Happy Independence Day!

So, it's a couple of days early, but I thought I would provide you some random thoughts along with my 6 degrees of separation from Mel Gibson! Greg Simmons sparked my thinking about this because he has posted a couple of historical posts about June 28, 1776 and July 1, 1776. I think he may be posting a couple more, so check back later - it's good stuff!

I commented on one of his posts that I will have to watch The Patriot this week in honor of the Revolutionary War. About 10 minutes from where I grew up (20 from where I live now) is Brattonsville, SC. Some information is here and here. It is supposedly the first settlement in upperstate South Carolina.

Back in the 3rd Grade, I won a writing contest along with about a dozen other kids. The prize was a 2 day, 1 night stay in Brattonsville. It was really amazing!! We were given the opportunity to do a lot of things that the settlers did. We sewed some small bags, made lye soap, and even got to herd some sheep. We spent the night in one of the old houses. This was a little spooky to a 3rd grader, but it was awesome! I believe that we also picked some cotton and I remember playing in one of the creeks. We even got to go through all of the buildings and homes there like most people would not get to do. Looking back, it was a really special time and when my daughter is a little older, we will definitely have to take her.


The Bratton Home

So, how does Mel Gibson come into play? Parts of his movie, The Patriot, were actually filmed at Brattonsville. So I now know some people who know Mel Gibson.

Now Playing: "The Wizard of Oz" by Northwestern Troubadours - This was my high school chorus. I'm ripping old videos from VHS to my PC to convert to DVD...

Technorati: Revolutionary War, Brattonsville, South Carolina, Mel Gibson