These bananas look perfect... just green enough!
Too good to make banana bread with...
There are times when you just want something simple, something familiar. For me, tonight, it was nothing more exciting than banana bread. Banana bread? How on earth is that either dapper or dreamy! Well, perhaps that would be a stretch, but it certainly fits one of our aims to remind our readers about some of the simpler pleasures that we might overlook.
I don't recall a lot of banana bread in my past, so it's attraction isn't particularly nostalgic. Perhaps it's the combination of two of my favorite things - bananas and homemade bread. And, it's fun and terribly easy to make. I especially enjoy mashing up those bananas... with my hands! It's also a great recipe to make with kids. And, finally, the batter is delicious!
The "Banana Bread" Plate!
Last year, I even found the perfect plate for my banana bread. A vintage, rectangular English plate with a rather unusual design of blackberries and their leaves around the edges - the leaves a bright orange and the berries a glossy black. I can't remember having ever seen blackberries in a china design before and, since they are one of my favorite fruits, had to pick it up.
So, here it is, my favorite banana bread recipe. I can't tell you where it came from, and I can't add much more to the already simple instructions, but hope you'll take a moment to throw it together. It makes an excellent breakfast, accompaniment to tea or a late night snack (not that I'm ever known to sneak a slice long after the rest of the family is asleep!).
Yum!
Dapper and Dreamy Banana Bread
Whisk together:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Beat together in a bowl for 2-3 minutes:
5 1/2 Tbs. soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Add and beat until well combined:
2 beaten eggs
Add the flour mixture, mixing until well combined.
Add and stir until incorporated:
1 cup (about 2) mashed, soft bananas
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. (Sometimes it's ready at 45 minutes, other times it takes
just over an hour.)
Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn onto a cooling rack.
In the past few months, I have found myself surprisingly drawn to vintage books. Why surprisingly? Because in years past, I generally found myself bored by older fiction. Let me be a little clearer - I am not talking about classic literature here. I am talking to the general, popular fiction that might have been serialized in the magazines of the day. Things that are often very much related to their own time and place. Now, I see just how wrong I was!
It all started with a 1935 Ladies Home Journal and a story by one Beatrice Burton Morgan. The Mainspring was a popular book about a family of two rather spoiled, adult children and the dull but satisfying life of their parents. It explored that long held problem of children who have taken their parents love and sacrifices entirely for granted. It was one of those pieces that really captured the imagination and took you to an entirely different time and place. The descriptions of interiors, foods, clothing and other details was specific enough to evoke clear, colorful images. Unfortunately, I cannot find the next two month's magazines to finish the serialization! Even worse, a copy of the book is $75 online. I'm hoping that I'll just find it out of the blue one day.
This review of retro magazines continued as we looked through our old Christmas issues - Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, McCall's, Better Homes and Gardens - and brought us to Gladys Taber. Any of you that have popped over from Susan Branch's blog will recognize the name of Mrs. Taber. Susan has written eloquently about her and many of the quotes is Ms. Branch's work come from Gladys. (Visit her tribute via this link.)
Gladys Taber at her stove
at Stillmeadow... Now that I
look at her, she looks just like my
great-aunt Ardie...
Gladys Taber was a New Englander by choice. Well-travelled throughout the United States in her childhood, Gladys came to her Connecticut farm, Stillmeadow, from New York City in search of fresh air and freedom for her child and dogs. Stillmeadow was actually a joint purchase made by the Tabers (Gladys later divorced Mr. Taber) and another couple. By the time Taber was single, her longtime friend and co-owner of Stillmeadow, Jill, was widowed and the women created a close-knit family of children and pets at the secluded farm.
