Memorial Day/My Dad's Birthday

Today is a special day, for more reasons than one. I had much pressure from Laurbear to do a Mems Day piece so here we have it. Through my (EXTENSIVE, cough cough) research the most interesting thing I learnt was mos def about the very first Memorial Day; the history of it is all a bit dicey (civil war, Confederate vs. Union soldiers, etc, etc) but, from what I gather the day was first commemorated by who wikipedia refers to as 'formerly enslaved people' exhuming a mass grave of Union soldiers and reburying them into individual graves. A little spooky but extremely nice of them (although it sounds like slavery to me since they had only ten days to do it). I think its a lovely holiday and really underscores the importance of peace for the future of our world (idealistic plug what what?!). Also, my father turns 56 today.

(The likelihood that you care very little about either of these things is overwhelming).

UNCANNY

HELLO. My name is Andrea and I have come to take over this blog. In reading about life in the old cradle (of forestry), what has hit me the most is the myriad of similarities between the cradle of forestry (Pisgah Natl Forest) and my life in the cradle of skiing (Norway, where I live).

1. Laura makes natural dyes from plants and uses them as paints, I dye easter eggs. UNCANNY.

2. Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Blue Ridged Mountains of Norway (check). UNCANNY!

3. The SCA, we've got it too, only ours is emblazoned on every soap dispenser in every public bathroom in the country. UNCANNY.

and... 4. Laura gives Twilight tours of the forest, I LOVE TWILIGHT. totally UNCANNY.

Allow me to introduce you to my bloggysitter for the next two days..