Blessed Days...In His Hands: Moving through history...

Just a quick look to see what inspired Henry

David Thoreau, Walden Pond.

(Dev's travel journal)

^{Louisa May Alcott House}

^{We couldn’t leave Massachusetts without stopping in Concord, for that is the location of Louisa May Alcott’s house, where she wrote “Little Women.”}

^{“The Alcott’s moved into Orchard House, which was a two-story clapboard farmhouse, in the spring of 1858. At the time of purchase the site included two early eighteenth-century houses on a 12-acre apple orchard.”}

^{A. Bronson Alcott, Louisa’s dad, made significant changes to the building. He repaired the staircase, installed bookcases, constructed a back studio for his youngest daughter May's artwork, and installed a rustic fence around the property. He also moved a smaller tenant house to adjoin the rear of the main house, making a single larger structure.}

^{“Little Women,” focusing on the house and Louisa’s sisters, is an amazing book. We went into her house and we saw all of the different rooms and places where she lived and enjoyed her life.}

^{The Alcott’s life revolved around each other. The parents really tried to boast there confidence through their talents for Abigail also known as Amy (in the book) it was drawing and for Louisa or Jo (also in the book) it was writing. Their faith was very important to them, there were many bibles on different tables they were also strong believers in education, and they had lots and lots of books everywhere, on bookshelves, tables, and in the family’s hands. Their house was very homie and everyone could find a seat on many of the couches, lounges, and chairs and the Alcott’s would make you welcome. I also loved the outside of her house because it was in the forest and it was very beautiful. Even though Louisa was writing about things in the past or things that never happened at all walking through the house you still felt that wonderful, creative, Joyous, incredible and all around belovedly magical feeling of “Little Woman.”}

Of course, we had to go back to the Alcott's House

for a tour. Drew and Cambria went for coffee and

Bobo, Dev, and I toured the house. They lived in

this brown house for 20 years and here Louisa wrote

the beloved book, "Little Women" from the simplest

desk her dad make her which was uncommon in those days

for women to have their own desk to work from.

It was a joy to walk through the simple house and

hear of their ideas of family, creativity, togetherness

and learning. All of these things were visible in their home.

It was wonderful seeing Mary's (Amy in the book)

drawings all over the walls. The parents semed to

welcomegoodness and art inside their walls.

Bobo said, "For a non-reader, it was really good."

Next up....

(From Dev's Travel journal....)

Plymouth plantation

We wanted to experience the true first settlers and where they settled so before we went to Plymouth Rock and the original Plymouth town, we decided to go to Plymouth Plantation.

The original Plymouth town dates back to 1620. The town was created by the people who came on the Mayflower.

Plymouth Plantain is a mock town with reenactment of the people’s life, houses, village, and belongings. When you walk into the village the first thing you see is a big meeting house or church and it provided a protection from the Indians, as there is a row of cannons ready to be fired. The meeting house is built on a hill and down the hill is the main portion of the town with eleven houses, the houses of the main townspeople. In each house there was a bed, table, fireplace, and lots of food hanging on top of the ceiling.

People on the Mayflower only got to bring a few personal belongings, imagine leaving your special things behind. Each house had something special, for example, in one house we saw a coat of arms and in another some china. I talked to some of the pilgrims. they said their journey was long and hard. I met some men that were carving a wooden spoon and a yolk to carry water, they told me that some of the houses had lofts, which were used to store their tools. Then I met a fellow who had just been hunting for some duck he told me that people in those days had to use pieces of wood to make a splint for their broken arm or leg. I loved talking to people and learning about life in the new country.

Then I went to the Waponang tribe huts, and I saw an outside kitchen area where a Native American woman was cooking. I also met another Native American man who told us about making headdresses and we got to see some of the beautiful ones he made. I got to feel a lot of skins in a winter sleeping hut and I especially liked the fox’s skin because it is so soft. I learned a ton about the Indian life and I just can’t imagine eating out of wood bowls and sleeping on an animal skin that I killed.

We then finished our tour of old America, I had a learning adventure. As we headed to the Plymouth town and Plymouth Rock, I thought about life in those days and I enjoyed watching life play out and realizing how hard it must of been. I also wondered whose life was harder, the Native Americans watching new people come to your land or the pilgrims coming to a new land that was already inhabited? In my opinion, the true answer is both were hard and it took a holiday, Thanksgiving to bring them;ltogether.