Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme




It's November. We're well past our first snow along the Front Range in Colorado, in fact last week it snowed for 50 straight hours in Denver and we had about 10 inches of wet, heavy snow at our house. Good thing we had already harvested the last of the onions, garlic, and carrots. The vegetable garden is ready for winter, but the flower garden still needs some attention before we call it done for the season (i.e., dead foliage cleared and perennials banked with leaves).

Inside, my kitchen garden has happily readjusted to indoor temperatures and humidity (i.e., zero) and the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, mint, and oregano are past sulking and look positively perky and ready to be added to winter soups and stews and sauces and chilis.

Meanwhile on the reading front, I'm on the homestretch with The Moonstone. Miss Clack remains my favorite in the weird sister category--for some reason when I was reading about her I flashed on The Importance of Being Earnest several times, remembering when Lady Bracknell says, "Is this Miss Prism a female of repellent aspect, remotely connected with education?" I matched Miss Prism and Miss Clack as kindred spirits, and can't now think of one without the other.

I also just started Julie & Julia, which I picked up for a whole $1 at our last JASNA book exchange. It's fun, easy, and not at all Victorian, which is a nice change of pace...don't want to turn into Miss Clack, after all.

NetFlix should be delivering the second disc of the first season of The House of Elliot. If you haven't watched this fantabulous BBC series, created by Jean Marsh of Upstairs, Downstairs fame, then you should rush out and find it. It's about two 1920's sisters who find themselves orphaned, impoverished (sort of) and awfully good at dress-making, flirting, dancing, flying kites, ranting, and living. My mother told me about it--and she was right...I love it!






Finally, tomorrow is my birthday. Yes, I am a Guy Fawkes baby (as in, "Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot"). I just checked Netflix--they still don't have Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.

I also need to settle on an adaptation of The Moonstone to watch once I'm done with the book. There's one from 1996 here, and a 1972 version here. The 1996 version has Greg Wise as Franklin Blake, so that may just settle it!

10 comments:

  1. Well Jane, I've got both Gunpowder, Treason and Plot and The Moonstone (1996 with Greg Wise). I've seen the first one but haven't seen the latter yet. I've studied Collins (life and works, themes and contextualization) at university but didn't have to read his works, actually. I was thinking of watching and reviewing THE MOONSTONE for my Period Drama Challenge. Could it be the right choice for my "Victorian Mist"?
    BTW, I don't know why, but I didn't succeed in answering your personal message on Twitter. Anyhow, I just did it...make them bleed , I mean! ;-)

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  2. Happy birthday! I'm going to have to look for House of Eliot--anything done by anyone associated with Upstairs, Downstairs appeals to me.

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  3. Happy birthday! I live at the very north of the Springs, so I'm with you on the snow. It's been crazy!

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  4. They did a re run of House of Elliot not too long ago. I managed to see some of it, really enjoyed it. I hadn't realised it was a Jean Marsh venture. I adore Upstairs Downstairs! I think I have got all of them. I would defintely be 'downstairs', I don't think they had a bad life really, they were looked after and got to live in a fantastic house! Happy Birthday!

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  5. Happy Birthday, Jane! Hope you had a great day.

    I'm going to check out House of Elliot too - it sounds interesting.

    Aruna

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  6. Happy Birthday! And you're right, House of Eliot rocks! And if you haven't yet see the J&J film, I highly recommend it. Best film of the year!

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  7. I love House of Elliot too, plenty of style and gorgeous fashion and accessories, balanced with a good dollop of history.

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  8. For "Katrina" in the comment above, read "piningforthewest."

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  9. I just read about Guy Fawkes in Charles Dickens' History of England. Have you read that? It's very funny, especially since he thinks he's given a serious history...

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  10. Belated Happy Birthday for Bonfire Day, Jane! (I've just bought V for Vendetta for my partner, which is perfect Bonfire Night viewing IMO)

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