I subscribed to this AUsten-L Mailing list, a week or so ago. Am I supposed to be receiving E-mail of some kind. I haven't heard from anybody. Just a note saying subscribing is not automatic. Anybody know anything about this?

Yes, sadly Carl, I tried to subscribe to Austen-L also. What you probably got was the note that your request to subscribe did go thru. You would have gotten another message if they had indeed added you to the list. I hear from Amy that they usually don't add people who post from work, which I do, because they think they are too casual (ha!). So, I only see things that Austen-L'ers post here, more's the pity.

Amy: Cheryl, isn't this a little early for you? Well, yes, had an early funeral to play for, so came here for fortification! Only place I ever heard the name: minor character in ThirtySomething: Ellen's boyfriend's old girlfriend and the part was played by one of the writers on the show. I was thinking about the Daryl Hannah mermaid in Splash. I used to be Hope. Now I suppose I am more like Melissa. Melissa was always my favorite, a complicated, fun person... ;-)

Adorable, Jo! I spoke too soon, a snowstorm hit here last night! (frown)

] I hear from Amy that they usually don't add people who post from work, __ Not me. I didn't say that.

I once read I science fiction story about a mythical drug that slowed humans down about 1000 times Um, I saw a Star Trek episode where some aliens speeded up Captain Kirk so much that other humans couldn't see him. Does that count? ;)

only if Kirk still got the girl

Carl -- I only heard it was people with AOL and Prodigy e-mail addresses who got the extra scrutiny (they will not be automatically signed up, but Michael walsh will look over their subscription requests individually...)

Look what happened today!

Iridaceae iris cristata no doubt! Beautiful!

Woaw...a thing of beauty for sure , what's that scarlet thing behind and where exactly do you live Joan? My compliments on your lawn, no traces of moss there!

That scarlet thing is a faded out shriveled up version of one of the deep purple bearded irises one of which can be seen at the very bottom of the frame. They are a lot shorter than the Dutch ones. I should really have cut it off before taking the pict, but was too lazy to go get the clippers. I am in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Moss in the lawns is not a problem here - instead I fight dandilions, oxalis and mushrooms when it rains a lot.

Joan -- you make me quite envious. Even though winter has not been as severe as usual here (western Maryland), we just got another 1-2 inches of snow overnight. I want flowers in bloom and green grass, too! (Deep breath: oh, well, to every place its season.)

should really have cut it off before taking the pict, , no no please do not make yourself uneasy...any signs of life and colour are welcome to me...as a matter of fact flowers drying off to die down can be quite beautiful, though maybe not in mix with fresh ones. Dandelions are fought in Sweden too. My arm achesremembering how I dig up hundreds only to watch new ones appearthe next day.

]I want flowers in bloom and green grass, too! ]any signs of life and colour are welcome to me This is such a beautiful and COLOURFUL pictures, thanks Joan, this is quite refreshing, winter is definitely NOT finished here!

