The name of the companion

What a week! Grandmomma fell and is back in the hospital - but we think she's relatively okay. 

Then Phoenix Comicon announced Jenna Coleman will be appearing one day only on Sunday, May 28, 2017.

Jenna Coleman is an English actress best known for her role as Clara Oswald in the British television series Doctor Who.

Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, Coleman began her tenure as the 11th Doctor's companion in 2012 on the long running BBC series Doctor Who. Sworn to secrecy during the audition process, Coleman would refer to the project only as Men on Waves (an anagram for "Woman Seven") when asked what she was auditioning for. Producer Steven Moffat remarked that one of the primary reasons Coleman landed the coveted spot was because of the chemistry she shared with Smith and her innate ability to talk faster than him during scenes together.

Coleman's first appearance as The Doctor's companion was originally planned to happen on the 2012 Christmas special. However, she made a surprise appearance  in Asylum of the Daleks playing a relative of her character Clara Oswald, Oswin Oswald. Oswin subsequently died later in that particular episode and appeared again as her own distant relative in the episode, The Snowmen. Her final incarnation as Clara Oswald was introduced in the episode, The Bells of Saint John, where she carried on as The Doctor's regular companion, continuing on in her role as companion when current Doctor, Peter Capaldi, stepped into the role as the 12th Doctor. Her run as Clara Oswald concluded in 2015 with the show's ninth series.

In 2016, Coleman was seen in the television drama Victoria as Queen Victoria. Chronicling the early life of the Queen from her accession to the throne to her courtship with Prince Albert, the series aired to rave reviews on ITV in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the first round of episodes, a second series has been ordered and is currently in production.

Jenna. Coleman. 

Clara.

Queen Victoria. 

What to wear.... What to wear....

Think Pink ... for Pam

Greta Garb-Oh!

When Dolls for a Cause decided to do "Pink for Pam," a group member with cancer, Momma immediately thought of flamingos.

(Well, it was either that or the Pink Panther.)

Pink.

As you might know, I was less than enthused about the color choice. At least I was until Momma discovered that the color pink used to be considered a boy color - not for girls!

In 19th century England, boys were considered to be small men. Because English soldiers wore red uniforms, boys wore pink. In fact, the clothing for children in the 19th century was almost always white, since, before the invention of chemical dyes, clothing of any color would quickly fade when washed in boiling water.

Queen Victoria was painted in 1850 with her seventh child and third son, Prince Arthur, who wore white and pink. Pink was seen as a masculine color, while girls often wore white and blue - blue for the Virgin Mary.

As for flamingos, do you know why they are pink? Adult flamingos range from light pink to bright red due to the shrimp in their diets!

Using my favorite "1870s Bustle Dress" by Thimbles and Acorns, Momma paired the flamingos with a pink tonal fabric, piping, and buttons. She finished the back with two pink "ribbons" made of the same pink tonal fabric. 

Dacia from Mini Me Dolly Divas donated a "Tough Dolls Wear Pink" T-shirt, and Momma made a pink breast cancer ribbon fabric lobstertail bustle to complete the ensemble.

The first known use of a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness was in the fall of 1991, when the Susan G. Komen Foundation handed out pink ribbons to participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors.

It became the official symbol of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 1992. 

The one-week Facebook auction starts Sunday, August 31 and ends Sunday, Sept. 7. Good luck to the winners!

(I am astonished to discover that I like this pink flamingo outfit so much I might ask Momma to bid on it for me!)

 

She Died (of Embarrassment) with Her Boots On

© 2014 Greta Huls and Greta Garb-oh!

I have never been so Mortified in my entire life: Past, Present, or Future!

(Now I know how King David felt.)

Momma saw a photograph a few weeks ago from the Victoria & Albert Museum of a Lady's Summer Corset.

Genius has burned since then and Today she created her prototype.

Little did I know she was going to photograph Me in It and Publish the Photograph.

