All posts by Laurie Graves

I write about nature, food, the environment, home, family, community, and people.

What Is It Worth?

August 11, 2015 Laurie Graves 11 Comments

Yesterday, I went to Bailey Public Library. As I returned the movie The Big Chill, I talked a bit about it with Shane, the adult services librarian, who counts The Big Chill as a favorite. Such a good movie, we both agreed, that still feels fresh even though it was made over thirty years ago.

After talking with Shane, I spoke with Richard, the library director who also happens to be a talented artist. We talked about the graphic art that he does—you can see his art here at his site The Beginning Place. I, too, am interested in doing my own graphic art, and Richard very generously explained some of the techniques he uses. I will start out slowly, as I always do, and I know Richard will be available when—not if—I have questions.

When I came out of Richards office, Kat, the newest librarian, saw me, smiled, and said, “Hello, friend!” Then we proceeded to talk about the various shows we like—Supernatural, Doctor Who—and how movies made from books are so often disappointing.

These interactions were definitely a bright spot in my day, and I am sure that the many patrons who come to the library have similar experiences. Bailey Library is such a warm, friendly place, and with the expansion, it is also physically comfortable. We now have a cozy but bright reading corner and two long wooden tables for the computers.

How do you put on price on such interactions? You really can’t, even though the staff at Bailey Library makes the town a better place. To borrow from the credit card ads, it’s priceless.

And yet, on a practical level, a price can be put on the many services a library provides. I follow a blog called Northern Cheapskate, written by Christina Brown, and she recently posted a piece called How Much Money Do You Save at the Library? In the piece, she includes a link to ilovelibraries.org, which provides “a library savings calculator based on one the Massachusetts Library Association developed to demonstrate the value of public libraries.”

The library calculator couldn’t be easier to use. All you have to do is estimate the number of books, movies, and other materials you borrow annually from your library. Programs, which are usually free, are also included.

Clif and I are what you might call heavy library uses. I estimated that we borrow, on average, seventy books a year, many of them through interlibrary loan, and one hundred DVDs. We also attend many of the programs. The value of the library use for Clif and me comes to $2,215, which is $1,107 apiece.

Let’s do a little mind game and calculate what the amount would be if all 6,000 residents of Winthrop used the library as much as Clif and I do. Drum roll, please. It comes to $6,645,000. For a maceroni-and-cheese town like Winthrop, that’s a lot of money.

Now I realize that not all 6,000 residents of Winthrop use the library the way Clif and I do. Some don’t use it at all. However, the case could be made that families with children might use it even more than we do. So let’s slice that number in half, which would take into account the people who use it less or not at all as well as the regular users of the library. We still get a total of $3,322, 250, which, when you consider that the town gives the library less than $300,000 for its yearly operating budget, is a darned good return on tax money spent.

What is your library worth to you? What is the value of your library use?

Animals - especially dogs, Flowers, Food for Thought, Nature

An August Walk Up the Narrows: Or, the Various Aspects of Anne

August 10, 2015 Laurie Graves 14 Comments

Yesterday, Clif, the dog, and I went for a Sunday walk up the Narrows Pond Road. It was one of those beautiful August days that was so perfect—so warm, dry, and sunny—that I wished I could hold onto that day and just keep it for use whenever the weather is bad, which it often is in Maine. But alas, good weather, like good times, cannot be held.

Clif and Liam walking up the Narrows Pond Road

Up the road, on the right, there is a small meadow that is full of August wild flowers—black-eyed Susans, purple loosestrife, golden rod, and Queen Anne’s lace. I knew the light would be good, and I brought my camera along. When I go for walks and take pictures, quite often I am alone with the dog, and I have to put the retractable leash between my legs while I take pictures. I must say, it is much easier to take pictures when Clif has the dog.

I came to the little meadow, abloom with flowers. Clif and Liam continued walking while I took pictures.

The other day, I was taken by Susan. On this walk, I was taken by Anne. I didn’t plan this, and I was reminded of Gabriel Orozco’s “The poetic happens when you don’t have expectations.” I’m not sure if my fascination with Queen Anne’s lace was poetic, but I certainly didn’t have any specific expectations on this walk. There was only a general sense that I wanted to take pictures of the wild flowers. But on this day, Queen Anne’s lace took center stage.

On another walk, it might be something else.

It seems to me that one of the best gifts we can give us ourselves is the freedom to notice. And from this noticing, who knows what will happen?

I’ll end with a quotation from the great essayist Verlyn Klinkenborg, who was writing about the eighteenth-century naturalist Gilbert White. “He recorded what he noticed and in the pattern of noticing lies the art.”

We can’t all be be great artists, but maybe by noticing we can bring a little art into our lives.

Flowers, Nature

The Various Aspects of Susan

August 9, 2015 Laurie Graves 7 Comments

Every day, I think, “I’ve taken so many pictures of my yard. Surely I won’t find anything interesting this morning.” But it seems I do. And the other day, it was the unfurling of the black-eyed Susans. They are at various stages in the garden, and how curious they look before their petals open.

