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Thursday, March 31, 2016

Oblivion's Throes

About this poem:

"Oblivion's Throes" is a poem that I wrote in December, 2015.  In this 4-part elegy, I  attempt to describe how I experience visions of angels who are preparing me for death, through my delirium of fever.   ~Denise Goodwin




OBLIVION'S THROES

I. 

Outside, the sky was alight, lazuline and gold,
Which begins to describe a summer's day, of old;
When I entertained unexpected company,
Under a slumbering canopy of trees,
Where we hoped to capture even the faintest breeze.
It was all a vain attempt to escape such humidity.
But, the trees gave scant reprieve, on that sultry day;
Their leaden leaves drooped in liquid, languid repose;
Heavy and listless, against the changed sky,
Now of indigo, amethyst and rose.
Heady blossoms released intoxicating essence,
and sweetly perfumed the air and our presence.
How distinctly I recall the scents, from that day of summer;
I mused they knew not time, the month or hour.
And yet, their fragrance haunted and hovered,
much like a concerned and doting young mother.
In that moment, on that afternoon, beneath the trees,
It seemed to me, the world was in deep contemplation.
(This was my passing observation)

II.

The soggy trees and the incessant heat,
are still fresh and alive, in my memory.
When, alas! a sudden trill disturbed my lethargy.
I bowed forward, toward a curious face, known not unto me.
She sat, like royalty, in an ornate chair of bleached vintage rattan.
Donning a gossamer gown of beaded lace and white chiffon.
She whisked air over her face, with a delicate, ivory fan.
I observed scant droplets trickle down her sculptured throat;
And, over the thin brow, where golden tendrils met skin,
I moved closer, so that I may hear the words she spoke,
as her voice was paper thin.
I leaned in, with a sense urgency;
As if it were a necessity, for I must see,
this vapid apparition.
As I beheld, the eyes of whom the sun hath set,
over a rippling river, 'twas then I realized,
I heard not words, only a mournful whimper.
Yet, the eyes were vacant, and gave no reaction.
When suddenly, my own gaze was distracted,
I watched her pull fine filament, and wove a tapestry,
with no design, or plan or map.
Her pale and nimble fingers pulled white threads;
from needlepoint she held upon her lap.
And, all the while, a companion stood behind her,
like a royal Chamberlain, or a brooding chauffeur.
He appeared to await her orders,
or, to intercept or accept her callers;
Or more cynically, me thinks,
He was a swine, she had brought to slaughter.
In his hand, belled melting ice against a crystal globe,
which contained a pearlescent ooze; What, I did not know.
He, too, suffocated from the humidity and the heat;
As I noticed, he had loosed his tie,
and wore nothing on his feet.
I took a chair, opposite, consort and the fairy maiden,
and watched her fingers work, in utter fascination.
Not a word was spoken, as I slowly nodded, entranced;
I had not heard the vesper bells,
nor had I known, that sunset had advanced.

III.

I awoke quite rested,
In the chair that I had nested;
Yet, I did not recognize this location,
As it lacked the former illumination,
And the summer's day had grown cold.
Shipwrecked, from a storm and tossed to sea,
These were the frenzied words that came to me;
As I struggled in the shadows of oblivion's throes.
I had not a candle, nor a lantern to carry me hence,
my heart was heavy in a despairing lament.
Hoary frost has settled across the patio,
and all was veiled and wrought with snow.
Alone in this cold hollow,
I called out to the unknown,
Bellowing frantically to either friend or foe.
Yet, returned to me, was merely an echo;
An echo from above, or below;
I do not know.

IV.

Here, in my delirium, I awaited exultation;
I anticipated that the clouds would burst, in joyful elation.
But, the sky did not open, ablaze in hopeful glory,
Nor had I been given a chance, to repeat this story.
Lo, no voices were heard; and, all remained undisturbed.
I questioned and considered the uncertainty,
And, discovered that my body was no longer fatigued;
Hot tears fell, as I could not control nor pacify reality.
I had been aflame in fever, accompanied by the divine;
She had stitched a shroud, into which I had climbed.
And, it was her familiar, who had carried me;
Where bitter wind, my only friend, is my eternity.
No crashing sea, nor blooming flowers keep me company;
Forever eclipsed in a ivory swaddle, sewn just for me. 
Paradise, for me, it seems, is this cold and lonely hollow, 
Where each day repeats, and in that I must sleep. 

