Stormy

It was a dark and stormy day. The kind of day that brings out the brilliance of a New England fall. The kind of day that's just perfect for spending time with your sister and nephews. The perfect kind of day to take advantage of the Museum of Science's "Sundays for Educators," an opportunity to get into all the exhibits, including the Omni Imax Theatre offerings, for free for any teacher and two guests.

As it was such a perfect day, my teacher sister and I spent the afternoon with the two boys there. We've been there many times before, and have seen the exhibits enough times to want to just see the movies...so, that's what we did. Mostly. First we saw an amazing account of "John Harlin

III who was just nine years old when his father, the world-famous alpinist John Harlin II, fell to his death while attempting a new route up the North Face of Eiger — the most notorious peak in the Swiss Alps. We watched, breathless, as Harlin approached the mountain that has haunted him for 40 years, journeying in his father's footsteps and revealing the fascinating and inspiring ways in which the Swiss people have learned to live in harmony with such a delicate and dangerous landscape.

The website tells us that the movie "features music by Queen and some of the most spectacular giant-screen imagery yet seen — captured by intrepid helicopter and mountaineering crews — the film celebrates both the unsurpassed beauty of the Alps and the indomitable spirit of the people who live, climb, and explore there. Audiences will ride on the high-altitude Glacier Express train with stops in charming mountain villages, bungee jump off Verzasca Dam à la James Bond, and witness an avalanche triggered by researchers as John Harlin talks to scientists in preparation for his journey into the harsh mountain environment. Finally, the film offers the rare opportunity to experience a triumphant ascent of the Eiger."

That was indeed true. The second film we watched paled by compar- ison, to be honest, although it was interesting in its own right. "Wild Ocean" chronicled the migration of sardines up the coast of Africa. There were spectacular sights of hundreds of dolphins and dive-bombing gannets following the "shoal," and this was about something I'd never heard of before, unlike the Alps movie. If we had seen it first, or alone, I think it would have stood up better.

Following these two movies, my sister and I went to the Butterfly Garden and the boys went to see two 3D movies on sharks and space. The Butterfly Garden was pretty cool with beautiful (although somewhat tattered) butterflies thick in the air and on the flowers. One huge one settled on my arm and latter my sister's shoulder.

We finished the day with pizza at Papa Gino's. It was a dark and stormy and altogether perfect day.

Photos: The view of Boston from the Museum of Science, turning leaves near my house, and butterflies in the Garden

Thy Word is Like a Garden

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord,
with flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck
a lovely cluster there.

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine;
and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths
for every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host:
a thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler
and make his pathway bright.

O may I love Thy precious Word,
may I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glean,
may light upon me shine!

~ Edwin Hodder

Glorious Day!

Today was a glorious day with temperatures close to 80 at their peak. Imagine this, though: some of the children stayed inside because it was "too hot" for them! Rest assured I sent them back out in a hurry =) We have some beautiful flowering trees on campus that popped out over the weekend. I like to stand in the doorway and drink them in...

As this is Teacher Appreciation Week, parents are dropping little treats off for us. Yesterday, it was brownies from a parent. This morning it was breakfast and a poem that one of the fourth graders wrote (I left it at school. I'll share it tomorrow if I think of it). Thursday, our superintendent is treat us to a visit to the Kennedy Library and then supper at Panera Bread. I can't wait. That library is a fascinating place, I think. And I'm always happy to go to Panera.

The drive home was beautiful, too. Daffodils are all but gone, so now it's the tulips' turn to brighten up the roadways.

The Beechwood

Thursday afternoon, we took a break and went into town (we are actually meeting in a conference room on Goat Island, just off the coast of Newport) to tour the famous Beechwood, summer cottage home to the Astors. The tour was a real treat in itself, never mind the fact the we were walking around inside one of the most famous homes of the last century. Lady Astor invented the Social Register concept you know (no, I didn't until Thursday).

The hook to this tour is that it's a theatrical performance. The guides are all college graduates who live in the house during their employment. Depending on the day, they play the part of servants, family members, or other historical characters connected to the house. The day we were there, the guides were servants and we were there supposedly to apply for a summer job in the "cottage."

This meant that they could only tell us information and answer questions specific to they year they were "living" in, which was 1891. It was great fun, and quite fascinating. By the end, I decided that I would prefer to be her Lady's personal maid because she would get to travel wherever Lady Astor went, including any of her four other homes (Paris, London, upstate NY, and NY City).

As you might imagine, the home is beautiful. And a servant's life under Lady Astor's watch wasn't all that bad. She treated them very generously, according to these character actors, who had obviously researched the people they were portraying quite thoroughly. They could earn as much as $150 a month and got a free pint of ale every Sunday to drink immediately or spread throughout the week, as they wished.

If they finished their assigned work quickly, they didn't have to do anything else for the day. It was not up to them to help in areas not assigned to them. Doing so would make the other obsolete. So if you finished early, you could sit and relax or read or whatever else you liked...as long as it was out of sight of the family.

Photos: The ball room (with a view of the ocean, just past the piano)

Ceiling corner of the ball room

The upstairs "maid" who took us through the "cottage" standing in the entry hall just in front of an enormous portrait of Lady Astor (who is not wearing much jewelry because it was before 6 and that would have been a social fiasco)

Lady Astor's bedroom (in purple because she believed that the color scheme of one's bedroom indicated one's social status and since she was "Queen of Society," all her bedrooms in all her homes were the color of royalty!)

Mr. Astor's bedroom with "Michael," a young man who used to be a servant in the house but who now works for someone in town (I forget). He's quite tall, by the way: 6"6"! The other guide had to go settle a domestic dispute of her own with a "handsome young man with flowers" in his hand =)

AUCOEAC in Newport

I've been in Newport, Rhode Island the past two days for principals and administrators meetings (AUCOEAC stands for Atlantic Union Conference Office of Education Administrative Council. My sister calls this the alphabet committee!). These twice yearly meetings bring together some two dozen colleagues from New England, New York, and Bermuda. In the fall, we meet at the Union headquarters in South Lancaster. In the spring, we travel to various locations within the Union. Last year, we were in New York City. This year, we are in Newport.

I've only been to Newport once before, many years ago. I don't really remember a lot about it, although my mother says we walked along the Cliff Walk to see some of the famous mansions. I vaguely remember that, but not enough to recognize anything now.

Yesterday afternoon, we toured The Beechwood, summer "cottage" of the Astors. It was fantastic. I've taken dozens of pictures, but have to be off to another meetings, so will have to post them later, perhaps tonight when I get back, or tomorrow morning before we meet again.

My hotel room has a view of the harbor. In fact, I'm staying in the Newport Harbor Hotel =)