My Week

Wednesday I went to a brown bag lunch lecture at the Illinois State Museum archives.  I told a lady next to me about my presentation on Saturday for "Spirits of the Civil War".  She then asked if I was an actress.  I said no.  "I'm a Certified Interpretive Guide".  She smiled and understood the message that I had to convey was a story.  I now see that this credibility this means.

I've been trying to make a lace cap.  The hardest part is finding the right stuff to make it with.  The hunt took the longest. 

Here is the finished product.  I have enough to make another.  I may even want to make another in ecru shade.  I have a lot of off-white that I found too.  Stuff that I picked up and looked white until I match it with the lace.  That won't work.  You won't believe that the center lace was from lace panties (who likes lace panties anyway?).  Outer lace was a lace scarf.  I bought the white finishing trim.  I had the purple ribbon.  I then sewed in clips I got at Hobby Lobby.

That's obviously on the back of a teddy bear.

Friday I had lunch at Incredibly Delicious.  I gave tours at the Old State Capitol afterward.  There was a naturalization ceremony at the Old State Capitol at 2PM. So I went upstairs to check it out and met a couple that sits near me in church. She is Anita from Venezuela and became a citizen today. Her husband, Felix became a citizen last year. Sister Veronica also became a citizen. She said she hadn't had lunch and didn't think she could hold it till the reception after. I took them to the break room and showed them the broken cookies they could have.

I gave a tour to a group here for a Navy reunion. They were scheduled for 2PM (same time as the Naturalization ceremony). I got a call at the desk that the group was running about a 1/2 hour behind. That was good for me so I wouldn't walk over the Naturalization ceremony. However, it made them late for the Lincoln Home afterward so I only gave them the tour of the 1st floor. I told them they could see the top tomorrow but that I wouldn't be there. Their guide came back after the Lincoln Home to thank me.

Saturday I was without internet but didn't have time (nor patience) to deal with Comcast's automated phone line.  I had to have my router pinged and couldn't get through to Comcast.  Restarting the power 5 times did nothing.  I called Comcast and get to the refresh signal and then says, cannot complete your call. Please hang up and dial again (and again, and again, etc). Then loops and happened again 3 times.  I called Sunday morning and instead chose option one for cable TV to connect me over to Internet side and spoke with a real person (with an accent of course).  It worked.

Saturday was my 98th birthday (see profile's birth year of 1916).    I got ready for my presentation as Belle Reynolds as part of the "Spirits of the Civil War" with a stop at Arbys for my Birthday Shake.  I tried their new crème brulee custard shake that I got with a coupon from my email.  Since "Spirits of the Civil War" didn't start until 1PM and Poncho Villa Reenactment at the Illinois State military museum started at 10AM, I went to see that exhibit first. The weather was perfect.  The rain brought a soothing cool front in from the rain the day before.  The acorns from the tree were falling onto the little presentation stage.

Here is the stage with my props and the 114th Illinois Regiment is in the background.  Speaking of
"Spirits of the Civil War", the flag poll's weights pulled the flag down to half mast at least 3 times and a staff member had to crank it back up again.  Really strange.  Must have been the "spirits".

I had a few ladies talk to me after.  The only thing I'd change is that I have to pictures of Belle and one frame.  Her old age photo and an 1870s picture behind it in the same frame.  I had her old photo in the frame and someone thought it was a picture of a man.
Here is a link to my script.

http://ivetret.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-portrayal-of-mrs-major-belle.html

 In the evening, I made a quick turnaround out of my period dress so I could have a birthday dinner with my sons.  Alan is having car problems so he proposed that Sean drive up there and get him and bring him back.  That would have been 2 round trips (he had the repair done Monday).  I proposed we eat up there.  Alan found a nice restaurant called Granite City Brewery.  They gave me a free desert.  Notice they gave me spoons to share because it was Sooooo rich.  I know it was expensive and my son paid.  I will never forget this.

I got a pellet gun from my sons to shoot that racoon.  I got a salt rock lamp, book and chocolates.   I got a canvas sack from my sister  and a motorcycle pillow with the famous psychiatrist quote from my sister.  Lots and lots of cards.  Thanks everyone for the wishes.

I fixed some homemade Spanish Rice because I had to use the volume of tomatoes from the garden. 

I added some Venison Garlic Smoked sausage the my son gave me.  I added a jar of sweet peppers that was in my refrigerator.  Not bad.  Just needed more pepper and garlic.

Sunday I would have liked to attend a PGR flag line for the 911 run and a Pow Wow in Litchfield. I felt it more important to go to church and settle my internet problems.  Fate would have it but I met Frank Clark at Church. He told me many nice things about me by our American Legion Post Service officer.  I told him that sometimes I feel a little outside because there are so many folks that click together from the guard and us active duty folks scatter to the wind.  He said I shouldn't feel that way and I agree but that it's sort of like the right and left side of the brain thing.  You "see" and "feel" differently than strength allows.   Well, I told him that he should join the American Legion  mainly because, as a Patriot Guard Rider, I've seen veterans funerals that were "unloved".  When you read their obituary, they have no post affiliation of any.  That's sad but I do understand getting out of the military and trying to assimilate back into society and forget the military past. 

However, last week I hosted Eric Peters on his walk for PTSD.  He gets to a new town and looks for veterans to talk to.  Where else to find veterans but at a post.  Guaranteed!

Sunday Morning, after church, I was sitting on my front porch with my laptop and watching the humming bird with Marley. Life is good.

I watched Twelve Years a Slave on HBO.  The movie ended late and it's too dark to cut the grass in back.

Monday night I went to my Civil War Dance practice.  On the way home there was the Super Moon over the flag in the roundabout square in Washington. Awesome.   I drove on fumes the last 30 miles and made it back to Springfield just in time to get to a gas station.

Ya know, we live in a society that does not believe without seeing.  Earlier in the week, on Facebook, Pam didn't believe ISIS was in Chicago because there was no photo of the man who was convicted by a judge for an altercation with police that started with an ISIS flag out of a car window.  An sample photo was used with the article but not an actual photo. That makes the story false. What about the judge's ruling?  Now the football player, Ray Rice, who knocked his wife out in an elevator last May.  The league didn't act serious until there was a video.  Again, the court system against the football player was not enough but the video was.  Blessed are those who believe without seeing.