June, June, June! Exit Spring and enter Summer. Officially, in the northern hemisphere, Summer begins on June 20 this year. But in Maine, Summer always arrives the beginning of June. The bright green blush of the trees and bushes is gone. The leaves are full sized. Pine pollen no longer coats cars and patio furniture a hazy yellow.

The time of intense gardening is done. Do I miss it? Yes, I do. There was something thrilling about getting up each morning and planning to spend as much time outdoors as my knees would take. Housework? What’s that? My book that’s coming out in the fall? Editing will have to wait until June. May gives northern gardeners a sense of urgency and purpose that pushes most other activities to the side. And nothing brings zest to life like a sense of urgency.

Yet, how good it is to settle into summer. Clif put up the screen house, which means we can enjoy sitting on the patio after 4 p.m. when the mosquitoes come out in hordes to plague us. It has been a wet spring, perfect breeding weather for those dratted little biters.

June is also the time I get together with my blogging friend, Judy of New England Garden and Thread. It is a treat I always look forward to. Last week, we met at Stonewall Kitchen in York, Maine. They have a lovely patio where Judy and I can sit and chat for hours, where none of the servers will give us pointed looks suggesting that we have outstayed our welcome.

We arrived early, at around 11:00, just after breakfast had ended and just before the lunch crowd arrived. We had our choice of seats.

I had a fig jam and brie grilled cheese served with homemade chips. My oh my, was that sandwich ever good. I could have one for lunch today. And tomorrow.

Judy and I talked about gardens—she brought me aster and lupine seedlings—and family. We tried to solve the problems of the world, but as they are so big and numerous, I’m afraid we didn’t get very far.

Our next plan is to get together with blogging friend Dorothy from The New Vintage Kitchen. The distance is more of a challenge, but we hope we can make it work.

Stay tuned!

Today, I am taking a break from Politics Friday. I have a bad cold—as do Clif and Dee—and my head is too muzzy to write about anything. I will be back next week.

This week is going to be a little topsy-turvy. Instead of politics Friday, here’s a politics Monday. The reason for this is that last weekend, all across the country, there were massive protests against the Trump Administration and all the horrible things it has done. It seemed best to feature one of the protests while the memory of the weekend is still fresh.

As far as I know, the protests were completely peaceful. No fights, no looting. Little Maine valiantly did its part. In Augusta, the state capital, an estimated 4,000 people showed up. Not too shabby for a small city with a population of about 18,000. Unfortunately, because of my creaky knees, I didn’t attend. (I am thinking of getting a cane with a seat so that I can join future protests.) However, my friend Beth Clark and her husband John were there. She generously agreed to write a description of the event and gave me permission to use her photos. Many thanks, Beth!

Beth wrote:

“As much as I wanted to go to Saturday’s protest at the state capital, we had been told that an earlier rally had credible threats of possible trouble. I listened to an ACLU Zoom about knowing your rights in a protest and ways to safeguard yourself. I even wrote my daughters’ phone numbers on my arm, in permanent ink, in case my phone or personal effects were taken away.

“I am happy to report that none of my angst was necessary. Everyone present was polite, supportive, and willing to help out. The band played, and people sang “God Bless America” and the “Star Spangled Banner.” Participants chanted, “This is what Democracy looks like” and “Hands off our…”.

“John and I were surrounded by seniors. Some had walkers, wheelchairs, or canes. Others appeared feeble and had loved ones supporting them. As we watched a stream of protesters, we were heartened to see many young adults in the crowd. There were children marching with parents and grandparents, and three generation families were visible.

“Posters illustrated well the diversity and scope of the government actions that were being protested. They were variously humorous, angry, artistic, ironic, or simple.

“The day was cold, but warmth spread through the audience as eloquent speakers, without name calling or blame, identified the issues at hand and the need for change. The fact that an older Palestinian man and a young Jewish woman co-presented illustrates the desire for open communication and cooperation. As the protesters took to the street in an orderly fashion, the passing cars honked, waved, and gave thumbs up. I was glad I participated and that it was truly a peaceful protest. I came away feeling supported, appreciated, and mobilized to do more.”

Finally, here is a video from YouTube that expands on what Beth wrote. You’ve got love a protest that includes horns and drums.

As the title of this post suggests, I am taking an extended break. For how long, I don’t know. I’m going to be honest—this election has really knocked the stuffing out of me—and I need time to regroup, to refocus. Somehow, writing about our happy little lives on the edge of the woods no longer holds interest for me. In time, I hope this will change, but I’m not sure that it will, and as this is a lifestyle blog rather than a political blog, taking a long break seems prudent. From time to time, I will be checking in with blogging friends’ posts to see how things are going with them.

There really isn’t much more to say. Our country is headed in a dangerous direction, toward chaos, vengeance, and authoritarianism. Most of Trump’s Cabinet picks seem to come straight out of Gotham City—the fabled hometown of Batman—with Trump being the biggest Joker of them all.

Before leaving, I do have a quotation and a song to share. First the quotation, from Jan Struther’s book Mrs. Miniver, published in England in 1939, a very bad time for the world.

“However long the horror continued, one must not get to the stage of refusing to think about it. To shrink from direct pain was bad enough, but to shrink from vicarious pain was the ultimate cowardice. And whereas to conceal direct pain was a virtue, to conceal vicarious pain was a sin. Only by feeling it to the utmost, and expressing it, could the rest of the world help to heal the injury which had caused it.”

I can’t help thinking about how disappointed and horrified all the Americans who fought in World War II would be to see where our country is going. They fought for this, for a convicted felon and a bully to lead the country?

During the next four years, however painful they might be, I will not be looking away. I’ve joined a local women’s advocacy group and will be doing my small bit to resist.

Finally, here’s the Tears for Fears song, “Mad World,” covered by Gary Jules. It perfectly captures how sad and perplexed I feel.

Farewell for now.

How time does fly. I had planned to return to blogging in June, but then the days slipped by until it was July. Now comes the Maine International Film Festival (July 12-21), and let’s just say that when you plan to see 32 movies in 10 days, there won’t be much energy left for blogging.

So now I’m shooting for the end of July or the beginning of August. I’ve missed the blogging community, and I’m looking forward to returning.  As time has allowed, I’ve checked in on blogging friends, and I will be much more diligent when I return full time.

So what’s been happening? I’ve been working on my novel Darcy Dansereau, but have yet to finish it. We had a wonderful Fourth of July holiday with our daughter Shannon and her husband Mike.

It’s been horribly hot—for Maine—in the 90s with high, high humidity. If I wanted heat like this, I’d move south. As it is, I’m looking longingly at northern Maine, where the temps are 10 to 7 degrees cooler.

But the biggest news is that our daughter Dee will soon be getting an electric car, a Tesla, and our electrician Steve Wight, has installed the charger. A very exciting time for us. Before long, we will be tooting here and there in an electric car.

Unlike the humans, the flowers have liked this heat and humidity. It has rained enough to keep them and this gardener happy. The astilbes were especially lovely, and I’ll end this post with photo of these pink beauties.

Until the end of July or the beginning of August.