A Walk in His Gardens--New England

In the steps of my ancestors~

About 355 years ago a small group of Christians, known as Separatists and later as the Pilgrims, left aboard a small ship--the Mayflower--in hopes of making a new life in a new land for themselves and their children. It was a long crossing by today's standards, with very cramped conditions and not without inherent dangers...but they made it to America and gave thanks to God for helping them do so.

First some of them stepped ashore in the area of Provincetown. After scouting around the areas nearby they picked out the Plymouth locality to settle in. During the hard New England winter many of that small band died; out of the survivors there was just a handful of women.

Most likely the Pilgrims buried their early dead on Cole's Hill just above the area of "Plymouth Rock"- later burials took place on Burial Hill. There were no gravestone markers because the deaths were so many and the number of Pilgrim's were so greatly reduced during this terrible time.

The settlement knew more trials but it survived with the help of the Native Americans of the area, hard work and by the grace of God.

Today the earliest Pilgrim's houses are long gone but there are still some traces of their time there--aad the beautiful town of Plymouth lives on. as do the memories of these brave early American settlers.

Personal Note:

A lot of misinformation is out there about the Pilgrims, the first Thanksgiving and the Native Americans who helped them and you cannot believe some of it whether you hear it on TV or read it. If you want to learn more about them, and separate out some facts from the fiction, then I would recommend these sites (the first two links are primary records/narratives of THAT time that you can read for yourself).

While you read this material keep in mind that these people lived in a totally different world and time then we do today--but still managed to live fairly peacefully with their Native American neighbors till more then 1/2 century after their arrival on the eastern seaboard, many years after the death of a lot of the founding forefathers,

Links to more information:

• Online digitized version of Gov. William Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation.
• Another link for the above book. *Link gave me problems--try this if you experience the same:
  http://www.mith2.umd.edu/eada/html/display.php?docs=bradford_history.xml
• A very thorough, well researched site on the Pilgrims' history.
• Short history of the Pilgrims.
• From Great Britain. A site on the Pilgrim's origins.
• A huge site on the Pilgrims with photos & links.
• More Pilgrim information.
• Link to the Mayflower Society for membership info if you believe or know you have a Pilgrim ancestor.

ALL PHOTOS on this Post:
© F & B Blessings; All Rights Reserved. Used with permission here.
A BIG thank you to them for allowing me to post these photos, taken several years ago, online here.
And a happy & blessed Thanksgiving to you my Pilgrim cousins!!! Aimee

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Despite the uncertainty of these times, we as Americans have much to be grateful for.

The Bible teaches that giving thanks to God is right and that it should be done often.

Giving thanks takes the focus off our current problems and reminds us of all we have been given while it helps to increase our faith in God and in His providence for us in the future.

On this day of thanksgiving what are you thankful for? Good health? Your family? A warm home? Thanksgiving dinner? This beautiful world? Your church? Life itself? The freedom to worship as you choose to? A job? I invite you to join me today and give thanks for something you are grateful for.

Blessings,
A Pilgrim's Child

My Thanksgiving list:

• My very talented husband who replaced our washer and cook-top, repaired our oven AND bought me a new microwave. WooHoo!! I can cook again!!
• My mom, dad, sister and best friend; Hubby's mom and family.
• All my children who have taught me so very much.
• The cross and what it represents.
  And so very much more!

Giving Thanks Early!

Life can be a good teacher if we let it be.

Like when you do without something vital to daily modern life for an hour or more (like the oven, washer, indoor plumbing, electricity, etc). It changes your whole outlook on life and you just don't take it for granted when you get that vital appliance or convenience back. Or at least you shouldn't.

The old me would have ranted and raved when, in successive order, I lost a washer (actually it was a soggy mess so I did mini-rant at first on that one) and then the oven went out in a blaze of glory (I was pretty good on the oven thing - just stressed. Badly)

I saw all my plans for baked desserts going up in smoke.

First we replaced the washer....and that was good, really good. Soggy, mildewing clothes in the tub is no fun.

But Thanksgiving was coming and we had only a lowly 'ancient' microwave and one burner left to cook on. Oh and a crock pot---but I don't think I've ever seen a Thanksgiving-in-a-crock pot recipe (even on the very wise Internet).

I began thinking about any and all restaurant alternatives for THAT day and craving even more the desserts I couldn't make now.

The weekend came....and then in just one day---my wonderful, totally talented prince of a husband replaced our oven heating element, our cooktop (with a brand new one--yippee!!) and even put in place a new microwave (his idea!) He was probably having cravings for baked food too.

It was like Christmas one month early or Thanksgiving before Thanksgiving Day or my birthday or???

My hubby is SUCH a good man:)

So tonight I had the pleasure of christening our new oven heating element by cooking some beautiful potato crusted cod and Mediterranean style salmon in there--delicioso! (Unfortunately the microwave was christened by my hubby heating some hot dogs in there--ew!)

Tomorrow I believe I shall take my cooktop on it's maiden voyage with----perhaps, no definitely, lamb stir fry! Oh yum!

And Thanksgiving--well plans have changed and others will be cooking--which I am thankful for! Which leads me back to the subject of this post: giving thanks.

My list so far for this week:

• I am thankful that I do not live in pioneer or in Pilgrim times (when it comes to washing, cooking and indoor--heated plumbing concerns at least) I know my Pioneer and Pilgrim forefathers (and foremothers to!) were stronger people then I and I'm willing to admit it.
  
• I am thankful my hubby person is the extremely talented man he is! He would have made a great pioneer!


• I am thankful that we had money in savings to cover this 'emergency' and that after 5 stores and many, many miles we found all of the answers to my cooking dilemnas.

So what are YOU thankful for this week?

Thankful in the NW,
Aimee