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Dear Friends and Family,
I
have a confession to make.
I
rip shirts.
I
mean I really shred them. I trot down the stairs
and snag them on the forged iron doorway
handle. I wear them two days straight,
sweat-soak them into a gauzy net, weaken the fibers, pull
them over my head and rip out the back
side. I let out violent,
arm-stretching yawns which loudly identify new flaws in the
weave. Mostly I wash them, or my wife does, much more
than an 18th century farmer might. The
best shirt I've ever owned lasts about a year.
But
last Thursday, while my wife took me along on a fabric
hunting trip, I discovered a bolt of what was called
"100% linen" at a local store. It was
marked $5.95 a yard and it had a rough, almost canvas-like
feel.
"Mary!"
I exclaimed. "This is my stuff!"
Mary
grabbed the end of the bolt. "Too
rough," she said. "You'll be itching
all day."
I
assured her I could take it.
"You're
going to hate it," she said.
"I'm
tough. I can take it. I wear wool
breeches without complaint, dear one."
"All
right, but if you buy it, go get it over on that
table. They've got five bolts at $1.99 a
yard."
Sure
enough. She was right. They had the
exact same 100% linen for $1.99 a yard. I gathered up
all I could find and took it over to the counting table.
"Linen,"
said the sales girl. "What are you
making?"
"Shirts,"
I said.
"Oooo,
yuck," she said, running her hand along the bolt.
"Shirts? Are you kidding?"
I
was beginning to lose my resolve. "We live
on a farm," I said.
"Maybe
I can bleach it in hot water two or three times," Mary
said, in the car on the way home. "But are
you sure you needed 20 yards?"
That
evening, Lena McClure, a long-time friend and historical
costumer looked at the fabric and just said:
"hmmmmm."
Well,
despite the objections from the ladies, I have now worn the
above shirt for nearly 18 hours straight. I
practiced violin in it yesterday, as soon as the final
button was attached. I milked Betty the cow in
it. I scolded the children for being too
loud at the dinner table in it. I slept in it,
(snoring considerably, according to family members), rose,
milked the cow again and composed a web page in
it.
The
shirt is a SUCCESS, thank you.
You
can buy one yourself for $99.00. Are you
man enough?
Your
Humble Servant,
James
Riley
Don't
Forget...
This
year, over 10,000 school children will take part in
our Living
History Field Trips. Click here
to make it 10,001! The
price is $12.00 per participant, with one free adult for
every 15 students. This
includes lunch and four hours of participatory living
history, covering either the American Revolution, Civil War,
or Early California.
After
an early March visit this year, a fifth grade teacher
from San Diego wrote us to say, "Thank you for the
most wonderful field trip I have ever hosted for
children. Your knowledge of history, the
authenticity of your facilities, the beauty of the
surroundings, and the love of history that you shared with
the students are very much appreciated."
Thanks!
Mark
your calendars! We
look forward to visiting with you soon.
Your
Humble Servant,
James
Riley
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