And A Good Time Was Had By All

How and why is tomorrow the twelfth day of Christmas? Why does it have to go so quickly? Yes, I ask myself this every year, but I never have a good answer, because the answer that time goes on is just unsatisfactory in this case. 

But we've had a good time this Christmastime.

As expected, Santa came and brought the kitties a lot of good stuff!

Milo in particular was *very* excited.

It was hard to convince him to wait for the others.

One of the packages had catnip toys with silverine in them, which apparently made them even more irresistable than if they had only had catnip. Milo got things started, but Alfie helped out, and so soon the package was nearly unwrapped.

Once everything was opened, it was time to chill for a while. 

Alfie was particularly interested in one of the packages I opened that had a LOT of ribbon on it!

Esme split her time between watching us open things and looking at the squirrel on the chair right outside the window into the garden (if you look over her right shoulder, you can see the squirrel's butt).

Christmas Day was lovely, and all of us had a good time. We just enjoyed being together, and had treats, listened to music, and then later in the day headed upstairs to watch a couple of holiday shows we had recorded.

We have been enjoying the season so much, just being able to be together, but also having nothing really demanding to fill our time. We had a very quiet New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and if you ignore certain activities of certain people who think they are going to rule the world, you could say it was all perfect.

Two more wonderful things: on both Tuesdays before Christmas and before New Year's, there was only one kitty left to be adopted where I volunteer. They were each especially sweet, and I was sincerely hoping that they wouldnt have to spend Christmas Day and New Year's Day alone. Well, they each got adopted - one on Christmas Eve by a woman who stopped by when I was there on Tuesday and was in love with the one kitty left - and one on New Year's Eve - adopted by another volunteer, who had a cat who had died over the summer, and didn't want her other cat to keep being lonely. I have to tell you, those two adoptions just made my holiday season! And it also seemed like a wonderful way to end the year. 

I sincerely hope that your holiday season contained even just a few moments of joy and happiness. The world is on fire, so it's more important than ever to find good things wherever and whenever we can.

Goodbye to 2024

Well, we made it. Another year is getting ready to end, and if we are lucky, all of us will wake up tomorrow morning in the next one. But we survived all of the good days, bad days, accomplishments, and disappointments, so congratulations.

Even when a year has been crushing, I try to remember the good things, no matter how small, because I think every year deserves that. 

In 2024, everyone in our house woke up every single day. We were able to live our lives, no matter how boring or mundane it may have seemed - to us and to those looking in from the outside. 

 We laughed when things were funny (OK, and often when they shouldn't have been). We were able to take some small trips, and we got together with family members and laughed ourselves silly. We rejoiced when Kamala Harris was nominated to be the next President, and we commiserated when she didn't win.

We spent time watching the birds and squirrels in the garden be silly, and bird-y and squirrel-y, petting every dog possible (OK, most of the time that was me), saying hello to every cat in the window when we walked by (OK again mostly me). 

We drove each other nuts, and annoyed the heck of out each other. ("Koodle, stop peeing everywhere!''), and at least where the cats are concerned, we had the scratch and bite marks to prove it. We hurt each other inadvertently, and tried to be more considerate after. 

We fixed up some things in our house, and as a result also spent a lot of the money we had saved. We gave Alfie many chances to prove his worth as both a work foreman (forecat?) and snoopervisor. We made the others hide a lot of the time as a result of these fixes, since strangers were coming in, doing noisy and terrible things, and likely would have killed them if they could have. (Certainty there on their parts, not ours.) We got two new trees, which will hopefully thrive and long outlive all of us.

We complained, we snarked, we rejoiced, we cried. We kept our mouths shut, except when we didn't.

We stayed together as our little family unit, always happy that we could do that, and we hope that will continue as long as possible. Because of course nothing is certain.

Basically, it was a year like most. But as time goes on, it becomes more treasured. Being able to live a quiet, happy, safe life, all of us together, makes every year a good one.

