"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:2



Friday, September 2, 2011

Another Summer Has Come and Gone...

Yes, the end of summer is near. A new season is around the bend. I love this time of year—harvest time. Here in Indiana, summer is struggling to hang on. After a few weeks of mild temperatures, the thermometer has shot up into the 90’s again. We’re all anxious to start the holiday weekend. With the hot weather, a trip to the beach on Lake Michigan - at the Indiana Dunes State Park - will be on the agenda.

The kids are all coming in on Saturday. There will be plenty of juicy debates while trading wood for sheep, or brick for ore, during a marathon around the game board of Settlers of Catan. We’ll BBQ on Sunday. Monday is still up for grabs.  

What’s on your holiday agenda? Do you spend a quiet end of the summer? Or send it out with a bang? Do you spend it at the lake, the shore, the mountains, camping, on the back deck, or traveling to visit friends or relatives? Will you be doing some reading? Or writing? Or both? 

I would love to hear your plans for the long weekend.

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree


 

In camp at sunset - Photo by Loree Huebner - Kentucky



The History Corner with Eric Huebner

By September 1861, the Civil War had reached unprecedented and continental proportions. Fighting has taken place from Virginia to Missouri and New Mexico. Union forces had made halting progress along the border, but defiant Rebel armies stood ready to contest every front.
         
Perhaps most important to the final resolution was progress made toward implementation of an effective blockade of Southern ports. President Lincoln declared a blockade of the 3,500 mile coast on April 19, 1861. The blockade was part of the so-called Anaconda plan conceived by General Scott to squeeze the Confederacy into submission. At the beginning the navy was pitifully inadequate for the task with only 90 vessels, but the fleet was rapidly expanded.
    
An important engagement took place at Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks when Forts Hatteras and Clark fell to the Union Navy 8/28/1861. The Union Navy would extend its power all the way along the coast from Virginia to Mexico with important captures at Port Royal and Ship Island connecting with antebellum forts in Virginia and Florida. Since the South had only limited industry, cutting off overseas trade would eventually cripple the Southern economy and war production. 

Have a safe and happy Labor Day – Eric




Tenting Tonight - Photo by Loree Huebner - Kentucky



Lyrics from the original sheet music: Written during the Civil War by Walter Kittredge
           
Tenting on the Old Camp Ground  
We're tenting tonight on the old camp ground,
Give us a song to cheer
Our weary hearts, a song of home
And friends we love so dear.

Chorus:
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace.
Tenting tonight, tenting tonight,
Tenting on the old camp ground.

We've been tenting tonight on the old camp-ground,
Thinking of days gone by,
Of the loved ones at home that gave us the hand,
And the tear that said, "Good-bye!"

Chorus

The lone wife kneels and prays with a sigh
That God his watch will keep
O'er the dear one away and the little dears nigh,
In the trundle bed fast asleep.

Chorus

We are tenting tonight on the old camp ground.
The fires are flickering low.
Still are the sleepers that lie around,
As the sentinels come and go.

Chorus

Alas for those comrades of days gone by
Whose forms are missed tonight.
Alas for the young and true who lie
Where the battle flag braved the fight.

Chorus

No more on march or field of strife
Shall they lie so tired and worn,
No rouse again to hope and life
When the sound of drums beat at morn.

Chorus

We are tired of war on the old camp ground,
Many are dead and gone,
Of the brave and true who've left their homes,
Others been wounded long.

Chorus

We've been fighting today on the old camp ground,
Many are lying near;
Some are dead, and some are dying,
Many are in tears.

Final Chorus:
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right,
To see the dawn of peace.
Dying tonight, dying tonight,
Dying on the old camp ground


32 comments:

Jessica R. Patch said...

You guys are a wealth of fascinating information! Love it.

We're grilling out with friends this holiday weekend. My son is having his first sleepover tonight. He's so excited. :)

Eileen Astels Watson said...

We start it today by moving our daughter into university. Then tomorrow we pick up our other two daughters from camp and move the rest of Alisha's stuff in for her. This year I guess it's a moving long weekend, which is cool with me.

I'm quite sure there'll be some grilling going on here too!

Rosslyn Elliott said...

Though I'm working a lot these days, we are going to get to take two days to go to Carlsbad Caverns. I love it, though it's very eerie. To me, the caverns are even more awe-inspiring than the Grand Canyon!

Hope your end of summer weekend is a lot of fun.

Anonymous said...

