Lilac Dreams

The anticipation of the blooming of spring lilacs is killing me. They are only now tiny little buds, but will soon be full-grown blooms that drench the yard with their scent. I "don't want diamond sunbursts or marble halls," just give me lavender lilacs for perfume, and a white picket fence to contain their charm.

"Go down to Kew in lilac-time, in lilac-time, in lilac-time; Go down to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!) And you shall wander hand in hand with love in summer's wonderland; Go down.. to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!)" ~Alfred Noyes

Photo by Anne Keiser

Crave the Rose

"But he that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose." ~Anne Bronte

The wisdom of this quote was never more real than this afternoon as I sat on the ground weeding a smallish rose garden. Rather than me grasping it, it grasped me. But I crave the June rose too much to stay away.

Anne's roses were untamed wild-grown moorland blooms, smelling woodsy and sweet. Mine are lovely, and at least partially tame, hybrids. Just like their unbridled cousins, every cultivated rose retains some wildness, wearing their hooky thorns like talons, ready at any moment to tear into any flesh that happens by them, leaving behind a wound that craves time.

Free Classic e-Books

Amazon is offering free ebooks for Kindle right now. Any title that is pre-1923 and out of it's copyright is included in this promotion.

I just got all my favorites, and some that I have been wanting to read - Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Walden, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Keats Poems, The Woman in White, Emily Dickinson Poems, Utopia, and The Secret Garden. There are pages and pages to choose from. I think they work for iTouch phones, too.

Opposite Sides of Sky

Rainbow and lightening
compete with full sunset,
on opposite stretches of sky.
Secretly we watch, as
the competition wanes,
they little knowing we have already stolen
the prize.

Photo - Spring at Barbizon by Jean-François Millet

Chamomile Books

Chamomile tea is a favorite of those trying to slip off to sleep after a busy day, needing to unwind and relax from the day's cares.
For me, reading a book just before going to bed does just about the same thing, allowing me to escape the unending loop of thoughts that keep me from capturing sleep. I am quickly transformed to another time and place, and can finally push the stop button on stream of consciousness and drift through the gates of slumber.


A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky -
I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless...
~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

Photo credits
Top photo - Night and Sleep by Evelyn Pickering Morgan
Night and Her Train of Stars - by Edward Hughes

Feeding a Crowd and Feeling Regent

Feeding a crowd is not easy or economical these days, but here is a fun recipe from the Jane Austen Centre that allows you to do just that. I plan on trying it soon, just because it's so easy and I have all the ingredients on hand, and I want to "feel Regent" while feeding my particular crowd, (if mac and cheese can be even remotely Regent, I'll make it Regent).


From the Jane Austen site:
"This recipe, from Martha Lloyd's Household book, looks as though it could be an early version of baked macaroni and cheese. It is actually a form of pasta in Alfredo sauce. Use any type of pasta (shells, elbows, etc.) though it looks beautiful with penne."

Stew a quarter pound of pipe macaroni in milk and water until it is tender, then lay it on top of a sieve to drain. Put it into a stew pan with two large spoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, a quarter pint of cream, a small piece of butter and some salt. Stew it gently 'till the whole seems well done and then put it into a dish. Strew grated Parmesan cheese over it, and brown it with a salamander or in a Dutch oven. It may be done with gravy instead of cream if preferred.

Find out who Martha Lloyd was.

Autopsy of a Book

Raw.Exposed.
Delicate.
It's beauty, Vulnerable and uncensored, Shines out in every flaw.

I've Missed the Sun

I went outside this morning and could just feel spring. While there is still some snow on the ground, I felt more, the warmth of the sun's rays, reaching its kindled tentacles from miles in the sky to permeate my skin. I've missed the sun, and it felt good to be warmed by it again. Prelude of more to come!

Photo credit - Frost-Covered White Birch Trees with the Sun Rising Behind by Raymond Gehman



This post was actually written several days ago. Outside my window right now is a cold wet rain.

Eavesdrop on the Trees

"I say, look at the trees," - Edna O'Brien
I say sit beneath the trees while the breeze blows.
Smell their spring boutonniere
Gather their colorful leaves into blithe bouquets.
Eavesdrop on them at dawn and dusk.

Charlotte Bronte's Most Famous Story

The new Jane Eyre is coming this March, and it's being described as a "darker, more gothic" treatment of Charlotte Bronte's most famous story. I always welcome new adaptations of my favorite books, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they make of it.

Watching the trailer, it almost feels a bit like Wuthering Heights, which I've always found to be a tad too dark for me, (both the book and most of the films). Not to play favorites, but Jane Eyre is by far my favorite Bronte story and Emily Bronte is by far my favorite Bronte. There you have it.

Regardless, I'll happily be watching this new version, and I love the official movie poster, too. Nicely done!



















Oh, wait, how did this get in here?

Love at First Bite

Cold Like Winter

Death, cold like winter, Storms in swiftly,
Taking away the breath of the one it seeks.
Heartless and unforgiving,
Requiring surrender to the hard glacier ground.

The irony of death in winter is not lost, Even as white breath spills out,
Only to vanish, and then begin again. Reminding, that which drew breath, will again.

I Once Had a Blackbird

I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.

~Henry David Thoreau

Read, Just Read

Like no other time of the year,
the
bleak
midwinter
beacons
me
to
read,
just
read.

And to
watch
the
wonderful
BBC
shows that
start to air
on PBS just about now.


Most of which began with a book.

January Thoughts

I am living in a frozen chilly world right now. I am so ready for it to not be winter anymore. That's not going to happen, so instead of mourning the fact, I am going to embrace the frigid land and go with what it has to offer.

One thing I do especially love is to walk in winter.
There is nothing like it - the air is fresh and clean, it's invigorating, and when you are done you feel such warmth.

One thing I have noticed this year especially is what a variety of birds stay to face the winter. If they can do it, so can I. I saw a tan bird today that swept swiftly down towards me, and right after that some blackbirds that made me think of Poe's "The Raven." I should have waited for them to speak their wisdom before fleeing the cold. Next time I will, and for sure I'll be the one wrapped up with a scarf.

Winter is the time for comfort,
for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand
and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.
~Edith Sitwell