New Laptop!!!!

So, as the title might suggest, my Christmas present from Greg is a beautiful, shiny, new laptop...with a webcam and undoubtedly lots of other magic I have yet to find! If I can figure out how to make a myself look anything other than really tired on a webcam, I might consider video blogs now and then, but it remains to be seen.

Busted Computer Blues

My computer died last week. It was sudden and rather unexpected. I was working on it downstairs in the family room, turned it off, brought it upstairs, and boom, it was dead. Fortunately, my fiance, Greg (yay, he is allowed to be himself online now!) had an extra laptop lying around and I have computer access again.

Everything is Coming Up Roses!

I hope, Readers, my absence of blogging did not cause you to fear the worst for Banjo. He is doing ever so much better! That is just the tip of my good news iceberg. I'm really quite busy and am about to head out the door, so I will sum up all the good news with a Photo Blog!

Update on the Chaos

Take some consolation in my absence readers, my Nanowrimo count is still a lovely zero. In addition to all the craziness I had been dealing with, my baby, Banjo has been having some severe medical issues. The poor guy had been losing weight (he's been skinny ever since we found him as a stray last March, but it's ridiculous now) and lately has been pacing, drooling, staggering about walking into walls, and being completely unresponsive to us.

History Teachers on YouTube

Things have been a bit crazy these past (and upcoming) few weeks, so expect a few quicker blogs during the next few weeks. A few weeks back while I was finding videos for the Ten Historically Accurate Songs blog on YouTube, I came across this creative genius's page.

Ten Historically Accurate Songs

I am a big, big fan of ballads. Not surprisingly, a fair number of ballads are written about historic events and historical people. You may have noticed that I sometimes pepper my posts with links to such songs including "Maryland, My Maryland" and "Comanche the Brave Horse". Today, I bring you ten of the most historically accurate songs about historic events. As always, there is no particular order to the list and videos have been provided for your toetapping (occassionally) convenience.

Crunch Time to Cedar Creek

I am super excited to be getting ready for the 147th Cedar Creek Reenactment in Middletown, Virginia this week. I have not participated in this event since 2006 and it is my absolute favorite reenactment. Originally, Boyfriend and I thought he would be working on Friday and, therefore, not getting to the site until way after dark, so I am not preparing food for Friday. As luck would have it, Boyfriend in off, so we will be leaving Jersey on Friday morning and arriving in Virginia in the early afternoon...if we leave as planned.

Columbus Day...A Really Sick Thing to Celebrate.

Interestingly, a group of the Italian-American population are really proud of Columbus and are happy to have parades and what not to celebrate him. I say interestingly because back when wanted to sail to find the evasive (aka, non-existent) North West Passage, they didn't want anything to do with him.

To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

That is the question, indeed. Nearly everything I have read about business and blogging has basically screamed at me to go set up a Twitter. I'm really on the fence about this. On one hand, if everyone is saying a business/blog needs to be on Twitter, there must be some ounce of truth to the matter. On the other hand, I am maxed out on technological outreach.

Artistic License + Impressionable Youth=

Oh, cripes.

Great Animals in History

In honor of my sweet labrador's birthweek, (yes, birthweek...Banjo was a stray and the vet was only able to pinpoint his birth to the first week of October. Coincidently, Banjo was born approximately days after my childhood dog, Cookie, passed away. Yes, we are a match made in heaven.) I bring you a list of some of the most famous and influential animals in history. As always, this list appears in no particular order and for more information, simply click on the animal's name.

A Blog By Bed

You may have noticed, I've been absent from the blogosphere for the past week. It has been a wild, crazy, exhausting, exiting, five hundred mile round trip week. Since I do have so very much to blog about; experiences alone, I'm going to start my catch-up by chronicling my week based on where I've laid my weary head since it hasn't been in the same place twice.

