WordPress, or Bust?

I have not posted in months because I have been avoiding it. I have several things that I can post.  I am still having problems using the WordPress interface. It is more complicated than I remember it being years ago. I have problems simply posting a mixed blog entry of images and text. Of course, I am using the free version of the site.

In September, I talked to Jonas LG Karlsson, the master carver of watermelons, pumpkins, and any other things you can carve, and his wife, Lindsay. They live in Sleepy Hollow. He’s done some wonderful carvings, and the Historical Society had three carving classes at the beginning of the month to celebrate the upcoming change of season. They mentioned their use of the free WordPress and how much trouble they were having with it. (It was not intuitive; it was hard to use.) The only reason they had picked it, they told me, was because everyone they talked to had suggested it. I felt vindicated and told them of my problems as well.

A few weeks ago, I returned to the ACRL/NY Executive Board as the chair of the Graduate Services Discussion Group. I had maintained a separate blog for the group and a few other pages for ACRL/NY-related discussion groups that I had been involved with. The blog had been abandoned and the GSDG site had the last posting dated 2017. I decided to clean it up and asked a colleague at the GC with WordPress experience to help me.

He was perplexed at how difficult it was to delete a site. We never did find out if I could delete a site without deleting the entire blog, but he did discover how to suppress the other sites that were no longer being used. He said that functionality seems to be limited in the free version. One would think that WordPress would want to make its free version as easy to use to entice more people to use the product, but as my boss said, they have the major market share. WordPress has no interest in drawing additional business because people already come to them.

CUNY has the Academic Commons site that is a paid WordPress site. My boss and my colleague are familiar with the Commons. As a faculty member, I have the right to have a website of my own on the Commons, and it need not be live. Currently, my information on that site refers to this one if anyone has an interest in me and my work. What I am going to do is create a test website but make it private and experiment with a variety of things.

I have hundreds of posts on my blog spread over four sites and I don’t want to simply abandon the blog or delete it. (It pains me to see abandoned sites.) If it turns out that the paid WordPress is easier to use, then I may just bite the bullet and pay for the site. If not, then I’ll have to think about whether or not I want to continue to have a web presence like a blog.

Stay tuned.

Art or Not? You Decide

This picture was snapped in Kent, Connecticut in June, 2022. I had just come out of the bookstore there and was getting in my friend’s car when I spied the statue. I was intrigued, and seeing how the statue was adorned only peaked my interest. So I took the photograph and got in the car. I have no information of any kind on the piece; I’m not even sure if there was anything there to explain what it is.

So, what do you think of it? At the very least it looks very peaceful placed in that field of clover.

At the Mattatuck Museum

Way back last October, I went with my friend Lucy to visit my friend Audrey’s daughter. Abigail works at the Mattatuck Museum in downtown Waterbury, Connecticut. We surprised Abigail and she gave us a tour of the museum. It’s a nice place and has a lot of displays on multiple floors.

This was one of the paintings that I liked. I spend way too much time in laundromats, but I like the painting. It’s by Robyn Tsinnajinnie and is very woman-affirming. A member of the Diné nation, Tsinnajinnie depicts women doing a stereotypical job but there is more going on here than just laundry. One woman studies a law book while another breastfeeds her child. There’s also a lot of symbolism in the painting, such as the woman who pulls a red figurine from a washer, representing missing and murdered indigenous women.

This painting is of philanthropist Caroline Welton by Abraham Archibald Anderson. The Weltons were a rich and affluent Waterbury family, and they had Caroline painted after her death in 1884 on a hike in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Funny thing is that Caroline was a lesbian and NEVER wore dresses. Caroline sounded like someone who did her own thing and lived her life. Sad thing is that her family could not accept her for who she was and, in an attempt to remember her as she never was, had the painting made.

Perhaps the most moving of all the artworks was one by Schandra Singh entitled “Untitled” and depicts thousands of faces in the Twin Towers. Singh’s home and studio were destroyed in the 9/11 attack that brought the towers down. Facial details are unique to each portrait; the faceless ones represent the unknown, undocumented migrants who had died in the Towers. It’s a very powerful piece and I only include three images from the large piece.

