It’s time for small town news again…. so city folk can see what they’re missing.
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No worries. Said piggy was reunited with his family and is safely back home.
The want ads in small rural towns tend to look a bit different.
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Spleeny- New England : peevish and irritable with hypochondriac inclinations.
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I’m almost afraid to ask why someone wants to rehome a skeleton.
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I’m going to pass this one on to my husband because he came home from breakfast with the boys the other day bitching that his omelette had gone up a dollar.
I know I’m paying more for groceries, it stands to reason restaurants are as well.
You never know what you’ll find when you go antique shopping. Suffering from a nervous disorder?
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Plug in for instant relief. Or electrocution …
Searching for a few taxidermied squirrel asses?
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Look no more.
I actually wanted to buy the smaller one of these for the man cave… ( it’s the closest I’ll ever get to killing that little red bitch who chews through our walls ) but the husband wouldn’t let me.
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Need to give multiple fingers at once? They have that too.
And finally, if you want to suck out the souls of your grandchildren this Christmas?
It was time for a long over due visit to our absolutely favorite place to eat… The Boat House Bistro. Contrary to its name, it doesn’t sit on the water. And while that might put some visitors off, you don’t go there for the view.
Even at 2:45 on a Saturday afternoon, on a late November day devoid of tourists, the place was packed. First floor dining was full so we climbed up to the bar on the second. (Third floor is only open for outdoor seating in the summer)
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Happily sipping a Cosmo in front of the wine taps (there are two of them, with a total of 8 wines available) I perused the menu and was overjoyed to find my two favorites were still there.
This place has fresh seafood down to an art and I have never had a bad meal.
My appetizer? Spicy Cajun shrimp on cheesy grits with garlic, scallions, tomato and smoky bacon.
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All my life I thought I hated grits. I lived down south for 18 years and never cooked nor ordered them. We moved back to Maine, discovered the Bistro and wham! I’m eating grits and am tempted to lick the bowl. Who knew?
To be honest that appetizer could serve as a meal, it’s pretty rich. But I will never pass up the chance to eat this:
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Perfectly pan seared giant sea scallops on a bed of creamy mushroom risotto with arugula, truffle oil and shaved Parmesan.
I hate to disappoint my husband, but damn.
It’s almost better than sex.
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And speaking of husbands, he ordered a lovely seafood scampi which was bursting with shrimp, sea scallops and lobster.
Meals here aren’t cheap (almost $200 including tip) but you get your money’s worth and I have yet to leave unsatisfied or without a doggie bag.
The day dawned cool, but clear and sunny so we decided to head for the coast.
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One of our favorite spots is a quaint old fishing village turned tourist mecca.
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Boothbay Harbor is filled with nice shops and galleries and restaurants….
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And off season is the perfect time to stroll across the historic footbridge that connects opposite sides of the harbor.
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The bridge house has long been a tourist favorite.
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And this year there are placards explaining history and points of interest scattered about the town.
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Ol’ Bill sounds like my kind of guy.
👍
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Another new addition to the bridge are a collection of love locks. Boothbay Harbor isn’t Paris, France…but apparently they’re trying.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the vintage hardware store up the road is responsible for this and has laid in a giant selection of locks in anticipation of the trend.
A few new old things have been added to the man cave of late.
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A primitive sled, which I thought was for children.. but turned out to be for hauling split wood from the shed to the house back in the day. And no, it didn’t stay in that position….
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It’s precariously propped up in the corner behind the chairs.
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A pump action vacuum cleaner. And as a modern woman of today, let me tell you… it ain’t no Roomba.
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A few more Name that Crap! tools have made their way to the table of antique horrors.
So if you ever need to draw information from a recalcitrant friend or loved one… let me know.
It seems our 2021 Thanksgiving dinner might look like this…
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Because I just received a phone call from the host of the celebration we planned to attend. She and her husband…. who were both fully vaccinated but not boosted…. have come down with Covid.
This woman is one of the most careful people I know. She always wears a mask, avoids crowds and washes her hands frequently. But her husband went north last week to visit his son. His son’s family was not vaccinated, and the town where he was staying has an extremely high positivity rate.
So now they’re both quite ill. Fever, chills, splitting headaches, extreme fatigue, body aches, joint stiffness, brain fogginess, coughing, sore throat, loss of taste and smell.
She’s a pretty tough cookie and rarely complains, but I can tell she’s worried. Thankfully they’re not having any breathing issues and are hoping they can ride it out at home.
I’ve offered to bring groceries and drop meals on their porch, but a family member has them covered.
And though I know it’s awful….the thought that keeps popping in my head is if it had been a day or two later? We all would have been exposed and at risk.
My other half had his booster shot 2 weeks ago… and me? I just scheduled one for this afternoon. Yours truly is not taking any chances.
I’m also not eating Thanksgiving dinner from a can… and am now heading to the grocery store to fight the crowds and search for a last minute turkey and fixings to prepare a quiet meal for two.
#1. We’re spending Thanksgiving Day with friends this year and along with my luscious crabmeat toasty appetizers and a cappuccino mousse trifle dessert, I was asked to bring… are you sitting down?
Green bean casserole. 🤢
While I’ve been known to make that abomination (for certain spouses who shall remain nameless) I can’t say I’m a fan. So I searched high and low for a recipe that would make it more palatable.
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I found one for the crock pot that sounded much better than the original. Fresh beans, fresh mushrooms, heavy cream, fresh garlic and thyme etc.
It was a bit of a pain to make and littered my kitchen with dirty dishes… but thankfully I did a dry run a few days ago before I served it to the group.
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Sadly, the trash can was the only appropriate place for it. Blech! How something so promising could taste so horrible is beyond me.
I shall now be making the original bowl of slop that everyone expects.
Clearly it can’t be improved.
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#2. I heard that Paul Rudd had been voted Sexiest Man Alive in People magazine. I can’t say I agree, but I won’t argue with this logic:
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#3. I believe I have officially reached the point of no return on the less than graceful decline into old age. I know this because the only way I can remember to add a song to my iPod is to take a picture of my car radio when it’s playing.
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And yes, I said iPod.
Told you I was old.
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.