065 Relicman

Married To . . .
Relicman

My husband Harry deals in Civil War military relics and runs a webpage called relicman.com. Being married to Relicman is always interesting, sometimes hilarious, and other times mystifying.

His webpage is huge with many, many listings of old buttons, guns, swords, buckles, money, artillery and other accouterments of the time.

The part that mystifies me is how many devoted fans he has. If he adds a bunch of new items, the phone starts ringing almost immediately. These guys (most of them are men) must just sit around watching his page for new listings or maybe they have some sort of program that alerts them to updated content? They want to be the first to get something or other.

He sells all over the world. Sometimes the cost of shipping a cannonball (always unarmed) to Australia exceeds the cost of the ball, but the buyer wants it anyway. He regularly sells antique bullets to a collector in Poland. These guys are fanatics!

One time we were in an elevator in a motel in Charleston, S.C. A guy gets on the elevator, takes a look at him, and says, “Aren’t you Relicman?”  He also recognized me from my picture on the webpage and asked how the dogs, also shown on the page, were doing. We couldn’t decide if we were famous or notorious.

I go with him to relic shows in various locations around the South and the Mid-Atlantic area. Imagine table after table of Civil War relics with a few tables of books about the Civil War interspersed. Surprise, I enjoy looking at the books. Harry likes me to go to shows with him so I can watch his tables while he walks around looking at everyone else’s stuff. We are friends with many of the vendors and enjoy seeing them at the shows.

Most of the vendors know each other’s merchandise so they are mainly looking to see what is new on each other’s tables. For one show, we took along a collection we had newly purchased from the widow of a man who had dug relics and kept everything. It was like a feeding frenzy at our tables. Our fellow vendors (I don’t think the regular show customers got much of a chance.) mobbed the tables and wanted to examine everything because it was inventory they had not seen before. We sold a lot of stuff.

Harry knows much arcane information about Civil War arms. People love to listen to him talk on and on and on about this artillery shell vs. that artillery shell, etc. He has explained many technical details to me but I forget it almost immediately. He can’t understand why.  My explanations that I don’t really care about the difference between a lead and a brass sabot seems to hurt his feelings.

My main experience with trade shows was going to national library conventions and visiting the library exhibitors. Big difference! The biggest one is there are never any lines for the ladies room at Civil War relic shows!

You know when your husband carries cannonballs and artillery shells in and out of shows, he can never tell you that something is too heavy for him to carry. Fortunately, he has figured out the best way to carry heavy stuff.

I imagine it is worse being married to a doctor or a lawyer, but there a lot of people out there looking for free advice. We get calls at least several times a week with a statement such as they have this cannonball that looks just like the one on Relicman except for a few minor details like the weight and the fuse hole. People watch Antique Roadshow and other similar programs and think they have a hugely expensive Civil War relic. Most of the items are not worth that much, some are not Civil War, and you really have to examine others closely to tell. Just like any antique, condition and provenance make a big difference. But the callers all want to know right now on the phone how much their item is worth!

Because some Civil War relics can command very high prices, people are making fake buckles or taking a relatively cheap button and changing it to be a more expensive one.

Some folks take reproduction items and doctor them to look old. People hate to be told that they bought a fake, and Harry always advises them to get another opinion. Don’t shoot the messenger!

None of these are cannonballs!

Some individuals think that they have found an old cannonball around their house. Some people have been lucky. Other people have brought to us for identification:

• Mill balls--they are not fully round.
• Round balls off the top of fence posts or bedposts--also are not fully round and are thin-walled with a big hole at the bottom.
• Round weights--usually not round.

See, I have picked up some arcane knowledge along the way!  

                                           But

Don’t call me Mrs. Relicman

Or Relicwoman!

Civil War Savvy Trish        

064 Who's coming?

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Hello, readers! Our family for many years has played the age-old game of "who would you like to have sitting around your dinner table, fictional or real, dead or alive?"  Sometimes we would keep it to a genre--all authors, all political leaders, all pop culture icons; most times anyone was fair game. The caveat is that when one names the guest, a reason for the invitation must be explained. In other words, why the invite?

If you have never played this game, Thanksgiving would be a great time to try it. Then the family, if engaged in the game, will not be privy to some of the usual impolite “Is it true that you have a boyfriend . . . you’re pregnant . . . you lost your job?” occurring at the table while Uncle Ralph falls face down into the mashed potatoes.

