collision of left and right brain = super cool yardstick box

Those of you who have been following along at home may remember that part of my inspiration to begin crafting again was to exercise the other part of my brain, as I am a lawyer by day, and don't have tons of opportunities to be super creative there (though I surprise myself sometimes).  I've been a legal aid attorney almost my entire career, which began waaaaaaay back in the mid-90's.  From 1999-2000, I took a year off to clerk for the probate and family court judges in western Massachusetts, a super fun and interesting job.  At that time, John A. Barrett was the register of the Franklin County Probate and Family Court.  What I didn't know until 2 minutes ago was that he began his reign in in 1978 (when I was in grade school, thankyouverymuch).  I know you're not reading this blog to ponder my inexplicable decision to go to law school. Stay with me; we're coming back around now.

What John A. Barrett's remarkable 24 year reign as register, an elected position (despite the fact that the vast majority of humanity has no idea what a register is or what s/he does), tells me is that he must have been an excellent campaigner.  Which brings us back to the original point of this post:  yardsticks.  One specific yardstick, which I scored at the fantastic Loot in Turners Falls.  

This yardstick: 

John A. Barrett

Register

of Probate

The yardstick requested (implored?) that we "re-elect" Mr. Barrett, so we know it's not circa 1978, his first year as register, but that's the only clue I have as to its age.  

So now you're thinking that this is a really lovely inside baseball story, but who is going to care about Mr. Barrett and want his campaign yardstick on her desk?  I'm so glad you asked.  A lawyer friend recently hung her own shingle in Greenfield, Massachusetts. She practices family law.  In probate and family court.  In Franklin County.  SO PERFECT, right?  Right.