July 22, 2008
Views of Würzburg
A few more views of Würzburg before I move on.
Here is a view of the city and the River Main, taken from the Festung Marienberg (Marienberg Fortress).
Here's the fortress, taken from the old town side of the river. Much of the city was leveled by Allied bombers during WWII, and the fortress was seriously damaged. They have worked hard to restore it.
The museum in the fortress had artifacts, carvings, and fine art from many centuries back. Here is a carving of the "Death of Mary."
And at the entrance to our hotel, we kept tabs on the mama and babies in the bird's nest each day. Nice serendipity.
Posted by hgroteva at 07:45 PM | Comments (0) | Travel
July 18, 2008
Over the Rainbow
I have always enjoyed the travel that is part of professional conference-going. I just returned from the ISSBD conference in Würzburg, Germany. We stayed away from the city (a good idea) and took the bus to the main bus station and then walked to the conference each day -- through the Ringpark -- a park that rings the city. Two mornings in a row, I caught this beautiful rainbow on the way to the conference. Who could have a bad day after that??
Posted by hgroteva at 11:50 AM | Comments (0) | Travel
July 10, 2008
Objects and Feeling at Home
My office is beginning to feel like my home-away-from-home now that I have unpacked my coffee cups. I have this unique collection of coffee cups that goes back to the early 1970s. Each cup tells a story and evokes memories. I thinned out the collection a bit before I left Minnesota, but I brought most of them with me. (There are several more out of view on the right of the photo.) And I was able to find a good spot for my Amado Peña tile -- I like his work very much (he has Austin roots -- used to teach art at Austin High before he got famous and moved to Taos and Santa Fe.)
Briefly, here are the stories of the cups in the front row (L to R):
Black Forest Inn, Minneapolis - a wonderful German restaurant / beer garden with an outdoor patio - I've enjoyed a number of meals and happy hours here with friends.
A cobalt blue cup with gold writing: "President Bill Clinton - A Cure for the Blues" (with him playing the sax). I picked this up at National Airport when he was running for election. With all the bad economic news that seems to worsen by the day, we sure need a cure for the blues! How about it, Bill? I have an extra one - maybe I should put it on EBay?
The Arctic Cathedral; Tromsø, Norway. I've been to Tromsø twice -- once to present at a conference and once to do some teaching about adolescent development. It's the northernmost university in the world. One visit was during May, not too long before the summer solstice. It was light almost 24 hrs / day, and people were out all night long, soaking up every bit of daylight possible. My friend Jane has an amazing hutte (summer cottage) that is glass all-round with a thatched roof.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Within a short time of arriving in the Twin Cities in 1990, I heard my first live SPCO concert and was smitten. We had season tickets most years and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful music and the intimate group that seemed to have a real personality.
Star Ship Enterprise -- I picked this up when Mark and I attended a Star Trek Convention in Minneapolis when he was a teenager. It was a very special day, even though we weren't dressed as Captain Kirk or Spock. (Many other folks were...)
Sundance -- A memory of numerous trips to Sundance, some for professional conferences and some for fun.
As I look at each of these objects placed in my new surroundings, all the wonderful memories flood back and keep me centered.
In Vol 8 (1) issue of Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research (2008), Jane Kroger has a fascinating article that fits well: "Symbolic meanings of valued personal objects in identity transitions of late adulthood." She and her colleague interviewed 20 folks age 65 - 89 who were in residential facilities in New Zealand, and they all talked with her about various personal objects they had in their living units -- some of which would have made little sense to an outsider, but made perfect sense to them. I saw how important such objects were during my father's last two years, especially when he was in assisted living. My sister lovingly gathered photo albums, CDs of his favorite big band music, and plaques and awards from his career and arranged them so they would be easily visible every day. They talked through the picture albums numerous times. Even if he couldn't remember whether he had eaten dinner, he could name all his buddies from high school and the Navy.
Posted by hgroteva at 07:21 PM | Comments (0) | Life | Massachusetts
July 06, 2008
Maine on the Fourth
I spent the long 4th of July weekend at my sister's cottage in Maine. NB: In Minnesota, they are "cabins," in New York, they are "camps," and in Maine they are "cottages." We had a great time --- eating, resting, talking, reading, paddling around the lake on the paddle boat, more eating, watching fireworks, roasting marshmallows, going in to town, & repeating same. It was a good get-away. It's great to be closer to family.
