In Pursuit Of Maine: March 6, 2019 - Armored

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

March 6, 2019 - Armored

The pines, so bristly and sharp and pointy in the summer, are suddenly smooth and plump and full of life in the winter. We so easily pass them by in the warmer weather as our eyes search for the green bounty, but in the cold weather, our eyes linger. The needles reflect the winter sun, growing stronger now every day. Together they create a shimmering green carpet in the trees.

Armored.

How is it that they alone among the trees can show such signs of life while everything around them is silent and grey? How is it that they can laugh at the treacherous ice and the mountains of snow while their brethren have been beaten and laid low? How do they stay alive in the unforgiving season of death, and what can they teach us?

Shining, shimmering green tresses waving gently as palm trees on a tropical beach, but submerged instead in a frozen and icy gale. The Queen of Winter, fearless as the tiny porcupine who walks slowly by the starving lion, undaunted and unconcerned and unafraid. Armored to the teeth, a snail’s pace is a luxury they can afford.

"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.