Exhausted, in a Good Way

   All I can say is:  WOW.  What a day.  And I can't believe I've only been here one full day.  There is no way I will be able to describe everything we did and all the information we learned and all the funny things that happened today.  Suffice it to say, it was a busy, busy day!

   I want to start off by saying that I had a hard time falling asleep last night, mainly because my new neighbors were making a ton of racket upstairs (and down).  I found out this morning that the reason is because the A/C wasn't working in one of the rooms.  So two of the Iowa teachers were moved to fancy single rooms in another colonial house and everyone is jealous!  I'm not jealous, however, because I discovered that the little sitting room and pantry are actually only part of my room!  So I actually reside in the front part of the house.  Every time we're walking in a group in this area I say, "There's my house!"  One cute girl, for a split second, thought I meant the actual house where I live.  :)

   Sooooo...in the smallest nutshell possible:  I got up at 5:00 and ran 2 1/2 miles (two of the CA teachers are runners too), met the group for breakfast at the Williamsburg Lodge for a breakfast buffet, went on a walking tour of Williamsburg (including the Wetherburn Tavern), did some primary source activities and portrait education at the Dewitt Wallace Museum, explored the museum and had lunch there, took the bus to Bruton Heights School, tried on costumes, did a very cool biography activity, learned about the Internet resources, were given a biography assignment that's due Thursday, had dinner there, and then did an archaeology activity.  Then walked home in the rain.  So our day started at 7:30 a.m. and ended at 8:30 p.m.  

   Here are a few photos for your enjoyment. 

Here I am with Bunny

Rich, everyone's favorite

CW interpreter.  The group

from Pearson that went in 

the spring told me how 

endearing she is and it's

true!  I said hello from all

of you and she said hi back.

No relation to our Blago!
Just a wealthy East Coast
museum donor.

  

Yes, I am a farmer's wife.
I'm standing with Monica (FL) and Sarah (SC).

   

   It's just so great to be here and to learn so much history in such a unique way.  I am really fortunate.  And the teachers are such a hoot.  Some of them are going to one of the taverns but some of us (such as I) are just too exhausted.  On Thursday we get out of class "early" at 5:30 and we don't have to meet for breakfast till 8:30 on Friday, so many of us are going to wait till Thursday to grab a drink.  

  It's cool having so many states represented.  Those used to seeing squirrels are amazed that Minnie, the teacher from Hawaii, had never seen one before; those used to fireflies are amazed that the CA teachers had never seen them; and those used to massive magnolia trees are amazed that the editor from Pearson had never seen anything quite like the one by the courthouse.

   Jamestown tomorrow!

Orientation Dinner

   We all met in front of the courthouse and walked over to a restaurant called Seasons, where we were dined on a delicious meal (warm apple crisp and ice cream for dessert!) and got to know each other.  I sat at a table with teachers from Michigan (Lansing), California, Iowa, and South Carolina (Clemson).
   After dinner we had a little ice-breaker activity and watched the lightning show in the sky.  If we wanted to, we could read our "essays" about what it means to be an American citizen.  I was one of three volunteers, and mine was well received.  (I had been a little nervous because I found a poem online to read and knew it could be considered controversial.)  I already shared the poem with Joe, Karen, and Brian, but here it is, along with a personal commentary at the bottom, for the rest of you.  
Mankind Loosed – Anonymous

I have died in Viet Nam but I have walked the face of the moon.


I have befouled the waters and tainted the air of a magnificent land but I have made it safe from disease.


I have flown through the sky faster than the sun but I have idled in streets made ugly with traffic.

I have littered the land with garbage but I have built upon it 100 million homes.

I have divided schools with my prejudice but I have sent armies to unite them.

I have beat down my enemies with clubs but I have built courtrooms to keep them free.

I have built a bomb to destroy the world but I have used it to light a light.

I have outraged my brothers in the alleys of the ghettos but I have transplanted a human heart.


I have scribbled out filth and pornography but I have elevated the philosophy of man.


I have watched children starve from my golden towers but I have fed half the earth.


I was raised in a grotesque slum but I am surfeited by the silver spoon of opulence.


I live in the greatest country in the world in the greatest time in history but I scorn the ground I stand upon.

I am ashamed but I am proud. I am an American.