We stopped at a restaurant nearby for lunch, and their menu featured home-made potato chips -- they were thin, crisp, hot, and sprinkled with bacon, onions, cheese, and a Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Totally decademt.
On the 4th, we went into the Town of Limerick and stopped at the Runaway Cowgirl's Hideout on the main drag. I was totally smitten by a large Newfoundland. He came right up to me very calmly, and I thought I had known him all my life. In fact, I could have sworn that there was someone I knew in that dog suit. It was quite remarkable - I can't recall ever having such a strong pull toward a dog. That's probably a good sign as I prepare to welcome Sierra into my life in just about a month.
Posted by hgroteva at 08:38 PM | Comments (0) | Family | Life | Massachusetts
June 29, 2008
Tanglewood, Garrison Keillor, & Good Friends
The title really says it all. I spent yesterday at Tanglewood with a friend of 40 years, celebrating our friendship at the live broadcast of the Prairie Home Companion. Lots of meaning packed into that sentence; all good.
Of course, brought to you by Powermilk Biscuits, in the light blue box with the stain on the front that indicates reshness. Heavens, they're tasty!
Tanglewood has been on my MUST DO list for this summer for quite a while. It is as idyllic as its name suggests. Nestled in the Berkshires, its lush campus invites relaxation and camaraderie, even with total strangers. It's the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a venue for summer music institutes, and a place with an amazing summer music series. (Chanticleer and the Shanghai String Quartet are performing together next month -- stay tuned for that...)
Thanks to my colleague here who told me about the performance. We got 2 of the very last tickets in the Shed -- 3 rows from the back -- but who cares, it's a radio show! I just pretended I was listing on NPR, like I do almost every weekend.
We would have gotten Lawn tickets (great fun - people bring elaborate picnics and hang out), but the weather threatened rain, and it actually did rain for a time during the performance. I'll do that another time...
I've seen PHC live once before -- in the mid 1970s when I was in graduate school. It started broadcasting in 1974, so I must have been to one of its first shows, when it still had a small, local following. Now it goes out to millions every week. It was a great show -- excellent music, and poetry from the Poet Laureate of the U.S. (Where else would the Poet Laureate perform??) Turns out, he is from New Hampshire, not too far away from here.
Keillor clearly draws energy from the crowd. This was most evident after the broadcast was over. I expected a polite encore (the audience was very enthusiastic), but he and the rest of the cast stayed around for more than a half hour. They did some of their things, but mostly led the audience in a love-fest sing-a-long. What an unexpected pleasure! Singing can bring total strangers together.
The woman in the white blouse, second from left, was swaying to the music on her cane, along with her son in the red shirt. It was very sweet.
My feeling is that the Greatest Generation all knew a lot of songs in common, but that seems to be vanishing. Yesterday, we sang things like "Summertime," "Good Night Ladies," "Amazing Grace," "I've Been Working on the Railroad," ... you get the idea. What songs will the next generation of young people know in common? I really wonder. I could tell Garrison especially loved turning the audience loose in some a capella verses -- from stage, I'm sure it just felt like energy rolling right at him.
It's such a pleasure to live close to Chris after all these years. We were college roommates for 2 years and then went separate ways geographically. We've always stayed in touch, but visits have been infrequent. That will be changing. Tanglewood is just about half way between us -- a real bonus. (It's about 1 1/2 hrs west of here.) We talked and talked and talked, as always. Before heading home, we stopped at a funky Indian restaurant in Lee, MA. The staff seemed a bit pverwhelmed by the larger-than-usual crowd. Tha lamb I had was good, but I'm sure it was swimming in a sauce I will react to. I took as little sauce as I could. At the end, we both ordered coffee, but got tea. interesting.....
But overall, what a special day. A great way to start my life here. Maybe things like that happen when you CTRL-ALT-DEL.
