Please RSVP in the comments section below so we have the right size table and enough chairs and scones. Betty van den Betsy will make the reservation, in the name of Neels, so you can just arrive at TotT at 3:00pm and declare yourself one of the Neels party. If people want to show up before 3:00pm and browse the shops and shoppes of Ellicott City, feel free to make meet-up arrangements in the comments section. Finally, if you want to try to set up something in another region via the comments section, go nuts. We've got Texans, we've got Great-Lakers, we've got PacNorthwesterners, and we have got a *whole lot* of lurkers.
Jersey dress optional.
Count me as one (hungry) person who'll be there!
ReplyDeleteI always wear a hat....
ReplyDeleteBetty Barbara here--
ReplyDeleteAnd I will be there! Count me in....
(Hmmm....Now to study the wardrobe. I feel a shopping trip coming on!)
I shall make sure Betty Margaret is aware of this.
Ooh, are there any Pacific Northwesterners who would be interested in a (late) Bettysday party? I'm unfortunately out of town for marriage preparation classes Sep 21-23. Anyone up for something the weekend of Sep 29-30?
ReplyDeleteI can't that weekend. The handsome Mijnheer is going to be out of town and I can't swing it...unless it's in the greater Portland area and then, I could manage a babysitter and a tea-room at least.
DeleteDon't forget Sept 15 is the real Bettysday.
DeleteI think that at least for some of the day Professor van der Hertenzoon and I will commemorate by attending the PSU/Navy game and pretend that RDDs are playing rugby....
DeleteDid the professor play rugger? Sensible shoes may be required. The last time I attended a game (baseball) we had seats way, way up... And if one thought the way from the subway station to the stadium was taking forever, although the distance was not all that great, the walkways inside the stadium... Still, it was fun, following and being followed by great hordes of people, like a giant ant trail.
DeleteThe Professor played (and still plays) the American version of netball, i.e., basketball. In fact, he recently broke his nose playing. Afterwards, he--who has never met a shot he didn't like--observed that the only other time he has played defense was thirty years earlier, and he broke his nose that time, too! (Having learned his lesson, needless to say, when cleared by the doctor he'll be back to gratuitous shot-taking and ignoring defense.)
DeleteThe Professor's lofty status at his institution will earn us seats where the air is indeed thin and 17" of seat width....
Sadly, I will be in Seattle on the 28th and 29th. Someone have a cup of tea for me.
DeleteI think Betty Beth is up for a Bettysday celebration in Seattle that weekend, Opramum.
DeleteI could possibly swing the 28th...maybe the 29th. Here's a few options:
DeleteQueen Mary Tea (Near University of Washington)Bettysday 2011 was celebrated here with Bettys Keira and Kylene.
Elizabeth & Alexanders English Tea Room (Bothell)
Attic Secrets (Marysville)
And here is Betty Margaret, having been alerted by Betty Barbara. Count me in, too! Tea on the Tiber is nice - BB and I have celebrated Bettysday there ourselves. Polish your court shoes, Betty Barb...
ReplyDeleteCount me in. I'll leave my combat boots at home.
ReplyDeleteI think they would count as "sensible walking shoes."
Delete"Lace-ups," in fact.
DeleteCount me in! If I ever figure out how to comment as something other than anonymous, I will; but look for Betty Adrianne. Footwear yet undecided.
ReplyDeleteBetty Adrianne, re.: other than anonymous
DeleteYou can either sign your name at the end of each comment, or you can get an OpenID (or create a new OpenID account, if you prefer). Your provider is AOL, right? You know you can have up to seven active Usernames? One of them could be Betty Adrianne.
I've booked the mid-Atlantic party for seven people - but can easily add more, so don't be shy. Ref: footwear; we'll be in the library upstairs, so four steps to the landing and then three more steps or something like that. If anyone is especially arthritic that day, Army Betty and Betty JoDee will carry you up.
ReplyDeleteSssskkkkkEEEEEEEEEE!!! I can't wait to meet you all! Do you want to each bring a Betty-approved gift for her birthday and do a present swap?
I do think each of us should bring one of our favorite novels for the photo shoot.
Betty Ross calls this phenom of our bringing books, "playing Bettys."
DeleteAny chance that Ellicott City has a canal? 'Cause Army Betty could fish out any of us who tumble in....I will indeed be happy to carry anyone up stairs, as long as my hat isn't mussed.
