Goodbye, Elizabeth

There are no words I can add to that.  I am so sorry to see her go so fast. She did not deserve all the terrible circumstances she found herself in.  My love to the children.

Thank-YOU!! Congressman Spratt!!!

I am pleased to report the bill establishing the Carolina Revolutionary Road National Heritage Area has been introduced in this session of Congress and we are off and running again!! Yay!

Why didn't I think to just call him up during this lame duck session. But, thank-you Blog readers, Facebook friends and others for delivering this dispatch. I think we can carry on from here.

Meanwhile, I had an inquiry from a CEO in eastern NC for a designing position and I am waiting with my fingers crossed for the HR people to schedule my interview. I would be sourcing and designing and traveling. I have always wanted to see India so I am interested in this very much. However, I am also interested in the Heritage arts and crafts of our great land. I wonder with designers in the offices of former customers if we might find ways to source unique textiles back in this country. My economic eyes will be open.

The Carolina Revolutionary Road National Heritage Area.

I can't believe I haven't talked to you since July. I really thought life would be a little empty as I am taking only one graduate course and still job-hunting. But, a lot has happened.

The Yadkin Valley Craft Guild has determined its relationship with Surry Community College and as in my experience with automotive interior concepts, it is "refined" until the innovation part of the idea is bearly visible. That has taken a lot of time, but we do have a path with the college and I am pleased with that.

Meanwhile the Overmountain Victory Trail Association reenactment for 2010 was another success even without my Pepsi Refresh dreams. We could only host Elkin students again this year, but we did expand the day to include a public morning with the OVTA in the Elkin Municipal Park on Saturday. The best part was the children. The teachers dressed out in Revolutionary period dress!!! The kids walked the 4 miles again! We got thank-you notes from many of them and the consenus is this is the BEST FIELD TRIP ever!! In the notes, EVERY station we had was mentioned by at least one child as their favorite. The Winston Salem Journal did a fantastic story for us in the paper. The children wove a rug on old hand-made looms, saw a wagon of the type from the Great Wagon Road, captured escaping Tories and then reprieved them to be patriots, saw up close and personal a deer hide from a long-hunter, and thrilled to the thunder clap of black powder firing.

By the way, the NPS Environmental assessment of the proposed headquarters for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is released. It appears Morganton, NC is recommended spot. This is an appropriate spot since the eastern and western patriots gathered at Quaker Meadows.

Now is now. The election of 2010 has passed. We lost the primary sponsor of the bill requesting the Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Area, Rep. Spratt , D-SC. So I was very sad. I have researched a bit however. I noticed that in the Senate, Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-SC, sponsored a similar bill and it was co-sponsored by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC. Both of them remain and I saw Sen. DeMint's picture on the front of a magazine my mother gets with indications that his star has risen in the Congress. SO- I propose that we all write to these two senators and request that they reintroduce the bill in the new 111st Congress and examine the recent study. We have spent a lot of money and time on it. Let's complete it. The name of the Heritage Area has changed to The Carolina Revolutionary Road National Heritage Area.

So- has this already been done??? I don't know. I'm just thinking it never hurts to voice support. And remember, this is NOT about the Tea Party. This is a diversity story in the western Carolinas that needs to be spotlighted and it will be good for North Carolina as a whole in any case because almost every one of the 100 counties has valuable Revolutionary stories to tell.

Congratulations to Prince William and Miss Middleton! by the way. I've been following the Prince since he was born. Time FLIES! His bride to be is beautiful and they seem very suited to each other. IT is so important to share common interests and experiences. Marriages have ups and downs and it is important to have some good times to remember. Perhaps when they settle down and this bill finally passes Congress; when we are all ready to open our Heritage Area to guests, they will visit. Its good to put away differences and celebrate.

Okay, he's back. He played the fiddle on the Giant's Causeway as predicted. Sigh. But I am having a good time with my sister in law in Lynchburg. I have facebook friends searching for my son's ancestor's grave in Gaston County. The BBC is coming to North Carolina at least for one day it appears.

The BBC called my house!!

It's true. Some weeks ago the British Broadcasting Company called my house! We thought we were on our way to Northern Ireland for July. That is a very long story I'll let you in on at a later date. For now, just so you will know,
********** RG is on his way to Northern Ireland tonight***********
with other OVTA members to bring the story of the American Revolution in the south to the Scots-Irish in Ulster.

