Gone with the (whirl)wind!

My daughter Kelly has just left after a short, whirlwind visit, and I miss her already. She is heading back to San Diego, where I have not been since July- to the warm, breezy, ocean scented apartment that may or may not burn to the ground, depending on the direction of the Santa Ana winds in relation to the ubiquitous forest fires, or crumple to the ground in an earthquake, or drown in a tsunami. Despite all these dangers, and the ever present threat of drought, I could not convince her to stay in Tennessee. Back she goes. I’m thinking a tall, handsome someone had something to do with her leaving again.

While she was here, she touched base with her four nieces, two of whom were disappointingly blasé about her sudden reappearance. The youngest two gave her her propers, and Emily apparently recognized a kindred spirit. Kel and the Pookster bonded, and this with a child who is skittish- to put it mildly and kindly- around unfamiliar people. Kel and I babysat the human tornado yesterday, and it was a real treat to see the two of them interact.

Mama, of course, was jealous of the attention Kelly was getting. After months of wheedling, coercing and bribing Emily to play in her room, Mama was suddenly outraged and distraught when the baby climbed into her bed and cuddled up with one of her dolls. Any doubts that Mama and Emily are the same age evaporated in the melee that ensued.

Mama: That’s my bed.
Emily: No, it my bed.
Mama: Get out of my bed.
Emily: It MY bed.
Mama: Give me my doll.
Emily: It MY doll.
Mama: No it’s not.
Emily: Yes, it is.
Mama: I want my doll.
Emily: (to me) NeeNee, tell Busha it MY doll.
Mama: No it’s not. It’s my doll, and I want it.
Emily: NO!
Mama: Get out of my bed.
Reprise.

Imagine the volume increasing with each statement and you have a fair picture of the state of conversation in my home. Finally Kelly hopped into the bed with Emily and Mama left the room, muttering under her breath “It’s MY room. It’s MY doll.” The wisdom that comes with age… is apparently fictional.

Anyway, the lovely diversion that was my daughter’s visit is now over and I must put my nose back to the grind stone.

I wonder where that phrase comes from. Who would do such a thing, really? First of all, it would hurt, and second of all, what’s the point? Why would anyone want to grind their own nose? Maybe it comes from the days before plastic surgery. In any case, I have eight kazillion powerpoints to create, a test to write, a lab exercise to set up, and a trip to North Carolina to plan. I am attending my first ever South Eastern Region (SER) conference of the GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs). I am looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Dr. Young has kindly agreed to proctor my test on November 9, and my students will be busy building models of DNA in lab, so I feel only moderately guilty about missing a day of classes to go. I am sure I will survive it.
Now, I must go get ready for church. We have having a Halloween party for the kids today... hope some kids show up!

More on Aubrey House and its denizens

No one ever comments on my blogs about my dollhouse, so maybe it is only interesting to me. Sigh. I don't care. I promised a blog on the servants and I am a woman of my word. And the word is... entranced. I love my little corner of the dining room where Aubrey House dwells. I sit there to read, (after competing with Patches and Hobbes for the use of the comfy chair), and to gaze into the little late Victorian/early Edwardian world I have "created".

I chose the surnames for my characters very carefully, and a bit whimsically. As a rabid Lord of the Rings fan, I put a bit of a Tolkien bend on the selection of names. For example, Avery means "elven ruler"; Aubrey means "ruler of the elves"; Owen means "well-born"; and Wesley means "man of the west".

The servant surnames are just as apropos. Henry means "ruler of the house"; Emmett means "hard working"; Raymond means "wise guardian" and Thomas means "dependable".

I make up back stories for all my characters. For example, the Avery sisters, Katherine Avery Wesley, Marcia Avery Aubrey and Alice Avery, are, in my back story, wealthy orphans who were the wards of Walter Owen after the death of their parents. Katherine married late, but well, and Marcia's husband Rhett, a bit of an entrepreneur, went into business with Walter and helped make the Owens ever richer than they were. He did nicely for himself as well, but is "new" money whereas the Owens' and the Averys are "old money." Even so, you can see that the Owens/Avery/Aubrey connections are very close, and it should be no surprise that everyone is hoping Alice Avery will marry Eric Owen.


Enough about the rich crowd. This blog is supposed to be about the servants.


This is where they work.

Aubrey House

Susan Emmett in the parlor

Hazel Thomas in the dining room

Ruth Henry in the kitchen

Where they live

(with the exception of the nanny, Jane Raymond, who "lives" in the nursery with Christie and Beth).

The servants cottage, "side yard", Aubrey House

Mary Henry, housekeeper and seamstress

Mary and Ruth Henry are mother and daughter. Mary has been with the Avery family since she was 15. Her daughter Ruth was the result of a youthful indiscretion but the Averys, uncharacteristically of employers of the day, did not dismiss Mary. They sent her away for her confinement. Mary's own mother raised Ruth until Ruth was old enough to enter into service herself. Mary and Ruth are very close. Neither has ever married. Neither has ever worked for any other family but the Averys. They came to Aubrey House when Marcia did.

