A summer evening
For the first time in weeks, it's cool enough to sit on the patio this evening. We've had mid-to-late summer weather in early summer, weeks of temperatures in the high 90s and not enough breeze to temper the effect. It rained a little bit about an hour ago, and then the sky cleared, but now it looks like there is another round of rain moving in, maybe even some thunder. But the temperature is mild, and there is a breeze, and so it is very pleasant.
My dear friend Georgia is celebrating her birthday today. She doesn't list the year of her birth on her Facebook page, so maybe she's trying to keep quiet about it. Let me just say that the traditional college age kids that I went to school with 10 years ago are passing a major milestone for them this year, one of those with a zero on the end. And strangely, although I started out more then 30 years older than them to begin with, their passing this milestone makes me feel old! They've been my "kids," and now they won't be kids anymore!
I had another strange experience a few days ago; I found my name on a book that is listed on Amazon.com! I have yet to see the book itself because it hasn't been printed yet, but the cover was designed, and it is listed on Amazon. I knew I had done the research and written the basic draft, and that the plan was for it to be a book. I have a co-author, and she took my draft and turned it into the final book. I guess I haven't really believed it was going to happen, but if it's listed on Amazon, it must be real! Check it out -
This book is one I did under contract for my employer, the Central Arkansas Library System, in celebration of their 100th anniversary. Perhaps seeing this happen will give me the motivation I need to get back to work on my own research interests. There is a book there that I've made a beginning on, the story of a group of people who left Germany in 1833 with the intention of forming a "New Germany" in Arkansas! I have some unique material that will tell the story well, and if I don't do it, it will get lost and not get done.
My first step is to finish transcribing a set of letters written in 1833-1836 by one of the members of the emigrant group. I used them as a source in writing my thesis, and translated small pieces of them. But the whole collection needs to be translated and annotated and published. So now I've put it out there as a worthy goal. If you read this, check with me in three months or six months and ask me about my progress!
The second round of rain has started, and it is getting too dark on the patio to really see what I'm doing. It's time to say Auf-Wiedersehen!
posted by Shirley Schuette @ 7:56 PM
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