A few photos from my visit to Plimoth Plantation last November. The light in the 17th century English Village made everything feel like a Dutch painting, and I found it so inspiring to see how these dwellings, however rudimentary, were still beautiful. There was hardly a detail on them or an object within them that didn’t serve a purpose, but the functional forms were still aesthetically intriguing, like the woven smoke hole at the peak of the gable in the last photo. The house had one on each end, so that a strong cross breeze would create a draft to pull the smoke up and out without a chimney.

Seeing these spaces prompted me to think hard about the inventory of goods in my own home. We have SO MUCH stuff in our lives today, and we throw so much away and buy more to replace it. Yikes. I know that I’m not making any ground-breaking revelations about consumerism, and I don’t want to romanticize the pilgrims of Plymouth any more than they already are. But, I really did have a moment there, where I appreciated that things should be more precious to us. Boy that sounds anti-anti-materialistic. But if you think about it, it’s not.

I need to make another trip out there- I’m sure the little veggie gardens behind each house will be beautiful in the summer, and I want to spend some time photographing at the Wampanoag Homesite. Plus, the Mayflower II is undergoing a big restoration and was closed to the public while I was there. It will be exciting to see her fitted out and back in action. Anyway, just thought I would share these little snippets of thought and image, in case anyone else needs a little nest inspiration to get them through the Ides of March.

SaveSave