PLAID Pages, a journal

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Lady Almina and the Real Downtown Abby

Update to previous post...

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle
by The Countess of Carnarvon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This year I started watching Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Theater on PBS. As I watch it, I keep thinking of Lady Almina walking up and down the stairs!

Posted in June, 2012
I admit I have not watched the Downton Abbey TV series. I am not sure I will, but I am very glad I read this book. Reading it gave me a real sense of the history of England from the end of the Victorian Era until the end of World War I. The aristocracy and its strict rules of personal conduct began to unravel during this period. (As was pointed out in the book, it really didn't become as we know it today until the end of World War II.)

The book was written by the present Countess of Carnarvon who had available to her a lot of the family documents. I felt a real sense of connection to the Carnarvon's and their social circle. Of special interest was the fact that Lord Carnarvon along with Howard Clark was responsible for finding the unopened tomb of Tutankhamen. In fact, without his and his wife's financial support was crucial in the success of the venture. I was especially interested because I did see the King Tut Exhibit when it came to Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1980's.

More importantly...the horrors of World War I were all too real. Almost a whole generation of British men were lost in the war. After the end of the war more that 50 million people worldwide died from the Spanish Influenza, more people than had died in the war.

Lady Almina

Lady Almina played her part by turning Highclere, their country estate, into a hospital using the funds from her father, Sir Alfred Charles de Rothschild. He was very generous with his money. Lady Almina was generous with money, but also with her time and energy. She found her life's work in nursing the ill when she founded the hospital.

Highclere Castle

I highly recommend you read this book. You will shed a few tears, both happy and sad. You will close the book with a better sense of the difference between war then and now.

View all my reviews

Sunday, January 13, 2013

I Resolve in 2013...

...to make no New Year's Resolutions. 2012 resolution-free year worked out 'Fine'! In fact, it was amazing.

I will keep the following general thoughts in mind to keep me focused.

#1 Eat only when I am hungry.
(No more counting calories!)

#2 Moderation in everything.

#3 One day off a week from Technology, To-Do Lists, Have-to's, and Should's.
(This will be the hardest for me.)

#4 Exercise, Exercise,Exercise...
Keep Moving!

#3 My priorities are:

my Etsy Shop,

Quilting

Blogging

Plaid Pages, a journal,

Eating In and Out and About,

and Quick Tips and Notes

Collage

Altered Art

Artist Trading Cards

and Golf.

If I do not spend some time weekly

on any of these priorities,

it's time to regroup
and evaluate!

#4 Remember: The only thing that goes with me from here to there is relationships with people and knowledge.

#5 It's okay to do nothing...
I am retired after all:)

#2 bears repeating-

Moderation in everything!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Resolutions - 2012

I confess-I never made any resolutions for 2012. It was on my 'To Do' list for at least six months. Then, my life 'ramped' up with selling one house, buying another, and then moving. Making resolutions was not really very high in my priorities. It turned out we didn't need any!

Amazing 2012 - Resolution Free!