I’ve a fantastic deal to do that fall.
At the beginning is my subsequent article for Medieval Clothes and Textiles, Boydell & Brewer’s annual hardcover journal of the perfect new analysis into — shock! — medieval clothes and textiles. I’ve printed three monographs with them up to now, and the editors have requested me to whip my convention paper from 2023 into form and submit it by the top of the 12 months for potential publication within the spring of 2027. I had been hoping to do that in 2024 however spent half the 12 months both making ready for or recuperating from surgical procedure so that didn’t occur, but it surely’s previous time I dusted off my notes and started working.
Second, I’ve dedicated to do a number of quilting tasks this fall, most notably a few objects for a charity raffle. That is going to be lots of enjoyable — quilting and needlework are among the many best pleasures of my life, and have been since I first picked up a needle after I was eight — however they take a stunning period of time to plan and sew. I hope to chronicle these in a future Every day Kos Quilt Guild diary so hold a watch out in November or early December for extra particulars and (after all) footage.
Third, I’ll be participating in one other quilt turning over the Fall Vacation Weekend, this one at not one however two museums: the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell and the Woodman Museum in Dover, New Hampshire. This guarantees to be a double dose of enjoyable; I haven’t been to the NEQM for a number of years, and I by no means even heard of the Woodman earlier than, so I must be seeing some uncommon delights certainly.
Fourth, I’m planning to enter an SCA artisans’ competitors in November. This occasion, known as Artifacts of a Life, is designed to reply the query “what would your persona have left behind after they died?” by having contestants create some type of materials tradition that may survive their demise and be owned/excavated sooner or later. Grave items, stock objects, clothes, weapons, cutlery, manuscripts, workshop leftovers…if it’s medieval/early fashionable, and may be plausibly connected to your persona, the judges need it. Most of my entries are achieved however most is just not all, so I have to get cracking.
Lastly, I’ll have to take no less than a while to start out work on one other paper, this one on a quilted garment depicted in a tiny fifteenth century ivory altarpiece within the Victoria & Albert Museum. The majority of this will probably be achieved subsequent spring for presentation on the Kalamazoo Medieval Research Congress, however I’d like to start out roughing it out now.
In order that’s the enjoyable stuff…after which there’s work.
I’ve labored for a human companies company because the pandemic, and usually I’ve few complaints — my coworkers are good, my supervisors understanding, and my precise duties at a housing company are desperately wanted. Regardless of the occasional tough consumer (see under), by and huge I’m content material sufficient. I simply celebrated my fifth anniversary there, and if issues work out I hope to carry the job till I attain full retirement age in a single 12 months, ten months, and eight days, not that anybody’s counting. No less than, that’s how I really feel about 99% of the time.
Then there’s been the previous few weeks, after we had the next occur:
- A number of individuals left my division, some voluntarily, some not, which elevated the work load to near-intolerable ranges.
- The affect of the Unitary Hideous Laws has began to hit my space.
- Ditto state finances cuts, which pressured us to shorten our hours regardless of elevated name quantity and sharply rising want for our companies.
- A brand new cellphone system, which feeds individuals on the switchboard (together with, this previous week, me) calls each two minutes, with transient pauses to log the interplay earlier than the following week.
And that doesn’t rely the enraged walk-ins I needed to name 911 on, or the one who threatened to sue me personally, or all of the callers who handle me as “sweetie” or “dearie” “younger girl” and get very offended after I ask them how I may also help as an alternative of instantly sharing how I really feel at that exact second in nice element.
That I’m in all probability sufficiently old to be the mom of most of those tremendous individuals doesn’t appear to register, though I do confess to being amused when somebody of their late 40s calls up for assist and says “I’m too outdated to make use of a pc, I don’t perceive any of this.” I’d be fired if I replied with “I’m 65 and utilizing one proper now,” however oh nice googly moogly there are occasions I’m tempted.
I believe you’ll be able to see why I’ve been leaving work these days exhausted, shaky, and with a raging migraine.
Now. A lot of this will probably be ease over the following few weeks. New persons are approaching board, which implies I’ll be off the switchboard and in a position to do my precise work. The heating season moratorium on utility shut-offs begins November fifteenth, which implies fewer determined requires assist paying gasoline, oil, and electrical payments. The brand new supervisor is an organization veteran and is aware of what our wants are. There are a number of paid holidays developing, plus I’ve been accredited for trip in October and December.
All of those are good issues…however proper now I’ve loads to do, am beneath nice stress, and one thing has to offer.
To stop what offers from my being sanity, or probably an artery in my mind, I’ve determined to take a break from common Books So Dangerous They’re Good diaries from now to the top of the 12 months. I’ve a few concepts for upcoming Quilt Guild and Ebook Chat diaries however even that could be pushing it because the 12 months goes on. I’m not ending these diaries — I bought a terrific suggestion a few weeks in the past for a future diary a couple of Pulitzer Prize winner who began with a bang and ended up largely forgotten — however proper now Actual Life should come first.
Specifically, I should end that paper for publication. It’s a vindication of thirty years of labor, and I’m not letting something get in my means.
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Have you ever ever wanted to take a break to keep away from cracking like a guinea hen egg smashed by a jack hammer? Been on a switchboard? Had so many commitments that it could overwhelm the organizational and time administration abilities of each the Kwisatz Haderach and the Kumquat Haagen-Daz? It’s a pleasant fall night time in New England, so come as much as the firepit and share….
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