© Denise Goodwin, All Rights Reserved
Written and published on moonspyre.blogspot.com on December 13, 2015


Image credits:

1. rinostefanotagliafierro.com
De la roche Kunst le rs Toten bett (animated)

2. dailymail.co.uk
Gabriel von Max --The Ecstatic Virgin Anna Katharina Emmerich (animated)

Friday, March 18, 2016

Lions and Lambs of March


A couple weeks ago, it was the first of March and Super Tuesday in Vermont, and seemed to have "come in like a lion".   We The People, cast our preliminary ballots and I am still reeling from the results.  A surreal tragicomedy seems to be playing out before our eyes and apparently, our salvation rests on an Independent Batman to subdue the reckless Republican thug, the Joker.   I can only conclude, that all of the work that has been done to secure our civil and inalienable rights, in the name of humanity, are being ridiculed, and challenged in a way that I never dreamed I would see.  It seems fitting that Super Tuesday would occur in March, a month named for Mars - the Roman God of War.


"Mars, God of War" by Velázquez
Few people realize that March was originally the first month of the year in the Roman calendar, because of its association with the first day of spring. The vernal equinox falls during this month between the 19th and 21st where day and night are finally of equal length.  In antiquity, March was also the time when war would resume after winter months.  "The Book of Days" by Kay and Marshall Lee write, "For thousands of years of man, a year was the lifetime of nature, the inevitable process of conception, birth, flowering, death and decay; spring, summer, autumn winter.  Until only two hundred and some years ago in the English-speaking world, law followed nature....New Year's Day is still March 21st - the time of spring equinox..."


Lear Charles Hutton, "A Glimpse Of The Fairies"

This month is steeped in old sayings of folklore, but also seem to incorporate real life - and the 'twixt shall meet - as lore and literature seem frequently indistinguishable.  The result is many short yarns, anecdotes and proverbs which seem to mix nature, fantasy and reality.  Here are some fabulous (and archaic) examples old lore pertaining to the month of March, from the Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World by Cora Linn Daniels, C. M. Stevans:


MARCH LORE


  • If a death occurs on the 22nd of March, 2 more will follow at once in a neighborhood.
  • A bushel of March dust is worth a king’s ransom.
  • If at crescent moon in March the weather is foggy it is believed a sign of heavy thundershowers and hailstorms in the future.
  • If March comes in with adder’s head, it goes out with a peacock’s tail.
  • The first three days of March are unlucky.
  • The Greek believed that the March sun makes people black.  To prevent this, take a thread of white and a thread of red silk, twist them together and tie it around your arm, leg or neck.
  • “When March the twenty-first is past, Just watch the silvery moon, And when you see it full and round, Know Easter’ll be here soon.”
  • “The first the greedy glutton slays, The fourth cuts short the drunkard days.”
  • One should never marry in March, save for one day:  The 27th, otherwise it is very unlucky.  To be married on the 27th day, St. John of Egypt will bless the marriage with kindness and love until the very end.  They will obtain great wealth and have many rosy-cheeked children.
  • Only 8 other days are lucky in March:  1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 28 and 29.
  • Astronomers say that the 1st of August, the 4th of September and the 11th of March are the most injurious to Let Blood.
  • On the first day of March, before the storks return from their migration from the South, women should twist two different yarns together and then with her hands held behind her back, attempt to pass it through a large eye of a needle.  She must then ask who her enemies are.  If one is named, she must visualize sewing up the mouth of that person so that no further ill may be spoken. This is repeated for each known enemy.  When the ritual ends, she is to then cut the cords into equal lengths to tie around each family member until the storks return from the South.  Upon seeing the first stork, the ties are removed and thrown out of doors so they storks may take them to help build their nests.
  • “In January if the sun appear, March and April pay full dear.”
  • Girls can predict their future husband, in March, with the help of their shoes!  At bed time, they should place the shoes to form the letter “T” and say out loud, “Hoping this night my true love to see, I placed my shoes in the form of a T.”  If the chant is successful, she will dream of her love.


