What Do You DO All Day??

When I was a stay at home mama, I got asked that question a lot. With six kids hanging onto my hands, clinging to my legs, and chattering all at once as I stood there with two very full grocery carts, I was often tempted to respond with an incredulous, "Are you serious? What do you think I do??" (Trust me, stay at home moms work every bit as hard as those who have a full time job, and sometimes ever harder. I have done both, and I know.)

I was a bit surprised to be asked the same question once I retired, though. "Gee, Lynn, now that you're retired, what do you DO all day?" Well, as a new retiree of just a few months, here's what I am doing with my time:


1) I work on sewing projects.  I just made our most recent grandchild, Susan, a blessing gown.

I especially like the scalloped lace where the bodice and the skirt meet and then where the scalloping overlaps at the hem.


2) I shop for fun, often horsey clothing for my grandchildren. Like this onesie I found for Susan.

 (Okay, I admit that I buy them non-horsey things, too. )

3) We visit with our adult children. Cole, Susan's daddy, works in the Nashville music industry and meets a lot of celebrities in his line of work. Rarely does he send me photos, but once in a while he meets a celebrity who is so exciting, he takes a selfie and sends it to me.

Like this one he took at the end of September with CHUBBY CHECKERS!! (I had a fan girl swoon when I got that text!)


4) I spend time with the dogs.

Molly and Millie spend the day with us a couple of times a week while Lisa is at school teaching. A puppy mill mama who we rescued last December, Molly has terrible anxiety and fears, and never could quite get over her nervousness around us, especially Craig. (I suspect she was hurt by a man. More than once.) She fell in love with our daughter Lisa, so Lisa and Millie took her to their home a month ago.

As you can see, Molly is incredibly happy living with Lisa. I miss her, but am glad we still see her several times a week. And, she is much more relaxed around us, too, which helps heal my heart.


5) Retirement gives me more time with my out-of-town children when they come through for a visit.

This is Sarah, our oldest daughter, who lives in Aurora, Colorado and is a Health Education administrator for the Aurora Public Schools. She came into Indianapolis for a conference two weeks ago, and we went to a high school football game where a fundraiser was being held via a game called "Cow Plop Bingo." (Only in Indiana do they put a cow on the football field during the second half and wait for her to plop!)


6) Now I have time to relax and enjoy my yard, including this early October afternoon when it snowed big heavy snowflakes for over a half an hour and I could stand at the window and watch.

(Normally in my classroom I would be sympathetic to the kids' excitement and let them watch for a few minutes, but then we'd have to get back to business. No more of that for me!)


7) Speaking of former students, many of them have remained in touch over the years, and sometimes those who were horsey come join me at the barn for a visit with Abby.

 (Yes, that is drool coming out of Abby's mouth. It was red clover season when this photo was taken.)

8) I spend time with the in-town grandchildren, sometimes babysitting, other times just getting together for some fun.

Craig and Lukas are very special buddies.

 Marshmallow shooting with Ian and Mila at our home this past summer.

9. I drive my dear friend, Kathy Nimmer, to her speaking engagements around the state.

I get to hear her remarks and help Nacho get her where she needs to go. (He is an amazing guide dog and does far better than me in helping her. I am definitely second fiddle to that good boy!)

10) I spend a lot of time in Abbyland.

 (I tried to get Tim to change the name of his facility to Abbyland - just look at all the free advertising going down the Hoosier highways, but he wasn't  too excited about that.)

Abbs and me.

11) And I spend time in hobby land, both at home, at shows, and at hobby gatherings.

Nancy Falzone's Hagen Renaker collectors' get together, November, 2017.

12)  Lucky me, I spend a lot of time with Craig. We've been married almost forty-two years.

He retired four years before me and is an old hand at it by now. 

We serve together in the Indianapolis Temple of our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and travel down weekly to assist those who come to the temple to worship. We love serving together there.

13) Relaxing with a good book in my new comfy retirement chair happens almost every evening.

And sometimes during the day, too. I absolutely love to read.

So, what DO I do now that I am retired? 

Well, I think I may be busier now than I was when I taught full time. While I miss teaching terribly, even achingly at times to the point of tears, I am learning to embrace the of this new stage of life. 

I am discovering that the real trick is to find joy where you are, whatever stage in life it might be. 

