It's a Classical Life

 Have you ever heard the term "slow literary living"? I think it was Gracie from Austen and Alcotts who used the term and I thought it sounded lovely. It truly encompasses what I hope to achieve in my own life and here on the blog. I imagine it to mean a slow life, inspired by books and literature. I love not only to read about slow and simple living in classic literature, but I also love to hear and be inspired by people who are living a slow and literary life in our modern world.  Living this kind of life is a deliberate choice; it will not happen by accident. It is quite in opposition to how we live our modern lives and requires commitment and determination. We have discussed  knowing ourselves and having a purpose here on the blog, something that has come up in a number of classics discussed here. By knowing what you value you are in a position to commit to these values and make the choices necessary to live the life you want.  We don't necessarily need to rel...

LEISURE What is this life, if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like stars at night. No time to turn at Beauty; glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance. No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began. A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.                              W.H. Davies  This stirring poem by Welsh poet W.H. Davies was first published in 1911 yet its message, I believe, is still just as important today. I have talked about past-times on the blog before but having read Sense and Sensibility last month, I wanted to look in a bit more detail at some of the leisure activities that these early Victorian women got ...

When I read the classics, one of the things that I love to read about in detail is what the characters are wearing. It helps to create an image in my mind of the characters; not only of their physical appearances but also their attitude towards clothing and style. For example, I notice if they change their outfits regularly (as society often dictated, because, heaven forbid, one should wear the same outfit twice!) or if they were comfortable with their 'uniform' of daily wear. Usually, the classics will focus more on the clothing of women, but sometimes men get a look in too.  For this Classic Style Inspiration post, I thought we could look to some Victorian classics to inspire us. What does, or to be exact 'when' does the Victorian period actually refer to? Well, the term refers to the time that Queen Victoria ruled England, that is from 1837 to 1901. This extensive period of reign marked a number of social and cultural changes in England, Continental Europe and the US...

Tea has been a ritual enjoyed not only by the British, but also the Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, Argentinians, Indians, Uruguayans, Australians, and Americans amongst others. In each of these cultures, 'tea' is a ritual based around not only the drinking of tea (in whatever form it may take) but also in enjoying a few snacks, relaxing and at times socialising. Taking the time to brew the tea can be a lengthy, elaborate step, such as in Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies, or it can be as simple as pre-heating the teapot with hot water before adding the tea to brew. Common to all cultures is time. Taking the time to sit, rest and enjoy tea is the beauty behind the ritual. It is something that we can all make time for in our daily lives, to help us slow down and savour a simple, classical life. Sharing tea with others is a perfect symbol of hospitality and permeates many of the motivations behind the ritual and  is reflected in many British classic novels.  Cranford  by Eliz...

Some people were of the opinion that a sober and abstemious mode of living    considerably reduced the risk of infection. They therefore formed themselves into groups and lived in isolation from everyone else. Having withdrawn to a comfortable abode where there were no sick persons, they locked themselves in and settled down to a peaceable existence, consuming modest qualities of delicate foods and precious wines and avoiding all excesses. They refrained from speaking to outsiders, refused to receive news of the dead or the sick, and entertained themselves with music and whatever other amusements they were able to devise.                                                                                           ...

' The Language of Flowers ,' ' The Cottage Garden ', ' The Language of Flowers ' When you see roses, do you think of love? Did you know that in Australia we use rosemary on ANZAC day because it symbolises remembrance for those who fell in the war? Have you seen a display a cempasuchil , a bright orange marigold, during Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, and known that they represent the way home for souls who have crossed over? Flowers and plants have long held significance in the daily lives of people all around the world. It is one of those ubiquitous traditions that all cultures seem to revere. In traditional western culture we use flowers to say 'I love you', 'I'm sorry', 'Happy Birthday' and 'I do.' In a city, and a country, that has been besieged by drought for so long, it is wonderful to have so much rain this winter and spring. With these rains bringing such lush and verdant flora to our home and our region I thoug...

I love listening to Podcasts; whether they be dramatic readings of fictional texts, interviews with scholars and experts, discussion panels or other non-fiction conversations. I subscribe to a few, and thought I would share them with you here.  In Our Time  - BBC 4: This is absolutely one of my favourite podcasts to listen to for insightful conversations and panels on a wide range of topics. I subscribe to the history and culture podcasts, but there are also science, philosophy and religion. The BBC has a whole website dedicated to self-education and in addition to the podcasts it contains articles, clips and more. Definitely worth a look if you aren't sure where to begin with your self-education. Librivox : Here is where you can find all the classics that you love (or would love to read) in audio format. You can choose which one you like and download it chapter by chapter, or listen to the whole thing all at once. Some of my favourite readings have been Heart of Darkness by ...

 One of the good things to come out of lockdown this year was the return to more traditional past-times, such as bread-making, gardening and letter writing. My sister and I picked up pen and paper (as did our children) to share letters, stickers, encouragement, LEGO people (that was the kids, not us!) anything really. But then lock down ended and so did our written correspondence. I wish it hadn't so I'm going to pick up the pen and paper and start writing again. And I encourage you to take up this delightful past-time as it connects us to so many of the great writers and thinkers of the past. We get so much of our information about life in the past from letters written. Some of my favourite classic letters are personal ones. For example,  Napoleon Bonaparte's love letters to Josephine de Beauharnais (be warned these can get pretty steamy!)  and ones from parents to their children, often containing advice (such as Lorenzo de Medici to his son Giovanni after he arrives in...