In Pursuit Of Maine: October 2, 2018 - The Old Stump

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

October 2, 2018 - The Old Stump

There is not much left to this old tree stump. I visit it every year to see how its demise is coming along. “I am dying very well,” it says to me whenever I ask. And this is, of course, true. Tree stumps are incapable of lying. All around it fall the brightly colored leaves full of last-minute joy, and the moss grows at the base, living among dead things.

Dying well.

I am reminded of how much we need this contrast of life and death. The season of plenty gave us too much plenty. At first we rejoiced. Then we relaxed. Finally, we languished. Is this all there is? We did not even see how full our plates were anymore. How can you know fullness if you do not know emptiness?

But the Sun King has weakened once again, falling back to the West. His fingers do not stretch as far as they used to, and he no longer burns us in chastisement for our lazy entitlement. Soon, he will be all but gone. I have heard the drums in the forest. They are coming for him.

Meanwhile, the squirrels scurry frantically, storing away as much food as possible. They at least can appreciate what they have. Soon we, too, will be full of appreciation—but for what we have lost, not for what we have now. Winter looms in the near distance, another obstacle on the path. Another season of emptiness to give us blessed comparison and renew our hope through death. It occurs to me that perhaps there are no obstacles on the path after all. Perhaps the obstacles are the path.

"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.