Elegance Reclaimed

Alas, with reluctance ...

Hello,

Thank you all for your comments and following my blog and family stories.

I have enjoyed blogging, but, due to personal reasons and my lack of focus, I am taking a recess, but I do hope to return sometime.

Again, thank you all and I wish you all the best.

Until Next Time ...
Sincerely
Lynda

Coming from a family of packrats- I have realized that over the past days, trying to sort through the “family stuff “ is going to be a huge project. I have literally thousands of photographs, clippings, books and papers to wade through. This is defiantly going to take years to complete. But, I am going to tackle it and get started…

For today though I am going to share with you some more of my memories at “Abbey Dawn”. It was such a magical place for me. Often during the summer months, when visiting my grandparents, Gramp and I would, in the morning, set-out through the wide screen door of the back porch, out along the winding driveway for the trek-up the big hill to the museum.

He would have his trusty walking stick in one hand and in the other, while we walked, you could hear the coins jingling away, as they rattled around in the tyrian purple coloured hand-knit wool sock (generally tucked into a Crown Royal purple cloth bag with a gold chinch rope). The money that clanged away as it was swung in the sock as we walked, was for giving change to the visitors at the museum.
My job during those walks was to carry the lunch and thermoses that Gran had prepared for us for our day up at the museum.

The museum was built back from the edge of where we call the ridge. The edge is a massive rock-top to the gorge (more on that in other stories) with a 'spansive'(wide sweeping vista) of the St. Lawrence River and beyond. On clear days one could see the United States across the water.

I remember at certain times of day, the Gananoque Boat Lines would float by and blow their loud horn and we would wave back, and ring the bell in reply. One time Gran and one of her sisters took me on the tour boat when they did this horn blowing right after they did a speel over the loud speaker about Gramp "Abbey Dawn" and its history. That was thrilling for me as I could just see in my minds-eye Gramp waving up on the ridge.

My memories of seeing the people arrive, park their cars in the lower parking lot and walk their way along the little pathway up to the site, listening to Gramp talk about what we were going to do and say, feeling excited about meeting new people and watching Gramp again “do his thing”. It was all such a wonderful adventure for me and I felt so grown-up being allowed to and expected to help.

The routine was generally about the same, Gramp greeting and welcoming everyone, introducing himself and me, explaining what the tour was going to consists of, talking about the reason for and the history of Abbey Dawn, taking the tour, amongst, showing and describing the numerous Native Indian artifacts while all the while meandering closer to the ridge. Finally getting up to the ridge and seeing Gramp spread his arms full-out to the position of his Native Indian name which was bestowed to him “Great White Eagle”, in full flight soaring over the vista. Every time I saw it I was mesmerized; he was a showman.

I, through all of this, was to keep my eyes on any young folk, keep their attention, relate to them, help keep them entertained while the grown-ups would do their thing, then as we left the ridge heading towards the museum the last stop tour stop I would gently herd the young folks attention towards the fun little goodies on and in the large deep dark wood and thick glass display cast which was just inside the left side of the double-door doorway. There, the pamphlets and souvenirs were on top of the showcase and the cash-sock was hidden underneath, and inside the case, were the very special small Native Indian items such as a small pouch, a pair of children's mocasines all beautifully beaded, a play toy and the long peace pipe. Also to, since "Abbey Dawn" was one of the first bird of prey sanctuaries in North America, there were the paintings by Allan Brooks that Gramp comissioned, and all the birdland information, about to.

a postcard dated Aug 1921

of a sandpiper on Gramp's hand, in prior years to Abbey Dawn

Some days it seemed like there were never ending groups of people filing through, and other days there would be just smatterings of visitors, and, in between giving the tours was my private time spent with Gramp, it all was so wonderful.

