LWA, Long Letters and the Library

I've already mentioned the Letter Writer's Alliance a few times here on TMP, but I couldn't pass up the chance to include them in my postal themed A-Z!!!

I've been a member since 13 September, 2011!

I got a letter from Donovan just last week and I LOVE her sense of humor!  I have to write back ASAP.  My time is pretty spliced at the moment, and if I'm to succeed at some of my major long term goals, I have to acknowledge that MOST of my time in an average day isn't my own, at least for a while.

But I am still making time for the things that matter to me.  I'm still working hard, knowing that while I will never be a perfect person, I can perfect some of the facets of my life to be better versions of themselves.  Things like... writing back in a timely manner, for example!

Are you an LWA member?  I've met a few pen pals via LetterMo who are!  If you are not, you should definitely consider it.  A lifetime membership costs less than a movie ticket.  Check out the blog HERE.

Now on to the second part: long letters.  Am I the only one who can't bring myself to send a postcard sometimes because there just isn't room to do the correspondence I want to convey enough justice?  Please tell me I'm not the only person who habitually, after filling up both sides of a blank card's inside, carries over to a second 7th or 8th page??  Granted, a lot of times my additional "pages" are cut down to the size of the card, so they aren't full sheets.  But still.

Of course, a logical train of thought would be that if I didn't let so much time elapse between letters, I wouldn't have so much to try and write about all in one sitting, and therefore the letter would be shorter than the paperback novels unauthorized autobiographies pleasantly lengthy epistles I end up penning and trying to process through the mail system within the 3 oz limit.  It may be that I'm just frugal with my stamp money.  After all, it's limited and strictly budgeted, so I try to get as much news and pieces of life to the recipient as the $0.46 allows!  Maybe that's the real reason about the "doesn't send postcards".  I'm more apt to send a blank postcard enclosed with a 3 page letter to a pen pal than to send the postcard by itself.

Anyway.
Here is a fantastic children's book that we love called "The Long, Long Letter."

It's very cute.  Go grab it at a library near you.  Don't know where your closest one is?  Use this handy Locator!  :)
The Dog River Library is one of my favorite places to write letters.  It's quiet (well, duh!), and a lot of times I use their copier to keep a copy of my outgoing (see my explanation of this in yesterday's post.) because it ends up being cheaper than having to continually buy new cartridges for my ink guzzling printer at home.  It's also a great place to write letters, because I'm an avid reader and a lot of my pen pals are too, so they are always asking what I've read recently or ask me to recommend favorite books.  Rather convenient to simply look in my bag at what I've just checked out or am returning! ;)

Source

Did you honestly think that I could go more than 5 blog posts without working in a reference to Jane Austen?  Silly goose!  Have a lovely combination of the "Keep Calm" motto and Mr. Darcy.  Yes, I know it, I spoil you rotten.  You're welcome. :)
Do you write short or long letters?  Do you love getting long letters?  Or not?  Why?
Comment away, dear readers!

Character Post

During the LetterMo challenge, the participants could earn different "achievement badges".  If you ventured to a new postbox drop-off location, for example, or sent a birthday or valentine greeting, you'd get to display your achievement for the rest of the LetterMo community to admire/envy/mirror with their own.

 One such achievement that I couldn't stand to NOT earn was the "Austen Style" badge.  This puppy could only be earned if you emulated Jane Austen herself and broke out the parchment, quill, ink bottle and wax seal, finally sending the letter folded up as its own envelope.  Bonus points if you wrote it in early 19th C language/subject matter.  I sent out a few- three, to be precise- but none of them as Lucy Jane or in 19th C character.  I just couldn't break into the time travel for some reason.  (Where's a Tardis when you really need one?  I ask you.)  But my usual vocabulary/style of writing leans to the old fashioned as a habit, so they really weren't that bad.