A n Affirmation

I am still feeling a little out of sorts about retiring earlier than planned, and while there are perks to retirement (freedom to do what I want and when, lots of sleep, time to read, little to no stress) I still would rather be teaching, and I miss the kids. Terribly.

So, when you connect with a former student via social media, it is a very meaningful experience. And  then when you discover that they appreciate the time they spent with you, talk about a HUGE cherry on top!

I got these messages from Kathleen L., now a freshman at USC.

Kathleen's words made me cry, but they were good tears.

This is Kathleen presenting me with a gift at my surprise retirement party last May.

Kathleen's words prompted a wonderful discussion with Craig late into the night on the impact teachers can make on their students. I cried some more, but I know I made the right decision to retire and am at peace with it.

Texts like Kathleen's are a lovely affirmation, though, that I did what I hoped I would do in my career - make a difference.

A Midnight Visitor

It was just after midnight and I was lying in bed this morning, still awake. Suddenly, I heard three hoots from a Great Horned Owl.

I lay still and listened, hoping to hear it again, and sure enough, three more hoots came again.

Waking Craig up, we listened to it another time and realized that it had to be either on the roof of our house or in one of our trees as the sounds were very close by. It hooted five or six more times and then stopped.

I know we have one in our neighborhood as I saw one a month or so ago. I was walking Molly after dark late one night when all the neighborhood had gone to bed. As I approached the last home before the park entrance, I spied a Great Horned Owl on its roof. It flew off, diving low and swooping between the house and us. I tried to watch and see where it was going, but I quickly lost track of it in the darkness.

How fortunate we are to have such a beautiful wild creature living close by!

Indy as a Therapeutic Riding Horse

Indy was one of those horses that enjoyed people and never pinned his ears, nipped, bit, or kicked. So, when my friend Linda Duesterhaus was exploring starting a therapeutic riding program, she asked me if she might be able to use him as one of the mounts for it.

I had a few questions (insurance was one, in case someone got hurt), but Linda was able to answer them to my satisfaction and so I gave her the green light to borrow him (and Sugarfoot, my kids' pony.)

I got to help train him for the program. We put him into the paddock and rolled wheelchairs around him, we limped around on crutches, bumped into him with both wheelchair and crutch, made lots of noises, sudden movements,  jumped around, flapped our arms... anything we could think of that might  happen while he was being ridden and startle him.

Indy passed with flying colors, and Linda's program began.

I actually have this photo framed somewhere in my closet of photos and albums. I have been poking around in there and looking for it, as it is one of my favorite pictures ever taken of Indy. (The other is the one in a previous blog entry where he has three kids on his back.)

We made the front page of the Features section.

But I didn't realize that the story continued on another page when I took the photographs of the article. Oops! I'll have to get back into the closet and see if I can't find part two.

It was really cool to be a part of Linda's program. It melded two of my great loves, kids and horses together, and made a difference in the lives of those who attended.

Writing about Indy has made me teary a time or two - he was such a nice horse. I keep his old stall sign hanging in my office where I can see it every day, and when I do, I cannot help the smile that spreads across my face.

Therapeutic Riding and Sugarfoot - My Kids' Pony

Back when I had Indy, I also briefly owned a pony named Sugarfoot. He was given to me by a friend who could no longer use him, and my kids enjoyed having something a little smaller to hack around on. He was quiet and gentle, a little naughty at times (what pony isn't?) and, as you can see, could be ridden with just a halter and lead rope.

Sarah riding Sugarfoot. (That Michael Jackson tee shirt is soooo Sarah!)

My friend, Linda, (Sweetzer's owner) was a trained therapist in using horses to help disabled children and adults improve muscle tone and cognitive functions. She started up a therapeutic riding program sponsored by the Champaign Park District and NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped) and used Sugarfoot and Indy as her two therapy horses.

The program was a huge success and the first of its kind in the area. Linda's program even made the news. (Photos are from the article published by The News Gazette, June 27, 1986.)

Sugarfoot heading into the arena for a ride led by a wheelchair-bound child.

Always a favorite, putting sunglasses on Sugarfoot! Linda used this as a way to help the children stretch and bend, plus it always made the kids laugh! (The adults, too.)

Linda ran the program for several years and then I had to sell Indy and Sugarfoot and she moved to Ohio. The Champaign Park District picked up the program and moved it to another barn with different horses and a different leader. I don't think it is still going, though, which makes me kind of sad.

