Jane Austen Lives Again

As promised a short review of the book Jane Austen Ruined My Life.

It was a great quickly read book that kept you in the story but does not require much of you except to enjoy it. There were some holes in the story, which always bothers me. So if you want a light romantic read and have even the slighest knowledge of Jane Austen literature I think you will enjoy this book.

Two further lines really stuck out to me in the book.

"You were so certain that you had to have a hero that you forgot to look for a man."

As someone who is single, I know I have fallen prey to this mentality many times. I hope I am the wiser now.

This perhaps is my new favorite quote, filled with so much depth.

"Perhaps it is in the unexpected that we are truly known."

Here's to all the unexpected moments in your life and all the new opportunities they bring!

Blistered Foot

Recently, I bought new running shoes, of the same brand I usually buy. Like one is supposed to do, I have been rotating my old shoes and my new shoes until the new ones are broken in. Things with the new ones are not going well. They are extremely comfortable and supportive, but 3 times now I have gotten a blister in the exact same spot. After today's run I now have a blister underneath the dried out skin from the last 2 blisters. It's not painful so much as annoying. Plus as I begin to run longer and longer I am concerned that every week I am going to blister it again. I wonder, do I stop running until it completely heals? But that seems like giving up too easily.

As I thought about this, I realized there must be some larger life metaphor for this. Life blistering us over and over in the same places. The same struggles over and over, whether it's health, finances or temptations. How do we find healing? Do we give up or keep running the race toward the prize? And furthermore, what happens when our hearts become hard and calloused in that area? I wish I had the answers to my own questions.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life

"When a young lady is to be heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding familied cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero her way" - J. Austen

For those us who cannot get enough of happy endings, Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Sense and Sensibility in whatever forms they come in... I have found this book. I just started it this afternoon but I'm already sucked in. For those who still live a charmed life where nothing bad has happened, it might be best for you to stick with the Austen classics. But for those of us who have experienced our share of unhappy endings this might be a good book to read. I'll give a full review when I finish the book.

One quote thus far has significantly stuck out to me.

"Whatever you do, protect my children from the coarse and vulgar speculation of others. The world may know my words, but it has no such priveleges with my heart."

As a writer. As a person. I have often struggled with knowing how much to disclose and when. What a reminder that while some things are universally shared, knowledge of those things closest to our hearts must be earned. And in order to get your Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knighley, you have to allow that privelege.

As promised

Since I introduced you all to my Meena, I also want you to meet Celimphilo. He is from Swaziland. He likes to draw and as boys do, he mostly draws me pictures of cars and trucks. I think he's going to be very tall - look at those long legs.

Catching some ZZZZZZ's

I've been feeling a little insane the last couple of weeks. For someone who is quite organized, I've misplaced things and become forgetful. For someone who is usually aware of what is going on around her, people have been talking to me and it's as if all my brain can process is the sounds and not the words. What? is my most frequently used sentence. Let me just give one small example. Wednesday night I packed up my gym bag. I was going to wear my red shorts and a t-shirt. So I grabbed the clothes and put them in the bag. When I went to put the clothes on, I was surprised to find the red shorts I grabbed were actually a red t-shirt! Good thing I had pants to put over the shorts (since it was freezing here) otherwise I would have looked quite funny.

Of course none of this could be related to work being insanely crazy and not being home in the evening except to sleep for 2 weeks.

Typically I am a morning person. (I know most of you just groaned). I could stay out till 3 am and still be wide awake at 8 am, whether I want to be or not. I think I finally reached my physical limits. Last night I went to bed at 11pm barely able to hold my eyes open. When I woke up it was 9:30am. I was elated that I slept that long. But after watching a movie, I fell asleep again until 1pm. It was amazing!

I know you are all so proud of me, but I did still go to the gym today. I know, way to ruin it for you. It's a process and I'm still learning :)