I am Certain this is in Violation of the Mann Act.

The Dogg Act

Cheysuli’s Pocket Full of Sunshine

Momma does some of the strangest things for her friends.

Today she delivered, um, shall we say "half of the ingredients" needed for Welsh Cardigan Corgi puppies to her friend, author and breeder Jennifer Roberson.

("Instant puppies! Just add female!")

Hey, I'm trying to keep this clean!

Jennifer has a female dog ready to be "in the family-way" and needed the other half - which was in New Jersey. In a miracle of modern-day PonyEx, it was shipped overnight and received this morning.

Momma promptly leaped into the car to deliver the chilled contents to Jennifer, who is showing her Cardigans at the Fiesta Cluster Dog Show in Scottsdale this weekend.

Hopefully we'll have Welsh Cardigan puppies in 58 and 68 days!

(According to an old story, Queen Victoria was traveling down a country road one day when her carriage came upon a fallen tree branch. A fairy came out of nowhere and produced two corgis out of thin air to assist Queen Victoria. One was the (tailed) Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the other the (tailless) Pembroke Welsh Corgi. The two Corgis moved the tree for the queen, which is why the breed is currently prized by the Queen of England.)

In the meantime, the jokes have been flying Fast and Furiously around here. In particular, Grandpoppa wanted to know if Momma's errand violated the Mann Act.

The Mann Act is a United States federal law passed on June 25, 1910 named after Congressman James Mann of Illinois. Its primary stated intent was to address prostitution, "immorality," and human trafficking.

However, its ambiguous language of "immorality" permitted many dubious prosecutions over the years, and was used to criminalize many things. It was amended by Congress in 1978 and again in 1986 to apply to other things as well.

Hey, I'm still trying to keep this clean! 

Here comes the bride

Alena Mokhan

Here comes the bride, all dressed in white....

No, I'm not getting married, I am way too young. But if I do, Momma has gotten a job as an Alterations Specialist at a bridal salon.

Color, style, and ceremonial importance of the gown depend upon religion and culture. In Western cultures, brides often choose a white wedding dress, while in Eastern cultures brides often choose red to symbolize auspiciousness. (White is a symbol of death in many cultures.

White became a popular option after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg on Feb. 10, 1840, when she selected a white dress made from heavy silk satin with Devonshire Honiton lace.

Queen Victoria has been credited with starting the tradition of white bridal gowns although she was not the first royal to be married in white.

Wearing white was quickly adopted by wealthy, fashionable brides. Godey's Lady's Book, wrote about a decade after Victoria's wedding:

"Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one."

If (and that's a BIG if) I ever get married, it will be in a beauty like this Steampunk Victorian Costume by Alena Mokhan.

This adorable steampunk wedding gown designed to be worn on multiply occasions to give your doll that unforgetable ooak look! It would be perfect for a wedding, First Holy Communion, Halloween party, for a Steampunk Convention or like a Victorian fancy Costume! Let your little dolly go bold in this beauty! She is sure to steal the scene!

The set is limited edition - only one of a kind.

The outfit includes 10 pieces: bolero, corset, skirt, petticoat, hat, umbrella, gloves, necklace, garter and shoes. The excellent quality, highly unique design is simply sensational, offering a vintage Victorian style.

White is an impractical color and many brides wore what was, or what would become, their best dress. White became a way to show off one's wealth, as in, "Hey! I'm so rich I'll never wear this dress again!"

It even became a Victorian rhyme:

Married in white, you will have chosen all right.
Married in gray , you will go far away.
Married in black, you will wish yourself back.
Married in red, you’ll wish yourself dead.
Married in blue, you will always be true.
Married in pearl, you’ll live in a whirl.
Married in green, ashamed to be seen.
Married in yellow, ashamed of the fellow.
Married in brown, you’ll live out of town.
Married in pink, your spirits will sink.

 I think I will go with gray....

