In Pursuit Of Maine: October 13, 2015 - Death Of A Sunflower

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

October 13, 2015 - Death Of A Sunflower

In the middle of the splendor stands a dead sunflower, blooms now bowed and blackened with decay. The glory transpires all around it, but the sunflower is oblivious. His day has come and gone, and at his height of glory, he was also beautiful. He was stunning and a glory to behold. At his zenith, he displayed brilliance and boldness and beauty. Now he is drying and rotting and all but forgotten.

The sunflower as he falls.

But do not spare your pity for him, for that would only anger and humiliate him as he drifts off into nothingness. Do not let his last regard be one of sympathy or sorrow. He knew he would have his day, and he knew he would shrivel and die. He has carried out his death as splendidly and nobly as he carried out his life. To not appreciate and love him for his death would be a terrible and ignorant insult.

The splendor all around him, which shines and proclaims the glory of the universe, will also reach its zenith and die in obscurity. The world doesn’t need us to remind it that life is fleeting. It is we who need the world to remind us of such things. So gather the beauty while you can. Shine and radiate your glory to the four corners of the Earth. And then bow your head gracefully like the sunflower. To do otherwise would be to display a misunderstanding of the beauty of un-becoming.

"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.