Dearest reader,
Of you are wondering where to find me this week, I am over at Titlewave chatting about a few of my writing experiences with my friends from the American Title Contest.
Of course, I am hoping you have missed me and can't wait for my next piece of nonsense so Regency Ramble will return to normal programming next week.
Until then, happy rambles.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Colors in the Regency Part II
I guess one reason I decided to research colors was when I took a course on architecture in the Regency. As is often the case, things are just plain lucky. There
I was with one of my characters in No Regrets running his cane along a wrought iron fence. Now why? Well characters have to be something more than talking heads and they nod and they smile and they walk. But if that is all that they do they become pretty boring. Hmm, pretty much like me.
But of course people do more than that. They have nervous ticks, they peel labels off beer bottles, scratch things they should not scratch (ugh baseball players) and so on. So I happily wrote about the sight and sound of this character walking along running his cane along the iron fence. The black iron fence. Wrong. Wrought iron fences in the Regency were not painted black, they were painted green or blue.
Why is that, you may ask? If you are a history geek like me, you will ask it. Otherwise you may be bored out of your tree by now. They were painted green or blue because they liked the patina of old copper and copper turns green when it is old. The picture above is Apsley House and the fence is painted green. And this would have been a common sight in the Regency. Needless to say, my character now runs his cane along a green fence.
They also used some very odd names for colors. Here are a couple.
Coquelicot is the French name for the regular corn or field poppies (Papaver rhoeas) so poppy red it is. In Regency times, Paris was the fashion capital of the civilized world and French fashions the epitome of chic, so French names abounded in all matters of apparel. Coquelicot was at the height of fashion in 1794-99 but was used continuously throughout the Regency. It was such a bold color that for well brought up young ladies it was only permissible for trimmings or accessories
Primrose and Evening Primrose. Yes there are two colors of primrose. The soft, pale yellow of the common primrose, Primula vulgaris suitable for daywear and the biennial Evening Primrose (Cenothera biennis)pictured above, a much deeper and brighter yellow color. When gloves and boots are described to be of primrose color it is this darker, deeper yellow the writer had in mind. Both the primrose colors were popular during the whole Regency period, and the height of fashion 1807-1817.It wouldn't be a Regency Article without adding puce. Puce is the French word for flea. The color is a brownish-purple or a purplish-pink, the color coagulated blood and was one of the most popular colors in 1805. My readings have always found that the villain, or a less well liked character wears puce. I have continued this tradition in my writings.
There are of course many other colors, pomona green which we might described as apple green, and Paris green, made with the poisoness copper arsenic and was a bright emerald green. But that is all from me until next time.Happy Rambles through your world of color. Aren't you glad you aren't a dog? They see only in black and white, so I'm told. No wonder they need those sensitive noses!!!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Colors in the Regency Part I
More color became available during the period 1704 to 1856, chemical compounds Prussian blue and mauveine were discovered .
Gowns such as those shown here may well have been died with cochineal.
Dyes were extracted from such living organisms =as cochineal and and plants such as madder and brazilwood.
By the late Middle Ages, imported cochineal began to take precedence as the most sought after dye. Combined with a tin salt, cochineal produced a spectacular red on wool and silk, luxury fabrics, by the early fifteen century it was very expensive and thus was reserved for the wealthy it even replaced the clothes of the traditionally blue-clad Virgin in Renaissance paintings.
Until 1704, blue dyes were primarily extracted from woad and indigo plants. Woad grew in Europe and Indigo in the southern part of North America, in Mexico and in Central America.
A Berlin color-maker named Diesbach accidentally stumbled upon Prussian blue while trying to make red for painters.
It became fashionable throughout Europe and was used from at least 1723 as a dye for silk and cotton as well for house paint within the United States.
1805 Walking Dress
Bonnet of Blue Velvet, with White Ostrich Feather. Spencer of Blue Velvet, trimmed with Swansdown. Round Dress of Cambric Muslin, with a Lace Flounce. Boots Blue. Buff Gloves; and Swansdown Muff.
Next time we will take a look at yellow. Until then, Happy Rambles.
Gowns such as those shown here may well have been died with cochineal.
Dyes were extracted from such living organisms =as cochineal and and plants such as madder and brazilwood.
By the late Middle Ages, imported cochineal began to take precedence as the most sought after dye. Combined with a tin salt, cochineal produced a spectacular red on wool and silk, luxury fabrics, by the early fifteen century it was very expensive and thus was reserved for the wealthy it even replaced the clothes of the traditionally blue-clad Virgin in Renaissance paintings.
Until 1704, blue dyes were primarily extracted from woad and indigo plants. Woad grew in Europe and Indigo in the southern part of North America, in Mexico and in Central America.
A Berlin color-maker named Diesbach accidentally stumbled upon Prussian blue while trying to make red for painters.
It became fashionable throughout Europe and was used from at least 1723 as a dye for silk and cotton as well for house paint within the United States.
1805 Walking Dress
Bonnet of Blue Velvet, with White Ostrich Feather. Spencer of Blue Velvet, trimmed with Swansdown. Round Dress of Cambric Muslin, with a Lace Flounce. Boots Blue. Buff Gloves; and Swansdown Muff.
Next time we will take a look at yellow. Until then, Happy Rambles.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Regency Dogs Part II
As a respite from our topic of work, I've had a bit too much of the real thing this past week, I thought we might focus on a couple more of the dogs found in our era. I thought I would start with the Newfoundland, primarily because Lord Byron had one called Boatswain. Byron wrote a poem in the dog's honor when it died.
Looking at the picture of Lord Byron’s “Boatswain,” there appears to be some Husky ancestry in the breed. One of the websites I’ve looked at states that Boatswain was not a purebred, but had Husky blood in him. However, people at the time didn’t have the same concept of keeping a breed pure that we do today, and often mixed the breeds but kept thename.
Whatever their ancestry, Newfoundlands became known for the waterproof nature of their coats, their webbed feet and strong swimming skills, and their equally strong water rescue instincts. Before other retriever breeds were developed, they were used as water retrievers. They were also used in helping fishermen with their nets, carrying lines between ships, and also, in their native country, as carting or pack dogs.
Newfoundlands were imported into England probably by late in the 17th century, where their breed qualities and appearance were further developed. They were popular, no doubt helped along by their romantic image as heroes of countless rescues, of sailors, children, and passengers on shipwrecks.
Here is Byron's tribute etched on the monument he raised to his dog.
Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains
Of one
Who possessed Beauty
Without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man
Without his Vices.
The Price, which would be unmeaning flattery
If inscribed over Human Ashes,
Is but a just tribute to the Memory of
“Boatswain,” a Dog
Who was born at Newfoundland,
May, 1803,
And died in Newstead Abbey,
Nov. 18, 1808.
When some proud son of man returns to earth,
Unknown by glory, but upheld by birth,
The sculptor’s art exhausts the pomp of woe,
And stories urns record that rests below.
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,
Not what he was, but what he should have been.
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master’s own,
Who labors, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,
Unhonored falls, unnoticed all his worth,
Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth –
While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.
Oh man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,
Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power –
Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust!
Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,
Thy smiles hypocrisy, thy words deceit!
By nature vile, ennoble but by name,
Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.
Ye, who perchance behold this simple urn,
Pass on – it honors none you wish to mourn.
To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise;
I never knew but one – and here he lies.
And because he is such an interesting man, here is the poet, Lord Byron.
Well looking at that is better than talking about work, though no doubt we'll come back to it in the future. Next week I thought I might take a look at some of the colors that were popular in the Regency and not well known today.
By the way, my 2nd newsletter came out this week, with some news about my forthcoming novels, and a short story. So if you want to sign up, use the form on the sidebar and I will send you a copy.
Until next time, Happy Rambles.