To be an American citizen is to recognize and celebrate our virtues, but also to recognize and admit to our faults and limitations.  To be an American citizen is to be honest, both as individuals and as a nation.  I have traveled extensively and I have even lived in other countries for several years, and I can say in all honesty that I would not want to claim any citizenship other than American. 

   It's a lot cooler outside now and it's supposed to storm tonight; most of our day tomorrow is going to be spent inside.  I am now officially exhausted!  Oh, and I now have upstairs neighbors (also from the institute).  We meet for breakfast tomorrow at 7:30.  This is gong to be a fantastic week!!

Ewing House interior

   Aaron called me back on a Sunday afternoon and resolved my ImageCapture issue.  Thank you, Aaron!  Now I can post some of the photos I took of the inside of my little house, which still seems empty except for me.  I wandered around the area for a while but it's 100 degrees out there.  Poor sheep near the barn across the street from me look like they'd rather be wearing cotton.  The place is deserted.

    

   Here's the key/lock on the inside of the front door to my house.  It's a bit complicated; even the Williamsburg Inn guy had trouble getting in after he'd escorted me here.  The doors in this building are much wider than what we're used to.

clever sign

  

   This is the sitting room across the
hall from me.  There's a pantry attached
to it with a Keurig machine.


I am actually not supposed to meet everyone in front of the courthouse till 6:30.  No more wandering around until it cools off!

Ewing House

   I'm in my little house!  It's called the Ewing House and it was built in the 1700s.  The owner, along with his wife and son, lived here.  When Mr. Ewing died, it was revealed that his wife could keep the house only if she did not remarry.  If she did, the son would automatically inherit the house.  She never married!  Bad vibes (for that reason) aside, it's very historic and I have the only guest room on the first floor.  There is a living room across the hall from me and two rooms upstairs.  No one else is here yet- maybe it's all mine for the week. :)
   Sadly, I am having issues with ImageCapture on my computer so I am unable to import photos.  It's not the camera because I just imported some last night on my home computer.  Grrr...I'm going to leave Aaron a message right away.  At any rate, here's what the outside of my house looks like.  Do you think it's haunted??

   I have to meet the gang at 6:00 for orientation, and then dinner is at 7:00.  Right now I need to get something to eat before dinner.  Starving!

Garrett's Popcorn

     I leave for Richmond tomorrow morning and can confidently say that my last-minute running around is finished.  My main goal today was to go downtown and buy six small bags of Garrett's popcorn.  If you read Robin's welcome letter you know that each of us is supposed to bring a little trinket for the 5-6 CW staff members who will be working with us all week.  These thank-you gifts are supposed to be representative of our cities or states, so Katie encouraged me to bring Garrett's Popcorn.  Yum!

     Sure, I could have waited and bought it at the little airport stand at O'Hare but come on....it's really not the same, is it?  I met Lauren (my daughter) for a late lunch this afternoon near where she works in River North.  After lunch I drove to the Garrett's location on Ontario but the line was unbelievable!  Oh, those tourists...  So I spent more time on the streets of downtown Chicago than I would have in that line, and I drove to the Garrett's on Madison and State.  No line.
      I'm so glad that the air has really cooled down here, but have you checked out the forecast for Williamsburg?  101 tomorrow!  And thunderstorms all week.  I am not wearing a bonnet and petticoat in this weather.

  

Leaving on Sunday

     Hi everyone!  Welcome to my blog.  No, I am not in Colonial Williamsburg yet.  So why am I blogging about it?  Because some of you don't even know that I'm going.  I figured this would be a good introduction to my trip.  
     I've been told by Robin Falk, a teacher in California who will be my peer facilitator, that the Internet service at CW is "spotty."  (18th century technology at its best!)  But I hope it's accessible enough for me to post a blog entry every evening.  I also hope I'm not too exhausted to do that...  :)
     As you may know, there have been storms and accompanying power outages on the East Coast, and Joe told me that yesterday there was a tornado warning in Williamsburg.  Who knows what crazy weather awaits me when I fly into Richmond on Sunday.
     I am attaching Robin's welcome letter so you can get a feel for what I will be experiencing. (Sorry for the small font- it's as large as I could make it.)  Stay tuned for more excitement- you won't be disappointed!