An empty harbor - a rare sight!!!

Abby Love

Edvard Munch The Scream, of course.

One of those rare sunny days at the harbor.

You are so beautiful, it kinds of makes a pit in my stomach. I love you so much, too much.

You are just absolutely the most beautiful thing on Earth.

PLEASE? PLease? please? P uh lea se.....
You have no idea, no possible way. Please, have mercy.

Oh wait, stabbed, and crucified, ok.

Amelia Peabody

My pronunciation is atrocious (Abby's spanglish seems to be better, see post below), and these I had to learn how to say correctly, or learn what they mean: Acrimonious
Peroration
Detritus
Declivity
Uxorious
Tatterdemalion
Blithely
Desultory
Equanimity
Denouement


A man trying to convince himself of something he knows is true and does not want to believe it. Until then, we must make the best of what fate has to offer, and accept the good with gratitude and the bad with fortitude.

To call the feeling a premonition or foreboding would not have been entirely accurate. It was rather, based on expert knowledge of the criminal mind and a certain degree of informed cynicism. Criminals in my experience, do not suddenly turn into honest men. Jamil was still in need of admittance and he was still resentful of us. Nothing had changed there, and the more we frustrated his attempts to get what he wanted, the more resentful he would be.

My reception from Selim’s wives was much more enthusiastic. They were both young and pretty and I must confess-though I do not approve of polygamy-that they seemed to get on more like affectionate sisters than rivals.

Memory is capricious and aberrant. – I love her constant use of axioms.

“You might shave your beard,” I said. Selim went pale and clutched at his treasured beard. I repented my cruelty almost at once. “I was joking Selim. You are not known in this region; I do not believe a disguise is necessary.”

She was bored and restless, and annoyed with her husband, and fascinated by Sethos. It wouldn’t have required more than that. Admittedly her motives are less important than his. Why did he do it? Surely not to rescue a damsel in distress.

At 2.9 years of age, Abby speaks quite a bit of spanglish. She tells me, "Mommy, seet (sit), ay ay ay, no no no, arriba!" She counts in Spanish and English, the whole nine yards. And it has nothing to do with me except the choice of daycare. She's just cuteness all around. I kind of imagined my little girl in poopy frocks sipping "tea", instead it's grass-stained butt racing down slides, and I love it!

Anchorage - diverse, sprawling, entertaining, money spending zone. There's Leroy's family restaurant, next to the tattoo parlor, next to the flower shop; an Indian restaurant, a Korean market, and a pizza place all in a row, right across from the funky hair salon and pediatric Dr. You just need to know which direction to go! And don't forget the Brown Jug liquor store, with "community minded prices", because liquor stores are definitely so very community minded.

You may be dying to know what gastronomic delicacy I chose from the plethora of choices available:Indian, it goes without saying, if you did not guess this, you do not know me!Arby's! What? Yep, I was at a crappy mall and choices were limited, and you know what, meat on a bun with spicy horseradish and sweet barbecue sauce, with a side of piping hot fried potato cakes is just roots food!

I spent way too much money (do not get into debt Abby! do as mom says...), and will post photos later of my adventurous choices in attire. The only thing I did not do is the super skinny "leggings" jeans. My bubble butt is just too big. If I reach my weight loss goal (-15 more pounds) I'll try it. Abby is not too into fashion yet (it's whatever matches mud), but I hope she later appreciates, as in makes fun of, mommy's present attempts, fedora and all.

FOG!

Kept me from going to Anchorage last week. Will try again on Thursday.

My supe encouraged me to skip out last week and enjoy the sun and I did! (Unlike lower 48, we have sun days, not snow days) I went to the south end of Near Is. to the wildflower field.

Summer party with Kori (not pictured).

One (and only) Day of Summer

DO I NEED TO SAY ANYTHING?!!!

Pasagshak sand makes the best castles.

Paradise.

We "dyed" are tongues blue for the 4th, with blue candy.

Creative director and lead colorer, Abigail.

Assistant colorer and word finder, Mom.

This is an old one. Sometimes her choice of colors is intersting, or maybe that was dad.

Note how she colors the features - nose, mouth, and eyes.

Her modernist phase.

This is also from about six months ago.

I am being spotlighted in the next RC-WR newsletter. Here the questions and my responses (slightly edited by me for the purpose of my public blog).

