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< Previous10the WAVE • PenBayPilot.com Grieving the loss of a beloved pet By Sarah Shepherd Grief is shaped by the bond you had with your beloved pet, and the trauma associated with the loss of them BOARD & TRAIN Send your dog to live with a professional and they will return trained! 207-322-5022 www.happyhoundsdogtraining.com The unconditional love of a pet, whether it’s a dog, cat, horse, rabbit, hedgehog, bird, a little rat or hamster, captures our hearts. Pets are family members and loving and trusting them brings peace and joy into our lives. The human-animal connection is a powerful bond and dynamic relationship. Sadly, there comes a time when our pets have to say goodbye, and that triggers intense emotions. For many, the grief following the loss of a pet is comparable to the intensity of grief following the loss of a human, sometimes even harder. “Grief is shaped by the bond you had with your beloved pet, and the trauma associated with the loss of them,” according to Patricia Lee Rode, a certified pet loss and bereavement counselor in Rockland. “The connection between ourselves and our beloved pets is profound, and when we lose this companionship, it can be devastating.” After the sudden passing away of her German Shepherd Sonny eight years ago, she decided she wanted to help others process the loss of a beloved pet to honor him. PenBayPilot.com • the WAVE 11 “When I lost Sonny, it was so hard, and I felt no one understood how devastating it was for me,” she said. “My goal might be to help people understand their grief and work through any trauma association with it. The long-range goal may be to ‘grieve fully’ so they can ‘live fully’ again.” Rode said the stages of grief are shock, anger, guilt, sadness/ acceptance and resolution (coming to peace with what has happened). “People do not go through these stages in a linear way, but often experience many of these feelings simultaneously,” she said. She recommends: Continue to connect with your pet. You can still talk to them even though they are not in their physical bodies any longer. Create a memorial in your space, and perhaps include there a candle and some photographs. Establish a ritual – light the candle, and honor your beloved pet. Nights are usually the hardest; some people sleep with the picture of their beloved pet for a while. Get a tattoo or jewelry with your pet’s name on it. Have some of their fur or ashes put into a locket and wear it. Plant or get a plant in their name might symbolize rebirth in honor of them. Say their name. So many people that call Rode feel alone if they can’t talk about their pet. She encourages clients to talk about them. Grief does not define you, even though it may feel like it does, she said. Your heart is still beating and you still have a pulse, even though you may feel like a part of you died with your beloved pet. A goal might be to remember them with more love than pain, eventually. Remember to treat yourself like you would your best friend, gently. Don’t compare your grief to others. Grief is something we get to do our way. It’s as individual as our fingerprints. Think of baby steps. Focus on the body, mind and spirit. Not everyone is familiar with or understands the grief process, and knows how to be supportive of someone who has lost a beloved pet. “It helps to surround yourself with community that cares,” said Rode. “In general, our society is grief illiterate, and often people don’t know what to say.” A community can include a friend or family member who knew your beloved pet, your cat or dog walker/sitter, your farrier, a neighbor, and even the person you get coffee from every morning. “You’d be surprised how open people are to talk about their own loss of a beloved pet, when we are vulnerable and talk about our own loss of our pet,” she said. And there is no “normal” timeframe for grieving. Rode said that people have called her who have lost their pet years prior but never had anyone to help them process the associated grief. “It isn’t easy, but over time we can learn to come to peace with our loss and love again,” she said. “If we open our hearts to love in life, we open ourselves to loss. In a way, even at the end of your beloved pet’s life, you are still on a journey with them, because you’re still thinking of them, you’re still loving them, you’re still in relationship with them because love never dies." Patricia Lee Rode, M.A., an experienced grief counselor, offers individual pet loss and bereavement sessions and support groups via