Old-Timey Naalbinding Rug

Dusty D just finished the rug she started and worked on during Heritage Fest.

Multiple people inquired about this mini rug during the Fest. It is made using the Scandinavian craft of naalbinding, which produces a thick squooshy fabric due to the tons of material it consumes.

Dusty D made this rug with a wooden needle that my husband made for me. The Vikings' needles were made of wood or bone.

DD put this rug in front of my husband's favorite sittin' spot in the interests of keeping his tootsies warm this coming winter.

And with the completion of this rug, Dusty D is officially done with HF and ready for fall.

Memoirs of a Heritage Fest Charwoman

(me).
Note also the handsome and rugged Tinderbox Man (swoon).

Thanks to HF organizers for giving us a spot in the Fest! It was incredibly fun and I'm grateful.

Highlights of the Heritage Fest

1. Seeing people fascinated with the Tinderbox Man's presentation of how to start a fire with char cloth. This is a very effective and practical method, as opposed to the exhausting and ineffectual bow-and-drill method familiar to Boy Scout veterans. In fact, the guy on Survivorman packed char cloth in one unaccompanied trip to the Arctic.

2. Seeing polite and inquisitive kids interested in the mystery artifacts. A few times, when kids were looking and new folks came up, I did this: told the kids, "Wow, you guys are good at this. Would you like to tell the new people what these things are?" And they invariably did, with a combination of gravity and pride that would have melted my heart were I not a crabby curmudgeon.

3. Seeing the bouncy castle display of no fewer than 6 castles deflating at 6 p.m. on Sunday into little puddles of garishness. Poof goes the giant shark.

4. Successfully avoiding all carny food purveyors and packing a picnic of cheese, bread, fruit, and water for nummies.

5. Gazing reflectively from my chair, rug on lap, at the passing parade of humanity on the path 200 yards away as most of it walked slowly/dazedly past our presentation area in a quest for...what? Something other than authenticity and a hands-on encounter with history. But why? Must mull.

6. Seeing the emo teen roll her heavily kohl-rimmed eyes and toss her stripey hair with fashionable impatience as her adorable young sister geeked out over the artifacts. Oh, I know you're too cool to take interest, but I count it as a failure on my part to engage you on your terms. I know I can't interest everyone but I will remember you and try to think of a way to make my presentation relevant to you for next year so that you can also have fun with it.

7. Hangin' with Mike the Beermaker.

8. Just being there in a beautiful park on a sunny day with my sweetie and doing fun stuff with interested participants. A BLAST.

H.F. Fun

Grandma Bien and the Tinderbox Man had a total blast at Heritage Fest with Mike the Beermaker, who is super nice. Had some very sweet li'l kids handling and guessing about the objects in Grandma's Trunk and people were fascinated to see T.M.'s demo on how to make fire with flint and steel and char cloth. Also my naalbinding demo was a hit; gonna take one of my naalbinded rugs from home tomorrow as extra demo piece. Thank you to all the nice folks who visited our area and see you tomorrow starting around 10!

Report on Heritage Festival 2010 Meeting

Dusty D just returned from a good meeting with about 20 folks who were involved with the 2009 Heritage Fest. It was actually a wrap-up of 2009, but with plans for 2010 too. It was interesting. And a good meeting, too--Ms. Hummel did an excellent job of keeping things on-task and moving.

Dusty D felt her face get red and HOT when I was singled out to speak. Land sakes, I used to be a teacher; you'd think I could speak in front of a group. And I did, outlining my four-part plan. I showed the group the book I'd checked out of the Archives packed with terrific info about past Heritage Festivals. I passed out a handout of a diagram of the past Living History setup (at left).

Then I spoke about our four-part plan and passed out its handout (picture, below). Our area will have four things:

1. Tinderbox Man (my husband, who will cheerfully tell you "I'm a pyro," not unlike his wife). Tinderbox Man has a tinderbox containing char cloth, a flint, and a striking steel. He will be demonstrating and helping kids with making fire without matches. My sweetie was so excited when he had this idea that all evening he was looking at Youtube videos on making char cloth and making a fire. Every time I passed his laptop, there was a video on with smoke pouring out of something.