I have created this guest list for my dinner party for the coming week based on my mood! It has been a rather lousy week. Nothing earthshakingly bad--we are well in body if not in spirit. So far this summer, I have had to replace two cars: my 14-year-old Jeep decided to die, bought a new one, which was rear-ended six weeks later by a big red pickup whose driver told the state policeman that he was cleaning his glasses and guessed he didn’t see me! (Duh? Huh?)

When we renovated/upgraded our 1808 house (charming though it may be) 15 years ago, I believe we were naïve enough to think the appliances and upgrades would last us for our lifetime. We are NOT young! However, in 2015 we have had the tin roof redone, upgraded some of the electric so as not to crash another computer, replaced the exhaust fan (no central air), replaced the microwave, the washer and dryer, two new toilets, and the refrigerator comes next Tuesday. 

NO! DON’T! Stop adding it up. It is a LOT of $$ and I am not happy. Think how many trips to NYC and Broadway shows, and baseball games, and and . . .You get the gist!

Here’s the list of party people--or as my husband posits, “She’s stirring the pot again.”

Hilary Clinton--although she was polished and poised in last Tuesday night’s debate, I am disappointed in some of the ways she had handled her duties,e.g., emails! So, let’s see how poised and polished she really is?

Monica Lewinsky--think I will ask her to bring the cigars and wear a blue dress. Truly, I found the whole episode in history titillating at the time. However, with sexual harassment and bullying such issues now, I wonder if Monica thinks she would be “thrown under the bus,” this woman with a degree from the London School of Economics, who is now 42 years old.

Ivan IV, Tsar of Russia (aka “Ivan the Terrible”)--poor boy (too many Russian biographies maybe?). The son of Grand Prince Vasily of Moscow, his parents may have been poisoned and at age 3, in 1533, he became prince of Moscow. The nobles, as in all countries it seems, began fighting for control. At age 13, Ivan become the “tsar” (from Caesar) and was married to a Romanov. Ivan tried to create a Christian state with reforms of both central and local governments. 

Meanwhile, he (Russia) was besieged by the Tatar and Kazan factors on the Volga. He needed access to the sea for landlocked Russia as he wanted trade with Europe, particularly England. Now, to secure the sea, he went to war with Livonia (now Latvia and Estonia). Russia lost not only the sea route but much money, and the war devastated the population. The “terrible” epithet was given as he suspected treason from his Russian leaders whom he put to death. His achievements in foreign policy, however, forced Russia to work with Europe; his ideas were followed by Peter I (Peter the Great) and subsequent leaders. He encouraged cultural growth, particularly writing and printing--often his own Christian Orthodox views (now lost in the great fire of St . Petersburg).

Vladimir Putin, president of Russia from 2000-2008 and re-elected in 2012. Educated in Leningrad and graduating in 1975, he began a KGB career in East Germany. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Putin returned to Leningrad as a “liberal-leaning” politician. In 1998, Putin was appointed to Boris Yeltsin’s administration, in charge of the Kremlin’s relations with regional governments and head of Yeltsin’s Security Council. In 1999, Yeltsin promoted Putin to Prime Minister. When Yeltsin resigned as the Russian president in late 1999, Putin became the acting president and announced Russia as a US ally after the terrorist attacks of 2001. 

In 2004, Putin visited Israel to talk with Ariel Sharon, the first visit to Israel by any Kremlin leader. Giving Edward Snowden of the NSA leaks sanctuary and banning US adoption of Russian children strained US relations. Putin’s anti-gay laws, his disregard for the US fear of Syrian chemical weapons and, not long after the Sochi Olympics, Putin sending troops into the Crimea to save the Black Sea Fleet stationed in there have not helped good will. He did not, he said, want war with the Ukraine. (During this time, popular culture pundits announced that he had been nominated for the Nobel peace prize.) He continues, the international press reports, to participate in the Orthodox Christian church. 

William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright of all times. I want to see who shows up! Was there REALLY a REAL William Shakespeare? No more explanation is needed for this one!

Dorothy Parker, poet, short story writer, satirist, and critic noted for her wisecracking eye on 20th century culture. She wrote for my favorite magazine, The New Yorker, before heading to Hollywood to be a screenwriter. She was a “small f” feminist and a civil rights leader before it was the popular thing to do. Thus, Parker ended up on the famous Hollywood blacklist. My favorite quotation is “Living well is the best revenge.”

Walter Cronkite, the broadcast journalist and TV anchorman and known as the “most trusted man in America.” He reported on WWII, the Nuremberg trials, the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iran hostage crisis, the assassinations of JFK, MLK, and John Lennon. Cronkite was also the voice of the US space program. He was the soul of America for many years. I need this man at the dinner table to keep it civilized and to ask the best questions. “And that’s the way it is.”

