Once upon a moose time...

Now really is that the way a moose like me ought to start his memoir? I think not, but it does seem like a good way to get my hooves wet.

"...there was a moose named Brodey. I have served as the prestigious mayor of Mooseville for many years, but my story begins long before my encounter with Corey Moose and the Mooseville store. It began at the edge of a pond, a soft breeze blowing the crisp fall air and there was love. You really didn’t think I could let Valentine’s Day slip by without a little bit of sappiness.

My parents, Eloise and John were destined to be together in the end, but there were some other suitors that were still optimistic for a chance to win my mom’s heart. My dad, however, was the mightiest moose in the state and he had an enormous rack.

As a little moose, I did love swimming in that very pond where my parents met and eating the lily pads, tender grasses and reeds around the edge. I still love swimming, but it would be hard to pick a favorite pond. But the leading contenders are...

Gosh, writing a memoir is hard. You have to stay focused, a task that I am not very good at especially when I start talking about food. I do love food - grasses, lily pads and Brussel sprouts. Well, I guess that is enough hard work for now.

I do want to mention a few new tidbits, the Star Barn Bed and Breakfast is having two yoga retreats in March! The Phillips Public Library is having their annual Penny Sale Auction and there are so many events going on during school vacation week I can hardly even remember them all. There are sledding parties, movies and ice skating. Also the Phillips Elementary School Boy’s basketball team is overdue for a big congratulations! They have gone undefeated for two years and they clinched the title in a tough game last week against Strong. I think this might be a very good sign for the years to come at Mt. Abram High School!

If you still haven’t told your sweetheart that you love them, the clock is ticking away because it is Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate kisses and Moose love to all of my great fans!

Moose it up For Valentines!

Last week, I gave you some serious advice in the newsletter. Don't just give flowers for Valentine's this year! Flowers will only die and are quickly forgotten, and besides that, there is that whole thing about water.

Now, a moose is the kind of gift that will last. Imagine if I showed up at your door … the memory of Brodey on your back stoop would bring a smile to your beloved’s heart forever! Well, I am available, but the cost is probably up there to high for most folks. I mean a moose on a plane? You get my drift? So I wanted to make a few more affordable suggestions.

Moose earrings, moose socks, pajamas, handsome figurines, and my favorite, the cuddly stuffed version of me would all make great gifts. It would be hard to go wrong, if you are shopping at the Mooseville store.

Now, let’s just think about this! If you wait much longer, you will have to call Corey begging and pleading to get an emergency shipment of Moose goodies. So this week’s advice is don’t wait until the last second like you did for Christmas!

If you have your heart set on chocolates and flowers, you can always get those at the last minute from your local gas station. But I would expect that you should plan ahead for those cute little moose, so you can get chocolate moose poops or a fruity assortment of moose lollipops to go with that great Moose gift for your sweetheart.

Love your friends, love your neighbors, love your Moose!

Welcome 2010 Moose Style!

I know, I really know that I am just a few weeks late, but I have been super busy moosing around! I also know that I am overdue on my list of resolutions for the New Year. I decided this year, I would follow the old advice that less is more, so I only have three resolutions.

One: Be on Time! You can certainly see that I am definitely getting off on the wrong hoof with this one. But, I am trying and hopefully will do better!

Two: Read More Books! This is another one of the resolutions that seems to come up year after year, but I do plan to visit the library more often. And it seems that I am just in time for the Penny Auction at the Phillips Library! Shopping - now that would be a resolution I could really be good at keeping. I did read the back of the cover of a great little book called A Good Dog. It appears that it is all about a dog named Orson. That brings me to my next and final resolution.

Three: Write my memoir! I am thinking about calling it A Good Moose: The story of Brodey. It does seem unlikely that Jon Katz, author of A Good Dog, will have time to write about my life. He does have a farm and a whole pile of dogs to take care of, besides he isn't available as moose ghostwriter. So I guess the sole responsibility
falls to me.

And so it begins, in earnest with something like this, "Once upon a
time, there was a moose named Brodey..."

Stay tuned and I look forward to hearing from you!

Once in a Blue Moose

Hello friends!

I just realized that next week will be a very special one, indeed! The moon will be full on New Year's Eve and that will make it "a once in a blue moon" celebration for my friends and family.

Being an inquisitive moose, I found out that a "Blue" moon happens when there are two full moons in a single month, but the phenomenon rarely happens to coincide with the last day of the year. It does happen every few years because the moon cycle lasts 29 days, so the extra days add up over time.

Do you remember where you were on the last day of 1990? It might be better if you cannot remember – the late eighties and early nineties had serious fashion missteps, especially for a moose like me, but that was also the last time there was a blue moon on the last day of the year! We can look forward to the next one New Year's Eve blue moon until 2028. Wow! That's a long time from now!