Joan, your flowers and lawn are beautiful. We, too seem to be having an early spring although they forecast snow for tomorrow! On to a completely different subject - for all those interested in Regency dancing, this article is in this morning's New York Times: March 7, 1997 In Step With Austen: English Country Dancing By LINDA WOLFE [N] EW YORK -- For many filmgoers and television watchers, the stately dancing in the recent spate of Jane Austen dramatizations stirred a touch of culture envy: a longing for a presumably lost Eden of elegance, for forms of social intercourse less brash and brazen than our own. But for several thousand Americans across the country, such dancing is not something that has vanished, but an activity in which they engage regularly. The dances performed in the Austen adaptations and, indeed, hundreds of similar dances, some dating to a century before the time of that great limner of English country life, are known as English country dances. In Manhattan, you can learn them and dance them -- they are every bit as much fun as they appear to be on film -- any Tuesday night at the Metropolitan-Duane United Methodist Church on West 13th Street. And Friday night, under the tutelage of an expert in early-19th-century dancing, there will be a special learn-as-you-dance event at the church devoted exclusively to the dances of Austen's period. Accompanied by live music, Beverly Francis will teach experienced hoofers and the two-left-footed alike to dance A Trip to Tunbridge, named after a spa Austen mentioned in several of her novels; Prince William of Glo's'ter's Waltz, named for a nephew of George III with whom a sister of Austen once supped, and dozens of others known to Austen, who herself excelled at the form. I've been an English country dancer for years. I take part in other kinds of dancing, including swing and Latin, but I've never found a form as lifting to the spirit, let alone the feet, as English country. Partly it's because of the exquisite music. Think Purcell: He wrote many of the tunes that later English dancing masters choreographed. Partly it's because this is a very social form of dancing; participants dance not just with a partner but also with a group or set of other dancers, and engagement and even flirtation is an essential ingredient oin all their movements. And partly it's because English country dancing offers two things that seldom come together in one pursuit: aerobic activity (some dances can be quite strenuous) and intellectual stimulation (the dances are complex, requiring concentration and diligence). My first foray into English dancing was in a church in Greenwich Village some 30 years ago. A musician friend who played with a group that accompanied the dancers there invited me, and I was immediately smitten. But I didn't stick with it. I was starting a career, I had a new baby, I was starved for time. And with the arrogance of youth, I viewed the other dancers, many of whom were in their 50s or even their 40s, as old. Then, about six years ago, I was going through one of those "what is the purpose of life, what do I really like to do" crises that strike me whenever I finish a book, and out of the blue, I remembered English dancing. I'd loved it once, I recalled. Maybe I'd love it again. But how to find it? I no longer remembered the names of either the group or the Village church. I looked through listings of dance events, consulted the Yellow Pages, asked everyone I knew -- all to no avail. But a call to a folk music shop produced the information that there was a weekly English country dance at the Metropolitan-Duane Church. It was the same church I had visited back in those distant days. Members of the New York branch of the Country Dance and Song Society of America were still holding their weekly dances there, as if no time had elapsed, rather in the way they were still doing their antique dances as if no time had elapsed between our fading century and more distant ones. I made up my mind to return. My work life was under control, my baby had grown up: I had time for distraction now. And, I told myself, now I'll fit in: Now I'll be one of those old people. To my surprise, however, the composition of the English dance group had changed. Yes, there were some dancers in their 40s and 50s. There were even a few who were older. But there was a large contingent of people in their 20s and 30s. Beyond that, all was the same: the same lilting sounds, created by musicians playing piano, violin, clarinet or flute; the same easy, partners-not-necessary sociability, and the same procedure of talk-throughs and walk-throughs of the dances followed by actual dancing. I began attending the Tuesday night dances regularly, stumbling over my feet and over unfamiliar terms like "set" and "poussette" and "hey on the left." Eventually, I learned enough to attend the group's Friday night dances, which are generally for experienced English dancers only, and even -- dare I admit it? -- its annual ball, a formal affair at which the dancers, who normally wear T-shirts and jeans or unprepossessing skirts, don ball gowns, tuxedos or historically correct costumes. I mastered some 60 dances. I made friends, discovering in the process that English country dancers are a highly disparate lot: the librarian of a major theological seminary, the head of midwifery at a large hospital, a creator of computer programs for the blind, an assistant district attorney, a dog groomer, a baker. Then there is my ball partner. In a pairing that vastly amuses my non-English-dancing husband, who likes to remind me that once upon a time I was a rabidly antimilitary peacenik, I go to the balls with a retired U.S. Army general. But for all my immersion in the world of English country dancing, I still consider myself a novice. English country dancing is a pursuit that -- happily, as far as I'm concerned -- can take a lifetime to master. This is no wonder, for it's a form that flourished for 200 years and there are literally thousands of dances that can be learned. The first historical mention of English country dancing was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who was reported to enjoy watching the ladies of the court perform "country dances," simpler dances than the formal, balletic ones she herself was expected to dance. By 1650, these dances had become all the rage, and a bookseller named John Playford had the inspired idea of writing down the patterns he had seen danced by his contemporaries and publishing them. His book sold like hot cakes, and subsequently, roughly until 1850, new English country dances were written and published regularly, with pretty much the same kind of hype and fervor that accompanies the release of new pop and rock recordings in our time. The dances faded into oblivion in the latter half of the 19th century, but they were resuscitated early in the 20th by the English musicologist Cecil Sharp, who studied old dance books, clarified the choreography and founded country dance societies in both England and the United States. The societies caught on: Today, in the United States, there are close to 600 groups, nearly 100 of which sponsor English dancing regularly. (The others concentrate on its descendant, American country dancing, e.g., squares and contras.) In Manhattan and the New York metropolitan area, there are a dozen English dance groups, but local fans of the form sometimes drive or even fly to attend dances in more distant places, among them Philadelphia, Washington or even Berkeley, Calif., and Portland, Ore. The footwork is simplicity itself. The dances don't, for the most part, have steps, merely patterns, weavings and turnings that create a kaleidoscopic effect on the floor. To dance them, you move to the music with a light springy walking or running movement. But sometimes you move forward, and sometimes backward or sideways, and sometimes while moving in one or another of these directions, you turn your partner with the left hand, or with the right, or both, or execute a small bow or a swirl or a marchlike progression. These movements are the alphabet, so to speak, of English dance and from them, in the same way that an alphabet can create innumerable words, innumerable dances have been created. To do English dancing, one must therefore be willing and able to follow directions, for while the movements are the same, every dance has a different pattern. It also helps, as with any form of dancing, to have a certain amount of grace or poise. And a sense of rhythm. Manhattan's English dancers do very old dances, like Fain I Would and Man Was for Woman Made, which were danced in the 17th century. They also do a lot of "new" ones, the ones from Austen's time, the turn of the 19th century. Most of the dances from that period that Ms. Francis will be teaching Friday night have some specific connection to Austen. In addition to those mentioned earlier, there will be Knole Park, named after an estate belonging to a duke whose solicitor was her great-uncle; the Margarvine's Waltz, named for a noblewoman related to her sister Cassandra's fiance, and the Prince of Wales Favourite. Austen despised the prince, the future George IV, but, no dope she, when asked to dedicate "Emma" to him, she complied. These tidbits of history and literature will no doubt punctuate Friday night's dance. But the point of the evening will be, as always at an English country dance, movement: rapid movement, twirling and spinning your way through history and literature. I myself have been counting the days, for as Austen wrote in "Emma": "It may be possible to do without dancing entirely ... but when a beginning is made -- when the felicities of rapid motion have once been though slightly, felt -- " it is impossible not to "ask for more." Home | Sections | Contents | Search | Forums | Help Copyright 1997 The New York Times Company ----------------------------------------------------------