  • In Great Britain and England, the month of March borrows from three days of April:
“The first it shall be wind and weet,
The next it shall be snow and sleet,
The third it shall be sic and freeze,
Shall gar the birds and stick to the trees.”
  • There is an ancient belief that people dreaded the March sun.  In Germany, “one had better be bitten by a snake than feel the sun in March.”
  • March was dedicated by the old Saxons to the goddess Rhoedea and therefore called “Rhed Month”, Illiyd-Monath, was another name by which it was known.
  • After the death of Christ, March has been held with great reverence as Lent is observed.
  • In Macedonia, March is the time of year when fleas begin to come into the home.  The first flea found should be caught and bundled in a nettle leaf to take to an abandoned house.  Here the flea is thrown onto the floor and will result in the remaining fleas to follow.
  • Winds in March and rain in April promise great blessings in May.
  • If at crescent moon in March the weather is very foggy it is believed a sign of heavy thundershowers and hailstorms in the near future.
  • Every year in March, the ancient Romans held a ceremony in honor of the God of War, Mars.  It was believed that this would ensure that the city would be peaceful for the remaining year.
  • A damp rotten March gives sorrow to Farmers.
  • When the cat lies in the sun in February, it will creep behind the stove in March.
  • If the March wind blows across the bed, you will sleep well all the rest of the year.
  • March grass never did good.
  • When March is like April, April will be like March.
  • Never speak ill of March.
  • March is considered to be an unlucky month, but the first snow that comes in that month, is good for sore eyes if taken after the sun has shone on it.
  • February makes a bridge, March breaks it.
  • When the North wind does not blow in February, it will blow in March.
  • In Bulgaria, March honors women, and it is believed to be a female month.  It is called “Mother March”, and women reign over their husbands.  They do not seek employment during this month, as the Goddess may not send rain which would result in lightening which would set fire to the home.
DID YOU KNOW?

....that the earliest possible Easter happened in March 1818 and will not occur again until 2285?

....the Planet Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781, by astronomer William Herschel. It is the seventh planet from the Sun. It was originally not thought to be a planet, as it moved so slowly that scientists assumed it to be a star. 

....playing cards were first mentioned in literature, on March 23rd of 1377, in Florence, Italy.

....the multi-talented artist and scientist, Goethe died on March 22, 1832 at the age of 83.  His last words were, "More light!"

...HRH Queen Elizabeth I, died on March 24, 1603.  She was 70 years old.

...on March 28th, in the United States, the first washing machine was patented in 1767.

...in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris on March 31st.



From the 2016 Farmer’s Almanac: 

March is the month of the Full Worm Moon. 


The Full Worm Moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. 


At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. In some regions, this is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins. 


New Moon: March 8, 8:54 P.M.


First Quarter: March 15, 1:03 P.M. 


Full Moon: March 23, 8:01 A.M. 


Last Quarter: March 31, 11:17 A.M.


GEMSTONE







Daffodils are the birthday flowers for those born in the month of March. They are a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, and are frequently associated with Easter.  Always give a bunch to ensure happiness.  The Daffodil is also called  Narcissus, which also means  "narcissism", which comes from the word "narke, " and in Greek antiquity, meant deep sleep, stupor or numbness. Narke is also the root of the word "narcotic" as the bulbs actually contain a paralyzing alkaloid which could lead to death if eaten.  "Never give a single daffodil, as bringing a single daffodil into the house will bring misfortune."  


I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
by William Wordsworth  
       
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.






Famous People ~ March Birthdays



March 1, 1904- Glenn Miller, big bandleader

March 1, 1926, Pete Rozelle, baseball commissioner

March 1, 1935- Robert Conrad, actor

March 1, 1954- Ron Howard, actor, director, "Opie" on Tv series "Andy Griffith"

March 1, 1974- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, actor, "Zack" on Tv series "Saved by the Bell"

March 2, 1779- Joel Roberts Poinsett, American Ambassador to Mexico brought Poinsettias to America.



