Sunday, February 25, 2007

In Honor of Dumas, AR


Apparently Dumas, AR was hit by a tornado at 3 pm this afternoon. Much of the downtown area was destroyed, including several houses. Nobody was killed, although they are reporting some injuries. Our former house was to the North and was likely not damaged. On a more positive note, we've heard that someone finally bought our house and sank some much needed TLC and cash into it. It was a nice house, it just needed some serious rehab.
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Friday, February 23, 2007

Prepping for the Art Show

I'm supposed to be exhibiting some of the dresses I've made at an art show. I need to brush out the heavy wool jacket, and I only have one dressmaker's dummy upon which to display a dress. One of the dresses doesn't fit me anymore; after two babies my bust will never be small enough to fit in it again, and the last time I had it dry-cleaned to remove some Mt. Dew a visitor spilled on me, it shrank in length. I'm not sure how or why it did that. Anyway, I think I'll donate the dress to one of the historical sites it was created to be worn at. I also have a skirt that goes to a bustle gown, but never finished the bodice. You see, I got pregnant with Sam while I was making the gown, and obviously my measurements were changing, and wearing a corset was rather out of the picture. Now my poor corset has been abused because I am just a completely different set of measurements. So while I could easily wear the bustle gown skirt, I don't have a bodice to wear with it. Modern shirts just don't go all that well with historical garments. So now I'm debating on what dress gets to lay on a table, and which one goes on the dummy. Both dresses need a form to be properly shown off. One gown needs a hoop skirt, which I have, and the other a bustle pad, which I also have. Neither are overly impressive when on a hanger or laying flat.

I was also planning on showing off my silly little fabric balls because everyone here seems to think they are so cool. Well, they are cool, and rather easy to make. There's just one problem - I said I'd have kits including pattern pieces and directions to make your own patterns and balls. Here's the problem: I hurt my hand. I'm not sure how, but I am currently a one-handed typist and using the mouse with my left hand. I can't find my rotary cutter (either of them) and I misplaced my sewer's glove. I'm sure it's with my rotary cutter. So I bought a new rotary cutter the other day in Alpine, but my hand isn't in good enough shape to use it. I put a lot of my sewing stuff into a closet at Christmas without a care as to where it ended up, and now I'm paying the price. I've emptied three closes, climbed bookcases and other tall objects to look for some missing sewing stuff. It's just gone for now.

I think I'll take Awyn to the Art show dressed in Sam's Rev War era baby dress that I altered for last summer's Solstice celebration.

We've been looking at all our living history stuff, and I think we're going to try to find most of it new homes as we just don't participate anymore. For anything local, like at Ft. Davis, I'd have to make all new clothing anyway. I think it would be nice if the better of my dresses and things get some good use at the places they are most appropriate for. Oh, I have a few I wouldn't donate, mostly because they are beginner's efforts and I can pick them to pieces if I am being at all picky about historically correct. I'm not such a stickler anymore, but there are certain standards I won't sink below, like polyester. I've had people ask me why I don't sell these dresses, or make them for other people to sell. Ack, that sounds hideous. I enjoy sewing, but if I made it into a business, well, I'd be miserable. It wouldn't be a hobby anymore, it would be a chore. Besides, I'd be very expensive.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Kayaks headed up the Rio


These two kayaks, the little orange dots in my picture, are headed up the Rio Grande on what's called a boomerang trip. They paddle upstream to Fern canyon and then float or paddle back down. This makes for a nice day trip on the water. Most of the time floating Santa Elena canyon from the put-in at Lajitas takes two days - one day just to reach the entrance to the canyon, and the next for the canyon. I thought you might like to see this beautiful picture. The mountains in the background are the Chisos, the opposite side from where we live. Most of this picture is in the US, but a corner of Mexico creeps in.
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Snack mix

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Eating a snack


A really nice visitor gave Sam a little snack package, and he shared with Awyn. He sat right down on a rock and had a nice little break from our hike.
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More Awyn

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Awyn

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Echoes again


I couldn't decide whether I liked this picture cropped or intact, so you get it both ways here.
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Making Echoes


Sam and I are sitting on a rock on the Rio Grande clapping and listening to the echoes bounce off the walls of Santa Elena canyon.
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Pirate Awyn


Awyn is dressed for success! Actually, we were headed out to Santa Elena canyon. She has developed a love of 'fissies', or goldfish crackers. Awyn really likes to take my bandanas and wear them as hats.
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Video Girl


Awyn loves to go through the videos we have in the cabinet. She doesn't really want to watch them; mostly she just wants to play with the cases. Normally this cabinet remains locked.
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Bubble Wrap fun

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Thursday, February 15, 2007

Happy Valentine's Day!


Sam and Awyn enjoyed their Valentine's Day cards. Sam learned to open them, and would read them, "See, the bear hug." and "Look, I love you!" He had to put his heart stickers on his card. He also got some play-doh toys from Grandma, and thinks they are really cool. Awyn was mostly interested in the stuffed toys and the candy, but she did read her cards because she likes to mimic Sam.
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Awyn put her stickers on her hands.
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Spring Bloom?


There were quite a few of these flowers blooming along the river road, but no blue bonnets yet.
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A Castle!


Sam loved exploring the Mariscal Mine. We had a time keeping him away from the bricks from the old kiln. They burned/heated the cinnabar ore to extract the quicksilver (mercury) in it. This building wasn't the oven. I think it was one of the offices, but I don't know much about it. Maybe Eric will correct me later after he reads this and I'll update it.
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C'mon Mama!


Sam wanted me to hurry so he could get to the 'castle'.
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Bloomin' Yucca


This was along the River Road on the way to Mariscal Mine.
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Powdered Donuts


Yikes, the ultimate in no-no food went down a real treat. Both kids really liked these donuts and their hot cocoa for breakfast. I also made turkey bacon. I hope you can appreciate the irony of this meal.
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Headed back to Camp

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Rocks

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Pine Canyon Road

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