Part Five: TEENI and Salem!

Preamble: Why I went to Boston (click here)  Part one of my Adventure (click here) Why Teeni is such a peach (click here) Learning the craft (click here)

The Friday of the Zentangle® seminar - i was nervously watching for anyone that might be Teeni and her husband TGH.  When i finally saw them pull up i ran out to meet them.  I recognized her immediately - because she's short.  ;)

She said she recognized me because of my glasses. HA!

I quickly ran back inside to say a farewell to all my new found Zentangle buddies and fellow CZT™s and we were on our way!  I was a little bit worried about our meeting, even though i reassured Teeni several times by email that it was going to be awesome... i thought - what if she thinks i'm not cool!  GASP!  What if it's really awkward and we have nothing to talk about! GASP!

Well, i certainly didn't have to worry about that last thing.  We hit the highway and we were babbling like school girls on their way to summer camp!  It was so relieving to have the connection in real life that we have in the virtual world. I was 100% comfortable from the moment we hugged in the parking lot.

I'm not sure what TGH thought of me, at first. ha ha... he was probably thinking: MAN, this Canadian girl can talk!! tee hee.  just kidding, he was also really great - and FUNNNNY!!! 

I'm was so lucky to have these two to show me around their beautiful state.  We drove up to Salem, Mass to check out the witches - and on the way there i marvelled at the difference between New England and the Skatch.  So...Many....Trees!!  I tried to convey to Teeni and TGH how the highways are different here.  I still have a thought to go out in the middle of nowhere and take pictures...flat.  Flat.... flat...FLAT!!  Lots of sky, though.

In the Skatch, i pride myself on having a pretty good sense of direction.  I generally know where i am all the time, y'know - some people get disoriented when they walk out of malls or movie theatres, not me.  i usually know which direction to go.  In Massachusetts i was TOTALLY disoriented.  I had no idea where i was MOST of the time.

The roads all turn and twist, but that's not it.  I figured it out - there's not as much sky! it's hard to see the sun.  I never realized how i took my bearing from the sun, but it turns out that i do!  LOL - if i didn't have TGH and his GPS, i would STILL be wandering around Salem trying to get back to the car.  (or CAH, in Boston-Speak)

I found Salem to be adorable.  Well, i found most of New England to be adorable!! How can it not be? it's the New World! There's so much history there, and as we were driving along the country it's not uncommon for houses to have plaques on them declaring the year they were built!  1700s!! some as early as the late 1600s!  amazing.

Salem is also very touristy.  It reminded me of being in Cancun - where there's all those shops and they all sell the same stuff - only instead of seashell magnets and tequila shooters, Salem is full of shops selling Witchcraft stuff.  Most of it was pretty hokey, a lot of the stores carried Harry Potter stuff and Twilight stuff... weird.

We decided to stay away from the tourist trap museums, the ones that really played up the hysteria of the witch trials - claiming: "This is what we THINK MAY HAVE HAPPENED!!! OOooOOOOOOOOOOOOooOOO...."

As we were only there for the afternoon, we decided to check out the Witch House.  The only building in Salem that had anything to do, historically, with the trails.  Not that any of the witches lived there.  It was the home of a judge who served on the trial.

here i am, all Vanna White and junk.... VOILA!  the Witch House!

I was surprised to learn that the Hysteria really only lasted about 9 months.  I don't know, i assumed it was years of women being killed.  For all the hype it's gotten, a person WOULD think it was a longer deal.  Although, if i was living at the time of the trials, it would probably have FELT like years. Scary.

They think that all the weird 'demonic' type behaviour shown by those poor girls may have been caused by Ergot poisoning - a fungus that grows on rye.  So, can you imagine eating a piece of bread one day, and then writing on the ground and foaming at the mouth - and then being sentenced to die??  Gahd.

 here we see the ever elusive, and seldom photographed, yet infamous, Teeni. 

TGH can also be seen here.

The house was really interesting, and there was a lot of information to take in.  For example - the wife of the judge had, like, a 16 kids or something - yet only a few of them made it to adulthood.  Small Pox, Fever, and death from infection were the leading causes... and judging on the form of modern medicine at the time - i'm be surprised if the "Cures" didn't do more harm than good.  Seriously.  According to them, Pee fixes everything.  And urine from varying sources! Humans, horses, small animals... witches...  PEE!!!

Here is a replica of a dress that Mrs. Judge may have worn at the time. 

I can't imagine wearing all those layers, plus petticoats, plus stockings, plus HEADGEAR everyday. HOT HOT Summers, Cold and Miserable winters... with no streets or pavement... i imagine mud and water weighing those skirts down....

After the Witch House, we wandered over to the Cemetery where i had planned on doing some Gravestone rubbings.... HOWEVER - posted on the gate was a big sign that said: NO RUBBINGS! Dammit.  I didn't want to be a rebel, so i took pictures instead. 

Here's a photo of me and an amazing tree in the graveyard.

We wandered through the Witch Trail Memorial... it was very sad to see the names of all those girls who were murdered.  A few men, too!  The majority of them were hanged for their "Crimes"... one guy was "pressed to death" whatever that means... torture?

Carved in the stones on the ground entering the memorial were the last words of each of the victims... and it's heart breaking.  Each of them declared their innocence to the end.  I wish i would have taken a picture.

By now it was getting close to supper time, so we headed back to Teeni's hometown.  We went to an amazing Mexican Restaurant for supper... i'm still dreaming about that delicious guacamole, guys, i'm serious!  And also, this delicious pink drink of FANTASTIC...it was like a mouth-gasm.

I would also like to bring this photo to your attention:

 my lovely hosts!

Please note: The size of Teeni vs the size of her Margarita!!!  Oooh yeah, it was GOOD times!! lol

We ate, laughed, talked, had a wonderful time - and then it was off to beddy bye for me... us preggo's get tired - don'tchaknow.  

Next stop: Hahvahd Yahd, and Boston!!