Category: British countryside
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The Hand of Fate: All Thumbs or Not?
Good morrow, dear readers. I hope that October is treating you well. As I’ve been reading lately – a Definite benefit to months of bedrest – I’ve been pondering coincidences. Amongst Janeites, some claim there is an inordinate number of them in Pride & Prejudice: Mr Collins’ connexion to Darcy through Lady Catherine de Bourgh;…
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Wandering through Wales
As I write this, I’m sitting in an old pub in Reading, England, on my way home after a fabulous visit to Wales. The primary purpose of this trip was to drop my daughter off at university there, but I had other plans as well. First, I wanted to visit friends in the UK. Some…
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North and South at Times Wanders Off Course
Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South is often described as an “industrial” Pride and Prejudice. Written a half-century after Jane Austen’s novel, Gaskell’s book features an intelligent, independent woman and a self-made man so confident he makes Darcy look indecisive. The protagonists clash every time they meet but are also attracted to the intellect and spirit…
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A Stillroom’s Tools of the Trade
One room that fascinates me most for a Georgian household is the stillroom. Though a genteel lady was considered poor if she could cook, for it was considered a servant’s work, ladies were encouraged to spend their days working in the stillroom. I discovered that the stillroom reflected the mistress as much as any other…
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What Do You Like About Pride & Prejudice Variations?
When I was thinking about my post for today, I went back to a topic that I’ve questioned in my mind for a while. There are a lot of variations of Jane Austen’s classic that go in different directions. Even though they still have the usual cast of characters, there are numerous ways to change…
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The Garden Most Valuable
With a grandmother who loved her gardens and would spend a dozen or more hours each week tending them and growing up weeding my mother’s kitchen garden, I love the fresh herbs and vegetables in a farmers market. When I read about fresh herbs and produce in Regency novels, I smile, wondering about they may…
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Whither shall we Wander
It’s the middle of April, and it looks like spring is finally upon us. The early flowers are poking their heads above the earth, trees are starting to bud, and while there’s still the possibility of snow should the temperatures drop a bit, any such insult would be fleeting. And, of course, in the spring,…
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‘Friendly Companionship’ in ‘Terrible Environment’
In a recent blog, we saw the importance of books to soldiers in the field during World War I and World War II. Several Jane Austen novels, as well as a book about Austen’s work, were among those. Question: How did the soldiers, sailors, and air personnel get their copies? In the first war, large…
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Avoiding the Winter Doldrums, Austen Style
Those that know me can confirm winter is not my favorite season. While it makes for an excellent time to cozy up with a book or sit and write, I’m hard pressed to agree any day that freezes the water in your eyes before you can blink is better spent outside than in. However, I,…
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This Special Time of Year
Hello friends! It’s December and I thought I would take this moment to give you a glimpse of myself. Most everyone loves this time of year regardless of your religious traditions. It seems almost ingrained in the human experience to love the cold and dark days at the end of December (at least for the…