Caretaker makes historic house a home ? Local News ...

BEVERLY ? Nancy Peabody Hood has so much information about the Balch House that she?s not sure where it all comes from.

?Don?t ask me how I know this,? she?ll say, before launching into a story about how a teenage Joseph Balch was killed by Indians, or how the mischievous Obear boys burned down John Balch?s barn.

Hood?s knowledge of the history of the Balch House is so deep and intuitive because, for the last 42 years, she has literally lived it. Since 1970, she has not only given tours to generation of visitors but has lived in what is one of the country?s oldest houses.

On Saturday, the Beverly Historical Society will recognize the 88-year-old caretaker as a ?unique and irreplaceable treasure? during a reunion of Balch family members at the Balch House.

?She cares deeply about the house, and she cares deeply about the family history,? Beverly Historical Society Director Susan Goganian said. ?She does all this because she is really devoted.?

Hood grew up in Danvers and lived in the Cove section of Beverly for 20 years before she saw an ad in the paper looking for a caretaker for the Balch House, which is owned by the Beverly Historical Society.

Hood has always loved antiques and thought living in the 17th-century house would be a unique experience. When she heard there were 14 other applicants, she reminded the historical society director at the time how much she wanted the job by calling him every night at 6.

?I knew he went to bed at 7,? she said.

Hood, who raised four children as a single mother after her husband died when she was 36, moved into the Balch House with her mother and youngest son. Three years later, she learned through a family genealogy that she was a direct descendant of the house?s original owner, John Balch.

Because of Hood?s presence, the Balch House is open for tours (for $5) Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. from June to October, no appointment necessary.

?We could not make this house available if she was not here,? Goganian said. ?Our staff is small, and it?s very unlikely we could find somebody who would be willing to do this.?

Hood lives in two rooms on the first floor of the ?new? section of the house, which has two bedrooms on the second floor. That section is heated, unlike the oldest part of the house. Hood said she once brought a bowl of water upstairs in the old section and it froze in an hour.

Hood recently gave a tour to a woman who had lived in the Balch House in 1940. The woman told her that the house?s only closet used to be an icehouse.

At 88, Hood gets around well enough to climb the steep stairs to the second floor. She shows the bedroom where David Balch reportedly saw three witches before he died.

In the other bedroom, she grabs a wooden ?key? and demonstrates how to tighten a bed made of ropes. When it?s time to clean the sheets, which date to around 1750, she takes them to the laundromat.

?I love it,? she said of her caretaker role. ?I like old houses, and I met a lot of people in 42 years.?

Saturday?s tribute to Hood is part of a weekend of activities by the Beverly Historical Society called the Old Planters Reunion and Balch Family Meeting. Descendants of the Balch family and Beverly?s other 17th-century families are invited. The weekend will include a trolley tour focusing on the witchcraft era, a walking tour of early Beverly, an exploration of North Beverly cemetery and tours of First Period homes.

Robin Balch Hodgkins, a Balch descendant from Scituate who plans to attend, said Hood?s commitment and dedication to the Balch House means a lot to members of the Balch family.

?You have to have somebody living there and taking care of it. It can?t be left empty,? Hodgkins said. ?She truly has presented our story and preserved the home and our heritage.?

Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or pleighton@salemnews.com.

Source: http://www.salemnews.com/local/x964641450/Caretaker-makes-historic-house-a-home

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Grief stages can be likened to pinball machine workings, Baylor University Researcher says

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Sep-2012
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Contact: Terry Goodrich
terry_goodrich@baylor.edu
254-710-3321
Baylor University

WACO, Texas (Sept. 25, 2012) Moving through the traditional stages of grief can be as unpredictable as playing a pinball machine, with triggers of sorrow acting like pinball rudders to send a mourner into a rebound rather than an exit, according to a case study by a Baylor University researcher and a San Antonio psychologist.

For some, grieving is complete after the loss is accepted. But for others, such events as the anniversary of a death or a scene that jogs the memory can send them slamming into grief again, according to a case study by Margaret Baier, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the family and consumer sciences department at Baylor and a marriage and family therapist, and Ruth Buechsel, a psychologist at Brooke Army Medical Center. Their study appears in the September Mental Health Practice nursing journal.

Baier, who teaches in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences, developed the model of the pinball machine, recognizing its potential to be used as a metaphor to help those in mourning make sense of their chaotic experience and be prepared when grief is triggered or prolonged by other events.

The five stages of grief denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance were set out in a model by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kbler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying, inspired by her work with terminal patients and their survivors. She noted that the process might not be sequential, but many expect it to end with acceptance.