We could bring either Fate is Remarkable or Cassandra by Chance and have a DUEL to see which will REIGN SUPREME...
DeleteBetty Barbara here--
DeleteRe: canal. No, not quite. Right next to the building that houses Tea on the Tiber is a pocket-size park, with a walkway over Tiber Creek. Fortunately, the creek is behaving right now, and is well within its bounds. It could be picturesque enough for photos. A very short walk down Main St brings you to the bridge over the Patapsco River. Also very scenic right now.
You would have to do a good deal of work to fall into either of them!
BTW, I will be bringing Betty books that need a good home.
Call that my Betty-appropriate present to my fellow attendees.
Oh, dear, I do not have an appropriate hat. Any my only jersey dress is a decidedly un-Bettyish leopard print. But I am happy to carry anyone up steps or dive in canals after anyone as required. Which may be easier without a hat.
DeleteDon't worry, Betty Magdalen for one doesn't "do" hats--perhaps because she has a cute mop of curly hair. Those of us with unruly mousey brown hair are more disposed to covering it up with a bit of hat.
DeleteYou could come as a Veronica in your leopard print....
No, but I do have a lovely jersey dress with SERIOUS decolletage. No bony bosoms here... I'm what The Great Betty would call "outsized."
DeleteLeopard it is, then. Every time Veronica comes up in the Land of Betty, I start looking for Archie and Reggie.....
DeleteI am so jealous. And sad. You must post photos.
ReplyDeleteBetty AnoninTX who is miserable because she blindly walked through poison ivy while wearing capris
Could be worse--last week two of The Consequences of Brighton got a poison ivy rash all over their faces the day before starting at their brand new school....
DeleteBetty AnoninTX, check out that teamap site and find yourself a celebratory spot. Maybe Betty von Susie could meet you, or one of our lurkers might tear off her mask...
DeleteI'm in a national park working on a Betty in the Wild project! I will, however, have a cup of tea somewhere somehow.
DeleteBetty JoDee, your poor kids. I am miserable. At least it is just my legs and not my face or arms. Poison ivy rash alternates between intense itching and a painful burning. I know where I blundered through it (hindsight) but loved what I found. I'll tell in my Betty in the Wild post.
Betty AnoninTX
Betty Anonin TX-
DeleteI think people forget how big Texas is. Our towns are 360 miles apart.
B von S
One of the silliest Harlequins I ever read had the heroine out on a West Texas ranch debating whether to shop one afternoon in El Paso or San Antonio for a dress to wear at a party that night!
Delete(For you non-Texas Bettys, it's a lonnnnnnnnnnng way from El Paso to San Antonio with not much population in between.)
Travel in Texas involves lots of gas, hotels for a night or two, many miles. Maybe she owned a plane! Fast horse?
DeleteBetty AnoninTX
I thought you were both somewhere near Austin. Having worked on multi-meeting itineraries involving both Dallas and Fort Worth, I am familiar with the complexities of Texas - the cities are ostensibly next to each other, but it takes almost an hour to get from downtown one to downtown the other. And then you hop a flight (prop!) to Houston for your afternoon meetings...
DeleteOne of my college friends visited Brighton with her beau, and they found a pleasant spot in the dunes for a bit of dalliance, and by evening she was in the emergency room, oozing, scaly, bright red and stark white in the most alarming places. And then she had to explain to her parents why she wouldn't be visiting the next weekend.
The dangers of Brighton are manyfold. Wonder what her parents said...
DeleteLubbock - Betty AnoninTX
Addison - Betty von Susie
Betty AnoninTX [holding up my triggers] Go Red Raiders!!
DeleteBetty van den Betsy, never judge Texas by its cities of D/FW and Houston....
Old saying of driving through Texas: "The sun iz riz, and the sun iz set, and I am still in Texas yet!"
My heart goes out to the poison ivied amongst us. I learned about poison ivy in ROTC summer camp, when sent out on patrol with a kid from NYC -- I'm from New Mexico -- and we didn't know what the heck poison ivy was. So we camouflaged ourselves with it and landed in the dispensary for a couple days. Which is much, much better than having to show up for the first day of school with a rash -- those poor kids!
