My thanksgiving was really fun. I love being around the food my friends and my family. I am so thankful for my family and all the good times we share together. That's why I like Thanksgiving as a holiday so much. Often times we forget to be thankful for all the great things we have been given throughout the year. Thanksgiving is a time to do that and see faces of those you have not seen in awhile. I am very thankful that my whole family is filled with great cooks. Thanksgiving dinner is best when the food is edible. I love having leftovers it's the best feeling in the world to know that good food is in the fridge and an even better feeling knowing I have a great family to share it with. I don't like the cold whether but that doesn't stop Thanksgiving and the month that follows to be the best time of year. There is a certain time of cheer in the air that will never get old during the November and December months. Thanksgiving is a time to see what truly is important in life.

 

Salem Witch Museum

• The Salem Witch museum wasn't a typical museum. They do it in little shows that last 45 minutes the majority of that show or tour is in an auditorium. This was cool a person would narrate and there was props set up but photography was not allowed, which was too bad because there was a lot of information and cool stuff. Then the guide brought us into this room and explained things about the Salem witch trials and the background behind wicker  religion. Which is often confused with witchcraft but is actually the opposite and is a very peaceful religion. She talked about why people were so afraid of witches and as human beings, it is our first instinct to be afraid of things we often don't understand. This left for some pretty awful consequences for the people that were accused of witchcraft. Overall the Salem Witch Museum was very informative and the tour guide was very nice. The auditorium was cool I just wish there was more of a museum part of it and maybe if it wasn't set up so much as a tour I would have liked it better. It was definitely worth it though I learned a lot of neat facts while there and I am glad it is free for Salem State students, which is very nice of the museum and I enjoyed my time learning a little more about Salem's history. That's why our group chose this to learn about the history of Witches in Salem. We didn't get a chance to ask many questions but we did learn a lot about the history.

The sense of place At the nearby park was a fun trip. I love nature and just sitting in the trees with a nice view of the water as I looked out beyond the park. There was a nice breeze that got stronger as it became late into the afternoon hours. This place felt nice in the sun and had some benches where people can sit. Each bench dedicated to another person. I saw squirrels rushing around and people just enjoying the park. This park was so close to the town of Salem, yet there was no sound of traffic just some leaves rustling in the wind and on occasion if you listened close you can hear the faint sound of birds chirping towards one another. Probably getting ready for the cold months that are ahead. It seemed as though time slowed down and I was just sitting on the bench with not a signal worry in the world. Life seems to be so simple if I let it be simple. I feel like we all need to be reminded of that from time to time. Life is always moving and can be stressful. As human beings, we think that it is often a good idea to think too much about the future. We forget how precious the present is to all of us. The wind began to pick up so we went back to the classroom. I really did enjoy this trip to the park nearby.

The first year office students came in today. They all had very positive attitudes about things, such as being students at Salem State and were very open to an questions we had as a class. They came very prepared and a lot of people had some great questions for them. They talked about the jobs they each had both on and off campus. They all fond that working with first year student to be very rewarding. They talked about applying for classes in the spring. The students also talked in detail how bag checks will work for the rest of October so that we feel less surprised when Halloween draws near. They also talk about how to stay on top of thing as a student suggesting things like the importance of sleep and take ever opportunity given to get assignments done. They told us never to procrastinate but also said to give ourselves enough free time so we do not go crazy. They talked about how important it is to use the resources provided to us on campus such as our RAs and career services and the center for academic excellence. What stuck out to me was how much there was to do here in Salem and if we can't find anything to do they told us where to look. Justin Snow also stopped by to help us use degree tracker he said it was very important to keep checking it so that when application for graduation comes there are no surprises waiting for us. He showed how to avoid anything unexpected and told us to use our adviser as a resource. He gave us tips and tricks to help us apply fir classes so that when the time comes to do so we will be ready. He was very nice and extremely helpful. I had a meeting with my adviser before class so a lot of this already made sense to me, but he was still very helpful and is a great resource.

HONEY POT FARMS

Our group went to the Farmers market and visited honey pot farms. We asked them things such as, do you have different locations. They have different locations in, Tewksberry, Haverhill, North Reading, Stoneham. We also asked how many Hives they had, they told us they had about 50 year round hives to produce honey. They also have several chickens to produce eggs. They told us about how the queen bee of each hive must be carried delicately, or the hive will die. We asked them how they kept the bees alive during the winter? They told us that during the summer the bees pollinate and they feed the bees sugar water during the winter. The actual farm where all this is being done is in Wilmington. We also learned that the left over bees waxed is used to make lip balm. They also sell maple syrup. Their children work on the farm with them. We also asked about honey in stores, they said honey is not really honey in stores, most of the honey in stores has been pasteurized. This makes honey lose pretty much all of its good properties. Honey is not just for eating and being sick, honey can heal a cut when applied to it. Honey can also clear up acne, among several other great uses that were surprising.  The people at the stand were nice and gave us a few free samples and gave us a lot of knowledge about the farm, about bees and about the business they run. I definatley learned a few new things from Honey Pot Farms.

HONEY POT FARMS

Our group went to the Farmers market and visited honey pot farms. We asked them things such as, do you have different locations. They have different locations in, Tewksberry, Haverhill, North Reading, Stoneham. We also asked how many Hives they had, they told us they had about 50 year round hives to produce honey. They also have several chickens to produce eggs. They told us about how the queen bee of each hive must be carried delicately, or the hive will die. We asked them how they kept the bees alive during the winter? They told us that during the summer the bees pollinate and they feed the bees sugar water during the winter. The actual farm where all this is being done is in Wilmington. We also learned that the left over bees waxed is used to make lip balm. They also sell maple syrup. Their children work on the farm with them. We also asked about honey in stores, they said honey is not really honey in stores, most of the honey in stores has been pasteurized. This makes honey lose pretty much all of its good properties. Honey is not just for eating and being sick, honey can heal a cut when applied to it. Honey can also clear up acne, among several other great uses that were surprising.  The people at the stand were nice and gave us a few free samples and gave us a lot of knowledge about the farm, about bees and about the business they run. I definatley learned a few new things from Honey Pot Farms.

NPS reflection

We took a trip to downtown Salem to really get a sense of place for the city, and to dive into more of Salems history. We all went down to one of Salems oldest docks, so that we might take in some of the sights sounds and smells of this historical area. I remember drawing a picture of an old house. In the distance of the old house was a vast ocean behind it, with the sun beaming down. That was a nice day in terms of weather, not to hot not to cold, with a nice breeze. Fall has just arrived, there were definite signs of fall especially that crisp air. We met up with this national park service ranger, she was very knowledgeable about the history of trade, ships and the way of life here in Salem over the past few hundred years. One of my favorite things to learn about was how the government supported piracy, they just calle it a different name essentially, they called it being a privateer. During the revolutionary war this was important that the privateers take over British ships, so the colonies could  get goods in some way and was a big factor in the reason we won the war. Salem was just a huge factor in the fishing business and the trade of many things from all over the world