Away Downeast

A week ago today we awoke in our motel room in Concord, NH, where we had spent a restless night following a farewell dinner with my mother and her spouse. As usual in motel rooms, we were wide awake by 4:00, looked at each other and said, "Let's roll!"
Which meant loading 4 violins, 3 guitars,  a banjo, a mandolin, an accordion, concertina, dog and effects into two cars. So we actually drove the Jeep and the Prius onto the ramp to Route 93 at about 5:15.
And so it was that we crossed the Piscataqua Bridge into Maine just after sunrise. And arrived at our new home in Steuben by late morning.

I was the vanguard. I was so early, in fact, that I couldn't help but stop on the way to bend the knee at my new "LYS" (local yarn shop), Shirley's Yarn and Crafts.

After meeting Shirley and her daughter Kiana, and admiring the stock, I headed onward.
Did I mention that my Prius was packed so tightly that the "open door" warning bell dinged and dinged and dinged all the way from Concord, NH to Steuben, ME? I checked every door at every stop, made sure the car was locked, but ding ding ding ding it went. I played music. Loudly.

Suddenly, I was home.

Oh yes, snow. But someone (it turned out to be the plumber) had shoveled the walkway and deck- bless him. I opened up the house, made some tea, walked around with Nellie, and sat in the sunshine to wait for Hunt, who arrived soon thereafter. We walked through the house together and looked out towards the deck, where we were greeted by the principal motivating reason for the move:

Dyer Harbor is a tiny inlet in Dyer Bay, which opens to the Atlantic. We were in search of salt water, and we found it.

Our friends with UHauls arrived somewhat later, stretched, took a deep breath, and immediately began unloading. They took a break for pizza and some singing,  and a bit of sleep. They continued the next morning and were off back to NH before noon.

Since then, we've been unpacking boxes, arranging and re-arranging furniture, exloring Steuben, Milbridge and the surrounding area. Hunt's nephew Race has been here doing the heavy lifting- bless him. Yesterday a neighbor invited me to tea to meet a third neighbor, and we are becoming friends already.

We are still waking up a bit disoriented in the night sometimes, and we haven't yet found shops with some "essentials", like local honey, or Bon Ami. Silly things that I miss! And yes, we miss our friends back in New Hampshire. But we are grateful for the opportunity to live in yet another place of beauty and tranquility.

Dispatches from the front: The Moving Chronicles.

We are surrounded by the Boxes. They are encroaching upon what little territory we still possess. Everything we own is disappearing into them. Soon we will be able to find little to call our own. Everything will have been consumed by the Boxes. But we have a cunning plan, sort of a Trojan Horse in reverse: tomorrow we bring in the Trucks, and our faithful allies will help fill the Trucks with the Boxes (and furniture). On Sunday we finish the job and make a final Broom Sweep of the property. On Monday, we depart like thieves in the, er, morning, for the coast of Maine. We shall prevail.

And it's time for us to leave her...

Johnny Collins singing "Leave Her Johnny"

The time has come. After nearly 8 years on this beloved place, it's time for us to leave the woods and hills of New Hampshire and head for the salt water of Downeast Maine.

We have loved this place, we have poured our hearts and souls into it, but when one is engaged and involved in life, sometimes new adventures arise and new doors open. Hunt is painting again, and it's amazing how quickly the doors have swung open to support and encourage him (and me). The one thing missing is the inspiration of salt water and sea air. And as soon as we started considering this, more doors appeared, and it was clear that this was the next new adventure for us to pursue.

We will be moving March 20 to a small town called Steuben, between Ellsworth and Machias. There appear to be opportunities for music, art, friendship and community. Hunt already has several friends in the area, from the time over 20 years ago when he lived about 30 miles from our new home. I have also made contact with several folks, so we have started our community building already.

The house we are buying is a funky little "hobbit house." It has everything we need, and best of all, it's right on the water, on a place called Dyer Bay.

A piece of our hearts will always be in Nelson. I have years of personal history, and very deep roots here. We will return over and over again. But it's time for us to leave her, and we look forward to new adventures.