Looking at the picture of Lord Byron’s “Boatswain,” there appears to be some Husky ancestry in the breed. One of the websites I’ve looked at states that Boatswain was not a purebred, but had Husky blood in him. However, people at the time didn’t have the same concept of keeping a breed pure that we do today, and often mixed the breeds but kept thename.Whatever their ancestry, Newfoundlands became known for the waterproof nature of their coats, their webbed feet and strong swimming skills, and their equally strong water rescue instincts. Before other retriever breeds were developed, they were used as water retrievers. They were also used in helping fishermen with their nets, carrying lines between ships, and also, in their native country, as carting or pack dogs.
Newfoundlands were imported into England probably by late in the 17th century, where their breed qualities and appearance were further developed. They were popular, no doubt helped along by their romantic image as heroes of countless rescues, of sailors, children, and passengers on shipwrecks.
Here is Byron's tribute etched on the monument he raised to his dog.
Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains
Of one
Who possessed Beauty
Without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man
Without his Vices.
The Price, which would be unmeaning flattery
If inscribed over Human Ashes,
Is but a just tribute to the Memory of
“Boatswain,” a Dog
Who was born at Newfoundland,
May, 1803,
And died in Newstead Abbey,
Nov. 18, 1808.
When some proud son of man returns to earth,
Unknown by glory, but upheld by birth,
The sculptor’s art exhausts the pomp of woe,
And stories urns record that rests below.
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,
Not what he was, but what he should have been.
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master’s own,
Who labors, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,
Unhonored falls, unnoticed all his worth,
Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth –
While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.
Oh man! thou feeble tenant of an hour,
Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power –
Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust!
Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,
Thy smiles hypocrisy, thy words deceit!
By nature vile, ennoble but by name,
Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame.
Ye, who perchance behold this simple urn,
Pass on – it honors none you wish to mourn.
To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise;
I never knew but one – and here he lies.
And because he is such an interesting man, here is the poet, Lord Byron.
Well looking at that is better than talking about work, though no doubt we'll come back to it in the future. Next week I thought I might take a look at some of the colors that were popular in the Regency and not well known today.
By the way, my 2nd newsletter came out this week, with some news about my forthcoming novels, and a short story. So if you want to sign up, use the form on the sidebar and I will send you a copy.
Until next time, Happy Rambles.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Regency Work Part III
I found too much stuff today and spent too long finding it. But I am going to post a couple of pictures on the topic of work. I was looking for stuff out of the ordinary, but also I was looking for information on street sweepers or crossing sweepers, since the book I am working on right now has a crossing sweeper.
He really is a rather sad looking individual, but these jobs were not really jobs. They were a bit like buskers, if he could get you to tip him for clearing a path through the horse manure, then he would make some money. Here is another rather naughty one. The main feature of the picture is the gentleman being lured into a brothel, but look at the street sweeper in this one. He is not getting paid.
While we are on the topic of street sweepers, I thought we ought to do that other rather well known employee, the chimney sweep. Often these were children. I should note that during the nineteenth century the population of those under twenty was huge, I am not going to quote an actual percentage, because that means going and looking it up, but it was probably close to half, and those that were working were doing very menial jobs, or were apprentices. Any way here are a couple of chimney sweeps.
And now for one job that we maybe don't think of all the time, this is a seller of bandboxes. Now the job is interesting, but more interesting are the boxes themselves. Here is something every heroine is going to need at some point or the other, and here is a picture of them, as well as the man who sells them.
Until next time, Happy Rambles
He really is a rather sad looking individual, but these jobs were not really jobs. They were a bit like buskers, if he could get you to tip him for clearing a path through the horse manure, then he would make some money. Here is another rather naughty one. The main feature of the picture is the gentleman being lured into a brothel, but look at the street sweeper in this one. He is not getting paid.
While we are on the topic of street sweepers, I thought we ought to do that other rather well known employee, the chimney sweep. Often these were children. I should note that during the nineteenth century the population of those under twenty was huge, I am not going to quote an actual percentage, because that means going and looking it up, but it was probably close to half, and those that were working were doing very menial jobs, or were apprentices. Any way here are a couple of chimney sweeps.
And now for one job that we maybe don't think of all the time, this is a seller of bandboxes. Now the job is interesting, but more interesting are the boxes themselves. Here is something every heroine is going to need at some point or the other, and here is a picture of them, as well as the man who sells them.
Until next time, Happy Rambles
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Regency Fashions - August
How about some August fashions, just to make sure we don't forget?
These are labeled Afternoon Dress for 1799. Note the very full skirts of the pre-regency, but don't forget our Prinny was 37 at this point, so he is already heading for middle age. It seems to me that the only nod at summer made by these dresses, apart from the light fabrics, is the fan. August is one of the warmest month in England too.
These are taken from the 1805 Lady’s Monthly Museum.Cabinet of Fashion.
The first is a Walking Dress --Straw Hat, turned up in Front with a Lilac Feather. A Morning Dress of Cambric Muslin, with full long Sleeves. Habit Shirt. Spanish Cloak. With a fashionable Paratout.
The second Full Dress is described -- The Hair fashionably Dressed, with a Lace Veil tied to form a Cap with White Flowers. A Short Dress of clear Muslin, richly Embroidered, over a Sarsenet Dress of Lilac. White Gloves.
I just love the sound of "clear muslin richly embroidered over a Sarsanet dress of lilac". These people who did descriptions were almost poetic.
This is an evening gown from 1810 from La Belle Assemblee
Evening Visiting Dress.
A complete lemon-coloured sarsnet dress, trimmed with an embroidery of roses; a white lace drapery with train, fastened down the front with topaz snaps; a rich embroidered scarf is thrown carelessly across the shoulders. Topaz necklace, and earrings. The hair in loose ringlet curls, divided by an ornamental comb. Gloves and shoes of white or lemon-coloured kid. A bouquet of natural flowers.
One last one and then I must stop, though I always have more, but the post gets too long. No month would be complete without its riding dress, at least if I have one to show you.
Lady’s Riding Costume from August 1812 La Belle Assemblee
Made of ladies habit cloth or Moria Louisa Blue, trimmed down each side of the front with Spanish buttons, the waist rather long with three small buttons on the hips; a short jacket full behind, the front habit fashion with small buttons up the neck and a row of small buttons on each side of the breast; a lapel thrown back from the shoulders and trimmed with Spanish buttons, has a most elegant effect and gives a graceful finish to the dress. The collar is made about a quarter inch in depth and fashioned negligently at the throat with a large cord and tassel; it opens sufficiently to display the shirt which is of lace in general but this article admits of considerable variations; some of our elegants wear a collar of lace to fall over, others have a shirt edged round the neck with a rich lace frill and not a few, in despite of the heat of the weather, envelope their necks in a large cravat of India muslin.
A small woodland hat, whose colour corresponds with the dress with two white ostrich feathers fastened behind and falling carelessly over the left side. A cord and tassel is brought round the hat and fastened near the top of the crown on the right side.
Buff gloves and half boots either of buff jean or leather.
Not the comment about the large cravats in spite of the heat. And yes, Prinny is Regent indeed.
Until next time. Happy Rambles.
These are labeled Afternoon Dress for 1799. Note the very full skirts of the pre-regency, but don't forget our Prinny was 37 at this point, so he is already heading for middle age. It seems to me that the only nod at summer made by these dresses, apart from the light fabrics, is the fan. August is one of the warmest month in England too.
These are taken from the 1805 Lady’s Monthly Museum.Cabinet of Fashion.
The first is a Walking Dress --Straw Hat, turned up in Front with a Lilac Feather. A Morning Dress of Cambric Muslin, with full long Sleeves. Habit Shirt. Spanish Cloak. With a fashionable Paratout.
The second Full Dress is described -- The Hair fashionably Dressed, with a Lace Veil tied to form a Cap with White Flowers. A Short Dress of clear Muslin, richly Embroidered, over a Sarsenet Dress of Lilac. White Gloves.
