Once again it is Thursday—funny how they roll around every week—where I list three things I am oh so grateful for. Hence the title, Three Things Thursday.

For this week’s post, my gratitude can be summed up in two words: Forage Market. Add Lewiston, Maine, to this and the gratitude slips into astonishment. A little while ago, I wrote about Forage Market and how their bagels were so good it was almost beyond comprehension, especially for a gritty little city like Lewiston.

However, upon my first visit, I had ordered a bagel sandwich, and I had decided that to really taste the bagel, I would need to order one with just a smear of butter and no other ingredients. This meant a return trip—all in the interest of research, you understand—and last Friday Clif, Mary Jane, and I went back to Forage Market, where I had a sesame bagel with butter and nothing else.

And how was it? Good enough to go on my Three Things Thursday post.

So here is the first thing: A buttered bagel from Forage Market—loaded with sesame seeds, crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. And as if that weren’t enough, the tea is really good, too. (Not a given in Maine restaurants, which fuss over coffee but think nothing of providing a Lipton tea bag to tea drinkers.)

Second, a croissant: As I was ordering my bagel at Forage Market, I glanced at the glass case beside me and saw some croissants. Should I get one to split between Clif, Mary Jane, and me? I am sorry to report that in central Maine, I have been unable to find anything that remotely resembles a good croissant, which should be crunchy on the outside and flaky with butter on the inside. Oh, what the heck, I thought. Just get the darned thing.

Readers, I almost wept with joy when I tasted this croissant, which was everything a croissant should be. Clif and Mary Jane concurred, and Mary Jane said that next time she goes to Forage, she will get a croissant sandwich.

Third, but most important: The master bakers at Forage Market. None of these amazing baked delicacies would be possible without the skill and dedication of the bakers, who truly are masters of their craft.  Clif took a picture of one of the bakers, but unfortunately he did not get the baker’s name. Clif did learn that there is another baker who specializes in making croissants. Oh, happy, happy day! Also note the fireplace to the right of the baker and the black doors above. This is the wood-fired oven where all the delectable items are baked.

Clif and I have decided that we would be fools not to go to a bakery of this caliber on a regular basis. Forage truly is a first-rate bakery, not only for Maine but also for anywhere else.

A couple of the blogs I follow have a lovely tradition called “Three Things Thursday,” where the writers list three things each week they are particularly grateful for. I have decided to follow this practice.  Being grateful for the many blessings in life seems like a good thing to do during a time when there is much to be anxious about.

First, I am ever so grateful for my hyacinths: They are the first blooms in my garden, and this makes them most welcome. Planted over thirty years ago by mother-in-law, the hyacinths are not prolific, but they are faithful, coming up year after year. And, oh, how wonderful those flowers smell.

Second, ginger nuts: This one particularly tickles my fancy. I first came across ginger nuts in the beloved Miss Read series, books set in English villages in the 1950s and 1960s. The stories revolve around the eponymous Miss Read, a teacher in a small rural school. Ginger nuts, a biscuit— or a cookie, as we call them across the pond— are a treat often served with tea.

Now, I’m sure my English blogging friends are scratching their heads over my enthusiasm for what must be a common store-bought cookie in England. But I can’t help it. The name sounds so darned cute. And I couldn’t help but wonder, just what are ginger nuts anyway?

Imagine my thrill, then, when I actually came upon McVitie’s Ginger Nuts at a local store. Quick as can be, I grabbed them, and as soon as I got home, I opened the package and sampled a cookie—or rather, a biscuit. Actually, they turned out to be what I suspected—what we Americans call gingersnaps. But very tasty McVitie’s Ginger Nuts are, with a satisfying crunch and a little zing. As I nibbled my biscuit, I imagined I was in the English countryside, so lovely and green with its sheep and hedgerows and cottages.

Third, Maine, At Last—Lovin’ by MsMomA (aka Burndett Andres): I first met Burndett (Burni) Andres over ten years ago, when Clif and I were publishing Wolf Moon Journal, a small literary magazine. Burni submitted a piece—about Thoreau’s Maine journey, I think—and I was taken by her lively style and the wonderful narrative flow of her writing. When she started publishing an online newsletter, the Narraguagus News, I became a devoted reader. In the newsletter, Burni chronicles everyday life in Cherryfield, a small town in Down East Maine.

Over the years, Burni has published a series of books comprising pieces from her newsletter. She has called this series Maine, At Last, and I have had the good fortune of reading her latest book, Volume 10,  about everyday happenings in Cherryfield, Maine.

Maine, At Last—Lovin’ has the same lively style and wonderful narrative flow that I discovered in the first piece Burni sent me. In addition, there is a joy of life that ripples through the book. Here is what might be Burni’s coda: “Although I don’t feel called to do great things, I do feel called to do small things with great love and I like to think that comes through in my writing…” It most certainly does, and if the world followed Burni’s example, it would be a better place.

Finally, she writes movingly about her beloved partner Ralph and his struggles with Parkinson’s disease. Some of these descriptions actually brought tears to my eyes.

Hyacinths, ginger nuts, and a lively yet moving book. So much to be grateful for.

A busy day so no pictures. Just a very short post to express my gratitude that France, the land of my ancestors, dodged the right-wing bullet and rejected Marine Le Pen. Instead, they elected, by a wide margin, Emmanuel Macron, an enlightened Buddha compared with the xenophobic Le Pen.

Vive la France!

And for more about Sunday’s election, read Adam Nossiter’s excellent piece in the New York Times.

A couple of the blogs I follow have a lovely tradition called “Three Things Thursday,” where the writers list three things each week they are particularly grateful for. For a while, I’ve been wanting to do this on my blog each Thursday, and now that glorious spring is here, it seemed like the perfect time to get started.

A quick aside: With all the busyness of life, with the worry and the various stresses—especially with the political situation—taking the time to be grateful for what I have seems almost like a form of prayer. Or a meditation, if you will. While I certainly don’t want to look away from all that is happening in the world, I do think that spreading a bit of gratitude, near and far, is a very good thing.

So here is what I’m grateful for this week:

First—My Clothesline: I know, I know. I go on like a silly person about hanging laundry outside. But I do so love it.  To me, laundry flapping on the line is a lovely sight. The sun and the wind are drying my clothes, with no gas or electricity required. Just a bit of energy on my part, which, for some reason, I never mind expending on this chore.  Then there is the smell when the laundry comes in—fresh, almost intoxicating, sheer bliss.

Second—The Emerging Ferns: That curl of green, the gradual unfurling. With ferns, there are no buds or blossoms, but what a sweet sight when each spring they push their way through the brown leaves.

Third—My Backyard: Tucked in the woods, my backyard is a second living room when the weather is warm. Birds come to the feeders, and the yard is full of birdsong. Our patio is a place where Clif and I relax during the summer. Family and friends come over for Clif’s legendary grilled bread, and we eat, talk, and laugh. I’ll serve simple salads or grilled chicken to go with the bread. Homemade ice cream for dessert. Or we’ll just have appetizers and bread. Whatever. When we are on the patio, life is good.

And, as a bonus, for sheer geeky fun on this Thursday, May the Fourth be with you!