And this is what you can tell them over Valentine’s dinner 😉
Opening her eyes again, and seeing her husband’s face across the table, she leaned forward to give it a pat on the cheek, and sat down to supper, declaring it to be the best face in the world.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. And the onion and cook till soft but not brown, then add the potato, parsnip, and vegetable stock/broth. Bring to the boil and then add the beetroot, cooking for a further 15 minutes. Don’t overcook, as the beetroot will go from a lovely deep pink to a red color. When the vegetables are tender, remove from heat and puree with a stick blender (or blender) until the soup is smooth, but with a few lumps. Stir in the cream, sour cream, and horseradish mix and season with salt and black pepper. Exquisite!
*Recipe adapted from Delicious Soups by Belinda Williams
Nearly passed right by those handsome features, noble mien, and that shock of dark hair falling becomingly over his forehead.
You’d think I’d have been on the lookout. Kept my eyes peeled wide open.
I was in his house, after all.
Pemberley. Or, em, Chatsworth, which is what the place is really called. Chatsworth, not Pemberley, though it’s quite the grandest house in all of Derbyshire, and most certainly the place Jane Austen had in mind for this favourite literary hero, if the experts have it right.
Yes, there I was, at Pemberley, and I nearly missed my chance to meet Mr. Darcy because I had my eyes on the gift shop. The gift shop. Coasters and tea towels, and things like that.
But John called my name, and I swung round
and there he was.
Just waiting.
He even posed for a picture.
“But that’s not the real Mr. Darcy!” you may be muttering, or even shouting at the screen.
Well, I was at the other Mr. Darcy’s house too (Lyme Hall in Cheshire)! BBC fans, you may now breathe a sigh of relief.
Only there, I didn’t see him.
Though I did see this fair prospect . . .
I laugh a little now.
I almost didn’t see Mr. Darcy!
And oh, doesn’t it seem just a world away.
Not only that we’re in America and can’t just pop down to England to see Elizabeth and Darcy and all our other favourites like we did when we lived in Scotland.
But even having time to think about it all. To dream.
Finding time to put two of my own thoughts together seems like a luxury these days, what with all the loving I’m blessed to pour out on my three precious little men and their daddy.
The making of tea and the making of beds. The raiding of the kitchen and the cleaning it up. The folding and folding and folding of laundry, and the trying to find the time to put it away. The potty accidents to clean up, the littlest one to pick up, and the trying to look above and through it all to find just what gifts there are in today.
But it’s worth it, I’d say.
Worth taking time for stories.
Worth taking time to be still and (with a cup of tea!) examine and consider the finer, the truly beautiful and good.
And it’s worth, most of all, taking time to be with Him.
To be with Jesus.
How many times do I race through my day with my eyes on the gift shop? On running my errands, making my phone calls, and leaving my house at least as clean as it was that morning?
But how would it be if I took more time to look for treasures along the way?
To realize there is someone far nobler, realer, and more beautiful than even Mr. Darcy?
Someone who’s not just waiting, but knocking.
Knocking at my door, knocking on my heart,
and not just to pause for a picture,
but to spend the day with me.
JEREMIAH 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Avonlea x
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Earlier, on that cold walk through the night to the student flat where a group of us were meeting for a DVD, there were questions about peanut butter (isn’t that what Americans eat?), and secret smiles, and I thought he must be very young.
I was in Scotland.
The world was green, and there were castles, and though I could hardly understand a word of what he said, my red-haired Scottish loon from the village on the sea,
on the pages of my journal I swore I could marry that boy.
And, more to my amazement than anyone else’s, I did.
We moved to Scotland, and life began.
It began. It didn’t end.
Not like the movies or the books, where it ends with “I do.”
No, that was the beginning.
And I went to teaching and he went to working. And meals were cooked, and floors were swept, and a baby came. And although it happened, every few months, that I’d pinch myself and wonder how little me ever ended up there, in the Highlands of Scotland, most of the time it was just life.
And while life was happening, it also happened—as it happens to us all, I think—that somewhere between the tenth time washing the dishes and the hundredth time making the bed, between the hundredth night up with a crying baby and the thousandth time wiping a toddler’s face, that I began to wonder.
I wondered if this was right.
Because this was not how happily ever after was supposed to go.
Castles and Scottish mist aside, I wasn’t supposed to be tired all of the time, and the housework wasn’t supposed to take so long. I wasn’t supposed to get lonely, and we weren’t, no we weren’t supposed find within our hearts such moments of hate that with our words and our eyes and a turning of our backs we would wound each other. Leave each other bruised, starved, and with our very hands widen the cavern between ourselves and God and between each other.
And yet we did.
And the days were dark.
We could have walked, either one of us, in search of our real life. Our real fairy tale. And though we didn’t feel it, we chose to believe it when we heard that the grass is always greener where you water it.
And even yellow grass, or even brown and dry, can become green. But you’ve got to water it every day.
Even when it’s the last thing you want to do.
And you can try to be happy with it just being all right, or so-so, but I’ve got to ask you, like I asked myself, don’t you want the very best?
More than anything, I love to talk of those first days.
The first dance. The first giggle. The first time I dared to touch his shoulder with my head.
Because I know I must remember who he is. Who he really is, deep inside—that boy I first met.
We’re the same people, he and I, deep, deep inside.
Oh, sometimes we’re both still so angry, we’d like to do a whole lot more than spit. And it takes a whole lot more than a little grace to make it through.
But love is not self-seeking.
And real love gets a little less sleep, a little less time for what we want, a little less of what we most love to eat, to make the other person happy. To give them joy. To make them strong.
Never underestimate the power of a smile. The power of a kind word.
Like water to grass, they are spring rain to the soul.
No, life doesn’t end with “I do.” That is where it begins.
For you and your Mr. Darcy.
For me and mine.
Avonlea x
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To open a book is to step into another world. We book lovers know that! Oh, but what if there was a way to make that journey more real, more immersive? To engage all your senses, making it almost possible to believe you’re really with Anne Shirley that first night at Green Gables? Or really on a dark London street watching Sherlock Holmes solve a crime?
I have a secret–it’s called Ambience Videos or ASMR, which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, and is described as a feeling of well-being combined with a tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck. The appropriate reaction to a good book! *happy little sigh.*
What if there was a way to make that journey into a book even more real?
