Tuesday, September 11, 2007

9/11 Rememberence, My new ledger and MyGoodDeed.org and Free Image Tuesday...

Today is the anniversary of 9/11. I found a wonderful website called My Good Deed at http://www.mygooddeed.org/. It is a site to pledge a good deed in honor of 9/11. If you have a chance please visit and pledge your good deed. One man pledged to meet people's eyes and smile when he passed them and one little boy pledged to help a friend with his homework:) It is a wonderful way to turn those horrible hours and days and months and now years that have followed 9/11 into a way to make things better for others and yourself.


I received a new ledger yesterday. I originally bought it for the ETSY store. And I have been waiting patiently for it to arrive in the mail. It is a leather bound ledger from 1829.

After opening the package I realized it was more beautiful and more exquisite then I had imagined. I knew then when I saw it that it did not belong with me. But, you know how I love those ledgers:)

So, I thought about it all night and this morning I spent the better part of the morning reading over the 1829 newspaper clippings that were inside trying to find where it came from and what it was used for so long ago. There are no indications inside the ledger. The person who sold it to me said it was a general store ledger, but it is not from a store. I believe that it is a lawyer's ledger or a debtor's prison ledger that keeps track of debts and unpaid loans. I gleaned from the newspaper clippings found inside that it was from Hudson, New York.


I then searched Hudson, NY and found out that it was in Columbia County. I checked the early 1800's censuses for that area and found almost all the names of the men in the ledger so that confirmed it's origin for me. I knew then that I needed to send it where it really belonged. So I contacted the Columbia County Historical Society and spoke with Helen the curator. I told her what I had figured out about the ledger and she asked if I was interested in selling it to them for their archives. I told her that I would be donating it to them and she was so excited. She said their accquisition funds were limited. So, I am mailing it off this afternoon. It feels so right and good. I am thrilled that this was my good deed for 9/11 and the fact that the ledger was originally from New York makes it even better.
I know you are all thinking that my good deed should have been to answer all of your sweet and wonderful comments:) LOL! James has been sick and I have yet to have a free Tuesday or Thursday. Bare with me sweeties! You know I love you all:) Love, Jamie
These are photos of the ledger and then scans of some the ledger pages and newspaper clippings. Those pages are your Free Image Tuesday and they would make awesome backgrounds for your collage work:)


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