A beautiful seaside party

On Sunday, Sept. 4, from 1:30 to 5 p.m., Rose and Richard Coffin entertained friends and relatives at their first wedding anniversary party, at their home on Waters Edge Road, Falmouth. There were over 100 present, on a warm and sunny day.

The shore dinner served on the front lawn at large tables under a big tent, with linen napkins, silverware, and plastic bibs, with a big red lobster printed on them, was coordinated by Ruth Kimball of Westbrook. Bill Young, of Young’s Clambake & Barbecues of North Yarmouth, put on the wonderful clambake. It included steamed clams, steamed potatoes, ears of corn, rolls, melted butter, cole slaw, and big steamed lobsters. We had generous servings of lemon sherbet for dessert. Also, at each place were chocolate lobsters wrapped in red foil, with “Haven’s Handcrafted Candies” printed on the foil.

Before the dinner, in a small tent below the large one, was a table of hors d’oeuvers with platters of shrimp and crackers and dips, as well as wine, and many cans of soda.

The excellent group, Roy’s Trio, who played at last year’s reception party, played too, during the meal. They are Don Roy on the fiddle, his wife Cindy on keyboard, and Jay Young on bass. Don told me that he had made the bass viol. It was a handsome instrument. Several guests danced, too.

Gary Shepard was the photographer again this year, and was busily moving from table to table. Two red balloons were tied to a pole as we entered the Waites Landing Road, off Route 88. Then after we drove down the road, two more red balloons were there to welcome us as we entered Waites Edge Road, to the Coffins’ home. We were greeted by Rose, wearing a stylish white outfit with a red blouse, and with a big red feather attached to her wide-brimmed white hat.

At our table were Carol and Jacob Palesky of Topsham. We are all familiar with Carol’s work as leader of the Maine Tax Action Network. Richard and Arline Lay of Brunswick and their daughter Eve and her husband, Tim Hladky, were also at our table. They are newlyweds.

Among the guests were Carol Katz of Falmouth, Rose’s Aunt Helen Kilmartin and daughter Julie and Dot Kilmartin of Portland, Rose’s sister Claire Parish of Falmouth, and her young daughter Maggie, who helped serve, and later was busy walking a little white, fluffy dog on a leash; Rose’s parents, Arthur and Pat McDermott; Maura McDermott and her daughter Olivia, of Falmouth; Elie Tucker of Falmouth; Mike and Beth Carter of Portland; Bo Burke and Kim Chase of Long Island; Julian Holmes of Wayne, and his brother, David Holmes of Virginia. Julian’s father, Cecil T. Holmes, was a fellow professor at Bowdoin College with Dick Coffin’s father, Robert P. Tristram Coffin, and Bo Burke and Dick Coffin are retired professors of English at the University of Southern Maine.

The Coffins’ home is in a choice location. The front lawn slopes right down to the water’s edge, and the view of the nearby islands is outstanding. On Sept. 4, we were all treated to the sight of at least four sailboats out on the bay.

Author, pilot speaks to historical society

The speaker at the September meeting of the Westbrook Historical Society, Lyn McKenzie, was introduced by former President Betty Morabito. Lyn and her husband, Dick, live in Falmouth. She has been a member of the Falmouth Historical Society since 1990.

She has attended 10 one-week courses on conservation, preservation and identification of historical and other materials. She has attended courses at the Smithsonian, and others.

About clothing, she said painted wood in cabinets will fade fabrics, and so will colored tissue paper; wrap clothes only in white.

During World War II Lyn was an instructor for the Naval Air Technical Training Command at WAVES Control Tower School. She became a commercial pilot after the war. Earlier, women weren’t allowed to get that training.

She is very active in the Girl Scouts and has been historian for the Girl Scouts since 1970. She has written a book, “Betsy,” about life in a rural Maine town during the Depression of the 1930s. Betty Morabito recommends it as a “must-read,” and says it brings back memories.

Her program for the Society was much appreciated.

On the stage of the Society’s headquarters, on the second floor of the Dunn Street Legion Hall, Ellie Saunders, Diane Dyer and Suzan Norton arranged a setting with a school theme for the September meeting. It included a wooden desk from the Highland Lake School on the Duck Pond Road and many framed pictures of Westbrook graduation classes and school buildings, including the Saco Street School, the Warren School on Main Street (now a day care center), the Highland Lake School, and St. Mary’s School.

Society member Bob Gordon brought some of his extensive collection of Civil War books and objects, and a lady’s Victorian pin, a quill pen, pottery ink-wells used in schools, and an April Fool’s joke, a pencil with an eraser at each end. There were also drawings Westbrook teacher Ansel Sterling made for his students. Sterling also taught penmanship.

On a large blackboard was beautiful chalk printing – AaBbCc, and numbers 1 to 10. They were printed by Suzan Norton, who worked for 10 years in her father’s company, Jayar Sign Co., South Portland, She learned lettering and calligraphy there, and did an excellent job on that blackboard.

The September program was a success in several ways.

Recipe

This week we have another zucchini recipe for you, thanks to Marie Ciccarone of Standish, who sent it to me with a beautiful card picturing her pink lupines, and a nice note too. We tried the recipe right away, and enjoyed it.

Greek zucchini

3 cups finely diced zucchini

1 cup biscuit mix

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbls. parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs beaten

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Mix the first 9 ingredients; add eggs and feta cheese and mix well. Spread mixture into a buttered 9×13 inch pan and bake on a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into 2-inch squares and serve warm. It can be cut into larger pieces and used as an entrA?©e, or can be served as a vegetable with a roast. Can be baked and frozen ahead of time. To serve, place frozen squares in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Mrs. Ciccarone wrote that this recipe is in her RSVP Cookbook, put out by the Junior League of Portland, Maine, Inc. “It’s very easy to make and so yummy. Everyone I’ve given squares to has asked for the recipe,” she said.

Isn’t that a good recommendation? She also enjoys the “Ramblings” column, and thanks me for writing it. I thank her, too!

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