I waited to tell you until I knew for sure, and now I do. So the news is that Jamie Wyeth, a good and abutting neighbor on three sides, is buying Roseledge. I sold it “as is” so it will remain a classic Maine cottage and a Sea Street counterpoint to Harry’s graceful c.1861 cape next door, and, further down the hill, Ginny Wheeler’s c.1831 “farm” house, both beautifully renewed by Dave Lowell, who, until two years ago, lived down the hill and across Sea Street. So the neighborhood remains grounded, with Roseledge’s stone wall a welcome respite for walkers-by of varied heights, who want a break half-way up the hill. Good to remember that some walls offer comfort and joy. I expect the closing to be in the next 2 weeks.
ALSO NOTEWORTHY
Last Saturday, I completed the Saturday NYT Crossword puzzle — which is VERY hard; Friday is hard — with only two Google searches for obscure names, which I consider growing, not cheating. “Wow!” I say. Let’s hear it for the usefulness of reading much and widely, as Roseledge Books made easy to do, and being a reference librarian. According to research reported in US News of 5/16, because I do daily crossword puzzles and sudokus, I am rapidly turning into a spring-ish chicken.
And now, a big YES! The Obama Presidential Library will have no traditional book collection. Surely, they will have digital access to all of his materials anywhere and the expertise and equipment on hand to help searchers gain access to any items housed anywhere. They will have on hand people who are Obama experts, who can help searchers set boundaries of relevant materials, find records as yet unidentified, know how to digitize the as yet undigitized, develop search-able indexes, e.g. a list of people of interest, and make more permanent the sources too-easily lost to changing technology. This is all music to my ears, as those of you who have known me for way too many years (Hello, Metro State friends!) will attest. And Robert Caro would not have had to travel to twelve (or so) presidential libraries when writing about Lyndon Johnson, as he says he did in his new book, Working, which I have just started and love. Truth alert: Okay, I added a few details to the Obama Library article cited below because I forgot how to insert, but CLEARLY they were inferred.
Jamie has let me know how welcome I am, anytime I want to come out. I love knowing this, but it won’t be this summer. Come late June, I am moving to Seattle to keep an eye on Charlie. But maybe next year. However, Roseledge may be for rent this summer. Several of you left notes in my door last summer asking if I ever rented it out. I didn’t, but the new owner may, and it will be wonderful, as always, with the occasional rough spot tended to and the too-effusive bush by the light pole cut way back. If you are interested, contact Mary Beth Dolan by email at bb.midcoast@gmail.com or by snail mail at P.O. Box 445, Tenants Harbor, ME 04860.
Meanwhile, I will miss you all, but do not expect for a minute that I will stop having AND SHARING opinions about books because readers matter, especially Roseledge readers.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/arts/obama-presidential-center-library-national-archives-and-records-administration.html