The big news for this Christmas season revolves around the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s annual two-weekend production of its “Magic of Christmas” concerts. The PSO has a new maestro this year, and I’m pleased to report that he has restored many of the more traditional elements and discarded the irrelevant ones. Among several fine choral concerts […]
Forecaster Lifestyle
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Coastal History: Christmas once meant figgy, plum and blood puddings
This part of the country was settled by the English in colonial times, and many of us are descended from those original Brits. A series of recent articles deal with the question, “When did we lose the British accent?” And the answer, supposedly, is that the British themselves changed their accent and the original colonists […]
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Cooking at the Cove: Christmas Eve supper
Making tourtières this time of year brings out my inner mémère. This meat pie is a delicious Christmas Eve supper that can be made ahead, saved for Christmas morning to have with over-easy eggs, or enjoyed on Boxing Day. Pies can be whipped up and frozen before baking to give as gifts, too. I know […]
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Arts Calendar: Dec. 18-28
Greater Portland Exhibits/Galleries “Paperwork,” through Jan. 11, works on paper by Karen Adrienne, Kathleen Florance, Frank Mauceri and Munira Naqui., Cove Street Arts, 71 Cove St., Portland. Free, covestreetarts.com. Sculpture Artist Ron Hager, St. Lawrence Art Center, 76 Congress St., Portland, found objects from Maine beaches, through Dec. 31. Free. The Tolerance Project, a message […]
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Arts Calendar: Dec. 11-21
Greater Portland Exhibits/Galleries The Tolerance Project, a message of social acceptance, Maine College of Art, 522 Congress St., Portland. Dec. 13-Feb. 22. Free, meca.edu. Ongoing “Holding Up the Sky,” Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress St., Portland. Honors the First People of Maine, to February 2020. Saturday 12/14 Think A Bot It – Eva Goetz, Opening […]
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Coastal History: A lifetime of hard work
I enjoy reading stories about how children were once expected to chip in and help with the family’s survival. For instance, I recently received a letter and scrapbook about Fred Pecci, Bath’s former arborist. While his immigrant parents were running a produce store in Bath where Mario’s is today, Fred was out looking for free […]
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Out & About: Christmas theater and concerts
As expected, Christmas-themed shows dominate this week’s top selections on the performing arts roster, and the geographic range stretches from Brunswick to Biddeford. The Brunswick-based Oratorio Chorale has a pair of Christmas concerts coming up. “Sing We Noel” is slated for six performances in Brunswick and Falmouth. Falmouth-based St. Mary Schola has readied its annual […]
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Cooking at the Cove: Powering through
A few years back, my friend, Elaine took me to Life Alive Café in Cambridge. I totally fell in love with the bowls of beautiful organic vegetable and grain combinations as well as the colorful smoothies. From that day forward, I vowed I would eat this way as often as I could by making grain […]
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Sande’s Picks: Grandpa’s Garden to move to Maine Street in Brunswick
Grandpa’s Garden, maker and retailer of all natural comfort and body products, most of which are hand-crafted here in Maine, will be moving from their current location in the Tontine Mall in Brunswick to the Wyler Building at the corner of Pleasant and Maine Streets. They will join Wyler’s and the soon-to-open Maine Street Steak […]
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Out & About: Christmas season A&E in full swing
The decorations that are popping up all over – plus the early start of the 2019-20 snow season – are certainly ringing in the Christmas season. So, too, in the performing arts. Maine State Ballet opened its annual production of “The Nutcracker” on Thanksgiving weekend. As always, it’s a spectacular show, with scores of dancers […]