In the case of Heather (a pseudonym), 24, the woman in the researchers' case study, she learned of her father's illness when she was several thousand miles from her family attending graduate school, Baier said.

With a close family, strong faith and no history of psychological problems before she went through marital and divorce therapy, she could not grasp the news that this would be her last Christmas with her father, who was relatively young with a healthy lifestyle and no family history of cancer. Being far away from her family made it easier for Heather to deny the impending death.

She often "bargained" in the form of prayer, offering various areas of her life in exchange for her father's health. When her bargaining was not successful, she stopped attending church and praying, questioned her religious beliefs and grew angry at those who suggested her lack of faith was why her father was not being healed.

While she did not meet the criteria for clinical depression, she was sad and tearful daily, feeling hopeless and guilty. She lost her appetite, felt fatigued, missed work and lost interest in her studies, believing she would never be happy again. She finally accepted the diagnosis, but then struggled as she saw her father handle his business affairs, prepare for his death, suffer through treatments and eventually die.

In Heather's case, using the pinball analogy gave her "a sense of relief that she was not crazy" and would be able to feel joy again, Baier said. "One of the most freeing aspects of this model is the notion that grief is never complete."

Through the years, Heather reported that a scent, a song on the radio or a piece of literature sometimes reminded her of the pain she once felt. But "eventually, she returned to acceptance, knowing that grief was resting but not gone."

The model also has potential for helping those coping with separation or divorce, loss of employment or financial loss, as well as to help those people close to them understand and offer support, Baier said.

###



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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Sep-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Terry Goodrich
terry_goodrich@baylor.edu
254-710-3321
Baylor University

WACO, Texas (Sept. 25, 2012) Moving through the traditional stages of grief can be as unpredictable as playing a pinball machine, with triggers of sorrow acting like pinball rudders to send a mourner into a rebound rather than an exit, according to a case study by a Baylor University researcher and a San Antonio psychologist.

For some, grieving is complete after the loss is accepted. But for others, such events as the anniversary of a death or a scene that jogs the memory can send them slamming into grief again, according to a case study by Margaret Baier, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the family and consumer sciences department at Baylor and a marriage and family therapist, and Ruth Buechsel, a psychologist at Brooke Army Medical Center. Their study appears in the September Mental Health Practice nursing journal.

Baier, who teaches in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences, developed the model of the pinball machine, recognizing its potential to be used as a metaphor to help those in mourning make sense of their chaotic experience and be prepared when grief is triggered or prolonged by other events.

The five stages of grief denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance were set out in a model by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kbler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying, inspired by her work with terminal patients and their survivors. She noted that the process might not be sequential, but many expect it to end with acceptance.

In the case of Heather (a pseudonym), 24, the woman in the researchers' case study, she learned of her father's illness when she was several thousand miles from her family attending graduate school, Baier said.

With a close family, strong faith and no history of psychological problems before she went through marital and divorce therapy, she could not grasp the news that this would be her last Christmas with her father, who was relatively young with a healthy lifestyle and no family history of cancer. Being far away from her family made it easier for Heather to deny the impending death.

She often "bargained" in the form of prayer, offering various areas of her life in exchange for her father's health. When her bargaining was not successful, she stopped attending church and praying, questioned her religious beliefs and grew angry at those who suggested her lack of faith was why her father was not being healed.

While she did not meet the criteria for clinical depression, she was sad and tearful daily, feeling hopeless and guilty. She lost her appetite, felt fatigued, missed work and lost interest in her studies, believing she would never be happy again. She finally accepted the diagnosis, but then struggled as she saw her father handle his business affairs, prepare for his death, suffer through treatments and eventually die.

In Heather's case, using the pinball analogy gave her "a sense of relief that she was not crazy" and would be able to feel joy again, Baier said. "One of the most freeing aspects of this model is the notion that grief is never complete."

Through the years, Heather reported that a scent, a song on the radio or a piece of literature sometimes reminded her of the pain she once felt. But "eventually, she returned to acceptance, knowing that grief was resting but not gone."

The model also has potential for helping those coping with separation or divorce, loss of employment or financial loss, as well as to help those people close to them understand and offer support, Baier said.

###



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/bu-gsc092512.php

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Wigan manager Martinez charged over ref criticism

Associated Press Sports

updated 9:55 a.m. ET Sept. 26, 2012

LONDON (AP) -The English Football Association has charged Wigan manager Roberto Martinez for publicly criticizing a referee.

Martinez was unhappy about a penalty being awarded to Manchester United, and about Danny Welbeck avoiding a red card in Wigan's 4-0 loss on Sept. 15.

