pilgrims

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A Brave and Perilous Journey

Hail Brave hearts

In the era of yesteryear,  the land was young, and people from Europe sought passage to this place, seeking a new freedom, a quest for new life, a new self fulfillment, a new community, a new start in the world.  This was Canada, when it was young, a place for settlers to, call their home.  Strong people, adventurous, industrious, hard working and courageous, they flocked to this land for their rights to a new life.  Free of the constraints of power in Europe, the new colonialists forged ahead, seeking refuge, land, a place to farm and a place to call home.  This is us, in Canada.  Young, welcoming, offering a life to those who were willing to make the journey and to work for a life  like no other.

The wild calls, with it’s howling voice, its watches with it’s thousand eyes, it hears with it’s sharp ears and vanishes into the bush, only to emerge at night and howl some more.

The crack of a branch in the forest.  Who’s out there?  Only a wild cat?  Only a bear?  Who lurks in the bushes and stalks us?  In the quiet of the forest, when the wind rushes through the trees, the clamour of restless birds, announce the presence of the stranger.  In the wild of the waterways, the rushing water tumbles over rapids and waterfalls.  Dangerous rivers, dangerous portages, dangerous stormy lakes, all lead to the wealth of a land of promise.  The new land of plenty, if you dare to seek it.  Follow the treasure map to the X that marks the place.  Here you will find what you seek, if you survive the perilous journey to reach it.

How long will this journey take depends on you.  It depends on your skills, your health, your aptitudes, fortitude and negotiation., or perhaps, stealth and quiet.  It’s a dangerous game, but for the many who sought this refuge in the wild, the high stakes must have been worth effort.  The right to own land, to have a freedom.

1670s in Canada – Wikipedia

The journey across the Atlantic Ocean is just the beginning.  A 5403 kilometer start to an uncertain finish in old Quebec City.  Such a long and tiresome journey for the the hopeful stalwarts of the day.   Alas, this is not the X on this map.  Old Quebec is not the treasure for this group of immigrants, longing for a fresh new start in a wild and uncompromising land.  This refuge in the storm is not for them.  This fabulous  colony, so fortuitous, the weary, grateful travellers can cast their eyes on the potential that awaits them.  A city!  It’s possible.  It’s possible to tame this land.  It’s possible to farm here, and to enjoy the benefits of a tenuous freedom.

There are freedoms from some things, but the land and it’s inhabitants are still in charge.  Push on, oh brave hearts, push on.  Seek your fortune.  Find the treasure.  It’s promised to you, if you survive.  So brave hearts, if you should choose to accept this challenge, your good fortune and perhaps fame awaits you.  Good luck.

written by Dr Louise Hayes

April 11, 2022

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Feast

Praises to the Magnificent Almighty Man

Eat hearty.  Tis the season for delicious cuisine.  A summertime of hours of work brings us the much needed harvest.  With gratitude for our living, our survival, and our fabulously healthy diet.  The smorgasbord has arrived.  Joy to us, for this magnificent and decadent celebration.  Thanksgiving is a must.

We turn our attention to the bounty of the Earth.  A time of joy, of family of friends and fellowship.  The hardship of the toil of planting culminates on this holiday which saves us.  Eat well and share. This holiday comes from giving, sharing, community, peace and fellowship.  It comes from caring for people and taking care of people.  It is a time for the home, for the harvest and the homecoming.  As usual, we feast and remember with gladness, the story of Thanksgiving and the happiness of the people.

Eat, drink and be merry, oh joyous ones, the nurturing of this gift of food is for your health, wellness and continued enjoyment.  A delight for the grand chef.

Recipes abound for this season with the additional goodness of the meal plan already resolved.  Traditional cooking at it’s best.  The larder is full, the guest list is easy.  We put aside our worries for a moment and retreat to our bubble.  The safety of a circle of close friends and relatives who we can share with.  This has been an unusual year, 2020, but we still persevere.  Our gatherings are small, our journeys limited in distance and number.  We are cautious with our meetings and grateful for the advances in technology that surrounds us with people who we care for and still need to communicate with.  We still dine in style and share our thoughts and conversation through the fortunate support of social media, cell phones, ipads , computer and other gadgets.  The life line is still present.  We are still able to connect ourselves to the wide wide world out there.

