Tag: nostalgic

The joy of spending a summer evening at the drive-in.

12 Comments

Everyone of a certain age has their “bouncing around the back” of a station wagon story. Usually one that entails fake wood siding, and sibling squabbles that rival those of Cain and Abel. I’m sure I have a few myself, but the reality is that my memory just isn’t that good. I keep only about five to ten years back in active usage, another ten are sometimes brought up for the occasional recollection, and the rest are more vague. What I have instead are moments in time, and composites of things that probably happened again and again but have been entwined into one memory.

That’s how it is with the drive-in for me. It was one of our regular family outings when I was young, and the only thing I still associate with station wagons.

Continue reading →

#atozchallenge | Q is for Clam Digging for Quahogs

22 Comments

Having recently finished a post on blueberry picking with my grandmother, it got me a bit nostalgic. It brought back memories of another food foraging experience from my youth. My dad’s side of the family spent many summer days along the Maine coast clam digging for quahogs or hen clams.

I was lucky growing up. My mother’s parents lived next to the ocean so I spent my summers at the beach. Their home became a meeting spot for family members some of whom came for sunbathing and for others who came for clam digging.

While I was mainly a spectator, I did try clam digging a little bit as I got older, but I didn’t have the same knack for it as my Grandmother, Dad and Uncle. They were talented and could harvest clams like crazy. I was lucky if I walked away with more than ten. I guess those clam digging genes skip a generation.

Continue reading →

Maine Blueberries

#atozchallenge | B is for Blueberry Picking with Mémère Rose

36 Comments

Memere RoseMy grandmother was unflappable. Mémère could fall asleep in a room full of chaos. Nothing ever seemed to bother her. She had no hesitation taking her young granddaughter into the deep Maine woods to go blueberry picking, even though her granddaughter had a life threatening allergy to bees. Clearly she was right, because no catastrophe ever occurred but rather just wonderful memories eating handfuls of blueberries right from the bushes.

I remember many outings, where we would walk deep into the Maine woods to find the best blueberry bushes to pick from during blueberry season. These were in the days before the evolution of pick-your-own farms. This was old school. She knew where the blueberries were and had mad skills picking them.

Continue reading →

Alex Pizza

#atozchallenge | A is for Pizza by Alex

41 Comments

All couples have their differences, but one of the biggest strains on my marriage was when my husband admitted that he didn’t like Alex Pizza. I’m not sure I’ve fully accepted it, and on rare occasion he’ll humor me and join me for a pie, although usually he’ll mumble a few sarcastic comments and skip the pizza. And, since the menu has only one option, Greek-style pizza, there’s not a lot of other choices for him.

Fortunately, I have a long list of family and friends who are willing to accompany me to Alex Pizza. It’s usually the first stop we make when friends return home for a visit. Just last month, my girlfriend, who had flown in from Seattle, and I stopped by Alex for lunch on the way home from the airport. I had eaten a large brunch only an hour earlier, but was happy to keep her company while she enjoyed her pizza. Of course, once we stopped in, hungry or not, I ordered a pizza anyway. I did refrain from eating the whole pie which at least proves I showed some restraint. But, what would you expect? It’s Alex Pizza!

Continue reading →

Showshoeing

5 Things I Learned Snowshoeing at Sebago Lake State Park

3 Comments

This past weekend was the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend with many wonderful events scheduled throughout the state. The event encourages people to get out and participate in outdoor activities. Winter can sometimes be a more challenging time to get outside but there really are many great options available in Maine.

I knew that we wanted to participate in the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend this year, so I looked through all the events listed on their website to pick one that seemed like a good fit. There were a large variety of options from which to choose. We decided on a snowshoeing hike with the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club as it seemed like a nice activity for the uninitiated. They were heading to Sebago Lake State Park in Casco for a two hour snowshoeing trek. Continue reading →