Cooking at 43° North: A garden state of mind
September always reminds me of tomatoes. Jersey tomatoes grow in abundance at that time of year and I never grew weary of the taste. Those tomatoes are truly in a class of their own.
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Lost on a Loop Trail: Onboarding
When I first came across the word "onboarding," I had to look it up. I thought it had something to do with getting on board a boat, but I was wrong. Instead, the word means to prepare a new employee to work in a company. Corporate America birthed this term into existence in the 1990s and, over time, it has replaced the word "orientation."
Never Not Amazed: Stewing kindness
I'm stewing. But not a pot of tomatoes freshly harvested from my garden. I'm stewing in my own juices because I'm thinking about kindness.
Thinking in Public: Wrap rage
If I were asked to select only one occupation to represent all occupations that have outlived their intended purposes, it would be an easy decision. The hands-down winner of the coveted Brass Butt-Nugget Award would be the world's packaging engineers.
Of weeds and men
A few years ago, I installed a small playground near my island home for my grandkids. Some of them have now outgrown the swings and slides, but I still like to keep the area looking nice. For beauty's sake, I have planted some rhododendra, hydrangea, rose of Sharon and shrubby St. John's wart in the vicinity.
Intertidal: Squid courtship is unusual and colorful
Part of what I like about writing this column is that I get to research subjects I don't know about, or at least don't know enough about. Despite writing more than 200 columns during the last 10 years or so, it has never been difficult to find a topic. My favorite way to land on a topic is to be introduced to it by a reader of my writing.
Harpswell Naturalist: Lion’s mane jellyfish
In February 1976, I lucked into an assignment in Australia for Eastman Kodak. En route, I stopped in Auckland, New Zealand, to visit the local operations. My host invited me to sail in the harbor, with plans for a swim and a cookout. The swim was abruptly canceled when we looked overboard to see the water covered with thousands of moon jellyfish.
Harpswell’s Private Chef: Jeweled Rice — Amanda’s version
One of the things I love most about cooking is layering textures and flavors, and balancing sweet and savory flavors. I've always loved incorporating fruit into savory dishes, and Persian cuisine does this beautifully. It is one of my favorite cuisines to cook for myself.
Cooking at 43° North: Generosity lives here
I was 19 and in nursing school. On an impulse, I sent a resume to Trans World Airlines. Word had it they were looking for airline stewardesses and hostesses. I got a call to meet with them, and two weeks later I was off to Queens, New York. After several hours of interviewing, I was hired. Holy smokes! What started as a whim had suddenly turned into a reality.
Intertidal: Bioluminescence is science, but still feels like magic
In the long days of summer, there is so much light that darkness holds a special magic. One of my favorite things to do on summer evenings is to be out in the darkness. And some of the most magical things about summer's darkness are the unexpected lights.
