Category Archives: Thought of the Day

October 13, 2013

After the Ball is Over…

By ritalovestowrite

Just a few pics from the Regency Harvest Ball benefit at Hopkins Homewood House Museum last night.

The Museum , which is open for tours from 11-3:30 Tuesday through Fridays, and from Noon to 3:30 on Weekends, is located on the Hopkins campus at 3400 N Charles Street in Baltimore.  It was built in 1801 by Charles Carroll, Jr. (largely with funds from his father) and cost roughly 4 times the original estimate. But it was worth every penny. This is a gem of a Federal building and it is beautifully kept.

The ball took place at the beautiful Homewood . [Image couratesy: www.constantinos.us]

The ball took place in and behind the beautiful Homewood . [Image courtesy: www.constantinos.us]

I spent most of the evening in the master bedroom  — a lovely room with a four-poster bed and 19″ ceiling — in my role of the girl’s “governess” I took on the added duties of “helping” the guest primp for the festivities. I offered the gentlemen gloves. If they happened not to have come in proper neck attire — shocking! — I offered them a cravat and helped them tie it in period fashion. For the ladies I had fans. [Click here to read my blog on fans] I gave them a quick tutorial on how to open the fan and how to attract a gentleman (or repel a cad).

Besides meeting the guests I very much enjoyed interacting with the “family” as portrayed by members of the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory.  Like a good “governess” I helped out where necessary and started my evening by fixing hair and altering costumes at the Factory’s home at St. Mary’s Community Center in Hampden.

Lorraine Imwold and Shaina Higgins look out over grounds of Homewood House.

Lorraine Imwold and Shaina Higgins look out over grounds of Homewood House.

Tegan Williams, Brendan Kennedy and Shaina Higgins get into character.

Tegan Williams, Brendan Kennedy and Shaina Higgins get into character.

Ian Blackwell Rogers and Katharine Vary

Ian Blackwell Rogers and Katharine Vary prepare to go up to the entrance and greet guest.

Chris Ryder portrayed the Butler.

Chris Ryder portrayed the Butler.

 

As the guest finished up their $250 a plate dinner (proceeds benefited the Museum) The Chorégraphie Antique ensemble performed period dances.

IMG_6312

Dancers from Chorégraphie Antique which meets at Goucher performed for the guests. (As a humble governess I kept to my place — well in the back of the assembly. But I still enjoyed the festivities.)

It was quite fun to step back into the Regency / Federal period for the evening. The only question in my mind is… now that we know how wonderful everyone looks in their Regency finery… when will the Factory tackle a Jane Austen drama/comedy? (PLEASE!!!)

Yours, most humbly,

The governess…

IMG_6297

Please note, I was going to authenticity, not glamor.

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in 1812, Baltimore, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, History, Jane Austen, JASNA, Thought of the Day

October 12, 2013

Secondary Character Saturday: Captain Von Trapp

By ritalovestowrite

WHO: Captain Von Trapp

FROM: The Sound of Music

Looking Back, 1966 ~ "The Sound of Music&...

Looking Back, 1966 ~ “The Sound of Music” (Photo credit: e r j k p r u n c z y k)

By: Rodgers and Hammerstein

WHEN: Broadway debut — 1959, Movie — 1965

PROS: Honorable, Strong, Patriotic, the Captain can sing and looks great in a uniform. Under his rock hard outer shell he’s really a loving, kind man. (and he’s rich and handsome which a hero of a musical ought to be be if possible.)

Christopher Plummer at the 2007 Toronto Intern...

Christopher Plummer at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

CONS: He’s an emotionally detached, elitist snob with awkward social skills.

BEST SHINING MOMENT: Singing Edelweiss at the Salzburg Music Festival.

LEAST SHINING MOMENT: Whistling for his children as if they were part of a Pavolovian experiment.

WHY I CHOOSE THE CAPTAIN: Lets face it, Captain Von Trapp is the the Mr. Darcy of the Musical world. He starts off aloof and disagreeable –the antithesis to our plucky warm, loveable Maria/Lizzie. He is so wrapped up in the  constraints of upper crust Austrian / Regency Society that he is practically mummified. He is as surprised as any one else when a scrappy, country flower of a girl helps him unwind and find his voice again.

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2 Comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Captain Von Trapp, Thought of the Day

October 12, 2013

Thought of the Day 10.11.13 Eleanor Roosevelt

By ritalovestowrite

Crazzzzzy Day today. But that’s OK, it gives me an excuse to reblog one of my favorite bioBLOGS… Eleanor Roosevelt, who would have turned 129 today!

ritalovestowrite's avatarritaLOVEStoWRITE

  [Eleanor Roosevelt is such a hero of mine, I’m thrilled to write this bio.]

“Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people”

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized anyway.”

“No one can make you fell inferior without your consent.”

“Remember always: That you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.”

“You must do the thing you think you can not do.”

–Eleanor Roosevelt

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born on this day in New York City, New York, USA in 1884. Today is the 128th anniversary of her birth.