2. Old Time Clothes Washing: this will need major props and prep. That's me, in the pic, in my bonnet. Now where did I put my giant cast iron cauldron?

3. "Grandma's Trunk": a trunk full of cornhusk dolls, old tools, neat old stuff kids can handle, with a docent there to ask good teacherly questions to get 'em to think about the stuff and what modern analogs are, &c.

4. Hands-On 19th-Century Games of "Graces" and horseshoes. Dunno why I drew my hubby in a sombrero in that pic. But anyways.

Highlights of the meeting chat:

1. One raffle winner did not claim their prize. It was a loaf of bread. The unclaimed prize was not wasted.
2. Next year's fest may feature a "Duck-Cam" in the rubber ducky race. Stay tuned.
3. Home tour had 350 advance tickets and 80 day-of tix sold.
4. Bed Race: allow gurneys?--they are made to go fast and may present an unfair advantage. Could be a serious problem.
5. Have a Heritage Fest Peace Force next year in bright yellow shirts? (In response to the big fight/rush of kids that took place).
6. Animals in petting zoo were "freaked out" by teens running by them during fight.
7. Over 300 runners in Great Train Race, a great #.
8. Garbage: sponsorships for each garbage can? ROTC kids running garbage had fun. Their favorite word, repeated ad infinitum during Fest, was "JUUUUUI-CY!" As in, "You run garbage, you get JUICY." Kids found a box of almonds behind almond booth, thought it was trash, whisked it away. Turns out it was a batch with double sugar that the owner had set aside because wrong recipe. Kids ate almonds, due to garbage-running's tendency to lower one's notions of food safety standards. "When you run garbage--it's OK." Kids got dizzy, then learned almonds hadn't been garbage. Uh-oh. Almond owner found out--instead of being mad, she offered them two new cones of almonds so kids could taste the RIGHT recipe. :D

And on that happy note, the group disbanded.

Secret postscript: our area will actually have 5 things. The 5th thing involves the first person to volunteer to help us. This gentleman, whom you may (or may not) know, will be a black-frock-coated Temperance Speaker AND Patent Medicine Salesman. It's still hush-hush as to his identity. But he would be perfect in this role and is enthusiastic, or possibly just afraid of me. Anyways, that's the roundup!

Heritage Festival 2010: Is the Past in Your Future?

Check it out on AnnArbor.com, here! Neighbor, there a corncob pipe in your future?

How about some authentic pioneer underwear? (Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it!)

Planning for Heritage Fest 2010

Dusty D has heard back from a 'Fest contact and has learned the following: 1. The gentleman who runs the historic area has taken a new job and wasn't there to run it this year; 2. it is free to camp overnight, after you sign a waiver; 3. firewood is provided! Sounds fun to me! Dusty D has a meeting coming up with Heritage Fest folks during which I'll describe my ideas on what I can hopefully contribute.

But what I'd really like to know would be: what additional historical display, game, household activity, or other feature would YOU like to see in the Historic area? I'd really appreciate your ideas!

We Want to Bring Back the "Heritage" in Heritage Fest

Are you kiddin' me?

Was Ypsilanti's heritage represented by a measly three tents, including the beer guy?

Three tents?

Dusty D and sweetie paused on the path on the first encounter with this vestigial Heritage representation, and said aloud, "Is that all there is?"

A stranger passerby lady said, "I know--isn't it a shame? That's all there is!"

Dusty D got angry. Her Sweetie, oddly, got motivated (oddly since he's a computer guy whom I wouldn't have guessed would be angered by the pathetic showing of Heritage-type folk at Heritage Fest).

We decided we'd be the change we'd like to see in Heritage Fest.

