Happy 235th Birthday

On 16 December 1775 the future literary great, Jane Austen, entered the world.   This year marks the 235th anniversary of her birth.

My preference for literary escapes is the nineteenth century.   When I was expecting  my son, I was reading Richard Shannon's biography of the Victorian prime minister Gladstone.   After Thomas was born, PBS's Masterpiece Theater showed productions of several Charles Dickens works in a row, including the beautiful Bleak House.   Dickens fan or not (the horror!), you must watch this movie.   It is a beautiful example of a modern take on a faithful period piece.

Another beautiful modern example is the 2007 ITV1 production of Persuasion .   It actually manages to capture the breathless and sometimes deliciously frustrated feelings you experience as a reader.   Plus, Rupert Penry-Jones is a favorite actor of mine!    I can never quite settle on my favorite character from Austen's works: Darcy, Captain Wentworth, or Mr. Knightley?   Can there be a wrong choice among such a list?

Longer posts about Jane Austen will have to wait for another time.   For now, peruse the activities related to her birthday at Jane Austen's World.   I'll be making cherry cream scones tomorrow in honor of this great lady and re-reading some of my favorite dog-eared portions of her novels.

Happy Birthday, Jane and thank you.
.

Two of my favorite Jane Austen quotes which reflect my feelings about friendship

""There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends.   I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature."   


and hospitality in our current home:

"...and found rooms so small as none but those who invite from the heart could think capable of accommodating so many." 



http://www.santaclaradesign.com/

This beautiful graphic was created by my creative friend, Lauren.   She's amazing!  (You should see the lovely Jane Austen note cards she made.)  

Comments

  1. someotherjohnnies16 December 2010 at 19:41

    The second quote is one of my favorites! It's how I've always felt of our home. One of my fondest Thanksgiving memories is the year we opened our home to several sailors (from TJ's ship) and some fellow fishermen (winter Texans, I suppose), who had no family nearby to celebrate with. My kitchen was smaller then, but my home never seemed so grand as when it was full of laughter that day!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Your comments are welcome!

Popular posts from this blog

First & From Without

Image
"Is she in there?" "I think so.  Should we knock?" This was part of the conversation from my fellow teachers outside my classroom door the morning I returned to work, two months after the birth of my first child.    My locked classroom door.   I managed to get into the building with no contact with others, cover my window on my door, and lock myself in for a good cry.    I did not take separation from my baby very well.   I called my husband and told him I just couldn't stay.   He called the personnel office and asked about my leave options.   Then, he called Mama.    "I know it's hard, Joey, but you have to let her face this; she just has to do it." Later, when I talked to Mama, she told me how she felt when she took me to my first day of school.   She said leaving me at that poor, old south Louisiana school building was one of the hardest things she ever did. ...
Read more

Master Bedroom Challenge: {pretty, happy, funny, real}

Image
This week, Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter , announced a Master Bedroom Challenge: Make Your Bedroom Beautiful and Useful .   It was a perfectly timed challenge for me.   As part of the Reasonably Clean House series at the blog, Leila recommends beginning the process in your master bedroom.   Her reasoning is right on target, as I've learned after nearly sixteen years of keeping --or trying to keep--our house.   Our bedroom is last on our list to work on in this house.   Since we moved in over a year ago, we've worked on all the other rooms .   Now, it's time to start making the master bedroom come together.   It's a large wonderful space.   My mama always said the problem with a bigger house/space is it is easier to clutter it and you aren't as wise with organization.   She was right.   Lot of corners and spaces to "store" things in this room until I get to them.   Plu...
Read more

An Anniversary

Image
September 16, 2004 began as a typical morning.   Emmeline and I went for a walk and then she settled down for her morning nap while I worked on laundry.   I decided to call Mama; we usually talked to each other every day.   Since Emmeline was born nine months earlier, our conversations had grown to several times a day, as I called her to share Emmeline's latest "firsts."  She had called a little more than normal to check on me.   A month earlier I had my first severe reflux incident.   I was eating lunch when I experienced the normal discomfort, but this time, it got worse and it was as if my windpipe was closed and I couldn't breathe.   I felt like I was choking, but I could talk, so I knew that I wasn't.   I was alone with Emmeline, so I quickly snatched her out of the high chair and put her in her crib.   I worried about what I would do if this did not pass quickly and I stopped breathing. ...
Read more