In Pursuit Of Maine: February 9, 2015 - Enough

Monday, February 9, 2015

February 9, 2015 - Enough

And still it comes, falling from the sky with no end in sight. Snow, snow as far as the eye can see. Maine is buried in brilliant white snow. What bravery our ancestors must have had! What fierce hearts and steadfast faith they must have had! Today we have weathermen and weather channels and the internet and dozens of other gadgets to tell us about the weather. We can predict with reasonable accuracy what will happen and when it will happen. Then our cities have large machines to come and push the snow into gigantic mountains, or to devour it completely and regurgitate it elsewhere.

What must it have been like to not know when the snow would stop? To have only human hands and horse power available? To have no stores nearby to purchase necessary goods? So much forethought must have gone into planning for the Dark Days. Storage of goods in close proximity must have been of paramount importance. And even more so, to keep the flame kindled in their hearts, the ray of hope alive that they would somehow make it through to better days, must have been a Herculean feat.

I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to survive it. Even now with all that we have, I look to the horizon in dread and admit defeat. Enough I say!

When will the snow end?

"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.