Taber was a prolific writer of plays, poems and both fiction and non-fiction. Best remembered for her series of descriptions of life at Stillmeadow and the varied nature that surrounded it, Gladys was the inspiration for the main character, Elizabeth Lane, in Christmas in Connecticut, although in reality, the similarities are nebulous at best. In her own Stillmeadow books, Gladys Taber takes us through day to day life in her centuries old farmhouse, keeping us abreast of the seasons, the decorations, the natural world and her relationships with friends and relatives. We learn about her writing, the delicious foods that she cooks and the joys and challenges of living in such an ancient (to us Americans) dwelling. After reading just a few pages of Taber's books, you might feel more like a warmly received friend than a distant reader.
Gladys Taber was also well-known for her monthly columns in Ladies Home Journal called Diary of Domesticity (started in 1937) called Butternut Wisdom in Family Circle (1959-1967). If you happen to find issues of these magazines, skip write to Taber's pieces for a cozy treat.
The inspiration for the stories that further
inspired I Love Lucy...
Other recent literary finds include the very funny Mr. and Mrs. Cugat: The Record of a Happy Marriage by Isabel Scott Rorick. I don't know why this book stood out as I perused the shelves of the local thrift store, but I'm glad it did. The Cugats, a purely fictional couple, became the models for Lucille Ball's fabulous radio show My Favorite Husband which, in turn, was the basis for I Love Lucy. Indeed, as you read through the book you will find Mrs. Cugat in situations that you might think could only have happened to Lucy Ricardo!
(Here's a little sample of My Favorite Husband... be warned, it's 28 minutes long... but worth it!)
Bess Streeter Aldrich,
a very demure looking
Mid-Western writer... her
books are far more entertaining than
you might think from this picture!
Finally, for today, Bess Street Aldrich books... I've already written a bit about Aldrich's Christmas anthology, Journey Into Christmas, but also came across another of her books, The Cutters. The Cutters is the charming and simple story of a very normal Midwestern family in the 1920's. While the book was written over eighty years ago, readers will find themselves relating to everything they read. Short stories about envy, childrearing, jealousy and other mundane family matters are made witty by Streeter's deft hand. Each chapter is a story within itself, always coming to a satisfying conclusion.
What all of these books share is a sort of simplicity. An appreciation of the small, simple things that make our lives interesting and, if we take a moment to really look, quite funny. In most cases, these are not tales of woe and grief, rather they are stories of life as it really was, and generally still is.
If you are looking for a cozy winter read, and don't really want to work to awfully hard for literary enjoyment and satisfaction, these books might just fit the bill!
It's rare that there is more than one movie in theatres that I am excited about. It's actually rare when there's even one. But, the last few weeks have found me staring at the silver screen on several occasions. In fact, twice in one day!
First, let's start with The Iron Lady, another triumph for Meryl Streep. I am usually somewhat ambivalent about Streep. For example, when I heard that she was playing Julia Child some years ago, I couldn't imagine a less likely choice. Then, when I saw her in the role, I couldn't believe that I wasn't watching Julia herself, bounding across the screen. The same is true of Streep's Margaret Thatcher. From the instant the film began, I was watching Thatcher herself. Perhaps most remarkable was the transformation of the powerful Thatcher of the 1980's to the more complicated part of a woman who slides in and out of a mild dementia, while still able to draw together all of her marvelously powerful faculties to converse on the issues of the day. All the time, Streep manages to capture every familiar look and movement of the real Iron Lady. It's a subtle performance, because it doesn't rely on any one factor. It's not just the voice or the gestures, the makeup or wardrobe, it's everything together. It stands in stark contrast to Helen Mirren's much lauded portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, Margaret Thatcher's close contemporary. While Mirren received accolades for her stony-faced, stiff-upper lipped Elizabeth, few who have studied that woman's life recognized the humorless and one-dimensional monarch pictured on screen.
