Photographs {2}

I love taking pictures when there's a good picture to be had. A while ago I did a post with several photos I had taken. This post will include photographs of some beautiful things in Nature this spring.

Near our house, there's a road with a little brook going along it, and in the Spring, it was the most beautiful thing ever. It looked like a description from one of L. M. Montgomery's books, perhaps this one from Anne of Avonlea:

"There . . . down in the brook . . . that old green, mossy log with the water flowing over it in those smooth ripples that look as if they'd been combed, and that single shaft of sunshine falling right athwart it, far down into the pool. Oh, it's the most beautiful poem I ever saw."

 Is that not just absolutely gorgeous? Of course, the pictures do not do it justice, but use your imagination for the rest of it!

All along the brook were bunches of wild phlox scattered everywhere:

 And there were some darling little pink flowers that might be wild geraniums:

In our own yard we had apple blossoms in abundance:

One more picture of the brook to finish the post. :)

Well, there you go! What did you think? Do you like taking pictures? 

"It isn't as if birthdays were common things, Marilla."

No, I did not make this cake. This wasn't even my real birthday cake. Thank you, Pinterest. 

Monday, dear readers, was my birthday. Now, I've tried not to disclose my age on the internet, though I'm not sure exactly what harm it would do, butconsented l a select few how old I am.

I am the age Rilla Blythe was when Ken kissed her for the first time.

I am the age Anne Shirley was when she started teaching school.

I am the age Marianne Dashwood was at the very beginning of Sense and Sensibility. 

Now here I am, never having been kissed (thank goodness!), not starting to teach school, and not the co-heroine of a Jane Austen novel. But I'm "pretty nearly perfectly happy" with where I am.

To celebrate my birthday, I slept in, had wonderful meals, and got spoiled by my family with more presents than I deserved.
I also got my own phone, finally. Most people have phones by the time they're my age, but I, being homeschooled, had before had no need for such a thing. But as I'm going to go to Community College this Fall, we decided this birthday was a good time to get a phone.
I also got my ears pierced, another thing most people have usually done by the time they're my old, old age. But my mom doesn't have hers pierced and my dad doesn't see the point, so I had to wait until they finally consented. But it's done now!

I figure this doesn't show too much of my beautiful face on the internet...

Another thing I intended to do on my birthday was watch Pride and Prejudice (1995, of course). But then I didn't have time so I decided to watch Sense and Sensibility (1995, because I've already seen 2008 twice and 1995 but once).

However, I only had time to watch about 50 minutes of it. In fact, I still haven't finished it...I've been busy.

It was a wonderful birthday!

Wives and Daughters

I just finished reading Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

And it was sooo good!!!!

I'm the kind of girl who loves old fashioned romances (you couldn't tell that from my blog, could you? :) and this was no exception. I loved how sweet and flower-like it was. It was just so good! I loved how old-fashioned it was. Of course, it was published in 1864, so of course it's old fashioned, but Elizabeth Gaskell wrote it to be set even earlier than that; she kept saying, "in those days" and such things. It was so quaint and sweet.

I'm not even sure how to begin reviewing this lovely book, so I guess I'll start with my favourite parts (In no particular order):
(Oh, and the movie actually did a wonderful job casting the characters, so I shall use pictures from it.)

• I love how the Hamleys, especially Mrs. Hamley, take such a like to dear Molly. I feel like she deserves the best of everything, including the best people to love her, and so I love that they love her.

• When Roger finds Molly crying and gives her that talk--Ahhh!!! I just loved Roger at that moment for Molly's sake. And then after that when he kind of took it upon himself to be her mentor, or guide, or whatever, I just loved that. And I loved how Molly appreciated it so and I loved how Roger found himself thinking about her and her problems so much. The whole thing with them was just lovely. 

And, thankfully, they did an excellent job with this scene in the movie. 

• I like how Lady Harriet likes Molly and ends up helping her so much. I don't know what Molly would have done without her. 

• The ending that Elizabeth Gaskell would have written was wonderful. The edition I read left off where she stopped, but it told everything she had said she would have written, so I knew how she would have ended it. And I loved it. Unfortunately, they didn't do the right ending in the movie, but that's okay. That's what imaginations are for, right?
• I'm so glad Cynthia ended up being a friend to Molly. I was so afraid Molly's expectations would be disappointed and she would be too much like her mother, but I was glad when that wasn't the case. Of course, I don't like everything she did and put Molly through, but I'm glad they loved each other as real sisters. 

