The REAL lifestyles of the rich and famous

Currently, I am reading a wonderful book, The Biography of Versailles, which gives accounts of the life of the estate, the workings of protocol, the advance of courtiers in a ridiculously detailed and tiered system. The Court, or the collection of nobles serving the King (Louis XIV, in this case), included delightful assignments like bringing the King's shirt to him in the morning when he was to get out of bed and get dressed. Another lucky noble might bring him his walking stick or ceremonial sword. But some had the sad task of delivering and then emptying the royal chamber pot (and that was an honor, if you can believe it). Even a man was "employed" to hold a candle while the King god each night. My! And, the King did not take off his wig until the bed drapes were closed, so that he wouldn't ruin his majestic image. Talk about vanity!

On staff was a gardener, an architect, a maître d'hôtel who arranged accommodations for the visiting nobles, cooks, food tasters, dog handlers for the hunting dogs, two stables and stable staff (one for coaches; one for hunting), chapel attendant. The list goes on and on.

It's fascinating to image the lifestyle. Of course, today we have celebrities who think they're royalty, but this was the real deal.

One Man's Garbage

I was recently reading an article about a Victorian-era find of garbage, and what it revealed. It was mentioned that "rooting around in personal trash  dumps allows license to excavate a narrative about a specific family. You can work out what sort of illnesses they had, what sorts of luxuries they enjoyed. You can match the objects to the people."

 

How true that it! So I decided to look into the 18th Century garbage can, as it were. Following Industrialization and urban growth, the buildup of waste in the cities and its management became more and more difficult to tend to. Streets, for instance in London, became choked with filth, with poor clearance regulations. Calls for the establishment of waste removal began in 1751 for the health and well-being of the citizens. It was proposed by Corbyn Morris that city cleaning would be put into one public management system, the waste conveyed to the Thames River.

 

The first occurrence of an organized system appeared, with waste collection established around the "dust yards", the "dust" being coal ash, which had a market value for brick-making and soil improver. Dust-contractors recovered  100% of the residual wastes remaining after readily saleable items and materials had been removed by the informal sector in the streets ('rag-and-bone men'). Kind of a recycle of product.

 

But cities were filled with horses and their waste material. Raw sewage ran through the streets. People threw waste out their windows from chamber pots, and fruits, vegetables, spoiled meats were left out in the street to rot. What a different picture, when we love to romanticize about a sweet little muse on a London square! Butcher stalls in the marketplace featured the "lovely" sight of entrails scattered on the pavement.

 

I read once account stating, "In 18th-century London, water was delivered to the city's residents through hollowed-out tree trunks running beneath the streets. Wealthier customers could buy spring water from private companies, but most residents used the sluggish, murky water of the Thames. Like many European rivers, the Thames was both the source of the city's drinking water and the repository of its discharge. It was also crowded with boats and barges, since it served as the city's main thoroughfare for commercial shipping. No attempt was made to filter the water or protect it from pollution until the middle of the 19th-century." No wonder a huge gin craze swept over London!

The sewers in London were designed to carry rainwater rather than sewage, and the pipes were poorly constructed at that!

Basically, it's not easy to find trash left behind considering the urban landscape, but at Fort Williams in Lochaber, Scotland, in 2007 a treasure trove of domestic waste was found, which included fragments of wine bottles, pottery, clay pipes and buttons! The pipes were generally long in shape, and allowed a cooler smoke, but broke more easily so they were often just thrown away after use. There are many to be found, equivalent to smoking a cigarette and tossing away the butt wherever. Nothing's changed here. 

A Taste worth Acquiring

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, I wanted to look into 18th Century Ireland, and one of is most important national treasures! And what might that be? Well, its Guinness Stout! Though of as the "national" drink of Ireland, it brings the Irish together, with both men and women enjoying it, with rich and poor wanting a glass, said to have health properties, and administered in hospitals at one time as a source of vitamins!