When Packing is Imminent, Blog Instead

If I had started blogging when I was still in college, man, I would have written every day. It is a fantastic way to procrastinate. Since the days of writing term papers are behind me, at least for now...one never knows what the future holds, I have been driven to blog/procrastinate by the empty suitcase, um, still in my closet. If you haven't picked up on the fact: I hate to pack. It's kind of funny when you consider how much I love to travel. As it stands, I did not sleep away from home and/or go out of state in March. One would think packing would be second nature.

DIY Pajama Pant Underdrawers

Who doesn't love a beat to death pair of flannel pajama pants? Personally, I'm an absolute sucker for flannel, so flannel pajama pants are probably the greatest thing ever made. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, right? Well, not anymore!

Introducing the Tuesday Tackle

The economy is bad. If you haven't noticed, please scoot over and let me join you under your rock. However, it is not the worst economy the United States has ever faced. Today, while flipping through the newspaper (gasp, my house still gets one of those!) I came across this article that sent smoke slithering out my ears. The headline, alone, was enough to have me scratching my head and wondering, "WHAT HAPPENED, AMERICA?"

Fall Harvest Flop

There is an unmistakable bite in the breeze recently that means one thing: Fall is coming (that one's for you "Game of Thrones" fans). Although it won't officially be Autumn for nearly another week, the hot summer weather broke a few days ago and this weekend was perfect for jump-starting my favorite season. Fortunately, so I thought, Allaire Village in Farmingdale was hosting a "Fall Harvest Festival" this Sunday. There will be plenty of Fall Festivals, Oktoberfests, Fall Craft Fairs, and the like (that's for you, New Jersey Smith) in the upcoming weeks, but what really strikes Allaire's as different is that it is to be a harvest festival. I enjoy a good craft festival or town festival as much as the next person, but Allaire's festival alluded to history--falsely.

Why I Wish it Were 1911 Instead of 2011

The other day, I, feeling slightly melodramatic, sighed heavily and announced, "I wish we lived a hundred years ago!" Boyfriend (a well-known television/Internet company's newest and, in my humble opinion, best employee), well-used to my dramatic ways, patiently asked why. Not to disappoint, I said, "Because my life would be perfect if it were 1911." Understandably, Boyfriend countered with the well-thought response of "No, it wouldn't." "Actually," I replied, giving semi-logical thought to my statement, "as long as we didn't step foot on the Titanic next year, we would be in pretty good shape."

Hurricane Irene

Well, I have been a bit of an absentee blogger and for once, I'm not remotely sorry or regretful. I have been to Vermont, upstate New York, experienced an earthquake, celebrated the return of New Jersey Smith, and am in the middle of a hurricane. That is quite enough for one week.

Facial Hair of the Civil War

I came across this link on a friend's Facebook page yesterday and I just had to share.

Working through the Muddle

I should start by saying I have absolutely no time to be blogging right now, but I'm going to anyway. I will be heading off to Collingwood Flea Market in a few minutes to go exploring with Phil and Duke. It promises to be an interesting experience. As you have probably picked up from my post earlier this week, I do not like to wait. I'm also not very good at it. While I am trying to refrain from going absolutely insane hoping my dream job will call and/or waiting for a few more days to pass before I can call them, I've been trying to bury myself in projects and other activities. Hence, this next week is going to absolute mayhem...and why I'm going out with Phil and Duke shopping. I'm clearly desperate. While I love both those boys, they aren't exactly who comes to mind as antiquing buddies.

I Made My First Pick Today!!!!

It was so amazing. The only downfall was, I don't actually plan on flipping it. I went to Point Pleasant with Faith today and had a fantastic time. First of all, I have to give a shout out to The Beanery, where we went for lunch/breakfast.I love, love, love this place. First time I went I had the bowl of seasonal fresh fruit...if I lived closer and had disposable income, man would i be skinny, cause I'd eat that every day. I love nothing more than fresh fruit, I could dedicate a blog to it.

A History of Waiting

Did you know the average American will spend six months of his or her life waiting for a red light to turn green? Or, that the average person spends something like five years waiting in line? We live in a fast-paced time. We have cellphones that can do more in five minutes than any form of technology could do one hundred years ago. Yet, find me one person who can wait patiently. Even the best of us are familiar with the ache of wanting something right this very second.

