Saturday, September 22, 2012

Many, albeit belated, returns of the day, Betty



The mid-Atlantic Bettys slowly dispersed after a delightful tea party.  Army Betty drove purposefully Pentagon-wards; Betty Kathy disappeared as mysteriously as she had arrived; Betty Adrianne strolled off to poke her pretty nose into a few needlework-shop windows; Betty Barbara’s husband of never-mind-how-many years pulled the socking great Dodge up to the curb and collected his wife and her friend of schooldays Betty Margaret Mickie, and Bettys JoDee and Magdalen and I, your faithful correspondent, stood on the pavement and gossiped gently.  We had gotten to the part about the domineering-ness of the Neels heroes when Betty JoDee said, in her soft West-Texas-Country voice, “Some people only like the wimpy heroes, like Hugo.”  “Gotta go!” I cried, leaping backwards.  I surely hope those two enjoy their multi-hour drive home together...

Betty JoDee and Betty Magdalen, before the controversy began.

If I note a few of the highlights of our only-slightly-tardy celebration of The Great Betty’s 103rd birthday, I betcha the others will chime in with their thoughts in the comments section:

Best hat:  Betty JoDee’s, as shown above.  Not only is it a useful shade of gray that is actually more an attractive shade of silvered lavender; not only does it have that great bow; but also – when Bettys Magdalen and van den Betsy started a discussion that meandered gently down the back alleys of Brighton, Betty JoDee was able to pull that topper right down to her nose, covering her old-fashioned ears to avoid be-sulliement.   Yay for hats!

Most talented:  Betty Adrianne was wearing a gorgeous shawl she’d knitted herself.  I know nothing about knitting, but this one was lacey and light and complicated looking, and really beautiful.  Also, she’d used some kind of needle-craft implement as a stickpin, for bonus chic points.

Best show-and-tell:  Army Betty brought her Bosnia souvenirs, which invoke Yeats’s “terrible beauty,” plus lots of photos of her time in Sarajevo.  There’s one that shows a parking lot with a low white building behind which lies the courtyard described in her earlier comment!  Betty Adrianne had photos of the manor in her husband’s ancestral English village, plus an Aga.  We hope she will send them to Betty Debbie for future BitW posting.  Betty JoDee claims to have BitW pix from her most recent foray across the pond; we shall see if we ever get to see them.







Betty Adrianne – if a photo that shows her scarf better crops up, I’ll post it – and Army Betty in leopard print.


Most generous:  Betty Barbara brought about two dozen surplus novels.  Betty JoDee scooped several, and Army Betty took a couple of handfuls.  The lucky thing estimates she’s only read about 40 so far.  Betty JoDee brought hand-made and delightful Betty-quote bookmarks.

Best invitation:  Betty Magdalen will apparently give any of us traveling through her neck of Pennsylvania a bedsitting room with en suite bathroom for a night.  I inferred that breakfast might be included in the offer, and am trying to figure out how one makes the basis for a claim that profiteroles are a breakfast food.

Best sport:  Betty Margaret, who’s clearly not the, uh, enthusiast others of us are, and only managed a few minutes conversation about her sci-fi favorites.  She also qualifies for best-coordinated, as her peacock-print dress was perfectly complimented by a peacock-feather fascinator.  Ohmagudnetz, it was lovely.

Best surprise:  Betty Kathy!  A lurker!  She just showed up, and thanks to Betty Sue we had an extra place at the table as Betty Sue RSVP’d late and then didn’t make it.  Not meeting Betty Sue was the un-best surprise, but we’ll get you next time – maybe at Army Betty’s NoVA Halloween party, which I plan to attend costumed as a devoted family retainer and flummox everyone but the hostess.







Betty Magdalen, Betty Margaret in peacockery, and half of Betty Kathy.


Best hilarious moment:  Betty Kathy, asked why she lurks and doesn’t comment, said something like, “I just don’t have anything very witty to add.”  If there’s such a thing as ladylike guffawing, that’s how the table responded; I had to stuff most of my napkin in my throat to arrest the chortles.  “That’s never stopped any of the rest of us,” was the general consensus.

Best not-entirely-delicate gobbling:  Me!  For scarfing down three tomato sandwiches, two cucumber-lavender sandwiches (yummy), two dishes of delicious corn salad, and a scone with both cream and lemon curd.  Plus a pot and a half of tea.

Let’s see – L to R, we’ve got Betty Barbara, Betty Jodee, Betty van den Betsy, Betty Magdalen, Betty Margaret, Betty Adrianne, Army Betty and Betty Kathy.