An interesting article, Inko. Thanks for sharing it.:-)

Thank you, Inko. A wonderful article and wonderful to contemplate people taking the time to do this.

I enjoyed it too and wonder if maybe this is going on in other countries as well.I know other folk dances are popular, my daughter is learning flamenco and it is really great to watch. Such lively music!

It almost reminds me of the groups who are into reenacting or rendezvous? Another type of obsession I suppose?

How fun! Inko, thanks for sharing.

Brilliance in the deep shade...

Great article Inko - thanks for sharing it. :-)

Great photo, Joan! Thanks for sharing all your flowers - they give us hope that spring is just around the corner! What kind of camera do you use - is it one of those digital ones that then load the pictures right into the computer?

Yes - it is my new toy. My $99 QuickCam (which had to be tethered to the computer and just did B&W) was stolen from school, so of course I had to spend six times as much to replace it with a "real" digital camera.

Thank you for the article Inko. The dance scenes are some of my favorites, in all the movies. Joan the photos are beautiful. I went out and checked my bearded Iris and they have buds! The forsythia and Pear trees are blooming and the daffodils have already peaked! Spring is early this year. but I wasnt ready for Iris. its been delightful following this conference.

Joan, you have put me in the mood to started dusting the cob webs away. I have refreshed my grape vine wreath for the front door.Country line dancing seems to be much more complicated then I imagined,Inko.Thanks for the article.

Wysteria Progress Report:

Well...I have just been struck with old is new for the third time in two weeks! But it has only affected topics up to #151. Any ideas why? Not that I'm not grateful but still...it is most vexing and I'm going to bed! :-(

I'm talking to Myretta in the yapp conference about an upgrade strategy to get a newer version of yapp that won't cause the old is new vexation.

Joan, too, your pictures have all been fabulous -- so nice to know winter is being left behind!