The Iron Lady herself... Holding the flowers I gave
to her on her birthday in Vancouver, BC. 1987
With all of the remarkable achievements in terms of appearance and characterization, it might be easy to overlook the script itself. While Meryl Streep becomes Margaret Thatcher, it's the writing that really makes the film come together. Whether you agree with Thatcher's politics or not, you will find yourself admiring her utter and genuine devotion to the principles she holds, as well as her courage and willingness to embrace big ideas. What's even better is the opportunity to see something of the woman behind the very public face. At times difficult and willful, and then frightened and dependent, it is useful to be reminded that even public figures, so often stripped of their humanity and seen only as caricatures, are as complex and torn as the rest of us. Thatcher's duality as a powerful public woman and, at times, wife and mother trying to figure out how to get breakfast together, is insightful. It also reminds us that, again in spite of political viewpoint, there are people in the world with a remarkable and unusual talent for leadership.
The second "film of the week" couldn't be more different. The Artist is, in a word, charming. The story of a once powerful silent film star dealing with the decline of his medium and the rise of one that he can't compete in isn't all that unusual. Think of John Barrymore in Dinner at Eight. What is intriguing is that, in our day and age of big screen blockbusters with predictably cast superstars, The Artist contains none of this. What it relies on is a story that is accessible and able to capture an audience for almost two hours with no audible dialogue and only minimal "subtitles". It's also dependent of fabulous music and expressive, not mawkish, performances by likable and engaging actors. It should be mentioned that Hollywood itself had a starring role in the film. Somehow, The Artist was able to capture the look and feel of the 1920's film capital believably.
The Artist could have easily become a parody of the silent film era, a sort of Singin' In the Rain for the 21st century. Instead, it's as if the audience is transported to the age itself where the lack of dialog and color is normal and expected. In truth, you don't even miss it. For a film about the 1920's, it also seems remarkably current. It's not because any of our modern mores are brought into play in this period piece, rather it's because they are not. The creators of The Artist don't pander to the audience with sly asides or clever winks as if to say, "Isn't this cute?! A silent film!" They take their chosen style of film and, with complete confidence, make the most of both the advantages and disadvantages it provides. I, for one, left the theatre wondering why they don't make more films like this. For one hundred minutes it served as a total escape from the outside world, and a relaxing and entertaining one at that.
For so many people, myself included at some points in my life, the idea of sleep seemed somehow wasteful. Just think of all those hours of potential creativity and accomplishment going to waste! In recent years, I have developed a greater affection for these hours of rest, finding naps rather restorative. Now, more than ever, I have the utmost respect for hour upon hour of seeming inactivity. Why? Quite simply because I cannot get to sleep for anything!
It's a vicious cycle... I could go to sleep with little trouble at around six o'clock every day, but by the time sleep would be reasonable, I've gained my second or third wind. Fast forward to sometime around midnight... while there is a small chance that I might be nodding off, even then the slightest interruption seems to fill me with all the energy needed to embark on a jog around the neighborhood. What does this mean? Likely another four or five hours of sleeplessness.
It wasn't always like this. My notoriously awake wife would complain about the ease and speed with which I seemed to drop off. Moments after hitting the pillow, the comforting sounds of a roaring dump truck would begin to emerge from my mouth and I was down for the count. I lay the blame entirely with Max, our tiny by determined infant. When Max was very small, he would stay up until all hours. He wasn't upset, he wasn't cranky, he was just uninterested in sleep. The little man and I would be sent off to watch late night television until he finally found slumber. Ever since this time, I've found it harder and harder to catch my own z's.
Sleep is, perhaps, one of the most productive things that we do, and one of the most important things that we don't do enough of. When I look at my children's schedules, which routinely begin with wake-up calls of about five in the morning, I am astonished by their ability to actually get through a full day. To them it seems to simply be the nature of things. To me it seems like torture. When did a good night's sleep become a luxury? When did the idea of rest turn into slothfulness? I am all for activity and productivity, but perhaps we've lost our ability to grant our minds and bodies those undisturbed hours of peace and refreshment.
