Editorials - Fiddlehead Focus

Editorials

A difficult goodbye

His soft ivory curls were wrapped around my finger as I examined every part of his body with cloudy eyes, my free hand stroking his shoulders as I told him, for probably the millionth time during his 12 years on earth, that I loved him. I told him he was beautiful — the most beautiful Goldendoodle in the world.

Giving thanks for angels in my life

I received the ornament I have been waiting for. It is a yellow submarine and Santa himself is sitting right about where the periscope should be. He is the traditional St. Nick, with chubby, cherry cheeks and lustrous white hair. The submarine is decorated with sugar drops; green, orange, yellow and pink.

Colonial ancestry

In my last column I discussed the differences between the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Pilgrims of Plymouth. Millions of Americans descend from these Protestant settlers and quite often have ancestors from both colonies. You probably do if your ancestors were here in New England in the 17th or 18th century.

Honoring Maine heroes for Veterans Day

Veterans Day is one of the most sacred days on our national calendar. Across the land, grateful Americans pay tribute to the brave men and women who have defended our freedom throughout our history.

Pilgrims or Puritans?

Pilgrims. Puritans. Did your ancestors number among them and is there a difference? Even Henry Louis Gates on Finding Your Roots once told a Mayflower descendant they had Puritan ancestors.

Mon 5 Cents – Week of November 9, 2022

Grandi a Grand Isle Avec l’arrivé de l’automne et l’hiver qui cogne a la porte, mes pensés tourne vers le printemps.

Treasures are for today

She looked through the tangle of necklaces carefully, not quite sure if she wanted to wear the colorful plastic pearls or sterling silver chains that clung dutifully to tarnished baubles of all shapes and sizes. She asked herself once again why she had stored these pieces of jewelry in her dresser drawers.

Jury names

If you have an ancestor in colonial New England, you may discover that ancestor served on a jury. Serving on juries was considered the duty of all free men in a town. Women didn’t vote or serve in public offices at that time.

A house of hospitality

Beautiful words don’t do justice to Sarah’s House of Maine in Holden. When I decided to begin the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Kent and I launched a search for either a hotel that would not only offer us the guarantee of lodging for three months, but would also be affordable.

Collaboration

To paraphrase Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” to collaborate or not to collaborate, that is your option. As a genealogist you may choose to work on your own or with someone else researching the same family.

The struggle

I compare the foliage that we see from afar to a finely crafted quilt, one that tells a timeless tale. On this cool, sparkling Saturday morning, Kent and I were heading toward Allagash via Route 161 and then on to Fort Kent and the Allagash.

Je parle français most of the time

Our teachers nous ont mentis. It has always bothered me that so-called St. John Valley French is sometimes almost barely considered to be French by some Francophiles.

The therapy journey continues

The chamber therapy, along with the pleasure of watching “Grey’s Anatomy” during the session, gives me ample time for deep, clear-headed thinking. I am surrounded each day by competent professionals who soothe and lessen my anxiety every moment I am in their care.

Increasing safety and efficiency of Route 1 in northern Maine

When large trucks travel down Main Street in Presque Isle, they currently must pass by 147 commercial or residential driveways, 25 street intersections, 12 crosswalks, nine stoplights, and one railroad crossing.

Blood of Vikings

My husband and I recently re-watched a BBC production called “Blood of the Vikings.” No, it’s not the latest Stephen King horror movie, but a report of the archaeological and DNA search for traces of the Viking presence in England, Scotland and Ireland.

In the pressure chamber

So many members of my family and friends ask me the question, “What is it like to go into the hyperbaric chamber? Do you get nervous or are you claustrophobic?” These are expected and perfectly appropriate questions, my friends. And my answer is no. I do not allow my mind to go down that particular path because every session is vital toward healing.

Your Welsh ancestors

Do you have Welsh ancestry? Many who do haven’t tried to do much research in Welsh records. The Welsh are a proud people, descendants of Celts. My own Welsh heritage stems from the Merrick/Meyrick line from the Isle of Anglesey, now Anglesey County. For about 20 years it was part of Gwynedd County, but after 1996 was reestablished as an independent county.

Honoring first responders on the 9/11 anniversary

Twenty-one years ago, I was working in the woods, out of cell phone range and miles away from the closest television. It seems like a lifetime ago — I had just graduated from the University of Maine at Fort Kent, celebrated my 29th birthday and had never stepped foot in the Statehouse as an elected official.

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