Memento Mori

Ever since I first learned about Victorian post-mortem photography, I've been fascinated. Earlier this year, I read a book which includes numerous examples of the practice.  I have wanted to start collecting it, but I didn't want to be seen as a weirdo who scours Ebay, looking for sad photos of long-dead people. However, I knew that if I ever happened to come across one in my travels or treks to antique stores, then it would be organic and I know I would appreciate it as a historical artifact that represents a story.

Last Sunday, I was at my local Goodwill and I noticed a dozen or so old photos and cabinet cards on display. I always enjoy antique photos because I like to imagine who the people may have been, or what they may have been like in their lifetime.

I came across one showing a young woman holding a baby, wrapped in white.

If I were not familiar with the Victorian era commonness of documenting loved ones after death, then I may not have imagined it, because the woman looks very serene, with almost a slight smile on her lips.

There is nothing written on the photo to confirm my assumption, but the prevalence of these types of photos makes it the most obvious scenario.

Due to the expense involved in getting a family to a photographer's studio, Victorian era parents rarely had portraits taken in 'good times'. If the children were well and healthy, then there was no need to have their picture taken. However, in an age where diseases such as whooping cough, scarlet fever, diphtheria and others constantly threatened the lives of children, death was sadly commonplace. Parents often had portraits taken of their lost children because the photo was the only picture they would have to remember them by.

I know that many people think this a macabre hobby, but as a historian I can glean so much insight into a by-gone society from this once-popular art. And as someone who has always been sentimental, and is now a mother to a young child, I feel compelled to appreciate this photo for what it represents. 

The baby may not have lived very long, but I doubt the mother loved him any less. My son is only three, but I have innumerable pictures of him: on my computer, in our home, on my Facebook and Instagram.  .  .we are able to take photos without even thinking about it. This is probably the only photos taken of that baby; it may even be the only picture taken of the mother, or at least the only picture that remains of her. She must have treasured it.

I think we all like to imagine that the things we treasure will continue to be treasured by others when we are gone; that is why we hand wedding gowns, ratty teddy bears, hand-knitted blankets and other things down in our families. We don't save them and hand them down hoping that someone will say "I don't need this" and toss it away.

I have other antique photos and even though I don't know the people in them, I don't mind being a surrogate guardian of these treasures.

Japanese Kit Kats: Amazake

This is the most exotic Kit Kat I have tried so far. The green tea was very Japanese also, but I drink green tea all the time. I have never had amazake before. I didn't even know what it was, and I purposely didn't look it up because I wanted to be surprised.

It smells like chai, with subtle sweetness. It tastes like white chocolate, with a slight banana flavor to it.

I didn't know what amazake was, so after I ate the candy bar, I consulted Google. It is a a creamy version of traditional sake (rice wine). It can be served either hot or cold, and is a popular drink served on New Year's in Japan.

And YES: this candy does contain  in it. Each serving has .8% alcohol in it.

I only have ONE MORE FLAVOR LEFT- which will be posted soon.

Beatrix Potter Day

Not many people know, but Beatrix Potter has a connection to New Hampshire. The Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion in Portsmouth became the home of the Coolidge family in the later half of the 19th century. Because J. Templemann Coolidge III was an amateur artist and a trustee of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the house became a summer artist colony, and the family became acquainted with a number of artists.

When Henry Coolidge visited England with his mother, he met Potter. She even dedicated her book The Fairy Caravan to him!

I spent a few hours on the grounds of the mansion, indulging my own artistic side:

I agreed to display my Peter Rabbit diorama for the event. It looked perfect, nestled into the landscape:

  I occupied my time by working on my Secret Garden scene:

Eric and John tagged along because the weather was perfect. John decided to try using chalk pastels for the first time:

The day before, I slapped together a few cards, in case anyone wanted to see more photos, or contact me. I know that business cards are more professional, but I feel like artist trading cards are more 'me', so I made them using index cards, washi tape and pages from an upcycled copy of Charlotte's Web.