Here's hoping that 2025 grants us all of that, at a minimum.

Enjoy. Celebrate. Live. Enjoy.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat. 😉

Happy New Year from me, The Tim, Pip, Milo, Alfie, and Esme! All of us sincerely wish the best for you and yours. 

Recent Things

Hello all! I hope that 2024 has treated you well so far. Our New Year's Eve was quiet. As usual, The Tim decided to "take a nap" which meant he was just gone for the night. The problem is, he was in the room where we watch TV and once he is asleep, there is no way to wake him up. So my choice was to sit and listen to him snore while sitting in the semi-darkness (because of course he turned down the lights), or go downstairs, read for a while, and then watch the ball drop on my own. Last year this same choice presented itself, and instead of just removing myself and doing my thing, I sulked and let my feelings be hurt. This year I chose the going downstairs option and enjoyed it quite a bit. I also felt like I had a small moment of personal growth by making that choice. 

In any case, I've been enjoying the season overall. I forgot to tell you that I made gingerbread muffins the weekend before Christmas. I have a yellowed photocopy from a cookbook of colonial-era recipes that I borrowed long ago from a library. It is supposedly the recipe for Martha Washington's gingerbread, but I can't swear to that. Anyway, I've always made muffins instead of just the gingerbread, and this is my most favorite recipe. It's not hard, but there are a few steps you have to do ahead of time.

For reasons I'll never quite understand, I sometimes get 16 muffins and on occasion get 24. I always use the same muffin pans, so go figure. But the most important thing is that they are full of YUM!

During November and December, I didn't keep up with my exercise routine as well as I had been doing (though my companions did better than I did); I didn't abandon it altogether, thank goodness, but I skipped it more than I should have. So in the spirit of "Start as you plan to continue," I took a nice long walk in the morning on New Year's Day. It was pretty cool but so sunny and bright that it was especially nice. I took a route I hadn't taken for a while, and got to say hello to these two:

It was pretty quiet everywhere, so I decided they were quite happy to see me, and wished them a Happy New Year. 😊

Yesterday I spent about an hour out of the house to make various stops around town. In an unusual state of affairs, I actually was able to accomplish and find everything I'd gone out to get! Usually, I am able to be successful with some things but not others, so I guess the planets were aligned accurately for me ...

In the afternoon, I cast on my first new project of the year:

This is the start of a sweater. In the first season of the show "Only Murders In The Building," Selena Gomez was wearing a beautiful, bulky weight, light blue funnel neck sweater and I became obsessed with finding a pattern for one. I couldn't find the exact thing, but found a pattern that I liked well enough to try. Then in December, Knit Picks had a sale and I bought some bulky yarn to make said sweater. The yarn is much more of a light blue than the photo shows, and so far I'm enjoying the knit. Though I'm not generally a big fan of bulky knits. But this particular thing just struck me, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. So hopefully this will turn out well enough that I'll be pleased with it. The good thing is that since I don't usually use this weight of yarn, I am pleasantly surprised with how quickly you make progress in your knitting!

Today is a laundry day, organize some things day, take a walk day, and whatever else I decide fits into it day. Tomorrow I have my mammogram first thing, which brings me to my annual question of why don't they only charge me 50% of the cost since I have only one breast to scan? I mean, I know the answer in the grand scheme of things, but it still always seems a little unfair. But since that is first thing in the morning, and will hopefully go by without incident, I'll have the rest of the day to decide what else I want/need/feel like doing.

What have you been up to this week? I'm enjoying myself, and am reminded again of how much I enjoy being at home with the kit kats and The Tim when he is here, even if I'm doing laundry or something else unexciting. Let's hope that continues in 2024 as well.

New Year's Day 2024

“All I ask the new year for
is to fall silently into the spaces
that the last one left empty.
Filling them with a hope
that tells me gently at dawn
that my simple love
can cure even the most extraordinary heart
and that my broken past
is enough for each tomorrow that follows.
Maybe it will even remind me
that all the mistakes I will collect over the next year
are not as bad as the chances I missed in the last one.”
― Laura Chouette

May 2024 bring you all the good things possible. Here we go!