March 2, 1904 - Theodore Seuss Geisel, "Dr. Seuss"

March 2, 1917- Desi Arnaz- "Ricky Ricardo" on "I Love Lucy"

March 2, 1931- Mikhail Gorbachev, Leader of USSR



March 2, 1950- Karen Carpenter, singer "We've Only Just Begun"

March 2, 1962- Jon Bon Jovi, singer, actor

March 3, 1847- Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone

March 3, 1920 - James Doohan, actor, "Scotty" on Tv Series and movies "Star Trek"

March 3, 1962- Jackie Joiner-Kersee, Olympic gold medalist



March 4, 1888- Knute Rockne, Notre Dame's "Fighting Irish" football coach

March 5, 1908- Rex Harrison, actor

March 5, 1936- Dean Stockwell, actor

March 5, 1958- Andy Gibb, member of "Beegees" band

March 5, 1989- Jake Lloyd, actor "Anakin Skywalker" in "Star Wars: Phantom Menace"



March 6, 1475- Michelangelo, Renaissance painter

March 6, 1906- Lou Costello, comedian, of Abbott and Costello

March 6, 1923- Ed McMahon,  "Johnny Carson Tonight Show"

March 6, 1926- Alan Greenspan, Chairman of Federal Reserve

March 6, 1945- Rob Reiner, actor, director

March 6, 1959- Tom Arnold, actor

March 6, 1972- Shaquille O'Neal, NBA star

March 7, 1934- Willard Scott, NBC weatherman



March  8, 1945- Mickey Dolenz, singer, actor, "Mickey" of the "Monkees" 

March 9, 1934- Yuri Gagarin, Russian astronaut, first man in space

March 9, 1943- Bobby Fischer, World Chess champion

March 9, 1971- Emmanuel Lewis, ""Webster" of TV series

March 10, 1928- James Earl Ray, assassinated Martin Luther King Jr.

March 10,  1940 Chuck Norris, martial arts, "Walker" in Tv series "Walker, Texas Ranger"

March 10, 1957-  Osama BIn Laden, Al Queda terrorist leader

March 10, 1958- Sharon Stone, actress, "Basic Instinct"



March 10, 1983- Carrie Underwood, American Idol Winner

March 11, 1903- Lawrence Welk, bandleader

March 11, 1934- Sam Donaldson, TV Journalist

March 12, 1881- Kemmel Ataturk, Turkish leader

March 12, 1923-  Wally Schirra, astronaut

March 12, 1941- Barbara Feldon, actress



March 12, 1946- Liza Minnelli, actress, singer

March 12, 1948- James Taylor, singer

March 12, 1962- Darryl Strawberry, baseball player

March 13, 1855-  Percival Lowell, astronomer

March 13, 1911- L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction writer

March 13, 1939- Neil Sedaka, singer, songwriter

March 14, 1864- Casey Jones, railroad engineer

March 14, 1879- Albert Einstein, physicist



March 14, 1912- Les Brown, and his "Band of Renown"

March 14, 1920- Hank Ketcham, cartoonist, created "Dennis the Menace"

March 14, 1928- Frank Borman, astronaut, airline executive

March 14, 1933 -Michael Caine, actor

March 14, 1947- Billy Crystal, actor, comedian



March 15, 1767- Andrew Jackson, 7th U.S. President(1829-1837), hero of the War of 1812

March 15, 1933- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice

March 15, 1935- Judd Hirsch, actor, TV series "Taxi"

March 15, 1941- Mike Love, singer, musician, Beach Boys

March 15, 1961- Fabio, actor, model

March 15, 1975- Eva Longoria, actress, TvVseries "Desperate Housewives"

March 16, 1751- James Madison, 4th U.S President(1809-1817)

March 16, 1822- Rosa Bonheur, French painter

March 16, 1906- Henny Youngman, comedian

March 16, 1912- Pat Nixon, Wife of Richard M. Nixon, First Lady

March 16, 1926- Jerry Lewis, actor, comedian

March 16, 1927- Daniel Patrick Moynihan, senator, diplomat

March 16, 1949- Erik Estrada, actor

March 17, 1902- Bobby Jones, golfer



March 17, 1919- Nat "King" Cole, singer

March 17, 1938- Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer

March 17, 1945- Tony Dow, actor, brother "Wallie" on Tv series "Leave it to Beaver"

March 17, 1949 -Patrick Duffy, actor "Bobby Ewing" on Tv Series "Dallas"

March 17, 1951- Kurt Russell, actor

March 17, 1964- Rob Lowe, actor

March 18, 1782 -John C. Calhoun, statesman, vice president

March 18, 1837- Grover Cleveland, 22d and 24th U.S. President(1885-1889, 1893-1897)