Diamonds are a queen's best friend

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II is the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. She is currently queen regnant of 16 sovereign states, 12 of which were British colonies or Dominions at the start of her reign.

Elizabeth was born April 21, 1926 in London, and educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne as George VI in 1936 on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII. She began to undertake public duties during the World War II, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

On Wednesday, Feb. 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father's death and her own accession to the throne, while staying at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya. (Momma's grandmother once stayed in the same room!)

The Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Crowds of people viewed the procession all along the route, despite heavy rain. The ceremony was also broadcast on radio around the world and, at the Queen's request, on television for the first time. 

Grandmomma remembers going to a friend's house to watch the coronation since her family didn't have a television set!

Queen Victoria in 1897 is the only other monarch in the history of the United Kingdom to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee.

A novel of vampires, werewolves and teapots

Today I am posting about the fourth book in Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series, Heartless:

Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.

Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

A novel of vampires, werewolves & unexpected surprises

I am continuing to spread the word about Gail Carriger's delightful Parasol Protectorate books. Today is Blameless:

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.

Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.

While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

I strongly encourage you to read the books in order. They'll make much more sense that way.

A novel of werewolves, vampires and dirigibles

Momma, GrandMomma and I are now thoroughly addicted to the Parasol Protectorate books by Gail Carriger.

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria. 

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

Momma galloped through all five books in three days, and GrandMomma is following close behind.

Thank heavens there's both Kindle and Audible versions or I might never get my mitts upon them!

The Parasol Protectorate

Ahh, I have discovered yet another use for my Unusually Stout Parasol.

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. 

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

To find out the new use for my Unusually Stout Parasol, read Soulless by Gail Carriger. Set in Victorian London, it's full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Married in White, you have chosen right

Happy 172nd Anniversary, Queen Victoria and Albert!

Victoria first met her German cousin Albert in 1836, and they became engaged during his second visit to England in 1839. (She proposed since she was the Queen of England.) Their wedding took place on Feb. 10, 1840 at St. James's Palace. It was the first wedding of a reigning Queen of England since 1554. 

White did not become a popular option until 1840, after Victoria and Albert's marriage. (Victoria wore a white gown for the event to incorporate some lace she prized.) The official wedding portrait photograph was widely published, and many other brides opted for white in accordance with the Queen's choice.

The first documented instance of a princess who wore a white wedding gown for a royal wedding ceremony is that of Philippa of England, who wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with grey squirrel and ermine in 1406.

Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white wedding gown in 1559 when she married her first husband, Francis Dauphin of France because it was her favorite color, although white was then the color of mourning for French Queens.

Married in White, you have chosen right
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Blue, you will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Brown, you will live in the town,
Married in Pink, you spirit will sink.

Queen Victoria was buried in a white dress and her wedding veil after her death on Jan. 22, 1901.

Aloha ʻoe

Today my friend Kanani and I remember King Kamehameha IV and his wife Emma of Hawai'i.

Within a year of ascending the throne in 1855, the 20-year-old King Kamehameha IV and his bride, Emma Rooke, embarked on the path of altruism and unassuming humility for which they have been revered by their people. The year before, Honolulu, and especially its native Hawaiians, had been horribly afflicted by smallpox. The people, accustomed to a royalty which ruled with pomp and power, were confronted instead by a king and queen who went about, “with notebook in hand,” soliciting from rich and poor the funds to build a hospital. Queen’s Hospital, named for Emma, is now the largest civilian hospital in Hawai'i.

In 1860, the king and queen petitioned the Bishop of Oxford to send missionaries to establish the Anglican Church in Hawai'i. The king’s interest came through a boyhood tour of England where he had seen, in the stately beauty of Anglican liturgy, a quality that seemed attuned to the gentle beauty of the Hawaiian spirit. England responded by sending The Rt. Rev. Thomas N. Staley and two priests. They arrived on Oct. 11, 1862, and the king and queen were confirmed a month later, on Nov. 28, 1862. They then began preparations for a cathedral and school, and the king set about to translate the Book of Common Prayer and much of the Hymnal.

