The Third Annual Willow Manor Ball

We have our invitation in hand. I asked my husband, the gentlest Southern gentleman of all, to take me to the Third Annual Willow Manor Ball. He is very happy to be driving the Maserati Quattroporte, carefully chosen by our car-fanatic son.

He thoughtfully made sure that my entire gown, with the coat, made it inside the car. We could have called for a limo, but the prospect of driving this car made him giddy and I couldn’t deny him. We drive past miles and miles of grand properties; which one will be the fabulous Willow Manor?

Is that a giant, dare I say it, willow ball?

I think we have arrived – in every sense of the word!

On our way to the ballroom, we peek into a sideroom, rich with wood paneling. This might be a nice place to take a break later in the evening.

We enter the ballroom. Giant crystal chandeliers illuminate the wood paneling. We see Ken Marten's striking floral creations of Vanda orchids and dogwood branches in glass cylinders at the bars and buffet tables matching the tall floor versions at the entry.

Every table is adorned with this lush jewel-toned centerpiece of hydrangeas, cock’s combs (Celosia), red roses, and leucadendrons by Sue Arran.

I notice, by sheer coincidence, that my attire matches the decor beautifully. What is that you say? You would like to see what I am wearing?

But first, let me show you my undergarments. Pardon me? You would like to skip this step and see my outfit? Please take up your complaints with Lady Ruth, she’s the one who put me up to this. While you are there, you can see what she is wearing to the ball.

Where was I? Ah yes, my unmentionables. Mr. Dior told me “Without foundations there can be no fashion.”

Now I will show you what I'm wearing.

My 1954 vintage outfit was created by genius designer, Christian Dior. Designed during the year of my birth, the red chiffon dress with the Tudor bodice and the matching taffeta coat and belt was instantly appealing to me. Because I had so little time this week, I asked dear Mr. Dior to also accessorize it for me. The matching set of earrings, necklace, and bracelets for both (!) wrists do not overwhelm the ensemble because the red rubies (this is a fantasy, after all) blend in so beautifully. I love my only non-red accessory, the golden dancing shoes. I may actually last more than a dance or two in these.

Speaking of dancing, I must leave you for a few minute because Southern Gent Husband and I would like to take a spin on the dance floor. Michael Buble is singing one of my favorite Henry Mancini songs “Meglo Stasera” from the movie “The Pink Panther”.

Oh my goodness, we can’t leave the dance floor just yet. He’s now singing Van Morrison’s “Moondance”.

I am getting mighty thirsty now. Southern Gent Husband knows just what to bring me: an exotic lychee martini. We both realize that we worked up quite an appetite. As always, Dan McCall Catering has impeccable service and outstanding food. We choose a plate of coq au vin with mashed potatoes…

…and delicious fresh vegetables.

The back wall of the room is lined with the magnificent willow balls like the one we saw in the garden.

We climb into one to savor our food and do some serious people watching. You can view all that we witnessed on Willow’s blog.

Thank you, Willow, for being the most gracious hostess of this grand event. We look forward to attending again next year!

Sources:

• Maserati Quattroporte
• Both giant willow balls by Frances Keenan, first photo from Helen's Manor
• Garden: Hellen's Manor
• Wood-paneled room: Sloane Mansion
• Dogwood and Vanda orchid arrangement: Ken Marten
• Hydrangea, Celosia, rose, leucadendron arrangement: Sue Arran Flowers
• Corset, Red chiffon dress with Tudor bodice and red tafetta coat: Christian Dior, scanned from Dior in Vogue, photos by Clifford Coffn

Macro Monday - Red Currants

Red currants (Ribes rubrum) observed at Norwegian Museum of Cultural History  (Norsk Folkemuseum) at Bygdøy  in Oslo, Norway. I have fond memories of eating fresh red currants with vanilla pudding during my childhood in Amsterdam.

For other Macro Monday images, please visit Lisa here. 

Willow Ball - I don't have a thing to wear

"Torso" by artist Robert Graham, on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills

It's the talk of the town, the event of the season: The Third Annual Willow Ball. Dance over to Willow Manor  and you will find an invitation extended by our gracious hostess Willow.

I'm practicing my dance moves  à la dancing goddess Cyd Charisse; watch this film clip with Gene Kelly in the classic Singin' in the Rain here. 

Image

Since this is a fantasy ball, I assume Willow will have the strategically-placed fans and the grand staircase adjoining the ballroom.  The fantasy continues as my date and I clear the dance floor while admiring eyes watch us flawlessly perform this dance.

Won't you join the fun?

The Viking Ship Museum - Gokstad ship

As beautiful as the ceremonial grandeur of the Oseberg was, the simple grace of the Gokstad was the ship at the Viking Ship Museum that took my breath away. Intuitively, this longship looked more seaworthy than the Oseberg. I later learned that in 1893 a full-scale replica of the Gokstad successfully completed a 44-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Bergen, Norway to Chicago for the World’s Columbian Exposition. 

Image: http://www.danstopicals.com/gokstad.htm 

Ironically, the exposition was held in celebration of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the western hemisphere in 1492. In a move that predated the term “political correctness”, in order to minimize offending the Columbian Exposition, the ship’s proposed name “Leif Ericson” was rejected in favor of “The Viking”.

Image: Wikipedia 

In 1925 a stamp commemorating the Norse-American centennial depicted the Gokstad’s replica, complete with the American flag at the bow and the Norwegian flag at the stern.

Image: danstopicals.com

* * *

Both the Oseberg and the Gokstad were built using the clinker method where the oak planks overlapped along the edges. The Gokstad is slightly bigger. 