I’ve selected Ambience Videos to immerse you into 12 Classic novels. Simply tap below links to play on your laptop or cast to your TV to create the perfect mood for each book and delight your eyes and ears. Next, brew a cup of tea or coffee to delight your taste and smell (which drink or cup would suit each book?). Finally, get a cozy blanket and get ready to step into your book in a whole new way! OR simply use as a peaceful background during your morning quiet time or as you go about your day.
*Note – some videos include soothing music, while others have relaxing sounds such as rain, a crackling fireplace, or murmured voices. I included two videos for each novel, so choose the one that inspires you. Adjust the volume to add to your reading experience, not distract from it.
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Who’s coming to visit? Could it be Bingley and Darcy? And what secrets are Bennet sisters Lizzie and Jane sharing as they get ready for the day?
Bennet Family Lounge (Pride and Prejudice) by Overarch
Sunny Morning Bedroom (18th Century Georgian/Colonial) by Ambience of Yesteryear
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – Will you stay at Bilbo’s cozy hobbit hole, or venture into the Shire?
Hobbit Study Session by ASMR Weekly
6 Hours The Shire ASMR by ASMR
3. Middlemarch by George Elliot – Does Casaubon’s library inspire you, or does the dreariness of pouring over manuscripts alongside Dorothea make you long for a visit to her sister’s country estate?
Relaxing Library – Relaxing Rain, Thunder and Crackling Fireplace by Cozy Moments
English Estate Morning Tea by Scenic Inspirations
4. The CompleteFather Brown Mysteries by G.K. Chesterton – What mysteries will you solve alongside this eccentric sleuth as he pokes around his quaint English village (occasionally stopping for tea), or hops aboard a train in search of clues?
Edwardian Parlour with Tea & Fireplace by Ambience of Yesteryear
1940s Train Journey by Overarch
5. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery – Can you hear Anne (with an ‘e’) poor herself a cup of tea in her peaceful bedroom at Green Gables? She will need it, in preparation for her upcoming exam at Queen’s!
3D ASMR Anne of green gables| Anne’s Bedroom by ASMR Movely
3D ASMR Anne of Green Gables | Queen’s Entrance Exam by ASMR Movely
6. Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Would you prefer sipping tea in 221B Baker Street, or joining Sherlock on the streets of London as he masterfully works to solve the latest crime?
Ambience/ASMR: Sherlock Holmes Parlor, 221B Baker Street by Ambience of Yesteryear
Victorian London Thunderstorm by Autumn Cozy
7. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper – The peace of the wilderness is calling your name–or perhaps you fancy a venture into the Colonial town?
Smoky Mountains Morning by Travel Ambience
Colonial New York City Federal Hall by P&E Soundscapes
8. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – Begin reading with a trip to the English wetlands, where Pip spent his youth, then move on to the bustling streets of London.
English Wetlands by Ambience World
19th Century London by Overarch
9.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – Rain lashes down outside the March home, but inside, Jo is busy scribbling away on her latest novel.
Thunderstorm in the Lake District by Outdoor Therapy
Thunderstorm and Rain by Dreamy Sound
10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – Jane doesn’t know what to expect as the carriage takes her through the night to Thornfield Hall, but it’s not long before she enjoys conversations with Mr. Rochester in his study.
Riding a Carriage by TERAVIBE
Rain and Thunderstorm Sounds by Guild of Ambience
11. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy – Would you prefer strolling the winding lanes of Casterbridge or sitting beside the fire, listening in as Michael Henchard tells his life’s tale?
Cozy Country Village by Dragonfly Mage
19th Century Cottage by Ambience of Yesteryear
12. White Fang by Jack London – Whether journeying through the wilderness with the dogsled team, or finding solace at Weeton Scott’s cabin, it’s sure to be an adventure!
Wolf Forest by Michael Ghelfi
Cozy Cabin Porch Ambience by The Alley of Ambience
*BONUS! Which book could be read using this 1930s library ambience? It’s one of my favorites.
Avonlea x
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Summer is almost here, which means nights watching sunsets at the lake, roasting marshmallows over a campfire, and sitting on the porch listening to the crickets. But there’s also nothing like kicking back with a cold drink for a summer movie night! Besides, I know my friends Down Under are saying Goodbye Summer and Welcome Autumn, and are ready for cozy nights in. So this is my gift to all of you–thirty period dramas you might never have seen! All are set from the 1700s to the 1950s (apart from one exception–you’ll see why), and all can be watched in a single sitting–2.5 hours or less (we’ll get to the best mini-series another time!). I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below . . .
