"Housekeeping Ain't No Joke"

"Housekeeping ain't no joke" - Hannah from Little Women.

My room is a mess! I can never think straight when my room is so disorganized. There are piles and piles of papers, unfinished projects multiplying like coat hangers and my father is constantly reminding me that my floor has a weight limit in regards to my rather robust book collection. A few times a year I have to have a full purge. The more things I have, the less productive I am. I've always been that way and somehow it still all piles up and collects.

It's no secret that most people acquire more stuff than we can actually enjoy. I know many book lovers who openly admit that they buy more books than they can possibly ever read. Recently, I've been trying to cut down on the books that I have that remain unread. I've put them together on the shelf and have been slowly chipping away at them. I've been much more discretionary on which books are really useful to me right now and been much more honest about how many books I really have room for.

Another big problem spot for me is the clutter caused by unfinished projects. For some reason I always have a long list of projects that I started but quickly lost interest in as time passed. For instance there were dresses I started that I thought I would just love to have but found as time passed, I just wasn't as interested in finishing  or wearing them. I'm still coming to terms with "scraping" projects. I make sure I save parts of the projects that are costly and that I am likely to use in the future and the rest is offered up for the taking.

I no longer feel very bad about this. The materials are normally perfect for someone else's current project and it frees me up for new endeavors. My productivity is still good. I attempt about 20 projects and finish 10. My sister is the exact opposite and works meticulously on one project all year. She makes pretty awesome things out of the pieces of my half-finished projects. I'm really lucky to know a lot of talented people who can make beautiful things out of scraps. I find that if I ever did want to come back to one of these projects, I probably would scrap them anyways as my skills, techniques and ideas would probably have improved. So it's win-win.   

Off to finish cleaning!

Photography and Reenactments

Photography at reenactments has been a hot topic. Is it really right for reenactors to take photos? In our age everyone wants a photo of what they are doing to share with their friends online. 

The minute I can't take photos at reenactments is the minute I pack up and pursue my copious other hobbies. Yes, that's harsh. Hardcores will say sayorara quicker than they can pull a Boxbury Russet out of their haversacks and farbs will be left wondering what the big deal is.

I fully understand the "If they didn't have it, don't use it mentality." I agree to it on almost all accounts. This is one where I feel as 21st century people we deserve to have a little 21st century luxury. Many people feel that reenactors taking photographs are one of the most irksome things in reenacting because it ruins the setting we've created. I agree, but I also think it's a necessary evil. Photos from an event not only document our fun times but also get people interested in what we do.


Most people will argue that you can just get photos from friends or have spectators email you copies. This is fine if you just want to show them to your friends. It is not fine if I want to post them online and it is not fine for people who will be using them for webpages, advertising, and publications. Which is what almost every person does these days.

There's no good solution. If you don't like cameras in camp, the best thing to do is set an example and not bring one yourself. Try doing things the period way: sketch a picture or write a very descriptive letter to your friends and family at home.   If getting some photos truly affects how much you can enjoy a reenactment, by all means, take a few shots.       

Tips for Reenactors:

-Try to take photos at off hours when you know spectators will not be in camp (early in the morning or at night.) This is the hardest for me because if I make a particularly awesome lunch I always want to snap a photo. Which brings me to the next tip.

-Always look around. If you are alone snap a photo quickly and put the camera back in your tent. 

- Settle with a few photos and don't be upset when you don't get those action battle shots. I think you can capture a day in 5 shots or less. Save the rest for after hours. If you feel that you absolutely want battle shots, consider dressing like a spectator for an hour or two. 

-Try to use the smallest, unobtrusive camera as possible. Bring the dslr out at night. Take your photo and be done with it. Don't keep it out and don't play with it. Don't show your photos to other until night or when you get home.

-Some people experiment with hidden cameras. This may get easier as cameras get smaller. Izzy at Confessions of a Reenactor has a nice set-up but it involves some acting as modern cameras don't require immediate post processing.

Reenacting photos are really my favorites. If I couldn't take them reenactments really wouldn't be much fun for me. I love sharing my weekends and photos really help. I know my view on this is an unpopular one but I really think having photos adds to the hobby. It's also a way to see how the hobby changes. Remember those farb photos from the 70s and 80s? I'd also prefer this stuff documented by us, not people who don't know what they are photographing or people from that new school of "journalism" who like to take part in events, Halloween costumes and all.

I do have to thank National Geographic for those lovely photos of reenactors standing next to portable toilets and in parking lots. I'm glad the general public "knows" what reenacting is about now.

Happy 4th of July: Questions for my Readers

This in an invitation for all of my readers to get to know each other. If you have a blog or website, you can post the answers there and leave a link in my comments or if you don't you can just post your answers in the comments.













Questions:

1. Websites, blogs and social media can skew our lives and make us look hyper-focused on one aspect of your life. What are some interests/hobbies/ect. that you have that you think your readers/friends might not know about?

2. What have blogs/the internet introduced you to that you never knew about before?

3. What are your top 10 most visited websites?

4. What is your favorite/most bizarre/interesting fact about something in history?

5. If you could wake up tomorrow and have acquired a new skill in your sleep, what would it be and why?

6. If you could spend 1 year in a different time period, which would you choose and why?

7. What are your internet pet-peeves?

8.  What is your newest hobby/interest? Tell us a little about it.

9. If you could invite 3 deceased people to dinner who would it be and what would you talk to them about?

10. If you had to play a character in a movie, who would you play and why?

March to Destiny: The Shippensburg Reenactment 2012

The Shippensburg Reenactment “March to Destiny” is always a lot of fun. Maybe it is because it is a Confederate victory in my home state or maybe it’s because it is civilian and military centered.  Civilians can enjoy a number of lectures, an ice cream social and a ball. Not to mention that you can be chauffeured into town in a wagon or carriage. 

This weekend was hot but not to the extent that we couldn’t enjoy ourselves. We didn’t attend any of the lectures as we have in past years and instead wandered the town together, and read in the shade of the trees. It was a very relaxing event. No drills, short battles and the townspeople really support the weekend when time-travelers take over.

From The New York Herald, 1863

For those of your not familiar, Shippensburg is a small town in PA that was occupied by Confederates on the way to Gettysburg. The town retains much of its 1860s appearance, albeit with modern establishments. One such building containing a hardware store, opened its doors in 1858. In modern times, the store is called Pague & Fegan but it was originally called McPherson & Cox  Hardware Store. The building itself was looted by Confederates in June of 1863 but McPherson reportedly hid his most expensive assets in the walls and wallpapered them over, preserving a portion of his livelihood.   

The town has many stories of the raids. In his report to Colonel R. H. Chilton, Lieutenant-General R.S. Ewell simply stated "At Carlisle, Chambersburg, and Shippensburg, requisitions were made for supplies, and the shops were searched, many valuable stores being secured. At Chambersburg, a train was loaded with ordnance and medical stores and sent back. Near 3,000 head of cattle were collected and sent back by my corps, and my chief commissary of subsistence, Major [W. J.] Hawks, notified Colonel [R. G.] Cole of the location of 5,000 barrels of flour along the route traveled by the command." 

Forgive the Lack of Posts...