Most Recent Gettysburg Trip Photo Blog

I have been on a roll lately and do not want to lose steam while blogging. Sometimes I get so caught up in my blog, I will get totally sidetracked on the computer and that's the end of progress for the day for me. Since I had such a long entry yesterday, I'm going to to my photo blog for my most recent trip to Gettysburg first, rather than at the end of my writing about it. I have more than made up for my dry-spell in July...already my stats are picking up much faster than July's did. I'm really looking forward to blogging this month!

Faith's First Gettysburg Trip Photo Blog: July 2011 

Mary's Top Ten Favorite Things to do in Gettysburg

This is a special blog that goes out to the "P. Family." They are taking a family vacation to Gettysburg later this month and have asked my (oh, I'll say it) expert opinion. I'm going so far as to say expert opinion as I have been visiting Gettysburg for the past ten years. I attended Gettysburg College my freshman year in 2006 and spent the time I really should have been studying exploring all sorts of nooks and crannies of the town. Since the boyfriend (who doesn't like to be called Teddy and won't just pick another alias because he like to be difficult) and I started dating, we've gone to the 'burg, as locals, college alums, and reenactors call it, at least twice a year.

I Have Caught A Bug...

Not, fortunately, of the sickness variation (at least, not physical health sickness). I am addicted to antique stores and flea markets. Oh, it's terrible. I've already admitted to my obsession with American Pickers, so it should come as no surprise that now that I have participated in a flea market here, I have pretty much gone off the deep end.

150th Manassas Reenactment Photo Blog

As promised, a day late, here is the:

150th Manassas Reenactment Photo Blog

A Review of the 150th First Bull Run/Manassas Reenactment Part 2

First off, let me just say that cleaning my room today was an AWESOME success. I not only cleared my floor space, but under the bed, one closet, and rediscovered a chair. Whoo-hoo! Best of all, my one cup coffee maker is within arm's reach of my bed. Mornings just got brighter!

Moving on from yesterday, Manassas was hot. One fellow who came by to chat told us one of his pard's was a recently returned Iraq War Veteran...he said Fallujah had better weather. I rest my case.

A Review of the 150th First Bull Run/Manassas Reenactment Part 1

This review has three parts. The first is a review of the reenactment as an event. The second part is a review of the reenactment as a participant. The third is a review of the reenactment as a memory making experience.

First and foremost, if you were there or have looked at anything regarding how the event went, you know that is was hot. I don't mean summer time in Virginia hot either, I mean on Friday, the heat index was 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Manassas, Virginia. Saturday was 114. Without the heat index, one car temperature read 110. In all my years of reenacting, I have never been to an event as hot as this one. In all my life, I have never been anywhere as hot as this. By ten in the morning, there wasn't a dry spot let on one's body. My shins were sweating. I didn't even know this was possible.

Recovering from a Reenactment

I don't know about you, but I am one of those people who needs a vacation after a vacation. Teddy, Faith, and I finally got home about 11:00 last night and I hit the bed, not to move again until 9:00 a.m. Today has been spent recovering from the reenactment and pilgrimage to Gettysburg. The first step to recovery is catching up on the sleep. We did sleep while in the hotel, but our bed was not the best and nights we not very restful.

I'm going blog wild!

When I have access to my computer again. Oh my goodness, I have so much to tell you about! See, after we left Manassas a day early due to extreme heat and surprised Faith with her first trip to Gettysburg. We are currently on our way to Bird-In-Hand, PA to visit Kitchen Kettle and Shady Maple Buffet to celebrate Teddy's birthday, which is today! Yay!

Here is a quick and brief rundown of what you have to look forward to:

1)My first vlog: where I look and act utterly ridiculous.
2) Ghosties and history and ghostie relationships.
3) A review of some new places in Gettysburg... New for me at least.
4) A photo blog of the 150th Manassas reenactment.
5) Lore, legend, and my test of them.
...and more. Much much more but I can't remember it all now.

