And That's All He Wrote. December 29 & 30, 1910

December 29, 1910

After supper B & I went over home. Ma home alone.

W. Rain
R. 11

December 30, 1910 (I hope you all know it pains me to write this.....)

Over home to supper. Intended going to sleigh ride to Sams uncle Jim but postponed till Monday. (It's friday BTW) Bess met me downtown. It rained last night & turned to snow & blizzard & very cold.

W. Very Cold
R. 10

Just normal stuff except for the sleigh ride bit. I wish I lived when in a time when it was still the norm to take a sleigh ride. Or at least, I wish it was still the norm in my current time period to take a sleigh ride. (And in the circles I hang in lateley, it kind of is ;-)

Without the internet none of this year's project would have been possible and I'd be reading this to myelf, not to mention, the easy access to information about 1910 that I've been able to come up with. However, it's really striking to me how much they actually DO without the phone, tv and internet to distract them. He's building things, joining clubs, playing a lot of sports, taking leadership classes, heads up his bible stude group and spends time with a lot of people.  His factory job seems to provide well for him and not once has he ever complained about money. My observation is that he lives a pretty full life.

Remember that mean boss he had? That was about the worst of it. And even he got fired after a while.

Things I wish I knew about Adam
What he and Bess looked like.
More about his job at the factory.
What he was like-Was he funny? Smart? A big softie or a pain in the butt (I don't imagine this is true of course)
I'd like more about his passions, fears, loves, etc
I wish he would have said "Bess made a fine pot roast tonight" I would have loved more about their food.
What is he struggling with right now?

It's just not enough for me.

There IS actually a little bit on the next page:

Clara   $10.
Ray     25.
Howard 200

What does this mean? Do these people owe him money? Who is Howard and why is the # so high...In fact, even Ray's $25  seems high. Remember when Bess won $22 in a raffle and I figured out it was like $252 today. Does he owe these people money???? I sure hope not.....

And then address listings for (and you'll probably recognize some of these!) :

P Paul Pearse
'Kate Surman
'Gertie Filsinger
'Ed Srits
'Kathy Witham
'Dave Gillette
'C.W. Babcock
'Florence H-------
'Etta Brom
Pierce Smich
Florence McDonald
Bessie Burke
Ida Bell
Irving Hill
'Ray & 'Oscar
RE Boschert

Notice that some of these have a ' next to them. He's used a check mark in the diary. What do those marks mean? What distinction is he making???

Also, Gertie's address also includes a hospital address as well. Remember when Gertie almost died? Well she marries in a few years so don't feel too badly.

I do know more about Adam and Bess but I'll share it in a day or two. I don't want this to be my last post about them really.

I hate endings. I'm very bad with them.

I think I'm going to pine over Bess and Adam awhile.

December 26 & 27, 1910

December 26, 1910

Factory closed. After breakfast I put in a window light and worked down cellar. The Witham's came over & Clara & Oscar over. Art & I skated ove the p----------. Ma in bed with a bad cold.

W. Fine.
R. 10:30

December 27, 1910

Hung my lamps in the living room. B & I over home awhile. Ma feeling better.

W. warmer.
R. 11:30

Don't worry all, Ma lives much longer. She's in no danger. I wonder if Adam is worried about he, if that is why he mentions it. She has been sick a lot this year.

It's almost over. Adam only writes until the 30th actually, which I think is funny because he hasn't missed a single day. I think this lends more evidence to my theory that he writes a few days at a time when he gets the chance.

And are there more diaries? This one starts in Feb so it's my assumption that it's the first. But that could be completely off track. He did write faithfully this year so I wonder if it's enough of a habit that he wants to keep doing it. I sure would love to see a whole collection!

I've had the opportunity to see a few diaries at the museum that looked like they would make compelling projects,(one is 4 years worth of writing!)  though I don't know that I have the time to devote to those. It would also be on the museum blog so I would have a lot less of my own opinions in there (and perhaps that's a good thing ;-) but my own conjecture has been fun, at least to me.

I also don't know if I could bond with someone other than Adam and Bess. Are Adam and Bess compelling or is it the examination of another ordinary life? I tend to think it's the latter.

At any rate, I will miss them next year.

Christmas with Adam & Bess

December 23, 1910

Bess did up Christmas presents and I printed pictures. Clara Merle here on her way home. Oscar & Clara over after supper.

W. Wamer, Rain & very windy

December 24, 1910

After supper Bess & I  & the Pratts & Dave          went over home for the Christmas tree. They all gave me a smoking coat & we came home at 10 and put up out stockings.

W. fine
R. 11:30

So it seems that Bess & Adan don't have a Christmas tree. I recently learned that Christmas lights did not come into wide use until the 1930s when they became affordable for the general public. I wonder if Adam and Bess saw candles on the Christmas tree this night.

A few weeks ago I attended the Yuletide in The Country event at the museum. The very last house had in it, a Christmas tree lit by candles. Since I read about a tree lit like this  as a little girl, I've always wanted to see this. It was so so beautiful that I got tears in my eyes. For some awesome pics (not mine) of this event you can click here. The last batch of photos include the tree. The candle chandelier in the Brooks Grove Church was also pretty impressive.

December 25, 1910

Bess & I came down at 8 a.m. & started a fire in the fireplace & looked at our presents. We both gave small gifts. To Bess's church and up home to dinner. K came home with us.

W. fine
R: 11:30

Oh I can just picture this cosy little morning, can't you?!?!  I wonder if they had coffee? I wonder if they are coffee drinkers. This scene seems perfect to me if it includes coffee... What a sweet Christmas.

Stats from 2010

I'm not much of a Facebook status writer. I don't think you care what I had for lunch or that it's snowing or raining or whatever the weather is doing in my corner of the world. I do think this one app is pretty cute though and every year it makes me want to write/better status updates!! Short as it is, it sums up my year pretty well... Museum, kingergarten, etc....

Bah Humbug!

Have I mentioned that I like bald men?

I do. And one of my favorite bald men is Patrick Stewart in A Christmas Carol. (I also like him in the X-men movies although I admit to never having watched him on Star Trek)

Along with Little Women, this is my other favorite Christmas movie of all time. If you haven't seen this version you must. Once you do you'll never watch another version.   I try to skip years watching tjem so I don't wear them out (though I almost ALWAYS watch Little Women.)

These following scenes are some of my favorite in the movie. Please excuse the Romanian subtitles. This was the only clip of this scene that I could find.

And I'll throw in the trailer of Little Women as a bonus. You might surmise that I most like movies where people wear 19th Century Garb. You would be right. (With the notable exception of Harry Potter)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cheer

Tonight we went to Dinner With Santa at the school where my husand teaches.

These are the only photos that I have of her on Santa's Lap. I mean ever, not just tonight. Historically she has been terrified of him and tells me she's "Going to let Santa Surprise Me" just so she doesn't have to go and talk to him.

All she told him that she wanted was a Zu Zu Pet and a Barbie....Guess what? Santa didin't buy either of those things this year! I guess Santa still needs a few things.

After, we went to Starbucks, got some coffees and a kids hot cocoa and went crusing for Chistmas lights. This was one of those houses. It was the biggest one I've ever seen. It's also a really huge house. Look at the gigantic santa in the left hand side of the picture!!!!

These pictures don't do it justice. This display was incredible with all kinds of lights and statues and nativity and santa... It was so fun and crazy. You can't believe the traffic on this street either. While we were there a bus full of old people drove on by. The street ends a few houses down in a circle. I'm sure the neighbors were thrilled.

