Our Gala on June 13 was an all day affair with about fifty Jane Austen fans discussing Husbands, Warfare and Dancing as seen through the perceptive lenses of Jane Austen and our distinguished speakers.

• Dr. Nora Stovel picked up the famous statement by Mr. Knightley, "Brother and Sister! No, Indeed!" to illustrate the transformation of friendship into courtship. She also launched Jane Austen Sings the Blues, her book that pays tribute to her husband, the late Dr. Bruce Stovel, an admired Jane Austen scholar and lover of the blues.

• Dr Rowland McMaster delivered his talk, "War, Gore and Much, Much, More: The Battle of Trafalgar with Allusions to Jane and Francis Austen". He used many historical stories and pictures to increase our understanding of history that so influenced Jane Austen's brothers. Francis, missed Trafalgar under orders from Nelson, but he eventually became Admiral of the Fleet, the highest rank in the navy. Rowland McMaster is Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta,

  

• Dr Juliet McMaster entertained us with her approach to "Categorising the Husbands", such as the lover, the brother, and the father types. How many of us categorised our own loved ones?

  

The JASNA Calgary dancing group is called "Sprigged Muslin". Some of us dance and the rest of us watch. Here is "Sprigged Muslin" at the 2007 Spring Gala at Fort Calgary.