A Day in a Life...

4 November 2017

2017-11-04T17:02:00.000-04:00

Spent hours at the Auburn Public Library as the internet is still down at our house. I am thankful that we had power... Judging from the sound at generators at night, others are no so lucky...

After picking out books, checking email, and the girls finishing their homework (or making a dent on the homework that required internet), we went to Aroma Joe's for coffee and T J Maxx.

At T J Maxx, I bought a steel water bottle for myself (a wise decision after breaking too many glass milk bottles), gum, and coffee, then settled down on a stool outside the changing room, and read Paris in Love.

Both girls found things--for the eldest that meant a dress she could wear to a Broadway play during her New York trip with my parents and then we headed home, replete with the knowledge that the internet was finally up again.

We went to the the post office, where my second book was waiting for me. How exciting to have Lord Wellesbourne in hand....

Now dinner, and then bed soon thereafter... Work early tomorrow morning....

Completing the Corn and Beans Block

2017-01-12T08:17:00.001-05:00

In December, I had completed the 288th "Strip" which was last individual piece of the Corn and Beans block. Because of this, putting the Corn and Beans block together could begin.

First, the sewing lines on the center square needed to be extended,

then the same for the triangles.

This is layout of the triangles and the center block:

Next, pinning and sewing the triangles comes next:

The strip's placement along the outside of the square follows:

The last last section of the block consists of large green triangles. After extending the sewing lines,

they are pinned to the block and sewn in place.

The completed block:

Ten down with 62 more to go...

Keep Calm and Tap Dance

2016-06-30T09:29:00.000-04:00

After my fortieth birthday, and a few months after the beginning of the school year, I was lured by the sound of tapping feet.

The perpetually closed door of my youngest daughter's dance studio meant that it was impossible to watch her class while in session. Sitting on the floor outside the studio or in the waiting room soon paled to the sound of the class in the studio next door. I joined other parents and family members standing outside in the hall to watch the tap class, but soon watching wasn't enough. Despite never having tapped before, I demonstrated an anemic shuffle, and with the support of a class member, joined the tap class.

Not ever tapped before was a challenge. The classes were difficult. What helped was that one of the teachers, Kira, was willing to stay late, after the class had ended, to work with me. I would literally sit on the floor and study her feet as she demonstrated the various steps as well as explained them to me. I would watch the positions of her feet and ankles, then try to replicate them at home.

Gradually, I got better and better, and was able to keep up with the class rather than lag behind it. And I danced with my class members to Dancing in the Rain in the recital at the end of the school year.

There were three more years of tap classes, with the last being the Advanced Tap class. It was wonderful to be part of the recital experience, not only participating, but watching my daughters dance with their own classes.

Time passed. Homeschooling ended as the girls went to public school and I returned to working full time. Gradually, life regained its equilibrium. Then, one day I saw the "Cups" tap dance on YouTube and realized I could still identify many of the steps. Soon watching tap dancers wasn't enough and I wanted to start taking tap classes again.

A few months after the beginning of the school year, I got permission to join the Advanced Tap class. One of the best parts was not only did one of the classmates include a fellow dance mother and good friend, but the teacher was Kira!

It was not until talking with some of my fellow classmates before class that I realized that not just a few years had passed--but six.

Being in the class was a little like starting over again. To catch up to the class, I watched videos posted by Kira and a classmate and danced along with them, breaking down the steps until I could do them competently (perhaps not smoothly). Finally, during the bulk of May, I substituted the tap videos of our recital piece for my other work-outs before going to work in the morning, And, at the end of the school year, I danced with my class in the dance recital. My girls even paid me the highest complement by saying I didn't stand out and even looked pretty good.

Will I do tap again? Yes!

But I won't six years to do so...