With praises we are thankful.  In history the wide ocean separates the people from their families.  There is no where to go.  There is nothing else to do, but to have faith in God and to trust in strangers who might help them.  They faced illness and hunger and so much despair.  One hundred and thirty lonely people, cast out into an unknown world of much hardship.  Save us!  They landed, and fell into a tribe of indigenous people, unknown strangers, perhaps murderers, they met them anyway, regardless of their fear.

How fortunate to meet a compassionate  person who extended an invitation of peace, food, fellowship and acceptance.  How fortunate to meet those kinds of people, even today.  The people who will break bread with you, share the larder, extend an invitation.  The days of yore, when a broken group of stranded people, encountered the unexpected in a strange and wild land.  Give thanks for those fortunate few who were so lucky as to be included.  Feast and be merry, joy to us all.  This celebration of food is the making of a great nation, of great friendships.  It is to overcome starvation, to live in peace, to be a community and a country.

These are our instructions, according to history.

\written by Dr. Louise Hayes

October 21, 2020

 

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The Horse Drawn Sleigh

Hail brave hearts

From long ago, in our glorious past, a sled was born, to slide the winter blues away.  No more trudging through the snow, the sleigh gave birth to a new kind of day.  Winter wonderland once more, the land was conquered by man and animal.  Teams of horses, teams of dogs, led the way across the snow.  The brilliant, glittery, fluffy stuff is part of our fun filled days.  Oh for a ride on a horse, but instead an open sleigh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sled

A team of powerful animals, groomed and trained in draft, quickly become our glorious present, from an inspiring past.  The sleigh will take you places that you always want to go.  Mostly over hill and dale and always through the snow.  This romantic lifestyle beacons to us, come to join the ride.  A wagon in the summer, in winter  a sleigh to rush and glide.  The winter is upon us, a favorite of seasons no doubt.  Along the windy, snowy path, the horses and the sled pull out.  The jingle of the bells, their harness is gleaming with polish.  We hear their music in the air and smile and run to the road.  A wave at the passing sleigh, filled with tourists delighting their day.  A pleasant reminder of days gone by, when horse and sleigh were the mode of transportation.   Now in the eve of wintertime, when the solstice quietly passes.  The winter is here already, get out and join the masses.

 

 

 written by Dr. Louise Hayes
December 22, 2017
Oh Most Divine
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Oh Most Divine

Hail all you brave ones.

 

Oh glory and honour to this majestic king.  We worship you, we praise you, oh blessed immortal being.  Salvation and glory to this oh risen Lord.  We hail thee and praise thee, with prayers and adoration, oh deity divine and humanity saved.

Blessed Lord of centuries past, generations of followers still believing, still pursuing, still curious and understanding, still searching and seeking, the devout persisting, what are these holy ways?  Powers immense, of magnificent proportions, intervention and instilling the knowledge of these mysterious ways.  Providence and grandeur, might and mightiness, still the stable, with the lowly, still the path of righteous living.  Oh greatest of Lords, oh highest of beings, oh teacher of wisdom, we praise thee, with song, with prayer, with labour, with love, with gold, with skills and with honour.  Teach us, oh wise one, teach us to be human.  Oh deity of the great divine, hold us mercifully in you hands.

So duty calls you, oh awesome human, come to the colony, do your duty, come to the colony and be praised.  The wondrous one, of heavens keeping, the glorious, will guide your way.  Come and be magnificent, join the grandeur, mighty and noble and courageous to this day.  Come and worship, come and be guided, oh you most daring, you fortunate, you awesome, you lucky ones, to be the fortitude of France and to seek your fortunes in this most auspicious place.

