My girlfriend grew up in Maine and lives there every summer. Twice now we have taken sea kayaks out for extended trips on Mooshead Lake (last time 4 days). There are VERY nice primitive campsites every few miles along the shore. All have a picnic table and pit toliet. They are first come, first serve. We have always gone during the week in Sept and never had a problem finding a campsite. I don't know what it might be like in the middle of the summer. This last time we went to Acadia and while it is a must see place, even in Sept it was pretty crowded. Maine is a great place! Enjoy! Scott

Surfer, I've lived in Tornado Alley most of my life. The bomb shelter is the first place everyone should go in a tornado. I remember growing up, I went to a very old school that was built in the early 1900's. The basement had been turned into a fall-out shelter in the '50's, and if there was ever threat of tornadoes, the entire school would end up in the basement. Underground is best, and like TS says, away from all glass. The main bathroom in my house wouldn't be a good choice, (even when there was a tub) because there's a window nearby. We do, however, have a very small bathroom in the middle of the house with no windows, and if I didn't have time to make it to the basement, that's where I would go. If you're at home, pick a closet on an interior wall, closest to the middle of your home. You want to be surrounded by walls and no windows, on a ground floor if there's no basement. My mom would always stuff that particular closet with her extra pillows and bedding for some extra cushion around her. She was horribly afraid of tornadoes, yet lived in a house without a basement. It certainly kept that closet clutter to a bare minimum! Can you prepare for a tornado? Not really, regarding supplies. The best thing you can do is prepare a place to go, or know where the basements are around you. If you need to head there, grab a cell phone and hunker down. I think you were extremely lucky to have survived being picked up in your car. F5 tornadoes like the one in Greensburg, KS are rare, but being prepared and going underground is the only thing that kept that town alive.

Hey Kate - I did the hippie backpacking / hostels / sleeping on trains with Frommer's Book "Europe on $5.00 a Day" or some title like that in 1973. And the Euro- Rail Pass. I did not ever speak or see the guy I traveled with after returning to the US ~LOL~ I married someone else in 1975 - still married - so your "marriage survival test" was accurate. Sharon - what a beautiful couple you two make! Now who would have thought he would grow up to be a Biker-Harley Tat Guy!!! TOO FUNNY. My sister used to get those curls in her hair - we called them Banana Curls (don't know why).

I'm so sorry, Rita. Having an injured hand is just the worst because it affects all you do. I hope you recover soon. I didn't think I'd get any quilting done this month. I've dumped old things, taken loads of furniture to thrift stores, torn out stuff, replaced light fixtures and painted following the death of uncle. The paperwork has been daunting. Thank God for lawyers and accountants. Just looking at a sewing machine was rare. But, my best quilting friends took me to a fabric store and I'm finally waking up to what was important to me before all this happened. I actually put a border on a wallhanging last night and am preparing to quilt it. So, I might get something done after all. I'm also finishing the last of 4 redwork blocks hoping to have them ready to assemble at retreat. Just gathering stuff for retreat has gotten the juices flowing again. I think I will survive this. Can't believe it's almost September.