Today I am......

(and have been lately.....)

                                          Writing
History assignments for school, starting to get in the habit of posting, and beginning a novel which is tenatively called A Heart in the Highlands. Although it's not yet worthy to be called a 'novel', since right now it consists of around twenty pages or thereabouts.

                                        Reading
Trying to finally finish The Blue and the Gray, but the going is very slow. The book is not nearly as good as the miniseries, (which is absolutley EPIC), but I am determined to finish it, and hopefully very soon since I only have a few chapters left. I finished True Grit yesterday in the library at church during the second service, and I was extremely pleased with it. It did not disappoint at all, and I really liked how the story was told from Mattie's perspective, because it truly is her story, and it really sounded like the words of a fourteen-year-old. A very wise fourteen-year-old. In short, it was a very good novel that I would highly recommend to anyone, especially if you've seen and loved the movie, like me. Also, on the side, I am reading Jane Seymour's Guide to Romantic Living, which is absolutely ridiculous but also very entertaining and occasionally inspiring. I read a very lovely paragraph this afternoon about noticing and appreciating the little things in life and not taking the beauty of the earth for granted. So I am now paying extra attention to the dazzling full moon tonight and saying little prayer thanking God for creating this beautiful earth.

                                    Listening

The Patriot soundtrack, Braveheart soundtrack, Celtic Visions and Joshua Bell playing something-or-other by Fritz Kreisler.

                                Watching

Nothing tonight, but last night we started National Velvet. I'm not a huge fan, seeing how I've never really cared much for horse movies (with the exceptions of Hidalgo and Secretariat) and I happen to detest Mickey Rooney, but my older sister Molly really likes it because she used to watch it often when she was younger. A few nights ago we watched The Englishman Who Went up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, which was simply charming and made my sister Sadie and I very much wish we were Welsh. Last week we borrowed Little Dorrit from the library- hope to watch it soon!

                            Looking

At the beautiful moon, and for more good books to read. Also for a few kindred spirits. They seem to be quite rare these days.

                          Learning
About the War between the States. Actually, most of what I'm reading about it in my history book, I already know from reading other books and watching movies, so it's more like review, shall we say. Also, I'm learning not to let little things get to me, like when people neglect to remove their shoes before entering a house. Particularly when it happens to be my house. Now, in my own opinion, that is a first-degree offense and punishable by..... well, something unpleasant. But on the grand scale of things, I suppose it's not that horrible. It just seems that way at the moment.

                       Feeling
Remarkably well, actually. This morning I thought perhaps I was catching a cold, but now I feel right as rain and very happy indeed. This afternoon I cleaned the kitchen floor after a very nasty rug was removed, leaving a horrid, yellow, dusty, sticky residue. Yuck. I took one look at the kitchen floor and burst into tears. But now all is well, and I have the marvellous sense of accomplishment I always feel after cleaning, especially after cleaning something really, truly awful. And this was definitely one of the most wretched things I have ever had to clean up.


                  Anticipating
Playing the new piano music that my dear mum just bought! It's a collection of songs from Jane Austen adaptations including the '95 Sense and Sensibility, the '95 Pride and Prejudice, the 90-something Persuasion (which I really should see one of these days,) and the 90-something Emma. Also I'm anticipating spring coming, and with it green grass and flowers!

                Wishing
Oh, that I didn't have to do math, that the snow would melt, that some people would not be so utterly ridiculous, that  the sun would shine, that I was Welsh, that Lynn Austin would hurry up and write another book (alright, so she just did, but if you ask me, All Things New was a bad apple and it's high time for another.) That I could be more patient and not so easily aggravated, especially by other people and their little idiosyncrasies!

            Loving

Music, my house, poetry (I read The Highwayman and The Wreck of the Hesperus out loud this morning for some dramatic stimulation and I am inclined to think it worked quite well), the three little girls in my ballet class, the Sense and Sensibility soundtrack, The Patriot soundtrack, my beloved and irritating feline Oliver, Irish ballads, couscous, skirts and dresses, high heels, ridiculous mismatching socks, Charles Dickens, and John-Boy Walton. As always:)

(Sorry, but I couldn't resist!)

So there you have it. It's a very quiet and peaceful evening tonight and I was somewhat at a loss as to what to do, so I decided to share this with you. What have you been up to lately? I'd love to hear your comments!


                     Very Truly Yours,

                            Emma Jane