Official Blog of Kristy Gherlone

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Official Blog of Kristy Gherlone
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    • Those Hometown Feelings

      Posted at 10:43 am by writergherlone, on August 29, 2017

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      Those Hometown Feelings

      By Kristy Gherlone

       

      Recently, my husband and I made the long trek back to my home town in northern Maine. We try to make the trip once or twice a year and each time, I find myself battling a wide range of emotions.

      When I was a child, the town was a booming, bustling city that looked like it had been dropped smack dab into the middle of a sea of wilderness. Great Northern Paper Company owned the mill there and most of the forests surrounding it. Nearly everyone worked at the mill. The salaries provided were enough so that most people had a house in town, and a camp on one of the lakes, two cars per household, and yearly vacations.

      We had three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. We had an enormous recreational area with a football field, a hockey rink (with warming house), a regular skating rink, tennis courts, a track field, several playgrounds, a golf course, and a large outdoor town pool. The high school had an auditorium worthy of a Boston theatre company. Two or three times a year, we would all settle into the plush, red upholstered and reclining seats, and there, as the lights dimmed, and the curtains drew aside to reveal a spacious stage, we would watch the plays put on by the Millinocket Theatre Company, or the high school drama club. We had a movie theatre, and a bowling alley. We had department stores too, and multiple restaurants.

      We had all of those things, plus our town was cradled by mountain ranges and lakes so beautiful, I couldn’t do them justice with words. Our forest neighborhood offered mountain climbs, boating, swimming, skiing, hiking, snow- mobiling…you name it! We had Baxter State Park and Katahdin, where the Appalachian Trail ends.  We were rich in every sense, but not immune to hardship. We were a close- knit community, connected by so many things, and separated by very little. We struggled through harsh winters and forest fires. Through tragic deaths and illnesses. We spent years laughing and crying together. It was a town where you really knew each other and everyone’s family.  It is a place, that when I visit, I still see people I know in every corner. It’s both a comfort and a heartache.

      After Great Northern sold, the mill began to shut down in stages. People I had known my whole life had to pack it up and move away. Stores closed, one by one. While my town still has some of the things I mentioned, it’s a struggle, I know, to keep them going. I have history there, and not all of it is good, so when I arrive, I find myself riddled with feelings. My town has changed. I have changed.

      My mother sold the camp I spent all my summers at.  Some of my family still lives in town, but most of us don’t speak. Instead of staying with them, my husband and I stay at a hotel. It makes me sad that I can’t give him some of the wonderful experiences I had when I lived there and that he doesn’t know some of the people that used to be a big part of my life.

      My Dad is buried there. His grave sits on the top of a grassy hill, overlooking the mill; the place where he worked for over forty years and probably helped to hasten his demise. He’s alongside people he’d known and worked with his whole life. When I visit, I can hear him speaking to me, “Why are you wasting your time visiting me? I’m not really here, you jar head! I’m up in heaven, so stop blubbering and go have some fun!”

      He’s half- right. It’s not a waste of time to sit in remembrance of things loved, but lost, just so long as you don’t dwell there.  It’s important to make new memories. The forests are still there. Baxter State Park and the Appalachian Trail are still there. My old fishing spots still hold trout. We even have some new things in town, like the ATV Trails. So, my husband and I will continue to go back. Hopefully, someday, he will turn to me and laugh, “Do you remember that time we…” And I will smile when I look back on how much fun he and I had in my new- old hometown.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged familyfriendly, hometown, maine, mountains, nonfiction, nostalgia, shortstory
    • So…you’d like to take a cruise…

      Posted at 12:50 pm by writergherlone, on July 25, 2017

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      So…You’d like to take a cruise…

      by Kristy Gherlone

       

      My husband and I have just returned from a two week vacation, that a few weeks ago, we didn’t even know we’d be taking.

      We had to take a trip to Florida to care for relative, and while we were there, we’d thought we’d take a little last-minute break and hop on a ship bound for Mexico.

      I’d like to tell you about it, as I think some of it is note-worthy. I will share this piece before going back to my fiction stories.

