Tag: 2013

Bidding Adieu to 2013, Welcoming 2014

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Hello and welcome, 2014! Before Preservation in Pink dives into 2014, I’d like to take a few minutes to round-up the year’s activity. Preservation in Pink’s 2013 year was about travel, preservation imagery and discovery, helping you to find preservation in your everyday surroundings (even if it’s just a flamingo or a playground slide).

Highlights from 2013 include:

Favorite series and recurring themes continued, with a few new additions:

Some posts studied the built environment and invited you to consider yours, tangibly and intangibly:

Other posts discuss the economic health of communities:

Of course, PiP was on the go! Many posts were photo-centric, travel posts:

Whether you connect to Preservation in Pink and historic preservation through photographs or words, it is my hope that PiP continues to play a role in your appreciation of historic preservation. I learn from all of you, and you mean a lot to me. Readers, whether you comment or not, thank you for reading! Thank you for asking questions. 2013 brought greater interaction on social media, whether Twitter, Instragram or WordPress. Hopefully the Instagram-to-blog posts are working for you (let me know if they are not.) This year, 2014, begins without Facebook. I’m looking forward to growing the reach and variety of Preservation in Pink in 2014, with new posts, new series, new people, and new places.

Cheers!

If you’re interested, previous year end round-ups:

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Christmas on Ice

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Five winters in, and this is my first Vermont ice storm. So far, most people seem to be spared. Almost one inch of ice blankets northern Vermont today, resulting from an ice storm that moved across the region over the weekend. Some are without power. Some are covered in ice. Lucky ones have snow. And some just have rain. The weather is crazy. On Saturday afternoon, the temperatures in Burlington and Montpelier (only 38 miles apart via I-89) was incredibly different – see below.

Saturday's varying temperatures. Not only is this is in reverse, but it's also extreme.

Saturday’s varying temperatures. Not only is this is in reverse, but it’s also extreme.

Freezing rain continued to fall off and on Saturday and Saturday night, into Sunday morning. Burlington and the rest of northern Vermont was one sheet of ice, especially my street, driveway, and front steps. Here are some photos from the ice weekend.

Every little branch remains covered in ice.

Every little branch remains covered in ice.

The front steps became a slide of ice!

The front steps became a slide of ice!

I had to chisel out my car...that is no exaggeration.

I had to chisel out my car…that is no exaggeration.

Even the flamingos were iced over!

Even the flamingos were iced over!

Eventually I made my way downtown for some Christmas shopping. Church Street is beautiful this time of year.

Eventually I made my way downtown for some Christmas shopping. Church Street is beautiful this time of year.

Christmas in Burlington.

Christmas in Burlington.

This week’s round of posting will be Christmas-y. Hope you and yours have fun days planned, safe travels, a warm house and no ice!

Love to Colorado

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Dear Colorado, 

Here in Vermont, we send our love, support, sympathy, empathy, and help to those of you affected by the recent flooding. Tropical Storm Irene struck us in 2011. It’s tragic and shocking and something none of us would wish on anyone, anywhere. To see your homes destroyed; your roads washed away; to see your family, friends, even strangers in your own state suffering – it’s unlike anything else. It’s something that none of us understand until it’s our own backyard.

Once the shock fades, recovery begins (well, sometimes it’s concurrent), but you will survive because you are strong. We are Vermont Strong. And you are Colorado Strong. You do what you have to do. Take it hour by hour, day by day, task by task. Join with your neighbors. Accept help. Offer help. Take a deep breath. Know that everything you do is getting you closer to recovery. You will recover. It will take time, and for a while there might not be a light at the end of the tunnel. But you’ll get there. We promise. We know, because we’ve been there. It was two years ago, and there are still lingering recovery tasks, but overall we’re  a stronger state.

And you can lean on us for support. Our state officials and state agencies are already connected and talking about immediate response, followed by long term recovery. We’re two states so far away from one another, but we want to help. We feel your pain. Everything will be okay. You can do this.

Love, Vermont

Prairie Home Companion: Shelburne Museum Concerts on the Green

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{Side note: today is Labor Day (observed). Curious as to the history of Labor Day? Check out this blast-from-the-past post from PiP (2008!)}

As mentioned yesterday, summer is not over. It sticks around for a good three weeks in September. So let’s keep talking summer. What has been your favorite part of summer? The longer daylight hours, barbecues, farmers markets, outdoor concerts, swimming, sunshine, not wearing 10s of layers of clothing, cold drinks, better moods? As for me, I love it all. Summertime in Vermont is particularly beautiful, and on sunny, warm days, I want to be outside as much as possible. This summer I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful outdoor concert at Shelburne Museum: Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Radio Romance Tour. (A huge thank you to my friend and fellow preservationist, Adam K, for bringing me along.) 

