Want to be a Pilgrim...think again!

I am joining in the focus on Thanksgiving with Kelli at There is no Place Like Home.
In the spirit of Thankfulness... Let's remember that even with all the challenges of our current day life... we still have MUCH to be thankful for! At times I have been guilty of "romanticizing" the life of our forefathers (and mothers) that paved the way for us to live in a free nation. It's easy to long for a "simpler time". But really...I don't think we would've survived two days! I know my cutsie little Pilgrim figurines that I display at this time of year are a far cry from the deep sacrifice, dedication, hardship and loss of those who paved the way for us!! Here is a reminder of what life was like in the decades before those first Pilgrims set out to look for a better life.
I received this "history lesson" in an email awhile back and thought it would be a good time to share it. I can't vouch for the truth of each "fact", but it makes for interesting reading. Enjoy!

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

These are interesting...
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odour. Hence, the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children.

Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying: "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.That's how canopy beds came into existence. The floor was dirt Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying "dirt poor."

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on they added more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way. Hence the saying a "thresh hold."

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead-poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust." Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people.So they would dig up coffins and take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell.Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."

And that's the truth... Now, whoever said that History was boring !!!

Friendship...Blogging Style

I am joining in the focus on Thanksgiving with Kelli at There is no Place Like Home.

In the spirit of Thankfulness, I have been thinking a lot lately about the gift of friendship. The Lord has blessed me with so many wonderful friends throughout my life, and at times the blessings just overwhelm me! I am reminded of the song we used to sing when I was a Girl Scout back in the mid 60's:

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."

I let my mind wander back over the years and marvel at how the Lord has brought people in and out of my life, sometimes only for a short season, but always meant to enrich me or teach me in some way. A few times the lessons haven't been easy... but I still consider Friendship as one of God's best gifts.

The friendship song came to mind because of a dinner conversation we had last night where I was sharing with Brad about my first pen pal. If I remember correctly, I was hooked up with my pen pal through a list put out by the Girls Scouts... in accordance with a badge you could earn. My first pen pal, Carrie, lived in our state, only about 3 hours away, and we kept in touch up through high school. Unfortunately, I lost connections with her after we graduated, but having a pen pal was a fun experience with happy memories. At one point she even had the opportunity to come and spend a weekend with our family, so I got to meet her face to face!

Maybe that is why I am drawn to blogging... it's kind of the current day equivalent of having a pen pal... lots of pen pals... in this high tech society we live in. I realize that blogging only gives you a controlled glimpse into someones life. We all pick and choose how vulnerable, how transparent, how public we can or will be given our specific circumstance. Each blog I visit has it's own "flavor"... it's own heartbeat. I have enjoyed blogging as an outlet to share God's faithfulness in our lives, to share my love of family, to honor friendship and to have a fun place to share my love of capturing life through the lens of my camera. Many of the blogs I visit seem to have the same focus. I have found encouragement in my quest to honor God, keeping things real and gathering great ideas for marriage and family life. I often thank the Lord for the blessing and encouragement I have received through the new friends he has given me. From Moms in the thick of sleepless nights, changing diapers, schooling and raising a family to connecting with women who are currently transitioning from full time parenting, to empty nest and then the joy of filling that nest with grandbabies...blogging has expanded my world and enlarged my circle of friends. I like knowing I'm not alone in my quest to honor God as we embrace each new stage of life.

I have been especially touched by the opportunity to connect beyond our blogging community with one of my new friends, Ginger. Although we have not had the opportunity to meet in "real life" (I know many bloggers do get to meet), we have found through phone calls, emails and snail mail the Lord has provided the best kind of "pen pal". Ginger & I have an incredible amount of things in common and a strong desire to honor the Lord. Sometimes God shows us His love in such a neat way through the gift of friendship... even in Blogville. Many of you have shared how you have experienced this. I was really touched this last September when I was feeling down and needing a bit of encouragement. The timing could not have been better the day I received this "Thank You" angel in the mail from Ginger. A sweet card, a gift from the heart, a phone call, a timely note of encouragement... these are all gifts we can give to share God's love.