I suspect I have enough materials to open up my own museum. Among the thousands of things I have four years worth of scrap books of my grandmother’s. She made them while she attended the Ontario Ladies’ College in Whitby Ontario, starting in 1909, there are all the historical stories and information about other family members, newspaper clippings and scrap books, two years of letters of almost daily letters from my grandmother to my grandfather prior to when they wed in 1913 he had saved, peoples diaries, WWI and WWII family correspondence, all the material my mother saved from when she trained as a nurse at KGH in Kingston and following when she prepared to go overseas and her time and recordings while over there, and it goes on and on and on ...

oh yes, then there is the bell,

how the Royal Patronage came to be, the movie, the Robert Holmes memorial, and on and on the stories go.

At times, I do admit, I have become quite overwhelmed with it all, but now that I am doing what my wise father suggested to do of mapping it out, and my sister Kerrie suggested of setting goals and sticking to them, it seems to be a bit less daunting a task, just as long as I keep my focuse on the goal at hand...

Admittedly, my living room reminds me somewhat what "the stacks" look like in the basement of the old Queen’s University’s library, and my previously called linen-room, now, has turned into just a catchall, the rest of my place I have thankfully been able to keep (so far) relatively normal, but I can not promise anything in the coming days months and so on. Hopefully, as time goes on, I will learn and be better equipped to cope with this, but in the mean time, I will just keep chipping way at it. And along the way, I will keep you up to date on my progress

The City of Kingston, where I wa born and raised is on the edge of the 1000 Islands. Being one of Canada’s oldest cities it has much history which I hope to discuss over time, but the following will give you an idea of the the region looks like

public domain image obtained from Wikimedia Commons

You can see more by clicking on Boldt Castle

1000 Islands actually consists of 1,800 islands; what is considered an island is any landmass that is above the water for 356 days a year and supports the growth of at least one tree.

Beautiful images of the 1000 Islands and Boldt Castle can been seen at http://www.yousaytoo.com/patricia/1000-islands/3722

Have fun and I hope you enjoy.

And until next time enjoy being alive.

This post has been submitted to "Show and Tell" hosted by Cindy at My Romantic Home

This morning in my electronic mailbox I received the

“Kreative Blogger”

Award

nomination

from

Jeanne at

COLLAGE OF LIFE

Jeanne Thank you, it is an honour and pleasure; a two-fold joy as it is coming from you and is my first blogging award, makes it a very special award indeed.

I have followed Jeanne’s blog “COLLAGE OF LIFE” since almost the first day I started blogging. Her zeal for living shines through in her every post. Her open and honest look at herself and situations is refreshing and truely delightful. I’ve learned much about New Zealand and now that she has recently moved to the UK, I am just-chompin’-at-the-bit to read all about every new adventure she posts about.

One of the requirements for the award is to share seven things about yourself others may not know, so here goes- I:

when I was a child, dreamt of becoming a professional singer once I grew up,
am dyslexic and had not read a book from cover to cover until I was 21, and continue to be the world’s worst speller, so much so that I check, recheck, triple check, and quadruple check everything before I hit send, and truly hate it when spell check can not even figure out what I am trying to spell, grrrr!
have very sensitive hearing, a trait that several Burrows female family members have, some more pronounced than others; when the old glass Christmas lights twinkled on and off, I could hear the sound (plink-plunk-plink-plink-plink-plunk-plink) the filaments emitted. The first time I realized it, I thought I was going mad, it took me quite awhile to figure out what the sounds were and was much relieved I wasn’t imaging things. The yellow ones, for some reason, seem to be the highest pitched ones …
drove school bus for just under eight years among several other things, and I was a professional public pitchman, also
wrote backhand until about three years ago, and then one day while writing a letter, I looked down and noticed I had slipped into writing slanted to the right- sometimes such is the way transitions of life manifest
just started-up attempting to do ribbon embroidery, it’s fun and so-far I find it relatively easy,
love the smell of orange, the taste of dew, feel of moonlight and shade on sunny days.