For starters, the Shelburne Museum has an absolutely beautiful setting looking to Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains.

The sun was setting as the show was beginning.

The sun was setting as the show was beginning. The picture doesn’t quite do the view justice…

I had never listened to Garrison Keillor, but knowing that he is a great American storyteller, I was intrigued (hello folklore and oral history!). And what could be an outdoor show on a beautiful Vermont summer evening with a friend? Precisely. What is Prairie Home Companion? It is a live variety radio show, written and hosted by Garrison Keillor, running (with some exception) since 1974. The show focuses on music, stories, and features such as Guy Noir, Private Eye and  News from Lake Wobegon.

A glorious sunset.

A glorious sunset.

Hundreds of people on the lawn.

Hundreds of people on the lawn.

The show was wonderful. Listening to these amazing stories, live entertainment, a radio show in person (as opposed to through the radio) was such a unique experience. Clearly, I’ve been missing Prairie Home Companion all these years. Garrison Keillor is brilliant, creating these ongoing stories for decades. There are many people who can tell a good story, but to hear someone who has what are essentially books in his head – that he’s written – and is sharing it live…wow. How many true storytellers have you heard in your life? I’m grateful to have seen this show live. And now I want to hear ALL of the Lake Wobegon stories. It reminds me of just how special folklore is in our cultures (and all cultures). Folklore represents traditions unique to certain set of people, idiosyncrasies, memories, beliefs, and treasures to that culture.

Close up on the stage.

Close up on the stage.

Have you heard or seen Prairie Home Companion? Who are your favorite storytellers?

Vermont Downtown & Historic Preservation Conference

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It’s a busy week in preservation and for PiP adventures! Following the SIA conference, it’s time to head to another one, only this is much closer to home.

Tomorrow, Friday June 7, 2013, is the annual Vermont Downtown & Historic Preservation conference, to be held this year in Barre, Vermont. It’s not too late to register – do so online or at the morning registration. Come join us in Vermont for local history, master planning, discussions as to why downtowns are important, good keynote speakers & presenters, inspiring preservation awards, and much more! See the full program here.

This is a good place for all preservationists to meet others, to network and to learn! Students are encouraged to come. If you’re in central Vermont and heading to the conference, let me know. Hope to see you there. VT_DCHP_Program_2013_final
Last year’s HP Conference in Wilmington and the 2011 HP Conference in Poultney with write-ups here and here.

Preservation Month 2013

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Rutland.jpg

The Service Building of the Gryphon Building Block in Rutland, VT.

It’s National Preservation Month! Hooray! Good stuff coming your way.

So Long 2012, Welcome 2013

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Here we are at the end of 2012. I hope it’s been a great one for you. Just as we all take a look at ourselves at the end of the year to see how we’ve grown and changed, I like to do the same for PiP in order to prepare for the upcoming year. So here I go: what a year it’s been for Preservation in Pink. Highlights have included:

Friends, you bring conversation, inspiration and lessons. Thank you! Need a quick overview of what PiP is all about? Read on. This year Preservation in Pink introduced a few new series and continued a few older series including:

Aside from series, the posts this year often focused on looking at the environment around us, learning to read the environment, learning to interpret the importance of everyday sights in our communities. Topics included (click these links to read the original posts):

Posts ventured beyond the streetscape to more abstract thoughts and/or random conversations about architecture, memories, and preservation thoughts. Here are just a few (click these links too):

Looking to 2013: what is in store? The series above will continue, two new mini-series will be introduced in January, and others will develop throughout the year. Bigger goals include cleaning up the blog pages, moving the blog platform, and working to improve the reach of Preservation in Pink while remaining true to the mission and current readers. Ideas, suggestions, conversations are always welcomed and encouraged. The success, growth, and reach of PiP is a testament to all of you and your interest in historic preservation. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You bring so much joy to this preservation loving gal.

What would you like to see on Preservation in Pink? What are your goals for 2013? What do you want to accomplish in preservation? What would you like to learn?

So long, farewell, 2012. Welcome 2013. Cheers to everyone and best wishes for an absolutely wonderful year, full of happiness, success and love.

2013