Maine-ah mentality? (Bangor, Lincoln, Franklin: garden, eat, retired)

[arzachena]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

Ummmmm.... do I have to take my McCain/Palin bumper stickers off my truck before I drive up there next week to meet you and Mermie, Maineah????? Please post a how to remove bumper stickers thread! roflmao NOT kidding!!!

Blow Dry! Very hot!
and/or WD-40

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

Ummmmm.... do I have to take my McCain/Palin bumper stickers off my truck before I drive up there next week to meet you and Mermie, Maineah????? Please post a how to remove bumper stickers thread! roflmao NOT kidding!!!

A bit of WD-40 does the trick. Takes some work but that stuff is good on glue and most anything else

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

ROFLMAO!!! I love both kinds of restaurants.

Funny, growing up in Massachusetts, diners are for the blue collar mill workers by and large. Girls, teens, and families didn't even think about going in one.

When we were stationed at Ft. Dix, diners became a completely new experience. I really miss the one in Bordentown. Mastoris. They go through 36,000 eggs every week! Imagine that! It's got an enormous menu and it's all good eats. The building is fun because it's just like New England... rambling addition after addition. Tons of comfort foods on the menu and the place is packed, 7 days a week. They even hold wedding receptions there in one of the rooms!!!

Local color is always the best.

Hey caostal, ever eat in the Garden State Diner on Rt. 68 just outside Wrightstown? I was at McGuire AFB for 9 1/2 years. Loved eating there. Always got too much food and never a big bill. When were you at Dix?

[maidenmaine]

We live in/on an island community. I'm a city girl - my husband and his family were born and raised here. My first year on the island, my husband had to go to England to help with a family emergency. I was new to the island, new to my job and didn't know a soul here where he left. It took all of about a nano-second for the island to stretch it's arms and envelope me in kindness and goodwill.

We have lived here for 6 years now (in the house my husband was raised in) and the wonderful feel of Maine life continues to make this city girl feel at home. I've moved MANY times over the span of my life and have never really been anywhere long enough to call it HOME. Well, Maine is HOME, my island is HOME.

Ignorance exists on all planes and in all states - try living south of the Mason-Dixon! Mainers come in all shapes and sizes; all educational levels (my experience as a minority has shown that those with the most education are the ones that have exhibited the most ignorance); and certainly all economic levels. If you come to visit, please don't change where you end to resemble where you left. Enjoy Maine for what it is and enjoy its differences - isn't that after all why you want to come here?

[Maine Writer]

Well said! I see why you were welcomed so warmly.

Originally Posted by maidenmaine

We live in/on an island community. I'm a city girl - my husband and his family were born and raised here. My first year on the island, my husband had to go to England to help with a family emergency. I was new to the island, new to my job and didn't know a soul here where he left. It took all of about a nano-second for the island to stretch it's arms and envelope me in kindness and goodwill.

We have lived here for 6 years now (in the house my husband was raised in) and the wonderful feel of Maine life continues to make this city girl feel at home. I've moved MANY times over the span of my life and have never really been anywhere long enough to call it HOME. Well, Maine is HOME, my island is HOME.

Ignorance exists on all planes and in all states - try living south of the Mason-Dixon! Mainers come in all shapes and sizes; all educational levels (my experience as a minority has shown that those with the most education are the ones that have exhibited the most ignorance); and certainly all economic levels. If you come to visit, please don't change where you end to resemble where you left. Enjoy Maine for what it is and enjoy its differences - isn't that after all why you want to come here?

[y200]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Places that make good traditional Maine food do well. The "yuppie" places come and go....rather quickly. The fact is the new place probably ISN"T as good as the place that was there before and the Mainers are incredulous that anyone would try to sell bait or llama testicles in a restaurant then wonder why no one goes there!

And lobster was once thrown on the fields as a fertilizer.

[CoastalMaine]

Excellent post! Glad to have you here on the forum with us too!!! Repped you.

Originally Posted by maidenmaine

We live in/on an island community. I'm a city girl - my husband and his family were born and raised here. My first year on the island, my husband had to go to England to help with a family emergency. I was new to the island, new to my job and didn't know a soul here where he left. It took all of about a nano-second for the island to stretch it's arms and envelope me in kindness and goodwill.

We have lived here for 6 years now (in the house my husband was raised in) and the wonderful feel of Maine life continues to make this city girl feel at home. I've moved MANY times over the span of my life and have never really been anywhere long enough to call it HOME. Well, Maine is HOME, my island is HOME.

Ignorance exists on all planes and in all states - try living south of the Mason-Dixon! Mainers come in all shapes and sizes; all educational levels (my experience as a minority has shown that those with the most education are the ones that have exhibited the most ignorance); and certainly all economic levels. If you come to visit, please don't change where you end to resemble where you left. Enjoy Maine for what it is and enjoy its differences - isn't that after all why you want to come here?