Sweetie started writing a bunch of ideas down on paper. He planned a set of 19th-century games, including quoits, horseshoes, and the hoop-toss game "graces," that he'd run. Dusty D thought a demonstration of 19th-century clothes-washing in a wooden tub might be interesting. Things that people can touch and interact with. We sat up all night, writing down ideas. A display of the amount of wood you'd need to get through a winter. A stump in which to grind corn, as was done in settlement times. A butter churn. We already own a ton of cast iron items with which settlers would have cooked. We can contribute that.

It's time for the next generation of historical folks to step up and remind people of the "Heritage" portion of Heritage Fest.

Dusty D and sweetie have 12 months to get together a wooden washing machine, period clothes, and friends to help. Dusty D has already scoped out ebay for wooden washing machines and JoAnn Fabrics for canvas for our tent. I can sew it up myself on our 1920s sewing machine. Help us, please, dear readers, revive the Heritage portion of Heritage Fest!

Dusty D's sweetie described a past year's Heritage Fest when he stood on Cross St. Bridge and admired the soft kerosene lights glowing from afar, from the historical encampment far down in Riverside Park. Dusty D remembers the teepee guy with his teepee set up in the park.

It's time for the next generation of historical folks to step up and take the reins. Kind readers, will you please help us help expand the "historical" portion for next year's Heritage Fest?

WISH LIST:
--wooden washing machine
--kerosene lamps
--canvas for tent
--butter churn
--bonnet for Dusty Diary
--broad-brimmed hat for sweetie

Thank you for your kind attention to our effort to bring back the "heritage" in Heritage Fest!

Heritage Fest Awesomeness: Mime Michael Lee Mesmerizes Crowd (and us) on Cross Street

Dusty D and sweetie were enchanted by mime Michael Lee on the Cross Street Bridge Saturday. We parked our butts on a nearby picnic table for most of an hour, absolutely mesmerized by the manner in which he controlled a huge crowd of onlookers merely by doing...nothing.

Mr. Lee was bedecked in silver makeup and white-spattered grey clothes which made him look like a shadowy old-timey figure from an old B&W photo, cut out and mysteriously glued into our full-color world. He sat motionless on a chair. He had a Walkman with old-time tinny tunes coming from it. Next to him was a bucket of flowers. When someone came up to put a dollar into his money-tin, he miraculously came to life in a robotic fashion, gave a flower to the donor, and tugged his hat in salute.

"He's only got two flowers left," Dusty D whispered to her equally rapt sweetie. When the flowers ran out, he improvised interactions with passers-by. When someone took out their cameraphone to photograph him, he nonchalantly took out his own Blackberry to snap the picture-taker, to laughs from the crowd.

Bemused, smiling crowds kept forming and re-forming around Mr. Lee on the bridge. Dusty D laughed and actually got a bit teary-eyed, to see the wee children, who couldn't quite parse this strange silver man, receive flowers and back away, staring up at him with wonder and smiles. Dusty D and sweetie agreed later over a Luwak reuben that Mr. Lee had been the best part of Heritage Festival (beating out even car-crushing in Depot Town!) We hope he returns next year to enchant us again.

The Concrete Origins of Ypsilanti's Heritage Fest

Curious about when and how Ypsilanti's Heritage Fest started out? Take a gander at my story about when it all began, in today's AnnArbor.com.

Mad props to Tom Dodd and James "Bad Boy" Mann for their invaluable help in writing this story! (flashes historical gang sign).

Open Letter to the Anti-Pole-Vaulting-At-Heritage-Fest Contingent

The grapevine says that some history-minded folk in town are raising eyebrows, and questions, concerning this year's Pole Vaulting exhibition. "Pole Vaulting?" they whisper. "What in the Sam Hill does that have to do with Ypsilanti Heritage?"