      Now, I like cruising. I have been drawn to it since I was a child, intrigued by episodes of “Love Boat.”  I have been a few times, and I always have a good time. I don’t think there’s a cheaper way to see so many different places or eat so much you feel like you’re going to pop.

      However, there are some things I want to point out for people who have never been, but have always wanted to. There are some hidden costs, and some other things to consider before planning your vacation.

      This is what I learned: (this is my perspective, anyway…yours may be quite different)

      July was not an ideal time to go.  The heat wasn’t the issue. (That was actually a bonus for me, as I’m from Maine. This summer it has been chilly and rainy in the northeast, but you can always count on sunny, hot weather in the tropics.) The issue was the amount of children on board(Summer vacation! Oh boy!!!).

      I like children, but not one thousand and three seemingly parentless children at a time. They were everywhere! Running up and down the halls all hours of the night, taking over entire pools and turning them yellow by the end of the day…Every single hot tub and pool was filled to the brim with runny-nosed, happy children. (There was an adult only pool, but the occasional child slipped in here and there.) So, I lost some sleep and had vengeful thoughts in the middle of the night that I’m not usually prone to. Sleep deprivation can do strange things to your mind…also…I’m a bit of a germ-phobe. Ships are not good places for people with germ issues. I did alright, considering. I’m just trying not to think about it, though I have a sore throat and I’m starting to think I have caught malaria, or at the very least, a cold…

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      *There were lots of things for the kids to do. Free ice cream all day. Movie nights with popcorn…. games..and..oh,  I don’t know since I don’t have small children anymore, but they looked like they were having the time of their lives whatever they were doing.

      Hidden costs: You book from Expedia or your go to sight and it seems pretty cheap but remember…there are other fees. I’ll mention a few, but yours maybe more or less:

      Airline tickets

      Airport parking (two weeks cost us over $500.00 bucks!)

      Rental car if you are doing anything more than plane to ship.

      Parking at the ship docks (I think ours was $80.00 for the 4 days)

      Drinks on board. Alcohol and soda are not included. However, juice, coffee, tea, lemonade, and iced tea are free. A glass of wine cost me $8.75. A very tacky but true occurrence on the ship is at dinner when a waiter comes by with a big tray of shots for anyone who wants to purchase them to go with your steak or lobster…

      Tips, tips and more tips. Tips for the bartenders. Tips for taxi’s and shuttle drivers in port. Tips for excursion leaders…tips for well…tips. Anyone who offers you help or goes out of their way to help gets a tip.

      Pictures. On board, someone is always snapping your picture. They will place those pictures on display and hold them ransom until you manually throw them into a bin or buy them. We bought a few and spent about $200.00 for on the boat pics.  Also, for pics for excursions. We did “swimming with dolphins.” If you think you can just take your own pictures, think again… no cameras allowed! They will take your picture and you will buy them. We spent $43.00, but left most behind.

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      Shopping. There is no way to avoid it. The ship has stores and you will buy stuff. Plan on it. Also, a lot of the countries you visit are poor. They count on your money to make it through the year. The ship dumps you in the middle of shopping centers and the people there will compliment and badger you simultaneously until you go into their store, and make you feel like a jerk if you don’t purchase at least one small item. A word of advice: your treasures will be cheaper just before the ship is getting ready to re-board. Last minute purchases will cost about half as much. Make sure you offer them less. Much less. Never pay full price because, let’s face it…that jewelry did not cost them $500.00. They paid $20.00 and if you’re not careful, you’ll buy junk at a huge mark-up.

      Medical care. Thankfully, we didn’t need any, but some people do. A visit to the ships medical center is not covered under insurance. You will pay out-of-pocket for your sickness or boo-boo. (which reminds me:) “Don’t drink the water or get ice-cubes in your drink” is a pretty common caution in Mexico, but did you consider that Pina Colada? It’s crushed ice and you will not feel well later if you get one.*See Medical care…

       

      It may not seem like it, but our trip was actually pretty fun. There are definite perks to cruising which will keep me going back.  I love hot weather, visiting foreign lands, and making new friends and believe me, you will make friends. They may be drunk friends, but they are happy, and happy to meet you. I saw a woman drinking an entire pitcher of margarita at 9:00 a.m. She told me I was without humor and then went on to say that I cracked her up.  I saw a man stumbling down the stairs with a bottle of beer in every single pocket of clothing he had on, but he was smiling. With the ship being so closed in, you get chummy with the people who frequent the same places as you. I like that. We exchange emails and talk about our lives at home. You get friendly with the staff. Some of their stories will break your heart…a tip might help? I hope so.

