This
huge Christmas Tree
decoration as you can see is
on the barn down at what we
old timers call the Poor
Farm. Quite a sight when lit
at night. Some of these I
took before it was quite
dark so you can get an idea
of the design and how it's
displayed. It really looks
much bigger in person. My
digital camera doesn't do a
good job of showing the
actual size. Larry Costa
owns this now and is still
in the process of renovating
the farm. I think it is
going to look real nice when
he gets done. I'm sure a lot
of time and money has been
put into it so far.
Dec. 10th-
Looks like it will be a "White Christmas"
after all.
Paul Andexler
shoveling his driveway after
the almost foot of snow
Andover got. I'm not sure I
spelled Paul's last name
right.
The Wooden
Bowl
(This was sent to me by a friend,
good food for thought for us all
this Christmas Season)
A frail old man went to live with
his son, daughter-in-law, and four
year old grandson. The old man's
hands trembled, his eyesight was
blurred, and his steps faltered.
The family ate together at the
table. But the elderly grandfather's
shaky hands and failing sight made
eating difficult. Peas rolled off
his spoon onto the floor. When he
grasped the glass, milk spilled on
the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became
irritated with the mess. "We must do
something about father," said the
son. "I've had enough of his spilled
milk, noisy eating, and food on the
floor."
So the husband and wife set a small
table in the corner. There,
Grandfather ate alone while the rest
of the family enjoyed dinner. Since
Grandfather had broken a dish or
two, his food was served in a wooden
bowl.
When the family glanced in
Grandfather's direction, sometimes
he had a tear in h is eye as he sat
alone. Still, the only words the
couple had for him were sharp
admonitions when he dropped a fork
or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in
silence.
One evening before supper, the
father noticed his son playing with
wood scraps on the floor. He asked
the child sweetly, "What are you
making?" Just as sweetly, the boy
responded, "Oh, I am making a little
bowl for you and Mama to eat your
food in when I grow up." The four
year old smiled and went back to
work.
The words so struck the parents so
that they were speechless. Then
tears started to stream down their
cheeks. Though no word was spoken,
both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took
Grandfather's hand and gently led
him back to the family table. For
the remainder of his days he ate
every meal with the family. And for
some reason, neither husband nor
wife seemed to care any longer when
a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or
the tablecloth soiled.
On a positive note, I've learned
that, no matter what happens, how
bad it seems today, life does go on,
and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learned that you can tell a lot
about a person by the way he/she
handles four things: a rainy day,
the elderly, lost luggage, and
tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that, regardless of
your relationship with your parents,
you'll miss them when they're gone
from your life.
I've learned that making a 'living'
is not the same thing as making a
'life..'
I've learned that life sometimes
gives you a second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go
through life with a catcher's mitt
on both hands. You need to be able
to throw something back sometimes.
I've learned that if you pursue
happiness, it will elude you But, if
you focus on your family, your
friends, the needs of others, your
work and doing the very best you
can, happiness will find you.
I've learned that whenever I decide
something with an open heart, I
usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have
pains, I don't have to be one.
I've learned that every day, you
should reach out and touch someone.
I've learned that I still have a lot
to learn.
Obviously this doesn't have to apply
just to the elderly, but to anyone
who's different. Everyone deserves
our respect and concern.
May we always
remember
"The Golden
Rule".
Welcome To The Andover Journal
The Common Dec. 1st 2009. Will it
be a white Christmas?
Well November has
come and gone. Christmas is around the
corner. November to the dismay of many
hunters was an unseasonably warm month.
Record lows in deer tagging were
experienced in towns all over Maine.
There also seemed to be far less hunters
out there. The combination of deer herds
being down and the warm weather made it
tough hunting. Also an increase to $5
for tagging a deer was implemented this
year, an increase from $1 last year. Of
course people who don't hunt enjoyed the
unseasonably warm & nice weather. While
the evenings got down into the teens,
the days were up almost in the 60s on
some days. It was also a very dry month.
Not really cold enough consistently for
ski areas to make much snow without it
all melting away. Somehow I have a
feeling there is plenty of cold weather
and snow still ahead of us.
Ross Swain sent
me these copies of old pictures
of East Andover- Thanks Ross.
Attached is
a photo of Dad's (Robert
Swain) house taken in 1894.
Pictured left to right
Mrs. Albert Perkins, Mrs.