My favorite one is the one depicting fat Templeton, with my name above.

It was a nice event: not crazy and crowded. I enjoyed having such a quiet day there, and it's fitting with the theme of Beatrix Potter's nature-inspired stories.

Japanese Kit Kats: Cookies n Cream

The next flavor of Kit Kat I tried was Cookies n Cream. I picked this flavor out for my husband actually, since that's his favorite flavor of ice cream. And it matches up pretty well.

The outside of the bar is white chocolate with Oreo-type cookie crumbs in it. It actually smells like Cookies n Cream ice cream!

It's not the most exotic flavor; Hershey's came out with a Cookies n Cream candy bar way back in 1994:

If you've ever had the ice cream, or a milkshake version, or the Hershey's bar, or even dunked an Oreo in milk, then you already know what it tastes like. But, if you're on a mission to taste every variety of Kit Kats, then this is an easy one to swallow.

Japanese Kit Kats: Green Tea

Yesterday I tried the Green Tea flavored Kit Kats. The outside of the candy  is a light green color. which appears to be white chocolate with green dye.

The inside wafers are also light green. The flavor is very light and mellow- I was expecting it to be stronger, or maybe even a little bitter, like tea.

So I guess in conclusion, it didn't seem to taste much like green tea, but it was still good.

Japanese Kit Kats: Strawberry Cheesecake

As a birthday present to myself, I splurged and bought myself some candy bars. Not ordinary candy bars from the grocery store though; I bought some of those exotic KitKat flavors that are only available in Japan.

At first I was thinking about ordering a subscription box, but then I decided to order just a few flavors from a seller on Ebay. I have read candy blogs a few times over the year, and although I have no desire to try some of the strange flavors that are out there (no sour melon logs, or Sweet Heat Starburst for me), I wanted to document my first experience with Japanese candy.

They arrived yesterday, and I was pretty excited to try them. They were a little bit melty, no doubt from the humidity, so I put them in the freezer for a couple hours. I decided to try the Strawberry Cheesecake flavor first:

I had 1/2 of the little bar, and I let my husband have the other half. It was delicious! 

The outside of the candy is white, with small pink flecks.The wafers inside are pink. I don't think it quite tastes like cheesecake, it's more like a strawberry dipped in white chocolate. It reminded me of these strawberry wafer cookies that my old babysitter used to keep in her cookie jar:

So these exotic candy bars are my new babies, and I will guard them like alternate-world-fat-Monica:

Before I was the Tie Dyed Librarian, I was the Tie Dyed Teenager

I was rummaging through some old photos the other day and I found this one:

This was circa 1997, long before I knew I would become a librarian. 

But I loved my tie dye, even back then!

I'm the Host with the Most, Babe

Since I spent my actual birthday in a professional development workshop, I just had my party yesterday. Despite my age, I still believe in having birthday parties. I love hosting parties at my house, especially ones with a theme. It's just another reason to spend time with friends. Plus, there was a period of time when I would get very depressed around my birthday; making a party is alot more fun than sitting around alone and moping.

This year I thought it would be fun to have a Beetlejuice themed party. I made the Beetle Juice with green Hawaiian punch and Sprite. I made ice cubes with plastic bugs frozen in the middle, and I garnished the drinks with gummy worms.

Most guests looked a little skeptical at first, but when I told them what the ingredients were, they didn't mind the drink. 

For food, we served shrimp cocktail (of course!). I also made coco-cola cupcakes with purple frosting:

It was fun to shop for the decorations, and not expensive either. The striped tablecloths were bought online from Walmart, and we made some of the other props ourselves. My Beetlejuice dollhouse was on display, too.

There was a trivia game as usual, and the tokens were mini candy bars wrapped in Beetlejuice stickers I got on Etsy.

I hate the idea of guests feeling awkward, and it's always a little awkward if you're at someone's home and you have to ask where the bathroom is. I saw this sign online, so we printed out one for each of our bathrooms.

