In Pursuit Of Maine: April 16, 2014 - Talking Water

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

April 16, 2014 - Talking Water

I was walking over a bridge that spanned the Androscoggin River when I heard a voice calling to me. I looked around but saw no one and was about to continue on my way when I heard it again. Clearly, it was calling to me and even stranger, it knew my name. "You cannot contain me," it said, "I am free." But still I saw no one. I paused and looked over the bridge. The water is so swollen this time of year, and it came rushing over the dam, which was completely overwhelmed. It swirled violently in eddies and pools, savagely ripping past the shore. It is a dangerous time of year here, and the threat of flood looms on the horizon always. "You cannot contain me; I am free." Again I heard it, and again I saw no one. The sun seemed to shrink away from the violent current, and no water bird dared to tread that water. More and more, it poured over the the dam, creating a savage waterfall and spraying mist everywhere the eye could see. As the mountains and hills release the water they have held all winter, the river swells in ecstasy and triumph. It was an unnerving sight and I was worried about flooding, so I hurried home. I pretended not to hear the words yet again, "You cannot contain me; I am free."

"The Plain Maine Cookbook" is my own collection of vintage Maine recipes that will immediately bring you back to a simpler time, a less confused time. These recipes are more than just comfort food. They're family food, traditional food, simple food, plain food. One bite and you'll say, "Ah, yes! I remember my grandmother used to make this. I had forgotten all about it!" Recipes for whoopie pies, funnel cakes, fried fiddleheads, haymaker's switchel, coffee can bread, glogg, and much more are in these pages. There is even a recipe on how to render lard. So open the door and go back to some simple, time-tested foods you can prepare easily. You'll find that you save money and waste less by "making do" with commodity cooking. What's in the pantry or in the garden is what's for dinner.

"So You Want to Move to Maine" is an invaluable little book in helping people to make a permanent move to Maine. It will save you a ton of time because all the initial footwork is done for you, including 100 links on how to find work and living quarters, getting your driver's license, pet requirements, programs for people with disabilities, programs for senior citizens, getting married in Maine, hidden taxes and expenses, hospitals, health insurance, handling a real winter like a pro, etc. Stop being "just a number" or another face in the crowd. Walk away from the rat race. Become boldly individualistic and make your mark in life. You can still do that in Maine, one of the last holdouts of ordinary, old-fashioned, kind, and decent American living.

I’ve chosen 37 unique fairy tales that will be loved by both adults and children as they can be read and interpreted on many levels. But if you are looking for only sweet tales that end in joy and fairness, you may want to pass this book by. Some fairy tales are simply “dark,” and that is because sometimes life is simply dark. Not always, of course, but often enough. Sometimes the hero lives; sometimes he dies. Check out my book, “Fairy Tales of Maine,” in the photo link below. If you are brave, you might just meet yourself in one of these tales.