One of the groups I belong to has an annual tradition of having a Civil War Ball. In all of the 5+ years we've belonged, we've never gone. Partially because I'm not a "dancey-type" person, and partially because I'm the lone female (not counting Lucia) in this house. LOL I've just never forced the issue with my menfolk. I got "sorta" loosely roped into it because I'll be taking the 8 seniors' photos the half hour before the ball starts. So... if I'm going to have to be there, might as well, actually go, right?

I went to Harris Costumes here in Fort Worth last Thursday (the day before the Ball in fact) to look for a Civil War period gown. And I found one! It only cost $48.71, which included a bit of alteration (the bodice was a bit loose for me). The rental price included:  the dress, a petticoat (stiffy type), a hoop skirt, gloves (quarter length), and a feathery headpiece. I picked it up Friday afternoon and at the same time chose to rent the guys two "string ties" to kind of "finish off" our "working with what we have" costumes for them. (They'll wear nice jeans, button-up, long sleeve shirt, and a vest.) The ties were $3 a piece to rent and so that was an additional $6.50.

The Ball was Friday night and it was indeed wonderful!

I don't know how those antebellum ladies danced so much with corsets - I didn't have one on, but was quite breathless after some of them! We Virginia Reeled and square danced and watched a few other kinds of dances. One was called the Hat Dance, where three chairs are set up on one end of the room and two lines are made to the sides of them, one with the young men, the other with the ladies. The middle chair has a hat. One lady sits in the middle chair, and 2 gentlemen sit on each side of her. The object is to flatter her (and perhaps in Civil War and prewar days, get to know each other better), she chooses one, gives the hat to the other, and she & her choice sashay down between the lines and then separate, getting into each line. Then the young man left moves to the center chair with the hat, and 2 young ladies sit on each side of him, and this dance continued and continued and continued! LOL Both adults & kids all enjoyed this one. We got home at 11pm and bed at midnight.

Saturday, I had to get up too early and get to a dog seminar. It was hosted by my obedience club and it ran from 8am until 5pm, with breakfast & lunch included. We had a very good speaker (Nicole Wilde) and the food was good. There was an hour & a half break for lunch, so after eating the first half hour, I used the rest of the time to run my gown, petticoats & hoop, gloves, headpiece, and the menfolk's ties back to Harris Costumes. Didn't get home until 6pm since I didn't get there super early to help them set up for the seminar, I stayed to clean-up after.

Yesterday, I did NOTHING but go to church (9:30 to 12:30) and lay on the couch. (I did watch the last installment of Pride & Prejudice on PBS though, but from the couch.)

Today, Mike & I went to the Baptist Theological Seminary to take the hs group (Civil War Ball group) Senior Group Photos. I am SO TIRED...

The rest of the week looks to stay fairly busy for this home-body Mom. At least tomorrow's activity isn't until 1:45 - and that's just taking Mike to the dentist. Wednesday, we get to go swimming inside Cleburne's Splash Station (town south of FTW) with my other hs group. Thursday is Thursday School (hs group co-op classes) and where I'll be spending my time either copying everyone's group Senior photos we each took today on CDs (sharing all the photos with one another) and taking Student Photos for the yearbook.

It's 8pm and I'm about ready just to go on to bed...and I haven't even eaten dinner yet.  Maybe I'm not totally back up to snuff completely from being sick. Or I'm terribly out of shape, which is more like it. LOL