Kamehameha’s life was marred by the tragic death of his 4-year-old son and only child, in 1863. He seemed unable to survive his sadness, although a sermon he preached after his son’s death expresses a hope and faith that is eloquent and profound. His own death took place only a year after his son’s, in 1864. Emma declined to rule; instead, she committed her life to good works. She was responsible for schools, churches, and efforts on behalf of the poor and sick. She traveled several times to England and the Continent to raise funds, and became a favorite of Queen Victoria’s. Archbishop Longley of Canterbury, remarked upon her visit to Lambeth: “I was much struck by the cultivation of her mind … But what excited my interest most was her almost saintly piety.”

The Cathedral was completed after Emma died. It was named St. Andrew’s in memory of the king, who died on that saint’s day. Among the Hawaiian people, Emma is still referred to as “our beloved Queen.”

Their successor, Kamehameha V, was the last of his dynasty. In 1893 Queen Lili'uokalani (who wrote the song Aloha ʻOe) was deposed and a republic proclaimed. The United States annexed the Republic of Hawai'i in 1898 and Hawai'i was made a territory in 1900 and a State in 1959.

O Sovereign God, who raised up (King) Kamehameha (IV) and (Queen) Emma to be rulers in Hawai'i, and didst inspire and enable them to be diligent in good works for the welfare of their people and the good of thy Church: Receive our thanks for their witness to the Gospel; and grant that we, with them, may attain to the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever.

No laughing matter

On Nov. 12, 1847 Sir James Young Simpson, a Scottish obstetrician was the first to use chloroform (also known as laughing gas) as an anesthetic. Chloroform was used during the birth of Queen Victoria's last two children in the 1850s.

Not everyone saw this as a good thing, quoting the Bible:

To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16

I'd like to see any man rule over ME!

Victoria's secret no more

Why do I think Queen Victoria would not be amused?

One might even say she'd get her knickers in a twist?

A pair of silk bloomers that belonged to HRH sold at auction yesterday, Nov. 1 for $14,950 to an anonymous bidder - not me!

The knickers (which have a split seam for, um, convenience) are embroidered with a crown and the initials VR for Victoria Regina.

The framed bloomers were allegedly kept in a bathroom cupboard (so as not to embarrass Prince Charles when he visited) at Old Battersea House, the London home of U.S. publishing clan the Forbes family.

I can't help but wonder what my unmentionables would sell for.

Any takers?

A message from Her Majesty (not me)

This has been making the rounds lately. I don't know who wrote it originally but I think it's Bloody Brilliant. (Did I say that correctly?) I might have to add QE2 to my list of approved queens.

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your immediate failure to financially manage yourselves and also in recent years, your tendency to elect incompetent Presidents of the USA (not President Obama - SA) and therefore not able to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up ‘revocation’ in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated sometime next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘colour,’ ‘favour,’ ‘labour’ and ‘neighbour.’ Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters, and the suffix ‘-ize’ will be replaced by the suffix ‘-ise.’ Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up ‘vocabulary’).
   
2. Using the same 27 words interspersed with filler noises such as ‘like’ and ‘you know’ is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf.
   
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
   
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you’re not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can’t sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you’re not ready to shoot grouse.
   
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
   
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
   
7. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
   
8. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager.
   
9. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one’s ears removed with a cheese grater.
   
10. You will cease playing American football. There are only two kinds of proper football; one you call soccer, and rugby (dominated by the New Zealanders). Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
    
11. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1 percent of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the Australians (World dominators) first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
    
12. You must tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us mad.
    
13. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
    
14. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

God Save the Queen!

PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!

I don't give a fig

While I admire Queen Victoria, she can make me laugh.

A rather famous marble sculpture by Michelangelo portraying a nude King David (you know, of David and Goliath fame?) was unveiled on Sept. 8, 1504 in Florence, Italy.