Indy was the other half of Linda's team of therapy mounts. Next time I will write about him and how he was used.

Susan's Blessing Dress

I finished my sewing project!

I made our most recent grandchild, Susan, a blessing gown.

This photo with the light change shows the detail of the lace better. I especially like the scalloped lace where the bodice and the skirt meet and at the hem.

We are heading down to Tennessee soon to deliver it and for Susan's blessing. I can't wait to see it on her.

Mom's Tree - First Anniversary

It was one year ago today that a Burr Oak was planted on the Battlefield in memory of my mother. (Go here to read about the planting.) I resolved that day to visit it every year on the planting date (October 12) and take some photos. I would love for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to be able to see how it was when planted compared to when they are visiting in the future.

So, today Craig and I drove out to the Battlefield to take those photos.

 

2018 - Looking west with the iron fence at our backs.

 2018 - me next to the tree. (Drat! The top isn't in the picture!)

2017 - me next to the tree (and no top showing, either! Haha!) I do think that you can see it has gotten taller, though.

2018 - a photo where you can see the height of the whole tree compared to me. I'll be sure to use this one next year for comparison.

2018 - Craig.

2017 - Craig and me.

 This first year flew by with many life changes for me (retirement) and our family (Lukas' and Susan's births.) During the year I drove by the tree (it is close enough to be seen from the road) five or six times to check on it - after an unusually brutal winter, we were pleased to see it sprouting leaves in the spring.

Last Christmas we hung a glass ornament of an apple basket on the tree, but the wind blew it off and it shattered. This year I plan to find something plastic or possible resin to hang.

It's odd, but in some ways I feel closer to my mother at her tree than I do at her grave. I love this living reminder of her in a place that she loved.

My FInnish Horsey Connection

I finally found one of my favorite pictures of Indy. It shows how unflappable and gentle he was, and how much my kids loved him.

This was taken back in the mid 1980s at our church's 4th of July BBQ with (from left) our daughters Jessica and Sarah, and Maria Voutilainen, a Finnish girl whose father, Jake, was studying at the University of Illinois. Her mama, my friend Merja, was an accomplished horsewoman and became a good friend while they were in the states.

She is still in the saddle and riding in Finland, although like me she is in her grandmothering years. Merja is on the left, and her daughter, Bella, is on the right.

I spoke with Merja yesterday via Facebook Messenger and she is still as horsey as ever. She continues to take riding lessons, although the horses in the photo above are being moved to a warmer place now that winter is coming. (I can only imagine winter in a country like Finland - brrrr!)

Thank you, Merja, for letting me use your picture and for being my friend for thirty plus years. I am so happy that you are still riding and following our shared passion for horses!

More on the Airport Story

After I wrote yesterday's blog entry about riding Indy in the fog and accidentally getting too close to one of Willard Airport's runways, I got to wondering just how that might have happened. I'd ridden back in those fields before and never come across a runway; did the fog really disorient me that much?

It happened in the late 1980s and there was no internet access let alone Google Maps to check afterward. But I have those tools now, so this morning I satisfied my curiosity and pulled up some maps.

This is Unzicker/Landes Stables, in Champaign, Illinois, the place where I boarded Indy. It's an old wooden barn (which has been kept in great shape) with an addition of an indoor arena with stalls on either side of it. There are turnout paddocks and a pasture, plus a koi pond (the greenish triangle  surrounded by trees at the bottom.) We had access to the fields around it for riding as long as we were careful to not damage the crops.

I think I must've wandered in the direction of the arrow; otherwise I would not have come across the runway as I did all those years ago.

This next photo shows the airport in relation to the barn, and the arrow the direction that I think I must've ridden that morning. Nowadays that would not happen. In the 1990s the airport had a chain link fence put around its perimeter with warning signs placed periodically that you would be trespassing on government property if you breached the fence.

Honestly, I think that was a good idea on many levels. I remember being scared when I realized that I was at the runway, and while the horses were used to the sounds of airplanes since the barn was so close to the airport, it is one thing to hear them fly overhead and another to have one swoop in and land right next to you!

The airport was busy due to its proximity to the University of Illinois. Having said that, the University of Illinois is a major university, but its airport is definitely not. President Clinton found that out to his sorrow. When he and Al Gore came to the University of Illinois in 1998 to speak, this happened to Air Force One:

The pilot was turning the plane in a very tight spot and dropped a wheel off the tarmac, getting stuck in the mud. (Go here to read a brief article about it from CNN.) President Clinton and his entourage had to wait for another plane to come (that is how we all learned that there was a fleet of presidential planes and that Air Force One was only one of them.)