I just love the sound of "clear muslin richly embroidered over a Sarsanet dress of lilac". These people who did descriptions were almost poetic.
This is an evening gown from 1810 from La Belle Assemblee
Evening Visiting Dress.
A complete lemon-coloured sarsnet dress, trimmed with an embroidery of roses; a white lace drapery with train, fastened down the front with topaz snaps; a rich embroidered scarf is thrown carelessly across the shoulders. Topaz necklace, and earrings. The hair in loose ringlet curls, divided by an ornamental comb. Gloves and shoes of white or lemon-coloured kid. A bouquet of natural flowers.
One last one and then I must stop, though I always have more, but the post gets too long. No month would be complete without its riding dress, at least if I have one to show you.
Lady’s Riding Costume from August 1812 La Belle AssembleeMade of ladies habit cloth or Moria Louisa Blue, trimmed down each side of the front with Spanish buttons, the waist rather long with three small buttons on the hips; a short jacket full behind, the front habit fashion with small buttons up the neck and a row of small buttons on each side of the breast; a lapel thrown back from the shoulders and trimmed with Spanish buttons, has a most elegant effect and gives a graceful finish to the dress. The collar is made about a quarter inch in depth and fashioned negligently at the throat with a large cord and tassel; it opens sufficiently to display the shirt which is of lace in general but this article admits of considerable variations; some of our elegants wear a collar of lace to fall over, others have a shirt edged round the neck with a rich lace frill and not a few, in despite of the heat of the weather, envelope their necks in a large cravat of India muslin.
A small woodland hat, whose colour corresponds with the dress with two white ostrich feathers fastened behind and falling carelessly over the left side. A cord and tassel is brought round the hat and fastened near the top of the crown on the right side.
Buff gloves and half boots either of buff jean or leather.
Not the comment about the large cravats in spite of the heat. And yes, Prinny is Regent indeed.
Until next time. Happy Rambles.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Regency Flora and Fauna - August
Since the is the first day for blogging after August 1, it is time for our monthly article on the plants and animals one might have noticed in the Regency during this month.
The Naturlists Diary says:
"August has its fields of waving corn, its groups of nut-brown reapers". From this we can gather that the weather is warm and sunny enough to ripen grain (not sweet corn as we discussed before). And you will remember the picture of last time of the people threshing so we won't do that again.
"Young broods of goldfinches are now seen."
Interestingly enough we have been watching a young brood of goldfinches here in our garden in Canada. They are quite bold, sitting on the railing of our deck, even when we are out there. But look how different they are. The first picture is the English Goldfinch, and the second is the one we are seeing in our garden, the North American Goldfinch.
"The Jessamine shows its pretty little flowers, and diffuses its fragrant scent." And what in the world is a Jessamine, I ask myself. Well that of course is no good at all. I have to find out. Mutter, mutter, why haven't I heard of a Jessamine before this.
Aha. After some digging, I am now sure that this is Jasmine, not the state flower of Carolina, which is apparently something altogether different. Just like my finches above they have only the same name.
"Broom flowers in this month." I often get gorse and broom confused. They both sport yellow flowers, but gorse if very prickly and flowers earlier in the spring. Broom is a much more gentle plant. It was used in the old days as an emblem or a cockade, worn on a lapel or a hat.
I seem to be running into a yellow theme here. Not intentional at all. And it is not surprising that I get confused by broom and gorse, because apparently they are related.
It seems that during the Regency, wasps were as much a pest then as they are now. Here is a remedy provided by our friendly Naturelist to deal with the sting, should you be so unlucky.
"The following antidote for the sting of wasps and other noxious insects, has also been recommended:--Take a leaf or two of the broad-leaved plantain (Plantago major), and bruise it, and rub it on the affected part for about ten minutes, and all pain and inflammation will cease"
The first image is of the broad-leaved plantain. I think the name is much fancier than the plant.
I have never heard of this for wasp stings, though we always used dock leaves for stinging nettles. They always seemed to grow next to each other. Apparently they have alkine which neutralizes the acid in the nettle sting. Not so with the plantain it contains a different ingredient becasue wasp stings are alkaline. Enough with the science already. Here is a picture of a dock leaf.
It is quite amazing though, that all those years ago these remedies worked just as well as our fancy chemicals do today.
Well that is it from me tonight. Until next time Happy Rambles.
The Naturlists Diary says:
"August has its fields of waving corn, its groups of nut-brown reapers". From this we can gather that the weather is warm and sunny enough to ripen grain (not sweet corn as we discussed before). And you will remember the picture of last time of the people threshing so we won't do that again.
"Young broods of goldfinches are now seen."
Interestingly enough we have been watching a young brood of goldfinches here in our garden in Canada. They are quite bold, sitting on the railing of our deck, even when we are out there. But look how different they are. The first picture is the English Goldfinch, and the second is the one we are seeing in our garden, the North American Goldfinch.
"The Jessamine shows its pretty little flowers, and diffuses its fragrant scent." And what in the world is a Jessamine, I ask myself. Well that of course is no good at all. I have to find out. Mutter, mutter, why haven't I heard of a Jessamine before this.
Aha. After some digging, I am now sure that this is Jasmine, not the state flower of Carolina, which is apparently something altogether different. Just like my finches above they have only the same name."Broom flowers in this month." I often get gorse and broom confused. They both sport yellow flowers, but gorse if very prickly and flowers earlier in the spring. Broom is a much more gentle plant. It was used in the old days as an emblem or a cockade, worn on a lapel or a hat.
I seem to be running into a yellow theme here. Not intentional at all. And it is not surprising that I get confused by broom and gorse, because apparently they are related.
It seems that during the Regency, wasps were as much a pest then as they are now. Here is a remedy provided by our friendly Naturelist to deal with the sting, should you be so unlucky.
"The following antidote for the sting of wasps and other noxious insects, has also been recommended:--Take a leaf or two of the broad-leaved plantain (Plantago major), and bruise it, and rub it on the affected part for about ten minutes, and all pain and inflammation will cease"
The first image is of the broad-leaved plantain. I think the name is much fancier than the plant.I have never heard of this for wasp stings, though we always used dock leaves for stinging nettles. They always seemed to grow next to each other. Apparently they have alkine which neutralizes the acid in the nettle sting. Not so with the plantain it contains a different ingredient becasue wasp stings are alkaline. Enough with the science already. Here is a picture of a dock leaf.
It is quite amazing though, that all those years ago these remedies worked just as well as our fancy chemicals do today.Well that is it from me tonight. Until next time Happy Rambles.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Dogs in the Regency
I know, I said I would continue talking about work, and I will, but I have this problem. I need one of my characters to have a dog.
So give him a dog, you say, and move on.
But it can't be just any dog. It needs to be a big dog, and it needs to be appropriate to the Regency. Luckily, I took a workshop on regency dogs.
so I have ploughed through my photos and here are some of my choices:
The first is a lurcher, very ancient breed.
The Lurcher was bred in Ireland and Great Britain by the Irish Gypsies and travellers in the 17th century. They were used for poaching rabbits, hares and other small creatures. The name Lurcher is a derived name from the Romani language word lur, which means thief. The travellers considered the short-haired Lurcher the most prized. The Lurcher is rarely seen outside of Ireland or Great Britain, and is still common in its native land.
This next one is a greyhound coursing for hares.
These were used extensively in the Penisular to feed the officers, and for some relief from the stresses of war. I can't help that it happened. It is part of history. They are still nice dogs. Historically, these sight hounds were used primarily for hunting in the open where their keen eyesight is valuable. It is believed that they (or at least similarly-named dogs) were introduced to England in the 5th and 6th centuries BC from Celtic mainland Europe.
