Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Everyone but Mr. Darcy...

Anyone who knows me very well can tell you that I like Jane Austen.  I like Jane Austen movies (and Bronte and anything in between those two).  Well, I saw a post on Facebook today that went something like this:

In my life, I have a Lydia, a Wickham, a Collins, 
a Mrs. Bennett, a Bingley, and a Lady Catherine.  
The only thing missing is my Mr. Darcy.

So, my life isn't as bad as all that.  I would have to say:

 I have a Jane, a Mary, several Charlottes,
a Lady Catherine, a Mr. Collins, an Aunt Gardiner, 
and a Wickham. A Bingley would be nice.
But no Mr. Darcy.

Jane and Wickham are pretty self-explanatory if you think hard enough about it.  In fact, I probably better move right on along to my Charlottes.  My Charlottes are my close friends.  We may not always be on the best of terms, but I know they are there for me when I need them.  None of them are married to a Mr. Collins (or my Mr. Collins), thank goodness.  I probably better not say too much about my Mr. Collins either.  Although I have received no better offer, I have no regrets about the rejection of the original offer.  I think about what road that offer might have led me down and I have no doubt that I am happier where I am.

I cannot see Dame Judi Dench as Lady Catherine without thinking of the Lady Catherine in my life.  In fact, several of their mannerisms are exactly the same, including the looking-down-her-nose-at-you-while-looking-at-you-at-the-same-time look.  It's uncanny.  I wish you could see what I was talking about.  Unfortunately though, there are moments when I can act like a Lady Catherine.  There have been a few too many of these moments here recently.  The people on the receiving end of my Lady Catherine act usually need a Charlotte instead of a Lady Catherine.  That is something that bothers me.  The woods are polluted enough without more Lady Catherines.  The woods need the fragrance of more Janes and more Charlottes.  

How thankful I am that I do not have a Mrs. Bennett in my life.  My mom is more down to earth and not as attention-grabbing as Mrs. Bennett.  Thankfully, her energies are focused on better things that trying to marry me off.  She's more like Mr. Bennett.  She has her moments, as we all do.  I'm sure she would say the same thing about me.  :-) Finally, Aunt Gardiner.  My Aunt Gardiner has not taken me on a trip to find my Mr. Darcy, but that may be a plan for the future.  Hint hint if you are reading this Aunt Gardiner.  Maybe we can look for Uncle Gardiner while we look for Mr. Darcy.

Or just let me drive, I'll get us lost, and maybe we'll find them both by accident.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens

The beauty of the creation of our Father is astounding, awesome, and amazing.  I got to experience it in more than one way last weekend.  Here is a short way you can experience some of it too.




"Deep Water Faith"

Anytime I buy a new Christian CD, there is always one or two tracks that speak to me more than others.  This is the song that gets put on repeat.  If there is a performance track, I may download it and sing it at church. My most recent CD purchase was Casting Crowns Acoustic Sessions.  My favorite song off this album is Somewhere in the Middle.  Part of the chorus talks about "deep water faith in the shallow end" and makes me think of someone getting ready to go swimming, complete with life jacket, arm floaties, a floatie for the waist, and a couple of other flotation devices just to be safe.

It also makes me think of the storm when the disciples were in the boat, and Jesus comes walking on the water out to them.  Peter tells the Lord that if it is really Him, let Peter walk out to Him.  So Jesus said, "Come."  Peter gets out of the boat.  While He's looking at Jesus, everything is fine.  But the minute he sees the wind, he starts to sink and Jesus has to take Peter by the hand to get him out of the water.  I feel this way many times.  Only instead of getting out of the boat, I'm too busy looking for something else to keep me afloat in case I start to sink.   I'm sitting in the boat right now.  I'm afraid to step out.  I don't know if I have the faith to stay afloat.  I know I'd be fine in the shallow water.  I know I can touch bottom there.  It's the getting farther out that bothers me.  He's kept me afloat before, pulled me out when the outside storms started to rage and I started to sink because I forgot to look at Him.

So, am I going to step out of the boat?  Maybe once I find some arm floaties at least.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings

This blog is about being positive, and almost nothing puts me in a positive mood like a good book can.  I like historical, Christian romance the best.  I recently downloaded Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings and it didn't take me very long to finish it.  The main characters in the book are Rosa and Weston.  Rosa is a young widow who moves to Caldwell County, Texas with her mother-in-law.  Weston is a rancher in the same area, a relative of Rosa's deceased husband.  He too had suffered the loss of a spouse.  Rosa is a stranger in a new country, trying to learn the ways of how things are done which is quiet different from the way things were in her home town.  To complicate matters, she is trying to do it with just the help of her mother-in-law (they have some help but are mainly on their own).  Weston tries to help out as he can.  The reader gets to experience life with Rosa and Weston as they survive life in Texas in 1878.

Sixty Acres and a Bride also introduce us to Molly Lovelace and Bailey Garner.  I was really excited when I received Love in the Balance in the mail, eager to hear more about their story.  Molly and Bailey have just crossed the threshold of adulthood, and are trying to find their way in the world.  They each want to follow their heart, but they are beset on many sides by the opinions of others.  Molly appears at first to be a very shallow and selfish woman.  Bailey tries to do the right thing and puts himself aside so they will have a better future.  Molly and Bailey's journeys take the reader on a myriad of very unexpected twists and turns.  Their love hangs in the balance, teetering back and forth on the scales of life.  What will it take to balance out the scales and bring their love to a balance?  You will have to read the book to find out.  I highly recommend both of these books.

I'm even more excited to read book #3 in the series, but I will have to wait patiently for that one.  :-)

PS  My positive reviews have nothing to do with the fact that Mrs. Jennings is a fellow OBU grad! I just love the fact that a fellow Bison alum is impacting the world in such a positive way.