A Birthday Bookcase

2016-06-28T15:10:00.000-04:00

After a hiatus due to preparing for a tap piece in a dance recital (all of May) and my youngest daughter's participation the nationals for National History Day (the beginning of June), I am blogging about one of the best birthday presents ever for a book lover: a floor to ceiling built-in bookcase complete with a window seat built by my husband. Because we have a dog, the window seat had to double as a nook for him--large enough to accommodate his dog bed and tall enough for him to access it comfortably.

The bookcase began as drawings on the wall: possible designs as well as dimensions used to create a materials list.

One of the designs included a bump-out pictured above which was rejected. With the exception of the window seat, the rest of the bookcase would be straight up and down.

Construction went rather quickly.

During construction, Butch and I tested out the window seat and found it satisfactory, both above and below.

After the shelves were installed, filling in the nail holes and any anomalies with wood filler and caulk came next. This we sanded and cleaned, readying the shelves for paint.

As the walls in the living room are white, I chose Whisper White as the paint color for the shelves. We painted the interior of the Butch nook a light tan to give it a subtle contrast.

Shelving came next, with the non-fiction books shelved using the Dewey Decimal system and the fiction books in alphabetical order by author,

including my book...

What a fabulous birthday present! The only downside: what's shelved is only a portion of my collection.

We'll have to build more shelves....

Corn and Beans: A Quilting Adventure

2015-11-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

PART FOUR: The "Strip"

After taking a hiatus from quilting, I managed to finish the four-piece triangle and move onto the last individual pieced section of the corn and beans quilt: the "strip". The anatomy of the corn and beans block is below.

Because I needed to plot the composition of the block, I decided to sew ahead. The finished size is 12 x 12 inches:

As with the four-piece triangle, there are 288 "strips", each consisting of one 3-inch green King's Arrival triangle, two 2-inch Jacobean triangles, and two 2-inch brown paisley triangles.

The first step is to extend the sewing lines,

then plot the layout.

After determining the layout, pin the smaller triangles together,

and sew the first pair together, and press the Jacobean triangle back.

Repeat the process with the second pair of triangles, then pin the first pair to the right side of the green triangle,

and press them back.

Pin the second pair to the left side of the green triangle and sew it in place.

Press back the second pair of triangles. The "strip" is complete.

Totals:

Pieces per "strip": 5
Number of "strips" per finished quilt size: 288
Number of "strips" completed: 61
Individual pieces cut: Green hounds tooth (King's Arrival): 78 of 288
Jacobean triangles: 192 of 578
Brown paisley triangles: 180 of 578

Two More Dresses...

2015-07-04T16:08:00.000-04:00

Since it was Spirit Week at work, I decided to make an Empire gown for Throwback Thursday, using Folkwear's pattern as a base (thus saving my original Empire gown, which is eight feet in length, including the train, for more formal occasions). Rosie Marie, the patient dress form, is sporting a laie from Tropical Tuesday.

And, just because, I made myself a dress using a pattern from Etsy: the Meghan Peasant Dress.

Both dresses were entirely hand-sewn.

An Interlude

2015-05-12T16:55:00.000-04:00

Because there were scraps of fabric left over from making a Vera Bradley-eque lunch box for my youngest daughter, I made her a matching messenger bag...

Stitched entirely by hand...

Corn and Beans: A Quilting Adventure

2015-03-11T18:11:00.000-04:00

PART THREE: The Three-piece Triangle, Continued

Past the mid-way point!

Pieces per triangle: 4
Number of four-piece triangles per finished quilt size: 288
Number of four-piece triangles completed: 145
Individual pieces cut: Green hounds tooth: 235 of 288
Jacobean triangles: 335 of 990

Corn and Beans: A Quilting Adventure

2015-02-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

PART THREE: The Three-piece Triangle

The second component of the corn and beans quilt is the three-piece triangle. It is comprised of three two-inch Jacobean triangles and one two-inch green hounds tooth triangle.

To create this triangle, the sewing lines need to be extended.

Trim the excess.

Then pin one of the Jacobean triangles to the corner of the green triangle.

Sew the two triangles together,

then press the triangles open.