The name "greyhound" is generally believed to come from the Old English grighund. "Hund" is the antecedent of the modern "hound", but the meaning of "grig" is undetermined, other than in reference to dogs in Old English and Norse.
This last one is an English setter.
The English Setter was originally bred to set or point upland game birds. From the best available information, it appears that the English Setter was a trained bird dog in England more than 400 years ago. There is evidence that the English Setter originated in crosses of the Spanish Pointer, large Water Spaniel, and Springer Spaniel, which combined to produce an excellent bird dog with a high degree of proficiency in finding and pointing game in open country.
If you had to choose one of these, which one would you pick? Or do you have another favorite from this era.
Oh and just for fun, here is our pound puppy Teaser.
He is mostly Maltese. We don't exactly know how old he is because we rescued him from the local dog shelter. He has settled in very well and is now a very important member of our family.
Until next time -- Happy Rambles.
So give him a dog, you say, and move on.
But it can't be just any dog. It needs to be a big dog, and it needs to be appropriate to the Regency. Luckily, I took a workshop on regency dogs.
so I have ploughed through my photos and here are some of my choices:
The first is a lurcher, very ancient breed.
The Lurcher was bred in Ireland and Great Britain by the Irish Gypsies and travellers in the 17th century. They were used for poaching rabbits, hares and other small creatures. The name Lurcher is a derived name from the Romani language word lur, which means thief. The travellers considered the short-haired Lurcher the most prized. The Lurcher is rarely seen outside of Ireland or Great Britain, and is still common in its native land.This next one is a greyhound coursing for hares.
These were used extensively in the Penisular to feed the officers, and for some relief from the stresses of war. I can't help that it happened. It is part of history. They are still nice dogs. Historically, these sight hounds were used primarily for hunting in the open where their keen eyesight is valuable. It is believed that they (or at least similarly-named dogs) were introduced to England in the 5th and 6th centuries BC from Celtic mainland Europe.The name "greyhound" is generally believed to come from the Old English grighund. "Hund" is the antecedent of the modern "hound", but the meaning of "grig" is undetermined, other than in reference to dogs in Old English and Norse.
This last one is an English setter.
The English Setter was originally bred to set or point upland game birds. From the best available information, it appears that the English Setter was a trained bird dog in England more than 400 years ago. There is evidence that the English Setter originated in crosses of the Spanish Pointer, large Water Spaniel, and Springer Spaniel, which combined to produce an excellent bird dog with a high degree of proficiency in finding and pointing game in open country.If you had to choose one of these, which one would you pick? Or do you have another favorite from this era.
Oh and just for fun, here is our pound puppy Teaser.
He is mostly Maltese. We don't exactly know how old he is because we rescued him from the local dog shelter. He has settled in very well and is now a very important member of our family.Until next time -- Happy Rambles.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Regency Work Part II
It is hard to imagine a world without computers and planes and automobiles. What were some of the jobs that the ordinary people did? I talked about tin smelting in my last post, but one of the largest employers, even at this early stage of the industrial revolution was the land. And land requires laborers. These laborers, or workers, provide a backdrop to our stories. We can't ignore that they needed people to provide their food or clothing. (Remember that feast I described a while ago?).
Here are a few pictures of happy land workers. Or at least land workers.
It is not exactly clear to me what they are picking. Mushrooms? The grass is very short, and it clearly not full summer, because of the coats. I must admit that the main reason for having this picture was to show that even the poorest of women wore stays. If you look closely you can see them on the outside of the woman's clothes standing in the background. Apparently this was not uncommon, but hearkens back to an earlier era. Also note the various kinds of head gear, and the split rail fence in the distance. All small useful details that might someday bring a scene to life.
These folks are threshing corn (The English called all forms of grain: wheat, barley, oats, by the generic name of corn). The kind that looks like sweet corn, they call maize and it was not sweet and was used for cattle feed, along with mangel wurzels. Always loved the sound of that particular vegetable (It is a variety of beet and definitely used in our time for cattle feed). I can remember visiting a friend and helping wind the handle to chop up the mangel wurzels for her dad's cows. Ooops, off topic. Anyway to my unversed eye, this looks like barley or perhaps wheat, but the long hairy ends look like barley to me.
You can check what those grains look like on google and tell me what you think. Your turn to do some research. What is most interesting to me about this picture is that here we have men, women and children all working together. We don't feel so bad about those children outdoors doing this kind of thing do we? But it was still hard work and the hours long. I like the demonstration of the threshing sticks, see how they are hinged? And look how they carried the corn to the threshers in big blankets. It looks really heavy. Lots and lots to take away from this picture should I ever need a threshing scene.
Now here is something you don't see every day, at least not today. These women and not gathering teasels, they did that already, they are pushing them onto long sticks for easy transportation. What? Are you asking me why? Or, as I suspect, am I just telling you a whole bunch of stuff you know about. Teasel~~used in textile processing, providing a natural comb for cleaning, aligning and raising the nap on fabrics, particularly wool. It differs from the wild type in having stouter, somewhat recurved spines on the seed heads. The dried flower heads were attached to spindles, wheels, or cylinders, sometimes called teasel frames, to raise the nap on fabrics (that is, to tease the fibers).
What a great place to end, because next time I talk about jobs, I am going to talk about cloth making. Until next time, Happy Rambles.
Here are a few pictures of happy land workers. Or at least land workers.
It is not exactly clear to me what they are picking. Mushrooms? The grass is very short, and it clearly not full summer, because of the coats. I must admit that the main reason for having this picture was to show that even the poorest of women wore stays. If you look closely you can see them on the outside of the woman's clothes standing in the background. Apparently this was not uncommon, but hearkens back to an earlier era. Also note the various kinds of head gear, and the split rail fence in the distance. All small useful details that might someday bring a scene to life.
These folks are threshing corn (The English called all forms of grain: wheat, barley, oats, by the generic name of corn). The kind that looks like sweet corn, they call maize and it was not sweet and was used for cattle feed, along with mangel wurzels. Always loved the sound of that particular vegetable (It is a variety of beet and definitely used in our time for cattle feed). I can remember visiting a friend and helping wind the handle to chop up the mangel wurzels for her dad's cows. Ooops, off topic. Anyway to my unversed eye, this looks like barley or perhaps wheat, but the long hairy ends look like barley to me.
You can check what those grains look like on google and tell me what you think. Your turn to do some research. What is most interesting to me about this picture is that here we have men, women and children all working together. We don't feel so bad about those children outdoors doing this kind of thing do we? But it was still hard work and the hours long. I like the demonstration of the threshing sticks, see how they are hinged? And look how they carried the corn to the threshers in big blankets. It looks really heavy. Lots and lots to take away from this picture should I ever need a threshing scene.
Now here is something you don't see every day, at least not today. These women and not gathering teasels, they did that already, they are pushing them onto long sticks for easy transportation. What? Are you asking me why? Or, as I suspect, am I just telling you a whole bunch of stuff you know about. Teasel~~used in textile processing, providing a natural comb for cleaning, aligning and raising the nap on fabrics, particularly wool. It differs from the wild type in having stouter, somewhat recurved spines on the seed heads. The dried flower heads were attached to spindles, wheels, or cylinders, sometimes called teasel frames, to raise the nap on fabrics (that is, to tease the fibers).
What a great place to end, because next time I talk about jobs, I am going to talk about cloth making. Until next time, Happy Rambles.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Author's Update
Help, Monday is almost over and here I am and no blog.
Forgive me please.
There are times in every writer's life when time is not his or hers to control. One of those is when your editor asks for a revision. It happened to me this week.
No complaints mind. If she's asking for revisions, it means she cares about the book and an editor caring about your book is a very good thing. Time consuming, but good.
I lieu of research and in view of the reason for not having anything for you, I thought I would give you a quick update on where things are on the writing front.
