A little late Christmas post :)

Merry 3rd day of Christmas everyone!!!! Sorry I didn't post on Christmas day. I wanted to, but we got up went to church, came home opened some presents and got ready to go to a friends house for the dinner & games. Then we got home late. Over all I think it was one of the best Christmases ever! :)

One thing I love about Christmas is giving people gifts. I like telling people I love them by giving them a gift. It can be something really simple, just to tell them they are important.

Christ is born!!!!!!




 Blessings
~Elizabeth

PS. Oh I will be doing the 12 days of Christmas, AFTER Christmas. So I will still be posting about Christmas for a while! :)

The Hobbit Trailer!!!!!

AHHHHH!!! I am so excited!!!! I can't wait for it to come out! But we are all stuck waiting a whole year! :( Why? It looks like it will be amazing though. How could it not be, with all the wonderful sets, characters, and mood music? Also I seem to be behind in posting this, but that comes as no surprise. I usually find stuff out after all the excitement has past. Oh well. :)

I am so excited about Richard Armitage being in it! :) I was thrilled that he was singing in the movie. It made me so happy! *giggle*



Blessings
~Elizabeth

PS. The singing reminds me of Church.

Latin IS a dead language despite what some people think

I am really really mad right now. This person clams that Latin is really not a dead language because it is still used.

Really? I don't think this person understands what the definition of a dead language is. We may still use it is some ways. Such as naming things, translating, and reading Roman literature in its original form. But scholar and scientist are really the only ones who use if the most. Most every day people would not use Latin. (I am learning Latin by the way)

A dead language is one that is no longer changing. English is changing we are adding new words changing rules, and other things. Latin is not changing. It is not changing because it is not used anymore as a daily conversation language. There are no countries that list Latin as a national language. English, Spanish, French, and German however are living languages, becasue they are changing.

This statement made by this person really really really upset me!!!!! I get so annoyed with people who think they know what they are talking about, but really don't. GRRRRR!!!

Anyway, here is a lovely, hauntingly beautiful version of Veni Veni Emmanuel (Oh Come O Come Emmanuel) by Hayley Westenra. I really love this song.

Blessings
~Elizabeth

Book Review: Mary Barton

Title: Mary Barton

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

First Published: 1848 anonymously

rating: 3/5

Summery: Mary Barton is a young Manchester working girl. Her father, the only family she has in the world, except for her mysterious Aunt Easter, is a factory union man. She has two men who are courting her. One is rich and fair. The other poor. She must decided which she truly loves when disaster strikes.

This is Gaskell's first novel so I must say that it is not as good as some of her other works Like North & South(read my review of that book here). I did enjoy it very much though. One thing that I had trouble with was how very difficult to get into, it can seem very boring in the beginning.

Probably the only thing I didn't like was how very much romantic dreamy it seemed to me at times. I felt it was a little sappy at some points. It was just a seemed a little fake to me at some points.

One thing that struck me was how sharply contrasted the upper class was with the lower class. How sharply Gaskell seemed to criticize the upper class. This is the one thing I like about Gaskell, how she spoke out against the mistreatment of the lower class. I really enjoyed seeing this, and how Gaskell said, without saying so, that something needed to change. I posted earlier the preface to the book here. I would highly recommend reading it(click here). It changed my view of Gaskell's books. I saw them as more. than good stories, which there is no doubt that they are, they are an out cry against society.

One thing is that Gaskell seems to favor the lower class more that the upper class. In North & South she seems to portray the two classes more equally. I wonder if this is some growth towards seeing both sides of a story. Which is something important to me.

As a side note I completely feel in love with this particular copy of the book. It felt so lovely, and the colors so soft! :)

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Loreena McKennit - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

I love the song God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen! I really enjoy Loreena Mckennitt's version. She has but an Arab spin on the English carol. I really enjoy it. I love her voice too! :) Tell me what you think! I would love you opinions!

