Austen in Boston

I will be with you in spirit (Hic!) only. Have fun!

I will be with you in spirit (Hic!) only. Have fun!

Would love it, tell where and when.

I'm sooo jealous, Myretta, Arnessa, et aliorum! I hope I will be able visit you all in the NE sometime soon...I really love you guys...(here we go again...)...

We hope so, too, Kali.

Sounds like fun. I'm in Boston, let me know the particulars (where, when, etc.)

tssting one two

Tell us more, Myretta. Who all will be there. And I will laugh again at the wetting down the dorrman thing. It is funny every time.

On February 23, Sunday at 3:00 PM, Arnessa Garrett, Johanne Dagenais, Jane Amara, Laura McCarthy, Celia Downey and I will be meeting at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Boston for tea. Paula Lovejoy has also been invited, but I have not yet had her response. Johanne will be coming to Boston for the weekend and we will probably see each other before the tea. And Arnessa and I have already met. But this will be the first group meeting. I'm excited. I will borrow a digital camera to record this for posterity and the rest of you. Unfortunately, the pond in the Public Garden is drained this time of year, but we intend to wet down the doorman in order to give our photos some of the required ambiance(I know Cheryl would want us to) If there is anyone else out there who would like to join us. Please let me know.

How wonderful for you all to meet! It was so great when Kali and I did the same. On the 23rd, I will sit down with a cup of tea and think of you all having such a time!

The Australian contingent is meeting next weekend, too and is planning an our-Saturday afternoon visit at Pemberly.

I'd love to go for tea! What time--and how will we recognize each other? Regency clothes perhaps? I've sent this via private email but I'm not quite sure if I did it right so I'm answering here also. Sorry I've been on vacation so didn't respond sooner. I'm really looking forward to this! Paula

Paula, I've returned your email with details. I'm glad your coming.

http://www.spring.com/~amy/boswinpcm.wav

Oh Amy! You can sing! I love it. Thank you.

...Unfortunately, the pond in the Public Garden is drained this time of year, but we intend to wet down the doorman in order to give our photos some of the required ambiance(I know Cheryl would want us to) ... ROTFLOL - have an LOL'ing good time, ladies.

As Kali would say, Myretta, Johanne, Arnessa, Paula, Celia, and Laura are godesses! We all met for an elegant and delicious tea, and anyone watching (after the introductions) would have thought us a group of old friends. After tea, we went out for photos at the Boston Public Garden, which was very lovely as the light faded and the skyline lit up. We stood and talked and talked, and I had the sense that no one really wanted to leave, our time together had been too short. Finally the cold and late hour g t the better of us, and we parted with promises to get together again soon, with some sadness that it will be longer before we get to see Johanne again. It was extraordinary to meet people who I knew already, and with whom I have such a shared culture, for lack of a better word. A magical afternoon. To those of you without a local concentration of P&P-ers: never fear, you were part of our day---many of you were spoken of (affectionately, of course!). Jane

Well, I guess it has been much too long since I visited this site, since I had to re-register. Now that I have met the charming ladies of Austen in Boston, I'm sure I will be a frequent visitor. What a lovely afternoon ... the time flew by much too fast, and I only hope that we will meet again in person very soon. What a wonderful thing to be with kindred spirits ... Celia

left to right: Laura, Celia, Arnessa, Paula, Myretta, Jane, Johanne and an obliging stranger who allowed us to wet him down for the occasion. Johanne will be posting more pictures later, but I wanted to share this with you all right away. It was a wonderful afternoon. Jane was right; no one wanted it to end. I expect we'll be doing it again soon.

What a nice picture. You all look so happy. And Myretta, your graphics wizardry is impressive. Just the right scale and everything!

Is that an Angel on our Shoulders or Did Colin Firth really stop by to say hi. Myretta I was not expecting these photos to be put up for a long while. But it did come out grand:)

I just figured that if the random passers-by look like that, maybe it is time to relocate!

Oh Sister! I finially made it here to see the picture! What a hoot! I love it! So obliging of him to allow you to WET him down, it being so cold and all. And I see that he is standing to the left of the pond...interesting... I'm so pleased you all had such a good time, I know that we were all there in spirit, but I look forward to the day when I shall see some of you in body as well! ;-)

Such a merry gang! You are to be deeply envied, Ladies! Nice seeing you all, I was thinking of you on that date. And did that gentleman pass after his fencing hours? He would have been moist from the start then, even before the drooling hit him. A slight tan is hardly surprising when you are often in Los Angeles I suppose? Not brown and coarse at all, was he?