The brewery's founder was Arthur Guinness, son of a land steward, who was employed by the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Cashel. Arthur most have made an impression on the cleric, because, upon his death, he left Arthur 100 pounds in his will! In 1755 Arthur invested the money in a brewery in Leixlip, and partnered up with his brother Richard.

By 1758, Arthur moved to Dublin to brew beer. He signed a 9,000 lease on St. James' gate Brewery for pounds per year. He was so successful that in 1766 he was named the master of the Dublin Corporation of Brewers.

In 1761 he married Olivia Whitmore, and had 21 children with her! Ten survived.

IN 1788 Guinness began producing a dark Porter beer, and had outlets for sale throughout all of Ireland. They say that during the Napoleonic Wars the sale of his Porter increased three-fold. The darker beer was so successful, that lighter ales were dropped.

During the political unrest in the 1790's, he was at odds with the United Irishmen because he supported the Union of Great Britian, and there was talk of a boycott of his black protestant beer. Arthur lived from 1725 - 1803, and was not only an entrepreneur but a philanthropist too.

His family is still held in the highest regard, and known for their charitable works done for their employees, Dubliners and Ireland in general. His descendents have been mayors of Dublin, baronets and peers. DNA testing reveals that the family is closely related to a branch of the MacCartin clan, in the baroney of Kinelarty.

This St. Paddy's Day, don't forget to raise a glass of Guinness. It's got wonderful particular flavor, said to be an acquired taste. I think it's a taste worth the acquiring.
Slainte!

Burns and Mozart: a January celebration!

Let's not let January go by without giving a nod to Robert Burns and Wolfgang Mozart. On January 25, 1759 the great Robert Burns was born, and on January 27, 1752, Mozart entered this world. Two creative geniuses: one literary, the other musical.

And, the world of fine arts would never have been the same without them.

Burns, a Scotsman, was a poet and lyricist, regarded as the national poet of Scotland, writing over 500 poems!

Wolfgang, our famous German composer, wrote, in various forms, including symphonies, concerti, sonatas, church music, operas, dances, marches, over 600 works.

Over the years, the celebration of Burns birthday has become a bit of a thing of its own. Known as the Burns Supper, there is the piping in of the guests, the host's welcome speech, the Selkirk Grace prayer, the soup course, haggis course (which receives its own piping in), the main course, toasts and more toasts, an address to the lassies present, a reply to the laddies present, and the hearing of some of Burns' work.  Wow!

Poor Wolfgang only receives our thanks individually, if someone choses to remember. I, for once, choose to make an evening of it with my friends, having German food, and a Sacher torte for dessert, though this year we are combining the two "events" and including a Scotch tasting. I think Wolfgang would have approved of this.

As the old year ends, and the New Year begins!

Here's an interesting bit to ponder on New Year's Eve:

In Western Europe During the Middle Ages, while the Julian calendar (introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC) was still in use, officials moved New Year's Day around, depending upon locale, to one of several other days, among them: 1 March, 25 March, Easter, 1 September, and 25 December.

These New Year's Day changes reverted to using January 1 before or during the various local with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar beginning in 1582. The Gregorian was a refinement to the Julian, adding a correction that contituted Leap Year.

The change from March 25 to January 1 took place in Scotland in 1600, before the ascension ofJames VI of Scotland to the throne of England in 1603 and well before the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britian in 1707.

In England and Wales as well as all British dominions, including Britain's American colonies, 1751 began on March 25 and lasted 282 days, and 1752 began on January 1.

So, we have been celebrating January 1, at least in the Western world, for only 263 years.

Wishing you a wonderful 2016, filled with a sense of curiosity and imagination (health, wealth and happiness go without saying!!)

A Holiday Treat!

We are well into December now, and thinking of holiday parties and festivities to come. At every Christmas gathering, there are the traditional dishes, some based on where one lives around the  globe, and some based on tradition, mostly German and English, like the "Dickens Christmas", for instance.