Ship	Length	Width
Oseberg	21.58 meters (70.8 feet)	5.10 meters (16.7 feet)
Gokstad	23.24 meters (76.25 feet)	5.20 meters (17.1 feet)

A single piece of oak was used to ensure the structural integrity of the keel.The length of the keel then determined the dimensions of the rest of the ship. I imagine that the tallest and straightest oaks in the land would be a Viking boat builder’s greatest treasure.

The invention of the keel is one of the key reasons for the Vikings maintained naval superiority for over two hundred and fifty years. A keel allowed the ship to be rowed and sailed as well. The smaller draught, along with a removable rudder, the ship had the distinct advantage of being able to navigate in shallow inland waters.

Remnants of 32 shields, alternately painted black and yellow, along with 16 oars for each side, and a striped woolen sailcloth were excavated from the buried ship. There were no benches, thus it is speculated that the oarsmen sat on their sea chests.

Model of the Gokstad ship
 Image: Wikipedia

Like the Oseberg, the Gokstad was used as a burial chamber. A 50- to 70-year-old male was uncovered with the ship along with some modest grave goods. It is believed that the valuable items were plundered long ago.

The third ship at the Viking Ship Museum is a 22-meter fragment of the Tune ship.

The incomplete state of this ship reminds us how remarkable the nearly complete finds of the Oseberg and Gokstad were.

A Foggy Night at AT & T Park

Our friends Jane and Joe invited my husband and me to a San Francisco Giants game on Wednesday night. It was one of those magical, perfect evenings at the best address in baseball.

AT & T Park was packed and the crowd was revved up because we were playing our rivals: the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

The fog began to roll in, giving the stadium that only-in-San-Francisco look...

My favorite player this season is #17 Aubrey Huff.

He brought in the last run, giving the Giants a 2-1 win.

Thank you, Jane and Joe, for a winning evening!

Last night, for the first time since May 6th, the Giants pulled ahead to the top of the National League West. Woohoo - Go Giants! 

Macro Monday - Oseberg Detail

When I was trolling through reviewing my Norway photos for my next post, I ran across this detail of the Oseberg ship. I rejected it for the post I wrote because it was out of focus. I like how the photo shows off the original rivets and the craftsmanship of the woodcarver.  I decided to fiddle around with the sharpen settings in PhotoShop and came up with this. It's still not great, but what do you think? You can see it larger here. Should I have published this? Here's the original picture; click to enlarge it.

See other Macro Monday posts at Lisa's Chaos. 

The Viking Ship Museum in Oslo - Oseberg Excavation

During our stay in Oslo, we ferried over to Bygdøy peninsula where we spent the day visiting several impressive cultural and historical museums. The Oslo Pass proved to be a great investment because it was accepted on the public ferry to Bygdøy and at all the museums here.

The Viking Ship Museum was a great treat for my brother-in-law because, like his father did, he works on the San Francisco Bay every day. We say that he has salt water running through his veins, no doubt a trait that passed down from his Norwegian ancestors.

The Oseberg Viking Longship

The Oseberg Viking longship is the world’s most complete ship ever found. A farmer discovered the ship in 1903 while he was digging in a mound on his farm. The following summer, Swedish archeologist Gabriel Gustafson led an excavation team for five months until the last piece of the the 70-foot longship was unearthed. The blue clay of the mound preserved the wood for longer than a millenium.

Image: Univeristy of Oslo 

It was determined that the ship dates from before the year 800 and that she was buried since 834. Conservators spent twenty-one years meticulously restoring the ship using almost all of the original wood and even many of the original iron rivets. Unfortunately, the conservation method of boiling the oak in a concentrated solution of alum rendered the wood brittle as crisp bread. In 1926, the delicate ship was moved to her new, custom-made home where she still stands today.

Image: Univeristy of Oslo 

She is housed in the first room of the Viking Ship Museum which is bathed in a beautiful blend of natural and understated man-made lighting with a ceiling that is shaped like an upside down ship hull. As I was taking the photo at the top of this post, my son sidled up next to me and suggested that I take a couple of steps to the left. Then I saw what he saw...

...a shadow twin.

The frond-like prow ...

.... turned out to be the head of a serpent...

... with its body intricately carved along the keel and terminating with  its tail at the stern:

A giant serpent emerging out of the fog would feed any fears and “confirm” numerous sightings of legendary sea monsters.

The Oseberg was thought to only be seaworthy enough for coastal voyages. A full-scale copy of the ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea during trials in 1987. The New Oseberg Ship Foundation hopes to make new replica.

The Oseberg's elaborate ornamentation suggests its use as a ritual vessel and, in fact, the ship was used as a burial chamber. When found, it contained the remains of two women with livestock and objects to be used for the afterlife. The opulence of the grave goods in the ship and the attire of the women suggested  that at least one of them was of very high status. They even unearthed the remains of a peacock which must have been an exotic pet.

The Oseberg Cart

The women were reburied in the original Oseburg mound, but many of the artifacts are on display in the museum. The extravagantly-carved Oseberg cart is the oldest known vessel with wheels in Norway.

It is believed that the artist who carved the decorations of the Oseberg ship also executed the carvings on the cart. The front of the cart depicts a pit of snakes...

...surrounding a man believed to be Gunnar in the snake pit of Viking mythology. 

Gunnar was chained and thrown into a pit of snakes but played a harp with his toes so well that all but one snake were lulled to sleep. Tragically, the final adder killed him.