Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)

Sometimes ya just gotta howl...

Friends from Home

Brian & Anna stopped by on their tour of the Georgia coast. Brian is an emergency room physician and several local hospitals are working diligently to attract him to their facilities. Anna is the mother of Katie's good friend, Lindsay, and an emergency room nurse. Good friends.


They loved SSI and we spent our time together exploring. Anna's favorite spot was the Crab Trap and the delicious Apalachicola oysters. Brian loved the fact that he didn't have to wear a jacket. Spring comes early in the South.

Great to see our friends. Thanks for taking time to visit!

The Twelve Tribes of Israel

Tonight I enjoyed the hospitality of a wonderful group of people on the mainland. Our friend Jo and I attended dinner with two dozen members of "The Community", an extended family of Christians who live and work communally from their large home off Union Street. They run a great bakery and are building a restaurant nearby. Ryan and Katie met one of their members, John, over Christmas while he was doing some carpentry work for Jo. Tonight I got to meet some of his beautiful family. Amazingly, two of his daughters live across the street from Ryan's work at DeLorme in Yarmouth.

The Community celebrates Shabbat beginning at sundown on Friday and the Sabbath on Saturday according to the scriptures. The evening included a social time of conversation, music, singing, dancing and thanksgiving. A fine meal was served including organic spaghetti, fresh baked bread and mate, a Brazilian green tea. Delicious!

The men wear beards, their hair long and pulled back with head bands. The women also wear their hair long and wear long flowing dresses. The children and young people are precious, participating fully in the dancing, serving the food and conversing with guests. There is a clear light in their eyes.

These people found their origins in the Jesus Movement of the early seventies. I spent time with those "Jesus Hippies" in those days, in my seeking early 20's and always wondered what had become of them. They are still here. And they are thriving. They have communities in a dozen countries from Brazil to Australia to Germany. And there are groups living simply and productively throughout the United States; Brunswick and Savannah Georgia, Chattanooga Tennessee, Colorado Springs, Bellows Falls and Island Pond Vermont, Cambridge NY, Gorham Maine...

These are gentle, peaceful people living life according to their understanding of God's call. In their thanksgiving, He is referred to by his Hebrew name, Yahweh and Jesus, Yahshua. They live communally, sharing their resources and their talents, home schooling their children and welcoming anyone who walks through their door.

So thank you John, for the fellowship and the meal. And for sending some of that outstanding jalipino bread up to Ryan and Katie via your daughters on their return to Maine.

Is is possible that all the syncronicities of life are simply random?.... Don't think so. God is great..

the neighborhood

Visitor news...

Lorrie and Ron swung through for an enjoyable evening on their way to Amelia Island to see Clint. We enjoyed some time together around an outdoor fire under the live oaks with some greentini's. Remarkable and refreshing libation! Lots of laughs. Perhaps we will hook up in Carlsbad CA if/when we get to the west coast.

Connie is flying up to snowy Albany tomorrow for some much needed Tina time. Mike arranged the flights. Thank you brother-in-law.

Brian and Anna are expected to stop on their explorations along the Georgia coast in the next few days. Look forward to seeing them. It's been a brutal winter for them in Maine (and not just the weather...)

And Rosie flew home a week ago looking "mahvelous"; coiffed, refreshed, rejuvenated, renewed from her time at "Miss Connie Sue's Health Spa".

Last night Connie's Sisterhood of the Traveling Scissors convened for two trims for Mimi and Shelly. All that practice on Sampson and Delilah has paid off... Anyone need a puppy cup?


Sam n' Lu missing you...

Photography from Maine

Obviously, sister Wendy has the same photographer's eye as sister Gail. Nice to have some talent in the family...

Breaking news; Photo's were taken by Dree on a recent trip from England. How were the coffee houses in Amsterdam Mick and Dree?

"Scribblers Retreat" Writer's Conference

I'm excited. I just signed up for a 3 day writer's conference on the Island. In the unlikely event someone wants to read my writing I need to be able to direct them to a central location; either that or hand them hard copy. And so, lacking a printer ( and a house for that matter), I will use the blog. Who has more fun than people...?

Essay "The Oprah 'Thing' "
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2008/11/where-do-we-begin.html

Essay "Shadow Boxes"
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2008/12/december-2nd-updates.html

Essay "Tsesyu Cafe"
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2008/07/tsesyu-cafe-alabaskan-indian-word-for.html

Essay "Great Gram"
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2009/01/abbie-emma-york-willard.html

Essay "Lulu's Fishing Story"
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2008/06/sitting-on-bench-at-days-store.html

Essay"Terminal Technocity"
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2007/11/terminal-technocity.html

Essay "The Other Side"
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2008/12/december-8th.html

Essay "Who Has More Fun Than People"
http://gdfoss.blogspot.com/2007/11/who-has-more-fun-than-people.html

for more essays contact gdfoss@gmail.com

Rosie...

