Evening tv has been Jane Austen orientated this week. iPlayer came up with a listing for a four part costume drama, "Miss Austen", which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then of course, I had to follow it up with dramatisations of Jane Austen's novels, so am enjoying Sense and Sensibility now.
With all the driving I've done recently, I have finally got through the 50 or so hours of Written in My Own Heart's Blood (Diana Gabaldon) and yesterday greatly enjoyed Poirot's Finest Cases yesterday, including Murder on the Orient Express and most of The Mysterious Affair at Styles when driving to Tam's and back.
The weather stayed mostly dry but cold and it was foggy through the mountains, so not much in the way of views. I was glad to be of use - more washing up of course, sweeping the kitchen floor, keeping Rosie entertained, and tidying up the front garden which was littered with cut branches from when the scaffolding was put up for the roof repairs. I came home laden with big bags of washing to do for Tam - they find it difficult to dry bedding on their small airer.
I popped into Charlies on the way home, as I needed a new incinerator for burning paper. My last one was in two pieces, so I will need to get that moved today. I had a tip, to put the incinerator under cover in between uses, as it won't rust through so readily then. I was very good and walked by the display of deep red Hellebores as they were £14.99 each. I will be able to get them cheaper from the garden centre near Crossgates.
I have been working steadily on blind-hemming the binding on Gabby's (huge) quilt. I will be glad when this has been done and I can get back to the Peter Rabbit x-stitch, which isn't so enveloping. I was trying to sew the other night with Pippi in the middle of the quilt where it reached the floor!
It's the middle of the night and I need to try and get back to sleep now.
Much as I enjoy Jane Austen, how many more remakes can we take of the same stories? Same can be said for Murder on the Orient Express, Wuthering Heights, Little Women and a few more worthy but overworked contenders. That said, we would never have had the Greta Gerwig adaptation of Little Women which, in my opinion, remained the truest by far to the book.
ReplyDeleteAh, but this is about her sister Cassandra, and the wider female members of the family and the rescuing of Jane's letters to Eliza, brilliantly cast and acted and with the love interest between Cassie and the rather gorgeous Henry Hobday had me willing history to change itself.
ReplyDeleteThe Herule Poirot's Finest Cases were also BBC adaptations, this time for radio, and very enjoyable.
What a useful mum and grandma you are. They are lucky to have you. I haven’t watched Miss Austen yet but will give it a go. I didn’t enjoy the book when I borrowed it from the library, finding the written pastiche tedious but perhaps a drama will be better. For those of us who want the real nitty gritty of love and loss you cannot beat the source material of the letters themselves, at least the ones Cassandra did not burn. S gave me a copy of all the surviving letters brilliantly and comprehensively edited and with the most incredible descriptive detail (I love detail) by Deirdre Le Faye. I return to the letters over and over again and I think you would love them too as they are more than just letters, they are detailed minutiae about what it is to be a single woman in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century and often laugh out loud funny. JA would have been a wonderful blogger. The church at Parham has the most beautiful late 18th century memorial to a young naval officer who died of yellow fever in the East Indies and it always reminds me of Cassandra and her Tom. But maybe if Cassandra had married and Jane was then the only unmarried daughter at home we would not have the novels. Cassandra certainly protected Jane from domesticity and gave her the space and privacy to work.
ReplyDeleteI compost papers I don’t wish to recycle, but then I compost everything that once lived!
Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt. This is the modern zigzag quilt I think? Do let us know the finished size and what you used for wadding. As you had it machine quilted you should embroider your initials and the date inconspicuously to link your hand to it.
Well, it’s looks a nice day here today and spring is slowly unfurling. I have a dark red hellebore that glows when backlit by the setting sun deliberately planted by itself under the pergola, but frustratingly it has not self-seeded. Meanwhile in the spring border I have a host of hellebores that came as seedlings from my friend’s garden and they give me so many babies but only in shades of washed-out pink. Their lack of promiscuity is probably why red hellebores are so expensive. I might start some snowdrop splitting today. It’s early but I want to plant snowdrops in the mossy grass at the bottom of the garden where they can mingle and naturalise with crocus Tommasianus and I need conditions to be soft and damp. I will use my Hori knife to lift a clump, divide them, return half to their original spot loosened up with some leaf mould and plant the other half in threes and fives in the rough grass. It’s a crouching down job so I won’t be doing it for longer than 10 minutes at a time. My other pressing job for today is to spread two sacks of puckamuck around the roses growing under the pergola. The sacks are in the wheelbarrow and I need the wheelbarrow so I can bring in logs. Apart from sewing what are you up to today BB. Is it gardening weather in Wales? I hope you got back to sleep and feel ok and that the car is mended tomorrow. Sarah x
What a lovely long post from you Sarah. I earn my keep, I will admit. I have had a very busy morning here so far, and am now on the 2nd lot of Tam's washing (a big sleeping bag of Jon's), and have her bedding and a lot of Rosie-clothes hung out on the rack to dry in the Utility. I've now got to cooking meals for tonight/the freezer.
ReplyDeleteThe quilt ended up too wide and not quite deep enough, but looks lovely on the bed. I was thinking of putting my name and date on the back - great minds think alike. Gabby will love it as very much her colour palette. I have just glanced sideways and notice that Someone (Pippi)has appropriated it - despite it being over the back of a chair . . .
I have but a scanty planting of Snowdrops - certainly not enough to divide! Just looked up the Hori knife and it is perfect for dividing your clumps. Not seen one like that on sale in these parts. It is a lot milder here today, and at least I got a bit done first thing in a light drizzle. Now it is raining harder and getting blowy.
Just looked up the Deirdre Le Faye book on Fleabay and got myself a cheap paperback copy. You have led me astray!,
A quilt in the binding stage, whether all done by machine or with the traditional hand finish, seems to be a huge cat attractant. I've learned that when the trailing end seems heavy there is a cat involved.
ReplyDeleteTam's household is surely benefiting from your attention!
I've long admired hellebores--I suspect our climate [high humidity] wouldn't be to their liking and since they are always pricey I've not ventured a try.
My favorite garden center opens for the season next week. Its too soon for purchases but I may have to visit just for the atmosphere.
I loved watching Miss Austen. It was beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to see if I can find Miss Austen, it sounds wonderful. I really miss my cat sitting in the middle of whatever I am working on. She always wanted to help.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I have also been watching Jane Austin, and it follows in the style of all good TV drama, something you can go back to again and again. But does it tell the true tale I wonder?
ReplyDeleteWas really enjoying Miss Austen until they went to..............Rye!
ReplyDeleteHow could they substitute Rye for Sidmouth. The two towns are so totally different, visually, geographically, geologically, and historically. Black mark.