This month we found time to wander about after a conference and ended up in Wintertur, a vast estate in Delaware with home, gardens and endless collections of furniture, porcelain, needlework and so much more.
To our surprise, we were able to visit a tiny snippet of Downton Abby through a beautiful display of clothing worn by various characters in the first season of the show.
We were not alone.
Swarms of studious individuals joined us to linger about the display which was laid out in a corner of one floor of this 175 room mansion.
We entered through the 'kitchen', or so it seemed. Remember the bells that ring at the beginning of each episode? If one pulled very hard on a brass knob, one bell would ring.
Much was hand sewn.
I wanted to touch but, of course, we couldn't.
So, I lingered longer at each article of clothing and simply 'studied' each hand-sewn stitch.
RICH with detail: even in the clothing of the kitchen maid.
We even saw what a breakfast tray looked like.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to linger in bed and be served on such a lovely tray?
Who cares what the food is like - although I am sure it was delicious. The porcelain was a delight to the eye.
Of course, we all need a lovely rose to begin the day.
And the freshly ironed newspaper to keep my fingers from absorbing any ink, of course!
Fine linen with embroidery to match the china was a 'must' I'm sure.
The attention to detail was much like one would see in the Smithsonian Institute.
Above is an illustration of how most items were displayed.
Although there were videos replaying scenes, I loved the written explanations with the face of the one who wore the garment.
Maggie Smith is beyond exceptional in her role and her clothing was magnificent.
Every detail was hand stitched and we only saw it for about 5-10 minutes. The attention to detail did not go to waste at this exhibit.
You may have missed this one. Cora attends the theatre.
We never did see such elegant detail of the dress much less the velvet cloak that hid most of it.
My eye catches the beautiful 'cross' of embroidery with velvet appliqué drawing our eye to the center. It's a feast for the eyes as well as the soul.
Look at the hand stitching on the coat!
I may be wrong but this looks like a dress Mary wore. Again, each rose is hand stitched on a panel that adds a bit of weight to the airy flow of silk and embroidered chiffon. How many minutes was she in this dress? Who knows. Not enough for my eyes.
And who could forget the moment of engagement! Did you know Mary's dress was this deep ruby silk taffeta? Notice the tiny glass beads sewn around the neck and under each scallop.
Michael's elegant suit was made of very heavy fabric but one could see the detail in the stitching.
And we never saw Mary's full wedding dress on-screen.
A mirror was strategically placed so we could see the fine detail in the train.
Mary carried this garment better than this shows but the back, the part that all the guests see, was a feast for the eyes. Again, detail is exceptional.
Here is closer detail of the train.
Of course I pretended that I was actually standing on the lawn, just about to enter this great edifice. What a delight to have this giant mural in a quiet area for us to take pictures.
A perfect end to a day of lingering at Downton Abby - replicated.
So, why do I reflect on such scenes of opulence?
What does it matter for the days to come?
I learned much about taking great care of what I have and in all I create.
God, our Creator, gave us creativity to create beauty right in our midst.
I am reminded to take care with each word I write or with each stitch I sew when mending a garment.
It is the attention to detail that slows us down.
It's the details that complete who we are.
It's important to linger a bit longer in this hectic electronic age where we complete tasks in sound bites or pixels or tweets.
It's good to know our history and gain a deeper understanding of those who made everything from scratch and those who enjoyed someone else's hard work.
God created each of us with a definite purpose.
Whatever that purpose is, we are created to live it out with attention to the finest detail.
It is good to take pride in that endeavor that meets our purpose.
As we have heard so many times before, it's the "----" between our beginning and our end that says it all. Let's take time to fill that "----" with our best attention to detail.
May we choose, each day, to linger longer with something that is good for our soul.
May our lingering be extended a few more seconds the next time.
May our souls be filled with the detail of God's intentions and purpose for each of us.
