Colds are not fun!

So I got a cold on the 4th of July! Because of this I was to miserable to go watch the fire works that our neighbors do(our neighbors are crazy!). I really was quite sick! I took a nap yesterday, this nap took up my whole afternoon, I don't usually take naps let alone naps that long! So my sisters took pictures of fireworks this year. I like to take pictures and fireworks only really come 2 times a year, and I missed it! I got 2 though my sisters took most of them. I will post them as soon as I can. The computer that I put the pictures on though is not working right now. So when the computer decides to work then I will post pictures!

The 4th of July is an American holiday. I have always been fascinated with national holidays. If I have any non American followers what are some holidays that your country and only your country celebrate? And to all my fellow Americans I hope you had a wonderful 4th! How was your 4th of July?

Bramblewood Fashion give a way!!

Ashley over at Bramblewood Fashion is having a HUGE give a way for her 21st birthday!! Happy Birthday Ashley!

She has multiple post for lots and lots of lovely things! I would highly recommend going over there and entering for some of them! :) Here are just a small fraction of the many things that she is giving a way!

Some lovely fabric!
Some lovely earrings from one of my favorite shoppes! Shealynn's Faerie Shoppe!

I love this bag!
A lovely necklace!

I hope you enter!

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Random Post

Okay so I felt like I need to post but I had no idea what to post about! So I decided to put together a really random post about a bunch of stuff with no connecting to each other. So just stick with me here as I run around. :)

Books! I love books they are on my mind all the time!! I wish I had book that looked like this it would be so cool, and they would be so wonderful to read!

I want to finish this. I need to find out if the guy(who's name I don't remember) who Molly loves will wake up and see the Molly will make a much better wife that Cynthia! Molly is his best friend and always think that you should marry some one who is your best friend!

I need to finish watching Bleak House too. I have read the book so I know how it ends, but I want to see how they do it in the series. One a side not this scene made me cry! Mother and child scenes always make me cry. I cry every time I watch Dumbo! the part where he goes and visits his mother in jail, and she is holding him, and the song! I am tearing up right now just thinking about it!

And another thing I want to watch. I should just have a day where I sit down and watch all of this stuff!! I love Margaret's dress, it is one of my favorite dresses from her whole wardrobe! The sleeves and the print! So feminine and lovely! Ah and Mr. Thornton is in this picture too!! I love his hat!
I want to eat brownies!!! Yummy! :)

bla!! I keep drooling over all her albums on itunes! I would buy them except I don't have the money, well that is not really true; I have the money I just don't have it in gift card form. :)
This is what I plane on going and doing when I am done! Reading! Bookmobile came today so I now have three really good looking books!!! So excited I cannot wait to start them!!!!

I want to go to the beach this summer!!! I love the ocean, the wind, and the sand!! <3 <3 I don't know what the words are in the bottom so ignore them. I just like to the picture! :)

I wish I could play the Cello! I would love to be able to play more than one instrument, I am very thankful though to be able to play the piano, but I still dream. :)
More Loreena mckennitt!! I love her! I wish I could watch this whole consort from beginning to end! *sigh*
And Robin Hood! I really like this picture of Guy and Archer. The sword is pretty cool. If only I could eat brownies, read a book, listen to Loreena Mckennitt, and watch all these different period dramas at the same time I would be very productive! But I am not quite that talented at multitasking. ;)

Blessings

~Elizabeth

The Way

'One of the most ancient names for Christianity is simply "the Way". "About that time", it is said in the acts of the Apostles, "there rose no little stir concerning the Way" (19:23); Felix the Roman governor of Caesarea, had "a rather accurate knowledge of the Way" (24:22). It is a name that emphasizes the practical character of the Christian faith. Christianity is more than a theory about the universe, more than teachings written down on paper; it is a path along which we journey- in the deepest and reichest sense, the way of life.

There is only one means of discovering the true nature of Christianity. We must step out upon this path, commit ourselves to this way of life, and then we shall begin to see for ourselves. So long as we remain outside, we cannot properly understand. Certainly we need to be given directions before we start; we need to be told what sighnpost to look out for; and we need to have companions. Indeed, without guidance from others it is scarcely possible to begin the journey. But directions given by other can never convey to us what the way is actually like; they cannot be a substitute for direct, personal experience. Each is called to verify for himself what he has been taught, each is required to re-live the Tradition he has received. "The Creed", said Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, "does not belong to you unless you have lived it." No one can be an armchair traveller on this all-important journey. No one can be a Christian at second hand. God has children, but he has no grandchildren.'

~The Orthodox Way by Bishop Kallistos Ware

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Lucy Snowe's first time teaching

Could I but have spoken in my own tongue, I felt as if I might have gained a hearing; for, in the first place, though I knew I looked a poor creature, and in many respects actually was so, yet nature had given me a voice that could make itself heard, if lifted in excitement or deepened by emotion. In the second place, while I had not flow, only a hesitanting trickle of language, in ordinary circumstances, yet-under stimulus such as was now rife through the mutinous mass- I could, in English, have rolled out readily phrases stigmatized; and then with some sarcasm, flavoured with contemptuous bitterness, for the ringleaders, and relived with easy banter for the weaker, but less knavish followers, it seemed to me that one might possibly get command over this wild herd and and bring them into training, at least. All I could now do was to walk up to Blanche-Mademoiselle de Melcy, a young baronne- the eldest, tallest, handsomest, and most vicious stand before her desk, take from under her hand her exercise-book, remount the estrade, deliberately read the composition, which I found very stupid, and as deliberately, and in the face of teh whole school, year the blotted page in two.