Pin and sew another Jacobean triangle to another corner of the green triangle.

Press the triangle open.

Pin and sew the third Jacobean triangle to the base of the green triangle.

Press open the Jacobean triangle.

The completed triangles...so far...

Totals:

Pieces per triangle: 4
Number of four-piece triangles per finished quilt size: 288
Number of four-piece triangles completed: 82
Individual pieces cut: Green hounds tooth: 82 of 288
Jacobean triangles: 296 of 990

Corn and Beans: A Quilting Adventure

2015-02-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

PART TWO: The Center Block

The center block is the largest, and consists of four four-inch triangles of two fabrics sewn together to create a eight-inch square.

To create the triangles, I cut out two cardboard patterns, one that is four inches and the other larger to create the seam allowance.

After cutting out the fabric, the next step was extending the outline of the four-inch triangle to create the sewing lines,

and pinning the two triangles together

then sewing them.

Next, the two triangles are pressed open

and the sewing line extended across the top of the fabric.

Laying out the other triangles making certain that the pieces of fabric are opposite each other follows,

then sewing them together.

After trimming the excess,

both sets of triangles are sewn together,

and the seam pressed open.

The finished square:

For directions, I relied heavily on the Quilting Assistant.

Totals:

Pieces per center square: 4
Number of squares per finished quilt size: 72
Individual pieces cut: 288 (144 of each color)

COMPLETED

Corn and Beans: A Quilting Adventure

2015-02-08T11:28:00.002-05:00

PART ONE: The Pattern

After making quilts for the girls, I was inspired to make a quilt for ourselves.

I began searching for traditional quilt patters and came across something called Corns and Beans which, according to Popular Patchwork, was named for "the staple diet for many settlers and pioneers in America." Quilting Assistant described the pattern as "a bright, sunny block comprised of right triangles in three sizes using three fabrics." The site also stated that the block was "traditionally worked up in white, gold and green, this block's colors are reminiscent of a summer's vegetable harvest".

For me, the number three has significance, perhaps because of its repetition in myths, legends and fairy tales. The thought of a quilt comprised of triangles, three different sizes and three different colors or patterned fabric appealed. Plus the quilt pattern is, quite simply, stunning. Here are some examples:

Once the pattern for the quilt was chosen, the next step was choosing the fabric. For two of the fabrics, I fixed on a Jacobean-patterned cotton and brown cotton paisley. As my husband likes green, he chose a houndstooth pattern of dark green and green.

The next step: putting the blocks together....

Sources:
Image One
Image Two
Image Three

A Quartet of Christmas Gifts

2015-01-04T15:43:00.000-05:00

For this Christmas, I decided to make two Vera Bradley-inspired lunchboxes and messenger bag as well as a quilt for my youngest daughter.

The lunchboxes were made entirely by hand while the quilt was made by hand and then finish-stitched with a late 1800s Singer treadle sewing machine (something which required learning how to wind a new bobbin).

The lined interiors of the message bags and lunchboxes:

The lunchboxes are insulated with Owens Corning SealR Sill Plate Gasket from Home Depot reinforced with duct tape.

The lunch boxes were finished in time for Christmas while the messenger bag and quilt were finished by 28 December 2014.

A Quilt

2014-12-03T19:01:00.000-05:00

For my daughter's birthday, I created a quilt from fabric remnants that she had selected.The dimensions are 44 inches by 36 inches with four inch squares.

The Company on My Daily Commute

2014-11-30T17:56:00.000-05:00

For the forty-minute drive to and from work, I am not alone. Colorful characters fill the time, making it sometimes difficult to leave the car when the destination is reached. Elizabeth Bennet admits that she "could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine"; Mr Micawber outlines Uriah Heep's crimes; Anne arrives at Green Gables, full of hope; the Scarlet Pimpernel escapes, yet again; Mary enters the secret garden; Anne sells Mr Harrison's cow; Sara Crewe is removed from Miss Michin's grasp, and fairy tales delight--and sometimes horrify. All this is thanks to LibriVox, a free audiobook site filled with classics, poems and more.

