Need to Laugh? Check This Out

This one is even better:

Just because:

The Quintessential Joie de Vivre?

Well....a happy ending, of course!

Although I will still always hold to the fact that Hollywood can't hold a candle to my imagination when I read a book, I would have to say that my hat is off to the BBC when it comes to this interpretation of "Jane Eyre". I had a terrible migraine on Sunday that I just could not psyche myself out of and ended up medicated on the couch with pillows piled on top of my head to keep out the light and noise. After emerging (thanks to a couple of Excedrin Migraine finally kicking in) from the tunnel of Migrainville and the kids sleepily tucked in for the night, I enjoyed a lovely, hot cup of tea and the second half of one of the most well told stories that I have seen in quite a while.

The makers of the film portrayed Jane played by Ruth Wilson languishing in the moors after leaving Thornfield in a very dream like state, so it was hard for the audience to determine if what she was experiencing was real or imagined. I was pleased with the way they allowed the audience to see her stoic English bravery while in public, but in private as her mind lingers over the memories of her time with Rochester played by Toby Stephens, her raw emotion is so well conveyed that one forgets that one is a spectator and feels overwhelmed with compassion when Jane is shown in the barren, gloomy room... crying... alone. The audience is not privy to whether or not Jane ever remembers her true identity, and I believe that they want the audience to have the underlying idea that she would prefer to be called by a different name because in essence her dreams of what her life was to be died on the moors. After she woke up and recovered her health, Jane seems etermined to live out the rest of her existence as well as she could with a shattered heart and she preferred to be anonymous in that way. I will share one of my favorite lines that Jane says as she is talking over a possible marriage to her distant cousin St John Rivers who is cold, hard-hearted and quite repressed (the polar opposite of the warm, passionate and insightful Rochester). She says that people shouldn't get married just for the sake of getting married, but for love. He inquires what she knows of love and this is her profound response: "I've always known myself. Even since I was little, I have known myself. Rochester was the first one to really recognize me." What a beautiful expression of what love between two people can be.

Okay, enough of that, I am not a movie critic by any means - I just love to see the literary elements shine through in works of art that transcend time, space, and cultural. Still, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed and was quite satisfied with the ending. You know, they never did explain in the movie why Rochester ended up blind (among many other things)...I guess for any of you who are curious, you could read the book "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte to find out!
It is by far one of my favorite novels.


Outstanding Production!


Jane Eyre (BBC 2006)

Hooked on Yarn!

Aaahhhh, yes we are hooked on latch hook! After all the festivities have come to an end, it is time to begin new projects. One has literally been waiting on the shelf for a couple of weeks now. My DD who at the lovely age of 10 has now been introduced to this favorite American past time. She is absolutely thrilled about her first four rows.....she was ready to stay up all night just to see how far she could get - we just started after the dinner dishes were put away. It seemed daunting to her at first, but after some instruction from yours truly and a few encouraging words she was off to a good start. The more she did, the more she loved it! She said it was so much better than knitting - it wasn't as tiring. I really hope her enthusiasm doesn't wane, it is just so precious to see her face light up with the delight as she surveys the diligent work of her hands.

I'll give you a sneak peek at what she is working on. This is what the end product will be:

A Few of My Favorite Things

Our happy Christmas Tree. I love the lights!

"Look, Mom! Now we don't have to buy a nativity. We made our own and we can play with it!"

One of Tori's favorite things: Tea sets!

One of Nate's favorite things: Cars! This is his most "grown-up" RC Jeep.


If it all looks a little lame, it was because I was so sick during Christmas this year. I missed out on a lot because of it. It has been a long time (12 years to be exact) since I was sick during Christmas. I usually tackle Christmas time and all its various activities with lots of gusto and planning. One of my most favorite times of the year came just after Thanksgiving. My Aunt Susie would invite me over to "Plan Out" what we would do during Christmas week. We would have our hot cups of tea, pens and note books in hand and sit right by the fire with an assortment of cook books and such. We would look over the calendar and figure out who was coming when and where they were staying. We would talk about various dinners and where they would be held. Traditions grew from this ~ something that I have always looked forward to with pleasure and delight. Christmas Eve would call for big pots of chili in varying degrees with all the fixin's of sour cream, cheese, onions and then my specialty: homemade corn bread. It is a fabulous meal for a big crowd. We usually all dash out of the house after said meal to attend Christmas Eve service. I savor and relish such times where family works together and then worships together.

I finally got better and was well enough to accept a wonderful invitation to celebrate New Year's Eve with some friends. The children and I were quite excited to see our friends from church and meet new ones. The hostess said that she was serving chili and I (with gusto once more) asked if I could bring my home made corn bread to add to the meal. So with my two favorite helpers, we got busy in the kitchen

We had a wonderful time! It was a comforting feeling of community. We knew no one except the host and hostess but we were comfortable because of the common bond we have in all knowing Christ. All the children were friendly and played well together. All the adults were cheerful, helpful and accepting. The women talked about the wonders of dishwashers, exchanged recipes, and discussed the usefulness of short centerpieces. The men discussed football, house construction, and the miseries of choosing tile. We had great music in the background: Christafari, Strunz and Farah and other happy holiday music.

One of the highlights was playing a wonderful vintage game: Skittles.