Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

~Jane~

Anne with an "e"

I have been watching Anne of Green Gables once again. That is a fantastic movie. I think Megan Follows is the ideal Anne.

These pictures, however, are from the Sequel. The clothes on this movie are stunning. I have never been a huge fan of the Edwardian era, with their ridiculous puffed sleeves and big hair, but some of it is quite lovely.

I love the sleeves on the gown to the left with that deep lace cuff. The puffs on that one are not inordinately large, and really aren't puffed so much as gathered. That little lace cravat looks really pretty. I think it's pinned on actually.

I can't figure out what to call the jacket she is wearing in the picture on the right. I like it with the long sleeved white shirt, though. Her brooch looks nice, too. I wish I could see it better. I think I like this outfit better than the other one. It is simpler and the hair is more tasteful, by modern standards at least.

This picture is my new favorite picture ever. I have set it as my computer background in fact. I adore both of their outfits in this picture. Her outfit is just perfect, and parts of it could easily be adapted for modern wear. I especially love her little pin-on watch and that tiny champagne colored bow on her blouse. I need a hat like that. This is by far my favorite complete outfit of hers in this movie. I like bits and pieces of her other outfits, but this one is perfect in its entirety.

And Gilbert looks so handsome. I like Gilbert from the book better than movie Gilbert, but he grows on me more and more every time I watch it. I need to find my brother a vest and watch chain like this one.

~Jane~

Tennyson

The Eagle
He clasps the crag with crookèd hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

I've been on a poetry kick for a few days now. I think it must be the gorgeously rainy weather. My very favorite is still The Lady of Shalott, but it's too long to post. I will provide a link, however, as everyone needs to read it.
~Jane~

Lucy

Apparently I am most like Lucy out of about twenty Narnia characters. Who are you most like?

Plotting

I have most of my Nanowrimo plot for this year figured out. I don't actually have an ending yet. It is sort of a medeivel princess story, which I know is overused, but I really like my characters, and I love reading that type of story, so I think I will have fun writing one. I started to come up with the plot in January, and these characters just popped into my head and announced their names and personalities. They've been stuck in my head ever since then, and I think they'll appreciate finally being written.



Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow



~Jane~

Catch a Falling Star

The other night my brother and I pulled an old tattered mattress onto the driveway and
watched for falling stars. It was a slightly overcast night, so we didn't see very many. I think we probably missed some when we got distracted finding shapes in the clouds. We saw a turkey wearing a hat with a huge plume, a wolf trying to eat a star (it got away), and a dog laying down and howling at the moon, among other things.
The few shooting stars we did see were so incredible it was worth the wait. Sometimes God gives us glimpses of His majesty through creation. He is so evident in things we count as ordinary, do we really deserve it when he gives us these special events? How easy is He going to make it for us to see Him before we do?
Anyway, the highlight of the evening was when Mom came walking out unexpectedly and scared us to death. We were staring up into the sky, talking about the likelihood of animal attacks and alien spaceships, and all of a sudden there was something looming over us. We both screamed.

Victorian Lovelies

Lately my favorite fashion era is the late Victorian period, with trains and bustles and tailored walking dresses. I got these pictures from Sensibility.com, an amazing website. Jenny Chancey has pictures from every era with notes about the historical progression of fashion.

The one on the top left is my favorite. I wish we could wear things like this now.

Who is she?

A gust of wind hit her sharply in the face. She fought to keep the papers within her grasp, and stumbled across the parking lot with urgent steps. The wind tugged at her jacket and whipped her hair around her head, blinding her as she struggled toward the beat up white Chevy. Over the roar of the treetops she heard pursuing footsteps slamming on the pavement. She broke into a sprint, not bothering to turn and look. She knew who it was. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she steeled herself to act. The footsteps were coming closer.
She arrived at the vehicle exactly three seconds before her pursuer. Slowing down just enough to keep from slamming into the side, she whipped open the driver’s door, fumbled under the seat for what she knew was there and spun on her heel, aiming the gun expertly at the man who skidded to a halt just in front of her.

I don't know who she is, what papers are so important or who is following her. She obviously does. I wish she'd let me know...