On This Day – November 2, 2019

Old Glassworks

The New England Glassworks was a short-lived glass-making factory located in Temple, New Hampshire in the 1780s, and one of the first glassworks in the United States. Founded in 1780 by Robert Hewes, a Boston-based businessman, the glassworks employed Hessian deserters from the British forces of the American Revolutionary War. The glassworks was established in 1780 and failed due to a lack of financing in 1783. – Wikipedia

New Glassworks

When Gary and Colleen Grebus decided to open a glass arts studio they named it the NEW Temple Glassworks as an homage to the original. I worked with Gary at Digital Equipment Corporation in Merrimack, NH and like many of the folks in that industry, Gary decided to pursue an artistic path. I think a lot of folks in that industry want to use the other side of their brain for a change. On this day I visited Gary and Colleen at their studio in Temple, NH. It’s been four years and I’m finally getting around to posting some photos. They are still creating their art and now offer lessons in glass work.

Today – November 2, 2023

Every day I’ve been posting diary entries written in 1912 by James Roger on our Historical Society newsletter. They follow a certain pattern, a description of the weather, his daily chores, his correspondence with family and on Sundays the sermon. It just occurred to me that I can do the same with my own website, since my goal for this year is to post things on a more regular basis. My life is just as mundane as James Roger, although he worked a lot harder than I could ever imagine. He was was always pulling up beets and sweeping the vestry. The only similarity we have is that we both live in New Ipswich and I know where he used to live (next to the Congregational Church).

My First Diary Entry (In the Style of James Roger)

Hard frost, 31 degrees. Morning glory vines, dahlias killed by the frost. Trapped one mouse in attic, fed it to the crows with some dog food and unsalted peanuts. Tai Chi in Temple at 7:30, just myself and David, the instructor. It was cold in the Town Hall, but moving around helped. At 9:00 Yoga at the School Yard in New Ipswich. Nice to see Bob Romeril show up. Solved the online puzzles: Wordle, Connections. NYT Mini-crossword. However choked on Waffle (the game, not the food).

I had taken the houseplants in earlier and kept them in the unheated garage. The frost didn’t affect them but now comes the hard part of moving them into the house. Several had grown to unmanageable size. I really should be living in a greenhouse. There is a lot of cleanup to accomplish before it gets really cold, but unlike James I know how to procrastinate.