The desired condition of my personal office-
The ACTUAL condition of my personal office-
I sat down in front of my home-office desk the other day and proceeded to wall-eye the complete disarray that seemed to engulf the entire room like a papery "Kanagawa Great Wave". However, no goggles or air-tanks will help me sort through this ocean of paper, books, unprocessed artifacts, and maps. The only lighthouse beckoning me from these turbulent waters is my mother. How fitting. My consistent and steadfast lifeboat. She and I will take the plunge together, wading and wreck-diving like underwater archaeologists (Public History career reference # 1), in preparation for the coming autumnal rains. The flood of paperwork and writings, resource materials, new finds, and client files that the autumn brings with its apple-crisp winds and jewel-toned colors. As I sat there, contemplating a scheme that I have proposed to Mandy (the wife) a thousand times over that involves the Fire Department and an open window, I noticed fragments of paper poking from under larger items atop my desk. Most of these pieces of paper were white, some yellow, and one or two were pink. It turned out that these attention-depraved pieces of paper were my "Personal Postcards"- notes to myself about things I need to complete, ideas swirling in my tempestuous mind, or simple shopping lists. Just as silt settles on the ocean floor, these pieces of paper fell victim to the large waves of books and dusty relics that ebb and flow across my desk. I shifted some bulk and excavated all of the "postcards" I could find. The shopping lists are now moot points. Obviously. My "To Do" lists are still fairly valid. And still fairly undone. The pieces of paper that document random ideas were filed away in the appropriate places. My artifacts are organized... off of my desk, on other flat, safe surfaces. As the summer comes to a close, they will be cataloged and put into storage. Though reminiscent of the great, painfully woeful Celtic (Gaelic) song "Ailein Duinn" (please see the video below), my desk-inspired portrayal of the over-wrought King Lear has reminded me that there are a few "postcards" that I have not shared with you! Incidentally, the scheme that my lovely Mandy will never seem to agree to simply involves me setting a harmless fire on the top of my desk and having the Fire Department to blow it out of an opened nearby window with their fire-hose. Mandy has the audacity to claim that all of my "________ will not fit out that window!!!" Oh well.
Here are a few crumpled "Postcards" that survived the initial purge for sharing...
POSTCARD 1: "Corn Casserole" recipe from my Mother-In-Law, Mrs. Carol White-
1 can of French-style green beans
1 can of shoe-peg corn
1 can of cream of celery soup
1/2 cup of chopped green onion
1 cup of grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup of sour cream
1 stick of butter, melted
1 package of Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs
INSTRUCTIONS: Mix the corn, beans, soup, onions, and sour cream. Place the mixture in a casserole dish. Top the mixture with the grated cheese, butter, and cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Enjoy these "fruits" of the season!
POSTCARD 2: Sharing a link to the world-
There have been times that those who love me and I have questioned my immersion in "Public History". Not my love for the subject matter, not my ability, not the budding program at U.N.A., but the employment possibilities. Much in the same way that I dealt with public education seeking pseudo-History teachers (coaches who are certified to babysit in History; a curse of remaining in a rural area), I may have similar troubles dealing with the good ol' U.S.A.'s economic woes. If Miss Cleo sees that in my future, then I may very well make good on another dream that I have filed away: teaching overseas. I invite everyone who has "dared" to dream similarly to check out this awesome website:
www.escapeartist.com, then click on "Jobs Overseas"
POSTCARD 3: You are what you eat-
I have been remiss as a historian for not mentioning a recent discovery at a place I called home for nearly two weeks this past Spring- Jamestown(e), Virginia. So, using the "title" of this "postcard" as a context clue, might you have some idea of what I'm about to say? That's right... Oh yes they did! Let's review for those of you who may have had a pseudo-History teacher. The Powhatan Indians trapped 300 Jamestown settlers in the fort in the fall of 1609. The "Starving Time" saw food supplies severed and only 60 colonists survived the winter. There were reports of cannibalism from colonists. However, these have been generally dismissed by "academia" as a manipulative way to shame the Virginia Company. But dismiss no more, my dusty, self-conscious, and crabby peers. Behold (or should I say "Be-Head"?)! The proof is in the, um, well, pudding? No, the skull! Archaeologists have unearthed a partial human skull and tibia from a fort's kitchen cellar trash pile. The remains belonged to a 14-year-old girl and show flesh-separating knife marks. Also found in the kitchen cellar site were the remains of rats, horses, and dogs. And now, "Summer Recipe" number... no.