zoom, by phone or in person; pet- loss-counseling.com or patricialeerodeone@gmail.com She also leads pet loss support groups, as scheduled, for the Pope Memorial Humane Society in Thomaston. Pet Loss Support groups are listed at popehumane.org12the WAVE • PenBayPilot.com Saltwater, sunshine, and sea glass By Erica Thoms Images of Maine are replete with rocky shorelines and seaweed, but what is not so visible are all colorful pieces of sea glass waiting to be discovered by beachcombers. Each summer on the shores of the Belfast Bay, it is not unusual to see treasure hunters scattered along the waterfront, sometimes in groups but often alone, many bent at the waist, gazing intently down at the rocks and sand. Of course, there are countless gems to seek at the beach — Almost everything in this image was gathered on the shores of Belfast. Photo by Erica Thoms Treasures on the shore BOOKONLINE visitpointlookout.com 207-230-4208 On-sitehikingtrails MinutesfromCamden andBelfast Playground+basketball andvolleyballcourts Firepits+s'moreskits VacationRentals Northport,ME PenBayPilot.com • the WAVE 13 driftwood, seashells, even trash; however what draws more interest than most are vibrant pieces of softened glass, worn smooth by time in the surf and sea. Sea glass, and the hunt for it, is nothing new. Nor are the countless pieces of artwork created with it. For those who don’t have access to a nearby beach, sea glass can be made using any broken glass and a relatively inexpensive rock tumbler. But it is the work in finding hard-to-spot pieces in the natural landscape, and knowing the ocean took care of the tumbling, that makes genuine sea glass more sought after than the manufactured variety. In Belfast, residents and visitors are fortunate to have a stretch of beachfront from the Belfast Boathouse to the Front Street boat launch. Not only is the beach popular, but with the help of a long- ago bottling plant that operated in Belfast, there is often an array of pieces to be found, for those who look hard enough. Some lucky beachcombers might even find a frosty piece of glass from the time when Dana's Sarsaparilla was brewed and bottled in Belfast. The drink was sold, “as a reliable remedy for the liver, kidneys and diseases of the blood,” according to the Maine Historical Society. The “remedy,” which was loosely regulated at the time, was brewed and bottled in Belfast from 1889 to 1917. There is no secret to collecting sea glass; it really is as simple as going to the beach and looking down, scanning for anything that stands out, and analyzing whether one holds in hand a polished rock or an ultra-weathered piece of sea glass. Helpful tip: Go out after storms, or a particularly rough surf, when it is more likely that pieces will be tossed ashore. Look near tidemarks, where mounds of smaller stones and weathered glass can be found. Searching at low tide also gives you the widest stretch of shoreline to check, given how much more of the beach is exposed. Facing away from the sun and searching for the sparkle of glass can also be useful as it makes spotting the pieces easier. The longer a piece has been at sea and tumbling, the smoother and frostier its appearance. Along with the old sea glass that comes from the last century, there are also newer pieces to be found, up to and including shards that appear to have just met the sea. These are often picked up and thrown back into the ocean for more tumbling, though others pick up the sharper pieces and recycle them. Sea glass can take anywhere from 20 to 100 years to be worn completely smooth by the tumbling surf and soaking in the salty water. And while sea glass can only be found in the ocean or on ocean beaches, the more ambiguous nomenclature of ‘beach glass’ can be used when the glass is found on the shores of one of the Great Lakes. Most sea glass collectors eventually build a treasure chest filled with a wide array of colors and shapes; brown, translucent, and green being among the most common colors. The seven rarest colors of sea glass to find are orange, turquoise, red, yellow, black, teal and gray. Genuine sea glass also retains the scent of the ocean, an intoxicating aroma to take home. In addition to the enjoyable aspects of combing for sea glass, the mere proximity to the ocean and the thrill of the hunt contributes to improved mental health and mood. Exposure to the sun and air, changing one’s scenery, engaging the senses with the ocean sounds, smells and sights, a trip to the beach is never wasted. Simply walking on a beach engages muscles and counteracts