In 1773, noted English clergyman James Woodforde, was asked to organize a holiday meal at New College, Oxford, and of course, he included Mince Pies! Below is his recipe, that was recorded in 1795.

Parson Woodforde’s Mince Pies

For the mincemeat (2-2 ½ lbs):
¾ lb cooking apples;
8 oz currants;
8 oz raisins;
6 oz shredded suet;
8 oz dark brown muscovado sugar;
4 oz lean beef mince;
grated rind and juice of 1 medium lemon;
1/8 teaspoon ground mace;
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves;
1-2 drops cider vinegar to sharpen (optional);
3-4 dessertspoons brandy, to taste.

Peel and core the apples. Mince them, together with the dried fruit and suet. Then mix in all the other ingredients. Store in airtight, vinegar-proof pots in the refrigerator. Use within three weeks.

For the mince pies (about 20):
Do not use the mincemeat uncooked. Grease bun or patty tins and line with puff pastry. Fill with the mincemeat; the quantity above should fill twenty deep 2½ inch diameter tins. Cover if you wish, but remember that fatty meat may float off a little free during cooking; it can be blotted off open tartlets after cooking. If not covered, top each mince pie with a rosette of brandy butter before serving. 

By the way, Woodforde is the author of The Diary of a Country Parson. It is a rather detailed and meticulous record of his life. It provides an authentic look at the life of country life in England at the time. You might find it a tasty treat as well!

Little Luxuries and Shared Joy!

Well, here we are again....December 1st, and it's exciting to think that there are only 24 days until Christmas. The weather has turned here in the high desert, and I actually had the thermometer indicator in my car flash the little" snowflake" and make a ding sound, as the 38o reading came up on the dash board. I love that! And, it's high time. We have had too much warm weather. It's time to get our the quilts and light the fireplace, and have the evening whiskey.

I will be placing my advent calendar up in the kitchen; courtesy of the National Gallery in London, where I bought it a couple years ago. It's still fun to open each little door every morning.

As the years go by, I like the simple things best about Christmas; the baking, the making things for friends and family, the listening to beautiful holiday music, the sharing the time with those I love. I am not feeling compelled to go to the mall. The behavior of the "Door Buster" or "Black Friday" reveler is appalling to me. It's a real turnoff.

In the 18th Century, the focus was not on buying up a storm, but "church, dinner, dancing, some evergreens, and visiting." For instance, Philip Vickers Fithian's December 18, 1773, diary entry about exciting holiday events mentions: "the Balls, the Fox-hunts, the fine entertainments. . ."

Gift giving was not to the excess it has become today. Cash tips, lite books, sweets in small amounts were given out by masters to their dependents, whether slaves, servants, apprentices, or children. Children and others did not reciprocate. Our idea of "filling stockings with care" and "eyes all aglow" come more along the 19th Century. 

Décor was mostly of natural materials, with the intent of brightening the bleakest time of the year. Evergreens were studded with berries and blossoms, and candles, too.

There is something very lovely about getting back to basics, and remembering that the holiday really is about Christ's entrance into our world. So, I send you wishes for a blessed and beautiful holiday season ahead, filled with little luxuries and shared joy.

Crowning Glory!

Last weekend I was at a wedding, and the bride wore a lovely tiara, or jeweled ornamental crown. It was quite lovely, and made me think how great it would be to have one, and where it somewhere special. Every girl wants to be royalty for at least one day.

The word "Tiara" comes from the Latin and Ancient Greek. They are usually for formal occasions, particularly for a White Tie event.

In the late 18th century, with the Neoclassicism in vogue, tiaras came back into fashion for women. Taking inspiration from Ancient Greece and Rome, jewelers made wreathes of gold, studded with precious gemstones. Josephine de Beauharnais, wife of Napoleon (below left), is credited with popularizing these lovely jeweled crowns along with Empire style dress. Napoleon wanted the French court to be the very grandest, and supposedly gave his wife many fabulous "parures" or matching sets of jewelry which included earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces and tiaras all designed around a theme with matching gemstones. In the 18th Century, many of the tiaras featured themes of nature, with highly rendered leaves and flowers, with diamonds certainly a favorite stone to include.