In 2004, we went to the Republic of Ireland and to England during Christmas. It was wonderful, but I did not consider going to N. Ireland at the time. I was afraid of it. By the time the trip arrived, I had learned a lot and less afraid, but you can't get there from there. Those were long roads! I planned to go back as I told Rick Steves. I learned especially that Many Many of the Overmountain men were from Ulster or their fathers and mothers were from there. You already know my son has a direct relative who fought at Kings Mountain and before that in the French and Indian War. Captain Martin born in county Tyrone, NI., lived to be 104 years old and is buried in Belmont, NC.

In fact, before we weren't going to N. Ireland, we were going and I corresponded with a producer there about our genealogy. They were very interested in my son and RG. I even found one possible Irish ancestor for myself a little closer in time than the 1400s... 1740 to be exact. We were going to be detectives searching out our genealogy, see the linen areas, see the giant's causeway, see Belfast, Londonderry and Donegal in the Republic... sigh. RG is going to get to play his fiddle on the great rocks of the Giant's Causeway, march in parades, sing in pubs and visit with people.

We can only hope that he brings Brendan Hughes back to North Carolina. AND no ! it 's not that one, its the history producer/director/ famous BBC one altogether different one. Brendan Hughes must be to the Irish of both lands as John Smith is the England or American. .. A classic name.

Anyway, I told him to invite Mr. Hughes over. We would have a "pickin" session like we did for his mid-century birthday and I will take him with my son to the heart of the hornet's nest in Gaston County and find the grave of the Revolutionary hero Samuel Martin.

Meanwhile! Happy 4th of July. Look what my friend Andy Matthews did with the East Bend celebration. Isn't it cool?!?! You can follow Andy and happens in the Yadkin Valley on his new e-newspaper. Maybe we can survive the loss of the Messenger with this new media.

Happy 4th!!

And the Beat Goes On.....

National Trails Day was a WONDERFUL day in Elkin on Saturday, June 5th. Duke Energy donated land which we were able to get paved as a road-side pull off, with Stimulus funds if I am not mistaken, so that tourists have "someplace to go" to see the Surry Muster Ground and the wayside exhibit on the trailhead of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.


Check out this video from one of our OVTA members.

It was just a great day!! This is all made possible by funding via the National Parks Foundation 2009 Active Trails grant from the support of The Coca-Cola Company.

We were also supported in our efforts to dedicate the space by Boy and Girl Scouts groups coming from Allegheny to Yadkin counties. They came from all over the backcountry just like the patriots of 1780 to help patrol and clean-up the National Trail in Surry county. They earned National Historic Trail patches by their efforts and walked a tremendous number of miles in the 3 hours between 8 and 11 am.

We were SO grateful too for the support from Greg Jones from Ft.Dobbs who led the Blackpowder exhibition and dressed out in 1780 militia wear instead of his normal Provincial Soldier from the French and Indian War.

The National Parks Service brought us the Guilford Fife and Drum Corps from Greensboro. Senator Jim Broyhill from Winston-Salem told the scouts and public the story of establishing the historic trail and why it was meaningful. Mrs. Broyhill came too!

The town of Elkin did a tremendous job of preparing the landscape, red, white and blue ribbon and giant sissors to cut the ribbon.

The SAR presented the colors, the DAR cheered us on and the public came out to give us support.

Great, great day!!

More River News

Comedy: Jeanne Robertson "Don't go rafting without a Baptist in the boat."

More fun in the River with funny and famous, a former Miss North Carolina and our Friend Jeanne Robertson.

I have to say I like these too. Jeanne opens the show in Burlington and at another she takes a vacation in Canada. Lastly, this trip to the grocery store can't be beat.

Tour de Yadkin

Everywhere up and down the Yadkin River, people are beginning to take about our Revolutionary story including people I don't even know yet. That is a good thing. There was a meeting in Elkin recently and the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail was discussed as an INCREDIBLE asset for Elkin by the invited speaker and as far as I know no one from our area was even there.



We are bound to the river, the first trail. The Yadkin Riverkeepers are sponsored a month long canoe trip from the beginning of the Yadkin River to ... I'll have to look it up. Anyway, the Tour de Yadkin is coming through Elkin soon. They will be at W. Kerr Scott on Thursday. The river dumps into the lake. The canoeist will have to trek around the dam and resume. Soon he will pass the roundabout at Ronda and the hanging tree still leaning over the river.