March 18, 1869- Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister

March 18, 1926- Peter Graves, actor



March 18, 1939- Charley Pride, singer

March 18, 1941- Wilson Pickett, singer, songwriter

March 18, 1963- Vanessa Williams, singer, actress

March 18, 1964- Bonnie Blair, Olympic speedskating champion

March 18, 1970- Queen Latifah, rap singer, actress

March 19, 1589 -William Bradford, Pilgrim/Governor of Plymouth Colony

March 19, 1813- David Livingstone, physician, explorer



March 19, 1848- Wyatt Earp, Wild West lawman

March 19, 1891- Earl Warren, chief justice of the Supreme Court

March 19, 1906 -Adolf Eichmann, Nazi leader

March 19, 1936- Ursula Andress, actress



March 19, 1947- Glenn Close, actress

March 19, 1955- Bruce Willis, actor

March 20, 1906- Ozzie Nelson, Actor, "The Nelsons"

March 20, 1922- Carl Reiner, actor, comedian

March 20, 1928 -Fred Rogers, actor Children's show "Mr. Rogers"



March 20, 1931- Hal Linden, actor, singer

March 20, 1939- Brian Mulroney, Canadian Prime Minister

March 20, 1948- Bobby Orr, hockey player

March 20, 1957- Spike Lee, director, filmmaker



March 21, 1685- Johann Sebastian Bach, musical composer

March 21, 1910- Julio Gallo, California wine vintner

March 21, 1944- Timothy Dalton, actor

March 21, 1962- Matthew Broderick, actor

March 21, 1962- Rosie O'Donnell, TV personality, actress



March 22, 1887- Chico Marx of Marx Brothers 

March 22, 1913- Karl Malden, actor

March 22, 1919- Werner Klemperner, actor

March 22, 1923- Marcel Marceau, mime

March 22, 1930- Pat Robertson, evangelist, presidential candidate



March 22, 1931- William Shatner, actor James T. Kirk, on Srar Trek

March 22, 1934- Orrin Hatch, senator

March 22, 1943- George Benson, singer, musician

March 22, 1948- Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer

March 22, 1952- Bob Costas, sportscaster

March 22, 1959- Matthew Modine, actor



March 23, 1904- Joan Crawford, Oscar winning actress

March 23, 1900- Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst

March 23, 1912- Werner von Braun, rocket pioneer, scientist

March 23, 1929- Roger Bannister, runner, first person to break 4-minute mile

March 23, 1953- Louie Anderson, comedian, actor

March 23, 1953- Chaka Khan, singer

March 24, 1855- Andrew Mellon, financier, industrialist



March 24, 1874- Harry Houdini, magician

March 24, 1893- George Sisler, baseball player

March 24, 1930- Steve McQueen, actor

March 24, 1970- Lara Flynn Boyle, actress

March 24, 1976- Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts All Star Quarterback

March 25, 1871- Gutzon Borglum, sculpted Mt. Rushmore

March 25, 1934- Gloria Steinem, author

March 25, 1942- Aretha Franklin, singer

March 25, 1922- Paul Michael Glaser, actor, director



March 25, 1947- Elton John, singer, songwriter, musician

March 25, 1965- Sarah Jessica Parker, actress

March 26, 1874- Robert Frost, poet

March 26, 1911- Tennessee Williams, playwright

March 26, 1930- Sandra Day O'Connor, Supreme Court justice

March 26, 1931- Leonard Nimoy, actor, director, "Spock" in "Star Trek"

March 26, 1934- Alan Arkin, actor

March 26, 1939- James Caan, actor



March 26, 1944- Diana Ross, singer, actress

March 26, 1950- Martin Short, actor, comedian

March 26, 1960- Marcus Allen, NFL running back, sportscaster

March 26, 1962- John Stockton, basketball player

March 27, 1845- Wilhelm Roentgen, scientist, discovered X-rays



March 27, 1899- Gloria Swanson, actress

March 27, 1931- David Janssen, actor, "The Fugitive"

March 27, 1940- Cale Yarborough, auto racer

March 27, 1963- Randall Cunningham, NFL Quarterback



March 27, 1963- Quentin Tarantino, actor, director

March 27, 1970- Mariah Carey, singer

March 28, 1899- August Anheuser Busch Jr., Beer baron

March 28, 1921- Dirk Bogarde, actor

March 28, 1944- Ken Howard, actor

March 28, 1955- Reba McEntire, country western singer

March 28, 1981- Julia Stiles, actress

March 29, 1790- John Tyler, 10th U.S. President (1841-1845)

