with a beach so close, yet I was also able to walk downtown. That's perfect! An unbeatable combination.

I developed this strange idea that it would be wonderful to earn my living as a beachcomber. I had been enjoying picking up little pieces of colored glass known as "sea glass," which most women in Maine seem to have a fondness for. Some of this glass is well over a hundred years old. It comes from bottles that have broken up and been churned by the waves and sand until the edges are smooth.

This is a piece of glass from a bottle that said "Max Factor/Hollywood" on it. You can see the raised letters, which are still legible.

When a friend suggested that I might want to make jewelry from these glass shards, I jumped at that idea, although I'd never made any jewelry previously. I went to the library and began bringing home books about making jewelry. I worked out a list of simple tools I would need, and a Dremel was the key. I knew I'd have to drill tiny holes in the glass to attach silver wire because I didn't want to get involved in soldering. I had to use diamond drill bits and had to wet the glass down with a paintbrush in between drilling.

And so I began my new career. I would go to the beach about five times a week. My neighbors thought I was daft when they'd see me heading off in midwinter. But when they saw the results, they got right "into" it. They were always wanting to know if I'd made any good finds.

This beach might not look too appealing to you, but if you were creating things from sea glass it would turn into a treasure trove. The beach is in South Portland and it has a lovely view of Portland's skyline. It's long, and there's sea glass everywhere you look. This was taken at low tide.

When I came here during those "minus" tides, I was able to walk past those wooden posts that you see in the water. They're pretty far out; there were great bottles out there. That wood was from a pier that burned down many years ago.

The reason there is so much stuff in the water here is because many years ago, before trash collection was initiated, people would just discard unwanted items here. It's almost hard to imagine, isn't it? I'd met a woman in her eighties who was walking her dog along the beach, and she was the one who told me. That's where all of the broken doll parts came from, and the old dishes and bottles of all sorts.

The beach is quite long and it has steps from the street above, making it accessible to the public. There have been few times when I'd come across anyone else on the beach, yet it's close to habitation, so it doesn't have a feeling of total isolation. There were a couple of instances at other beaches, where isolation became a negative aspect, and I stopped going to those areas alone.

I bought a tide calendar and I'd go to the beach about an hour before low tide. That way I could have two leisurely hours for searching, before the tide would begin coming in again. I discovered that when there were exceptionally low tides—minus tides—I'd be able to walk out much farther into the muddy areas. And that area held a vast array of antique bottles. Whenever there were really low tides I'd just be looking for interesting bottles. The sea glass I was able to get at any time, even high tide, on this particular beach.

Here are some of the bottles I collected during those special low tides. I really had no shelf space for them, but my son came up with a great idea. He told me to buy some pieces of glass and some brackets, and put them into my bay window in the living room.

So that's what I did. It was excellent advice. Now I can see my bottles all the time and the light comes through them, so I haven't lost anything.

I've saved the best for last. This bottle with the wonderful oxidation is definitely a favorite. The color is spectacular. And I found it lying on the beach, after a particularly bad winter storm in February. It was amazing to consider all of the large rocks that bottle had to pass in order to wind up on the beach. It would not have been surprising to find it stuck out in the muddy area. It evidently was looking for a good home and knew I'd be coming along. Smart bottle!

I hope you can tell that there's something very special in this round-bottomed bottle, which is referred to as a torpedo bottle. I found two bottles with these rounded bottoms on the same day, and they were next to one another. They're the only ones I ever came across.

These were some of the first soda bottles made, when carbonation was first used. Flat-bottomed bottles with corks as stoppers were used. There was a problem with this though. The bottles were standing up; the corks would dry up, and then they would pop out. That wasn't a good way to sell soda.

In order to solve the problem, they began to make bottles with rounded bottoms, which meant they'd have to be stored in a horizontal position, to keep the corks moist. This worked very well until caps were invented that would permit the bottles to once again have flat bottoms that could be kept in a vertical position. This bottle is over a hundred years old. The object that you see inside it is a clam. The clam went into the bottle when it was small enough to fit through the narrow top. And it was able to get its nutrients in there, so it grew and grew and grew, until it could grow no more.

