Frugality comes naturally to native New Englanders, I think, and most of us already have a strong streak of individuality and an inclination to do things just a little bit differently than the rest of the world. We have always practiced some degree of frugality, always believed in “green living” and conserving. The voluntary simplicity part came later, over twenty-four years ago now… but that’s another part of our story!
WHERE we live is an important part of HOW we live. We live in a small town (population less than fifteen hundred) in northern New England. If a main street existed, it would be the road that winds around the rectangular-shaped common. Are you familiar with a New England common… so called because the original settlers jointly owned and used these common areas, mostly (I believe) for grazing cattle. On all sides of this common are quite closely spaced houses, all over two hundred years old and nicely kept or restored. Nearby is a lovely white Congregational church (circa early 1800’s), a small brick ivy-covered library, a school (kindergarten to eighth grade), and a small store that mostly sells souvenir and snack food items.
As you continue driving away from town, the houses become further and further apart, and the main road becomes dirt roads that lead into the hills, where the family farms used to be. We live about three miles from the main part of the village, and about one mile from the turn-off just past the Baptist church (also early 1800’s). The beginning of the road that eventually leads to our house goes almost straight up a very steep hill. At the top of this hill the land levels out for the next several miles… this is a mostly wooded area with just a few houses here and there. The town that was originally filled with family farms has become a “bedroom community” of mostly professional people who spend their days at jobs in the larger surrounding towns. Some farms still exist, but very few are actual working farms because of the soaring property tax rate that has forced many of the natives to sell out and leave.
Our house is to the left behind the stone wall
The road going past our house used to be so narrow that if you were driving and met a car coming in the opposite direction, one car had to move way out to the side to let the other car pass. In recent years most of the roads have been widened to accommodate two cars passing at the same time, but although the dirt roads are well maintained, mud season is still a yearly problem everyone has to struggle through. For those who don’t know, when dirt roads begin to thaw in the spring, entire sections of the roads turn to mud, with ruts that are sometimes as much as a foot deep. At times portions of the road completely give way and the roads are impassable for days or weeks. It’s just one of the perks of living close to nature in a climate where winter temperatures often drop to forty below zero!
We are routinely visited by bear, deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, owls, and other wildlife that we would probably be more comfortable not knowing about. One day we even saw a giant moose standing right at the edge of our back porch. From the front of our house we look out onto the long stretch of stone walls (some of which we’ve rebuilt) and the many trees which surround our property. Across the road is a deeply wooded area that eventually goes steeply uphill. From the back windows we look out on our various gardens, a meadow with a babbling brook that cuts across the property, and two small “ponds” that we dug ourselves.
I was born in this town and grew up in a house a short distance away from where we now live. If we go to the far edge of our property, we can see that house, although it is the only house that is near enough for us to see. When we decided that we wanted to move back here to be nearer to family, we bought three acres that used to be a field but had grown into a stand of large pine trees. The young man who owned the land had planned to build a house here and had already cleared out many of the large trees… but he made the mistake of bringing his wife to see his progress one spring day during the worst of the mud season, and the experience ended with her refusal to ever set foot on the property again. The land we own actually once was part of the original homestead that until recently had remained in my father’s family ever since one of his ancestors came here as the first settler to this part of town in the late 1700’s. We love knowing that the same stone walls we look at every day were built by this man or later generations, and that they all probably felt the same pride and exasperation in this extremely rocky land that we feel today.
We love the solitude and the freedom of living where we do, but I’m well aware that so much “country” isn’t for everybody. We’re quite a distance away from a hospital in case of an emergency. We’re nearly an hour’s drive from any larger grocery or department stores. We’re too far out for a fast broadband connection, our telephone lines are crackly, and our electrical service is rather inferior at best with frequent power outages lasting hours and sometimes days.
Contrary to the often-held belief that in a small town, everyone knows you and everything about you… at least in this small town, they don’t. Part of that may be that this is New England, where people do seem to have a bigger sense of reserve and a stronger need for privacy. Most people around here are inclined to “mind their own business” and let everyone else mind theirs… but the general atmosphere is friendly and welcoming without being intrusive.
It’s a nice place to live.
