``Then,'' observed Elizabeth, ``you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished women.''``Yes; I do comprehend a great deal in it.''
``Oh! certainly,'' cried his faithful assistant, ``no one can be really esteemed accomplished, who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.''
``All this she must possess,'' added Darcy, ``and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.''
``I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.'' -Pride and Prejudice
Betty Keira mentioned the phrase "a woman of parts" in her discussion thread for Henrietta's Own Castle. We thought the subject might deserve it's own post and discussion. What parts are you made of?
Here's a small sampling of my parts:
Good Plain Cook, Willing, but not enthusiastic Seamstress, "Computer", Avid Reader (not Just Betty), Watercolorist (ala' Emma), Teacher of Various and Sundry Subjects and Students, Adequate Driver (thus the justly earned teenage sobriquet "Crash"), Plunger Wielder Extraordinaire, Pianist (more feeling than accuracy), Demolitionist (sorry hon, did you want me to wait a while before ripping out the living room carpet?), Alto in the Church Choir (despite the family tendency to tone deafness), Betty of All Trades, mistress of none.
Your turn.
Clothes presser, feeder of small boys, tot wrangler, inter-web-nets surfer, massager of egos big and small, potty trainer, Betty blogger (!), personal space warrior...
ReplyDeletePainter of Betty Keira's house (interior)...
ReplyDeleteMediocre quilter; knitter & cross stitcher with very little finished recently; pretty good cook of food I really shouldn't be eating; excellent baker (of everything I really really shouldn't be eating); adequate blogger; would-be author; good friend and better wife; and . . .
ReplyDeleteToday, for the first time, I am a mediator. (No, really -- I'm doing my first ever mediation! And someone's paying me.)
Meanwhile,... Published author ! ! ! Yay! You did it! ❤️
DeleteIf anyone could mediate, it's you Betty Magdalen.
ReplyDeleteBetty Keira -- that is the sweetest thing. Thank you. (I'll keep you posted, but I think today went well...)
ReplyDeleteMother, teacher and educational consultant (really! They pay me for this! It's amazing). knitter(poor), crocheter(better), seamstress (best), counselor and consoler of my daughter's distraught college friends (I'm very proud of this one, they all ask for my advice when in difficulties :-)) Sunday and Funeral soloist and basic choir member (Alto or Soprano, depending on who shows up any given week), good plain cook, friend of pets, peacemaker, but boy am I NOT a gardener!
ReplyDeleteCyndi, I must finally add my welcome to the others' - glad you found your way here, even though you spell your name wrong. ;-) I have a friend whose given name is Cynthia but her version of our name is Cynde. (My given name is not Cynthia, btw. Is yours?)
ReplyDeleteI guess I'll add my parts here. I'm a wife and mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, great-aunt, great-great-aunt and, though both parents are long deceased, daughter, of course. :) I'm also an accomplished seamstress, although I don't do it much these days due to my physical condition. I would dearly love to be making clothes for my precious grandsons but, I buy 'em instead.
I'm a gourmet cook who doesn't do nearly as much cooking as I once did. (see sewing...) I love to bake and do more of that than I do cooking. I'm a polymer clay artist and a compulsive crafter, reader and procrastinator.
me<><
How ironic that we should cycle back to this comment thread this week. I did a pretty good job with that mediation, limited in large part by the distinctly warped mindset of one participant. So it was a surprise this week to get a phone call from the other fellow, asking for legal advice on the last death throes of the failed relationship. The mediation had worked and they'd successfully divided the property, but ultimately, you can't make people behave properly.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm fond of saying, you can lead a man to water, but he's bound to horse around.
*sigh*
Nice to meet you, Betty Cindy. :-) I am, indeed, Cynthia. I spell it Cyndi because the y and i in Cynthia come in that order, so why switch. This was my logic when I switched it around in grade eight. My mother was fine with one switch, but made it clear that she would NEVER switch the spelling again, and that I, having made my bed must continue to lie in it. I have, though I don't mind at all if folks spell it the other way.
ReplyDeleteBetty Magdalen, I liked this thread, and thought it was a good way to introduce myself.