December 10: Closing Day |
*slinks in like a student who hasn't attended class all semester* So, what did I miss? Yes, I know. I haven't been around the blogosphere for four months; though, if you follow me on Instagram, you know A LOT has happened in those four months! You better grab yourself a cuppa and settle in. We have a lot of catching up to do.
Lessee, the last time we "chatted" I was about ready to start classes at Simmons University for a Masters in Library and Information Science. If you recall, I was able to transfer over six credits from the Queens College MLIS program and Simmons waved the three required classes. They also gave me a pretty substantial scholarship! Hooray! My semester went really well even though I took nine credits (three classes), had to do a 60 hours archival internship ... and got a part-time gig at a local museum. I was NOT prepared for how much work everything was going to be! Not only was I swamped with school and the commute into Boston, I was also commuting to Rowley and Gloucester! I was constantly on the go and barely had any time to do my school work. I managed to get all As despite the lack of time and scattered focus.
I was extremely lucky to be placed at the Peabody Essex Museum, Phillips Library for my internship. Unfortunately, the collections facility is in Rowley, MA. There's no easy way to get there and absolutely no public transportation options. I don't drive. Yes, I know. I'm 49 years old and don't drive. As a Native New Yorker who has lived the majority of her life in NYC there was absolutely no reason for me to learn how to drive. Everything I ever wanted or needed was a train or bus stop away. Anyway, thank Goddess for Ed! That mensch of a husband drove me to and from Rowley once a week for 12 weeks.
My internship was absolutely wonderful! My manager was extremely helpful and patient, which was necessary since I really struggled with the collection. I processed, arranged, and described the Towne Family Papers, 1630-1928. Yup, I wrote the finding aid, too. Pretty cool, huh? The Towne Family is one of the oldest families in Salem and Topsfield. They're descended from William Towne and Johanna Blessing, who settled in Salem around 1630-1635. The family line that I processed extends from their son, Sgt. Edmund Towne. If the name sounds vaguely familiar it's because you might know three of their daughters: Rebecca Nurse, Mary Estey, and Sarah Cloyes. Yup, the same Rebecca, Mary, and Sarah accused of being witches during the Salem Witch Hysteria. Rebecca and Mary were convicted and put to death.
I learned a lot about myself and what I want to do when all this school stuff is finally over. I really struggled with the Towne papers because they weren't in original order and because they were super interesting! The collection contained voter rosters from the beginning of the United States, documents associated with the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and an assortment of other historical nuggets of awesome. The historian in me wanted to read everything ... the archivist-in-training had to skim everything and intellectually arrange it for others to use. Eesh. I discovered that I am a horrible archivist, at least at this point in my career.
However, this semester I discovered that I am an awesome art cataloger and collections steward. I took art documentation and BOY HOWDY! did I love it. Why? Because it takes something that I love and know -- art and art history -- and combines it with controlled vocabularies, metadata, CMS, and DAMs. *whispers* I actually enjoy dealing with metadata and metadata crosswalks. What the hell?!? I'll keep you posted on my newfound love.
Our Home |
We're still in Salem and loving every minute of it. We love it so much that we just bought a house two blocks away from the Historic McIntire District and Downtown! It's an adorable little Cape that was built in 1969. The best part is that we bought the house from the original owners! Well, the son and daughter of the original owners. Their parents built this house and lived in it until the day they died. It's in fantastic condition and still has many of its original features.
The original stove that still works! |
In Our New Kitchen |
We need to do some cosmetic repairs, but all in all everything is good shape! We had the electric upgraded, the furnace serviced, the plumbing checked out and fixed, and bought a new washer and dryer. Every room will get a fresh coat (or three!) of paint and the floors will be scrubbed. Even though we closed on December 10th, we aren't fully moved in yet. We'll have the majority of the furniture over this Saturday and will have our heavier/bulkier furniture moved by professionals next Thursday. Yup, in a week we'll be living in our own one family Cape in Salem. I still can't believe it! It truly is a dream come true!!!
The Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, MA. Photo taken by me. |
Wait, there's more! I had a really eventful four months. Go ahead and get yourself another cuppa. You might need it.
From grey ... |
... to black. |
An understated Yule tree, 2021. |
I managed to bake chocolate chip cookies and make a special dinner for Yule. We had a nice, quiet day.
Starting Dry January with Sparking Apple cider and Grape Juice |
Now that I'm moving into my own home -- a house that Ed and I chose to buy -- I'm sure there will be all sorts of posts about decorating and renovations. And now that I have more room, I'm sure I'll start sharing my outfits, artwork, and cooking again. And don't forget gardening! SQUEE!