What makes you feel nostalgic? Do you reflect on the past year as the new year approaches?
I have a good memory, and I am, by nature, both appreciative and positive, so nostalgia has an easy time establishing itself here. Near me, as I type, is one of my grandpa’s fishing weights, a bud vase filled with sea glass from Blue Hill, and a window ledge lined with rocks I’ve brought home from my travels. I could tell you a story about any of them.
Happy Landings: Emilie Loring’s Life, Writing, and Wisdom debuted in 2023, and each step in the present reminds me of the many years and experiences that went into it.
I bought myself this little gift with the first of my book earnings. It’s a drawing of one of the Boston Athenaeum’s fifth floor cubicles, like the one in which Emilie wrote. I’ll never forget the first time that I stepped out of the elevator into that rare space. Utter silence… easy to imagine author spirits sitting down to write once again.
I feel especially wistful about the Loring grandchildren, who have been my constant supports since I first met them in 2004. We had already lost Sandi, Selden, and Victor, and now, Linda and Val–bright, vital women who definitely did their grandmother proud–both passed away in early 2023. It felt empty to pass by the exits that would have led me to their homes when I traveled this summer.
How wonderful it was, then, when Eve and Bill, Tuulikki, and the next generation of Loring descendants came to my talk and reception at the Boston Athenaeum in May!
Can you believe it?! My study now feels nostalgic. All of those notebooks, the notes to myself, the outlines, the bound copies of intermediate drafts… No longer are they reminders to “Get busy, Patti!” Instead, they are the proofs, the witnesses, the compatriots. We did this together; we share the memories.
Is it odd to feel nostalgic for times that you are just learning about? I do it all the time–not nostalgia in the sense of yearning for a past time but in the sense of appreciating a past and feeling connected to it. I do this all the time with Emilie Loring, but in a switch, I looked this summer at my own family. My Dewey ancestors lived in Lebanon, Connecticut for nearly one hundred years–ditto for the Vaughans in East Kingston, Rhode Island and the Harringtons in Scituate, Rhode Island. I took the chance to visit their places in 2023 and mentally added nostalgic scenery to my pedigree chart.
Purely for its beauty and the peace I felt while there, I am nostalgic for this room on the Cape. I will return.
The clock ticks onward, and I turn forward to meet 2024. The book and travel now give way to the immediate needs of family, from four months to ninety-seven years.
When I get my feet under me, that new, nostalgic project of mine, Emilie Loring’s New England will get underway. Until then,
The Emilie Loring Collection 
Happy New Year Patti. Thank you for all your help with the Baker family. I am going back to Nice on Wednesday. I will try once again to get access to the newspapers for 1958 to see if anything was written about Melville Baker. Not being a resident makes it difficult at the library there. Your book is a treasure.
All the best, Rich Monahan
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Happy New Year, Rich! I’m glad to hear that you are enjoying the book. I envy you the trip to Nice! I wonder if a reference librarian at one of the university libraries there could help you. Let me know what you find!
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I feel nostalgic for times Iāve never lived in and places Iāve never seen. I think Emilieās books have a lot to do with that. She wrote in such vivid prose and made her past world come to life. But every black and white movie, every old photograph, and every bar of big band music makes me feel nostalgic for something I never really knew. I donāt have an answer for that and I think many people experience it. At any rate, Iāll just say Happy 2024, and look forward to reading āEmilieās New England.ā
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I am like you, Jill. “My Favorite Wife,” “It Happened One Night,” “The Swan,” “Desk Set,” . . . I’m in. I’ve been glad of that, first, because they suit me personally, and second, because they are the era of my parents, and I think it gives me a window into their world as young adults.
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Look forward to reading Emilie Loring’s New England!
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I have been very nostalgic with my father passing away this year (as well as a brother in law). I’ve shared childhood Christmas memories with my sons who miss their grandfather. Then a sister asking about some genealogy info yesterday got me doing quite a bit of work in adding details and making corrections to our family information at one of the ancestry sites. One thing always leads to another, seeing pictures of times gone by, and I’ve spent hours at it–to much enjoyment!
Congratulations on your successful 2023 and best wishes for a great 2024.
Happy Landings!
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Aloha Patti, I am sitting here eating a simple blue corn nacho meal as I read your comments about the year. Iām sorry to hear about the Loring family losses. I just lost a good friend last week and another friend is losing his battle with cancer. We spoke to him on zoom today and he is in positive spirits. My husband is wheelchair bound and the two of them were boosting each other up. It was a poignant short conversation as each has little energy but joy in living. So I am a bit nostalgic tonight, remembering them both in their strength and they still share their joy with us all. I was making an artsy travel journal for this friend and his wife. They traveled to Europe last fall and a few other places the past year before sickness hit. I finished it and gave it ti them Friday. I titled it, A Love Story. I created many pages for them to write their own memories and tuck photos in etc. it took longer than I had anticipated to finish since my husband has had a challenging year and took much of my time. So I feel a joy that I was able to complete it and share it with them. I had made one for our memories earlier in the year and pulled it out to add some thots about us, that was really fun as I shared it with my husband and we laughed over some of the comments we had made and added new ones. That was my looking back moment this week. My studio is set up to paint and Iāve been waiting to finish the book before I allowed myself to work on the canvas. A running sketchbook is on the desk now for daily inspiration. With my project done I can move forward with new project. So I am looking forward to a new beginning in my artwork, letting go of the past. I think you have completed a wonderful project that has brought so many a joy, especially through these challenging times. Following your journey with one of my favorite authors has been an exciting and delightful gift. I thank you and applaud your success. I await your next project. Who will you write about next? I do enjoy your comments. Take a little break to enjoy your Mom and new baby Ryan. You will get inspiration from them Iām sure. Have a wonderful new year, mahalo, Pam Sent from my iPad
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Patti, thank you for your meticulous work in telling Emilieās story. As I slowly read through Happy Landings, I am inspired to live a life of possibilities! You helped show me the way! Happy New Year!!
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Thank you, Nancy. I couldnāt hope for more. Letās both keep possibilities in mind this year. Happy New Year!
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