Cathy
Shirley,
Having been born and raised in Maine I can relate to what you have written. I grew up in a small town. And now 40 years later I reside in the small town that my husband grew up in just down the road. I have only been out of New England once in my life and I that was only for a few days. I feel that there might be a difference in living in Northern New England verses Southern New England. We in the north seem to have a slower clock if you will, than the south. We have a way of holding on to the old ways a little more tightly. The sense of community, heritage, home and family are cherished here. I don’t mean to say that some places in the southern part of N.E. are not still like that. It is just more common with the north being more rural.
Thank you for the wonderful blog. I really have enjoyed it.
Catherine
It sounds like a wonderful place to live and I love that you know the history of your area. So many just buy land or a house and have no idea of what went before them. The views you have must be amazing and to be part of such a small community is a blessing.
M.M.
Sounds beautiful! My husband and I moved from York Maine to Wilmington NC 2 years ago and miss New England so much. It is a different world. I believe the changing seasons made each day new and I cherished our time there. One day we will be back to our “home town”. Until then thank you for adding the beautiful pictures. I love the history and beauty of New England.
Stephanie
Thanks for sharing this. I live in Northern New England too, a transplant from CT when I was 7. This IS home. I hate the winters, and the mud season, but have tried living other places and can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Thanks for your blog, I am really enjoying it.
maria
I live in a very small country town that seems to be growing to the fracking of natural gas in the area.
The logistics took awhile for me to embrace, since I was born and raised in a big city. I am still getting used to it but yet I stay.
Spring is fast approaching, so the country roads are quite hard to navigate.
Thank you for sharing.
m.
Tina
Sounds so lovely and a little like where my family and I live. I enjoy reading your blog — it’s inspiring to me…
Katie
Hi Shirley,
I really enjoyed reading about your home and surroundings. The past few days, in my spare time, I am reading your site. I have fixed the mock meatballs and the two mix-in-the pan cakes. We really enjoyed the recipes. God always opens up ways to feed me spiritually and to inspire me. I was looking for a quick cake recipe after my granddaughter had asked me to bake her a sweet treat. So what I thought was a random recipe turned out to be a feast of blessings. Thank you so much! Very encouraging site!
Karen R.
It sounds lovely (and I love your woodstove in your kitchen) except for the cold winter part, lol. I am definitely a person with a northern soul… mind your business, I’ll mind mine, hello, nice to see you, have a nice day… and go about your business. Problem is my body hates the cold… Northeast PA is bad enough, can’t imagine living further north… but the seclusion and privacy and nature is so so so beautiful. I would love it as long as I didn’t have to leave my house or my woodstove very often!
grace
Lovely thoughts on a hot Florida day!
Doug
A very enjoyable Blog. My wife and I moved from crowded, crime-ridden, traffic jammed, and very hot South Florida. We are retired and live in Southern Maine. Even as busy as it might be here, it is 90% better than south Florida. Despite our first winter which everyone tells us was a bad one, we survived and are loving life. Our son started high school and is making friends and enjoying the spring weather. And we have met a lot of people who are always offering us ideas on how to enjoy our life here even more. We are starting to make good friends and it is truly right what they say about Maine. A great place to live!
Katy
Love this! I recently discovered your blog after finding out I have a possible soy allergy and was looking for answers. I grew up on a farm in southern Ohio, and it was fantastic. So much space, gorgeous views, and I knew where most of my food was coming from. The towns surrounding were super friendly, and Ohio is unique in the sense where we are a “melting pot” of a number of traditions – it would seem the Northern New England friendly-but-not-nosy-unless-I’ve-known-your-family-a-long-time vibe can be found here too. :) I moved to the SF Bay Area in California after college, and most recently to Chicago, and while I’m enjoying the convenience of big city life, I know that I will someday end up back in a small town, living the simple life once again. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us! Looking forward to reading more.
Nanette
Hi Shirley,
I so enjoyed your blog and can totally relate. After spending most of my life as a military child then a military wife, and moving from town to town, I so longed for the simple life my grandparents had on the farm. I finally found this in the country in the mountain of the great Blue Ridge in North Carolina, living by myself after a divorce after 45 yrs. It is simple and healing. My dog and my cat are my companions right now, town is 7 miles away, but distant. People respect each others privacy here, but one can get involved if one wants to. I have my land line, the reliable phone, and the cell for traveling and texting. Nice to meet someone else who chooses the simple life. It is so rewarding.