This can be a difficult day
For a myriad of reasons, many of us find Mother’s Day difficult. You are not alone. Make sure you do something kind for yourself today. Hugs and Many Blessings, g
Continue reading →Maria Grace
What makes a gentleman?
If one wanted to marry a gentleman, one must identify said elusive creature first. So how exactly could one pick out a gentleman from the rest? The nuances of social class and what makes a gentleman a gentleman remains a perennial source of confusion for Austenesque and Regency readers. The pages of Austen’s stories are littered with gentlemen, but offer absolutely no explanation of what that title actually meant. Of course, her readers knew exactly … Continue reading →
Inspiring A Writer—Jane Austen’s Dragons! part 1
What goes into inspiring a writer? Take a down that long, unusual road with me. True confessions time here. While I don’t watch a great deal of television, I do like competition shows. Chopped, Forged in Fire, Project Runway and Face Off are some of my favorites. Although it may hurt your brain to think about it, the shows have some strong similarities (Chopped was actually the inspiration for Forged in Fire but that’s another … Continue reading →
Home Medicine in Jane Austen’s Day
William Buchan’s book Domestic medicine or the family physician was the backbone of home medicine in Jane Austen’s day. During Jane Austen’s day, the practice of medicine as we know it today was still in its infancy. Formally trained doctors were unavailable to many either because of cost or distance. Consequently many of the curative arts were practiced at home. William Buchan’s book Domestic medicine or the family physician. Buchan’s Early Life William Buchan was … Continue reading →
Widows of Jane Austen’s World
What was life like for the widows of Jane Austen’s world? When a woman’s husband died, she was expected to spend a full year (long enough for a baby conceived in her marriage to be born) in full or deep mourning. During this time she was expected to dress in all black, refraining from public appearances. Movie adaptations of Sense and Sensibility portray Mrs. Dashwood in widow’s weeds. The next six months she would wear subdued colors like … Continue reading →