Posted by hgroteva at 06:22 AM | Comments (0) | Life | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Music - of all kinds
June 23, 2008
Rebooting a Life
Today was one of those watershed days, full of symbolism and meaning. Today was the day we held the final memorial service for our Dad and buried him next to our Mom in Dallas, their home. The memorial service was at the community where he and our Mom lived from approx 1992 - 2000, and he continued on after her death until 2006. Quite a few people joined us this morning, including a woman who was his secretary for 18 years (her first job; she is now retired and said he was the best boss she ever had). Many people were grateful to have the opportunity to remember him and celebrate his life, since they were not able to come to New Hampshire for his funeral back in March. His best friend, who had been housebound since November, made the special effort to attend.
My sister and I took a drive around the parts of town we haunted as teenagers. Our old neighborhood is still looking good, but down the street from our childhood home is a whole row of tacky MacMansions. If you have enough money, you can have a Tuscan villa, or a half-timbered Tudor, or a replica of Mt. Vernon --- and they can all be on the same street! You get the idea. Our old elementary school looks just like it did in the late 1950s. The church we attended looks as cold as it always felt. But we had fun going down each street and reminiscing about who lived where. It was amazing how we dredged up some names neither of us had thought about for decades.
For me, there was also a sense of closure. It's unlikely that I will ever be in Dallas again. The Texas part of my heart was long ago given to Austin; and Austin and Dallas are totally different cultures, although only 200 miles apart.
But to me it also felt a piece of a larger "reboot" my life is undergoing. New job, new part of the country, new professional responsibilities, new house, now the "senior" member of the family. (I'm not too sure how keen I feel about that - I have lots of tread left on me.) But it all definitely feels new, providing opportunities for both continuity and change. Very exciting.
Posted by hgroteva at 08:53 PM | Comments (0) | In Memory / In Honor | Life | Massachusetts | Texas
June 15, 2008
Comcast Giveth and Comcast Taketh Away
Even before I had my books unpacked, and way before I had furniture arranged, I was on the phone with Comcast to arrange home internet service. Our Minnesota service was with Comcast, and it was generally satisfactory (except for the bloated prices.) Comcast seemed to be the vendor of choice here, so I signed on.
The friendly fellow on the other end of the line (their sales folk are very friendly -- not quite the same as their service people) assured me that it would be easy to set up my wireless network. They would provide a do-it-yourself "kit" that a 3rd grader could configure.
Well, when I opened it up and saw that there were only 2 small pages of large-print instructions, I knew that that was a lie. (I ended up having to hire someone to come out and make all the machines talk to each other. It was well worth the price of avoiding all the haad-banging that would have ensued.) But I digress...
Several days after my service was up and running, I got a call from one of their people. He wanted to take a few minutes to show me some of their new services. I consented, and he walked me through quite a few features I wasn't familiar with, including a large menu of free downloads, videos, games, etc. -- all kinds of gadgets and gizmos to use up all that spare time of mine.
Fast forward to the article in today's NYT: "Charging by the byte to curb internet traffic." In order to deal with bandwith hogs, three of the nation's largest internet providers are taking steps to change our habits. Time Warner is now "metering" service and will be asking customers to select rate plans depending on anticipated usage (think: cell phone minutes plans); AT&T is considering charging, and Comcast is going to manage internet traffic by "slowing down the connections of the heaviest users, so-called bandwidth hogs, at peak times." They need to get their signals straight. If they want to promote use of their resources (and of course, the ad revenue that goes along with it), they don't need to give it with one hand and ration it with the other.
By the way, Happy Father's Day to all those Dads out there. Next weekend, my sister and I will be going to Dallas to hold a final memorial service for our Dad, who passed away March 1st. Rest in peace, Dad.
Posted by hgroteva at 08:33 AM | Comments (0) | Technology
June 08, 2008
Settling In
Slowly but surely, I am settling in. I finally found a street sign that says "East Pleasant" -- up at the far north end of the road. Somehow that is reassuring. My home internet is now up and running, which is also a relief. I unpacked a lot more boxes this weekend and have re-boxed some things that can be stored for the year. I'm trying to figure out the circuitry in the house. When the air conditioner compressor turned on last night, it knocked the cable TV out. Well, I guess you can't have it all. The adventure continues -- trying to figure out the NPR stations, cable TV options, which of the alternate weeks is recycling of plastic vs. paper -- all those details.
