I Chose To Be IT!

As I was faithfully reading Katherine's blog, I saw that she tagged anyone who wanted to be it.

I LOVE blogging tags, but I'm not a fan so much of being "it" during real tag.

Here are my random facts:

1.) I'm not a fan so much of being "it" during real tag.

2.) I was once told I should quit writing and go into acting. Sometimes I seriously consider this. I do have wonderful facial expressions that would be fabulous on any screen. Though many people mistake my thinking-face as a frustrated-face.

3.) I've secretly always wanted to be an actress.

4.) I've secretly always wanted to be a writer for The Young and The Restless.

5.) If I was an actress, I would definitely buy my Chrome Hearts sunglasses that I'm still obsessing over.

6.) I want to get a Hello Kitty tattoo, but I have no idea where I want it. The tat would be her face (I think joyful--eyes squinted with her little eye lashes showing) in a bold back outline. No color, except maybe for her red bow.

7.) My favorite times of day are the little moments that I notice something small and feel thankful I saw it. An example: The butterfly that landed for a few seconds on my towel while I was tanning and reading today and its quick flutter to somewhere else on the other side of the house.

8.) My other favorite time of the day is when FD and I talk at night before going to sleep. I like it most when he makes me laugh.

9.) I wish I was somehow related to Jane Austen. Or Beatrix Potter.

10.) In my wallet I carry a guardian angel coin Hons gave me. So far I have never mistaken it as a quarter.

11.) One of my all-time favorite Christmas presents is the pink Kitchen Aid stand mixer my in-laws got for me a couple of years ago.

I tag Stokes, Gary, and Abs.

Ooooppps! I just read the rules and there's only supposed to be 8 random facts. If you combine all my actress numbers that equals 8, right?

A Very Agreeable Evening

I just finished The Jane Austen Book Club. So good. I'm craving Jane Austen now. I just want to go through each novel in order. I just might. I can't decide. I am a quite reliable multi-tasker...

If you love Jane Austen, I think you will really appreciate the book. Even if you don't love Jane Austen, I think you will appreciate the book and maybe come to appreciate Jane Austen more.

It was really good. Four Hello Kittys.

My favorite Jane Austen book is Pride and Prejudice. I heart Lizzy Bennet and Mr. Darcy. I'm dying to hear what any one else's favorite Austen is. She's such a master with characters and keen observer of relationships. I love her.

One of my favorite classes I took in grad school was on Jane Austen. Besides my poetry classes, it's probably the one class I remember quite vividly and am most fond of. I wrote a great paper on Jane Austen paper dolls.

I finished Fowler's novel this evening by our outdoor fireplace. FD got a really perfect fire going; he used some of our applewood we bought last fall from a local orchard. We smell woodsy and wholesome and happy. Very simply happy.

When the fire got low, our neighbor boy Joe, crept between the pines in our backyards, apologized for interrupting my reading and asked if he and his brother could get me more wood. It was really sweet. I thanked him and told him it was sweet, but we were letting it burn out. He crept back between the trees and continued playing. It was such a small act, but it really made my night.

Tonight has been on those nights where everything feels good and perfect and calm. Everything feels full of love and goodness. We had a hearty meal, a glowing fire, fine reading, quiet conversations, good neighbors. It was one of those precious nights that if you don't record it becomes lost in all the hum-drum of the quick days that slide by. It was an evening worthy to share.

DO WORK, Son! DO WORK!

Theme song: "Let me tell you about my best friend!"

Stokes introduced me to the TV show Rob and Big a couple of months ago. And this weekend I introduced them to FD. We TiVo'ed the marathon on MTV and have been laughing our tushies off ever since. It's a fab show! Check it out! And their dog Meaty makes it even more worthwhile.

~

Speaking of WORK, I've been hard at it on my online class. I've got the schedule and work all loaded. All that I have left to do is revise typos and record my videos and podcasts. I created a blog dedicated to discussing the creation of the online class and when it's up and running, I'll reflect on its execution. If you'd like to read more about it, please visit this site.

~

This weekend we also discovered that Tina the TiVo has games! Our favorite: Wordsmith. It's like Scrabble meets Solitaire. Good stuff.

~

I started reading The Jane Austen Book Club. I with I would have read all of Miss Austen's novels before beginning it.

~

I got my pink RAZR phone this weekend. It rocks. I wanted the iPhone, but much like my Chrome Heart sunglasses, it's out of our price range. A Pink phone suits me perfectly, though.

~

OK, enough babbling. More serious reflections coming soon.

And So the Skeptic Begins Her Work

I've been very skeptical of starting a blog, but here I am. Nervous but here.

My bff used to have a blog, but she quit writing on it after it "disappeared." I made a bet with her that I would start a blog if she started a blog.

I'm good to my word.

I just don't want to be one of those bloggers who is self-absorbed. So I vow to you, readers, and myself that I will keep vanity out of these text boxes. Jane Austen says, "Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us." In other words, I'll be proud but not vain. And I'll try to bring you something new with each post, each reflection on a variety of topics.

I have ideas; you're just going to have to trust me.

Do you trust me?