It is still a small and busy airport, but the chances of horses wandering onto the runway are long into the past. There is fencing and security in the airport is much tighter.

Still, it's a fun story to tell!

Me in the Saddle - Indy

I don't ride any more. At this stage in my life, I am simply grateful to have my pasture ornament and the ability to go visit her as often as I wish. Riding would be nice, but I am not up to it any more.

Needless to say, when I found several photos of me in the saddle this weekend, I had some very mixed emotions and even became a bit teary. (I should clean out my closets more often!)

Today I am posting about this fuzzy boy, better known as Indy.

Indy was a registered half Arab and I owned him during the 1980s while we lived in Illinois. A friendly boy, he enjoyed people and never caused a problem while being ridden. (Although he did have the typical Arabian stamina - I never, ever wore him out on a ride!)

Indy in his summer coat - I always thought that he was beautiful. His gaits were comfortable and he was fun to ride.

Although he had stamina, he was still very gentle and not one to take off with a rider, so my children rode him, too. This is our daughter, Jessica going for a ride when she was about eight.

He loved having our kids around and never once bit, kicked, or pinned his ears at them. (Our oldest son, Kyle, is in the saddle while Craig walks with them.)

Indy was so sweet and gentle that one 4th of July I hauled him into town to our church where our ward was having a big family BBQ to celebrate the holiday.

I saddled Indy up and he gave rides to the kids in attendance that afternoon. (That's not me leading him, it's a friend, Lyn Tyler, who recently earned her silver US Dressage Federal medal. What an accomplishment! She's my age and a grandmother now, too, but unlike me, she's still in the saddle.)

Two short stories about Indy - one summer day I was riding out in the country when I rode by a place that had two teenagers out in the yard. The way they looked at me, I knew they were thinking of causing some trouble. Suddenly, there was a loud popping noise and then they threw two firecrackers at us! Indy startled and I leapt off him to grab his head and calm him before he could bolt. But when the second round of firecrackers blew, he pulled away from me and headed back to the barn at a gallop. I saw his hooves hit the asphalt of the road, slip, and his body flip into the air, with him landing hard on his side. I grabbed his reins and calmed him, then led him back to the barn. He was limping badly as he had damaged the ligaments in his right foreleg. I had to haul him to the vet and then Indy was on stall rest for a month. Luckily, he fully recovered. (I still get angry when I think of those foolish boys. Just what were they thinking?? They could have killed Indy or me, or caused an accident with a car on the road. I shudder when I think of what could have happened.)

Then, another time I was riding alone in the early morning. It was foggy, and I was riding in the farm's fields, and soon I lost my bearings. Suddenly, I came across a stretch of asphalt in the middle of the field - I had gone too far and had accidentally ridden onto the land belonging to the airport located a bout a half mile from the barn. (At that time, there were no security fences around Willard Airport and farmers grew their crops around the runways.) Still not sure just where I was, I turned Indy around and went back the way we had come. And a good thing I did so - about five minutes after that, I heard an approaching airplane. I never caught sight of it in all that fog, but I heard it land on the nearby runway that I had just stumbled upon.

In 1988 when I was pregnant with our youngest child, Cole, I decided to sell Indy. With six children, including a baby, I knew I simply would not have the time to care for him and ride him. He deserved much better. It was hard to sell him, but he went to a good home.

I still smile when I think of him, though. Such a sweet boy. I was lucky to have had him.

General Conference - Saturday Afternoon Session

General Conference, October 6, 2018

Saturday Afternoon Session

Elder Oaks, First Presidency, Conducting

General welcome

Missionary Choir

“Hark, All Ye Nations”

Prayer

Elder Eyring, First Presidency

Sustaining of Church officers, releasing of Seventies.

Missionary Choir

“I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ”/“I Believe in the Church of Jesus Christ”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Persevere in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Be centered in Christ. Let the gospel define you, don’t pick and choose.We are refined in the furnace of affliction. Hope replaces sorrow, trial is converted to blessing. Testing can lead to our full conversion and healing. Have you felt the spirit? Rely on that when you are tested. Always remember the promise of good things to come, both now and in the hereafter.