So this runs Betty Margaret, Betty Kathy, Army Betty, The One True Betty (present on paper, thanks to Betty Debbie's inspired idea of Betty-on-a-stick, though I didn't get as far as the stick), Betty van den Betsy, Betty Adrianne, Betty Magdalen, Betty Barbara and Betty JoDee.

Resolved:  We’ll do it again sometime!

Many thanks to Bettys Barbara and Margaret/Mickie for the photos.  If any of the rest of you have more to share, please do send them along and I'll post them with more non-witty commentary.

24 comments:

  1. Wow. Just wow. So many Bettys in one place at one time. I wish I had been there!

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    1. You were so there in spirit -- we invoked you, your sister, your family and your friends many times. We also talked about how we each discovered your wonderful fabulous blog, and the joy induced by our having done so was like a halo of happiness encircling our table.

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  2. I wish I could have been there. I wish I had discovered this blog YEARS ago. I wish, but without any candles! Really want to be there for the next Betty's day gathering. I'll pretty much go anywhere Southwest Airline goes.

    Sweet hats Betty's Jodee and van den Betsy (if I read the captions right), I couldn't see the peacock fascinator, the photos were a little small. Rats.

    Betty von eating my heart out Susie

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    1. Southwest flies to Philadelphia, my former stomping grounds, so I'd happily pick you up and ferry you wherever there are Bettys and food, although the food is not necessary when the conversation is so good.

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    2. Thank you Magdalen. A very generous offer, but no matter how eloquent the speakers / scintillating the company, I will still be interested in the food. Even unrequited love never damaged Betty's heroine's appetites, although it did sometimes turn the food to sawdust in their mouths..

      Betty von "sometimes I think about lunch during breakfast" Susie

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  3. Many thanks to Betty van den Betsy, whose extraordinary efforts on behalf of The Canon are even more impressive to me after today.

    It was lovely meeting so many wonderful Bettys, the quiet ones and the less quiet ones. Ellicott City is charming and a perfect venue for a BettysDay event.

    And a special thank you to Betty JoDee, who did more than her share of the driving and whose conversation made the round trip from Mechanicsburg, PA to the banks of the Tiber fly by. (No, we didn't discuss whether Hugo is a wimp. Betty JoDee knows full well she's entitled to her opinion. LOL)

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  4. Betty Barbara here--
    Betty van den Betsy has given a very true report of our very fun gathering of Bettys.
    We had a blast and would probably have stayed longer, not noticing the time. Alas, the tearoom closed at five and we were ushered into the street (still talking, of course!).

    Re: Betty Margaret's fascinator--she used feathers supplied by her very own peacock in the construction thereof. Yes, she was adopted by a stray peacock several years ago. Where he came from, no one knows. Luckily, Betty Margaret lives in the country and has sufficient property so that Pete is not a neighborhood annoyance.

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  5. The company was delightful! My shawl is Swallowtail by Evelyn Clark in Brooks Farm Acero yarn. The foofaraw that held the shawl was crafted by a friend of mine, Harold Lambert, woodturner, out of box elder. Yes, yes, foofaraw is a fancy word for shawl pin.

    Perhaps we could get more talking in next Bettysday if, with a bit of Araminta spirit, we put on our own tea at my house.

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    1. I actually had this brilliant idea where we have tea at my house, and invite the Betty Boys, but in the spirit of masculinity allow them to work outdoors instead of sitting around chatting, and do a lot of mulching and weeding and mowing and digging and chopping and other butch and useful things, and we throw a few beers and hard lemonades at them from time to time. What do you think?

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    2. In oil stained shorts? hee hee.

      B von S

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  6. Dear Bettys all! I am nearly weeping (grizzling into grey wool superfine, no doubt) at the pictures of such fabulous, superlative, incomparable Betty-Awesomeness! I was with you in spirit!

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    1. Were you ever! As were your entire family, born and unborn, and your BFF. And if Betty JoDee said anything nasty about your taste in fiction, I shan't mention it.

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    2. We all know this, of course, but it's worth writing down that "such fabulous, superlative, incomparable Betty-Awesomeness" came about only because, in the early winter days of 2009, you and Betty Debbie set the thread spinning that would weave itself, less than three years later, into eight people sitting down together, 3,000 miles from you, to discover common interests, childhoods in Hawai'i and Texas, and sharp differences of opinion on authorial responsibility. Eight people who would never have met each other (except Betty Barbara and Betty Mickie) if you hadn't brought us together. I think that's kinda cool. Was it anything you expected as you 'began as you meant to go on'?

      Confidential to Betty von Susie: I make it a practice not to inquire into the source of any stains on the Jonkheer's shorts.

