It's one thing to just take the handle of Ladylightkeeper for e-mailing purposes; and quite another to be good friends and have a chance to talk to a real, honest-to-goodness lady lightkeeper. Connie Small has been a good friend for several years and one whom you never tire of visiting and listening to her true life stories and her down-to-earth philosophies.

There is a goodness in her that I have rarely seen in people. Maybe this goodness stems from the kind of person you truly have to be in order to withstand the rigors and loneliness of being out to sea for months at a time in a lighthouse surrounded on all sides by water. A goodness that is willing to endure this kind of life because you know you are helping others and literally saving many of their lives.

When you meet a person with such goodness beaming out from them, it sparks you to want to do something good for them in return. At least it did for us. We saw Connie about a month ago and she was telling us how she had to stop giving her live slide lectures on her lighthouse experiences because her "newer" projector had broken. No lie, at age 100, she was/is still going out to groups and presenting her program -- has given over 575 such talks since she began "saving lighthouses". Her 1940's Argus projector was just too hard for her to handle, so she said she was being forced into "retirement". She did not say this with any gladness.

As photography is our first passion in life, we know hundreds of photographers and appealed via internet to them, which resulted in receiving a donation of a fairly new used automatic- cycling, auto focus, round-tray type projector. Yesterday we took this up to Connie and worked with her for 4 hours getting all of her slides into proper sequences and into the new trays, and letting her practice with this newer projector. She was one happy 100 year old program presenter. When spring weather rolls around again and she can go outside without fear of slipping on ice, she will again be accepting invitations to local Portsmouth, NH, schools, civic organizations, and clubs to spread the word about how important it is to save our lighthouse heritage.

For those who may not know who Connie is, she and her husband were lighthouse keepers for many years at some of the most remote and toughest assigned lighthouses in Maine. At times, when her husband was on the mainland, or once when he was seriously ill for a week or more, it was Connie who had to do all of the chores expected of male lightkeepers. Wives were expected to do a full share of work, but received NO PAY for doing this.

She had many interesting and exciting experiences, and led a way of life which no longer exists today. But then, I don't want to give away too much here, because you can read her most fascinating memories in her very own book. Yes, in her far golden years, Connie has written of her life in lighthouses, titled "The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife". The second edition with even more photos, copyright 1999, is still available for sale. This book would make a great Christmas stocking stuffer. She also appears in the Legendary Lighthouse Video, set one.

If you are the man of the family and the HL lighthouse collector in the household, and your wife isn't much into lighthouses, buy her this book
and she will have a better understanding of what it was like to be the woman in a lighthouse enthusiast's world. She might just go out and buy you another HL for your stocking !

And if you are the collector and a woman, well then buy this book for your hubby and let him find out how rugged women in the early years could be in order to "stand by their lighthouse men."

The easiest way to buy this book is to order it directly from the publisher. This also gives Connie a bigger author's royalty, which is much needed; rather than buying it through a middle man book store.

You can order this book on the internet from the publisher. Go to www.umaine.edu/umpress This is the University of Maine press. Phone is (207)581-1408. Click on the list of books to find the title; then catalog order form for purchasing with a credit card. And Santa will have a nice item for someone's stocking.

Now back to "goodness". If you would like to practice your own brand of goodness, would you please read my posting on the Personal Time Forum about Christmas cards for Connie; and on the Postcard Forum about how she would love to see postcards of lighthouses from all over our country. You can play Santa here also.

She has proudly shown us all of the certificates and letters she received on her 100th birthday, including those from Presidents, Senators, the Governor etc. But nowhere does she have one good picture of herself and guests at her big June 2001 birthday party in Portsmouth, sponsored by the Lighthouse Depot and attended by Bill Younger, who presented her with a Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.
If any of you attended and have some good pictures, please send her a copy for her scrapbook. Eventually these materials will be donated to a maritime display at a museum in the area. Her address appears in both of the other Forums I mentioned above.

Thank you for reading about Connie here, and I know she would love to hear from you. She is truly the number one original preservationist in the country; and because of this, I have made her an honorary member of the Wacko Pin Committee and presented her with a 2001 pin of St. George Reef Lighthouse. I pinned it on her suit which she wears when she goes to give her programs. She was all smiles and sends you all a big hello and a thank you, as she is a true wacko --- one who is crazy over lighthouses. She said she would wear this pin proudly and think of all of you who are also helping to preserve and save our lights.

Thank you for getting into the Christmas spirit here and sharing at the holiday with a great lady --- a true lady lightkeeper.

Barb and Henry Hupp

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