In conclusion, the party was AWESOME! I have wonderful friends, and I am so grateful they came out to help me celebrate. My best friend, who lives in Western NY, was also in attendance, so that was extra special since we only get to see each other a few times a year. 

Books Read at the Beach

Minimal ghosts- more like 'skeletons in the closet'

As far as ghost stories/horror, this one was pretty disappointing. Mei is a teen who uses her intelligence and drive to tutor children from well-off families. The summer after highschool, she is offered the chance to tutor a young girl from a very prestigious family, and spend the summer with them in their vacation home on Arrow Island. Ella, her student, is an odd little girl, and the family seems to have its share of secrets. Ella insists that the house is haunted by a forgotten daughter of the historic Arrow family, and meanwhile Ella's older brother Henry has taken an interest in his sister's appealing tutor. This story wasn't bad, but I was expecting a ghost story, and it read more like a teenage version of The Nanny Diaries.

Culture Clash and Generational Tension

Maya has many identities. She is Indian. She is also American. She is Muslim, too. She tries to make her parents happy, but they have very traditional values, and they want her to become a doctor or a lawyer. Meanwhile, Maya wants to study film at NYU, and has a budding relationship with a (white) boy she's known since grade school. This book is reminiscent of the  2002 movie Bend It Like Beckham, and equally enjoyable. The ending was happy, but not in the most predictable way.

Award Winning Historical Fiction

I finally got around to reading The War That Saved My Life, after a couple years of everyone telling me how good it is. I had purchased an ARC of it at a thrift store a while back, and I took it to work one day recently. I devoured it. The day after I finished it, I went to my local library to get The War I Finally Won. I love historical fiction, and even though there is no shortage of WWII books, this one focused on a character with such a unique voice, that I think it's more than just a WWII story. It's one that celebrates overcoming adversity, and also contributes to the #weneeddiversebooks catalog because of its focus on a girl with a physical disability.

Paper Mache Letters

I just completed my first project, specifically for my new library.

I have other things I am planning on bringing in/donating/displaying, but I got this idea recently and undertook this project especially for my new position.

Hobby Lobby sells paper mache letters in various sizes. I bought four letters in the largest size, and I decoupaged them with pages from a few of my favorite stories.

I had duplicate copies of these books, which were all free. That's good because I wouldn't be able to tear apart these stories unless these copies were battered, old, freebies.

For the R, I used a copy of Ramona the Brave.

For the E, I used a copy of Charlotte's Web.

A got the Little House in the Big Woods treatment.

And D is The Secret Garden. The copy I used din't have any illustrations in it, so I used an image from Tim Holtz products for mixed media projects, along with some paper flowers.

I used some aqua color duct tape on the edges of the letters so they would look more finished, and stand out against a white wall.

The letters stand up by themselves, so I won't have to worry about how to hang them.

I am starting to get excited about the new space, and adding my own flair to it.

Always Reading in the Summer

"The afternoon the bombs start falling, I get my highest score ever on my favorite video game."

This non-fiction book reads like historical fiction, and describes modern warfare from a child's point of view. During Operation Deserty Storm, young Ali is more concerned about how his family is going to obtain Coca-Cola, and when the electricity will be restored so he can go back to playing Atari. When his mother bruns some of his beloved Superman comics in order to light the stove, he forces himself to consider the realities of war.  Ali Fadhil grew up in Iraq, and his love for America, particularly American TV shows, helped him learn English. As an adult, he became an interpreter and assisted the US Department of Justice during the trial of Saddam Hussein.

"Everyone loves a pretty dead girl, and to be reminded of what happens to girls who aren't careful."

Recommended for fans of Pretty Little Liars. All the usual teen fodder like crushes and parties and social media, with plenty of drinking and drugs and absentee parents thrown in for the 90210 fantasy element. There's also stolen identities and murder. And a boy with blue hair, just so it's perfectly clear that these are teenagers. 

"Why do I have to bear his evil in me? It's his evil. So why is it me that's hurting?"