Some of the readers are magical, like Ty Hynes and Karen Savage. Ty Hynes made David Copperfield live and breathe--mesmerizing from the preface to the very last chapter. Karen Savage gave the best reading of Pride and Prejudice I have ever heard, bringing my favorite book to life. Both readers made me eager to listen to the other works they've recorded. Thanks to them and other readers on LibriVox, travel will never be dull nor my mind idle.

The Site:
LibriVox

The Books Listened To (not necessarily in order)

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, as read by Ty Hynes

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, as read by Glen Hallstrom

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, as read by Karen Savage

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, as read by Karen Savage

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, as read by Karen Savage

Persuasion by Jane Austen, as read by Karen Savage

Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, as read by Bob Neufeld

English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, as read by Joy Chan

The Light Princess and Other Tales by George MacDonald, as read by Clive Catterall

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, as read by Karen Savage

Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, as read by Karen Savage

The Scarlett Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy, as read by Karen Savage

The Elusive Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy, as read by Karen Savage

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, as read by Karen Savage

Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery, as read by Karen Savage (in progress)

Other works read by Ty Hynes

Other works read by Karen Savage

Flash Mobs, Revisted

2014-03-02T09:11:00.001-05:00

On a dreary day, I decided to watch Flash Mob on the Copenhagen Metro to cheer myself. I realized that just as Chaiyya, Chaiyya has ruined trains for me (can't see one without desiring to dance on their tops), the Copenhagen Metro Flash mob has ruined metros for me, as I expect to be serenaded by an orchestra when I ride one.

Despite this turn of events, I am still as much a fan of flash mobs as ever, and have managed to find some new ones (and some old) which can brighten any day. My only complaint is that in these flash mobs, there are too much time spent on filming the observers rather than the performers.

1st Latvian Flash Mob FOLK Dance [Bite dāvana Rīgai] in Riga, August 20, 2009
It would have been fun to have been a participant in this...

Flashmob Moscow (Russia) : Putting on the Ritz 2012
What fun!

Flash Mob - Ode an die Freude ( Ode to Joy ) Beethoven Symphony No.9
One of my favorites...

"The Worst Test" - an engineering flash mob

Uh-oh..

Irish Fest Flash Mob at Chase Plaza!
So lovely...

Fla shmob oficina paro (Carne Cruda 2.0)
What a way to brighten an office...

Central Park Swing Flash Mob 7.24.2011
This would have been fun to be a part of...

Miami City Ballet 'Random Act of Culture' at Wynwood Walls
Beautiful...

Opera C ompany of Philadelphia Geno's Steaks Random Act of Culture - April 28, 2012
Fun...

Opera Company of Philadelphia Ikea Random Act of Culture - May 26, 2012
From Mozart's Magic Flute...

Random Act of Culture - "Habanera" in Macon, GA
This would have been fun to witness...

Flashmob Opera - Festival La Perla - AIDA 2013
Beautiful how it unfolds...

Random Acts of Culture at the DIA
Fun...

Random Act of Culture at Belk Southpark - Opera Carolina
This would have been fun to see...

Macon Symphony Orchestra Random Act of Culture at Publix
What a way to ring in the New Year!

Carmen at the Airport: Random Acts of Culture
Beautiful...

A Giant Random Act of Culture Finale Surprises more than 3,000 people
Stunning...

Random Act of Culture - Macy's Aventura in Miami
Beautiful...

Random Videos

2014-03-01T18:32:00.000-05:00

I am fervent fan of flash mobs. However, there are other videos that don't strictly qualify as flash mobs, but have that certain je ne sais quoi that makes them eminently watchable. Here are a few of my favorite new discoveries:

2cellos Thunderstruck
The original is bland by comparison...

Musical Eastern Faucet
The tune is so haunting. Don't be surprised if you find yourself humming it..