January 1, 2023

 Let's do this!

New Year's Day and Then Some

I just have to say up front that I am glad that this year is an even-numbered one, I enjoy even numbers.  Though 2-0-2-1 did add up to five, which is another good number.  Yes, I am a weirdo with numbers, which is funny because math freaks me out, and has been the cause of low grades all through my school days.  Math and science - ugh.  Anyway, I do like numbers, as long as there are not difficult expecations ...

We had a very quiet New Year's Day, as expected.  It was too warm for this time of year, and incredibly dreary, both of which were dismaying.  I'm just hoping that it was not a symbol somehow for the upcoming year.  We just stayed put, and watched some movies, read, I finished a pair of socks I had been knitting, and there were a couple of walks with Hamlet.  Later in the day, we enjoyed our New Year's Day dinner:

Veggie bratwurst, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, and blackeye peas (added after the photo was taken).  When I posted this picture on Instagram, Kim commented about the "his and hers Dijon mustard," but I had to disappoint her by telling her that one is Dijon and one his honey mustard, so they're not as quite "his and hers" as she suspected.  Anyway, it was really yummy, and we had leftovers for dinner last night, so we got two meals out of it.  Also, three different times that day, I kept saying "green-eyed peas" (instead of blackeye peas) and I don't think peas can be jealous?  So who knows what that was about.

Yesterday was just a day of getting little things done and/or out of the way, and (at least for me) wishing that work didn't start again today.  If wishes were fishes, etc.

I have a dentist appt this afternoon, for a cleaning.  I'm looking forward to it because it means I get to leave work an hour early.   You know it's bad when a DENTIST appt is something you look forward to happening!

I still need to make a final decision on my word for this year.  I thought I had one chosen, but the more I thought about it, the less I liked it.  I would rather not spend a year begrudging my word, you know?  So it's time to give it some additional thought and find one that is actually meaningful to me.

And that's all of the excitement from me, and no, it's not really exciting.  But a lot of life is just going along from day to day, doing the best you can, so I'm on track so far this year! 😉

I hope your day and the first full week of 2022 is good to you.  

Happy New Year!

Let's do this!  

Best wishes that this new year will be full of good things.

 

2021 Begins!

 From everyone at our house, here's wishing all the best to you in 2021!

Perspective on 2020

Well, to hear everyone else talk, the entire universe is anxious for 2020 to be over, and people are already celebrating today as much as tomorrow.  

Not me.  I think it's disingenuous to write off an entire year as terrible, because first of all, if you can do that, it means that you made it through the year.  Secondly, I don't want to live my life focusing on only what comes next.  If you only live in the future, you miss the good in the present.

(Also - remember people who kept saying "Oh my God, I can't wait for 2019 to be over - bring on 2020!  Well, watch what you wish for.)

In the overarching sense of time and this past year, of course it was tough.   And heartbreaking.  And frustrating.  And in so many ways, not good at all.  I don't know anyone who wanted the Covid-19 pandemic to happen, or who wants it to continue.  I'm not talking about that, because that is something that required a whole 'nother level of thought, behavior, and caring (or none, if you are certain people who shall not be named here because we all know who they are).

But guess what?  People still had birthdays.  Babies were still born.  Things could still be funny.  You were free to keep loving your family and your life.  Even at the worst of times, being around to experience all of it was better than the alternative.

At the beginning of the year, I choose the word "Attend" as my One Little Word.  Not in the sense of attending a party or a concert or whatever.  In the sense of pay attention, attend to the world and your life.  If anything, the lockdown and the pandemic only helped me with all of this.

When dear friends lost loved ones to Covid-19, I was able to feel their sorrow and do what I could through words, prayers, and actions to help.  It likely didn't help that much, but paying attention to their grief gave me the chance to know that they needed love and friendship more than ever.