By the way, the nuptial, or wedding, crown has been worn by many in European cultures, but most common today in Eastern Orthodox weddings. 

Wigged Out!

The other day a friend asked me about 18th Century wigs, and how people wore and maintained them; that it might be an interesting subject for my blog. I said yes, that is an interesting subject, and so, here are some good points:

Men's wigs, or perukes, were powdered in our to give them their particular white color. By that time, women didn't wear wigs, but supplemented their coiffure with artificial hair, and powdered it with grey or bluish grey color. The powder was made from finely ground starch, scented with orange flower, lavender or orris root.

These wigs were essential for full dress occasions, and continued so up until the end of the 18th Century. But, powdering these wigs were messy and eventually, powderless wigs were incorporated, made of horsehair. Many of this type were used for court dress and the legal profession as ceremonial wigs for barristers. Women sometimes powdered their own natural hair, from the 1770's onwards. After 1790, women seldom powdered their tresses. The fashion was declining. But also, the British government levied a tax on hair powder, and so there went that. Imagine if Congress instituted a tax on rainbow colored hair dye, or tattoos, for that matter?!

In the late 1700's, in the French court, elaborate themed wigs were in vogue, sometimes called "boat poufs", which included combed up extensions often set with pomades, powders and other ornaments. Here again, the fashion started to die as these coifs became symbolic of the decadence of French nobility, and quickly went by the wayside with the French Revolution, 1789. Politics can well play a roll in fashion! Think of the politics of long hair in the 1960's.

Care of wigs was most important. Head lice were everywhere, and "nitpicking" as it was called, was painful, time-consuming, and annoying to say the least. But, people will suffer for style, won't they!? Wigs, though, actually helped with the problem, as people cut their own hair very short, or shaved it off, and the lice stayed on the wigs instead. Ouch! I bet you thought they would be eliminated entirely. But, delousing a wig was easier. You would send your old infested wig to the wigmaker, who would boil it and Ta-dah!, remove the nits.

During the 170's, the cost of wigs continued to increase, and perukes became a scheme for flaunting wealth. The everyday wig generally at about 25 shillings, or a week's pay for a laborer. Elaborate and enormous creations ran upwards 800 shillings! Snobs were  described as "big wigs"!

What'll it be? Tea or Coffee!

It's getting to be tea season again for me. The weather is changing, and I like a nice, hot cup of tea now and then.

I have put out the fall décor, including some pumpkins and fall leaves. It kind of calls for a pot of Earl Grey.

Tea has quite a history, but in the 18th Century, it continued to be a favored drink in Britian and Europe, even though coffee houses were starting to spring up everywhere. Of course, as you know, coffee houses became the pre-cursor of the stock exchange, but that's a story for another day.

Then, when tea in America was being enjoyed all over the Colonies, there came a big change! The Colonists revolted against a heavy tax on tea imposed by King George, and the rest is history! The Boston Tea Party helped change Americans into big coffee drinkers. I'm sure Starbucks would say thanks! I say thanks as well. There's just something about coffee. Where tea is a tasty thin brew, coffee is rich, and substantial (at least I think so).

Coffee has its beginnings in Africa, where the Oromo people were supposedly the first to recognize the energizing effects of the little bean! Eventually, it makes its way to Sheikh Omar, a man who supposedly cured the sick through prayer. He was exiled once to Mocha, Yemen where we lived on berries to stave off hunger. He found them bitter, but he tried roasting them, and ahhh! then boiled them, and there you have it!

By the 17th Century the Dutch obtained some of the seedlings, and the plants thrived in Batavia where they were growing them. They soon expanded to Sumatra.

