In Pursuit Of Maine: April 16, 2018 - April

Monday, April 16, 2018

April 16, 2018 - April

Oh, the long and lonely road of April, with its penetrating frozen rain and sleet. December I could laugh at. I could light it up with candles and sweeten it with dreamy confections. January I could stand beside. I could march through the invigorating snow, tall and sure. I could plan out a good year. February I could bear. I could see its stark beauty, and although it was severely cold, its elegance was undeniable, its crisp air ever a lesson. March I could love as the first sign of the abating of the season of death. In March I had hope.

But April. The season of new light and hidden joy has long since passed, a happy memory. The new year and the promises and hope have been tucked away—not forgotten, but tucked away. The icy severity has been conquered. The Lord of Winter has retreated, taking his terrible army with him. The wood fires have blazed and won the battle. Again. And the world is poised . . . poised.

But April. Colorless and grey, stealing into the bones of all living creatures, sapping the strength of all it touches. The continual shiver of exhausted muscles. The lackluster landscape, sad and forlorn. It cannot live and it cannot die. An eternal cold limbo with bony fingers reaching from the Underworld. And not even a grave! Even that would bring some sort of solace, some sort of meaning, implying that at one time there may have been more, demanding grief for what might have been. But even that has been stolen.

Stolen. Relentlessly, hopelessly, helplessly, endlessly. April.

"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.