Friday, May 23, 2008

Website and e-mail down

Just a quick note to let you know my e-mail and website are temporarily down. Please use the following e-mail until things are back up again: jtavoletti@hotmail.com
Thanks kindly!
Jenn

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

History in My Town


Whew! We have been so busy here lately. I can't wait for the school year to end and start enjoying the lazy dog days of summer!!

Lydia's bus stop is about a block from our home at a little church. It got me thinking the other day. I usually leave a little early to pick her up with a magazine or book in hand. But yesterday I decided to take my camera and show you pictures of the church, which is the oldest Episcopal Church in Western PA. Above is what it looked like in 1890 and this is what it looks like now.



We also have a little bit of interesting history here in our township...Most of the land here was once owned by General John Neville, who was a Revolutionary War veteran. After the war there was enormous debts. Our new nation under the leadership of President George Washington instituted an excise tax on whiskey to raise money to pay off the war loans.

President Washington appointed his trusted friend General Neville, Inspector of the Revenue for Western PA, and charged him with collecting the tax. Local farmers violently opposed this new tax and organized protests against it which sometimes turned violent. Whiskey distilled by the farmers sold throughout the country as far away as New Orleans and was their main source of income. Fighting broke out on July 16 and 17, 1794, between the farmers, federal troops and supporters of General Neville at his estate. His mansion and other buildings were burned to the ground. President Washington responded by dispatching 13,000 troops, a force larger than any he commanded during the Revolutionary War, to put down what became know as the Whiskey Rebellion.

And that is your history lesson for today hee hee!

Have a happy day!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Primitive Gatherings for May


Sorry I'm a little late in posting pictures for the Primitive Gathering we have been so busy with the end of school year activities. Yesterday Lydia was in her first class play at at school...she was a reader and also a snail in the Eric Carle book "A House for Hermit Crab". I had tears in my eyes she is growing up too fast.
This month I am offering for the PG group a trinket sampler box with a little doll dressed in earlies; a folky tomato pin cushion; and a couple of dirty white kitty cats. Here are additional pictures and a link to the Primitive Gatherings website. http://www.theprimitivegathering.com/


If you'd like to see more or have any questions you can email me at jenn@rabbithillprimitives.com. Thanks and as always have a happy day!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Thank you!

I have to thank you all for a wonderful Spring Open House. There are so many kind people in this world and I enjoy every e~mail I receive.

Even though I've been busy I still have my morning walk around the garden everyday and I just wanted to post a quick note to show off a few spring bloomers that I love.

Every Spring my Mom and I say "This year the flowers are really amazing!" But I'm sure of it this time...all the flowering trees are extra stunning and beautiful. I have a white flowering dogwood that looks like a bouquet out of my daughters second-story room. I can't believe how tall this is and it is amazing to look down on all those cross-like flowers.In my Spring garden the tree peonies have started blooming seemingly overnight. Look at those buds! I'm like a proud mama with these.










Also the robin's nest is filled with eggs! I had to wait for the mother robin to leave and run and snap this shot. I still got yelled at but only for a second. I'll be on "baby duty" from now until early summer guarding all the little baby animals around the yard from my usually sweet cat. She has Spring fever also and really can't help herself.

Thanks for visiting and have a happy day!