Now that I'm settled and somewhat refreshed, I look forward to writing this week. Several writing commitments due fairly soon...
Posted by hgroteva at 08:51 PM | Comments (0) | Moving
June 05, 2008
Numbers
I've had to make a list of all my numbers: employee ID number, number on my ID card (different from the employee ID), phone number, voice mail password, long distance code, speed number (not sure what that is!), mail code, xerox code, office number, parking lot number ... and those just pertain to my work life!
There are so many things we take for granted every day -- things that you don't even think about until you don't know them: What floor is the coke machine on? How much does a Coke cost? Which end of the building are the restrooms on? Who do I ask about < fill in the blank >? and so on...
Yesterday's challenge was getting cable hooked up at the house. The technician was spectacularly unhelpful. Even after I asked questions, he gave the shortest possible answers and then left. (He emphasized that he gets paid by the job.) I'm also trying to figure out how the ceiling fans work and where all the light switches are. I made the mistake of trying to find the hallway in the dark and ended up going into a closet and bonking my head -- the stuff of a comedy movie.
All that said, however, the transition is going well. People are being very helpful. Special thanks to the folks at the Select Comfort store who gave me a "loaner" pump for the bed, since I couldn't find the box that the remote -- necessary for inflating the bed -- was hiding in. Did you know that a remote for the bed costs $150? I didn't!
The town (pronounced ammerst -- not am - herst) is an interesting mix of small town laid back (the copy shop on Pleasant St. is DIY, honor system) and East Coast (see cable guy, above.) The street names are great' I'm particularly fond of the intersection of Pleasant and Amity. But street signs only have the names of intersecting streets, not the street you are on. So if you don't know what street you are on, you can be in a bad fix. I know that you get to my street by going out East Pleasant (from the map), but I have yet to find a street sign that says East Pleasant.
It's all a big adventure! Stay tuned for further installments. In the meantime, which box is my radio in???
Posted by hgroteva at 12:27 PM | Comments (0) | Moving
May 30, 2008
Safely Landed
Just a note to let everyone know I have landed safely -- the moving van arrived yesterday with all my stuff, and delivered the boxes to home and various offices at Tobin Hall. At this point, all seems to be accounted for and in working order. The "settling in" phase looks pretty daunting, but not as daunting as the prior phases. This can be done one box at a time. My sister came over yesterday and helped unpack. Mark has been very helpful, and flies back to MN today so that he can start classes Monday. I'll likely be offline a few days until my internet connections are up and running. Thanks to everyone for the energy you have been sending my way ... I felt it, and it helped! And so the new adventure begins...
Posted by hgroteva at 07:02 AM | Comments (0) | Moving
May 28, 2008
Day Four: Burlington to Amherst
We made it to our destination today - 1650 miles. Today's adventure was Ben and Jerry's.
The sky was brilliantly blue, and the trees were amazingly green. Northern Vermont is spectacular. My friend Sally spent every summer in Vermont - I can see why. Anyway, we joined the tour and got to see how they make the ice cream. I asked the guide which flavors were gluten free and what precautions they took to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. They seem to be careful about it. They only make 2 flavors a week - one on M-W and the other on Th-F. Between W and Th they completely wash down all the production lines. They also seem quite concerned about peanut cross-contamination. Anyway, New York Super Fudge Chunk was on the GF list, so I happily partook - but I don't think I'd do a large cup again ... too much.
After we checked in, we stopped by the house. I think it will be just what we need. It's got some quirks, but what house doesn't? It has a beautiful patio in the back; I suspect I'll be spending a lot of time there. And the study upstairs has great windows and lots of bookcases. The moving van arrives at 7:30 tomorrow morning, so it will be a very big day. My sister is bopping over from Pepperell to help out; it will be great to be closer to her family.
Posted by hgroteva at 08:09 PM | Comments (0) | Moving | Travel
May 27, 2008
Day 3: Utica NY to Burlington VT via the Adirondack Mountains
The moving van won't be arriving until Thursday morning at 7:00, so we had an extra day! We spent the morning looking for and finding landmarks from my childhood in Utica. Found the house where I lived from a few months of age until the end of 3rd grade, both my grandparents' houses, the church we attended, and other more-or-less familiar landmarks. I'll post some pictures later - the internet connection at this hotel is very slow.
