Liminality Rules

My best friend is Vice President of the HSBC (a large international bank). I would bet a hundred dollars that if Chase or Wells Fargo were working through a process, figuring out best practices and workflows, etc., she could not, would not, would never dream of, calling her counterpart and say, "We're just getting started with this new program and we wondered if you could share your insight with us?"

This is exactly what I did two months ago as we are beginning to prepare for the Google Book Project. I emailed Martha Sites at the University of Virginia and asked if we could visit them. We got here yesterday and will leave later today and it's been a great experience. The faculty and staff here have been terribly helpful. We've learned so many things that we will be able to use in our project at Penn State. I think all of us who came have been impressed by the care they take in this project. So, thanks to all of the Virginia folks who have taken the time out of their schedules to meet with us and teach us what they've learned. Someday, we'll pay it forward.

I don't write about personal things too often on my blog, but thoughts are running through my head as I'm putting away some Christmas decorations.

Before my brother died, he started giving me Spode Christmas dishes for a Christmas present. Each year for about three years, he'd send me something new -- a place setting, salad plates. My parents contributed some pieces too. After Chris died, I started buying a little at a time and I was always thrilled to find it at TJ Maxx - a piece here and there. Pretty soon my friend Karen started buying some -- a lovely bowl, a bread tray, some serving pieces, a wooden tray with Spode tiles. I get excited thinking about what type of piece Karen might contribute to my Spode Collection. Finally this year, I opened some lovely Spode wine glasses from my friend Lauri. After almost twenty years, I have a lovely collection of Spode and everytime I use it, I think of those family members gone, like my brother Chris and my mother, or friend Karen and now Lauri, who have added to this wonderful collection.

When we all lived in the same town, Karen and her family would join ours for dinner on Christmas Eve and we'd eat off the Spode. Now, since we're traveling back to Illinois for Christmas, the Spode is put away, except for a piece that I took with me to Illinois. I missed using it this year -- not because I love the dishes so much, though I do, but because shared so many wonderful meals on them during times we were together in our house at Christmas.

I think next year, I'll pull the Spode out at Thanksgiving so that when the kids come East, we can use it then. When Lauri comes in December, it'll be out and ready to go. Someday perhaps Karen, Bob, Winn and Heather will join us in State College in the Winter. The Spode and I will be ready for them.