Reconsiderations and Ravs

Had a nice chat with the folks at Pioneer Farms. I think we have worked out our issues, both the event's and the site's, and we will probably give it another try in early November 2013. The two big issues, packing out and double booking, seem to have solutions. The site works with a gentleman who has a covered wagon stored at the site and we are going to work with him to use the wagon to pack out participants who must leave before the site closes. The double booking is being worked on by the site and hopefully their solution will solve the problem. I left it up to the participants to decide if we should try again at Pioneer Farms and all that responded feel we should. Don't have exact date yet but we're looking at the first part of November 2013.

I have reached 100 presets for my internet radio station! Probably a lot less than most internet stations but I'm pretty happy about it. In addition I received this great shoutout:

Outstanding! As a U.S.history teacher, bluegrass and old time musician,I am
completely enchanted with this station.  Sharing it with friends

Whoohoo!! I haven't added any new tracks to the station for a bit, but plan to in the next couple of weeks.

The War at Home: 1862

The annual Texas home front event has now ended. This year was The War at Home: 1862. We arrived on Friday evening. As with each year, Friday is spent putting things in place and visiting with all the other participants. Everyone had arrived by 10:00 or so. Some of us went on to bed, but a few apparently stayed up until the wee hours on the porch of the “store” playing music.

I had my own visitor during the early morning. About 4:30 or so I heard faint thump, thump, thump and felt something climb up to the edge of the cot. I cautiously looked down toward my feet and saw the site cat, Peanut Butter, peering over the edge of the cot and then he promptly jumped up and laid down across my legs. There he stayed until about 6:30 when I had to get up.

I should preface this report on the event that we found out about a month before the event that there was a Boy Scout event also scheduled at the site this same weekend. We were ensured that the scouts would be in their own area, not using any of the structures and would not interfere with our event. I left it up to the participants as to whether they wanted to proceed with the event and all decided to attend.

The event officially began at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. I dressed and headed to the store. My clerk decided to sleep on the porch and was still abed when I arrived to begin the day’s business. Also at this time the boy scouts started to arrive, driving their cars on to the site and setting up their modern pup tents on the open area at the end of the town square. We tried very hard to ignore them and the plastic tables and large blue water jugs they set up at the crossroads. Some then decided they wanted to us the yard of one of the farms that we were using as a gathering/lunch spot. This was all before 10:00 a.m.

After getting the front yard camp out taken care of I returned to the store and found my clerk at work, finally. He was working up the Lauderdale’s accounts. Mrs. Lauderdale ran up quite an account while her husband was away at war. We had a small stock at the store, which included not only the medicines, writing supplies and foods included in my prior post, but also cards of buttons, papers of needles, and bottles of rolled pills provided by Mr. Nix.

Mr. Nix arrived later in the morning. He is on his way from Galveston to Dallas and informed us of the conditions on the island. It seems only one Yankee ship is in the bay and commerce continues as before. This was very good news to many as some of the village residents have business concerns in Galveston.

I received many letters from friends in California, Mississippi and Tyler. It seems that mail in California was being held up in San Francisco as the letters I received were somewhat out of order and a mention was made of a box of seeds that I never received. Mrs. Betts in Tyler told us about a slave insurrection in Tyler and the resulting punishments. I also received several swatches of fabrics that were available in California at very reasonable prices.

Mr. Nix and I then took a stroll around the village to ensure all had a pleasant night and all was as it should be. First we visited the seamstress shop to show the fabric swatches and get their opinions on how they would make up and if I should stock some. Mrs. Frederick was very impressed with the plaid silk. Mrs. McKinney’s daughter, Victoria, was lovely in her new dress and shoes.

Our next stop was at Dr. Rice’s household. Miss Hale was sewing in the hall and Mrs. Rice was making green bean salad for evening meal. Dr. Rice was busy explaining to visitors about Civil War medicine; he truly seemed to be in his element.