1. Somewhere in Time (1980) – Which of us period drama fans don’t dream of traveling back in time and stepping into our favorite film or book? That’s almost what this young playwright (Christopher Reeve) does when he falls in love with the photo of a famous turn-of-the-century actress (Jane Seymour). This time travel movie has the added benefit of whisking the main character and the viewer back to Mackinac Island in northern Michigan. Yes, it’s a little hokey at times, but it’s worth it to see these two amazing actors together. Also starring Christopher Plummer. Rated PG
2. Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken (1991) – Take a a trip back to America’s Great Depression years and the exciting but dangerous world of diving horses. Sonora Webster (Gabrielle Anwar) is a runaway, trying to find a way to support herself. What she finds is adventure, her life’s passion as a diving girl, and a place to call home. If you’re a horse lover, like a happy ending with a few tears along the way, and like being whisked to another time and place, this might be a good pick for you! It’s based on a real story, and it’s one the whole family might enjoy. Rated G
3. Under the Greenwood Tree (2005) – based on the book by Victorian author Thomas Hardy. If you’re a period drama fan, you might recognize Keeley Hawes as Fancy Day, the new school teacher in town who, with her beauty and vivacity, attracts not one but three different suitors. The educated parson, the wealthy farmer, and the poor young tradesman. Who should she choose? Although Hardy’s books don’t all have a happy ending, I will tell you that this one does. But what I love most about the story is the peek into a small 1840s English village, and all the traditions and goings on that made up the villagers’ lives (including some wonderful English folk music!). Rated PG
4. Wildflower (1991 ) – Back to the years of the Great Depression. This time we’re off to the South, and the unlikely heroine is a beautiful, deaf young woman, Alice, who is kept locked in a shed by her violent stepfather. Enter spunky Ellie, played by a young Reese Witherspoon, and her sensitive, college-bound brother Sammy, who try to help Alice by teaching her poetry and showing her what life in a family is supposed to be. Of course her stepfather isn’t amused by all this, and of course Sammy can’t help but notice just how lovely and sweet Alice really is. I love this one! Rated PG-13
5. Love and Friendship (2016) – If you think you’ve watched and read all of Jane Austen’s works, you might be wrong if you missed this one! Austen was just eleven when she started this novel, and it was probably written only for the pleasure of her family and friends. It is dedicated to her French cousin, Eliza de Feuillide, an extremely colorful woman who’s husband was guillotined during the French Revolution. For the young Jane, these events must have been sheer inspiration to a writer’s imagination. It’s full of the wonderful wit and social criticism we expect from her later novels. Also, the deliberately complicated plot has plenty of fainting spells, deaths due to a variety of causes (including “galloping consumption”), elopements galore, unbelievable coincidences, and unscrupulous cads. One thing that struck me is that the “heroine” Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale, Emma, 1996) isn’t a particularly likable character, but the truest-hearted girl does, in the end, get her perfect match. Rated PG
6. Miss Potter (2006) – About the life of Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger), creator of Peter Rabbit and her other wonderful children’s characters. Flashbacks take us to her childhood visits to Scotland–where she began her love of nature and developed her skills as an artist. And in the present, we walk with her in her struggle to break into the publishing world as a woman and author of children’s books in Victorian England, and also through her true love, heartbreak, and eventual move to Hilltop Farm. While this film is aimed more at adults, we see cheeky Peter Rabbit and the other animals come to animated life through Potter’s imagination. Also starring Ewan McGregor. Rated PG
7. Swallows and Amazons (2016) – This adventure is one for the whole family! Four siblings in the countryside, a sailboat, and an island–what could go wrong? Maybe just a few close calls with spies, a small tribe of wild girls, and a lot of adventure. Based on the 1930s book series by English author Arthur Ransome. Rated PG
8. Tolkien (2019) – Based on the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of the Elvish language and author of The Lord of the Rings. Much like Miss Potter didn’t have Peter Rabbit as an actual character–although he came alive to Beatrix Potter–in this film Hobbits and Orcs march across the screen as figments of Tolkien’s imagination. They are products of his university studies, of the fellowship he formed with his school friends, and of the horrors he saw in the trenches of WWI. There’s a lot of back and forth between the different stages of his life. There are so many subtleties to catch, and it’s one I’d like to watch again. It’s moving, informative, and creative. Rated PG-13
9. Emma (2020) – I didn’t think I’d like this adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel after reading a few reviews. Several complained that it was all too perfect. And it’s true that many scenes seem choreographed (with the characters moving almost as if in a dance) and coordinated (with wallpaper, and cake frosting, and Emma’s intricate hair styles matching just a little too perfectly). But for me, this only made the feast for the eyes all the more sumptuous. We still see Emma’s emotions as she navigates first her friend’s heartbreak, and then her own. And Mr. Knightly has enough ruggedness to balance out the finery. Bill Nighy (I Capture the Castle, 2003) is brilliant as Mr. Woodhouse. And the music! It made the film, if you ask me. The only scene I wasn’t a fan of was the proposal scene. Rated PG
10. Brooklyn (2015) – My mother grew up in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, though her family wasn’t Italian. And her story–or maybe that of my grandparents–is in so many ways like the story of Eilis (Saoirse Ronan, Little Women, 2019), the young Irish woman who leaves her tiny Irish village to begin a new life in big New York city in the 1950s. It’s a story of family, of home, of love . . . it’s a story of America. Based on the book by Colm Tóibín. Rated PG-13
11. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) – Huge Victorian houses, wonderful costumes, and Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Did you know it came from this film? Oh, and ketchup making, possible long distance phone proposals from New York City, misunderstandings with handsome neighbors, and a Victorian Halloween. I think this movie goes through all the seasons. And I can’t forget the excitement of the St Louis Fair. Rated PG
12. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) – In this film both Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens, Downtown Abbey) and Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer, Nicholas Nickleby) star together in the story of how Dickens created A Christmas Carol, about the most famous miserly bachelor of all time. This book forever changed the way we view and celebrate Christmas. If you haven’t seen it, do! If you have, see it AGAIN, even if it’s almost summer. There are so many details to catch! It’s also the third movie listed (see 6,8) about characters coming to life to inspire an author. Rated PG
13. Belle (2013) – Tells the story of a real-life woman, Dido Elizabeth Belle, whose father was an English sea captain and whose mother was a former slave on a Spanish ship that her father captured. As a girl, Belle is brought to England to be raised alongside her cousin, Elizabeth, by their great uncle, Lord Mansfield, at his estate. As a woman of mixed ethnicity, Belle endures coldness and even cruelty by some, even as the niece of a wealthy and powerful man. She has the attention of some undesirable suitors–but also of a man who loves her, truly. While Belle’s active involvement in the abolition movement is probably fictional, her uncle, Lord Mansfield, was indeed involved in a court case involving a slave ship and murdered slaves. This has led many to speculate that Jane Austen named her book Mansfield Park after Lord Mansfield, as she calls attention to the evils of slavery in this book. Rated PG
14. Chariots of Fire (1982) – This may be our only official academy award winner 🏆though every movie I’ve suggested is sublime, of course! Wonderful in its subtlety and understated beauty, and the fact that it’s based on the lives of two real British men. Harold Abrams, a Jewish Cambridge University student, and Eric Liddell, Scottish athlete and Christian missionary. Each was an amazing man, full of determination to do their best running for Britain at the 1924 Olympic Games. Each had a different force driving them. The writing, the acting, the scenery, all superb–and the music by Vangelis–love it!!! The running scenes are also inspiring! But what’s most inspiring to me is the life of Eric Liddell, who went on to dedicate his life to the Chinese people. Rated PG
