#louise lawrence

[yourdailyqueer]

Louise Lawrence (deceased)

Gender: Transgender woman

Sexuality: Lesbian

DOB: Born 1912

RIP: Died 1976

Ethnicity: White - American

Occupation: Artist, activist, writer, teacher

Note: Throughout her life, Lawrence corresponded with and built an extensive network of transgender people across the Bay Area, the US, and globally. Through Lawrence's network, members connected and collectivized, sharing information about doctors, medical procedures and comparing surgical results. She was known to house transgender people, including those who had traveled to seek surgery in San Francisco.

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Louise Lawrence - Andra - Collins - 1971 (cover art by Antony Maitland)

[haveyoureadthisscifibook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[elderberries-and-honey]

Despite having fallen on hard times, Winifred took it upon herself to host a party on Christmas Eve with all their loved ones. Back in the workhouse, they were lucky to afford anything better than porridge for dinner. But now that she had a family of her own she was determined to make it special.

Millie, Beth and Louise could not allow her to do all the cooking alone so they each put on their aprons and happily got to work beside her. They spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen preparing for the dinner, sounds of laughter heard above whisks mixing doughs and icing frantically inside porcelain bowls.

Valerie began helping herself to the wine intended for cooking early on in the day, already causing her to become a little tipsy before they'd even put the ham in the oven. Beth of course was the first one to scold her, but with Ozzy nearby, she wouldn't raise her voice. Instead, she put her hands on her hips with disproving eyes and a scowl of disappointment. It was moments like these where Winifred couldn't help thinking that Beth truly was meant to be someone's mother.

Ozzy remained close while the women worked. He wasn't a shy child by any means and soaked up all the attention he got from everyone telling him how adorable his Christmas outfit was.

At last, nearing the hour of 7 o'clock, with everyone gathered round the table wearing their finest silks, all of their hard work would be enjoyed by all.

They set up the dining table with everything they had prepared - cranberry sauce, a charcuterie board with aged cheese and sausage, potatoes grown right on the Baudelaire's farm, delicious cookies and pies for dessert, warm spiced rum and hot cocoa to drink, and best of all, a perfectly cooked ham that was from a frequent patron of the pub that had been gifted to the McAdam's.

Everyone treasured the food, knowing full well that their meal wouldn't be anywhere near as extravagant without Millie's expertise, which they all took turns admiring. Between the spiced rum, and the thrill of Christmas only hours away, they chatted excitedly between bites throughout the entirety of dinner.

Everyone went back for seconds, some even going for thirds until all of them, even the picky eaters, left the table with their bellies full.

No one could afford to give that many presents this year but not a soul amongst them seemed to mind. They each were completely content to simply enjoy each others company. Even the children, who were eager all the same to receive their new mittens and perfectly ripe oranges. Besides, they both were still too small to actually understand that they hadn't gotten much compared to others.

Lawrence had received new cotton fabric to sew himself up new work shirts and Winifred a plethora of new ink wells and paper from the McAdams. All of them received something hand-knitted from Beth, and from Millie, beautiful cross-stich embroideries to hang in their homes.

It was a terrific haul, and certainly more than anyone could ask for all things considered. However, the most surprising of all was Lawrence's gift to Winifred - two tickets to the theater come Spring - which had, of course, been suggested by Marmee.

After all the gifts had been opened, the night carried on late into the evening. Lawrence even brought out the old music box he had been gifted for Christmas nearly two decades prior and Jackson and Louise began dancing around the living room elegantly. However, drunk on rum and holiday cheer, Lawrence insisted that he and Valerie could do better.

He and Valerie were clumsy, tromping all over the others feet and losing their place in the steps to the dance. All in good fun, Millie and Winifred began cackling as they watched them, unable to contain how humorous it was to watch, while Beth dramatically hung her head in shame.

The children began to grow rather fussy, both Ozzy and Nellie awake far past their bedtimes, and the festivities had to come to an end eventually.

Winifred and Lawrence stood in the doorway, thanking their guests for coming and helping in the kitchen, as well as all their delightful new gifts. Winifred and Lawrence watched them go until they could no longer see their silhouettes in the dark, both ignoring the cold until they could no longer stand it.

The night had been exactly what they needed to forget their worries even if it couldn't last forever. While drifting off to sleep that night, everyone would reflect on what a wonderful Christmas it was, contented to have spent it together.

next / previous / first

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Prince William Prince of Wales, Catherine Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence, Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh, Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh, Lady Louise Windsor & James Earl of Wessex at the King Charles III Coronation on May 6, 2023

[thecatalogueofroyalfashion]

Lady Louise Windsor  ||  Ghost London

[rabbitcruiser]

Parks Canada, the world’s first national park service, was established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior on May 19, 1911.  

[gogmstuff]

1780s dress (from to to bottom) -

1780 Elisabeta Potocka by Louise-Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (Sotheby's - 2May12 London auction Lot 173). Fixed most cobvious spots & flaws w Pahop 2880X3403.