We then visited the Lauderdales. There we found Mr. Glover, apparently he is courting Miss Hooper who is staying with the Lauderdales. However, Mr. Glover is staying with the Rices as he is under the doctor’s care for a wound he received at Shiloh. He walked all the way to the Lauderdale farm; I tried to explain to him that Miss Hooper will need a healthy husband and that this activity, especially walking such distances would not benefit him. While at the Lauderdales we heard that Mr. Lauderdale’s man ran off from the farm to which he had been lent. This was not good news as Mr. Lauderdale was also injured at Shiloh and cannot use his arm for at least two months and cannot get a crop in. So not only did he lose the $800 dollars invested in his man but he cannot earn anything from a crop to replace him and support his family. I left the gentlemen to discuss war and business and visited with the ladies in the kitchen. Mrs. Lauderdale was preparing greens and Miss Hooper was getting ready to make bread.  

Our next visited was with Mrs. Brock. We found her churning butter and entertaining several visitors. As we approached the town square we saw the boy scouts had added an inflatable bounce house to their pup tent camp.

Upon our return we decided it was a good time to eat. We had pickled eggs, pickles, bread, sausage, cheese, and lemonade. The rest of the afternoon village residents came to the store to pick up their mail. Mrs. Lauderdale received a telegram. She and Mr. Lauderdale seemed not to know who it was from, but they were coming for a visit and asked Mrs. Lauderdale to ask Mr. Lauderdale to buy a mule on credit. So we are now looking for someone who has a mule they are willing to sell. Mr. Gray also entertained us with his fiddle and Mr. Nix shared some musing of an English woman on Texas and American woman written in 1845. She apparently was not very impressed with American women; she commented on how frequently we travel about town without male company, how frivolous our conversations were and that our dress was loud and mildly distasteful. We had a good laugh at her expense.

As evening approached, the boy scouts left but the adult leaders remained and planned to spend the night at the site.

 Saturday evening we had a community dinner. There was so much food – collard greens, ham, pickled eggs, pickles, cole slaw, fruit cake, cookies, apple pies, corn bread, pound cake, green bean salad, still warm fresh bread, fresh churned butter, tea and lemonade. After dinner we were entertained with period music by Mr. Gray on the fiddle, Mr. Gray’s brother on the guitar and Mr. Lauderdale on the bones. It was a wonderful close to the day.

Sunday is always a laid back day. After dressing I went to the store and waited for Mr. Gray to wake. We decided to close the store for the day at noon and spent the rest of the day lounging on the Rice’s porch.

The event was to last until noon but the site advertised our “show” until 3:00, so quite a few participants stayed until then. However, when we started to bring in our cars at 3:00 to load up the site had issues. Things worked out but it was still a difficult situation.

The event was good and bad. I think everyone enjoyed the event and the opportunity to participate in living history with structures and a village atmosphere. However, the issues we experienced with the site this year were very stressful and I feel the communication from the site was not there. I’m really not sure if they grasped what our event was all about. For these reasons I have decided to not use the site again. There are a few other villages in central Texas that I’m going to scout out and hopefully we will find a new home before planning starts for 1863.

Additional photos can be found at http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy25/netnet81/The%20War%20at%20Home/

Civil War Living History Weekend, Confederate Reunion Grounds

This past weekend I attended the Civil War Living History weekend at the Confederate Reunion Grounds in Mexia Texas. This is the annual fund raiser for the site's friends group. The site is one of the Texas Historical Commission's historic sites so I attend as an employee of the THC.

Since I was participating in the school day on Friday, I arrived in Mexia on Thursday. Every year I have attended I have stayed at the Hamilton House bed and breakfast. I and another staff member were the last bed and breakfast guests for the house. It has been sold and the new owners plan to use the house as a part time residence and will only accept long term renters. Bummed about this as I really enjoyed this house and the innkeepers. This year there were a few long term residents at the house so I was given the third floor attic apartment. This is such a cool space with a front room, kitchenette and bedroom. I could have lived here!

Friday was school day for the area schools. My learning/activity station was on wallpaper envelopes. I made the glue using gelatin and vinegar. A co-worker ordered reproduction wallpaper from Bradbury and Bradbury and cut out the blanks for me.