Carmina Barmina Burana Flashmob Orfeó d'Aldaia
The soprano's voice is so lovely, as is everyone's. A wonderful production...

The US Air Force Band at the Smithsonian Museum
It would have been nice to have witnessed this...

Flashmob - Bolero de Ravel na Pinacoteca de São Paulo, Brasil, Conservatoire de Paris, GURI & EMESP
I like the mix of ages in its performers.... A great performance...

British Army musicians flashmob: "Sing, Sing, Sing" in Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, 21 Sep 2013
What fun!

Probably the best flashmob you ever saw!!!!!!
Well, it is very good...

TAKE THE FLOOR Flashmob Dublin Airport
This must have been great to see...

Urban Ballerina
Beautiful...

Random Acts of Ballet: NYC
Lovely...

Urban Ballets.mp4
Beautiful...

Random Acts of Culture

CATA Acts of Culture: Indian Dance Troupe, July 15, 2013
Beautiful.. Great song also...

Georgia on my Mind: Macon Symphony Random Act of Culture
Cute baby...

Sofia Opera and Ballet Flash mob
What beautiful voices...

From Improv Everywhere

Conduct Us
This looks like fun...

Carousel Horse Race
"The frog is still in there, believe it or not..."

Star Wars Subway Car - Movies In Real Life
If only Darth Vader had not rushed his lines... Hilarious despite that...

The Boardroom
Ha!

Suicide Jumper (Remastered!)
Funny...

Synchronized Swimming (in a public fountain)
I hope they make the Olympics!

No Shirts (111 Shirtless Men in Abercombie and Fitch)
Funny...

And just because:

Posh Dancing
Who knew Mr Darcy was so accomplished?

A Weekend's Adventure

2012-09-18T22:52:00.001-04:00

This weekend the girls and I went to Freeport on one of our weekend adventures. Our intent was to go to a Hapkido Tournament.

The tournament was an experience, though it seemed to feature more Karate and Tae Kwon Do than Hapkido.

The hall was filled with practitioners of all ages and abilities with belts ranging from yellow to black. At any moment, there were at least six different activities happening--katas with and without weapons and sparring. We watched for hours, then left, making our way back toward the center of town.

We didn't get very far.

When we got to the center, it was to find a parade in progress. Instead of seeking a back route out of town, we parked the car at one of L L Bean parking lots, walked up to the main street, and watched the parade from a stone wall. The parade was put on by the Maine State Federation of Fire Fighters, and featured firetrucks of all makes, models and years from all around Maine. It was such fun!

Since we were already in town, we went to the Sherman's Maine Books and Stationary. There, the girls and I broke off to examine the sales table and everything else.

We all managed to find treasures: my youngest girl found a lovely book about China from the sales table, while my eldest found a mini-Popsical/lip balm combo, and I found Cooking Know-How by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough (also from the sales table).

On the way home, we took Route One and passed by Two Brother's Books. I had been passing by this store for at least ten years and had been attracted by the "Used Books" sign. Today, the temptation proved too strong. We turned round in the driveway of a shoe company and drove back to the book shop.

What a surprise! The entire first floor of a traditional front house-back, house-and partial barn was a bookshop filled with used books!

Nirvana.

The youngest found a stack of five books that she had to whittle down to one, including books about China, Iraq, Egypt and more. The eldest struggled over two Nancy Drew-like books, finally settling on a book from a Sue Barton, Student Nurse series. I found books for Tim martial arts, including on about the way of the warrior.

And I? I found an incredible book called Food in England by Dorothy Hartley. The book is a goldmine! It is several historical recipe books in one, including recipes from the early ages up through the late 1800s.

Once home, I put the Cooking Know-How book to good use by using the recipe "French-Inspired Chicken and Rice" to cook dinner. It was delicious.

What a wonderful weekend's adventure!