One of the three was replied to, in Regency character!  How could I not answer it back in kind*??  Finally, with her help, I had unlocked whatever the previous thing was that had blocked my writer's imagination.  Using this fantastic resource on my hometown area in the late 1700s/early 1800s, I was able to flesh out Lucy Jane more than I have ever done, and really develop her backstory and history.  It was marvelous fun to blend historical fact with fiction!  My creative brain, rather starved for that sort of exercise and entertainment of late, just bloomed with one scene and timeline possibility after another until I think I may have enough to write a novel if I get it all down on paper. (NaNoWriMo, anyone?!)  I always told myself I would never be a writer.  I'm a terrible liar to myself.  I'm not saying it will get published or make it to the NY Best Seller list, but who says it has to?  I'm enjoying it. :)

Here are a couple of photos of my "Austen Style" offerings.  I can't wait for Charlotte's next letter!

Have you ever sent a letter as a character? I'd love to hear about it!

*Although I have been SUPER busy lately and have not updated the website and/or blog in a few months, most of you know that I have a creative outlet under a pseudonym/character called Lucy Jane.  If you are new here, follow the link to see "her" wares. :)

Finally Found That Thing About Jane Austen...

So years and years ago, I was talking in a post about how I had found my ancestral link to Jane Austen herself and how tickled I was over it.  But I couldn't explain it in the post, because the format was all wonky and other reasons, so I kinda gave it up for lost and told you all that you'd just have to take my word for it.

Well, the other day I was going through some papers and I found my big ole stacks of genealogy research (did you know that before I had kids, I filled in 1,000 names on my family tree in less than 2 years?!).  So I converted the document I had been looking for into an image file so that you could finally see the lineage.

Voila!

Keep Calm And...

Following a random thread of thought down a rabbit hole, I found these gems sprinkled across the internets.  Which are your favorites?  I rather love them all. :)

The original sentiment

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Jane Austen (had she possessed some secret to endless longevity and not died in 1817) would have been 237 years old today!  To celebrate her birthday, I'm having a good cup of tea, a slice of angel food cake, and am cozied up watching the 2005 Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice.

I'm also posting conversations on the Facebook group I recently created to kick off a project called "A Year With Jane Austen".  A group of friends, who are fellow Janeites, and I are going to season each month of 2013 with reading her works together and discussing them, watching the movie adaptations and discussing/comparing them, sharing recipes and swapping baked goodies like scones and tea recommendations, discussing and sharing stuff on the culture and fashion of the Regency Era, and all sorts of other things related to Jane.  (If you are a fellow Janeite and want to join in the fun, friend request me on Facebook (Jenny Wallace Ray) with a message, and I will add you to the group!  Our "event" for January will be reading "Emma" and discussing it.  I've never facilitated a group or a book club or anything like that before, so I'm sure I won't be perfect, but it's nothing "official".  Just a bunch of Jane Austen fans letting our geek show. :)

I'm going to get back to my movie, but before I do, I thought I would share 10 of my favorite character quotes from film versions of her works with you.  (These are in no particular order, as the movies rotate through my DVD player as though it had a revolving door on it.  I love the books in their entireties far too much to pull any one quote from them.)  Enjoy!

1.  Knightly: "You didn't ask me to contribute a riddle, Emma."
     Emma: "Your entire personality is a riddle, Mr. Knightly; I thought you overqualified."
     (From Emma)

2.  Mrs. Bennett: "He danced the fourth with a Miss King, of little standing, and the fifth again with Jane."
    Mr. Bennett:  "If he'd had any compassion for me, he would have sprained his ankle in the first set."
     (From Pride and Prejudice)

3.  Charlotte Lucas: "Count your blessings, Lizzie!  If he liked you, you'd have to talk to him."
     Elizabeth: "Precisely.  As it is, I would not dance with him for all of Darbyshire, let alone the miserable half."
     (From Pride and Prejudice)

4.  Elinor: "Thank you for your help with Margaret.  She's much changed since you've arrived."
     Edward Ferrars: "Not at all; I enjoy her company.  She's planning an expedition to China shortly, and I'm to go along as her servant.  But only on the understanding that I'm to be very badly treated."
     (Elinor laughs) "And what will your duties be?"
     Edward: "Sword-fighting, obviously; administering rum, and swabbing."
     (From Sense and Sensibility)

5.   Sir Walter Elliot: "I must say, though, the worst of Bath is the number of plain women.  I frequently observe that one pretty face would be followed by five and thirty frights."
     (From Persuasion)