Like so many things, you often don't appreciate what you have until you've lost it. For me, that applies doubly to sleep. I love the feeling of falling into dreamland. I love barely waking up in those early minutes of slumber, just to feel that wonderful, warm enveloping sense that you get to go back to sleep! If there's no pressing need to get up in sight, all the better.
So, when you next visit the land of nod, think of how lucky you are... I may be out there, tossing and turning and counting the short hours until it's really time to be awake!
Alright, our bathroom isn't quite this small... What really surpised me
as I searched for a photo like this is the number of people who
seeminclined to post pictures of themselves... in airline
bathrooms... Odd?
I've written about our tiny, bijou bathroom before, and discussing it never fails to bring gasps from the many people who can't imagine a family of ten with one, yes one, bathroom. A teeny, tiny bathroom at that. In fact, it's about the size of a generous coat closet, with a bathtub, sink and... er... commode placed strategically. It is truly the smallest bathroom on earth. While extremely easy to keep powder fresh and sparklingly clean (thank you Dreamy), it can be a challenge to stagger the daily showering routine of several hygiene-conscious teenagers. One must also be careful not to overdose on the massive amounts of Axe spray that seems to be broadcast in this minuscule space by our raft of boys.
Will we get a copy of the one Ike had at Gettysburg...
Or maybe Mamie's? (Wouldn't you think Ike
and Mamie would have sprung for something
a little more... luxurious?)
Or will we get a Duke and Duchess
of Windsor bathroom?
It is also an old bathroom, built into an even older house that probably didn't have a restroom to begin with. This means that there are some features that are not, shall we say, fully realized. I have recently learned that the last time there was any major work done on this room, Jackie Kennedy was giving her televised tour of the White House. At that time, the ancient cast-iron tub had to be replaced. You see, the original owner had settled into a warm bubble bath, ready for Calgon to take her away. Instead, the floor beneath the tub gave way. This old house rests on a rather sizable foundation, and the drop was by no means inconsequential. I am just happy that something small, like an unstoppable faucet drip, necessitated the renovation this time around. It's at times like this that I am so glad to be a renter. While we are welcome to decorate and refurbish to our hearts content, when it comes to the big things, help is just a phone call away. My carpentry, plumbing and wiring skills are limited to hanging pictures, washing dishes and stringing lights on the Christmas tree. Even that last one can be a little sketchy.
We've waited a long time for this improvement and I can honestly say that the prospect of a fully functioning, thoroughly modern privy is as dapper and dreamy as it gets. I love the vintage look and life in almost every area, but this is not one of them. So, here's to new plumbing and modern conveniences!
I am not one to advocate exercise because one "should" do it, nor do I believe in activity as a means to "getting healthy". Huh? But we all need exercise, don't we? We should ALL be trying to lead healthier lives, all the time... right? I'll let you decide the answer to those questions on your own. All that I really know is that if I tell myself that I have to exercise, I am certain to avoid it at all costs. If told that I have to eat more fruits and vegetables and cut down on such essentials as butter and chocolate, I'll crave nothing more than a slab of warm chocolate cake, slathered in melting butter (I've never actually eaten this, it just seemed to be the polar opposite of cutting down on butter and chocolate...).
Now, suggest that we take a lovely walk in the woods, or a brisk stroll around the neighborhood, I'm interested. If, wearing the proper shoes, that stroll turns into a jog, all the better. Movement feels good! Present me with the possibility of eating or cooking with some delicious piece of fresh fruit, or perhaps a tempting bunch of bright green asparagus, and I'll be quite satisfied to do so. You see, it's all about presentation, isn't it?
Many, many years ago, before we were tied to our homes by television or our Wi-Fi connections, people did walk. Not power walking or competitive walking, just, well, walking. Sometimes it was even seen as easier than pulling out the car. It might have been thought of as a way to connect with friends and neighbors who were also out walking or sitting in the fresh air of the front porch. It could have been an opportunity to share a confidence with a friend or family member. Or, it might have simply been a nice way to spend a half hour after dinner. During these long-past jaunts, people probably wore normal clothes and likely didn't feel it necessary to further cut themselves off from civilization with the ever present ear buds. I don't know whether people lived longer or not, but I suspect they might have been just a little bit happier. In fact, in countries where just this kind of activity remains common, it is supposed that they are, indeed, a jollier people. (OK, I don't really know this exactly, but Denmark is supposed to be the happiest country on earth, and I always see picture of people walking, or biking, there...)