What a wonderful day that you all had!! I cannot believe how fast you posted the picture (BTW -- you all are beautiful, as I knew you would be!). The picture that I took of Kali and myself last December hasn't even gotten processed yet -- yes, that is another of my faults, procrastination. Sorry, Kali, please don't yell at me...I will do it this week. I promise!

I cannot believe how fast you posted the picture The wonders of digital technology. All I had to do was download it to my PC the next day.

ohh! I'm so jealous! please let us know when your next tea will be, as i make frequent visits to the boston area. i'll be there in april, so if you're planning on having a spring tea, let me know!

What an adorable picture! You all look so cute! Now Candace...;)

I am so glad to see you all, and hear you had such a good time, as we did. Our photos will take a little longer to post.

We did have a wonderful time, it was so very wonderful to meet with each other. Pictures coming up soon for all to enjoy!

Johanne, where have you been? Missed you.

Been to Boston dearest and catching with my little one Be back tonight in chat

Jane's word-- magical -- was just the right word to describe it! To me it felt like we'd all known each other forever. Like on this board, there was so much to talk about and catch up on... April sounds good so we can meet Winter -- the Four Seasons and Copley Plaza also have tea, though I love the Ritz also. The scones with Devonshire cream and raspberry jam are to die for and the cucumber sandwiches aren't bad either! --Paula (ever thinking about food)

April sounds good so we can meet Winter Say no more. I have the mailing list.

HOORAY!!!! (i'd do a somersault if i wasn't so uncoordinated!) I'm looking foward to meeting you all! Hope this becomes a regular event, as I'll have lots to look foward to during future trips to Boston; especially the one coming up! I'm dying to meet you all, and please keep me updated at : jesperan@ucla.edu thanks!

Let me know when in April. It's bad timing for finals, but you never know....

Me, too (or three!), Myretta. I get up to Boston occasionally to visit my best friend, and I would love to meet everyone. (email is k_elder@fre.fsu.umd.edu or kelder@miworld.net)

Austen's Boston Tea Party Party of 7 at the Ritz Tea Room from left to right Paula Jane Arnessa Moi, Johanne Myretta Laura and Celia some wonderful goodies we sampled : our choice of beverage accompanied with various canap�s : for exemple smoked salmon and caper and fresh cucumber and red pepper, for dessert : chocolate dipped strawberries, cake and delicious patisseries, rasberry jam, scones and lucious Devonshire cream after our succulent t�te-�-t�te � 7, a stroll in the park and a stop in honor of our favorite hero and on a more convivial note with the sun setting and the night lights glittering on Newbury Street, we parted from our dear friends wishing it did'nt have to end

Johanne, thanks for the close-ups. It's nice to be able to make out the faces belonging to people I've come to respect and admire.:-)

Ladies, you are uniformly charming, and we all wish we could have been there, too!

Yes, thanks for doing that nice little show, Johanne. It was fun too see.

Kathleen and Kate, I've added you to my April tea list. Kate. Make sure I have your correct email address. Email me at mrobens@hbsp.harvard.edu. Thank you all for enjoying our day with us and the invitation stands open for the next.

What a merry party you were!! And, what bad luck for me. An Austen Tea Party in February and another in April, but I will be in Boston in March. I wish you another wonderful day anyway. Is there anyone here in the NYC area?? Linda

... but I will be in Boston in March Let us know when you will be in town, Linda. We may not be able to have another tea party quite so soon, but I'm sure we can arrange something.

I never really responded about our date, but it was wonderful. I have never had such a great time. Like Jane said everyone are Goddessess. Everybody very personable and we chatted up a storm. Jane brought me an article and some gorgeous pictures of Mr Firth that I have since devoured. Everyone was in happy spirits and not one shy person in the whole lot. Imagine that. I cannot wait until the next one!!!!

Oh! I am sooo jealous! I wonder if there are any folks in the Southeastern US who might want to convene?

Johanne, Thank you for posting our pictures so beautifully. You put it all in context and managed to give everyone an idea of what it was really like on Sunday. You did a fine job just as I knew you would.

Pleasure is all mine, Myretta

We have a Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, ladies!

I may have already mentioned this, my company is opening a branch in Boston. So we'll have an Austin to Boston connection.