Lucky are we, to be the chosen ones, the one who will survive and sing glories to our King.  Praises!  Praises!  To overcome the shadows of hardship and poverty, to overcome the cruelty of harsh judgement and misunderstanding, to overcome the elements and live once more.  Hail to you, oh awesome almighty ones, to be first.  First in a game of daunting obstacles, first in a challenge of courage and fortitude, first in a roll of the dice as to who will survive.  Lucky you, to be the chosen ones, come to the colony, take up the dare.

http://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/population/immigration/  come to Canada

A fort, a sweet road, Cap Diamond, a church, the Victorious,  government dwellings, low ground and high ground, lower echelons and higher dignitaries, merchants and sailors, government and leadership, all finally together in one place, the colony of New France.  Oh sweet Quebec, you finally survive, oh sweet Quebec, you finally exist.  A colony, one sweet place, a colony, for France.

Over a span of several decades, the colony grew.  From its roots in human sorrow, to a place of quaint ingenuity and charm.  Boldly go where no one has dared to go before, oh brave colonialists of bygone era.  The seat of the country lies in your hands.  Negotiate and trade, bargain and develop.  Oh brave new world of French imperialism, of French might and fortitude.  Oh brave new world.  The king of kings holds you dear and in his arms, his strength shall hold you.  Oh wondrous love, to live so greatly.  Power and praises to our king.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 27, 2016

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The landing

Good morning brave hearts

The voyage is long and the spirit becomes weary. The choice to venture forth into the unknown was a difficult one. The hardship obvious. The stalwarts of the new regime were pensive. What lies beyond?
A small group of people cast out from the shore. These waters have been charted before. Ships have crossed the oceans for hundreds of years, the path is straight. Straight to land hundreds of kilometers away. A large land mass that can’t be missed. Straight across!
In the looming doom of their choice, they cast off. Adrift now, unto the seas.
The choice was a perilous decision wrought from conflicts of ideology which couldn’t be resolved. Freedom called in their minds. Freedom to practice an ideology of their choice. Freedom from the constant explanation, the constant rebuke, the constant struggle. To worship in their own way in a land of freedom without discrimination. Yes, there is such a land and the heavy load of the high seas is upon them.
102 people set forth on that day in two vessels. Only one survived the voyage, only 65 people survived the first winter.

http://biblescripture.net/Pilgrims.html

The good fortune of the pilgrims was to land in a continent of generous peoples. A peoples who generally accepted the tired outcasts. A peoples who allowed the landing of so few, who had starved and perished at sea, who’s numbers were cut in half, who arrived alone. Weary travellers in need of kindness.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-pilgrim-wampanoag-peace-treaty

The peoples of the new world made room for the new colonialists and participated in their survival. Oh fortunate travellers to encounter the compassionate, moral human, the peacemaker and the peacekeeper. A small group of weary adventurers, but strangers still.
Hail, almighty human, for the acts of kindness and caring. For only a few short years ago, your populations were devastated by disease from some of these same sorts of travellers. Weary and beleaguered they carried smallpox which spread amongst the natives and devastated their peoples. Death to many.
Still the courage to seek peaceful alliance runs strong in the mind and the will for a lasting peace encourages negotiation. Yes, there will be a negotiated peace. Yes, there will be survival and a colony in this new land.
Brave adventurers, whose toil and passions brought them to this end. New land, new peoples, new survival, new prosperity.
Hail to you, almighty human, for the great adventure of your lives. For dreams and for daring, you live forever!
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 25, 2013

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The Pilgrims

Good day, you brilliant ones.
The feasting of Thanksgiving is passing, but as with all traditions and their historical significance, the celebration is only a reminder of the truth of its existence. To give thanks for life itself is the meaning of the day. The joy of sharing, the happiness of celebration and the relief of a bountiful harvest. Food. No hunger, no starvation, no more worry for the winter.
Traditions arise from many sources, but a holiday to give thanks for the bountiful harvest, which will provide for all during the long winter, was a holiday of feasting and sharing, a holiday of community and a time to end all suffering. No disputes amongst us on these special days. The days when the earth is praised for the abundance that it provides, the days when the Almighty is praised for salvation and the days when community is praised for peace amongst us and all of the benefits that peace brings to our lives.
Historically, the first Thanksgiving took place with the pilgrims in the 1600’s. The joy and relief of a season of toil, was gifted with a plentiful harvest which would last throughout the winter. The negotiated peace was honoured and a lasting peace was accomplished.
Relief. The joy of such a simple achievement. Food. A garden. A party. Prayers, praises, blessings and thanks. The joy of such a simple accomplishment. Food.
With this first Thanksgiving came the hope and dreams of years to come. Aspirations to build a community, a colony, perhaps a country. A home of freedom. The constant call of beleagured peoples. Freedom!
The natives were friendly. There was peace amongst us.

