Friday night, we broke out the cheese and crackers, opened the first of many bottles of wine and sat down to get to know each other or to renew old acquaintances.

Some gifts were given. Hil received a collage of her board logos and other art work as a thank you for all the lovely images she has made for Pemberley. Amy was given a scrapbook containing letters of thanks and tribute to Pemberley written over the last two years.

The ice breaker was The Lady Catherine Game. This is described on the linked page, but it was, essentially, everyone giving advice as a particular Austen character. Cheryl read the replies and we all had to guess which character had written it.






Friday ended with a beautiful sunset over the marsh in back of the lodge, but activities continued inside until the wee hours of the morning. At hand at all times was a TV, VCR and a sack of all Austen adaptations currently available (with the unfortunate exception of Clueless). This made for some late night screenings throughout the entire weekend. Bits of P&P0, all of Mansfield Park, all of P&P1 and parts of several other adaptations could be found playing at almost any hour.

Saturday morning as most of made our way to the dining hall, Hil, Amy and Arnessa bought bagels and ate them on beach.




Meals were eaten in a common dining room an easy distance from the Lodge. Our first walk to dinner took us past Lake Elizabeth. We took this as a further sign that we had been destined for Craigville. Meals were filling and adequate if not fancy. And they provided a nice interlude in the day and another reason for us all to sit down together. Walking to meals was a group occasion for exercise, grumbling and, on one occasion, sending out for pizza.

Although this group started as just people who needed a place to smoke, it soon became the social center of the weekend. The view was too nice, the location too prime and the people having too much fun to ignore. Everyone drifted in and out of events and conversations and, eventually, ended up with the smokers.

Nan announcing that she had been to Exterminator School and would take care of the mosquito problem (and she did). "Die...."

















After breakfast on Saturday, we sat down to the Power view of P&P. This was a tape of prime moments (read Darcy) edited down from 6 hours to 2. It was just right. The evening would bring a comparative viewing of Emma2 and Emma3, but there were other things to call us outdoors after P&P.






The day was warm, if overcast, and the more adventurous among us had already been for a swim. After lunch, we decided to trek to the beach and make our appearance before the Craigville Beachcam as we had promised to do. So we hiked down to the beach, took many pictures of each other (most of them featuring Janet eating an ice cream cone), and found a helpful young man to take our picture (with many cameras). We spent a while at the beach, enjoying the sun and each other.

Does anyone else think that guy with the camera looks like Hamish MacBeth?

We returned in time for a road trip to the locally renowned Four Seas Ice Cream Parlour. Laurel had been promising us the taste treat of the summer and we were determined to find out. Besides, watching Janet eating her cone with such relish had given us all a burning desire for ice cream.

Saturday afternoon was a lazy time. People napped, walked or sat around the screen porch and talked. There was a lovely flow of people and conversation in and out of the porch as groups came and left. There was always good conversation.



All through Saturday, Carolyn wandered around with her book of stories, observing and taking notes. We can hardly wait for the result.


Terese does a heck of a Miss Bates imitation (vintage Emma2). "Jane always writes on Tuuuesday. Lovely, lovely...."

The afternoon sort of melted into evening. Most everyone strolled to the dining hall for dinner but a few die hards hung in and ordered pizza. What munchies were left from Friday night were set out and more wine was opened. Emma2 was put in the VCR and the evening began.

Genette confessed to having been possessed by her mother, in consequence of which, she made and hauled food up the eastern seaboard. We were treated to her Jezebel Sauce.

At some point during the evening, Golda disappeared upstairs and reappeared in the Regency Garb made for her by Jennie C. She looked very at ease in the dress and it even looked right amid the sea of jeans and shorts in the common room.

As the evening wore on many people stayed and watched both Emmas. But others wandered in and out. The group out back (originally the smokers) had found and lit candles and were sitting around in the darkening night, talking. Nan had performed her extermination miracles and there were few mosquitoes to be found. By 10:00, the group had swelled to double its original size and laughter began to spill out into the night.

Can anyone who heard it forget Candace singing the Mr. Collins Song: "Ohhh Mr. Colli-ins. You're such a pompous a-aas."


 











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