[CoastalMaine]

Hey Tin,

Yes, I've eaten at that diner!!! roflmao!! Small world! The ladies and I would go there for meetings regarding the volunteer work we did on Post through the OWC.

We were stationed there from '00 OCT thru '03 AUG. The lock down that occurred on both bases immediately after 9/11 was incredible. There used to be 24/7 training missions of the C130's and the sky was silent within 2 hours. All we heard in the sky after that for a LONG time were black hawks bringing in the President and other high level folks.

I worked on MacGuire cutting hair for the fly boys et al! hahaha They were great fun!

When were you there? Dix had been remodeled to a great degree by the time we got there and as we were leaving they had scheduled demolition of the officer's homes on our street. They were going to be building all new housing. MacGuire was really sharp looking!

Originally Posted by retiredtinbender

Hey caostal, ever eat in the Garden State Diner on Rt. 68 just outside Wrightstown? I was at McGuire AFB for 9 1/2 years. Loved eating there. Always got too much food and never a big bill. When were you at Dix?

[ProdigalLobster]

Originally Posted by maidenmaine

We live in/on an island community. I'm a city girl - my husband and his family were born and raised here. My first year on the island, my husband had to go to England to help with a family emergency. I was new to the island, new to my job and didn't know a soul here where he left. It took all of about a nano-second for the island to stretch it's arms and envelope me in kindness and goodwill.

We have lived here for 6 years now (in the house my husband was raised in) and the wonderful feel of Maine life continues to make this city girl feel at home. I've moved MANY times over the span of my life and have never really been anywhere long enough to call it HOME. Well, Maine is HOME, my island is HOME.

Ignorance exists on all planes and in all states - try living south of the Mason-Dixon! Mainers come in all shapes and sizes; all educational levels (my experience as a minority has shown that those with the most education are the ones that have exhibited the most ignorance); and certainly all economic levels. If you come to visit, please don't change where you end to resemble where you left. Enjoy Maine for what it is and enjoy its differences - isn't that after all why you want to come here?

I agree with a lot of what you say, but if you read my original post, you'll see that I did address these sorts of things. I do enjoy Maine for what it is, & since I spent 19 years of my life growing up there, I'm not entirely ignorant of the place & the people. Also, I *have* lived south of the M-D line for 12 years. Part of that was in a rural area that would be more in line with your generalization, but now I live in a city that is actually pretty diverse & has a lot of culture... nothing like what most people assume when they envision the southern stereotype.

It concerns me that bringing in something new to do (for those who might be interested) is considered trying to "change" the Maine way of life. Fwiw, I *do* love that way of life, or I wouldn't be looking at moving home. I love skiing (both kinds), hiking, kayaking & canoeing, & have done all these things since I was a tiny girl. And though my own parents weren't so into hunting & fishing, I am very eager to learn.

Growing up in Maine, we certainly didn't have geocaching (another thing I'm totally up for trying!). That's a new thing... but it doesn't seem to have changed the communities of people who enjoy it. It's just given them another choice for recreation. And from what I can see, it brings friends & family together, which is something that *strengthens* communities.

There are plenty of people in northern Maine who are content with things as they are, which is wonderful. But I know from personal experience that there are also some people up there who *do* enjoy trying something new, & who sometimes long for a bit more exposure to different things. Overall, they prefer the Maine lifestyle & so that is why they have chosen to live & raise families there. I don't think that means they should have to ignore the spark of curiosity to try something new.

Salsa dancing might sound very "Un-Maine" to someone who hasn't experienced it, & I can see why! But to this Mainer In Exile, it has become a community of friends & "family". It brings people of all types together, in a way that is actually reminiscent of the community feeling in Maine.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

Hey Tin,

Yes, I've eaten at that diner!!! roflmao!! Small world! The ladies and I would go there for meetings regarding the volunteer work we did on Post through the OWC.

We were stationed there from '00 OCT thru '03 AUG. The lock down that occurred on both bases immediately after 9/11 was incredible. There used to be 24/7 training missions of the C130's and the sky was silent within 2 hours. All we heard in the sky after that for a LONG time were black hawks bringing in the President and other high level folks.

I worked on MacGuire cutting hair for the fly boys et al! hahaha They were great fun!

When were you there? Dix had been remodeled to a great degree by the time we got there and as we were leaving they had scheduled demolition of the officer's homes on our street. They were going to be building all new housing. MacGuire was really sharp looking!

I was at McGuire from '86 until '95 when I retired. Used to be a tinbender on the C-141, KC-10 and any tramp that came through. Also taught maintenance classes there. Used to go to the diners with the ex in Bordentown and Burlington. Sometimes just have a piece of pie and coffee. They have some great diners there and around Philly. And NO WHERE (imho) can you get can you get a better pretzel or cheese steak than on Vine Street outside the Franklin Museum.