2022 Calendar Letter

Not much more can be said about our recent past here on the planet. Our lives have been wiggled along to and fro by unique and complicated events. At this writing it’s difficult to say how things will go. The vaccine seems to be making a difference but there is still a journey ahead. Our best hope, I guess, is that things will improve and our lives can return to some semblance of pre COVID times. I suspect, however, that we will always need to be somewhat mindful of the bugs that find their way into our spaces. Cautious optimism is the rule of the day for me. I’d be thrilled to be more upbeat, but one of the things I have learned from this whole experience is that viruses don’t really care where they go or with whom they interact. I suspect we will need to be vigilant. In Maine we have been pretty lucky.

I was able to receive a vaccine through my association with our Southport Volunteer Fire Department, for which I am grateful. I’m pleased to say that all family members have gotten their shots. The local YMCA has been very successfully utilized as a vaccination center for area and non area residents. I guess we must wait to see how well we all do with the new variants. Time will tell.

On a more positive note, we are all doing pretty well. Morgan and Andrei are still with us, living in the barn and conducting their forms of work via internet and occasional meetings. We have tried to be very careful visiting elder friends who are among the most vulnerable. It has been great to have Morgan and Andrei with us. They have been terrifically helpful, especially during my recovery from knee replacement surgery. Poor Susan has really had her hands full. And, we have a new family member, Leica, a lab poodle mix (see inset photo)! Nothing like a new puppy to rearrange things!

We have been without a furry friend since our elderly Jack Russell, Roobie, waddled off into the woods, never to be seen again. We have always felt that she preferred to move on her way, a Jack Russell tendency. She was quite a fierce warrior. Leica is different but sometimes we are reminded of Roobie tendencies.

Morgan has expanded her “coaching” and art with retreats and “Creative Flow Circles”. She and her good friend Peejo Sehr in Baltimore, have teamed up to create some very interesting and well received offerings-- check out BeMobius.com.

Mae and Ben came home for a good stretch in 2020 but they returned to Brooklyn in the Fall. Things in the movie/theatre world have begun to show signs of life. Ben has been working on a new film project and Mae, though less involved in her form of theatre, has done some work with her old Alma Mater, Bennington, for the fund raising “24 Hour Play”. She had a very funny part written for her which we were able to see via live stream. I always hoped she might try out something moderately hilarious—she has a good feel for that.

This year’s calendar continues to try and honor the beauty of our region. I hope it will be a successful rendering, enjoyed by all who live here and visit. A tall order, I know, but none-the-less an alternative to the birds and lizards calendars. So many ways to tell what day it is!

But, we do have a new addition this year.

Over the years it has been suggested that we add a January page for the following year, in this case 2023. So, we thought we’d give it a try. Hope this is helpful for all of us whose year extends beyond the last calendar day. The additional January is not likely to be the lead image for our next calendar, just a convenience for moving on. It will be interesting to see how it is received.

Susan continues her work with elders who prefer to live at home in more challenged times, however she is taking a bit of break after her last six years of steady employment. She is enjoying a little free time, that is, until my knee replacement surgery. Now I’m the elder in need of care. Ha. Getting old ain’t for sissies, so I once was told. Funny thing is I don’t recall how I got here. Seems like only yesterday that I was skipping across the Alps for SuisseAir with a bag full of film cameras! Better get a grip Mitchell that ship has sailed! Susan and family have been wonderful helpers as I gimp around with increasing agility. More turmeric please. Hang in there everyone, and proceed to the next chapter. Be fair and kind.

With love,
The Mitchell Crew

As always, a portion of the proceeds from calendar sales will be set aside for “Teens to Trails” so young people can enjoy Maine. Yay!

Order this year's calendar here.