The Emilie Loring Collection

In the search for renewed vitality, a feeling of refreshment, Emilie Loring’s novels light the way.

“If, when they reach ‘the end’ they forget to go back for their problems and march blithely toward the day’s work pepped up and refreshed, refreshed—it’s a great word, isn’t it—I shall feel that I have achieved something.” Give Me One Summer

There may be no formula for an Emilie Loring novel, but there are some reliable ingredients that we can employ in our own lives:

Humor –

“The therapeutic value of laughter is inestimable when problems seem unsolvable…” Stars in Your Eyes

“A day out”

“Get out.  Go somewhere.  Follow a rainbow.” There Is Always Love

Jerry Courtlandt rides across the range; Julie Lorraine shoots the rapids at the reversing falls; Di Vernon goes trout fishing; and Gay Romney heads to New York for a night of theater and fine dining. It doesn’t much matter what the day includes, as long as it is pleasant and the “everyday” is left behind.

“There are always free lectures somewhere; good pictures or a bit of music.” The Mother in the Home

Something good to eat

“Try one of those slivers of toast spread with orange marmalade.  I’ll bet you’ve never tasted anything more delicious.” Across the Years

She spread out the tempting lunch.  Gulls’ eggs stuffed with anchovy; sandwiches so wafer thin you could taste the knife, as the English say.  Little balls of minced salmon, coated with tomato jelly. A jar of mayonnaise to accompany them. Dates stuffed with orange marmalade or marshmallows. Coffee, hot pungent.  Lighted Windows

A bit of shopping

Easily the best example of the lift a day of shopping can bring comes from Fair Tomorrow:

He looked straight at her without a sign of recognition, before he turned to glare at a wall clock, to impatiently confirm its story by a glance at his watch. Why should he know her? Hadn’t she spent the morning and most of the electrical equipment money in an attempt to look as little as possible like the girl who had entered his office? To save precious time she had confided to a shopping expert what she wanted, what she had to spend and the brief time in which she had to spend it… The result was the hat of the week, with a sparkling clip the twin of one which glittered on her antelope bag, a chic short-sleeved black velvet frock with a coat for street and luncheon, cream chamois gloves, a string of synthetic pearls… She had emerged with a modish wave in her hair, a touch of perfume under one ear and a glaze on her nails like a opaline glass. ..

“If a demure little Quaker had suddenly gone tap-dancer I couldn’t be more surprised. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Dual personality. I told you that I shed my work-day line with my linen frock.”

Time in the outdoors:

The air was sweet with the breath of blossoms, spicy with the tang of kelp and the scent of balsam, spruce, pine and arborvitae.  From a tree-top drifted the throaty call of a plover. Give Me One Summer

She crossed to the window which faced the ocean.  How she loved it, loved its ever-changing values. Some days there were only blues, all tints and shades; sometimes just green with nothing else but sparkle; and sometimes it was a study in gray, sullen and menacing with not a suggestion of color.  With Banners

Social occasion:

“I was brought up in a family which had to have its afternoon tea though the heavens fell.” There Is Always Love

Our own Emilie Loring Tea is just days away!

Please send photos and a short description of your tea to:

contact@pattibender.com

I will begin publishing shortly after tea-time and continue throughout the day and into the next. 

As always, it’s nice to evoke Emilie Loring in some way–use your imagination! And tell us a little about your tea, so we can appreciate it with you.

Time to oneself

Now she craved time to think, to recollect herself–she had seen that phrase somewhere lately and liked it.  Recollect oneself.  It meant so much. A Certain Crossroad

Lissa Barclay had her own lighthouse. Debbie Randall wrote in a log cabin on a private island–lovely images of solitude.

Mystery, adventure, and a love story, too.

And for these, we have thirty-plus novels from which to choose!

Happy Landings, Everyone!

Please join us for tea!