I encourage you to consider your friendships and ask God how you can meet a need, give a bit of encouragement, read between the lines and show His love. Statistics now show that never before in history have we, as a society, felt more alone, more disconnected and more detached then we do now. It amazes me that this would be the case with all the of the technology that is meant to keep us "connected". In our "me oriented", instant gratification, technologically connected society... something is gravely missing. The personal touch, the listening ear, the shoulder to cry on, a timely word of encouragement... Lord give us the desire and power to bless friends and family with these gifts!

While sharing how blogging friendships have enriched my life, I would like to thank Jan for adding me to her "Blogging With Integrity" Award list. I appreciate that she can see my heart's desire to honor the Lord in each stage of life. Also, to each of you that faithfully visit me, leaving words of friendship and encouragment... thank you for extending your circle of Blogville to include me.

Next post I will share some more about friendship... those "in my face" type friends. :-)

Adundant Thankfulness

"Shout Joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations." Psalms 100: 1-5

I am joining in the focus on Thanksgiving with Kelli at There is no Place Like Home. I have also noticed with frustration the trend in our society to jump from Halloween directly to Christmas and completely skip over the Thanksgiving celebration. So I thought I'd begin sharing a taste of Thanksgiving from our home.

The first thing in our home that I am thankful for is the love and the life I have had the privilege of sharing with this man for almost 29 years now. Gosh, the Lord knew what He was doing when he brought us together! (Yeah, and check out the picture I snapped of him last Saturday... note that he is painting parts of the seating he has designed, made and is now installing in our new breakfast room. He has been working hard towards finishing up that project and I am soooo impressed! Pictures of the finished project will be posted upon completion! )

This little plaque that graces the counter in our guest bathroom was given to me by a dear friend. It is a great reminder of the blessings the Lord has given us through the love of our family and friends. Although our daughters are grown and on their own now, they still are one of our very greatest blessings! And the Lord keeps adding to our numbers... we have been blessed to welcome two sons-in-love and we all anxiously await the arrival of our newest family member - Erin & Micah's first child!

The power of Prayer. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with the awesome privilege the Lord has given us to come before Him with our Praise and our Petitions. There is such power in prayer! These pilgrim boy & girl figures were painted by a dear woman that we used to go to church with. I bought them from her years ago and look forward to setting them out each November.

Did you notice the pot of flowers sitting behind the Pilgrims on our kitchen counter? Brad knows how much I enjoy fresh flowers in our kitchen and he is so sweet to keep a steady supply coming through that front door. I'm telling you... this guy is a KEEPER!! BTW, he still asks me out on dates, still opens doors for me and still tells me I'm pretty. Doesn't seem to be tired of me yet! I'm not lying gals... he is amazing!)

I'll leave you with one more thought of something I am thankful for. The basket full of harvested apples carried by this Pilgrim boy reminds me of our abundant blessings. One of my dearest blessings is the memories of my Mother and the time we spent together. When I was young my Mom took classes in ceramics and purchased a few items for me to work on along side of her. These small ceramic Pilgrim figurines were some of the items I made when I was 9 years old. Yes, I'm thankful for sweet memories.

Thank You For Serving

Blessings & Thanksgiving

to our

United States Veterans

and those currently

serving in Iraq.

~

Matt, Mark & Jeff...
You are in our thoughts
& prayers... for peace and for safety. Thank you for serving.

~

Brad & I say a Special Thanks to our own Fathers for serving during the Korean War. We are greatful for your service and your safety.

Dad, I am eternally thankful that

you returned home unharmed... married Mom... became my Dad!!

Dad, Korea, 1952

And to my Father-In-Love, thank you for serving on the home front.

Korea, they may call it a "Police Action" or "Conflict"... but I know it was WAR to you and your comrades there in Korea. Thanks for serving.

The Father / Daughter Talk

Tuesday, after attending our Ladies Bible Study at church, I worked the polls for our state wide election. I love the fact that as Americans, we have the privilege to have a say in our government... at least one vote at a time. This election mainly covered state amendments and tax issues. It reminded me to share with you an email I recently received.

The Father / Daughter talk
A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth. She was deeply ashamed that her father was a staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."
Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently,
"Welcome to the Republican party."

Good Movie Alert

Brad and I saw two movies over the weekend that I'd like to let you know about, both very enjoyable. It is rare when we go to the local theaters (even matinee prices) to see something Hollywood puts out... but these were exceptions.