Connie's (and my) good friend Rosie flew into Jacksonville for a few days away from the deep freeze in Maine. It was only 40 degrees here, but she is delighted to be in above freezing weather. It's all relative...

Connie has been so excited about her visit. She has planned the menu, activities, walks, tours and redecorated the place! ... but all Rosie wants to do is relax and sleep. She got really excited about the guest bedroom and sleeping past 6:00AM. Again, it's all relative...

They are out right now exploring the shops in the Village and meeting the "SSI cast of characters". Rosie will fit in "juuuuusst fiiiine" as they say down heeah...

Bless her heart!

February...

Yesterday, while walking the beach, we stopped by a friend's place to say hello. She is 70 something, lost her husband of 50 something years two years ago and has been figuring things out one day at a time. She is a unique human being and we feel fortunate to have met her along life's path.

Life isn't easy. And, on top of the loss of her husband, she has had her share of recent health issues; breast cancer, knee surgery, hearing loss, cataracts... so recently she had surgery on her eyes to take care of that issue and as a result, like my dad, they remarkably corrected her vision to 20/20.

She is so excited about having clear eye sight again. She immediately installed a skylight over her bed so that she can drift off to sleep watching the stars and wake up to the sight of sea birds swooping over her beach house.

Much to learn from such courage...

Retired from Retail

Charlotte and Carolyn are back from their mission trip to Peru and will be taking over the reigns of Go Fish tomorrow morning. So, Connie and I are officially retiring from retail. It has been a fascinating experience.

Retail is entirely about establishing relationships (isn't everything...) and serving the customers perceived wants and needs. That being said, I am entirely inept at assisting a customer in selecting a blouse, skirt, matching shoes and complementing jewelry. And Connie is brilliant!

Then again, when it comes time to run the computerized Retail Pro software, transact the sale, close the books and make the bank deposits, I'm your man.

The dogs have been a huge hit. They lay on their pillow under the counter until they hear someone enter the shop. Then they sprint down the shop floor barking excitedly and jumping up on the customers legs for hugs and loves. Usually the customers get right down on the floor to play with them. SSI is such a dog friendly place.

The most fun of this job is meeting the people, listening to their stories, connecting, laughing... and selling them shoes.

I really think Connie has found her niche...

Jekyll Island and 68 degrees,,,

It was a beautiful day in Georgia and we didn't have to work until 2:00 so Bob, Judy, Connie, Glen, Sampson and Delilah jumped in the van and drove over to the island next door. It is amazing that we had the entire beach to ourselves.


Bob and Judy found a quiet dune and hunkered down for a spell...

Bob already knows how to "just B..." (inside joke... check the hat)

We met some neat peopple in GO FISH yesterday and ran into them again on Jekyll. They were attending a physical education seminar at the convention center. self professed "Georgia girls"... Good people.


Working 9 to 2 tomorrow. Maybe we'll head up Island to the Red Barn on Saturday night for a little dancing and roasted oysters. They fly out on Sunday. It's been fun.

An incredible day...

A new Prez... (God bless the old one and the new one...)
a new day...
Hope abounds!

Saturday Morning

A little chilly this morning... 30 degrees. But we're not complaining. Katie says it's well below zero in Maine.

The Oprah website has posted a transcript of Wednesdays show complete with pictures.
Click here to view.

They also posted 20 pages from Elizabeth Lesser's book, Broken Open. Lots of food for thought.
Click here to view.

I read through the hundreds of comments posted on the Oprah blog responding to the show. There were so many people expressing profound grief and loss, trying to release some of their pain by writing about it. Most of those people were grateful for the program.

We have received hundreds of emails and calls from family, friends and total strangers. Thank you all so much for your kind words and feedback. We are so happy about the exposure that organizations like Hospice Volunteers have received from the show. The Oprah website provides a link to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). They provide access to so many valuable tools for people across the United States, those approaching end of life and for those left behind. The Oprah Show producers have done a very good thing here. Well done, Scott and Leigh! You made sure the education piece concerning the full mission of Hospice was in the show and you will never know how much good you have done.

OK, time to bundle up and take the dogs for a walk on the beach. Bob and Judy are flying in on Wednesday for a few days to check out life without snow... YEAH!

Thursday night

Thanks so much for all the kind words from people who saw the Wednesday Oprah Show. We are relieved and just so pleased that it has been received positively. Our goals of honoring Eric and of helping people who are suffering loss have been so abundantly granted. We are very grateful. And we are so proud of Ryan. He's helped many, many people with his words.

