HOME NOTES

(Updated March 2002)

What a lovely weekend Friends’ Weekend 2001 was — a gathering of Friends from all over, with warm August weather and excellent talks featuring the relationship of the Shakers and the Ricker family of Poland Spring. A former curator of the Shaker Museum, David Richards, now the Assistant Director and Curator at the Margaret Chase Smith Museum and Library at Skowhegan, Maine, gave an informative talk on the Ricker family, founders of the Poland Spring Hotel and water works. Michael Graham, the present curator in residence at the Shaker Museum at Chosen Land, gave an equally informative, but different perspective on the close relationship of the Shaker family with the Ricker family. Both lectures with slide presentations were well received by the gathering of the Friends. It was a great weekend weatherwise which always makes for a good time for visiting and enjoying meals under the tent on the great lawn.

Due to ongoing concerns about the safety of Route 26, which brings dangerously fast traffic through Shaker Village and the rest of Gray - New Gloucester - Poland, a public meeting was held at the Town Hall in Poland (ME) on August 14. Funding for reconstruction of the road to eliminate dangerous curves and to reroute it between the Meetinghouse and water tower was finally approved and work on the project directly affecting the Village is scheduled to begin in two or three years. This project takes on more importance with each passing day. No week, or even as incredible as it seems, no day passes without some sort of accident in the vicinity of Shaker Village. At the end of January a two-car accident just below the Shaker Bog entrance claimed two lives and injured two more people. An elderly man, who later died, was so badly injured he had to be taken to the hospital by helicopter.

On a happier note, on August 20th, our good friend George Lorenz from Wisconsin and North Carolina, came to spend a week with us. Usually we expect George to be accompanied by his wife Carol, but for this visit, he was alone as Carol was traveling with family members on a "women only" trip. It was great to have George as a part of our family. Although the Lorenzes have been coming to Chosen Land for many years they usually rent the cottage at Sabbathday Lake and make frequent visits to the Community. Both of these retired teachers are very much into crafts and always bring the family an assortment of lovely items as well as a goodly supply of great Wisconsin foods. George also treated the Community to supper from a favorite Chinese restaurant.

For several years now, the Community has raised a steer for the freezer. Having become concerned and disenchanted at the methods of raising cattle for market we decided to raise our own. On one of the summer outings, members of the Community visited a farm and become friends with Rev. Ernest Johnson, who, having retired from active ministry, keeps a large herd of Scottish Highland cattle.

On August 27, we all traveled to Rev. Johnson’s farm to choose our cow. Because of the Scottish connection she was named Margaret after St. Margaret, patron saint of Scotland. Maggie arrived on September 1st, and took up residence at the barn with Amos. It is our intention to always have one steer in the freezer and another at the barn. Maggie is a beautiful shade of dark red with lots of shaggy hair and huge curling horns, quite different from Amos who is a tight skinned Holstein. Maggie was expecting a calf in January, but as we will explain further on, the calf made a surprise appearance in December.

On August 28th, Janet and Kevin who had been trying the life, left the Community. Needless to say it is always painful to have prospective members leave the Community, but it has been going on for as long as Chosen Land has been in existence. We wish them well.

August 30th, was a very sad day for us. Our beloved German Shepherd, Landon, who had been in failing health for several weeks, was no longer able to make it on his own so we did the humane thing and had him put to sleep. Landon had been a great part of family life and we still miss him today. As much as Landon was a "community" dog, there was a very special and close bond between him and Brother Wayne. You rarely saw one without the other. It has been very difficult for Br. Wayne in particular to part with Landon.

For the first time in many years Chosen Land does not have a dog living at the Dwelling House. Habakkuk is at the barn taking care of his sheep and getting accustomed to having Maggie around. She is quite a formidable opponent when Habbie becomes a bit belligerent.

It seemed that summer passed very quickly and before we knew it schools were in session again. A class from Portland’s Waynflete School came for its usual tour of Shaker Village. On September 4th they took the extended tour and returned on the 6th for an interview with Brothers Arnold and Wayne.

On September 8th we had a wonderful time of fellowship with the Boston Area Shaker Study Group. They joined the Community for lunch in the Dwelling House dining room and following this time of getting together Br. Arnold took them on a tour of the museum and grounds.

