Ideas and tips to get along and get stuff done-------- ------- -AJuly 20, 2025

Hi Folks,

I’ve been quiet lately with social media, this newsletter, and in other ways. So here’s a little update; a letter from my summer vacation!

One reason I’ve been quiet is that I don’t know what to say. I’m infuriated at our President. I’m infuriated that we’re so harshly divided over climate change and civil rights. Forgive me. I just haven’t had the words.

And there are other reasons. For one thing, my Mom moved to Maine! After many years of living near my sister in California, and Arizona before that, she’s come to Maine to live near Carol and I. Here she is on the sidewalk in Freeport. Everyone in Maine knows Derosiers! She loves their strawberry ice cream.

It’s been a great gift to spend time with her. Yet it’s also been a struggle to see her age, with one thing after another taken away from her. That’s hit me harder than I thought it would. I guess were all on that path – those of us over the hump - of ever-losing agency. These ponderings, antics with Mom, and NAVIGATING THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (did you read more infuriation there?) have taken a lot of bandwidth. Not complaining. Just sayin.

And another reason…….our daughter Dana is having her wedding at our home in August! I’m sure you can imagine THATs a thing. Clients read: Craig unavailable in August. Haha. Many of you know that our daughter has lived in Ghent, Belgium for several years. She works in Brussels for the European Commission as an agriculture policy networker. Dana and her husband Guillaume Marti got officially married at Ghent City Hall in February (photo from that morning) and they’re going to have the party here! We will be hosting several Belgians for a couple weeks, and family and friends from across the USA. It’s a lot of fun getting the house, barn, and yard all ready.

I have a fantastic set of clients lined up for the Fall. See my client list here if interested. I’m also promoting and delivering keynote speeches to help people get along. And very exciting: I’m about to reveal a new project I’ve been working on with College of the Atlantic professor Gray Cox and Maine Sunday Telegram cartoonist Steve Meyers. We’re cooking up an illustration to share with you all.

I’m not sure what to do about my free Training Talk Shows. Many of you responded to a recent survey – Thank you! – yet I’m not clear on how to proceed. I don’t have any currently scheduled. Thanks for your patience.

It’s been nice to focus on Mom and Daughter this summer. I’m so privileged to be able to turn away from work for a bit. And I’ve also turned to more local endeavors such as organizing a neighborhood block party, maker cafes at the local Quaker meetinghouse, and a monthly song circle at the community farm across the road. At times I don’t like the world I encounter through my screens and find favor with the world close at hand.

Thanks for reading my letter from summer vacation! I hope you too are having a nice summer. Would love to hear from you if you feel like writing back.

- Craig

Links To Help You Get Along

Written and published by Craig Freshley. Thanks for walking along with me.