Now here is my checklist for the award, of things to do:

Thank the person who nominated me for the award,
copy the logo and place it on my blog,
link to the person who nominated me,
list 7 things people may not know about me,
nominate 7 creative bloggers, and post their links,
leave a comment/notification to each nominee

And now... I nominate

ELENA MARIA @ HTTP://TEAATTRIANON.BLOGSPOT.COM
CATHE @ HTTP://JUSTSOMETHINGIMADE.BLOGSPOT.COM
MISS MUSTARD SEED @ HTTP://MISSMUSTARDSEED.BLOGSPOT.COM/
KENDRA @ HTTP://PORCELAINSANDPEACOCKS.BLOGSPOT.COM
NANCY @ HTTP://NANCYLINDEMEYER.BLOGSPOT.COM
WALT @ HTTP://WCS4.BLOGSPOT.COM
LORD COWELL @ HTTP://WILLOWBROOKPARK.BLOGSPOT.COM

I would like to share with you a lovely post at Sweet Jeanette Blog to read.

Tag

you're it ;-)

painted by Eva Gonzalès in 1879

by Peter Adolf Hall (1739-1793) a Swedish painter

On this date January 3rd, in 1938, the first broadcast of "Woman in White" by Irna Phillips was presented on the NBC Red network. The program remained on radio for 10 years.

Irna Phillips, according to the Wikipedia article "is recognized as one of the most important pioneers in television history, and as the originator of the daytime TV drama"

According to Wikipedia at Kate Greenaway

Kate Greenaway (Catherine Greenaway) (London, 17 March 1846 – 6 November 1901) was an English children's book illustrator and writer. Her first book, Under The Window (1879), a collection of simple, perfectly idyllic verses concerning children who endlessly gathered posies, untouched by the Industrial Revolution, was a best-seller.

The Kate Greenaway Medal, established in her honour in 1955, is awarded annually by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the UK to an illustrator of children's books. Her paintings were reproduced by chromoxylography, by which the colours were printed from hand-engraved wood blocks by the firm of Edmund Evans. Through the 1880s and 90s, in popularity her only rivals in the field of children's book illustration were Walter Crane and Randolph Caldecott, himself also the eponym of a highly-regarded prize medal.

"Kate Greenaway" children, all of them little girls and boys too young to be put in trousers, according to the conventions of the time, were dressed in her own versions of late eighteenth century and Regency fashions: smock-frocks and skeleton suits for boys, high-waisted pinafores and dresses with mobcaps and straw bonnets for girls. The influence of children's clothes in portraits by British painter John Hoppner (1758-1810) may have provided her some inspiration. Liberty's of London adapted Kate Greenaway's drawings as designs for actual children's clothes. A full generation of mothers in the liberal-minded "artistic" British circles who called themselves "The Souls" and embraced the Arts and Crafts movement dressed their daughters in Kate Greenaway pantaloons and bonnets in the 1880s and '90s.

She was elected to membership of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours in 1889 and lived in an arts and crafts house she commissioned from Richard Norman Shaw in Frognal, London, although she also spent summers in the small Nottinghamshire village of Rolleston, near Southwell.

She died of breast cancer in 1901 and is buried in Hampstead Cemetery, London.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also to, a more thorough biography may be read by clicking
Illuminated Books

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recently I posted a copy of one of her prints, you can click HERE to read, and, strangely enough, this morning her name popped-up again in an article written by Ina Taylor in the January 1992 edition of Victoria magazine, on page 96.

With cleaning-up comes (for me) the want for flowers ...

All of the following is copied from:

The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 2

or Flower-Garden Displayed, Curtis, William, 1746-1799 [Author],

LONDON: Printed by Couchman and Fry, Throgmorton-Street, For W. CURTIS, at his Botanic-Garden, Lambeth-Marsh; And Sold by the principal Booksellers in Great-Britain and Ireland.

M DCC XC.

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[42]

Camellia Japonica. Rose Camellia.

Class and Order.

Monadelphia Polyandria.

Generic Character.

Calyx imbricatus, polyphyllus: foliolis interioribus majoribus.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

CAMELLIA japonica foliis acute serratis acuminatis. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. p. 632. Thunberg Fl. Japon. t. 273.

TSUBAKI Kempfer Amœn. 850. t. 851.

ROSA chinensis. Ed. av. 2. p. 67. t. 67.