I won't be in Boston in April but will be on Nantucket. (I'll fly through Boston). If folks would like to change the tea to Nantucket, let me know. The weekend of the 19th. I wish I lived in Boston. It's a great city and closer to the island. I live in Atlanta and if people would like to get together in Atlanta, e-mail me at C_Keavney@msn.com Catie

Myretta, Please add me to the list. Even though I am new here, I would love to meet all of you - April can't come soon enough!

Lynn, consider yourself added.

Over at Pemberley we have been talking about a possible "Darcy in DC" get together. Anyone interested can email me. Anytime this summer would be great for me. Please say when it is a good time to for you.

Count me in for DC. I live about 140 miles west (western Maryland panhandle). End of June or first few weeks in July; mid to late August; other weekends may be OK as well.

August would be after your visit to England, would it not?

August would be after your visit to England, would it not? Yes. The Austen course goes from July 27 through August 2. I plan a adding a couple of days before or after to stay in London (museums, theatre, whatever). But, I could do a weekend even after school starts in September. I have friends in DC who don't mind my dropping by from time to time.

Carolyn, count me in! I live 2 miles of good (crowded) road from D.C. August, however, is no good for me. I'll be gone from approximately July 18 till September 6, all in England except for last two weeks cruising in the Med. Can we make it late June? Or what about watching the fireworks in D.C. on July 4?

If the Beach Boys will be there I might come.

Sorry, Amy, the Beach Boys haven't been here since the Reagan days, when they booted them out in favor of (would you believe) Wayne Newton!!!! Ugh!! They said there was a need for "family" entertainment!! The crowds at the Washington Monument were considerably lighter that year!

There's always a good concert on the Capitol lawn - lovely atmosphere - get there early and bring picnics, then the National Symphony from 8 p.m. usually finishing with the 1812 overture and Stars and Stripes. Much like the Boston Pops concerts!

If I'm on this coast, I'll be there. Earlier would be better than later, but I'm unpredictable, so don't take me into account in the calculations.

Would June 21st or June 28th be OK? Perhaps we could have tea at the Willard?

Ooh. I love old hotels. So many ghosts. Is the Willard the one where Gen Grant registered and they tried to stick the scruffy old guy in the attic?

June 28 would be better for me, but the 21st might also be OK. The Willard would be ever so very nice!

Either June 21 or 28 are fine by me - and yes, the Willard is beautiful, especially since they've redone it. Do you want me to check whether they serve tea? I would think they do, but I'm not sure.

I was about to say that the room in the photo looked a lot like the lobby of the Willard Hotel...;) They have a nifty display tucked into the back of the building, up the stairs and to the left of the Peacock Walk, with lots of renovation photos and other information of historical interest...

]Do you want me to check whether they serve tea? I would think they do, but I'm not sure. Inko, would you please check? I know they used to, but I am not sure they still do. It turns out that the weekend of the 21(Sat)/22(Sun) is best for me. Either day is fine.

Yes, the Willard does serve afternoon tea on Saturdays and Sundays, so that's fine. Either day is fine with me - heavens knows what will be on the calendar by then, but I never make plans that far in advance (except travel plans)so for the moment it's blank! Whatever suits everybody better!

WAIT! I'm confused... are we talking about the Austen in BOSTON, or somewher else? With all the talk over the past week or so about other meetings, I've lost track of which city is being discussed. As for the Boston tea party in April, has a date been set? I'd still like to join, if you're still doing it (haven't heard from anyone and i thought i was on the mailing list). anyway, let me know, so as i can reserve my plane ticket.

Darcy in DC sounds lovely, Carolyn. Any day is fine.

We've moved the DC discussion to its own topic, Darcy in DC

Winter, We haven't talked about a date in April yet and you are, indeed on the mailing list. You'll be among the first to know.

From AUSTEN-L: Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 08:30:37 -0400 From: Kathleen McCormack Subject: attention Boston area Janeites!!! The Massachusetts chapter of JASNA will be presenting its next program this Sunday, March 16, 2 p.m. at the Newton Free Library (Homer and Walnut Streets, Newton, MA). Marcia Folsom of Wheelock College will talk on "Submitting to New Attachments: Re-reading Sense and Sensibility." Tea will be served after the talk. Please feel free to email me _before end of day Thursday_ (I'm only connected to email at work and will be off Friday) if you need more info. (If it's directions you need however you might do better calling the library directly.) --Kathleen McCormack kathleen_mccormack@zd.com

I wonder, does Kathleen know Paula?

