I have discovered a plethora of perks to our new stage of life in Kentucky. I am sure I will share many of these perks as time goes on, but for today I will discuss two that directly pertain to the autumn season. First, the kids are grown and on...
I discovered the joy of fishing late in life, after moving to the lake-abundant state of Kentucky in 2013. My husband insisted we buy a boat (Why not, we’re retired!) and although I fully expected to spend my time on the lake reading a book, almost immediately I was hooked....
“If people turn to look at you on the street, you are not well dressed.” The above quote is attributed to George Bryan “Beau” Brummell, and he wasn’t being ironic. Brummell was the trendsetter and undisputed master of the perfect tailoring and simplicity of understated style which became a hallmark...
Elizabeth Gurney was born in Norwich, England in 1780 to an influential and extremely wealthy Quaker family. Her father, John Gurney, was a partner in Gurney’s Bank, and her mother Catherine was from the Barclay family, founders of Barclays Bank. In 1798, when only 18, Elizabeth heard the preaching of...
Last Friday I published a blog on Picnic History. One of the essential features of a good picnic was food that could withstand packing and travel, and that was easy to pick up and eat. This instantly brought to mind a blog I wrote a very long time ago for...
In April of 2019, I gave a speech for the members of the Louisville Romance Writers. The topic was Fashion for the Regency Era Woman. This is a subject I adore, as is evidenced by the money I’ve spent over the years on costumes. LOL! It also involves research into...
Today is September 22 and that is the official first day of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Most people are focusing on what new pumpkin-spice flavored food items they can nibble on while embellishing their houses with the plethora of harvest-themed decorations that are available, without caring one iota if...
I absolutely LOVE movies! I have grown pickier over the years, in large part because so many movies these days are straight up horrible. Nevertheless, I will always adore the cinema, both big screen and the boob-tube. For that reason, trivia is always fascinating to me so from time to...
Stocking, hose, sock… These are just a few terms for the many types of leg coverings that are woven or knitted of cloth, silk, wool, and cotton to provide both warmth and modesty. The styles, lengths, materials, weaves, etc. would change over the centuries, usually in response to garment fashion. Perhaps...
I have recently discovered a fabulous YouTube channel: Weird History. The hundreds of uploaded videos cover a vast array of historical topics, places, events, and people. Most of the videos are relatively short but still manage to do a great job of covering the facts. I particularly love the brief...
This fashion plate from September 1816 depicts a woman standing with hands folded looking off to the side in a long white floral dress. V-neckline trimmed with ruffles with a small pink flower in the center of the bust and empire waistline. Short cap sleeves trimmed entirely in ruffles. Long...
“What are we to do with ourselves today?” Lizzy asked at one point. “Have you made any specific plans?” Darcy put the newspaper down and gave his full attention to his wife. “Nothing specific,” he replied. “We could always stay here all day.” He gave his wife a naughty leer....
It is no secret that I am a massive fan of television and cinema. These days, sad to say, it is almost impossible to find a new movie or series that is well written. My husband and I constantly lament this tragedy since we have a tradition of watching TV...
Continuing the quest to cover the alphabet! That may prove impossible due to the vast number of words in the English language, but I can try to find a few fascinating examples. For a list of all my archived posts covering the topic: VOCABULARY Ketchup The Chinese invented ke-tsiap in...
Did that title grab your attention? I bet it did! A tad misleading, I admit, as THE Mr. Darcy didn’t magically coalesce into a flesh and blood human, nor did Matthew Macfadyen pop into Bardstown for the Christmas holiday. Bummer indeed, but I did receive the next best thing thanks...
