I took a gravestone preservation workshop with Drew University in October. I loved it so much. I was devastated by the "Historic Preservation" events of May - another long story to be told some other time - and have sought ways to get back into it. I have been scanning documents for a Morris County organization, but that wasn't enough. I realized I have always been fascinated cemeteries. I blame two events - my third grade teacher brought our class on a field trip to the cemetery across the street from St. Brendan's; Phyllis and Perrina brought my sister and I to that same cemetery when they were baby-sitting us. Mom was not happy with either event and P&P never babysat us again. I thinks I was affected in a much more positive way. I always liked visiting the cemeteries on vacations and Pere Lachaise was the ultimate sleeping ground to visit.
So I fell in love with gravestone restoration. I had the chance to clean a sandstone marker in a very old, forgotten burial ground around a church ruin in Long Valley. Tomorrow night I get to go to a talk on preservation and history at the Denville Library. I have also been researching preservation programs for another Master's degree. I feel like I have to have a back up plan in case the teaching situation becomes more and more unpleasant. I love being with the students and keeping in touch with all the wonderful kids I have met and keep in touch with but the climate is changing and I don't know how much longer I can keep up with this....
Time to go printing in the darkroom...
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