The end of summer is approaching. Technically we have until September 22nd before the Autumnal Equinox. Practically speaking, on the coast of Maine summer ends in the middle of Labor Day weekend. The town is quiet. Eighty percent of the summer jerks [Ed. note: aka “people” but I let it go. – Debbie] are gone. By […]
I recently learned that a cousin has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He is a few years younger than I am. It was a stunning revelation. My response to all things medical is generally muted. I have given bad news to hundreds of patients and been the first physician to recommend hospice care to dozens. […]
It’s 0530h. West Penobscot Bay is throbbing with the sound of diesel motors, thousands of horsepower under the decks of hundreds of lobster boats. The sun has been up for twenty minutes. By now, many of the lobstermen have been hauling traps for two hours. I have an appointment to take the gasman to the […]
Andy*, this one is for you, but you have to read to the end to get the rant. It has been about two weeks since I returned to Maine from visiting my father in Milwaukee. This is peak summer vacation time and, indeed, that is what I have used it for. A Gap Year principle […]
There is nothing like your own island. It’s a private island but we’re not talking Richard Branson’s Necker. We have spent the last week on a single-family eight-acre island off the coast of Maine. In other words, it’s a piece of property that happens to have water around it. We timeshare it with other family members. […]
I recently returned from another week with my 92-year-old father. It was very pleasant and very quiet. The humidifier hums. The doors creak. The clocks tick. There is the occasional chime of the doorbell. His world is shrinking around him and he knows it. It is hard to watch. It is frustrating. But people learn […]
If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world, and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. – E. B. White This is […]
Today and tomorrow are the big pushes to get “stuff” out of the house, where it clutters the floor and the mind, and into our new guesthouse. Hopefully the mind clutter will diminish. A brief healthcare rant Recently The New York Times reported that medical insurance premiums will fall by 50 percent in the state of New York […]
Six weeks into my gap year I continue to enjoy my freedom and I feel significantly less stressed. I do have, however, a persistent inability to apply structure to my day. I get distracted and am unable to follow through with my more important projects. The structure of office visits and colonoscopies was a special […]
Living on the coast of Maine is very special. It is a constant battle with the elements even when the sun is shining and the wind is calm. I began my day, which is cool and foggy, with a visit to the basement to explore the (disturbing) absence of noise from my sump pumps. An […]
