Last week I blogged about how I was about to spend a weekend as a housemaid/lady at Riversdale House Museum’s Ladies Regency weekend. I’m happy to report I had a great time and I now know what theorem painting* is, how to quarter a chicken, and how to play Haymarket (a dice game) and Sept (a card game pronounced set–it’s French for seven), although Faro had me stumped.
Here are some of us in our finery on the steps of the house (note the original sandstone pillars and solid mahogany front doors)–I’m in the middle of the back row wearing blue-gray. The lady to my right with the red gloves drove down from Pennsylvania wearing stays! To my left are writers Kristina Cook (whom I laced into her stays) and Sally McKenzie, and Katherine Spivey who is the Museum’s official Rosalie Calvert (and sometimes impersonates Dolley Madison whom Rosalie loathed).
And we’re finally having good weather at last–I’d been afraid of how I’d keep warm in my silk and was planning to wear a strange assortment of long underwear beneath it, but it was a beautiful sunny weekend. Spring is finally here, and summer is just around the corner, and this coming weekend I’ll be going to the WRW Retreat in Harpers Ferry. Then in July there’s National.
What are you doing this spring and summer? Share your plans with us!
* Nothing to do with math. Creating artwork, usually of fruit and flowers, on velvet with stencils.
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You look terrific, Janet. But has the picture reversed left and right? As for this summer, I’m thinking very seriously about The Dickens Universe at UC Santa Cruz. It’s a pretty intensive week from a literary standpoint — I don’t think there are costumes — but great food served at the parties, authentic Victorian punch and very chichi California everything else. It costs the earth, but I’ll deduct it, of course. And since this year they’ll be reading The Pickwick Papers (1830s) and since my wip is very late 1820s, it could be extremely helpful.
Ah, so that’s what theorem painting is. I loved your gown, Janet. Do tell us more about your job belowstairs. Would you do it again next year, or would you prefer to be abovestairs next time?
Pam, your Dickens weekend sounds divine. I hope your blog about it afterwards.
Re-posting…
CONGRATULATIONS to Diane for sweeping the list of finalists in the Regency category of the National Readers’ Choice Awards with three–yes, folks, that’s THREE–books: A Reputable Rake, A Twelfth Night Tale, and The Wagering Widow. NRCA is organized by the Oklahoma RWA chapter.
Lovely picture, Janet! Sounds like a fabulous weekend.
BTW, Faro is actually very easy to play–it’s a game of pure chance. One basically bets on what the next card to be turned up will be. (Vast oversimplification, but it’s the general idea.) Really about as easy as roulette to play…
Cara (who has spent far too much time on some things!) 🙂
I’ll be at RWA! And love the gown, Janet. 🙂
Pam, I’m very jealous about the Dickens Universe. Like Keira, I hope you blog about it afterwards–in detail. 🙂 They should have costumes, though–it could be fun to dress up as a Dickens character, LOL
That’s me on the front left in the pink! I had such a fabulous time there, and it was amazing to meet you and all the other ladies.
This summer I am taking my son to Minnesota for two weeks of sailing school. And renovating our new house, and visiting the relaties–nothing exciting at all, but I know there will be plenty of time for writing and reading (hopefully in that order, procrastinator that I am).
It sounds like a fun weekend, Janet, and Pam, I am so, so envious.
Mina, I’m so sorry I didn’t get to say good-bye–I was rushed away by a husband who’d come out in his bedroom slippers and a horrible pair of pants and who wouldn’t come in for a drink. He couldn’t understand that my lovely gown didn’t have a cellphone pocket. It was so lovely to meet you and all the other ladies.
Keira, I was “downstairs” as a volunteer which meant I spent quite a bit of time in the (modern) kitchen but I attended free, so I was quite happy!
Pam, the Dickens week sounds great, and you wouldn’t want to spend it in a Victorian corset genteely fainting!
Janet, that’s quite alright. I do understand. I think the consensus is that next year we’re all bringing air mattresses. 😀
That sounds like a wonderful weekend, Janet! One of these days I’ll have to find the time to do something like that.
My spring and summer plans are still somewhat up in the air. I’m definitely going to the Historical Novel Society conference in Albany June 8-10, and I’ll be at a lot of Mariners games because we have a 16-game plan, but that’s all I know. I’m hoping to make it down to Alabama for a week to visit family, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to swing the time off work.
You guys look so great! 🙂 It sounded so wonderful there, and glad you did have fun there! 🙂
Lois
Janet wrote:
I had a great time and I now know what theorem painting* is.
* Nothing to do with math. Creating artwork, usually of fruit and flowers, on velvet with stencils.
How disappointing! Does this mean I should return my box of watercolors and copy of Euclid?
It sounds like a really fun weekend, though. My plans for the spring and summer are to finally have enough free time to make plans for the spring and summer.
Todd-who-was-working-his-way-up-to-painting-the-definition-of-a-dodecahedron