Gettysburg!

It was exciting to be able to visit Gettysburg while I was staying with Sarah. A quick favourite story of mine: When I was living in Glasgow, my friend Laura and I went to a lecture on three women who had worked at collecting and distributing Gaelic song. One woman was from America - from Gettysburg, in fact. But the lecturer, being Scottish, pronounced it Gettys-burugh, as they would pronounce Edinburgh. It tickled me pink! So I always think of that now when anyone so much as mentions Gettysburg. 

Our first stop was a fabric store: Needle & Thread. Sarah had assured me that it was an incredible shop, but I was incredulous until I walked inside. Oh. My. Goodness!!! It truly is the most amazing fabric shop you could even hope to imagine. They had row upon row of reproduction cotton prints, as well as homespun, velvet ribbons (just go to your ubiquitous JoAnn's and try to find velvet ribbon!), historical patterns, gorgeous silks & a fine selection of wools as well (which is my new love). It truly is a place where one is spoiled for choice! I did buy some fine cotton to cover a bonnet I'd bought in an antique store (it was almost like silk it was so soft!) and I bought some remnant cotton print for another 1910s blouse. We tore ourselves away with great difficulty to visit a bit of the town as well.

It was *such* a bright day! This was our attempted selfie - trying not to blind ourselves. Sadly I'd forgotten my sunglasses in Utah!

No, I'm not trying to prevent that I can't see. Sun? What sun?

Little Round Top, of Gettysburg Battle fame.

The autumn colours were stunning!

I thought wearing my half-mourning dress was befitting to such a location.

Devil's Den. I know it was a scene of many deaths, but as a natural site it was stunningly beautiful, and I was sad that it had such bloody associations. 

It was fascinating to visit Gettysburg, which is such a large site dedicated to the memory of one battle. In Scotland, one of the controversies of archaeology is what sites should be preserved for posterity, and how much of that site as well. To see such a vast area in Gettysburg enshrined in this way was incredible.