Well, No Regrets is at the printers. It is coming out in October. You may have seen the ad in Romantic Times right alongside Georgette Heyer's Cotillion.
Here is the cover, just in case you have forgotten what it looks like. I am also posting it on the sidebar with a link to B & N where it is available for pre-order. Or you can wait for it to arrive in your local bookstore.
Now I am going to let you into a little secret.
Coming out around the same time -- I will have a precise date later -- is the Anthology Mail Order Brides, from Highland Press. Inside you will find my short story Snakeskin and Satin, one of four on this interesting theme. This story is a bit of a departure for me, because it is set in the West. Yep, honey, the wild west, in the Victorian era. I had so much fun writing this story, I hope even you Regency addicts will take a little peek when it comes out.
Here is the cover and a little teaser, just for fun.
Snakeskin and Satin are a bad combination.
Even if the snakeskin comes with longs legs, broad shoulders and eyes as blue as the sky. All bristles and twigs, according to her mother, Tess Johnson never expected her mail order husband to be a living, breathing, handsome cowboy who rejects her on sight.
Jake Granger needs a widow to raise his nephews and cook his dinner, not a satin-clad, as-delicate-as-porcelain, city woman. Even if she is the kind of woman to keep him awake at night. He can't take the risk.
With no reason to stay and a brother to track down, Tess prepares to move on, until trouble strikes the Circle Q. Fighting to save his herd and his sanity, Jake learns there's more to satin than a silky whisper against his skin.
Now, back to those edits. I hear the sound of a whip cracking. And it has nothing to do with cowboys.
Until next time -- Happy rambles.
Forgive me please.
There are times in every writer's life when time is not his or hers to control. One of those is when your editor asks for a revision. It happened to me this week.
No complaints mind. If she's asking for revisions, it means she cares about the book and an editor caring about your book is a very good thing. Time consuming, but good.
I lieu of research and in view of the reason for not having anything for you, I thought I would give you a quick update on where things are on the writing front.
Well, No Regrets is at the printers. It is coming out in October. You may have seen the ad in Romantic Times right alongside Georgette Heyer's Cotillion.
Here is the cover, just in case you have forgotten what it looks like. I am also posting it on the sidebar with a link to B & N where it is available for pre-order. Or you can wait for it to arrive in your local bookstore.
Now I am going to let you into a little secret.
Coming out around the same time -- I will have a precise date later -- is the Anthology Mail Order Brides, from Highland Press. Inside you will find my short story Snakeskin and Satin, one of four on this interesting theme. This story is a bit of a departure for me, because it is set in the West. Yep, honey, the wild west, in the Victorian era. I had so much fun writing this story, I hope even you Regency addicts will take a little peek when it comes out.
Here is the cover and a little teaser, just for fun.
Snakeskin and Satin are a bad combination.
Even if the snakeskin comes with longs legs, broad shoulders and eyes as blue as the sky. All bristles and twigs, according to her mother, Tess Johnson never expected her mail order husband to be a living, breathing, handsome cowboy who rejects her on sight.
Jake Granger needs a widow to raise his nephews and cook his dinner, not a satin-clad, as-delicate-as-porcelain, city woman. Even if she is the kind of woman to keep him awake at night. He can't take the risk.
With no reason to stay and a brother to track down, Tess prepares to move on, until trouble strikes the Circle Q. Fighting to save his herd and his sanity, Jake learns there's more to satin than a silky whisper against his skin.
Now, back to those edits. I hear the sound of a whip cracking. And it has nothing to do with cowboys.
Until next time -- Happy rambles.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Work in the Regency
One of our visits in Wales was to Aberdullais Falls near Neath in Wales. I had been there before, but since it had given me an idea for a story, I wanted to visit again. This picture is rather lovely, isn't it? It looks like a place for a picnic or perhaps even a place to fish, but in fact while these falls were a beauty spot, they were also the site of industry. Copper and tin smelting.
Tin mining had always been done in Cornwall, I knew that from school, and on my first visit to Aberdullais, I had thought to move this picturesque waterfall to Cornwall for a story I have had in my head for a while. I will have to think again, for while tin was mined in Cornwall, it was shipped to places like Aberdullais where they had water and coal.
As I walked around the exhibition, I was reminded that while the Regency is full of glitz and glamour, it was also the start of the industrial revolution and long before Dickens was writing about child labor, children were working twelve hour days in places like the Aberdullais copper and tin works, as were ordinary men and women. I took some pictures at this site, but of course much of the place is in ruins. The best impressions of how it might have looked were on the displays.
This is the chimney, required of course because of all the heat required to work the metal. The next picture is an artists impression of what it would be like inside the works. You can see men and boys working in this picture and an inset that shows women. By the way, the foreign language you are seeing there is Welsh. I am sure you knew that.... but just in case.
I didn't intend to do much about describing the work that was done in the mine, but one thing does stick in my mind and that is the need for small boys to scrape out the cinders from the furnace. The reason they used children was the narrowness of the passage. A man would not be able to get in there without getting his shoulders scorched.
It is pretty hard to see from this picture, but I think you can get a sense of the narrowness, and of course the steps (at the top of the channel) led into the basement. The next is a picture of the ruins from above, at the top of the Falls (which by the way were diverted by the use of dynamite , thus ruining the true beauty of the spot in a way which meant it could never be recovered. 
Here is a picture of the site in 1765. You can see that the Falls went around those large rocks. they were blown up, and now all that is left is the narrower channel to the right of them and of course all the industrial buildings and the waterwheel for power which now runs parallel to the river.
Of course there is a great deal to learn about these people and their lives, and as visitors we can only guess at the misery of long hours on little food. The exhibition tells their story.
As we were leaving, we paused on a bridge used to transport the metal onto the River Neath and watched a grey wagtail. He was a reminder that no matter what we do to our surroundings, nature has a way of reclaiming her own. I did take pictures of him. If you can find the bird in this picture you are better than I am, so I have added a picture of what you are looking for. I haven't seen one before, or not that I recall, so it really was a special treat. His long tale bobbed up and down constantly. This bird spends most of its life and breeds by fast running water.
Lots of food for thought. I am going to continue with a bit more on work in the Regency, since it is a backdrop for many of my stories, even if the main characters are lords and ladies. Until next time. Happy Rambles.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Regency Fashion For July
Boy have I ever missed all of you. I must say I find it hard to believe that the last time I posted was June 18. Where did that month go and the summer half over too. I had hoped to drop by from time to time during my holiday, but found internet access less than easy, and to spend time with the computer instead of friends and relatives seemed...well ...decidedly unfriendly. Mother was well, and the rest of the family were amazingly welcoming.
Our weather in England was wet, and in Italy, hot, and the whole thing an absolute
delight.
I am looking forward to sharing my holiday forays with you all, but I thought I would start with our old favorite fashion flavors of the month, before July disappears on me altogether.
So fashions for July
What I noticed most about these 1799 riding habits was how warm they looked. After spending two weeks huddled in a light cotton jacket and not being close to warm, I can understand why. Now when the sun was out, it was lovely, but I can imagine needing these warmer outfits on cloudy days on the back of a horse. I do think that my blood is thinner than it used to be, because some folks were walking around in shorts, I should hasten to add.
These more summery outfits are from The Ladies Monthly Museum
for the same year. This is the description:
First Figure. Muslin round dress, trimmed round the neck with lace; loose, full sleeves, with white or coloured satin bands at the bottom; silver band round the waist. The hair drawn close up behind, and large curls or folds on the top, interwoven with silver bandeau, with two large ostrich feathers. Necklace consisting of three rows of pearls, with a topaz in the middle. Shoes and gloves straw colour.
Second Figure. The same dress, of yellow muslin spotted with silver; with the sleeves drawn up on the arm.
These next two, which I really find quite delightful, are from 1806, from the same magazine:
Walking Dress.
