Out, out damned spot! Ashes, tallow and turpentine to the rescue for all your cleaning needs! Keeping clothes clean has always been a challenge. Today, we can simply go to the store and buy a specialized product according stain that needs cleaning, but this wasn’t the case in Jane Austen’s day. In centuries past, the mistress of the house needed to be well versed on what home preparations could be used to keep her household … Continue reading →
Feline approval is difficult to achieve. #65 Reviewers too Critical So, as many of you already know, I’m currently posting a short story, Lady Catherine’s Cat, about an opinionated kitty named Ginger. You would think that would be enough to achieve feline approval amongst the household herd. But no, nothing could ever be that simple, especially not when you start seeking feline approval. Moving said cat up to title role in a story is hardly … Continue reading →
Continuing August’s short story challenge. A letter from Jane and a talk with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Which one is more vexing? If you missed earlier parts, find them HERE Lady Catherine’s Cat, Part 3 The woods in this part of Rosings were too thick for the early morning sun to penetrate deeply. Cool and dewy, they smelt of green and loam, and freedom, peaceful enough to make one forget all she might count among her troubles. … Continue reading →
Luxury foods demand the luxury treatment! Take a look at the ice cream cups and other special serving vessels for ice cream. If you’ve been reading Random Bits of Fascination for a while, then you may remember talking about specialized china for luxury dishes before. If not, you might want to check out these posts on Chocolate Pots vs. Coffee Pots, and Chocolate cups vs. Tea cups. Since ice cream was (during Austen’s day) a … Continue reading →
Continuing the August short story challenge. Perhaps Ginger does not approve of Lady Catherine’s choice for Darcy’s wife. If you missed earlier parts, find them HERE Lady Catherine’s Cat, Part 2 Darcy paced across his spacious chamber once again. The room accommodated not only a large four poster bed and chest of drawers, but a writing desk, a table sufficient to seat three, and an imposing wing chair by the fire. The attached dressing room … Continue reading →