Day 2 in Portland at the JASNA AGM

Rev Henry Tilney at the Team Tilney event.

"Look at Darcy.  Now look at me.  Look at Knightley.  Now look back at me."  You know an event is going to be fun when it starts out with an English actor with a very posh accent, doing a hilarious parody of the Old Spice Man a la Jane Austen.  The first event of the day for us was a panel discussion called "Team Tilney explains it all" and was very funny and quite persuasive.  I am now quite willing to at least put Henry Tilney up there amongst Darcy et al although I may not rank him at the top of the list.  He would need a wet shirt for that methinks.

After this we spent some time outside in the glorious Portland sunshine, which I understand is quite rare.  Mount Hood and it's snow-capped peak was visible in the distance and the trees are just starting to change color.  We had a great lunch and then sauntered back (slowly) for the afternoon sessions.

The first lecture was Stephanie Barron, a writer of Jane Austen mysteries, speaking about "Elements of Mystery in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey".  Made me want to buy her new book Jane and The Madness of Lord Byron.


Then we all went to different breakout sessions.  Our first was on Magic and Muslin, a very entertaining presentation by an unlikely speaker, James Ashley of the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State.  A thoroughly intriguing subject, even if the Austen connection was a stretch.  Didn't matter a whit.  Lots of lively ladies ready for some fun, including the one of whom I took a photo, as her dress was so pretty (her own design).

Sherrean Rundberg, of San Mateo, CA

The next session was by James Nagle, a Washington lawyer, on Regency England's rules on succession and inheritance of property (entail, jointure etc.) which was highly entertaining as the speaker was so good.  He certainly made it clear where some family friction came from in Regency times!

We then went out in the gorgeous sunshine on a special mission for my niece, to get photos of Beverly Cleary's neighborhood in Portland where she set her Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby books.  Photos will follow in a special "Why I now love Portland" blog.

Finished the day with a trip to the famous Powell's book store, where I found this lovely lady on sale for only 10 dollars.  Who knew there was a Jane Austen action figure.  Only in Portland.  Keep it weird Portland!