The site had tables and a fly set up for me, which I shared with another THC employee from Caddo Mounds that demonstrated woodworking.

Another THC employee spoke on cotton and provided a carding activity.

Other learning stations included buffalo soldiers, archeology, camp life, military maneuvers, and animals.

We had a little rain but not enough to cause any big problems. The kids were all gone by 3:00 so I went back to the house and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.

Saturday started early as the site opened up at 9:00 for the public. I again manned the envelope activity station. The day started with a parade to the flag poles to raise the CSA flags and the US flag.





 The rest of the day was spent talking with the public. We also had music throughout the day provided by the Sweet Song String Band, who also provided the music for the ball, and Heritage Brass Band. The Heritage Brass Band also provided accompaniment to the battle on Saturday and Sunday.

Stephanie Hilgert Ford gave a talk during the ladies' tea on Lilly Martin Spencer. The ball on Saturday night is also used by the local homeschoolers as their prom.

I was pretty well done with by evening so I didn't stay long at the ball.

Sunday was casual day for me; I didn't dress in period clothes and visited friends and took pictures. Watched Sunday's battle as I didn't see Saturday's.

So ended the event. More pictures can be found on Photobucket.

Preparations

The next two weekends will find me in the 19th Century. First I'm assisting one of our historic sites, the Confederate Reunion Grounds in Mexia, with their annual Civil War Living History event. I'm going to man a station on wallpaper envelopes. A colleague ordered wallpaper from Bradbury & Bradbury (not sure which one, will get photos at the event) and today I'm making the glue. Friday is the school day, which will be the majority of the envelope activity. Saturday and Sunday, if there are any left, we'll have it available for the public. I picked up little craft brushes to apply the glue and small paint bottles to put the glue. This way we can accommodate several at once. I'll take some rubber cement in case we run out of glue. The envelope blanks will already be cut out.

Since I will be gone next weekend I need to prepare some things for The War at Home event the next weekend. I'm taking on the store and post office. I plan to have some pickled eggs, anti-bilious pills, and writing supplies. As the eggs were boiling I started making the anti-bilious pills.

I found the label online. I had planned to use Mentos, but believe it or not, I couldn't find them at my grocery store. Have they stopped making them? So I used lemon drops instead. I found the paper mache boxes at Hobby Lobby.

I used white craft paper to wrap them, rubber cemented on the label, and used cotton string to tie the wrapping.

Then onto the eggs. The recipe is from Hal Simon.

I only made one jar as Hal is bringing some for the community dinner Saturday night.

 To add to the event some of the participants of the Independence Village event in Illinois have sent letters and a telegram for some of the War at Home participants.

So I purchased some writing items so that partipants can write return letters. The little bottles I bought for ink wells.

I also have postmarks from Vicki Betts. The year is left blank so that it can be used at other events.

Other things I intend to have at the store include jerky and bags I'll fill with beans, rice, flour, and corn meal. I also have some buttons a friend didn't need any more. These might go in the dress makers shop.

I still have to wash and starch petticoats, decide which dresses to take but I'll have half of Wednesday and all of Thursday of each week to pack and pick up the last little things for each event. Busy two weeks.

Clothes for the farm

I am making clothes for use by the volunteers at Pioneer Farms. But starting with the one paid employee, the part time manager. I'm using Laughing Moon's pattern 109.

And using the left over conference fabric.

With these buttons

Once the vest is done, I'll work on trousers, some slat bonnets and then we'll see what next.

CDVs on Zazzle

A moment of self promotion. I've opened a Zazzle store with items highlighted with images from my CDV collection. http://www.zazzle.com/instantancestors. Only a few items there right now from only one of my images, but will have more soon.

Website down

My website is down, or at least all the pages but the front page. Not sure when it will be fixed. Working with hosting company to fix it but little movement since it started going haywire before the weekend. I'll post again when fixed.

This is exasperating as my website is the portal for the event in April at Pioneer Farms. And I have to say part of my ego is tied up in it. So if anyone is needing information usually found on the website, let me know and I'll get it to you.

Back up! Ego back intact :)