Friday ~ My Other Life

Some of you may know that my family does Civil War reenacting. I was very not into it when they first began doing it about 7 years ago; I thought it was a "homeschool" thing to do...which I can say, because I was a homeschooler. ;) But after a few years, I got hooked by the fashion of the Civil War period of history and all it's delights. It's been a few years that I've done it and although I'm not a die hard, there is something exciting about living in a soldier's camp, eating over the fire, sleeping in a wall tent, and the swish-swish of your dress as you walk down the road.

 This weekend is the grand finale of the reenacting season, and incidentally, the first one I'll have actually done this year. And so in honor of the weekend:

Ten Things I Like About Civil War Reenacting:

1) Being in the cheerleading squad as I watch my dad and brothers march away to battle

2) getting away from normal life and interacting with people living and dressing like it’s the 1860’s

3) wearing big dresses and petticoats  (although I swore off the corset after one afternoon; it’s NOT romantic like it looks in the movies!)

4) Lying in bed inside of the wall tent at night listening to the sounds of camp life around me

5) waking up to revile

6) talking to spectators and other reenactors about women’s fashion of the 1860’s

7) the smell of gunpowder and rifle smoke and how the haze from the cannons floats across the ground

8) sitting around the campfire with family and friends

9) honoring that time in our country’s history and giving respect to the thousands upon thousands who died. (I know that sounds cheesy, but I really mean it.)

10) And usually be the end of the weekend…packing up and going back to the “real world” with a whole new appreciation for running water, electricity and most of all: jeans. :)

And my all-time favorite reenacting picture...

Me & Dad

"A Message for Suitors"

Next week: pictures of this coming weekend's time-traveling event. :)