To pickle CUCUMBERS fliced

2012-07-25T22:41:00.000-04:00

To pickle CUCUMBERS fliced

Pare thirty large cucumbers, flice them to a pewter difh, take fix onions, flice and row on them fome falt, fo cover them and then ftand to drain twenty four hours; take your pickle of white wine vinegar, nutmeg, pepper, cloves and mace, boil the spices in the pickle, drain the liquor clean from the cucumbers, put them into a deep pot, pour the liquor upon them boiling hot, and cover them very clofe; when they are cold drain the liquor from them, give it another boil, and when it is cold, pour it on them again; fo keep them for ufe.

Moxon, Elizabeth, English Housewifery Exemplified, 1764

Thanks to the unexpected bounty of 20 pounds of organic-practice-grown cucumbers from a fellow homeschooling mom, I had the opportunity to make pickles, as well as use cucumbers for snacks and sandwiches.

The first batch I made was a childhood favorite: Bread and Butter pickles, which I made using a recipe from Ball’s Blue Book Guide of Preserving. The second batch was Kosher Dills from the Rodale Garden Book Preserving Summer’s Bounty.

But the third batch?

I wanted to do something completely different.

A fan of period cookbooks, one of my favorite finds was Elizabeth Moxon’s English Housewifery Exemplified which was first published in 1764. The recipes are simple well written, so I thought I would try one. The above recipe seemed to fit the bill. However, there were a few details missing: exact amounts.

Vinegar only is used, but how much vinegar is not specified. Nor is the amount of the spices. The only fixed amounts are those for the onions and cucumbers. Looking at other recipes, especially that for Bread and Butter which included sliced cucumbers, there were similarities, such as a certain amount of spices per jar. Since I didn’t have a deep pot in which to store the cucumbers, I decided to use the method of cold pack pickles, and since I used only vinegar, I would only have to process them for ten minutes in a boiling-water bath.

The logistics were challenging, as I had only two large burners on which to both boil the vinegar and boil the water to sterilize the jars, as well as a spice cabinet that could have been better organized and better stocked (on the ever-growing to-do list).

Four to six weeks to wait…

I look forward to tasting the results!

The Bra or Who Knew Its History Could Be So Exciting??!!

2012-07-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

During the day, I received an exciting post on the costume list to which I belong: "Interesting Underwear Find". The link brought me to this article which detailed a "discovery of 15th century undergarments in Austria" in the Daily Mail.

"Fascinating", I think, as an amateur costume history buff who was introduced to the world of period clothing by Hilary Derby, the costume designer during the 1984 season at the Theatre at Monmouth (can you imagine: one of the costumer's took out Patterns of Fashion I, Englishwoman's Dress and their Construction 1660-1860 and made a reproduction of the dress Martha Washington wore to the inauguration to wear to one of the opening nights).

But it was to grow more fascinating still.

Many of the costumers who belong to the loop began to write in, complaining that the pictures provided in the Daily Mail did not accurately provide a full image of the piece found--that it could have been, in fact, a portion of a bodice that did no longer existed.

And, some people wrote in, the garments described as underpants in the American lingo, could have been worn by both men as well as women.

Next, someone posted a link to this article: "Bras in the 15th century? A Preliminary Report" by Beatrix Nutz.

The end result? Who knows?

Messages are still coming in...

Who knew the history of bras could be so exciting?

BURN NOTICE

2012-07-09T18:39:00.000-04:00

When scanning through the instant view options on Netflix, my husband and I came across a show called "Burn Notice". The premise and preview looked intriguing: a secret agent who works for the CIA got a burn notice in the middle of negotiating with some Nigerian "wannabe gangster". He not only has to escape that very frightening scenario with his life, but also figure out why he is no longer considered a viable agent by the government.

The main character was amusing, and the action sequences good, but the one thing that jarred with me were the constant shots and even some close-ups of women in bikinis. The constant objectifying of women were off-putting.

For whom is this series intended? Only the male 20s set? What about females who enjoy action, intrigue, and mystery?

Enquiring minds want to know...

