My husband owns an independent record company. He brings bands over to Europe to do heavy metal festivals every summer. He's been going over there for like, the past 10 years and this year, if we can afford it, he would like to bring the entire family with him.
Metal Festivals in Germany
Heavy metal is his thing. I'm into Civil War reenacting and guess what? Not only is heavy metal popular in Germany, but I've recently found out that so is American Civil War reenacting!
German Heritage in the Civil War
I guess its no surprise since there were scores of german immigrants in the war, almost 200,000 I've read. It seems they reenact for similar reasons as we do and they're just as enthusiastic as we are.
Germans love American Civil War Reenacting
Confederates on the Rhine
The South Rises Again
I wonder if they have women and civilians and if the same us against them authentic/progressive/mainstream thing is going on there as here.
Showing posts with label bluing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bluing. Show all posts
Friday, February 10, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
This and That
I started to go through my gear in another effort to lighten up my load. I'm not really finding much to toss that would add any more room. Surprisingly folding my sheets and laundry items actually does create a little more space. I decided until I can actually put the tent up and all my stuff with it, I really can't judge it.
I found quite a bit of sturdy white fabric on a roll at a thrift store. I'm going to try and make some of sort privacy curtains for the inside of the tent. Again something I'll have to do when the weather gets better.
I must dress in the dark and never look in a mirror! My blue dress is dreadfully faded! I don't know why I'm surprised because I'm out in the sun so much but the old thing has been ravaged by the sun! Other than the sun its fine and dandy so I'm going to try to dye it. I really don't have a lot of luck with dyeing stuff. I dyed another dress a year or so ago and the color was great at first but then kind of faded away.
My children got me a chimney iron for Christmas. It looks like this one. I kept telling myself I wasn't going to get another sad iron,
I have 8 1/2 of them already but like the Mrs. Potts style one I bought, its a completely different style and it was a gift from my children so I'm allowing it into the collection as a "must have" as opposed to an over indulgence.
I found quite a bit of sturdy white fabric on a roll at a thrift store. I'm going to try and make some of sort privacy curtains for the inside of the tent. Again something I'll have to do when the weather gets better.
I must dress in the dark and never look in a mirror! My blue dress is dreadfully faded! I don't know why I'm surprised because I'm out in the sun so much but the old thing has been ravaged by the sun! Other than the sun its fine and dandy so I'm going to try to dye it. I really don't have a lot of luck with dyeing stuff. I dyed another dress a year or so ago and the color was great at first but then kind of faded away.
My children got me a chimney iron for Christmas. It looks like this one. I kept telling myself I wasn't going to get another sad iron,
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Research: Laundress Documentation
Okay, I was at a company meeting a few weeks ago and something came up that needed a vote. It would be a vote that only the military would be able to vote on. I raised my hand and said, me too right? Someone automatically responded, "no, you're a civilian." Well of course I argued going through my time worn "I'm the first woman with official status in the US Army" spiel "I get paid by the army. I've got documentation that I'm military." By now,everyone already has a natural reaction to ignore when I'm on a tangent, but one of my beloved company members piped up and said "Hey if you're paid by the Army, it's good enough for me!"
So, what documentation do I have that I'm in the military? Exhibit A is the House of Representatives 49th congress Report No. 204. If laundresses weren't in the military, then why did the house of representatives think they were and spent so much time talking about how they either loved or hated them and then have to vote to discontinue them?
Laundresses in the Army
Yes, its entitled Laundresses in the Army. They were not camp followers, no matter how lousy they they were treated in some cases.
Still not convinced?
Well take a look at this. It is a document containing information of the discharge of Benjamin F. and Catherine Oliphant. This is from the Library of Congress: Laundress discharged
Yes it said laundress/nurse, however, laundresses were called upon to do nursing duties, helping the cook and whatever else was needed at the time. A laundress would do nursing, if needed. Its sad that they ended up a jenny-of-all-trades and weren't given the admiration and respect they deserved. But,the fact is that she was hired in as a laundress and wouldn't get a pension. In most cases, laundresses were from the lower class. Nurses wouldn't call themselves laundresses. You have to remember social class was the know all end all in Victorian society. Notice she went for a pension. I've yet to see if she got it as laundresses with few exceptions didn't get pensions like nurses did. That was 100 shades of wrong. Those women worked their bustles off!
Okay, I'm no expert so if anyone has any corrections, opinions or new information. I'd sure love to see it.
Highest Regards,
Mrs. Peters
So, what documentation do I have that I'm in the military? Exhibit A is the House of Representatives 49th congress Report No. 204. If laundresses weren't in the military, then why did the house of representatives think they were and spent so much time talking about how they either loved or hated them and then have to vote to discontinue them?
Laundresses in the Army
Yes, its entitled Laundresses in the Army. They were not camp followers, no matter how lousy they they were treated in some cases.
Still not convinced?
Well take a look at this. It is a document containing information of the discharge of Benjamin F. and Catherine Oliphant. This is from the Library of Congress: Laundress discharged
Yes it said laundress/nurse, however, laundresses were called upon to do nursing duties, helping the cook and whatever else was needed at the time. A laundress would do nursing, if needed. Its sad that they ended up a jenny-of-all-trades and weren't given the admiration and respect they deserved. But,the fact is that she was hired in as a laundress and wouldn't get a pension. In most cases, laundresses were from the lower class. Nurses wouldn't call themselves laundresses. You have to remember social class was the know all end all in Victorian society. Notice she went for a pension. I've yet to see if she got it as laundresses with few exceptions didn't get pensions like nurses did. That was 100 shades of wrong. Those women worked their bustles off!
Okay, I'm no expert so if anyone has any corrections, opinions or new information. I'd sure love to see it.