15. The Young Victoria (2009) – The name Queen Victoria often gives us a picture of the plump, dignified, but rather dour looking woman who was photographed in her later years. But of course everyone was young, once, and this film is about just that–Victoria’s adolescent and newly married years. She was next in line to the throne after her uncle, King William. As he nears death, the ambitious Lord Conroy hopes the 18-year-old Victoria will appoint him as regent to rule in her place. Of course she turns out to be far more strong-willed and independent than expected. Meanwhile, Prince Albert of Belgium is being schooled on Victoria’s likes and dislikes, with the intent the two will marry–though he doesn’t like being told what to do any more than she does. The rest is history, but I’ll let you watch and figure it out. Screenplay written by Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey. Rated PG
16. Much Ado About Nothing (1993) – You can have Romeo and Juliet if I can keep THIS. I’m much more of a happy endings kind of girl. And none of Shakespeare’s comedies end happier, or are more relatable and appealing than this adaptation. This play gave us lines like, “Friendship is constant in all other things, save in the office and affairs of love.” And “Claudio is in love. With whom? . . . Look how short the answer is–with Leonato’s short daughter.” Ah, me. Quick summary – The kindly noblemen Leonato, his lovely daughter Hero, and playful niece Beatrice welcome friends home from the war. Among them are Prince Don Pedro, his sullen and bitter brother Don John, witty Benedick, and the handsome young nobleman Claudio. Benedick and Beatrice engage in a battle of wits, and Claudio falls in love with Hero. To pass the time till the wedding, they try to trick Beatrice and Benedick into falling in love. Meanwhile, Don John plays a cruel trick, making Claudio believe Hero has been unfaithful to him . . . With beautiful Italian scenery, a wonderful soundtrack, and a cast of MANY period drama favorites (Emma Thompson, Sense & Sensibility 1995, Kate Beckinsale, Emma 1996, Robert Sean Leonard, Swing Kids 1993), this film is a treat. Rated PG-13
17. Ladies in Lavender (2004) – I’m not sure if it’s the wonderful soundtrack with music by Joshua Bell, the 1930s setting, the gorgeous Cornish scenery, the simple lives portrayed by the main characters (Hello Maggie Smith and Judy Dench), or the idea of a mysterious stranger washing up on a beach that makes me love this film so much . . . do you want to watch it already? When sisters Ursula and Janet find a young man, Andrea, washed up on their beach, unconscious and with a broken ankle, they take him in and care for him. He doesn’t speak English, so who he is and how he ended up there remains a mystery. The two sisters form an attachment to him, treating him as the son neither had–though in Ursula’s case, one wonders if it’s more of a longing for the romantic relationship she never had. They soon discover his talent on the violin . . . unfortunately, this also comes to the attention of a beautiful, foreign painter who is staying in the area. There are rumors the two are spies, but Ursula and Janet are suspicious of the woman, and remain protective of Andrea. I won’t give away the end! It’s a bittersweet film that stirs up emotions of longing for times past, forgotten memories, and people we’ve had to let go. Rated PG-13
18. Letters to Juliet (2010) – This is the only movie set after the 1950s. But with the beautiful Italian scenery, and the theme of both WRITING and ROMEO & JULIET, I thought I’d make an exception. Sophie is an American journalist visiting Verona with her fiancé, who’s there to find products for his restaurant. While he’s busy exploring vineyards and eating cheese, Sophie does her own exploring. On a visit to the house allegedly inhabited by Shakespeare’s Juliet, she notices a stone wall stuck with letters–and then sees a woman take all the letters and put them in a basket. Intrigued, Sophie follows, and finds a secret society of women who make it their business to answer each and every letter written to Juliet, asking for advice on love. On a return to the wall, a stone comes loose, and Sophie finds a letter that’s been hidden for 50 years. Sophie decides to answer the letter, and soon English Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) comes to Italy with her grandson, Charlie. This is when the journey really begins, as Sophie joins Claire and Charlie on their hunt for Claire’s lost love. Rated PG.
19. A Room with a View (1985) – One of my favorite movies ever, ever, EVER!!! The MUSIC, the SCENERY, the COSTUMES, the ROMANCE. Happy, happy, happy sigh!!! Lucy Honeychurch is in Italy as a tourist under the care of her cousin, Charlotte (Maggie Smith). But alas, they weren’t given a room with a view of the Arno River, as promised. An English father and son offer to switch rooms with them, but Charlotte worries it’s not quite proper. Despite her efforts to keep Lucy from the son, George, Lucy ends up being kissed by him (best movie kiss ever). Their new novelist friend, Eleanor Lavish (Judy Dench), thinks it’s romantic, but Charlotte is horrified and whisks Lucy back to England. There, Lucy becomes engaged to bookish Cecil (Daniel Day Lewis). Everything seems to be going well until George and his father take a house in the village. Based on the book by E.M. Forster. Have you seen it? Do you love it too? *This film is not rated. There’s a scene where the men go for a swim in their birthday suits, so get your remote ready.
20. Tea with Mussolini (1999) – Not only does this film take us back to stunning Florence, Italy, but we’re joined once again by Maggie Smith and Judy Dench, who were in both A Room with a View and Ladies in Lavender. In this film, they’re joined by Joan Plowright (Jane Eyre, 1996). A group of cultured ex-patriot British women meet weekly in a local museum for tea, as Europe is on the brink of being thrown into WWII. Then they have Luca, the young boy that Mary (Plowright) has charge of, and who they all keep a watchful eye over. The Fascists may be planning some big changes in Italy, but these strong women aren’t interested in letting Mussolini or anyone upset their ways–or harm the people they care about. They will be brave–and they’ll do it with style! *Another fascinating thing about this film is that it’s based on the autobiography of the director, Franco Zeffirelli. Rated PG
21. Swing Kids (1993) – A romantic but also more serious movie than the others I’ve suggested. Swing Kids, starring Christian Bale (Little Women,1994) and Robert Sean Leonard (Much Ado About Nothing,1993), brings to life the Swingjugand (Swing Youth) of Germany, who risked everything to stand for freedom–specifically by daring to meet together for the forbidden but popular swing dance and jazz music. These young people admired the American way of life and sought to oppose the National-Socialist ideology. It wasn’t a stand for their faith, but it was a stand for freedom. This film is about friendship, love, and standing for what is right. You will love the dancing. The soundtrack is amazing!!! But also expect the heavy themes included in most WWII films. Rated PG-13
22. I Capture the Castle (2003) – “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink . . . ” I’ll begin the review the way the book begins, in a most quirky, inviting sort of way. The book continues as it began… surprising, interesting, delightful at every turn. The film is also sweet and quirky, but what the movie fails to capture is the magic, the voice, the insight into the head and heart of a 1930’s English girl living in a damp, ruined castle. Cassandra Mortmain’s (Romola Garai, Emma, 2009) father (Bill Nighy, Emma 2020) is a struggling author who just received the final royalty check from his last book. Just when the family are desperate, and scheming ways to make money for food, enter two handsome, confident young Americans who have inherited the estate next door. The girls scheme to get Cassandra’s older sister Rose engaged to the eldest brother, and it seems to work . . . the problem is that Cassandra herself falls desperately in love with him. Meanwhile, their hired hand, Stephen (Henry Cavill, Enola Holmes) is in love with Cassandra. Written by Dodie Smith (author of 101 Dalmatians) when she was stuck in America during WWII, and had a serious homesickness for England. I think you’ll LIKE the film and absolutely LOVE the book. Surprisingly, rated R. Apparently for brief nudity (when Cassandra sunbathes on the castle roof or bathes in the moat)?
23. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) – WWII has ended, and people are still picking up the pieces of their lives–some still left wondering about the fate of their missing relatives. Orphaned writer, Juliet Ashton (Lily James), is feeling lost herself. Her latest book didn’t sell well, she’s out of ideas, and she doesn’t know where to call home or what to do next. One thing she does have is a friendship–by letter only–with the unlikely members of a literary society on the British Island of Guernsey, which was occupied by the Nazis during the war. They are still waiting for the return of one of their members, Elizabeth (Jessica Brown Findlay). Juliet is recently engaged, but feels compelled to go to Guernsey to meet her friends and perhaps write about their society? What she finds on the island is a whole lot more than she expected. Here’s where I HAVE to say again that this film is really so good, but based on a book that is EVEN better!!! Also, you will recognize 4 cast members from Downton Abbey! Rated PG-13
24. The Man From Snowy River (1982) – Some of the most epic films were made in the 80s, and in my opinion, this is one of them. This movie is based on a poem, which in turn is based on the legend (or history) of a great horse rider who could tame wild horses and stay on his saddle through any terrain. It’s the movie that changed how I see the name Jessica (beautiful). It’s also the classic Cinderella story, but reversed, where a poor but hardworking young man falls for the beautiful, wealthy rancher’s daughter . . . oh, and it’s all done Australian style. With a wonderful cast, including Kirk Douglas, Sigrid Thornton, and Tom Burlinson, this movie has all the adventure, romance, breathtaking scenery, and beautiful music you could ask for. It’s also a horse lover’s dream. Rated PG
25. Little Women (1994) – I like every adaptation of the book by Louisa May Alcott, but for me, this version will always be best. I find it to be a masterpiece for the eyes, the ears, and the heart. If you don’t know the story, the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are home with their mother while their father is fighting the American Civil War. The girls stay busy with attic theatricals, playing the piano, writing, and other pursuits meant to improve themselves. Meanwhile, young Laurie (Christian Bale, Swing Kids,1993) moves in with this wealthy grandfather next door, and can’t help but be drawn to the March family–especially Jo, though she isn’t sure she feels the same. Rated PG
26. Great Expectations (2012) – A must-watch adaptation of Charles Dickens’ must-read novel. One thing I love about watching multiple film adaptations of a favorite classic is comparing how different actors play a part. Helena Bonham Carter (A Room with a View, 1985) was perfect as eccentric Miss Havisham and Ralph Fiennes very emotional as escaped prisoner, Magwitch, who’s helped by young orphaned Pip. Pip is later brought in to be a companion to Miss Havisham’s ward, Estella. He was meant to love her, and she was taught to never love him. But then one day Pip finds he’s been left a fortune by a mysterious benefactor. Could this change everything for him and Estella? Rated PG-13
27. Swept from the Sea (1997) – Based on the story “Amy Foster” by Joseph Conrad, this tragic tale of love between Russian emigrant Yanko Goorall–who is washed ashore in England when his America-bound ship is lost–and a girl from the Cornish coast. While most people in the small village are afraid of Yanko, he is befriended by the local doctor (Ian McKellan, Lord of the Rings), who finds Yanko is very good at chess. He also gets the notice of loner Amy, who is an outcast because of circumstances surrounding her birth. This one might leave you bawling, but I loved the cast of familiar British actors, the scenery, and the unusualness of the story. Rated PG-13
28. Nicholas Nickleby (2002) – Dark and frightening, romantic and sweet, funny and clever, and very sentimental. This story is all that a Dickens story should be (based on his novel of the same name). It follows the young Nicholas Nickleby, from his idyllic country home, to the streets of London, to the horrors of Do the Boys Hall, the boarding school in Yorkshire where he lands a post as teacher’s assistant. The boarding school bits really are quite frightening! Favorite line “I stuck up for thee. He said thee weren’t fit to live with pigs. I said thee were,” (Said in a heavy Yorkshire accent). Boasts a wonderful cast, including Christopher Plummer (The Man Who Invented Christmas), Romola Garai (Emma, 2009), Jim Broadbent (Brooklyn, 2015), and Jamie Belle (Jane Eyre, 2011). Rated PG
29. A Royal Night Out (2015) – Britain has been cooped up for six long years during WWII, and now the whole world is out celebrating–At least it seems so to 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth (called “Lilibet”) and her 14-year-old sister, Margaret Rose (nicknamed “Princess 2” or simply “P2”). The two hatch a plan to join the masses incognito. Elizabeth convinces her father that if she’s in the crowd, she can much better assess what the honest public response is. Her 14-year-old sister, Margaret, just wants to drink champagne and show off her passion for the Lindy Hop at the Ritz Hotel dance. Their father, The King, insists on two officers as chaperones (This really happened in 1945), but it doesn’t take long for the girls to fix this problem, and what results is a night full of romance, mishaps, and fun. Most of their adventure is probably just fanciful imaginings of what the two young royals might have gotten up to during their one night living as commoners, but I loved “seeing” our Queen as she might have been as a young woman. Rated PG-13
30. Jane Eyre (1996) – A little investigation might reveal the existence of more adaptations of Jane Eyre than you’d realized! I love them all, and this version directed by Franco Zeffirelli (director of Romeo and Juliet, 1968, and whose life Tea with Mussolini is based on) is no exception. Have you seen it? If you aren’t at all familiar with Jane Eyre, it’s the story of an orphaned girl cast off by her wealthy aunt and sent to a harsh charity school for girls. She eventually advertises, and finds a place as governess at the grand but eerie Thornfield Hall. She loves her young French charge, but many clues lead her to believe all is not what it seems, including the brooding owner. Starring Dame Joan Plowright (Tea with Mussolini, 1999) and Charlotte Gainsboroug (Le Misérables, 2000). Not rated.
