And so, this past weekend we took the boys to a pow-wow and they were beyond delighted with discovering so many amazing things about their ancestors. The colors, the rituals, the honor, the music that seemed to swell out of the very earth itself, the dancing in the dusk beneath a sky clearing of storm clouds.
We have taken the boys to this pow wow before, but as they were all babies at the time they had no recollection of past visits. We have not gone for the past three years. I joked with David that every time we go to the pow wow, I am pregnant. It just seems to work out that way.
We met up with some friends there and had a pleasant time enjoying their company. Steward Blake offered to buy all the children a face painting session but the only one who took him up on the offer was David, who had his hand painted with a dragon. In this picture, you can see how very cautious he was of the painted hand. He held that hand out in perfect proper flatness so he would not damage the paint job.
Blake and Becky share a kiss before the storm.
With the inevitable rain, we left the grounds for a little while to take shelter in the pavilion of a nearby park.
The torrential downpour did not last long, however, and when the rain lightened and finally ceased we ventured out and the boys ran and played and laughed, having their own adventures.
We headed back to the pow wow in the evening and were just in time for the Grand Entrance. As we stood and watched the dancers, carrying flags, solemn and quiet, I could not help but blink back tears that started furiously to my eyes.
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Bit by bit they were eliminated and forced into tiny reservations. Their children were taken and forced from an early age to adopt "Christian" names and were educated according to government standards. Those that did not comply were killed, or assimilated into white culture (like many of the Cherokee) and lived as white people. These circumstances were not random or contained - it was the systematic killing of a culture by our government. Even today, this still goes on. Just a few months ago I read about a native girl who was suspended from school after talking in her own language to a friend instead of using English. And yet! The remnant still carries on. They survive. They share with us.
I am proud my boys can claim ties to this culture. I want them to grow up to understand the truth about what happened. It is not all "cowboys and Indians". There is so much more to it than that, and a deeper truth beneath the perverted Hollywoodization of the Native culture.
David was also very proud when David and Malachi, unable to sit still any longer, jumped up and danced their way into the circle.
Judah, always shy, hung back. But maybe next year! ;)
Love,
Sarah
Speaking of our garden, our plants seem to now be established enough to take a picture of. So, here is our little plot of earth:
We do not have everything planted yet that we want to plant. The reason? Rain. Abundances of rain. It has been too wet to plant much lately so that is why my green beans and squash are not yet in. Beyond that, we do have sweet corn, two varities of potatoes, peas (which did not all come up) :( tomatoes (Davids passion), peppers, broccoli, onions and cantaloupe. In another spot, we have pumpkins. I also have sunflowers in various spots coming up and doing very well and in the front flower beds I have seven varieties of herbs. Already harvested was our spring crop of lettuce and radishes. We will plant those again in the fall. Our gardening endeavors are not huge, but for us this is the biggest garden venture we've mutally shared. David already has plans for expanding the garden next year and he desires to get some grape vines, raspberry plants and strawberry plants. If he had his way, we'd have no yard left because everything would be taken up for planting! :) 
So many memories rushed upon me as we walked these dear, familiar trails! This spot was one my father often took my siblings and I to when we were younger. I would imagine that he still takes my younger siblings there as he did when I was still at home. I felt as though the Sarah's of the past were next to every tree, in the shadows of the hills and fallen logs. I could almost hear my brother Jacob's voice as we passed places so full of pleasant times past. How often we pretended we were Civil War-era sharpshooters on those hills! How we ran ahead of the others and hid ourselves in the brush, waiting for them to pass by. :) Those times were really not so long ago at all. 
This time, my own little ones were wide eyed and wondering. They saw a blue bird, squirrels, wild turkeys and many daddy long-legs. They begged to climb up the hills and go down them. The big boys walked on ahead and I tagged along behind with Malachi, who stopped every few feet to scratch in the gravel with a stick.
How sobering to think that this time of life will go by so fast. What happens today will be our memories for tomorrow. That thought makes me pause often and reflect on how I spend my time and what I say and do - I want my family to have pleasant memories, not sorrowful or painful or bitter ones. I am so thankful to my father for giving me the memories of past trips to this Wildlife Sanctuary. Times when he could have been getting something done at home, but he decided that his family was more important and chores and to-do lists could wait. Would, in future years, we really care if a menial household task was done on a speficic certain day? Would we remember? Or would we remember better times spent as a family enjoying the beauty of nature?
Well I'm off to fix breakfast. I was awake much of last night due to violent storms surging through the area and it always seems that if I am awake at night, I am absolutely starving the next morning. At least the storms have cooled off this area. Everything is wet, but the air is crisp and clean.
One area that officer sack coats differ from enlisted issue sack coats is in length. Regular sack coats had just 4 buttons and officer coats boasted 5 buttons and extra length. They could also include details not found on enlisted sack coats like extra pockets, different collar styles and could closely resemble civilian wear of the day. Officers did not have their clothing issued to them but, from what David tells me and what I have read, were issued a clothing allowance with which to purchase their different uniform parts. Thus, a LOT of variation can be found in extant original officer uniforms since they were made by personal tailors and could include variations based on the desires of the officer in question. David personally likes to stick pretty closely to regulations but this was not always the case in the period. 
