Uh oh - 5 weird things

I was tagged!

"Rules: People who get tagged need to write an entry about their 5 quirky habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next 5 people to be tagged and list their names."

1. I chew food to the rhythm of music

2. I crack my knuckles constantly

3. I can't stand water that is not ice cold

4. Sweet things give me a stomachache (therefore I am probably the only female in the world who doesn't like chocolate)

5. I must organize. I simply can't stand clutter (for very long). This means that long Microsoft Word documents have to have a table of contents, and I would die if Excel broke down, and that I alphabetize the CDs I have currently checked out of the library. Must...organize...my precioussssss

People to tag:
Purring Piggy and Clankeeper of Beth Spera In Domino
Tootlepip of Tootle's Time
Plantlover of Garden of Thought
and....anyone else who wants to (Pipsqueak of The Common Room had the audacity to tag all the others whom I had planned to tag )

Emma Darcy is real?

I never knew that there was a real Emma Darcy!

Our Emma Darcy, of course, picked that name as a combo of Emma Woodhouse and Fitzwilliam Darcy. After that, I was writing a sequel to Pride and Prejudice and named one of the Darcys' children (the one most like our Emma Darcy) Emma, so that there would be a "real" Emma Darcy.

But then, at the library, I saw that there is an author whose true name is Emma Darcy. Her books aren't good, as far as I know, but it was truly diverting! Now why would a mother name her child that, I wonder... ;)

Yippee!

Carrie Bebris has written another book in her Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries series: North by Northanger (see here)!

(I discovered this series recently, and like it very much. The first book, Pride and Prescience takes place directly after Pride and Prejudice ends. It is a mystery (with a murder) but has a ton of fantasy, too, so some may not like it. The mystery itself is good (I haven't read much of the genre, though), and the characters are the same. Suspense and Sensibility is the second book, and the Darcys meet up with the characters from Sense and Sensibility. This one has no murder, but just as much fantasy. It also had a short pro-life message at the end which surprised me pleasantly.)

This new one seems to be a cross with Northanger Abbey, which is my third favorite Austen book, and comes out at the end of March. Can't wait! The author's website (which includes an excerpt of North by Northanger) is here.

The Lights of Christmas

Last night we went to The Lights of Christmas, which boasts over one million
lights. It is certainly large and elaborate, including a rendition of Mount
Rainier out of Christmas lights.

We went to this annual display many years ago, and when asked which was his
favorite part, Adaon (who was six then) emphatically said "The donuts!" Yes,
The Lights of Christmas has more than just lights. There were Victorian
carolers (my favorite), pony rides (Emma Darcy and The Queen's favorite), a
ride in a horse drawn wagon, a talking Christmas tree, and, of course,
donuts. Handmade, of course, and quite hot. That, and the fire pits, made it
tolerably warm.

I don't particularly like looking at a lot of Christmas lights, but my
(mostly visual) family loved this! I'd post pictures, but our digital camera
has been missing for some time, and therefore there are no pictures to post.

10 creative ways to use literature in everyday life

In no particular order...

1. Anyone who is being sarcastic is "Much too humble" (David Copperfield)

2. When curiosity nearly kills the cat, "Fool of a Took!" (The Lord of the
Rings)

3. Anything you don't particlarly like is "Tolerable, I suppose." (Pride and
Prejudice)

4. When you are hungry, ask "Crunchings and munchings?" (The Chronicles of
Prydain)

5. When "um" just won't do, buy time like a sea captain: "Ah-hmm"
(Hornblower)

6. Surfing the internet is not wasting your time, but, "Improving your mind
by extensive reading" (Pride and Prejudice)

7. If you want to be particularly fashionable, exclaim "Sink me!" in a heavy
British accent, and you're on the way to aristocracy (The Scarlet Pimpernel)

8. If you have to point out the obvious, try "Well, he's not a tame lion"
(The Chronicles of Narnia)

9. Impatient people *must* be told "Don't be hasty" (The Lord of the Rings)

10. And if someone is making a big fuss over another's behavior, add (in a
most serious tone) "And he selfishly devoured every last muffin." (The
Importance of Being Earnest)

(feel free to suggest more...non-literature ones coming soon)

A great song

"I Vow To Thee My Country", from the album Voice of an Angel by Charlotte Church, is a truly great song. The tune is from "Jupiter" by Gustav Holst, and I'm glad someone finally put words to this beautiful melody. But especially these words, by Cecil Spring Rice.

