My brother says these hot sunny July days are just the price we Mainers have to pay for the privilege of enjoying our glorious winters. I’m not sure if am quite as in love with cold and snow as he is. But on a scale of one to ten—my brother being on the pro-winter end […]
I was standing at a window in the other living room—the room we use so seldom that we are never even quite sure what to call it—craning my neck and peering out between the blinds. “Whatcha lookin’ at?” asked The Mister, a twinkling of amusement and curiosity in his voice. “My woodpile, of course!” […]
“Get your duds on!” That was what my mother always said when I was a kid. “Duds” was her word for outdoor trappings—hat, mittens, snow pants, coat, and boots. I don’t know how the word “duds” came to be used in that context. It could have been a then-common phrase that has since gone extinct, […]
The dog erupted in loud barking at 3:30 in the morning, her booming voice catapulting us into consciousness. She ran out of our bedroom and down the stairs to the back door. The Mister eased out of bed and staggered down after her, hooked her to a leash in case the object of her commotion […]
“Kathy.” I strained to loosen sleep’s grip on my brain. I’m not a morning person like I used to be. “Kathy, you need to get up,” I heard The Mister saying. At the same time, my mind began to register something. A smell. Was it—? Oh no! “The dog got hit by a skunk,” he […]
People in my neighborhood woke up to a blanket of new snow this week. My lawn and deck were carpeted with about three inches of the season’s first white stuff. After waving goodbye to The Mister as he pulled out of the driveway in the dim pre-dawn light, I sat down to my regular morning […]
Most people like to wax poetic over July beaches or April crocuses or September splendor or even the stunning whiteness of February. I don’t deny any of that—I love it too. But unlike most people, I love November. That’s right. I love it. I love its heavy lavender gray skies and bare maple trees and […]
Some people have hinted politely about it. With others, I can hear the smug mirth in the back of their voice while we’re having a conversation. A few have come right out and said it. “Kathy, you have no business owning livestock.” It’s true that I march to my own tune when it comes to […]
“I can’t feel my lips,” said The Mister. He was sitting across from me at the small kitchen work table, indulging in a midmorning break from farm chores and enjoying a slice of toast. Although toasted homemade bread is just fine by itself, it had occurred to him to up the ante when he remembered […]
The idea of growing and preserving your own food is intoxicating. Instead of buying packaged foods shipped from halfway around the globe, you can just stick some seeds in the ground, watch the plants come up, and there they are—the beautiful fruits of your labor. And then later in the season, it’s so exciting to […]
