Thursday night – making makers

Long busy day… with two interesting after work meetings.. both on the Maker front. First was a really nice ‘Maker Mixer’ that my friend John A hosted at his house.. It had folks from all over northern and central Vermont who were doing something around the maker movement.. The   room was packed with folks representing maker groups, makerspaces, makerfaire, the arts community, the state, the city…Here’s the agenda so you get a sense of all that is going on here..

PROGRAM

  • Welcome – Curt Carter, GBIC; Doug Webster, CMF
  • Renewing our Culture of Innovation – John Abele, Founder, Boston Scientific Corporation
  • Champlain Maker Faire – Doug Webster, Executive Producer, Champlain Maker Faire
  • Cool Things at the Maker Faire – Jan Herder, Johnson State College; Jon Bondy, Data Innovations, Champlain Maker Faire Program Directors
  • Makers on the Move: Examples of Makers in our Community – Ken Howell, Champlain College, Emergent Media Center and Vermont Makers
  • Robot Maker:  FIRST Robotics – Joe Chase and students, Essex High School and Center for Technology, Essex
  • Renewing Vermont’s Culture of Innovation and Enterprise Development – Lawrence Miller, Secretary, Agency of Commerce
  • Vermont Makers:  Creating Makers in Residence – Jenn Karson, Vermont Makers and Sesamedia, Inc.
  • A New Maker Space:  Burlington’s Generator Maker Space – Michael Metz, Doreen Kraft, Burlington City Arts
  • Vermont School Maker Spaces: Status – Doug Webster, Vermont Agency of Education
  • National Perspective on Secondary Engineering Education – Vince Bertram, Project Lead The Way
  • Next Generation Manufacturing College Pathways – Dr. Karen Birch, Connecticut College of Technology
  • How You Can Help: Mentor, Sponsor, Volunteer, Outreach, Projects – Doug Webster, CMF

it was SO gratifying to see all of hthis energy around people workign with their hands and minds..

Two things I’d like to pass on to readers here from that meeting…..

  1. We’re still looking for a few more makers for th Champlain makerfaire on Sept 28/29.. If you kow someone who makes cool stuff. please ask them to go sign up here.
  2. Also.. we would also like folks from Vermont who are interested in Makerspaces to take this survey  about the Generator makerspace planned for Memorial auditorium

OK.. thanks for the help !

 

2nd meeting was about Lakecraft.. the project i’m part of that has mapped the Lake champlain basin to the online game Minecraft..The project idea came out to the ECHO lake summit earlier this summer.. and was brought (by Nina) to the Civic Day of Hacking ..   A pretty cool example of software activism !

Will, Nick and I met over at Nina’s.. and she made us yummy thai food.. We discussed soem of the additional features we need and heard abotu soem of Nina’s results around testing it on kids.. and so far, so good.if you dont count kids dumping hot lava on everything..

. here are a few screen shots..

 

image1 image1 image2 image2 image3

 

OK.. thats it for tonight.. more tomorrow

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Wednesday night – bluebird

Diane and i woke up in Endicott after 9 hours of sleep last night.. We packed, said goodbye to Dianes mom.. Then drove to the hospital to visit Diane's dad, gabe. Gabe was still asleep..he looked pretty good.. We sat with him for about half an hour .. My sister in law pat was there visiting with gabe as well.. So we used the time to catch up with her.

Around 9 we got back in the car and headed toward home…it was a beautiful day to be in an air conditioned with the temperature in the 90's. diane drove the whol way leaving me free to bug here.. Work and sleep.. What a luxury.

We got home just in time to grab a car and drive tot he airport to return the rental car…, drive hoem and jump into the pool.. We hbit had stuff going tonight.. Diane had zoomba and feldenkreis and i had a Vermont makers board meeting at the bluebird

It was great catching up with my maker friends.. I felt so hip sitting in the bluebird with all those artistic folks.. Were planning a busy agenda for the coming year.. Theres so much going on.. The maker meet-ups, the book club, art hop, the champlain maikerfaire and the opening early next year of our public makerspace Generator…

I feel so lucky to be part of this movement

Nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Tuesday night – Big Gabe

Max, Diane and I left Sherborne this mornign about5:30 AM.. we drove 300 miles west to Endicott to see Diane’s dad Gabe who had  another stroke yesterday morning . We got to Gabe’s room in the Neuro Step-Down floor about 11:00.. As soon as we walked in. he smiled at us.. . and that made my heart feel so good. We stayed there for a while talking to him. Diane’s brother Joe and Mom Marcia was there.. it was good seeign them . Big Gabe could make small 1 and 2 word answers.. and he  could follow us with his eyes, smile when we talked and squeeze our hands. He was hurting from the fall and knock on his head that gave him.. and was pretty medicated.. but his color looked good.. and so did his smile.. what a sweet guy !He’s made great progress since yesterday.. We’re going to go see him again in a few minutes… I’m so glad we all  came down..

Diane put Max on a bus back to NY about 6:30.. poor guy has been sleeping on planes, buses and cars for the last 3 days.. hope he gets home in time to lie down in his own bed for a change.. It has been great gettign to hang aroudn wiht him and his brother for the last week.. that vacation was a good recharge that we all needed….

Not much more to report… Please keep Big Gabe in your hearts with us.. he’s getting stronger and could use folks good wishes..

thanks !

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

 

Monday Night – Serborn

 

We woke today to the news that my father in law, Gabe had fallen and had another stroke. He’s been in a nursing home since February after a first stroke. He’s been making steady progress since. This morning he fell and was taken to the hospital. At first it looked very serious..

We were in Sherborn for my father’s 83rd birthday and my mother’s 80th when we go the news.. we were going to head to Endicott this morning.. . as the day progressed, he seemed to improve to the point he was able tosit up and  say a few words by this evening. .He’s continuing to improve which is great.. ..  We’re heading there at 4AM (in 5 hours) to see him..

The decision to stay here in Sherborn for the rest of the day was a hard one for us.. but it worked out. We were able to celibrate my mom’s 80th which is actually Sept 2.

We did our best to get a family picture though we were missing Shaun, Chris, John L, Gabe.. and of course Sam..

 IMG_3490 IMG_3493 IMG_3495 IMG_3499 IMG_3503 IMG_3504

We had soem time to just mess around.. which was easier as each report on Big gabe improved.

IMG_3519

IMG_3521

Then we all sat down for a messy lobster dinner.. fun and chaotic

IMG_3513 IMG_3514

IMG_3516

Mom wasn’t expecting us to celibrate her birthday.. so we had an impromptu surprise party..

IMG_3527

We gave her a necklace with all our names on it.. 18 of them !

  IMG_3533

IMG_3542

IMG_3528

IMG_3537 IMG_3541

Finished the day by reading Theo and Jake one of my favorite old childerens books .. Marina the Trained Seal

 IMG_3543 IMG_3544

nowI have 5 hours to sleep.. so..I’ll end here..

nite all, nite sam

-me