Appleton Studios: Travel Log and Art Notes

12/19/14

December travels - part 2

It's going to take several posts - for only being a two-day trip, we got in some good stuff!

Our first stop was the Fredericksburg Civil War Battlefield - since the battle was a Confederate victory, Dave wasn't as interested as when we were on Union territory...but equal time was due...especially since we were there 152 years since the battle (it was fought December 11-15, 1862, and we were there on the 11th)...

National Cemetery

on the wall at the Sunken Road

past the fence and into the woods is where Lee had his headquarters

The pyramid was erected by the Confederate Memorial Literary Society and marks the point were General George Meade’s Union division penetrated the boggy gap in Jackson’s lines. In front of it is the railroad line.

My Great-Grandfather, Henry Addison Armistead was in the 14th Tennessee Infantry, which was in Archer's Brigade under A.P. Hill. And, according to the map, Archer's men were just in front of Prospect Hill, which is to the right of the trees in the foreground. Gregg's men were on this side of the tracks, somewhere on the tan ground in the middle across from the pyramid, and Archer's were to the right...

With the cannon at Prospect Hill with my back to the Boggy Gap, so Archer's men were somewhere behind me...

you can see the Confederate trenches just to the right of the first line of trees...

I'm not saying either side was right, but it was pretty cool to know that I was walking on ground fought on by my great-grandfather! It must have been awful - muddy, boggy, stench. But he made it through - until he was captured at Gettysburg the following July.

Next time we go, we'll stop at Spotsylvania - Dave has someone in his family tree that was there.

12/16/14

December travel - part 1

Dave was invited to lecture in Virginia Beach again this year, so we took a flight to Washington (much cheaper) and got a rental car so we could squeeze in some sightseeing on the way...

We got a glimpse of the Pentagon when we got lost trying to find our hotel...and that was it for something interesting that first day!

We got in pretty late, so we just walked up to Legal Seafood for dinner...but then after eating such a wonderful meal, we were pretty much done in for the evening!

The next morning we headed out down I95...

look at that traffic! glad we were going the opposite direction!

The Marine Museum - hoo-rah!

Of course, what we saw mostly were men at work!

I'm sure it's going to be great when it's all done...

12/12/14

November highlights...

November saw the completion of a mini-quilt (this one 8"x10") for donation to the Dallas Quilt Guild's Charity Mini-Quilt Auction in March...

Keeping You In My Prayers

My attendance at the regular Quilt Guild meeting, where Linda Hahn of www.froghollowdesigns.com shared her story of being a quilter and the engaging story of writing her first book on a very short turnaround...