• I quite enjoyed the scene where Molly gives Roger the rose--after he gave her the boquet! It was sooooo sweet! Dear Molly! Dear Roger!

Now for the thing I didn't like--and yes, there's one:

• Osborne. I did not like Osborne Hamley. At all. (By the bye, he was also the only character that was cast very, very wrongly in the movie. Tall? Deep blue eyes? Nope. The fake Mr. Collins it is.) I can't exactly tell why I didn't like him, but I can think of a couple reasons. For one, he was, obviously, too full of himself. He was selfish. He didn't know much about restraint or reason. Now, this wasn't entirely his fault, as he had been raised to be a spoiled eldest son, but still--he was. Another reason was that he was careless. He didn't really think about things. He didn't think it through when he was married. He didn't think about it before he started spending time with the Gibsons. He didn't think about the fact that he knew he was married did not keep others from suspecting him of courting. I didn't like him. 

Of course there are some other little things I didn't like, but that was the major one. 

Anyway, it was such a wonderful book! I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves L. M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, or Louisa May Alcott, or even anyone who doesn't! (Okay, maybe not. If you don't like at least one of those authours, then don't take book recommendations from me.)

Have you read Wives and Daughters? What did you think?

Blog Buttons and Being Busy...

So, it's been a little while since I posted (except the short linking post yesterday...which didn't exactly count...) but I have two good reasons. 

1. I'm super busy with Algebra (of which you can see my thoughts here) and other things. 

and 

2. I have been in that sad state of Writer's Block, which actually is mainly because of Reason One. I have too many things on my mind to be able to think of post ideas. 

So that's why I haven't really posted in over a week. I'm trying not to let it get too far over a week, so I'm posting now. 

The other thing I have to say, as you probably guessed from the title, is that I created a blog button! Thank goodness for HTML generators; it only took a few minutes!

This is just the picture, not the actual button so it won't link to anything.

I did it just for the sake of having one, no particular reason. Of course, if you want to grab my button, it's there now, on the sidebar! 

Anyway, there you go. I hope you have a perfectly lovely day and a wonderful week! 

Emily Starr's Birthday!

Today is the birthday of one of my favourite literary heroines: Emily Starr. 

I wrote a post about it on my other blog.

To read it, click here.

Happy Birthday, Emily!

My Reactions to Algebra (in Period Drama GIFs)

This year I'm taking Algebra II (my last required Mathematics class, thankfully), but of course I'm super behind because I hate Algebra and have done less than I should have every day this school year, so now I'm paying for it. Four hours of Algebra. Per day. 

In case you had any doubts, the GIFs are NOT going to be like this:

(Unless, of course, it's more like Gilbert's face. But not that mild.)

Here goes: 

(Also: I realise you might like Algebra. I'm sure there's something you don't like, so if you want to relate, just think of that. :)

Well, first of all, this is how I feel pretty much the whole time.

"Such tremblings and flutterings all over!"

Well, I, too, feel like I'm drowning at times. (No, no, I know that's not what it's supposed to be. Whatever.)  But his face and deep breathing remind me of when I've just worked through a problem and I'm about to check it to see if it's correct. Deep breaths, Rae. You've...got this! Really! (Ahem. Not.)

If I get it wrong:

This is how I feel minus the smile. Anguished tears, not happy tears. 

And if I get it right...

Fortunately, this happens more than 50% of the time...

When I get yet another question wrong and I just don't have enough energy to get frustrated anymore because I used it all figuring the problem--wrong.

These crying GIFs are always so accurate. 

But there are times when I have to watch a bunch of videos (I do Khan Academy) about trigonometric functions (or whatever; today that's what it was) all in a row without stopping and I almost fall asleep. 

Minus the almost-smile at the end, plus eyes closing.

Anyway, there you go. Perhaps you can relate, especially with finals. This was a fun diversion after enduring such arduousness today. 

(Also, if you want more of this type of thing, see my Homeschool described in Anne of Green Gables GIFs post. :)

I've Been Tagged!

Miss March tagged me for the Liebster Award (...and I just looked it up because I had no clue what that means...and, why, thank you Miss March! How very flattering!), which is positively thrilling! This is the first time I've been tagged for something, so I'm quite excited! So thank you (again)! 

I suppose I should start with the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you

2. Answer the 11 questions

3. Tag 11 bloggers (and let them know you tagged them)

4. Ask them 11 questions

Easy enough...Probably. All right, here goes!

 Miss March's questions: 

1. What is your personality type?

Is it shocking that I don't know? Let me take the test she linked to...

Okay, INFJ-T. All right. 