An Ode to Flash Mobs

2012-06-19T21:08:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite blogs, Two Nerdy History Girls, had a marvelous post featuring a Friday Video entitled "'Morning Mood' on the Metro".

This lovely video made me realize something: I love flash mobs. Dancing, music--well, especially dancing flash mobs. Because of this, I decided to put together a list of some of my favorite flash mobs, including some that aren't exactly flash mobs but are pretty wonderful all the same.

So, without further ado, here they are:

Musical Flash Mobs

Shopping Mall Vivaldi and Adagio for Strings (I think…)

Philadelphia Opera Messiah

La Traviata at the Ferry Market

Opera en Alto Rosario, portions of Carmen—with La Traviata thrown in

Dancing Flash Mobs

Flash mob dance 1st time in Mumbai with choreography by SANTOSH BHANGRE at Korum Mall Thane for Smita Thackre's film RAADA ROCKS

Diversity - Got to Dance Flashmob

Royal Ballet of Flanders

Anaheim Ballet, Urban Ballet

St Patrick’s Day Flash Mob

Prison's flash mob, Michael Jackson's song

One of my absolute favorite flash mobs: The Joffrey Gets "Real Simple" Full Version (the positions of some of the dances are so beautiful with the full extensions—I would have liked to have been in the crowd, witnessing this)

And, because it was National Tap Day 25 May 2012

Gene Kelly tap dancing on roller skates. Really—the man was a god. From Always Fair Weather

Gene Kelly “Singing in the Rain”

Woodbox Tap (amazing)

Swiss Tap Flash Mob

Savion Glover at the White House

River Dance Trading Taps

Eleanor Powell and Buddy Rich

Another Swiss Tap Flash Mob (the Swiss can sure tap)

Mary Poppins “Step in Time”

Just because:

Chhaiya Chhaiya, from Dil Se (This has ruined trains for me: I can no longer see one without wanting to dance on their tops. By the by, no dancers fell from the train during the three days of filming)

Gisele Bundchen flashmob at Sao Paulo airport

The T-Mobile Flashmob London Heathrow - Welcome Back Advert

Amazing Highland Hornpipe Dance by Laura Scott

Highland Sword Dance -- Laura Scott with Ed Pearlman and Tony Cuffe

Highland Dancers at Metrotown 2

Finally, who could forget…

Nynex Rock Drills

Thoughts on A Midwife's Tale

2012-02-12T17:55:00.001-05:00

One of the books I am reading in the course of researching my fourth book is A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. While not completely analogous to a surgeon's daughter living in 1816 England, the work does help to provide some flavor to what life would be like for a female caregiver from the late 18th to nearly the mid 19th centuries.

Ulrich's work is fascinating. Martha Ballard attended 816 births in the 27 years of the diary. Her statistics are quite remarkable: out of these births, 46 or 5.6% were listed as "difficult" with 14 stillbirths with a ratio of 1.8 out of every 100. These are births for which Ballard did not rely on forceps or the "hook and the knife", but were natural. What is also interesting is that Ulrich writes that "In fact, many historians believe that the routine employment of physicians in the nineteenth century probably increased rather than decreased mortality."

Ballard's method of curing and midwifery were considered gentle, using herbs and influenced by humoral therapy. By contrast, the male physicians tended toward more dramatic therapies, including bloodletting, sedatives and calomel, a mercurial compound.

For Ballard, the birth was an event at which more than one women attended; for male physicians, women attendants at births were a distraction with their unwelcome chatter. For Ballard, women have a useful role as they help tend to mothers who are expecting or who have just given birth, giving care or helping with tasks that need to be done to keep the household running smoothly. For male physicians of the time, there seems to be a feeling of superiority and exclusion at the birth.

The number of babies born out of wedlock are also noted in the diary; as a midwife, Ballard had to determine the parentage of the child as "sexual intercourse between unmarried persons" was considered a crime. One of the births of these unmarried mothers Ballard attended was that of a woman who claimed Ballard's own son as the father--he married the woman just before he was charged with the crime.