Dean M. Davies, 1C in Presiding Bishopric

After 9/11, it was more difficult for Canadian members to come to the USA to attend the temple. Found a suitable site in Vancouver and President Hinckley authorized it for study. After the study was over, President Hinckley felt impressed to see the site. He walked the site then asked to go elsewhere. They drove where he instructed them. He pointed to a parcel and said, “This is where the Lord wants the temple. Can you get it?” The land was owned by three people - a man from China, one from India, and one from Canadian. Very difficult but the right place. DC 107.

Elder Ulisses E. Soares. Q of 12

Amazon River. Two rivers form it, not blending for several miles. When blends, becomes so powerful that it pushed freshwater out into the ocean many miles. We are a mighty army and can provide the fresh water of the gospel to the world. We desire to care for one another and bear one another’s burdens. Ministering is the pure love of Christ. We need to make sure our new members are part of our river for good. Minister to them like the Savior would.

Choir

“Called to Serve”

Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Elder Ballard invited him to paint with him. Our Savior can help us meet life’s challenges and joys. Each of us falls short and we may lose our way. God reassures us that there is no point of no return. Love the Lord with all our hearts and souls. This leads to joy.

Curt and his family arrived at this point and I could not write any more.

General Conference - Saturday Morning Session

General Conference, October 6, 2018 

Saturday Morning Session

President Henry B. Eyring Conducting

Sympathy expressed for Sister Ballard’s passing and to those who have been dealing with the many natural disasters around the world, both those affected as well as those helping them.

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

(First time the name change has been used. Formerly The Mormon Tabernacle Choir)

“The Morning Breaks”

Prayer

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

“I Hear My Savior’s Voice”

President Nelson

Grateful for support in changes from last General Conference. How can we take the gospel in its simple purity and temple ordinances to all of God’s children? Need to adjust to home church which is supported by Sunday meetings. Assist ALL members to increase their faith in Christ/Atonement, seal and strengthen families.  Integrated curriculum through home centered plan. New balance and connection between home/church instruction. Parents have primary responsibility to teach children and the church is to assist the parents/individual. Elder Cook will present the changes.

Elder Quentin L. Cook

Sunday mtg schedule adjusted beginning in January:

60 minute Sacrament weekly

10minute transition

50 minute alternate Sunday School (1, 3 Sundays), Phd, RS, YM/YW (2, 4 Sundays)

Primary weekly

Deepening conversion, strengthening individuals/families, honoring Sabbath/focus on Sacrament, temple blessings. Allows more time for FHE and gospel study. FHE held Mondays or other times. Harmonized curriculum, new Come, Follow Me resource. “Prepare for the Second Coming by walking the covenant path.” Elder Nelson in January.

This is an example of guidance for our day. We know what can be achieved in the house setting. Balancing the church and home experience to increase spirituality and conversion. It has flexibility for families to choose what they want to do and how best meet their needs. Recommend a midweek communication reminding members of upcoming Sunday’s topic of study, etc. Put announcements in midweek communication. Only need a closing prayer in second meeting but have an opening/closing prayer in Sacrament mtg. Strengthen Sacrament mtg, honor the sabbath, make homes a place of spiritual joy and happiness.  Powerful confirmation felt by all Q of 12 and 1st Presidency.

M. Joseph Brough, 2nd Counselor in YM

We all face hard things. Face hard things by forgiving others and by giving ourselves to God. President Nelson asked the youth to stand out, look like, and act like true disciples of Christ. We can always rejoice when we keep the commandments. The Savior faced harden things. 

Steven R. Bangeter of the Seventy

Jesus Christ is our cornerstone in Zion. Family teaching in the home and its value. “Train up a child in the way he should go…”

Choir and Congregation

“High on a Mountain Top”

Elder Ronald A. Rasbund, Q of 12

His daughter wondered if it was wise to bring children into this wicked world. Yes! Fear is not new. All fear it. It can limit our perspective if we let it. “In coming days it will not be possible to survive without the comfort of the Holy Ghost.” (President Nelson) Stand in hill places and be not troubled.

Elder David A. Bednar, Q of 12

Rope is made of materials twisted together, often which in and of themselves are not strong but become so when twisted together. Don’t focus on logistics of what was announced. Focus on the spiritual aspects. Don’t make a pharisee-esque checklist and focus on that - checklists can limit us from the greater truth. True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trusting and placing our confidence in Him on His name and in what He tells us. Church programs are designed to bless families and are not ends in themselves. 

