Fascinating fiddle program

A fascinating group of musicians, 71 in all, entertained Sunday, Oct. 22, in the auditorium at Portland High School. I’m very glad that I saw an announcement of the concert in the paper. There were several concerts by them the last days of October, in South Paris, at Bowdoin College, and in Lewiston, as well as this one in Portland.

The group, Fiddle-icious, is an orchestra made up of fiddlers and other musicians playing piano, guitar, banjo, tuba, and upright bass, led by music director Don Roy. Their music features tunes from Scotland, Ireland, Quebec and Acadia, including jigs, aires, marches, hornpipes, waltzes, step dancing and singing.

Many of the fiddlers played the long program by memory, without any music. They all tapped their feet as they played.

The audience did much toe tapping and nodding to the music, too. It was a happy two hours, for orchestra and audience members. An afternoon concert is welcome to many older people, as some do not drive at night or find it difficult to find parking places. Also the admission price for this concert was not excessive. Some concerts offer free admission for people under 21 years of age; I wish they would offer a reduction to those 81 years or older!

A few of the numbers were “Harry’s Jig,” “Athi River Jig” and “Buddy’s Jig: Two Sisters Waltz,” played by two accordionists and written by a member of the fiddlers, who wrote it for his twin sisters.

It was fun to watch the youngsters in the front row. Young boys were moving their hands constantly in time with the music, and two very young girls were trying to step dance with their mother.

It was a pleasure to hear Don Roy, who announced each number and also played his fiddle alone, at the start of several pieces. He is very accomplished. We hope to hear this group again, and hope they include Portland in their next tour.

Vintage fashions topic of program

A luncheon Friday, Oct. 20, at the Woman’s Literary Union meeting at the Woodfords Congregational Church was catered by Amato’s and included lasagna, small meatballs in sauce, a delicious broccoli salad, bread slices and cannolis and cream puffs for dessert.

Among members at the table where I sat were Mary Kibbee (retired president), her daughter Joan McCormack, Doris Chapman, Mary Walsh, Gloria Stover and Shirley Tevanian.

Barbara Washburn, program hostess for the club’s Antiques Study Group, introduced the speaker, Louise Keezaer, who is in charge of costumes for the Lyric Theater of South Portland. Her subject was “How to Fake a Vintage Look in Fashion.”

She had an excellent program for us, bringing a mannequin and a model of a lady’s face, on which she placed a wig, and modeled a few hats she had brought. She also brought a large box of costumes and materials. She is a busy lady, often improvising costumes from various materials, as she demonstrated to us.

Using an attractive, light green, long-sleeve dress from the 1950s, she dressed the mannequin, changing the original dress into a 1890 gown by adding a black skirt, a wide black-and-gold belt, a piece of valance (a short drapery over the top of a window), which she draped over the neckline, and lace pieces for the cuffs, making an entirely new look.

That’s a big part of her job, of course, making over, from the many clothes she has on hand. She told us that the theater welcomes gifts of clothing, including hats, coats wedding gowns, etc.

Nature notes

Cathy Feeney had a treat last week. While talking to her mother on her cell phone in her back yard in Gorham, she heard a slight animal sound, a snort, she said. On the path behind her house were three deer, a male, a doe and their young deer. She often sees one deer at a time in her rural setting, but to see all three together was a real surprise.

Living a full life

At the Oct. 19 meeting at Unity Gardens in Windham, Anne Murray, Agewell coordinator at the Southern Maine Agency on Aging, gave those attending several ideas for living a full life as we age.

These are a few of the suggestions she gave us.

To live more fully in the present:

Take one thing at a time; listen to music you enjoy; meditate and/or pray daily; watch a sunrise; watch a sunset; take up yoga or Tai Chi; laugh abundantly; exercise regularly; take a walk daily; eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains.

Also, play with your animals; visit the ocean, mountains, or any place that brings you peace; and see if you can do something thoughtful for another without expecting anything in return.

These lectures are free and open to the public. Call Anne Murray at 1-800-427-7411 for more information.

At this week’s meeting, Thursday, Oct. 26, at the same location, John Murray will speak on “Sleeping Patterns and Aging.”

Baked fish

This recipe is from Mary Webber’s “Frugal Family’s Kitchen Book,” 1985.

Baked Fish Newburgh

1 or 1-1/2 pounds haddock (or other fish)

Crackers, crushed (Ritz are best for this, but you can use others)

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 can cream of shrimp soup

1/2 cup milk

Cut fish into bite-sized pieces and arrange in a greased baking dish. Cover with a layer of crushed crackers, then a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix soup and milk and pour over, topping with a little more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until fish flakes.

Mary wrote that her husband came home from a hunting trip with rave reviews for this casserole. After making it, she could see why, as it takes only minutes to put together, yet it tastes like a very rich and smooth Newburgh.

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