Several friends have asked for this recipe. It's a great way to "detox" from the sugar high of late December:

January (2017) De-Tox Fruit Tart
Allison Aldrich Smith

Prepare graham cracker crust:
12 graham crackers (I used Annie's Organic Honey Grahams this time)
6 Tbsp. melted butter
Either pulse crumbled graham crackers in a food processor or put them in a plastic or paper bag and roll over the bag with a rolling pin until all the crackers are evenly crushed.
In a bowl, mix in the melted butter.
Press into a pie plate or 10” tart pan. Use your fingers, or the back of a spatula or measuring cup.
Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes until golden.

While graham cracker crust is baking, prepare pastry cream filling:
Mix dry ingredients:
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
pinch of salt

In a separate bowl, mix:
2 eggs
2 cups light cream (or mix of whole milk and heavy cream)
1 Tbsp. honey

Put dry ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add in the cream mixture whisking constantly. Whisk for 8-10 minutes until cream is thick enough to leave a path when the spoon is pulled through. Add 2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

Allow to cool on stovetop. If not using immediately cover with plastic wrap in direct contact and refrigerate.
Put pastry cream in pie shell/tart pan.
Place seasonal fruit in artful pattern. Glaze with mix of clear fruit jelly and warm water (Good directions for fruit glaze here: Dessarts: How to Glaze a Fruit Tart).

It seems almost impossible to believe, but after seven lovely years, Hunt and I have put our beloved Tam Lin on the market and we're working on buying an equally wonderful property on the coast of Downeast Maine. It has been a sojourn of such depth and growth, building deep friendships, building our marriage and strengthening it day by day as we have lived our lives here. When we built this house I assumed I would leave "feet first".

But life brings its ebb and flow, and change can be good. This past summer we visited Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy. Hunt, who had lost his desire to paint when his dear friend Anthony died, suddenly found himself looking at colors and scenes with his painter's eye again. Since then we have been talking and dreaming of living by the salt water, leaving the violin business (which has been limping along at best), and building up the painting business again.

So, now comes the disorienting whirlwind of cleaning and showing the house, and packing it up to leave. These are rituals I am very familiar with, and I've come to realize that for me, "home-making" is a skill that involves creating a nest, and wherever I go I can settle in for as long as I'm called to do so. Would I stay in Nelson? Absolutely. Am I eager and ready to go to Maine- you bet- wholeheartedly.

And so the shortest day came...

The past twelve days have been so filled that I'm not sure I can list them all! I will try:
On December 11: Got snow tires on the car, so ran a few more errands for supplies for local gift giving.
On December 12: Set up the nutcrackers on the piano, practiced some Christmas carols.
On December 13: Long rehearsal with the Solstice Sisters. I'm glad to say it was the best rehearsal ever- ready for the concert!
On December 14: Pie baking for the evening music jam. Begin papier mache-ing a dragon mask for the weekend's mummer's play.
On December 15: Made gifts- I'll publish what they were AFTER Christmas, for obvious reasons!

On December 16: Made the decision to purchase our tree this year. Our woods are coming back after years of logging, and I don't want to pillage trees that are settling in so beautifully. I have no problem buying trees that have been grown for the purpose. Hunt and I went to a lot where trees are brought in fresh weekly, and our chosen tree literally fell on top of us! We left it on the porch for most of the day, then brought it inside and set it up. Let it stand in its original glory for one night, before the adorning begins.
On December 17: Just the lights went on the tree, to await our daughter's return in a few days.

On December 18: Last minute preparations for the Nelson Solstice Party. I put some finishing touches on the dragon mask- polymer clay teeth and horns!
On December 19: Morning concert rehearsal/sound check. Afternoon mummer's play rehearsal. Then, let the revels begin! A long and wonderful evening of music, mumming and dance. The audience was ready for fun, and gave exuberant applause for all our hard work. Went home exhausted and very happy.

On December 20: A quiet day of rest. The Advent wreath is burning brightly, as the light is dimming outside.
On December 21: And the year died, but the annual Pie Night by Candlelight was the most glorious ever. Instead of our usual 10-15 musicians, there were over 30 people in the house last night, including some of the finest musicians in the region.