Because none of us could really go anywhere, I learned to pay more attention to my everyday surroundings.  I noticed the true sweetness of not just my husband and our pets, and how we all *attended* to each other, but how the world outside, in our garden, or our neighborhood all attended to each other.  The birds sang no matter what, the squirrels chased each other up and down and all around for God knows what reasons.  Geese and sea gulls still flew past, making noise and headed someplace where they felt they needed to go.  Bugs and insects still flew around, to plants, flowers, and into the dirt to do all they things they need to do (even mosquitoes, my archenemies, goddammit!).  I spent more time walking around than ever before, *attending* to more because I wasn't involved in so much else that didn't and shouldn't really matter so much.

I appreciated the nice days when I could get outside for a nice walk.  I despaired of all the rainy days (there were way too many around here, while other places that needed it got none).  I still hated heat and humidity, and still wish(ed) for a decent winter with some snow.  I celebrated my birthday the first weekend of shutdown, and found ways to celebrate everything else as time continued.  

I learned that I disliked certain things and certain people even more than I believed I did.  (I won't go into that here, because a) you probably can guess some things, and b) knowing the others won't change your life for the better.)  I found truth in the feeling I always had that if I could ever retire, I'd be pretty darn content (nice to know, but unlikely to happen anytime, especially anytime soon).  It was frustrating to not be able to just say, "I think I'll go to ____" tomorrow and be able to do it, but it was/is rewarding to know that not only am I not sick from Covid, but that hopefully I didn't contribute to anyone else getting it.  

And don't forget - we voted and got rid of Donald Trump - a true highlight for me!

Don't get me wrong, it will be nice to be able to see my family who are all out-of-town sometime again, or spend a day at the shore in the summer, or even just decide that I'll walk into Center City and meet a friend for lunch.  But I have to be perfectly honest - I'm not sorry that the world slowed down and even if forced, other people had to start "attending."  

To paraphrase one of the songs from the musical "Wicked"

Who can say if I've been changed for the better ... but because this happened ... I have been changed for good.

Congratulate yourself because you made it to today.  Let yourself be sad for the losses, and happy for the good, no matter how small.  Thank whatever/whoever you believe in that 2020 is on its last day, and you are here for it.  Do it today, because when tomorrow comes, this will be the past.

Enjoy your New Year's Eve - drink a toast to this past year, and then look ahead and drink another one to 2021.  We can't know what it will be, but we'll all be there anyway.

2020 Begins

It's clear that you are now too old

to trust in good Saint Nick; 

that it's too late for miracles.

-- But suddenly, lifting your eyes

to heaven's light, you realize:

your life is a sheer gift.

--"1 January 1965," by Joseph Brodsky

Happy New Year, my friends.

Be Brave

If you're brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello 

-- Paulo Coehlo

Oh 2019, you weren't the worst year ever, but you sure weren't the best one, either.  All the same, I'm sorry to say goodbye to you, as I do not like most goodbyes, particularly those that can put me further away from those that meant something to me, or things and places that I love.  

I really do wish that I could say it's been a wonderful year, but well, it just hasn't.  I'm ending the year feeling that a lot of things that weren't that great to start are not getting better, and probably won't, if I'm being realistic.  At least not anytime soon.  Which is disheartening, but so much of it is seriously out of my control, that I need to learn to accept it the best I can for now.

Instead, I want to think about the things I can control in my life, and the good things that have happened, even if they didn't seem to be the overarching moments in my immediate memory.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again - no year is all bad or all good.  

And so, my hope for all of us is that we will give 2019 a break, because there were in fact moments of joy and fun and happiness, even if those are not the ones that immediately place themselves in the front of our memories. 

We're all still here.  That's what matters.  I hope your new hello will make you smile more than anything else in the next year.

2019

Happy New Year to you and yours!  As always, a new year brings so many thoughts, plans, ideas, and hopes - it's truly a blank slate and a chance to start fresh.  No one starts the year hoping for the worst, so this is quite possibly the most positive day in any given year, if you think about it!