Blessings
~Elizabeth

PS. We are going to the Nutcracker to morrow!!!!!!!!! The really really big on in our aria that the radio talks about all the time! I am really really really excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

Author Profile: Charlotte Bronte

Author Profile

Name Charlotte Bronte

Birth Date April 21, 1816 Place Thornton, Yorkshire, North England

Death Date March 31, 1855 Place Haworth, Yorkshire, North England

Best-Known Works: Jane Eyre, & Villette

Charlotte Bronte was born on April 1^st 1816 at the Thornton Yorkshire in the North of England. Her Parents were Patrick and Maria Bronte, she also had two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth. Her mother died of cancer in1820. She attended Cowan Bridge School with her sisters Maria, Elizabeth, and Emily. They left the school when Maria and Elizabeth became sick with tuberculosis and died. After this they were taught from home by their father, and aunt, Elizabeth. The four children left often played together, and they made up all kinds of fantastic adventures for their imaginary characters. Latter they wrote these stories down; this prepared them for their latter writing. Charlotte became a governess for a time, but grew homesick. She and her sisters, Emily and Anne, published a book of poems. It sold only two copies. Latter in 1847 she published Jane Eyre under the name of Currer Bell. It was met with instant success. She latter would publish the books Shirley, and Villette. She married Arthur Bell Nickolas in 1854, they were only married for a few months. She died on March 31^st of 1855.

One of the things that Charlotte uses from personal experience in Jane Eyre is the boarding school. Charlotte went to Cowan Bridge School. Her experience there is the basis for Lowood school in Jane Eyre. Charlotte’s sister Marie was the basis for her Character of Helen in Jane Eyre. Charlotte also went to school in Brussels, she used this experience as the basis for her novel Villentte. The two men that Lucy Snowe falls in love with are based on two men that Charlotte Bronte knew and was in love with her self.

The poet, Robert Southy, was one of Charlotte’s role models, and effected her writing. She addresses what he said to her in Jane Eyre. William Thackeray, another poet, is also one of Charlotte’s inspirations. She also read many books this would have affected her writing as well.

Much of Jane Eyre takes place in the country side which is where Charlotte Bronte grew up. There is very much the feel of a Yorkshire moor throughout the book, although where to book takes place exactly is kept hidden from the reader. You only know that it is the country.

Mary Taylor to Mrs. Gaskell

Charlotte's friend Mary Taylor telling Elizabeth Gaskell about the first time she saw Charlotte Bronte.

Mary Taylor, Charlotte's school friend, to Mrs. Gaskell

"I first saw her coming out of the covered cart, in very old-fashioned clothes, and looking very cold and miserable. she was coming to school at Miss Wooler's. When she appeared in the schoolroom her dress was changed but just as old. She looked a little old woman, so very short-sighted that she always appeared to be seeking something, and moving her head from side to side to catch sight of it. She was very shy and nervous and spoke with a strong Irish accent."

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Did Elizabeth fall of the face of the Earth?

So sorry that I am have not been posting! I got really busy with school and life kind of got in the way, so I took a little brake from blogger. Which was actually very nice, but now I would like to get back to it! :) So I will be trying to get back, but don't expect to much.

Advent started for the Orthodox church on November 15. I have a one year Bible, but I have not been doing the one year part of the plan. I am reading little bits when I can which I suppose is better than none. I am also reading A Simple Path for this fast season. I read part of it last Lent so I hope to finish this Advent/Nativity fast.

I have been reading other books to, so hopefully I will maybe get some book reviews done. I would also like to post a lot of my favorite Christmas music. I LOVE Christmas music, it is some of my favorite music in the whole world. So I would like to share some of my favorites. I have a Christmas plays list, but not all my favorites are on playlist so I will post some as well. :)

I don't know if I ever mentioned before that I joined my church's choir. I really really love it!!! I am especially excited for the Christmas songs we are working on. :)

I am also excited because I will be babysitting tomorrow! I am looking forward to it!

Anyway that is all for now. Right now my sister has a friend over and they are working on building a model of one of those rock throwing things they used in Narnia & and real life to. I can't remember what it is called. Even if I did I am not sure I would be able to spell it.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

PS. I also want to post some pictures of my latest art projects. :)

My guest post

I had to lovely honor to be able to guest post on Miss Elizabeth Rose's blog Living On Literary Lane. To read my guest post click Here.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Preface to Mary Barton

This was the preface to the book Mary Barton. I found it really interesting, and wanted to share is with you all! It shed a completely different new light on North & South, and also on the book I was about to read.