A good time was had by all. 

Merry Christmas????

So today my husband and I were looking at a Christmas card that he received and the family that is usually there looked a little odd to me. 

The conversation went like this:

"What about X? Where is he?" (He's the husband)
"Oh, he's not in the picture anymore."
"Oh....Well...Who are these other people?"
"I really don't know...."

First of all, I don't know these people at all. I look at their card each year because one of them has a funny name (Yes, I know that sounds childish....) but it is funny and it completely fits the family that they look like.

But they don't look like that family any more. And even more puzzling is that the card includes 2 additional people who look too old to be friends of the children, cousins, etc... and too young to be dating the now single mother.... I'm sure people closer to them know who these mystery people are but what about the rest of us????? What about those of us who want to laugh at the silly name of the husband (ooops, I said it.)??How are we supposed to know who these people are??? There are no names, just Merry Christmas from the (Insert Family Name) I find a Christmas card to be a strange place to announce your new family status, especially if I can't figure out what that status exactly is!!! Somebody needs to tell me what's going on here!

Technical Difficulties Resolved

In an interesting twist today one of my friends on Facebook (and in real life too) Toni Lynn offered me a pink razor phone free for the asking. And I'm taking it. I need to back away from the techology....

At the same time Leighanne offered me a samsung that was similar. Toni said she missed her Samsung so we brokered a completely free deal between all of us, Thank you very much gals!

The funny thing is that Toni and Leighanne have never met in real life! Love the internet sometimes. (mostly not really, but sometimes....)

Technology Update, Verizion Are Big Meanies

Excuse my title, I've been reading Junie B Jones again....

I really want to change thaty M to a W in Meanies.... Because Verizion was no help whatsoever in my phone debacle.

I called them to request a new phone. I called the store. I called the 800#. I have had this phone less than 2 weeks.

So the man at the Verizion store in Greece NY told me that he could not help me because "GASP" I broke the touch screen. Apparentlyt this is some kind of mortal sin in the cell phone world because this is the only thing that voids the warranty....

Convienient....

And of course, I didn't choose insurance on the phone.  I had the other phone for like 17 years without issue. Insurance seemed like overkill.

But here is the thing. I really and truly didn't do anything to it.

And the meanie cell phone man told me that these phone are very delicate. And he said it like I was 5 years old so that I could understand him..... That I could have had it in my purse or in my pocket and sit down or bend over and it could crack.

Seriously, he said that. That I could sit down with it in my pocket and break it.

And I do sit down and bend over fairly frequently.

But answer me this people-Why on earth would they make a phone that fits in your pocket if carrying it there would be dangerous? And where else am I supposed to carry it, if not in my purse????  I currently carry a Garmin GPS, a portable flip video camera, a digitil camera and sometimes my nook in my work bag with no incident... They all still work and it's been months.

When I also told them the cell phone had terrible sound quality he asked why I didn't bring it in to them to look at.

I tell you why buster-I only had the thing for 11 days. And I have a life.

One that doesn't REVOLVE around a cell phone.... (but quickly deteriorating into one that does obviously....)

And of course, they can't take the expensive data package off until I get a new phone that doesnn't require a data package. And of course, my actual LIFE then intruded in the form of a child home from school, taking my grandma Christmas shopping, Girl Scouts and today, Work. So I still haven't gotten a phone.

And my husband has this phone too now and he also wants out  because he doesn't need this technology either and would just as soon go back to his old phone. Which means I could have his. But I don't want this device. It's just too much.

And of course, they will take the phone back and give me a new one for a  $35 restocking fee.

I  just looked, I can sell this thing used on eBay for about $100. 

Nice try Verizion.

I also noticed that one could purchase a protective covering for the palm pixi as well.....

And finally, I noticed that I could purchase a used pink Razor phone in working condition for $10.......

I'm thinking about it.

Technical Difficulties

Bess and Adam are across the room and I'm sitting next to a roraing fire and I don't want to get up. So lets talk technical difficulties.

I've been having a lot of technical difficulties. I used  to have this boss at my old job who couldn't wear a watch. Something about his body chemistry messed up the watch and it was always wrong. No matter what watch he wore.

I feel like I'm having that impact on things around me. My laptop randomly died, (I'm on my husband's), the other day my seat belt broke, I mean it just won't stay buckled,(don't worry, it's getting fixed) and I think something is wrong with my beloved front loading washing machine. And I washed my cell phone. It was an old phone. A pink Razor phone. The kids in Pre-school last year had one in the play house as a toy.

So I called Verizion and got a new phone.  A Palm Pixi. For this I needed to upgrade to the more expensive data package. Ok fine, it looks pretty slick I'm thinking and who the heck doesn't need to check their emails a gagillion times a day? Right?

And "oh", twittered the chirpy customer service rep, "You can look at Facebook from anywhere. It's a 3G device!"  Why I don't mention to her or even remember that I think people who have to check Facebook from their phones all the time are complete tools I don't rightly know. (Don't worry all you Facebook peeps, I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about other tools.)

So this slick little phone comes and it's a complete b*tch to set up. And I have to call customer service and it's just a huge PITA.
Then the sound quality on this thing BITES. I mean really. I'm either asking someone to repeat themselves or they are asking me what I just said. It's very frustrating... Very...I don't feel like shouting to have a conversation. That completely throws me, what with my noise issues and all....

And then a few days ago the touch screen developed these cracks. Just DEVELOPED them. I did not drop it or bang it on anything. And when I try and use the damn thing the cracks spread. And now I can't use it at all... So now I still have no phone again.... And now I've used up the "free" phone from Verizion. (And now I know why it was free.)

And through this entire thing I've asked myself how this phone contributes to my version of A Good Life. You know what-It doesn't...Not at all. I've wasted much time setting this thing up, looking at the useless apps (Palm has way less than Apple) and no matter how special I seem to think I am, I don't need to be reachable by email, phone, or text message all the time. Who do I think I am anyway?

The phone beeps when you get any form of message-text, email, etc.. and I found myself  wasting minutes I will never get back, looking at email from, say, TALBOTS.... In front of a compuer I can just delete those. On this Palm, you need to open them before you can delete them.

Wasted minutes. That. I. Will. Never. Get. Back. Do you ever think about that? All the time you spend doing something completely meaningless that adds nothing to your life?  I do, and it pisses me off. I'm not saying I'm walking around having "big moments" all day long but certainly reading emails from stores trying to sell me something while I'm puttering around my kitchen ranks low on how I want to use my breaths on this earth. And even the emails I did want/need were not so urgent that I would need to get them at my parents house, in the store or in the car.

So tomorrow I'm going to go to the Verizion store and demand  request a new phone. Clearly the one they gave me is a piece of crap. And it's going to be a normal phone. That I can hear well on. And speak into. And I'm not texting and I'm not looking at the internet and I don't want an alarm to sound every time Talbots wants to sell me something with Free shipping. And I want that expensive data package taken off. I just want to be able to be reached if say, my house is on fire or my daughter is sick or I need to speak with Jeannine on my way home from work.Technology is great when you need it/use it, but when you don't it's just extra clutter and as much trouble as plastic toys from china when you have more than you need.

November 18-20, 1910

November 18, 1910


Over home to supper & Bess up home & B & K went to YWCA and I down to amusement & YMCA & Bill duxxxxxxx & I went out & over to the Hippodrome. Kathy home with Bess, 


W. Fine
R. 11

And what is a Hippodrome?

I'm glad you asked. 

