Well, curiosity drove me to dig in to some family research. Turns out my 4th and 5th great grandfathers were members of the Massachusetts Militia, Minot’s company and were part of the fight at Lexington and Concord. #HATM

Imprisoned 70ft down? Uh, no thank you. #HATM

Ok, Paul Giamatti’s accent as Adams is pretty good. Soft r’s but not overly exaggerated.. #HATM

Re: smallpox innoculation. That is knowledge that came from a African man, Onesimus, who was enslaved to Cotton Mather. They would use cowpox for the source virus. it would be used to fight an epidemic in Boston in 1729. #HATM

Knox will retire to land his wife inherited in Maine in Thomaston. His house, Montpelier, is now a museum. Maine’s first granite fort will be built nearby at the mouth of the Penobscot River which is named after him. Also Maine’s most recent county was created in 1860 will bear his name. #HATM

The Kennebec River is a big river that can accommodate modern destroyers. Bath Iron Works is at its head. Those rapids are Class 4 level. #HATM

Heck even Maine has black Revolutionary soldiers buried here. Eastern Cemetery in Portland is the final resting place of Cato Shattuck of the 15th Mass, Plato McClellan, and James Bowes of the Continental Line. #HATM

Ok, the but about the New England troops not wanting to mix? Spot on. #HATM we have a loving rivalry.

Ooh the Mowatt campaign! Mowatt bombarded Falmouth because some patriots had captured him earlier in Maine. Incl. Peleg Wadsworth, the poets grandfather. Mowatt was humiliated. #HATM

Heads up Mainers! I saw a FB post this morning about these cameras being installed in South Portland.

Portland to Boston is a two hour drive nowadays. #HATM

And this is why MA and ME celebrate Patriots Day in April. Now better known as Marathon Monday #HATM

Also April Morning was a popular book and movie when I was growing up. #HATM

An event that millions of New England children can regale you with in verse. Thanks to Mainer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His grand-father was a general in the Revolutionary army. He wrote it as a warning about the Civil War. #HATM

Well they’d already kicked the Acadians out. #HATM

Did I miss the mention of the monopoly the Tea Act created for the British East India company? Allowing them to undercut local merchants? It actually lowered the price of tea. #HATM

Ooh Tobias Menzies, I’d know that voice anywhere. Famous here for playing a sadistic British captain, Jack Randall. #HATM

Ok I missed the sewing box but mom yelled out Shaker box! If so that’s not period accurate. 1. Shakers come to America in 1774 and 2. They began making those boxes for sale in 1799. #HATM

This harpist is Maeve Gilchrist. I’ve met her! She played a celtic festival I helped run a few years ago. She’s an excellent player and singer. #HATM

The banjo tunes are played by American treasure Rhiannon Giddons. #HATM

Ok stream and chat was too much input. Plus here it’s easier to reply to people. Sharing my tidbits here: the opening fiddle tune is called Hector the Hero written for Gen. Hector McDonald in 1903. Played by Hanneke Cassel, a fantastic fiddler. #HATM

So today I was working on my candidate wall for my classroom and I found it difficult to find all the people running for governor. Well, the Dems and Indies at any rate. The Repubs had a handy list with links on their website. This race is just as important for Maine as the federal ones.

I love when I learn something new and it completely upends my lesson plans, it a good way! Today it was the story of Pvt. John Poor of IL, stationed at Ft William, Cape Eliz, ME who might be the first Am. soldier to have died in WW1, days before we dec lwar. Story by Troy Bennett shorturl.at/2mkgg

November in Maine

Some good news this morning! Can Kim Davis just quietly fade from public discourse already?

Who would’ve thought that here in the year 2025 I would be jamming to brand new Dion. 🤘🏻

Hey #HATM I noticed yesterday that UHF is on Prime!

It has been a rough start to this school year to say the least. First quarter is finally over and grades submitted so I decided to give my room some attention. A student offered to rearrange desks and I finally got my words of wisdom wall back up!

Woo hoo!!!👏🏻 Mainers say no to voter id and protect access to absentee ballots!!

Know what @pressherald.com election results should be free to view. Not just the statewide ones, but all the local ones and town by town. It was last year. I like to go over them the next day with my students. Even if it’s not for a teacher, it should be accessible!

When the sweater weight, the woodstove, and the couch all come together in that special way, that to do list is not getting done.

Maine has this too!

Ok Mainers, tomorrow we do our part to defend democracy in this state. We have one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country, partly due to our absentee voting access (40%!). We averaged 74% in 2024. Usually double digit % points above the national average. Fraud is virtually 0.

O’Brien also became a Member if the European Parliament. #HATM

It’s also about protecting Sec-Gen’s career before facing the GA. #HATM

Morthor comes from Sanskrit meaning “smash” #HATM

1. Since we’re on an Irish theme tonight, Sing Street! Bonus the soundtrack is so good. 2. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3. I had some pizza and fruit at the afterparty for my fiddle orchestra’s final concert of the year! # HATM

Know what’s gross? I’m watching Hocus Pocus on Disney+ with my mom and I’ve seen no less than 5 Liberty University ads.

Happy Halloween! 🎃 May the blessings of the Great Pumpkin be upon you! I hope none of you get a rock. Unless you want one.

After school a bit later than usual to get some grading one (quarter ended today) and the janitor just started blasting classic rock in the hallway and is singing along at the top of his lungs. 😂 🤘🏻 We all gotta find ways to make the job more fun.

Having pop culture class on Halloween means getting to introduce my seniors the the glory that is dancing pumpkin man and David S. Pumpkins.

I’ve been telling my HS kids that news is now explaining it to parents. That usually signals the death of a trend.

Just a reminder as the nation fixates on our senate primary it all may be moot if Q 1 passes. It would restrict early voting, absentee voting, require very specific forms of ID end and ballot requests by family members. Maine has some of the highest voter participation rates in the country. 74%!

Excellent op-ed by @tressiemcphd.bsky.social I love the Popeye reference. I call him Oyster Daddy in my head. 😂 (gift article). www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...

Huh, I did not know he went to Bowdoin. That practically makes him a Mainah, at least a temporary one.

Well, I guess I have to thank the dept of labor for making my pop culture lesson about 1950’s social conformity, the HUAC and McCarthyism relevant. 🤣🤣 We talked a lot of how the nuclear family was defined, represented on TV, and who gets left out of that definition.

Seems like a good time to highlight this excellent voter guide for the senate race by @mainemorningstar.com (Thank you!!) mainemorningstar.com/race-details...

So the coast guard is going to go after it right? Those boys better file for finder’s rights! #HATM

Data’s dad is played by Michael Paul Chan. He’s been in a ton of TV shows and movies since. #HATM

Another fun parent fact: Martha Plimpton’s dad is Keith Carradine. Her mom Shelley Plimpton originated the role of Chrissy in Hair on Broadway. #HATM