In Pursuit Of Maine: January 21, 2016 - Lady of Thorns

Thursday, January 21, 2016

January 21, 2016 - Lady of Thorns

The beach rose along the shore jealously clings to its dried and frozen fruits. The Lord of Winter strips away all pretenses, however, and the true nature of the rose can be seen in all its terror. He does not allow any hiding. The cold truth must always be revealed. There is no lying to the Master of final form, and there is no safe haven from his Sword of Ice.

The Lady of Thorns, starkly.

Hundreds of razor-sharp thorns jut out of the stems of the rose bush from the very bottom all the way to the top. In summer they are hidden with a shimmering green gown that pleases the senses and belies the treachery. But now we see the true rose. Her beautiful green gown is gone. Her intoxicating and drugging perfume has vanished. Here now is a lady of cold steel who will starve a tiny animal with her thorns rather than give up her wretched fruits.

But it’s all she has, you say. Perhaps not even that. Grace does not require a gown of shimmering green or a scented potion, yet the lady seems abysmally lacking in that quality. Let her have her thorns, then, and her dead fruits. When the ice comes--and it always comes--she will regret her lack of virtue, but by then it will be too late.

And when spring returns, all the greenery in the world will not hide her frozen 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.