She was the niece of one US president and the wife of another. She grew up with immense wealth and great personal sorrow. She was a quiet, shy child, so serious that she was nicknamed “Granny”. Her mother died when…

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October 11, 2013

Fan-tastic — Prepping for the Regency Ball

By ritalovestowrite

Period print. [Image courtesy: JHU.edu]

Period print. [Image courtesy: JHU.edu]

When you are a middle-aged, middle class, American woman you don’t get invited to many balls. It just doesn’t happen. I’ve reconciled myself to that small fact of life.  Unlike Emma Woodhouse I don’t scan the mail looking for invitations. However, when Johns Hopkins announced that they would be hosting a  Regency Harvest Ball my heart did a little flutter.

I have my own Regency dress, long gloves, shawl and reticule, if ever there was a ball at which I was destined to dance… this is it. I will be attending with the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory. We’ll be adding period color by portraying real life Federal men and women from the Baltimore area.

I quickly fessed up to the fact that my dress, while authentic down to the material and the covered buttons,  is more  everyday dress and less ball gown. I will definitely be attending in my ” ‘Country’ fashions.” So I’ll be portraying a servant and helping the ladies (those who are spending $250 a ticket for this fundraiser) with their hair in the Fan Room.

This is super awesome [two words I will not be using at the ball] because I love Art of the Fan and doing “costume” hair.

jane austen fan 2008

jane austen fan 2008 (Photo credit: Owen Benson Visuals)

The language of the fan was often the most direct means of communication between a two people. It would be unthinkable for a young woman to come up to a gentleman she didn’t know and engage in conversation. But if she ran her fingers through the ribs of her fan in his direction, and he was perceptive enough to get the cue, he knew she had just said “I want to talk to you.”  Other fan gestures indicated jealousy, love, desire, and attachment to another.

A replica Brise style regency fan found on Etsy.com

A hand painted, wooden replica Brise style regency fan. This fan, which is painted on both sides, can be found for sale on Etsy.com

Silk on Ivory fan from the Victoria and Albert Museum

1820-1830 Silk on Ivory fan from the Victoria and Albert Museum

An assortment of fans found on www.JaneAusten.com http://www.janeausten.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2000/01/3-regency-fans.jpg

An assortment of fans found on www.JaneAusten.co.uk

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6 Comments   |  tags: , | posted in Baltimore, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, History, postaday, Regency, Thought of the Day

October 10, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Fennel Stuffed Cabbage

By ritalovestowrite

Welcome to another edition of Farm Fresh Challenge! Today I’m combining a couple of boxes for CHOPPED PARKTON, because I had left overs from last week.

cabbage in the pot

FROM the Box:

  • TOMATOES 10 Yellow cherry Tomatoes cut in half
  • FENNEL 1 heart and frond diced (about 1 cup)
  • PAC CHOI 5 baby Pac Choi  chopped(about 1 cup)
  • TURNIP 5 medium to small  diced (about 1 cup)
  • NAPA CABBAGE

FROM the Fridge:

  • Onion chopped (1/2 cup)
  • Carrots (1 cup)
  • 1 tbls olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
  • 1 cup of previously cooked protein finely chopped (I used left over ham and bacon)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place cabbage in a large bowl if very hot water.

2. Place olive oil in a large pan or wok. Cook veggies with soy sauce until they are softened and reduced in size . The turnips are a good gauge. About 20 min.

3. Add protein and cook an additional 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and let cool.

5. Roll about 2 tablespoons of vegetable filling in each leaf of cabbage.

on the plate

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1 Comment   |  tags: , | posted in Farm Fresh Challenge, Fennel, Fennel Stuffed Cabbage, postaday, Thought of the Day

October 9, 2013

Matt Damon 10.8.13 Thought of the Day

By ritalovestowrite

“Eventually stardom is going to go away from me. It goes away from everybody and all you have in the end is to be able to look back and like the choices you made.”

English: Matt Damon at the 66th Venice Interna...

English: Matt Damon at the 66th Venice International Film Festival Nederlands: Matt Damon op het 66e Venice International Film Festival Français : 66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 6ème jour (07/09/2009) Photocall avec Matt Damon et Steven Soderbergh pour le film : The Informant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Matthew Paige Damon was born on this day in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA in 1970. He is 43 years old.

He is the second son born to Kent and Nancy Damon. His big brother Kyle is an artist. The family lived in Newton, Mass. until his parents divorced, then Nancy and the boys moved back to Cambridge.

When Matt was 10 he met his neighbor (and very distant cousin) Ben Affleck.

The pair did everything together. They played baseball (both are die-hard Boston Red Sox fans) and the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. They attended trashy movie double-features, and they both attended the pricey Rindge & Latin prep school. And it was here that Matt really took to acting. [Biography.com]

Matt attended Harvard, studying English, but left to pursue his acting career. He landed his first movie  role in Mystic Pizza (1988) — a one line bit part. He had a much larger, dramatic role in the ensemble movie School Ties (1992) (School Ties is one of those movies that made just about every one in it a star.)  Another excellent example of Damon’s early work is his role of a heroine addicted service man after the First Gulf War in Courage Under Fire (1996).