Terry, FYI, we in Pemberley tonight decided to descend on your "big house outside Austin" for our popcorn-throwing party. Any preference when?

How about March 20th or 21st. I have to look up and see what the first day of Spring is this year. Anyone know?

Great detail in that article Inko. I, too, liked the dance scenes in P&P2 very much. Question: Were the dances at a ball/assembly set in a particular order, so that everyone knew which dance would be danced at what interval? Seems I recall reading that somewhere. Also, in the P&P novel, Mrs. Bennett gives an accounting of who Mr. Bingley danced with...danced two-three w/ so-and-so, two-four w/ so-and-so, etc. From this, I also gathered the dances came in a certain order, and this was why dance cards were used so ladies knew which dances were already engaged. It's always been my impression that Darcy knew exactly which 'set' he wanted to dance with Elizabeth. No skipping, bouncing, spinning for him, but the more stately, precise, elegant dance he chose. Also, I believe Dance Masters taught their students that each dance was to be executed in a particular manner such as energetic, lively, stately, etc. much like the dynamics indicated when playing music ie piu allegro, pomposo, andantino, rubato, etc. Anyone have further information on this?

Very interesting questions Valen! I have been bothered about this too. If you remember at Lucas Lodge when Sir William made Darcy ask Lizzy to dance. What would have happened if she accepted? Would he have been dancing among all the young Lucases and Lydia and Denny and Sanderson? What tune was it? Not the Barley Mow? Grimstoke?! Also I think there is a sort of error(intentional no doubt) in P&P2 as Darcy only dances one dance with Lizzy. In the novel it appears to be two. But it is perfectly understandab e why Davies only wanted one duel on the floor. Also they have Lizzy go to the dance on her own, so that they could face one another like duellants before the first touch�.Even the clumsy Mr Collins had the decency to come and fetch his dancepartner. As for the rules regarding dances there is bound to be something on Henry's Austenpage...

Donna! I was very glad to see a message from you...it seems to be along time since we were in the same topic, and never in chat. Joan,the Wysteria is gorgeous so rich...(how come the name is on the picture. Can you edit the photo before scanning?)I have a nice slop where the crocuses are increasing in numbers day by day. It's spring-a-ling-a-ling, It's Springtime, it's Springtime the only happy ringtime, when birds do sing, hey-dinge-dinge-ding; sweet lovers love the Spring!

It was so incredibly beautiful here in Northern Calif. yesterday, and today the weatherman promises it to be 78 degrees! As I sit here in a little spring dress bare legged (yes! no pantyhose or long pants!) I at first was very curious as to what that is on my legs? Oh my gosh! It's spring...I have to start shaving my legs again! ;-)

]today the weatherman promises it to be 78 degrees! Sigh! Keep them coming, flowers and colors

I spoke too soon of the dry season approaching !!! It rained heavily and steadily all Sunday here in Newcastle. Now it's Monday and a fine day to boot !!! :-) Well, it's not the Equinox yet, and that's when it will really be Autumn ! :-) Joan, you are indeed a most talented person. You sing and dance too ? ;-)

Actually, I don't have that much on dancing, except of course for Henry Tilney on Matrimony and Dancing...

AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Odiznu for the second time in a couple of days. Not everything though - about half the topics have come back.

It was kind of partial oldiznu. Not all topics came back, and of those that did, some were just new posts. Others were the whole thing. Very odd experience. In the middle of it I did a post that has gone into the ether somewhere. C'est la vie.

(how come the name is on the picture. Can you edit the photo before scanning?) No - afterward. Once it is digitized all sorts of mayhem can be wreaked upon an image. You sing and dance too ? Not currently, but in bygone days I did. My deepest sympathy for fellow victims of oldiznu!

Me to. Again today. I hate this.

Great shots, Joan...you should compile them into a photo essay. But what next? Kudzu? ;) Did someone mention reenactments and rendezvous? The male members of my nuclear family and their dearest friends shoot black powder and wear buckskins...like they're mountain men or something. They've also got rather elaborate Old-style Traditional Lakota Sioux dance outfits...yes, they're insane. English and Scottish country dances...from my days as a DEB (Dance Expert's Brat), travelling throughout North America and hanging out with my dad's folk dance friends, I learned quite a few dances...among them Mr. B's Maggot, Mairi's Wedding, and the Thistle and the Rose...I miss it. Kaf, I admire your vast storehouse of sci-fi knowledge...I'm right with ya! ;) Oh, and I got into Boalt, so it looks like I'll be staying at Berkeley for the next three years. That is, unless Yale offers me a scholarhsip or something, but I'm not gonna hold my breath for that.

