July in Maine – Books, Food and the Full Moon

Summer is all around me in Ogunquit.  I enjoy seeing families on the beach with chairs, umbrellas, and coolers filled with picnic food. As I walk to town I see children play corn hole on the lawns of the hotels, grandparents clap with glee as they guide their toddler grandchild to take wobbly steps in the green grass, and the librarian leads storytime on the lawn of the library. I thought I would mind sharing my little town with others. The joy I see around me makes my heart happy and I gladly welcome people to enjoy the magic of Ogunquit with me.

Here’s a little update since my last post…

What I am Reading

I couldn’t help myself. The first month I moved here, I walked across the street to the Ogunquit Memorial Library and I applied for a library card. Before I left I mentioned to the librarian if they had a book club. She told me they were actually thinking about starting one but needed a volunteer. Of course, I happily raised my hand. Next thing you know, I am leading the town’s book club starting June 27. We are reading The Library Book by Susan Orlean. I first read Orleans’ book in 2019 when it was our selection for my book club at home. It’s the perfect book for Ogunquit’s launch because it reminds me so much of how excited I’d get when summer would come around and my mother would ask me, “What do you want to do this summer?  Make a list and put it on the fridge.”  The first thing on my list was – Check out books at the library!

I am also listening on Audible to Mary Kay Andrews Homewreckers. It’s a fun HGTV-style mystery. There’s more at stake than bad pipes and dry rot: during the demolition of the house, evidence comes to light that points to the mysterious disappearance of a young wife and mother years before. With a burned out detective investigating the case, an arsonist on the loose, two men playing with her emotions, and layers upon layers of vintage wallpaper causing havoc, it’s a question of who will flip, who will flop, and if Hattie will ever get her happily-ever-after.

What I am Eating

My last meal in Texas was Mexican food and alas I haven’t eaten it since March. So I was super excited when Banditos Mexican Grille opened for the season. We’ve been twice now and it’s such a fun place to go for drinks and chips. Recently, Laurence and Glen treated us to dinner and it was such fun feeling the ocean breeze through the windows while we sipped our margaritas and sangria. While it’s not the best Mexican food I’ve eaten, I will give their chips a 10!  Very close to my beloved Mexican Inn chips. Totally different, but just as good. Banditos chips are also homemade in-house with corn tortillas but thicker and larger.  They come out hot and salted in baskets.

What I am Cooking

I need to embrace the new-to-me kitchen in the Inn. I am basically cooking in someone else’s kitchen. I don’t know where things are and it’s not my stuff, but it’s a fabulous commercial kitchen so I just need to embrace it. One way I dipped my toe into the water is by making a few of my favorite appetizers for our afternoon happy hours.  The first one was my mother’s recipe for Southern Pecan Cheese Wafers. I’ve shared the recipe before, but here’s a similar recipe. It’s a simple recipe that you can easily freeze and make small bite-sized cookies when you need them for wine and cheese night or make a batch as a hostess gift. I also made my baked beans and yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting for the annual Trellis House July 4th BBQ. The fireworks on the beach were spectacular. So grand and colorful, it felt like I could reach out my hand and touch the sparkly sky!

Something Cool I’ve Done

Have you ever watched the Moon rise?  Not the sun, but the moon? Mr. Twist and I signed up for a “Full Moon” walk at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm.  The Wells Reserve protects 2,250 acres of coastal habitats on Maine’s southwest coast and serves as a model for best management practices in conservation.  Last fall when we visited Ogunquit, we enjoyed a honey bee conservation and honey tasting class. We loved the experience so much that we became members of the reserve so we can enjoy all their programming while we are living in Maine.

The full moon walk was led by a Maine Master Naturalist.  We arrived right at sunset and walked quietly along the path to listen for the calls of nocturnal creatures. Our walk took us to the beach where we watched the moon rise. It was incredible!  As we were all looking up in the sky for the moon to come into view, the leader said, “Tonight, look into the horizon.” And, sure enough, you could see a tiny orange glow appear as if it was coming up out of the water. It was a magical experience to follow the progression of what was actually a Super Moon rising. Afterward, we walked, in complete darkness, back along the trail.  We are so accustomed to having light around us – night lights, flashlights on our phones, street lights, it was an odd feeling to allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness and use my other senses to get me back safely along the trail. We all walked in silence as if we needed the quiet to concentrate on our steps. At the same time we could hear the chorus of toads and frogs, and see hundreds of lightning bugs light our path. The night was magical.

Upcoming Plans

I honestly think of so many things to share with you. But as the long days come to an end, I fall into bed exhausted yet exhilarated from my journey here. My goal is to record some YouTube videos on a variety of topics – like how my wardrobe has completely changed from what I used to wear – to my housekeeping routine – and I have reader mail to answer. Hop over to my YouTube channel here and subscribe. You’ll receive an email notification when I have added a new video.

Thank you so much for following my new adventure!  #MelissaINNMaine