"Three years ago I became anxious (from circumstances that need not be more fully alluded to) to employ myself in writing a work of fiction. Living in Manchester, but with relish and fond admiration for the country, my first thought was to find a framework for my story in some rural scene; and I had already made a little progress in a tale, the period of which was more than a century ago, and the place on the borders of Yorkshire, when I bethought me how deep might be the romance in the lives of some of those who elbowed me daily in the busy streets of the town in which I resided. I had always felt a deep sympathy with the care-worn men, who looked as if doomed to struggle through their lives in strange alternations between work and want; tossed to and fro by circumstances, apparently in even a greater degree than other men. A little manifestation of this sympathy, and a little attention to the expression of feelings on the part of some of the work-people with whom I was acquainted, had laid open them; I saw that they were sore and irritable against the rich, the even tenor of whose seeming happy lives appeared to increase the anguish caused by the lottery-like nature of their own. Whether the bitter complaints made by them, of the neglect which they experienced from the prosperous - especially from the masters whose fortunes they had helped to build up - were well-founded or no, it is not for me to judge. It is enough to say, that this belief of the injustice and unkindness which they endure from their fellow-creatures, taints what might be resignation to God's own will, and turns into revenge, in too many of the poor uneducated factory-workers of Manchester.

The more I reflected on this unhappy state of things between those so bound to each other by common interests, as the employers and the employed must ever be, the more anxious I became to give some utterance to the agony which time to time convulses this dumb people; the agony of suffering without the sympathy of the happy, or of erroneously believing that such is the case. If it be an error, that the woes, which come with ever-returning tidelike flood to overwhelm the workmen in our manufacturing towns, pass unregarded by all but the sufferers, it is the at any rate an error so bitter in its consequences to all parties, that whatever public effort can do in the way of legislation, or private effort in the way of merciful deeds, or helpless love in the way of 'widow's mites,' should be done, and that speedily, to disabuse the work-people of so miserable a misapprehension. At present they seem to me to be left in a sate where in lamentations and tears are thrown aside as useless, buy in which the lips are compressed for curses, and the hands clenched and ready to smite.

I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of trade. I have tried to write truthfully; and if my accounts agree or clash with any system, that agreement or disagreement is unintentional.

To myself the idea which I have formed of the sate of feelings among too many of the factory-people in Manchester, and which endeavoured to represent in this tale (completed above a year ago) has received some confirmation from the events which have so recently occurred among a similar class on the Continent."

~Elizabeth Gaskell October, 1848

Frédéric Chopin - Nocturne 20 in C Minor Sharp

This is one of the songs I am learning on the piano. I love it!

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Quotes with Dickens

"Dreams are bright creatures of poem and legend, who sport on earth in the night season, and melt away in the first beam of the sun, which lights grim care and stern reality on their daily pilgrimage though the world."

~Charles Dickens

"There might be some credit in being jolly."

~Charles Dickens

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Evening Solace

Evening Solace

By Charlotte Bronte

The Human heart has hidden treasures,

In secret kept, in silence sealed; - -

The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures,

Whose charms were broken if revealed.

And days may pass in gay confusion,

And nights in rosy riot fly,

While, lost in Fame's or Wealth's illusion,

The memory of Past may die.

Buy there are hours of lonely musing,

Such as in evening silence come,

When, soft as birds their pinions closing,

The heart's best feelings gather home

Then in our souls their seems to languish

A tender grief that is no woe;

And thoughts that once wrung groans of angusish

Now cause but some mild tears to flow.

And feelings, once strong as passions,

Float softly back - - a faded dream;

Our own sharp griefs and wild sensations,

The tale of others sufferings seem.

Oh! when the heart is freshly bleeding,

How longs it for the time to be,

When through the mist of years receding

It woes but live in reverie!

And it can dwell on moonlight glimmer,

On evening shade and loneliness;

And, while the sky grows dim and dimmer,

Feel no untold and strange distress - -

Only a deeper impulse given

By lonely hou and darkened room,

To solemn thougth that soar to heavan

Seeking a life and world to come

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Flower pictures

These are some flower pictures I have taken. I enjoy taking pictures, it is a little hobby. I don't have a really good camera, so some pictures I want to take don't turn out so good. But these turned out great I think.

I love the purple hints in this flower.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Ducks on a Pond

Here are some pictures I took this summer. I really like them, and how they turned out. Let me know what you think!