1. How did you begin your career as a registrar?

My interest in a museum career solidified while I was earning an M.A. in Art History at the University of Cincinnati, which also offered a Museum Studies Graduate Certificate. As part of my scholarship, I worked as a Fine Arts Collections Assistant with the university’s collections. Under the direction of the Director of DAAP Galleries and the Museum Studies program, I got more hands-on experience than I ever anticipated. The coursework for the certificate was practical and aimed at preparing students for museum jobs, and the collections assistant position complimented it beautifully. I managed the loan program, completed annual inventories of artwork, packed and transported artwork, wrote about collections, and even restored frames. I also had the unusual opportunity to help open a new gallery featuring the collections. Working as a key member of a small team to accomplish a large and important project was invigorating and got me really excited to start my museum career.

As a recent graduate, I knew I would have to look far and wide for a position in my field. I was very fortunately hired at a museum in Kodiak, Alaska for a two-year registration and storage project. The project entailed collections documentation, database development, installation of new drawers for collections units, obtaining legal paperwork from donors and lenders, and even researching land ownership for archaeological collections. The position was a good fit and it became permanent. Since reorganizing the museum’s collections, I have worked on NAGPRA projects - including repatriations and the formation of the Repatriation Commission, a photograph documentation grant, exhibit curation, and researching the ownership of archaeological collections.

2. Did or do you have a mentor in the field?

Anne "edited", now Director of "edited", continues to be a guiding force. Her astute professionalism and gracefulness at balancing projects and working with others is admirable. She demonstrated ethical responsibility, dedication to the museum profession, and how to successfully work as part of a team.

Also, Amy "edited", "edited", constantly amazes me. If I can in any way learn to communicate in verbal or written form the way she does, my life will be complete!

3. What is your favorite part of registration work?

I love working with people to preserve and share material culture. I especially enjoy caring for objects - whether it’s documenting them, backing up that documentation (I am a back-up freak), or helping to physically preserve an object by improving its storage. However, sharing the museum’s collections via our programs, and even while giving tours and working with volunteers, gives me a sense of contribution and accomplishment.

4. What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

The Museum is a small repository, but we care for a very large collection – with nearly 250,000 items. Managing a multitude of projects and prioritizing my efforts are daily challenges. Sometimes my head spins at the number of responsibilities I face, but as my colleagues tell me, its job security.

5. What type of objects do you like to work with the most?

I help care for everything Alutiiq – archives, film and audio recordings, archaeological assemblages, contemporary art, photographs, and natural history specimens, and that’s one reason why my position is so rewarding. One day I am working with a 500-year-old spruce root basket, the next day I am building a storage mount for a 24-foot-long kayak, and then the next I am digitizing audio recordings. I learn something new on a regular basis, and that is what I like the most.

6. Which was your favorite exhibition that you have seen to date?

I enjoyed Giinaquq: Like a Face, an exhibit of 19^th century Alutiiq masks, as it taught me that exhibits can go far beyond objects on a wall. The Alutiiq Museum produced the exhibition in collaboration with the French owner of the collection. The community was involved in the planning the exhibit and it events. Alaska Native artists traveled to Boulogne-sur-Mer, France to view the masks, where they shared the need for the masks to be shown in Alaska. The French agreed, and then the Museum brought a selection of the masks to Alaska for all to see. Finally, the masks returned to France with new information. The French had long interpreted the pieces as artwork, which they are, but now they understand their cultural meaning too – how they were made and used and what they mean to Alutiiqs. The collaboration helped two different cultures gain an appreciation for one amazing collection, and in the process, each other.

7. What do you wish for the future of the registration profession?

Understanding. When I tell visitors and even some of my friends I am a Registrar, they don’t really understand what I do. Luckily, working in a museum with a small staff has benefits – I get to work on a variety of projects. There are not many dull moments! I hope that the public and even our own co-workers learn to further appreciate the importance of collections management and registration. After all, collections are al the foundation of all the museum work.

I seriously just realized I do not brag about Abby enough. I don't want to be one of those parents that an I Love Lucy episode made fun of - the "my child is so great" parent, but, my child is so beautiful, just insanely georgous, and super smart. She can count past 20, knew her a,b,c's and shapes and colors months ago, is on the verge of reading and writing, can color within the lines, and she's super sweet - all at 2.9 years old. (It goes without saying that she has good verbal communication skills. Yes, complete sentences.)

My mom sent an e-card for the 4th of July and Abby loved it. It has jumping dolphins, a puppy dog with the Flag, the Statue of Liberty, and fireworks! She identified all of these things, including the Statue of Liberty. My parents and I went to NYC when I was about 9, and when we were there I got a pop-up book about the statue, it's construction, and delivery. She loves that book.

