Tractor Vermont; Then June, Possum Trot Farm

"It is well enough to aim for the simple life, though few are willing to make the sacrifice in so-called comforts and possessions that is its inevitable price. . . . We set our traps with hairsprings to catch comfort and independence, and then get out own leg caught in them."

- June, Country Year A Journal of the Seasons at Possum Trot Farm by Leonard Hall, page 74.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

"Fall brings the end of annual growth: hard-shelled fruits with developed seeds inside, and the root crops. The growing is over, but the season of good eating will last a lot longer. Our year here was marked by extraordinary drought, but with just a few well-timed irrigations and a wealth of mulch, our garden fed us nicely through the summer and has provisioned our root cellar for the months to come."

- Barbara Kingsolver

To see a celebration of the seasonal changes on author Barbara Kingsolver's farm (that's her book and her image of "Momma turkey" and her poults above), visit www.animalvegetablemiracle.com.

A gathering to talk about her book (co-authors Steven Hopp and Camille Kingsolver) will happen Thursday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m. at Cromwell Belden Public Library, 39 West St., Cromwell.

Here's a taste of the book:

"We wanted to live in a place that could feed us: where rain falls, crops grow, and drinking water bubble right up out of the ground. This might seem an abstract reason for leaving beloved friends and one of the most idyllic destination cities in the United States. But it was real to us. As it closes in on the million-souls mark, Tucson's charms have made it one of this country';s fastest growing cities. It keeps people services across the wide, wide spectrum of daily human wants, with its banks, shops . . . . save one thing - the stuff we put in our mouths every few hours to keep us alive . . . . virtually every unit of food consumed there moves in to town in a refrigerated module from somewhere far away."


Kingsolver and her family move east to a farm for a year - at least that was the idea in the beginning - and as a gifted writer, she focuses her skills on the seasonal march of food, memories connected to those edibles, and producing for the table. Recipes, sharp observations and funny - much food for thought too. A whole site is devoted to the book and includes a way to view the animals, plants and people about which she writes. (Those are two of her spring lambs in the photo above, from the tour portion.)

The program is sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council. Free, but registration is required; call (860) 632-3460.

Beatrice Fox Auerbach, G. Fox

A Woman in Business: The Life of Beatrice Fox Auerbach (Xlibris) tells the story of the human force of nature behind the legend that was G. Fox in Hartford.

Beatric Fox Auerbach was a beauty, stylish, groomed to perfection and dedicated to service and excellence in every detail. Her store reflected all of that.

Auerback believed on promoting people on ability, provided benefits for her workers, and put the customer's needs first.



Every inch of G. Fox's store in downtown Hartford was attended to, thought about, and groomed. The attention to detail was a reflection of Auerbach herself.

Author Virginia Hale researched the book by listening to friends, relatives, and colleagues and doing extensive readings of diaries and letters and other materials.

Auerbach ran Hartford's G. Fox & Co. from 1938 until 1965. She sold G. Fox to May Department Stores Co. in 1965 and died in 1968 at 81.

The Hartford store closed its doors for good in 1993. The building now serves as the site of the Capital Community College campus, city agencies and commercial businesses. The wonderful magic that was G. Fox in its heyday is missed.

Note: The Connecticut Historical Society (photo collection) is gathering memories of G. Fox. See link to browse more images such as the details of the Connecticut Room (above), and more details here.