Beverly Farr's Blog, page 2

My Husband Loves Mr. Collins

I don’t know if my husband knew what kind of Jane Austen fanatic I was when he married me. But once the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice was available on VHS tape, he knew there was a problem.

I watched that miniseries multiple times and eventually he watched some, too. His favorite character is Mr. Collins. Since then he has watched several other versions with me and when he walks by and I’m watching some P&P, he’ll say, “When does Mr. Collins show up?”

Last year, when I started writing Pride and Prejudice Variations, he was one of my beta readers, looking for typos (Thank you, sweetie.) He decided that in order to understand the genre better, he would read the original Pride and Prejudice. He read it and enjoyed it.

Each of the Mr. Collins I have watched has a slightly different personality. Here’s my take on them:

1980 – cheerful doofus

1995 – ingratiating

2005 – heart breakingly awkward

Lost in Austen – creepy

And apparently Matt Smith is hilarious in the new P&P and Zombies movie. One of these days my husband and I will have to see it.

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Good Enough Quilting

In some ways, I am a recovering perfectionist. My mother was a bit of perfectionist, too. She knew how things ought to be, but as she became a mother, raising six imperfect children, she learned to lighten up. There is a quote that says, “Everything worth doing is worth doing well.” But my mother thought that was incorrect. Instead, she would say, “Not everything worth doing is worth doing well. Some things just need to be done.”

Over the years, I’ve learned the wisdom of this. Striving for perfection can either inspire us to do more or make us feel overwhelmed and shut us down. When I first started quilting, I wanted to design the perfect quilt. I analysed different blocks, color combinations, etc. If I was going to spend hundreds of hours on something, I wanted it to be astounding. You can imagine how many quilts I finished. None. That’s right. I bought fabric a few times, but when it came down to it, my spectacular goals were too advanced and complicated.

Then I realized that I should not see the first quilt as a masterpiece. Instead I would start small. I made several patchwork baby quilts. They were smaller, easier, and since I knew children would most likely throw up on them, I did not do any super fancy stitching.

This was a beginning. Then I worked on larger quilts for wall hangings. As I worked, I realized that I was still a perfectionist – I made extra blocks so I could discard the ones without ideal triangle points. (I still think this is a good idea, but at some point you have to accept “almost perfect” blocks)

Then one day I worked on a Fourth of July quilt. I loved the weird navy blue fabric with the peacocks on it. I made it and tried to finish it before July so I could hang it on my dining room wall. But as the time approached, I was not able to finish the last hand stitching around the sash border. In the end, I hung it up – only 95% done. Then I started on a different quilt. Funny enough, I forgot that I hadn’t finished it, put it away in my quilt cedar chest and it is only when I pull it out now that I remember: Hey, I didn’t finish this one….

Now, has anyone ever noticed? As far as I can tell, no. And if they did notice, they didn’t say anything to me. Mostly often, people like the patriotic color combination and the pretty Ohio Stars (with fantastic star points, :))

It has been probably 10 years since I made this quilt. Sometimes I remember that it isn’t finished, and one of these days, I will probably finish it. But right now I am working more on finishing the current Darcy story. But I can still hang this quilt on my wall and enjoy it.

It is good enough.

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When Nice Guys Win

While You Were Sleeping 1995 is one of my absolutely favorite romantic comedies and it would make a fantastic date night movie.

Sandra Bullock plays a Lucy, a Cinderella character, down on her luck, who has a crush on Peter Gallagher, a handsome man who buys train tokens from her. She ends up saving his life and pretending to be his fiancé while he is in a coma. (Don’t ask – it works in the movie, so just watch it). The romantic hero is Jack, Peter’s brother. But although Lucy falls in love with Jack, she also falls in love with his quirky family and they fall in love with her. That’s what really works in this movie.

Another thing I love about this movie is how Jack, falling for Lucy, is determined to be honorable. He doesn’t want to take his brother’s girl. Their romance is funny and emotional. It’s also one of the few movies that makes a Nice Guy interesting. He doesn’t have to go through a personality change to win the girl.

It has one of the few screenplays that I wish I had written. Superb.

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Another Darcy: A Collection of Pride and Prejudice Variations

Do you want to see Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love again and again?

Another Darcy is a collection of four of my previously published Pride and Prejudice Variations novellas. So, if you have already read these stories, Thank you very much. If not, you can check it out in one convenient bundle.

This collection includes:

Darcy Unmasked – What if the Ball at Netherfield is a masquerade?

Darcy At Last – What if Elizabeth has amnesia and cannot remember Darcy’s disastrous proposal?

Much Ado About Darcy – What if Darcy is unable to deliver his letter?

Darcy’s Winter Wedding – What if Darcy and Elizabeth meet in London during a Frost Fair?

Each novella is a standalone story.

Also, for those who like paperbacks, the bundle will be available in paperback in a few weeks.

Thanks again to all my readers – especially to the ones who like my facebook pages and leave reviews!! I really appreciate it.

And yes, I’m working on another, longer length story.

Happy reading,

Beverly/Jane

Beverly Farr aka Jane Grix

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Responsibly Grown

I was in a grocery store this weekend with DH and we saw a sign for miniature watermelons “Responsibly Grown.” Which raises the question of what are Irresponsibly Grown watermelons? I assume it has something to do with how the workers are paid or treated. But the name tickled us and I said, “I just want Responsibly Grown children.”

Ah, the challenges of having adult children in the house. Does anyone have to pay rent? Who is going to do those dishes? Can an adult have piles of dirty laundry stinking up the place? I realize that every family will figure out the rules for themselves.