To those folks who have discovered this blog and are reaching out, we want to help.

Click here for a link to a national website with information on grief support in your area.

Click here for a list of helpful books from the Hospice of Waterville Area website ( Thank you Dale and all...)

Find people who have walked the walk; a doctor, pastor, priest or rabbi, a counselor, co-worker, friend or family member, a Hospice Volunteer or Compassionate Friends group. You don't have to do this alone. In fact, you can't.

Be gentle with yourselves, Take it one day at a time. Have hope.

Preview of Tomorrows Show...

They posted a preview for tomorrows Oprah Show.
Click here to watch it. (select the Wed 01/14 trailer...)

If you haven't read the story of our "Oprah Experience"
Click here to read it.

It's a rainy night in Georgia... Hey! That's a Conway Twitty song
Click here to listen.

Have a good one...

Sam n' Lu

Sunday on SSI

The full moon caused an amazing low tide and we were able to walk miles out into the ocean on sand bars (always keeping one eye on the incoming flow...). Even came upon this beautiful old snag posing in the glisten off the sea.


The shrimp must have also been running because the shrimp fleet seined back and forth along the coast as close to the sand bars as they dared. Wonder if the jellyfish were causing them problems... must have.

On Sunday afternoons, I head for The Bookmark, a local book store owned and operated by my new friend Brion. Last November he invited me to join a small (but powerful) gathering of local guys who talk books, politics, poetry, publishing, religion, technology and any other topic that might be raised. They were looking for a token Yankee... I'm proud to be among them.

Bob is retired military, Army, Vietnam vet, drove his MG from California to Florida along Old Route 66. Avid reader and golfer.

Russ is Georgia born and bred, a former publisher and recent author climbing the ladder toward his first book sale. An unofficial historian of SSI and a collector of people.


The brain power in the room is awesome. If you say something, be prepared to be challenged and to back it up. Even the smallest of issues can result in a full blown debate. For instance, Sunday's debate was over the subtle but significant distinctions between the concept of a justice system vs. a legal system. Brion is the computer whiz and acts as the information arbitrator, final but not binding. Sometimes when things calm down he "frags" the group with a choice piece of well researched information. Debates are ongoing and span years. I am just a side show.

I took my family over a few Sundays ago and they were a big hit, not shy about engaging in any debate ( they were raised in it!).

Just good guys willing to share a lifetime of adventure and experience.

Moonrise over East Beach

Awesome colors...

and thousands and thousands of Cannonball Jellyfish [Stomolophus meleagris] lay washed up ...

all up and down the beach...


as the sun sets

Oprah Show Update

We have been notified that the Elizabeth Lesser/Broken Open Show (this includes our taping ) will air on Wednesday, January 14th. Elizabeth is also going to be on the Jan. 7th show ( We are not).

If you haven't read the story of our "Oprah Experience" Click here

www.gdfoss.blogspot.com/2008/11/where-do-we-begin.html

Hope we don't come off looking like wing nuts.... wait... we are wing nuts! But our intentions were noble; to honor our son/brother Eric and to help if only one family "in the fire".

Just remember that...

later,

the "dog man" and Connie Sue (as we're known on the Island... LOL)

Abbie Emma York Willard

Our Great Grandmother, Abbie Emma York Willard was born on January 4, 1879 and died on March 17, 1979 at 100 years old.

From our father's genealogy work, the York's arrived from England in the 1600's. Samuel York was born in Oyster River New Hampshire in 1645. His son, Benjamin was born in what is now Falmouth, Maine in 1680. Maine became a state in 1820, by the way. That make's my children and their Tilton/Grannell/Johnson cousins 12th generation Mainer's... as they used to say. "that and a quarter gets you a cup of coffee." Still, we are darned proud of it.

If you knew Gram Willard you'd know why we are proud. She was a spunky old gal. She was 72 when Craig and I, her oldest great-grandchildren, were born and we remember her laugh , more like a joyful cackle, even today. She lived to hold 4 of her great-great grandchildren; Christopher, Sayde, Eric and Ryan.

When I told her the names we had chosen for our son's she said, "Land sake, Sonny Boy. Where did you get those names... under the wood pile?" That from a woman married to Clarence with a daughter named Maybelle and a son-in-law named Morris.

I remember her telling the story of sitting on the point on Orr's Island as a child with her sister and watching the very first steam boat to ever enter the harbor. We were watching TV. It was July of 1969 and Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon.

Gail tells the story of visiting her shortly before she died. Gram told Gail she was pregnant. Gail said, "No Gram, that's Connie. I'm not pregnant." Still, Gram insisted that she was and told the rest of the family. 3 weeks later, when Gail learned that she WAS pregnant (with Kimberly Rose) she called Gram and asked how she knew. Gram said "I saw it in your eyes."

