In Pursuit Of Maine: September 22, 2015 - It Won't Be Long Now

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

September 22, 2015 - It Won't Be Long Now

The little wild asters on the side of the road are the last hurrah before the cold sets in. They’re excruciatingly ordinary, and if it were any other time of the warm season, I don’t think we’d give them a second look. But it’s not any other time. It’s the end, and that makes these asters very important. We know that it won’t be long before they go, and when they do, they’ll take the warm weather with them.

The aster is the last of the wildflowers.

The goldenrod is dying off behind the asters, and the grasses are starting to turn a bit grayish. Their color is washed out now, and it won’t be long before they disappear, too. Of course, there are still cultivated “mums” everywhere trying to fool us into thinking the festivities will go on, but we are not fooled. We appreciate the color and the gallantry, but it is garish. Nothing lasts forever. A look at the wild things on the roadside will tell you that.

Savor the tiny daisy-like flower of the wild aster as billions of them cover the roadsides now, mimicking snow, a foreshadowing of what’s to come. It won’t be long before the great chill sets in and the world goes to sleep again. Then overnight the asters will nod their brave little heads, and the Lord of Winter will begin to stir in his lair.

"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.