Another book she likes is one that has "over 50 fun flaps" (yes, over 50....). Anyway, the farm-themed topics include baby animal names, counting, colors, shapes, and animal sounds. At first she did good, there were a few things she didn't know like the word hatchling and hee-haw for donkey, but now, she reads the book to me. Names of things are really easy for her, her vocabulary is super. For her age, she is a fantastic counter. She does well with shapes, I only remind her of rectangle once in a while. Colors though take her a little time. I am not sure what that's about. I think she is cooncentrating on the other aspects of an object - it's name, shape, how many, and just not paying attention until I ask perhaps (of course it's yellow mom, duh!).

Her beauty rivals even the supreme being. I can't imagine anything more beautiful than her - a true magestic vision. Not to be confused with grace. She's definitely a little clumsy, just randomly falling over and hurting herself.

Abby requested fireworks and cinammon rolls for breakfast.

My parents called unexpectedly, way later than they normally do! They were enjoying 4th festivities and ran into Clair, and they called so we could talk. I haven't heard her voice in SO long. After a few minutes I could recognize it, but boy, twelve years and a signal 3,500 miles apart was difficult.
My dad's description of their encounter was so unexpected. He said it was like a movie scene, and he described Clair and how good she looks, and how she dresses looking like a 1930s starlet, and how it was just such a cool moment (It was a dramatic description. It's hard to describe in writing, but it was as if he just told me he is a Twilight fan or something). He went on to say how downtown was so vibrant and there were so many people about. It definitely made me yearn for home - a 4th actually hot, going to an outdoor swimming pool to cool off, etc.
I want to go somewhere closer. I am afraid of the violence, traffic, and silly things like that (for Abby's sake), but really it's a job. My position here is sooooooooooooo great. I get to do so much, where I actually feel like I make a contribution and have a REAL purpose, that finding a similar job is going to be extremely difficult. I could not just go be a registrar at another museum - I would be miserable!!!! I am not just a paper-pusher (yes, I do a lot of filing and data entry), but I do so many other cool things, that finding another job where I will be as happy is going to be hard. For example, and this is just one of many, right now I have been helping Amy edit a paper about our unprovenienced artifact agreement that is going to be published in AASLH's History News. I am very proud of this agreement. We took a difficult problem (how to legally accept archaeological specimens of unknown ownership) and found a solution. Federal agencies like the BLM, BIA, USCG, the state, the city, the borough, and native corporations signed this agreement. We are the only such museum in the country to do this (sorry, not sure if I talked about this before).
Anyway, hearing Clair reminded me to focus on the positive. I have a hard time with this sometimes. It's just, I try to do right (talk to me about this, I will tell you some of my schemes and you will realize that I acted much better than I thought about), I apologized, I even begged, I tried to resolve, but I have no control of other people's judgment, condemnation and subsequent discard of me, and that's hard. Likewise, these ups and downs are sometimes not up to me. I'm not saying I am not at fault, but I am reminded constantly and it sucks! But, focus on Clair, focus on MAYBE (I am stuck here ya know) being able to visit her and my family in FL, focus on all the positives.....like Abby's acting abilities. Today we pretended to play hide and seek (yes, you can pretend to play hide and seek), pretending to be scared of the fireworks, even pretending to rescue each other. So fun.

I just mental chaffed again didn't I? Damn. Better to get it out though then sink it in. I know my writing is not as composed as some other blogs I read, and granted I don't have to publicize chaff, but at least I bother to update and speak from the heart without inhibition. I do not need to try to make myself appear lackadaisical for the benefit of others. While the voice may sound sweet, it doesn't mean it's not manipulating you to the extreme. For example, two more kids. One is on the way already, right? I dreamt it.

4th festivities

The sun came out just for me last night! FYI, rain, rain, rain and more freekin rain, until Sat. when I got off work. The sun poked out, and I decided Abby and I were overdue for beach time. She agreed emphatically.
By the time we got to the beach at 8pm it was full-on sunshine. It felt so warm, not only was every beach fly, beach bug, and drunkard out, but we actually took our hats off!!!! I just stared at Abby for at least 15 minutes, admiring her golden hair. I'm not used to seeing it reflect in the sun.
After that, it was candy store (aka WalMart) time, followed by bed at 10:30pm, which is Abby's norm (eek). I stayed up to watch the fireworks, and got to have an oarjsma right at midnight. Ok, tmi, whatever.
This morning it was parade time. The sun was gone agian, but that's ok. Abby had no idea what parade is, but I convinced her it would be fun and out the door we went. Of course she liked it! Back home, relax and play, followed by the beach, and now at the new house for a snack and a nap.
Fun! I like playing, and I'm not done yet.


Wherever we go, if Abby sees anyone, she squeaks "My friends", and promptly runs over to them like they are her best buddies. She is so trusting, and over that debacle, I have no trust, and I worry... I mean, how could anyone treat anyone else so cruelly and inhumanely, and what's going to happen to her and how will my experiences either help or hinder her?