Gown of Cambric Muslin, and Straw-coloured Sarsnet; Spanish Cloak, trimmed with White Lace; Straw Hat.
Full Dress.
A short Dress of alternate Stripes of Pink Crape and Silk Net; an Under-dress of White Sarsnet, ornamented with Lace; Head fashionably dressed with Black Velvet and Silver Foil.
Anyone know what they meant by silver foil? I will try to find out.
I thought I would give you one more from later in the period. This is from La Belle Assemblee 1810
The description is as follows.
Morning Walking Dress.
A round dress of thick fine India muslin, made high in the neck, with long sleeves, which are trimmed at the wrists with a narrow edging of lace; a lace let in round the bottom of the dress between four rows of small tucks. A light sky-blue mantle, lined with pale buff, with elastic collar, which is formed with letting-in-lace, and has the appearance of a full collar, but will, if required, by drawing over the head, form a very pretty and becoming bonnet; a cape of the same materials crosses the back, which is confined at the bottom of the waist, on the inside, with a pale-blue or buff ribband, tied with a bow in the front; it is entirely trimmed round with narrow edging of lace. A bonnet of straw, and pale-blue ribband, with plaiting of lace, worn underneath, tied under the chin; with a yellow rose in the front, and hair in ringlet curls, completes the dress. Gloves of pale-buff. Boots of the same colour, calashed and laced with pale-blue.
I have put up some July Ball Gowns on my website
Until Thursday, when we will do some flora and fauna, while it is all fresh in my mind, Happy Rambles.
Michele
Our weather in England was wet, and in Italy, hot, and the whole thing an absolute
delight.
I am looking forward to sharing my holiday forays with you all, but I thought I would start with our old favorite fashion flavors of the month, before July disappears on me altogether.
So fashions for July
What I noticed most about these 1799 riding habits was how warm they looked. After spending two weeks huddled in a light cotton jacket and not being close to warm, I can understand why. Now when the sun was out, it was lovely, but I can imagine needing these warmer outfits on cloudy days on the back of a horse. I do think that my blood is thinner than it used to be, because some folks were walking around in shorts, I should hasten to add.
These more summery outfits are from The Ladies Monthly Museumfor the same year. This is the description:
First Figure. Muslin round dress, trimmed round the neck with lace; loose, full sleeves, with white or coloured satin bands at the bottom; silver band round the waist. The hair drawn close up behind, and large curls or folds on the top, interwoven with silver bandeau, with two large ostrich feathers. Necklace consisting of three rows of pearls, with a topaz in the middle. Shoes and gloves straw colour.
Second Figure. The same dress, of yellow muslin spotted with silver; with the sleeves drawn up on the arm.
These next two, which I really find quite delightful, are from 1806, from the same magazine:
Walking Dress.
Gown of Cambric Muslin, and Straw-coloured Sarsnet; Spanish Cloak, trimmed with White Lace; Straw Hat.
Full Dress.
A short Dress of alternate Stripes of Pink Crape and Silk Net; an Under-dress of White Sarsnet, ornamented with Lace; Head fashionably dressed with Black Velvet and Silver Foil.
Anyone know what they meant by silver foil? I will try to find out.
I thought I would give you one more from later in the period. This is from La Belle Assemblee 1810
The description is as follows.
Morning Walking Dress.
A round dress of thick fine India muslin, made high in the neck, with long sleeves, which are trimmed at the wrists with a narrow edging of lace; a lace let in round the bottom of the dress between four rows of small tucks. A light sky-blue mantle, lined with pale buff, with elastic collar, which is formed with letting-in-lace, and has the appearance of a full collar, but will, if required, by drawing over the head, form a very pretty and becoming bonnet; a cape of the same materials crosses the back, which is confined at the bottom of the waist, on the inside, with a pale-blue or buff ribband, tied with a bow in the front; it is entirely trimmed round with narrow edging of lace. A bonnet of straw, and pale-blue ribband, with plaiting of lace, worn underneath, tied under the chin; with a yellow rose in the front, and hair in ringlet curls, completes the dress. Gloves of pale-buff. Boots of the same colour, calashed and laced with pale-blue.
I have put up some July Ball Gowns on my website
Until Thursday, when we will do some flora and fauna, while it is all fresh in my mind, Happy Rambles.
Michele
Monday, June 18, 2007
Rambling in Wales
Drive by Bloggin'
Because I am away and because I miss you, I thought i would blog here and there where I could.
After an excellent flight we arrived in Wales. Yesterday was a lovely day, and Father's Day here in Britain as well as in North America. It was a pretty afternoon, sunny and cloudy. My sister in law and I went for a long walk, in the countryside which is only steps from her house. I didn't take my camera - but that will be the last time I go anywhere without it. Remember my flora fauna blog, just last week, well I saw honeysuckle and dogroses and foxgloves all growing wild in the hedgerows. So I am feeling pretty good about that blog. I will be taking lots of pictures to share with you when I get back.
In the meantime here is one fashion picture for June as promised.
This is from the Cabinet of Fashion, June 1808
Fig. 1. Short dress of muslin; pelisse of fine cambric, and fashionable straw hat; yellow gloves.
Full Dress.-A round dress of pale pink sarsnet, covered with a stout robe of white crape, or net; a cap of white lace or net, and bows, ornamented with a red rose in front.
My next newsletter will be coming in July - so if you want to be sure to get a copy, you can sign up through the link posted at blogside (like curbside). Off to see the old mum tomorrow.
I will pop in for a visit later in the week and let you know what we have been doing. Until then, Happy Rambles
Because I am away and because I miss you, I thought i would blog here and there where I could.
After an excellent flight we arrived in Wales. Yesterday was a lovely day, and Father's Day here in Britain as well as in North America. It was a pretty afternoon, sunny and cloudy. My sister in law and I went for a long walk, in the countryside which is only steps from her house. I didn't take my camera - but that will be the last time I go anywhere without it. Remember my flora fauna blog, just last week, well I saw honeysuckle and dogroses and foxgloves all growing wild in the hedgerows. So I am feeling pretty good about that blog. I will be taking lots of pictures to share with you when I get back.
In the meantime here is one fashion picture for June as promised.
This is from the Cabinet of Fashion, June 1808
Fig. 1. Short dress of muslin; pelisse of fine cambric, and fashionable straw hat; yellow gloves.
Full Dress.-A round dress of pale pink sarsnet, covered with a stout robe of white crape, or net; a cap of white lace or net, and bows, ornamented with a red rose in front.
My next newsletter will be coming in July - so if you want to be sure to get a copy, you can sign up through the link posted at blogside (like curbside). Off to see the old mum tomorrow.
I will pop in for a visit later in the week and let you know what we have been doing. Until then, Happy Rambles
Friday, June 8, 2007
Regency Flora, Fauna and News
I hope you will forgive me, for running a tiny bit late today. I am off to the Historical Novel Society Conference tomorrow and had a couple of deadlines to meet.
Of course, everyone waxes lyrical about June. It is really the beginning of summer and all the flowers are putting on their best show. Of particular interest was this little extract.
Honeysuckle is an overpowering sweet odour sometimes the air is so heavy one can'tbreath. I can remember honeysuckle like that. These days it just doesn't seem to have that heady perfume. Or is it me?
What other flowers do we find in the gardens and hedgrows?
Here is a list from the
Times Telescope for 1817: Naturalists' Diary
Flowers: Larkspur, white lily, orange lily, everlasting pea, veronica, hyssop, snapdragon, linaria, yellow loosestrife, marigolds, chrysanthemum, nigella, wallfower, sweet william, iris, cranesbill, red valerian, bachelor's button, poppies, columbine, thrift, candytuft, foxglove, periwinkle, camomile, lavatera, lavender, globe
thistle, squill.
