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Please turn up your volume to hear very special musick~

'The Boar's Head Carol'~

Snow is softly falling outside.

Our early New England cape is decorated simply and naturally for the season...
We've cut and fetched all our own greens, vines, and berries and made all of our own Christmastide decorations ourselves.

We take all our own photographs.

The old cape is lit with candles, and fires glow in all of the fireplaces. The smell of the fresh cut greens from our forays into the woods behind the house and now tucked and draped in every room, blend with the delicious scent of our holiday baking...

Sugared fruit, dried herbs and florals, pinecones and cranberries grace the 400 year old tables, and hang from the early hewn beams. The tree from the woods is decorated with assorted sparkly snowflakes, and the little faux birds and nests that we used in our wedding decorations. It's topped with our antique British crown tree topper.
Soon herb-rubbed beef will be roasted on a spit on the hearth of the main fireplace, and Yorkshire puddings made to go with it for our Christmas dinner, served up on pewter plates before the glow of the fire and the soft candlelight.

Festive British flag bunting adorns the dimly lit taproom cage bar. Pewter and pottery mugs are ready for guests to stop by and ladle the rum shrub we make ourselves, and which fills the large redware punchbowl surrounded by fresh greens and lemons... The leaded, diamond paned window is adorned with fresh greens too, and the glass glints in the candleglow. Come in and wander candlelit rooms, and smell the pine. Sit for awhile by the fire and have cookies we've made along with a cup of cheer...You are all most welcome.

A huge English 'Tudor crown' that we made several years ago ourselves with grapevine we cut up on the hill, formed into the crown shape, and adorned with holly and ivy just as they were 500 years ago, hangs overhead, and mistletoe tied with a scrap of red linsey woolsey hangs from a beam...

And there is more...

"Wassail! Wassail! All over the town
Our toast it is white, our ale it is brown,
Our bowl it is made of a maplin tree;
We be good fellows all, I drink to thee."

"At Christmas be mery, and thanke God of all:
And feast thy pore neighbours, the great with the small."

"Good bread and good drinke, a good fier in the hall,
brawne, pudding and souse, and good mustard withall.
Beefe, mutton, and porke, shred pies of the best,
pig, veale, goose and capon, and turkey well drest;
Cheese, apples and nuts, joly Carols to heare,
as then in the countrie is counted good cheare."

Mayflower, the Pilgrim goose

Pippa the pup

A CHICKEN'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

By Mary Spencer, with apologies to Clement Moore~

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the coop, not a hen was stirring among straw, sand, and poop.
Little stockings were hung by the window with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
Maisie, Bella, Hannah, 'Livvie, Henny-Penny, Elizabeth and Poppy and 'Clem', were all snug in their beds,
While visions of mealworms danced in their heads.
Our dog in her pj's, and we in our fleece, had just settled down for a long, snug, nights' peace.
Suddenly out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, that Adam sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
What he saw must have seemed like phantoms;

but was a miniature sleigh drawn by 8 prancing bantams!
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow illuminated the hens on their perch down below.
"Ho, ho, ho's" from the driver, I knew it had to be St. Nick,
With treats for our chickens, and then off he'd be---quick!
He was dressed all in fur as he entered the coop, taking great care to avoid any poop.
"You were snippy, Elizabeth, and Hannah you too, but you're both just so cute---I can't forget you.
Maisie, and Clementine, you've been such good chicks, and Poppy and Penny, I can't leave you coal and sticks!"
Out of his pack came treats and chicken delights
So many goodies, it was such a sight!
---Mealworms and cracked corn, and chicken-aprons and such,
Cranberries, grapes, popcorn...
---it was all just too much!
Soon he was gone, just that quick---
They all flew away like the down of a chick.
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas, Spencer hens, and to all a good night!"