Victoria November/December 2019

Dear Friends It seems that just yesterday we were drawing near to the hearth, watching snowflakes fall outside the window and dreaming of what this year would bring. How quickly the seasons have come and gone, offering a kaleidoscope of delights as winter’s crystalline beauty thawed to reveal the exuberant blossoms of spring and then the succulent fruits of summer. Soon autumn was upon us, gilding the landscape in a prismatic array of colors, and now we find ourselves settling in to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas as we turn the final pages of the calendar. With her first essay of 2019, Writer-in-Residence Carol Rizzoli prompted us to launch the Victoria Classics Book Club. She closes her tenure on page 15, reflecting, among other matters, on the bliss of connecting with like-minded readers.…

Each year before the leaves have fallen from the trees, we invite loved ones to an annual outing in our woods, arriving with baskets and clear glass containers to find partridge berries for making friendship terrariums. Small sprigs of the trailing evergreen vine, which grows along the forest floor, are clipped short during our harvesting. To make this unique Christmas gift, place charcoal in the bottom of a covered glass bowl, and cover the charcoal with a bright-green blanket of moss-covered soil. Using tweezers, poke partridge-berry sprigs into the soil to root, shaping the vibrant ground cover into a mound. Only a few berries are necessary to create a lovely effect amid the wealth of rounded green leaves. It is not necessary to water the plants because condensation will form in…

The year rushes to a close almost before blessings can be counted, lesser moments placed in perspective, and resolutions drawn up. I remind myself once again that there is time, plenty of it, for favored rituals, if you simply decide there is time. High on my list of blessings this year has been the opportunity to share these pages with you, and especially the letters that ensued. One note came with pressed flowers. Another from the 122-year-old Wednesday Literary Club in Ohio, which functions around a notable structure: The books to be read in a given year are chosen and analyzed by a committee, to be sure that they are worth the club’s attention. Anyone who has ever questioned the value of a particular selection made by their own book club…

“TRUE NOSTALGIA IS AN EPHEMERAL COMPOSITION OF DISJOINTED MEMORIES.”— Florence King Through a three-dimensional exhibition debuted in Paris in 1822, French painter and inventor Louis Daguerre introduced awestruck audiences to marvelous new possibilities. His theatrical tableaux yielded convincing illusions, with dramatic shifts in lighting calling attention to different aspects of canvases visible through translucent screens. Such artistic representations, known as dioramas, grew in popularity throughout the nineteenth century. With exacting detail, museums often construct realistic models, employing tricks of the eye to guide viewers’ perspectives. Although some depictions include full proportions, scenes can be produced in miniature to great effect. Modern hobbyists also create layered works, with freedom of expression to fashion displays that are as true-to-life or fanciful as desired. For Artist-in-Residence Stephanie Monahan, Yuletide offers the ideal time for arranging troves…

Though often associated with the magical hullabaloo of Mardi Gras, New Orleans is equally engaging at Yuletide, when beribboned wreaths and lavish garlands adorn front doors and candles blaze in houses of worship during sacred services held in honor of the Christ child. Built in 1840 as the first Catholic church erected outside the French Quarter, St. Patrick’s is located in the Central Business District. The impressive Gothic tower is recognized as a city landmark, but the interiors are every bit as awe inspiring. Fan vaulting canopies the main altar, where a trio of murals depict ecclesiastical scenes. Less than 2 miles away, gothic architecture also graces Christ Church Cathedral, erected in 1886 on St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District. The sanctuary features stained-glass lancet windows within pointed arches, bordered…