THEA chinensis pimentæ jamaicensis folio, flore roseo. Pet. Gaz. t. 33. fig. 4.

No42

This most beautiful tree, though long since figured and described, as may be seen by the above synonyms, was a stranger to our gardens in the time of Miller, or at least it is not noticed in the last edition of his Dictiona
It is a native both of China and Japan.

Thunberg, in his Flora Japonica, describes it as growing every where in the groves and gardens of Japan, where it becomes a prodigiously large and tall tree, highly esteemed by the natives for the elegance of its large and very variable blossoms, and its evergreen leaves; it is there found with single and double flowers, which also are white, red, and purple, and produced from April to October.

[Pg 97]Representations of this flower are frequently met with in Chinese paintings.

With us, the Camellia is generally treated as a stove plant, and propagated by layers; it is sometimes placed in the greenhouse; but it appears to us to be one of the properest plants imaginable for the conservatory. At some future time it may, perhaps, not be uncommon to treat it as a Laurustinus or Magnolia: the high price at which it has hitherto been sold, may have prevented its being hazarded in this way.

The blossoms are of a firm texture, but apt to fall off long before they have lost their brilliancy; it therefore is a practice with some to stick such deciduous blossoms on some fresh bud, where they continue to look well for a considerable time.

Petiver considered our plant as a species of Tea tree; future observations will probably confirm his conjecture.

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[Pg 98]

[Pg 99]

[43]

Cistus incanus. Hoary, or Rose Cistus.

Class and Order.

Polyandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Corolla 5-petala. Calyx 5-phyllus, foliolis duobus minoribus. Capsula.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

CISTUS incanus arborescens exstipulatus, foliis spatulatis tomentosis rugosis inferioribus basi connatis vaginantibus. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 497.

CISTUS mas angustifolius. Bauh. Pin. 464.

No43

Few plants are more admired than the Cistus tribe; they have indeed one imperfection, their petals soon fall off: this however is the less to be regretted, as they in general have a great profusion of flower-buds, whence their loss is daily supplied. They are, for the most part, inhabitants of warm climates, and affect dry, sheltered, though not shady, situations.
The present species is a native of Spain, and the south of France, and being liable to be killed by the severity of our winters, is generally kept with green-house plants.
It may be propagated either by seeds, or cuttings; the former make the best plants.
[Pg 100][Pg 101]

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[Pg 102]

[44]

Cyclamen persicum. Persian Cyclamen.

Class and Order.

Pentandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Corolla rotata, reflexa, tubo brevissimo: fauce prominente. Bacca tecta capsula.

Specific Character.

CYCLAMEN persicum foliis cordatis serratis. Miller's Dict. 4to. ed. 6.

No44

Linnæus in this, as in many other genera, certainly makes too few species, having only two; Miller, on the contrary, is perhaps too profuse in his number, making eight. The ascertaining the precise limits of species, and variety, in plants that have been for a great length of time objects of culture, is often attended with difficulties scarcely to be surmounted, is indeed a Gordian Knot to Botanists.

Our plant is the Cyclamen persicum of Miller, and has been introduced into our gardens long since the European ones; being a native of the East-Indies, it is of course more tender than the others, and therefore requires to be treated more in the style of a green-house plant.

It is generally cultivated in pots, in light undunged earth, or in a mixture of loam and lime rubbish, and kept in frames, or on the front shelf of a green-house, where it may have plenty of air in the summer, but guarded against too much moisture in the winter.

May be raised from seeds in the same manner as the round-leaved Cyclamen already figured in this work, p. n. 4.

Flowers early in the spring, and is admirably well adapted to decorate the parlour or study.

Varies with fragrant flowers, and the eye more or less red.

[Pg 103]

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[Pg 104]

[45]

Crocus vernus. Spring Crocus.

Class and Order

Triandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Corolla 6-partita, æqualis. Stigmata convoluta.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

CROCUS vernus foliis latioribus margine patulo. Jacq. Fl. Austr. Vol. 5. app. t. 36. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 83. var. sativ.

CROCUS vernus latifolius. Bauh. Pin. 65, 66.

