Maria Grace
Jane Austen’s Birthday Tea at Cinco Ranch Library
Celebrating Jane Austen’s birthday in style this year! My darling Mr. Darcy and I were privileged to celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday in style this year. Our English Country Dance group was invited to do a dance demo for the Cinco Ranch Library at a tea in honor of Jane Austen’s birthday. You didn’t have to ask us twice! An excuse to pull out our regency garb–including the infamous ‘Belle’ gown–and dress up with some of … Continue reading →
Christmas Pantomimes
Each year, Regency era British theaters prepared Christmas pantomimes (pantos) that would begin on Boxing Day and run as long as the audiences demanded them. These were not silent productions, but rather very verbal performances that included the audience as an extra character in plays bearing many similarities to modern burlesque. The Pantomime Tradition The tradition of pantomimes and the pantomime characters in England traces back to medieval theater. Broadbent (1901) notes: A sketch of … Continue reading →
Regency Christmas Traditions: Black Butter
Black butter was another traditional Christmastide treat. Jane Austen mentioned black butter in a letter to her sister. One might infer that she liked it on the whole, but was rather unimpressed with this particular batch of it. December 27, 1808:The widgeon (a kind of duck) and the preserved ginger were as delicious as one could wish. But as to our black butter, do not decoy anybody to Southampton by such a lure, for it … Continue reading →
Reason #78 Why writing takes so long
#78 Plague of Rats Authors face unexpected hazards while trying to get their books written. Historical authors sometimes face unique challenges as historical problems rear up their ugly heads and try to–well sometimes–eat one’s muse. But never fear, that’s why authors have cats, right? Most recently, imagine my surprise, nay shock and horror that my home was under invasion by a plague of (stuffed) rats. Look at the size of those things! Almost the … Continue reading →