by Judy Handley | Mar 28, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 87: Newcomers Field Trip to the Boston Public Library
Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Weather: Overcast, Rainy, Cooler; High 42, Low 32 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The Boston Public Library (BPL) was founded in 1848 and opened in 1854. It is not the oldest public library in the US. That honor goes to the Darby Public Library in Philadelphia, “America’s oldest public library, in continuous service since 1743.” But the BPL holds the distinction of being the first publicly supported free municipal library in the world. Yes, the world, not just the United States. And even though when it was opened, you had to be 16 years old to enter, that was eventually changed, and it became the first library to establish space designated specifically for children.
I was supposed to drive today if needed, but at the last minute a few people backed out and I ended up as a passenger and navigator in Karen Baranowski’s van. There were two other women in our group, Bonnie Howard and Toby Richard, and two other car loads. We thought we would see everyone at the library, but it is big, and my group was almost finished touring before we made contact with others.
There are actually two libraries—the old McKim Building and the new Johnson Building.
All modern day library activities take place in the newer building, but the art is in the old building which is “crammed with spectacular paintings, tapestries, architectural details, and sculpture. The buildings themselves are impressive and we really enjoyed touring the three floors.
As you climb the steps from the impressive main entrance to the second floor, you pass two enormous lions carved from single blocks of marble commemorating Massachusetts Civil War infantry regiments.
And as you climb you see a series of murals done in shades of blue, pale green, and ivory by 19th century French artist, Puvis de Chavannes.
Then you come to what I would say is the crown jewel, Bates Reading Room.
It runs the runs the full length of the front half of the building with high arched windows and a vaulted ceiling. The desks and the English oak bookcases are the originals, and the setting literally invites you to sit and read awhile. On the second floor there is also the ornate Abbey Room with 15 murals depicting Sir Galahad’s Quest of the Holy Grail.
The third floor houses the John Singer Sargent murals titled The Triumph of Religion.
My problem with his works is that the murals depict only the world religions of interest to Sargent—Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity—ignoring other world religions.
We then walked through the outside courtyard between the old and new buildings and into the “working” library of today.
It is modern and vibrant.
There is one fabulous little map room tucked to one side
before you enter the open-concept modern reading tables, shelves and shelves and shelves of books, and the circulation desks which serve the library’s 28 branches as well as walk-ins. Then, finally we came to the Newsfeed Café and the live production of WGBH radio’s three-hour mid-day program, the very popular Jim and Margery show.
We bought lunch and sat and watched Jim and Margery interview a couple of guests as we ate. Fantastic day.
I truly enjoyed the self-guided tour of this most impressive public library.
by Judy Handley | Mar 27, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 86: Alan’s New Zealand Presentation
Date: Monday, March 27, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 53, Low 37 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I am just now posting logs from the past couple of days. Sometimes living gets in the way of writing about it!
Today was another sunny day and I headed north to Newbridge on the Charles in Dedham where my good friends, Alan and Helaine Kanegsberg, live. At 2 pm this afternoon, Alan was giving a presentation about the five week land tour they took with Mark and I when we were in New Zealand.
Alan did a masterful job of taking us from Whangarai in the north of the North Island, to Auckland, and then down the middle of the North Island to Wellington. We then got on a ferry and crossed to the South Island, where he led us down the west coast, rounding the southern tip of the South Island, back up the east coast, back on the ferry to the North Island, up the west coast of the North Island, and all the way up to Cape Reinga. He captured the amazing beauty of New Zealand just perfectly. Bravo, Alan!
I really enjoyed the trip.
by Judy Handley | Mar 26, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 85: From Suckanesset to Falmouth History Lesson
Date: Sunday, March 26, 2023
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 73, Low 43 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
This was a gloriously sunny and warm day. I slept in, took Shadow for a walk, prepared seed trays for planting, and then took my time driving to Woods Hole, staying along the water to soak in the beauty around me.