      I loved my dolphin, Frida. I will always remember her.  It was the opportunity of a life-time to swim with a dolphin. My heart went out to her for all of her hard work, so I didn’t make her lug me across the pool, like the dozen or so other folks did. I didn’t have the heart. Instead, I held her like a baby and spoke to her in Spanish. I think she appreciated the effort. I hope.

       

      Oh and here is my love boat moment…just like the show! Everyone always stands at the rail, looking out, contemplating life after an argument. My companion was fabulous.(He better be since he’s my husband), but we did have a little tiff in the middle, just like Love Boat. We made up at the end. It was all very romantic.

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged carnival, cruises, cruising, florida, fun, hiddenfees, nonfiction, summer, vacation
    • Trail Magic

      Posted at 1:45 pm by writergherlone, on June 26, 2017

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      Trail Magic

      by Kristy Gherlone

       

      Life is a lot like a hiking trip. You start alone, ascending, learning, gaining strength.

      Some days are a real struggle. Rainy days. Water dripping down your neck days. Black cloud days. I’ve forgotten the toilet paper, and the only leaves available are poison ivy days. You can hardly put one foot in front of the other.

      If not for these days, we would never fully appreciate the SUNSHINE days! Beautiful sites, feet flying up the mountain, I have found an only slightly used pack of M&M days! TRAIL MAGIC!

      You meet people along the way. Some people are asked to join you, some people you’d like to throw off a cliff. I have met both. I have found the one I’d like to go to the top with. A hiking partner able to go the distance without giving up half way.

      I have three beautiful girls who used to hike with me. Some days they’d like to throw me off a cliff!

      Just remember not to spend too much time with your head in the clouds. Come back down. There is beauty and knowledge in the descent. Maybe you’ll just find some trail mix too!
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      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged #prose, hiking, nonfiction, trail, wilderness
    • Humiliation

      Posted at 1:40 pm by writergherlone, on June 23, 2017

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      Humiliation

      by Kristy Gherlone

      A true, short story.

      When I was five and in kindergarten, I tied my shoe laces together and couldn’t get them undone.

      I remember it was fall, sometime near Halloween. I know that we were watching a movie and eating roasted pumpkin seeds. I was disappointed that we weren’t having popcorn, but I was surprised by the sweet, buttery saltiness.
      That particular day, we’d walked in a neat, quiet line across the hall to join the other kindergarten class. I can’t tell you what the movie was or who was sitting next to me, but I remember frantically trying to get my shoelaces undone before a teacher noticed what a lame brain I was. I asked the kid next to me for help, but she knew less than I did about the workings of shoelaces.
      When the movie finished and it was time to go back, I shuffled along with my feet close together until the other teacher (not my own dear teacher) stopped me at the door and asked why I did such a foolish thing. It was the first time I remember feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I remember that she wouldn’t help me. She said I’d have to figure it out on my own, and I can remember, in my panic, thinking that my shoes would stay like that forever.
      Would I have remembered that day if it hadn’t left a mark on my psyche? Probably not. As I think back, I have quite a few memories like that. Days that I would have otherwise forgotten if not for the feelings they gave me. I have a sense that if not for those seemingly small tragedies, my childhood days would be molded together in one big blur.
      It’s funny how the brain works. I do have plenty of pleasant memories, but it’s the ones like the shoelaces that come back the easiest.
      Why is it easier to remember the bad stuff? Psychologists would say it’s an innate defense mechanism to keep you from making the same mistakes again. While tying my shoelaces together wasn’t detrimental to my health, I never did it again, so well played, brain.
      As I look back on a lifetime of embarrassments, I realize that it’s not all bad. I remember kindergarten. I remember my sweet teacher Mrs. Hartung, and I remember how good pumpkin seeds taste.

       

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged childhood, humiliation, kindergarten, nonfiction, school, shortstory, teacher
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