In Pursuit Of Maine: May 28, 2014 - New Growth

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014 - New Growth

Ah, this is the time of year when new growth is everywhere! It's finally Spring, and the "paddy green" color is everywhere you look. It won't last forever, of course. In summer it will be replaced by the deeper green colors, but for now, it's so joyful and pretty! I love to touch the new growth, especially on pine and spruce trees. It's soft and springy, kind of like a baby. I suppose in a way it is a baby, although it's a continuation of the same plant. This is the time of year when all things seem possible, when newness is around every corner. If you planted secret seeds in your heart late last fall and let them overwinter in your soul, now is when they will begin to grow. Now is your beginning, the beginning of everything. So take heart! If you have been troubled, now is the time to go out into nature and reconnect with the new energy pulsating everywhere. Now is the time to realize your goals. Now is the time to remember who you wanted to be. Go into the woods and breathe deeply several times. Inhale the life force. When you leave, you will know what to do.

"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.