Then, in 1714, the mayor of Amsterdam presented a coffee plant to King Louis XIV of France! The King had it planted in the Royal Botanical Garden in Paris. In 1723, naval officer Gabriel de Clieu obtained a seedling from the King's plant, and took it, not without great trouble and pirate attacks, to Martinique in 1750! Those plants are the ones from which coffee spread throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America!

Now, what'll it be? What'll you have? Tea or coffee!

Decorating for a Festival

Well, our annual Greek Food Festival is upon us again, and I have been in charge of decorating the grounds. Got me to thinking about how folks decorated for parties, holidays, event, in the 18th Century.

As we well know, in Colonial America, fruits and natural elements like pine cones, pine branches, nuts and seeds were used to make wreathes for Christmas holidays. Candlelight was employed in windows and outdoor lamp posts. The effect, which is still in use in Colonial Williamsburg to this day, is extremely effective.

During the 18th century, the art of floral design progressed to a state of perfection, with grand vases and garlands of fresh as well as artificial flowers. These artificial buds were made from silk or paper, and were known as French Flowers or Gum Flowers. If you think artificial flowers is a new concept, think again. Of course there were no plastic pozies, but who would want them anyway?!

Candlelight is always in fashion! In the 1700's, spermaceti, or oil produced by the sperm whale, was employed in candle production. It made a superior candle, but colza oil or rapeseed oils were also used, and were cheaper to manufacture.

Now days if we want a "glittery" look, we go with strings of mini lights, but there's nothing like candlelight to set a mood.

Of course, the display of food was also used for décor, showing an elaborate display of food in silver tureens is awfully inviting. This kind of thing happened at more palatial events. Gardens, architecture, pastoral scenes were recreated in sugar and sweetmeats, sometimes overwhelming the guests, like a dessert table described by William Farington in 1756:

"After a very Elligant Dinner of a great many dishes...The Table was Prepar'd for Dessert which was a Beautiful Park, round the Edge was a Plantation of Flowering Shrubs, and in the middle a Fine piece of water with Dolphins Spouting out water, and Deer dispersed Irregularly over the Lawn, on the Edge of the Table was all Iced Creams, and wet and dried Sweetmeats, it was such a Piece of work it was all left on the Table till we went to Coffee."

Our festival I don't think can compare, but it really is a picnic event, and I don't think people will be in satin and lace, unless of course, it's got a lot of cleavage and sets a provocative tone on the late night dance floor! haha

A Parisian Delight

I am now back from my visit to France. It's rather difficult to sit at the desk when you have been in the company of Kings Louis, illustrious artists, and the general splendor of the "City of Lights". But, alas, C'est la vie. 

On my trip, I enjoyed many glasses of French wine, including some lovely roses, new to me, and partook of Normandy's regional Calvados. But, I did not have the pleasure of trying Ricard, though it was offered on the menu of most restaurants and bars. Not being particularly familiar with it (though I recognized the name), I decided to look into this distilled beverage. And, I find the following:

The company, formally known as Pernod Ricard was founded by Henri-Louis Pernod in 1797, opening his first absinthe distillery in Switzerland. He was of Franco-Swiss decent. He then produced Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, both anise-flavored liqueurs. In 1805, after absinthe was banned, Pernod founded Maison Pernod Fils in Pontarlier, Eranche-Comte in eastern France. Pernod Fils has become a worldwide conglomerate! Henri-Louis died in 1850, but his work lives on! Just one more reason to revisit Paris!

The Name is Bond, Jane Bond?

The name is Bond, Jane Bond??

Last week I saw an article in the internet about "the new James Bond". Being 5:30am, and not quite had my first sips of coffee, I thought the article introduced the new man to play (act) Bond in upcoming films, once Daniel Craig relinquishes the role. The actor named was David Oyelowo, a well-known British actor. He happens to be black. He played Danny in MI5, a BBC favorite show of mine, until he was killed by enemy terrorists. I was sad to see him go.