A hippodrome is a large enclosed facility designed for equestrian events, although hippodromes have also been used historically to host other types of athletic events. Numerous examples of ancient hippodromes can be found scattered around the Mediterranean, reflecting the Greek and Roman enthusiasm for equestrian sport, and a number of modern facilities are also known as hippodromes.

Nov 19, 1910


Went downtown to amusement parlor & gym & played BB.  Bess up home and I met her at 10:45


W. Fine
R. 12


Nov 20, 1910\


Arose at 9:30. Bess not feeling good. & we stayed home all day. Julius Mott & his wife came over home & they all came over to Dev & my house. 


W. Fine, Bright, a lot colder. 
R. 9
B & I looked over her kindergarten books. 

November 9-17, 1910

Nov 9, 1910


Lynn C Smith buried at Oakmont at 2:30. Left 15 million. Gertie and Mr. Prosser up to the house at night. 


Nov 10, 1910

Started to build a coal bin. B & I met Kathy on the 8:30 car. 


W. warm by windy
R. 11





Nov 11, 1910


After supper B & I looked over the negatives & I worked on the coal bin. 


W. Colder, Windy
R. 10:30 


November 12, 1910


After supper I started to the gym and played BB. Colgate beat Syr 11 to 5. Bess stayed home alone. 


W. Sloppy & Snow
R. 11


November 13, 1910


I went to church with Bess & Kathy & we three came up to SS. It snowed & it was very wet. We three over home to dinner & Mrs & Mrs W came up & Miss Wallace & Ma & the rest over to our house to supper. 


W. snowy
R. 11


November 14, 1910


After supper I cleaned the cellar. 


W. Snow
R. 11:15


November 15, 1910


Factory league opened. Smith Bros beat Monarch out in a tie game. 5 to 3. I got the three points. Monarch team......


W. snow
R. 12:30 


November 16, 1910


Bess had a bad cold and I printed pictures. Mrs            called up Bess & wanted her to teach at her school. 

Well this is interesting... 



November 17, 1910


Carrol Sanger & Gerry Drew up to supper. 


Fine moon light night. 


Then he writes something I can completely not read. I my apologies for the lack of research/commentary. Like Bess, I have a head cold and a headache and I'm off to bed! Adam must be as tired as I am this week, he's dropped the weather off of a lot of his entries.

Cats, Thanksgiving, Seth Godin & My Husband Who is Apparently Going To Drop Dead

Well it's been a few weeks and here are the things I'm thinking about:

1) Do the rest of you cat owners out there ever think you're going to come home to a dead cat someday? Because, me, I think this.  Half the time there are papers overturned and things on the floor that shouldn't be when I get home. The other day the curtains were actually RIPPED down and the curtain rod bent.  While I was sitting at my desk, she jumped into the shredder bin.... I rescued her from the toy box the other day. Is my house unusually dangerous for a kitten? Do kittens randomly get themselves killed in household accidents when their owners are away?? Kittens are new territory to me. I also got my cat at work and things there are going along swimmingly. I would hate to have to tell them I killed their cat.

2) My Thanksgiving was lovely as was Bess and Adams. I'm fallingf behind again and I'm determined to make it this last sprint until the end of the year with them. I'll be sad to see them go.

3) Seth Godin rocks. I've just discovered Seth and loved Linchpin. I went to preview his book Tribes on my nook and there was no content in the free preview. So I emailed him to let him know because there is nothing more frustrating than downloading a free book preview and having nothing there. I've never bought any book where the preview was not there. Anyway, I thought Linchpin was such an awesome book that it was a shame that he was out there with a possibly frustrating situation to eBook customers. Anyway, he emailed me back. And then his published emailed too to tell me no one ever told them that before. They had no idea about the free preview being useless. The eBook price was also wrong on the B & N site.  Neat. Isn't the internet grand? Check out Seth Godin if you want to be the best at whatever it is you do. Go. Make. Something. Happen.

4) We're in the middle of updating my husband's life insurance policy and they are thinking of not insuring him because of his crazy high blood pressure. The crazy thing is he doesn't HAVE  crazy high blood pressure. He's literally in the best shape of his life and works hard to maintain that.

You know how they send out a nurse to take your vitals when you get new life insurance. Well this nurse took his blood pressure and it was like 157/100 (They sent me to the hospital when I was pregnant with a lower blood pressure than this) She told my husband she gets "high readings a lot" Well that wasn't real inspirng. Later my daughter held up her vetrinerian Barbie to me and told me that "this looks like the lady who came to see Daddy today." My husband confirmed that his nurse did, in fact, look like vetrinerian Barbie. Which left me to wonder if she frequently gets high readings because she looks like a Barbie, because she has a bad cuff or becauause she can't do her job. The next week, his nurse at school took his blood pressure 2x per day all week and she got his normal readings. Vet Barbie called back because she forgot to do something when she was there. He explained the situation to her and she took it again and it was like 150/100. At this point I don't even think she's a nurse. At the very least, I think she may be doing it wrong.

Over the weekend the insurance people canceled my daughter's child rider on his policy because as my financial advisor explained to me today "They don't like to have a rider on a policy where the person might need to "use" the policy. I think that was her nice way of saying DROP DEAD.... She was also calling to ask me about my husband's "dangerously high blood pressure." Don't worry all, he's seeing a Dr just to be sure, but it really is fine. He was  there a few weeks ago with a foot injury and it was fine then as well.

The other obvious answer to this is white coat syndrome which he has never had before. Which would lead me to believe it's veterinarian barbie syndrome. At which point I will want to kill him ( However, I won't as his life insurance situation is currently so tenuous.)

They are requesting a new nurse come out and take his vitals. It better be an ugly one.

Nov 8th 1910

Nov 8, 1910


Inspection at the gym. In special work I was on all the apparatus. Refereed the BB game & about 20 of us did stunts in the plunge for the visitors ladies & gents. 


W. Rainy
R. 11:30

Adam's YMCA in Syracuse. I love seeing where he went!

I was going to use tonight to catch up on the past week but I really can't ignore this opportunity to tell you a little more about Adam.

First of all, he was on the apparatus!!! How impressive. I really wish I knew what apparatus he was referring to. And stunts! Boy, can't you picture Bess in the stands, and she's either very impressed, or slightly embarrassed by Adam throwing himself all over the gym.

Which brings me to the gym. The gym is the YMCA. He's been going there since the beginning of the diary and before. I found newspaper articles with his name in them from 1907-1909ish for being on the basketball team. He plays on his factory Basket Ball team (Monarch Typewriter) and as you know, if you've been reading about him for any length of time, he plays all kinds of sports and seems to really relish it.

Now the problem with only having a diary for one year is that it's hard to imagine what happens next. It might be easy to think that Adam worked in a factory for the rest of his life. It seems to support him fairly well and he doesn't complain a lot. And his dad and his brother also work in factories.

I'm here to tell you folks, that all of his leadership classes paid off because he does not remain a factory worker for the rest of his life!

By 1920, (because I read it in the census) he lives in Watertown NY with his family (more on that another time!!) and he works at the YMCA! (Seriously, is this NOT like me working at the museum?!?!?) by the time he dies at age 59 in 1943 (from his obit)  he is the Director of the YMCA in Watertown! When I first found this out I was so touched, I had a second of pause and thought how happy I was that this worked out for him.  Except for his discussions about what he's doing with friends and family, he talks about athletics the most. How lucky!

In the local Watertown papers I cam across a bunch of articles that included his name in BB scores or trips for kids camping and such. He coaches, he referees and he still plays sports after 1910. I love that he gets to live on of his passions!

