Blog #29: Display project progress report

With less than a week to assemble our displays, you might think that we'd be in a panic. Not yet. Not yet. Today I have several things on my checklist. One being taking a trip down to the river and getting at least three gallons of sand/grit and then drying it. As for my team, I was pleasantly suprised by their creative enthusiam last Thursday. Both had some excellent stories and were very decisive in their opinions as to what they felt worked and what didn't. I LOVE decisive input whether I agree with it or not.

It appears that the other groups are taking a humorous approach to their displays. So, it was decided that all our pieces would have a dignified and somber tone to it. Not to say that they're all depressing. Some of our pieces are rather heartwarming, even cute but the spirit in which their messages were sent adrift is quite serious. The display isn't so much about the message but rather the history put together from the evidence exctracted from the piece. This could be the language the message is written in, the date, the names given, immigration records, the dating of coins, etc. Not all the stories can be complete. Each piece is accompanied by a small plaque that gives any known information and transcriptions of any text that was found, as well as the story that this puts togethers.

For example (a little teaser for you): On a piece of drift wood found in Portugal 1948 is carved "Aleera & Stavros. A love that fills the ocean. 1919" From this, Greek marital records were scanned. An Aleera Athas & Stavros Cali were married on the 30th of November 1922. This date spans the Greco-Turkish war where turkish territories were fighting for independence. Stavros Cali fought in this war. This would suggest that Aleera and Stavros were together before the war, carved this piece of wood together just before Stavros went off to war (which he survived), and were married shortly after his return. They were marred for 68 years and are survived by over 4 generations including 23 great-grandchildren. Family members have verified this.