I like this one best.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Book Review: The Road from Home

Title: The Road from Home

Author: David Kherdian

published: 1979

Genre: Biography

"David Kherdian re-creates his mother's voice in telling the true story of a childhood interrupted by one of the most devastating holocausts of our century. Veron Dumehjian Kherdian was born into a loving and prosperous family. Then, in the year 1915, the Turkish gobernment began the systematic destruction of its Armenian population." - the back of the the book

This book is one of the saddest books I have ever read. So many people die. I often wished through out the whole book that I could change history. I think what made this book more sad for me was that many of the characters were real people, who were really there. This book disturbed me a lot too. I was thinking all the time how on earth could people possible be so cruel to other people? It is so hared to imagine for me that anyone would want to kill another person so much. How can someone hate some one without any reason?

I love stories that take place around real things that happened, and when the story is a real person I am much more interested. The story is well, written, I was only a little confused about who was related to who, an who lived where in the beginning. It was very hard to put the book down, you wanted to know what would happen, and if she would escape. There where lots of times what you wanted to cry in the book because of what was happening. It didn't help that I was sick when I was reading it. With the way it was written I felt like I was walking through the whole thing with Veron.

One of the things that stood out to me was how people helped each other. They watched out for each other. It was very touching. People worked together to get out of the horror they where in. They would share their food. It reminded me of Christ.

The book is a little violent, but I think that would be expected, and I really don't think you can tell a story like this, and get away with out putting in some of the violence. I think it brings the story even more to life. It really tells about what happened to the Armenians.

I have always thought that is sounds really weird to say that a supper sad book is one of your favorite books. Well despite this being a really sad book it is one of my favorites. I think that is because it is a true story, and I didn't know about the Armenian extermination. I might have had a vague awarness of it, but I really didn't know about it. Now I know and I will never forget. I gained very strong feelings for not forgetting. Here is the reason why...

"I have given orders to my Death Units to exterminate without mercy or pity men, women, and children belonging to the polish-speaking race. It is only in this manner that we can acquire the vital territory which we need. After all, who remembers to day the extermination of the Armenians?" -Adolf Hitler

(I have put in italics the part that I wish to emphasis)

This quote chills me to the bone! Not just because it is Hitler, and Hitler gives me chills in general, but because of what it is that he is saying. He is saying that it is alright to kill the Polish, because no one remembers what the Turks did the Armenians. It is really horrifying! It makes me feel strongly that we need to remember these people, and what happened to them. So that in the future we can stop something like this from happening again.

Some books feel like they are trying to bring History to life, other like they are just telling a story, and then the ones that tell to remember. This one is to remember.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

The Importance of Writing

One Sunday quite a while ago I had a conversation with a friend. She was wondering why schools always teach writing. Her opinion was that once you where taught the basics there was really no need to lean any more. Once you know how to write you don't need anymore instruction. She new how to write so she didn't understand why at her school they had to cover it every year. I am probably not saying this quite the way she said it, but this is what I got out of what she said.

Now when I was young I did not like writing. It was like pulling teeth for my mother to get me to write anything. Part of this came from that fact that I didn't like having to write long paragraphs and papers that I would actually write out by hand. This problem was solved when I figured out how to type on the computer. The other problem I had was what do I write? How do I say what I want to say? The assignment would tell me to write something, but not how to write it. This has been solved when we got IEW(Institute for Excellence in Writing), which is an amazing program by the way. I did at some point realize that if I wanted to get anywhere in the world I would have to write, so I did try more, and I tried also not to give my mom so much grief about it. The only thing that I find really bizarre is that ever since I was old enough to understand that people write books, I have wanted to write books. I use to dream about becoming a famous author. I have not lost this desire to write books. I just find it weird that as much as I hated writing I loved books and wanted to write books.

Now everything has come together and I am now a very very big fan of writing. I love poetry, and enjoy trying my hand at some. This is a 108 degree change for me.

This friend got me thinking as to why we need to learn writing. Why do we cover so much? Why is there such a big emphasis on it in school? This is the conclusion that I have come to.

You can write 'I like chocolate'. but does that really express much? If I said wrote 'I like chocolate', and I like peanut butter"; would you be able to tell I like chocolate more that I like peanut butter? No. But If I wrote 'chocolate has a wonderful delightful creamy flavor, that makes me feel happy. Chocolate makes a wonderful dessert for any occasion.' And for the other, 'peanut butter is a creamy condiment, that is great on sandwiches.' Now you can tell I like chocolate better than peanut butter.