31. Mansfield Park (2007) – I know I said 30 movies, but I love giving a bonus! Young Fanny Price is sent to live with her wealthy relations at Mansfield Park. While the family treat her tolerably well, they also like to remind her of her lower place. It’s only her cousin, Edmund (Emma, 2009), who treats her as an equal. They are the best of friends, and Fanny hopes they can be more. Enter attractive, stylish new neighbors, brother and sister Henry and Mary Crawford, and things begin to change–but Fanny isn’t sure it’s for the better. Based on the book by Jane Austen. Rated PG
Still need something to watch? Did you know there are two other versions of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park?
I’d love to hear below–did I list one of your all-time favorites? Did you find one you’ve never seen before?
Avonlea x
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Romantic as they seem to us modern folk, stage coaches and sailing ships and horses weren’t the fastest or easiest way to travel the world–nor were they something that everyone in Jane Austen’s England could afford. Unless you were a sailor, a soldier, or a diplomat, you likely spent most of your life in The British Isles. Many never left the county or shire where they were born, and spent their lives with the people in their village. That’s why so much hubbub and excitement ensued when a new teacher, or minister, or peddler arrived in town–or when the gentlefolk from London came to stay at their country estates (we readers and watchers of period dramas could give you plenty of examples here!). Even if you were among the very privileged English youth who took the Grand Tour of Europe, you weren’t as likely to come into contact with non-Europeans. Many parts of the world were yet undiscovered by the West, or were shut away from outsiders, and so it wasn’t often that people saw–much less interacted with–people who looked different from themselves. It’s not like today, where most of us can freely explore almost every corner of our beautiful earth, and where we come in contact with people of different ethnicities and cultures almost every day–if not in real life, than on the Internet or TV.
The Cast of Sanditon
Sadly, the African slave trade was still in existence during Austen’s time, and it was this evil practice that brought many from the African continent into contact with Europeans. Much of this contact was in the Caribbean, where some British had plantations. In my post Jane Austen and Slavery I explored the abolitionists that Austen knew or admired, and the way she raised awareness of slavery in her book Mansfield Park (did you know there are three film adaptations?!). From Austen’s prayers, we can assume she held to the Christian faith–or at least held to the Christian belief that we are ALL descended from Adam and Eve, and therefore all created in the image of God. Not only did she point out the evils of slavery in Mansfield Park, in her unfinished book Sanditon, she went a step further by including a black character, Georgiana Lambe. Georgiana’s father was a plantation owner, and her mother was originally a slave. But now the young heiress has been taken from sunny Antigua and placed in England, in the care of Sidney Parker (heroine Charlotte Heywood’s love interest). In the mini series adaptation of Sanditon, Georgiana (Crystal Clarke) isn’t happy with her situation. But some good things do come from her stay in England–the friendship that forms between Georgiana and Charlotte (Rose Williams) . . . and a little romance, which Charlotte helps Georgiana keep secret from Sidney (Theo James).
Heiress Georgiana Lambe & Charlotte Heywood
Georgiana & sweetheart, Otis
Jane Austen sadly passed away before completing Sanditon, so we don’t know how the book would have been received at the time. But I couldn’t help but recognize the similarities between the fictional Georgiana and the real life woman, Dido Elizabeth Belle, whose story is told in the 2013 movie, Belle. I love searching for connections between fiction and real life! Could Austen have heard of–or even known someone who met–the real Dido Belle? Dido was the illegitimate daughter of a Royal Naval officer, John Lindsay, and a young black woman named Maria Bell, who was a slave on a Spanish ship that was captured by Lindsay. Their daughter, Dido, was eventually taken to England and put in the care of her great-uncle, William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, to be raised on his estate in north London. It’s been speculated that Jane Austen intentionally chose Mansfield as the name of the estate and title of her book, Mansfield Park, in which she addresses slavery. Perhaps with the way her character Georgiana’s life resembles Dido’s, Austen also intended to make connections between the two women.
Dido & Elizabeth, Belle (2013)
As a woman of mixed ethnicity, Dido (Belle), like the fictional Georgiana, faced challenges in English society. The film explores some of the coldness and even open hostility that Dido likely had to endure, even as the niece of a powerful and wealthy man. But she was raised with a cousin, Lady Elizabeth Murray, and the two seem to have been best friends. One of the wonderful things left from this relationship is the painting we have of the two young women. Today, the painting hangs at Scone Palace in Scotland, which I visited many times when I lived there. If only I’d paid more attention!
Portrait of Dido & Elizabeth
Portrait of Dido & Elizabeth as portrayed in the movie
As Austen only wrote about 20,000 words of Sanditon, we don’t know exactly what she had planned for the life of Georgiana Lambe. Many have continued the work as they thought it should go, beginning with Jane’s niece, Anna LeFroy, who claimed to have discussed the novel with Austen (though Anna wrote quite a lot, she sadly didn’t finish the story). And of course producer Andrew Davies (Screenwriter for Pride & Prejudice, 1995) continued the story as he thought it should go in the 2019 miniseries, Sanditon. There, Sidney, who believes Otis is a no-good fortune hunter, seems to succeed in separating him from Georgiana. In the film, Belle, we also see Dido being pursued by fortune hunters.
Dido and suitor Oliver Ashford (James Norton)
Dido & John Davinier
While we don’t know Davies’ future plans for Sanditon Season 2, and the rest of Miss Lambe’s story, we do know that Dido fell in love and married a Mr. John Davinier, who–from what we can gather–truly cared for her. While the film portrays him as a minister and abolitionist, he was in fact a Steward for a wealthy employer. Dido was left with a modest inheritance from her father and uncle, and the two must have lived in relative comfort. They had 3 sons. Much like Jane Austen, Dido passed away in her early 40s. But for those years she had with her husband and children, I hope she was happy. I hope Andrew Davies will give Georgiana a happy ending, too. Jane Austen insisted that all her heroines have a happy ending, and so I really feel he must!