He had his first starring role in The Rainmaker (1997), a film based on a John Grisham novel.

Then came the movie that “made”  him as an actor and screenwriter, Good Will Hunting. Damon and Affleck wrote the screenplay for the drama (and won an Oscar and Golden Globe for their effort.) Damon’s co-star  Robin Williams won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but Matt lost Best Actor to Jack NIcholson (for his lead role in As Good As It Gets).

He had the title role (although not the largest role) in the World War II drama Saving Private Ryan. (1998).

Other Roles include:

  • Jason Bourne in the Bourne Identity francise
  • Bryan Woodman in Syriana
  • Colin Sullivan in The Departed
  • Edward Wilson in The Good Shepherd
  • Mark Whitace in The Informant
  • Francois Pienaar in Invictus
  • David Norris in The Adjustment Bureau
  • Mitch Emhoff in Contagion
  • Steve Butler in Promised Land
  • Mike McDermont in Rounders
  • Tom Ripley in the Talented Mr. Ripley
Damon in Courage Under Fire. [Image couresty: lemondrop.com]

Damon  looking underweight and strung out in Courage Under Fire. [Image couresty: lemondrop.com]

 
Looking healthier in Saving Private Ryan [ Image courtesy: blogwillhunting.com]

Looking healthier in Saving Private Ryan [ Image courtesy: blogwillhunting.com]

Leave a comment | posted in Thought of the Day

October 8, 2013

Muffin Monday: Surprise Muffins

By ritalovestowrite

BLOGGER’S NOTE: Did I not hit the Publish button? What? What did you all do with out your Muffin Monday fix. So sorry. I didn’t notice the mistake until I logged on this morning to write today’s entry. Here you go…

—————————————————————————————————————

The inspiration for these muffins comes from my childhood. My mom used to make something like these as a treat.  I’ve upped the whole grain factor by including Whole Wheat Flour and Wheat Bran

muffin beauty shot

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup White Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 tablespoons Wheat Bran

6 tablespoons melted Butter

3/4 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Milk

1 teaspoon Almond Extract

1 cup grated Zucchini

Grape Jelly

Peach Preserves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups.

2. In a medium bowl combine the White Flour,  Whole Wheat Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Wheat Bran.

3. In a large bowl Melt Butter.

4. Add Sugar to melted butter. Mix well.

5. Beat in Eggs and add Milk and Almond Extract.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.

7. Gently stir the Zucchini in .

The batter will look like this.

The batter will look like this.

8. Fill each of the 12 muffin cups HALF WAY with batter.

9. Place a heaping teaspoon of  Jelly in the center of 6 of  the muffins and Preserves in the centers of the other 6 muffins.

half filled

10. Top off the muffins with remaining batter. Make sure your completely cover the Jelly or Preserves.

11. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. The muffins should pass the toothpick test.

12. Let these muffins cool COMPLETELY before eating. The Jelly can be really hot!

What's inside

Leave a comment | posted in Muffin Monday, Muffins, postaday, Thought of the Day

October 6, 2013

Secondary Character Saturday: Ashley Wilkes

By ritalovestowrite

“Most of the miseries of the world were caused by wars.
And, when the wars were over, no one ever knew what they were about.”
–Ashley Wilkes

Leslie Howard as Ashley in the 1939 movie version of Gone With the Wind [Image courtesy MGM]

Leslie Howard as Ashley in the 1939 movie version of Gone With the Wind [Image courtesy MGM]

WHO: Ashley Wilkes

FROM: Gone With the Wind

BY: Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Mitchell all set to launch cruiser af...

Margaret Mitchell all set to launch cruiser after long training as Red Cross launchee / World Telegram & Sun photo by Al Aumuller. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PUBLISHED: 1936

PROS: Handsome, honorable, sensitive, brave, intelligent. He’s everything as Southern Gentleman ought to be. He’s an idealist who longs for the bucolic, peaceful life he led before the war. He would have freed the slaves on Twelve Oaks once his father died (and he inherited them) if the War hadn’t done it for him.

CONS: Conflicted, weak and too easily manipulated by the women in his life. His romantic ideas of how the world ought to be are impractical in Reconstructionist Georgia.

Ashley Wilkes is representative of the Southern aristocrat who fights bravely in the war but finds himself confused and directionless in its aftermath. Ashley realizes that his absolutist convictions about honor and courage no longer have meaning in his world, but he is unable to take action. [Virginia.edu]

Screenshot of the title page from the trailer ...

Screenshot of the title page from the trailer for the film Gone with the Wind (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Civil War, postaday, Secondary Character, Thought of the Day

October 4, 2013

A couple of St. Francis quotes to get your through…

By ritalovestowrite

Keep
Calm
And
Channel
Your Inner
St. Francis

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

“While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.”

“Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.”

“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”

“If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.”

 

— St. Francis of Assisi.

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