A Seat at Her Table

  “I entered this incarnation on March the 29 th , A.D. 1831 at the ancient town of Ulverston, Lancashire, England … I brought my soul with me – an eager soul, impatient for the loves and joys, the struggles and triumphs of the dear, unforgotten world.”   So wrote the late Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr of her birth into the world on this date in 1831. One of the most prolific writers of the late 19 th Century, author of at least 33 novels, her name has faded in the century that has passed since her death. But what a life she lived – imagine a typical English girl, born as the Victorian Era was dawning – then making the journey to America, settling as a young wife in Galveston, Texas   just after the Civil War – a place less like England could scarcely be imagined! – and finally moving to New York for her final years.   Her English childhood remembrances find their way into much of her writing, I am told.   So she would have understood that: “…in spite ...

 March 28: Today we celebrate two women who chose quite different paths in life, and who lived in very different places and times.  Reba McEntire, American country music singer and actress. Teresa of Avila, a 16th Century Spanish nun later beatified by the Roman Catholic Church.  On busy days like today, that's about all I can post. But it's a start. 

 Hello and Welcome! Great food. History. The incredible contributions of women to history. Imagine combining these things together, celebrating all three in one place. That's what this blog will be about -- my attempt, ideally, each day, or as often as I can, to note the birthday of a woman famous or not so famous, who made or is making an impact on the world. If we know what food she loved most, or what was enjoyed in her time and place, we'll talk about it, too.