What Are You Thankful For?

Please visit the PHMC Events Calendar for information on virtual events scheduled in the next month or so (I've highlighted a few below). The Trailheads Rec Room links to the right of your screen have examples of online offerings available whenever you are.

For some reason, thankfulness makes me think of rainbows (photo AKF)

Over the next week, many of us will be preparing for Thanksgiving, in one way or another. My guess is that the experience will be different this year, as we adjust our plans to the times (as we've done for the past 8 months). Some families who normally travel - won't. Groups gathering for Friendsgiving celebrations will be smaller or via Zoom. Some chairs will be empty because of COVID itself (or the many other ways we lose friends and family over the course of a year). Whatever 2020 brings to your Thanksgiving holiday, I hope that you will be able to find a rainbow somewhere and that you have things you can be thankful for.

I am thankful, as always, for my husband, my mom, my brother and his family, my in-laws (adding a niece-in-law this year via a wedding most of us watched on Facebook), and my friends. I am thankful for my colleagues at PHMC who have risen beautifully to the challenges of maintaining our historic buildings and landscapes and providing the people of Pennsylvania and the world with connections to our history, collections, and educational opportunities. I'm thankful for front-line workers everywhere who risk their health and safety to provide essential services. I'm thankful for poll watchers and vote counters and everyone else who works to make sure that democracy has a fighting chance in the midst of a pandemic. And I'm thankful for Trailheads readers.

What's on Your Menu?

The State Museum of Pennsylvania shared info about the wild turkey on their Facebook page

When you hear that distinctive gobble, gobble sound, you know that a turkey is nearby. Turkeys are found throughout...

Posted by The State Museum of Pennsylvania on Monday, November 16, 2020

And for dessert, Pennsbury Manor shared an old pumpkin pie recipe in this Facebook post

What spices do you expect in a pumpkin pie? This 1658 recipe for “Pumpion Pye” is one of the first recipes for pumpkin...

Posted by Pennsbury Manor on Saturday, October 31, 2020

Upcoming Events (virtual unless otherwise noted)

Today, Nov. 20

• State Museum of Pennsylvania, Artists Conversations, noon (link to register)
• Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Virtual Trivia Night, 7-9 pm (link to register)
• Bushy Run Battlefield, Colonial Cocktail Hour, 7:30-8:30 pm (link to register)

Saturday, Nov. 21

• Pennsylvania Military Museum, Sail to Steam Lecture Series, 2-3 pm (details and link to register)

Sunday, Nov. 22

• Pennsbury Manor, deadline to order Holly Nights at Home kits for pick-up on Nov. 29 at the site (link for ordering) - the event will take place on Facebook Dec. 3-4