Amazon.com Sells Their Soul for $4.79

I don't like to be disappointed. There is nothing worse than finding out someone is not who you think they are.

By now you've probably heard about the fact that Amazon is selling a guide to pedophilia in their kindle store.

Don't believe me?
http://www.amazon.com/Pedophiles-Guide-Love-Pleasure-ebook/dp/B0049U4CF6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1289430214&sr=1-1

There  has been a lot of uproar from customers on the Amazon Facebook page as well as on the actual "review" of this book. I imagine they've also gotten a lot of nasty emails and phone calls.

Amazon's response to the uproar is:

"Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable," the company said in a written statement. "Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions."

The beauty of living in a country with protected free speech is that Amazon can sell this item and the author can author the item (and I'm sure he's LOVING all of this free publicity, including by yours truly) and no one can do a damn thing about it. And that's a good thing.

However, I happen to think that with privilege comes responsibility.

And Amazon is wrong. This is not a freedom of speech issue. I believe that Amazon should have the right to sell this book. I believe the author has the right to write this book.

But Amazon is a STORE. They are not a library.  They are not the government. They are simply a store.

Whose mission, I believe, is to serve customers and sell books. They aren't doing that very well today.

That they carry a how-to book on child rape makes them not the people I thought they were. I wonder how they look in the mirror at night? I wonder if they could look into they eyes of a sexual abuse victim and tell them how valuable it is for them to carry this book. On principal, mind you. 

It doesn't make much sense to stand on principal when you have no soul.

I reiterate, they are a store. They have choices. Not offering a product because it doesn't fit in with your corporate culture isn't censorship, its business. Good business has a soul. Good business does not engage in endangering children. Good business does not disgust it's customers on principal. Barnes and Nobles does not carry this book. Is anyone out there calling them dirty censors? No.  Although, I imagine they have a lot more business tonight at their online store than they usually have on a random Wednesday. And Amazon doesn't carry every book in the world which means, that yes, the do have some  kind of screening going on.

I imagine that most of Amazon's clients are not pedophiles and that most of them would be turned off by the material. What brick and mortor store carries items that most of their customers don't buy?  In fact, what good business carries items that most of their customers find offensive?  From a business standpoint how does that even make sense? 

The only statement you are making Amazon, is that you don't care what your ACTUAL customer's think.

I don't know about you but if I walked into a bookstore and there was a man crapping in front of me on the floor, I'd walk right out.

I'm not "boycotting" Amazon because I think they need to stop selling the book. That is their choice. I am simply no longer their customer because they are not the company I believed them to be. I don't support places who support pedophiles and allow them the opportunity to thrive. It's that simple. Nothing sinister or censorship about it. Hell, there are some brands of yogurt I won't buy for much lesser offenses.

Amazon.com has a man crapping on their floor and it stinks.

This is not a freedom of speech issues, this a  free market issue and the market will respond. Just in time for holiday shopping too. 

Merry Christmas Amazon.com.

*** Edited to add that I got an email from Amazon.com this morning. The book is no longer for sale on their site. I guess it WAS a free market issue rather than a freedom of speech issue. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth since they only did it because it's close to holiday shopping season. Apparently their "principal" goes out the window when faced with financial loss.

Dear oh Deer

So along with my ax to grind with Amazon.com, I killed a deer tonight.

No kidding.

On my way home from work, while driving on the expressway, a deer ran out in front of my truck. I swerved to miss it. Luckily no one was in the other lane because I didn't look before I swerved. I hit the deer with the front  drivers side corner of my truck. The whole truck shook and the deer was tossed to the side. It was dark out and the cars seemed to be driving so fast and I had that whole anxiety thing where your arms get all heavy and it's hard to breathe after stress thing. And I didn't want to stop on the darn shoulder of the road.  I got to my parents house because I was picking up my girl and checked that I was ok and so was the truck.

After assessing that I WAS ok, my dad asked "Did you kill it" and I answered "I sure hope so." Because I hit it hard. So hard that I spent the rest of the trip praying that the deer died on contact. (Well that and crying)

The funny thing is, usually when I got to work, my husband leaves me the car in the morning and he takes the truck because I have considerably farther to drive and the car gets better gas mileage.  He took the car this morning. After he left today he called for a minute about something and I said "Hey, why did you take the car today" and he said "Oh...I don't know."

We have an older Chrysler 300 that has a really pointy nose. So pointy that it would have scooped that deer up like a spatula and deposited it on my windshield. On the drivers side.

I think that's why he took the car today.

I think my guardian angel was watching over me.

The deer's angel, however, was nowhere to be found.

Sunday Nov 7th, 2010

November 7, 2010

Making chicken stock from roasted chicken we had  for dinner. Waiting to see if my girl is going to throw up again as she did before bed tonight. Hoping flying chunks did not infect me as well.  Time change catching up to me. Tired. Going to bed to read.

W. Colder, Dry.
R. 9:55

Nov 2-7, 1910 & Bringing Back the Art of Calling....

Nov 2, 1910 


Rained all day. Bess went up home & I up to Dave's from work and got the clothes from the carnival & home to supper. I started some more copper lamps and Bess came home at 9:30. 


W. Rain
R. 10:30 


November 3, 1910


After supper Bess and I went to Aunt Carrie's & over home & I worked on a lamp. 


Snowy and Windy after supper. 


W. Colder. Snow. 
R. 11:30 


I've never known a man who made a lamp. I'm just sayin'.

November 4, 1910


Rode my wheel home in 4 inches of snow & slush. Stayed home at night & worked down cellar. 


W: Rain all day, slush
R. 10


November 5, 1910


Stayed home at night. Read.  Syr beat Vermont 3 to 0.


W. Snow Slushy
W. wet
R. 10


November 6,, 1910


Went to Sunday school and after dinner Bess & I went calling ----- Till not home & we went to Uncle Herb house & grandma & back home to supper & home at 11. 


W. Fair
R. 11:45

I was just having a discussion with someone about how no one just goes calling anymore. Even when I was young my parents would take us on a drive (which we pretty much hated, this is funny because I LOVE going on drives now!! Perhaps my parents should have given me a steaming cup of coffee back then....) Anyway,  we would sometimes stop at friend's homes and visit and play with their kids.  And sometimes people would stop at our house as well. I never heard my parents grumble if someone showed up unannounced and everyone whose homes we stopped at always seemed friendly and happy to see us. (Who knows, they may have been PO'd on the inside, but these were generally the same people who would stop over to our house randomly) 

Come to think of it, my parents and their friends still do this sometimes, although my parents probably call the person on their cell phone to alert them a few minutes from their house.

This is all the fault of Facebook.... Why do I need to come and see people when I can see that they are "Cleaning their kitchen" "Mad at the neighbors" or "Hungover from Bridgett's 50th" And people work so much that we when they are home, they are doing laundry or cleaning the bathroom and are not driving around. Or if they are driving around (as we were today) they think everyone else is busy...

I don't like it.

I think we ought to bring back the tradition of calling on each other. Be aware friends, next weekend I'm going to just start randomly showing up at your houses and expect to chat for a while. And I'd like coffee (or tea) I won't stay long. About an hour. You don't need to provide a meal, you just need to be happy to see me. I won't check Facebook first so we have something to talk about and just to keep it real, I'm not going to call first or on the way.

When Life Gives You Quince. Part 2

 So where were we?

Quince Jelly

Oh yes, no job in sight, no museum experience and an an overwhelming desire to work there....

