I Love Red Doors...

I love red doors on a home or business. For years I have wanted to take the plunge and paint my door red, but have always been too chicken. When I was in Georgetown and Alexandria, Virginia I couldn't help but notice how many homes had red doors and they all looked so warm and welcoming. Red with the brass knockers are my favorites. There were variations of the color as well. I have now decided to actually do it, I'm going to paint my front door red, a regal red I think, maybe slightly brickish. I believe red doors mush have been popular in the colonial era since most of these homes I'm showing are historical homes. I have been  looking for a brass knocker that I can have our name engraved on. I also want a brass door knob. I can't wait for the transformation. I will keep everyone updated.

1768 Plantation Home~Chatham House in Fredericksburg Virginia

Chatham House

While visiting in Virginia these past couple of weeks we had the opportunity to visit Fredericksburg and take the Civil War Battlefield tour. When ever we go back to visit my son and his wife we always like to visit one battlefield per trip. Fredericksburg is only 30 minutes south of where my son lives. The weather was perfect!!! The town of Fredericksburg is a lovely small cozy little town nestled in the beautiful Virginia country side. This piece of country side is to date the bloodiest ground in America. Within 5-10 miles 3 of the bloodiest battles were fought along the Rappahanock River, Battle of Fredericksburg Dec. 1862, Battle of Chancellorsville May 1863 and Battle of the Wilderness May 1864. Between the three battles 73,444 men were killed.
It's just mind boggling to think that many young men from both North and South were lost. After the battle the Union Army moved into the Chatham House and made it a hospital. The family had fled to another estate. The house was a hospital for the remainder of the war. We were able to go into what they called the operation room, which was harrowing, thinking of all the amputations.

The poet Walt Whitman visited Chatham House in Dec. 1862 in search of his brother who was listed on the wounded list. Fortunately he found his brother with only a minor face wound, but from this experience he wrote his book Wound Dresser:


Excerpts from Whitman's book The Wound Dresser

     "Began my visits (December 21, 1862) among the camp hospitals in the Army of the Potomac, under General Burnside. Spent a good part of the day in a large brick mansion [Chatham] on the banks of the Rappahannock, immediately opposite Fredericksburg. It is used as a hospital since the battle, and seems to have received only the worst cases. Outdoors, at the foot of a tree, within ten yards of the front of the house [probably the still standing Catalpa tree], I noticed a heap of amputated feet, legs, arms, hands, etc. -- about a load for a one-horse cart. Several dead bodies lie near, each covered with its brown woolen blanket. In the dooryard, toward the river, are fresh graves, mostly of officers, their names on pieces of barrel staves or broken board, stuck in the dirt.

     The house is quite crowded, everything impromptu, no system, all bad enough, but I have no doubt the best that can be done; all the wounds pretty bad, some frightful, the men in their old clothes, unclean and bloody. Some of the wounded are rebel officers, prisoners. One, a Mississippian--a captain-- hit badly in the leg, I talked with him some time; he asked for papers, which I gave him. (I saw him three months afterward in Washington, with leg amputated, doing well.)

     I went through the rooms, down stairs and up. Some of the men were dying. I had nothing to give at that night, but wrote a few letters to folks home, mothers, etc. Also talked to three or four who seemed most susceptible to it, and needing it."

Walt Whitman 1862

I came away from our visit with the keen sense that I was walking on hollowed ground.

It would be on the far left end of the lower building that the amputated limbs laid

in a pile that Walt Whitman would have seen.

Cannon facing the town from Chatham Hill. Can you imagine bombarding the city with that thing?

Hubby scouting the horizon

Fredericksburg Church Steeple viewed from Chatham Hill.

This Church and many others became army field hospitals during the war.

Looking back on the house from the lower grounds.

Gardens in the back.

Puppy Tails #7

I was so amazed to see how much they had grown after being away from them for 9 days!!!! They are now 7 weeks old and will be leaving home in another couple of weeks. I will miss them so! They are so stinking cute and healthy as can be. We now have them in small Camp Snoopy on the outside patio. They will get a bigger Camp Snoopy this weekend. Their little ears are now beginning to stand up properly and all their pigment is nice and black!  

Little boy~ Tulouse

Little Girl~Amelia 

Little Girl~Marie

Amelia

Little Boy~Mumford

Mommy, Izzie looking a little forlorn on the other side of the fence watching!

This is the hard part.

Home from the hill... Capitol Hill that is...

I have been an absentee blogger for about ten days now. We just got back to Southern California last night from Washington D.C. We had the privilege of going there to attend my son, James Jr.'s graduation from Georgetown University Law School this past Sunday. It was amazing. What a campus, what a ceremony and what a thrill for us as parents! We were so proud. His brother, his parents, his in-laws all came to celebrate. It was a party hearty in his house where we all stayed. We had a great time. Here are some pictures from Sunday I wanted to share.

Getting a smooch from his wife Maria!

Another smooch!

Picture of the proud couple James and Maria Fiorito

Holding up his Law Degree!

Here he is with his brother Dr. Joseph Fiorito

we are so proud of these boys!

A smile for his mom!

Vintage Tablecloth and Napkin set I Scored!

I love vintage. I love red and I love table linens. I found this beautiful vintage 1950's Simco screen printed table cloth and napkin set on Ebay. I was even more impressed when I received it. The colors are so vivid, no wear or spots. It is just beautiful. I had to throw it on my table and take pictures.  The bowl in the center is a Scarlet Fiesta Ware pedestal bowl sitting on top of a Scarlet Fiesta Ware fruit bowl turned upside down.

I discovered after setting out my Fiesta Ware that I am missing my Sunflower Yellow, and Persimmon mugs. I need to get those replaced. That's the beauty of Fiesta Ware you can mix and match the color combos anyway you want and it's very easy to replace the current colors.

I took all the colors in the tablecloth and used my Fiesta Ware pieces that matched the colors.

I use my large disc pitchers all the time. They really are the perfect size and easy to handle.

Really I will have to say my two favorite colors of Fiesta Ware are Scarlet and Sunflower Yellow. They just brighten up any table, or kitchen.

Oops! I can see that I need to replace my Persimmon fruit bowl as well.