The FA says Martinez was charged over "media comments which implied that the match referee and/or match officials in general are motivated by bias and/or brought the game into disrepute."

Martinez described Welbeck's challenge on Wigan forward Franco di Santo as "completely reckless," claiming there were tackles "if they had been the other way round ... would have been a couple of red cards."

Martinez said that at Old Trafford, Wigan "don't seem to be measured in the same manner as the team at home."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The October 5th edition of Entertainment Weekly has a built-in Twitter feed (really)

The October 5 edition of Entertainment Weekly has a builtin Twitter feed really

Youth-oriented TV drama factory The CW is hoping that Entertainment Weekly readers are interested in taking Twitter from smartphones and computers to the printed page -- er, at least a printed page with an LCD insert attached. The October 5th issue of EW features a miniature LCD display with the six most recent posts to its Twitter feed (@CW_Network), as well as a "short video showing stars of new CW shows," according to The New York Times. Yes, seriously -- an LCD screen with some form of internet connection embedded directly into copies of a physical magazine. "Emily Owens M.D." -- a new show on The CW -- is the first to receive direct promo treatment via the magazine's LCD display. It's unclear if all issues of the Oct. 5 edition will contain the embedded video screen (only 50,000 issues of a 2009 EW issue ran an embedded Pepsi video ad, for instance).

CW executive VP Rick Haskins said the company's social media team overseeing the project will only filter out "profanity or other unacceptable language." As for negative tweets, however, those are fair game. Not that we'd encourage such things, but this setup sounds all too ripe for exploitation by the denizens of the internet. Do with the information as you will, unscrupulous readers.

Filed under: , ,

The October 5th edition of Entertainment Weekly has a built-in Twitter feed (really) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/25/the-october-5th-edition-of-entertainment-weekly-has-a-built-in-t/

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Addressing Common Concerns of Empty Nesters Considering ...

?

As more and more children of Baby Boomers head out on their own many of these empty nester parents start to consider selling the large family home and downsizing. There?s a lot to love about a smaller home ? less time and money required for home maintenance, less expensive to heat and cool, smaller mortgage payment ? particularly in highly desirable locations such as on the water or in a great area of the city. Active retirees are often drawn to the amenities in many communities that have smaller homes or condos such as golf courses, boating, tennis, hiking, and more.

When working with clients considering downsizing it?s easy to get excited about these benefits, and to showcase how much fun this type of lifestyle can be. Most won?t miss mowing the lawn or cleaning four bathrooms, but it can be a very emotional thing to consider parting with a home you?ve lived in for many years and raised a family in. Even for families that moved around a lot downsizing can be a tough transition to think about.

Here are some ways to talk with your clients about their concerns:

1) No room for family and visitors.
This is often the biggest sticking point for those with far flung relatives. The home might too big for one or two people fifty weeks out of the year but when all the children, spouses, and grandchildren arrive in town for Thanksgiving or Christmas it?s bursting at the seams. It can be hard to consider a home that won?t have enough room to host these family gatherings, but there are other options. Is there a great hotel or bed and breakfast nearby where out of town guests could stay comfortably? Some larger communities even have an onsite hotel within walking distance. What about renting a vacation home where everyone can gather on holidays, either nearby or in a fun new designation each year? Maybe it?s time to give Mom a break from roasting the turkey every year and rotate the hosting duties among the adult children, who might love the chance! It can be tough at first to rethink time tested family traditions, but there are a lot of great options.

2) Having to part with possessions.
Moving from a large home filled with furniture, clothing, books, dishes, artwork, etc, etc, into a smaller space that will accommodate only a fraction of these items is daunting to say the least. It requires a lot of time, and can be an emotional experience to get rid of meaningful belongings. Help your clients picture what a beautifully decorated smaller home can look like by showing them model homes in the communities they are considering. This might get them excited about living among a carefully curated collection of the things they?ve accumulated over the years. Heirlooms can be passed down to children, valuable pieces sold, and everyday items donated to charity (often with a tax benefit.)

It?s important to focus on the positive aspects of the move while acknowledging and addressing any concerns about the change.

Source: http://www.wannanetwork.com/2012/09/25/addressing-common-concerns-of-empty-nesters-considering-downsizing/

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Adu brace keeps Union hopes alive

Freddy Adu scored twice as the Philadelphia Union beat the Houston Dynamos 3-1 on Sunday to end an eight-game winless streak and remain in Major League Soccer play-off contention in the Eastern Conference.

Adu opened the scoring in the 28th minute and then scored a second from the penalty spot after 50, Josue Martinez then scoring his first MLS goal with 20 minutes remaining.

Boniek Garcia scored for Houston in the 44th minute.

