Sometimes tasks get passed down within families. Traditions. Jobs. The recipe for that special corn pudding that Grandma always made gets taught to a grandson, who will then be tasked with taking it to every family gathering for the foreseeable future. The responsibility to tend to the family plot at the cemetery. The maintenance of family heirlooms. The telling of family stories — Grandpa’s misadventures overseas, the great uncle’s adventures in D.C. politics.

The longtime columnist who convinces her editor to allow her to hand her column over to her son.

For many years, my mom and dad were responsible for hanging the wreaths, made by longtime wreath-master Rose Davis, on the old meeting house in the Center. Two on each set of doors, six hung between the windows, a large one way up above the doors of the Community Building. 

Ladders are involved.

For a time, Ma had Tom Sawyered her new partner Don into helping her with this task. Faced with the job this weekend, she realized that two octogenarians maybe shouldn’t be scrambling up ladders planted precariously in the ice leftover from our Thanksgiving night snow-squall/nightmare-drive-home-from-the-in-laws.

Ma is an independent lady, and while we share a home here at Sleepy Hollow, we have learned to wait for her to ask us for help. If she needs wood brought in, chicken grain carried to the henhouse, or some other task she is not up for, she can reach out to us, or one of the kids.

So Saturday morning she texted, and asked if the kids would help her put up the wreaths. To be fair, Tracee and I have taken on the job in the past, and when I responded that the boys and I would handle the wreath hanging, she was quite pleased. She was busy at the Schoolhouse Museum, preparing for their open house this Saturday evening, and she declared that the job has been officially Handed Off. It now belongs to the next generation of O’Briens.

With my wife and eldest off to Portland to see the Nutcracker and do a bit of shopping with the mother-in-law, I was able, with surprisingly little effort, to wrangle the teenage boys into helping. We found the wreaths neatly stacked by the sanctuary door, as full and green as you could wish, with a pile of red ribbons next to them. Some assembly required.

Due to the bitter temperatures, the boys decided to attach the ribbons inside the Community Building, as I located the ladder, and checked out the nails in between each window of the Meeting House, from which each wreath would be hung. And found just holes in freshly painted clapboards.

I announced to the boys to keep working, I was running home to get nails and a hammer, which they followed with, “wait, you’re leaving us unsupervised, at a church?” Such little darlings.

Needless to say, through team effort, the O’Brien boys managed to hang the wreaths. There was a lot of conversation about potential shoddy workmanship in their attempts to attach the ribbons, and much readjusting after they were hung, but we agreed the wreaths were so lovely and well made that no one would notice a crooked bow. And if they did, the boys said, they would probably just blame their mother or grandmother.

All hung, all but the big wreath over the Community Building door. The ladder is not tall enough for that one. My joke that we could just play ring toss to get it on that hook 10 feet up was met with way too much enthusiasm by the boys, so instead we set to sweeping the pine needles off the Community Building floor and agreed to leave the problem of that wreath to those more competent than us.

And I bought them each a slice of pizza at Drakes.

Lincolnville’s Beach Bonfire

Speaking of tasks handed down, the informal tradition of the Beach Fire on the Saturday of Camden-Rockport’s Christmas By the Sea weekend has always been a haphazard event. Started at some point in the 1980s by some Boy Scout dads, it coincided with the Lincolnville Historical Society/Lincolnville Improvement Association’s Christmas Party at the Beach Schoolhouse.

Over the years, it has always been an event organized and put on by a rotating cast of informal volunteers, but has become a much loved town event, as people gather around the bonfire and sing carols, while awaiting for a visit by Santa Claus, who traditionally arrives by LVFD fire truck.

You may not know that Maine has some complicated rules when it comes to the ownership of intertidal zones. Until quite recently, nearly half of what we consider Lincolnville Beach was under private ownership. This year, the half not owned by the town was purchased by the state to create additional ferry parking. The town cannot allow burning on its property without official sanction from the Select Board, and getting permission from the state seemed unlikely.

This came to attention of Andy Young, longtime bonfire volunteer, Wednesday, November 20. Unfortunately, the deadline to add an item to the agenda of the November 25 Select Board meeting was Tuesday, November 19.

