As September winds down, autumn is making its presence known. This morning’s temperatures dipped into the 50s, and the air had that crisp feeling that’s so distinctive of fall. Here at Haywood Hall, some of our trees are beginning to show their fall colors as you can see in this photo I took last weekend. I was playing around with our old watering can, but the tree in the background almost steals the show.
As a friend said to me the other day, Daisy’s been sitting in that window for a long time. The summer completely got away from me, and I gave almost no time to my photography interests. I did take a few photos of Haywood Hall weddings, which you can find on the Haywood Hall blog.
While I didn’t work in a lot of time for leisure this summer, I did make a few trips home in late August. The timing was completely deliberate; I had to be sure to make it in time to enjoy my favorite summer treat — boiled peanuts.
I haven’t had much time for photography lately. Wedding season at Haywood Hall has demanded a good bit of my attention (I have photographed some of the wedding set-ups; those photos can be found on the Haywood Hall blog.). NCSU may be out for the summer, but I still have lots of school work to keep me busy. I’m working on my dissertation proposal and preparing for my comprehensive exams which I will be taking later this summer.
All that is to say that I’ve been spending a lot of time at home and in the library. It’s probably been good that I’ve been around home so much since Daisy Cat was sick last week. I’m happy to report she’s feeling much better now — she’s back to perching between me and the keyboard while I type.
Here’s a photo I took of her earlier in May. She spends hours each day lying on the back of the sofa and looking out of the window. Wedding guests sometimes comment on seeing her there looking out at all of their activity. She appears to watch their celebration with only a detached interest. It’s when the squirrels are out that she gets excited.
Mary’s desk occupies one corner of the Haywood Hall parlor, and it’s not one of the items we typically highlight on the tours. In fact, it sometimes seems to blend in to the background. Yet I think it’s one of the more interesting items in the house because it still bears Mary’s fingerprints. Open a drawer and you’ll find snippets to remind you of her life — a program from a Colonial Dames meeting, a letter acknowledging her donation to a scholarship fund, a faded newspaper clipping.
Mary’s desk reminds me that Haywood Hall was a home and that real people lived here.
Mary Haywood Fowle Stearns was the great-granddaughter of John Haywood and the last Haywood to live at Haywood Hall.
This semester several of the NC State education classes have been conducting research at Haywood Hall. I have enjoyed working with these students, and I’m excited about the projects they are completing. One student is working with our textile collection, and I have found her project particularly interesting. Last week she and I were discussing how she might photograph individual items for digitization. She mentioned using padded hangers and then finding a good place to hang the items. I liked the idea so much that I borrowed it for today’s photograph.
What I love about this dress is that it is so decidedly feminine. After a quick internet search, I’m guessing that it might be an Edwardian lawn dress, but I’m not completely sure. I would love to hear from any reader who might be able to offer more information.
Well, I said yesterday that Memorial Bell Tower is NC State’s iconic image, so how could I not include it in this photo project? This morning’s ominous sky was perfect for adding drama to the images.
Just across from the Bell Tower is Holladay Hall, the oldest building on NC State’s Campus. It is now home to the Chancellor’s Office.
Memorial Bell Tower is the iconic image of North Carolina State University, and it is one I have grown to love. Yet for many years the Alumni Centennial Gateway was the symbol I most associated with NC State. During my Meredith years, I drove into Raleigh on Gorman Street. When I reached the intersection of Gorman and Western Boulevard, I would look over to my right, there was NC State. Back then, this monument symbolized my image of State. It was edgy and modern, which perfectly matched this small-town Meredith girl’s image of NCSU.
Today I observed student teachers, which meant I got to spend the day in middle school. It’s wonderful to go into a school and experience the creativity of the teachers and the energy of the students. Being with them makes me feel more creative and more energetic. Yet as much as I enjoy it, it brings out a powerful sense of discontentment from somewhere deep inside of me. I don’t notice it while I’m at school. Only after I’m in my car and driving home does it begin to nag at me. It is such a familiar feeling, but for a long time, it was one I could not name. I tried to put it into words, but I failed. Then one day I realized it already had a name — it’s called homesickness.
I miss middle school. I miss the drama of eighth graders. I miss homeroom, school lunches, and lost library books. I miss hearing my name called so many times that it echoes in my mind after I go to bed at night.
It’s been a good day. I’ve gotten an incredible amount of work done, and I really enjoyed this evening’s qualitative research class. As I was looking for an object to photograph tonight, I felt like it was the right day for the 1820 Geib piano. Classic and dignified, it speaks of potential and creativity.