Oh, and I got into Boalt __ Good for you, baby.

Oh, and I got into Boalt Congrats, Kali!

I heard from Saman, who is settled into med school in Auckland, only she doesn't have web access :-( That is reason enough I'd think to see how to make the maillist feature work on this Yapp monster. She says hi to everyone.

Great Kali - you get to stay in the Bay . Congratulations.

Anybody know of any CD's out featuring old English country dances played on Pianoforte? Would the Jane Austen trust in UK have any in sheet music format?

Hi back to Sister Saman... --- Thanks, guys... --- While I'm trying to hunt down that other info. for you, Carl, I'll see what I can dig up on the pianoforte front...it's slow going...my contact is out of the country.

]Oh, and I got into Boalt Yay Kali! --- Hi to Saman from me too...

Congratulations Kali. Georgetown's loss is Boalt's gain! Can't blame you for staying in the Bay area and avoiding the winters in D.C.!!

You guys are so cool.

But what next? Kudzu? ;) Kudzu indeed! humpffffft

What's wrong with Kudzu?! It's quite a lovely, clinging kind of plant, even though it's considered a great agricultural disaster...who knew the cows would end up developing an acute aversion to it?

I knew you would get in K! Congrats!

Big CONGRATS, Kali! (sorry, I don't know how to make it big yet, though) How about March 20th or 21st. I have to look up and see what the first day of Spring is this year. Anyone know? Terry, did you really mean it? Really? Somebody had suggested maybe the P&P2BB on Spring anniversary as a possibility, but this? This is next week! Sharon, would you come from Houston? I'm sure that my dear, sweet husband would feel it necessary to accompany - he's convinced I'd be setting off to get slashed.

Good for your husband, Cindy...he's taking care of ya... Thanks again, all...you keep me sane...

Congratulations, daughter dear. Although I'm still holding out for Yale ;-)

Joan, what lovely orchids! You are a gardening and digital-camera-picture-taking fool! ;-)

Congratulations, Kali! Please send best wishes to Saman from me.

Congrats! Kali, looks like a good road ahead and a good idea to stay away from the snow too... Say a warm HI to Saman for me as well

Good luck Kali! Just stay away from those vicious women's groups while you are there ;-)

That Boalt school or University or whatever is in for a big surprise !!They will have law and disorder, learn a lot about courting, Frankly, and judging from my acquaintance with you, dear Kali they are getting a lot of life into their stuffy(?) old(?)institution and it is Emmanating from you dear emmaniac! All the best from me! I ask you to bring warmest happywishes from me to Saman, Amy.

Thank you, joan, for the beautiful flowers! And thank you Myretta, Mari, Ann, Johanne, and Hilary...(Yale, indeed, Myretta! I wish)...

Kali, Congrats...I'm really glad that you will remain nearby :-)

We can go drinking, Candy...drinking TEA, that is!

Like a crocus in the snow ...I stand knee-deep in Winter, holding Springtime in my heart! Joan Walsh Anglund Beauty arranges itself in the folds and crevices of nature, ...and waits, to be discovered! Joan Walsh Anglund "Spring ting-a-ling, Ting-a-ling, Spring," Mingy sang in a voice like walnut shells being scraped over a rock. He stopped abruptly and cleared his throat. "What nonsense," he growled. "Don't know what got into me." But Curley Green picked up the tune, and Mingy found himself adding his cracked notes in spite of himself. Even Walter the Earl came out of his reverie enough to rumble along with them: "Bright sunshine, Blue flowers, Pink rainbows, Moisty showers. Spring ting-a-ling! Ting-a-ling spring!" From The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall

Well, dirty word! It insists on ignoring all but the first of my [big] tags! Why should that be?

Joan, even without the help of the "big" tag, the poems are still lovely...and so are the fotos, I might add...

Beauties, Joan.

