Broken Treasures – Accepting What is and Moving On

Broken Treasures – Accepting What is and Moving On

When I arrived home from plant shopping this afternoon my husband met me as I pulled into the garage with a grim look on his face and told me we’d had a disaster that I needed to see. That, at least, calmed my concerns that tragedy had befallen a loved one.  I moved towards the door with trepidation thinking flood, fire or a dead cat hanging from a chandelier.  Instead, I saw that the hand carved teak tableau that had hung above our fireplace had fallen and crushed the treasures displayed on the mantle into shards.

I was numb. Among the shattered treasures was the hand painted plate that the Mayor of the Commune de Castellebate in Italy had presented to us to commemorate our wedding. Not only was the plate a beautiful reminder of our fairytale wedding by the Tyrrhenian Sea, but also it was a constant symbol of our good fortune that made me feel warm whenever I looked at it.

The Thai woodcarving I’d purchased at the night market in Chang Mai around 1990 and hand carried it aboard several airplanes to ensure its safety. I’d found the porcelain Chinese temple guardian of a warrior on a flying horse in an alley in Taipei and spent years ensuring it was always displayed on a safe surface where it would have little likelihood of being knocked over. The treasures that my husband and I display have meaning to at least one of us, because we recall a fond memory of time, place or person associated with each item.

But, my spiritual growth has brought me to a place where I can let go of these precious treasures without wallowing in despair. They are just things.  The incident does not represent an omen of ill fortune.  The broken plate does not mean a broken marriage. Perhaps, the Universe has decided we no longer needed the training wheel of a plate to remind us what we mean to one another. Maybe, it is time to find a beautiful landscape painting to hang over the fireplace; or, it will give us incentive to enlarge one of my spouse’s works or art, frame it and display it in a place or prominence in our home.  Perhaps the loss of items from the past will help me to focus on this moment, on today.

A few years ago I would have been devastated, shed an abundance of tears, called my parents sobbing, and wallowed in self-pity and mourned the loss of these things. Today, I can accept they are just things.  It is the people and other sentient beings in our lives that truly matter. Truly, I am relieved it wasn’t a dead cat handing from a chandelier. 

Unfortunate Civil War Impressions at Chancellorsville, Part II~More Tips for the Challenged Re-enactor of the Female Persuasion!

Unfortunate Civil War Impressions at Chancellorsville, Part II~More Tips for the Challenged Re-enactor of the Female Persuasion!

Make-up is unacceptable unless one is portraying a woman of ill-repute aka “fast “or in modern parlance, a ho’, in a place such as New Orleans.  Reputable ladies do not wear paint.  As an added incentive to eschew paint, please note that makeup skews one’s face in a period photograph.  Rouge and red lipstick will show as black in wet plate collodion photographs. We have scene more than one woman leave our studio horrified at the result, which is not the fault of an innocent camera.

Now, I will address what is usual and customary for a period dress. There are myriad options available. What is not optional is a corset. A properly fitted corset is not uncomfortable. Once I’m laced and dressed for the day I barely recall that I am wearing a corset.  Women of all classes wore corsets.  Many women avoid corsets because they think them uncomfortable. But really, one looks much more attractive in those tight fitting bodices when the “girls” are lifted by one’s corset and the waist cinched a bit. And there are some pretty corsets available to make one feel good all under!

A dress is, in nearly every example for women over 20, a bodice attached to a skirt sewn from the same fabric and pattern. Unless one is a child or wearing a ball gown, an 1860’s dress fastens in the front with buttons or hooks and eyes, has long sleeves and is made from cotton, wool, silk or a blend of these fibers. Look at CDVs, surf the web, or buy Donna Abraham’s books for inspiration.

Here is the link.: http://www.abrahamslady.com/

 Use it!

And please, DO NOT WEAR A SEPARATE WHITE BLOUSE AND COTTON SKIRT!  Look at the photographs. Where was they wore! Help the general public understand they way they were.

Abominations at Chancellorsville Reenactment- Ladies’ Impressions/Hair & Head Coverings

Abominations at Chancellorsville Reenactment- Ladies’ Impressions

I emerged from hibernation this past weekend to attend the Civil War Reenactment of 150^th Anniversary of Chancellorsville, which was held in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.  Apparently, not everybody in the re-enacting world was presented with a copy of my October 8, 2012 entry about striving for authenticity.

For those of you with a friend or acquaintance in need, please feel free to share this blog or the link below:

http://www.ergomymusings.com/2012/10/the-reenacting-community-expecting-at.html

Perhaps we should tackle just one facet of one’s impression at a time. While Elizabeth Stewart Clark rightly suggests one start with the undergarments and work outwards, what assailed my senses this weekend most vividly (other than the pervasive lack of corsets) was the ostentatiously inappropriate head coverings – this encompasses hair and hair-coverings.