The Yellow Crocus. Parkins. Parad. p. 166.

No45

Linnæus considers the Crocus, or Saffron of the shops, which blows invariably in the autumn, and the spring Crocus, with its numerous varieties (of which Parkinson, in his Garden of Pleasant Flowers, enumerates no less than twenty-seven) as one and the same species; other Botanists have considered them as distinct, particularly Prof. Jacquin, whose opinion on this subject we deem the most decisive.

We have figured the yellow variety, which is the one most commonly cultivated in our gardens, though according to the description in the Flora Austriaca, the Crocus vernus, in its wild state, is usually purple or white.

The cultivation of this plant is attended with no difficulty; in a light sandy loam, and dry situation, the roots thrive, and multiply so much as to require frequent reducing; they usually flower about the beginning of March, and whether planted in rows, or patches, on the borders of the flower-garden, or mixed indiscriminately with the herbage of the lawn, when expanded by the warmth of the sun, they produce a most brilliant and exhilirating effect.

The most mischievous of all our common birds, the sparrow, is very apt to commit great depredations amongst them when in flower, to the no small mortification of those who delight in their culture; we have succeeded in keeping these birds off, by placing near the object to be preserved, the skin of a cat properly stuffed: a live cat, or some bird of the hawk kind confined in a cage, might perhaps answer the purpose more effectually, at least in point of duration.

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[Pg 105]

[46]

Leucojum vernum. Spring Snow-Flake.

Class and Order.

Hexandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Corolla campaniformis, 6-partita, apicibus incrassata, Stigma simplex.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

LEUCOJUM vernum spatha uniflora, stylo clavato. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 316.

LEUCOJUM bulbosum vulgare. Bauh. Pin. 55.

The great early bulbous Violet. Park. Parad.

No46

The blossoms of the Leucojum and Galanthus, or Snow-Drop, are very similar at first sight, but differ very essentially when examined; the Snow-Drop having, according to the Linnæan description, a three-leaved nectary, which is wanting in the Leucojum; the two genera then being very distinct, it becomes necessary to give them different names; we have accordingly bestowed on the Leucojum the name of Snow-Flake, which, while it denotes its affinity to the Snow-Drop, is not inapplicable to the meaning of Leucojum.

As the spring Snow-Flake does not increase so fast by its roots, as the Snow-Drop, or even the summer Snow-Flake, so it is become much scarcer in our gardens; it may, indeed, be almost considered as one of our plantæ rariores, though at the same time a very desirable one.

It does not flower so soon by almost a month, as the Snow-Drop; but its blossoms, which are usually one on each foot-stalk, sometimes two, are much larger, and delightfully fragrant.

It is found wild in shady places and moist woods in many parts of Germany and Italy. The most proper situation for it is a north or east border, soil a mixture of loam and bog earth; but by having it in different aspects, this, as well as other plants, may have its flowering forwarded or protracted, and, consequently, the pleasure of seeing them in blossom, considerably lengthened.

In a favourable soil and situation, it propagates tolerably fast by offsets.

[Pg 106]

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[Pg 107]

[47]

Amaryllis formosissima. Jacobæan Amaryllis.

Class and Order.

Hexandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Corolla 6-petala, campanulata. Stigma trifidum.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

AMARYLLIS formosissima spatha uniflora, corolla inæquali petalis tribus, staminibus pistilloque declinatis. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 320.

LILIO-NARCISSUS jacobæus, flore sanguineo nutante, Dillen. elth. 195. t. 162. f. 196.

The Indian Daffodil with a red flower. Park. Par. 71. f. 3.

No47

A native of South-America: according to Linnæus, first known in Europe in 1593, figured by Parkinson in 1629, and placed by him among the Daffodils; stoves and green-houses were then unknown, no wonder therefore it did not thrive long.