Maids Hazel Thomas and Susan Emmett share the upstairs bedroom in the servants cottage. They are both in their early 20s. Susan is apprenticing with Ruth in the kitchen as well as acting as maid; she hopes to be a cook one day, as cooks are in higher demand than maids, earn more money and get more respect. Hazel is hoping to meet a nice man and leave service. It could happen.

All the servants take their meals at the main house. In the kitchen.

My second home

I have added a link to Miniatures.com to this site, because so much of what I have purchased for my doll house has come from good ole Ernie and his crew. I think Ernie is fixing to retire on my spending alone, but if you enjoy miniatures, you may find yourself as addicted as I am if you dare to visit his site.

I think the key to a great doll house is not just what you see, but also what you don't see- dishes in the cupboards, utensils in the kitchen drawers, clothes in the closet, toys in the toybox. My doll house is sort of like an iceberg- a large part of it is hidden from view. But the joy comes in sharing it, in seeing the faces of my friends when they find hankies in the tallboy, and sheets in the trunks.

I know that I am blessed beyond words in that I can indulge my passions with a relatively free hand. I hope I am generous with all my gifts. I believe in joy. I believe in fantasy. And I believe in sharing.

So, please share in the fantastic joy of my doll house. And visit Ernie at your own risk.

The parlor, where family and friends have gathered for a dinner party. The lady of the house, Marcia Aubrey, has just finished playing the piano for her guests, who are engaged in a lively discussion with Captain Michael O'Toole, retired (seated) and his lovely wife Barbara, (in pink). Marcia's sister Katherine is particularly interested in Captain O'Toole; unlike the others, she has NOT read his latest book and so is drilling him intensely about his adventures. Katherine's husband George Wesley is content to listen and sip his dark beer. Seated next to him is Anthea Owen, wife of Walter Owen, who is in partnership with Marcia's husband, Rhett.

The dining room. Dinner is almost ready to be served. Not all the guests at the soiree at staying for dinner; the Owens (Anthea and Walter) have stopped by with their son Eric en route to the opera and so will not dine this evening.

Rhett Aubrey's den. Even with a house full of people upstairs, waiting for their host, he cannot resist conducting a last minute piece of business with his partner, Walter Owen. Katherine's personal maid Bridget has been recruited to help serve this evening. She's a bit too pretty for Walter's taste.

The kitchen, peaceful for now after the frenzy of food preparation. Cook Ruth is out of the frame, having a well deserved cup of tea, and acting as discrete chaperone- off the kitchen, in the small garden, the younger sister of Marcia and Katherine, Alice Avery, is being gently courted by Eric Owen. Everyone is silently praying for this match to happen.

Upstairs, the children are preparing for bed. Peter is taking a shower in the bath, but we will not invade his privacy. (Peter took this picture of the bath for me). Nanna is reading to Beth, while Christie nibbles on bread and milk. As a very special treat, Nanna is allowing the little girls to have cake and hot chocolate later.

A peek into Peter's room- actually, a large corner of the nursery- but with enough privacy for an 11 year-old boy, thanks to a large screen and Nanna's vigilance on his behalf.

The master bedroom, which shares a floor with the bath. Nestled in his crib in the corner is baby Austin. Hanging on the armoire is the dress Marcia had hoped to wear, but which Rhett found too fancy for the occasion. Marcia's maid Susan has laid out her nightgown and slippers, and is, at the moment, in the parlor, offering coffee to the guests. The house maid, Hazel, is in the diningroom, putting the final touches on the side board.

My next post will highlight the servants, who, being very good servants, are basically invisible in this posting.

I am having way too much fun.

And yet another test... it must be mid-term!

I LOVE the fact that whoever designed this test does not think that being a teacher is a "realistic" career. Believe me, it ain't no fantasy. If it WAS a fantasy, I'd be teaching at Hogwarts. Too bad I am a squib.

Your Career Type: Social

You are helpful, friendly, and trustworthy. Your talents lie in teaching, nursing, giving information, and solving social problems. You would make an excellent: Counselor - Dental Hygienist - Librarian Nurse - Parole Officer - Personal Trainer Physical Therapist - Social Worker - Teacher The worst career options for your are realistic careers, like truck driver or farmer.

What's Your Ideal Career?

My kind of intelligence- and a gentle jab at Kel

My daughter Kelly has been on a test taking kick lately, and has found this site that posts all sorts of silly and not so silly tests. I have gotten on the band wagon a bit meself- I know me pirate name (Captain Anne Bonney) and I know which Muppet I am, though I must say I was a bit disappointed to be Bunsen Honeydew. Well, at least it gives me a Beaker to play with. I just took another test and am posting the results, which I am sure will astonish everyone who knows me. Yes, I can talk. I know the language. Surprise!

I think test-taking is fun, but wish my daughter would also WRITE now and again- on her blog, I mean. I fear she may be getting... dare I say it... lazy (re her blog only, people; that gal is NOT afraid of work).

Hope she doesn't have writer's block.

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Funny... I always thought of myself as a Kermit type...

You Are Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

You take the title "mad scientist" to the extreme -with very scary things coming out of your lab. And you've invented some pretty cool things, from a banana sharpener to a robot politician. But while you're busy turning gold into cottage cheese, you need to watch out for poor little Beaker! "Oh, that's very naughty, Beaker! Now you eat these paper clips this minute."

The Muppet Personality Test