Memory!

Yes, I am singing that damn song from Cats. I love that song, but it is one of those that gets stuck in your head and there you are walking down the aisle of the grocery store humming and annoying all the other shoppers. Seems as though I hum louder outside my head than inside my head. I bet I hum better and more on-key in my head, too!

This is the story of my life. I sit down at the computer to post something new, exciting and relevant and what happens? It all goes out the window, I get distracted by some new shiny object and nothing gets done. So I get up and go about my business and then the thought pops back in my head and we start this all over again.

And here is the fun part! When I try to remember what I was going to post about, the song Memory starts going. Then I say to myself "If I only could remember . . . . " and then my theme song soundtrack switches to "If I Only Had a Brain!!!" Lovely.

So basically this is post about me and my menopausal brain forgetting important things and remembering lame-ass songs from eons ago. Nice.

I know what you're thinking, you wish you were me, right? Yeah, not so much.

Ok, well here is what I am sure I meant to post at the beginning of all this fal-de-ral. I have just finished reading a fabulous book. It is called "A Midwife's Tale, the diary of Martha Ballard, 1782 - 1810" I am just guessing on the dates because the book is in the other room and if I wander over there to get it, chances are I may not remember to come back! Anyhoo, this is a well-researched and documented little chunk of history told through the diary of a midwife back in the 18th century in Maine. Mrs. Martha Ballard and her husband Ephraim settle in Maine in the area that became Augusta right on the Kennebuc river. Through her diary she lists all the babies she birthed, whether she was paid, what the weather was like, who died, what things she did such as planting, weaving, washing, etc., rather like an almanac. It is a really interesting read.

The author did tons and tons of research and verification of who was who in the township, what were the customs, etc. through other surviving documents, diaries, maps, etc. Speaking of maps, Martha's husband Ephraim was a surveyor and many of his maps still survive. Can you guess how much I want to go to Maine and go through the museum that houses all this stuff and look at where she lived and walked? Very exciting stuff!

Martha's sister had a daughter who became famous in her own right, Miss Clara Barton the founder of the American Red Cross. She was a feisty feminist for her time! And the great, great granddaughter who inherited the diaries became one of the very first women to become a doctor in the U.S. She is the one who donated them to the Maine state museum for their archives.

My favorite phrase I picked up from reading this is "leaving them Cleverly". This was an old British way of saying in good shape, or good health. So when Martha journaled that she left mom and babe Cleverly, she was saying all was well. I love it!

Last night I picked up "Son of a Witch", the sequel to "Wicked". I read "Wicked" a few years ago and followed it up with the "Ugly Stepsister's Tale". Now I am re-acquainting myself with the Land of Oz. Makes me wish I had the gift of imagination that the author does.

And with that, I hope this finds all of you Cleverly. I am going to find my marbles.