I arrived just in time for a 3 pm program at the Woods Hole Church of the Messiah, Parish and Community Center. The presenter was Eric Turkington, and the title of the program was From Suckanesset to Falmouth: How our town’s land went from Wampanoag territory to English ownership in 25 years.
Eric Turkington is a local lawyer and politician and the former Democratic member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing this area. Before that he was on the Falmouth Town Select Board, and it was then that he started delving into the history of the area. When Bartholomew Gosnold arrived in this part of the world in 1602, it was inhabited by the people of the Wampanoag Tribe, also known as the People of the First Light. They had inhabited present day Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years. But once the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth and others from Europe arrived, it took only 25 years for the area known as Suckanesset to the Wampanoag people to become settled and known as Falmouth. The Wampanoag people did maintain part of the Mashpee area and the Aquinnah area of Martha’s Vineyard, but here in Falmouth only the names endured . . . Menauhant, Megansett, Chapaquoit, Coonemessett, Sippewissett, Quissett, Teaticket, to name a few.
It was an excellent presentation by someone who obviously cares about making sure we get history right.
by Judy Handley | Mar 25, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 84: Baby Shower in New Hampshire
Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Weather: Overcast, Mix of Rain and Snow in NH, Rain at Home; High 45, Low 39 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I was off early this morning for Greenland, New Hampshire, near Portsmouth on the coast, to attend a baby shower for my good friend Detta Porat’s daughter Sarah. I loaded the car yesterday with the rocking dragon I gave Sam for his first Christmas that is going on loan to its new home and my gifts for the baby, so take off was easy, as was the drive north with absolutely no traffic.
Detta and Tom have two children, Sarah and Matthew, and this will be their first grandchild. It had already been announced that it will be a girl, joining us sometime in mid-April. I have known Sarah since she was born, but I hadn’t seen her since she graduated from college and moved to Ashville, North Carolina. She married Christian Jefferson while in Ashville and eventually they moved back to New Hampshire. It was an exciting day for me to get to see Sarah after so many years and to meet Christian.
It was also exciting to get to see the renovated portion of Tom and Detta’s home ‘almost’ finished. I visited the end of January and the inside walls were finished, but the flooring wasn’t down. There are still a few small things inside to be done, but Tom and Detta have now moved their bedroom to the new addition, and it is breathtakingly beautiful. The master bedroom is on the second floor with views all around of Great Bay.
And the main floor is a family room with a game room, soon to be a grandchild playroom, again with huge windows all around giving wonderful views of the bay. For the shower Detta had decorated the whole house with baby clothing.
This baby is not going to want for clothing! And those of us attending the shower did not want for food. There was food in every room, so you could eat your way through the house. And then we had a sit-down luncheon, an afternoon of game playing, and then a fabulous array of desserts.
My drive home was nothing like the easy drive up in the morning. There was a wintry mix of icy rain and snow when I left. I then mistakenly headed north on I 95 toward Maine and had to drive 8 miles before I could turn around. Then as I approached the Tobin Bridge coming into Boston there was a wreck and traffic was at a standstill for over an hour. At least the snow had turned to rain by this time. Instead of getting home at 5:30 to take Shadow for a walk, I arrived at 7 pm, totally exhausted. I did manage to play fetch with Shadow for a few minutes and then I collapsed. Thankfully, I had hired Upper Cape Pet Services to walk Shadow mid-day and I got a glowing report from the young woman who visited with Shadow. Evidently he is the perfect dog for strangers. She even managed to get him to pose for photos that she sent me.
by Judy Handley | Mar 24, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 83: This and That
Date: Friday, March 24, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High 52, Low 35 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
This was a slow day with not much to report. I took it easy as the doctor prescribed after yesterday’s epidural. The pain I have as a result of the herniated discs is felt in my hips, not in my back. And that was better today. Not completely gone, but much better. So far, so good.