Choir

“I will Follow God’s Plan”

President Dallin H. Oaks, First Presidency

Truth. Scientific truth is not the whole of life. If you limit what you can know to studying  (secular learning) only, you miss what you can learn by feeling. Restored gospel truths explain much about our doctrine and practices. There is a God. Gender is eternal. Preexistence. God has a plan for us all. God created the earth as part of His plan for us. Must be opposition and an adversary who is allowed to tempt God’s children. The Plan gives us the chance to choose eternal life. All sin. All die. A Savior provided to rescue us and atone for us. Faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, endure. We can be transformed in Christ. God reaches out to each of us. All may be saved by obedience. Family centered church is focused on more than mortal relationships. Also eternal ones. Family ordained of God. Eternal marriage between man/woman. God’s love is so great that all but son’s of perdition receive a destiny of glory. Purpose of church is to help us qualify for eternal life. Our positions often provoke opposition, but that is part of the plan. “Stand strong until additional knowledge comes along.” Elder Holland. 

Choir

“Come, Come, Ye Saints”

Prayer

Evidence

Teachers hope they make a difference in their students' lives. Most of the time we never find out if we did or not, but on some lucky occasions we do. A text or an email, even a letter, arrives out of the blue, and as the teacher reads, she sees the evidence that she made a difference.

It might be years later that this happens, but the long wait only makes it all the sweeter and more humbling. To know that you are remembered after many years is a beautiful feeling.

A few weeks ago I was quite surprised to see myself tagged on Facebook in a post about a former student who had just received a scholarship to a university in track. I was thanked for what I had done for him and acknowledged as someone who had made a difference. That post made me smile and provided the affirmation that I had made some sort of difference in his life.

 Then, this morning I received an unexpected Facebook message from his mother.

A request for prayers for her son. 

It is one thing to be told of an accomplishment of a former student, or for them to just say they were thinking of me - all good and welcome things. But a prayer request goes deeper than that.

It says that they recognized your own Christianity, that they recognized that aspect in your life and connected with it, enough so that, when there is a struggle, they think of you and want you to add your prayers to theirs. Even thought it is seven years later.

I can do that. 

And it doesn't matter what the request is about, either. In this case, her mama heart is hurting as she watches her son's anguish. I know that pain, and I do not dismiss it as, "Oh, he will get over it - just a bump on life's road." I think Heavenly Father listens to all our prayers because if it is important to us, it is important to Him. 

This now-hurting student was at my surprise retirement party last May, even though he was risking missing the team bus to a track meet and had to leave early. It meant a lot to me that he came. He was a great guy when he was in my class, and it was super to see that he still was a thoughtful, caring young man.

And so I prayed for my former student this morning ten minutes before his big race. I prayed that he would be able to do his best without the distraction of losing a girl who was very special to him, and I prayed that his hurting heart would heal. I also prayed when I received the initial message from him mother, and then after he had run that important race.

I am honored that, in a time of stress and difficulty, I had the opportunity to pray for a wonderful young man. And for his family.

Back in the Classroom!

Lisa is taking her class on a learning trip to The Feast of the Hunter's Moon Saturday, and so she invited me to come in as an 18th century re-enactor and talk to her class yesterday. I leaped at the opportunity to teach again!

I began by greeting them in French and then introducing myself.

 Then I taught them how to say "My name is..." (Je m'appelle... ") in response to my question, "Comment vous appelez-vous?"

Lisa had asked me to bring in my chatelaine and tell her students about all the tiny ornaments I had hanging from it. I think they may have been surprised that the ornaments were not only decorative but useful as well.

I did not wear my panniers, but I brought them. After explaining that they were something women wore, I asked for a volunteer to try them on.

I got a male volunteer, Ethan C., but he said he was okay with wearing them. (Even though he did not know what they were for.)

His guess was that they went on the upper arms - not a bad guess. But they actually go on the hips.

Why? Because it gave you the appearance that you were "well fed" and thus had wealth enough to buy food, making you more marketable as a wife or giving you more presence as a woman.

 He had a little fun playing the part of a female!

 And ended up with my hen basket, fan and hat.

 It felt so good to be back in the classroom again, and Lisa has a class of sweeties. I also enjoyed putting on my period clothing, something I had not done in years.