When I picked the bottle up and realized what was in it, I was dumbfounded. It was an eerie feeling seeing this large clamshell in there and realizing its history. My first thoughts were: It was safe; but it was also imprisoned. I have no idea whether this was one of those "happy" clams you hear about. And speaking of them, that is a strange saying isn't it? Happy as a clam! What on earth could that possibly mean? Hopefully, this clam could see its relatives being picked up by seagulls and then being smashed on the rocks to become food. And he sat in his bottle, happily eating algae in the safety of his glass cocoon.

This bottle was one of the best gifts the ocean had bestowed upon me, and I constantly worried that it might break accidentally. Finally I had my talented friend David Howe build a wonderful Plexiglas enclosure for it. It's now in my dining room, attached to the frame in the middle of the window. It also has some tiny lights on the underside of the case, so I can light it at night if I choose to do that.

This is from a Christmas catalog of Down East magazine. They used to buy lots of my sea glass jewelry. Cobalt blue is the favorite color of many women for sea glass, since it's hard to find. Red is an even rarer color, but people aren't as fond of it. Aside from the broken pieces of glass I'd find on the beach and in the water, I'd also come across lots of old pottery. I combined these with various beads, including silver ones, and put it together using sterling silver chain.

This little card, which I considered to be my "magic card," was inserted with the jewelry, giving an explanation of what sea glass is and its use in the various pieces.

I sold the work in many stores, in the gift shop of the Portland Museum of Art, and I would exhibit yearly in the annual trade show held in Portland at the Civic Center. After about ten years of this I grew tired of it and gave it up.

The beach that's in the photo at the beginning of this article has lots of lavender glass, which is over a hundred years old. Manganese was used to strengthen the glass and there's a chemical reaction caused by sunlight that turns clear glass lavender, if it has manganese in it.

I consider the items in this miniature cabinet to be my "ocean museum." I have assorted doll parts and other oddities that I found along the beach and in the water.

I still go to the beach for relaxation. And I have the wonderful objects that I've found, which remind me of my days as a beachcomber in Maine.

'Tis the Season

My Latest Toy

I'm a child at heart. I love toys. I think that's one of the best things about being grown up, that I can buy anything I want for myself.

This little felt "monster" came from the Filament Gallery on Congress Street, run by Jill Dalton and Ernest Paterno. I've bought quite a few things there since they opened several years ago.

This is an argon sculpture created by Ernie, who does marvelous things with glass. It's a wonderful addition to my home, hanging on a wall in the living room.

And this delightful clock was also created by him.

A Beautiful Dog

This is Loki, an Akita. In Norse legend, Loki is the trickster god. A young man who lives around the corner owns Loki, and I met them in the park at the top of North Street.

Crushed Mail

This is a mail slot; a big one.

It's on the outside of the front door. It is eleven inches wide. I had it put in when I first bought this house (which I no longer own, although I still live here). I put in a large mail slot because transcripts were coming to me from a court stenographer in Philadelphia several times a week. I'd proofread them as soon as they arrived, make corrections, and drive them down to the post office so that the turnaround time would be fast.

There were also mailboxes on the front of the building, and the mailman was so clever he knew not to try and stuff a large envelope into a small mailbox. He really had an understanding of size and visual perspective. It helps in that line of work.

This is what the mail slot looks like on the inside of the door. It's still eleven inches wide!

The mail carrier who delivers to our building normally places the mail on a chair inside the hallway. I then sort it out for the three apartments and place the mail on the appropriate steps for floor 2 and floor 3. It works very well. The mailboxes outside are a little too small, especially when folks are dealing with Netflix.

I can always tell when we have a substitute delivering our mail. This is what the mail looks like on those occasions. This is my mailbox. Nicely done, isn't it?

This is what confronted me the other day when I stepped outside because I realized the mail hadn't been left on the chair. The young man who lives on the third floor was going out at the same time and when he saw my mailbox he said "What is wrong with this person?"