Kathleen and I work for the same company but didn't know each other till recently. It was a real "small world" experience -- I saw a post of Kathleen's on the Austen-L mailing list, and noticed that her email address was the same as mine! But I didn't know her at all because she works in a different department on a different floor of the building, so I found her name on the telephone list, called her and introduced myself. Somehow I feel that on the Austen-L especially, people are posting from all over the world, so I think of them as being quite far away, and it was amazing to find someone so close. We both work for ZDNet, a big Web site at http://www.zdnet.com (I do this page for a living). Come visit! You can get all of the Ziff-Davis computer magazines there for free, plus lots of free software and plenty of advice about computing and the Internet. Personally I think P&P is a more compelling topic than computers but a girl has to have tea money for the Ritz... --Paula

Paula, I have been to that site many times and never knew you had anything to do with it. In fact, when Myretta told me what you do, I felt a little ashamed for having such a homemade place.

In fact, when Myretta told me what you do, I felt a little ashamed for having such a homemade place. But,Amy, your homemade place is home.

Paula: but a girl has to have tea money for the Ritz... hee hee hee. Most genteely put, Paula. I have often visited your site, being an actual MacUser subscriber. Nice to know that actual people who take tea in Boston are involved there. :-)

Thanks all. Glad you like our site (suggestions & comments are always welcome!) Unfortunately I've been so busy with our Web site redesign I haven't had much time to hang out here. But the Drool is a lot more fun than a computing site in my opinion. Amy, I have always looked up to you for your "homemade place!" What you've done here is amazing, and it's always right on target (example: I just jotted down the time of Northanger Abbey and today's mail brought 2 Colin Firth videos on loan from a fellow addict in Maryland). Who needs the slick stuff--here we've got a *real* community. The forums are well organized and easy to follow. The links are informative. The people are wonderful, smart, funny, and they understand my P&P addiction. What more could o e ask from a Web site? --Paula

Your Austen in Boston looks like it was fun, ladies! Here's a report on our mini-convention in Los Angeles, wherein myself, Joan from SF, and Anna Price from Australia convened on Saturday: I conveyed Anna on a perilous L.A. driving adventure from the Sheraton Universal to the LAX Mariott. She was able to experience the famous 405 freeway at maximum congestion. Much fun was had by all; Joan also has a wiz-bang digital camera and took some pix, so I trust she will be posting them soon. We did compare o r two meetings; my take: "We may be smaller but we are louder!"

Actually, we twisted the arm of one of the parking valets to digitize us, and as soon as we have agreed upon which version shows us in the best possible (though somewhat windblown) light, it will be posted. Unfortunately we were too busy being loud to be more digital.

I wish to hear more about this boisterosity.

Austen ladies...loud? I am all astonishment! ;-)

Yes, I want to know more too!

Well, Hilary, Amy2 and I know what you look like now.

Exactly! Fairs fair!

I returned last night from a wonderful weekend convention in Boston. One of the highlights was getting a chance to meet Myretta. As you know, she is a lovely, genteel lady. We browsed in the bookstore and had a lot of good conversation over a delicious dinner. I now have another flesh and blood friend! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home, then could not catch up with my friend who was going to loan me her's for the evening. So, I cannot visually share our visit with you. I hope to meet others of you in the foreseeable future. Linda

My dinner with Linda was wonderful. I am so delighted she let me know she was going to be in Boston. She is a charming lady and, as with all of my new friends, we discovered much in common. One of the wonderful things about this group is being able to meet people for the first time and feel as though you have known them for years. As Linda said, we had a wonderful dinner and talked like old friends. I hope she will be in Boston again soon so the rest of the Boston Austenites can meet her.

Hi all!! I have been gone from the list for a while well a few days, my little one came down with CHICKEN POX. Well at least she has them, pretty bad too, and now she'll never have them again. Unfortunately, for the two of us we were both quarantined in the house for five days. Pure Torture. Well anyway, Linda I'm glad you enjoyed Boston, Myretta is a great person to meet.

Poor thing. It is good you are both over that hump, Laura.

Oh Amy all I could do was cry and cry she was in so much pain. There is nothing more terrible that seeing your child in agony and knowing you cannot do anything. Horrible.