I am writing historical fiction as well, in fact, part of my book is on the Indiana State Beach! The McCoys are traveling in 1832 from Erie, Pennsylvania to Bloom Township in Illinois. They are taking the famous Michigan Road and stop by the Bailley's home. Have you ever been to the Bailley homestead at Indiana State Beach? Maybe I'll talk my husband into going there on Monday. It's fun to meet people with the same goals and experiences!

Loree Huebner said...

Jessica: Grilling out with friends is always a treat.

First sleepovers are exciting...I still remember mine!
I hope your son has a great time.

Eileen: I always love going to the universities on move in day. This year, my hubby took our son back down school. Watch your back when lifting and bring plenty of tissues for the cry on the way home.

Rosslyn: The Carlsbad Caverns National Park is supposed to be awesome! I've never been there. I look forward to hearing about it from you. Enjoy the weekend!

Journey: Your story sounds facinating. We've gone through that area before where the farm is and the visitors center. We mainly hang out on the beach and hike the dunes. I found your blog. Nice.

Jessica, Eileen, Rosslyn, and Journey - Thanks for stopping in and commenting. Enjoy your weekend!

Keli Gwyn said...

I hope you enjoy your weekend, Loree. Our daughter has a job in her college town and stays there during the summer, but she's coming home for a visit this weekend. I'm looking forward to spending time with her.

Loree Huebner said...

Keli: Sounds like you're going to have a great weekend. Enjoy your time with your daughter - and hubby too.

My daughters are coming in on Saturday. We're going to do makeovers. Ha!

Thanks for popping in!

September 2, 2011 11:55 AM

Sarah Forgrave said...

I can't believe it's September already! My weekend will be spent quietly saying goodbye to summer. I may do a little reading AND writing (if I'm lucky). :)

Hope you have a great weekend, Loree!

Shopgirl said...

I'm gonna have (hopefully) a quiet but productive weekend. I can't even believe it as I am typing it, me hoping for quiet. :)

Loree Huebner said...

Sarah: I can't believe it's September either. I hope you and yours have a perfect and quiet, end of summer weekend.
Thanks for commenting.

Shopgirl: I hope you find the quiet. I know that can go...
You have a great first week of September! Thanks for stopping in.

Heather Sunseri said...

Hope you have a fabulous weekend, Loree! My family and I are going to be going poolside with family and friends. I'm hoping lots of grilling and yummy sweets will be involved.

Jess said...

Thanks so much for sharing that song! It was lovely :) I went to middle and high school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and we always went to the Johnny Appleseed Festival. I still love the thought of it. I miss my Midwest Autumns :)

Loree Huebner said...

Heather: Pool and grill - two of my favorite things to do. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Jess: The midwest hasn't changed. I've been to the Johnny Appleseed Fest. I have on brother who still lives in Fort Wayne. Spent alot of time there when I was younger. I remember the 4 of July festivities well - the soap box derby, the bed races downtown, the zoo, the fireworks...Enjoy your weekend!

Marji Laine - Faith Driven Fiction said...

I actually did a lot of revising this weekend as we visited my in-laws. This place (Oklahoma) is so peaceful and slow-moving. I could really get used to it! *sigh* Time to head home to the hustle and bustle of the metroplex!

J.L. Campbell said...

Hope you have a wonderful weekend with the family.

Sandra Orchard said...

Getting caught up on writing and enjoying time with family and friends. We went from temps in the high 90s yesterday to low 60s today, so we actually cleaned the chimney today, in anticipation of the cooler days to come.

Hope you've had a great weekend!

Kelly Stone Gamble said...

Have a great weekend! I love the history corner, (I'm such a history geek) and thanks for including the lyrics.

Brandi Boddie said...

I always look forward to reading the next installment of The History Corner. It's great that you and your husband have a shared love of history and spreading the knowledge to others!

We had a barbecue on Friday. Today we're headed to a friend's house for their cookout. Haven't been doing much writing this holiday weekend, but I have been catching up on my library books before I have to return 'em.

Loree Huebner said...

Since I posted this, the weather has change dramatically. Somewhere in the middle of the night, summer left. The chilly wind shifted out of the north, and today's high is like 61 degrees...burrr...it feels like fall.

Marji: Glad you got some revising in. A visit with the in laws is always a treat.

J.L. - Thanks, it's been a nice weekend with the family. Hope your son loves his new teacher.

Sandra - That chilly Canadian wind is blowing down Lake Michigan...it's only 60 degrees here today! It was 91 on Saturday. Glad you got in some writing and great visits with family and friends.

Kelly - Hope your weekend was great. Glad you liked the History Corner.

Brandi: Your BBQ with friends sounded great. We did that last night too. Eric will be thrilled that you look forward to the History Corner.