For many years from my teens to mid-30s, I participated in the Christmas Revels in Cambridge, Mass. I loved performing, especially when John Langstaff was the Master of Ceremonies. The Revels gave warmth and authenticity to the season. I used to long for that authenticity in my own life and observances of the season, knowing that the Revels was "only" a performance, though it contained a glowing kernel of truth. Years have rolled by since then, and I've come to find now that Hunt and I have created that authenticity in our own lives. The home we have made, the friends who come here, the music that rings in the rafters and all of the activities of everyday life, show me that the Revels in my own heart and life are the true ones. I am so grateful and happy, here on this Day of the Unconquered Sun, to feel the glowing gold in my heart and home.

Welcome Yule.

O come, o come

I’ve been asked to give more detail about my December practice of doing something every day in preparation and celebration of the season.

The word “Advent” comes from the Latin: adventus, meaning arrival. In the Christian calendar, Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the coming of the Christ Child. Secular society has snagged the idea of an Advent calendar, with chocolates, Lego Star Wars and even gin featured in some of this year’s offerings.

As I’ve written before, this is a sacred season for me for many reasons. The dark time is here, and so much of the music, practices and stories of the Western Hemisphere resonate deeply within me. Hunt and I celebrate Solstice, but also Christmas, New Year’s, Twelfth Night. So here are some of the things I’ve done, or like to do, for the first ten days of December. I’ll share more ideas for the next two weeks in a coming blog post.


It starts with Thanksgiving weekend, hopefully before the ground freezes. I go into our woods and gather moss for our moss garden. I like to find several varieties, as well as partridgeberry or wintergreen for some color.
First Sunday in Advent (count four Sundays before Christmas): I get out the Advent candle ring and place it on a platter, and make the moss garden. I add crystals, shells, special rocks and a few figurines. Yes, that is a polar bear, because why not? The first candle is lit at suppertime.

November 30: Get out the album of holiday music. I have over 40 cds, of every type of music, ordered in such a way that the music eases into the season.

December 1: The very first recording is always George Winston’s December album. Now I know the season has begun. The wreath that was purchased from a local daycare center goes on the door.

December 2: Plan out the homemade gifts, especially those that need to be mailed. We keep gift-giving extremely simple. Last year everyone received a jar of homemade mustard, and a select few got a jar of homemade hand cream. Neighbors and friends get a plate of cookies.
This year I also attended a rehearsal that was also the birthday party for one of the singers.

December 3: I got out a small handmade wooden village scene- trees, a few deer, a house and an outhouse. These go into a front window.

December 4: Mail the Saint Nicholas gift to our daughter! She is now teaching first grade at a Waldorf school, and has her own celebrations there, but Saint Nicholas still comes to her every year.

December 5: Baking, baking, sweeping, preparing for the open house at the violin shop. And this year, a seasonal choral concert in the evening.

December 6: Saint Nicholas Day.
I like him because he helped the poor and oppressed. Hunt always finds something in his shoes when he gets up on this morning! This year was also the date for the violin shop open house, so we had good friends, good food and music as well.
This was also the second Sunday in Advent, so a second candle was lit on the moss garden/Advent wreath.

December 7: Time to order the Christmas cards! We like to have a photo of the two of us, and usually a favorite quote from a carol. My favorite: “Let nothing you dismay”.

I’m busy knitting hats for the local “Warm Hands, Warm Hearts” knitting drive.

December 8: Rummage through the Christmas box – in goes my hand, and out comes a Wallace Tripp angel mouse, which is now hanging from a rafter in the kitchen.

December 9: We only mail a few packages, but they’d better go out today or tomorrow. Wrap, pack, address. And still the daily seasonal music carries us along. Another rehearsal tonight.

December 10: Any gifts for my family that need to be ordered get ordered by today. The seasonal books get placed on the coffee table. A single electric candle gets placed in the window that holds the wooden village.


The first ten days feel like gentle preparation. The stress is minimal, and everything can be accomplished around the regular work of the day. And over and around and through it runs the music. Up to now it is subdued, often baroque or early music. Soon, though, the more traditional carols will start to play, the house will look (and smell!) more Christmassy.