I am bound to praise the simple life, because I have lived it and found it good. I love a small house, plain clothes, simple living—direct and immediate contact with things, life with the false wrappings torn away. To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wild flower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life.
— John Burroughs
from The Writings of John Burroughs, Vol. XV, Leaf and Tendril
About the Author
My name is Kelli Ann Wilson (née Copeland) and this is my blog. I live in Walpole, New Hampshire with my husband, Damian, our two children, Lillia and Zane, and our two cats, Jeeves and Wooster. I enjoy reading, gardening, taking pictures, walking in the woods, and cultivating a faith-filled home (you can read more about that at my website Around the Year—a journey through the seasons of nature & the Christian year).
About the Blog
My blog takes its name from a quote by Henry David Thoreau, in which he praises the quest to find “unexpected success in common hours.” I am borrowing Mr. Thoreau’s phrasing and using it in a way that I hope describes what I’ve created here—a scrapbook of our everyday and shared experiences—our common hours.
I made the header in Adobe Photoshop using 86 individual pieces of watercolor clip art, mostly from ElleAquarelleDesign, but also a few images from LichuArtShop, EastFirePrints, IPurpleMoon, ONEshortdesign, AntelopeArt, SereneDoveDesign, and DigitalCurio.
About the Photos
From 2013-2020, I took all of my photos with a Nikon D5100 camera body, most often with a Nikon 35mm f/1.8G lens or a Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens. In 2020, I received a new camera body for Christmas, the Nikon D810, my first full frame camera. I’m still learning how to use it, but so far I am loving it—the picture quality is spectacular.