Here's to spending time with dear friends! First photo is at the botanical garden in Boothbay yesterday. Second photo was taken on the front steps of our apartment in 1980. 💗

Clarence Thomas says the 14th Amendment should be read narrowly because it was written for formerly enslaved people. By that logic, the 2nd Amendment was written for muskets, not AR-15s. Funny how that kind of originalism only shows up when it's convenient.

Some of the flags that kids (and a few adults!) created at Waldoboro Pride yesterday. Some took their flags home, and others agreed to let us keep them to display. My favorite: "Someone loves everything you hate about yourself." What a joyful afternoon!

Waldoboro Pride! I'll be at an interfaith booth at the street fair, 1 to 3 p.m. today in Waldoboro.

A few photos from this morning's Unity and Pride event in Newcastle/Damariscotta. (Photos courtesy of my friend Matthew.)

A little swag from this morning's Unity and Pride event in Newcastle/Damariscotta. There was a great turnout for the rally and march!

"Congratulations to all!" Thinking of the kids the US killed in the TLAM strike on Minab school on the opening day of this unnecessary, illegal war.

In public health, you learn an awful lot about people willing to profit off of harms to children. But my jaw is on the floor. It never occurred to me that the sentence “I’ve put a couple kids in the hospital” would ever be followed by the phrase: “But here’s the thing.” @jackiantonovich.bsky.social

Midcoast Maine folks - if you want to get involved in efforts to keep our local hospital's labor and delivery unit open, come join us in Damariscotta tomorrow. If you can't be there but want to help, send me your contact info and I will keep you updated.

I haven't read the Economist's article on why "many women cannot make enough breast milk." But I have read this response, and it explains clearly why the Economist's article is so misleading and harmful. www.midwiferywisdomcollective.com/post/the-eco...

Another spectacular year for the magnolia. As always, it has attracted hummingbirds. But no orioles this year. (We had them for a short while a few years back but not recently.)

The old beagle loves this weather.

Great company, delicious food, and a funny sign in the restroom. We enjoyed our evening out at Cushnoc Brewing Co. in Augusta!

Someone who checked out this library book before I did decided the dedication needed some corrections.

I found this treasure when cleaning today. I bought it from La Leche League Italia at my first LLL International conference, in 1995 in Chicago.

More bad news about HHS and RFK Jr.

If attacking Pope Leo online then posting an AI generated picture of himself as Jesus doesn’t convince you that the president has zero respect for Christianity, after all that has happened up to now, I can safely say you do not care about the truth.

If you think this is exhausting, imagine being Iranian.

As an American, there are always disappointments to register and arguments to engage; amid the chaos of our battered, monied attempt at self-governance, dissent is constant. But this feeling of being utterly ashamed of America and embarrassed to the core by its president is new, raw and unnerving.

For April Fool's Day, an Australian police department pranked their community with a video clip introducing a "new" K-9 unit—made up entirely of dachshunds. They called it the "Small Area Urban Searching and Guided Evacuation" (SAUSAGE). 😀

I am happy and relieved to see this decision. (The school named in the suit is our local school, and our son teaches there.) www.pressherald.com?p=7616745&uu...

700 of us stood peacefully on the bridge and the street today in our little towns of Newcastle and Damariscotta to protest the Trump administration. Here is a partial view of the crowd just after the start of the event. #NoKings

Useful and important information.

More bad news about children's health.

Left behind after the weekly demonstration on the Newcastle-Damariscotta bridge.

I have lived in Maine long enough to know it isn't really spring yet, but after a long snowy winter it is heartening to see a few snowdrops in the field.

Five years ago today a careless driver ran a stop sign and hit me. I am grateful for seat belts & airbags, for my coworker who showed up soon after and kept me calm, & for the emergency crew, who made sure I was OK and cleaned up the debris. And I am thankful for every day I still get to be here.

Great commentary on why RFK Jr. should be promoting vaccines, especially for us older folks. "RFK Jr.’s successful snorting of cocaine off toilet seats doesn’t protect him against any...vaccine-preventable diseases."

Updated:

This will be a much better way to spend this evening. It's raising $ for some good causes. And it will be up for 24 hours for anyone (like me) who just can't stay up late any more.

Measles is no joke. Focusing only on when it's fatal obscures the range of lasting harms that come from this disease. www.voicesforvaccines.org/measles-can-...

A little lopsided, but that is traditional for Pennington cakes. And of course a baby is hidden somewhere.

Episodes of Antiques Roadshow that were filmed in Maine last year start airing next week. Maine Public Radio's call-in show yesterday was about antiques, and my brother was one of the guests. Worth a listen if you like antiques! www.mainepublic.org/show/maine-c...

What Trump said was truly awful. But Hegseth's remarks are terrifying.

A few favorite lines: "I’ve had root canals that were more entertaining." "As first lady, Hillary Clinton tried to fix the healthcare system; Melania got stationery printed." "No pretty dress can disguise an ugly soul."

If you haven't seen this yet, be sure to read the letter.

Some helpful tips from Portland, Maine. "A lot of people have come 'from away' and had trouble making friends at first.... Once I made it clear that I was not interested in riding around town unconstitutionally detaining others, I was able to find my people." www.pressherald.com?p=7570050&uu...

"Over six in ten Americans now say ICE’s tactics have gone too far."

My mother (born in 1931) was a polio survivor who was left with scoliosis and a lifelong limp. I know her family would have chosen the vaccine if it had been an option when she was a child.

Gotta remind yourself not to cry when you see the kid's signs. It's negative -25°F and tears are dangerous. "LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" "ICE GIT OUT YA FUCKIN DUMBIES 😡"

Need a "No I.C.E." sign? Here are two versions you can download.

You wonder how this could possibly get more evil, and then it does.

Anyone who says ICE is only going after criminals or only people in the U.S. illegally or only noncitizens is ignorant or lying. Check out what happened to this Maine woman. #mepolitics www.pressherald.com/2026/01/15/h...

Way back in 1985 I hired this goofy guy to be the cook at the Theater at Monmouth. We’ve been together ever since. He still feeds me well and makes me laugh. Happy birthday to my dearest Nick! 🥰 @nickazz.bsky.social

Great article. Healthy eating is a lot easier for those of us who have time to shop and cook and don't live in a food desert.

The White House wastes no time gaslighting the American people anntelnaes.substack.com/p/ice-shoots...

Unbelievable. And terrifying. She posted this on X and on Facebook.

Joyous. I like that!

This poem by Howard Thurman is one of my favorite messages about Christmas. Image is kind of fuzzy - words are in the alt text.