Food is another matter. There are many wonderful things about our food supply today. Things are safer, well, unless you were one of those impacted by the great cucumber poisoning of 2011, and the variety is far wider than ever. But, there's also the rather common sensical principal of eating a varied diet. Eating lots of vegetables and fruits because they are fresh and tasty and nice to look at... Eating until you are satisfied, not stuffed... Eating things that haven't been completely transformed through processing (does anyone really want to eat mechanically-separated anything?) Do we really need experts to tell us this? It's not really about nutrition at all, it's about enjoying life and all the wonderful things around us.
I should add a disclaimer. I am hardly the smallest, fittest person in the world. I do not have bulging muscles or compacted six pack abs. I may not live as long as the neighbor who, after eating only raw foods and attired in a new pair of running shoes each week, slogs along the same route, deep in the night, day after day. I should also say that there are many times, despite the creed I have outlined above, that I think a total physical transformation is required. But, overall, when things are in balance, I am a pretty contented individual.
So, next time you want to run a marathon, don't think of it as training. Think of yourself building up for a delightful and speedy 26 mile tour of the city. Or, if you feel the need to reduce the number of butterhorns and maple bars you enjoy each week, fill your menus with so many deliciously fresh things that there's no room for them, well, at least not all of them. You see... it really is all about presentation. See what I mean...
If the well is ever running dry, all I have to do is look at our lists of favorite things. There are so many fun topics to write about! Today, since I am quite hungry, I think it's time to talk, once again, about food. This post covers a couple of favorite things... homemade bagels and Julia Child. But, before I get started, let's get rid of some of the unfortunate misconceptions about food, post-holiday diets and nutrition in general.
I recently read a post on Susan Branch's blog where she talked a bit about the perils of holiday feasting. She stated that she had become "her grandmother's stuffing". Now, you'd have to eat a lot of stuffing for that to happen... If I were to follow along the same vein, I would say that I might have become one of Susan's Mary's Mother's Snowball cookies. I have eaten enough of them, both in dough and cooked form, to create a small person. So good are they, that I can't honestly say that I regret it for a moment.
In response to her blog posting, I provided Susan with some important information about winter weight gain. You see, it is commonly known in some circles that the cooler than normal winter temperatures cause most clothing fibers to contract, thereby making your favorite pieces of clothing feel somewhat more restricting than usual. By the same token, most home scales are similarly impacted by cold weather. Certain mechanisms within can seize, causing the readings to be as much as twelve pounds over the correct weight. Once you subtract the weight of your clothing, usually eight to ten pounds, you may have actually LOST weight over the holidays! Congratulations. One final note - those scales in your local doctor's office are useless. Their readings are clearly wrong and are likely part of some medical/weight loss scam.
Now that you realize that you either weight the same, or even less, then you did before the fun and feasting of late 2011, let's talk about one of my favorite things... Homemade bagels!
Several years ago I was given the companion book to Julia Child's show, Baking with Julia. Unlike so many beautiful cookbooks, this one is very useful. It contains several of my favorite recipes, including Hungarian Shortbread and the aforementioned bagels.