March 29, 1867- Cy Young, baseball pitcher

March 29, 1916- Eugene McCarthy, senator, presidential nominee

March 29, 1918- Pearl Bailey, singer, entertainer

March 29, 1918- Sam Walton, founded Wal-Mart

March 29, 1945- Walt Frazier, basketball player

March 29, 1955- Earl Campbell, football player

March 29, 1963- M. C. Hammer, rap singer

March 29, 1964- Elle MacPherson, actress, super model

March 29, 1968- Lucy Lawless, actress

March 29, 1976- Jennifer Capriati, tennis player



March 30, 1853 Vincent van Gogh, painter

March 30, -1929 Richard Dysart, actor

March 30, 1930- John Astin, actor

March 30, 1937- Warren Beatty, actor, director



March 30, 1945- Eric Clapton, musician, singer, songwriter

March 30, 1957- Paul Reiser, actor

March 30, 1962- M.C. Hammer, rapper

March 30, 1968- Celine Dion, singer

March 31, 1596- René Descartes, philosopher, mathematician

March 31, 1732- Franz Joseph Haydn, composer

March 31, 1811 - German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen, invented the Bunsen Burner

March 31, 1878- Jack Johnson, is Afro-American boxer to win heavyweight crown

March 31, 1927- Cesar Chavez, labor leader

March 31, 1928- Gordie Howe, hockey player



March 31, 1929- Liz Claiborne, fashion designer

March 31, 1932- John Jakes, author

March 31, 1934- Shirley Jones, actress, singer

March 31, 1935- Herb Albert, musician

March 31, 1935- Richard Chamberlain, actor

March 31, 1943- Christopher Walken, actor

March 31, 1948 -Al Gore Jr., vice president , presidential candidate

March 31, 1948- Rhea Perlman, actress



What is the IDES OF MARCH?  
(Source: history.com)

44 B.C. - Julius Caesar is murdered



"Julius Caesar, the”dictator for life”of the Roman Empire, is murdered by his own senators at a meeting in a hall next to Pompey’s Theatre. The conspiracy against Caesar encompassed as many as sixty noblemen, including Caesar’s own protege, Marcus Brutus.

Caesar was scheduled to leave Rome to fight in a war on March 18 and had appointed loyal members of his army to rule the Empire in his absence. The Republican senators, already chafing at having to abide by Caesar’s decrees, were particularly angry about the prospect of taking orders from Caesar’s underlings. Cassius Longinus started the plot against the dictator, quickly getting his brother-in-law Marcus Brutus to join.



Caesar should have been well aware that many of the senators hated him, but he dismissed his security force not long before his assassination. Reportedly, Caesar was handed a warning note as he entered the senate meeting that day but did not read it. After he entered the hall, Caesar was surrounded by senators holding daggers. Servilius Casca struck the first blow, hitting Caesar in the neck and drawing blood. The other senators all joined in, stabbing him repeatedly about the head.



Marcus Brutus wounded Caesar in the groin and Caesar is said to have remarked in Greek, “You, too, my child?” In the aftermath of the assassination, Antony attempted to carry out Caesar’s legacy. However, Caesar’s will left Octavian in charge as his adopted son. Cassius and Brutus tried to rally a Republican army and Brutus even issued coins celebrating the assassination, known as the Ides of March. Octavian vowed revenge against the assassins, two years later Cassius and Brutus committed suicide after learning that Octavian’s forces had defeated theirs at the Battle of Philippa in Greece.

Antony took his armies east, where he hooked up with Caesar’s old paramour, Cleopatra. Octavian and Antony fought for many years until Octavian prevailed. In 30 B.C., Antony committed suicide. Octavian, later known as Augustus, ruled the Roman Empire for many more years."



Image Credits:  all images were found on Google images and Pinterest

Famous Birthdays:  holidayinsights.com

Ides of March - history.com

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Hello, Beautiful Doll

A boudoir is a woman's private sitting room, sometimes referred to as a  salon.   The word is derived from the French verb bouder to sulk, and the room was originally designated as a place to which a woman could sulk or withdraw.  It can also refer to a woman's private dressing room or bedroom.  The word boudoir is somewhat archaic, and can have a negative connotation, as its inference today is frequently associated with photography of scantily clad women in suggestive poses intended to be romantic and most definitely to capture the most flattering aspect of an individual.  


vintage dressing table be vintage style flowers, pinks creams white , vanity table:


Historically, the boudoir was a room designated from a private suite of rooms of a "Lady" or one who held an upper social class.  It was used for bathing and dressing and was located next to the bedchamber.  