Until finally, voilà!

Always something happening at the little house in the big woods.

Nature

This Wing’d Hour

August 7, 2015 Laurie Graves

Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragon-fly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky:—
So this wing’d hour is dropt to us from above.
—Dante Gabriel Rosseti

I know. This is a damselfly rather than a dragonfly. Still, the little creature is lovely and blue, and I came upon her (or him) in my garden just after reading Rosseti’s lines. The damselfly really did feel as though she had “dropt to us from above,” and how obligingly this slip of blue posed for me.

If I find a blue dragonfly in my garden, then I will be sure to post the picture on this blog.

Recipes

Fajita Recipe Using Summer Squash and Peppers

August 6, 2015 Laurie Graves 2 Comments

We are into the first week of August and the eighth week of Farmer Kev’s CSA program. Eight more deliveries to go. I must say that developing and sharing a recipe each week has really stretched me as a cook. (It seems that old dogs really can learn new tricks.) My friend Alice Johnson has been a big help, and her stuffed bread has become a favorite with Clif. My personal favorite is a quiche with zucchini and basil—a recipe I’ll share next week. I’m not sure I would have made either of these dishes if I hadn’t been writing for Farmer Kev. Thanks to him—and Alice—I have two new recipes that will become staples in our house.

This week, along comes a third favorite, a fajita with summer squash and peppers. There has been a lot of summer squash in the CSA bin, and one night I thought, “Why not use some to make a fajita?”

Why not indeed? That night, Clif was available to help in the kitchen, and he diced the squash and the peppers. We wanted them small so that they would easily fit in the small tortillas we had. I minced some garlic, which is my go-to allium, and I use it many, many dishes. Unfortunately, raw or lightly cooked onions upset my stomach, and I use garlic as a substitute for onion. So please note: In most of my recipes that call for garlic, onion could be substituted. (Fortunately, I can eat onions that have been simmered a long time, say, in a soup or tomato sauce. But still, this intolerance is a pain, and I consider it a food handicap.)

From my cupboard I took chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Making sure the covers were off, I lined the spices next to the stove along with salt. (No, Shannon, I did not measure the spices.)

I put about a tablespoon, maybe a little more, of oil in a skillet, and heated it up. Then I added the peppers and summer squash and sautéed them until they were soft but still a little crunchy—for about five minutes or so. I didn’t time them. I just watched and tasted until they were cooked to my liking. I added some cooked chicken sausage and the garlic. Next came the spices. I sprinkled in some chili, a little less cumin, a pinch of red pepper, a shake or two of salt. I tasted. Clif tasted. In went more chili and more red pepper. There, it was just the way we liked it. The trick when not measuring is to start with a little of the spices. You can always add more, but you, of course, can’t add less.

We warmed the small tortillas between two damp pamper towels in the microwave for about 45 seconds. (They could also be warmed in the oven in foil for five or ten minutes. We spooned the mixture into the warm tortillas, topped with grated Monterey Jack cheese, and voilà! A new favorite that I’ll be making repeatedly.

This recipe, like so many of the ones that I make, is another one of those flexible ones. Mushrooms could be added, especially if you wanted to keep it vegetarian. The aforementioned onions could be used in addition to garlic, and steak or pork instead of chicken.

We cooked some rice as a side. Somehow, rice always goes with fajitas.

What a tasty way to use summer squash. Or, pretty darned good, as Clif might say.

Fajitas with Summer Squash and Peppers
Serves 3 or 4, depending on appetite. (This recipe could easily be doubled or even tripled.)

Ingredients

1 summer squash, cubed
1 sweet pepper, cubed
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
Vegetable oil for frying
Chili powder, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt, to taste
6 ounces of pre-cooked chicken sausage, cut in half-rounds
1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Small tortillas
Optional ingredients could include lime juice, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, or parsley.

Directions

In a medium-sized skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil.
Add the squash and peppers and stir-fry for five minutes or until they are cooked to your liking.
Add the sausage and garlic. Stir-fry for a minute.
Sprinkle, to taste, the chili, cumin, red pepper, and salt on top of the mixture and stir in. Remember to start small and adjust upward.
Spoon into tortilla shells and sprinkle with cheese.
Add optional ingredients, if desired.
Roll and eat.

Flowers, Nature

Finally, Finally!

August 5, 2015 Laurie Graves 1 Comment

I know. This is supposed to be wordless Wednesday, but when I downloaded my pictures this morning and came across this picture, I just had to share it on a second post. (I usually limit myself to one post a day. After all.)

I finally got a crisp picture of both the bee and the bee balm. No easy task when your camera is a little point and shoot and the subject refuses to pose. This is definitely a case where where persistence paid off.

What a way to start a beautiful day!

