Islandport Press

Everett’s mother, Amy, raised seven children. She loved to iron and listen to soap operas on the radio. This family story dates to about 1945.   A traveling sales man came to the door. Amy took a break from ironing to listen to his spiel. He showed her samples of a wonderful new cookware, using technology developed for the war effort, that was completely unbreakable. Amy listened....

An Alden Farrar true story. The young man was so excited about his first date with a new girl, he put on his white suit in the late afternoon. Meanwhile, Father decided the young man needed to do some chores – that included cleaning out some cow messes in the barn. The young man tried to keep his suit out of the messes, but failed.    Father said, “Don’t plan on fun until the work is done.”

Last week, I searched through John Cole's In Maine for an essay on the start of November to post. Looking through his book always takes a little longer than planned, because I rediscover what a beautiful writer John was and can't help but read a few essays.John loved the natural wonders of Maine...

As the snow begins to fly in Northern New England, Master Maine Guide Randy Spencer has moved from fly fishing and guiding in the natural paradise surrounding Grand Lake Stream to chatting up customers and signing his new book, Where Cool Waters Flow, at booksellers across the region...

The book signing experience is a new one for me, Where Cool Waters Flow being my first book. I have found that you meet almost as many interesting people at a book signing as you do being a fishing guide. At one signing at Van Raymond’s in Brewer this fall, I noticed a woman thumbing through the pages of Cool Waters, which was displayed on a turnstile rack....

John Irving's latest, Last Night in Twisted River, is now in stores and from the reviews I've read I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief. Seems like Mr. Irving is back in the saddle again. Yay!Here's one review. 

Another tale of Yankee frugality. True story. Auntie flew to New York for her operation, but it didn’t go well and she passed away. The family got word. What arrangements did the family want to make for her? And how would they get her home? “Well,” said Uncle Nub, “she has a return ticket.”

Dad talked with the sexton about choosing a plot. “Which one do you think,” the sexton asked. “You want one by the woods or overlooking the river?” “Don’t make no difference,” Dad said, “all the views are the same. Straight up.”

Sigh. It's November. The late John N. Cole, who wrote so beautifully about nature and found wonder in the seasons, didn't like November much. He tells why in this excerpt from his classic, In Maine."There are, I’m certain, places where November sparkles, but I have never found them. ...

John Holyoke of The Bangor Daily News checks in this morning with a wonderful review of Where Cool Waters Flow by Randy Spencer.Says John: "... the result is a stunning portrait of a truly special place, illuminated by the people who live for their yearly visits to those remote Maine woods...

Yankee humor sometimes gets a little bit, you know, spicy.  I heard this one from a Congregationalist, of all things! The deacon from Errol, a bachelor, caught the train for Boston in Berlin. His friend saw him off.   “What’s in your pocket?” the friend said. The deacon turned a little red. “It’s a bottle of perfume. I heard there’s some pretty women in Boston.” “What else?” the friend asked....

It's go time. The sparkle of October is rapidly fading into the gray of November, a month that will then pick up energy as it charges into the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving and the joy of Christmas...

Old Rufus was checking out. It was his time. His wife, Miriam, asked if there was anything she could get him to make his last days or hours on earth a little more pleasant.“Miriam,” he said, “I crave tomato juice. If I could have a drink of tomato juice, that would be nice.” Miriam hurried down to the general store....

At the Promises To Keep conference center in Derry, I had a great time swapping stories with members of the seniors group from the First Congregational Church of Manchester, including Russ Gagnon and Dick Jarvis. And enjoyed a delicious roast pork lunch, too. Don’t remember who told this story, but it’s a classic:Becky (not me) and Hiram lived at the end of the road in Weare....

The 6-year-old tried out for the Christmas play at church. Grampa took him to the try-out in the church basement. When they got in the car to go home, Trevor was all excited. “I got a part Grampa! And it’s a great part!”“What is it?” Grampa said.“I’m going to be a dog.”“A dog?”“Yup.”Turns out, as Grampa eventually figured out, Trevor was playing a shepherd.True story.

In case you haven't heard, go here to read my BFF's blog entry on news of Mr. King and his newest novel.....