Friends will remember that one of our favorite educational outreaches is having the Gray-New Gloucester High School Shaker Studies students begin their year of studies at the Shaker Library. Over the years the students have affectionately become known as "The Boggites," a name given to them because Mr. Boggs is their teacher. He has been in charge of the curriculum since its inception. This school year our first meeting with the Boggites was on September 20th. There are 17 students this year, making it the largest class ever. From the questions and input of the class, it promises to be an outstanding group of young people. Sr. Frances and Br. Arnold met with them for almost two hours and they had such an interest in the Shakers that they returned for a follow-up talk with us in October.

On the same evening Br. Arnold gave a talk on the founders of Chosen Land to the New Gloucester Historical Society. Our Museum and Library Director, Lenny Brooks, also serves as the President of the New Gloucester Historical Society and has incorporated Shaker related themes into their meetings on various occasions.

September was so filled with activities that almost before we knew it, the Common Ground Country Fair was upon us at the end of the month. On opening day Michael Graham, Naomi Northrop, and Terry Barry were off to tend the booth. The fairgrounds are quite a distance from the Village so they left early in the morning before breakfast. Naomi had taken a few days off from her regular work to help out. She remained until the 26th, putting her hands to work in various ways within the Community. She was a great help with preserving the fruits and veggies which is a priority at that time of year. Terry Barry, who had taken care of the Shaker Gift Shop since it opened in May, gave two days of service at the fair. Lenny Brooks and various other volunteers also worked at the fair booth. Many thanks to them all!

Carol and George Lorenz were at the lake cottage for a week during this period and they too were a great help during the busy season. Truly good friends are a blessing and we have been greatly blessed.

Kathy Moriarty also came to help out. During her time with us she helped turn bushels of beets into relish, pickled beets, and canned beets for consumption during the winter.

On September 29th, two of our Native American friends, Francis and Marietta Tomer, came to the Community for a basket demonstration and sale. Their visit to Chosen Land coincided with one of the village’s Apple Saturdays. September is a really great time to have demonstrations such as basket making and weaving. These events take place (weather permitting) under the great tree named for Elder Joseph Brackett. It has become a popular gathering place, especially on Saturdays when many people come to Shaker Village to participate in Apple Days. We all enjoy the activity that takes place with more than usual numbers arriving all through the day.

October 5th will be a day long remembered here, "as the day the well went dry." We had no water in the Dwelling House for the next 52 days. We had been concerned for weeks about the severe drought that Maine was experiencing. The gardens lacked water and although we did have vegetables to bring into the cellar for winter, the yield was way below normal. By taking care to conserve water in all ways possible, we felt we would get through the problem until we received rain, however, the rains never came. The well, which Brother Delmer had been responsible for creating, had given us plenty of water for 50 years, so we felt comfortable until we realized that it had not rained for months. The old saying, "you never miss the water till the well runs dry," became a reality.

The well driller put us on the list for drilling new wells, but with so many households with dry wells, it seemed we would never be taken care of. It was truly a test of endurance and patience for the next 52 days. Our good Brothers were able to bring enough water into the kitchen for dishwashing by running hoses run from the Sisters’ Shop (which had some water) to the dining room faucet.

Fortunately the well at the barn held out so the livestock were all right. Many local farmers had to give up animals when they ran out of water. We too often take water for granted and became fully aware of what a blessing it is to have it. The Poland Spring Bottling Company kept us supplied with bottled spring water. We are so grateful to them and to another donor who had a water cooler and jugs of spring water delivered here weekly for the duration of the water shortage. We also took advantage of friends' showers a few times, but eventually we had no choice except to rent a room at a local motel where we took turns showering. Going to the local laundromat was a new experience for most of us.

When the well drillers finally got to Shaker Village they had to go down 500 feet, but were fortunate enough to bring forth a great supply of water. There is no situation so dreary that a good sense of humor will not help. This was evidenced by Sister June when as we were talking about the no water problems and wondered if we might be back to normal for the Christmas holiday season. Sister June made the remark, that if not, it will be our "first no well."

Our long-time friend Annie Metzger, who has come to be known as "the Lemon Lady" because of the great lemons she periodically sends from California to Chosen Land, arrived for her yearly visit on October 14th. Like so many visitors to Shaker Village fall is Annie’s favorite time to be in Maine. A native of California, Annie looks forward to the change of color in the leaves and those beautiful blue October days. She always puts her hands to work immediately and is especially helpful with the harvesting which takes precedence at this time of year. Annie was able to be here for Friends’ Fall Work Day. It gave her the opportunity to meet with Friends she has not seen for a while.

Fall Work Day took place on October 20th. It was a beautiful day and well attended by beautiful people, all here to assist in the work of Chosen Land. These good friends accomplished a great deal and a heart-felt thank you goes to them all from the Community!