If we return to Jersey at a reasonable hour, I will start writing tonight.

Bound for Dixie!

And I could not be more excited! Teddy, Faith, and I are currently en route to the 150th Manassas reenactment in Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia. We borrowed Teddy's mom's van and we are packed to the max. We have two coolers, three tubs for our clothes and personal gear, another tub for camp and cooking supplies, tent poles, tent, bedding, an air mattress, a cot, three chairs, two suitcases, a duffel bag, three sets of hoops, two wooden crates to hide said coolers, a set of cast iron, a backpack, and two purses.
Over the past two days, I feel like all I have done is pack and unpack my car. It's been exhausting. Yesterday, I went to the New Egypt Flea Market and it was amazing! I had such a great time, I am definitely going back soon. It was super hot and, therefore, pretty slow. I was able to get rid of some stuff and made a little cash. I will be posting a photoblog soon.
I am going to try to post again while we are away, but they will be short as I only have Teddy's iPhone. Stay tuned!

A Load of Bull...

Bull Run that is. Yes, the first "real" event of the sesquicentennial is just around the corner, folks. The 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas) Reenactment is this weekend in Virginia. The majority of Federal Headquarters will be heading down in the next few days, but I won't be leaving Jersey until Thursday night.

Turning Over a New Leaf

It's no secret. I love Bruce Springsteen's music. In my attempt to lose weight (more on that later), I have been taking Banjo for long, long walks in the park. Today, I brought my ipod and fell in love again with the song "All That Heaven Will Allow." This song just personified my life today. Now, before you think that I think I am "all that heaven will allow," the line that really catches me is:

Fleas and Spiders

I have been such a slacker on blogging and I do apologize! On the plus side, I have so much fodder for new blogs, I have to make a list to cover it all! I'm going to keep today's blog on the shorter side because I got a second wind today and don't want to lose it. I just came upstairs from vacuuming the basement. If you are both blessed and cursed to have a basement, you may have had a similar experience as I just did.

Independence Day!

I have been remiss with writing and I do apologize! Being out of work has me scouring job boards and classifieds quite literally around the clock. As I mentioned in my first post I never want to use Mary's Modern Mishaps as a place to just whine about my troubles. However, this whole job search doesn't put me in a mood NOT to whine, so I find myself in a Catch 22. Fortunately, I went to church yesterday and my parish bulletin had a wonderful piece in it that I simply have to repost in honor of Independence Day:

Sayreville Public Library

I had a Women and Fashion Show today at the Sayreville Public Library and it was a lovely time. There was a fairly small crowd, but it was nice because I was able to connect more with the audience this way.Teddy was able to come with me, so I have photos and even a short video which I will hopefully post in the near future.

Some of the highlights were:

Pulling Petals From a Flower

Life is filled with good and bad and I believe there is nothing in life that is one hundred percent great (except maybe that trip to Disney World...) or one hundred percent awful. In my last blog post, I mentioned trying to sort the good parts of my old job from the bad parts. I've been clearing out some old emails and photos (work computers were REALLY bad for a while) that were on my personal laptop and it was an emotional rollercoaster of what I loved about my job vs what I hated. Without further ado, I present:

I'll Miss This v. I WON'T Miss That Photo Blog 

(ala, He loves me, He loves me not.)

Figuring Out What You Want to Do With Your Life: Part Two

I know what you're thinking: How does an unemployed person not find the time to blog daily? Well, there is a long and short answer. The long answer I will save for another post. The short answer is, I have a lot of things I can do now that I am free from an office for the brunt of my week (I need a lot of sleep, so 40 hours of awake time is the brunt of my week).