I tried going through the normal channels that one would use when trying to get a job somewhere.

And I didn't get far. 

About that time, the idea of doing a blog for them popped into my mind. Being such a fan of the museum, a blog writer and blog reader, I knew I would love to read a blog about them. They did have a Facebook page but it was not updated very often.

I flew my idea past a few people over there.

It didn't go far. 

Finally, I took a chance and created a dummy blog and figured out what their president/ceo's email address was and contacted him directly telling him I was interested in doing this for them. He emailed me back in 20 minutes with a invitation to come in and meet him.

I fixed up my dummy blog a little more, came up with an outline of what I thought I could do for them and set out to meet him. I brought a resume and wore a suit. I acted like it was a job interview. I met him and told him why they should have a blog, that I would love to do a blog for them and that I would do it for free as a volunteer. However,I also told him that my goal was to get a job there eventually. That I viewed this blog as an opportunity for us to get to know each other better. I pointed out that I was a good manager and that he probably needed a project manager for.... Something.... I wasn't pushy but I was proactive.

He had me back to give a presentation to a larger audiance. I created a nice presentation and again, went to the meeting like I was interviewing for a job.Once I got the ok for the blog, I worked at it like it was a job.

During this time I met a lot of people, and best of all, someone showed me all around the village so that I had things to write about. Like my own personal guided tour!  In that time I kept in contact with the CEO, looked for blog material, talked with him about the direction of the blog/Facebook and kept reminding him that although I have no museum experience, that I'm a good manager. I was honest about my skills, what I would like to do, what I would not like to do and frankly, what I can't do.

My husband, supported this decision to work for them for free. Some others in my life were a little skeptical that this was a "career path" at all.

I officially started the blog on May 1st. 6 weeks later, my now boss, the CEO, offered me a job as a "Special Project Manager" working for him. Special actually means that my job could/would entail a lot of different projects but that he couldn't tell me exactly what I would be working on 6 months from now. This is fine with me and is EXACTLY the kind of job that I like and thrive in. To be able to work in a museum I love, learning about many of it's different parts, and utilizing my strengths is a dream job for me. I have more goals that I would like to achieve in the future but this is where I am at right now and I'm having a great time.

So how do you get your dream job?

1) Decide you want to work somewhere you are passionate about. This was easy for me. It may not be so easy for you. But what do you love? You may be a computer programmer but what else do you love? Comic books? Cooking? Crafts? Nascar?-I bet all of those places need a programmer some time. I don't know what it IS for you, but I bet you can think of things that you have skill sets for that you could utliize in a new way.

My friend Deanna works for a human services organization as the Intake Coordinator and Assistant to the Vice President. She could do the "tasks" of her job at any number of places, but her job satisfaction comes from the subject matter of her tasks. My friend Stephanie is an awesome writer-She could write novels or she could write textbooks-She writes novels because that is what she loves. My friend Mari started a business, coaching businesses. She could have started a business teaching people Microsoft word, but her passion lies in elsewhere. I really think people's job dissatisfaction comes more from the subject matter of their jobs, than the actual tasks that surround said job.

2) Volunteer. This was key in the whole equation. First of all, it's a place I'm passionate about so it wasn't hard for me to offer to spend some time out there as a volunteer. I wouldn't suggest you volunteer at a place you don't feel passionate about just to get a job because what would be the point of that? I mean you're looking for your dream job here people.

NO ONE is going to turn away free labor-Not in this economy. Besides, if you don't like it it there you learn that BEFORE you go hog wild and quit your day job-You can walk away knowing you tried it out and it wasn't for you. If you don't have experience in the field you want to work in, volunteering is a pretty good way to get some. And finally on the thought of volunteering, if you offer free labor you may get to be a little choosy about what you would like to do. There is nothing wrong with working your way up from emptying the wastepaper baskets, but you may be able to avoid some of that if you do the work for free.
 .
3) Think about how you are different. Think about what you can offer them that they don't already have. Be a little creative. I'll tell you, the first line on my real-life resume is that the last project I managed was a $15 million dollar infrastructure redesign/implementation. That did not get me a job. What got me a job was that I was already writing a little blog of my own that sparked my imagination to create one for them. Sure, my project management experience made me credible as a manager of sorts once I knew some people but that resume line did NOTHING to get me in the door before they knew me.  I had sent them THAT resume on MORE than one occasion. It was ignored. In this instance my blogging was worth way more than my prior work experience to get myself in the door.

4) Work for something besides money. This is a lesson I am learning as I go. I'll be completely honest here, up until now, I have usually worked just for money. Money is important and I'm not going to tell you it isn't. I've been lucky and have always liked my jobs well enough. But I choose the jobs based on their ability to pay me well and keep on paying me well and hopefully pay me even more in the future, not from a greater sense of purpose or love of subject or anything like that. That is not wrong.  This job pays me less than my last job. But the ability to work somewhere I really love has given me a sense of peace about work that I've never had before. It's just different. I used to envy my husband because his job as a teacher paid him in more than just cash. I wanted that. Now I have that too. Don't get me wrong, I still think you can make a good living doing something you love but consider your happiness as well as the salary when you look for that dream job.  I recently spoke with a high earner whose job is a nightmare. She told me in no uncertain terms that you can't put a price on happiness. And yes, there are times that one just needs a job-There is nothing wrong with that, you don't need to be all self actualized when you need to pay the bills. But it is a nice, lucky situation when you can be.

I've only been at this for  6 months now and I have a lot to learn about this museum and museums in general. It's been fun getting back into the world of work and I feel very lucky to have this experience and work in this place.

Check out my museum blog here. 

You can like us on Facebook here.

The museum is closed for the season (with the exception of special events that are planned) Today on lunch, I needed to deliver a book to someone so I put on my coat, heated up some chai tea, and had the village to myself as I walked all over!

Life is a Bowl Of Quince

For me anyway.

Part One because this is a LONG story

I got these quince at work. They were in a crate labeled "Free". ( I got a free cat there too)  I'm making jelly out of them (the quince, not the cat)  tomorrow on my day off. At a party there 2 weeks ago I got some handmade cheese and saw a movie about the underground railroad that was filmed where I work. And someone called me about a month ago so that I could come take a picture of pioneers plucking a dead goose. I've also seen an historic clothing collection, met a minor 70s TV star and entered an agricurtural fair and I'm not even a farmer. I also write press releases, purchase commercials & work on the website and this summer, held, in my hands, a letter written by Laura Ingalls Wilder......

The other day I was talking to someone about a conference we are hosting in March and I asked if I could take one of the workshops....

The one to make a pewter spoon.

The person I was talking to said yes and mentioned (in case I wasn't aware.)

"You know, you make the mold too, You get to keep it"
"The mold?" (eyebrows raised)
"Yes!"
"What? In case I might want to make a pewter spoon at home?"
"You might."

Hmmm....These people ARE my peeps! I really like that there are others more excited than I to make a pewter spoon. I like that there are people besides me who want to make a pewter spoon.

So how did I get this job with dead geese, pewter spoons and old fashioned fruit?

I made it up.

Right about now you are thinking "Well who would want this job anyway?"  Right??? And the answer to that is, no one I know, except, actually, me...

This is a job that plays to my strengths and incorporates my interests because I helped create it. I'm not telling this to you to brag, I want you to know how I did this because it worked for me. And I've never gotten a job in this manner before. And I really LIKE this job. And I think this would probably work for you too if you wanted a job in a place where it was not obvious that you were particularly qualified to work.

First of all, let's back up.