Dusty D chuckles indulgently as she reaches for her copy of Harvey Colburn's book The Story of Ypsilanti. Little do these well-meaning nay-sayers know that this sport was a part of our urban fabric when that fabric was still just a single thread--and that shining blue thread is the Huron River. Open your books, please, to page 51:

"Jonathan G. Morton, Ypsilanti's first store-keeper, had visited Woodruff's Grove in August, 1824, he being at that time twenty-two years of age. Morton was a native of Massachusetts. At the age of seventeen he had procured a horse and wagon and a stock of "Yankee notions" and, before coming to Ypsilanti, had peddled the country from New England to Ohio. Visiting Detroit, he determined to explore the country and set out on foot along the Indian trail. Arriving at the Grove, he was favorably impressed by the new settlement and determined to open a business. Returning East, he bought a stock of dry-goods and shipped it to Detroit. The following spring he had his merchandise poled up the river in a small boat."

Many others did the same, in an era when the forest between Detroit and Ypsi was well-nigh impassable to wagons. Now, ask yourself. Once you've poled your boat all the way up the river, what's the quickest, easiest way to get ashore? In lieu of wading through the leeches and slimy rocks and moray eels. Of course! You'd use all that upper body strength you'd built up on the Huron and with a quick graceful movement, simply pole vault to shore, yessir. The historicity of this activity is now documented thanks to me. So let's not have any more of this quibbling and sniveling--join Dusty D in embracing this historical event as the modern-day analog of an activity from our earliest history.

The Inaugural Iteration of Heritage Fest Was Not Derailed by the Untimely Death of Morris the Cat

But it was arguably a close call. The local paper certainly took note.

On Thursday, July 13 1978, the Ypsilanti Press reported that Morris, the beloved star of cat food commercials, had passed away in Chicago at the age of 17. The paper ran a photo showing a leonine Morris perched on "some of the hundreds of fan letters he received each week," said the caption.

A couple of days later, the paper gave a heads-up on its upcoming Sunday stories. "The death of Morris the Cat has left a void in the cat world," noted the blurb. "In his Sunday column on the Editorial Page, Managing Editor Joe Matasich tells how one local feline took the news."

On Sunday, the Press published that promised editorial. It is Dusty Diary's privilege to reprint it here in its entirety.

"When a member of the family, or a friend dies, we humans have a way of expressing our sorrow," Matasich philosophised.

"But what do you tell your household girl cat when the Clark Gable of the feline world--Morris of 9 Lives fame--kicks the bucket at the ripe old are of 17? (That's equal to 90 human years).

"Do you shake her paw? Give her more vittles? Less vittles? Write a message in the sand in her litter box?

"We checked folks out at other cat houses and it seems the problem was probably universal.

"Our snobby Motu went under the bed and sulked for hours when we broke the news that the star of TV commercials had checked out of this world.

"We offered to send a note or flowers to his owner Bob Martwick of Chicago.

"Even a pledge to offer up a Mass wouldn't budge her.

"But in true Morris style--aloof, finicky, stubborn, and independent--Motu hung in there under the bed and didn't come out until 4 a.m. when she directly walked up the patio screen.

"We took this as an indication that old cagey Morris made it Upstairs.

"Anyone who went from a mangey car rescued from an animal shelter after an alley brawl to 10 years of TV stardom just has to go on to higher things.

"Contrary to the Detroit News headline that: "Morris the cat--sorry, he didn't have 9 lives."

"Morris does live on.

"Out on the Merrill. In the heart of Motu."

"P.S. How do you explain to neighbors when your kitty slinks around with a black paw band for three days?"

1982 Heritage Fest: Professor Malarkey Sells a Secret Elixir

From the August 29 edition of the Ypsi Press.

Jerry Meadows impersonates an ole-timey patent medicine salesman in Depot Town. His sign bears his name, something I can't puzzle out in the middle, and "Secret Elixir" on the bottom.

Dusty D hopes she catches a glimpse of something as equally charming, not to mention historical, over the festival-time. Photo by Dennis Dunleavy.