Highest Regards,
Mrs. Peters
Monday, November 7, 2011
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?
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.
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?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Motivated
I'm sitting here feeling all proud of myself. I went to bed last night, or should I say morning since it was 3am...and got up Tuesday morning at 7am. Lyle had not roused her lazy butt out of bed to go to school so I woke her up. She was pretty impressive, she got ready in like 10 minutes and was out the door! Anyway, I decided to stay up instead of go back to bed. (I get home from work about 1am) I got so much done!
Monday night I'd started to practice skirt making. I have a pretty blue-green, perhaps one might call it aqua-colored fabric and decided to make a pleated skirt. Now, mind you, I've never made a skirt in my life, let alone pleats but I thought now was as good a time as any to learn! And as surprising as it is, it doesn't seem to be turning out so badly! The only bad thing about it is that the body wearing it belongs to me! I'm not the thinnest or most fit person on the planet. Okay, brass tacks time here, I'm pretty much a blob.
A while back I bought a rebounder and started using it! Every day , mind you! But the strangest thing happened. Every time I exercised, I ended up having a hard time breathing and my chest hurt for a week afterward! I went to my doctor and what he told me really made me feel like I was poster child for the 'biggest-losers-on-the-planet!" I have.......get this and I'm not making it up....exercise induced asthma!!! I kid you not! It exists! I have an inhaler I don't use because I am so tired of 'disorder of the month club', little pissy ailments that I end up getting. If my lungs aren't popping or falling out of my body, no medicine. Forget it!
Omg..total tangent time (TTT) okay, so where was I?. My skirt. I'm shocked at how not so sucky it is for a first try! I was going to show a pic of my maiden voyage but just as quickly decided against it. Why look at my unworthy scraps when there are many women Civil War Reenactors blogging here that can show you incredible masterpieces! I was roaming the blogs and saw an incredible laundress blog called 'The Laundress is In' You want to see a talented person? Check it out. I'm not kidding!
Oh god TTT again... Anyway No, my attempt is not a work of art but neither is it something to be embarrassed about considering I'm winging it! No pattern! I guess its just dabbling. I am, however, serious about making men's drawers and shirts to hang or crumple around Suds Row. I'm going to my Mom's house over the weekend and she's going to show me how to do it. I'm also putting together pin cushions. Why? I have no idea why. I guess its just that they're just so darn pretty.
What I really like doing is making washboards! In fact, I think it was my first blog, I'd mentioned that the little kiddie-poohs liked washboards. So, I'm making washboards that will attach (probably) by rope to a large tub so the future company laundresses and laundrymen can scrub to their heart's content. I think I'm going to ask the parents if my personal photographer (my husband) can take pix to use on my blog. The kids are just so darn cute when they're obsessed for 10 minutes then go away.
Its kinda neat that winter is upon us. Last year I vowed I'd spend the time putting together my impression, experimenting in cooking, mastering the laundress profession and spending time at the library researching. I didn't do any of those things, but this year I'm so motivated for some reason.
Oh wow it's 2am. I'm going to motivate myself right into dreamland.
Goodnight!
Mrs. Peters
Monday night I'd started to practice skirt making. I have a pretty blue-green, perhaps one might call it aqua-colored fabric and decided to make a pleated skirt. Now, mind you, I've never made a skirt in my life, let alone pleats but I thought now was as good a time as any to learn! And as surprising as it is, it doesn't seem to be turning out so badly! The only bad thing about it is that the body wearing it belongs to me! I'm not the thinnest or most fit person on the planet. Okay, brass tacks time here, I'm pretty much a blob.
A while back I bought a rebounder and started using it! Every day , mind you! But the strangest thing happened. Every time I exercised, I ended up having a hard time breathing and my chest hurt for a week afterward! I went to my doctor and what he told me really made me feel like I was poster child for the 'biggest-losers-on-the-planet!" I have.......get this and I'm not making it up....exercise induced asthma!!! I kid you not! It exists! I have an inhaler I don't use because I am so tired of 'disorder of the month club', little pissy ailments that I end up getting. If my lungs aren't popping or falling out of my body, no medicine. Forget it!
Omg..total tangent time (TTT) okay, so where was I?. My skirt. I'm shocked at how not so sucky it is for a first try! I was going to show a pic of my maiden voyage but just as quickly decided against it. Why look at my unworthy scraps when there are many women Civil War Reenactors blogging here that can show you incredible masterpieces! I was roaming the blogs and saw an incredible laundress blog called 'The Laundress is In' You want to see a talented person? Check it out. I'm not kidding!
Oh god TTT again... Anyway No, my attempt is not a work of art but neither is it something to be embarrassed about considering I'm winging it! No pattern! I guess its just dabbling. I am, however, serious about making men's drawers and shirts to hang or crumple around Suds Row. I'm going to my Mom's house over the weekend and she's going to show me how to do it. I'm also putting together pin cushions. Why? I have no idea why. I guess its just that they're just so darn pretty.
What I really like doing is making washboards! In fact, I think it was my first blog, I'd mentioned that the little kiddie-poohs liked washboards. So, I'm making washboards that will attach (probably) by rope to a large tub so the future company laundresses and laundrymen can scrub to their heart's content. I think I'm going to ask the parents if my personal photographer (my husband) can take pix to use on my blog. The kids are just so darn cute when they're obsessed for 10 minutes then go away.
Its kinda neat that winter is upon us. Last year I vowed I'd spend the time putting together my impression, experimenting in cooking, mastering the laundress profession and spending time at the library researching. I didn't do any of those things, but this year I'm so motivated for some reason.
Oh wow it's 2am. I'm going to motivate myself right into dreamland.
Goodnight!
Mrs. Peters
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