Helping out & Family Day at the Museum

Its been so nice to have the opportunity to help Nana and Ben with their new place. Despite the rain, my guys started on the project of scraping and gravelling their backyard. We ladies took to the museum where they were having a free family day with demonstrations and reenactors. 

A lovely scene from yesteryear. Let's bring back the cook stove! It is actually nicer to cook on than our electric one, imo! ;-) I loved using the one on the island when I was younger. Although getting up extremely early and building a fire *before* coffee? Not-so-much! :-)

We loved this little iron which would have to be set onto the top of the woodstove to heat up before using on clothing. Most families had 2 or 3 so those could be heating while the other was used.

The girls had fun pretending to be Mary and Laura Ingalls.

Teacher Ashley!

This woman was spinning wool from her own sheep.

I was imagining adding that to my list of chores! Whew!

She had a little photo of the sheep who had graciously donated it's wool!

Mandy was a sport and volunteered to be a living mannequin for a demonstration which illustrated how many layers a woman of the 1800's would wear! First the corset..

Then slips and hoops and crinolines... she was telling us that at one point the steel hoops were literally cages that you had to open the door to and step into! They were heavy and very cumbersome! That was one reason that the doorways of the era had to be so wide. Unlike the later bone hoops which could bend. Steel cannot. The women would perch on a special stool which allowed them to rest her arms on the top of her cage. I cannot imagine that!! I'm sure the introduction of the bone hoops caused for much rejoicing for those women!

14 layers later, Mandy was properly dressed!

This lady does reenacting and was thrilled to find young people who were interested in history. She tried very hard to recruit them for their reenacting group. :-)

The girls found some sweet bonnets as we were leaving the museum. So cute!

Meanwhile back at the ranch.. the guys worked hard all day putting in the yard. They rented this handy thingy.. yard mover.. which helped with the scraping and moving the gravel. 

It has been a blessing to be able to help my mom. Ashley and Amanda have also been able to help on some interior things-unpacking etc. More to do as the weather warms up!