In Pursuit Of Maine: April 21, 2015 - Thoughts Of The Ocean

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

April 21, 2015 - Thoughts Of The Ocean

I always wonder when I look out into the ocean if it’s looking back at me. When I ponder the depth of its waters, does it ponder the hardness of the rocks on the shore? When I stare out into the distance of the waves, do they stare back into the woods behind me? When I investigate the fish and other marine creatures, does the ocean study the fur creatures on the land?

Two opposites right up against one another: The flowing substance of water and the hardness of solid rock. The ocean says, “Come and join me!” The rock says, “You shall come no further.” If we could shrink the Earth down to the size of a beach ball, the ocean would be nothing but tiny puddles in larger rocky basins. All around and all below the ocean, we would see the rocks, like giant, strange-shaped cups.

In my mind, that solves the question of which came first. The rocks give form to the formless. Without containment, there could be no recognizable ocean. Without the shape of the rocks, there is no ocean to define. Of course, the rocks themselves were once a fiery liquid, but we do not speak of that to the ocean. We keep that secret from her. To the ocean, the rocks are the origin of all things, and everything must have a beginning in order to feel secure. But to the rocks, the story is more complicated.

The rocks hem the ocean in.

"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.