September Books

September was another "quiet" reading month. But it included two wonderful mysteries and a peek behind the royal curtain.

The September Books -- Finally

October is over, yet finally I am reviewing the September books! September brought more reading time than I'd expected and there are six books here to show for it -- four mysteries, a biography of sorts and an action novel are featured this month.

 

The Books of May

May wasn't my best reading month, but for the most part the books I did finish were well worth the time. They included two mysteries, a biography, a NYT fiction bestseller and a fabulous book of essays. And that book of essays? It will go on list of all-time favorites. 

Springtime Gatherings

It seems like everything happens in June -- graduations, weddings, parties. It's no exception here! We've had a few fun times and celebrations of late. Read on -- and don't forget to join the party with the youtube video! (And yes, Wrennie is still in residence! I wonder if she has eggs in there?)

Spring: Art, Big Birds, Little Birds, Lilacs, Art, Books and Royals

I went to a wonderful estate sale last month -- but it was also a sad one. The resident of the home was the dad of a high school friend of mine, former neighbor, church friend and friend of my parents. Although it was a different home than the ones they lived in when we were kids, my memory bank flashed back to the Christmases at their home and Lisa's wedding reception in the back yard. 

I wanted a remembrance of Rex -- something Christmas, of course. And I did get a small angel and small nutcracker (and a big elf!) What I didn't expect to find was a treasure trove of books -- the kinds of books I love to read. Biographies, history, and travel. (And I came home with a few!). But the real treasure was this.

The Queen -- And Why This American Cares

Like many around the world, I am mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II -- expected, but never expected at that moment and time. And during these days leading up to her funeral and final rest, it has caused me to think about my own relationship with the Queen and the British monarchy -- how it evolved and why, in these days and times, it remains so strong.

I am neither British (save for some great grandparents and beyond) nor have I ever encountered the Queen or any of her family "in person," even from afar. Why does that relationship remain strong for me and so many, while others might like nothing better than to see the backs of the royal family and their palaces and press?

The May Bookstack

I devoured a diverse group of books in May! From Julia Child and the royals to some good mysteries and an endearing novel, it was a fine book month.

God Save Her

This is the week of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, commemorating 70 years on the the throne, Britain's longest reigning monarch and one of the longest in history of any country. 

   

I'm an  unapologetic fan of the Queen. She has done a job she was never supposed to have to do, having fallen into the role of heir apparent when her father became king following the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII, to marry Wallis Simpson. 

Royal Wedding Day!

I don't remember when I fell in love with England but I think my high school English Lit teacher, Miss Ludwig, may have had something to do with it. England was "her place" and in addition to being the hardest teacher ever, she was one of the most interesting, peppering her talks about Thomas Hardy, Dickens and Shakespeare with slides from her trips and wonderful bits of history.

The September that I graduated from college and before starting grad school for the first time (1973), my mom and I went to England. The timing was fortuitous, because shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer and it was our last trip together. I didn't return until an extended layover with Rick six years ago. (But we're headed back in October!) So, my England is one of memories and history.

I have a pretty extensive collection of books related to England and the Royals, along with loads of Brit Lit, along with coronation cups, tins, plates and dishes that I've collected over the years. I decided to put it to use for the Royal Wedding.

My friend Carol was coming at the crack of dawn. Well, actually, pre-dawn, so the day before I made my scone dough (Marilyn's wonderful recipe from her "Tea Party in My Cupboard" book) and froze it to bake off and dipped the strawberries. (I knew a frozen quiche would have to do at that hour.)

I also got a few flowers for my garden and loosely planted them in some of my royal mugs.

This is the oldest -- Edward VII and Alexandra.

Here we salute the Queen.

The Charles/Diana cup went atop the Elizabeth/Philip tin. (Only fitting -- Harry's parents and grandparents.)

And this one, on the sideboard, was an error in timing -- the Coronation of King Edward VIII. And yes, if you remember your English history or watched "The Crown" you will know that never happened.

Mom's silver. Royal Doulton plates, atop a pink and white cloth over a crocheted lace confection. Do you recognize it, Linda? You should!

A little lemon curd and ginger marmalade (because Harry is, after all, as ginger as Gypsy was!), shortbread and tea and we were good to go.

Carol and I had our hats (Mine was a tad small and sat more on the back of my head!)...

...and we enjoyed the Royal Wedding Bingo from Thekittchen that I learned about from a host of Decor to Adore posts about the Royal Weddings present and past. (Laura's posts are a fabulous history lesson in themselves. If you don't know her blog and are into all things royal, check it out!)

Of course I took photos from the telly, even though I knew they would be much better if I just "borrowed" them from the internet.

I loved the ceremony but I wonder what the Queen thought. (Here's a fun fact -- Lizzie is named after the Queen -- she came into my life on Jubilee year.) Lizzie chimed in with a few meows, endearing herself to the allergic Carol! I love the pageantry of it all and the smiles, gorgeous music and Bishop Curry's exuberant homily. Oh yes, and Charlotte -- she's got the wave thing down pat!

And of course this photo -- fuzzy but so lovely. The thing I loved most about the dress was the very sheer train with the symbolic embroidery along the edge. It doesn't show in this photo but it was wonderful to see the tile of the chapel underneath the train.



It seems like recent weeks have been filled with bad news and sad things, both in ways more personal, affecting friends, and on a larger, more global scale. The thought of one more shooting on the Friday before the Royal Wedding (and apparently another later) just makes it feel a bit hopeless at times. It was lovely to see two people who do good things, who have had their personal struggles in the past, find happiness.

We all need a little happiness, a bit of diversion and love. Flowery hats and scones are good, too.

