A Day of Reading

I spent my 42nd birthday reading–that was the gift I gave myself. I also watched Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway(can be viewed on-line through netflix) about the life of Jane Austen.

I’ve thought of writing this post many times.

I was an infant in the 60s.

A child in the 70s.

A teenager in 80s.

Hit my 30s in the 90s.

And now I’m in my 40’s.

At work on Thursday, I found out Farrah Faucett died and mentioned it to my co-worker who said, “Who is that?” And I had to explain that she was of Charlie’s Angels Fame– back in the 70s when I was just a child. Of course, my co-worker had not been born at that time. Makes me feel kinda old.

I’m thankful for making it this long. Jane Austen passed away when she was  only 43(I think)–but, oh, did she write some good stuff  by that time.

Before the Season Ends

My favorite fiction reading is regency romance.  I just completed reading Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard.

The author writes with rich detail(something that is sorely lacking in my own writing) similar in style to Georgette Heyer.

Miss Ariana Forsythe is resolved to the fact that her lot in life is to marry a clergyman–even after the young rector moves away and is replaced by a man older than her father.

Ariana seems a little silly as she pines for this older man who seems to have no other redeeming qualities other than he is a rector. Her parents feel the only solution is to remove her from the situation by sending her away to her aunt’s who is to sponsor her in her first season  in society.

She is told to stay away from one eligible bachelor, Mr.  Phillip Morney,  because he has been known to destroy the social chances of other young women by his indifference to them.

A great story. Read what happens when she meets Mr. Morney at a picnic on his estate. Let’s just say she doesn’t end up marrying a Rector.

The Dance

This is now my chosen form of exercise.

I found an English country dance group in Durham. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it.

And it is great research!

Jane Austen’s Prayer

Visit this site to read one of Jane Austen’s Prayers.

Duke of Wellington

I ran across this sermon about the Duke of Wellington in my research for my regency novel:

We have seen that all his riches, all
his honours, all his glory, could not spare him from the common lot
of man — and all our tears, all our wishes, all our prayers can now avail
him nothing — and how distressing, how heartrending would it be, if
we could for a moment fear that he who had gained all other riches, had
lost the pearl of greatest price — that he had saved and delivered
so many in this world, was himself not saved in another — that he who
had so faithfully served his earthly Sovereign had neglected his
heavenly One — and that he who had obtained the brightest coronet
below, had failed to obtain the crown of glory above. “
These fears, however, my friends, I trust we need not indulge ;
on the contrary, there is every reason to hope and believe that he
had made his peace with his Maker, and that he who so carefully
fulfilled all his temporal duties had not neglected the all-important
realities of eternity. It has caused feeling of greater delight than
the rehearsal of all his victories, to be informed that those who knew
him best speak of his regular, consistent, and unceasing piety — of his
unostentatious but abounding charity, and tell us that he consecrated
each day to God ; that at the early service in the Chapel Eoyal, he (
who was no hypocrite, never did anything for a mere pretence, who
scorned the very idea of deceit) was regularly, almost alone, confessing
his sins, acknowledging his guilt, and entreating mercy in the
beautiful words of our own evangelical Liturgy, not for his own
merits, but for the merits of that Saviour who bled and died for him.
It is not then because of the height of his position — the magnanimity
of his character — the temperance of his habits — the mercifulness
of his disposition — the singleness and purity of his purpose —
the obedience to what his conscience told him to be right —
his unhesitating and inviolable truth — or on his devotion to
his country, that we place our hopes of his eternal salvation, but
because we believe that he knew these were only valuable as proofs
of his faith — all of which he cast at the feet of his Saviour — and that
he placed all his hopes of future glory in the sacrifice of the beloved

Son of God, who descended from heaven to bring his people to his
Father’s right hand, and died the accursed death of the cross, that
they might live for ever. “
But whilst we are grateful to Almighty God for having raised
up in the hour of our country’s need one qualified to meet the
emergency, and to defend it from the dangers with which it was
surrounded,— whilst we sorrow not as men without hope for him
whom we trust to have departed in the Lord — let us not forget,
that the good conduct of great men is an example for the rest of
mankind, and that most important lessons are taught not only to
the noble and the great, but even the humblest among us, by the life
and death of the departed hero.” — Sermon on the ” Might and
Majesty of Death,” suggested by the death of the Duke of Wellington :
by the Rev. J. A. Emerton, D.D.

His whole biography can be read at The Life of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington.