The Spinster Perfect Love Club

Mills Hotel, Charleston, SC    

In 1862 a young girl in Anderson, S.C. wrote in her diary during the civil war, ending the journal entry with a pledge that she and her spinster friends would meet again at the Mills House Hotel in Charleston on November 5th, 1867 and share a bottle of Perfect Love.

We don't know if they held their meeting or not but today, 150 years later to the day we met in their honor. My friend Josephine Humphreys discovered that there is indeed a drink called Perfect Love - or Parfait Amour. She ordered it to be delivered and let the Mills House know of our plans and we had a meeting of the Spinster Perfect Love Club. It was great fun and a treat to put faces to names primarily from the Charleston History before 1945 group. Thanks for a great afternoon!

Here's the original post where we first discovered perfect love. 

"Anderson, SC, Nov 5, 1862: We, the undersigned, all spinsters, more or less young and all reasonably attractive, do hereby vow and declare, that on the 5th day of November, 1867, being five years from this date, we will meet in the parlour of the Mills House, at 12 o’clock, and drink with much solemnity a bottle of Perfect Love, in token of our present friendship and good fellowship. Those who shall meanwhile have entered into the holy bonds of matrimony will be excluded, but hereby promise that in lieu of themselves they will send to the survivors in life and maidenhood a letter describing their position as wives or widows. If one of these below-mentioned subscribers be tempted to forget her promise and refuse to come, or refuse to betray the secrets of her prison house, or write falsely, each of the subscribers who faithfully keeps hers shall be entitled to claim from the defaulter a ring, made of her hair. All this being fully settled and agreed to, we have hereunto set our hands and seals.All’s well that ends well. 

Magdalen Elizabeth Keith; Sarah Abagail Whaley; Anna Bella Keith; Anna Charlotte Keith; Members of West End Club 

from http://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/lcdl/catalog/lcdl:40742

Not many of us if any, are actually spinsters and the drink was pretty awful but we did have a grand time!

Signs of happy times

Mills House Hotel, Queen St., Charleston, S.C.

I love the look of colorful towels drying on a porch railing. It speaks so much of summer fun even when it's in a snazzy downtown hotel. I hope this family is having a wonderful lowcountry vacation.

Back from jury duty. I don't have to report each morning until 9:30 a.m. which almost feels like a day off in my world. I may get lazy and fat on this jury business since I've been eating out each day instead of my usual scrap of hospital cafeteria salad.

Today a few of my fellow well labeled JURORS walked down to G & M for their lunch special and I kicked myself for not going there more often. It was so yummy. I'll be back! Maybe tomorrow ;). Meanwhile, you know the drill - I can't talk about it.

Keeping up appearances

Mills House Hotel, Meeting St., Charleston, S.C.

The photo of the beautiful Mills House hotel has nothing to do with my whining entry except that I simply want to move in and live there.

People asked all day if I had a good Mother's Day and I've been scowling and saying, "No". Grrrr.

Many of you know that I rent out the basement and upstairs back room in this old barn of mine. I'd love to sell my house and downsize to something smaller and manageable but that isn't going to happen for a while. Meanwhile, it's a great place to live, except that it is a very, very old house held together by a hundred and fifty years of paint layers, and I have to deal with tenants. I've been extraordinarily lucky with my tenants, but even though it's strictly forbidden, sometimes they leave. I must not be baking enough cookies.

Upstairs tenant left and was kind enough to recruit a replacement but after all these years I almost slip into a depression each time they turn over. I dread opening that door, cleaning another bathroom, wiping everything down, spackling nail holes, painting baseboards to freshen it up for the next occupant and that is what I did yesterday. Blah.

I finally called my handyman since the back door has been gradually settling in one direction while the house has settled in another. When he said, "Do you want me to finish sanding those walls and slap some paint on while I'm at it?" I almost hugged him in pathetic gratitude. I am too old for this.

Meanwhile, my son got back in town and took me out to Brett's Roadside Kitchen on James Island for dinner tonight. I just got back and I can hear my handyman humming while he works. Things are looking up.