On the second day we visited with my family and Dom's parents. I walked EVERYWHERE, the entire village and the museum. I chose two stops in particular that are supposedly "haunted" and on their Halloween tour. The Steinmetz cabin is tiny, and hardly worth notice. I've been told that the night security at Greenfield Village doesn't like checking this house because a tiny old man with a crooked back hobbles into the cabin when they get close. Steinmetz was a famous mathematician who also had dwarfism. Creepy coincidence? I don't think I caught any ghosties...
Next we checked out the Sarah Jordan boarding house. It was one of the first buildings ever to have electricity. It was used for unmarried employees who were working for Edison's laboratory, run by the widowed Sarah Jordan and her daughter Ida. Not very creepy, except for the fact that some employees of the village will see lights on at night...even though they had been turned off. Sounds ghostly to me!
There was also a special exhibit showing clothing from the Civil War and a little earlier. It's my favorite way to update my wardrobe; observe an original and voila! I also had the opportunity to meet Carolann Schmitt, one my reenacting idols. She even pulled out a piece of clothing for me to touch! (She runs the exhibit, after all!) One thing I've noticed is that they were much tinier back then. I would have been gigantic compared to these dainty ladies...
We had a chance to stop by the museum, and this is the first time I've seen the hair jewelry collection! They also added the chair that Lincoln was shot in, as well as George Washington's traveling bed. We got quite a few nice pictures of the two of us, and I must say that the black dress looks nice on me!
My black mourning outfit did not go unnoticed. I was asked to participate in the Greenfield Village fashion show! I've watched the past few years and have always wanted to participate. Beth Turza does not excellent job. I felt very accomplished indeed!
After a small nap, we found our way into the pie. We smuggled in some not-period-accurate whipped cream. It was absolutely scrumptious!
Finally, we prepared for the ball. By this point I was so exhausted and my hair was a hot mess. So I did the one thing that any self respecting female reenactor would do when she's two tired to do her hair...I asked Mrs. Giorlando to do it! It was excellent!
The ball itself was lovely, as usual. This year I did not have a ball gown because I focused on finishing the mourning dress. Dom was surprised by the elegance of the ballroom, and we did participate in the flower dance. Overall it was a lovely experience.
We finished the night sitting around the fire with our fellow reenactors. I'm not sure this is possible, but this year was already better than the previous! Perhaps Dom's attendance made a difference, though I did feel that I participated more.
Just wait until my next post! This Greenfield Village story just gets better and better...
~Kristen