Have you seen the miniseries Sanditon or the film Belle? Did you notice any similarities between them? How do you think the story will end for Miss Lambe? Belle is the final film in my Countdown to Spring Weekend Movie Pick 🌷 – Find Happy Little Sigh on Facebook, Instagram, or MeWe for the complete list of 26 favorite period drama films!!!
Quarantine and stay-at-home is these four walls, and this same view. It is little more in terms of location than a trip to the supermarket every two weeks, or a stroll around the block for some exercise. And so holidays, and visits, and adventures must be had by way of video chats, movies, and books. But what if it could be more?What if you could spend your quarantined time not just reading, but living in the pages of a book and being its heroine for a while? If you could do just that, to which if these five period classics would you escape for a month?
1. Jane Eyre – You’d have a large room to yourself, complete with four-poster bed and a view of the gardens in a beautiful, but slightly spooky English manor house. Your mornings would be spent studying French, Geography, and Flora & Fauna with Adele, Mr. Rochester’s ward. Your afternoons would be spent painting, or wandering the moors and gardens of Thornfield Hall. In the evenings, you could have long talks with Mr. Rochester, or chat with the housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax. It would be a quiet escape to a beautiful place with some good company, but you’d have do endure the occasional eerie noises outside your door at night.
2. Little Women – You’d share a cozy room with your sisters, complete with a fireplace, lots of quilts and books, and a view of your quaint New England village. Your mornings would be spent taking food to the needy, or reading to your Great Aunt Josephine. Your afternoons would be spent having walks in the woods with your charming but incorrigible neighbor, Laurie. In the evenings, you could do some playacting in the attic with your sisters, or stay up late into the night writing by candlelight. This would be an escape full of lovely people and lovely ideas, but you might occasionally find yourself a little bored and longing for more adventure.
3. Anne of Green Gables – You’d have a bedroom to yourself, complete with iron bed, washstand, and a view of green farmland. You’d spend your mornings at the small island school, where you’d learn to spell C-h-r-y-s-a-n-t-h-e-m-u-m, and would have to endure teasing by Gilbert Blythe. You’d spend your afternoons strolling along the shore beneath the lighthouse with Diana Berry, or holding tea parties, or reenacting poems like “The Lady of Shallot.” You could spend your evenings sitting by the fire chatting with Matthew and Marilla, or reading books. This would be happy escape to a cozy community, but you might grow tired of the taunting from Josie Pye, and with the ugly dresses Marilla makes you wear.
4. Pride & Prejudice – You’d have to share a bedroom in your large family home in England with your sister Jane, complete with beautiful furnishings and a view of your family’s small park. Your mornings would be spent reading, or listening to your sisters squabble. Your afternoons would be spent walking in the garden picking flowers, or visiting your friend Charlotte Lucas. In the evenings you could attend balls and gatherings, where you’d get the chance to mingle with many different people, including Mr. Darcy. This escape would present a good mixture of peaceful and exciting moments, but you might not like having to be polite to Mr. Whickam, or putting up with withering looks from Mr. Bingley’s sisters.
5. Little House on the Prairie – You’d share a room with your sister in your family’s simple pioneer home with a view of the rolling prairie. You’d spend your mornings doing chores like churning butter, collecting eggs, and kneading bread. Your afternoons would be spent exploring outside with your sisters, or taking a trip to town in the wagon with Pa. In the evenings, you could listen to Pa tell stories or play folk songs on his fiddle, or sit outside by the fire and look at the stars. You’d learn a lot of practical skills in this escape, and have a happy, wholesome time, but you might feel like you need a vacation from all the hard work when you get back.
So, which would you choose? Share your pick below, or share on Facebook or Instagram and see how your friends would vote!
“Pretend you’re eating with the Queen,” she’d say, my mother, in those preschool years when my sisters and I would gather around the table for our lunch of cottage cheese and tinned pineapple rings. Oh, and we knew something of the Queen, over in her castle in England, and of Princess Diana and all her lovely clothes. I owned copies of them, after all. Paper copies, which fit neatly onto my Princess Diana paper doll.
And so when she’d say it, our minds were filled with pictures of a royal banquet at Buckingham Palace. And my sisters and I made sure to keep our elbows off the table, chew with our mouths closed, and always say “Please pass,” instead of stretching for something out of reach.
But they weren’t quite enough, those lessons in manners. Didn’t quite do the trick when, sixteen years later, I found myself dining with real royalty–well, they were only 42nd in line for the throne, as I was told. But for this young American, that came close enough.
I arrived by train. My friend was there to greet me, and as we climbed into the car and whizzed down the single track road towards his family home, I felt as though I were being driven to another world. Through the maze of green hedgerows that towered around us, I caught glimpses of thatched cottages and gently rolling fields. The sky grew smaller as the hedgerows grew taller. And in the next couple of days, I would grow smaller, too.
“My mother is hosting a dinner party,” he said, my friend, “and you should probably apologize for arriving in the middle of it.”
Wide-eyed, I assented, and when we arrived at the most ancient of large cottages that his family called home, I found his parents and six of their friends gathered around a table (which was really a 400-year-old door) for a casual four-course summer evening meal.
I dutifully apologized, was met with murmured acceptances of that apology, and was then seated to the left of his mother.
The meal could have gone worse, I suppose, if I’d tried to make it so, though I made a small disaster of the affair quite well without even having to try.
And what did I do that was so very wrong?
I could have laughed a little quieter, eaten a little less, declined the cheese course. But I did not.
And when the man to my left made a comment about the side-by-side American style refrigerator that my friend’s family had just purchased, followed by the statement that everything in America is large, I could have smiled demurely and said something diplomatic like, “Perhaps that is so, but bigger does not always mean better.” But I did not.
And when, for the first time in my life, my nose started to bleed, I could have quietly slipped from the table into the other room until it stopped. But as I had a proper handkerchief with me, I decided to use that to dab at my nose, thinking the bleeding would soon stop. But it did not, and I waited until the elderly man who sat across from me looked at me with a measure of horror before I decided to slip away.
But there is more.
Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter which fork you use.
– Emily Post
The next day I awoke to find my hosts in the garden wearing their wellies, having just returned from a countryside stroll with their King Charles spaniel. I was offered some strawberries from a large basket on the kitchen door-table and asked how I had slept.
