Samuel Langhorne Clemons and Harriet Beecher Stowe

Today Clyde and I took a little drive (2 hours) to Hartford, Connecticut and went with the express purpose of visiting the home of Samuel and Olivia Clemons. It was a wonderful and beautiful drive. We check out books on CD's when we go on trips and because we have been on the road so much lately we have started listening to the 'Percy Jackson' series of books for two reasons - #1 we enjoy them and #2 the movie comes out in February. Back to our trip.

Sunday, when we realized that Clyde had today off because of Veteran's Day, he looked up places to go and visit. We settled without too much problem on visiting the Hartford home of Mark Twain. As you walk in they hand you a quote sheet. Here are some of Mark Twain's more memorable quotes. Here are just a few. Those of you that know the movie "Finding Forester" will recognize the first one right off.

"Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to."

"A full belly is little worth where the mind is starved."

"Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits."

"All good things arrive unto them that wait - and don't die in the meantime."

"The lack of money is the root of all evil."

"Travel is fatal to prejudice."

The house was in Olivia's name and it is a good thing because while they were in the house, Mark Twain (not Samuel Clemons) had to declare bankruptcy. They kept their money separate because she had her own money that she brought into the marriage. Because of this it was kept out of the bankruptcy proceedings. Their son died when he was not quite two and before they moved in this house. Two of their other daughter's died along with his wife within 4 years of each other at the turn of the 20th century. Only one daughter outlived him. Once his oldest daughter died and his wife had passed away, he could never go back to the Hartford house and went and lived in Reading, Connecticut.

Things we didn't know until today - that Harriet Beecher Stowe and her brother, Henry Ward Beecher, both were next door neighbors to the Clemons - so we went and took the tour of Harriet Beecher Stowe's house after we left the Clemons home.

For any of your that are sitting there puzzling over who Harriet Beecher Stowe is, she is the woman credited for two things. #1 She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin and #2 many say she is the one that put things in motion that started the Civil War. She was an extremely influential woman in the 19th century. I thought she only wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin but found out today that she wrote over 30 books and with a friend started the magazine "The Atlantic Monthly" which is still in existence today. She also wrote short stories for "The New Yorker" magazine. She didn't just write fiction, but self-help books and she and her sister were instrumental in setting up kitchens in the 'magic triangle' that was taught when I was in Home Economics as the ideal kitchen set up. I don't know if that is still taught today but the idea is you should only be a few steps from the preparation area - to the sink - to the stove (now we add the refrigerator into the mix). She was an amazing artist as well, painting flowers and birds that were very realistic and beautiful. Of 7 children she had 3 outlive her 1 dying as a baby, The other 3 dying as young adults. She gives God credit for writing Uncle Tom's Cabin in every interview she ever gave. She said that without His inspiration the book would have never been written and the inspiration was there from start to finish. (In truth the last chapter was written first). All and all it was an informative and pleasant day.

Things I thankful for: fun places to visit so close to home, examples of great people, I still have to be thankful for the beautiful Indian Summer we are enjoying and great books on CD's.