Georgiana's Visit: Indoor Fun on a Snowy Day

Trudy here. Everyone at Islandshire has really been enjoying their time with Harriet and Eliot's cousin, Georgiana. She's very friendly and lots of fun! So, it's time for the Gazette to report on the local happenings.

We couldn't leave the island while she was here, because the outside country spent the whole time in the midst of a crazy ice storm . . . not to forget the snow, too. As it happened, there was no need to venture out, since there were so many fun things to do!

First, Harriet took Georgiana to some of the best windows to view the snow and ice. Everything was very beautiful and sparkly.

 

After walking about the house and eating breakfast, the girls decided to sit down and read a chapter or two about one of their most illustrious and patriotic ancestors, Sir John Eliot. The story of his famous speech in Parliament was quite riveting!

Harriet (left) and Georgiana (right) reading about their famous ancestor.

The girls were so enthused after their reading that Eliot decided to take them on a tour of the family portraits in the hall. He told them some short stories along the way about the different people in the portraits (Eliot loves to chat about family history and give house tours.). Georgiana was quite taken with the story and portrait of one very shy ancestor who spent his career in Parliament working to abolish the Slave Trade.

Georgiana was having so much fun that Eliot decided to surprise her with something that afternoon! He went into the attic and pulled out an old family trunk . . .

The girls had to close their eyes while Eliot got the old hasps opened up. They had to gasp when they finally got to see the inside.

The trunk was full of family heirlooms! Old clothes and hats and shoes and fans --- all from their many ancestors --- even a beautiful velvet cloak.

Georgiana was at a complete loss to know what look at first. She was wondering if she was allowed to touch anything when Eliot said that they should play dress-up, suggesting that they each pick an outfit belonging to a certain relative.

Now the question was -- where to start? Harriet paged through the clothes and selected a beautiful light pink Regency dress, suggesting that Georgiana try it on, since it belonged to the original Georgiana Eliot.

How amazing ! Georgiana was in raptures and couldn't wait to try the dress! What an amazing experience to wear something belonging to a great-grandmother.

Once all three of them had changed, they almost felt like they had stepped back in time. They hung their own modern clothes in place of the antique ones and posed for some photos.

Here they are, each standing in their costume, and you can see a real portrait for the ancestor who originally wore these same clothes. Eliot is wearing the hunting clothes belonging to a grand ancestor who served with distinction in WWI --- but whose real passion was riding and hunting.

Just when Georgiana felt like the day couldn't get any better, Harriet surprised her again . . .

Time for an old fashioned picnic! Harriet had picked apples from the family orchard, and she had baked Cornish Pasties and Devonshire Cider Cakes from the cherished family recipes. What fun! And how delicious.  

By now the afternoon was pretty well spent, and it was time to get back into their own clothes. Harriet was picking up the cloth from the picnic when Georgiana told her there was a small problem. The girls had hung their outfits up so neatly -- but they looked exactly alike! How could they tell whose dress was whose?

After a closer examination the problem was sorted out, and the girls could change . . .

The fun wasn't quite over, though, because Nanea and Benny had made some snacks and set everything up to watch a movie together. It was starting to get late, but a cousin doesn't come visiting every day, right? So it's okay to stay up a little past bedtime. Everybody got in place on the sofa to let the "Robin Hood" movie begin!

Eliot, Harriet, Georgiana, Nanea and Benny enjoying some popcorn, cupcakes and peanut butter on celery.

The movie was really great, but the boys enjoyed the snacks the most!

The girls were getting pretty tired. In fact, Nanea fell asleep. Harriet and Georgiana weren't far behind her.

More snow was falling outside, but there was a nice fire in the wood stove. So ended one of Georgiana's most perfect days!