The main activity of the day was watching my friend play cricket, that most English of games. I sat with his parents to watch the match, where we could look down at the local castle and admire how brilliantly the men’s white cricket uniforms stood out against the green.
“Do you ride?” I was asked.
I had taken horseback riding lessons, but as it had been a few years, I replied with an honest, “No.”
His parents looked thoroughly unimpressed.
And later on back at the house, as I sat beside the enormous inglenook fireplace while my friend watched a football match on the telly, I was asked, “And what do your parents do?”
It was all a bit too much like that scene in Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth Bennett visits Rosings Park and is interrogated by Lady Catherine De Bourgh. “Do you play and sing?” and “Do you draw?” and all the rest.
I cringe as I remember the humiliation I endured, though I didn’t realize I was enduring it at the time.
I sigh as I recall the golden English June sunlight that bathed those few days, illuminating the green of the fields and pouring through the windows of that old house.
I laugh at the shock I must have given my friend’s family, especially when I imagine the fear they must have felt that he would fall in love with me and that they would have to welcome me into the family.
And what I wouldn’t give to go back and re-do the visit. Not to deny who I was–the great-granddaughter of poor immigrants who chose to make America their home–but to present myself with more of the discretion, thoughtfulness, and self-respect that I now possess. But that was then, and this is now, and had the visit gone differently, I wouldn’t have been left with such a fine story to tell.
Indignant is the word to describe how I felt back in 2005 upon hearing that another version of Jane’s Austen’s beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice, was to be released in the cinema, this time starring English actress Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet. The very existence of this new intruder version felt like an insult to those who had played in the 1995 BBC adaptation of the book. Like utter disloyalty to Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, who, in my mind, actually were Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Why make another when perfection had already been reached?
But of course when the time came for the film to appear in our one local cinema in Inverness, Scotland, where we were living at the time, I went along to see it. And slowly, as I sat with my sweet popcorn and mini tub of ice cream, I felt my arched brow of skepticism slowly fade into a soft smile. For even with the simplified script, the overacting, and that awful brown dress Kiera Knightly dons for the majority of the film, it cannot be denied that with all the talented cinematography that captures the breathtaking Darbyshire scenery and the gorgeous film score by Dario Marianelli, the film is a veritable feast for the eyes and ears. And I decided that perhaps seeing what other artists had to offer was, after all, a good thing.
I like to put it on in the background sometimes, if I’m, say, folding laundry or working on my scrapbook. But Keira Knightley will never, ever be Elizabeth Bennet, just as the 2005 version will never be to me the haven of coziness, inspiration, and nostalgia that the 1995 version is.
And so it will be with this newest adaptation of the novel Anne of Green Gables by Canadian Author Lucy Maude Montgomery, which will air in February 2016. This version was created by Breakthrough Entertainment , and stars young actress Ella Ballentine as the red-headed orphan Anne Shirley, and Martin Sheen as Matthew Cuthbert, the Bachelor who, along with his spinster sister Marilla, ends up adopting the feisty, talented, kindhearted Anne.
Canada’s CBC-TV also has plans to run a series, simply titled “Anne,” which is set to air in 2017, and which CBC says will follow Montgomery’s story line, but will also “chart new territory.” Writer Moira Walley-Beckett say she had adapted Anne’s story and that Anne’s issues are really contemporary ones like feminism, prejudice, and bullying.
I will watch both versions. And if the trailer for the made-for-TV film is any indication, that adaptation will be charming and entertaining, if nothing else.
But I’m a little concerned that the series will modernize Anne too much, throw Anne’s catch phrases about in a way that becomes obnoxious, make the story into something Montgomery never intended it to be.
So yes, I’ll watch them, but at the possible risk of having to go back on my word, I’m quite sure that these will not be the versions I go back to–again, and again, and again. Because Megan Follows who starred as Anne in the Sullivan Entertainment version simply is Anne Shirley, just as Colleen Dewhurst is Marilla, and Jonathan Crombie is Gilbert Blythe.
I was practically introduced to Anne’s world from birth when my mother named me Avonlea, and it was to Sullivan’s 1985 version that I was first introduced. It was these actors whose faces I had in mind as I read the books, these faces I felt uplifted and encouraged by on those days when I, too, felt “in the depths of despair,” or had “a Jonah Day,” or could say of God’s working in my life, “He knew.” They are as much like friends to me as any fictional characters could ever be.
Another chance to view what is probably my favourite story on earth? Yes, please. Perhaps Breakthrough will even go on to make other Anne films based on Montgomery’s books,and stay a little closer to the stories than Sullivan did with their second Anne film. But just as I’m quite sure that a rose called a thistle or a skunk cabbage wouldn’t smell the same, an Anne by any other name could just never be as sweet.
Not that it’s always easy. The getting started of a day.
Not when my bed’s so warm and the house so dark, and the children woke me in the night three times, at least.
And while my mind swirls with the to-dos of today,
beneath the surface of these plans, beneath all that I know will keep me busy, rushing from here to there,
lie my deeper dreams and goals.
All my heart longs to do and be for my family.
All the words I long to write.
And they look like a mountain from here. Like I’ve been given a wheel barrow and a shovel and told I have to move it.
Like I have to move a mountain.
But of course, I can’t.
And so no wonder it’s easier to stay in bed. Slip back into those dreams.
But this new day awaits. It’s time.
And though the stars are still out,
I can smell the bread.
The first gift of today, and there will be many.
And just waking, well isn’t that a gift?
And hasn’t the one thing that really needs to be done
already been done by Jesus?
In that, I can rest.
With that, I can pull back the curtains,
with hot cup in hand venture a step or two outside
to hear the first bird sing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lamentations 3:22-24
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morning-Land
Old English songs, you bring to me A simple sweetness somewhat kin To birds that through the mystery Of earliest morn make tuneful din,
While hamlet steeples sleepily At cock-crow chime out three and four, Till maids get up betime and go With faces like the red sun low Clattering about the dairy floor.
~Siegfried Sassoon
And finally, a word from Jane . . .
“What fine weather this is! Not very becoming perhaps early in the morning, but very pleasant out of doors at noon, and very wholesome—at least everybody fancies so, and imagination is everything.”
~ Jane Austen, November 17, 1798, in a letter to her sister, Cassandra.
Avonlea x
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