7 Quick Takes

1

Welcome back! I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. I had a great one, even though the time with family was short. I cooked the turkey, some of the sides, and TWO pumpkin pies. Alas! I did not get a picture of my bea-YOO-ti-ful turkey before it was all carved up.

2

What I'm currently reading:
Elena Maria Vidal
The Night's Dark Shade

I believe this is the author's first work of fiction. Vidal previously wrote fictionalized biographies of Marie Antoinette and her daughter. (The history is true, but Vidal takes us inside their minds.)

3

What I previously read:
Elena Maria Vidal
The Paradise Tree

I quite enjoyed this novel, and it deserves it's own review. This is a fictionalized account of the author's Irish immigrants to Canada in an era where Irish "Need Not Apply."

4

It seems that humans have been making carvings far longer than thought.

5

Evidence that women's fashion has always been crazy.

This is Catherine the Great's wedding dress. What a tiny waist! It's nearly 17 inches. To put this in perspective, a size zero is usually 24/25 inches. Combine that with panniers that require a woman to walk through doorways sideways, and I'm glad to be living in the 21st century.
Via Tiny Librarian

6

I love these decorated mailboxes from Victoria Magazine.Too bad that I don't have a mailbox of my own to decorate! It's one of the down sides of living in a high rise.

7

I need to get another cat after the holidays are over and I'm not traveling as much. It is becoming apparent that my Siamese is very lonely since Lily the bunny passed away. This is the third day in a row I've come across this.

This was all neatly in one bag when I left in the morning

And now the cat says it's time to quit!