for the love of beauty

I have moved for college...  moved for work... and moved across the country for love, but 

five years ago today I moved for beauty.

I was born a Texan and raised a Texan, but I truly believe that I was supposed to come live in
New England.
I feel that my heart came home by moving here.  

My late father gave me my love of nature through our summers of vacationing in Colorado, Yellowstone,  Glacier National Park,  Oregon, and his deep love for the Tetons in Wyoming. 

Dan loves nature and the mountains as I do and during the years we lived in Dallas we would make numerous trips to Colorado each year to get our fix.  It wasn't until one day in Dallas while Dan and I were driving near the edge of the city and I spotted a beautiful tree-lined green field of about 7 acres (an unusual sight in the metroplex of Dallas) that I had an epiphany-  I needed to move.  The overwhelming intense reaction I had at seeing that little tiny plot of undisturbed land made me realize that I needed, not just wanted, to live in and around natural beauty.  

Everyone is different- for some living in the city is beauty and feeds their creative soul; but for me, I realized in that moment that I needed to live surrounded by nature as much as I needed food and water.  I didn't always feel that way.  When I was younger the thought of living in the country made me uncomfortable and had no appeal.   But with age came clarity on what my heart now desired.

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”

-John Muir-

As I've mentioned before, not many a day goes by that one of us doesn't say...

 "Look where we get to live!"
We both feel very blessed to have landed in such a beautiful, special place not having any real experience with New England and not knowing a soul here.  I've had people tell me it was such a brave thing to do, but for us it wasn't so much bravery as necessity.

I always start to get emotional when I have the thought of "what if".... what if we hadn't thrown caution to the wind and followed our hearts, leaving family and good friends behind and moved to New Hampshire.... what if?  

The mere thought makes me sad and can bring me to tears.  I think I would have never found that part of my heart that knows peace.

... and I would never have met you.

Thank you for being on this journey with us.

On this 5th anniversary of the day we arrived in New Hampshire I thought I would share the world around us.  They are but a few of the reasons why we moved for the love of beauty...

"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
-John Muir-

"The mountains are calling and I must go."
-John Muir-

"Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains."
-Shakespeare-

"Beauty awakens the soul to act."
-Dante Alighieri-

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
-Anne Frank-

"In every man's heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty."
-Christopher Morley-

If you would like to read my post on "how we got here" click here!

Living in New England: Signs

There are many aspects of life here that are so unique from other parts of the country, and I want to share those things with my family, and perhaps with you- if you have never been here. I do a collection of posts called : "Living in New England" that highlight quintessential New England sights, events, situations, and experiences.

I know of many people who have lived here in New England their entire lives and perhaps don't realize that some of the events and sights that I will describe don't happen elsewhere in the country. Or, maybe you are originally from New England, but have moved away... I hope these posts will bring back some fond memories for you. 
In any event, I wish to share New England with you through the eyes of this Southerner!



We have lived in various cities in the South and the Pacific Northwest and have traveled (via road trips) many times across the country, yet it wasn't until we moved to New England that we have come across the following signs:

What's the most unusual thing about this sign is its age.  In most places this sign would have been replaced decades ago when it first began to rust!  

The following signs are commonly seen in small towns.  I think they are a nice way to remind drivers to slow down and take precaution.  There is also a "deaf person" sign, but I couldn't find one to photograph for this post.  A person applies with their town to get a sign posted on the road close to their house.

A what?!  

A jughandle!  Per Wikipedia a jughandle is a type of ramp or slip road that changes the way traffic turns left at an at-grade intersection.  Got that?! But, once you see one you see why the name is so perfect for the type of turn!   More info here.

Many shops are "seasonal" only open in the late spring or summer when the tourist arrive.  Coming from the land of 24/7/365 this is an unusual sight!

Patriotism is very strong here in New England, as you might expect, and veterans are honored.  Love this!

After growing up in Texas where air conditioning is a given everywhere these signs advertising a.c. always make me smile!

  

Dunkin' Donuts!  

I realize these aren't just in New England anymore, but they are such a staple here I couldn't leave them out.  You can hardly throw a rock here without hitting one!  Think Starbucks, but with donuts!