"Is now become pretty common in the curious gardens in England, and known by the name of Jacobæa Lily; the roots send forth plenty of offsets, especially when they are kept in a moderate warmth in winter; for the roots of this kind will live in a good green-house, or may be preserved through the winter under a common hot-bed frame; but then they will not flower so often, nor send out so many offsets as when they are placed in a moderate stove in winter. This sort will produce its flowers two or three times in a year, and is not regular to any season; but from March to the beginning of September, the flowers will be produced, when the roots are in vigour.

"It is propagated by offsets, which may be taken off every year; the best time to shift and part these roots is in August, that they may take good root before winter; in doing of this, there should be care taken not to break off the fibres from their roots. They should be planted in pots of a middling size, filled with light kitchen-garden earth; and, if they are kept in a moderate degree of warmth, they will produce their flowers in plenty, and the roots will make great increase." Miller's Gard. Dict.

[Pg 108]

[Pg 109]

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[Pg 110]

[48]

Narcissus triandrus. Reflexed Daffodil.

Class and Order.

Hexandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Petala sex, æqualia. Nectario infundibuliformi, 1-phyllo, Stamina intra nectarium.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

NARCISSUS triandrus spatha sub-biflora, floribus cernuis, petalis reflexis, staminibus tribus longioribus.

NARCISSUS triandrus spatha sub-uniflora, nectario campanulato crenato dimidio petalis breviore, staminibus ternis. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 317.

NARCISSUS juncifolius, albo flore reflexo. Clus. app. alt.

The yellow turning Junquilia, or Rush Daffodil. Parkins. Parad. 93. fig. 2, 3.

No48

The present species of Narcissus is considered by the Nursery-men near London as the triandrus of Linnæus, which it no doubt is, though it does not accord in every particular with his description: his triandrus is white, ours is pale yellow, but colour is not in the least to be depended on, for it is found to vary in this as in all the other species; his triandrus he describes as having in general only three stamina, whence the name he has given it; ours, so far as we have observed, has constantly six, three of which reach no further than the mouth of the tube, a circumstance so unusual, that Linnæus might overlook it without any great impeachment of his discernment; he says, indeed, that it has sometimes six: perhaps, the three lowermost ones may, in some instances, be elongated so as to equal the others; if he had observed the great inequality of their length, he would certainly have mentioned it.

This species is found wild on the Pyrenean mountains; was an inhabitant of our gardens in the time of Parkinson (who has very accurately described it, noticing even its three stamina) to which, however, it has been a stranger for many years: it has lately been re-introduced, but is as yet very scarce. Our figure was taken from a specimen which flowered in Mr. Lee's Nursery at Hammersmith.

It grows with as much readiness as any of the others of the genus, and flowers in March and April.

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[Pg 111]

[49]

Soldanella alpina. Alpine Soldanella.

Class and Order.

Pentandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Corolla campanulata, lacero-multifida. Caps. 1-locularis, apice multidentata.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

SOLDANELLA alpina. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 194.

SOLDANELLA alpina rotundifolia. Bauh. Pin. 295

No49

Of this genus there is at present only one known species, the alpina here figured, which is a native of Germany, and, as its name imports, an alpine plant.

Its blossoms are bell-shaped, of a delicate blue colour, sometimes white, and strikingly fringed on the edge.

It flowers usually in March, in the open ground; requires, as most alpine plants do, shade and moisture in the summer, and the shelter of a frame, in lieu of its more natural covering snow, in the winter; hence it is found to succeed best in a northern aspect: will thrive in an open border, but is more commonly kept in pots.

May be increased by parting its roots early in autumn.

[Pg 112]

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[Pg 113]

[Pg 114]

[50]

Iris sibirica. Siberian Iris.

Class and Order.

Triandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Cor. 6-petala, inæqualis, petalis alternis geniculato-patentibus. Stigmata petaliformia, cucullato-bilabiata. Thunb. Diss. de Iride.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

IRIS sibirica imberbis foliis linearibus, scapo subtrifloro tereti, germinibus trigonis. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 91.

IRIS pratensis angustifolia, non fœtida altior. Bauh. Pin. 32.

IRIS bicolor. Miller's Dict. ed. 6, 4to.

The greater blue Flower-de-luce with narrow leaves. Parkins. Parad. p. 185. fig. 2.