More than 350 years later, a massive six meter cast of David was presented to Queen Victoria by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, which she immediately donated by the queen to the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria & Albert Museum).

The plaster cast of David at the V&A has a detachable plaster fig leaf, half a metre high, which is displayed nearby. It was created in response to Queen Victoria's shock upon first viewing the statue's nudity, and was hung on the figure prior to royal visits, using two strategically placed hooks.

Snigger.

Nowadays, the fig leaf is no longer displayed on the V&A David. Instead, it is housed in its own case on the back of the figure's plinth.

So how tall is half a meter? My size.

Rather makes me feel like David when he faced the giant Goliath.

The Eighth Wonder of the World

- .... . / ..-. .. .-. ... - / - .-. .- -. ... .- - .-.. .- -. - .. -.-. / - . .-.. . --. .-. .- .--. .... / -.-. .- -... .-.. . / .-- .- ... / -.-. --- -- .--. .-.. . - . -.. / --- -. / .- ..- --. .-.-.- / ..... --..-- / .---- ---.. ..... ---.. --..-- / -.-. .-. --- ... ... .. -. --. / - .... . / .- - .-.. .- -. - .. -.-. / --- -.-. . .- -. / ..-. .-. --- -- / .. .-. . .-.. .- -. -.. / - --- / -.-. .- -. .- -.. .-

(The first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed on Aug. 5, 1858, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland to Canada!)

Why my excitement? The cable is one of the many underwater landmarks observed by the Nautilus in original steampunker Jules Verne’s 1869 novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

It would normally take at least 10 days to deliver a message by ship, but the transatlantic cable allowed an inquiry and a response within the same day.

Messages were sent by an operator using Morse code, a series of dots and dashes. The reception was bad on the 1858 cable, and it took two minutes to transmit just one character, which translates to about 0.1 words per minute.

On Aug. 16, 1858, the first message (which took more than 17 hours to transmit!) sent across the cable was, "Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace and good will toward men."

Queen Victoria (have I mentioned that I like the Old Girl?) sent a congratulatory telegram to President James Buchanan through the line, expressing a hope that it would prove "an additional link between the nations whose friendship is founded on their common interest and reciprocal esteem."

Buchanan replied that, "it is a triumph more glorious, because far more useful to mankind, than was ever won by conqueror on the field of battle. May the Atlantic telegraph, under the blessing of heaven, prove to be a bond of perpetual peace and friendship between the kindred nations, and an instrument destined by Divine Providence to diffuse religion, civilization, liberty, and law throughout the world."

A new cable was installed in 1866 which could transmit eight words a minute — 50 times faster than the 1858 cable.

It wasn't until the 20th century though that message transmission speeds over transatlantic cables would reach even 120 words per minute.

Think about that the next time you complain about your slow internet connection or cell phone reception!

We are NOT amused

By the time We got to Phoenix, it was 115 in the shade.


IN THE SHADE!

We are not amused.

(And the "Official" temperature was 118!!)

However, We have discovered a Simply Delightful comic strip called The New Adventures of Queen Victoria.

I knew I liked the Old Girl!

She who wields a mean parasol

Queen Victoria's anti-terrorist parasol

I am anxiously awaiting Momma to finish my stout parasol, but wanted to show you I'm not the only strong-minded woman to wield one.

Of course I got my inspiration from Mrs. Amelia Peabody Emerson, but do you know where she got her inspiration?

Detail of parasol showing chain-mail lining.

Queen Victoria!

Queen Victoria experienced several assassination attempts, the first being in June 1840. Prince Albert is thought to have designed this parasol incorporating a layer of mail between cover and lining as protection for the Queen. However, the weight of the mail made it impossible for the parasol to be held normally. It weighs 1468g (3.237 lb) and was probably never used by the Queen.

Momma said mine won't be lined with mail.

Yet.