As reported in a February, 1840 edition of The London Times, Queen Victoria’s wedding cake was more than nine feet in circumference. A second tier arose from this “plateau,” supported by two pedestals. On the second tier was a sculpture of the mythical heroine Britannia gazing upon the royal pair frozen at the moment of their exchanging vows. At their feet were two turtle doves (symbolizing purity and innocence) and a dog (representing faithful attachment). Completing the scene were various sculpted Cupids, one of them writing the date of the wedding with a stylus on a tablet.

Several ways to use an apron are:

• As a cover-up, the apron was easier to wash than dresses, took less material,
• But along the way, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven
• It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
• From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
• When company came, those aprons were an ideal hiding place for shy kids

These are a few of the things an apron can be used for. Check back again for even more uses.  Maybe we should all get an apron and save the jeans.

Grandma 
used to set her hot apple pies on the window sill to cool. 

Her Granddaughters
set theirs on the window sill to Thaw.

Her Great Granddaughters 
would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron,except maybe a little Love and caring.

What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren’t completely certain about the full bounty, but it’s safe to say the pilgrims weren’t gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the “First Thanksgiving” comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

Did you know that lobster, seal and swans were on the Pilgrims’ menu? Learn more…

Source: http://www.history.com/content/thanksgiving/the-first-thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVINGS EVERYONE

In almost all cultures the marriage ceremony ends with the bride and groom exchanging a kiss. The wedding kiss transcends cultures, it bridges tribes, it is one of the very few things that bind all of us together as human beings. From ancient times to the modern day, from the deepest jungles to the tallest skyscrapers, the wedding kiss symbolizes for all people everywhere the physical uniting of two souls.

• The bride and groom make the first cut of the wedding cake to signify sharing their life together.
• Every guest then eats at least a crumb of the cake to ensure good luck.
• And if a single woman sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.
• The wedding cake, to be shared by the newlyweds and their guests, signifies the “breaking of the kinship.”
• The brides knife signifies that the new wife is ready to accept the responsibilities of her role as keeper of her own household. 

Some brides and grooms will present a single rose—a symbol of love—to their mothers early in the ceremony as a gesture of love and gratitude.

Wouldn’t be even more special if you carry their roses in your boquet?

The wedding tradition of the groom wearing a boutonniere originates in medieval times when a knight wore his lady’s colors (through flowers) as a statement of his love. Flowers and bouquets have long been used in weddings. In addition to adorning the bride with flowers to promote good luck and good health flower meanings allow the bride to express her feelings for the groom. Orange blossoms signify purity, daisies loyalty, violets modesty and red roses signify true love

The expression “tying the knot” actually dates back to Roman Times when the bride wore a girdle secured by a knot. On the wedding night, the groom then had the honors of “untying the knot.” The couple’s lives were then tied together. Rituals of binding were also popular in ancient Carthage. The couple’s thumbs were laced together with a strip of leather. In India, the Hindu groom knotted a ribbon around his bride’s neck, and once tied, the marriage was legal and binding. For much of history the rope was the most powerful way to connect things and people. So, it made sense to talk about “tying the knot.”