A Blissful Second Chapter!

The Maine House discovers the story behind "The Lumby Series!"

Looking out on the front yard, you see a placid, moss-colored pond fringed by a lush forest of maple and oak trees. Out of  an elegant little home office, Gail Fraser creates her series of books known as The Lumby Series.




These are endearing stories of small town life as told by eccentric townsfolk!

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Born and raised in Rye, New York, Gail attended the Rye High School before continuing on to major in English and receive an AA from Colby Sawyer College. Gail then studied at the University of London before returning to Skidmore College where she earned her BA in English Education. She completed her MBA at the University of Connecticut, with graduate work done at Harvard University.


 For more than 20 years, Gail worked as a senior executive strategic consultant, traveling the globe to advise clients on revamping product introduction and fraud management. Her desire was to build a house in Virginia! She hired Art Poulin as her Architect. Art and Gail were married two weeks after he completed her house!


Once they married, she took a chance and leap of faith on her secret passion which was to become a novelist! The creation of her secret dream evolved and... Lumby, USA was born! Gail developed, in her imagination, stories of a  "one-moose" town that is home to the country's oldest apple tree, quirky neighbors and a monastery. Gail's first novel, The Lumby Lines, was published in 2005. So long Corporate World!!!

Gail and Art relocated to upstate New York

 and live on a 40 acre farm which they refer to as "Lazy Goose".

 Art retired from architecture and pursued his life-long dream of painting folk art.

When Art is not painting and Gail is not writing, they take time for their second passion, which is cooking! "The kitchen is the heart of our home...where we make time to be together." As a couple, they create delicious meals such as Tuscan Pork Medallions or Roasted Leg of Lamb with Frangelica-Drizzled Rum Cake!

 Gail is also an avid stoneware potter, gardener and cook and enjoys tending to their orchard and bee hives most every morning.

Tuscan Pork Medallions
3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-in. slices
1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 thin slices prosciutto or deli ham, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped plum tomatoes
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese


Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook pork in butter until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, saute prosciutto in the drippings until browned. Add garlic and sage; cook 1 minute longer. Add vinegar, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in the cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add tomatoes and pork; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with basil and cheese.

Camille

And if life does imitate art, it is at Lazy Goose, where real world angst and intrusions give way to humor and gentleness, where any soul brave enough to risk life and limb on “the driveway” will escape into the fictional provinces created within Fraser’s novels and Poulin’s folk art canvases.
"Lumby is a state of mind, not just a fictitious town.
 It's a story of hope and faith....and of integrity always winning out."

Summer Vegetable Garden at Lazy Goose