2. What is one of your newest favorite movies? (As in one that you recently found, not necessarily a newly made film.)

Wives and Daughters. I just watched it...a couple weeks ago(?) and I liked it very much. :) 

3. Have you ever been prejudiced against a certain movie before watching it, but then after seeing it decided it wasn't so bad?  What movie was it?

Ummmm...If I'm prejudiced against a movie I don't watch it. Let me think...I can't think of any. Unless you count that when I first watched P&P '95, it said it was 2010 because they did the digital remastering or whatever, and so I thought it was the new version (this was way back before I knew much about any of that) and so I didn't think it would be good, but of course it is the best movie ever. :) 

"But of course it is. I am in it, and I am so fortunate as to have the patronage of Lady Catherine De Bourgh."

4. If you could meet any author in person, who would it be?

L. M. Montgomery, of course, but she died 74 years ago. My favourite authour that is still living would probably be...Shannon Hale? Gail Carson Levine? I don't know; I don't read a lot of books written within the last couple of decades. All of my favourite authours are dead. 

5. How many siblings do you have, and where do you fall in the lineup?  (Sorry if that's a rather nosey question.  You may answer it or not as you so choose.)

I have five siblings, and I'm second oldest. 

(I don't mind your asking.)

6. If you could be related to any fictional character (from a movie or a book), who would it be and what relation would they be to you?

Ohhh, wow...Um. That's hard. Uhhhmmm...This is too hard, Miss March! I'll come back to it.

Okay, I think I'd love to be Pat Gardiner's cousin. A close cousin. She has two sisters and a few cousins but she needs a nicer cousin than the ones she has. (This is Pat from Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat.)

7.  What is your favorite household chore, and what is your worst?

My favourite household chore? Do I have one? Let's see, I guess maybe cleaning the sink or doing dishes. My least favourite? Um. I don't know if I have one of those either. Mopping the floor, maybe?

8.  Anne and Diana (from Anne of Green Gables) are a classic example of best friends.  Do you have a best friend, and if so which one of you is more like Anne and which is more like Diana?

Yes, I have a simply marvellous best friend! I don't know which of us is more like which...Both of us are probably more like Anne, but each of us has some Diana. See, my best friend and I are super similar whereas Anne and Diana are very different, so I don't know if I could say. 

9. What was one of the first chapter books you ever read?  (You know, the one that made you feel so proud because you were reading a "big kids' book"!)

The first bigger chapter book I can remember reading is Anne of Green Gables. I read it when I was seven, I believe. I'm pretty sure that's the case because I remember wanting Anne of Ingleside (the library didn't have it) when I was eight. 

10. What is one of the yummiest, most delicious desserts you can think of at the present moment?

Cheesecake...I think that's self-explanatory. :)

11.  If you could be a character in one of your favorite movies, which movie would it be and which character would you choose?

What? Miss March! That's another very difficult question! Okay. Let's see. I would like to be...Elinor. From Sense and Sensibility. Don't ask me which movie. I don't know which is better.

Now to come up with eleven questions and tag eleven people! 

Now, Miss March has tagged just about every blogger I "know." Is it okay if I re-tag some of those people and you can just, you know, do it twice? Sorry. 

Well, first my eleven questions. Now I've really got to think...

1. What are your favourite books? (I know it's hard to choose a favourite so you can list as many "favourites" as you have. :)

2. What type of music do you like best?

3. Do you like Jane Austen? How many of her books have you read and which is your favourite?

4. Do you have a favourite actor/actress? Who?

5. What's your favourite flower?

6. How many books have you read in the last week? Is there one in particular you want to share?

7. If you could choose between meeting your favourite actor/actress and acting in your favourite movie, which would it be?

8. Do you play any instruments? What?

9. What hobbies do you enjoy? 

10. If you could make any book into a movie, what book would it be and do you have any ideas for the cast?

11. Who's your favourite literary hero?

Now for tagging people...If Miss March already tagged you, then I understand if you don't want to do it twice. I just don't know that many bloggers...I'll see if I can come up with eleven.

Naomi

Cordy

Beryl

Anna

Rilla Blythe (You can do it in the comments if you like. I don't know how to tell you you've been tagged, so I'm just hoping you'll see this!)

Adellaide (You can do it in the comments.)

Elisabeth (You can do it in the comments but you don't have to.)

Okay, it was hard enough to come up with 7. I don't think I can do eleven. I hope that's fine! I would totally tag you, Miss March, if you weren't the one to tag me and you hadn't already done it twice. :)

I had fun doing this! Thanks, Miss March!