Branko Boskovic scored the only goal in DC United's 1-0 defeat of Chivas USA in a cross-Conference match which keeps the capital club within two wins of the summit of the Eastern Conference.

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Luke Donald: a 'hometown' star on the other team

MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) ? The Ryder Cup comes to Chicago for the first time, and it's only fitting that the Windy City can claim one of the players as its own.

Luke Donald spent four years at Northwestern, winning an NCAA title and graduating with a degree in art. He married a local girl and never found reason to settle anywhere else. He lives on the North Side and suffers annually with Cubs fans. After the Ryder Cup, he and his wife will pick apples in the country for her birthday.

There's only one catch ? Donald is English.

The only "hometown" player in this Ryder Cup will be playing for the visiting team.

"Unique, isn't it?" Donald said.

This is not the first time for a Ryder Cup held in the United States to include European players who make their primary home in America ? Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose (Orlando, Fla.), Paul Casey (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Jesper Parnevik (Jupiter, Fla.) to name a few. But those are seen as golf communities. Chicago is among the world's great sports cities, and it's one of the best golf markets in America.

It is expected to be loud at Medinah when the matches begin Friday, and there is little doubt that will give the Americans a big edge in crowd support.

So where does that leave Donald?

"The way I look at it is the home team has the biggest advantage," he said. "Just taking away 1 percent of the crowd support, that's a help to our team. And that's the way I'm looking at it. But, yeah, it's kind of odd. I don't play Medinah that much. I've played it twice in the last five weeks or something like that. I don't really go there that much. Staying in a hotel 20 miles away from where you live is kind of strange, but that's the way it goes."

Donald will have support from more than just a few friends and family members. Europeans are coming across for the Ryder Cup, too, and you'll be able to hear them singing around the first tee and belting out that "Ole, ole, ole ole" across the tree-lined course.

But it won't quite be the same as what Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes heard at Valhalla in their native Kentucky, the reception Padraig Harrington and the Irish boys received at The K Club, Jose Maria Olazabal at Valderrama or Lee Westwood at The Belfry.

Donald is very much English. He just happens to love Chicago, which is why he never left.

He first saw the city during a brief recruiting trip in April. Donald got off the plane and saw snow covering the ground.

"I was wondering how I was going to play golf in college when it was still a little chilly out," he said. "That was my first impression. And then my coach took me around to all the courses, just amazing golf courses. I had never seen anything like that coming from England. Also just amazed at college sports in general, just how big everything was. Our stadium was 55,000, and that was considered small in college sports. That's a big Premier League football stadium in England."

It was at Northwestern that he met his wife, Diane. They started getting serious right before he turned pro, while she was still a sophomore at Northwestern. That was enough reason to stay, though not the only reason. Donald remains with Pat Goss, his coach at Northwestern. His friends outside golf are in Chicago.

Most players turn pro and move to Florida, Texas or Arizona.

Donald used to stay with friends when he went to Florida in the winter to keep his golf game sharp. Now he has a house in Jupiter and plays out of The Bear's Club when it turns cold up north. But his main home is Chicago. It's been that way for years, and probably will be for some time.

"I think you become familiar with a place," Donald said. "I had a lot of friends. My coach, Pat, was probably a big reason, too. I started dating Diane a couple months before I got my tour card, but we met when I was in college. I didn't really have any reason to go anywhere else, other than the weather. But you always stay where you feel comfortable. And I felt very comfortable in Chicago."

This isn't the first time Donald is playing a Ryder Cup on American soil. He made his debut at Oakland Hills outside Detroit in 2004 as a captain's pick, though not many paid attention. He had only one PGA Tour win at the time ? the Southern Farm Bureau Classic ? and three wins worldwide.

Donald only recently relinquished the No. 1 ranking to Rory McIlroy. Until then, he had been at No. 1 for a total of 56 weeks. Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros are the only other players who had been No. 1 longer since the ranking began in 1986.

Even now, Donald has an unassuming manner that doesn't draw much attention. Heads don't turn when he walks into a restaurant or shows up at an event.

Donald remains active with Northwestern, particularly the golf team. He is involved with The First Tee in Chicago, along with the Ronald McDonald house. They have two young daughters, but still take time to go to restaurants, sports events, along with arts shows and museums.

"We like blending in," Diane Donald said. "Everything is so easy to get to in Chicago, and it has everything. It's kind of funny because I felt like I waited my entire life to leave Chicago, and now we have a home in Florida that's empty half the year. Luke loves being here."

Only at Medinah, he won't feel entirely at home.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/luke-donald-hometown-star-other-team-154709530--golf.html

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