This afternoon started my Christmas break from work. I have to be diligent and make sure that I take the time to get chores done.
I have so many books to read, so many topics I want to research, so much genealogy research to probe into, and many more places for my brain to wander.
One of the books that rocketed to the top of my reading list today was Mayflower Bastard: A Stranger among the Pilgrims by David Lindsay. I had previously mentioned this book in my post Historic Book Acquisitions VI. I had been looking through another recent book I acquired about Robert Cushman and ran across an interesting fact about Richard More who is the subject of the Mayflower Bastard. I now want to read more about him, and just happened to have the book.
I am still not entirely sure of my travel plans for next month in England, but one of the places where I may teach a class is Sheffield which is just a short distance away from Scrooby where some of the Mayflower passengers were from. If so, there is a very good chance that I will make a quick visit.
Of course one of the things that I need to work on at home during the next week is getting my Winter Pruning done.
My rose bushes look more like a hedge than bushes. They will require a lot of work.
I need to make sure that I don’t have any Overdue Yard Work once the holidays end. Next year is going to start off with a very busy schedule.
I especially need to use my new ladder and get up and clean my gutters, yes this is yard work as it involves leaves – – ugh…. Also do some trimming on my back yard trees. Hmm, and maybe some trimming of my own hair.
As you can see my brain is already wandering all over the place.
Now to get some reading done since it is not a work night 🙂
Steven
Braman's Wanderings 
Looks like you have quite a list to work through! All the best!
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Hello. I have stumbled upon your website here as I am doing research into my own 10th or 11th great grandfather, Thomas Blossom. I have read Saints and Strangers and Philbrick’s Mayflower more than once as I explore the Pilgrim world. My ancestors were part of the Scrooby congregation that escaped to Amsterdam and then Leyden where John Robinson was there enigmatic pastor. What an exciting story. Thomas Blossom and his young son (and possibly his pregnant wife – I’m trying to verify that) left Leyden for Southhampton on the Speedwell with the other Pilgrims.
Once they met up with the Mayflower and were all assigned to one ship or the other, the Blossoms and the Cushmans, among others, were assigned to the Speedwell. As we know, the journey had many mishaps, and after the second return to port at Plymouth, at least 20 people did not crowd onto the Mayflower to continue on. Thomas Blossom and the Cushmans were in this 20. If you have found any information as to why the Blossoms came to this decision I would love to know. It is a mystery at this point. Good luck on your research and your winter gardening!
I have a book about Robert Cushman, but don’t remember seeing anything about the Blossoms. Unfortunately it is not indexed so a mention would be hard to find.