You can write anything, but can you write it well, and express it with grace and ease? Can you say what you are thinking, and express you ideas well? I most certainly am not very good at expressing what I am thinking in writing or speech. But I have a blog that I write on anyways, and if I don't practice I wont get better.

Being able to share what you are thinking, write a book, poem, or anything at all. You need to be able to write with elegance, and ease. Writing is a key form of communication in our society, so it makes sense that it is one of the things taught most to us. We cannot share what we have learned with out being able to write. If we cannot write well it does not makes us seem very intelligent. But we if we know how to write and thoroughly understand the art of writing, then we can write well. We need to be able to communicate our thoughts clearly. This is not something that is at all easy. I have found that I am not very well able to express my thought even with speech, and I find talking much easier than writing. We need to practice and work on writing to develop this skill.

Being able to communicate well has been one of my parents' goals from the time that I was little. Though we have had a lot of trouble finding a writing program that actually explained the process to us has be extremely difficult. *Enter IEW* Now all our problems have been solved!

Anyway this post is my ramblings about why writing is important, there are tons of other reasons to be sure, as to why writing is necessary, but this is the one that has stuck out to me the most. I hope this has not been very boring for you all.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

My latest musical discovery

So I recently discovered Meav from Celtic Woman. I love her voice and the sound of her music. I love her name too! Meav is no longer with Celtic Woman, and has started her own solo career. This song is is Irish(gaelic).





Blessings

~Elizabeth

A little lack of inspiration

So I am just doing a random post with pictures form some period dramas I like. Just to talk about them. Also since I am out of posting ideas at the moment. Hopefully some will come to me soon.

I love Ester Summerson! She is so sweet, lovely, and feminine! She is one of my favorites right up there with Elinor Dashwood and Jane Bennett. I like all the hair arrangements in this series. They were all so lovely.

I love lady Deadlocks hair. She always has it so wonderfully arranged. She is very elegant, I like that. A little uppity maybe, but elegant. I love all her dresses too. They are elegant just like her.

Has anyone else noticed that this dress....
looks just like this dress. Or is it just me?
I love Marian's dress. This is my favorite dress from the whole movie. I like Elinor's too. Margret is so cute in this picture! Marian's hair is lovely. I wish I could get it to be that curly, but mine just wont. *sigh*

The Greek Festival is tomorrow!! I am very excited!!! I can't wait to go!! :) :)

~Elizabeth

Narnia and the theory of relativity

My family has been listening to the Narnia series, my sisters and I love these books! Who doesn't? While listening I noticed that the Theory of Relativity was in it. Maybe I am the only person who has not noticed it, and everyone else has noticed this already. I was just slow to notice it.

Anyway one day while listening to these books. I realized C. S. Lewis was talking about the theory of relativity in his books. You know how time moves at different speeds in our world and Narnia, but when we where in Narnia and our world we don't notice the difference. Why? Because of the theory of relativity.

Time always seems to move at a "normal" pace, no matter how fast or slow it is actually moving. Time in Narnia moves faster than time in our world, this has been proven throughout the books. But when we are in Narnia it seems to move at the same pace as in our world, because time moves relative to us. I have not studied the theory of relativity in any great depth, I do know a little about it, and understand enough to see that it is used in Narnia.

I am probably very poorly explained it to you, but I hope you can get an idea of what I am saying. :)

Blessings

~Elizabeth

My mom is having a give away

My mom is having a give away at her blog Circling Through this life. She is giving away the book What is he Thinking by Rebecca St. James. I have read a very small part of this book. It looks interesting though. If you are interested you should go over and check it out, and perhaps enter her give away. :) Click here to enter

Blessings

~Elizabeth

quotes of the day

"Can a mortal ask a question which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. " -C. S. Lewis.

I found this quote humorous. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Here is one that is for me something to ponder.

"Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." - Charles Dickens

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Bird and horse cards

Here are some cards I have recently made. I wanted to share them with you all! Let me know what you thing!


I think this one is my favorite from this batch. I like the picture and the green background.

The inside.
A smaller one. I was trying something new with the ribbon on this card. I like how it turned out!

Here is another one. I love the blue ribbon and the blue bird.

This is horse themed one. I made it with special thoughts for my horse loving sister!

