Via a book on nineteenth century dancing, I ran across a marvelous series of lists on the secret language of silent communication using objects that every proper young lady of the Victorian era usually had with her, at least most … Continue reading
I love reading up on odd words and phrases used at different times in the 19th century; my copy of The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue is battered and dog-eared, as are several other similar reference books in my … Continue reading
One of the most enduring tropes in romance fiction is the bad boy—a male romantic lead who parties hard, tirelessly carves notches in his bedposts, is devastatingly attractive, yada yada yada… It’s not my particular jam, but to each their … Continue reading
Two words, power and privilege. What’s not to like? What’s not to hate? Whatever those words power and privilege evoke to us, it’s usually not boredom. It’s tough to get away from the fact that human beings tend … Continue reading
Living my entire life on or near the coast of Massachusetts, I’ve kind of taken it for granted that any walk on a beach of my home state might turn up treasures beyond a pretty scallop shell or a tumbled … Continue reading
In the first of my posts on lighting a couple of weeks ago, we saw how the world depended on candles and oil lamps…and as a result was a dim, rather dirty place; after all, burning oil creates smoke, which … Continue reading
One of my favorite women of history is Liselotte von der Pfalz. Liselotte was properly styled Princess Palatine Elizabeth Charlotte, or, in German, Pfalzprinzessin Elisabeth Charlotte. She was born in Heidelberg, 27 May 1652, and died at Saint-Cloud, 8 December … Continue reading
It’s early evening as I write this and getting a little dim in my office…so just now I leaned forward and with a small movement of my hand turned on the lamp on my desk. Lovely, clear light now floods … Continue reading
I did promise that this weekend I would write about two leaders, Boudicca and Cleopatra, however I am behind on my research. This is mostly due to the amount of information I’ve run across, and getting sidetracked at online bookstores … Continue reading
After a chilly spring, summer has finally arrived where I live in New England…with a vengeance! Thank goodness for air conditioning… Speaking of which, did you know that the first building to be air conditioned was in London…back in the … Continue reading