Janna is a devout Muslim. She has people in her life that share her beliefs, but there are also others, mostly at her public high school, who do not always understand why she chooses to live her life wearing a hijab, eating halal foods and not dating. In many ways, she has become accustomed to balancing these two worlds, but when an acquaintance attempts to rape her, she finds herself questioning the line between good and evil, when it is not always apparent to observers. 

 

I heard about this book on NPR, when author Mike Reiss was interviewed. It's true that I have not watched new episode of The Simpsons since college, but I was compelled to see the film when it came out. I haven't kept up with the series, but I was the generation of kids that witnessed the premiere of the show. I loved wearing my Lisa Simpson t-shirt, and Sunday evenings were almost magical when the theme started. The book is full of trivia and stories and nostalgia for the glory days of our favorite cartoon family.

 

Secret Garden (and Colin Firth) News!

I've been working alot lately on my new and improved Secret Garden dollhouse. So of course I've been looking through the book, and watching the 1993 film to gather the images I am trying to capture in my 1:12 version.

I remembered recently that I watched a movie version in  elementary school which had a little epilogue. Mary returns to Misselthwaite as an adult, speaks to Ben and enters the garden. Ben asks her if she heard about Dickon, who was killed in the war (WWI). I remember feeling really upset about the idea of Dickon being killed off, because he was my favorite character. Then, Colin returns, and it is obvious he was wounded in the war. He and Mary embrace and kiss, and he asks her to marry him. As a child, I thought the idea of marrying your cousin was gross. As an adult and a scholar of children's literature, I just find this epilogue unnecessary. What's wrong with the book's conclusion, and leaving Lord Craven and Colin and Mary in the garden, happy together? I wanted to rewatch this little addition to the story, so I tracked down the version on youtube, finding out that it's a made for TV Hallmark production from 1987. However, I received a very pleasant surprise when Colin Firth appeared on screen, playing the adult Colin:

Even though I knew it was my beloved Colin Firth, I wanted to see it in on IMDB. After another click, I discovered that a new film of this book is being planned, and Colin Firth will appear in this one as well, but as Archibald Craven. 

The new film shifts the setting from the Edwardian era to the second World War, but most of the story seems consistent with the original.

As if I'm not already on overload with TWO new Little Women films on the way, and watching the second season of Anne with an E, now I have yet another book to film classic to theorize about, Google like crazy, and analyze.

I also found out that there is a steampunk-inspired direct to DVD version of The Secret Garden .  .  . the trailer did not entice me though.

I think I'll just go back to thinking about Colin Firth again.  .  .

Ahhhh, there we go.  .  . .

Diversity Workshop at the Carle

Yesterday was my birthday. I spent all day in a professional development workshop at the Eric Carle museum, though. The workshop was called Diversity and Inclusion in Children's Literature, and I went because I wanted to brush up on some of the theories I learned during graduate school that feel a little rusty to me now. I'll be starting a new position at a new school in late August, and I want to go in knowing that I did everything possible to prepare for it.

The Carle museum is one of my favorite places, so even if it wasn't ideal to spend all day on my birthday attending seminars, at least it was in one of the most beautiful places. Right now, there is an exhibit about the history of Paddington bear: the stories written by Michael Bond as well as the art from different illustrators through the years and the recent films.

Paddington has a special place in my heart. When my husband and I went on our honeymoon, I brought a small Paddington with us, and we photographed him in various places in England/Ireland/Scotland/Guernsey. My husband compiled them into an adorable video, which always makes me smile:

The Keynote speech was my favorite lecture of the day. Dr. Tonya Leslie discussed the recent controversy regarding the Laura Ingalls Wilder award, and how Ingalls' name was removed from that award because her stories depict Native Americans and others in offensive ways. Dr. Leslie discussed her personal ambivalence regarding this event; although Wilder's stories include these descriptions which are not sensitive and not politically correct, we are judging texts written in a previous century, telling a story from two centuries ago, by our 2018 mindset. As a black woman, she wrestles with the complexities of this because she herself, loves the stories. She related how as a little girl, she once won a Halloween costume contest because she dressed up as Laura, wearing her hair in braids and a cute calico dress.