WFDD is following the Yadkin Riverkeeper. They have this great blog and a film with our friend Montie Hamby. He is the original Riverkeeper.

Easter

The Moravians had a beautiful service today. I heard this on the news. I was hoping there was a video for you, but I'm still looking. They have been in the Winston-Salem area since the mid-1700s. This sunrise Easter service has been presented and attended by people from all over the world.

We had a lovely day today too. We had a church-wide Breakfast, Sunday School was packed and with new members, the choir had beautiful music - When I Survey the Wonderous Cross, In the Seed There is A Flower, and the Hallelujah Chorus at the very end. The pastor's message was great about community and Christ's sacrifices so we could have that community. We had communion and ended after the benediction with Charles-Marie Widor's Toccata from the 5th Symphony. Wow, another year- passes fast. But it is warm and it is spring here again.

Our church youth remove the "sackcloth" covering the furniture and replace it. They bring in a seven foot tall cross decorated with greenery and flowers all over it to signal the start of the Easter service. We all bring flowers from our yard. It is just a beautiful day.

Enjoy this version of the Hallelujah chorus from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir in New York. We at least felt like this today and our singing was almost as powerful.

Ft. Dobbs- plowed ground for the seeds of Revolution

I found this great video series for you from Ft. Dobbs. It discusses the French and Indian War which ended in 1763. At this time all soldiers and militia were English citizens. This war though gave the King of England an excuse to raise taxes in the 1760s-1770s. Corruption by officials in the colonies led to rebellion, particularly in Alamance. More people moved to the backcountry to escape the government of both the state and of England. More immigrants entered the backcountry from the Wagon Road during this time as well. Usually they were not so enamored of England anyway being Irish, Scots, Scots-Irish, German, Welsh or French. The King attempted to respect the rights of Native Americans at this time, but the animosity arising from the recent war led the newcomers to dismiss anything the English had to say about who could go to where. The seeds of Revolution were sewn here in the ground plowed by the French and Indian War.

This is a great place to remind you to see the reenactment of the War for Empire at Ft. Dobbs on April 10-11 in Statesville, NC, (home also of the Carolina Balloonfest.)

Pineapple Express

SxSW keeps coming up in the techsphere. I'm doing three papers. One on social networking, one on project management and one on 2nd generation biofuels. Oh, and the grants!!

So today, on my facebook came this link to a filmmaker, David Gordon Green who went to the NC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem being interviewed at South by Southwest. He made George Washington and he made Pineapple Express.

I took my son to see Pineapple Express by accident last year. My jaw dropped watching it but there we were. I guess I have to say it was interesting. I would not suggest you take your sixteen year old to see it.

Green is making movies with the microscope instead of the more expensive, grand scale events.
Well, would he do the OVT story? I'm calling him. Can he make the movie around "all the little moments approached intimately rather than epically."

And George Washington was not about THE George Washington, but I thought it was when I started this blog and felt the need to confess about Pineapple Express.

Which Joseph is it?

OVTA will meet in Marion for the annual meeting on Mar. 27th. There the Pepsi Refresh Idea will likely be hacked to death. I am disturbed by this old thinking. Too much loyalty to Coke. To little willingness to communicate on-line about this unlike all the on-line communication about a book to be published...sigh. I don't know where I will get funding for October at this point and many re-enactors who are not my normal crew will be scheduled before it is safe to book them. Did I tell you I was disturbed by this?

Marion is in McDowell county where I left off looking for Rev. War. details months ago. OVTA will meet at the Joseph McDowell House. Note it has two front doors like the Robert Cleveland house. I don't quite understand why this is necessary except for escape. Maybe people didn't like the idea of only one way out. Joseph McDowell was the brother of Charles McDowell or the cousin. There were two Josephs and they were cousins. Both fought at Kings Mountain, they married sisters and later served in the NC general assembly. It still causes problems in the family. Oh my. Well, a mystery to be solved when we get there.

Here is the story of Charles McDowell battling Ferguson in the area of McDowell county. Start at
Patrick Ferguson at Gilbert Town and Vicinity .

Back to homework...

Two cool sites. Podcasts of readings from Thomas Jefferson's writing. and Stamp Act info from the western counties about Brunswick and the coast.

I'm keyed up about my Pepsi Refresh Project for OVTA . Please go vote to help us get to the roll over position. I've had trouble engaging the troops. It's not my war or I don't believe it can be done. Sigh. Same old Same old. But look! at the projects that got funded last month!! We absolutely can win this. Step across this line..........

