Thanks to the Teacherfishes!

As a preface let me say I love history. I like reading about history and I like seeing the places where events took place that shaped history. I more than like learning about history. I love it and went so far as to minor in European history in college and take several classes in the history of Religion in America in graduate school. But I never took a class in the history of New York. I grew up in Connecticut and got my Connecticut history in the fourth grade.

Thankfully I have blog friends who enjoy history, too. I visited Washington sites with Marydon and Harold and learned about the Mormon Battalion with Lura and John. Yesterday I got a great lesson with Teacherfish and her husband, Mr. Teacherfish. After following each other's blogs for several years we met up for history, walking, terrific food, laughter and conversation. What a wonderful afternoon!

Teacherfish had put together our itinerary and was especially taken with the John Bowne house. The house was built in 1661 and stands as a legacy of freedom to worship in the United States. In 1657 a group of freeholders from Flushing issued a proclamation calling for religious tolerance. This went against the ruling of the Dutch governor of New York, Peter Stuyvesant, who permitted only the Dutch Reformed Religion to be practiced. This document, the Flushing Remonstrance, was the inspiration to the First Amendment to the Constitution. It spoke of their desire to worship as they chose and "to let every man stand or fall to his own Master." The house is closed now for renovations, but it's definitely on my list to visit when it reopens.

The house is on the left. In 1661 there was little else built here. Now it sits in the midst of a busy urban neighborhood. 

The Quaker Meeting House 

This gives the present setting of the meeting house. 

We had dinner at a great noodle restaurant and I was very happy to let the T's order. We had soup dumplings -- literally soup is sealed into the dumpling -- noodles and scallion pancakes, which aren't really pancakes, but are delicious. We drank many cups of tea, talked and talked and I felt that I'd known the T's forever. We had such a good time that we've already planned our next excursion, probably some time in March. I'm delighted to find buddies for exploring New York and friends. 

Today was a quiet and leisurely day. I've just about gotten through the New York Times, grocery shopped and had fun catching up with my blog buddies. I did break down on No Spending January and bought a birthday card I've been contemplating for K's birthday. Money well spent!

Wishes for a sweet week!