The Victorian Needle: December 2016

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Fort Wayne Christmas 2016

With all the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, I almost forgot about my Christmas at Fort Wayne. Ha! Just kidding. We've been talking about it for awhile, and it's awesome.

*If it's a nice picture in this post, it's from Ken Giorlando

Every year a few of us take over the Commander's house in Historic Fort Wayne, Detroit. I play the role of Ken's daughter, with my step-mother, grandmother, and aunt to help me "mind my manners." And of course Candace takes care of the kitchen, preparing an excellent Christmas Eve meal. We eat in the dining room, complete with all of the trappings and furnishings of the Victorian Era (my grandma would call these items "ditzy shitzies.") We do our best to remain in first person for the better part of an entire day.

I ALWAYS overeat!

And we do our best not to break any ornaments

I catch up on a little reading

The house itself dates back to the late 19th century. Despite the fact that I've "lived" in this house for many years, I always find a new object or view. During the day this house feels comfortable, lived-in, and warm. I wandered off alone to take a second look, and found myself loving this house all over again. One can appreciate history in the light...

...but in the dark, does it not take a sinister appearance? Those beloved mirrors, the soft comfort of the bed transformed into a mess of tangled shadows. Not surprisingly, many people have sighted a ghost in this house. For some reason I've never felt quite afraid there. Wandering around in the dark with a single candle did feel a bit like a Gothic novel. I did notice an opened cabinet in a room that had previously been closed...a gust of wind? An old house settling? I closed it with a shake of my head and returned to the party. Oh the mood of these rooms...

Unfortunately, all good parties must come to an end. This celebration marks the end of my Civil War reenacting in Michigan, and helps me to reflect upon what I'd like to see for myself next year. From here on out, modern festivities with my 10,000 relatives will take over. I'll be making dozens of cookies while pondering the reality of A Christmas Carol. Ah, the holidays!

I'd like to see more ghosts

~Kristen

So for those of you who know, I reenact in like, a million different time periods. I've been asked, "what do you get from each?" This year I'll be publishing my wish list for Christmas 2017. For those of you who have loved ones who LOVE history like I do, this might be a great place to look for gifts!

I've decided to separate these into price ranges, without a specific time period because I reenact from 18th century to Edwardian. I'm interested in quite a few topics, so it's not unusual for me to be thinking of 18th century recipes in one moment and Victorian surgery practices in the next. If it feels all over the place, well...it is! Also, I would like us to support the small business owners of the living history community!

These presents can be stocking stuffers or the *perfect* addition to an impression. Now, this is just an idea to start-if I've forgotten something very important (which is possible, because there are so many amazing period vendors/items), feel free to add it in the comments below.

***Shipping not included in most prices

***Check for sales/coupons too!

Under $25