Outstanding photo book
My husband received a beautiful book for his birthday, with lovely colored pictures from all six of the New England states, titled “New England, A Photographic Portrait.” I enjoyed each picture and the captions, and felt as if I had enjoyed a tour of the New England states after I read it. It was by J. Dennis Robinson, a former English teacher who now lives with his wife in Portsmouth, N.H. The photographers and their addresses are printed at the back of the book.
Among the beautiful colored pictures are these, listed by states:
Maine: One of rocks and water flowing over them, at Baxter State Park, and a picture of Mount Katahdin in the fall.
New Hampshire: A covered bridge over the Swift River, and a gorgeous page of lupines at Sugar Hill, in the White Mountain region.
Masssachusetts: A windmill in Chatham, Cape Cod, and a fall picture, orange and red leaves on maple trees, with the ground beneath them covered in some fallen leaves, also red and orange
Vermont: A field of black-eyed Susans, on rural Route 100, and an East Orange church at dusk.
Rhode Island: An old mansion, and also the Vanderbilt cottage in Newport, and a polar bear, asleep in the Roger Williams Park zoo.
Connecticut: A Gothic house in wealthy Woodstock, and a full page of waterfalls, with a maple tree, in bright red, above the falls, in Cargill Falls, Putnam.
These are a very few of the beautiful illustrations. It would be a wonderful gift to send to someone you know who used to live in the New England section of the United States.
Excellent language addition
I had recently read that Latin is being taught again in some of our area schools. Many of us had several years of Latin in our high school days, and the news was welcome.
But now a Page 1 headline in the Jan. 17 Current newspaper told us that “Chinese could be taught at Cape.”
Mercedes Grandin’s long and interesting article said that Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, with more native speakers than English and Spanish combined, and it may be added to the language program at Cape Elizabeth High School. A school board member, the principal, and the chairwoman of the foreign language department are spearheading the effort. Currently, Cape Elizabeth High School offers Latin (first year only due to low student interest), French and Spanish. If approved, Cape Elizabeth would be the 10th school to offer the language. Maine School of Science in Limestone pioneered the first Chinese language program in 1995. Westbrook High School followed shortly thereafter, in 1997; Bangor High School in 2003, and Erskine Academy, in South China in 2004.
Noble High School in Berwick, Washington Academy in East Machias, Fryeburg Academy, Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford, Waynflete School in Portland and John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor all started Chinese programs in 2007. Yarmouth High School is also considering it for 2008.
Westbrook readers will be interested hearing about the program at their high school. Leland Arris, chairman of the Westbrook High School language department, has been teaching Chinese there since the program began in 1997, with enrollments of 25-50 students. Latin, French, Spanish and Chinese are now taught at Westbrook. Arris emphasizes conversational Chinese in his class. He takes the kids to a Chinese restaurant where they have to speak and order their food in Mandarin.
Maybe evening schools will start teaching Chinese here, too, and some of us adults could learn a new language, at our advanced age.
Superior recipe
Today’s recipe is from the cookbook “Cooking With Agnes,” 1994, with recipes compiled by a cookbook committee from the United Church of Christ at North Gorham. The late Agnes Gibbs was a home economic teacher at Portland High School, and on WCSH radio and television for many years. Agnes received this recipe from Edna H. Small of West Auburn.
SUPERIOR MEAT LOAF
1 pound hamburg
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Mix all ingredients together and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
