Dance of the Virgins, Blog Love and a Recipe


Are you familiar with the 'Dance of the Virgins'? 
I wasn't and when my blogging friend, Lisa, mentioned it in one of her letters
I had to know more.  Lisa and I are both Virgo's, writing every now and again about this and that.
When she mentioned a special house in Vermont, I was enchanted and wrote about it here.  When she mentioned 'Dance of the Virgins',  I just couldn't resist. I had all sorts of visions running thru my head and I needed an explanation. Lisa was happy to oblige. I also asked her to spread a little Blog Love
to a few of her favourite blogs. Lisa is blogless in Vermont (I am hoping she will start one)
but an avid reader :) I count myself  one of the lucky ones!


Dance of the Virgins
Lisa's "Dance of the Virgins" remembrance:
"We met through work at the Real Estate office I was managing.  First Sandi and Holly and then Ginette.  All Virgos, we were connected by a shared aesthetic, work ethic, warped sense of humor and varying degrees of fussiness. Our birthdays range from late August through late September, two of them on the cusp and two of us only a day apart.  We loved each others houses, but decided upon Holly's rambling farmhouse for the annual celebration, the "Dance of the Virgins".  Held in September,  we would have a potluck feast spread on her antique harvest table, filling our plates with treats such as Lavender Scones, or a dense and sinful Chocolate Loaf with Raspberries. Holly giggles (which she does the best!) when she remember serving Mimosas, but making tea for Sandi and I. There was no dancing, we were all past being virgins in any sense of the word and it wasn't just for the four of us.  We were aware of needing a token Sagittarius (Lori) or Aquarius (Michaela) to keep it light and fun.  We did this for years until it grew beyond birthdays into a monthly "girl's night out" celebration with a fair portion of the zodiac present at a local restaurant.  There is no doubt that if Jeanne were to move back to the States, we would have to resurrect the tradition. She's "one of us" as well!  I would have to include my other two dear friends, Hilda and Cheryl.  Both are Geminis, with birthdays a day apart. There are few in life who become your "cup of tea" friends, the ones who nurture your soul.  How do you celebrate each other?"


I can tell you right now, I am tempted to create a 'Dance of the Virgins' extravaganza!
I have visions of the spirited ladies in the movie Ya Ya's of the Sisterhood 
around the table with lots of laughter. It would be the very best way to celebrate each other.




I must say...
I feel a most definite Ya Ya moment coming on!
Some serious head dress envy is going on right now :)


It would be magic to create a 'Dance of the Virgins' 
with friends, don't you think? I hope this inspires you :)





By this point, you may be wondering who Lisa is....
Here she is with Scottish singer-songwriter, Al Stewart...another Virgo.

Lisa and Al Stewart
She writes....
And to carry on the Virgo theme, I've attached a photo of myself with fellow Virgo, Al Stewart ("Year of the Cat" fame).  This was taken at my home after a concert I had produced for the The Old Meeting House in Francestown, NH.  A clip of that concert can be found on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btv0BZdQYNw
 Featured in this video is my former neighbor, Matt Savage.  Matt is autistic, but his passion for music has rewarded him with an early pass to Berklee School of Music as well as his own jazz trio, television appearances and CD's. At my request, I had asked Matt's mom if he would accompany Al on one of my favorite songs, "The Year of the Cat".  Perhaps on 12 yrs. old at the time, he never rehearsed with Al Stewart, who showed up 15 minutes before showtime. They had no idea what to expect.   To this day, I laugh through my tears as Matt repeatedly tinkles the piano keyat the end, to show us it is out of tune!!
 Hugs,
Lisa


Lisa's 'Blog Love' list....
(Our company facebook page is blessed to have to insightful, 
creative writing of Paschal MacMurray 
who reminds us of our connection to others):  
(aka Holly's blog!):  
(Deirdre & Caleb are Vermont authors & 
restaurant owners who write about food, passions and travel): 
(I see a "cottage theme" in blog love here!)  
I love Janet's classic style!:

 lastly...
Oh...PS, feel free to share the Lemon Bread recipe.  
I had the pleasure of sharing this recipe when I went for tea 
and a visit to another Virgo your readers may know...
the late Vermont author and illustrator Tasha Tudor.  
Another story for another time!