Figuring Out What You Want to Do With Your Life: Part One

I'm not really sure when I first became a cynic. In fourth grade I had crush on a boy in my class who wanted to play for the NBA. At nine years old, I didn't believe this dream would come true, so when I drew a picture of our wedding...I made him a cop. We fell out of touch (and I out of puppy love) but last I heard, he was playing basketball for a respected team in college. I'm happy he had the faith in his dream to pursue it.

WIth a Memory Like That, He Better Not Forget our Anniversary...

It has been several months since my arm has been twisted into watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy and football season is over, so it is time for me to try something Teddy likes again. I'm currently watching the first episode of Game of Thrones and I have observed something about Teddy's interests: Lineage.

All This Free Time...

What should I do with it??? Well, to be perfectly honest, although I'm not technically unemployed, as I run my business, I have a lot...a lot more time then I have had since I was ohhhh, going into my senior year of high school. I have so many things I've always wanted to do or dreamt of doing "if I had the time" that now that I have it, I barely know where to start!

I Should Probably Be More Upset...

I was laid off this morning. Not, traditionally, the best way to start the day. Naturally, I am concerned about paying my bills and making ends meet and all the possible scenarios of what could go wrong, but as I was given the news...I started to smile. SMILE! Who does that???

American Pickers is My Dream Job

Seriously, it is. I've already mentioned how very much I love travel and history, so combine the two as a money-making endeavor where I get to meet and talk to new people? Ultimate win. If you've never seen it and are mildly interested in history, American Pickers is a fabulous show on the History Channel.

My Wall Patch Blog

I blogged last week about being offered a chance to blog on Wall Patch. I wrote an introductory piece for Mary's Modern Mishaps, but when I really started to think about it, I realized I now had an opportunity to make a difference in the world like I've always wanted to. So, I have decided to write an entirely different blog for Wall Patch about all the charities and "good" things I support. Although I cannot figure out how to title my blog on Wall Patch, or apparently link it to a blogging site I'm more familiar with, I have decided to name it "Leave A Mark."

There, I will write all about different organizations that need help and how YOU as an individual can make a change in the world. I hope you will check it out and leave your mark on the world!

Gypsy Blood

When I was child, my mother would recite a little ditty that supposedly predicted the nature of a child based on the day he or she was born. Reportedly written in 1887 by an unknown author, it goes as follows:

Moving Up in the World

Yesterday, I was invited to blog for Wall Patch. It is going to take a little getting used to...what with being a whole new website to learn to maneuver, but I don't think it's anything I can't handle. Word has it that my readership will jump by 14,000 automatically. Yowza.

I've Been Re-Blogged!

And I am very excited about it!

Happy Memorial Day!

It's been a long day, but I could not skip writing a major thank you to all our service men and women. Without the sacrifice of all our veterans, especially those who never made it home, we would not have the freedome we so often take for granted!

I get so frustrated...

I have been so frustrated lately, I've not been writing. As I stated in my first blog ever, I never want Mary's Modern Mishaps to be a blog where I am whining or venting about this, that, or the other thing. Currently though, I am just at my wit's end. I don't have a very high patience level. In fact, when I was in middle school, I thought archeology would be a really cool field to go into...but then I realized how slow the process is. At twelve, I knew this was not the field for me. If I had been science-oriented, I'd probably work on making microwaves and computers that do stuff fast, but, as I just proved, I am not science oriented, at all.

Aren't You Hot In That?

Um, yes, yes I am. It is 93 degrees out and I am not only in a long sleeved dress, but I also have seven layers on. You are sweating in your shorts and tank top, of course I'm hot! The question you are really trying to ask is: how do you deal with being hot? Or: why have all those clothes on if it's so hot out?

We're Only Normal When We Aknowledge We're Not

Yesterday, well this morning really, I wrote a lengthly and angry response to an article that insulted reenacting. Today, I would like to begin a series of blogs to help the non-reenacting community have a better understanding of the, key word here, AVERAGE Civil War Reenactor. It seems apropos for me to begin with the same advice I gave Teddy and Faith before they attended their respective first events:

A Letter to Glenn W. Lafantasie

I've been talking about writing a retort to this article for a while now, but have had a hard time doing so. You see, I wanted to write an intelligent response, like a lady, but every time I read Dr. Lafantasie's article, it would make me too angry to do so. Finally, more than two weeks after I first read it, I am able to try to get my response out there.