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    3. When Betty Keira and I began this journey we thought that we would be pretty much the only passengers. Sure, we could expect a little tagging along from close friends (Betty Kylene, I'm looking in your general vicinity) and possibly family. We were beyond thrilled when Betty Magdalen hopped on board.

      It's pretty awesome that we have so many sister (fellow?) Betty fans - we really should plan another get together. Betty Con 2013?

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    4. Betty van den Betsy,
      Do you have a long pole with a hook on the end for dropping them into the washing machine? Kidding.

      I really want to get myself a tshirt with my favorite Betty quote on it, but I like so many of them. I think I must go with "Charles is purring".

      B von S

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    5. Awwww, Betty von Susie, that is so sweet. Charles is purring. sigh

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  7. Betty Margaret/Mickie here - call me what you like, just call me for tea!

    I thank Betty Barbara, my BFF (Betty friend forever, of course)for sending on the peacock fascinator pictures I sent her. I sent them before our get together to check out whether she wanted to be seen in public with me decked out like that, or if, perhaps, she would have the driver of her socking great Bentley run me down when I arrived at her estate...

    Betty van den Betsy failed to mention that there was a sharp intake of envious breath from all present when she arrived. She was arrayed in a summer frock, a lovely hat, and GLOVES!

    I believe the concensus is that we need to do this again next year. I can offer up my house, which, admittedly, would be a bit further for everyone but The Pennysylvania Bettys. But I've got experience on my side, since I've hosted a Bettysday tea before. Check it out - there are pictures of those present on this very blog! (Technically, there are pictures of our court shoes...)

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  8. How Betty A. Makes the Basis for a Claim That Profiteroles Are a Breakfast Food
    Photo: shutterstock.com

    Recipe:
    If you want to make a very special breakfast in bed to celebrate a special occasion, this Chocolate Dipped Profiteroles, Vanilla Whipped Cream and Strawberries in Grand Marnier recipe from Executive Chef Brian Feirstein at Cask 63 American Eatery & Wine Bar in Scottsdale, Arizona might just be the perfect choice!

    very special breakfast ☑ Since you are to be their guest, Betty Magdalen would start reading cookbooks weeks in advance to conjure up a very special treat for your very first breakfast in their home and, every day, she would make time to discuss her plans with Cook.
    in bed ☐ You would not want to make extra work for your host’s trusted retainers – carrying trays upstairs – and would be prepared to have your breakfast in the kitchen with the servants, but, of course, the RBBBNACCM, your hostess’s husband, would not allow you to have your morning meal anywhere else other than with them, in the small breakfast room, a small, panelled apartment at the side of the house.

    special occasion ☑ Your very presence in their home would make it a special occasion for Betty Magdalen.

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    1. I've made profiteroles before as they happen to be Betty Ross's favorite dessert. He might balk at eating them for breakfast *but* I could claim they were Quality Control Samples to ensure that the ones I would make for dessert were PERFECT.

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    2. I made cream puffs before, ages ago, large ones. And once I helped make little swans, they were assembled with whipped cream. I have a recipe for profiteroles, where you pile them up like a pyramid and then pour on caramel (caramelized sugar) and they are served with raspberry coulis. I think they were filled with whipped cream. Did you figure out what RBBBNACCM stands for? Daresay you did. I think I should find that recipe again.

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    3. The pyramid of cream puffs (can also be a cone) is called croquembouche. This I have not made...

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    4. Oh, right, croquembouche, in my mind, I must have mixed two recipes into one.

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  9. Many, many thanks to Betty van den Betsy for making a wonderful day happen! And for her fabulous charts. Having consulted the master chart this morning, I am at exactly 40 read, 95 to go. Soon to be 89 thanks to generosity of Betty Barbara....

    I am more than happy to assist with any planning or organizing required for BettyCon 2013, to include hosting anyone who needs a place to stay. Next year I'll unearth photos of my Air Force buddy's wedding at Heidelberg Castle for show and tell (same guy in the Sarajevo pictures by the bobsled run). Betty had that description spot-on as well.

    If anyone is in the DC area on Halloween, join Betty van den Betsy and come to my house (walking distance from the Pentagon, for geographical reference) for our annual Halloween party! Kids trick-or-treat with the mijnheers (fortified by go-cups of margaritas), mevrrows hang at the house, vats of chili and chile stew for all. A great time will be had by all! Door prize for the most Betty-esque costume!

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  10. What a fabulous gathering! Thank you so much for all the wonderful pictures. So awesome to put faces to all the Bettys! I'm trying so hard not to be jealous, but rejoice for the wonderful time you all had!

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