In Pursuit Of Maine: June 24, 2016 - Relax

Friday, June 24, 2016

June 24, 2016 - Relax

Sometimes it’s okay to not know what to do. It’s okay to see both sides of a story and agree and disagree with them both--at the same time. We have this thing in us that makes us feel that we always have to be in control of our surroundings as much as possible. We have to be “on top of it.” We’ve got to formulate plans and systems and schemes. How foolish. As if the world somehow depended on us.

Going with the flow.

And sometimes, no matter how hard we try, everything just blows up right in our faces. But the thing to remember is that we are free, and as free people we have free choice. This is such a very precious thing that most of us take for granted if we think about it at all. Being free means that my choice might not be the same as your choice, and vice versa. Being free means that not only do I get to choose how I want to live my life, but I also get to choose how I want to feel about your choices. But I don’t get to choose your choices for you, and I do have to live with the consequences of my own choices.

Little ducks paddle by me on the river. They’re quite loud and rowdy, and if I didn't know better, I'd say they were speaking directly to me. They swim easily with the current and they swim easily against it, and they don’t seem to care about it one way or the other. I imagine that they are saying, “Relax. Let go. You were never in control anyway. Enjoy the ride.” Or maybe they’re just mad that I’m in one of their sunbathing spots.

"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.