In Pursuit Of Maine: April 6, 2015 - Thoughts of Sunset

Monday, April 6, 2015

April 6, 2015 - Thoughts of Sunset

Does everything stop when a beautiful sunset occurs? I think it does. I think the Earth stares at her star-crossed lover as he slips away. I think she salutes him. I think she stands with tears of sorrow at his departure and joy at his beauty. Should she run after him and stop him, or should she let him go so he can create a work of art? Is he more beautiful when he’s with her or when he’s slipping away?

Ask the clouds; they know. Without them, there would be no painted sunsets across the sky. Without clouds to obscure the thoughts and hide the heart, the feelings would be trite and transparent. But they roll in, filled with emotion and moist tears, and it is their arrival that sets off the chain of events. The very thing that blots out the sun also brings out his beauty. It is the portending of bad weather that creates gratitude in the heart.

All the creatures stop to watch the sun disappear. He never once looks over his shoulder to see the crowd watching him from behind. It’s as if he never knew them. He sends his last brilliance almost offhandedly, not to the Earth but up to the complicated clouds that wait on his command. When he’s gone, the clouds rule. Our minds fog over for the night, and shelter is sought. We wait expectantly for the sun to return and relight the flame of hope. Do not be surprised when he arrives and has no knowledge about the struggle of the night before.

The clouds know.

"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.