Here is my wish for all of you, in the form of an old Irish blessing.

May those who love you, love you;

And those who don't love you, may God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

may He turn their ankles so you will know them by their limping. 

Enjoy the day!

The Good Things

Dear 2016 ~

I am guessing you have been hearing from A LOT of people all year long.  I'm also guessing that most, if not all of it, has been complaints, accusations, and even some threats.  I'll admit that there have been times when I've thought you were overdoing it.  And I don't want to be a Pollyanna (which trust me, no one has EVER accused me of being), but I also want you to know that there's at least one person who knows that just like any other year, you were not all bad.

Everyone seems to want you gone.  Which is understandable, because even in the best of times, people like to think and hope the future will be better.  And it doesn't improve anything to live in the past.  But at the same time, I always wish that people would not wish time away.  Because time never ever comes back.  Even on my darkest days, I'm aware of that.  Maybe your time here has to be threatened for you to appreciate it (for my part, I think I've learned this many times over, so you could actually give it a rest, at least for a while); I don't know.  I just know that life is way too short, whether you live to be 2 years old or 102 years old, and though it can be difficult, if you can remember to try to at least acknowledge and maybe even appreciate, the here and now, you'll be better off in the long run.  I think it avoids the coulda/shoulda/wish-I'd-done-feeling when it comes to the end.

Anyway, I would like to point out the good things from this year, so that both of us can know they actually happened.

1. I celebrated my 60th birthday!  I love birthdays and love being here to celebrate them.  When I turned 60, I was well aware of the fact that I had been here on earth for seven years longer than my father had.

2.  For the first six months of the year, our Dug the Doodle Dog was with us - and for at least the first four months, he was his usual, happy self.  I will ALWAYS be grateful for this.  He meant so much to every single one of us, and even during the last couple of months, when he wasn't feeling 100%, he was such a wonderful boy.  We are glad that he didn't suffer, and that he is no longer sick at all.  We would love to still have him here, but not if  he had to be sick.  Thank you for every minute of 2016 we had to spend with him.

3.  We had some great weekends in Rehoboth Beach with family.  This was not just a treat, but some of the best times we had the entire year.  To be there, having such fun, and laughing so much, should be something that would make any year a good one, no matter what else happened.

4.  Our September trip to New England was not only amazing, but helped us feel some genuine happiness at the chance to go new places, and see new things.  Every part of it was perfect - it was nice that even when it rained, it was only overnight!

5.  And then at the beginning of October, the arrival of Jack the Kitten!  His sweetness, craziness, and plain old kitten-ness is just the kind of thing we needed.  The other kitties decided he was OK, and he just carved out his own little spot in the family.  Even with all of his, er, "activities," we couldn't love him more.  And frankly, he seems pretty pleased with us. ;-)

6.  The Tim turned 60, and we had a fabulous weekend with family in Baltimore to celebrate.  Both of us are still here, with no plans to go anywhere else.  We had a blast in Baltimore, and the surprise party for The Tim was definitely a highlight of this year.  I have to tell you, 2016, I wasn't really worried that The Tim wouldn't be here for the Big 6-0, but I am eternally grateful that he was and is.  I would be lost without him.

7.  The success of my Harry's Hundred Project!  I wasn't sure how/if it would work at all - especially since I was so busy with Christmas gifts most of the year, that I only managed to knit a few things for my part in it.  But by the end of November, we'd surpassed the goal, and I know there are some additions for December as well.

8.  The Holidays.  OK, we are - at least in our house - still celebrating the end-of-year holidays, but we've had a good holiday season this year, and made sure to enjoy everything we could about it.

9.  Our extended families are well and happy.  Invaluable.

10. Our immediate family is well and happy.  Though as I write this post, I'm dealing with a particularly obnoxious cold, we are - all of us - doing just fine.  I am hoping that will continue, and one of my goals for 2017 is to get the cats back on track with their regular vet visits (we got distracted this past year, as I'm sure you understand).  I plan to do my best to improve my health, and I'm guessing The Tim wants to get back on track too.