When my kids were little we had five family rules to go with the five fingers on one hand: We are Peaceful, Clean, Obedient, Hard-working and Respectful.

Now that they’re adults, I’m willing to lighten up on the Obedience because I really think they need to be their own boss.

And interestingly, I want heroes and heroines that are Responsibly Grown. I don’t like reading about selfish, immature people who whine and complain. Unless they are funny like Phil in Groundhog Day and they grow up by the end.

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Cinderella Again?

Some people don’t like Cinderella. And I’m not just talking about her step-sisters.

Express Monorail via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

I’ve heard people dismiss a film or book with the phrase, “That’s just a Cinderella story.” As if that means it is somehow inferior. Apparently Cinderella stories are cheesy or trite, and at worst, inspire women to waste their lives, sitting around waiting to be rescued by Prince Charming.

But I don’t see the story that way. I see Cinderella as Virtue Rewarded. Cinderella is hardworking and loving and eventually her goodness is rewarded.

Granted, not all Cinderellas are created equal and a few versions set my teeth on edge as well.

Here are some suggestions for a Date Night viewing:

Ever After – If you like a feisty, intelligent Cinderella, this is the way to go. Drew Barrymore is radiant as Cinderella and by the end, the Prince is worthy of her.

The Slipper and the Rose – If you like musicals that last a LONG time with beautiful costumes and some fun songs, this is a good choice. There’s nothing better than the King’s Cabinet dancing to “Protocoligorically Correct.” (LINK to Youtube)

Cinderella Man 2005 – Russell Crowe is fantastic in this movie, and I love the scene where he doesn’t eat bologna for breakfast so his children have something to eat.

What’s your favorite Cinderella story?

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Why Do I Love Jane Austen

Why do I love Jane Austen, let me count the reasons: Darcy, Darcy, Darcy.

No seriously, I love Jane Austen for more than Mr. Darcy, although he is a big part of why I adore her books.

I like her books because they are funny and romantic and they contain fascinating side characters and insightful commentary on human nature.

My favorite novel of all time is Pride and Prejudice. In this story both hero and heroine are flawed. Elizabeth is clever, but she is quick to judge. Darcy is intelligent, but arrogant. Some might dismiss this story as a Cinderella story because Elizabeth ends up with Darcy, who is rich, but in this story the Prince (Darcy) actually changes and becomes a better person by the end.

When Elizabeth refuses his first offer of marriage (very unCinderella-like), he is humbled. But then he writes a letter that makes her realize that she has been judging him harshly….

To read more of my post stop by My Jane Austen Book Club . I am giving away a signed copy of Master of Pemberley . Be sure to enter!

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What Makes a Romantic Hero in Books and Real Life

My explanation on why my husband and his characteristics make for a good romantic hero.

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Significance in the Eye of the Beholder

There’s a scene in the movie Anonymous (2011) where the “real” Shakespeare (supposedly the Earl of Oxford played by Rhys Ifans) says that all art is political. One of the themes of the movie is that the Shakespeare plays were written to influence Tudor society politically. An interesting premise and I agree that art can change society by changing our perceptions, but I don’t think there are political overtones in all art.

However, I do believe that good art (which everyone is going to define differently) ties somehow into universal emotions or truths and, therefore, has significance.

A painting that makes us revere nature, a book that makes us weep, and a movie that frightens us – they all appeal to our emotions. If art didn’t stir us somehow, we wouldn’t pay attention to it. We wouldn’t care. Art is cathartic, providing some sort of psychological relief. (Quick shout out to Corinne Loxton whose paintings inspire me)

For example, I consider It Happened One Night 1934 to be Art because it makes me laugh and then somewhere in the midst of the brilliant screwball comedy, I begin to care about the characters. Even though their situation is absurd and unrealistic, there are moments that ring true and I want the hero and heroine to get their happily ever after. I like seeing Clarke Gable as a tough reporter who is sometimes awkward, and Claudette Colbert is always a joy. Also interesting, some people think the carrot gnawing scene in It Happened One Night was a partial inspiration for Bugs Bunny.

So It Happened One Night is fun, but is it significant? To me, yes.

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Tidy Books

Like thousands of people I read The Life-Changing Miracle of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo last year. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and could see a little of myself in some of the stories the author told of her tidy childhood, as she tried to convert her family members.

As for putting the principles into practise, I have done a little. I am currently in the middle of taming the paper beast.

However, I have recently helped all three of my children go through their belongings and whittle it down to what sparks joy for them. I’ll post pictures of two closets that are much cleaner now.

As part of this process, I went through my book collection in the past year and it was surprising to me what books I no longer needed – particularly with the ease of getting digital copies if I had an emergency and needed to replace something I had foolishly given away. Many of my books were in the “should read someday” (Lord of the Rings or Wuthering Heights, anyone?) and in the “I read this once but I will probably never read it again” category. And of course there are also beat up copies of “books I keep rereading.”

Some of the books I keep reading are:

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers (when I want to know that brainy women can fall in love with worthy men)

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (when I want to find peace as a hectic mom)

Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer (when I want to step into another world. Note just about anything by Georgette Heyer will do this)

When I was young, I used to think I would love to live in a library, but now armed with my Kindle or my phone with the Kindle app, I do live in a library. There I’ll be in the middle of the night, finishing a novel and when it’s done, I can just click on something else. I don’t have to leave my bed. The book can magically appear on my screen.

It’s so tidy.

What are your favorite rereads?

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