With regard to hair, I have a link below, which will take you to a Pinterest site with an abundance of CDVs that show how women of the 1860s actually wore their hair.  http://pinterest.com/ohiomess/cw-era-cdvs-tintypes-photo-images/

Please note the absence of bangs or fringes.  With perhaps one exception where a woman has parted her hair on the side, every CDV shows a woman with her hair parted in the center and pulled to the back into a roll, neatly secured with hairpins. With the exceptions of young girls, there are no sausage rolls or dangling curls, no flowing tresses down the back.  I can assure you that Wal-Mart carries the accouterments one needs to pin down errant bangs and created an appropriate faux period impression. This does not include a “snood” of any color.

Now let us turn to hats. I noted the reenactment was swarming with mutton dressed like lamb – women over 20 sporting little hats with yards of filmy lace or chiffon trailing behind and bouncing about like a horse prancing during dressage.  While we were quite close to the horse country, not a soul was wearing a riding habit, save the cavalry. And since Fredericksburg, Virginia is not close to the sea, wide brimmed straw hats were not appropriate. If one is out and about, the appropriate hair covering is a bonnet. For working impressions a corded or slat sunbonnet is the way to go. For other occasions, a decorated straw or silk covered spoon shaped bonnet is appropriate.  I have links below to a few purveyors of lovely bonnets.

Please remember that everybody who attends a reenactment as a participant has a responsibility to the general public who attend to make an effort to portray the original actors accurately. For me, few things are sadder than seeing a visitor photograph a careless or uninformed re-enactor thinking they are seeing a true representation of the past.  There are original photographs available!!!

Bonnet Resources:

http://www.timelytresses.com/

http://www.bonnets.com/

http://shop.originals-by-kay.com/

http://www.victorianbonnets.com/

Stonewall Jackson & World Fascination with the 150th Commemoration of the American Civil War

Stonewall Jackson & World Fascination with the 150^th Commemoration of the American Civil War

This weekend we will commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the battle of Chancellorsville in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. This battle was critical, among other things, in that the Confederates lost one of their foremost strategists, Stonewall Jackson, a casualty of friendly fire, courtesy of North Carolina troops.

This battle raged from April 30^th to May 6^th 1863 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Robert E. Lee’s army was outnumbered by more than 2 to 1; however, despite the imbalance, the Confederates prevailed. However, the price of victory was ultimately devastating to the South because of its loss of Jackson.

Now, personally, I am not a Jackson fan. I’ve been perplexed that the National Park Service has included a shrine to Jackson as part of the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.  That being said he was a graduate of West Point, a hero of the Mexican War, and a beloved instructor at VMI (Virginia Military Institute). There are Jackson fans the world over, as exemplified by our friend, J.T., from Scotland, who proudly sports a tattoo of Jackson’s head on his calf.  Really, a Scot has Stonewall Jackson tattooed on his leg!

This illustrates the fascination the world continues to have with regard to the American Civil War.  We’ve met people from the U.K., Australia, Finland, France, and Germany who re-enact the American Civil War in their home countries.

With the significant commemorations of the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg this year, we should be cognizant of the fascination this war has presented to the international community. And we must remember, with honor, all of those who fought for what they believed, whether we agree with the positions they took or not.  Always remember time, place, cont

Summer is Nearly Upon Us – Please – No Visible Panty Line with White Pants!

Summer is Nearly Upon Us – Please – No Visible Panty Line with White Pants!

Few things ruin an outfit more flamboyantly than a visible panty line (“VPL”). This is not solely an issue for women. Some of the most flagrant offenders are men wearing colored or patterned boxers with light colored summer trousers or shorts. Take my word for it – this is not a chick magnet.  Really, red boxers under yellow shorts look more unfortunate than one could ever describe!

Offenders of the female persuasion apparently forget to look in that full-length mirror that should be mounted on the closet door before leaving the privacy of the boudoir.  Reasons for the VPL include pants that don’t fit correctly, the wrong style of under garments and inappropriate color.

The best solution for all is a thong in a color closest to one’s skin-tone. I know, some of you think a thong is either uncomfortable, only for the young or unseemly in some other way. But really, if you aren’t willing to try it, I am begging you to reconsider the wisdom of wearing white linen pants. Commando is NOT an option for white linen pants.  For comfort I recommend buying a size larger than your normal panty size, although both Soma and Victoria’s Secret offer several comfortable, no-show styles.

And while I am on my soapbox about under-garments, I am pleading with those of you who prefer to eschew undergarments to resist trying on trousers in retail establishments. I’ve had the unfortunate experience to accompany such a shopper who thought nothing of soiling garments they did not purchase and thought I was hyper critical for mentioning that civilization requires certain courtesies – such as wearing panties to try on pants! Whew! So relieved to have that off my chest!

So let’s recap – select appropriate underwear. Look in the mirror before heading out the door to ensure there is no VPL. And please, do not try on trousers in a store if you are going commando. Really, be considerate.