Animals - especially dogs

Wordless Wednesday: Kadidle and Bubsy (aka Holly and Liam)

August 5, 2015 Laurie Graves 6 Comments

People

A New Hat, Courtesy of Johanna of Mrs. Walker’s Art and Illustrations

August 4, 2015 Laurie Graves 3 Comments

Yesterday, the most delightful package came in the mail. It was a hat, for me, knitted by Johanna of the blog Mrs. Walker’s Art and Illustrations. (I won it in a contest she sponsored on her blog.) Along with the hat came a charming note, drawn by the talented Johanna.

I absolutely love the hat in every way. It has my favorite color—blue—along with other complementary colors. The hat fits beautifully, and it is ever so soft. I never thought I’d be writing these words, but I can’t wait until the weather is cool enough so that I can wear this lovely hat.

The Internet, and blogs, can be a mixed bag, I know. However, for someone like me who turns her attention to the things she loves—gardening, food, writing about everyday life, art, books, nature, and photography—the Internet has been a source of great pleasure. I follow a number of blogs, which I am gradually adding to my blog roll on the Hinterland homepage. The blogs are written by people from all over this country and indeed from around the world—from England to Australia.

Johanna’s hat is warm proof, if you’ll pardon the pun, of the generosity that is out there on the Internet. Now, I am a firm believer in generosity at home and in the community, but generosity can also ripple farther afield, and it makes the world a better place.

So thank you, Johanna, for the wonderful hat. When I wear it, I will think of you and your generous spirit.

As for the card, well, that will be going in a special place, either in the kitchen or the dining room, for all to see.

As we Franco-Americans might say, merci, merci!

Animals - especially dogs, Community

A Walk Around Winthrop: August 2, 2015

August 3, 2015 Laurie Graves 4 Comments

Our daughter Shannon and her husband Mike have gone camping for a few days, and, as a result, we are dogsitting their dog Holly. (Their other dog, Somara, is a more easy-going dog, and they took her with them.) Much of the day was spent in our fenced-in backyard, but Holly is a young, energetic dog, and we decided to take her and Liam for a walk around town. We started at the library, where I had Clif sit on the bench with the dogs close-by.

We walked around the corner to Maranacook Lake and the public beach. Maranacook Lake is fairly large. It spans two towns, has a twenty-two mile perimeter, and comprises 1,844 acres. I am happy to report the water quality is above average.

We came across a plant that I have never seen before, and one that the bees certainly seem to like. If anyone is familiar with this plant, do let me know what it is.

After walking by the beach, we turned up a side street, where we admired a sculpture made from a tree trunk.

And a lovely yellow door of an old house.

Then it was back on Main Street and around the corner to the library, where our car was parked. Not a long walk, but an interesting one with many things to look at.

Flowers, Home, Nature

This Last Day of July

July 31, 2015 Laurie Graves 14 Comments

Yesterday, it was so hot and humid that I barely had the energy to move from my desk to the kitchen to make a vinaigrette for our supper salad much less dust the bedroom. But I did indeed accomplish both tasks. My reward? A lemon popsicle and time on the patio—where it was a little cooler—reading Village School by Miss Read, aka Dora Saint. (Read was a family name.)

Each year, as an end-of-summer treat, I reread the Chronicles of Fairacre, an “omnibus edition, comprising Village School, Village Diary, and Storm in the Village.” Even though I look calm, I am a jittery person, and Miss Read has a way of calming my jitters. All three novels follow the main character, also named Miss Read, who teaches in a village school in the Cotswolds. The books are not great literature—does all literature have to be great to be appreciated?—but Miss Read’s love of the natural world, her shrewd yet sympathetic take on human nature, and her humor never fail to delight me. Dora Saint has won praise from both the New Yorker and the New York Times, and with them I shall let the matter of her reputation rest.

Next to the patio, the bee balm has been knocked akimbo by the driving rains we have had each afternoon this week. Last Saturday, when our friends Paul and Judy came over for cocktails, the bee balm stood tall and proud. Now it looks as though a large, heavy ball landed in the middle of the patch. Such is the force of the rain. But the bees don’t care—straight or akimbo, the bee balm is irresistible to them.

While I read, I took many breaks to watch the goings-on in the yard. Next to me, a daddy longlegs skittered along the phlox, still in bud. Birds called as they flew from the trees to the feeders, and occasionally, a large dragonfly would zip by.

Last night, the weather broke, and today is fine and hot with a bright blue sky. A good drying day, as my mother would have said, and I have two loads of laundry ready to be hung on the line.

With this last day of July, which will have a second full moon this month—a blue moon—we are officially two-thirds of the way through summer in Maine. I love August and the hot, dry weather it often brings along with the loud buzzing of grasshoppers. I love the black-eyed Susans, the Queen Anne’s lace, and the golden rod in the fields. But August is also a sweet, sad month, the last month with nights warm enough to sit without a jacket on the patio.

To borrow from my friend Burni, who squeezes more joy out of an ordinary day than most people manage in a whole month, I will squeeze every bit of delight out of the golden month of August.

Notes From the Hinterland