After much planning and preparation, on November 9th the Shaker Family joined the Boston Camerata for a concert of Shaker music at historic Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA. Due to the still present fear of gathering in public places after the September 11th tragedy, a limited audience was expected, but as it turned out there was a really enthusiastic gathering of approximately 300 people.

On November 13th, the Family took a day off from the usual routine to travel to Southwest Harbor, ME, to visit our dear friends Sue Lamb and Barbara Isherwood. It was a wonderful outing in one of our very favorite Maine locations. With such extraordinary natural beauty to see, the travel time passed quickly and we were in our friends’ lovely and cozy home in time for a noontime lobster feast. Yummy!

After lunch we all piled into two vehicles and traveled a short distance along the shoreline to a hiking trail which Barbara and Sue were eager to share with us. It is known as the Shoreline Trail and is one of their favorites. A well-marked and easy-to-walk trail led us to what has to be one of the most beautiful spots of God's creation. Huge, flat rocks stretched out into the ocean with endless vistas from every point of view. As we rested there and visited we felt such a feeling of God's presence and marveled at His creation. The troubles of the world beyond seemed far away indeed. How sad that such beauty can be marred and destroyed by man’s anger towards his fellow human beings. May the peace we all felt there with our dear friends soon come to our world again.

On November 21st the well drillers struck water, but it was not possible to get the water lines hooked up until November 26th. We knew that we had water on the way soon and that made all the difference as we prepared for Thanksgiving.

For many years Thanksgiving at Shaker Village has been a time when friends join the Community for this special time of giving thanks for God's blessings. As the water situation was still not good, it was difficult to plan how this year’s Thanksgiving arrangements would be best worked out with friends. Ken Hatcher, who has volunteered at the Village each summer for over 30 years, was not able to be here last summer, but had very much wanted to come for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Ken had made plane reservations before the well went dry. He assured us that he would have no problem dealing with the situation. He has been at Chosen Land for droughts and severe storms (including hurricanes) and times when we lost electricity and water for days.

Long before the water crisis our dear friends the Limperts from New York State were also scheduled to spend Thanksgiving with us. They solved the problem by taking rooms at the Auburn Inn for two nights. Sadly, we were expecting other company, but having no way to accommodate them we had to cancel their time with us

We were delighted to have Ken and the Limperts with us and adding to the joy of Thanksgiving dinner were Deborah and John Slavin, dear friends who have graced our gatherings for many years. Others joining our feast were Paula and Ted Kurtz, Dr. Maureen Sze and her friend Frank, Lorraine Latour and her daughter Kim.

The Christmas Fair on December 1st was probably the best Fair ever. It was a sparkling, unseasonably warm and sun-filled day and the usual crowds began arriving at 8 a.m. to wait for the doors to open at 10 a.m. The wonderful volunteers (without whom we could not possibly have the Fair) were all at their respective stations when the crowds surged in. Everything went smoothly and without a single glitch, although we all missed Sister Marie very much and found it difficult not seeing her at the bread table rolling out thousands of biscuits with Brother Arnold, but Diane O’Connor was a great substitute. Kudos to her for a tremendous job well done!

The Second Time Around Room, under the able direction of the Graham family, did so well this year that we were able to make a "Merry Christmas" for seven families with a total of fifteen children. One reason this room always does so well is that so many of you, the Friends, donate items for sale. Just another reminder that "one man’s junk is another man's treasure." You never know what is going to appeal to others. So again thank you for your contributions, that are a great help!

On December 7th, members of the Community traveled to New Hampshire to attend a memorial service for Viola Hess, who was a long-time special friend of the Shaker Family. It was a lovely service. We were able to visit with all the Hess family assembled and with the Hess’s daughter Gwendolyn, her two children and many other friends. It is comforting to know that Vi and her late husband Wendell are at peace and finally together again.

On December 13th, Brothers Arnold and Wayne took a flight from Portland to New York City where they were featured guests of the Drawing Center. Our friend France Morin, who lived with us during the summer of 1996 while she oversaw her project "The Quiet in the Land," was curator an excellent exhibition on Shaker Gift Drawings.

While in New York the Brothers were hosted in turn by France, Frank Sierra, Janine Antoni, and Gerard Wertkin. Gerry took time out of his very busy schedule as Director of the American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan to conduct a private tour for the Brothers through his museum's new and critically acclaimed building. The Brothers were certainly duly impressed. Gerry also served as the moderator during the Brothers’ presentation at the Drawing Center.

