In Pursuit Of Maine: August 26, 2015 - A Small Clearing

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

August 26, 2015 - A Small Clearing

I saw a small clearing, a little gap, and decided to look through it. This was my reward. I was afraid to move because I didn’t want to break the spell. It was so beautiful in its simplicity that I wasn’t sure if it was real. I decided to take a picture just in case it wasn’t.

A hidden gem.

There are skylines that feature massive skyscrapers which loom like giants in the daytime and are lit up like gods during the night. There are stunning bridges, amazing engineering feats of marvel. There are graceful architectural arches, gorgeous statues of solid marble, and lush fountains giving off fine mists and delicate rainbows. There are parks of chiseled beauty, palaces with surreal manicured grounds, and priceless objets d’art.

But nowhere in this wide world have I found anything that can rival a simple scene like this. Nowhere have I found something that goes to the core of my heart as this does. It’s true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and perhaps others will look at this and wonder if I put the wrong picture up. Perhaps others will be awestruck by the skyscrapers, the statues, and the fountains, but for me, there can be no finer thing than the simplicity of the woods and streams of Maine.

This is my heart.

"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.