Update

I just updated my professional blog, katherineinmuseums.blogspot.com. It just updates you on the projects I'm working on. The Urban Museum Collaborative got the supplemental grant they've been wanting, which is WONDERFUL! I'm still working on the portrait gallery, 7 out of 15 write ups are done but I have to edit those 7 a LOT. I turned in my exit project proposal this week, BIG weight off my shoulders there. I'm really excited about this project - I'm creating a children's book that tells the story of Campbell House, then doing a story time education program to go with it (so anyone that has kids, be ready to get an invite to the 1st one in May :-) ). Plus Dr. Lankford says he thinks he found me an illustrator for the project! YAY! I still have to talk to her, but keep your fingers crossed it works, cause I can't draw at all and while I could always just photoshop the 1885 photographs I really wanted good illustrations that truly bring the house to life. Hopefully it'll work!

Other updates - I had my last class last night! WOOHOO! I felt good when Jay was talking about stuff cuase I felt like he finally explained where he'd been trying to get us to go for the past year and a half... and like I understood it... always a good thing. Afterwards my cohort went out to Schlafly bottleworks. It was definitely a bittersweet moment. On the one hand I had SO much fun with everybody and am SO SO SO glad the semester is over, cause I can have time to think again. But on the other hand, that was my last class with Jay - we don't have him next semester. It's also my last class with eveyrone in my cohort - with the directed readings and internet course next semester, I won't see anybody in class. I can't believe it's been a year and a half since we started, it's flown by, but I also feel like I've known this group of people forever. I'm really gonna miss seeing them all the time... which means we HAVE to get together out of class!

I was thinking about it at lunch and it absolutely amazes me how much life can change in a year. Think about it. This time last year:
- I went down to Shreveport to see Emily in Rabbit Hole. 1st time we'd been down and her ex wasn't there. I went to her church and said "I want a place like that, where I go in and everyone says "Hey Katherine! I saw..."
- I had no clue about the AAM conference, had never been to Philadelphia, and hadn't even thought about doing an internship in Natchez
- No clue what I was gonna do for an exit project
- Felt close to my cohort but was still feeling really lonely

Now:
- Emily's engaged
- I've found an amazing church
- I'm looking for jobs
- I had a great experience with the national park service in Natchez
- I loved AAM and fell in love with Philly
- I've got a wonderful exit project and a 2nd project that's so great
- I have wonderful friends, I'm even clsoer with the people in my cohort, and am no logner lonely (well most of the time)

Wow. And that's just part of it. If you know me, you'll be able to see how much I"ve changed over the past 2 years, and especially the past year. Thank you to everyoen that was a part of that.

Oh and speaking of conferences, I'm not gonna go to AAM this year. It's in LA. That's super expensive, both hotel and air fare wise. No one else is going for me to share a hotel room with. I don't really care that much about the museums in LA. I don't want to be out there, and most of the people will probably be on the west coast. There's just nothign that says "Oh I HAVE to go to that", and there were SO many things about Philly that said that last year. Same with most conferences I've found - the interesting ones aren't till later, all the upcoming ones are ones that make me say "Eh". I dont' want to pay bucu bucks for "eh". But there is a historic house museum conference in Texas in November 2010, so if I don't have a job by then (which hopefully I will) I"ll probably go to that.

December-January is gonna be my big push on job searching/really start the job search. I'll try to update you on how that goes. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!

Oh and I'm now addicted to Dr. Who. I blame the field house for this :-). They were tlaking about it at work. I got curious and watched it. LOVE it!

That's it. Bye now!