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

Now, from the first season of toil, comes the wealth of the land. Prosperity! With relief and gladness they sang their songs of praises, of worship, of joy. No more the suffering of distant disputes, the hardships of unrequieted trust. The loss of honour and dignity. No more the distant call of a distant drummer, to beat the path to their own self worth. Now, for this small group of people, in their own chosen world is a haven of safety for themselves.
The natives are friendly. They signed the contract. There will be peace amongst us. So much to give thanks for, so much to have joy for , so much to live for. Paths of their own choosing, a destiny of their own calling, an all encompassing grace.
Joy to you, almighty man, for the achievement of a great landing. Joy to you, you great negotiators, you great peacekeepers. Praises to you for the harvest and the crops and the food and for plenty. Plenty, for your survival, plenty for your daily bread, plenty to share and to plenty to give thanks for. With solemn prayers and joyful hearts, we hear you from your brilliant past.
Hail to you, almighty human, for the songs in your hearts, for the brilliance of your minds and for the skills of negotiation. The negotiated peace is prosperity, humanity and your heartfelt joy.
Praises for the ancient landing, praises for peace amongst us, praises for Thanksgiving and to all of you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 14, 2013
http://www.bbcanada.com/10895.html
http”//www.empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=louisehayes

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Thanksgiving

Good day you awesome human

This weekend is the celebration of all of our harvest. A happy time, a prosperous time and a time of thanksgiving. Thank you for the gifts of food, for the sharing and for the discovery of the new world. Thank you for peace amongst us, for family and for friends. Thank you for the harvest, for the good earth and for the land to call home.
This is a time of joy in our land, a time of feasting, to overcome the shadow of dark starvation, of poverty and of loss. The toil of the land produces plenty and the harvest yields another season of healthy wealth. Another season of joy as our larders fill with the crops, put down from this years bountiful growth. We are the lucky ones to live our lives in a land so abundant.
The catch of the day lies just off shore. The fishing vessels from far off places come to our coastlines to cast their nets. The hungry from their own nations call to be appeased. Their fishermen travel long distances to find a place where they can catch fish. The times are the 1600’s and the new world is attracting settlers, merchants and fishermen from Europe.
The pilgrims have landed on Plymouth Rock and are settling in America. The natives were congenial. They shared in the harvest and helped the new pilgrims to survive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrims_(Plymouth_Colony)

The newly found earth sighs as it gives up its harvest to the grateful pilgrims. They have escaped to a life of prosperity and health. The soil is nutritious the yield is high enough. No more the starving plight of impoverished families. Famine or pestilence has been left behind. The new world is a blessing to them and the friendly natives do them no harm.
A community of sharing unfolds as the blessing of food is gratefully accepted and peace amongst us is the order of the day. Peace to all of us, who have been so fortunate as to travel to this great land. To meet the people who now live close by, who share the land, the wealth of the land and the bountiful harvest.
Praises to the great Earth for the plentiful food. Praises to the almighty human for compassion and sharing. No starvation in this land and the food itself gives time for other pursuits. America becomes the land of plenty. The land of dreams, of opportunity. The land of prosperity. From an ancient landing a reputation is born. Come to America! You will live well here!
Come they did. Across the Atlantic in nervous anticipation of a new life with new meaning. The joy of freedom flows in their veins. The pride of achievement swells in their breasts. The joy of living is their daily bread. They sing the glad tidings of gratefulness and pray their prayers of joy and hope. Starvation is banished. Poverty recedes. The merciful almighty hears their prayers and blesses them with abundance.
Joy to you, oh fortunate human and praises to the peacekeepers. The start of a new world, a new nation, new lives, arising from the good fortune of the congenial gift of mutual sharing.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 9, 2013
http://www.bbcanada.com/10895.html
http”//www.empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=louisehayes