It's spring!  No, wait, it's winter... No, wait, the sun is shining and I don't even need a sweater... No, wait, is it snowing?  (Yes, it is...) 

Oh, right.  It's March.  Anything goes, and definitely has been going here, from snow last Monday to a sweater-free day this Monday.  My sister in Arkansas is smugly reporting daffodils, crocuses, and even an early azalea.  So there is hope. 

And there is the latest issue of Victorian Times, to enjoy on the porch if the sun is shining, and by the fire if it is snowing.  We have a lovely issue this month, with a charming article on the celebration of the "blessing of the animals" in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  Many of us associate this tradition with St. Francis, but in Mexico it was associated with the feast of St. Anthony! Whichever day it occurs, it's nice to know that this tradition hasn't vanished with modern times (my sister, the one with the daffodils, often ends up in charge of this event at her church).  The issue also looks at European Easter Eggs, including the sort we now know as "Pysanky."

This issue, and the January and February issues, will be included in our next Victorian Times Quarterly print edition, which will be ready by the end of this month and will be announced in the next newsletter.

As always, this issue is available not only by direct download but through DropBox.  If you're already a DropBox customer, accessing the issue will be a cinch.  If you're not, when you click the link I'll provide below, you'll be invited to sign up for their free service. 

The current issue of Victorian Times will remain in DropBox until the next issue is released; then it will be removed, but will continue to be available through the regular web-link.  Please let me know if you have any problems downloading from either source!

Here's what we have in the March issue: 

• The Blessing of the Animals (The Strand, 1900) A lovely ceremony in the Mexican town of Cuernavaca, where on St. Anthony's day the church blesses everything from burros to bunnies.
• American Dinners: How They Are Prepared (CFM, 1881) From "punkin" pie to the ever-present salver of celery, a British author looks at the American dinner table.
• How to Dress Your Children (CFM, 1889) From Jersey suits to sailor's outfits, an overview of "recommended" fashions for children.
• Model Menu for March (GOP, 1893) What to offer for this month's dinner party.
• Life in an American Boarding House (CFM, 1886) "The boarding house as a home is rarely a matter of choice, but it is the best [a married couple] can do to meet the difficulty of living in a country where the conditions of social life are less easy than elsewhere."
• Easter Eggs (GOP, 1899) A look at the beautifully painted eggs of European tradition, including what we know today as Pysanky eggs.
• Out-Door Games From Over the Sea: Marching Games (GOP, 1892) A six-part series that looks at children's outdoor games from around the world, including some marvelous folklore about counting rhymes and other verses! (Warning: Victorian children's rhymes, especially from America, were not always politically correct!)
• Art Needlework (GOP, 1888) Beautiful embroidery patterns that work just as well today as they did more than 100 years ago.
• Mr. Smith and His Friends (CFM, 1886) Third in a series of tales of the adventures of Mr. Smith, a charming fellow generously described as a "dachshund."  (His best friends are the horses.)
• On Gimcracks (GOP, 1896) One thinks of "gimcracks" as being a traditional form of Victorian decorating; here's a dissenting opinion.
• March Lore (ILA, 1846) Country lore, customs and feast days.
• New Ideas for Teas (GOP, 1902) Some ideas for decorations and entertainments.
• Butter and Cream (CFM, 1878) A pair of articles that look at how these essential dairy products are made, not just in Victorian Britain but worldwide, and how to choose the best.
• Fiction: Boney's Bonfire (CFM, 1896) Charming tale of how the threat of Napoleonic invasion saved a thief - and cemented a romance.

Visit http://www.victorianvoices.net/VT/issues/VT-1603.shtml to download this issue!

Download it from DropBox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/626lh01kes0s93d/VT-1603.pdf?dl=0