Phew! I have been on the go all week.
Wednesday night Anna and Cindy treated me to a wonderful meal at Anna's house. So delicious. They wanted me to see a documentary on Mrs. Beeton so we watched that, and then Anna brought me back to Chawton. What an absolute gift to have met them. I took Anna a small token of appreciation, some organic eggs from CHL. The chickens have been uber productive here of late.
A fabulous trip to Bournemouth on Thursday to meet Dr. Kip Jones (Bournemouth U; Performative Social Sciences). Kip was exactly the person I needed to meet; his work is inspirational! And he was so encouraging. He did a private screening of his film, Rufus Stone, based on Kip's (and others') research. I hope we get to screen it at Acadia when it is finally released.
Back to Chawton on the train, my thoughts a-buzzin'. As a result, I finally figured out my website, after years of not knowing how to include all my varied interests. That Kip, what an inspiration.
Friday to Jane Austen House Museum for the treat of my life. Had a quick meeting with Louise (Director) and Sue (Steward who was going to help me with textiles in storage) about two documents I can/will create for them out of my time at the museum. Then, Sue took out three boxes; one containing lace wedding attire from 1813, one a wool and silk spencer from 1817, AND Jane Austen's lace shawl. Imagine. Took lots of pictures (will post when camera recharged).
I loved that Jane's shawl had a number of repairs...very cleverly done. Sue and I were in wonder at the needlework.
Today (Saturday) I took the train to Stonehenge. It is relatively close by and I thought, why not? When will I get here again. It was an overcast day; good. No chance of overheating. There were loads of people there (as always). Just beyond the parking lot was a path through a field to burial burrows so I went up there. A great view and far, far away from the crowd. Enroute I passed a table bearing a sign "psychic readings" although no one was about...truly psychic, I thought. But no, on the way back the reader had arrived. Imagine a cross between Friar Tuck and Crocodile Dundee...
There were local strawberries for sale off the back of a truck pulled up on the other side of the fence from the parking...a nice change from the packaged sandwiches inside the gates. Trains were not busy. A lovely day out.
When I returned this evening, the shepherd I spoke with yesterday had delivered my fleece. It just fit in the new bag I bought in Salisbury. Speaking of, what a great town is Salisbury. I'll definitely return there. Found some wonderful gifts for the family there!
And now an evening of packing. Early day tomorrow; travelling all day.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
There and back again...getting ready to go again
Spent the weekend travelling to Church Stretton in Shropshire to see Lucy and Rachel. What a gorgeous place; we took a shuttle up up up into the hills of the Long Mynd, visited an historic lead mine (partially restored buildings and incredibly interested/helpful volunteers) where we walked underground and met a BAT! We were in its territory, after all. A beautiful part of England on the Welsh borders. Worth a revisit!
I learned (or rather, had reinforced) how much I love pub meals, I had reinforced that the food in England is pretty darned fantastic, that rumours of the ickyness of English food are erroneous, and that requiring gluten free foods has not yet posed a problem wherever I have eaten. All wonderful.
Lucy and I went to the local theatre to watch a British farce...the play was fine...the toupee on the fellow selling programs...my goodness, what was that? Bald is BEE-AUTIFUL fellas! No toupee required!
Then back to Chawton on the train via Winchester where I strolled by Jamie Oliver's new place, Union Jack's. Since it is a pizza place, did not stop for a meal (read about gluten avoidance above). And, I was tired and wanted to get back to Chawton.
Bought some groceries to last through to Saturday, got the bus to Chawton, made a curried chicken meal to share with Sarah, Education Officer at CHL (who has bell ringing practice on Monday nights so I offered to provide her with a meal). Sarah and I had our yummy curry. She went off to bell ringing and I sat on our front steps listening to the bells and the birds. Quite absolutely perfect.
Today I was back at the Jane Austen House Museum to finish going through the JA Society news bulletins since 1949 for mentions of textiles. I studied some of the pieces more closely, and tried to figure out how to provide the Museum with something of use about their textile collection in the limited time I have here. I think a person could do that project full time for a number of months, or for a thesis.
Tomorrow will be my last day in the Reading Room (Thursday to Bournemouth; Friday at JAHM) to wrap up what I want to do here in terms of the invalid's dietary. The research has gone better than I hoped; I have developed a list of questions arising that I will work into the assignment possibilities for students this coming year, have outlined the articles I will write in July, and have prepared presentations for next month and the ICD in September. Such a gift to be able to spend the month here!
I discovered that there will be a conference in Belgium next April entitled, Food in Hospitals: An Historical Perspective. Sent an abstract this morning for consideration for the program (even though the deadline is passed). Regardless of whether I get to present, I plan to attend since it is ideal for my interests.
I learned (or rather, had reinforced) how much I love pub meals, I had reinforced that the food in England is pretty darned fantastic, that rumours of the ickyness of English food are erroneous, and that requiring gluten free foods has not yet posed a problem wherever I have eaten. All wonderful.
Lucy and I went to the local theatre to watch a British farce...the play was fine...the toupee on the fellow selling programs...my goodness, what was that? Bald is BEE-AUTIFUL fellas! No toupee required!
Then back to Chawton on the train via Winchester where I strolled by Jamie Oliver's new place, Union Jack's. Since it is a pizza place, did not stop for a meal (read about gluten avoidance above). And, I was tired and wanted to get back to Chawton.
Bought some groceries to last through to Saturday, got the bus to Chawton, made a curried chicken meal to share with Sarah, Education Officer at CHL (who has bell ringing practice on Monday nights so I offered to provide her with a meal). Sarah and I had our yummy curry. She went off to bell ringing and I sat on our front steps listening to the bells and the birds. Quite absolutely perfect.
Today I was back at the Jane Austen House Museum to finish going through the JA Society news bulletins since 1949 for mentions of textiles. I studied some of the pieces more closely, and tried to figure out how to provide the Museum with something of use about their textile collection in the limited time I have here. I think a person could do that project full time for a number of months, or for a thesis.
Tomorrow will be my last day in the Reading Room (Thursday to Bournemouth; Friday at JAHM) to wrap up what I want to do here in terms of the invalid's dietary. The research has gone better than I hoped; I have developed a list of questions arising that I will work into the assignment possibilities for students this coming year, have outlined the articles I will write in July, and have prepared presentations for next month and the ICD in September. Such a gift to be able to spend the month here!
I discovered that there will be a conference in Belgium next April entitled, Food in Hospitals: An Historical Perspective. Sent an abstract this morning for consideration for the program (even though the deadline is passed). Regardless of whether I get to present, I plan to attend since it is ideal for my interests.
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