Marji, J.L., Sandra, Kelly, and Brandi, thanks for stopping in and taking the time to comment! Have a great first week of September.

Unknown said...

I loved the old song you posted! And its so cool that you're in Indiana - I have friends who live there, and lived in Terre Haute for the early part of my life :-)

I didn't do anything special for Labor Day...Just hung out at the house with my son since the hubby had to work. :-)

troutbirder said...

We took a road trip to visit the beuatiful Arboreteum and River Museum in Dubuque Iowa. On Labor Day it was a gathering of friends for a barbeque picnic in our woods.
For Eric: I remember learning that song in 8th grade choir. Here another song, by todays bland politically correct standards, not very "correct" but honest from the northern point of view...This is a poem that was published by an anonymous poet (identified only as “B.”) in San Francisco on June 20, 1862, when the Civil War was in its second year and it had become clear what a long, bloody struggle lay ahead. This poem was published by the San Francisco Bulletin (San Francisco, California) on June 20, 1862:
The Very Last Ditch
When rude rebellion o’er the land
Ran up its flag on high,
It swore to win, or foiled in that,
In the last ditch to die.
At Hilton’s Head, the chivalry
Take to their heels and fly,
The sea not being deep enough
For a ditch in which to die.
At Donelson, the traitor Floyd,
The river being high,
Ran out his boats and stole away,
And lost his chance to die.
Pillow, in digging ditches skilled,
By all that’s great and high
Swore while he’d strength to leap a ditch,
In a ditch he would not die.
And Tattnall in the Merrimac
Would rather resign than die;For blood, says he, much thicker is
Than water running nigh.
At Pittsburgh Landing, Beauregard,
His charger being dry,
Swore he should drink from the Tennessee,
Or a hotter draught, and die.
The Tennessee he could not reach,
The Yankees being nigh,
But the flames of Styx he’s welcome to
With the torrent rolling high.
The turbid Mississippi’s stream
Flowing New Orleans by,
Once filled the ditch when Jackson fought,
But now that ditch is dry.
O foolish boast and impotent!
Who are most quick to fly
And seize the sword, are not the men
In the last ditch to die.
But they who weighing well their cause
Its truth and right descry,
In the first ditch will quell the foe,
Or in the last ditch die.
--B.
San Francisco, June 20,1862

Loree Huebner said...

Gwen: Just hanging around the house is a perfect holiday to me. Yeah, we're in Indiana. The weather changed - I swear fall crept in overnight on Sunday.

troutbirder: that road trip to the Arboreteum and River Museum in Dubuque Iowa sounded fun. I love road trips! Thanks for posting that poem. It's awesome. We never heard that one. Thank you.

Deana said...

Sounds like you all had some fun this weekend!
I threw a surprise 40th b-day party for my sister. We also did a cook out at the in-laws. It was all great!

Loree Huebner said...

Deana: I'm exhausted! Sounds like you had a great weekend too. I love suprise BD parties! (throwing them or being in on it) Glad it went well. Thanks for stopping in.

Eric J. Huebner said...

Jessica, Kelly, Brandi and Gwen: Thanks for your support. I appreciate your comments.

troutbirder: I have never read that poem. Thanks for sending it. I'm going to print up a copy. It really gives an insight to feelings at the time.

Thanks for commenting.

Stacy Henrie said...

I'm looking forward to going to our state fair sometime this next week - it's become a family tradition!

Loree Huebner said...

Stacy: Welcome here!

State fairs are fun. I've been to a few over the years. This year we had that terrible tragedy with the big storm blowing down the main stage. I remember about 20 years ago, going up to the Wisconsin State fair after a Sox vs Brewers game. I ate alot of awesome cheese, and saw the Monkees perform on their main stage. Have a great time at your state fair!

Laura Pauling said...

I am happy for fall to be starting. I love the season and I love the changes in my schedule too. :)

Loree Huebner said...

Laura: Welcome here! I love this change of seasons also. Thanks for stopping in!

Carol Riggs said...

Yes, here it is closing in on fall...except the weather doesn't know it yet. Hotter now than all summer, up to 96 degrees today, ugh! Makes us glad for fall, I guess. :) I plan some reading and writing both!

Savories of life said...

lOVE THE INFO. That game is one of my favorites.

Loree Huebner said...

Carol: WOW! 96 degrees?? We had some 90's last week as summer tried to hang on. Now it's been in the 60's and 70's. Get in that reading and keep cool!

Savories: I'm so glad you stopped by.

I made those lemon squares from the recipe you posted last week and they were awesome. Everyone loved them! I made them for Sunday's dessert -(we also had homemade brownies)

We are big fans of Settlers of Catan. Have a great week!