POSTCARD 4: Mickey's Gardening Secrets
SECRET # 2: If you want to know which perennials hold up best in your area, check out old graveyards and abandoned houses (Public History career reference # 2 and 3). You'll see which ones are the toughest survivors, even with neglect. And you just may uncover some heirloom varieties, giving you a lesson in plant history for your locale (Public History career reference # 4).
POSTCARD 5: All historians have a platform-
www.vistaprint.com offers a world of marketing goodies. From business cards, to stationery, to postcards (!), to clothing, to banners, to invitations, to photographs, to calendars, to websites, "Vistaprint" is a one-stop shop with excellent pricing. My mother even recommends it to all of her "Floral Design" students. I mention this wonderland of advertising as a reminder to my readers that it is on their platform that I will build my Public History "Historical Landscaping" website. Though there are numerous "FREE" website platforms on which to build out there in cyber-space, I have chosen to pay a small monthly fee in order to increase visibility. After all, it is inclusion in the major search engines that will bring visitors. And bringing visitors to the history is what we Public Historians are all about. Now that I have all of my "Historical Landscaping" information collected and a platform squared away, it's time to start putting it all together! Now, what was it again, that led up to Colonial landscaping?
DID YOU KNOW? (Listen up, you pseudo-History teachers! You just might learn something.)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain (Hello Hannah and Wes! These two "Public History" classmates are there, as I type, taking part in a "Study Abroad" opportunity.) came into being in 1707, when the governments of England and Scotland united. The term British came to refer to the English and the Scots.
The monarch and Parliament shared power in 18th-century Britain. Parliament was gradually getting the upper hand. It had the power to make laws, levy taxes, and pass the budget.
A new dynasty, the Hanoverians, took power in 1714. From the first Hanoverian king, George I, their chief ministers were allowed to handle Parliament and so were powerful. Robert Walpole was prime minister from 1721 to 1742.
The middle class wanted Britain's trade and empire expanded. One place for expansion was North America, where Britain controlled Canada and 13 colonies on the eastern coast of the present United States. Merchants in the colonial ports of Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Charleston did not want the British government to run their affairs. Colonies had their own legislatures and often acted independently.
However, cooperation was not meant to be as the Seven Years' War drained Britain's coffers and the American colonies quickly marched to the drums of a tax-induced revolution... (And we complain about the price of stamps! Sheesh!)
As I wad-up the final "postcard" and commit it to the future flames of my burnables, I turn to gaze at my desk once again. The surface seems calm. Serene even, with its open spaces, neat stacks, and feng shui-esque knick-knack placements. But, I know, underneath lies a behemoth, ready to rise from the depths of my failures in multi-tasking. To sweep any current pre-mommy progress up in its frenzied arms and dragging to the bottom of an ocean of confusion the maelstrom of my interests. So, to honor my upcoming drowning, take a listen (as we say in my beloved South!) to my FAVORITE Celtic (Gaelic) song... (Please read the translation of lyrics and history on the video screen to experience the full impact of this romantic and tragic song...)
"Ailein Duinn", by Celtic Spirit
YouTube, created and uploaded by Angela Haynie
"Ailein Duinn by Celtic Spirit with Scottish Gaelic lyrics, English translation, and story behind the song. Theme song from the 1995 movie Rob Roy as sung by Karen Matheson. Ailein Duinn means "dark-haired Alan" in Scottish Gaelic. A haunting song set along with beautiful pictures. No copyright infringement intended."
Your desk sounds like mine. And it sounds like (from what I can tell) - that you are at a good stage in your project. Keep up the good work.
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