Tag Archives: Pilgrims

Thanksgiving…

Giving thanks for all that I have and for my loved ones and friends ❤

The Mayflowe II ~ Restoration and Launching…

My interest in the Mayflower is more than historical, it’s personal as well.

My descendants, William and Susanna White and their baby Peregrine White were on the first voyage of the Mayflower in 1620. Baby Peregrine was born on the Mayflower while it was moored in the harbor,  he was the first English baby born in New England.

Four years ago in 2015 I visited the Mayflower II in Plymouth, MA before it began it’s journey to be restored.   Please CLICK HERE to read that post.  https://mvobsession.com/2015/10/18/plymouth-ma-the-mayflower/

This ship, the Mayflower II set sail from Plymouth, England on April 20, 1957, with a crew of 33 men. On June 13, after 55 days at sea, the ship arrived in Plymouth, USA, to the cheers of 25,000 spectators.  Since then, more than 20 million people have boarded the iconic ship, and millions more have viewed her from the shore. Today, even as Mayflower II undergoes a necessary restoration to fulfill her educational mission for years to come, she has lost none of her luster. (CLICK HERE to read the article how this replica came to be.)

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Two months after I was there in Oct 2015 in December 2015 the Mayflower II left Plymouth, MA to sail to Mystic, CT for restoration, to replace timbers, planking, structural frames and beams that have deteriorated from saltwater and exposure over the past six decades.  You can read the full article by CLICKING HERE.

On Saturday, September 7, 2019 The official launch and recommissioning of the restored Mayflower II took place.  The Mayflower II was lowered into the Mystic River where it will float while refitting work is finished.

It will leave Mystic Seaport in the Spring of 2020 making its way north to Boston for a 6-day maritime festival (May 14-19).  The replica of the ship in which the Pilgrims sailed to the New World is scheduled to arrive in Plymouth Harbor on May 21 – in time for the town’s 400th anniversary commemoration of the original landing, a homecoming celebration is planned with a series of events and activities.

So off I went to Mystic, CT on Saturday, Sep 7, with my daughter Deb, honorary daughter Dawn and our friend Sam to see the launching, the rechristening, hear the speeches and enjoy the festivities.

The Mayflower II

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It was an absolutely gorgeous day,  mid 70’s, light winds and sun and some clouds. There were hundreds of people there and since we didn’t buy seats we would have to stand in the area behind them to watch everything.  The ceremony was to start at 2pm sharp and we were advised to get good spots early… which we started to do.. and then we noticed that at the very back of the standing area there were some huge cement blocks that people were starting to sit on.  Ah ha, great idea so we scurried over there around 12:30 to stake out our spots.   While sitting there I was spotted by a BBC TV reporter who saw my shirt that said ‘Mayflower Descendant’ and asked if she could interview me on camera. I was a bit nervous but it was fun doing it.  That’s the first and second pictures below.

The third picture is my daughter Deb, Dawn, me and our friend Sam on our concrete perch.

The fourth picture is not mine as it’s taken from the Mayflower II but it does show the seating area, the standing area and then at the very back on the right side by the red building is where we were sitting, with, I might add, a great view.

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The ceremony started exactly and 2pm and it was really very nice, or at least what I saw of it !  Only about 20 minutes into it I sort of um, wound up in an ambulance for about an hour!  Sitting in the sun for 2 1/2 hours with not enough water caused me to pass out.  So I missed the actual launching into the water of the Mayflower II which was mostly our reason for going to the event.  But on the other hand I met some terrific EMT’s who took great care of me.

All in all it was a really nice day with people I care about, and celebrating the Mayflower II which holds a special place in my heart and in my heritage.

❤

 

 

 

Photo A Day Challenge: Start With ‘V’…

Thomas Edison’s victrola.  Thomas Edison National Historical Park. West Orange, New Jersey

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Violin from the John & Priscilla Alden house in Duxbury, Ma. circa 1600’s.

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https://citysonnet.wordpress.com/2018/12/01/december-colors-and-letters-photo-a-day-challenge/

Photo A Day Challenge (or week)…

I’m doing ‘photo a day’ weekly instead of daily. Here’s the challenge for the week of July 1 – 7.

1 – Welcome July  2 – Fun  3 – Start with (map of Newark, NJ from 1800’s)  4 – Hat  5 – Sunshine  6 – Sky  7 – Seven (windows in the John & Priscilla Alden house in MA).

 

 

https://citysonnet.wordpress.com/2018/07/01/july-photo-a-day-challenge/

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Age…

My choice for age is going back in time to a different one, one where my ancestors came from, the 17th century and the age of the pilgrims.  These pictures were taken at PLIMOTH PLANTATION in Massachusetts.

 

 

https://dutchgoesthephoto.net/2018/06/12/tuesday-photo-challenge-age/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Windows…

Prompt: Your inspiration this week is windows. Use a window to frame your shot, use a window to give structure to your photo, or make a window itself your subject.

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Windows, windows, windows and more windows…

From NYC skyscraper windows, to windows inside a lighthouse, to the porthole window on a ship, to my daughter’s eyes, to the light streaming through a window in St Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC, to the reflection of the sky in the back window of my car… these are my window choices.

 

 

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/windows-2/


Weekly Photo Challenge: Heritage…

This week we are to share a photo of something that says “heritage” to us. My  daughter Deb and I have been deep into genealogy and tracing our roots.  On my father’s side our family, the Freeman’s go back to the original founding fathers of Newark, New Jersey.  My 8th times great grandfather (not sure of the number), Stephen Freeman, along with Robert Treat and a host of other men from Milford and Branford, CT founded the city of Newark in 1666.   I am the last of our particular Freeman line to be born in Newark as was my father, my grandfather etc.

There are two monuments to the founders of Newark in the city.  One is in Fairmont Cemetery where many of my family are buried. That’s Robert Treat on the top.

The other monument, which had fallen into disrepair was restored and put in its new location last year for the 350th anniversary of the founding of Newark.  This monument has the founders names on it… there’s my 8times great grandfather, Stephen Freeman.

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/heritage/


Thanksgiving 2016…

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For many it’s been a hard year yet there are always things to be thankful for.  Family. Friends. Health.  I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving.

Thank you also for all who visit this blog and my photo blog www.throughjerseyeyes.com

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Thanksgiving 2016…

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Happy Thanksgiving to one and all…


Weekly Photo Challenge: Opposites…

In the photo this week, show how opposites can tell a story about people, places, or objects.

I chose the The National Monument to the Forefathers — also known as the Pilgrim Monument in Plymouth, MA. The monument is topped by a 36-foot-tall statue of Faith, who alone weighs 180 tons. Surrounding statues include Liberty, Peace, Tyranny, Education, Wisdom, Youth, Law, Mercy, Justice, and Morality.

Here is the statue and four opposite sides… Education, Morality, Liberty, Law.

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/opposites/