Besides reading some fun books over the summer I do hope to get some writing in. I have always found music very inspirational so I just wanted to share some songs that I have fallen in love with.
Here are just a few...
May Waltz
by: Brooke Fraser
Swan Song
by: Shubert
Breathe
By: The Brilliance
Beethoven's 5th Secrets
By: The Piano Guys
The Call
By: Regina Spektor
from the movie Prince Caspin
Divenire
By:Ludovico Einaudi
Flags
By: Brooke Fraiser
You never know never know where inspiration is going to strike so keep looking.
This weekend being my first weekend out of school I was basically a lazy sloth and I was able to watch some good period dramas... thanks YouTube.
Over the weekend I watched Sense and Sensibility (2008)... that one I checked out from my school library. I have wanted to check it out many times from the library, I did not because I knew I was too busy with school so this was my end of year treat to myself. I have written about it in my Chinese Food and Jane Austen Post. So though I will not waste time re-writing the review of it I do love posting pictures of my fan girl obsession... Dan Stevens.
From there I moved on to Emma (2009). I am still a fan of the Gwenyth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam version (1996) the most, I think it is because it was my first one. I will say that the minni-series is far more accurate to the book and as I am re-reading it I am noticing those details. Romalo Garari does play Emma very well being a good balance between selfish, naive but also completely lovable. Also Jonny Lee Miller plays a great Mr. Knightley being firm when needed but when he confesses his love to Emma, it is so sweet.
The proposal scene
And while this story is more accurate to the novel I still love the line "I need not call you Mr. Knightley but my Mr. Knightley." My heart goes a flutter when I hear that; I know this is not in the book, but in the book I have noticed that after they are engaged Mr. Knightley does call her "my Emma." Awe so sweet.
Then I watched Romalo Garari (who you might recognize from Amazing Grace or Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights) play Gwendolen Harleth another spoiled girl used to having men fall at her feet but when her family is penniless she enters into a loveless marriage with a Mr. Grandcourt (played by Hugh Bonneville aka Lord Grantham) instead of becoming a governess. Then attempts at having an affair with Daniel Deronda (played by Hugh Dancy).
Side note: I am going to guess being a governess is bad because a lot of these movies the characters act like it is fate worst than death.
Back to movie: It was fun watching Hugh Bonneville play such a bad guy. And though I do not support affairs, it was sad to watch this because there was no happy ending for Gwendolen and Daniel. There is a happy ending though for Daniel and his lady love. But I probably will not be watching this film over and over again because minus the awesome costuming the story just seemed to drag on. I guess I should have known as the book was written by George Elliot. I have only read her book Silas Marner and that story dragged on till the last 4 or so chapters. Also I give George Elliot props for making the hero and heroine (the couple with the happy ending) both Jewish people, this seems very progressive for the time period that she was writing in. So in the past YouTube has been good about finding films they think I would like (thanks to them I discovered the Lizzie Bennet Diaries) I would say this is a YouTube recommendation fail. However, if you watch it you might recognize two women as there are two characters who have at one point or another played a Mrs. Weston in Emma.
The next one I watched was Little Dorrit. Important thing to know when watching this was it is written by Charles Dickens. Dickens wrote most of his stories in news papers so just little sections at a time and the minni-series seemed true to this having only half hour episodes (minus the first and last one). Also there is a lot of intertwining plot lines that seem very disconnected but then come together at the end. The basic plot line is Amy Dorrit was born and raised in the debtor's prison as her father has lived there 20+ years; as she is not officially a prisoner she goes out and works doing some sowing. Through this she meets Mrs. Clenman, not a nice woman, and when her son, Arthur Clenman (played by Matthew Macfayden aka Mr. Darcy (2005)) finds out he is kind of shocked to learn Amy is hired because of his mom's charity. Apparently his mother has no charity. Arthur then hires a private investigator to find out the Clenman's connection to the Dorrit's because he believes his family has done the Dorrrit's wrong and that is what his mother is making up for. (Okay so minus some twist I didn't really understand maybe I will need to re-watch it some time). Arthur through the investigation becomes friends with the Dorrits (and the father and brother are quick to take advantage of that) and also finds out the Dorrits are actually wealthy. Upon this discovery the Dorrits leave England to become cultured and to separate themselves from their past. Amy is kind of like the Anne Elliot of the story very selfless but her family wrapped up in their own silly lives think she is foolish. Through more twists (I don't want to give everything away) there is a happy ending so yeah! I will say this was a YouTube recommendation win... I will want to re-watch it to understand plot point and I didn't feel like watching 14 episodes was a waste. I just have to get used to Dicken's way of a plot line. Plus I get to watch Matthew Macfayden who can rock a top hat.