There was more than just cramming wrong with that person. I don't get Netflix; that was for James, who had just commented on my mailbox's appearance. So what was wrong was that the person either didn't know how to read or just didn't bother. And sometimes it's windy on the hill. Things might blow out of a mailbox loaded up like this. But who cares? Not that particular mail carrier, evidently. C'est la vie.

"Everybody Knows Marge" Birthday Mouse Pad

This was a most clever gift from my friend Kate. She got the idea after I'd told her about the handsome young man I'd been chatting with at the crazy carrots stand, which I'd written about a few weeks ago. He knew who I was and I didn't know who he was. When I'd asked how he knew me he said "Everybody knows Marge."

Kate thought that was pretty funny (and so did I), and she made this mouse pad to commemorate that statement. The flames are like the ones on my FlameMobile. It's all connected in one big circle.

Lots of December Snow

This was our first snowfall this December. It brought eight inches of whiteness and our first parking ban of the season. A few days later we got another four inches, and yesterday we got about a foot. That's a lot of snow for December. It's snowing again today and we may get another six to ten inches. It certainly seems as though we will have a white Christmas, which most people in Maine yearn for.

It's quite lovely to look at; driving is another thing entirely. And walking is quite another matter.

Seasonal Sweater

My son and daughter-in-law (Marc and Maria) got me this sweater a few years ago. I always look forward to wearing it. It is really warm. I've worn it when the temperature was only in the teens, as it was the other day, and it's fine. I get many compliments whenever I wear this. People stop me and say how much they like the sweater. And that's not just women. Many men make comments also. It's a garment that makes people smile, which is a very good thing.

Last year I decided that I could wear the sweater as long as there was snow on the ground. It's a winter sweater, not just one for Christmas. I think there's also a dreidel in one of those gift boxes.

Christmas at Police Headquarters

This is Deputy Chief Joe Loughlin with his boxer, PT. Joe (coauthor of Finding Amy) says the dog is "brave, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous, and kind." He looks quite regal also. I would say that Joe has the same qualities. They're well paired.

Cheery Sun

Nance Parker, of the Shoestring Theater, had an exhibit of her paintings and some craft items this past weekend. I went for this papier-mâché sun in a big way and had to bring it home with me.

I've hung it on the outside of the bathroom door. I can see it when I'm working at the kitchen table and I'm really enjoying its bright personality.

Merry Christmas!

It's November No More!

What a Great Find!

I found this in a parking lot. It's two-sided, so I must share the other side with you. The little handle up there actually turns. Quite a clever cardboard whatever.

Yes, yes, I know it's a drill. I wonder why someone went to all the effort to create this. It's really nicely done. And now it's hanging in the entrance to my kitchen. There's still room left here for something that's this narrow.

Surprise Floral Arrangement

I was returning from a walk the other day, when my friend Joe called to me. I crossed the street and he sat down on the steps while we chatted.

When I looked to the left, I saw this lovely arrangement of flowers, which Joe said he'd placed there. It was such a pleasant surprise. I might never have noticed it if we hadn't been talking at just that spot.

Pretty Colors

I may have tortured you with all of my pumpkin photographs, but these colors were so lovely together. Just concentrate on the orange color and forget that it's another pumpkin.

Noel's Impact Felt in Maine

Although the storm generated by Hurricane Noel was not as bad as our April 16 event, its remnants created winds high enough to snap the mooring line of this sailboat, Molly Waldo. This picture was taken at low tide on Sunday, November 5, around one in the afternoon at the East End beach.

Walking toward the boat, I saw a man and his dog approach it from the other direction. He checked certain things and then walked in my direction. I asked whether he was the owner. He said he was, and that he'd owned the boat for 20 years. He said it looked like it was in good shape, that the only problem would be getting it off the rocks and back into the bay. I expect that will be accomplished within a few days.

Healing Field in Deering Oaks

I got a call Saturday afternoon from my wonderful neighbors, Bea and Michele. They said "Get your camera and drive over to Deering Oaks. You'll know why we called when you get there."

Exciting! A mystery assignment. Even though I'd already been out and didn't want to leave the house again, I followed their directive. As soon as I approached the park I saw hundreds of flags; and they were large flags.