So there are ten things, 2016, that happened this year that are good things, happy things, and wonderful memories.  I want you to know that they mattered to me, and that I have every plan of enjoying the last couple of days you are with us.  I hope that 2017 will also give me a lot to celebrate (in spite of the ascendancy of The Orange One), but I'll only be able to know that by living it.

Thanks for every minute of the good.  If you have any influence at all, please put in a good word for us to 2017.

Best regards,
Bridget

2016 Is Here!

Hello all, and a Happy New Year to you!  I sincerely hope that this year will be a good one for all of us, and at least at this point, things are still looking up for most of us, right?  :-)

We had our usual quiet New Year's Eve - a little quieter than usual, even.  Usually we go out for an early dinner.  But this year The Tim was really wiped out, so we had our steamed shrimp for dinner, and the rest of our goodies closer to midnight.  I love staying home and celebrating the New Year with my own little family, in my pajamas.

Yesterday was also quiet.  The Tim had to work the closing shift, so we stayed put during the day.  In the evening, I wrote some thank-you notes for gifts we received, and started a new book (Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff).  So far, so good.

The good news as far as I'm concerned is that winter finally showed up around here!  It's been cold, bright, and clear - actually starting yesterday.  I was actually getting depressed with the too-warm December weather, and am feeling a lot better now that it feels that way it's supposed to feel.

You may or may not have noticed a new tab at the top of my blog page here.  Some of you may recall that I was thinking of a project for this year to honor the 100th anniversary of my father's birth.  Well, based on a lot of positive feedback from quite a few of you, I've decided to give it a go.  So please take a look at the page for Harry's Hundred.  I hope you'll decide to both participate and share the info with anyone else you know who might be interested.  I'm sure there will be some changes along the way with the details, but the basics are there, and we might as well get started, right?

For any of you who are graphically/technologically/otherwise inclined and would like to help, design, or create something for this, please feel free to speak up!  I'm one of those people who is good at thinking things up, but then generally do not have any extra ability to make it prettier, easier, etc.  :-)

That's it for now.  I have more pictures to force you to look at share, and a book report coming up for the last quarter of 2015, plus other New Year's related things that I want to post, but to paraphrase the farmer at the end of the movie Babe: "That'll do, Bridget."

A New Year's Eve Letter

Dear 2015,

Well, we're nearly finished with each other, so I wanted to drop you a note to say that although you are on your way out, you were - at least for me - pretty decent, and I appreciate that more than I can tell you.

You see, the year before you was tough on me personally.  And I made it through, and knew I would, but it's a lot nicer to say goodbye to a year that was much better overall.

I hated my job even more than usual this year.  But I had a job, and that made it possible to do things I loved, and to stay in our house, and to pay the bills on time.  More good than bad.

I had a few health things that would have been nice to avoid, but none were awful.  Two colonoscopies in six months was pretty crappy (HA!), but now I don't have to have another one for two years.  Thanks for that.

I didn't get as much knitting in as I would have liked to, and my beloved Rosie's Yarn Cellar closed.  But I have plenty of yarn, plenty of ideas, and so many friendships I would not have if Rosie's was never a part of my life.  And there are other fabulous yarn stores in Philadelphia, so, yep, I'm good.

I didn't read all of the books I'd hoped to read, but I liked most that I did read, and I actually started borrowing more books from the library.  Good for me, and good for the community, as public libraries are one of the most important American institutions.

Terrible things happened to people, at the hands of terrorists, and also at the hands of those they knew and/or loved.  No one in my immediate family died, or was injured in any major way by anyone else.  That's a big plus.

The Tim and all of the animals are still going strong, in spite of some pretty serious issues for some of them.  That's the best news of all.

