Smitten with Jellybaby, Another Sampling and the Re-enactors' Lament

Thanks to Potentially Nervous, which is the blog devoted to Bells, Nuage and Fats, we have discovered a new star in the firmament--Jellybaby (photo used with permission). Jellybaby is a magician's rabbit, although she is not pulled from any hats, since we're pretty sure she wouldn't stand for it. Read about the magician, Malcolm Russell, who is quite a hoot.

When we are not swooning over other people's rabbits on the 'net, we have been stitching industriously; it's too cold to go out at lunch, for one. I've put some time into "Wisdom," by Vermillion Stitchery. Although I originally kitted it up with the called-for DMC, when I saw how beautiful the colors were on the 40 ct Lakeside Navy Bean, I decided to use silk instead. I'm doing an on-the-fly conversion, using NPI and AVAS from my stash.

This is the Innis House, a small structure caught between the artillery exchange of the advancing Union army and the Confederates in Fredericksburg, Virgina during the battle of First Fredericksburg, December 1862. The house stands today, restored, but with bullet holes left as they were found, as part of the Fredericksburg Battlefield, a national park commemorating one of many battles of the U.S. Civil War fought in this area.

Around here they take their Civil War Reenactments seriously. According to the Free-Lance Star today, a couple of "Union and Confederate cavalry commanders who tussled on the field of battle were found not guilty of assault. The two pressed charges against each other after the September 19, 2009 reenactment of the Battle of Stanardsville." It seems the Confederate commander "claimed his Union counterpart knocked off his hat." He retaliated by firing his revolver, and while there was no bullet, the Union commander suffered facial injuries from the revolver's powder blast, according to a prosecutor. According to Confederate witnesses, the Union commander used archaic slurs such as "blackguard" and "knave" to describe his Confederate counterpart." Hah--since a number of witnesses were called in the trial, I wonder if the sides attended in their respective uniforms. Apparently the Confederate commander used more contemporary expressions than "blackguard" and "knave." Kooky!
Bullet holes, just to remind the two gentlemen that sticks and stones will break your bones, but names will never hurt you. Photo of interior of house borrowed from "brotherswar.com."

Elvis declares himself smitten with Jellybaby, and he's showing off for her. Notice the wood shavings in his beard. He's been busily chewing on the underside of the box spring frame. He figures if Jellybaby can eat a Christmas tree, he can chew a bed. He considers himself a bit of a magician; one day he will pop up through the mattress!