6.  Marianne: "When is a man to be safe from such wit, if age and infirmity do not protect him?"
     Elinor and Mrs. Dashwood together: "Infirmity?!"
     Marianne: "Did you not hear him complain of rheumatism in his shoulder?"
     Elinor: "'A slight ache' I believe was his phrase."
     Mrs. Dashwood: "If Colonel Brandon is infirm, then I am at death's door!"
     Elinor: "It is a miracle your life has extended this far."
     (From Sense and Sensibility)

7.  Fanny Price: "Run mad as often as you choose, but do not faint!"
    (From Mansfield Park)*

8.  Knightly: "I have some news. (slyly) And I know how you like news!"
     Emma (conspiratorially): "Oh, yes, I always like news!"
     (From Emma)

9.   Edmund: "Oh, don't be an imbecile."
      Fanny: "Oh, but imbecility in women is a great enhancement to their personal charms."
      Edmund: "Fanny, you're being irrational!"
      Fanny: "Yet another adornment!  I must be ravishing."
     (From Mansfield Park)

10.  Elizabeth: "Shall I call for some tea?"
       Darcy: "No, thank you."
       (incredibly awkward silence as neither one knows what to say next)
       Darcy (finally rushing out the door): "Good day, Miss Elizabeth.  It's been a pleasure."
       Charlotte (coming in): "What on earth have you done to poor Mr. Darcy?!"
       Elizabeth: "... I have no idea!"
      (From Pride and Prejudice)


*This quote was used in the film version of Mansfield Park, but is actually from a piece of Jane's Juvenilia work called Love and Friendship, written in 1790.

PS- I am (distantly) genealogically related to Jane Austen!  I should find that chart I finally finished that shows the connection and post it soon.... :)

Hugh Are Just Adorable...

We haven't had many puns around here, and I'm officially allowed 2 per day, so I thought I'd spring for one in the title.  You're welcome.  :)

Two of these Hughes were born in England; the other hails from Australia.
All three have speech accents that make my knees go all wobbly.

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Grant 

Hugh Jackman

Two of these Hughes have played Jane Austen characters (in the same film, "Sense and Sensibility"); the other currently has a famous Victor Hugo character, Jean Valjean, being added to his repertoire of "film roles involving/inspired by/related to classic literature".  (PS- if Jackman ever wants to join the "Been a Jane Austen gentleman" club with the other two, I nominate him for either Mr. Darcy, Mr. Knightly, or Captain Wentworth!!!)
All three look amazing in 19th Century period costume.

 

Two of these Hughes are old enough to be my father (Grant and Laurie); the other (Jackman) not quite, but still a good deal older than I am (by 13 years).
All three sing and play piano. (Two play by choice and the other because he had to for a film role.)

 

Two of these Hughes (Jackman and Grant) were born in the fall; the other was born in the summer, the date before my own birthdate. (Hugh Laurie's birthday is June 11th.  Mine is the 12th.)
All three have amassed quite a collection of BAFTA, SAG, Golden Globe, and Emmy nominations and awards among them.  (Total nominations for above awards by the three Hughes = 28... Total wins for above awards by the three Hughes = 7)  (And they have all three won many other kinds of awards as well, I just didn't list them all here.  Go look it up on IMdB and do the math if you want to know a grand total.)

There's your pop culture eye candy for the day.  :)  Which Hugh do you like best?
Hugh are handsome.  Hugh are talented.  I will see Hugh at the movies soon. :)

52 Weeks of Mail: Week 1

The first week of the new 52 weeks project was a great success!

Outgoing:
A package to a friend from high school (but forgot to take a photo!  It was in a pretty pink bubble envie.)  Plus this letter:

Incoming:
A letter from a friend in Arkansas, which I did not get the chance to photo, but cannot wait to reply to!  Also, this amazing package from my pen-friend who lives on the Isle of Wight, another Lucie-Jane (I know, right!!!) who knows how desperately I wanted to be at the Jane Austen festival in Bath, England and (once again) could not attend (more's the pity).  (No, really, y'all.  It's just stupid sad and pitiful how much my heart pines for the UK and all things Regency.)

A lovely, long letter, the cover page of which is on Jane Austen stationery; her program from the Jane Austen festival; and a tote bag from the Jane Austen Centre which reads "Keep Calm and Read Jane Austen".  Best. Trip. To. Mailbox. EVER!!! :D :D :D