The inside.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Pride and Prejudice 2005 rant

So I said I would talk more latter on Pride and Prejudice 2005. This is my rant about it, latter I hope to do a review after I have gotten some of the things I didn't like out of my system. I wan't to give it a nice review not a rant about what I didn't like. So sorry this is so long in coming!!

I have noticed that I am more particular with Jane Austen adaptations that with others. I don't know why, but I just am.

The big thing about this movie was that it was just too short!! 2 hours is just not enough time to cover the whole story. I would rather they take all the time they need, than for them to not take enough time and really mess things up. There where things that didn't happen in the book that they added, and then they took out some of the best parts! Maybe they would not have needed to do this if they had not added stuff?

Since Wickam is here I will talk about him. He was just not right. He was slimy from the beginning. I all ways pictured Wickam as being very charming, nice, and sweet, and then you find out how horrible he is. This Wickam is suspicious from the beginning. I have no idea how Lizzie saw anything in him at all! Wickam just was not right.

Mr. Bingley was not to dumb. Mr. Bingly in the book though not a smartest person on earth, was a gentlemen, kind, and caring. I don't get the same feel. Honestly I really like Bingley, but in this version I have no idea how anyone can like him, he just is to well... dumb. Sorry to be harsh on him, but that is just how I feel about him.

And now for the thing that made me really really mad!

*screams in horror!*

Miss Bingly is wearing a sleeveless dress!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not a fashion expert but this seems to me like a really wrong thing. It looks like she is wearing her underwear to the ball! It was just not right. It just did not feel at all proper for the time. It just seems like she is wearing her underwear to me.

On a side note I like her hair. I wish I had hair like that! I liked Miss Bingly way to much in this version. She just seemed like a stuck up person who was full of themselves, but not nearly as evil as she should be. I didn't even really feel like she liked Darcy, and I felt like she and Lizzie could have almost have been friends is Miss Bingly was not so stuck up. Also Her dresses, minus the one above, were the only dresses that I liked.
Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like everyone was running around in their night cloths half the time. What was up with that? I would not want Mr. Darcy walking in on me in my nightgown. I also don't think that she would have gone walking out of the house, no matter what hour it was, in her night gown. That just does not seem right.


I am not sure what to make of Mathew Macfayden's Mr. Darcy. On the one hand I like Macfayden so I was some what predisposed to like his Mr. Darcy. But His Darcy just didn't seem right. I didn't feel like he was a proud stuck up man, just really shy and not sure of himself. Which I though Mr. Darcy was sure of himself in the book, just proud, and disagreable.

I liked when they where dancing the other couples disappeared. That was really interesting to show how they where focused on each other

Georgiana seemed way to young. She looked 12 and no where near 16. She did seem really sweet though as Georgiana should be.

Also Why did they where their hair down? It kind of annoyed me as it seemed not quite right for the time. I am not an expert on Regency fashion, so I could be wrong. But I have seen quite a few Regency films and this was the only one where any of the women wore their hair down. Not that they didn't have nice hair.

The dresses where not very regency in this movie. I know that the director wanted to show the difference of status between the Bennetts and the richer people. But still I was not very happy with it. I mean Kitty and Lydia strike me as the kind of people who would have the latest fashion no matter what. Mrs. Bennetts dresses where really not regency at all. They where from the time before which I thought was really odd. (what was the time before Regency?)

Also look at Lizzie's hair here. I would not mind her bangs so much it they where not in her face. Also her coat was very ugly and looks like it was a guys coat. Maybe she got it from her father? I don't know it was just really ugly.

Ahh Jane. . . Jane is my favorite character from Pride and Prejudice. I find I am like her is some ways. I really like this Jane. She looked like Jane, and acted like Jane. Jane from 1995 had the character down right, but didn't quite look like her. This Jane looks like Jane. She is sweet and caring. The trying always to think the best of others didn't quite come across as well though. Jane was just about really nice thing in this movie.

One character that really annoyed me because he was not right was Mr. Collins. I mean Mr. Collins is suppose to be an annoying character, but it annoyed me because he was not what he should have been. He was not Mr. Collins. I can't put my finger on what about him was not Mr. Collins, perhaps it was because he did not use the phrases that Mr. Collins used?