feelings of isolation. One is simply happier by the water, according to Web MD. Is it OK to take sea glass from the beach? The answer is yes, of course, unless otherwise noted. While there are some beaches where taking glass is prohibited, there are no such areas in the Midcoast. Despite its beauty and the fact that it is sought after, the bottom line is that sea glass is still technically litter. Beautiful, yes, but not a natural addition to the environment. Photo by Erica Thoms Photo by Erica Thoms HIRING BUS DRIVERS CAMDEN ROCKPORT SCHOOLS IS Five Town CSD & MSAD #28 is now hiring bus drivers and monitors for our schools. Offering competitive pay and benefits, plus, we can train you! Call 207-236-3358 or apply online at: www.fivetowns.net/jobs 22 KNOWLTON STREET |CAMDEN, ME 0484314the WAVE • PenBayPilot.com Regardless, there is something magical about the often tiny treasures. To many, sea glass is a symbol of survival. Tossed and shattered, destined for the bottom of the sea, the pieces are slowly tumbled to shallow water, and then, decades later, they surface from the surf, no longer shattered and sharp. Gifted by the ocean to a lucky beachcomber. Photo by Erica Thoms Photo by Erica Thoms 52 Main St. Belfast (207)338-4565 • www.delvinos.com PenBayPilot.com • the WAVE 15 you’ll love. maritimeenergy.com Local you can count on. Rockland 234 Park St. (Route1), Rockland 1-800-333-4489or594-4487 822AcadiaHighway (Rt.3), Montville - 589-4460 262Main St., Belfast -338-1609 241Route3, SouthChina-445-5222 205US Route1, Nobleboro-563-8887 Maine Real Estate Trends: Sales of single family existing homes decline Interest rates and lower-than- normal inventory led to a single- family existing home sales decline of 16.78 percent in March, according to the April industry update from the Maine Association of Realtors. According to Maine Listings, 858 homes changed hands last month, compared to 1,031 homes in March 2022. The median sales price for homes sold rose 3.85 percent to $337,500 comparing March 2023 to March 2022. The MSP indicates that half of the homes were sold for more and half sold for less. “As spring arrives, potential buyers are adjusting to the increased mortgage interest rates and returning to actively searching for their next home,” said Carmen McPhail, 2023 President of the Maine Association of REALTORS and Associate Broker at family-owned United Country Lifestyle Properties of Maine with offices in Lincoln, Bangor and Lubec. “However, the low inventory of for- sale homes continues to be a challenge. The tight for-sale inventory, while bolstering sales prices overall, has contributed to the rate of statewide price growth slowing. In some counties, median sales prices have declined during the first quarter.” The National Association of Realtors reported a home sales decline nationwide of 21.1 percent in March 2023 compared to March 2022. Prices also eased 1.4 percent to a national MSP of $380,000. Regionally, home prices in the Northeast rose 1.0 percent to $395,400, while sales dipped 21.2 percent comparing March 2023 to March 2022. The chart compares the number of existing, single-family homes sold (units) and volume (MSP) during the rolling three months of January, February and March of 2022 and 2023. Source: Maine Real Estate Information System, Inc. (d/b/a Maine Listings). Note: Maine Listings, a subsidiary of the Maine Association of REALTORS®, is a statewide Multiple Listing Service with over 6,200 licensees inputting active and sold property listing data. Statistics reflect properties reported as sold in the system within the time periods indicated.16the WAVE • PenBayPilot.com Serving the Bangor area for 60 years! Our Services: In plant area rug cleaning Pet urine treatment On location steam cleaning – Commercial & Residential Upholstery cleaning Rug repair Rug binding & more Statewide Pick Up & Delivery 207-947-8876 www.salibasrugcleaners.com Visit us in our new location at 69 Hillside Ave. It’s Time To Get Outside! • Come see the largest selection of healthy, high-quality plants, shrubs & mature trees north of Portland! • In-house landscape design service • Curbside Pick-up Available • Home Delivery Available 664 Bar Harbor Road,Trenton (LargeTrees and shrubs only) 629 Commercial Street (Rte 1), Rockport We deliver state-wide! Landscapeprofessionalswelcome. (207) 594-7754 • Plants-Unlimited.com How to regain and maintain muscular strength By Roe Chiacchio F rom age 30 and every year thereafter, our body’s muscle mass, strength and function decrease. This is referred to as