Highland Village

One of the best excursions I found in Nova Scotia turned out to be the Highland Village. Perhaps it's because it reminded me so much of Appalachia. Since a large group of Scots-Irish settled in the Appalachian Mountains, even the culture looked familiar. 

Like houses in Scotland at the time

The Highland Village Museum at Clachan Gaidhealach celebrates this culture. It begins with the earliest type of dwelling and continues through time to give visitors a glimpse of what life was like along the way. I loved it! I could have spend much more than a few hours there.

Tens of thousands of Gaelic speaking Scots poured into Nova Scotia between the mid 1700's and the late 1800's. As most immigrants, they came to find a better life where they could live in freedom. Although they found a rich land teeming in resources, the rugged, untamed land held new challenges. But with the tenacity of the ancient Scots, they worked together and carved a new way of life that reflected the old.

They settled in communities of similar backgrounds based on families and religion. These became close-knit communities where neighbors helped each other. To this day Gaelic ancestors reside in towns like Iona, New Glascow, and Inverness. If you ever get a chance, don't pass up the chance to step through the ages and visit the Scots of Nova                                                                   Scotia at Highland Village.

                                                       

                                                        

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Early Furnishings

The earliest settlers made their own furniture. This is what had happened with Uncle Roy in my historical novel, CLEARED FOR PLANTING. The pieces ended up being crude or well-made, depending on the skill of their maker. This continued in the rural areas, although town dwellers might eventually go to a cabinetmaker, sometimes called a "joiner," or some other craftsman. 

Fathers, especially those of German descent, made a dower chest to give to their daughters. Cupboards were commonly built in two sections. Sometimes they had panes of glass, if the owner could afford it. Straight chairs and deacon's benches often provided seating.

Almost all beds were double ones. They were most often made from poplar or pine, but some came from walnut, maple, or cherry. Beds were rarely decorated beyond the initial design. A trundle bed might be pushed under the double bed for children. Ropes were strung to hold a shuck or feather mattress, and there was a tool to tighten the ropes when they began to sag.

The kitchen would have a table, and smaller tables might dot other rooms to hold candles and other items. People had less furniture than we think necessary today. Pegs often dotted the wall to hold clothing and other items. 

As some of the colonists became more affluent, the furnishings became more elaborate. The old homes we tour today usually display these furnishings, because they're what have survived. Most of the simpler pieces either wore out or was not saved by later generations.

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A Cuppa Tea

January is national hot tea month. Now I'm American enough to love a good glass of ice tea (or iced, depending on where you are), especially on a hot summer day. But I must have quite a bit of British running through my bloodstream, because I also enjoy a cup of hot tea, especially on a cold, wintry day. Yet, it's not uncommon for me to have one mid-afternoon in the summer, too (in air conditioning, of course).

At one time, people thought tea had little food value. New research, however, is proving this wrong:

Green tea - may prevent bladder, breast, lung, stomach, bladder, pancreatic, and colon cancers; clogging arteries; fat deposits; certain stress on the brain; reduce the risk of Alzheiner's, Parkinson's, and stroke; and lower cholesterol. 

Black tea- may help protect the lungs and reduce the risk of strokes.

White tea - has the most cancer inhibiting ingredients of any tea and may help with the signs of aging.

Oolong tea - lowers cholesterol levels and some varieties, like Wuyi, may help in weight loss.

Herbal teas - 
     Chamomile - may help with diabetes complications, cancer, and sleep disorders
     Echinacea - may help with the common cold
     Hibiscus - may help lower blood pressure
     Rooibos (red tea) - may help fight cancer

More research is needed on most of these. And, as with anything used for health, always consult with your doctor first. Still, it doesn't stop me from drinking a good cup of hot tea for enjoyment.

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Does God Have Just Some of Your Time?

"We ought to obey God rather than man" (Acts 5:29b).

From my travels, I came to realize Americans are much more time conscious than most of the world. We stay so busy, we often have to make schedules so we can keep up with it all. 