I should say that I've never had a real New York bagel. We hear a lot about them, we are told that nothing compares and are reminded that those available anywhere else are poor excuses for real bagels. Therefore, I have no way of knowing how these stack up. But! I can tell you this... The bagels described in Julia's book are the absolute best I've ever had. The recipe comes from her guest baker, Lauren Groveman. The flavor is incomparable - yeasty, savory, just a bit sweet - and the texture is sublime - crisp on the outside, perfectly soft and chewy inside. They're also fun to make! Taking the scrawny dough rings, submerging them in boiling water and watching them grow into fluffy, dumpling-like shapes is quite satisfying. Tossing iced water into the hot oven, creating the necessary steam bath, is also kind of a kick. But, the best part of all is eating the bagels! At our house, two batches are necessary to keep up with the adoring fans of these yummy creations.
So, next time you need some real comfort food, and you have the desire to try out a new recipe, I can highly recommend this one, which comes from Lauren Groveman's own website... Enjoy!
It's a wonder that I haven't written about Jackie before, but she seems like such an obvious choice, don't you think? In fact, that's one of the reasons I haven't touched on the subject yet.
In some circles, it's supposed to be a sign of intelligence to look askance at people like Jackie Kennedy. There were more than a few who decried her well-known qualities and acumen in the wake of the recent publication of her conversations with famed historian and Kennedy Administration official, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. I, for one, still think that JBKO was tops, I even like her initials.
I first developed an interest in Jackie at about the same time I started reading J.B. West's Upstairs at the White House. I came across a copy of the original White House guidebook that she championed in the early sixties and, combined with West's recollections, was instantly fascinated. I also recall thinking that I could get the owner of the duplex we lived in to provide me with the funds to "restore" the house a la the Kennedy White House restoration. The fact that it was probably built in the late seventies and had absolutely no historic or architectural interest didn't occur to me. It was also around this time that I saw reruns of Upstairs, Downstairs and tried to install a bell system to summon servants to the various rooms in the house. Evidently, such systems require supplies far more specialized than long pieces of yarn running down stairs and under doors attached to bells. But, I digress...
I've just finished reading one of the best books about Jackie Kennedy that has been written to date. Reading Jackie details the former first lady's existence after she started working as an editor at Viking and Doubleday. While it draws on the whole of her life, the volume explores the idea that the books Onassis chose to edit reveal a great deal about her outlook and personality, creating an autobiography of sorts. The author, William Kuhn, brilliantly supports this idea, showing Jackie as a complex and very real person, often quite unlike the image that we have commonly held.
In my opinion, the best book
written about Jackie to date.
What's most interesting to me is the idea that Jackie is so often seen only as she was as first lady, an image and personality fixed in our minds in pillbox and boucle suit. In reality, she moved far beyond that period in her life, despite our unwillingness to accept it. Far from the caricature presented by the press, Jackie was deeply intelligent and always curious. With a wicked sense of humor and a passion for books, Jackie is inspiring for far more than we give her credit for. Yes, there was the innate style and the fabulous fashion, but she bristled at the idea that she was more style than substance. What mattered to her were ideas and the elevation of art to a place of real value in our democracy.
Jackie as we remember her.
Of course, it's endlessly fun to consider Jackie in her White House milieu (I obviously think this is true... after all, who created the Jackie O Christmas stocking?) - the clothes, the decorating, the drastic change in the place of culture in Washington and beyond, but to look at her only as she was then is to miss some of the real lessons her life can teach, especially for women. The idea that one is not stuck in any one time or place, but that growth is inevitable and welcome. The fact that we are all somewhat contradictory in our interests, attitudes and behaviors. The notion that to devote enormous energy to raising children is not an excuse to put aside your own interests or passions, but rather an opportunity to share them. And the thought that we may all have new and exciting opportunities waiting for us in the later stages of our lives.
Check out Reading Jackie if you are at all interested in the "real" Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, what you will find is that she was far more interesting than any of us might have expected.
Changing from the season of giving to the
season of LOVE!
We love holidays. We've mentioned that before in relation to the festivities that have just passed. The Halloween through Christmas season is a much-anticipated time around here. But, now it's over. This was brought home with some finality today - the kid's first day back at school. For some reason, when they go back, I feel as I've gone back with them. I can't forget that sort of sick in the pit of the stomach feeling that I used to get on that last night before school started - a stark realization that Christmas was really and truly over.