The theme of the whole workshop was Literature as Mirrors and Windows, and Dr. Leslie explained how a book can function as both. Little House on the Prairie was a window for her as a young reader, because it was about a white pioneer family, living in unsettled areas. But she also saw much of herself in Laura's character: a younger sister who struggled to be as good and well-behaved as her older sibling.

She also brought up the character of Dr. Tan, and why it is significant.

In Little House on the Prairie, the Ingalls family becomes sick with malaria. Laura sees a tall black man in their cabin, the first black man she's ever seen. She admits that she would have been afraid of him, if she hadn't liked him so much. To some, this appears to be an example of racist depictions in her books. However, as Dr. Leslie pointed out, this is an assumption, made by readers who are not completely informed.

Laura's description of Dr. Tan is minimal, because she was a young child when she met him. It's not as if she would have known much about him or his life; she only knew what she observed. She observed his height, the color of his skin, and the fact that he was helping her family feel better.

However, Dr. George Tann (spelled according to historical records) was a neighbor of the Ingalls family, and homesteaded the property adjacent to them. He had been born and raised in Pennsylvania, helping on his family's farm. Although he did not attend school regularly as a child, he was educated enough to learn homeopathic medicine. He did not attend medical college; someone in his position either learned through an apprenticeship or was self-taught.

Dr. Tann was very successful, as a doctor and also as a homesteader. His practice was a thriving one, and he was held in high esteem. In fact, he is the doctor who delivered Laura's younger sister, as she writes in her memoir Pioneer Girl. 

Dr. Tann died in 1909. He is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Independence, Kansas. His grave is marked with flags so that people can locate it easily.

I think this is a wonderful example of how necessary it is to try and understand the context of something before we label it or make an assumption.

I also had fun in the art studio, and brushed up on story-time techniques using the Whole Book approach and browsed in the gift shop.

Summer Reading Start

Now that I've started my summer job at the beach, I have time to read again! Here are some books I read to kick off my summer:

This dystopian YA takes place in a world that has vanquished Death. To combat overpopulation, the world has designated Scythes, who glean people at their own will. With themes of technology and medical science advancing to the point where humanity isn't even human anymore, the books is reminiscent of The Giver. I can't wait to find out happens in the next book, Thunderhead.

I always love Helen Frost's poetic stories. This story is told mostly from the viewpoint of Claire, describing how her family is swiftly changing. Her mother died years ago, her father has remarried, her step-mother has a baby on the way, and now her older sister Abigail seems more interested in boys than anything else. Both sisters realize that things will never go back to the way they used to be.

I loved this story! I read it in one day. Coincidentally, this story also centers on a girl named Claire. Claire's biggest concerns in life are being second chair sax in the school band, being the oldest student in her dance class while her friends have been moved into the advanced section, and avoiding a boy named Ryder. This all changes in a heartbeat when her father suddenly slumps over during breakfast from a stroke. As he begins the long road to recovery, Claire swallows her own troubles and worries, trying to help out at home more. By seeing her father in this new way, it also allows her to look at others in ways she had not considered before.

Willow Chance is a genius, but after a tragedy claims the lives of her parents, she finds herself without a family or support network. However, like the plants that she studies, she finds a way to nourish the seed within herself, and put down roots.

This one was another one that I loved, and read in a matter of hours. Beautifully illustrated historical fiction about the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Gerta managed to survive the ghetto, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, and can scarcely believe it when British soldiers arrive to liberate the camp. She survived, but there is a difference between surviving and living. After the liberation, Gerta must learn how to live again; live with the memories of the people she lost, live through the music she makes with her father's viola and her own voice, and decide how she wants to live her life, now that she knows nothing will ever be as she expected. Reading about the Holocaust always exhausts my emotions, but I would go back and 'read' the illustrations in this books again and again.