And I have homework to finish. I'll be back to normal in a few weeks.

Feed Me Seymour!

We spent the afternoon at the Senior Play, Little Shop of Horrors. Those kids have lungs! It's good to have a great script and then even better when they sing on key. AND that plant!!! Great job on that.

Hey, and that is Steve Martin being the dentist in the movie!! I had forgotten that. He is coming to Merlefest the last weekend in April. I'm getting his autograph. Well, its a goal. I've always loved him. RG plays on the Cabin Stage with the Banknotes (the artists formerly known as RG Absher and Extra Measure) on Thursday night at 6:15pm just before Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.

This reminds me to point you to the NC coast to find some of those mini Audrey IIs. I don't think any of them have mutated yet, so don't be afraid. They are found primarily in the Green Swamp Preserve. This is in Brunswick County which is full of Revolutionary War history.

Jaron Lanier refers to Thomas Jefferson

I am looking for another paper to write for school. We have been discussing ethical and legal issues given the internet, creative commons etc. I found this talk by Jaron Lanier, the inventor of the term Virtual Reality. He is talking above my head almost. But he is concerned about people not being paid for what they create in their brain - artists and musicians, etc. He discusses rhetoric ( as I am only just now learning about it, it peaked my hearing....) THEN, so help me he invokes Thomas Jefferson. So, here is my blog for the day. Jaron Lanier rejects the open culture movement.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

GO (NC)STATE!!!

I found this cool new experiment which starts April 1st - its an online reenactment of the American Revolution in Real time. It will last eight years from 1775 - 1783.

http://patriotcast.wordpress.com/

Sign me up!!

On vacation from my other favorite school, East Carolina!

www.refresheverything.com/ovta

Did you know Sandra Bullock went to ECU? She's an oscar winner now!! for that wonderful "The Blind Side" movie based on a TRUE story.



Which leads to this observation.....Zach Galifiankis, local boy made good, went to NCSU. He will be an Oscar winner someday and don't you think he would make a GREAT OVERMOUNTAIN MAN!!! Yes, the story of King's MOuntain needs to be a movie.



Apparently some folks outside of my sphere of influence are talking about making a movie out of the story. I wrote to ask to be a part of it. But, it has so Many stories, it should be a TV series or at least something like John Adams. I've already talked about this here.



I've also already written to Andy Griffith just for advice.



And if you don't make a movie, I'll be a writer of some discipline by July, officially certified by ECU. I"m opening my movied with the mooning episode at Musgrove Mills. Didn't know about that? Well, just check out King's Mountain and its Heroes.

And please go vote. If you are watching the ACC tournament, then everytime the Pepsi Refresh commercial comes on, get someone in your near vacinity to vote at www.refresheverything.com/ovta .

the Battle begins

Spring break is slipping away. I'm exhausted promoting my Pepsi request. But, I'm remembering how much I like to write to you. The ACC tournament is on TV. It is definately a Greensboro kind of month.

2010 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Site Broadcast Information TV: RAYCOM (XM 190/191)

GO WOLFPACK!! Know this athlete from Cary won an award from the Sons of the American Revolution.

OH! Pepsi Refresh on tV. We are one tribe y'all... Oh, go vote!! OVTA

BAck to the physical world.

I received this beautiful background for my twitter account by winning a prize last year. Somehow I have it pasted in my edit post area and it pops up everytime I write. I'm leaving it today to see what happens. I like the flowers. They remind me of the High Point Furniture Market coming up.

I am reminded that the annual BIG reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse is happening this week by my friend Anne . Y'all check it out in Greensboro this weekend.

Please visit OVTA at www.refresheverything.com/ovta . We are moving up in the ranks, but I need exponential support. Please vote for OVTA to be invited to get this grant!!

Spring Break!

Well, I have three papers to write and they need to be great works of literature. There will not be any spring break.

Still, knowing I had a spring break and a first draft for one other small reflection complete, I relaxed a little this weekend. I went with my husband to a family 50th wedding anniversary. The event was held in a wonderful BRAND NEW place, The Deep Creek Event Center. It's not a hotel. It's not a restaurant. It's not a country club. It is a wonderful space devoted to your day.

So, I'm looking for Revolutionary history around Deep Creek. It's big!