I'm the official blogger and Special Project Manger for The Genesee Country Village & Museum. (yes, it even says "Special" on my business card, I think it's because they really like me ;-) ...At my other place of employment I was just called "Project Manager" nothing special about me there folks....)

Basically, as an adult I've always wanted to work in this place. I adore this place. On my lunch I usually just walk around like a visitor.

The problem was, when I started looking for a job they were not hiring. There was no position that existed called (Special) project manager and I have no prior museum experience.

Yeah I might not hire me either.....

Come back tomorrow for Part 2 and find out how I got this non-existent job.

In the mean time head on over to the museum website and take a look at the video I put in the Facebook feed today. (You can see it on Facebook too) but I particularly love how it looks from the museum home page.

October 30-Nov 1, 1910

October 30, 1910


Bess & K to church & I to S.S. over house to dinner. Bess & I took Ethel & Dot out for a walk to Reservoir & over the hill to Roberaue. After supper Aunt Carrie Glady & her cousin came over. 


W. Sunshine but cold. 
R. 10:45


Apparently the Rev didn't ever go through with his plan to wear bells on his robe. Bess and K are still at church together.



October 31, 1910


Stayed home and worked in the cellar & read a while. 


W. Warmer. Fine
R. 10


It is Monday. I still can not figure out how he just randomly stays home on a work day...


November 1, 1910


Mr & Mrs Witham up to supper & Bess & I to social gathering of the Young Men and Girls Bible study classes at church. We had a fine time. 


W. Warmer, windy
R. 1:30 
Clara slept over our house.

Really? Men and Girls?? I know it is the time period of course. I just can not imagine how the women felt about being called girls. One of the reasons I can not imagine it is because I'm not sure they minded. And I don't know if I should be offended on Bess's behalf is she isn't. Sometimes the filter of the 21st century blinds us to the fact people were in fact, different, than they are today.


I sometimes have to remind myself that Bess can not even vote at this point. In fact, voting must be on my mind because it is actually election day in 1910 and Adam doesn't even mention it.

With all of the political talk around this joint I'm kind of welcoming his silence on the matter.

October 27-29, 1910

October 27, 1910


Met Bess at Phoclaxxx &she got shoes. I got her a c     t & we went to the Harvest social at church. It was decorated with pumpkins and corn stalks. 


W. Rainy, Cold
R. 11:30 
Started to plaster Cora's house. 


For some reason I'm thinking of Bess, in her new shoes (and whatever it was that he got her) walking in to a harvest social decorated with pumpkins and cornstalks-still just a newlywed with new shoes and her arm in his....I bet she was happy.



1st Snow
October 28, 1910


Bess and I picked up wood after supper & I finished the chains on the lamp.


October 29, 1910


Finished one set of 3 lamps for the living room. Went to the athletic at the gym and stopped to Halloween party at Coopers & Bess, Kathy, Clara & I walked home.


W. Colder & 2 inches of snow at 6pm. 
R. 1

And he's a good brother too, walking his sister and his sister-in-law home. 

October 20-26, 1910

October 20, 1910


Miss Ethel Pratt over to supper. We planted a Wisteria vine & went over home & Aunt Carrie and then read a while. 


W. Fine, Colder
R. 11:20


October 21, 1910 


Ray came over after supper and I made a stool. Bess not well. 


W. Cooler, windy at night


October 22, 1910


Rain early a.m. Registration on the way home & I went to the gym at night for athletics. 


W. colder, rain
R. 11:15


October 23, 1910 


Went to SS and up home at 5pm & I made some puff rice candy. 


W. Clear, Cold Windy
R. 10:30


Puffed rice candy seems to be a poor mans peanut brittle, with the puffed rice standing in for the peanuts. However, the recipe I found was from 1920. I laughed and thought " I know someone making it earlier!"



October 24, 1910


I got supper before Bess came home. After supper we went over to Aunt Carrie's & home & stayed till 10 p.m. 


W. Rain at night cooler
R. 11


Roosevelt at the Allxxxxx
October 25, 1910 


Sewing club at the house. Amy, Ella, Clara, Kathy & Bess . I made a small fire in the furnace & put rabbxx heels on my shoes. Rained during the day. 


W. Rain, Colder
R. 12:30


Try as I might, I could not figure out where Roosevelt was... He doesn't seem to be anywhere special on this date.

October 26, 1910


Over home to supper & went to Leaders Club & met Bess, Gertie & Mrs.        in front of Herald at 9:30. Bess had a bad headache. 


W. Fair, Cloudy
R. 10:30


Except for the evening that he went visiting at Aunt Carrie's home, he's done something productive each evening. (and there is something to be said for socializing.) These people are busy, productive and part of the larger community.

I've never read the diary past October-I've of course, peeked at entries, so the next few months will be interesting to me as well. I'll be sorry once it's over. It occurs to me that I need to find a diary from 1911....

October 19, 1910 Happy 101 Years Adam and Bess

Married 1 yr. (It's written over the date like this in the diary.)

October 19, 1910


First Wedding Anniversary. Just finished the happiest year of my life. Planted a pear tree before work & planted cherry, prune & plum tree before supper. B & I walked over home & to Aunt Carrie & home & read.


W. Fine, Warm, Morn Light
W. 10

This is so sweet isn't it? The happiest year of his life.... 101 years ago today Adam and Bess married. It would have been a Monday. I think I love this man, planting fruit trees on their anniversary. Like he's providing for them.... I think I want to give him a big kiss. I bet Bess did.

*Note to self-Talk to husband about planting trees before work.

The Jell-o Gallery

So you may have gathered I like museums.  Last week someone told me about a museum that was close to The Genesee Country Village & Museum where I work,  so I had to check it out.

Yes folks, today I went to the Jell-o Museum in Le Roy.

Actually it's called the Jell-o Gallery, being that it's only one room. There is also a transportation exhibit in the lower level that was fairly interesting with an ox cart to an automobile from 1908 (which made me think of Adam.)

For a tiny museum with a very limited subject matter, it was cute. There was the story of jell-o which was nice, antique molds and uniforms from the jell-o plant, (Cute dresses for all of the ladies!) Original artwork that the first jell-o ads were created from, an interesting experiment where they found that A bowl of lime Jell-O, when hooked up to an EEG machine, exhibited movement which is virtually identical to the brain waves of a healthy adult man or woman (True, this test was done more than once) As well as a lot of (pricless???) jell-o (artifacts??)

I'm not an overly big fan of jell-o but the museum was close to where I work, was only $4, and Jell-o has it's roots in the lovely town (that I had never been to) of Le Roy.  So all in all, not a bad way to kill an hour. (Which is the most you would ever need to see the Jell-O gallery. ) It's on the grounds of the Le Roy historical society which has a pretty  nice garden.I don't know that I would make the trip out there from my home just to see the gallery but it's a fun stop if you're in the area anyway.

The only disappointment (other than the fact that it was pretty cold in there.) was that I was hoping that I could purchase some funky flavor of jell-o. Pina Colada or Margarita (which may, unbeknown to me, be avaliable at my Wegmans.) or something that failed in jello test markets like Asparagus/Orange-Something  interesting. There was no jell-o to be had.  If I owned the jell-o museum this would be the first thing on my list because if you don't want to eat jell-o after being at that museum, then you never will. There were  lot of neat jell-o items, including reproductions of  the original molds (which I inexplicably wanted at that very moment, dreaming of serving Jell-o at my next dinner party...) Don't worry I abstained and tonight am happy I'm not thinking of serving Apple and Carrot Molded Salad  at my next party.

