The Library, Pickled Pigs Feet and the Scorching Heat of Hades, women in the civil war,

Today was library day. I spent 3 hours going through books to see if I could find any references to the Company Laundress. I didn't. Well, I suppose I did find the word, once. It was a reference to low class hospital workers. Other than that -nada!
I was just going to scan the pages, looking for a few keywords in hopes of finding some kind of information however small.

I can't say it was a waste of time as I found myself reading instead of scanning. I ended up checking out 4 of the 6 books I'd sat down with. There's one book I just couldn't part with, Sunday Mercury - Writing and Fighting the Civil War. Soldier Correspondence to the New York Sunday Mercury. What a good book! Although, so far, I haven't found laundress info, the book is interesting and a really great way to to get a glimpse of what was in the guys heads. I never knew they thought of the sutlers as blood sucking vampires and pretty passionately too! I couldn't put it down so I checked it out so I could go back and read the pages I'd merely scanned. The other 3 I haven't started reading yet. I found out the library is going to do a four month to-do on the Civil War starting in March. The kind lady that assisted me with my search took my name and number just in case there was something I could be involved with in the future. I hope there is.

In one of my recent antique shop treks I bought a "Mrs Potts" style sad iron. You know, the ones with the detachable wooden handle. Too bad I can't use them at reenactments. It wasn't patented until the 1870s. I wonder if they were available before the patent date. I'd love to use them. My old and antique laundry equipment collection grows! Tomorrow is D-Day. I'm going to get up-close and personal with my irons.

Also in an antique store I saw a tripod drying rack. Its not period correct as its from the 1920s but I really want it bad! I started reading up on drying methods and found that I have here at home, a few items that I can use. Hooray! I really need drying racks. This past year was so wet that having something to dry laundry in the tent would have been priceless!

I was getting all excited because I finally decided that I wanted to go to antietam 150th reenactment next year. But in classic Mrs. Peters fashion reality rained on my parade. Now, I could be reading this wrong but only A-Frame tents are allowed? I have a hospital tent.

(I think) Its roomy enough for me and my kids and it was the only tent I could afford. I'm thinking I can't use it. I'm going to have to get clarification on that. I'd really like to do one of the anniversary reenactments. I guess any large one would do, maybe Gettysburg if someone else in the unit was going. Let me rephrase that; I'd really like to do one of the anniversary reenactments. I guess any large one would do, any large one whose climate isn't that of the scorching heat of Hades and have large animals dying from said intolerable heat. Yes, I'm a wimp.

I'm also gathering recipes to make in camp next year. I want quick and easy, yet period correct. My mom is a wealth of information...and a wealth of weirdness. She likes pickled pigs feet. I love my mom so much. She's the greatest mom on the planet but for me that is so wrong on so many levels. Luckily she has never greeted me at the door with a big plate full. Geez, which would I choose..pickled pigs feet or the scorching heat of Hades? Anyone know how to make smores?