DeleteThe funny part was that no one asked them about the rash. Since they had never met any of them before, I guess their fellow students were worried that it might have been a permanent condition so didn't say anything about a really, really obvious red rash across their faces.
DeleteI thought that was pretty impressive for elementary-aged kids--made me like the new school even better.
I caught a lady staring at my legs! I know white cortisone cream on bumpy red rash isn't attractive. Still... I also have NINE huge, lumpy mosquito bites on my calves, too. I didn't think I should put bug spray on top of cortisone on top of rash. Mistake. I have learned that if I stand in the shower and move my leg around in the shower water, it is almost as good as scratching!
DeleteBetty AnoninTX
Yea, Betty JoDee! I'm a Red Raider. I can get to Dallas in 6 hours, and it takes 10-11 to get to Houston.
ReplyDeleteBetty AnoninTX
BTW, I had a fabulous cup of tea today! I thanked the Great Betty for her books as I sipped. I will include a photo with my Betty in the Wild report.
ReplyDeleteBetty AnoninTX
Sadly, the next time I will be in Maryland will be in May.
ReplyDeleteEveryone still coming? Betty Adrianne, Army Betty, Betty Barbara, Betty Jodee, Betty Magdalen and Betty Margaret? Please try to bring cash (I think it's $25 or $30), as if we try to pay with seven credit cards they may through us into Tiber Creek, which would hurt as water levels are low.
ReplyDeleteReservation is in the name "Elizabeth Neels."
Betty Magdalen and I are meeting at a roadside inn midway and coming in together in her trusty Mini (or Toyota--whatever).
DeleteI'm planning on bringing English pound sterling just in case some unspeakable named Basil stiffs me for the check (unless, of course, a lint-haired and heavy-lidded placid giant swoops in to take care of the bill for me...).
I do so hope they have a large potted plant in the corner.
I'm there. And we're driving in my car? Why? You've got the socking great Bentley of the two of us. (Don't worry, fellow Bettys, Betty JoDee and I have a lunch in which to argue the point.)
DeleteAbout to drive north in my great socking elderly SUV.
DeleteBetty Adrianne is still planning to attend. I'm hoping that neither air disaster nor demonstrations prevent my attendance. (returns to cutting up draperies for tea party dress...)
ReplyDeleteI'm eaten up with jealousy! It sounds like you'll have SO much fun!
ReplyDeleteThey won't "through" us into Tiber Creek, of course, and evening "throwing" is unlikely. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteBettyAnoninTX, I hope your rash and bites have diminished appreciably. I am so looking forward to your BitW pix. May I suggest against shaving your legs for a few days? I once scratched a mosquito bite with a razor in my hand... On the plus side, it did stop the itching.
I know it's late in the day (4:45pm the day before), but I would love to come. It's an hour(ish) drive for me as I live in Northern Virginia.
ReplyDeleteBetty Sue
Betty Sue, I've left word for Tea on the Tiber that our party's expanded by one. Please do join us -- Neels, party of eight, 3:00pm.
DeleteAnd in my prior, "evening 'throwing' is unlikely"? Double sheesh.
Betty van den Betsy -- I recently hired the services of an editor, a lovely and literate woman. EVERY single email I've sent her has been studded with silly errors. The error-to-word ratio was far higher than my usual rate. All I could think was that I was testing her tolerance so that I'd know she was "safe." (And yes, she's "safe" and lovely and I adore her. Now I just have to finish the book.)
DeleteBetty Barbara here--
DeleteBetty Margaret and I are coming. Don't start without us!
Hey, Betty Barbara, I thought I saw you there on the Conquering the World widget just a while ago (your hair still up in rollers), and I was wondering what you were doing there online when you are supposed to be at Tea on the Tiber at 3:00 p.m. - but then I remembered you live fairly close by.
DeleteIf we had a map of all the Betty's locations an equidistant meeting point could be picked...and since Texas is the center of the universe I vote for Texas.......(and you all thought I thought it was Uithuizen)
DeleteBetty von Susie
Texas IS the center, isn't it!?
ReplyDeleteBvdB, my poison ivy is almost well. No blisters are left, and only one spot still itches. I did, however, add two new mosquito bites yesterday! Thank you for asking.
I am drinking a cup of tea in memory and respect and love for the great Betty. I can hardly wait to see the photos from everyone's tea parties!
Betty AnoninTX