Trees, shrubs, vines: Spanish broom, yellow and white jasmine, roses, tamarisk, lime tree, cinquefoil, honeysuckle, Syringa, viburnum, Passion-flower,
Tulip-tree, spirea, Portugal laurel, sweetbriar.
Out of those I picked a couple that for me hold many happy memories of perfumes during childhood.
Wallflowers - not the kind who have to sit out the dancing.
They also have a sweet perfume and grow well in the lose mortar of walls. Hence their name.
The other one is foxglove. Come on now, don't you just love that name. We always used to pick the heads of the flowers off and pop them on the ends of our fingers, like gloves. Didn't do the flowers much good, though I must say.
Do I hear you crying, digitalis - that's poisoness. If I did you are quite correct. So if there is a murder in 1817, we know this is one plant that could be to blame.
Something else the Diarist tells us. June is when the birds stop singing. By the end of June most of them stop their call, including the cuckoo. You have to be very careful about when you have a cuckoo make its appearance - if it is the call you are using.
I am going to do more on this topic for June, because there are a few more plants and wildflowers that I would like to include, even though I cannot inclue them all.
News
I also want to tell you that I will be going on vacation from June 15 to July 10. I will be gathering lots of pictures of places for this blog as well as visiting my mum.
So I hope you will be patient if I miss a day or a week here or there, because I don't always have access to a computer.
I will be here next week and will finish up the flora and fauna and hope to get a little bit of Fashion done for June.
I hope you are enjoying some nice early summer weather. Until next week, Happy Rambles.
Of course, everyone waxes lyrical about June. It is really the beginning of summer and all the flowers are putting on their best show. Of particular interest was this little extract.
Honeysuckle is an overpowering sweet odour sometimes the air is so heavy one can'tbreath. I can remember honeysuckle like that. These days it just doesn't seem to have that heady perfume. Or is it me?What other flowers do we find in the gardens and hedgrows?
Here is a list from the
Times Telescope for 1817: Naturalists' Diary
Flowers: Larkspur, white lily, orange lily, everlasting pea, veronica, hyssop, snapdragon, linaria, yellow loosestrife, marigolds, chrysanthemum, nigella, wallfower, sweet william, iris, cranesbill, red valerian, bachelor's button, poppies, columbine, thrift, candytuft, foxglove, periwinkle, camomile, lavatera, lavender, globe
thistle, squill.
Trees, shrubs, vines: Spanish broom, yellow and white jasmine, roses, tamarisk, lime tree, cinquefoil, honeysuckle, Syringa, viburnum, Passion-flower,
Tulip-tree, spirea, Portugal laurel, sweetbriar.
Out of those I picked a couple that for me hold many happy memories of perfumes during childhood.
Wallflowers - not the kind who have to sit out the dancing.
They also have a sweet perfume and grow well in the lose mortar of walls. Hence their name.
The other one is foxglove. Come on now, don't you just love that name. We always used to pick the heads of the flowers off and pop them on the ends of our fingers, like gloves. Didn't do the flowers much good, though I must say.
Do I hear you crying, digitalis - that's poisoness. If I did you are quite correct. So if there is a murder in 1817, we know this is one plant that could be to blame.Something else the Diarist tells us. June is when the birds stop singing. By the end of June most of them stop their call, including the cuckoo. You have to be very careful about when you have a cuckoo make its appearance - if it is the call you are using.
I am going to do more on this topic for June, because there are a few more plants and wildflowers that I would like to include, even though I cannot inclue them all.
News
I also want to tell you that I will be going on vacation from June 15 to July 10. I will be gathering lots of pictures of places for this blog as well as visiting my mum.
So I hope you will be patient if I miss a day or a week here or there, because I don't always have access to a computer.
I will be here next week and will finish up the flora and fauna and hope to get a little bit of Fashion done for June.
I hope you are enjoying some nice early summer weather. Until next week, Happy Rambles.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Sneak Peek
There is nothing more exciting or as scary to a writer as seeing the cover for your book. Well, perhaps seeing an envelope from a publisher or an agent that has had your manuscript for a while is pretty scary.
Anyway I have to share my new cover. I really love it and I thought you should be among the first to see it.
Isn't that pretty? Come on, you really must agree. I must say I am very happy with it.
You can of course order the book on amazon, but it won't be out until October and it will be in bookstores, so you can wait for a while. In the meantime I am going to sit here and stare at the cover.
Here is another cover. I bet Lori was very pleased with this one. Her book out is this month, and I can't wait to read it. Hellhounds. Yummy. I have added the link and a bit of the blurb to tempt your appetite. You will love this exciting read.
Publisher: Silhouette Nocturne
ISBN: 0373617658
ISBN-13: 978-0373617654
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2007
Order Now from Amazon.com
Read the excerpt listed there, shivery and intriguing. Go check it out. It will make a change from Regencies and they do say variety is the spice of life. So get living ducks.
Risk Leidolf is a hellhound—a legendary, otherworldly creature who is both man and beast. For centuries, he’s been bound to do the bidding of an immortal witch. But after being ordered to destroy novice witch Kara Shane, the man within him rebels. And the beast within him is held at bay—for now.
Fiercely drawn to each other, Risk and Kara soon form a passionate alliance as they set out to find her missing sister—and the key to his salvation. For the power unleashed by the twin witches could free him from the immortal witch’s bondage. But that freedom comes at a steep price. For the fierce battle will put more than one soul at stake
To see more books by my friends go to Your Virtual Book Bag
Thursday, we will take a a peek at some Flora and Fauna, and then I am off the to Historical Novel Society Conference. And the following week I will have some fashion and some news.
Until next time, Happy Rambles.
Anyway I have to share my new cover. I really love it and I thought you should be among the first to see it.Isn't that pretty? Come on, you really must agree. I must say I am very happy with it.
You can of course order the book on amazon, but it won't be out until October and it will be in bookstores, so you can wait for a while. In the meantime I am going to sit here and stare at the cover.
Here is another cover. I bet Lori was very pleased with this one. Her book out is this month, and I can't wait to read it. Hellhounds. Yummy. I have added the link and a bit of the blurb to tempt your appetite. You will love this exciting read.
Publisher: Silhouette Nocturne
ISBN: 0373617658
ISBN-13: 978-0373617654
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2007
Order Now from Amazon.com
Read the excerpt listed there, shivery and intriguing. Go check it out. It will make a change from Regencies and they do say variety is the spice of life. So get living ducks.
Risk Leidolf is a hellhound—a legendary, otherworldly creature who is both man and beast. For centuries, he’s been bound to do the bidding of an immortal witch. But after being ordered to destroy novice witch Kara Shane, the man within him rebels. And the beast within him is held at bay—for now.
Fiercely drawn to each other, Risk and Kara soon form a passionate alliance as they set out to find her missing sister—and the key to his salvation. For the power unleashed by the twin witches could free him from the immortal witch’s bondage. But that freedom comes at a steep price. For the fierce battle will put more than one soul at stake
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Thursday, we will take a a peek at some Flora and Fauna, and then I am off the to Historical Novel Society Conference. And the following week I will have some fashion and some news.
Until next time, Happy Rambles.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The Peerage
Yes, pesky titles. I know I should have this down pat by now. But I just started a new work, and lo and behold the darn hero is the second son of a duke. Not the heir. Now there are all kinds of pitfalls with Dukes, not just what you call them, but what you call their sons, their wives, their sons wives and so on. I am going to deal with just a couple of them here.
I thought rather than do a dry list, I would use the 5th Duke of Devonshire as a living -- a well a previously living-- example. His first wife was Georgiana, a very interesting woman, but in the matter of titles I have chosen this particular Duke because he was around in the Georgian era.
This is a portrait of the fifth duke. Now how would you address the starchy looking gentleman. Oh and by the way, his family name (like your surname) is Cavendish. That becomes important later.