After tooling around Utica, we headed for the Adirondack Mountains, where we vacationed every summer while I was a young child. We found Kayuta Lake, where my father's parents had a lake house, and then Old Forge, the funky town where we stayed at "Birch Camp." The lake and the Enchanted Forest are still there, but Birch Camp seems to have vanished. We headed further north, and had lunch at Lake Placid. The Adirondacks are really beautiful, and nothing was crowded yet because school is still in session. I'm sure it really hums in July and August. I'd be happy to go back there.
The CR-V is getting over 27 mpg, which is great, given the cost of gas.
Tomorrow we head to Amherst, via Ben and Jerry's. Then the work begins anew.
Posted by hgroteva at 06:32 PM | Comments (0) | Moving | Travel
May 26, 2008
Day Two: South Bend, IN to Utica NY
We made it from South Bend to Utica -- 12 hours; 638 miles; all freeway, complete with horrible fast food and lots of tolls. But the weather was good, and we arrived safely. The only casualty so far has been Mark's iPod.
We listened to NPR for most of the trip. Since it was Memorial Day, there were many programs about the military. Two were quite poignant. The first was an interview on the Diane Rehm Show, in which she interviewed a RAND Corporation research analyst, the director of behavioral health for the U.S. Army, and the executive director and founder of "Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America" about the alarming incidence of PTSD among active duty military personnel and veterans. I was rather surprised and very pleased to hear very little disagreement among these three people. They all acknowledged the problem and its degree, and they all noted that significantly greater resources needed to be directed toward military personnel and their families. Let's hope that these unlikely bedfellows can accomplish something significant on behalf of these families. You can hear the show by going here.
The second was on "Fresh Air," in which Terry Gross interviewed Marine Lt. Col. Steve Beck and journalist Jim Sheeler about their book, Final Salute. Beck's job is "casualty assistance" -- in other words, he informs families when one of their loved ones dies in service and then sticks with them physically and emotionally as they navigate the inevitable shock and grief. It was a powerful interview; hear it here.
The trip from Buffalo to Utica brought back many childhood memories. Many of my mother's relatives lived in Buffalo (including her mother for a time), so we shuttled back and forth on the NY State Thruway many, many times. The plan for tomorrow begins with a pilgrimage to my childhood home and my grandparent's home in Utica. I remember the addresses, and the town is pretty small, so is to take a round-about route to Amherst, since the moving van isn't there yet. We will be heading into the Adirondack Mountains, going through Old Forge (where we vacationed in the summers when I was a kid), and northward, crossing into Vermont via ferry at Burlington, and then stopping at Ben and Jerry's factory. Yum! Then on to Amherst. The past weeks have been so intense. It's fun to take a few days in the midst of it all and shift the schedule a bit.
Posted by hgroteva at 09:07 PM | Comments (0) | Moving
May 25, 2008
Heading East: Falcon Heights, MN to South Bend, Indiana
We made it to South Bend, Indiana today - about 550 miles -- home of Notre Dame University. Lots of trucks on the road today, even though it is the middle of Memorial Day weekend. And the gas prices are ridiculous ... $4.19 per gallon near Chicago. Speaking of which, the traffic in Chicago is insane -- even on the outer 290 / 294 loop on a weekend afternoon. I would hate to see it on a Monday morning.
It was very strange to leave the house, and quite remarkable that everything came off on schedule, given the many many things that could have gone wrong. The only near-meltdown was when the movers declared that they could not get several pieces of furniture down the stairs: first, the bed frame, and then 2 pieces of my office furniture, and then my office desk. But what goes up must come down, so they finally figured it out by disassembling things and taking off the door.
The driver starts heading out tomorrow. Stuff belonging to three families is on the truck: one load to Maryland, mine to Amherst, and another in between. He will let me know tomorrow whether we will be the first or the last off-loaded. Tomorrow night we plan to spend in Utica, New York, place of my birth. I haven't been there in ages. We won't have time to look people up, but I'd really like to see the house I lived in on Washington Drive in "Bon Air Estates" (I guess because it's on a breezy hill!) and my grandparents' house on Lynch Ave. Lots of very happy memories from that place.