The flags were in several locations in the park and it was an impressive display. I ran into a man who knew something about them and was told it was called a Healing Field. The flags are to commemorate Veterans Day, November 11, and it's a national event, sponsored by the American Legion.

Maine is participating by having flags in several locations. There will also be 2,900 flags along the Maine Turnpike and I-95, from Augusta to the New Hampshire border at Kittery. The Deering Oaks display adds over 800 more to that number.

Portland's Official Christmas Tree Arrives

The city's Christmas tree arrived at Monument Square on November 14, accompanied by a police escort. It didn't have far to travel, probably under three miles.

The tree will be decorated and the lighting will take place the evening after Thanksgiving. It's always an event that's well attended.

It's an impressive sight, watching the crane get the tree aligned and secured in place.

It will be a cheerful reminder of a pleasant season, when bright decorations are welcome.

Shopping Cart Peeks

Tell the truth now, do you ever glance into other people's shopping carts? I do. I'm always hoping I'll see something fascinating. I decided to bring my camera with me on my trips to the supermarket, just so I'd be ready if something wonderful presented itself.

This cart falls into that "wonderful" category, as far as I'm concerned. I was at the store a couple of days after Thanksgiving when an announcement was made that all turkeys would be thirty-nine cents a pound until they ran out.

I happened to be right near the turkeys at that time, and two men began hurling turkeys into their carts. They must have had fifteen in each cart. And these turkeys were about twenty pounds apiece. Quite a load!

Another Aspect of Shopping Cart Peeks

They're darling, aren't they? That's Morgan on the left and Brigid is looking right at us.

You see babies and small children in shopping carts quite often. I have never seen the section or aisle of the market where they're displayed for sale though. I guess I'm just hitting the store at the wrong time, after the children have been put into carts.

A Perfect Wedding

September 15 was the date set for Hannah Holmes's wedding to John Dorvee; at her house; hopefully outside. The weather had been lovely for a week—but rain was predicted for that Saturday. No fair! I believed the sun would shine by four o'clock. The ceremony was scheduled for 3:30, but I didn't think it would start until four. It's too bad I didn't make bets on the weather with lots of people. I could have cleaned up. The sun was shining at four and the sky was blue. Yippee!

There was one of these floral arrangements on either side of the driveway. Hannah had placed calls to many of her friends, in search of hydrangeas. A neighbor of mine has the largest bush I've ever seen; just loaded with blossoms. I reported back to Hannah, but she was all set. She had all the hydrangeas necessary by the time of the ceremony.

There were a couple of tents set up in the backyard, which is the garden written about in Suburban Safari, Hannah's last book. Travis Humphrey provided the music and Monica Wood also sang a song accompanying herself on the guitar. It's amazing how some people can have so many talents. Monica is a woman who's lovely to look at, is a talented writer, and also plays guitar and sings beautifully.

Attorney Leonard I. Sharon conducted the ceremony. Several group hugs with John's children Kyara and Aidan were conducted after Hannah and John were officially declared husband and wife.

There was an awful lot of love going around that day.

The cake not only looked delectable, it was. I'm a dessert lover, and I can vouch for the tastiness of this. Just looking at the photo now is making me lust for another piece.

Hannah is sporting a lug-nut necklace and earrings made by her childhood friend Paula, from Boothbay Harbor. It looks great on her, doesn't it? Of course anything would look great on Hannah! And the jewelry is a wonderful complement to the metallic color of her lovely gown.

May John and Hannah live happily ever after. A fairy tale ending couldn't happen to a nicer couple.

L'Chaim!

Cops and Robbers (with Car Chase)

A very small branch of the TD Banknorth was robbed on Friday, November 16, around one o'clock in the afternoon.

The robber had some nice portrait shots taken of him by the surveillance cameras. The quality of the photographs is amazing. You might think it would stop people from robbing banks and convenience stores.

The photos from the bank's cameras were sent to me late on the afternoon of the robbery, accompanying a press release issued by Lieutenant Anthony Ward of the Portland Police Department.

