Borrowed

George Armstrong Custer

Chief Sitting Bull

(notice the butterfly pinned to his hat)

This week has been a productive week. I worked hard in the yard (repaired the porch and walking path), sewed a quilt top (Yellow Brick Road pattern), sewed the binding on two quilts, sanded and refinished a table (the one my Dad made as a microwave table 28 years ago and now D will be using as a bedside table), finished a book (The Last Standby Nathaniel Philbrick), did my daily exercise 6 days in a row, wrote in my journal, and read the scriptures.

Concerning the book The Last Stand, it was a bit of a challenge to read. There was a lot of historical background. But all of it was necessary to understand the situation. Philbrick does an even account from both sides. He presents Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse as individuals who were trying to save their way of life. He presents Custer with first-hand accounts; what a man he must have been! Full of ego and bravado, and just the type of man to lead a charge into dangerous territory. However, the battle scenario was a bit too graphic. I sort of felt the same way I did after reading Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley --

too much information in some areas.

Haunting information.

But in circumstances of war, it is haunting. Hand to hand combat is not pretty.

I've also read Crazy Horse and Custer by Stephen Ambrose. I will re-read it to see of it parallels The Last Stand. I remember thinking at the time that the historical aspects of Little Bighorn are complex and not easily explained.

There is a little bit of hero and villain in both Custer and Sitting Bull.

Since I didn't have any photos of my own,

I borrowed some photos from

L's blog.

She borrowed some photos from someone else's

so I figured it would be okay.

When you see how cute the photos are,

you will understand why I wanted to borrow them.

Don't you agree these pictures are darling?