Pilgrims and Pioneers

Welcome To Pilgrims and Pioneers!

After many years of researching my family geneaology I have been lucky enough to discover actual information about my relatives that lived in the Pilgrim Era and the Pioneer Era- while many people also have realtives from those eras- many do not know their names or where they lived- actually seeing the proof in print makes you much more aware of who they really were.
After discovering these relatives it of course made me curious to learn more about the eras that they lived in and what their lives were like as, the history I learned in grade school had long since been forgotten.
I decided to start this blog for others who are also interested in these eras.
Some of the information here will be actual facts about my realtives and some will be information about the eras in general that I have found on the web.
I hope you will enjoy traveling back in time with me!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Look at this Great Free Graphic!

This wonderful snowman graphic is free! Can you believe that!

You can get your own at http://penniwigs.blogspot.com

Give a big thanks to Holly while you are there!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Give Thanks 20% off sale!!!

Thanksgiving will soon be here. It is one of my favorite Holidays! Families get together to share a meal not too different than our Pilgrim forefathers did.

The earth is starting to slow down for the winter and another season has begun.

That means that Christmas is not far behind.

Join us at our 20% off sale. It is a great way to buy homemade if you have taken that pledge and save some money.

It is good for any of our products- candles, melters, dipped bears,prairie bonets- whatever your need or wishes.

Simply enter code PP20 at checkout.

Another great giveaway!!!

Melissa at http://thistledewfarm.blogspot.com is having a wonderful giveaway- hurry go take a peek!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Sweet Potato Garland- Tutorial

Gather your ingredients:
Sweet potatoes - cut up into halves or quarters
1 Cup boiling water 4 tablespoons of Instant coffee - ginger (optional) ,cinnamon,
nutmeg ,sewing needle ,cotton string or cord - as long as you intend your garland to be.
* You can use ordinary potatoes if in a jam.
1)First you need to make your dye: Mix the coffee and boiling water. 2)Meanwhile, cut up your potatoes into halves and quarters. 3)Next, sprinkle your spices on a plate.
4)Soak your cotton thread in the coffee dye mixture. 5)Dip or drop your potatoes in the dye mixture to stain them. 6)Roll your colored potatoes in the sweet and pungent spice mixture. 7)Attach the potatoe pieces snugly, one against another, on the colored string. 8)let air dry.
You will have created a sweet scent sensation!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Prairie Prim Soap Again

Tonight I am finally trying my hand at making more Prairie Prim soap again.

If all goes well I will be making the leftover soap into soap balls ( or soap stones as professional soap makers call them!) and posting them as a blog giveaway soon!

Stay tuned!

Winner, Winner, Winner!

The winner of the blog giveaway at http://clayhillfarm.blogspot.com
and http://thistledewfarm.blogspot.com is Angela of http://makethyselfahome.blogspot.com
She won one of my full size soy candles and 3 soy Prairie Prim melters!
Congrats Angela!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Giveaway Ends Tomorrow!

Just a reminder that the giveaway for one of my full size candles & PrairiePrim Melters ends tomorrow- if you have not signed up go leave a comment at http://clayhillfarm.blogspot.com
or http://thistledewfarm.blogspot.com - hurry it ends at 7pm tomorrow Nov. 1st!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The New Furnace is Being Installed!

The furnace men are installing our new furnace today. I will be glad to see the old one go!
We have been using space heaters for 4 weeks now- it will be good to have a central heat system!!!
Right now my house is full of soot & sooty foot prints!
I know what I will be doing all evening!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Bed Warmers

A bed warmer was a common household item in cold countries, especially Northern Europe. It consisted of a metal container, usually fitted with a handle and shaped somewhat like a modern frying pan, with a solid or finely perforated lid. The pan would be filled with hot coals and placed under the covers of a bed, to warm it up and/or dry it out before use.
After the invention of rubber, the classical bed warmer was largely supplanted by the hot water bottle, which is still widely used. In the late 20th century, electric blankets and then the electric bed warmer were invented to fulfill the same need.

If I am not mistaken bedwarmers like the ones pictured were also used durin the Pilgrim & Pioneer Eras also.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Join Me in this Pledge...

to buy my Christmas gifts all hand mades this year. Hand made is so much better quality than mass produced! and it helps support our economy!

My friends Terri http://clayhillfarm.blogspot.com/ and her sister Melissa http://thistledewfarm.blogspot.com/ have pleged to do this also.

Be sure to visit their blogs and enter their contest- their prize is one of my soy candles and some soy Prim Prairie Melters! You won't want to miss this!!

Friday, October 24, 2008

The Olde Summer Kitchen

What is a summer kitchen you ask? Well...It was a small building back of the house, one room, with wide open windows, and a sturdy screen door.The purpose to a summer kitchen was to save the house from overheating and mess. It also helped prevent the danger of fire in the main house.

The summer kitchen could also be used as a laundry room including an old type wringer washer. Water would be carried in , poured into big copper canners (boilers) and heated, sounds like work doesn't it? Rainwater was saved in a cistern and was ideal for a good washing. Can you imagine washing 7-8 batches of dirty laundry in the same water and one medium bar of home made soap? No fabric softener but one cup of vinegar worked well, still does!

Even in the modern days it would be nice to have an olde summer kitchen- a place to get away form the hussle& bussle of today's busy life.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

My Great, Great Aunt & Uncle McKenzie

Oliver McKenzie married my gggrandfather's( Benjamin Franknlin Dow) sister Emily Dow. They are pictured here with their children Ray & Eliza.

I think the photo must be from the late 1800's

I have only seen two photos of Benjamin but Emily does resemble him.

How serious & somber they all look.

Maybe they were not so happy about getting all gussied up in thier Sunday best!

Monday, October 20, 2008

It's Another Great Giveaway!!!

My friends Terri & Melissa are having a giveaway! You can have a chance to win one of my candles and three of my tarts- a chance to try 4 different scents if you wish or choose all the same scent if you have a favorite! Hop on over to http://clayhillfarm.blogspot.com/ or http://thistledewfarm.blogspot.com/ to get the details!
Good luck!!!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

True Friendship

I found this on another blog- I could not have said this better- truer words were never spoken!
WHEN GOOD FRIENDS WALK BESIDE US ON THE TRAILS THAT WE MUST KEEP, OUR BURDENS SEEM LESS HEAVY, AND THE HILLS ARE NOT SO STEEP, THE WEARY MILES PASS SWIFTLY, TAKEN IN A JOYOUS STRIDE, AND ALL THE WORLD SEEMS BRIGHTER, WHEN FRIENDS WALK BY OUR SIDE..~*~ unkown

Pioneer Progress!

I found this photo of a pioneer woman doing laundry. Since she is using a wringer washer the first thing that came to mind was how things had changed for her. No more dragging her laundry down to the creek bed!

I am sure she was greatful not to have to wring out her laundry by hand and that her clothes dried quicker!