Lisa's Luscious Lemon Loaf

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. Butter, Softened
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
½ Cup Milk
1 ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
Freshly Grated Zest of 1 Lemon
Lemon Glaze: ½ Cup Sugar (or more)
Juice of 1 Fresh Lemon

Instructions:
.  Melt butter in small pan  -  add to 1 Cup Sugar

.  Add eggs, lemon zest and mix
.  Stir in flour, baking powder, milk
.  Pour into greased and floured loaf pan
.  Bake 1 hour in preheated 350 degree oven (I put stove timer on for 
50 minutes and start testing for doneness with a toothpick)
.  When done, remove from oven and lightly poke holes on top with a fork.  
Spoon lemon glaze over top and put back in oven for another 5 minutes.
.  Cool…Can be frozen for a month or two, or eaten right away!

Many thanks to Lisa for sharing her stories, spreading a little 'Blog Love' and providing us with this luscious lemon loaf recipe. Such a small world we live in. When you come to think of it....wouldn't it be fun to have our own Blogging Dance of the Virgins??? I think we should start by creating our own head dress and posting on it!! What say you?

I leave you on that note with a little movie clip
 from Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. 
Best wishes for a wonderful weekend...
may it be filled with joy :)
Jeanne xxx



movie photos Total Film and Yahoo Movies

Comments

  1. You met Tasha Tudor? . . . are you kidding me? My daughter will be thrilled to know this. Our youngest has practically every book she wrote or illustrated. And her videos etc. Great fun.

    fondly,
    Glenda

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  2. Well, I loved reading this post as I am one of the original "dance of the virgins" attendees! It was a lot fun and we had a lot in common. Miss Lisa a lot now that she lives in Vermont!
    Ginette

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  3. ...love this Jeanne...didn't make it into the Virgo circle by a couple of days myself...but fell into the Libra pot!
    Great weekend to you!

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  4. To Glenda..yes, I had the great fortune of spending time with Tasha and her family when I organized a talk and tea for her in N.H. Fellow "Dance of the Virgins" friends gladly donned aprons to serve! I have correspondence and a beautiful charcoal drawing she did of my cat, but my dearest memory was being invited to her house for tea. I brought along my lemon bread and after a chat in her kitchen, she took me for a tour of her gardens. A lovely, talented woman...a magical day.

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  5. You funny, funny girl, Jeanne! As a fellow Virgoan, I would gladly join in (although I think it should me renamed the 'Dance of the Virgoans' - you know the pedant in me can't resist!). Just delightful. J x

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  6. Jeanne, this is such a fun post that I shared it on facebook :)
    Have a great weekend.
    Hugs,
    Becky

    ReplyDelete
  7. Glenda...I wish I had met Tasha, I see Lisa (Itztru) has left a message for you :)

    Ginette..welcome!! It is nice to put another face to the cast :)

    Ilse...we are still kindred spirits, close enough!

    Jane...I think Dance of the Virgoans has a nice ring to it too ;)

    Thank you Becky, that is very nice to hear!!

    Lisa....I feel another post coming on !

    ReplyDelete
  8. “The word ‘virgin’ did not originally mean a woman whose vagina was untouched by a male, but a free woman, one not betrothed, not bound to, not possessed by any man. It meant a female who is sexually and hence socially her own person."

    ReplyDelete
  9. First...I LOVE watercolor paintings and this one is exceptionally beautiful!!

    I'm a plain old Cancer but LOVED the movie "Ya-Ya's of the Sisterhood". I have a favorite Ya-Ya in my life too so that's fun as well. Women who share a bond of friendship bring such true pleasure to one's life!

    Lemon bread is a favorite of mine, as are all things lemon...just made Almond Cake last night with a lemon glaze, yum!

    Meeting Tasha Tudor had to be marvelous...post about THAT!!

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  10. I felt such a warm sense of empathy. How blessed you are, Jeanne, to be part of such a fabulous sisterhood.

    The Ya Ya Sisterhood is definitely for real. When we were in New Orleans during the Christams holidays, I ran into a gal I hadn't seen for years. We fell in step, as if not a day had passed. Going home is as spiritual as it is geographic.

    And thanks for the recipe. Copied it down. Can't wait to make.

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  11. Thanks for sharing. I will definitely try the lemon bread recipe.

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  12. Love this post as well as the Dance of the Virgins and the Ya Ya head dress as well! But, Al Stewart's Year of The Cat, such a fabulous song, I could listen to it over and over again! Thank you for introducing us to Lisa! With much love, Your Scorpio friend..xoxo

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  13. What a fabulous idea. I have a group of girlfriends that I meet up with every couple of months. We have known each other since we were 4 years old and have a friendship that has stood the test of time. I will suggest the Dance of the Virgins to them :)

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  14. Love this post, particularly since I am a Virgo myself. And that is one recipe I definitely will write down in my recipe book. Whether I'll be brave enough to attempt making it, I can't say.
    Wishing you a beautiful week, beautiful Jeanne.

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  15. wonderful post! text, images...Happy new week!

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