In Pursuit Of Maine: September 22, 2014 - Skeleton Keys

Monday, September 22, 2014

September 22, 2014 - Skeleton Keys

A pile of skeleton keys lies on a railroad tie that’s covered with moss and sitting in the woods. There are no railroads on this island, so I must assume that the tie is driftwood which simply came in with the tide one day long ago. It’s tricky. It’s a message for sure. The question is, are they keys to the next levels I need to unlock to further my forest education? Or do they represent the levels I have already unlocked?

I didn’t bother to take the keys; I left them there. I know they won’t be there tomorrow, so the temptation was great to just pick them up. However, I resisted. The keys I have already earned are mine and can’t be taken away. I have the key to the growth of seeds and the ocean tides. I have the key to the brilliant sun and the northern gales. I have the key to the other vision. I have unlocked the door of the oneness of everything. I have the key to the power of words and the construction of thought. The keys I have yet to earn will come slowly with work. Nothing is handed to us.

The fairies are testing me. They want to see if I’m foolish enough to unlock a door that I have not yet been prepared to unlock. When I was younger, I would have done so. But now, I will wait. Every stage of life must be unlocked with the proper key. First we have to find it, and then we have to dare to use it.

Skeleton keys on an old railroad tie.

"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.