Being a Homebody

I’ve been very much a homebody lately—haven’t we all? Being at home for me hasn’t chafed at all: I’ve been gardening up a storm—look at those zucchini, cucumbers, and green beans! 

My fingernails are permanently stained from weeding, and Beatrice-bunny has been feasting on fresh parsley, cilantro, and Italian dandelions from my herb planters.

And when not outdoors, I’ve generally had a paintbrush in my hand—my office now wears a handsome coat of “Creamy Mushroom” and my bedroom is cool and blue in “Life at Sea.”

And then I remembered Mrs. Hurst Dancing.

Mrs.Hurst Dancing is a delightful book I mentioned here back in 2010—it’s a collection of drawings by Diana Sperling, a young lady who lived with her family at a comfortable country house in Essex in the early years of the 19^th century. Di (as she was called) recorded her family’s doings between 1812 and her marriage in 1834 in a series of watercolor drawings in a charmingly naïve style, and they are suffused with good humor and charm…as well as giving us an excellent picture of life among the country gentry at this time.

And what do we see the Sperling family doing? Among other things, they redecorate…

And plant a garden…

And suddenly, 1820 doesn’t seem all that far from 2020...

What are you doing at home?

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In a postscript, one other thing I’ve been doing is receiving some good news: Evergreen is a finalist in two RWA chapter contests—the NationalReaders’ Choice Awards and the Prism Awards. More news soon!