If you haven’t been involved in town government, just know that there are rules — way things need to be done. So I joined Andy at that meeting on the 25th, understanding that the chances of getting an exemption was doubtful. We could bring up our request for official town approval of the fire, but the Board is not allowed to make decisions on items not on the agenda.

Andy Young is not to be underestimated, though, and after his presentation on the history and importance of this tradition to the town, he requested that the Board consider it as an emergency item. The Board, consulting the Town Charter, agreed that this issue met the requirements for emergency consideration as it impacted town property, one of the few allowable exceptions to getting something added to the agenda after the cut off date.

The Board granted town approval for a fire permit, and so Andy Young and the Select Board and municipal bureaucracy saved the Beach Fire! Now to see if we can convince the Town to take this on as an annual event in this winter’s budget planning process.

Saturday, December 7, at Lincolnville Beach, the fire will be lit by 3:30 p.m., with caroling at 4, and Santa’s expected arrival at 4:30.

The Lincolnville business group will also host a pop-up tent with hot chocolate and baked goods. Santa is expected to show up at the Schoolhouse Museum, 33 Beach Road, just up the hill, where they will host their open house. If you haven’t been recently, check out the exhibits telling the history of this little place.And get a picture of your little darling with Santa; Ma has one of me sitting on his lap at the Schoolhouse when I was 14.

Holiday Disasters Continued

Former teacher and Lincolnville resident Sally Laite sent me this little story, which I absolutely love.

“For many years I had Thanksgiving dinner with my 4th-grade students in our classroom. A life-size cutout of William Bradford was a guest in my classroom in November, and we would spend the November days learning  the history of the Pilgrims, the story of Thanksgiving, etc. for the month.

"The dinner was the culmination of our study. This particular year, as usual, one parent had volunteered to cook the turkey. All others were providing sides and desserts. I had 30 children in my classroom so, with all those donations, it promised to be quite a feast. Parents had been asked to come to help serve.  The principal and assistant principal had been invited to dine with us, and the assistant was going to carve the turkey.

"Our classroom was beautifully decorated, and all the furniture arranged to allow a feeling of togetherness. All seemed ready for success.

"Well, my assumption was that anyone who volunteered to cook the turkey knew how to do so. That was how it had worked for several years. Not so this year. 

"With only a couple of hours to go, the parent arrived at the classroom with a partially frozen turkey, not knowing what to do with it. I couldn't leave my classroom for more than a minute or two, but I raced over to the home-ec room. Since this was a home-ec room for a Junior High, it only had a microwave, not an oven. Go figure!

"The turkey was too big for the microwave. As I returned to my classroom, a parent was trying to hack it apart to fit part of it in. Needless to say, the turkey was a disaster, but we all enjoyed a great meal together of side dishes and desserts and were thankful for our time together.”

Library Happenings

Hit the Lincolnville Community Library Tuesdays December 3 and 10 from 3-5 p.m. for a Needlework Group. Wednesdays, December 4 and 11 they will host Mahjong from 3-5 p.m.

10 a.m. Saturday, December 7, will be a children’s program, with winter-themed books, and holiday crafts.

And save the date for the Library’s December Book Group on Tuesday, December 10, at 5 p.m. They will be reading passages from Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales and discussing ideas for next year’s book discussions.

And so it is finally feeling the season, both in holiday lights and the temperature. I hope to see you on the Beach next Saturday evening, even if you may not see me. 

As the winter solstice rapidly approaches, look out for each other. Things get cold and hard, but we are a social animal, and designed to rely on each other to get through the hard times. Volunteer to carry on a tradition, and be an active part in your family and your community. It is worth it in the end. Reach out to me at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

Monday, December 2

School Committee, 6 p.m., LCS

Land Use Committee, 6 p.m., Town Office

Tuesday, December 3

Library open 3-6 p.m. 208 Main Street

AA Meeting 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Wednesday, December 4

Library open 2-5 p.m.

Friday, December 6

AA Meeting 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Library open 9-12, 208 Main Street

Saturday, December 7

Library open 9-12, 208 Main Street

Bonfire and Caroling at the Beach, 4 p.m.

Lincolnville Historical Society Open House and Holiday Party, 4-6 p.m., 33 Beach Road

Sunday, December 8

United Christian Church, 9:30 a.m. Worship, 18 Searsmont Road

Bayshore Baptist Church, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 11:00 worship, 2648 Atlantic Highway