Save the Dates: Boston Austen Book Club Meetings and Events, 2024
Hello everyone! It’s been a very busy 2024 up ’til now (the end of the academic year). I finally have time to plan for the upcoming Boston Austen Book Club Events for 2024.
Here’s the TENTATIVE plans…more details to come!
Spring 2024 – Sun, Jun 30 at 2pm – “Pride & Prejudice & Pride” Event: Just As You Are by Camille Kellogg, via Webex
High Tea Special In-Person Event (Make up for Summer 2023) – Sun, Aug 18 at 1pm – 19th Amendment Celebration; “A Vindication for the Rights of Women” by Mary Wollstonecraft, at Jolie Tea Room in Salem ($36 per person plus tax and tip)
Summer 2024 – Sun, Sep 15 at 2pm – Discussion: Screen Adaptations, via Webex
Fall 2024 – Oct 20 at 2pm – Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly, via Webex
Winter 2024 – Sun, Dec 15 at 2pm – Jane Austen 249th Birthday Bash; Devoney Looser, “The Making of Jane Austen” via Webex
Looking forward to seeing those of you who can make these (TENATIVE) dates.
And Happy Bridgerton Week! I’m all caught up on the first half. What do you think so far???
Repost from An Arts Notebook, Bridget Eileen Madden’s arts, culture, and entertainment blog
As we approach Mother’s Day, I would just like to give the following advice: please, do not wish *random women* a “Happy Mother’s Day.”
Of course, for any person who you know for certain is a mother and will be happily celebrating mother’s day with their family and loved ones, definitely *do* wish them a Happy Mother’s Day.
However, for a lot of women this is a complicated and not necessarily celebratory day. A person may not be able to have kids, or may have recently miscarried, or may have sadly lost a child, or–in my case–may have never met the person with whom they’d like to settle down and have children. They may have recently lost their mother, or be estranged from their mother, or never knew their mother. In such cases, hearing someone, however well-intentioned they may be, say, “Happy Mother’s Day!” gives a stinging, painful tug at the heart.
For a long time, while my mom lived in New Orleans and I in New England, I stopped going out in public on Mother’s Day. Having no kids, I just didn’t feel like being around those who were celebrating. And I don’t want to ever be subjected to any strangers who might wish me a Happy Mother’s Day again, like those times it happened in the past, which precipitated my desire to stay in for the day.
Now that my mom is my downstairs neighbor, and she is getting on in years, I do love celebrating Mother’s Day with her. But there are a lot of people for whom this day is complicated and perhaps painful. So, best not to make assumptions, however well intentioned.
If you want to be nice, saying something like, “Happy Springtime!” should do the trick just fine. The purpose of your desire to wish someone a “happy something or other” is to show kindness & manners. For some, skipping the assumption of their happiness in motherhood is the best way to do so.
…for some, skipping the assumption of their happiness in motherhood is the best way to show manners and kindness during Mother’s Day…
So, if you know of people who could use this very kindly given advice, please spread the word! Thank You and Happy Springtime!
I’m a bit late with my traditional Sabbat Graphic, but I made a Beltane one, finally. This holiday comes at the second busiest time of year at work, so my celebration is usually delayed, and this year was no exception.
This weekend I will start what I am hoping becomes a long-standing tradition, where two of my friends from high school and I get together at each other’s houses for the sabbat to talk witch-y stuff, and life stuff.
We have gone out to events and such, but we wanted to start going to each other’s houses, so that we don’t have to spend and arm and a leg to do witchy things. Plus, I have so much stuff at home–crystal ball, crystals, tarot, books, tea, plants, decos. I just want to be able to appreciate all that I already possess, and share it with my dear friends.
I am looking forward to the weekend celebration. I hope your Beltane has been a good one!