Dear Anne, Is it okay to be jealous of some one because you wish you were where they are spiritually, I mean? As you probably know from my lack of letters I have taken some time off from life to focus on finishing my semester. This meant not going to my usual Bible study and not really reading the Bible on my own. (Which, I know is not good but in the moment it felt like what was needed). Before the craziness of April I felt I was really growing (see Discovering my Mountain) but now I feel stunted again as if no growth happened and I am not happy about it. I mean I am not surprised because you can't walk away from any relationship for a month and expect it to be the same after that time. But I guess in some way I was naive and thought I would be in the same growing spot. I am not. I feel my relationship with God is kind of lifeless. What is worse, is when I finally came back to my Bible study, some of the girls I was closest too...seemed changed, better even. Better may not be the right word but they definitely seemed like they were growing in their relationship, they were desiring God more, and they were obeying God willingly. And though I know it is not right to be jealous of them, I was. The next day when I was having my quiet time I prayed saying "I wish I was them." Then through that I realized I look up to them one for her complete obedience to God, one for how strong they were and never seeming to doubt God's timing, and one for her genuine and generous love. So maybe I shouldn't be jealous of them maybe I should strive to be like them. And I do. I think God has given me these three in particular because he wants me to use them as models of how I want my life to be. The real question is how do I it? This is an a question I don't have an answer to. I do my quiet time, I go to church, and I go to Bible study but it doesn't seem to making a difference in my growing the other times in my life I don't feel changed by God. How sad is that? I know he is here, I know in some way he is guiding me but I don't really feel changed. I wrote this in "Discovering my Mountain": As much as I write about hope... I still don't know what it means to hope in the Lord and in that I don't know what it means to truly trust in the Lord. I know to trust in the Lord in the grand scheme of things. I know that the Lord has a perfect plan for me and in that I trust. I also know when I try to take control over my life it feels like it falls apart. But on a day to day basis, I don't know what it means to Trust in the Lord, so I keep circling this mountain. I am still at the same point and I don't know how to move on. I don't know how to venture further then where I am right now, and I don't really like where I am (in this lukewarm relationship with God, where I could take it or leave it and more often then not leave it). I don't like it and I am pretty sure God doesn't like it so how can I move beyond this? I don't expect you to have the answer but now that I am done for the summer this is something I would like to work on. I hope to write more later, -Blaire
I don't know why but I like this picture. The tree stump was from a tree taken down in Hurricane Irene (2 years ago) and now these daffodils bloom here. Daffodils have become my favorite flower as they are one of the first to bloom and that means we have made it through the winter...a great sign of hope.
I am happy to report that I am done with my finals!
Over this last month I have taken a break from blogging and in some aspects life. I hope once life gets back to normal and I have more mental energy I will be able to write more blog posts. I have these thoughts of giving up on this blog as I don't feel I have much to say or I don't have the mental energy to write. But I went to an event from my almmater and my old adviser told me she read my blog; I was very touched and for that reason I hope I can keep up with it. It is always nice to know something you have taken time to write has been read by others.
I sadly do not have much to catch you guys up on. I feel I have spent most of my month researching and writing papers. One paper was turn of the century fashion, I hope to use that paper to begin my thesis. As you probably know from my post about Downton Abbey, the stories I have been writing, or if you follow me on Pinterest I have fallen head over heels with the Edwardian time period. So I knew I wanted to do a paper on the turn of the century. I thought about doing my thesis on women's professionalism (like what careers became the more feminine careers and what not) but after sitting through a thesis proposal workshop where one adviser said "chose your own Hell" I had a change of heart. I have always loved fashion, I think it is so much more than what people wear, but what they value and what society values. So I turned my mind towards turn of the century fashion. As I began researching my paper I discovered that single working girls had more of a disposable income and used their fashion to get away from the strict uniforms of their jobs and possibly move up in the world. I would really like to talk about that. Of course I know I need a good argument for my thesis... so this summer I will be researching it. Wish me luck.
Besides finishing up school, I did go and visit my sister, niece and nephew. I know it was in the middle of the craziness of finals but I REALLY needed a break to go see them. I had a great time being Auntie Blaire and even though we didn't do anything overly big being with them was awesome. Also, my dad and step-mom surprised me with a day trip to see me... which was sweet to see them.
The only picture I took while I was there of my nephew crawling
But now school is over and I have the summer to look forward to. I know I need to be researching for my thesis... so I will probably be hanging out in some archives. I do hope to get some fun reading in (aka books without footnotes). I have been watching a lot of mindless TV but now I can't wait to cross some books off my reading list.