Today is her birthday.

So, Happy Birthday Abbie Emma. We remember.

The Marshes of Glynn

New Years Eves… the average man gets 77, give or take. Women get another 5 on average. Not sure I envy them that… I suppose this is true for every day of the year. On average, 77 December 31st, 77 October 23rds, 77 July 7ths… But only one actual birth day and one actual death day. It’s the dash between those two dates on your tombstone, the space and time between them, that you have to work with… to play with… to really live Life.

We just read a study that suggests that the earlier a person retires, the longer they live. For instance, the study showed that a person who retires at 50, on average, will live to age 86, another 36 years. In contrast, a person who retires at age 65 lives only another 2 years. Of course, statistics can be used to prove anything, but this study begs the question “If a person never worked, would they live forever?” Still, there is something here to consider.

On September 15, 2007 (one of those once in a lifetime days for me… or is it?) I retired from the work-a-day world after 35 years in the trenches. Environmental engineer, sewerage treatment plant operator, high school teacher, paper mill supervisor, salesman, personnel manager, government affairs specialist… It was quite a ride, not a planned career path in the least. More of a stream of opportunities approach. The fun parts were a pleasant dream. And, of course, there were nightmares (best forgotten). By October, my wife and best friend of 32 years and I had sold our home of 18 years, bought a little touring van and hit the road.

It has been an extraordinary year and a half. The economic meltdown of 2008 has introduced a certain level of uncertainty to our future plans (to say the least), but NOBODY called that one, so we can only hang on for now and go with the flow… the flow, that space and time between DOB and DOD, abbreviations used by life insurance companies and coroners … the flow that has beached us for the last few months on a wonderful, little backwater island off the coast of Georgia.

Saint Simons Island has a unique history. A military outpost from the earliest days of European expansionism, the British and the Spanish fought a decisive engagement in 1774 in the Battle of Bloody Marsh. It was the furthest north the Spanish were to ever venture, from there a slow retreat over the next 60 years, pushed south of the Rio Grand in Texas, out of Florida, Arizona, New Mexico and California. Cotton became the cash crop on Saint Simons and thousands of slaves were imported to work the plantations until 1864. Following the Civil War, the former slaves were issued land grants on the Island and direct descendants of those people live here today.

Our rented house is on the cusp of the Island’s culture. On one side of Cumming’s Lane are beach houses, single story structures painted bright colors within walking distance of East Beach. On the other side of the one lane road, beneath the Live Oaks and the jungle of green vegetation and creeping vines, are black families ranging from a recluse, 80 year old woman, to young men in pimped out cars and sound systems that vibrate you out of bed at midnight, to biracial families with lots of beautiful little children. The smell of smoke and of barbecue pervades the neighborhood. Outside burning/cooking is a tradition… a religion.

For us, this New Year’s Eve was anything but typical. From our past experiences, December 31^st was usually snowy and frigid, typically spent skiing as a family and celebrating our son’s birthdays. This year we walked the beach, listened to the waves and the bell buoys off the shipping channel and got dressed for an evening of dancing under the Live Oaks at Bennie’s Red Barn.

The Red Barn is located on Frederica Drive, up island from our place in “the Village”. It's a large, rustic, establishment … it’s, well…barn-like to state the obvious with a distinct history of its own. In the 50’s and 60’s a dress code was strictly enforced. Men wore jackets and ties, provided at the door if you were without. The wait staff, all black, wore white jackets… genuine, formal Southern tradition.

Today, ¾ of the “barn” is reserved as a restaurant, tables centered around a huge stone fireplace taking up all of one wall. The remaining ¼ is accessed from the restaurant through sliding barn doors and consists of a large worn, wooden dance floor, a stage runs across the front wall and a long bar along the back wall. The “club” continues outside onto a large open air deck under lighted Live Oaks with a huge metal caldron where a fire is kept and oysters are roasted. A second circular outside bar surrounds one of the majestic trees. The scene is magical; the warmth of the fire and the smell of roasting oysters, sounds of people dancing to R&B and the ethereal sight of smoke drifting through moss laden oaks.

The crowd evolved as the evening progressed. Doctors, lawyers, judges and real estate developers in whimsical, colored bow ties and tuxes were slowly outnumbered by young people in alligator boots with tight jeans and silk shirts. By midnight, the Red Barn was literally rocking up and down as people packed the dance floor and, with a collective sign of relief, kissed and hugged in yet another new year.

The barn doors slid open to the evening finale, a Southern breakfast buffet of smoked sausage, baked eggs with greens, cheese grits and biscuits all liberally doused with hot sauce.

New Years Eve, the average man gets 77, give or take… this one was special.