yow - I swear it seems that this time every year is the craziest time of all. You'd think that in an educational institution that summer would be kinder and gentler. But that's not the case. Ah well - it's nothing if not interesting.

Jim and I spent a lovely several days in Salem, Massachusetts - home of a witch museum on every corner. You couldn't turn around without getting poked in the eye with either a broomstick or a pentagram. I think we went into every witch store there - and I can definitively say that The Broom Closet was the most fun and the best in that the folks who run it have a lovely sense of humor. The best thing there was a copy of Professor McGonnagal's hat from Harry Potter. I made many fine purchases there including the most wonderful little green man carving (made of oak) which will now go in my "things that appear on cathedrals that probably shouldn't" collection.

We were up there for a wedding - Jim's friend Mark (who he's known since kindergarten, I think) got married to an absolutely wonderful woman named Shannon. The wedding was in Marblehead and the reception in Salem. On Friday the 13th, no less. A truly magical weekend full of old friends and new ones. We also visited one of the world's worst museums and tried hard not to giggle too much (though I had to laugh out loud at the tour guide's Motley Crue joke... and let's face it - how many museums do you go to where the guides even know who Motely Crue is, let alone make bad jokes about them.....?)

We returned to the requisite wildness that comes with taking a vacation (and let me pause right here to thank Anne Marie and Jeff for going above and beyond the call of friendship and securing all of our outdoor thingies in advance of Hurricane Charley - which thankfully was a non-event here, but they deserve more than the silly things I gave them as thanks...)

Well - 'tis late, and it's still a wild week. The parental units are in town (yayy!!!) and tomorrow I give them a tour of my ickle exhibition and we've been having fun with them taking them out to interesting new places for dinner. We're also getting a piano (!) tomorrow from Jim's parental units and we still have to move furniture tonight. I suppose I'll sleep sometime this week, but it'll have to be later.

Speaking of moving furniture....cheers to Dublingirl and her family on their new abode and all the best wishes to Miss Clare on her first day in first grade (which will be happening later this week) and to Miss Dublingirl herself for her first day in the new job (she'll be running the place in no time...).

Miles to go before I sleep......