The form of address partly depends on who is addressing him and in what form, writing or speech (just to give you hiccups). A servant might well address him as "Your Grace", probably with his nose touching his knees. Anyone with the rank of baronet or below, e.g. just plain Mrs, Miss or Mr. would also call him Your Grace.
His wife would probably call him Devonshire or, if they were alone or with intimate family or friends, she might call him, "my lord" or "my love". It sounds very formal, but that in a way is the reason for our enchantment for bygone ages. It was different.
Here is a picture of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Gainsborough, while this is still in the 1780's we can see the classical influence.
The Duke's friends, if they are peers, would most likely call him Devonshsire, although they might say, "How are you today, Duke?" and as the conversation continues would address him as "sir".
A Duke is never addressed as "my lord".
Very rarely were first names used, except possibly between boys who were close friends at school, and then only in private. Last names, or the title name (e.g. Devonshire) were the most common forms of address, if not using the respectful, "your grace".
He would sign his name Devonshire on all correspondence. There is only one Devonshire, and there would be absolutely no mistake as to whom had written. If you are going to write to a Duke, you would begin: "My Lord Duke"
Perhaps one of my favorite fictional dukes is His Grace Duke of Avon, in Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades and Devil's Cub. Oh man, gotta read those books again now I have thought about them. He was also in the Black Moth, but he was an anti hero and so she changed his name, but we guessed. I always felt a teeny bit sorry for him in the first book. I do love a bad boy.
Back to titles, girl, before you lose your audience.
Note that a Duke is always the Duke of "somewhere". That is not true of some of the other titles. Remember the Duke of Wellington? He was the first Duke of Wellington.
A Duke will usually have one or more courtesy titles. These are often titles of progression, titles his family earned over the centuries, gradually climbing the ladder of the peerage. So he might also be Marquess of Malmsbury and Earl Chokingham and some others as well as being "Duke of Somewhere". His eldest son will normally take his highest courtesy title during the Duke's lifetime.
The duchess is also "Your Grace" but rather than "My Lord Duke" she is "Madam", on formal correspondence and "Madam" instead of "Sir" in informal speech. She would sign her name Georgiana Devonshire.
Now in my novel, I have an heir, who is a Marquess, so I have to follow the rules for him, but he only makes a brief appearance so I will talk about his title another time. My hero is the second son. So what do I need to know about him?
Of course the biggest fear of the writer is that by now you have so many names floating on the pages that you have made your reader fall asleep.
To wake you up, here is a picture of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Very much a Regency gentleman. This picture was painted by Thomas Lawrence in 1811.
Anyway, younger sons of Dukes. Since he is my main character let me get it right.
Announced formally or addressed on formal correspondence as: Lord Malcolm Cavendish
(All right so Devonshire only had one son, but this is fiction so use your imagination.)
What we have above is a title "Lord" his Christian or firstname "Malcolm" and his family name or surname "Cavendish". Neither his father, mother or older brother use the Cavendish. But he isn't really a peer, he is only the second son, poor sod.
The salutation on correspondence would be "My Lord". He would be announced as "The Lord Malcolm Cavendish" He would be addressed by his friends as Lord Malcolm (or Malcolm or Cavendish, if addressed by a very close friend or relative). He would sign himself as Malcolm Cavendish or Cavendish. If he had a younger brother, a third son to the Duke, then that son could not sign just Cavendish. He would have to use his Christian name and then the family name in his signature to avoid confusion with his older brother.
Whew!!!!!
Thank you so much for helping me do my research for this book. Without you I would still have a note in the manuscript that says - must check ducal sons' forms of address.
By the way, if you would like all the detail, check out this website. I think it is very clear. You can also investigate Debrett's or Burke's, you will find them listed in the bibliography on the above website. Until next time, Happy rambles.
I thought rather than do a dry list, I would use the 5th Duke of Devonshire as a living -- a well a previously living-- example. His first wife was Georgiana, a very interesting woman, but in the matter of titles I have chosen this particular Duke because he was around in the Georgian era.This is a portrait of the fifth duke. Now how would you address the starchy looking gentleman. Oh and by the way, his family name (like your surname) is Cavendish. That becomes important later.
The form of address partly depends on who is addressing him and in what form, writing or speech (just to give you hiccups). A servant might well address him as "Your Grace", probably with his nose touching his knees. Anyone with the rank of baronet or below, e.g. just plain Mrs, Miss or Mr. would also call him Your Grace.
His wife would probably call him Devonshire or, if they were alone or with intimate family or friends, she might call him, "my lord" or "my love". It sounds very formal, but that in a way is the reason for our enchantment for bygone ages. It was different.
Here is a picture of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Gainsborough, while this is still in the 1780's we can see the classical influence.
The Duke's friends, if they are peers, would most likely call him Devonshsire, although they might say, "How are you today, Duke?" and as the conversation continues would address him as "sir".
A Duke is never addressed as "my lord".
Very rarely were first names used, except possibly between boys who were close friends at school, and then only in private. Last names, or the title name (e.g. Devonshire) were the most common forms of address, if not using the respectful, "your grace".
He would sign his name Devonshire on all correspondence. There is only one Devonshire, and there would be absolutely no mistake as to whom had written. If you are going to write to a Duke, you would begin: "My Lord Duke"
Perhaps one of my favorite fictional dukes is His Grace Duke of Avon, in Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades and Devil's Cub. Oh man, gotta read those books again now I have thought about them. He was also in the Black Moth, but he was an anti hero and so she changed his name, but we guessed. I always felt a teeny bit sorry for him in the first book. I do love a bad boy.
Back to titles, girl, before you lose your audience.
Note that a Duke is always the Duke of "somewhere". That is not true of some of the other titles. Remember the Duke of Wellington? He was the first Duke of Wellington.
A Duke will usually have one or more courtesy titles. These are often titles of progression, titles his family earned over the centuries, gradually climbing the ladder of the peerage. So he might also be Marquess of Malmsbury and Earl Chokingham and some others as well as being "Duke of Somewhere". His eldest son will normally take his highest courtesy title during the Duke's lifetime.
The duchess is also "Your Grace" but rather than "My Lord Duke" she is "Madam", on formal correspondence and "Madam" instead of "Sir" in informal speech. She would sign her name Georgiana Devonshire.
Now in my novel, I have an heir, who is a Marquess, so I have to follow the rules for him, but he only makes a brief appearance so I will talk about his title another time. My hero is the second son. So what do I need to know about him?
Of course the biggest fear of the writer is that by now you have so many names floating on the pages that you have made your reader fall asleep.
To wake you up, here is a picture of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Very much a Regency gentleman. This picture was painted by Thomas Lawrence in 1811.Anyway, younger sons of Dukes. Since he is my main character let me get it right.
Announced formally or addressed on formal correspondence as: Lord Malcolm Cavendish
(All right so Devonshire only had one son, but this is fiction so use your imagination.)
What we have above is a title "Lord" his Christian or firstname "Malcolm" and his family name or surname "Cavendish". Neither his father, mother or older brother use the Cavendish. But he isn't really a peer, he is only the second son, poor sod.
The salutation on correspondence would be "My Lord". He would be announced as "The Lord Malcolm Cavendish" He would be addressed by his friends as Lord Malcolm (or Malcolm or Cavendish, if addressed by a very close friend or relative). He would sign himself as Malcolm Cavendish or Cavendish. If he had a younger brother, a third son to the Duke, then that son could not sign just Cavendish. He would have to use his Christian name and then the family name in his signature to avoid confusion with his older brother.
Whew!!!!!
Thank you so much for helping me do my research for this book. Without you I would still have a note in the manuscript that says - must check ducal sons' forms of address.
By the way, if you would like all the detail, check out this website. I think it is very clear. You can also investigate Debrett's or Burke's, you will find them listed in the bibliography on the above website. Until next time, Happy rambles.
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