But I was actually appalled, when I thought he was to "play" Bond on screen. We have become so overly politically correct these days, that I thought the Bond franchise had decided it was high time for a black Bond. No matter how good the actor, or actress, there are some roles that HAVE to be played as they were always intended. Bond must be a white, well-tailored British man, more than slightly misogynist, though charming and irresistible. (Don't get mad now, it's only a story).

If you're Indiana Jones, you must be Harrison Ford. If you're The Thin Man, you must be William Powell. If you are Rhett Butler, you must be Clark Gable. And for that matter, if you are Scarlett O'Hara, you must be Vivian Leigh.

Can you imagine if Indy was an Asian; Captain Kirk was gay; Hannibal Lector was Jeffrey Dawmer (haha ...just kidding).

So I started thinking about political correctness from the 18th Century, and how certain characters in literature just have to be who they are to "get it right". 

The Scarlett Pimpernel is set in 1792, during the early stages of the French Revolution. he is actually Sir Percy, a wealthy English baronet who rescues people sentenced to the guillotine. He's a master of disguise, a fop, great swordsman, escape artist, kind of the Bond of his day. He always leaves behind his card showing a pimpernel flower. Now, you can't have a rugged, Neanderthal, he-man type play the part; he must be rather dignified, precise, elegant. The choice of calling card art says a lot. And so, in the movies, Leslie Howard was the perfect choice.

The successful 1988 film "Dangerous Liaisons" was based on French author Francois Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liasons Dangeureuses, based on a cruel wager plotted by the beautiful but debauched Marquise de Merteuil, played bGlenn Close, and her misogynistic former lover, the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovitch). Valmont should seduce a very moral virgin before she can be wed. Of course, typical of stories of this nature, and from this time, there are twists and turns, but Malkovitch played the part to manipulative and dangerous perfection. Imagine if the Vicomte was Tom Hanks. Too good-natured, sweet, noble. That's why Hanks plays the quintessential American hero, and not a villian.

So, this being said, we better stick with Bond as we know him, and forget being politically correct.I mean, even though he was pretty hot back in the day, we wouldn't want Shaft as Bond. He's better off left on the mean streets of Harlem, and not the international haunts of Monaco or The Bahamas. If we're not careful, next thing we know, Bond might have to be Jane!

"Museum-Quality" Doodles!

The other day, I saw an interesting bit in the internet about Michelangelo and his market list! We think we are the only ones that doodle in the corners of our note pads, or pieces of paper we carry about to remind us of what to accomplish.

Of course, more and more people now enter these items in their Iphone apps, but the charm of individual or eccentric artistry goes by the wayside!

Whether Michelangelo sent his list with a servant, or went to the marketplace square by himself, this list is really a kick. He draws in a fish, fennel soup, a bottle of wine, etc etc. Perhaps the servant was illiterate. This would be a good way to guide him with the purchases. The list is archived at a museum in Florence, the Casa Buonarroti, along with other of his handwritten notes.

By the 18th Century, we have Thomas Jefferson, maybe not doodling, but keeping handwritten lists of the mundane.  Shown here at right are lists of vegetables and fruits sold from 1801-1809 from his garden. He was an avid gardener, and collector, who kept records of a wide variety of plants in his garden, but also the vegetables in the market in Washington DC, charting the first and last days the vegetables were available!  

And then there was Wolfgang Mozart, who did doodle on his letters! One example, above, is a drawing of his cousin Basle. 

Bobbin Weave!

With a pending trip to the Normandy area in France, I am starting to research some of the local color, so to speak, and found that in Bayeux, lace making has been a big deal for centuries. These wonderful traditions of handiwork, if not passed on to new generations, will soon be gone, the way of so many beautiful, artistic endeavors. But, the citizens of Bayeux are doing something about that, giving classes to locals, and selling their finished product to visitors! Yay!

By the way, Bayeux is a small town in northwest France, established during the Roman Empire as Augustodurum (durum meaning Gate) about 4 miles from the coast of the English Channel. It later took the name of a 

Celtic  tribe, Bodicassi (meaning Blond Locks).

