Survived!

Talks are over, and I did pretty well! I didn't get that many questions, and I can't tell if that is good or bad, but in any case, it's over! This is a cool competition, endowed by some long-ago fund at the museum. You apply to present research, and so four of us got it this year. The topics were on a Hellenic krater, a portrait of Mrs Chinnery by Elizabeth Vigee le Brun, one of John Marin's etchings of the Brooklyn Bridge, and Howard Chandler Christy's book illustrations (me!). I was in really good company--everyone else did a great job. Whoever wins gets $600, and everyone else gets a $125 gift certificate to the fine arts bookstore. And let me tell you, there are some CUTE earrings in that bookstore! There are four judges, and you are judged based on your scholarliness (a real word?), originality of research, and presentation. My friends brought both cookies AND cupcakes, so there were treats involved--I'm glad I'm with such collegial people!

I'm in the process of making butternut squash soup, the best around--the recipe is courtesy of one of my ex-professors (Dunbar! for those of you who know him) and it's got orange rind and curry and lots of amazingness in it. The last time I made it I exploded it out of my blender and burned myself, but I now have an immersion blender, so maybe fewer injuries this time around. I might even go crazy and make a bacon and grilled cheese sandwich. Then I'm going to read my current fun book (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court) and The Grinch is on (the old, good one) then a Masterpiece Theater with the divine Emma Thompson and the even more divine Alan Rickman. Tomorrow it's back to business as usual, although oddly I do have dinner invites or shows planned for almost every night next week. A social life?! Me?! Sweet. Two phone interviews in there, too, so it'll be the usual busy time, too. But for now--whew. One thing over.