We set out early, leaving the Manchester/Bedford, NH area and headed for Oak n Spruce Village in Lee, MA where we had planned to stay for the week.

Along the way, we had to stop at the River View Cemetery in Sunderland, MA to look for the grave sites of Graves’, who are related, several generations back.  While there were many Graves’ graves, none of them were in my direct ancestral line.  The spot along the river and among small farms, however, would vie any great cathedral.  It made a fine place to worship and say a prayer of gratitude for so much beauty and grace – and for these people, so many years distant from me, without whom, I would not be!  Because we didn’t find the Graves’ we wanted, we made another stop farther down the road in Whatley, MA to look for more of the Grave’s graves.  There we did meet success.  We found Thomas and Sarah Graves (my 9th great-grandparents) and their son John and his wife Mary Graves, (my 8th great-grandparents) all who died and were buried there in the 1660’s and 1670’s.

As the day stretched into late afternoon, we began to feel anxious to find a base camp.  Changing plans on the fly, we made the decision to skip Springfield, MA for the time being and go straight to Lee to find our lodgings for the week.

Grace visited us today in the form of a slower pace.  We simply set out to enjoy the locale of Maine around Saco Bay and take in the “local color,” as a friend of ours once advised.  The weather was perfect, the sites beautiful and the pace slow and relaxing.

Of course we HAD to stop at a traditional Maine Trading Post where you could purchase hunting and fishing licenses as well as anything you might need to capture your very own moose.  It was a fun exploration in diversity of environments.  They had more kayaks in one place than I had ever seen – and there is a lot of kayaking in the Pacific NW!

Saco Harbor was lovely in the morning light and it was a peaceful place to stop and say a prayer of gratitude for such beauty and grace.

By the end of the day we found ourselves in New Hampshire again and made it our home for the night.

A slower pace is certainly grace enough for one day.

Today was a moving day as we left Cape Cod and traveled northward.  But first, we had to visit two more cemeteries on our way off of Cape Cod and found graves of ancestors in both of them.  Pretty amazing, all around.  Who would have thought that we could find the graves of ancestors who were born in England and came to this country in the 1620’s?  And yet, we did.

In a last minute decision, we decided to bypass Boston for a more thorough trip at a future date – again without the car.  Now we know when we return we can really do Boston justice and see all of it, not just a couple of the main tourist areas.

So we traveled on into New Hampshire and, due to a friend’s recommendation, went along the coastline.  What a great suggestion!  Thank you, Chris.  I could live on the coast of New Hampshire.  My husband had to pry me away as I threatened to use all of my camera’s SD card space again just on coastal shots!  What incredible beauty!

As the evening sun set over the coastline we found our way into Maine and a place to rest for the night.  And would you believe, the daffodils are just blooming in Maine!

This will be the longest spring in my experience.  I love it!  It’s total grace.

Could two days be any different?  I don’t think so.  Yet, both were so beautiful.  Yesterday we were on the waters of Cape Cod marveling at whales and today we walked the back lanes of Cape Cod looking for grave sites of ancestors.  And, we were successful beyond our expectations.

Nestled among the foliage and tiny streams; behind beautiful clapboard churches; and among the back yards of local residents, we walked to find the graves of ancestors who died in the 1700’s.  I never knew there could be such peace and beauty in cemeteries!

At one particular spot near Brewster, we felt like we were walking in a fairy tale.  We made our way down a moss covered path with tree roots peeking through it, to a tiny pond with swans gliding among the budding branches hanging over the water’s edge.  A bubbling brook sang its way downstream and we had to walk a small style to cross over it.  The birds chirped an orchestra of music and we couldn’t help but think that this would be a spot that we could enjoy for eternity!

So much beauty and so much grace.  All in a day’s search for ancestors.

There are not words to describe what we saw and experienced today!  Truly, I am speechless – and even words from the keyboard fail.

We went out this afternoon on a whale watching boat out of Provincetown, at the very end tip of Cape Cod.  Not really expecting to see anything much, but just wanting to enjoy the beauty of the day, we bought our tickets and set out.

Almost before we were out of the harbor, someone spotted a whale.  Suffice it to say, we had no shortage of whales to watch.  We saw Northern Right whales – a rare sighting as there are so few left in the world.  We saw several Humpbacks, a Minke, a Fin Whale, and one other that I can’t remember now.  I should brush up on my whale species!

I was marveling at the incredible display of nature as these mammoth mammals played and sprayed and slapped their tails – all seemingly for our enjoyment – as I snapped away with my camera.

And then the most amazing thing happened.  Three humpbacks that had been playing and feeding at a distance came closer to the boat and rose together to feed almost beneath our feet.  And immediately after taking a mouth full of dinner they rolled and played even closer to the boat.  I was looking right down on three incredible creatures that I had never seen before and my SD card in my camera flashed FULL.  I could do nothing.  Mesmerized by the beauty before me I just watched and reflected how this is a lesson for me to remember to be “in the moment.”  A camera can’t capture everything.  I had to just take it all in and capture the beauty and the moment in my memory.

While I did get several hundred other shots of the day, the one that survives in my mind with brilliant focus is the one that I was only able to capture with my eyes.  Extraordinary beauty!  And, a feeling of deep humility to be sharing this water planet with these amazing creatures.

Grace beyond grace found today in the waters just beyond Cape Cod.

I’ve never thought much about connecting with my ancestors who have been long gone for many centuries.  But, my husband’s passion for ancestry research has uncovered that I am related to the Rev. Elder William Brewster and his wife Mary, who came to this country on the Mayflower in 1620.  And just standing in the spot where they first set foot on this land in Plymouth, MA brought them alive for me like few other actions could.

We spent a lovely, leisurely day in Plymouth walking the waterfront, visiting Brewster Park, and finding William and Mary’s grave site in the cemetery on the hill overlooking the bay.  The views were stunning and our lunch in a little family Italian restaurant was delicious!  Despite so much beauty, with spring exploding around us and history around every corner, I spent much of the day reflecting on the words of William Bradford (the first governor of Plymouth Colony) describing my ancestor, William Brewster:

 . . . a man that had suffered much for the Lord Jesus and the gospel’s sake. . . he was qualified above many, he was wise and discrete, and well spoken . . . of a very cheerful spirit . . . undervaluing himself and his own abilities.

I was so moved because, reflecting on these words, I felt a kindred spirit with the man.  My husband reminded me that in my own ministry and work he has heard others express similar thoughts about me.  And, I wonder how much is in the DNA?  Or is it grace, or luck, or simply love, or hard work, commitment, or dedication?  How will we ever know?  It’s something to ponder about for sure.

Today was graced in many ways and I feel a new and profound connection to my roots that go back to the 1620’s.