Lizzie was not Lizzie at all. She was much more like Kitty and Lydia. Why Mr. Darcy liked her when she was so much like her younger sisters I have no idea. Also I don't remember Lizzie being so critical of men. Why was she like that? It didn't make sense, and was not at all Lizzie like. Also she was very rude to her father when she snatched the letter out of his hand. It was really really rude, and extremely unLizzie like.

I wanted to like this version. I knew when I started it that it would not be as good at the 1995 version, but I was so disappointed with it. I will do a real review of it latter in which I will try to be a little more balanced. This was not a review. It was just be writing about what annoyed me, and what I didn't like. And there are a few good things in here too I think.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Sonnet XXI

Sonnet XXI

by Shakespeare

So it is not with me, as with that Muse,

Stirr'd by painted beauty to his verse,

Who heavan itself for ornament doth use,

And every fair with his fair doth rehearse;

Making a couplement of proud compare,

With sun and moon, with earth and sea's rich gems

With April's first-lorn flowers and all things rare

That heaven's air in this huge rondure hems.

O! let me, true love, but truly write,

And then believe me, my love is fair

As any mother's child thought not so bright

As those golden candles fix'd in heaven's air:

Let them say more that like of hearsay well;

I will not praise, purpose not to sell.

Pretty Peaches

My sisters and I got to can peaches a few weeks ago! It was lots of fun, and it was great to work with my sisters. All the Jars sealed too which is very good! This was the first time I had ever canned with out a friend in my own kitchen(my mom's kitchen :), and it was my sisters first time ever canning. Here are a couple of pictures of the end result!

I love the pink color that the juice, in the can not on the towel. It gives it this happy look. :)
They are so pretty! I could star at the jars all day! :)

~Elizabeth

I wish I had a clever title

So I saw Pride and Prejudice 2005 a long time ago. I think I was 10 or 11, which is not actually all that long ago since I am 16 but it seems like a long time ago. Well I didn't remember it all that well, and didn't really care since I had not been all that thrilled with it. None of my friends really cared for it either so I didn't really care much about it. Then I changed churches and now more of my friends really like this movie so I decided it was time to watch it again. So I did yesterday. I was not at all impressed. I was in fact horrified. The only good part was Mathew Macfadyen, but I didn't even really like his Mr. Darcy. And Jane, I liked Jane. I will write a more detailed post latter but for now I am just saying I am not thrilled at all with this version.

Anyway like I said more latter ta ta for now!

~Elizabeth

PS. On a side note the music was nice and pretty, but not the Oh My Gosh music that some movies have had for me.

Mansfield Park: book review

Title: Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen

1st published:

my rating: 5/5

Penniless Fanny Price is sent by her family to live with her richer relations at Mansfield Park. She lives with them for most of her life and everything is peaceful until the Crawfords come. Then everything is thrown upside down, and there is no peace.

- I wrote this that is why it is so terrible. The one on the back of the book was not the write kind of summery I needed. Also I have a different copy of the book, I could not find a picture of the right cover so I chose the one that looked best.

I must say that this is now my favorite Jane Austen book. It is much is different from her other ones in that it is one of her "mature novels" as the introduction said. It is not quiet the same kind of romance that you would find in Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. It was a little difficult to get into the first couple of chapters, but after that I could not put the book down.

I loved the characters. Fanny was lovely. She was sweet and shy, always willing to help, and did not want to appear ungrateful for all that her relatives have all done for her. She is lovable in every way, I have no idea where the person who wrote the into got the idea that Fanny was not a likable main character?

I love how she seemed to talk about through her story the need for parents to be involved in their children's lives. To teach them and show them good behavior, and how to be a respectable person.

The other thing I liked was Fanny and Edmund's romance. They were very good friends before they fell in love. I think I would like to be good friends with the person I marry before I fall in love with them. I would want to get to know them really well.

Blessings

~Elizabeth

not fun!

So I have strep throat. Yup, not very fun. It was very painful, at first we thought it was the flu on Monday then I started to notice that it was not a normal sore throat, it was way more painful. so we decided on Monday to go to the doctor the next day since it was to late to go. I noticed that my ear felt like it had water in it, but I didn't think much of it since I had just taken a shower. the I woke up at 3 in the morning because of extreme pain in my ear. There was a lot of pressure on it. It was fluid build up, because my tubes where blocked, that is what my dad said. My mom took me to the doctor that day. I was super tired, and by the time we got to the doctor I could not hear out of my ear at all.