This piece, by Jean LaMarr, is entitled “I Heard the Song of My Grandmother.” LaMarr, a Northern Paiute/Achomawi, knows the importance of family and community stories to maintain the integrity of society. Her mother had been taken as a child from her parents and sent to an Indian school in Carson City, Nevada. When I worked at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History Library, I cataloged many of the yearbooks from these Indian schools. They attempted to make these indigenous people “White” even though they would never be accepted as such. My photo does not do the painting justice.

I liked this piece, even though who made it is unknown. This is a beaded purse and represents one of women’s crafts. It was owned by a local Waterbury woman. When I first saw it, I thought it looked Persian, but the headdresses suggest ancient Egypt. Nonetheless, it is a striking piece.

Lucy and I had lunch with Abigail. There was a couch with a camera that Abigail tried to get to work, but it refused. Lucy took our picture while we posed on the couch. It was nice to see Abigail, and I was impressed with the Mattatuck Museum. I wouldn’t mind going back to visit again.

Visit from a Friend

On April 14, I got to have tea with a friend and former colleague of mine. Adriana and I went to Eatarry in February, 2022 on one of the coldest days. Promising to return, Adriana came back for tea at Eatarry again. This was the first time that I had seen her since that cold, February day. She quit her job right before I returned from sabbatical. We chatted about a lot of things before it was time to drive her to the train station to return to the city. I intend to keep in touch, and maybe I can meet her in the city next time for lunch.

Cooking at the Warner Library

Rinku Bhattacharya, the creator of the blog Spice Chronicles, came to Tarrytown’s Warner Library to do a demonstration of Indian cooking using an Instant Pot. She also brought two of the cookbooks she authored, one being specifically for cooking with the Instant Pot. She made dal and discussed her methods of cooking. She tries to find ways to minimize her time cooking while maximizing the flavor of the dishes. Lentils, she assured us, is a staple in the Indian kitchen.

Questions were asked about a variety of things, including curry. She passed around leaves from the curry plant, and talked about the different curry spices that exist in the world. We got to eat the dal as soon as it was ready, and it was served with rice. It was good, and my friend and I enjoyed ourselves.

According to her blog, Ms. Bhattacharya also offers cooking classes. Her blog also has numerous recipes for a plethora of foods.

Gale Dinner at the Heinz History Center

Gale threw a wonderful dinner at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center in the Strip District of Pittsburgh during the ACRL Conference. There was a cocktail hour where I sat with my friend Caroline and chatted about the city and the area. We ran into colleagues who it turned out, were seated at our table.

The dinner was delicious, and the presentation was interesting—well, what I could hear of it. The acoustics weren’t the best, and sitting at a table way in the back with people talking over the presenters made it hard to understand what was said. Afterwards, the place was open for us to wander around and take pictures.

The Center incorporates the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, where I volunteered years ago. I worked on Pittsburgh History, which was the monthly magazine of the society. Apparently, it is still being published under the name Western Pennsylvania History. There’s a library and archive in the building, but unfortunately it was closed. I would have loved to have had a tour of it. I once did research at the center years ago on a local dairy that produced a glass milk bottle that was found between the floors in my family’s house. I was going to write an article about the Harmony Dairy. Unfortunately, I didn’t do it, and I don’t even know where my notes are now. I still have the milk bottle, though.

Caroline and I wandered around the Center, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. There’s a lot to see in the center. Perhaps the most striking were the mannequins that seemed so hauntingly lifelike. There are several scattered throughout the exhibit areas. Caroline was fooled by the one of Mary Lou Williams at the piano. She thought that someone was really sitting at the piano.

I was surprised at the mannequin of Andrew Carnegie. He was shorter than I imagined him to be. Locals in Pittsburgh, according to the Homewood Cemetery flyer I got through the mail, mistakenly think that he’s buried there, in Pittsburgh. Carnegie is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. I have several pictures of his grave. Samuel Gompers, a major labor leader, is buried across from him, keeping an eternal eye on the industrialist.

Before we knew it, the night was over. We walked back to our hotel, having spent a delightful evening at the Heinz History Center.

ACRL Conference in Pittsburgh

The American College and Research Libraries (ACRL) section of the American Library Association holds a conference every two years in a different city. This year’s conference was held in Pittsburgh March 15-18 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

I flew in with my friend Caroline from LaGuardia Airport and we took a cab from the airport into Pittsburgh, which is 17 miles outside the city limits. It was nice to be back if only for a visit.