But the lace making is the thing to remember! Lace originated in Venice in the 1300's, but by the mid 1600's, any lace not made in France was prohibited in France, and so French artisans really stepped up their game, in order to compete on the world stage.

Lace was made to adorn the fronts of gowns, called engageantes. Sleeve ruffles were called quills. Lace was used for aprons as well as head caps. This delicate lace was created  with either a needle or bobbins. Bobbin lace is created by weaving linen threads separated by weighed bobbins around pins stuck in a pattern on a little circular pillow. Pins are removed as sections develop, and then the pins are reinserted to a new portion. Sometimes, between 80 and 200 bobbins have to be manipulated to create the most intricate patterns!

After the French Revolution, and the banning of ruffles in 1794, production really fell off. Can you imagine a law banning ruffles!! But, the town of Alencon continued to produce its noted lace. Good thing for us!

Looking for the Comforts of Home

Recently my Mom gave me a bunch of letters from my Uncle, who was killed in  WWII, a Bombardier who perished over Bremen, Germany in August 1944. I never knew him, and these are a treasure, being introduced to someone who I have always heard good things about, but through his letters to his mother, I see the character of the person, the selflessness, the concern for his family, the responsibility and duty to his nation not only accepted but seen as an honor. He wrote practically every day from the time he left for training in late 1943 to the day before he died.

Got me to thinking about letters from 18th Century soldiers to their families and friends. My WWII letters are somewhat browned with age, but still in pretty good shape. Letters from over 200 years ago may be a different thing. Of course, letters written by famous commanders such as Gen. Washington survive and are displayed in museums and archives, but every day folk's correspondence is not always easy to find, or was kept in the best way possible.

As technology keeps changing, we are losing more and more hand written correspondence. Tweets, emails, etc have taken the place of what is generally and sarcastically known as "snail mail". But, to me, the an actual letter delivered to your mail box suggests that someone took the time to communicate, to choose the stationary, to write in detail, to (and this many be the most important!) choose their words most carefully. Once words are committed to paper, and placed in the mail slot, they are irretrievable. You better have been careful! 

For our purposes from the Enlightened Age, here's a sampling the American Revolution, from 1777:

Lieutenant WILLIAM BARTON of the Fourth and later the First New Jersey Regiment;To his father, Gilbert Barton of Allentown, N.J.,

(Whitemarsh, 22 November 1777) "...I expected to have been at home before this, but cannot Obtain leave Untill we go into Quarters, I have sent some clothes by Mr. Griggs which is one pair of Breaches two Jackets three pr Stockings...l am removed from the company I was in which was Capt. Lyon's and am know in Capt. Holmes Compy. as first Lieut, there are many officers resigning which is Like to make a Great deal of Promotion...my love to my Mother Sisters & all inquiring frinds..."

And, another from 1778 from Barton again, mentioning Valley Forge:

..."Camp Valley Forge, Feb. 18th 1778...I should wrote oftener but have been in expectation of Coming home but this day find my expectations blasted, and have no maner of hope to get home Untill April...I have Received my Coat & boots by Capt. Weycoff and am Inform'd you have procured me some shirts which I am Extremely Glad of as l shall be in Great need of them in a short time. I'me at this Present time in health, and hope these may find you all in Perfect health, if to the reverse at any time Please to give me inteligence Thireof and I shall come home at all Events. I have not Receiv'd a Letter from you since at home, should be very Glad to be favour'd with a few lines if Convenient and Likewise a few pounds of Sugar and A little Chocolate...there is a Scarcety of those articles in this Place...Camp does not very well agree with me..."

In the letters I am currently reading and copying, I see the every day life of an air man, a bombardier, in this case, asking for his Mom to send some heavy wool knit socks, or hoping she'll send some paper (as it was rationed), so he could write home. He also asked for some chocolate or gum to hand out.  In Lt. Barton's letter, you see him ask for stockings, some sugar, or chocolate. Not much has changed when looking for the comforts of home!