BELLA, rated PG-13, reviewed by Focus on the Family's Plugged-In website. Bring a hankie...or two. This movie doesn't shy away from the harshness of life, but all the while wraps you in the warm blanket of friendship, and the enduring love of family. One person reaching out to another can make a difference. The motive behind this movie is shared in the following quote from the producer:

"Eduardo Verástegui knows his little film (he also co-produced it) won't dominate the box office. But he doesn't mind. "I was caught up in the stardom and money of this business, like so many actors," he told us, "But I was drawn to do this. To just do something worthwhile." Thus, he and his fellow producers stepped away from successful careers to pursue an independent film with no guarantees. He said with emotion, "What I'd love to see happen with this film is to someday have this 12-year-old knock on my door and say that her mother was going to have an abortion. But she saw this film. That would be my Oscar." "

DAN IN REAL LIFE, PG-13, also reviewed at Plugged-In, is worth checking in to. Although this movie has some "issues" with the innuendos in various scenes, we thought it was an enjoyable adult romance. Read the review for a full summary of the movie to see if it is something you would be interested in. Coming from a big, noisy family...I found the family interactions refreshing. This quote from the review wraps it up:

"I can't remember the last romantic comedy I saw in which the leading couple didn't take each other out for a sexual test drive before the credits rolled. Which isn't to say that Dan is squeaky clean on that front—especially his impromptu encounter with Marie in the shower. But as PG-13 flicks go, it doesn't push the content envelope nearly as far as many do these days... The film's missteps are worth keeping in mind, but they're not enough to cancel out the Real lessons Dan and his girls live and learn in the context of their large, loving and loyal family."

Yankee or Dixie...What's with that??

Looks like the war between the states is still alive and well. Harvard University has done a study to determine what dialect you speak...whether you are "Yankee" or "Dixie". Don't get me started on this...I warn you...like we don't have enough battles to fight here in the good 'ol U.S. of A. that we need to dredge this issue back up! Being a transplanted Yankee living here in the south... I've learned to adapt. Yes, I have listened with a straight face (ok-maybe a slight snicker) while watching a fellow Texan turned beet red over the idea that anyone would have the audacity to use the "TX" symbol for Texas...because, as we all know "Texas is too big to be abbreviated!!!" Take heed you wise ones, this type of controversy can create quite a stir. No sirreesir... Far be it from me to promote any type of dis-unity. Although, in all fairness, let it be known I am quite true to my heritage, true Yank, yep, that's me. So, I won't mention the fun little "quiz" you can take to find out which "side" you fall on. Now, I wouldn't want to be viewed as so shallow or anything, so I won't even go there. Nope.... hmmmm...

I shouldn't even allude to that fact that I got a tad bit "worked up" over the results of my "64% Dixie" score... Especially when my dear husband informed me that he, in fact, scored true blue Yank. Or the fact that I made him review each answer with me and only three of his answers differed. Three lousy answers were enough to doom us to a mixed marriage?? To add insult to injury, the quiz called my score ...”a definitive Southern score”. Who made up this test anyways?? I mean really...the majority of my answers fell in the “common throughout entire US” or “around Great Lakes”, mid-west or NE and I still got a Dixie score? Whats with that? Be assured, because I’ve held to my stanch position of a loyal “Yankee” (or at least loyal Buckeye) over the past 25 years of living in Texas, our friends here will NOT let me live this one down. But no, I don't want to stir up any more controversy.

OK, well maybe I do...I mean really...Hey, sympathize with me here a minute…Don’t I get any credit??? I still call a carbonated soft drink “POP” when EVERYONE around us says “Coke” or “soda”. (“Bless your little heart…ya’ll want Cokes? What kind do ya want? I’ve got Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Coke or Diet Coke?”) Or what about the fact that I clicked on “Crawdad” instead of “Crawfish”… doesn’t THAT count for anything? And another thing… I’m sure that statistics are much higher for those that address a group of people as “YOU GUYS” than those that say “Youse”, “You’un”,” yins”! Why wasn’t “You Guys” given as an option? Huhhhh??

That does it, I conclude that this test is “FIXED”. It probably isn’t even put out by Harvard U, but instead by a group of Texas A&M Aggies that are trying to prove, once again, that the world revolves around “the south” (Texas in particular). Yep, that’s the only explanation. Lawd O Mercy, God knows I love our Texan friends…but they have to learn not to mess with my Yankee loyalties. Bless their little hearts.
Ya’ll have a good day,
Diane