Rape was also reported in the diary. The most dramatic was that of the wife of an evangelical minister who charged a number of men, among them one of the community's most influential residents, Judge North, was the perpetrator. Rebecca Foster, the victim, told Ballard that "was not the worst shee had met with since Mr Foster's absence, but shee hoped they would not quite kill her, that they Could do nothing worst than what they had unless they killed her." Ballard testified for Mrs Foster at court--a court that did not find in favor of the victim. The Fosters left the community where Ballard lived; Mrs Foster may may have suffered a mental breakdown while her husband turned to drink and never preached again. Ballard's protest was to stop attending the church to which Judge North was connected except on rare occasions.

Each chapter begins with pages from Ballard's diary, which allow the reader to see large swaths of this unpublished in toto diary. The full two volumes of Ballard's diary can be found at the Maine State Library, across from the state capital in Augusta, Maine.

I am only about halfway through this book which is a must-read for anyone who wishes to know more about women in medicine and history.

Addendum:

In just a few more pages, I found more about the importance of the women at the births. Martha Ballard called upon them at the moment of birth (or as near as she could judge) as they would literally support the mother while she labored. As Thatcher wryly noted, carrying about a birthing stool would be a little difficult as Ballard rode horses, walked through woods, walked over the frozen ice of Kennebec River, rode in canoes, etc to reach her patients. The women also served at witness for Ballard should there be a difficult birth--they can witness the fact that Ballard did her job properly, no matter the outcome. The women could also give support to the new mother, speaking with her about her new baby, or helping to lay out the funeral clothes should the baby be stillborn or die soon after the death. And, when the mother needed support after a difficult birth, the women could help to nurse her and the child when Ballard was called away.

Researching the Fourth Book

2012-01-25T21:51:00.001-05:00

Part of the fun of writing historical novels is the research. There are so many books to read, so many things to learn...

For my present book, which is set in 1796 as well as 1816, I have been reading a wide range of books, and having a heck of a time. These are some of the books I've read so far:

Nightingales, The Extraordinary and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale, by Gillian Gill [very good]

Notes on Nursing, What It Is and What It Is Not, by Florence Nightingale [note the lack of contractions]

Life in Nelson's Navy, by Dudley Pope [fabulous, though a little misleading as to the title--the book is far more wide-reaching that just Nelson's navy]

Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men and Organization 1793-1815, by Brian Lavery [amazing]

Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty and the Battle of Trafalger, by Adam Nicolson [a page-turner--fabulous]

Naval Battles of the Napoleonic Wars: Cape St Vincent, the Nile, Cadiz, Copenhagen, Trafalgar and Others, by W H Fitchett [good]

Men of Steel: Surgery in the Napoleonic Wars, by Michael Crumplain FCRS [quite fascinating--a great read]

I am sure I will have to read far more as well as reread Amanda Vickery's fabulous books, A Gentleman's Daughter: Women's Lives in Georgian England and Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England.

Shucks, life is grand...

Signs of Spring

2011-03-18T22:57:00.000-04:00

Finally, the signs of spring are here!

The Fence at the Edge of the Kitchen Garden

Duane's Cherub in the Center of the Kitchen Garden

Laundry

Flowers

Fedco Seeds

We will Ignore the fact that it snowed....

Loss

2011-03-06T21:00:00.001-05:00

On Friday the girls and I received horrible news.

Two girls died in a house fire. What made it worse was that we knew these little girls: they were members of our 4-H club.

One of the last times we saw Natalie and Kelsey was on a hike in the woods across the street from their house. We spent a wonderful summer afternoon trying to identify trees by their leaves and splitting the air with shrill acorn whistles.

What I remember most is racing with Kelsey and my girls to the picnic table at the edge of the woods, well ahead of the others, laughing as we tried (unsuccessfully) to pretend we'd been there for hours.

That's how I'll remember Natalie and Kelsey: it'll always be a warm summer's day with the air filled with whistles and laughter.