Now that I am older, and have a home and family of my own, I am able to do something about it. We were just discussing the fact that there's always a holiday - something to celebrate - on the horizon. In fact, here, if there's not a holiday within a month's time, there's likely a birthday or two. And, if the space between festive days on the calendar grows too long, you can always invent one! While no day can quite compare to the red letter celebration at the end of December, there's plenty of fun to be had.
This year, rather than take down all of the Christmas lights, I've left some up and switched color schemes... Rather than the red and green of Christmas, we have the red and white and pink of Valentine's Day! The little fir tree that was on the porch and covered with Santas and snowmen is now decorated with lights in varying shades of pink, red, white, clear and even some twinkly ones to add a bit of sparkle. Winter is too long and, sometimes, too dreary to take away the brilliance that the colorful lights of Christmas provide, so why not extend the fun? Afterall, there's green and white for St. Patrick's Day, pink, green, yellow and blue for Easter and the patriotic red, white and blue of the summer holidays! One year, having taken down the warmly glowing orange lights of Halloween, I put the Christmas lights up early, using only the colors of autumn - red, orange and yellow, with a dash of green thrown in for good measure.
Something to add a little dazzle to the cold winter night.
Holidays are fun, but why not make every season just a little more special? Make a favorite meal, light some candles, take a walk with your dapper or dreamy partner, throw some sparkly lights on the porch to brighten the dark winter nights... The possibilities are endless!
Unlike Helen Mirren's carriacature of the Queen,
Elizabeth II is a kind, thoughtful and surprisingly
funny woman, but it's her unwavering devotion to
duty that's won her the respect and affection of
millions throughout the world.
It will come as no surprise to you, dear readers, that we consider the Royal Family to be quite dapper and dreamy. It's not just the British Royal Family, of course, there are many ruling houses doing worthy things for their countries around the world. "What are they doing?", you may ask. Well, don't worry, I have an answer... But, first things first...
2012 marks the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne. In early February 1952, the 25 year old Princess Elizabeth was on a long tour of Africa representing her ailing father, King George VI. After a late night of watching wildlife gather to eat and drink at the base of Treetops, a cottage literally built in a large tree in Africa, the young princess was told that her father had died in his sleep at Sandringham House, the royal family's home in Norfolk, England.
Sixty years is a long time to be doing any job, let alone one that requires you to be on call each and every day, to travel around the world, and around the country, several times each year and to be a symbol of continuity, history and culture for millions of people. Although there are some rather vocal detractors of monarchy in the countries in which they still operate, there is little serious challenge to the ancient institution. Last year's royal wedding in England dashed the already extremely dim hopes that republicans had for a surge of popularity for their cause. This year's Diamond Jubilee won't do them any favors, either. In 2010, Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria married her former fitness instructor, a commoner of very humble birth, with public interest being so great as to remind many around the world that it's not just in England that royalty still reigns.
The Royal Wedding of 2011... is there anyone
who didn't watch?
The 2010 marriage of Sweden's Crown Princess
Victoria, an immensely popular young royal
who will one day be the Queen of Sweden.
So, what's dapper and dreamy about queens and kings and princes and princesses in this day and age, anyway? Even I who appreciate all the trappings of the whole thing can sometimes see the inequalities, but then I stop to think. Taking the example of Queen Elizabeth II (you could easily put the name of almost any other European monarch in her place - Queen Margarethe of Denmark, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, to name two), one can see that a life devoted to the service of a whole nation, several nations actually, is a singular one. At it's best, it does represent genuine continuity - a human link with history. It also represents a sort of political continuity - each of the Queen's twelve prime ministers hail the fact that she is the one person that they can share ideas and problems with and expect to receive genuine, unbiased counsel based on decades of unmatchable knowledge and access. It's amazing to see the kind of attachment that people have to their royal families. They will deny it, say that it doesn't really impact their daily lives, but then turn out in the hundreds of thousands to celebrate the marriage of a young royal couple or mourn the loss of a one hundred year old Queen and Empress. They will also surprise those that suggest that there is little real interest in the person who sits on the throne, and that a Jubilee celebration is a waste of time and money... It's almost always suggested that it's the aged who retain a love and respect for the Queen. Looking at the footage from the 2002 Golden Jubilee, an event that even Buckingham Palace was worried would fizzle, you will see nearly a million people, many of them young, many of them families, waving Union Jacks before Buckingham Palace, cheering the tiny figure of the Queen on the balcony. And that says nothing of the millions watching on television - many of those people owing no allegiance at all to a sovereign.