No50

This species of Iris is a native of Germany and Siberia, and is distinguished from those usually cultivated in our gardens by the superior height of its stems, and the narrowness of its leaves; from which last character it is often, by mistake, called graminea; but the true graminea is a very different plant.

The Iris sibirica is a hardy perennial, and will thrive in almost any soil or situation; but grows most luxuriantly in a moist one, and flowers in June.

Is propagated most readily, by parting its roots in autumn.

[Pg 115]

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[Pg 116]

[51]

Narcissus major. Great Daffodil.

Class and Order.

Hexandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Petala 6 æqualia: Nectario infundibuliformi, 1-phyllo. Stamina intra nectarium.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

NARCISSUS major foliis subtortuosis, spatha uniflora, nectario campanulato patulo crispo æquante petala.

NARCISSUS major totus luteus calyce prælongo. Bauhin Pin. 52.

NARCISSI sylvestris alia icon. Dodon. Stirp. p. 227.

The great yellow Spanish Bastard Daffodil. Parkins. Parad. t. 101. fig. 1.

No51

The present species of Daffodil is the largest of the genus, and bears the most magnificent flowers, but, though it has long been known in this country, it is confined rather to the gardens of the curious.

It is a native of Spain, and flowers with us in April. As its roots produce plenty of offsets, it is readily propagated.

It approaches in its general appearance very near to the Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus, but differs in being a much taller plant, having its leaves more twisted, as well as more glaucous, its flowers (but especially its Nectary) much larger, and its petals more spreading; and these characters are not altered by culture.

It answers to the bicolor of Linnæus in every respect but colour, and we should have adopted that name, had not the flowers with us been always of a fine deep yellow; we have therefore taken Bauhin's name as the most expressive.

It varies with double flowers.

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OFF with the old and in with the new ...

my bangs

All the hair was prepared for and is going to Locks of Love a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

To learn more about the organization click on
Locks Of Love

The donated hair has to be at least 10" minimum and have been cut off in a prescribed manner to be accepted.

And so, add some age-lines and more grey hair and I look like this again ...

and boy does it feel good !

"ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO"

Drawn by Kate Greenaway, published in 1879

Today listening to CBC I heard a wonderful interview/ “musical documenter” program titled “More About Henry”. Just listening to this program put such a soft warm smile on my dace I just have to share it with you … it is so sweet and creatively put together.

Thank you Adam Goddard, your debut program was marvelous!

On this link, there are several programs listed, “More About Henry” is the last one which you can click on "More About Henry" on CBC Ideas, by Adam Goddard to listen to an excerpt of it

I really like the program Ideas and try to listen to it as often as I can, definatly it is time well spent.

I hope you enjoy.

public domain image obtained from www.pdphoto.org

Over the past decade so much has changed, both in the world at large and also to within my little bubble-world. Back in the end of 1999 having been on the internet for almost two years then, I, like many others, was concerned what the change with the Millennium might bring on the technical/computer front. The Millennium bug worries happily on the most part though proved to be much over rated.

Then digital cameras and cell phones were just becoming popular and I smile and wonder if youth of today ever think to themselves ”Oh how did the world ever function before?”

So much has changed in the way things are done, but on the wide scale, very little has really changed. Snow still falls as it used to, the stars still twinkle in the night skies, bears still hibernate through the cold season and in the spring new life starts to emerge and come forth.

Experience deludes, years are minuscule blimps in all of existence, but what will the next 10 years, for us each, bring? We can only live to find out ...

Living rather a remote existence provides me sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of most city living, but I do like to keep-up with things. It has been almost three years since I gave up television, now the internet services; I am an avid CBC and BBC devotee along with other various News networks, viewing TED lectures, and of course reading.

As is my custom, the last few days of the years are spent contemplating and planning on what might I accomplish during the coming year. My goals are modest- redecorating, mastering a few new skills and preserving things from the ravages of time.

Since starting to blog, often I feel like Alice might have felt when she fell down the rabbit hole, and as I ponder, some of best lyrics in a song come to mind by Robbie Robertson in Somewhere Down The Crazy River:

"You like it now … but you'll learn to love it later."