The press release stated: "A lone male entered the bank handing a teller a note demanding money. The perpetrator displayed no weapon and fled on foot after being given an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured in the robbery." A description was then given and a phone number for contacting police detectives was included.

Four days later, on November 20, my friend and neighbor Dave Brackett went out for dinner by himself. Dave does home remodeling and building, and does wonderful work. This trailer is his shop on wheels; he hauls it to the job site with his van, and then he has everything necessary to complete his work.

He went to Uncle Billy's for an early dinner, arriving around five, when it opened. He'd driven the van and parked on Congress Street, across and down a bit from the restaurant. His wife and children had gone to visit both sets of their parents in Massachusetts for Thanksgiving, and he was going to join them the next evening. He thought he'd have a pre-birthday celebration dinner at one of his favorite restaurants.

Dave had noticed some blue lights flashing outside while eating, and thought no more about it. This was downtown and it was rush hour, so he figured something was going on requiring police action. He was correct in his thinking.

When he reached his van after finishing dinner, he noticed that it was not in the same condition as it had been when he entered the restaurant.

When Dave had gone into Uncle Billy's for dinner, his van had a brake light and taillight. Those were now missing, but he saw the remnants of the objects in the street.

On that same evening, I attended a Neighborhood Watch meeting of the Bayside Neighbors Association. I arrived the same time as Karl Geib, an officer who patrols the downtown area on a bicycle, often riding with Dan Knight, another police pedaler. Dan also attended the meeting that evening.

These two officers are very visible and they provide a personal face to our police force. People recognize them and like seeing them; they've been in the same area for a long time and they do an excellent job.

Karl is pictured here, and that's Dan Knight's hat, taken at an award ceremony last year. They had just been mentioned in "The Dumpster" column of The West End NEWS, which said "Recent torrential rains didn't stop city's bike cops from their rounds."

Karl said "I have a 'scoop' for you! We just arrested the robber from the TD Banknorth holdup. There was a car chase and we got him." Even though "scoop" is not a word that has much meaning to me, given the paper's schedule, it's always nice to be in the "know." Just a few days prior, I'd used the word "scoop" in a conversation I'd had with Detective Sergeant Robert Martin. He'd said "The word 'scoop' shouldn't even be part of your vocabulary, with the biweekly format of your paper." How right he is! That was the only opportunity I'd had for a real scoop and the printer was delayed two days in coming out with that issue. Darn!

I got home from the meeting around 8:15 and there was a message from Dave Brackett on my answering machine. He said his van had been involved in a hit-and-run incident while he'd been having dinner. He didn't know anything else about it, but thought I might have some information to give him.

I called him back immediately and was able to tell him about the car chase downtown. I said it must have had something to do with that. And it did. The car had been a rental car from Enterprise.

The driver of the car was not the alleged bank robber, although he was in that car. Two women were also in the vehicle being chased. The car finally halted and the robber ran toward the Holiday Inn; he was caught close to that hotel. The car's driver was arrested and charged with trying to elude a police officer and leaving the scene of an accident.

The bank robber was charged with robbery. Good job!

And luckily Dave has an extra light that he can tack onto his van, which he needs for a big job that he's starting.

Hopefully the insurance companies won't take too long to sort everything out and assign damages to the proper agencies, which should not be Dave's insurance company. But I heard that Enterprise is saying they are not liable, so this may end up being a real mess and a hardship for poor Dave, who was an innocent bystander

Here's the van with the temporary hookup—which got Dave down to his family's Thanksgiving dinner.

The van is now in the shop, being repaired. I haven't found out the estimated cost yet, but you know it will be well over a thousand dollars. The sliding door on the damaged side is inoperable also, which will add to the cost.

Whenever I hear about things like this where there's a disagreement between insurance companies, it always brings me back to the days when I was a court reporter and I visualize deposition transcript captions in my mind.

The way I see this one now is:

                  DAVID BRACKETT T/A BRACKETT RENOVATIONS LLC

                                               vs. 

                              ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR, et al.

I hope things work out well for Dave, and that it doesn't become a prolonged battle. We shall see . . .