So will the moon impact your party plans to celebrate the New Year?

A moonlight kiss at midnight sure sounds romantic for a sappy moose like me and for devoted moose fan, I know that Corey has rustled up some great "Blue Moose" goodies down at the store.

The full moon does seem to bring out the wild side of most people, so be careful out there!

My next blog will be coming to you, straight from the year 2010! I can hardly believe it has happened again, all my resolutions from last year have been forgotten or long abandoned. But I promise that I will come up with a new list!

The Perfect Christmas Tree!

Despite a lack of major snow cover in Mooseville, I have been searching for the perfect Christmas tree. What does the perfect Christmas tree look like?

The perfect tree has to be the right shape without any weird protruding branches, but that is just the beginning.

Height is very important, if it is too tall, you can get the angel on the top and if it is too short, well you will have a box of ornaments left when we are finished decorating. Now, I am not one to worry too much about my waistline, but the tree can’t be too wide because it will throw off the entire shape and the overall size must fit into your space.

I must admit that every year, I spend about a week walking in circles looking at all the trees. The first question might be be species. Balsam, Douglas Fir or White Pine. I usually try to mix it up from year to year, but sometimes I just find the perfect tree.

Chopping down the tree and getting it home are always the most difficult part of the day and then there is always the point when you get to the back door and the perfect tree is just too big. Believe me, there are a perilous few hours there and then we have to attach the always difficult tree stand.

Once the tree has been found and moved, decorating must commence. But there are so many questions. Lights – multicolored or all white, who will make the popcorn and cranberry strings without eating all the popcorn, how do I decide if it will be an Angel or a Star for the top this year, and the ornaments – how many is too many? And lastly, the perfect bows must be tied. Some folks like to add garland and tinsel, but too many of my bird and animal friends eat that stuff and it isn’t the best for the digestive system so I skip it.

The perfect tree is really a figment of your imagination, because each tree is perfect for one family, you just have to find your tree. I always have to laugh because, the perfect tree is usually the first one I saw when I started my search three miles ago, but that is another story.

Keep searching – your perfect Christmas tree is out there and waiting for you to bring it home!

Who invented those ear muffs everyone wears?

Can you eat another spoonful of stuffing, piece of turkey or just one more little sliver of pumpkin pie? If you can still say yes with enthusiasm, then waddle over to the fridge and dish up another plateful of Thanksgiving leftovers.

But if you are forced to answer no then you are officially ready to begin your holiday shopping. Some of you were out driving to the stores on Friday morning – I don’t know does four o’clock count as morning or is that still the middle of the night, but I digress. My point is you could have and should have started and finished your shopping at Mooseville from the comfort of your couch, wearing your fuzzy slippers and that goofy plaid bathrobe. Please take note – there will never be any photos of that and speaking of slippers, new slippers are never a bad gift idea, but they never seem to be quite as good as the old ones.

I hate to sound like an advertisement, but the reality is Mooseville has gifts for everyone on your list and can ship it out straight away with no hassles.

Dust off your Earmuffs!!

Farmington, Maine will celebrate Chester Greenwood Day on December 5. It is the only place in the world to celebrate the man who invented earmuffs. The festivities include a huge parade (11AM), a chili contest (12:30PM – 1PM) and then some “CRAZY” people will go swimming just for kicks in Clearwater Lake at 3PM. For more information and a complete schedule of all of the fun events for Chester Greenwood Day, contact the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Even if you won't be able to attend the festivities, you should look up Chester Greenwood and see what a great inventor he was!

Thanks Chester! I only wish they made earmuffs large enough to fit over my big ears!

Moose Thanksgivings!

I apologize for not posting my column in a few weeks – I am still all goofed up from the time change and Corey has me very busy with the new store in New Jersey.

Have you seen it? Crazy ornaments everywhere! No wonder he is having that sale to try and get rid of some.

Let’s talk about the real news around Mooseville – Thanksgiving is this week! Who knew it could sneak up on us like a molting chicken, but that is another story.

This time of year, even a moose like me has to count his blessings! I survived another hunting season without a scratch, my cupboard is stocked with vegetables and the fireplace will be sure to keep my hooves toasty all winter.

I have also been thinking about the people in my life and that always brings a smile to my face! I wanted to send a special hello out to all of my friends in Franklin County, Maine.

Who are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? The hard question is – have you told them! Don’t wait! Just pick up the phone, call Corey, and tell him how much he means to you and he might even give you a discount on your next purchase.

Have a great Thanksgiving – remember if you have to start shopping early, Mooseville online is open 24 hours a day to meet all of your moose needs. www.mooseville.com