We got to the doctor and were taken to the room to wait for the doctor to come in. She took a very very long time to come see us, so in the mean time I lay down on the table bed thing and took a nap. When she finally came in she looked at my throat and said it looked really bad, and swabbed my throat and then tested it. she confirmed I had strep and then looked at my ear and said that it looked bad, she gave us meds for both. since then my ear has felt much better, and my throat is so much better!! :)

Any way that is what has happened to me.

~Elizabeth

Period Drama Week questions #3

Okay so this is the last post for the questions of period drama week. I hope you have enjoyed! I have very much enjoyed doing these questions. I wish I could have done more posts for period drama week, but I just have not had time with school starting. I have enjoyed it very much though!

14. Do you like having multiple versions of some period dramas? Do some period dramas need newer versions? Or are the older versions better? I like having multiple versions. I really don't feel like I am able to answer to what ones in my opinion need to be redone.

15. What is the longest period drama you have ever seen? I am thinking that is was P&P 1995.

16. Who are your favorite actors/actresses from period dramas? :)

Richard Armitage

Emma Thompson

Colin Firth

Hugh Grant

Harry Lloyd

17. Do you prefer watching a regular length movie or a more in-depth mini-series? Why? I like both, but I think that I prefer the longer in-depth mini-series ones. There is just more to them that the others.

18. What period drama has one or your favorite actors/actresses in it? North & South

19. Which heroine from which movie is you least favorite? Why? Emma would be in general, but I really really really don't like the 2007 version of Emma. It is perhaps the only BBC version of something that I really truly dislike.

20. Which three period dramas are you least favorite?

Pride and Prejudice 2005

Emma BBC 2007

I can't think of a third at the moment

That is all for now! I hope you have enjoyed this! :)

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Period Drama Week questions part 2

Her is part 2 of the questions! I hope you enjoy!

8. Which period drama characters are the most annoying? (keep it under three) This is difficult because there are some portrayals of characters that I find annoying, but the characters themselves(in other versions at least) are not annoying.

Mrs. Bennett annoys me every time I watch P&P.

Lydia Bennett drives me bananas. I want to lock her in a room for a day or two so she can maybe learn something, and not annoy any one else.

Henry Crawford I was very annoyed with. He was not at all caring about the feelings of others with his actions.

9. Which period Drama characters are in your top three?

Elinor Dashwood.

Guy of Gisborne, he has a very deep character that I love watching develop. (Robin Hood BBC 2006-2008)

Fanny Price

10. When you watch period drama, what is it that you pay closest attention to? I like to look at the clothes, the hair, the setting, the acting(some actors the way they act annoys me), Characters are something that I look at a lot and love to study. I like to see them develop and grow as the story moves along.

11. Which period dramas have you not see that you most want to see? Oh my there are so many!!

The Kings Speech

Under the Greenwood Tree

Cranford

Jane Eyre 2011

Great Expectations(there are several versions that I want to see!)

12. Which period drama has the pretties sound track or background music? The music that I was most moved by in a period drama would be the sound track from North & South 2005. From the beginning notes I was completely in love with the music!

13. Which period drama has your favorite screenplay/script? Why? I don't really know what screenplay is my favorite, but I think it would be Pride and Prejudice 1995.

Blessings Elizabeth

PS. Today is my first day of School!!! :)

I have been awarded!

Yesterday I was was awarded the Liebster Blog award by Mel from But when the Young Lady is to be a Heroine. You should go over and check out her lovely blog! She has some lovely things to say and her blog is a pleasure to read! I am very honored that you have awarded me! Thank you so much, Mel!!! :)

This is the first time I have ever been awarded! I am so excited!!

This is an Award that is given to blogs with under 200 followers to help promote their blogs so that more people will find out about all these lovely smaller blogs! :) These are the rules for this award.

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them

2. Give the Liebster Blog Award to five bloggers and comment on their blogs, letting them know they got it.

3. Copy and paste the award to your blog.

4. Have faith your followers will spread the love to other bloggers

5. Have blogging fun!

I award

Gwen of Femininity and Daydreams

Jane of Novel Pretender

Trini at A Daughter of the King

Milisande at Nothing of Importance

Elizabeth Rose of Living on Literary Lane

Thank you so much!!

Blessings

~Elizabeth