Ahem.

Top Ten Non-History Things I'm Passionate About

Okay, so after a few minor, medical setbacks...I have some catching up to do. First of all, I just have to say WOW about my last post! Civil War at Allaire State Park is my most popular post to date with almost triple the hits the next most popular post. The event was really quite nice...weather was kind of touch and go for a while, but the troops persevered.

Civil War at Allaire State Park

Hooray, I am finally able to get on Blogger again! Let's chalk it up to another modern mishap. Today will be a short post as I have a chance to go to sleep early tonight and do not want to miss it! I have been busy all day setting up an exhibit at Allaire Village for the Civil War Encampment weekend tomorrow and Sunday. You should check it out.

Bedtime Bliss

Today, I bought new sheets. I also went to a seminar at Rutgers University on Email Marketing and networked, so if I have any new readers...hi! Welcome, I enjoyed the seminar and talking with you today. I'm in for the social media seminar they say they will host in a few weeks, are you? The seminar was very nice, today...but email marketing isn't a step that I am quite ready to take yet. Since it was a free seminar and the suggested content of the emails was of value, I felt it was well worth my time. But back to those sheets...

Ghosts vs Zombies

I have been coerced into watching Zombieland. I do not like zombie movies. I do not like movies that take place in the future. So, I choose ghosts every time. Maybe its a future vs past thing or something like that. I suppose it could be something like, hey, if I met a ghost, I would probably try to talk to it. Could there be anything closer to history than talking to a ghost? Zombies not so much. Possibly because zombies never seem to talk.

A Celebration of Mamas (In honor of Mother's Day)

It is pretty popular in the history community to have "what if" scenarios in history. What if Stonewall Jackson lived? What if JFK hadn't been assassinated? What if Columbus had reached India?

A Letter to Wawa Employees/Customers

Dear Employees/Customers of Wawa,

Sometimes, I have to come to work in my period clothes. I am well aware that they look funny to you, but you need to stop staring. If I were wearing a McDonald's uniform or a police officers uniform, you would not do a double take. If you are over the age of 12 and staring with your mouth hanging open, I am forced to believe you have no manners. These clothes are really not that crazy.

My Hair Still Smells Like Bacon...

And I am still very, very tired. It has been three days since we broke camp and i am just starting to recover. I promised some fun pictures and intend to blog more frequently, so here is my:

Neshaminy Reenactment 2011 Photo Blog: Camp Cooking 

Where to begin?!?!?!?

Today’s title has in part to do with talking about this weekend, but moreso the explosion that has occurred in my bedroom.

Okay, so this weekend I have, of course, to fill you in on the absolutely AMAZING time Teddy, Faith, and I had at Neshaminy. Faith and I have pictures galore, including semi-step by step cooking photos and stunning, if we do say so ourselves, self portraits. Prepare yourself for dresses, new bonnets, chopped onions, horses, and battles. Faith will hopefully guest blog as a first time reenactress later this week or early next week.

Cooking for an Army

We've all heard the expression before, but this weekend I'm taking it to a whole new level. After nearly eight years of reenacting, I'm finally establishing myself as camp cook and I LOVE IT! When I was in high school and not really sure what exactly I wanted to do with my life, I gave serious consideration to going to culinary school. I ended up deciding against it because I was afraid I might not like to cook as much as I did for a hobby to make a career out of it.

Make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh!

Last night's blog was too whiny for my taste, so I decided to do two things to fix that. One, I won't blog when I'm ready to pass out for the night anymore and two, for safety's sake, I'm drinking coffee too. People who know me in the real world know that I simply cannot function without my caffeine.