This action availed to draw attention and check noise. One girl alone, quite in the background, persevered in the riot with undiminished energy. I looked at her attentively. She had a pale undiminished energy. I looked at her attentively. She had a pale face, hair like night, broad stron eyebrows, decided features, and dark, mutinous, sinister eye: I noted that she sat close by a little door; which door; I was well aware, opened into a small closet where books were kepst. She was standing up for the purpose of conducting her clamour with freer energies. I measured her stature and calculated her strength. She seemed both tall and wiry; but so the conflict were brief and the attack unexpected, I thought I might manage her.

Advanced up the room, looking as cool and careless as I possibly could in short, ayant l'air de rien;* I slightly pushed the door and found it was ajar. In an instant, and with sharpness, I had turned on her. In anothe instant she occupied the closet, the door was shut, and the keyin my pocket.

~Villette chapter 8

*Having the air of doing nothing

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Sonnet XXX

XXX

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

I summon up remembrance of things past,

I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

then can I drown and eye, unus'd, to flow,

For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

And weep afresh loves's long-since cancell'd woe,

And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight.

Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,

And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er

The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,

Which I new pay, as if not paid before:

But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,

All losses are restor'd, and sorrows end.

*painting by Monet

Arthur meets Amy's father

'I hope,' said Arthur, very doubtful what to say, 'that my respect for your daughter may explain and justify my desire to be presented to you, sir'

'Mr. Clennam,' returned the other, rising, taking his cap off in the flat of his hand, and so holding it, ready to put on again, 'you do me honor. You are welcome, sir.' With a low bow. 'Frederick a chair. Pray sit down, Mr. Clennam.'

He put his black cap on again as he had taken it off, and resumed his own seat. There was a wonderful air of benignity and patronage in his manner. These were the ceremonies with which he received the collegians.

'You are welcome to Marshalsea, sir. I have welcomed many gentlemen to these walls. Perhaps you are aware - my daughter Amy may have mentioned - that I am the Father of this place.'

'I - so I have understood,' said Arthur, dashing at the assertion.

'You know I dare say, that my daughter Amy was borne here. A good girl, sir, a dear girl, and long a comfort and support to me. Amy, my dear, put the dish on; Mr. Clennam will excuse the primitive customs to which we are reduced here. Is it a compliment to ask you if you would do me the honor, sir, to -'

'Thank you,' returned Arthur. 'Not a morsel.'

~ Little Dorrit Chapter VIII

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Book Review: North & South

Title: North & South

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

1st published: 1855

My rating: 5/5 stars!

Cool fact!: Charles Dickens was the editor for this book.

"When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the north of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill-workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction. In North and South Elizabeth Gaskell skilfully fused individual felling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale created one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature." -back of the book

This is one of my favorite books! I love the setting contrast between the north and the south. The characters are wonderful and full of verity. And there is romance, and not trash silly romance either!

The characters are one of my favorite parts. The one that always sticks out to me is Mrs. Thornton. She is a woman who has been through a lot in her life, and is tough. She loves her son and would do anything for him. She is not the hard rock and ice that she seems to the on looker. She has feelings but keeps them to herself. Mr. Thornton is someone who I admire as well. He has worked hard to get where he is at and is smart despite is lack of education. He is polite too, I have never been able to understand what on earth Margaret dislike about him. He changes through the course of the book to, I liked watching his character develop.

Margaret is one who I sometimes think is to proud, and perhaps a little stuck up. She is strong and is not afraid to speak her mind. I admire how she cares for her family. She is strong and that makes her the pillar in her family during hardship. Her father is sweet, kind and polite to everyone not just those in higher positions.

All the other characters are quite enjoyable! I love Higgins and Bessy, Fanny is always good for a laugh too! There are times when I love the characters and other times when I was frustrated with them.

One this that struck me about this book was how much religion is talked about in it. I don't agree with the theology, but is makes me think about what I believe. The times when religion is talked about the most is when Margaret is with Bessy.

One thing that I absolutely love about this book is how you have two different views and how they both have good points, but there needs to be a different solution that what the two different views think. They both have to work together. At least that is how I see it, it makes me think about the different problems going on between the upper class and the lower class, masters and workers. It makes me think and I like that.

The other thing I like is how the book shows the difference between the north and the south at that time. I found it interesting to see how people thought differently in the north than in the south. The way they deal with things is different too. The other think is that I Have not read to many books about the industrial time in England so that made it all the more interesting. I sometimes get confused with the time line.

This is a book I would recommend people to read. It has a wonderful story line, and a timeless story that you will remember for ever. It was a a good enough story that the BBC made a mini series out of it. :)

Blessings

~Elizabeth

Loreena McKennitt- Skellig

I love this song! It makes me think of my own spiritual journey to God, and my journey through life.



Lyrics:

O light the candle, John
The daylight has almost gone
The birds have sung their last
The bells call all to mass


Sit here by my side
For the night is very long
There's something I must tell
Before I pass along

I joined the brotherhood

My books were all to me
I scribed the words of God
And much of history

Many a year was I
Perched out upon the sea
The waves would wash my tears,
The wind, my memory

I'd hear the ocean breathe
Exhale upon the shore
I knew the tempest's blood
Its wrath I would endure

And so the years went by
Within my rocky cell
With only a mouse or bird
My friend; I loved them well

And so it came to pass
I'd come here to Romani
And many a year it took
Till I arrived here with thee

On dusty roads I walked
And over mountains high
Through rivers running deep
Beneath the endless sky

Beneath these jasmine flowers
Amidst these cypress trees
I give you now my books
And all their mysteries

Now take the hourglass
And turn it on its head
For when the sands are still
'Tis then you'll find me dead

O light the candle, John
The daylight is almost gone
The birds have sung their last
The bells call all to mass