Time of the Month

Mother May I Take a Break?

Happy May, belated Happy Mother's Day to the mothers out there, and Happy Memorial Day to the veterans and service members out there! Bonus points if you're both.

I'm writing this entry from across the state, where I've been exploring different areas of Virginia for Memorial Day weekend, including Colonial Williamsburg and the original Jamestown settlement. Seems appropriate for Memorial Day to dive headfirst into the history of America's beginnings. Honestly, it wasn't that long ago. If I've learned anything, it's that things haven't changed all that much since then. There's a lot of traditions and legacies, some harmful and some just weird, that have carried over from English rule and religious institutions that are still in place today. And people were JUST as divided at the time, about whether to declare independence or remain loyal to England.

Also, according to the 45-minute informational video we watched, the colonists already had fully fledged American accents. Fascinating.

This month has been much better than the last one.

Highlights:

I gave another talk, this time to experts around the world in my very specific field. Big names to me, probably no one you've ever heard of. I was invited as the first author on the paper we just published back in February. I have to say, if you'll forgive the bragging, it went really well. Better than the talk last month. You should really only compare yourself to yourself, as a general rule.

The lab has increased in size again, with two new undergraduate students that I am now in charge of for the next 10 weeks. It's an intense summer research program where they get to take on an independent project in the lab and present their results with a poster at the end. It's a great experience for them, and I like mentoring and working with students. That said, it is another full time job on top of my actual full time job, as they come in with no lab experience at all and need almost constant supervision and direction.

I finally got an actual vacation, if only for a long weekend. It almost didn't happen, the universe itself was conspiring against it. Including the weather. But I decided to do it anyway, and I'm glad I did.

I've had some of the best food I've ever tasted on this trip. Delicious Indian curries with na'an, mahi mahi tacos and ceviche from a Mexican hole-in-the-wall, handmade Brunswick stew and onion pye at a tavern in colonial Williamsburg. I have been eating well, my friends.

I'll be heading back tomorrow, after spending the morning at Jamestown. Then back to reality and the 21st century…

But first, I have a “Myth of the Month” for you!

 

“George Washington wore a powdered wig and wooden teeth.”

At the time, most men, and some women, wore wigs. They came in a range of color, including unnatural colors like bright blues and purples, and a range of quality and extravagance. Darker wigs were considered more informal, while white powdered wigs were used for formal events and fancy parties. This was because the white hair was reflective and much more visible by candlelight, while darker hair would simply disappear in the darkness. But George Washington's hair was actually his real hair, not a wig. Also, he did not have wooden teeth, he had dentures with a metal frame and a mixture of horse and human teeth.

Source: The folks at Colonial Williamsburg.