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
The love that asks no questions, the love that stands the test
That lays upon the altar, the dearest and the best
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King:
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering:
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase
And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace

I love the imagery of heaven in that second verse. The rest of the album is also very good: Charlotte Church usually is, but this song deserves all the glory.

A poem I wrote

Sea Longing (a poem by Merry K)

My search is for
The foam on the prow
A grey ship sailing
Come unto me now
The wind blows my hair
I stand silently
In the cold sand
On the shore by the sea
Ship my ship, come
I long to be away
I wait and I watch
Do not from me stay
The havens are empty
What evil ride the waves
Has storm torn thy ship? Have you not it saved
I wait for thee now
And my heart grows pale
The time has grown late
I cannot see thy sail
Ship my ship come
I want to go home
The sea beckons and calls
Let not thy ship roam
The sea calls and calls
No peace giving me
What terror may await
I long for the sea
The haven lies empty
No foam on grey prows
Weary I return
To the sea-facing house
Oh grey ship, thou failed
My heart thou did break
Yet come unto me
All speed thou must make
Tomorrow to the shore
I¹ll watch there again
Come, ship, unto me
I¹ll wait to the end

"A Civil Contract" and "False Colors" book reviews

These are two books I recently finished, by one of my favorite authors: Georgette Heyer


A Civil Contract is rare for a romance, because the hero and heroine get married at nearly the beginning of the book. Like most of Heyer's books, it is set in the Regency time period, the time dominated by Jane Austen. Unlike Jane Austen, though, where the heroines marry for love, A Civil Contract tells the tale of a marriage of convenience.


In a time period where money was a huge issue, Regency marriages were supposed to be advantageous, and love was rarely considered. Of course, novels like to focus on love matches, so it is a breath of fresh air to read one that considers the outcome of an "advantageous match".


The book starts off with Captain Adam Deveril returning home after he gets the news of his father's death. When he arrives, he discovers the family estate in an awful state, highly mortgaged, and he has to face the fact that he has inherited a title (he is now Viscount Lynton), but no fortune. In fact, he is in desparate need of money. He has two younger sisters who have no dowries, a mother to take care of, and an estate in dreadful need of attention. The proper path is to marry an heiress, but he is in love with Julia, who would not suit. A family friend puts him in touch with Mr. Chawleigh.


Mr. Chawleigh is no gentleman, but a man who has made a vast fortune through trade (something looked down on by the gentility). He has a daughter whom he would like to see raised in status, and thinks Viscount Lynton will do. He recognizes Adam's financial state, but is very generous with his money, and promises to aid him, as long as he will take good care of his daughter. Jenny Chawleigh is a serious, practical girl, but she has a good heart and is willing to enter the marriage even knowing that Adam loves another. So they are married. And thus the story starts.


Georgette Heyer has a good sense of humor, and an even better sense of the ridiculous, but this novel of hers has no characters whom she does not make understandable in their ridiculousness. Even the gaudy and officious Mr. Chawleigh has moments of true affection for his daughter. There are several humorous parts also, though fewer than her other book, and the book is quite gentle in tone. It is one of the few books that ends how and when it should. I finished the book and gave a happy and contented sigh.


I'd give it a 7 out of 10.






False Colors is very similar to The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope, but with the Heyer flair. But while Hope's book was more adventure, Heyer's is, of course, a romance/comedy. (The Prisoner of Zenda is also a better book.) The plotline is: Evelyn and Christoper "Kit" are identical twins. Evelyn is living like a lord in London, while Kit has been making a diplomatic career in Vienna. Evelyn is on the wild side, but he has finally decided to settle down and marry Cressida. Kit, the steady one, returns home unexpectedly, and finds Evelyn gone missing, and their mother very worried about him. He has quite vanished, and worse, he is supposed to attend a party the next night to meet all his future in-laws, who will all be offended if he does not show up.