Joan too, got the biggest tickle this am! Clicked on your "why should that be?" and for the first time ever heard an actual P&P2 audio! Too, too fun! I was so diverted I had to call in the hubby and have him take a listen too! Gotta go search out all the audios now... Thanks for a wonderful laugh!

Joan, you're now our own Dame aux Cam�lias, with, I'm sure, a happier story to tell :)

I like that walnut shell voice...and the sky above those branches. And Armand Duval was once done by Colin...Has anyone managed to buy that film? In vane have I tried to get my hands on it...Camille (Greta Sciacchi(?)is in it too. She is Mrs Weston in Emma2 I think). Winter is trying to have another go here, no snow but frosty and icy winds.

Count me for snow today :)

I guess that I haven't checked into Ramble in a couple of days, so... Congrats, Kali!! (better late than never)

I'm going travelling for 5 weeks so won't be around unless I can locate a net cafe or 2; if you move while I'm away please leave a forwarding address ;-)

Have a great time and good luck, Anna.

Thanks Kaf...happy birthday again...:) Anna...have a good trip...sorry I'll be to far away to see you...

I shall miss you, Anna Cabana!

HC - (from the Emma2 topic) My favorite version of Pagliacci is by Spike Jones ("Seven hours later, we're still in the durn the-ayter") ;-) But Henry, what I want to know is; do Elmer Fudd and Bugs perform your favorite version of Wagner? (Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit...) PS; Do you have Feedulbum (sp?)

I don't have any Spike Jones recordings, but I think it's 'Fieglebaum' if you mean the race horse...

Yes, I do! My dad had a big collection (which we kids trashed), and we listened to them constantly. I was 7 or 8 at the time. This was my first exposure to puns, some of which I didn't really get; "with Banana coming up to the bunch" "and it's Girdle in the stretch" "Mother-in-law nagging in the rear" "now it's lettuce by a head" and the favorite "Toothpaste being squeezed out on the rail" Of course, the part that we replayed the most was where they gargle the William Tell Overture as the horses are called onto the track, ending with the wonderful GUNG!

Enough of all of this spring-talk (the season not the server). It's snowing here with a forecast of six to twelve inches by tomorrow!!

Come to Tennessee, Ann---the fruit trees are flowering!;-)

That's funny Ann, I was just thinking on my walk about asking if anybody was sick of the schmaltzy nature and signs of spring talk. Not me! I saw a robin today.

RE: Spike Jones: isn't it Beetlebalm? My mother had SJ collection too. Also Allen Sherman albums "hello mudder, Hello Fadder, here I am at camp Granada" Many happy hours of listening and AGing Spring Bradford pear trees, red buds, daffadils, hyacinths, violets. Soon the dogwoods and zaalea's

Carolyn: Also Allen Sherman albums "hello mudder, Hello Fadder, here I am at camp Granada" Those were great! I probably still have memorized Peter and the Commisar! ;-)

How about the Battle of Camp Kookamonga? Anybody remember who did this one? (Oscar and Jethro is what springs to mind but I don't think that is right) Had the album but that was a long time ago.

The Spike Jones I remember is: "As the sun pulls away from the shore and the ship sinks slowly in the west . . . " a take off on every travel documentary ever made!! I also loved Allen Sherman. The daffodils are out, the cherry blossoms will be at their height (so the Park Service tells us) in ten days time, and there is a forecast for a very cold weekend ahead!

I know when the "honkers"(geese) are flying over it won't be long until there is warmer weather. It is the greatest sound and sight.

The forecast has been downgraded, now instead of 6"-12", we are only expecting 4". At least that's better than originally thought.

Party time, Ann? ;)

I am taking the day off tomorrow (colleagues are covering my classes), in order to meet my little brother (who is 43!) in DC. He'll be there for a weekend of meetings, so we can spend the afternoon museum hopping and then some fun place for supper. He lives in SF (used to rent a house across from Berkeley campus, Kali), and I might not get out to see him this year. So, this is a nice bonus.

have a wonderful day, Kathleen! Does he like Austen?

Cool, Kathleen...did he live up in the hills, or on northside?

Have a good day in D.C. Kathleen! When you get home again, tell us what museums you went to. There's an exhibit of Russian (Tsarist) goodies at the Corcoran.