Christmas cranks, old soldiers and love letters

As I said over on Facebook, so far today I've dealt with a cranky Postal clerk, witnessed a car accident and had the Grinch as a checkout clerk at the fabric store.  Fortunately, my final stop (at Target) was both uneventful and yielded a chocolate stash with which to soothe my ruffled feathers.

Once upon a time, I had a huge store of quilt books.  Over the last few years, I've not only taken more than half of them to the resale shop, but have been disciplined about buying new ones.   I've kept the reference and technique books, along with some local and period-specific books.

A quilt book fairly jumped into my hands this morning.  In my defense, it combines a number of things that make me happy:  Civil war reproduction quilts, ordinary people history and old love letters.  The book is The Civil War Love Letter Quilt.  There are 121 six inch blocks, with a letter from a Civil War soldier to go with each.  There are short biographies of the men as well.

In addition to the yearning for home and hearth, the letters cover some very quotidian details.  I love this section of a letter from David Coon of the 36th Regiment Wisconsin volunteers to his wife and children:

I am glad the heifers proved to be so good.  What do you think I thought when you told about churning?  Oh, that I had the buttermilk.  We can get butter here for 75 cents a can of about a pound, cheese 50 or 60 cents a pound.  So, Johnny would like to have Pa have some of the good things!  My health is better and my appetite is very good, and I have plenty to eat, and all the coffee I want, which is a good deal this hot, dry weather.  If I could exchange coffee and meat with you  for a little butter, I would like it, for my rations are more than I can use.  We draw potatoes and beans now pretty regularly, which I like pretty well with fresh beef and salt pork - more than I need - plenty of everything, only I could use more sugar just as well not.


Coon died in Andersonville prison.


This afternoon's plan revolves around a cup of coffee, a little chocolate and a leisurely read through the book. From what they are saying, we are to get three to five inches of snow starting midafternoon today; I'm not going out again if I can help it.