October 18,1910

Sewing club over house. I worked on my lamp and printed pictures. Kathy stayed all night.


W. Fine, Warm
R. 12:40

It's a Tuesday in 1910. It occurs to me that Adam is a night owl like I am.

Farm Report

Ok, Garden Report...

 

My last big harvest of the season. The broccoli was wonderful this year, the beans, plentiful and the tomatoes a little disappointing. Cucumbers were the clear bumper crop and we got a lot of lettuce onions and garlic earlier in the season. We still have some green tomatoes out there that I'm going to do something with and some basil I keep reminding myself to dry and some carrots we haven't yet picked, and yes, a few potatoes that I need to dig- 

 My little garden helper. She is picking carrots. Look at those bare feet! LOVE it! We both have fairly dirty feet in the summer.

I'm going to miss my garden when it's cold.

October 15-17, 1910

October 15, 1910


Laid off at 1 to see the Syracuse Carlisle game at the stadium. Syracuse won 14 to 0. Met B & K downtown and home at 9:45. Clara Merle     at 3am to see the game. (It also says Hunter in parentheses on the side.)



w. XXXXX
R. 10:30


I hate it when the missing word is the one that gives meaning to the sentence. What exactly WAS Clara doing at 3am???? In 1910????



October 16, 1910


B & I walked out to the gully at 9:30 & back at 11:30 and got some food & took it out again to the gully and we cooked over      with the help of a little boy. Ethel and Ernest up to call on us but we were not here. Went up home and to church but no church. 


W. Fine
R. 10:30


This is a Sunday. Why was there no church? But what a fine day this sounds like!

October 17, 1910


Finished digging potatoes. Bess had a headache & retired at 7:30. I developed a roll of film and read a while. 


W. Fine Day Morning Light
R. 9

My god, don't you feel lazy now? When was the last time you developed your own film and grew 1000 potatoes. I must say, Adam (and people in general then) had a lot of skills that people  today no longer possess. (or only small slivers of people possess) You might say that you don't ever need to make a lamp or seed your lawn or paint your house or grow your on potatoes or sew your own clothes or make a magazine rack, and by a large measure you probably don't. And you've probably done some of the things I've mentioned.

I look at us now, with so many people earning a living sitting behind a computer in exchange for money to purchase all of the things they can't/won't do any longer. (and of course, recognizing that sitting behind a desk is a lot more comfortable and lucrative than many/most things people used to do) and  I feel like in no time in the history of man have we ever been less able to take care of ourselves, aside from purchasing our basic needs. And while it's nice that many of us have the choice as to whether or not we want to grow our own food or make our own lamps (never mind that the parts that you would need to purchase to build a lamp would probably cost more than the cheaply made-in-china lamp you can get at Target-that's another complaint for another day) I'm still kind of embarrassed for us.

October 11-14th, 1910

October 11, 1910

Dug potatoes. Bess up to K to sewing club after supper & I worked on the lamps. Ella Cooper told her that Rev Schwartz wanted to burn inscense and have a bell on his robe. & Ella & Bess were going to quit the church.
Broke front of wheel coming to work.

R. 1 am





 First of all, before we discuss the big news here, let me mention he's still digging potatoes! He has 250 hills. He has over 1000 potatoes. I could dig my own potato crop before dinner some night if I wanted to. He lives on a normal city lot. He's an urban farmer before it's even cool.  Bess must be so proud of her man who makes lamps and works 9 hour days and grows her 1000 potatoes.... I am....

And boy oh boy-What's up with Reverend Schwartz. ....I might add, that you may or may not have noticed that Bess and Adam go to different churches. I found Rev Karl Schwartz at that time at the  Episcopal Church of the Savior. So I'm guessing she Episcopalian.

The Episcopal Church of The Savior. This is what it looked like when Bess Attended. She has no idea that on Jan 7, 1912 fire will destroy the inside.

She thinking of quitting church because of a bell and some incense... Wow.... and what's with Reverend Schwartz anyway that he wants to start wearing a bell and burning incense? This seems mildly Catholic, being that the 2 were not that far apart in 1910 (Thank you History Teacher Husband). The Church still exists. I have a good mind to call them and ask them if they have any of this in the church history...

The interesting thing that I found out was that after the fall of the Portuguese monarchy  (just a few days ago) , the Freemasons (at exactly this time in history) did their best to rid Portugal of Catholicism. 3 days prior to this entry, 15 priests were killed. If I were guessing I might think Rev Schwartz was sympathizing with the Catholics in Portugual but I could be very off.

I also found Rev Schwartz's Obit and he was also an inventor. Apparently he was an inventor in the Typewriter business. (which, if you recall, was big in Syracuse and in fact, Adam works at a typewriter factory) and he invented the backspace bar on the typewriter.


October 12, 1910
Stopped home & worked on the copper lamp. Bess & a bunch went out walking in the after noon.

W. Fine. Cold
R. 10:30

October 13, 1910
Over home to supper. Kit & Minnie Fischer over to see the house. B & K & I over to Church of Christ to see Daisy XXXX XXX to Mr Bellomy & I up to class at Clarence Goldsakers.

W. Fine, Warmer
R. 12

October 14, 1910
Got my wheel at Howards Dave & Beatrice up to supper. Trues got me a ticket for .50 for the Carslisle game.

W. Fine, Warm
R. 10:45

Back in the 19th Century!

I have an Adam update but it can wait till tomorrow. It's late and I'd like to direct you to my other blog where I'm talking about the museum's root cellar. I personally find it fascinating, how they store food until spring right in the ground. Just fascinating. Why do I find this fascinating? I don't actually know. I just do.... if all goes well they'll be unearthing it in March to make soup for a conference we're hosting. How neat is this....That's a soup I want to try

The couple pictured are the proud owners of Maylee, the pioneer cat. She's the twin to my own kitten Amelia. And while Amelia sleeps on a toile cushion in my kitchen, Maylee is out hunting mice in the pioneer cabin. They do look almost exactly alike though.

 While I was looking through some pictures at the museum today I came across this shot of me as a pioneer. I love this one. I'm making (what else) butter. I don't look terribly good but I really look a pioneer. LOVE IT. I'm thinking of making it my Christmas card this year. 

Joking...kind of....

And if I haven't mentioned it before, you can become a friend of the Genesee Country Village & Museum on Facebook! We have over 2080 fans and we're always happy to have more. You'll get the blog feed as well as a lot of other interesting information about GCV happenings! 

Genesee Country Village & Museum

Promote Your Page Too

Where I Decide Not To Forage For Food

Yesterday we went pumpkin and apple picking. While there, I noticed a large tree that had many many shiny gorgeous chestnuts surrounding it's base.

Sweet Chestnuts

I love roasted chestnuts. I love them plain and with roasted Brussels Sprouts. I love them in stew. I love them with a glass of red wine. Love them! I picked some up off the ground. My daughter told me to drop them because she didn't want them in the car.

I didn't listen to her and hid them from her in my pockets.

A while later as we continued to drive I was musing on my luck at finding the nuts and that I was going to roast them for dinner.

My daughter, upon hearing this, asked if I brought some chestnuts with us. When I answered "Yes" she freaked out. She cried and told me to throw them out the window. She told me I shouldn't eat them. That I couldn't eat them. I laughed at her (nicely)  because I roast them all the time. She got really irate. It was pretty crazy because she loves picking plants and eating them. This year especially, she has been all in my herb garden learning their names and which ones are edible. (don't worry, she knows exactly which ones are and which ones she can try and aside from a brief period when all she wanted to do was cut and carry chives around with her, all has been fine. Trust me, you don't want to travel around with a child who smells like onions.)

