Salem

yesterday i went with my friend Heather to Salem MA to check it out. i've never been there before and it was a neat experience. Heather suggested that we stop at the vintage photo place first thing before the city got crowded. we had a great time playing the part. then we went to the Witch History Museum and took a tour of a dark basement that had life sized figures set in scenes of some of the historic happenings of the time. it was a bit creepy but it certainly helped to bring the history to life. we also went to the Witch Dungeon where they reenacted a part of the trial of Elizabeth Proctor from actual court records and transcriptions. the actresses were fabulous and they really helped me get a feel for what the accused experienced in those days. they also made sure to set the tone for the climate of witch hysteria by explaining that the settlers had experienced up to that time, dealing with wars with native Americana's, death by diseases, shortages of food and extremely harsh winters. when we went down into the dungeons we got to see a recreation of what the jail houses were like and where the poor prisoners were kept who could not afford to pay their own upkeep while in prison. there was even a large beam of wood that was recovered from the actual dungeon site mounted in the exhibit for all to see and touch. i touched the beam and felt how cool and rough and solid the wood still is after all these hundreds of years. i got to touch history for the first time in person. there is a legend that if a lady touches the beam it's good luck for you, and if a man touches the beam it's good luck *to* you. i did touch it, but not for the luck. i just wanted a chance to touch something so old that had been where these events happened.
there was even a yarn store in the center of town that i got a chance to go into and browse. i bought a single skein of pumpkin colored wool yarn in fingering weight for a set of hand warmers. i'm on a run with these now. after finishing my Lambertson's, a coworker asked to buy them and since they were my own creation i was actually able to sell them for once. then i had two other women ask for a pair so i had to go home and get started on another pair first thing that night. i worked on them all the way up to Salem, and while waiting in line at the exhibits. i'll have the pair done hopefully by Monday night.