"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established" (Proverbs 16:3).

Christians sometimes approach their faith the same way. They schedule in the time they plan to give to God. He usually gets Sunday mornings and perhaps some other slots for special programs or events. But when He's not on the agenda, He gets very little thought. This is not how God created us to be. 

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Years ago, I had the privilege of spending a summer in India on a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship. Although India is a predominately Hindu nation, it spoke to my Christian faith. One thing that I learned is that our faith should be a part of everything we do. It's not to be put into slots and pulled out when we think it's needed. It should make up the core of who we are and permeate everything. Whatever we do should be done with God, to God, and for God.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).

The words to "I Surrender All" by J.W. Van Deventer express what our attitudes should be:

I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender; All to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him, In his presence daily live.
All to Jesus I surrender; Humbly at his feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken; Take me Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender; Make me, Savior, wholly thine;
Fill me with thy love and power; Truly know that thou art mine.
All to Jesus I surrender; Lord, I give myself to thee;
Fill me with thy love and power; Let thy blessing fall on me.
All to Jesus I surrender; Now I feel the sacred flame;
O the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory to his name!
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

May it be the song of all our lives.

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Wondering Why

One of the good things to come from my blogging is that I've discovered a new ministry. I feel called to post a Christian message every Sunday, and I pray that God will direct me and use it to touch lives. I've already seen evidence of that. Isn't God awesome! Have you checked out some of my Sunday messages? 

What I haven't understood is the resistance I've encountered. In order to reach people, I've been posting on some churches' pages. Most of the time I'm only posting to the extreme left hand side, where hardly anyone sees it, and it is like an editorial in that the post is obviously the opinion of the writer. Still, I've had 72 churches and 143 sites overall to block me in some way. Some of these have been pastors I'm acquainted with. I hope they understand that it's God's church and not theirs.

On a more positive note, however, some have gone out of their way to be supportive. Over fifteen pastors have liked my posts and/or left encouraging comments again and again. A few have even hinted they appreciate getting a professional, Christian writer for their page.

Although I've wondered about all this, I certainly haven't worried about it. I'm God's to direct, and I gladly leave it all in His hands.

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Early American Pottery

At first, the pottery tended to be rustic, without glaze or decorations. Production was inhibited by laws enacted to protect the English pottery industry. By 1750, however, American potters were beginning to experiment with glazes.

The German colonists were noted for their redware, which got its name from local red clay and could be fired at relatively low temperatures. These potters also made roof tiles like those they remembered in Germany. Some used molds for large platters and pieces, but kick wheels were also common.

English potters favored enamelware, most commonly produced in blue and white. This became known as "delft." Salt was thrown into the kiln as another type of glaze, and this method commonly produced a blue and gray piece or sometimes one in cream. The kilns burned wood.

Potters produced all types of items: mugs, ewers, tankards, pitchers, basins, colanders, crocks, porringers, milk pans, bowls, plates, teapots, teacups, coffee pots, vases, candlesticks, drug tiles, drug pots and jars, fireplace tiles, paving tiles, roof tiles, decorative pieces, crucibles, etc. Potters became much needed members of the community.

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Bathing Years Ago

People in the past didn't view taking baths the way we do. In fact, for much of history, bathing was considered to be potentially harmful, and certainly very few attempted to bathe in a tub or creek during the winter.

Most baths were what we would call a sponge bath. A person washed off a little using a wash basin, but even this wasn't done daily. Body odor was common, and those who could afford them used colognes and perfumes to disguise the smell.

Tubs were often small to cut down on the work of filling and emptying them. Modern indoor plumbing came about from the mid-1800's on, but many families didn't have it until much later. Even after they had indoor plumbing, not everyone had a hot water heater, and many farm

families still pulled out the galvanized tub to sun heat bath water in the warmer months. Weekly full baths had become common by the turn of the century, but so were quick sponge baths in between. Hygiene and bathing have come a long way since those early days.

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