CHADDS FORD, PA – The North American Land Trust (NALT) June 14, 2022 announced that it has opened Brinton Run Preserve in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, an historic tract of the Battle of Brandywine where American and British forces fought on September 11, 1777.  The American Battlefield Trust previously identified the historic battlefield site as one of the most important unprotected tracts of the Brandywine Battlefield.  Now, the battlefield and its natural resources at Brinton Run Preserve will be open to the public and protected forever.  Brinton Run Preserve is the first public preserve owned and managed by NALT, a national land trust that has protected more than 136,000 acres in its 30-year history.  The preserve offers two loop trails of approximately 1.5 miles for walking or jogging through the formerly agricultural fields of Brinton Run Preserve.  See pictures at https://northamericanlandtrust.org/nalt-opens-historic-brinton-run-preserve-to-the-public/

The Brinton 1704 House is a restored Quaker home located in Delaware County near West Chester, Pennsylvania.  The 1704 House is operated as an historic museum and is open for tours on Saturdays and Sundays from May 1 to October 31.  Please contact us ahead of your planned tour.  The Brinton 1704 House is unique because it is one of the oldest and best restored houses in the United States.  The House was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968.  For additional information and documentation please visit the record hierarchy through the Pennsylvania catalog archives at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994175   The interior of the House, which you will see on your tour, is furnished authentically and boasts many special items, including period furniture, leaded-casement windows, and an indoor bake oven.  The stone walls of the House are twenty-two inches thick.  The House resembles medieval English architectural style.  The House was built in 1704 when Pennsylvania was still a colony of Great Britain. The Brintons were Quakers, and William Brinton, Sr. (1635–1700) moved to the colony of Pennsylvania with his wife and son to escape religious persecution in England.  https://www.brintonfamily.org/copy-of-our-mission   

Maafe (West African Peanut Soup)– A spicy peanut stew made with beef, sweet potatoes and carrots–good enough for a one pot meal and is delicious with served with rice.  Maafe –aka groundnut soup, to most West Africans, is a dish that is beginning to earn its way in the upper echelons of the soup universe.  Find recipe by Imma serving 4 at https://www.africanbites.com/maafe-west-african-peanut-soup/

Loren Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling picture books Otis, Otis and the Tornado, Otis and the Puppy, An Otis Christmas, Otis and the Scarecrow and Otis and the Kittens.  He is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of President Barack Obama's picture book Of Thee I Sing, Matt de la Pena’s Love, the re-illustrated edition of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, and Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna.  Loren's new edition of Clement C. Moore’s The Night Before Christmas is a modern, more inclusive take on the classic.  His most recent works are Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler and the picture book, Change Sings written by Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman.   https://lorenlong.com/   

Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879) is best known for creating the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”  However, her work extends far beyond her writing.  Her influence can be seen in historic sites and a famous national holiday still widely celebrated today.  Sarah Josepha Hale was born on October 24^th, 1788 in Newport, New Hampshire. Her parents were strong advocates for education of both sexes.  Therefore, Hale was taught well beyond the normal age for a woman.  Later, she married a lawyer David Hale, who supported her in all scholarly endeavors.  Sadly, her husband died after only nine years of marriage, leaving Hale a widow with five children.  She turned to poetry as a form of income.  Her most famous book, titled Poems for Our Children included a beloved story from her childhood.  “Mary Had a Little Lamb” was instantly a popular nursery rhyme.  In 1837, she became the editor of the Godey’s Lady’s Book.  Hale used her persuasive writings to support the creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.  Beginning in 1846, she charged the president and other leading politicians to push for the national celebration of Thanksgiving, which was then only celebrated in the Northeast.  Her requests for recognition were largely ignored by politicians until 1863.  While the nation was in the middle of the Civil War, President Lincoln signed into action “A National Day of Thanksgiving and Praise.”  Hale’s letter to Lincoln is often cited as the main factor in his decision.  https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sarah-hale    

Thanksgiving Antique Postcard Greeting
likely between 1890 and 1920  https://www.jigidi.com/jigsaw-puzzle/13b5mdxd/thanksgiving-antique-postcard-greeting/   

The National Book Awards returned in person for the first time since 2019 on November 16, 2022 at their usual location of Cipriani Wall Street in New York City’s financial district.  Presiding over the evening’s award ceremony was author, producer, and television host Padma Lakshmi, who donned a button supporting the members of the HarperCollins Union, who were demonstrating outside the venue.   Upon taking the stage, Lakshmi, a force in the culinary world, professed the parallels between gastronomy and literature.  “I believe that food, like books, can tell a story, by creating a sense memory, capturing a feeling, sharing our identities, and transporting us with the right combination of ingredients,” Lakshmi said.  “I’m struck by the way books can also feed us, by sparking new ideas, exposing us to new people and culture, and expanding our understanding of the world.”  Sophia Stewart   See winners at https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/90943-gunty-keene-perry-schweblin-tahir-win-2022-national-book-awards.html   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2593  November 18, 2022