To learn more about Robbie Robertson, you may click HERE

So, as another year comes to a close, the ending line in a poem “Don’t Look back, you’re not going that way!” accompanies me into the year 2010.

Here is wising you each and all a very happy passing into 2010 with a year full of joy wonder and fun …

Have been trying to stay warn inside playing around with photoshop.

I love silhouettes.

Using only my own personal or publicly domain images,

these are some adaptations I have done so far ...

My mother's hands

The following is an excerpt of an article published in The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 26, February 1893 by Beckles Wilson, on the subject of hands:

The hand, like the face, is indicative or representative of character. Even those who find the path to belief in the doctrines of the palmist and chirognomist paved with innumerable thorns, cannot fail to be interested in the illustrious manual examples, collected from the studios of various sculptors, which accompany this article.

Mr. Adams-Acton, a distinguished sculptor, tells me his belief that there is as great expression in the hand as in the face; and another great artist, Mr. Alfred Gilbert, R.A., goes even a step further: he invests the bare knee with expression and vital identity. There would, indeed, appear to be no portion of the human frame which is incapable of giving forth some measure of the inherent distinctiveness of its owner. This is, I think, especially true of the hand. No one who was fortunate enough to observe the slender, tapering fingers and singular grace of the hand of the deceased Poet Laureate could possibly believe it the extremity of a coarse or narrow-minded person. In the accompanying photographs, the hand of a cool, yet enthusiastic, ratiocinative spirit will be found to bear a palpable affinity to others whose possessors come under this head, and yet be utterly antagonistic to Carlyle's, or to another type, Cardinal Manning's.

We have here spread out for our edification hands of majesty, hands of power; of artistic creativeness; of cunning; hands of the ruler, the statesman, the soldier, the author, and the artist. To philosophers disposed to resolve a science from representative examples here is surely no lack of matter. It would, on the whole, be difficult to garner from the century's history a more glittering array of celebrities in all the various departments of endeavour than is here presented.

Queen Victoria's hands

Princess Alice's hands

First and foremost, entitled to precedence almost by a double right, for this cast antedates, with one exception, all the rest, are the hands of Her Majesty the Queen. They were executed in 1844, when Her Majesty had sat upon the throne but seven years, and, if I do not greatly err, in connection with the first statue of the Queen after her accession. They will no doubt evoke much interest when compared with the hand of the lamented Princess Alice, who was present at the first ceremony, an infant in arms of eight months. In addition to that of the Princess Alice, taken in 1872, we have the hands of the Princesses Louise and Beatrice, all three of whom sat for portrait statues to Sir Edgar Boehm, R.A., from whose studio, also, emanates the cast of the hand of the Prince of Wales.

Prince Of Wales's hands

Princess Beatrice's hand Princess Louise's hand.

In each of the manual extremities thus presented of the Royal Family, similar characteristics may be noticed. The dark hue which appears on the surface of the hands of the two last named Princesses is not the fault of the photograph but of the casts, which are, unfortunately, in a soiled condition.

It is a circumstance not a little singular, but the only cast in this collection which is anterior to the Queen's, itself appertains to Royalty, being none other than the hand of Caroline, sister of the first Napoleon, who also, it must not be forgotten, was a queen. It is purposely coupled in the photograph with that of Anak, the famous French giant, in order to exhibit the exact degree of its deficiency in that quality which giants most and ladies least can afford to be complaisant over size. Certainly it would be hard to deny it grace and exquisite proportion, in which it resembles an even more beautiful hand, that of the Greek lady, Zoe, wife of the late Archbishop of York, which seems to breathe of Ionian mysticism and elegance.

In 2005 I photographed "my mother's hands" and though she has since died I still find it compelling. I see such contrasts in subject matter, textures, colour and age, the old holding the young, It was just a study while I was playing while learning photography, but I marvel at the colours lines and character her hands showed, and it tickles me that in 1893 someone found this subject as interesting as I find it ... still today.