Revolutionary War Talk - February 20, 2013

Pictures on Smugmug
Audio of soliloquy 
Dr Zeiss Info
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Today, at our church, Dr. Tony Zeiss, President of CPCC and a novelist, acted out a first person account of  Revolutionary war veteran, Thomas Young.  Thomas Young was a devout Christian and a Patriot who  went to fight in the war at age 16.  He fought many battles in the war, two of them being in Kings Mountain and Cowpens.  The act was done as a reminiscence of a war veteran in 1828 and was very professional.  I can't recall every name used in the soliloquy but he knew plenty of actual names and where they fought, how they died - even the names of some of the horses.  I do know our Patriot "army" was an unorganized group of farmers who just showed up to fight because they were for the cause of freedom and liberty.  Back then, churches couldn't end their names with the word, church, since that was reserved solely for the Anglican church (now the Episcopal church in America).  That is why we hear so much about "meeting houses" when we read history.  We would have been the Presbyterian Meeting House or the Baptist Meeting House, etc. The Anglican Church would not recognize marriages from a Meeting House and would send clergy to legitimize marriages that sometimes had teenage children witnessing their parent's "wedding".  Also, contributions to Meeting Houses had to be shared as a tax to the Anglican Church.  Patriots were known as Whigs. None of this made the Whigs (Patriots) happy so they fought.

After the soliloquy, Dr. Zeiss had some books to sell about Thomas Young and his battles.   We also had a soup and salad lunch following the meeting.  He happened to know a lady at the table where I was sitting and sat with us.  He is into so many interesting and rewarding things and is so at ease with speaking that he said he had to be reminded to show up here this morning.  He had to leave as soon as he ate because he has to do a tv show taping.  He also talked about a community leadership meeting he is attending tomorrow in hopes of attracting more jobs to the area.  We talked about both the Summer Theater and the Culinary School at CPCC and it was a great listen.  We also talked about wood carving classes they used to have and its connection with our church's men.  He said many of them took the class every year and really miss it now that it is gone.  Sadly, the equipment got old and the fear was someone would get hurt using it so the class is no more.

He said he does reenactments around the area and named several.  I will have to go on line to learn more about when these are and where.  He mentioned a newsletter called the Dandelion which might be helpful with this.

What a great morning.
 

Weddings and Football Games - 2012

Our new coach is very enthusiastic with his "new" system depending on speed speed speed. I am thinking Wake out-"speed-ed" us yesterday. Could be a very interesting year if this new system doesn't bear some winning fruit along the way.

Anyway, Pam and I went to the Carolina Women's Football Workshop a couple of months ago and had great fun with lots of coach's "teaching" us and then we got to go to the locker room and run through the tunnel after a real pep talk from the head coach. Did you know the players all say what worries them first thing on Saturday game days is running into the goal post on the way out of the tunnel? That post really is almost invisible (because you are distracted from it on the run out) even without all the mist coming out of the tunnel. We came out to a full Carolina moon in the sky over the Blue Zone and it was beautiful. At that time, the field was unmarked so it was like a sea of green grass. Pam and I may do that workshop again. Some of the ladies who attended go every year. Poor Don asked some "official" if he could get in and just stand in the back of the room and was told the event is for the women so he guessed not. Don still poked around all he could but not in the room with us. Pam was bummed because they didn't have any footballs to kick and throw around when we went out on the field. It would have been a good idea, I think.


On the family front, my dear great-niece, Alexa, is learning new things every day and has taken up with the "Mine" thing when you ask her to hold something she has in her hands. What a joy she is though. My sister is using all her carpentry skills repairing my mother's house after a renter and age left it in less than prime condition earlier this year. Then her own home got all kinds of damage from a tree falling on her roof during a rainstorm. She ought to be employable as a carpenter by now, I would say. (Never fear, she loves it but it is bound to be getting tiresome.) And Don's oldest daughter got married for the second time on August 4. We really love her new husband and his family as well. So we PARTIED after the wedding and I got to meet lots of folks who are near and dear to Don but who don't live so close by that we get to be with them that often. I felt royally treated by all which was very, very nice too. I don't know if either Don or I have fully recovered since there was a substantial amount of dancing going on that night and shouting was the order of the day for conversation. Don gave a stellar toast too and we were so happy everything went smoothly that whole evening.