But she was so irate that I told her I would look them up on the computer when I got home.

And when I got home, I found out the chestnuts were Horse Chestnuts. Toxic to humans Horse Chestnuts......That look a lot like the Sweet Chestnuts that I love. 

Horse Chestnuts

From Poisonous Plants Website: "Horse chestnut poisoning is rarely fatal, but typically causes vomiting, loss of coordination, stupor, and occasionally, paralysis." Most poisonings occur from people roasting and eating the fruit in the mistaken belief that they are the same as sweet chestnuts. They aren’t!

I don't know how she knew I should not eat them or really, what made her feel that way. Did she have a hunch? Was her intuition kicking in while I blatantly ignored mine in the face of free food???? (God, I AM a glutton.....)

I told her I was wrong and she was right and that we should not and would not be eating those nuts. 

At any rate, this all became a very very good lesson about NOT just eating something if you aren't sure what it is/where it came from. And even if you are sure, you need to be really sure. (And possibly, just buy all your nuts at the store.)

However, I think I may be the one who learned this lesson....

10-10-10

10-10-10


Dug potatoes before supper & after Bess and I gathered wood & I sawed up xxxx for the fireplace.


W. cool, cloudy
R. 10

10-10-10

Emma better. Attended fall festival at nature center. Over Will home to drop Emma off w/ Mr & Mrs R to stay all night. Spoke to Deanna M on the telephone. Over Gary & Susan's to supper.


W. Sunny, beautiful fall day.
R. Undetermined at this point.

October 8 & 9, 1910

October 8, 1910


Started to work all day Saturday. Bess down to sewing club at hXXs to supper & I over home. Cut my fingers on lantern chimney. Got wood at xxx  xxxxx. 


W. Cold
R. 12


October 9, 1910


Went to S.S. & B & K and I walked (ok, he's using a fountain pen and it's HARD to read. Suffice to say they walked all over a number of streets whose names I cannot make out.) walked back through the park over home to supper. 


W. Cloudy Cold
R. 9:30

October 7, 1910

Dug potatoes before supper & sat  in the kitchen till about 9 & went to bed early.

W. Colder
R. 10

I meant to mention this yesterday, but I think perhaps it makes more sense today. Now that he's working 9 hrs a day, 6 days a week, I wonder if his schedule will slow down a bit. Her certainly seems tired this evening.



2010


Worked at the museum today and walked around on lunch taking pictures. Gorgeous fall day. Over Will's home to supper & saw Mr & Mrs R. Emma in bed sick this evening. Cat eating houseplants.


W. Sunny, Fine.
R. 10:50

Adam & Bess Are Back!

My oh my, look how much time has gone by with an update from Adam and Bess. How I've missed them. I haven't even picked up the diary because each time I did I felt mildly guilty. This summer was a busy one for me. (and Adam too!)

I've decided to start with October 1st and just tell you what happened in August & September. (And it's 10:09 when I'm starting this-I'm supposed to be in bed at 11, remember?!?!-That sleep thing is kind of working out for me. When I actually go to bed I early on time I feel great. However, I haven't done it every night. More on sleep another time.

So Adam and Bess. 

Adam spent much of August & September painting the house, staining the stairs, finishing the back porch. This one again, makes me feel like they have a newly built home. (Sometime I'll go to Syracuse and look for it.) In early August they went on vacation to their "camp" and they went with a lot of the people you're already familiar with. It seems like this is a place they've been before and plan on going back to as they do some work on the cottage while there. It rains A LOT and Bess wants to go home. One night, (not on vacation) Adam "gets Bess started" and she gets mad and won't talk to him all night. He gets up early the  next morning and makes sure to mention he "Made my own breakfast" and tried to get out before Bess was up. Bess however, comes down before he leaves and he goes to work "sulkey" That evening they don't even talk until bed. It must have been a doosie of a fight. They next day they go to someone's house and all seems fine. They went to the State fair. He also gets off early from work because of the Fair but he comes home and paints instead. His mother visits Rochester, which makes me wonder who she was visiting, were they relatives? Did that branch of the family end up with this diary???? He works more around the house. He bought 2 peach baskets for  5 cents. He develops pictures. He picks tomatoes. He goes bowling. He's making copper lanterns. 


October 1, 1910 

Did not wake up till 7 a.m. & telephoned Bob (this was the entry that I found after I assumed he had no phone) & stayed home & painted all day. It was very windy & could hardly hold the ladder up. Kathy up and stayed. 


W. Cold & Windy
R. 10

October 2, 1910


xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx to see Clara & came over to the house. Bess and I to her church and I to S.S. I walked down to James st & down to the xxxxx house after supper. 


W. Cold
R. 12:30

October 3, 1910


Started to work 9 hours & 6 days at the shop. Some school teachers up in the afternoon & Kathy stayed to supper. Gertie over and B & I walked down to the Hair Makers & to the car with her. She is looking and feeling fine. 


W. xxx, windy
R. 9 

You may remember back in July, Gertie was sick in Philadelphia and they didn't think she was going to make it.  I'm sure you're glad to see her on the mend, I sure was. Does she need a wig I wonder?? What the heck is a Hair Maker (and that is capitalized in the diary.) And I it's also written very clearly. I can't find any use of those words together like that.

October 4, 1910 

Stayed home. xxxx over and I washed my aprons & dug some potatoes. King Manuel of Portugal dethroned by the Republicans. 


W. Windy, Warm
R. 10:00

Oh, my Historian Adam. Of course, he's not really a historian as much as he's a news guy, if you think about it. It's history now, but was news back then. 

Apparently King Manuel was the last of the monarchy.

From Wikipedia:
Between October 4–5, 1910, the Republican Revolution erupted in the streets of Lisbon. What started as a military coup commenced by soldiers, was joined by some civilians and municipal guards attacking the loyal garrisons and the royal palace, while the guns from a warship added to the cannonade. The Palace of Necessidades (then official residence of the young King) was bombarded, forcing D. Manuel to move to the Mafra National Palace, where he rendezvoused with his mother, Queen D. Amélia and his grandmother, the Queen Mother Maria Pia of Savoy. Strangely, popular reaction to the events did not materialize: pictures from the square in front of the City Hall in Lisbon (where the declaration of the Republic occurred) did not show an overwhelming multitude, and even some in the military were fearful that their actions would not be successful.^[7] One day later, once it was clear that the Republicans had taken the country, D. Manuel II decided to embark from Ericeira on the royal yacht Amélia IV for Oporto. It is unclear whether officials of the monarchy motivated D. Manuel to change his intentions^[8], or whether he was forced to change his destination enroute^[9]: the Royal Family disembarked in Gibraltar shortly later, after they received notice that Oporto had fallen to the Republicans. The coup d'etat was complete, and the Royal Family departed for exile^[10], arriving in England, where he was received by King George V. 

Also, he's digging potatoes. Remember all of those 250 hills of potatoes in his back yard. I wonder how his crop grew.  Mine was nice, but small. I still have some out there that I need to dig as well. 

October 5, 1910


Up home to supper & I went to the gym & met Bess at 9:45. 


W. Fine, some rain
R. 10:30


October 6, 1910


Bess up home and it rained steady after 4 p.m. & I up to Ma's to supper & met Bess at 9:15.


W. Hot all day till the rain. 
R. 10:30

I love when I'm caught up and I can compare it to the current day.

W. It was cold and rainy here today.