Whom would you invite? 

We Savvy Broads would love to know. 

Glenne            

063 Street Walkers

Street Walkers

The idea popped into my head about a year ago to walk every street in Winchester. I retired in June 2014 and started walking to get in shape after years of working at a computer and sitting at my desk and also to lose a little weight (that hasn’t happened yet.) I found out I could get in shape but mainly maintain my weight not really dropping pounds, but I keep trying.

So to shake things up a little I thought maybe I could cover the city (9.3 square miles). Definitely taking my time, I convinced Savvy Broad Trish to join me in this pursuit and off we went. Of course, her dog Savvy Tootsie came along, protecting us from other dogs, a few squirrels, and some wayward cats.

After living in Winchester for more than 40 years, I thought I knew the city – Trish has been here more than 25 years and felt the same as I did--but we discovered we knew very little except about our own neighborhoods.

One thing that was impressive is there are no areas that are littered and derelict. The city does a great job in keeping the streets clean. That is not saying that some areas could use improvement, but overall cleanliness is not a problem. Also the city has a blight program that handles empty buildings which also is a big improvement.


We found out city residents really like their pets. Most neighborhoods had resident dogs and cats who are protective of their turf but in a friendly manner. While they may bark or stare at us as intruders, they stayed in their own areas a little suspicious of our motives, but never aggressive. Cats gave us looks as why are you here and don’t stay too long.

We encountered friendly residents, many sitting on their porches, who did not hesitate to give us a welcoming greeting with a how are you and good morning. I am sure they had thoughts about why these over-the-hill women were traversing the neighborhood, but no one inquired and left us on our quest to cover the city streets.

Yards and gardens were well maintained throughout Winchester as well as porch plants and potted flowers. We were impressed by the amount of flowers and vegetable gardens that were kept alive and thriving throughout the spring and summer. A great deal of pride and ownership is evident in most neighborhoods by the amount of time spent keeping yards attractive.

In a few cases, we did not walk the entire length of some streets, especially those with a great deal of traffic. On busy thoroughfares, we walked enough blocks to get the feel of the area. Most streets we walked the entire length, sometimes running into acquaintances, but usually no one was home. Many areas were definitely working neighborhoods as drive-ways and carports appeared empty for the day.

As we walked, I highlighted the streets on the map.

Sometimes it was hard to determine the city limits line so we relied on a map I purchased at the Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center. We had to walk a few blocks in some areas and then come back to find the city limits sign, but that was not the norm. Most areas were well marked.

Our basic conclusion is that Winchester is a good city to take up residence and offers a variety of options as far as apartments, townhouses, senior housing, parks, green space, sidewalks, parks, and housing divisions. Some areas were definitely child-oriented with toys and bicycles as evidence in the yards. Many times we both agreed that we would like to live in some of the areas.

We hope the Green Circle (a walking area proposed around the city) is completed soon. It would be a great addition for the citizens to get around the city. A few sections are complete and of course, we walked them, but the circle has a long way to go.

I invite all of you to get to know your community a little better by becoming a street walker and take in all the unique and special qualities of where you live. Don’t rush it --- take your time and enjoy it.

Savvy Street Walker Frances   

    

062 Remembering Yogi

I will miss Yogi Berra

Although not now a big baseball fan, as a child I watched many a game with my dad.  Watching the game was only half the fun. The other entertainment was watching dad jib and jive as he vicariously caught each pop-up foul or eluded the catcher while sliding into home plate.

No one else in the family joined me, but I was a Yankee fan. Growing up as a Navy brat, we moved many times and sometimes were overseas.  The Yankees were a constant to me; plus they had memorable players like Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and Roger Maris.


But Berra was a true American original. He was drafted by the Yankees in 1943 but enlisted in the Navy in World War II and was wounded in the D-Day landing.  He came back to the Yankees and played in 14 World Series, was named the American League's Most Valuable Player three times, and coached the Yankees and the Mets after he retired as a player.

He is most remembered for his Yogisms although he said he did not say everything that was credited to him.

It seemed a simpler time when it was the Yankees against the Dodgers.  Truly Good vs. Evil to me.  Now I understand that there were Dodgers' fans who felt the opposite. Nothing seems simple these days! 

Berra, in spite of an inspiring career, remained a modest man who loved his family and his friends.  His words were simple but somehow inspiring:

Trish