gettysburg: 150 years later

 

I crossed something off my bucket list yesterday as I walked the actual fields and woods where the battles of Gettysburg took place. The grass is long and dry and rustles inconspicuously in the breeze, while split-rail fences meander in a zigzag pattern between the peach orchard and the road. Trees line the horizon in every direction. Throughout the wide open space, various stone monuments are scattered, rising with dignity from the ordinary pastureland to commemorate the many soldiers who fought and bled and died on it.

None of these pictures were taken there—all of them are from the reenactment grounds on the opposite side of Gettysburg. I took pictures at the real battlefield as well, but they just didn’t quite capture the character of the site somehow. The quiet humbleness seemed to get lost in translation—the subtle sense of awe, not in a breathtaking vista, but in the sober reality of what this piece of ground witnessed 150 years ago. It became the signature location of a turning point not merely in a war, but in United States history. Its soil drank the blood of thousands of young Americans in the span of a few days. It is a place that softly reminds us that our “indivisible” nation was once torn from one end to the other in the most violent of possible ways—but only because both sides were on a quest to achieve liberty and justice for all, and neither would give up easily.

thankfulness from a to z

 

This is the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever spent away from home. It’s a weird feeling to know that my family will be all gathered together at my house in Washington tomorrow afternoon—aunts, uncles, cousins, and all—eating and laughing and catching up, and I won’t be there. I visualize Thanksgivings past, of the table spread with the special blue china, of all my male relatives sprawled on the floor from so much good food, of forbearing gray November skies, of my horse caked head to toe in mud, and I just want to be there.

But the truth is, I lack nothing. I’m healthy, I’m safe, I have a place to live, I have friends, and I have a church full of some of the most welcoming and generous people I’ve ever met. (I was invited to at least half a dozen Thanksgiving dinners here in Sebring!) And I have the constant presence of my Provider. All it takes is a moment of reflection, and I feel completely ashamed of every negative thought and every trivial complaint in my head.

So without further ado, a brief alphabetical anthology of a few things I’m thankful for. :)

Awe-inspiring creation.

I’m so glad our God is an artist!

Boyfriend.

I have the sweetest one ever.

Cats.

God’s gift to mankind. (But, like most of God’s gifts, only a small percentage of the population has proper appreciation for it.)

David, king of Israel and Judah.

I’ve learned so, so, so much about my walk with God from studying King David’s life in 1 & 2 Samuel recently!

Equines.

Poetry in motion.

Family.

I really miss them.

Goldendale.

Quirky, tiny, boring… but I love it. :)

Home.

My favorite place… ever.

Ideas and inspiration.

I find them all over the place. In beautiful sunsets, in slow music, in riveting stories. Oh…and Pinterest helps too. ;)

Jesus, my Savior and King.

Maybe that sounds like a Sunday school answer, but it’s true. I can’t imagine life without Him. (I’m not a big fan of human renditions of Jesus, so no picture for this one.)

Keeping traditions.

I’m a little on the sentimental side. I love traditions… I love things that stay the same year by year, even as people change. Food is always a big part of tradition in my house. :)

Lovingkindness.

From the Hebrew word chesed.

Music.

All kinds!

New experiences.

Adventures are some of my favorite things! New food, new places, new activities… I love them.

Ordinary days.

Days when there’s time to simply appreciate the everyday.

Photography.

Obviously.

Quietness.

The kind of quietness you find in wide-open spaces or winter snowstorms.

Roommates.

I love them. Hannah from Pennsylvania is my current roommate, and my sisters Hannah and Amy have been my roomies for years. :)

Sense of smell.

Scents give me sweet flashbacks to other times and other places and other experiences. Every time I peel a green apple, I smell the apple harvest of September 2011 at home.

Technology.

I’m so thankful for the ease of communication I have with my family 3,000 miles away!

United States of America.

In God we trust.

Varying seasons.

I love to see the world change month by month.

Word of God.

These last three months of studying the Bible have given me a completely new appreciation for the Word that God has left for us. I am so, so, so thankful for it and the way it applies to my life even now, thousands of years after it was written.

X.

Yes, the letter x—because of the way it stumps all of us when we do lists like this. Gotta love it. (Okay, there might be some sarcasm here.)

Yesterdays.

I have a weakness for the past—long-term history or even just yesterday. I like to think about the way things were and the different seasons of my life. (This picture seems like an eternity ago…)

Zest and energy.

Sometimes I feel like I don’t have enough of it... But I have physical health and strength as well as mental energy, and I don’t want to take that for granted!

What are you thankful for?

the war between the states

My man is a historical reenactor. When his schedule allows, he travels to various reenactments of the Civil War era, complete with battles, soldier and civilian camps, and wool uniforms. Armed with camera (still not fully recovered from the Florida incident, but functional enough) and peanut butter cookies, I spent my weekend at one such event—enjoying all the odd looks I received as a 2012 girl latched onto the arm of a dashing 1863 Confederate soldier.
Photographing the battles was so much fun. I loved playing with the smoke from the artillery, the overcast light, and various editing techniques on these!

I remember when Dad would watch Gettysburg when I was five or six years old, and I would be so miserably bored by the battles—except when the cavalry came into the picture. I’m much more appreciative of the battles now, but I still have a very special affection for the cavalry. (It did not surprise me at all to notice that many of the cavalry riders were girls disguised as men!)

Have I mentioned that I loved it?! I love history, old-fashionedness, horses, battle scenes, photo opportunities, cool editing… not to mention getting to see Sam. ;) It was a pretty awesome weekend.