Things Are Looking Up Dept. - Citizens of the American Colonies Membership Meeting...and a School Presentation on Colonial Life

So far,  March has been a fine month.  Besides the fact that it has come in like a lamb,  with temperatures mostly in the 50s and 60s,  I've had two opportunities to get into my period clothing.

Hopefully this is a good sign of things to come.

Every year around this time I have a period dress meeting held at my house for the Citizens of the American Colonies living history group.  It's a great excuse to get into our reenacting clothing - to make sure everything still fits!   Mine barely does,  I must admit;  time to try to lose my ever-growing belly. 

It's also a fine time for friends who haven't seen each other very much over the past year to visit,  as well as catch up on the latest news in the reenacting world. 

I took a few snapshots during our meeting:

Gee...which house is Ken's? 
Perhaps the one with the historic flags a-waving in the breeze?
Nawww....yes!

Nearly everyone dressed in their 18th century clothing.
You see a mixing of people from the 1700s who time-traveled a hundred years
into the future...and found themselves in a Victorian setting.

My back room is actually sort of split in two to show the two different time periods I reenact:  later 18th century and mid-19th century.

Another mixing of two time periods:
Ben Franklin sitting in the Lincoln Rocker - an actual chair from
 the 1850s made in a similar style to the one Abraham Lincoln
was sitting in when he was assassinated in 1865.

Jackie Schubert and Bob Stark~
After we had our meeting,  we ate a delicious lunch consisting of various treats
and my wife's homemade chicken soup.

A few years back,  young EJ posed with the yoke & buckets,  so we decided to do another.
Unfortunately,  I cannot seem to find the older picture...

EJ's mom,  Jennifer.

Tom prints and puts together period books,  so I asked him if he
would be so kind as to use the linen thread I helped to make at 
the cabin this past January to string my pamphlets,  and he did.

(Click HERE to read of our wintertime colonial excursion on the frontier)

And here is how they look.
Now,  my linen thread is not perfect - I need to work on it.
It'll come in time...but I'm still proud,  especially for a first time.

Here are the members of Citizens of the American Colonies who showed up to
the 2021 meeting.
We are ready and excited about the upcoming reenacting season!

Masks?

I let everyone know that if they wanted to wear a mask,  they certainly were welcome to.  It was their choice.  No shaming either way.

Also in March,  my presentation partner Larissa and I did,  for the first time in over a year,  a historic colonial farm presentation for kids kindergarten through 6th grade at a Montessori school: 

Here are about half of the children we presented to.
And Jesus.  He was there with us as well.
(Actually,  I believe He was - it went so well!)

It felt so good and was so close to normalcy for us AND the kids who,  by the way,  were excellent and very respectful.  

Part of our presentation consists of telling the kids about our 18th century clothing, 
as you see Larissa doing here.

We spoke to the young scholars about what their everyday lives may had been like if they were children in 1771 rather than living here in the 21st century.  The numerous artifacts that were brought along to show included eating utensils,  a trencher,  candles and accessories,  raw wool,  an axe,  quill & ink,  yoke & buckets,  and a few other such items that they may not have seen before.  We also spoke of the chores they would have done and also gave them an opportunity to ask questions as well.

Afterward we were able to have the children get a closer look at the
artifacts and accessories we brought along.

Since our last school presentation,  nearly two years ago,  I have acquired a few more interesting period items that  "made their debut"  here.  For instance,  this was the first time the trencher,  horn spoon,  & horn drinking vessel were brought along.  We found the children,  and even a few of the teachers,  had quite an interest in these historic pieces,  and were the subject of numerous questions.

And a comment from one of the teachers sent afterward:

"We loved the presentation!  The students remembered so much of the information and were discussing it all morning.  I am sending the photos I took.  We will definitely reach out for another presentation next year.  Thank you!  Jennifer"

One of the interesting notes that Larissa pointed out was the building we were in - the main church - was a Congregationalist Church.  She reminded me that the Daggett Family from the late 18th century,  who are the driving spirits behind our colonial farm presentation,  were Congregationalists!

I  thought that was pretty cool.

Who were the Daggetts?

Seriously??

Okay - to learn more about this amazing farm family of the 1760s and 1770s,  click HERE and HERE.

I absolutely love doing historic presenting.  If I could make my living doing this,  I most certainly would.  I really like the fact that my friend Larissa & I do make a great presenting team.  We know how to play off each other...even when one of us changes things up a bit.

Until next time,  see you in time.

~   ~   ~