The summer was miserable, and the winter has been too warm.  But we never lost electricity during the worst of any weather, nor have we been destroyed by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or blizzards.  Good in the overall picture of things.

So many other things I could mention, but I'm sure you are getting the drift by now.  I managed to become an inkling more of the person I want to be during your time, and a lot of it was because of things listed above.  I have ended this year much better than I started it.

I know there are others who can't wait for you to leave.  As my mother would say, that's what makes horse racing.  I'm glad you were here.  You were, for the most part, kind to me, and I have no regrets (what's the point now, anyway, right?).

Happy trails, 2015.  Tomorrow when I wake up, it will be 2016, and it will be perfect with possibilities.  I hope I'm still here to see what is coming.

Fondly yours,
Bridget

Just for You At the End of This Year

Well, Christmas Day was great as usual, with stocking stuffers, gifts, food, and our own little family companionship for the day.  I'll catch you up on that more later, but the other day I realized that I "owed" you something, and decided I'd make this post my Christmastime gift to those of you who particularly expressed an interest.  For those not interested - sorry!  I'll be back soon with other topics. :-)

You may recall that back in October, my niece Amanda and her husband came up from Baltimore to spend a weekend.  We took a day trip to Winterthur, and I shared those pictures here.  While there, we also got tickets to see the exhibit of costumes from "Downton Abbey."  I promised to share them with you as well, so I hope you enjoy them.

Before I show you the pictures, I wanted to share a fact that I found to be both interesting and amazing.  According to the info at the entrance to the exhibit, the costume designers get the information about the entire seasons' worth of episodes approximately six weeks before filming begins, and then they get to work!  That doesn't seem like a lot of time to me to begin with, but having seen the costumes, the detailed work, and the mix of vintage with modern fabrics, I think the costumers are nothing short of magicians!

Please note that it was pretty crowded the day we were there, so these are not the greatest photos that could be taken.  But I did my best!

Amanda and Patrick posed in front of the house for us (needless to say, in their own "costumes ...):

 The main characters

 Bells to summon servants to individual rooms

This and the dresses below were for specific events in the series.  Often there was a background to provide context and jog your (well, my) memory, but often you just had to read the description and say to yourself, "OK."

This is the case and equipment that would hold a gentleman's clothing when a trip was taken.

 Here are the extra pieces (apron, arm protectors) used when Mr. Bates (or other characters) clean/shine the shoes of the family and/or their guests.

One really interesting thing about the man's jacket on the far right, was that it had pockets put into it specifically to hold an iPhone.  The actors were out in a field, and the director used the iPhone to signal when they should start walking, stop and pretend to shoot, etc.  

Crazy, huh?

 This Lady Edith's wedding dress.  Poor Lady Edith, she has a rough time!

 Kitchen staff costumes

 My favorite of all - Lady Sybil's harem pants!

My photos don't really do them justice, but believe me when I say seeing them in person was amazing - the detail, the fabrics!, etc. - and I think even if you were not a fan of the show, but were interested in the history of clothing and fashion, you would find the exhibit interesting.  The other thing that struck me was how small the costumes seemed - maybe because they were on mannequins instead of real people, who knows?

There was, of course, a little gift shop at the end of the exhibit, with lots of beautiful and interesting (and of course schlocky) things.  Amanda bought a cloche hat, and I *may* have bought a velvet, beaded shawl ... :-)

And that, my friends, is my final post of 2014.  I have lots to still show you and discuss from the year, but you won't hear about them until sometime in the new year.

Thanks for reading along this year.  I hope that 2015 treats all of us well, and that this time next year, we're all still here to talk about it ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Welcome to 2014!

"If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down."

-- Author unknown

Here's to a year that allows all of us to reach new heights.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Happy New Year!

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

My wish for you this year is that - no matter what terrible things happened before - that you look at 2013 as nothing but possibility.

Happy New Year!

May you be blessed with 

warmth in your home,

love in your heart,

peace in your soul,

and joy in your life.

-Irish blessing