What WERE you doing in Maine, Mimi?

My e-mail box is full of questions from my blogs fans. Most of you want to know why I was in Maine with details. 

So, here goes. My daughter got a job in Maine (speaking German)

She and her husband were in Georgia and had two weeks to pack up and get to her new job.

Her husband is a school teacher and we know he'll get a job soon.

I went to help their little family move to our little cottage,

as well as stain our rather large deck.

I got the screen house up with my brother's help!  It is a bit buggy sometimes in Maine.

 I got to see a few of my RED HAT girls.  We had a last-minute get-together. Sadly, I wasn't feeling well.

(Val, Mimi, Dianne and Julie. Sue D. we couldn't get hold of you!)

I went to a special service at the Belfast United Methodist which, we consider to be one of the finast "faith communities" in Belfast. We are honored to be members of this church.

I was so happy to be here to help celebrate Pastor Dave's last Sunday and hear his last sermon.

The most touching moment was when Pastor Dave and his wife Lisa served us communion. This last act of service to the congregation had us all in tears.

Many of you know that I am a minister's daugher and I found myself swept back in time when my Father had his last sermon in Morrill, Maine as I listened to Dave speak.

I really know what a difficult day this was for the family.

Dave, Lisa and the boys (Matt and Chris) came to BUMC 14 years ago. They will be greatly missed in Belfast. Chris's fiancee Courtney will be missed as well. We all looked forward to her singing when she was with us in Belfast.

Good-bye to this amazing family. We send you out with our love and prayers.

God Bless your new adventures!

I had the nicest surprise when I got home to Maine.  Amid the cleaning and staining, my Dad and Mom showed up to take me out to another place I love.

JUST BARB'S in Stockton Springs.

24 Main Street

Stockton Springs, Me 04981

Telephone (207) 567-3886

 

This is kind of a local secret. It's a diner that serves the best fried seafood around.

Most tourists give it a miss because they don't know what treats await them here.

I am sure they are thinking, "Who wants to go to a diner when we can stop at a nicer looking restaurant?"

That's fine by us locals because we would love to keep it all to ourselves.

Here you can get the BEST blueberry soda.

I highly recommend it.

You can also get the one thing you can't get at Young's Lobster Pound.

It's a dish a Maine girl can't do without.

Fried whole belly clams!  NO clam strips for me!

JUST BARB'S has the best around and believe me, I have tried them in EVERY restaurant in the area. If you want steamers and lobster go to Young's but if you want fried seafood, head out to JUST BARB'S.

Thanks again Mom and Dad for the great surprise and blog fans, I promise I will now get back to blogging about Europe as soon as I post you a wonderful Maine seafood recipe.