I watched a program today called ‘From Food to Freedom’ about the positive effects of a plant-based diet. It was done by Nelson Campbell and his wife Kim. He is the son of T. Colin Campbell of China Study fame. Colin Campbell went from being the son of a pig farmer in Iowa to becoming one of the world’s most fierce champions of a vegetarian diet based on research findings. His son Nelson is continuing his work. I have been trying to become plant-based with the addition of fish, but I still slip back into my old ways from time to time. This gave me the incentive to work at it a little harder.
Early tomorrow morning I am off to Portsmouth, NH, for the day. My good friend Detta is hosting a baby shower for her daughter Sarah. I have known Sarah since she was born and feel like a member of their family. The Porats are such welcoming people that I think many feel that way. It should be a fun day. I have Upper Cape Pet Sitting coming to take Shadow out for a walk and bathroom break. I’m anxious to see how that goes.
by Judy Handley | Mar 23, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 82: Memories
Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023
Weather: Overcast and Rain; High 52, Low 41 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I got a note on Facebook tonight letting me know that a high school classmate of mine who I was very close with had a stroke and died this week. Jerry Hill was voted ‘best looking’ in our class, but he was so much more. He was a person whose beauty was inside and out. He was the kind of friend who always had time to listen to your problems. I don’t know who wrote his obituary, but it was truly beautiful. I never thought I would say an obituary was beautiful but reading this one left me flooded with tears and memories. It outlined in detail the wonderful ways in which Jerry touched people’s lives. Jerry received his graduate degree in Theology from Northwestern, became a minister among other things, and believed fiercely in the interconnectivity between us all. “What happens to us after we die, he never claimed to know, but found endlessly fascinating. At funerals, or in conversations about death, he would likely say that the body left behind no longer holds the spirit of the deceased. He liked to think that we simply become a different piece of the fabric that connects us all.” So, we shall stay connected, my dear friend.
I had an epidural to inject steroids into my spine this morning. The hope is that it will help relieve the inflammation caused by my two herniated discs which might allow them reabsorb more quickly. The pain relief, if the procedure was successful, is often not felt for a week or two, so we shall see how that goes. I rested for a few hours when I got home and then went for an epic grocery store shopping trip. My refrigerator was empty as I have not placed my Misfits order for home delivery for two weeks. After shopping for an hour, I will not forget to place my Misfits order this Friday night!
All modern day library activities take place in the newer building, but the art is in the old building which is “crammed with spectacular paintings, tapestries, architectural details, and sculpture. The buildings themselves are impressive and we really enjoyed touring the three floors.
As you climb the steps from the impressive main entrance to the second floor, you pass two enormous lions carved from single blocks of marble commemorating Massachusetts Civil War infantry regiments.
And as you climb you see a series of murals done in shades of blue, pale green, and ivory by 19th century French artist, Puvis de Chavannes.
Then you come to what I would say is the crown jewel, Bates Reading Room.
It runs the runs the full length of the front half of the building with high arched windows and a vaulted ceiling. The desks and the English oak bookcases are the originals, and the setting literally invites you to sit and read awhile. On the second floor there is also the ornate Abbey Room with 15 murals depicting Sir Galahad’s Quest of the Holy Grail.
The third floor houses the John Singer Sargent murals titled The Triumph of Religion.
My problem with his works is that the murals depict only the world religions of interest to Sargent—Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity—ignoring other world religions.
It is modern and vibrant.
There is one fabulous little map room tucked to one side
before you enter the open-concept modern reading tables, shelves and shelves and shelves of books, and the circulation desks which serve the library’s 28 branches as well as walk-ins. Then, finally we came to the Newsfeed Café and the live production of WGBH radio’s three-hour mid-day program, the very popular Jim and Margery show.
We bought lunch and sat and watched Jim and Margery interview a couple of guests as we ate. Fantastic day.
I truly enjoyed the self-guided tour of this most impressive public library.