In a moment of levity, Kit hints that since he and Evelyn are identical twins, Kit could always take his brother's place should Evelyn not be back by then. His mother takes him seriously, and Kit finds himself, the next day, posing as his wild brother. And so the adventure starts.


False Colors is not one of Heyer's better ones. It is entertaining, but not much more. The characters are not well drawn, and the plot is thin and stiff at parts.


I'd give it a 4 out of 10.

10 things about me

You very likely read my short intro in the Introduction, but here is a 10 list before I really start posting:

1. I am a Christian.

2. I love people. This does not mean that I am not annoyed or frustrated by them, or even that I do not dislike them, but I love them. I can't even help it. I suppose this is what is called agape love.

3. I read the dictionary. Mostly for vocabulary, but also to see how a dictionary describes ordinary words, and to discover the roots of words.

4. I love writing. I like fantasy, but only because I can invent countries, races, and languages. Magic I don't touch. I also greatly enjoy writing "fan fictions" which are sequels/prequels/retellings of existing books. So far I've done them only for Lord of the Rings and Pride and Prejudice. At the moment I am retelling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view.

5. I enjoy being part of a large family. Siblings are better than friends, because you can share life's little nothings with them. One of our family's idiosyncracies is that we each "pick" a character from a favorite book or movie, and call each other by those names. Until we pick a new one, of course. ;)

6. I enjoy being homeschooled. I personally love learning, and am motivated to do it by myself, but being homeschooled means that my "formal" schooling is picked by Purring Piggy with my learning styles and tastes in mind.

7. I love music. I am auditory by nature, so music has always touched my soul. I am especially fond of Celtic, classical, and choral music.

8. I easily become "obsessed" with something. This means that I research it, memorize it, and talk about it ad nauseum.

9. It is a dream of mine to one day direct movies based off of books. I love reading, but when I read, my imagination makes a movie, so I would one day like to make my imagination a reality, especially for books that haven't been adapted yet.

10. I love to talk.

An Introduction to the Clan

For those unfamiliar with our clan...

Clankeeper - This guy is The Man. He's the Head Honcho of the household, and scores well on computer geek tests (a fact of which he is quite proud).

Purring Piggy - (named after guinea pigs, which purr when content) She is the loving mother of 7 children, teaches them using the Ambleside curriculum as a base, tries to keep the household running smoothly (not always successful), and is always there for a hug and a snuggle.

Merry K - She is the oldest of the 7, enjoys being in command when Purring Piggy and Clankeeper are out of the house, likes her own opinion more than is healthy, can usually be found reading or writing a book (she is especially fond of JRR Tolkien and Jane Austen), and loves grammar, spelling, vocabulary, foreign language, and anything else having to do with linguistics (she has created her own language, but it is not finished).

Aragorn - He is the second in line and the eldest son, and vies for command with Merry K. He has a home business making wooden weapons, is often playing some sort of army game with his younger brothers, recently discovered reading (and likes the Redwall series, The Lord of the Rings, and the Chronicles of Prydain), is much like Clankeeper, and is getting too tall.

Adaon - He is best described as a "koala"; for he is cute and fuzzy, but he has claws. He loves children, especially babies, and charms them with his cooing and lovely smile. He helps Aragorn with the business, reads the books Aragorn likes, and in most other things is Aragorn's cohort.

Iceman - He brings the excitement into the family. Never content to be still, he is always finding something dangerous and creative to do, or else something active, but with incredible amounts of charm.

Martin the Warrior - He was "born 40" as Purring Piggy says, and possesses much more mature thoughts than would be thought by his tender years (not yet double digits). He thinks a great deal, is very quiet, but confident, and is closest to The Queen.

The Queen - As her (self-inflicted) nickname suggests, she thinks she rules, a result of being the baby of the family for a few years. She loves horses to distraction, especially pink and purple ones, is nearly always with Martin the Warrior, and is rambunctious and open natured.

Emma Darcy - She is charming, charismatic, and spoiled dreadfully. Her three favorite people are, surprisingly, Emma (from "Emma), Darcy (from "Pride and Prejudice") and Yoda (from "Star Wars"), but she calls herself "Emma Darcy". She is very communicative for two and a half years, loves music, and loves pretty much anything Merry K does.