The Lawrence Convention center is named after the only mayor of Pittsburgh who also served as governor of Pennsylvania. This is the second convention center built on the site, but it retained the same name as the first. This center has a beautiful outside roof deck that faces the Allegheny River. There’s also a wall of glass inside the building that runs along the river that allows for a beautiful view.

This photo is of the Three Sisters Bridges–three identically-built bridges–that cross the river. Each bridge is named for someone. The closest is Rachel Carson, the next Andy Warhol (crossing this bridge takes you to the Warhol Museum), and finally Roberto Clemente. Behind them you can see PNC Park, where the Pirates play.

Because the convention center faces the Allegheny, downtown Pittsburgh is behind it. Nonetheless, I was able to take some pictures of the city skyscrapers.

Spring is Here!

Well, almost.

I was walking along the sidewalk in Sleepy Hollow today and spotted a big hedge with little, green buds on them. I was so ecstatic. Buds always symbolize the beginning of Spring.

It’s about time, too. These pictures don’t do justice to Spring.

Christmas at the Historical Society 2022

This year’s Christmas display at the Historical Society was marionettes. The Society has a very big assortment of marionettes from the 20th century and perhaps even older. I did not help set up this exhibit, so I don’t know a lot about the individual items.

Two marionettes came together in one box. Hans and Katrina also came with a short play that a child could enact with them. It wasn’t anything of great literary value, just something that introduced the kids to their new toys, and perhaps help prime the creativity pump in their minds.

Another group of puppets that came together was the one containing Hansel, Gretel, and the Witch. Everyone knows the fairy tale about how Hansel and Gretel were abandoned in the woods by their parents and came upon the house made of gingerbread and candy. The owner of the house, the Witch, quickly imprisons the children, making Gretel work for her while she fattens Hansel up to eat him. All ends happily for the children, as they cook the Witch in her own oven, and their parents have a change of heart and take them back.

Many of the marionettes needed some restoration work. Many had tangled or damaged strings, some had clothes that were soiled. A few of these puppets were put out in the exhibit.

The newest puppet was the Headless Horseman. Shipped from Australia, it probably came the farthest to the Historical Society. It is dressed in gray and brown robes with a hood which covers the pumpkin for a head. Honestly, it looks more like the marionette is wearing a medieval monk’s robes, at least to me. Still, it fits in with the legendary theme.

The exhibit was just put up in December, meaning that it will be up for several months. If you get a chance, stop by and look around. There are things to see. One of the most interesting is the dollhouse that was made in intimidation of the Odell House. This is on regular exhibit in the Captors Room. The couple exhibiting period clothing are nice except for the hair on the male mannequin. It’s too modern, otherwise they look good. The Historical Society doesn’t have much in the way of men’s clothing; women’s clothes are the most donated type of garments. (Even a hat for the guy would be an improvement.)

I hope everyone enjoyed the 2022 holiday season. Here’s to hoping that 2023 will be a great year!

Haida Hat

This is one of the last artifacts that I handled at the Historical Society. Originally believed to be some type of basket (a strange one with a circle, under the brim, for the crown of the head), an old description was found that confirmed that this is, indeed, a rain hat, and that it is of Haida origin. The Haida are originally from islands off the coast of British Columbia. When I visited the Pacific Northwest and the Alaska panhandle, I heard about the Haida as one of the traditional tribes in the region.

I love this hat. Even though the colors have faded, it is still very expressive and can be worn in the sun as well as the rain. I tried it on and it did fit. It reminded me of the Southeast Asian hats that people working rice patties wear, except that their hats come up into a point instead of a flat, woven knot. This is one of my favorite artifacts. It is still in good shape being something that was woven. Some of the baskets that I found were in very bad shape, some literally disintegrating.

I finished the indigenous artifacts project at the end of July/beginning of August. I have been writing the final report for a few weeks now. As of August 25, my sabbatical was officially over and I have been back to work. The report will serve two purposes. It will document what I did at the Historical Society and inform future custodians of what was done with the items listed, and I can submit this as the report the City University of New York requires from all people returning from sabbatical.

Did I enjoy my sabbatical? Certainly. Do I miss it? Definitely. Am I glad that I was able to work on this project? I proudly answer yes.