Sharing this week with Let's Add Sprinkles (Let's Keep in Touch)    /   Share Your Cup   /   Pink Saturday    

Everybody Loves a Love Story

Everybody loves a love story, and I'd like to think that William and Kate (oops, Catherine) are indeed a love story.

To paraphrase Diana's remark about towels, Kate can't back out -- her face is on the shortbread tins!

My friend Carol and I, like so many people, got up long before dawn. I'd made scones the night before -- two wonderful versions: Blueberry...

And Ginger. (Two new recipes for my challenge and both from the America's Test Kitchen book I mentioned in an earlier post. Excellent in every way.)

I dipped strawberries and candied ginger...

And pulled out the jams, chocolate, lemon bread, silver and girly plates.

Of course I had to bring out the pretty sugars my friend Cathy gave me from Crown and Crumpet.

After all, what can be more fun than taking the day off to watch a British occasion with your friend and cook like crazy. (All right... not everyone's cup of tea...but definitely mine!)

The house was suitably decorated.

Yes, those are Charles and Diana slippers.

We enjoyed our favorite moments.

They looked good and most of all they looked happy.

We were happy, too.

Dressed to the nines -- in hats, just happy to be having fun.

How very jolly!

Diana

I have always been an Anglophile. Long before I fell in love with Paris, I feel in love with all things English -- the history, the literature, the monarchy, the pomp, the countryside, the china, everything.

I have a large collection of books related to England and the Royal Family, along with postcards, souvenir china (my favorite being a mug to commemorate Edward VII's coronation, which of course never happened).

And while I am not following with great attention the upcoming William/Kate marriage, I pause and watch when it comes on television. It reminds me of the obsession of the world with Diana and her wedding to Prince Charles, then all that happened after.

I confess, I had all the books -- the last I bought was after she died. And I cut everything out of the paper I could.

Friends in England sent me memorabilia, newspapers, first day covers.

One friend gave me a needlepoint -- I can't find the book with a photo of the completed piece.

It was 22 stitches to the inch done with embroidery floss. I got fairly far, but never finished.

Someday perhaps I'll find a good seamstress who can turn the finished bits into tree ornaments.

But I digress. The point is, when the Diana dress exhibit came to Grand Rapids, I really wanted to see it.

So last week my friend Carol and I took off on a road trip. I wanted to share some observations.

First, if the exhibit comes to your city, and this is something that interests you, it's worth a visit. (Even if they don't allow photos inside -- these are all from the catalogue.)

It's not huge -- you can do it in a couple of hours; less if you don't stop like I did to read every sign or watch any of the video.

Second, it is more than dresses. In fact, to me, the dresses were the least interesting part -- and I'll have something more to say on that later.

What I found remarkable was not the jewels... though they were spectacular.

But instead, the personal memorabilia. It is called "Diana: A Celebration" and it truly reflects that -- rather than being named "Diana: The Dresses" (which is what gets the media attention.

For example, I was captivated by things like her grade-school report cards...

The letter she wrote to her father from boarding school, along with a portrait of her first childhood pet, a cat named Marmalade, which rests near her grave.

Her correspondence was included -- letters to benefactors and thank you notes.

I loved seeing the photos her father took of the decorations preceding the wedding...

...and her gift to him, a photo I had never seen of her in the carriage. It doesn't show as well in my photo-from-a-tiny-photo in the catalogue, but it is simply lovely.

The boxes used for cake as wedding favors are there, along with a Christmas card from Prince Charles with one of his paintings, sent prior to their engagement.

There were other things, too -- toys, photo albums, tap shoes. All things that told a life of a young woman who perhaps never dreamed that one day she would be known all over the world. It was truly fascinating.

I told you I'd talk about the dresses. A whole room is devoted to the wedding, with video, bridesmaid dresses and lots of photos, as well as the wedding dress with its long train. It was the biggest thing I thought I'd ever seen.

I remember watching the wedding and thinking she was such a little girl -- that dress dwarfed her. It wasn't till later, when I learned she was very tall that I realized they probably thought she could handle it. I never thought so -- and when you see it in person it is like wedding-cake-bridal-top-Cinderella gone amuck.

The tiara looked tarnished. The diamonds didn't seem to sparkle, the metal didn't shine. Perplexing.

The other items -- some of the "name" dresses (the Travolta dress, among others) weren't included. Not a disappointment for me -- they probably had been sold off. The ones that were there were a good representation of her style and they were shown with photos (of some), showing them in context.

The thing is, the lighting was terrible. And none of the dresses looked like the photos.

This one, above, for example. I've seen that photo in lots of books, even in the display, and the suit looked white. It was actually a quite a khaki color. Fairly dark.

Another dress -- the long one here that says pale blue -- looked downright gray.

Some of the pinks in the photos looked peach on the mannequins.

Now, I know she wasn't hanging those gowns on the line to dry in the sun. As I told Carol, I have clothes older than that that haven't faded; I can't imagine the gowns have.

So has every photo been color enhanced or was the lighting casting an odd shadow that wiped out the color palette?

A curiosity and I will never know the answer.

I have to say the workmanship and detail is probably all you would expect from major designers creating gowns and a "working wardrobe" for one of the most photographed women in the world. That in itself was fun to see.

When Diana was killed, I think it hit me more immediately than ever before to live life everyday as best you can. She was young, very fit, had bodyguards. Who would think she would die. It can happen to us all, at any time.

It was a lesson we all need to be reminded of. Seeing this exhibit only reinforced that -- we never know when it is our time to move on. Make the most of every moment.

(Speaking of England, the WWI mystery "No Graves As Yet" by Anne Perry is highlighted on Chopsticks and String, along with "Thrift Store Saints." Look for more over there soon!)