David's coat is made from dark blue wool flannel from Wambaugh and White and his trousers made from dark blue kersey from the same company. The body is lined with black cotton sateen and the sleeves with white pima cotton. The buttonholes were done with silk twist from B. Black and Sons. The pattern was Charlie Childs federal fatigue blouse pattern, altered for length. I also had to make some adjustments at the side seams and shoulders and neckline to fit David's particular figure. He wanted six pockets so he has two inner pockets sewed into the lining and four outer pockets. 
I am pretty happy with how it came out although, as always, there is room for improvement. David did complain less about this particular coat than he has about previous coats. His only gripes were the gathers in the sleeves (he likened them to the wide puffy sleeves popular in the 1980's, even though many pictures of original coats depict light gathers or easing in the sleeve heads) and the pockets, the edges of which to don't remain together when the coat is worn. (although the pictures of the original coat I was copying a lot of details off of had slumpy pockets too!)
I made most of the trousers early this spring. But uniform making duties forced me to postpone finishing them. They hung in the closet for months. I finally pulled them out and finished them a few weeks ago. I made the waistcoat last week, after the green corderoy disaster. This time I made sure to cut an ample seam allowance and the finished vest fits David quite nicely. It has 3 welt pockets, a notch collar and buttons up the front with seven covered buttons. David wore the set for the first time to church yesterday for our beginning of Advent service. He requested a red necktie to go with his outfit and looked, I thought, very festive. 
I was able to get my dress finished up on Saturday. I do like it very much although I am not completely happy with how the sleeves came out. I wish I had gathered the pouf to a point lower on the arm to get less of a mushroom effect. However, as Mr. Darcy said in his letter to Elizabeth, "It is done, however, and it was done for the best." Also to keep in the mood of Austen, here is a picture of the dress in front of a "prettyish kind of a little wilderness", where we plan on tilling up ground for our garden when spring comes. 
I don't usually wear a cap. I only wear one when the mood strikes. Here is a capless photo, though a tad risque - dear me, you can see my bare leg! - complete with this beautiful set of ultra-modern Fuzzy Snowflake Socks with White PomPoms. Don't they look wonderful with my repro mid-19th century boots? I didn't mean for this photo to be so alarming, I promise. It was the fault of the stiff breeze. Now you can see all my farby sinfulness!
Here is a back view. I was appalled when I saw this photo - "David, is my rear end really that big?!" Thankfully big bums were "in" for most of the 19th century. In those times, looking like a woman with natural womanly features was desired and encouraged. Alas. How times have changed. But David was kind enough to tell me that it was my fluffy skirts and petticoats that gave the illusion of a bigger behind. 
I need to add a few more hooks along the wrist placket since the placket kept folding open yesterday, but other than that I think this will be a very serviceable house dress. 
Oh and yes - David has decided to grow side whiskers! I have become reconciled to the thought of a beardless husband. His look has grown upon me and I do like this new style very much. He looks rather like I imagine Col. Brandon when I think of him in my mind. David is becoming ever more interested in pre-CW times and, I think, it shall not be long ere he joins me in the 1820's and 1830's. He is currently afflicted with great passion for the 1840's and his next set of civilian attire is to hail from then. 
Love,
It was, he said, my fault. I cut his hair for him last Saturday and he asked me to trim his beard. Once I was done he said that his beard appeared to be shorter on one side than the other. I looked. It was indeed a little shorter. About 1/16" shorter. So, he surmised, the only possible thing for him to do was to shave it all off and start over with it. 
I begged. I pleaded. I got on my knees. I really did. It was of no use. The bathroom door was firmly shut and a few moments later I heard the sounds of scissors; the sound of David's beard being butchered. A half hour later he reappeared and the bathroom floor was littered with hair. 
I wouldn't kiss him for a long time. I had to get used to it. I felt that I had a different man in place of my husband. I am now finally starting to get used to it but his beard is already starting to come back in a stubbly, prickly shadow. 
Little David now checks his chin every day to see if he is getting a beard, himself.
Stays and Petticoat: 
Outer Gown: (don't you love his expression here? 8 months old and already working on "the look" :) ) 
Soft Shoes: These were made by tracing around his foot to get the right size for the sole and then squaring off the shape a bit. The top is just one piece with the straps cut out from the top portion. I tried to felt some leftover wool broadcloth to use although it came out a bit fuzzy. The embroidery is a motif taken from an original pattern for baby shoes and is done in pale lilac. 
Pinafore and Cap: Here Malachi wonders if a leaf tastes good.
In the mouth! Ymmm. Crunchy.
I am in love with this cap! Mrs. G. kindly sent me a copy of the pattern she used for her own baby caps and I sized it up a tad to fit Malachi. I love how warm and cozy it is.
This one is made from white cotton. I whipped some lace around the face edge for a bit of prettiness. 
And on the Hay-Rack:
And with Daddy. David made a silly face. Sometimes it is harder to get him to seriously smile than it is to get the children to smile!
And finally, here is David in his totally finished field frock. Yeah! I'm so glad I'm done with this coat! I won't bore you with lots of pictures since it is basically the same as his dress frock but with shoulder boards instead of epaulettes on the shoulders. He is wearing it here with his rejected vest, which I fixed for the time being with a patch over the vent. I love all the buttons. . .I must confess, I do like a man in many buttons. 