1780-1781 Sarah Harrop (Mrs. Bates) as a Muse by Angelica Kauffmann (location ?). From tumblr.com/eirene 2048X2427.

1782 Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Sir Thomas Lawrence (location ?). From tumblr.com/a-hulder 494X670.

1783 Duchess of Devonshire by Thomas Gainsborough (National Gallery of Art - Washington, DC, USA). From their Web site 2532X4096.

[floydmtalbert]

Hello!! 👋

Could I please request 🌪️ TORNADO, 😨 FEARFUL, ☕️ HOT BEVERAGE, and/or 💗 GROWING HEART for Louise, 📦 PACKAGE for Ruth, 📎 PAPERCLIP for Ferraby, and 👖 JEANS for Emily? Thank youu 💕

Thanks so much Sho!! These are great questions 💕

🌪️ TORNADO: what is the biggest change you've ever made to them? how have they changed from their original version?

Such an interesting question! Lou has definitely gone through a lot of changes since I started writing her in [redacted]. I think the main thing is that she used to be a lot more reserved and stoic, with a big dash of war-weariness, which... just isn't her. She's gone through a lot but it hasn't dulled her spark or spirit--if anything, she's more determined to enjoy her life, for all the people she knew who now can't.

😨 FEARFUL: when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?

On the whole, Lou goes into fight mode. She's calm under pressure, quick to make a plan, and I think enjoys, to an extent, the adrenaline rush of bad situations. Having said that, there have been a few occasions in her life when she's felt that kind of dizzying, paralysing fear, and it definitely takes a lot of effort to get her head working and her body to keep moving.

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE: do they prefer hot or cold drinks? what is their favourite drink?

Well, she's English, so her daily routine is punctuated by cups of tea and coffee. But her favourite drink is a glass of cool lemonade on a hot day, the perfect mix of sweet and sharp.

💗 GROWING HEART: if they have a crush, is it noticeable? what changes when they're in love?

Most of the time, Lou has a pretty good hold on her emotions, and she's also very conscious of the precariousness of her job: she wouldn't want any of her personal feelings to be used against her. So she's careful, but to anyone looking closely, there'll be some gazes that linger just a bit too long, and a certain softness and lightness about her.

📦 PACKAGE: what are some "most likely to…" that can apply to them?

Ooh! Ruth is most likely to offer sensible advice or emotional support to her friends (and boy, do they need it). Most likely to be the first one to be told gossip. Most likely to cry at a film, definitely. And most likely to get tipsy first (look, she's got a baby, she doesn't get out much, her tolerance to alcohol is very low).

📎 PAPERCLIP: a random fact

Ferraby! I love him. A random fact about him is that he's left-handed.

👖 JEANS: what is their go-to outfit?

During the war? Her FANY uniform. (Emily's an Ensign and is very proud of her red pips.) Off duty, she favours simple dresses or knit sets in darker colours: she looks best in navy, fir green, or burgundy.

[OC emoji asks]

[sophia-sol]

Woman, Watching: Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and the Songbirds of Pimisi Bay, by Merilyn Simonds

This is a nonfiction biography of a woman who was an amateur scientist in pretty much the end of the era when you could have a successful career publishing academic articles without formal credentials, and only the beginning of the era when women could have a successful career in academia. She was born to Swedish nobility, her first husband died in the Russian revolution, she was a nurse to the famous Dionne Quintuplets, and she spent decades living in a tiny cabin in the woods in northern ontario taking intensive observations of birds.

A fascinating woman! But obviously I read this book because BIRDS. And it does mostly focus on her life after she falls headfirst into what became her true life's work of studying and understanding birds. I loved reading about her passion, her efforts, her extensive correspondence with bird experts across north america, her growing and deep familiarity with all the birds of her area, her dedication to keeping careful records of everything she saw and heard. Some of the things she studied continue to be relevant to ornithologists today!

But one through-line in the book was Louise's knowledge of the declining numbers of songbirds over the years, even from the very earliest days of her birding efforts in the 1930's. She knew, too, that the declining numbers were due to human activity, and she mourned their loss. Near the end of the book, the reader is provided with some numbers of just how great the decline in songbirds has been from when Louise began her records to now in the 2020's and it is honestly heartbreaking. Even just within Louise's life, she talks about the obvious and stark change in the experience of the morning bird chorus. It brings me near tears to think of how things used to be! Between habitat loss in both breeding grounds and wintering grounds, the effects of herbicides and insecticides, disappearing food due to the collapsing insect population, and more, songbird presence is a shadow of what it once was.

The other important thing I learned from the book is that the things I want to know about birds ARE out there, I just need to acquire bird books that are focused on specific species or specific families, instead of field guides, if I want to know everything about a bird's life and behaviour. NOTED. My bird library WILL be growing.