From About.com Military History:

In the wake of Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton's defeat at the Battle of Cowpens in January 1781, Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis turned his attention to pursuing Major General Nathanael Greene's small army. Racing through North Carolina, Greene was able to escape over the swollen Dan River before the British could bring him to battle. Making camp, Greene was reinforced by fresh troops and militia from North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Pausing at Hillsborough, Cornwallis attempted to forage for supplies with little success before moving on to the forks of Deep River.

While there on March 14, (1781) Cornwallis was informed that General Richard Butler was moving to assault his troops. In actuality, Butler had led the reinforcements that had joined Greene. The following night, he received reports that the Americans were near Guilford Court House. Despite only having 1,900 men on hand, Cornwallis resolved to take the offensive and began marching that morning. Greene, having re-crossed the Dan, had established a position near Guilford Court House.

The event's of Guilford Court House are called an American loss, but are noteably remembered for a moment when Cornwallis crossed over the edge mentally. He ordered grapeshot fired into the battle and killed some of both his own men and patriots. It was a horrible demoralizing decision. He lost 25% of his men, including the ones he killed. The Parliment began to reconsider supporting the war in America.

The National Park Service has this to say about Guilford Court House-

Although the British considered themselves to be the victors at Guilford Courthouse, out of a force of 1,900 men, they lost 532 killed, wounded and missing. The 'defeated' American army lost 264 men out of a force of 4,400.


Don't forget to vote!

Charles James Fox, leader of Parliament's Whig opposition, was said to have exclaimed, "Another such victory would ruin the British Army!"

Did you Vote today?

Did you vote for us for to Refresh OVTA? If not you can access the vote on the side of this blog and log in and vote or click on the link above.

It turns out that most of 1093 requests to Pepsi for funding are for the $250.000 category. So we have more competition for fewer grants. It didn't appear that way in January, but that's how it turned out.

We moved up in average position today. I hope we get an exponential explosion in coming days.

I think I was left at McDowell county when I stopped looking for cool things and writing here. I'll look again.

Currently, I'm taking four (4!!) graduate classes at East Carolina on-line for technical and professional writing. I have two additional grants to complete, three final papers to write concerning the effectiveness of social media, real-time sampling in the era of distributed work with a client in Denmark, and finally the 2nd Generation Biofuels. Researching biofuels I discover that there is really already a third generation of biofuels. I have to do all these by April 26th. They all will have outlines, annotated bibliographies, literature reviews and drafts before this time. I am enjoying this, but I am stuck in front of this computer for at least 50 hours a week. My house looks like it has been hit by a tornado.

I may only tag in with short blogs for this month. I will keep my eyes open for Revolutionary history connections.

News from our National Park Service contact

"The Feasibility Study for a Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Area (NHA) is drawing close to completion. At present the Cultural and Heritage Museums of York County (SC) has been identified as the best possible candidate for a lead managing entity if an NHA is created. The possible boundary of the potential area is also being finalized. It looks likely that the report will advise that such a National Heritage Area is feasible, given the resources and public interest. It will be the decision of Congress as to what to do next."

The boundaries are still not completely resolved. You can still write your representatives in Congress and educate them about your county Revolutionary history.

Unfortunately for the moment, the budget for National Heritage Areas has been cut and I doubt Congress will fund this very soon. This means everything we can do in the private sector is even more important. Please vote for OVTA to receive funds from the Pepsi Refresh Everything project everyday in March. For instant access see the widgit on the side of this post ------->

Vote for the March in March!!!

Pepsi Refreshs Wilkes-Surry OVTA!!

We are In!!! Pepsi accepted the request for OVTA to compete for $250,000 to help communities celebrate their revolutionary history in the Carolina backcountry!! Yay!

Now, all we need is for you to sign up on the Pepsi Refresh website and vote everyday in March for the March to Kings Mountain. Please help us get the story alive of America's first National Guard.

YAY!!!!

Apologize, apologies...

Where have I been? Well...still here, but released to drive and then it was Christmas and then I'm still job hunting and now I am back in school again!! for about the 5th time, but its wonderful!

Here is something very cool and very revolutionary from a group in Asheville.

If you look at their other videos page you will see this video which is at once about the old international conflict and leads me to writing grants, articles about public science, and writing in general. Everything I am studying at East Carolina University On-line in their Technical and Professional Writing Program is here. Intercultural communications, Techniques for technical writing, Public science writing and Grant-writing (because its time again to start on the October event for Wilkes-Surry OVTA). I was amazed.

I'll try to write every day again. I might have very BIG news on Monday so come back!!!