Volunteering at the Fort LeBoeuf History Museum

Today is my second day at the history museum. Last week it was sunny, so I spent a lot of time out front weeding the garden. Good thing I did; if the purslane is any indication, everything would have gone crazy. 

While it was raining, I took some time to rearrange the gift shop so that most of the like things were together. There is no advertising for the shop, and it sounds as though possibly making signage is in order as part of my volunteer duties.

I also discovered this hat. I know you are looking at it thinking, so it's a hat, okay. Fun fact: that hat is made of acrylic yarn, and it's also crochet. The entire outfit is natural fibers, except for that hat - we're a history museum trying to portray things as accurately as possible. Acrylic fibers are petroleum based and didn't exist 250 years ago. Secondly, it's crocheted. No one knew how to crochet in 1740, or 1750, or 1800, because it wasn't invented yet. At the time of the American Revolution, CROCHET WASN'T INVENTED YET. Doesn't that just blow your mind? Someone had yet to invent crochet by the year 1776, and this museum is portraying events that happened in 1753. Crochet a relatively new thing, comparatively speaking. So, I need some fire engine red wool, or navy blue wool to knit up a toque, aka a voyageur's cap.

The Lion King

The fourth graders at school put on a production of The Lion King, Jr. Mostly by themselves. It was incredible. They received instruction from their teachers and the music teacher, but they did most of the work on the sets, props and lights by them selves.

One kid announced he wanted to be a giraffe, and could I help him make a costume? please? Please...?

Yeah, sure.  Awesome.

So we made a giraffe.

That internship at Kent State really paid off. Best looking giraffe on the stage.

happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!

 Read Across America lasted an entire week[!!!] at our school, because literacy is VERY important and not something to be brushed aside. The students had fun with wacky hair day, cool sunglasses day, dress like a teacher day and PJ day, while some on the faculty had fun dressing up through the week as different Dr. Seuss characters. While not anything terribly demanding, it was certainly fun to show up to school in a costume off the rack. The tutus were an adventure; I've never made one before. They need a little assistance.

I tried dying my hair blue... It didn't work so well...

We rather lost steam on Friday, Fox in Sock day...
Most teachers opted to join the students in their pjs, or go casual.  

I spent a year as costume master of the closet at my undergraduate university, and then interned for a summer at Kent State in Ohio, so any time there is a costume anything, I get pretty excited.

 

Me at the end of the week.