The Queen, earlier this year, on one
of her many trips to Australia, a country
of which she is also the Queen. Australian
republicans have acknowledged that as
long as the Queen lives, there's no point
in even discussing a republic.
Not to be too serious about it, though, there is a fun side to royalty. Yes, the Queen is busy. Yes, the Queen is valuable. But, what we really love as much as anything is the fabulous spectacle that accompanies a royal celebration. A Golden State Coach pulled by immaculately turned out horses, mounted soldiers in gleaming brass breastplates and foot soldiers in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats. Massed bands playing stirring marches, crowds in the thousands cheering and waving flags and grand services of Thanksgiving with choirs and trumpets echoing through ancient abbeys and cathedrals. It's a marvellous thing to behold, and it can be quite moving. And, what's wrong with that? In a time where even beauty often has to prove it's practical worth, the world is lucky to still have these sorts of dazzling events. This year, it will be London that is the home to just such a celebration. A grand pageant of ships and music on the Thames, parades, picnics and ceremonies both simple and brilliant, and an opportunity to for millions of people to come together peacefully and for the same purpose - to celebrate the achievements and challenges they've faced over the last sixty years, as well as the dutiful devotion of one woman to her people for a whole lifetime. Dapper and dreamy to be sure.
The Golden State Coach, brought out only for Coronations
and Jubilees, last seen in 2002 for the Queen's Golden
Jubilee procession from Buckingham Palace to
St. Paul's Cathedral, site of the Service of Thanksgiving.
The Golden Jubilee crowds as seen from the balcony
of Buckingham Palace. Even the Queen's closest
advisors had been worried that the event wouldn't
gather the momentum they'd hoped. Many were even
concerned that the State funeral of the Queen's mother
would be characterized by small crowds and disinterest. In fact,
both events drew unsurpassed crowds and demonstrations.
As you watch this, note the rather non-plussed look on the
Queen's face. Far from indifference, it is said that Her Majesty
was completely overwhelmed by the magnitude and affection of
the enormous crowds gathered to celebrate her 50 years on the throne.
In fact, at the very beginning, she seems to be saying that she
can't believe it!
New Year's fireworks over
Big Ben in London... Happy New
Year!
Happy New Year fellow dapper and dreamy people! 2011 is a memory and 2012 is full of possibilities. And, isn't it exciting!
For those of us here at Dapper and Dreamy, 2011 was an exciting and challenging year. It was full of making big decisions and taking chances and it proved that, sometimes, one's instincts are right. It also made us feel that anything is possible and remember that we never know what exciting, and sometimes challenging, things are around the corner. The best way to prepare? For us, it's just been to have the courage to act and make decisions even if you don't know what the outcome will be and, above all, to have faith. Faith that we can become what we want to become and that we can, however slowly, fulfill our hopes and dreams.
I can tell you that without the dreamy half of this proposition by my side, 2011 would have been a much less exciting and hopeful year. But, together, we are headed for an exciting future.
Thanks to those of you who have joined us along the way. I hope to learn more about you in the year to come, and to increase our ranks of dapper and dreamy friends exponentially!
And, what better way to say "Happy New Year" than to say it with ABBA! Enjoy!
