Watsons Lane
Dorothy Holman, in her
New Hampshire Profiles article, takes readers on a tour of Ruth's house and garden.
"Reupholstered chairs, faultlessly done and showing the painstaking care given to the work, are part of the tasteful furnishings. On the walls, seascapes, so lifelike you can almost hear the surf, show her interest in, and talent for painting in oils."
A family project is under way. It's a hooked rug that Ruth, her Mother and Grandmother work on "as the spirit moves," says Ruth.
"A glance around the room reveals a six-foot high bookcase, containing six shelves, and with an ornate top. An inquiring look toward Miss Stimson brings forth a modest, 'Yes, I made it. I needed bookshelves for my library of books. The fancy top? Oh, I used a coping saw for that."
Ruth's "garden plot is the envy of all the neighbors. From the first spear of asparagus in the spring to the last harvested vegetable, everything thrives under her capable hands. Luscious red strawberries, juicy ever bearing raspberries, and neat rows of vegetables are a delight to the eye, while here and there around the edges and in the corners, bright-hued annuals and perennials add color to the scene.
"An herb garden occupies its corner and early fall finds bunches of sage, thyme and marjoram hanging in the shade, drying. No visitor leaves this garden empty-handed, for one has only to admire a flower or plant to find seeds, a slip or root division offered as a gift."
Ruth practiced soil conservation, organic gardening, composting and mulching.
The family enjoyed cookouts using a "fireplace" that Ruth built.
"Of granite blocks, it was brought from the family home in Amherst, NH and reassembled. (Ruth) keeps the fire supplied with wood, which she cuts and stacks nearby. Her membership in the Girl Scouts in her early youth has stood her in good stead, as she learned much about woodcraft."
Declares Ruth, "I am an outdoor person and love every bit of it."
