The Schooner Flash
Established 1989 | Issue 217
đź“… In This Issue
- Welcome
- Schooner Share
- Just for Fun
- Word Search
âš“Ahoy!
Welcome our newest community members!
- Helen G.
After spending 14 years in her home in Turner, Helen joins us at Schooner! A Lewiston native, she has deep roots in the local area. Family is very important to her: she is a proud mother of two children, along with having two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Helen has enjoyed traveling to wonderful destinations, including San Diego, Washington, and the Philippines. In her free time, Helen enjoys a variety of hobbies, including knitting and playing card games like spades, as well as hand and foot. Helen looks forward to becoming a vibrant part of the community and sharing her interests with fellow residents! - Sarah J.
Sarah recently moved to the community after spending 25 years in her home in Turner. With Lewiston being her hometown, she has strong ties to the area and enjoys having friends nearby. Throughout her life, Sarah has enjoyed traveling and has explored many destinations, including Hawaii. Sarah had a professional career in reception, a role that reflects her friendly and welcoming nature. In her free time, she enjoys a variety of hobbies, including knitting, crocheting, playing card games, and Farkle. She appreciates activities that keep her hands and mind active, while providing opportunities for social connection.
Our Community Is Your Community.
🥰Gratitude
November is a month which lends itself for reflection on gratitude. Keeping in season, we asked Schooner residents to share a memory or tradition they’re thankful for!
- One Sunday morning, we invited friends to cross-country ski in our woods. It was snowing thick flakes, and we enjoyed the fresh snow. We approached a grove of hemlock trees with an opening in the center. The snow had collected on the branches. We all stopped in awe at the beauty and spiritual emotion created by the scene. I named it the “Sanctuary of the Hemlocks” and still visit to reflect when I can. Note: the trees were cut about 10 years ago, and my daughter now owns the land. The grove is near her home.
–Frances B. - When I was about 7 years old, I had a bone infection (osteomyelitis), and I thought I would lose my left leg. I was in the hospital for about 7 months. They were able to save my left leg, with only a slight indentation in my ankle. God is good. I am very grateful.
–Fran C. - During the war years, my mother and I lived with my grandparents. One day, when I was around 2 years old, my mother was at work. I walked into the kitchen. My grandmother was crying—I had never seen her cry before. I asked her why she was crying. She took me by the hand and led me into the family room. She pointed at a picture on the wall and said, “That good man died today.” At the time, I didn’t understand death or know who she was pointing at. Of course, later I learned it was FDR. I know I was just a toddler, but I remember it clearly. Grandma Kelley was a wonderful person. I’m very thankful that she was part of my life.
–Grace M. - I am grateful to God for two occasions that saved my life. On one of these occasions, I was riding in a 35-foot sailboat on Lake Michigan. The man who owned the boat was at the tiller. The boat had two sails. He decided to take down the front sail for a smaller one because there was a lot of wind. I volunteered to pull down the larger front sail. I went forward on the boat, and I tripped over a wire and fell off the boat. I didn’t fall in the water because I was holding onto the sail. They pulled me back into the boat. The boat owner told me that if I had fallen into the water, they wouldn’t have been able to save me because the boat was going so fast. Thank you, Jesus.
–Irene R. - I met Mary Lou Fraser when I was probably 4 years old; she was 3. We lived on the same street. We played with paper dolls on her front porch. She didn’t go to my elementary school, but we did go to the same high school, graduating in 1949. We both went out to eat with friends, and we went to our class reunion together. Now, she, another high school friend, and a driver come to visit me here at Schooner Estates. They really enjoy visiting here at Schooner. We’ve gone out on the patio and visited inside my apartment.
I enjoyed being in the pictures with my friends. I’m going to be 96 years young on December 31, 2026.
–Peggy W. - Bob always loved driving and looked for an adventure around each curve. This was one of our last rides. October 2007, we drove east across Maine and into New Brunswick. That afternoon, Passamaquoddy Bay was all mudflats, a sheen of water on the horizon ready to spill. Low tide. A fishing boat chugged in and bobbed on the edge of the world. Six others joined him in a queue. Suddenly, the first boat took off, fast, into a narrow rivulet, and then when it seemed he would run into the mud, he made a sharp left turn. Each boat followed close and hard behind, all running the same track, each making the tight left curve, all racing the tide to bring in their catch. The bay refilled after they were gone.
The next morning, we drove past the town wharf. All seven boats sat aground, tethered in pairs, tied by long ropes to the dock far above, all ready for the day ahead.
–Brigitte W.
Got a story to tell? We want to hear from you!
Schooner Estates is full of wonderful stories, memories, and life experiences– and we want to hear yours! Share a finished holiday prompt (below) by November 9th with the Schooner Front Desk or the Administrative Assistant’s Office (next to door #2).
What is one holiday memory that still makes you smile? Perhaps a favorite gift, a family gathering, a holiday meal, or a mishap that became a great story!
đź“– Ask Me What I’m Reading
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
“An elderly Portuguese man named Theo arrives in the small Southern town of Golden, Georgia. He is quiet, thoughtful, wealthy, and mysterious about his past. At a local coffee shop, Theo discovers 92 pencil portraits of townspeople, drawn by a local artist. He decides to buy the portraits and return each one to the person depicted. Theo does more than deliver
a drawing. He meets each person, listens to their stories, and offers compassion without judging them. Through these encounters, he helps people rediscover their worth, face painful memories, and find hope. He believes that the portraits belong to the people who inspired them. When he returns a portrait, he invites its subject to share their story. These conversations create genuine connections in a community where many people feel lonely or misunderstood.
Theo teaches us to slow down, listen without judgment, look beyond appearances, and treat people as if their stories matter—because they do. This is a moving novel about kindness, grief, art, forgiveness, and the extraordinary difference one person can make in other people’s lives.
This is a novel I loved and will never forget.”
–Jackie L., Schooner Resident
🤔 Who Am I?
Guess who! Using the clues below, can you figure out which of your neighbors they describe?
I have met a presidential candidate.
I have spoken with a well-known senator.
I have been hugged by an astronaut.
I live at Schooner Estates.
Who am I?
đź“· This Month’s Photo Favorite
Pictured here are Schooner residents Lois Case, Woody Hodgkins, and Joan Morin, all Edward Little alumni from the class of 1951! Their graduating class formed the Donald M. Gay scholarship fund, established in honor of the school’s beloved Music Director. In operation, the fund provided over 20 scholarships and later the naming gift for the construction of the Donald M. Gay Performing Arts Center. Go Eddies!
🔍 Wordsearch
Word List: AUTUMN, BONFIRE, CORNUCOPIA, CRANBERRIES, FEAST, FROST, GATHER, GOBBLE, GRATEFUL, HARVEST, HAYSTACK, LEAVES, PIES, PUMPKIN, RAKE, SQUASH, THANKSGIVING, TURKEY, VETERANS, VOTING
(A table grid of letters follows this list in the original newsletter.)