Celebrating Jane Austen's Birthday with JASNA-UT

This past week, on Jane Austen's 236th birthday the Jane Austen Society of North America, Utah Chapter, hosted a tea in her honor commemorating the 200th year since her first book, Sense and Sensibility was printed.

The tea was held at my historic  home in Payson, Utah where we all sat down amidst antique furniture, some of it English, and partook of a somewhat traditional English Tea, including cucumber sandwiches, crumpets, marmelaide and clotted cream.

We enjoyed a presentation by a fellow member, Elaine Carlson, in which she talked about and showed us her 1/2 size replica of Jane Austen's personal quilt, put together with her mother and sister, and currently on display at Chawton.

Aspen Anderson, the president of our chapter, and my friend Paulette browse through the folder provided by Elaine with notes and pictures about the development of quilting in England.

Ann, another of my friends who visited out group, is shown with the book she won in our raffle.  The book is Second Impressions, by Sandy Lerner.  It is being billed as the first really historically correct sequel to Pride and Prejudice. We can't wait to read it.

Last of all we had a discussion about Sense and Sensibility.  It was fun to have everyone share their favorite parts.  We even discussed which we considered to be the best movie adaptations.

Sharee, who was been a member even before we had a chapter in Utah, brought along her copy of Sense and Sensibility so that she could share her favorite bits.

The tea party was delightful, we all learned a lot about English quilts in general and Jane Austen's quilt in particular.  Our next event will be a Regency Ball that will occur in Salt Lake City the weekend before Valentines Day, an event not to be missed.

"It is such a happiness when good people get together - and they always do." -Jane Austen, Emma