Capital ‘V’ Vintage, A Bias LBD & A 2yr Blogoversary! | SewVeraVenus:
Dinner at Eight:
Jean Harlow in her dressing room
During the Victorian era and early in the 20th century, more elaborate homes designated the boudoir as an evening sitting room for activities such as sewing or embroidery, or accepting gentleman callers.  

The more elaborate homes with social prestige would include a boudoir as a separate room, as she would also have a morning room, and a dressing room. 

Actress Alice White in lingerie, 1920s.:



The Boudoir Doll Craze

During the mid 1920's, commonly called the "Jazz Age", the U.S and European and American women were preoccupied with dolls, and this time of collecting, has been referred to as the "Doll Craze".   Boudoir dolls, also known as "Poupee" dolls were a "must have" for every fashionable woman.  These dolls were a decorative accessory to their dressing room and not to be used as a toy.





According to "The Jazz Age Club", The Poupee dolls ranged in size, any where from 14" to 32".   The website "Jazz Age Club" writes, "Generically the dolls were called by various names that to some extent still endure today : art, portrait, boudoir, art deco, flapper, vamp, bed, smoker, salon or parlor dolls. These new dolls were different to what had been produced before as they were characterized by ornate, long limbs. long thin bodies, little hands and less ‘doll’ like, or ‘child’ like features or expressions; they had a stylized rather than a realistic appearance."






"The dolls varied in size from 24″ – 32″ with smaller dolls averaging 14″ – 18″ and were made out of a variety of media. The heads were usually of composition (sawdust mixed with a staying agent such as sugar water or starch placed in a mould) or of cloth or felt and some hands, feet and bodies were of composition too. Most of the bodies were soft of cloth or felt and stuffed with cotton. The composition heads were beautifully painted with blush and eye shadow, ‘bee stung’ red lips and even beauty marks. Hair was human, camel, mohair or silk strands."  - Source: thejazzageclub.com







"There were hundreds of different styles and treatments that followed exotic, historical, theatrical, foreign, fantasy or mythological themes. More popular inspiration came from the Eighteenth century of the French court and Marie Antoinette, the Elizabethan or early Georgian period, the romantic styles of the 1840s, Napoleon’s first empire, Pier rot, Harlequin, and Commedia figures from the Italian theatre, contemporary flappers with cigarettes, harem girls and flamenco or Apache dancers." Source: thejazzageclub.com


Half dolls in front of a framed antique fan:




"The trend of adopting these dolls appears to have started with the theatrical profession when dolls were created imitating great actresses and some actresses gave these portrait dolls to their co-workers. Later, they spread to society at large. As one contemporary commentator observed ‘we must have our little fads, otherwise life would jog along in too monotonous a fashion.’ Seemingly, most people ordered dolls for their own amusement. They were regarded as funny and their owners like to laugh at them and show them of to their friends. But equally they symbolized the rise of the new woman and epitomized a feminine dream of an adventurous, glamorous and more exciting new life." - Source: thejazzageclub.com




Amazing half doll lamp:




Lady's dresser, boudoir doll.:

Antique Boudoir Doll:

Lovely Anita Boudoir Doll with Ribbonwork Outfit. . Found on pinterest isn't she sooo lovely...:

ANTIQUE FRENCH BOUDOIR DOLL.PARIS.EDWARDIAN WEDDING.SILK. LACE.C 1920:

well I don't like dolls,but she is kind of nice.....Rare Antique Sterling Co. Boudoir Doll- All Original:

antique french boudoir doll by stylerevisited on Etsy, €375.00:

Gorgeous Tagged Lenci Salon/Boudoir Lady - Lillian Gish face from ribbonsantiques on Ruby Lane:

ANCIENNE POUPEE DE SALON,FRENCH BOUDOIR DOLL CLOTH DOLL SUPERBE COSTUME ART DECO:


***All images were found on Pinterest.com 
under the key words search "boudoir dolls".***