sarcopenia, which is part of our normal aging process. Diminished muscle mass leads to weakness, loss of balance and decreased mobility. Falling as a result of sarcopenia may cause fractured bones in hips, arms, wrists and other areas, all leading to physical disabilities. Reasons for loss of muscle mass can be due to the decline in hormonal levels such as testosterone, estrogen, vitamin D, along with a sedentary lifestyle, insufficient protein intake, medications and stress. The physiological changes that occur in our muscles are characterized by a decrease in size and amount of muscle fibers, mainly in the fast-twitch muscles which allow us to increase our pace or momentum with movement. We can witness this change as we walk slower year after year and notice we don’t have the strength to walk uphill or walk up a flight of stairs. This all sounds hopeless, but there is good news. We can slow down this process and regain muscular health. How do we slow down the effects of sarcopenia? Our muscles hold the key to a healthy body. They are our secret weapon for health. Muscle is a dynamic functioning organ that can help stabilize, energize, heal and regulate other processes in our body. When stimulated, muscles secrete chemicals which influence the function of our skeletal system, digestive system, microbiome, immune system, cardiovascular and Roe Chiacchio RN, CPT, is a personal trainer specializing in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. She shares her knowledge about health and wellness in the PenBay Pilot, Well Being Journal and NCCDP. Her business, ONWARD, Cardiovascular Health, Wellness and Medical Management is in Camden. Roe’s educational background is in behavioral science, psychology, neuroscience and gerontology. Contact Roe at 207 249- 8166, or roechiacchio@gmail.com HEALTH AND WELL-BEING PenBayPilot.com • the WAVE17 FULLY INSURED ARBORIST, OPERATING STATEWIDE • License No. Fcl&U3554 Bantam Property Management BPM TREE SERVICE • Hazardous Removals • Pruning & Planting • Chipping • Stump Grinding BPM GARDEN & LANDSCAPE DESIGN • Spring & Fall Cleanup • Garden Care & Design • Pathways & Stonework Call Nathaniel • 207-350-8200 BPMTREE@GMAIL.COM Call Jessica • 207-323-6758 BPMLAWNS@GMAIL.COM WWW.BPMTREE.COM Licensed and Insured BPM respiratory system, liver, pancreas, bone, and fat metabolism. Physical activity improves cognitive function. For example, active muscles stimulate the release of BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), and Interleukin 6. According to NIH, BDNF plays a valuable role in neuronal survival and growth, serves as a neurotransmitter and participates in neuronal plasticity essential for learning and memory. Interleukin 6 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine used for controlling local or systemic acute inflammatory response. Exercise and adequate nutrition continue to be the gold standard for therapy, even amid pharmaceutical treatment. Protein intake and physical activity fuel and stimulate muscle growth. Physical movement not only stimulates the body to maintain muscular strength, it also slows down osteoporosis (loss of calcium in bones) and increases brain health and mental well-being. It is a win-win situation. Resistance and weight training are recommended to build and enhance muscular strength. A few basic exercises that can be done at home, without equipment are chair squats, toe raises and push-ups against a counter. As we live longer, our attention and goal should be to enhance our life and reduce fragility, falls, and loss of independence. Keep active, challenge your muscles with different activities. You will reap the benefits of movement. Play outdoors and enjoy the beauty of this world. HEALTH AND WELL-BEING18the WAVE • PenBayPilot.com 5 BIG DAYS JULY 26 – JULY 30 Union Fair At The Union Fairgrounds Just Off Rte. 17, Union WWW.UNIONFAIR.ORG SCULLY’S OYSTER & LOBSTER MARKET Sea Farm Fresh • Unmatched Quality Curbside • Shucking Tools Frozen Prepared Foods • Sauces • Gifts 707 River Rd., Edgecomb 207.633.3539 scullyseaproducts.com PenBayPilot.com • the WAVE 19 Invisible Fence® Brand the leader in pet containment for 50 years. We’ve pioneered the pet containment industry with customized outdoor and indoor solutions, along with professional training designed specifically for your pet’s needs. No other brand can offer our level of protection. Invisible Fence of Southern Maine Keeping pets happy, healthy & safe at home Ph: 800-585-2803 southernmaine.invisiblefence.com ®2023 Radio Systems Corp. All Rights Reserved.Next >