William Perkins holding Erma
Perkins, Floss E. Perkins, &
Vard M. Perkins
Vard DOB 6/4/1879 Floss DOB
11/16/1883 Erma DOB 1/26/1894
This
picture taken from Farmer's Hill
Road looking towards East
Andover Road. Note blacksmith
shop at end of Farmer's Hill
Road on left.
This aerial
photowas taken in 1963
and is a view of Farmer's Hill
Road and some of East Andover.
Are you aware
of the "Triple E Virus" Outbreak in Maine?
The
"Triple E Virus" seems to be spreading
across Maine to some degree.
Maine has had a number of cases reported and
there have been several horses put down that
contracted this disease in Maine. In rare cases,
it can be deadly to humans. Mosquitoes can carry
the disease and infect both humans & animals.
For most humans it is not fatal but can be. Some
people (like me) think once summer is over we
can stop using insect repellants. Due to this
outbreak it is recommended to continue to use
this right through fall as there are still
mosquitoes present especially on warmer days.
Long sleeve shirts & pants are recommended for
people who work outside or participate in
outdoor activities.
Glen Stinson
was home for a visit and
stopped by. I hadn't seen
him in many years. This was
actually a picture of him
and I but I looked so
horrible I cut out my
picture. Fortunately he is a
lot more photogenic than I
am.
October
13th 2009 First snowfall for Andover-
expecting 2-4 inches.
Carol Stewart Visit to
Andover from Fairfield Calif.
Enjoying some reminiscing.
Andover Fall Colors Oct.
2009
Pictures taken up on hill
by the Chandler House.
.
New
Heavy Duty Snowmobile Bridge
Crew is preparing to lift
bridge with cranes and put into place.
Located neat to the green
bridge down on the flats by "Big Rock" and
Grimaldi field.
Shown here George Thew installing
the wood planking on the bridge.
New Auto Maintenance Garage being
built next door to the old
"Marston's Garage'. As you can see
the new garage will have 3 bays,
whereas the old one only had 1. It
is my understanding that that's the
reason for building this new garage.
The old one just wasn't big enough.
Should be a nice addition to the
town once complete. As you face
Marston's Garage this is located on
the lot just to the right of the
garage.
What Do You Think
About Our Government Representatives?
July 31st
to Aug. 2nd - Andover Olde Home Days
A
Beautiful Day For Olde Home Days.
Parade
Floats
Local Game Warden doing
some kind of dance- I'm
not sure what. I think
maybe it's to keep the
rain away. This was the
wettest summer on
record. He must have
done a real good job,
cause it didn't rain all
day.
July 9th, 2009
Finally a sunny day. The new
sidewalks are starting to be put in.
July 3rd,
2009- Will it ever stop raining?
Thank Goodness July is
here. Well it's still raining and it has
rained for about the last 30 days. For Maine
the wettest summer ever on record. Will July
bring the sun out?
The sun came out for a few minutes today.
The cat was outside and didn't know what to
do, got scared and ran inside. Everyone else
in town ran outside to see what was wrong.
Was there a meteor shower or was something
on fire? Where's that light coming from? Oh
No... not sure what it was...ok here comes
the rain and thunder storms again. Rumor has
it there will be some sun within the next
week or so.
Sadly it's been reported
that the Andover Wood Products will be closing
as of the end of August. This mill has been
around since I was a kid growing up. The
wood industry in Maine all over has been hit
hard. This will hurt Andover considerably as
it's one of Andover's largest sources of tax
revenues.
This is from You Tube but
I thought you might enjoy it. Please remember
though- moose and wildlife
are not pets. So don't try to get close
to them. Especially a mother with babies.
.
Watch Out For Moose & Deer-
Another Moose Suicide
Moose Accident Richard
Dubois.
No one was hurt. I would
say Very Lucky...I've seen a lot more damage
from hitting a moose. Side view mirror gone and
damage to side of car and windshield. Brand new
car..ouch. Richard & Margie's car.
Moose & Deer accidents are pretty
common place in Maine.
Got some old
photos of Andover or it's people that you'd like to
share? Send them to me so I can put them on the
website for all to enjoy! Email a copy to me at
spotsb@gmail.com
or send me a copy of the photo to Bruce Simmons P.O.
box 176 Andover, Maine 04216. I'll be happy to
return them to you if you want, just let me know you
want them back.