I remember our first winter here thinking "what's a frost heave?!"  After driving over your first one you immediately get why there are signs posted for them- they can be quite jarring to both you and your car's alignment.  For those of you who have never seen this sign, a frost heave is a large rise, or bump in the pavement that makes driving certain roads a nightmare!  They result from ice forming beneath the surface of soil during freezing conditions.  They appear in the winter then recede in the spring.  More info here.

This sign is at our favorite (and only as they are difficult to come by in New England :) BBQ restaurant Goodie Cole's in Brentwood, New Hampshire.  The owners are from Texas (Dallas) and we are very happy to drive the distance (they are not close to us) to get our BBQ fix on!

To read other "Living in New England" posts visit here!)

thank you...

for such a lovely welcome back!! 

I am overwhelmed and very touched by all your wonderful calling cards and comments. 

A big thank you to all the "quiet ones" for making your presence known!

xxojoan

are you still here?!

Welcome back then!!!

 I'm so happy to see you!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are enjoying the beginning of a very happy new year.  I had a relaxing break and am refreshed and ready to continue our conversation!

We've been having very unusual winter weather here in New Hampshire- on Sunday we were covered in snow here at the farmhouse, and then Monday morning we woke up to the snow being completely melted and had highs in the lower 50's that day.  Yesterday it snowed again!  Crazy, I tell ya!  Between you and me... Dan and I are both very happy to see the snow!  We love living with four seasons, and it is just so beautiful and peaceful, and quiet! 


It's cold outside...

 

so, come on in and sit with me by the fire and lets chat!

 

I thought this would be a good time to show you the winter mantle.  We have five mantels in the house, but this is the only one that I change each season.




The antique French gilt mirror is a staple on the living room mantel and it shares the stage with a pair of 17th century gilt and gesso church alter candlesticks that we found at the Paris flea market  (I borrowed them from the dining room, so you might recall having seen them there) along with a favorite oil painting (circa 1922), an antique Santos, an antique Chinese wicker-wrapped earthenware ginger jar, an antique Chinese blue and white dish and an orchid in an antique Russian brass jardiniere along with a trio of mercury glass candle holders from Pottery Barn.

I also wanted to show you the antique grisaille watercolor that you have not seen before.  It is just barely an antique as it is signed and dated 1912!  (In the truest definition, an antique must be at least 100 years old and a vintage item must be at least 50 years old.)  I purchased the antique gilt frame with its wonderful antique wavy glass several years ago.  It is not a frame that can be cut down since the corners are finished and covered in the same gilt decoration as on the frame (as opposed to having straight, diagonal-cut corners) so I knew the odds were slim that I would find a perfect fit, but I loved the frame so bought it anyway!  Luckily the watercolor was larger and had a lot of blank paper, so I was able to cut the watercolor down to make it fit the frame and "married" the two.

I love how subtle the watercolor is and how it mimics the antique oil painting of the same genre of ships in a harbor that hangs above it next to the sofa.

Since I missed my tradition at Christmas of having you leave your calling card I thought I would leave the tray out for the New Year, and ask you to please let me know if you're still here!!

For those of you who are new.... the antique brass tray (it was originally silver-plated, but the plate has worn off over the years down to the brass base metal) is engraved:

MA

from
Mary and Nannie
Christmas
1881 

 

As I've written in the past...

  Over the years I have spent hours wondering who was MA?, who were Mary and Nannie?, what was their Christmas like the year this beautiful tray was given as a gift?, where did they live?, and on and on... . 

Just as I wonder about these three people whose names are engraved on an antique tray that has a presence in my home, I also wonder about you, who also have a presence here.

Some of you I know, as you leave me dear comments or send me emails.... but others of you remain a mystery. On my site meter I get visits from places that are near and dear to us, and places that are far away and magical. Dan and I always talk about and wonder who all of you are!

 

As was the custom in the period of this Victorian tray, people would leave their printed "calling cards" in trays at the homes they visited.
Dan and I are hoping that you will let us know that you are still here and will drop your "calling card" in the tray and let us know that you stopped by to visit!  We would love to hear from each and every one of you- those who regularly visit and leave comments, and those of you who usually come and go quietly!!

So happy to be back!

xxojoan