Socia Media: Internet:: Quicksand: Jungle

Today I thought I’d try to find some ways to increase traffic to my blog and website. I googled it. I only understood about eighty percent of what was written in the search results. I’m not bad with computers. I’m really not. I am far from the best with them and I may sometimes get through the day by knowing I will always win with a sledge hammer, but I can usually muddle my way through. I have a pretty good typing speed, make my own advertisements, know my way around Office, and can identify most scams/viruses on the internet before they attack. I have two Facebook profiles: one public

"...And be the Battle Queen of Yore, Maryland, my Maryland" (Baltimore Part 2)

Two things to be said before I continue with my Baltimore Adventures: One, I hope all my readers had a wonderful Easter full of friends and family. Two, I should not make promises I cannot keep…such as, “I promise to write more tomorrow”. However, I wanted to write yesterday, but my computer had a virus, thus making it impossible. Today, I figured out how to remove the virus all by myself. I was most proud to knock technology back down to where it belongs, but I digress. Other good news: today, I booked another show! I’m very, very excited for this one because it is really not too terribly far off and it’s public…so come see me LIVE! June 25^th at the Sayreville Public Library at 2:00. Please tell all your teacher friends so they will book me for their classes next year!

"Avenge the Patriotic Gore that Flecked the Streets of Baltimore..."

Before I begin, please take a moment to acquaint yourself with Maryland's state song, "Maryland, My Maryland." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJcHNCZNj24. Yes, it is the same tune as "O, Christmas Tree."

I was super excited to write this blog because there is SO much to share. Sadly, I'm still super tired, so we'll see how it goes. I might make it a two parter. Originally, I was planning on heading out on Sunday night, but one of my travel companions was coming home from

Quickie before Road Trip

I don’t remember ever seeing a spring as beautiful as this one. This year, the colors seem more vibrant, the trees seem fuller, the rain falls clearer, the birds sing louder, the flowers smell sweeter, and the sun shines brighter. My first reenactment of the year is coming up in two weeks and I am very, very, very excited. I almost feel like a flash back to high school with how excited I am.

When It Rains, It Pours

I have been having quite the week! This morning I woke up feeling yucky, both freezing cold and drenched in sweat…I’m not sure how that even happens. Barely on time to begin with, I turn on my engine and there’s a new light on the dash. Greaaaaaaaaaat. Turns out, I have a screw in my tire.

It's here, it's here, it's here!!!!

Most teenage girls dream of a certain “special” day. For many, maybe even most, it’s her wedding. Others maybe it’s her prom or her first kiss. For me, it was today: April 12, 2011. Today is the official start of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. At 4:30 in the morning on April 12, 1861, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard commanded the men that fired on the U.S. Fort Sumter in South Carolina under the command of Robert Anderson, thus starting the war that would rage for four long and bloody years.

Weekend Workload

I have two consecutive days "off." I use the term loosely because I feel like I have a bigger workload on my days off than my days at my "official" job. Its tough to juggle Mary's Historical Programs, personal life, social life, and love life all at the same time...to cram everything into two days. In the next two days, I have a vet appointment for Banjo, taxes, an invoice to get out, student loans are due, shopping with Teddy's sister, finding my bedroom carpet, and laundry. And that's bare minimum. It is hard, to say the least, to handle what needs to be done, let alone

The Power of the Shower

Today…was not the best of days. Not that was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It just wasn’t so great. It was one of those days when you want to go home put on your fat-pants and eat a pint of ice cream. Alas,

Here we go!

Today, I had my very first show as a business! Teddy came with me and took photos while I presented. This was exceptionally helpful, as my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php) and my website (www.maryshistoricalprograms.com) were seriously lacking in the photograph department. Fortunately, I have rectified this as of about ten minutes ago. Unfortunately, I was not

It is a silly place...

Well, that was a bit of an extended hiatus from blogging, but I swear I have a good excuse. Ready? Ok, on Wednesday I saw Spamalot (AWESOME!) with Sister 1, Teddy, and his brother, who I shall invent a fun name for.  Thursday was my Mama’s birthday, so being the wonderful daughter I am,

Aaaaaaand The Modern Mishaps Begin...

