Last week from Monday to Friday we had a delightful visit from the Nhoemvan ladies. Our days here were filled with activities: candle dipping, baking, preparing for the masquerade ball and having the ball, a tea party, and many other things. Preparations for the masquerade ball took all day Wednesday with food, costumes, dance practice, and dance cards.
We had some very elaborate costumes: butterfly, peacock, grapevine. Maria did not enjoy the ball at all, as she was afraid of the masks, so I had to hold her the entire time. The ball began with a procession down the stairs (to the The March of the Siamese Children from the King and I). Next the gentlemen and ladies filled out their dance cards, and then the dancing began. After all the dances were done the entire party retired to the banquet hall to enjoy a feast of desserts. Once they were full, the participants returned to the ball room for more dancing and ended the night with a procession exiting the ballroom.
Becca wrote a great description of the night’s events: The main event was a masquerade ball we had Wednesday night. We spent all day preparing for it, designing our masks, baking, and practicing our dance steps. We have had a few family balls in the past, but nothing so elegant as this. Mommy transformed the downstairs into a ballroom with lamps and Christmas lights, and when we were all dressed in our costumes we paraded down the stairs in style as she announced us. I wore my blue dress and a blue bird mask. Anna dressed up as a grapevine with green yarn hanging down her hair and a string of little purple balloons wound about one arm. Clara was a butterfly, and Isaiah helped her make real cardboard wings which she fastened on her back. Ezra and Micah had dinosaur masks printed out for them.
There was also a taller young man wearing a dreadful face mask with a hole for his nose to poke out of (which frightened and disgusted Maria to no end) who gave his name as Santa Claus. He seemed like an agreeable old fellow, and even took my dance card–yes, we used dance cards!–and engaged my hand for a dance. Unfortunately he failed to claim me when the dance came around, so I was led to the floor by Ez, who happened to be lacking a partner. After the dances we returned upstairs for the refreshments of soft pretzels, apple tarts, and molasses cookies. We were attended by a most dignified, if rather eccentric, young gentleman, who said he was the grandson of the other man (which I suppose accounted for his wearing the same clothes), who explained that, although he was naturally fond of dancing, he had been unable to join us because he always let the servants go to bed at seven, and so he had to bake all the refreshments himself!
Thursday morning there was a tea party. The younger boys made cookies for the tea party to add to the other refreshments. We’re thankful for our friendship with the Nhoemans and for our lovely visit with them.
