Merriest Christmas to You and Yours.

Love From Us and Ours :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

~ The Renshaw-Sirimoglu Family

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An LL Bean Christmas.

We Mainers love our LL Bean. And the flagship store in Freeport? Well, it is totally awesome! I can't believe it has taken me 15+ years to visit it. This series of shops (a village really) is open 24-7 ... year round. And on a recent trip back from Nashua, NH to Bangor, ME ... the kids and I took a break from the highway and shopped at LL for the first time. Good stuff ...

There is a trout pond with live fish!

Stuffed majestic animals everywhere. Museum quality and very educational.

An aquarium where kiddos can get an inside peek of what it looks like to live underwater ...

And Isaac FINALLY got to see what a Grizzly Bear looks like (he has been SO curious about them for a year now) ...

He was mesmerized and quite impressed.

And you could literally hang out here all day. There are two cafes for all your stomach needs ... as well as this (above) "family room" for relaxing, game playing and reading by the fire.

Or one could hang out and read with LL Bear ...

When we were done shopping (for Uncle Jamie, Daddy and Uncle John) ... we were treated to an unexpected and totally "Maine Christmas" treat ... a horse-drawn carriage ride through some of downtown Freeport ... courtesy of LL Bean.

What a great impromptu evening of shopping, learning and enjoying the spirit of Christmas. I highly recommend a stop to downtown Freeport, Maine ... and especially to the LL Bean Flagship store. And if you head another 1.5 hours up Route 95 ... you can pay us a visit as well :)

Oooohhh ... and LL Bean gives free concerts in the summers ... so plan accordingly.

Love,

Jodi & Family

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Buy One. Pretty Please :)

Meet Seabass (formerly known as Winston). This cat's life was literally saved by staff at the Bangor Humane Society. He died once. Truly. He "saw the light at the end of the tunnel". Well, I assume. Then, within minutes, he was brought back to life by the staff vet at the shelter. And though that should be enough to make him pretty special ... his life has also changed the lives of the human beings who love him. Including me.

Now meet Kimbo. He is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. And he would not be in a loving family were it not for the Bangor Humane Society. His life was saved because the Bangor shelter was able to meet his needs and to find him a loving home. Were it not for the shelter, who knows where he would be today ... if here at all.

Meet Lyra. She is WAY sexier in real life. This snapshot is terrible. And so is she sometimes. But we love her so very much. Because of the Bangor Humane Society, this kitty is a permanent member of our family. She was brought in as a malnourished, underweight little bitty thing ... and through their foster care program, we were able to care for her until she was ready to be neutered and adopted.


And Isaac is forever changed because of her. In our home, you will often hear me say, "What the heck did you do with yourself before we got Lyra?" because he is forever playing with her. She is his best buddy (though you wouldn't know it by the look on her face in the above shot).

Look, I swear I am not overly sentimental about animals. I used to be. But Haiti changed me on that front, and I am now much more sensitive to the plight of human beings than animals. BUT I have also seen first hand what wonderful things the BHS staff and volunteers do to help animals that would otherwise be in misery. And what they do is good ... and worthy of support.

I can also honestly say that it is not just the work they do for animals that has me lending support, but even more than that ... they help people. Sometimes people cannot keep their beloved pets ... and the shelter assures them in every way possible that their pet is in good hands and that they will find him/her the best home possible. This is good work. Sometimes a family (like us) is seeking the perfect pet ... and the shelter goes above and beyond to match people to their soul-pets. This is good work. The shelter also takes in volunteers who have their own challenges (mental /physical challenges, court-appointed community service workers, etc). They help these people to do good work as well. And working with animals can certainly change lives for the better.

So, have we established how awesome the Bangor Humane Society is yet? Have I given you enough info to make you want to buy our 2011 Bangor Humane Society Calendar? For just $20, you can purchase their calendar --- full of gorgeous fine art photography (like the picture of Seabass pictured above) --- all photos taken by me --- and in financial support of their good work.

Here is how:

Please purchase one or more calendars ($20 for 1 or 6 for $100) by sending a check made out to Studio 36, 1746 Stillwater Ave, Bangor ME 04401. Be sure to include your address and phone number so we can send you the calendar!

Or you can use Paypal:

Options:

1 Calendar $20.00 6 Calendars $100.00 12 Calendars $180.00

Please consider buying one or more asap. They make great gifts for everyone on your Christmas list ... they are good for you ... good for the animals ... and good for people.

THANK YOU!

love,

Jodi

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