I’m not gonna lie. I was kinda bummed out when I didn’t have any comments on the blog. I know, it was one day, but I’m an impatient sort of person. Of course, while still exploring Blogger and how it works, I discovered that my comment settings were not allowing anyone to post unless they had a Blogger account...or something like that, I think. Regardless, I have adjusted my settings so you may comment without being anything more than a nice and supportive person.  So publically, we are now 1- Modern Technology, 0- Mary. Just as well, privately I’m sure we’re like 12,345- Modern Technology, 12-Mary.  Fortunately, I don’t keep track.

Obviously, I did not receive any suggestions as to what I should write about in today’s blog, so I turned to, my beloved boyfriend, Teddy, for some advice. Which, of course, was excellent, so, of course, I will not follow. Today, that is.  Teddy had some great ideas on what I should write about, but before I start his list (yes, list!), I thought I should cover all bases and explain exactly what living history is.

Living history is essentially a mix of education and the ultimate game of pretend. In my case, I reenact the American Civil War, but there are many, many eras other reenactors and living historians do from the medieval era to the Vietnam War. The difference between living history and reenacting is debatable. In my opinion, the difference lies in why and how you do it. A living historian is portraying life to an audience for an educational purpose. A reenactor is re-creating life during a particular time period for a variety of different reasons. Some are honoring a relative, some simply wish they were born in another time, others, still, enjoy the hobby the same way anyone enjoys a hobby: the activity is fun, your friends are involved, you’ve always been interested in it, etc.  Basically, a reenactor is involved for his or herself, where a living historian is involved for the benefit of the public. Again, this is my opinion of the difference.

Anyway, as I said I both reenact and interpret the American Civil War as a living historian.  When reenacting, I essentially live the same way as a woman from the 1860s. Granted, there weren’t many women in camps during the Civil War unless they were, uh, plying their trade, so my story has always been that I am the niece of one of the officers in my unit. Recently, I’ve taken up responsibility of camp cook. Still a little uncommon, but it DID occur, so it is acceptable.  I dress in all period correct clothing. This includes nineteenth century undergarments including corset, petticoats, pantaloons or drawers, chemise, and underskirts. Yes, it is hot.  As cook for the camp, I use cast iron pots and pans and cook over a fire.  Yes, that’s hot too.

Perhaps surprisingly, I do not sew…yet. It’s on that aforementioned wish list in my About Me. I can hand sew, this Christmas I made Teddy a housewife (or sewing kit) using an original for a model. I was so proud of it. Learning to use a machine is one of my goals to accomplish this year. I am fairly certain I could happily make period clothes for the rest of my life.

There is actually a great deal more to say about living history, but I don’t want to go off on tangents or rambling.  Are there any questions you have regarding living history/reenacting? Or is there anything I’ve mentioned and not explained thoroughly? Please let me know in the newly activated comments!

The Grand Debut

Alright folks, (I’m going to go ahead and be presumptuous and just believe people will read this), as I posted on Facebook, I am starting a blog. To be perfectly frank, I’m not really sure how to blog so this will be new and hopefully interesting/fun/etc. Here’s what I do have: A list of things I do NOT want to do on my blog.

Mary’s Concept of Blog No-No’s

1. I do not want to advertise shamelessly. Yes, this Blog is geared to my business, Mary’s Historical Programs (www.maryshistoricalprograms.com), but who wants to read an ad campaign? Also, how much can I really say about it?

2. Endless rambling. Oh my, if just rambled, I would be such a hypocrite because it drives me NUTS when other people do it.

3. Swear. I’m certainly not perfect, but I do attempt to refrain from swearing as much as possible. I would love to receive comments, but please no profanity!

I did receive a few lovely suggestions via Facebook, but I am certainly open to more. I am fairly certain that there will be a happy balance between me/my opinion and history/living history. And so, you wonderful group of supporters, I turn to you once more. What shall we talk about next time?