In Pursuit Of Maine: July 10, 2015 - The Weary Immigrant

Friday, July 10, 2015

July 10, 2015 - The Weary Immigrant

An Appalachian Brown Moth, a recent immigrant to Maine about 10 years ago, rests on a wild common holly leaf. She doesn’t seem to know that Maine is not her original home, but why should she know it? It’s her home now. At some point not long ago, a few Appalachian Brown Moths immigrated to Maine. Can you blame them? A lush green climate, moist and sensuous, called to them across the great divide. And they responded.

The Appalachian Brown Moth.

It’s the same for any creature who comes to Maine. They hear the call. It’s a siren’s call, like the beautiful voices the sailors hear out at sea. But unlike the sirens who lead the sailors to shipwreck, the sweet call from Maine leads the weary traveler to a new home. Yet there is still ruin. There is ruin of the old life, the old ways, the old ideas. They must fall away in order for the new to begin. Like old leaves on a tree, they must fall off. Then comes the winter of uncertainty, of seeming death. Many travelers will leave in this most perilous time and go back to more familiar grounds, but the strong pilgrim waits, sure in his knowledge and faith that hope will be renewed.

And it is. It always is. That’s why people come to Maine. They come for the new life. They come to start over. They come for an appreciation of the old ways, that are always somehow new. Come all ye brown moths and weary travelers to the land of green. Many will leave and few will stay, but those who do stay add to the diversity and the uniqueness that is Maine.

"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.