But for all that New York City has to offer, the true highlight of the trip for the Brothers was a lightening quick trip to the Hudson Pines Farm to see their Simmental cattle. Anton Angelich, who as a volunteer at the American Folk Art Museum, met Brother Wayne several years ago, arranged the trip. Their friendship has grown out of their mutual admiration of cattle.

As Christmas was fast approaching, our thoughts turned to the Herculean task of wrapping gifts for the children that had been chosen as our Christmas families. The shopping had been accomplished and what a task that is! The Brothers sail through it with no problem, but for those of us now in the senior category, it does prove tiring. Of course we are not obliged to take part in the shopping, but when the good Brothers offer to do it all, we demur, not wanting to be left out and it really does bring a great deal of pleasure, after all.

Last year the Averills, Mary Lou and Ken from Rhode Island, spent a busy day helping to wrap and make ready the gifts. This year they returned and were joined by Kathy Moriarty who was a great help. This is a huge, daylong task and to have good friends give up a Saturday with Christmas fast approaching is truly a gift to the Community. Thank you good friends!

We were expecting Maggie to have her calf in January, but early in the morning of December 16th, we were surprised to see what looked life a little brown bear toddling along beside her. Being a very protective mother, it was difficult for us to get close to the little one and at first we felt it was a little girl. Arriving on the Sunday in Advent dedicated to Joy, we decided to name her "Joy," but the next day "she" was officially declared to be a boy.

As he is the first calf born at Shaker Village in 50 years, and he arrived on the 40th anniversary of Brother Delmer's death, and because Br. Delmer raised and cared for registered cattle for so many years, our little newborn became "Delmer," or as he is often referred to, "Dellie." This is a name the older Sisters called Br. Delmer when he was a small child.

Christmas Eve found the Community gathering in the Meeting Room which was, as always, beautifully and simply decorated with greens and white lights for the occasion of the traditional reading of the Christmas story. The Furlong family, Wendy, Alan, Dustin, and Ricky, joined us for the sharing of the story of the birth of the Christ child. Following the Christmas Eve service we gathered in the dining room for a happy time of fellowship around the Christmas tree. As always we were bountifully blessed with so many gifts, cards, and tangible signs of the friendship we share with all of you, our friends. Your flowers and plants brightened Chosen Land. The wonderful fruit and comestibles are still being enjoyed. Every single card or greeting was enjoyed by each of us. At times like this we wish for a very special way to let you know of the deep appreciation we feel for each act of love which came to us throughout the season. Thank you!

Our long time friends, Linda and Steve Galway, joined us for Christmas dinner along with Deborah and John Slavin and Lorraine and Kim Latour. It would seem very strange indeed if our circle at this special time did not include these good friends.

For several years our New Year’s Eve has been made very special by a few of our friends coming to Chosen Land and preparing a gourmet meal for the Community. This year the temporary cooks in the Shaker kitchen were Betsy and Dan Grecoe, along with Mary Lou and Ken Averill. Dinner was excellent and the fellowship was super. Following our usual custom, word games took over most of the evening as one and all waited for midnight. A flu virus had been prevalent within the Community right after Christmas and this resulted in a few of us not making it to midnight. All in all, it was a great New Year's Eve, thanks to the efforts of our good friends.

Ever since last May, Terry Barry, who many of you know as president of the Friends, has been here at Chosen Land. Terry managed the store all through the summer and this last weekend she closed down her apartment in Massachusetts and began life as a Novice in the Shaker faith. We welcome her with open hearts and ask your prayers for her as she enters into her life among "the least of Mother's children in the east."

As these notes go out to you, we are already at the beginning of the third month of the year 2002. We all ask, what does this New Year hold? Certainly 2001 was not a good year in many ways, especially the events in September which changed life for everyone. Chosen Land had its share of sorrow, but like each of you we know that during difficult times God is always present and never gives us more than we are able to bear. Perhaps the words of an old Shaker song will bring comfort and courage to face whatever comes to us.

There cometh a time when sorrow shall darken the earth no more,
When peace with her snowy pinions, shall rest upon every shore.
When the fear of war and carnage, no more the heart shall seize,
But the notes of joy and gladness, be borne on the gentle breeze.
Rejoice in the past and present, rejoice in the time to come,
The wilderness soon shall blossom, earth's desert places bloom.
And the ransomed turn to Zion with everlasting joy,
While the horn of peace and plenty, shall follow their blest employ.

— Sister Frances