[tv-moments]

Treason

“Episode 3”

Director: Louise Hooper

DoP: Balazs Bolygo

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Louise Lawrence - The Power of Stars - Harper Crest - 1972

[fromthestacks]

Red Sparrow

[vintagewarhol]

[elderberries-and-honey]

Meanwhile, inside of the house, Louise and Millie were working in the kitchen. Louise had always struggled with cooking but with Millie's patience and guidance, she was trying to get better.

"Oh, it's awful isn't it?" Louise sighed, trying to get a read on Millie's face. Louise stood in wait, her eyes shifting between hopeful to disappointed while she took note of Millie's silence.

Not wanting to hurt the poor woman's feelings, Millie turned away and suppressed a cough. "No, no, I wouldn't say awful," She offered, "It's just a bit bland. Not to worry, honey, we'll find something to add a little flavor and we can still save it."

Louise sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe I'm just not meant to be a cook. You, though, you're a real natural in the kitchen." Before Millie could try to reassure her it just took time, both of them heard the warm sound of a child's laughter, followed by the echoing of adults laughing afterwards. But it seemed there were more voices now.

Hurrying over to the window above the door, they gazed outside, spotting everyone gathered around the picnic table enjoying the luncheon Millie, and partially Louise, had prepared for them all to enjoy.

"Oh my, they're here!" Louise said, wiping her hands off on her apron before removing the garment completely before heading outdoors to welcome the Baudelaire's home and join them for luncheon.

Everyone was digging into the food already, talking between bites about what had happened while they were away, which was hardly anything of note but it was still pleasant to catch up anyway. None of them dared mention Winifred's mother to her, afraid to "rock the boat" when she'd only just started feeling better after her daughter's untimely demise.

That was until Millie eventually made her way outside. At first, it felt almost like a dream to Winifred seeing Millie there at her farm. They both approached each other silently, uncertain how they should greet one another now that it had been so long. Were they to act as strangers? But how could they, after all they had endured together at the workhouse? Surely, a few years of silence wouldn't break a bond as deep as theirs.

While they continued to gaze at each other, they took in the features that stayed the same, the ones that whispered 'here I am, just as you left me!' but noticing where they'd changed too. Like the fact that Winifred was wearing her hair up despite her always hating to before or Millie having pierced her ears now.

Most notably though, Millie was trying her hardest not to stare at Winifred's pregnant belly. She had met Ozzy, and of course knew he was her son, but it was difficult to picture Winifred as a mother.

"Thank you for writing." Winifred said, finally breaking the ice, and that was all it took. Millie threw herself into Winifred's arms, nearly collapsing into them, mumbling apologies about not writing her back sooner and ignoring her letters all together.

"I wrote as soon as I found her," Millie explained. "Winifred, I'm so sorry. I know what she meant to you. I still can't believe it."

Winifred was still trying to take it all in. Being reunited with her son and her childhood best friend, the loss of her mother, the persistent townsfolk from earlier, Lawrence's angry outburst...she could hardly process what Millie had just said.

Had Millie truly been the one to discover her mother's body in Whitechapel or was she confused? What was she even doing there in the first place? But it was nothing she wanted to discuss here in front of everyone so instead, she simply returned the hug silently and put it out of her mind like everything else.

The remainder of the afternoon passed without anymore emotional hiccups, all of them relishing their time together in the sun, stuffing their bellies full with delicious food and laughing harder than any of them had in awhile.

Winifred and Lawrence could have never predicted such a comforting welcome home party and they appreciated their friends for such a sweet gesture. Both of them were filled with warmth at the love surrounding them, serving as a reminder yet again that there was goodness still in the world right there in their own backyard.

But as autumn does, when the sun went down, the little warmth there was left in the air began to disappear right along with it and the evening had to come to an end eventually. Everyone slowly began to dismiss themselves for the night but one of the last to do so was Beth who had feared this moment all day long.

She leaned down to kiss Ozzy's cheek, promising to return tomorrow to see him, but when she turned to leave and Ozzy realized he wasn't going with her, the meltdown she was dreading earlier began to erupt.

"No! Down! Down!" Ozzy cried, his little face turning bright red when his pleas were ignored. Echoing throughout the vicinity, the little boy shrieked at the top of his lungs, calling after his Auntie while Lawrence struggled to keep his grip on him as his small body thrashed around in his arms.

Beth tried to keep putting one foot in front of the other but his tearful voice repeating 'Auntie Bef, Auntie Bef!' after her became too much.

Despite being hesitant to put her nose where it wasn't wanted, she suggested keeping Ozzy for a few more days while the Baudelaire's settled in at home and the little one could get used to not being with her as often.

But even after they all agreed it was for the best, she didn't know which one of them needed a few more nights together more. Herself or Ozzy. Prior to them coming home, she had been utterly exhausted and wanted them to return so badly. Yet, now that they were here...she didn't know how to handle the thought of her home being empty again as it was before.

next / previous / first

[dopescissorscashwagon]

King Charles III, Queen Consort, Prince William Prince of Wales, Catherine Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis plus more on the Buckingham Palace Balcony at King Charles III Coronation - May 6, 2023