A couple of weekends ago, Gabriella and I attended the Midwinter's Eve celebration at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum. This was sort of an informal formal affair for us. As an informal affair, a couple of us were sporting our winter beards, which would not have been in fashion at the time. As a formal affair, members of Warner's Regiment appeared in uniform.
Before the public event the museum was holding, the Regiment gathered in the tavern room of the museum's Visitor's Center for the first of our "Winter Quarters" gatherings. During Winter Quarters, we work on repairing our gear, making new things, and rolling and filling the seemingly never-ending supply of cartridges we'll use in battle next season. I enjoy these gatherings, as it's a way to stay connected to our friends in the unit during our off-season.
As darkness fell, it was time to switch gears. The museum's Winter's Eve even was open to the public, supplying snacks, drinks, music, dancing, and lantern-lit tours of the the Ethan Allen house. We all switched into kit and were transported from the twenty-first century to the eighteen century.
Eighteenth Century Eyes.
Walking from the Visitor's Center out to the house by lamp-light was amazing. It was too dark for photos, but it was easy to be transported back in time. Rain from previous days had made the ground damp, and warmer weather had settled in, creating a light misty fog over the property. Walking out to the house, you could just make out faint candlelight in the windows, welcoming weary travelers home.
Welcome home.
Inside the house, volunteers from the museum were portraying Ethan and Fanny Allen and family. They had the fires going, candles lit, and snacks for guests on the table. While there was dancing in the Tavern, many of us chose to gather in the warmth of the Allen kitchen, enjoying gingerbread cookies and each other's company. At one point, looking around at all the men in uniform, I imaged that this must have been much what it was like when residents of the New Hampshire Grants gathered in Dorset some 240ish years ago to vote on their leaders and their future.
Volunteers, guests, and the Regiment gather in Fanny Allen's kitchen.
Good food, conversation, and company by the warmth of the hearth.
At the end of the evening we left our friends. Feeling content with our final even of the year, we're both looking forward to 2020.
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