Portraits
of a Country Life
Wit, Wisdom & Reflections Befitting a Gentler Time
Mark Kimball Moulton, Noel W. Runnals 3 & Verge S. Prior III
What follows are sample pages from the exciting new book by Hearthstone Press. This beautiful, 144 page hardcover features over 300 full color images of New England throughout her four glorious seasons, along with the wit & wisdom of generations of country folk. $36 plus travel expenses. Release Date~ September 2014
To order please call toll free 888-887-1820 or visit www.CircaHomeLiving.com (Wholesale Inquiries Welcome)
Portraits of a Country Life
by Mark Kimball Moulton, Noel W. Runnals 3 & Verge S. Prior III
Spring “Spring slumbers long until she wakes with the
exuberance of a child, a smile on her face and pure of heart. But beware her ill humours, for the wee lass can be fickle.� m.k. moulton
Spring arrives slowly in New England, a trifle slower
than many might prefer. We spend our days in quiet employment~ re-visiting a much loved novel, knitting yet another scarf, honing our questionable skills at watercolor. We’ll attempt near about anything that is gainful to take our minds off the long, dreary days of Winter’s end.
The accounts have been reviewed and the seed
catalogs, dog-eared months ago. Packet upon packet of viable little gems now wait patiently in the kitchen drawer for such time as when the earth is warm enough to welcome them. Day after day we stare out our windows, chin in hand, dreaming of this year’s garden, certain to be the best one yet. A true Spring cleaning will have to wait, but the house and the outbuildings have already been swept, top to bottom, and the tools dusted, oiled, repaired and otherwise attended in preparation of their coming endeavors.
Summer “Summer skips through her days in a gale of giggles, pigtails flying, eyes clear and alight with joy.�
m.k. moulton
S
“ ummer afternoon~ Summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.� And we in New England wholeheartedly agree with you, Henry James.
Perhaps it stems from the days of our youth when,
released from our studies, limitless hours of freedom stretched ahead of us like the stars in a galaxy, no clock ticking, seemingly no end in sight. Family baseball games, trips to the local swimming hole and games of pleasure whenever the desire arose.
Of course, September’s calendar held other plans
for us, but that was far, far away~ or so we believed at the time~ and Summer was exclusively, undeniably, deliciously ours to embrace with both arms.
The almost desperate mouse-like
scurry of Spring preparation and planting behind us, Summer coaxes us to revisit those days of youth, no matter our age, and sample all the New England countryside has to offer.
Yes, the weeds in Papa’s garden require constant vigilance
and the vegetables need watering, and the picket fence might require a lick of paint, and the hens need feeding, and the goats still need milking, but those chores are gladly attended, for the rewards of Summer are certain and great.
What with all there is for us to enjoy, it would be a shame not to set aside at least a day or two (or a week or more) in which to wholly and fully indulge one’s fancy, whatever that fancy might be.
Autumn “Autumn tiptoes in on Summer’s heels and taps
her on her shoulder. ‘Boo,’ she whispers and all at once the earth is laughing in a thousand shades of calico and shimmering in hoarfrost.” m.k. moulton
New Englanders have long enjoyed a running discussion as to which season is the noblest. Some sing the praises of Springtime as it marks a new beginning for all. Others laud the days of Summer for their pure and seemingly endless pleasures, while still others maintain that Winter holds their heart for the peace and serenity it offers, but there is one season the majority of New Englanders agree upon~ Autumn.
It is simply and unequivocally Glorious, with a capital ‘G,’ a cornucopia
of abundance, and we count ourselves fortunate, indeed, to be afforded such a gift each and every year.
Winter “Winter waltzes in on beaded slippers, eyes,
glacier blue, strands of pearls around her neck. ‘It is time for you to rest,’ she murmurs, and draws a quilt of down across the land.” m.k. moulton
Winter…
One need only breathe the word and countless
memories of olde New England spring to mind~
Mountaintops and hillsides, vintage farmhouses and covered bridges...
all glistening with freshly fallen snow~
Also available from
Hearthstone Press
§
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Over 100 stunning full color images along with additional verse (including a heartwarming new ending!) bring Clement’s tale to life as never before. Proudly printed in the USA. 48 page hardcover. $15 plus travel expenses.
To order please call toll free 888-887-1820 or visit www.CircaHomeLiving.com (Wholesale Inquiries Welcome)
‘
T
was the Night Before Christmas §
When all through the house,
A pineapple studded with toothpicks and tipped with plump red cranberries adds holiday warmth to the traditional Colonial sign of welcome.
Fashion a Yule Log from a length of birch fitted with candles and trimmed with festive holiday greens.
Not a creature was stirring ยง
Re-imagine your favorite collections into charming holiday tableaus. Well-loved books and heirloom textiles instantly add holiday colour and historic detail.
Yard sales and antique shoppes are a wonderful source for vintage ornaments. Add a new one each year for future generations to cherish.
not even a mouse;
Brown paper packages tied up with string . . . always a favorite thing.