Posted by hgroteva at 09:15 PM | Comments (0) | Moving
May 17, 2008
Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Mr. Rogers' song comes to mind as I contemplate this Saturday. There's a light northerly breeze, temp in the high 60s / low 70s, birds are singing, I've cleaned the house for the prospective buyers coming at 12:15, and I solved the 6 star Sudoku (Saturday's is always the hardest). The next 24 hours is the calm before the storm. There is an open house tomorrow afternoon, so everything has to stay pristine until it's over at 3:30 -- but then the house-packing begins in earnest. I'm ready.
As I was sorting through more papers yesterday, I kept thinking about WHY these things should matter. Aren't we the sum total of our experiences; and after we go, isn't our totality at the time of encounter what we pass on to those whose lives we've touched? If so, why should letters from 20, 30, 40 years ago matter? Haven't they already been incorporated into who I am? The ones that have made the most impact or been the most symbolically important are surely reflected in who I am today. The ones that are tangential have not been internalized, so why should I feel that they are important now anyway? Is my narrative about all these pieces of paper? I don't think so. My narrative is just me, as I am transformed from day to day. And I'm not the sum total of my experiences, because I am transformed as each new experience is incorporated (or not) into my evolving narrative. The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.
I googled "the sum of our experiences" and got almost 13 million hits. I think this reflects the universality of the human experience. The blogosphere has made it possible for people to read the perspectives of others they will never meet -- perhaps folks on the other side of the world, or writing in another language -- and see their own concerns and insights reflected in those of others. That has surely been true for me. It's exciting and humbling all at once.
And happy 23rd birthday to Mark today. I'm sad to be leaving him; but he's found a direction, and that is so exciting to see.
Posted by hgroteva at 10:30 AM | Comments (0) | Minnesota | Moving
May 14, 2008
Drowning in Paper
For the past few weeks, I've been doing my level best to divest myself of some of the mountains of paper I have gathered around myself. When the moving company estimated that I might have as much as 6000-7000 lbs. of books and files at my office alone, that did it! I have been recycling, tossing, and shredding as fast as I can. It's really hard. Each piece of paper evokes memories -- overwhelmingly good ones -- of projects, classes, collaborations, papers, and the stuff of the academic life. But some things I brought with me from Texas 18 years ago haven't been opened since then, so they were definitely candidates for chucking. (Although today I found a letter from my dissertation advisor, written (in hand) while she was on sabbatical in California. - It did go to the shredder, but I enjoyed re-reading it.)
I am within 2 or 3 boxes of completing the packing of my office and lab. When I moved here, I brought 101 boxes of books, journals, and files from my old office to the new office. My goal is to take fewer than 101 away from here. That would mean 18 years of work and no net increase in "stuff." (Fortunately, much of it is electronic and can fit on a few CDs. Is that cheating??) With a little luck, I'll come in under 101.
Information retrieval continues to be one of the biggest challenges of the academic life. So many books, journals, files, CD-ROMs, reprints, e-mails, etc. Figuring out the ideal organizational system has eluded pretty much every academic I know. Although I was inspired to read an interview with one of the Google guys about the problem of information. Interestingly, his solution was to avoid systematizing stuff at all on the front end. He suggested instead to put the focus on powerful retrieval engines that can scan through stuff and pull up what you want. I will be trying that in my new life. Nothing like a new job to provide an opportunity for cleaning house and a fresh start. The moving van comes in a week.
Posted by hgroteva at 09:22 PM | Comments (0) | Moving
May 09, 2008
Friday Cat Blogging: Visiting the Tribe
You can tell that the tribe has made a comfortable transition to their temporary home while the house is being shown for sale. They're in the same positions - just in someone else's bed! A tough life...
They clearly love their new family, especially Kai Miok, who drew this wonderful picture for me. I love the phonetic spelling (Poce = Pookie; Sate = Sadie; Mcens = Mackenzie; Shadou = Shadow). I especially love the big heart next to Sadie. As I've said many times before, when I die, I want to be reincarnated as one of my cats.
Posted by hgroteva at 05:38 AM | Comments (0) | Cats