Evelina: An entertaining story

  I enjoy reading Charles Dickens, really I do. But having slogged my way through all of his Boz sketches as then only slightly cheered by Hard Times I began to forget the pleasure of an entertaining book. I am just over half way through Fanny Burney's Evelina and again feel the anticipation and look forward to the pleasure of diving back into the pages.

   No I couldn't say she comes close to the greatness of Charles Dickens but when you want a book to entertain you, when you have had your fill of endless sentences and descriptions of twisted faces and alleyways of similar description, then this book will give you some pleasure.

   It was first published in 1778; Miss Burney's first novel, she was 25 at the time. Since it was written so long ago it is really interesting to read and the manners, customs, and way of thinking of the time in comparison to how it would be written in modern times. In many modern historical fiction novels the heroine thinks as a modern girl would and that totally ruins them for me. I much prefer to read a novel that is really written way back then.

   I bought my copy of the book at the library where they sell books all the time for only $1, I have got a whole pile of classic books from there which the library doesn't seem to think worthy of their shelves. But our library dose have a good stack section where all the old books are available and not hidden away in a store room underground like they are in many libraries.

Regular Posts!!!

I bought a laptop of my own!............ At least I am buying it! And that means for you that there will be regular posts here. I have no excuses now.

   I also plan to work on my website equinefineart and I think I will totally redo it and update it as I have allot more art work I haven't put on.  And then I have allot of essays to write to finish schoolwork off. I haven't been able to use mum's laptop much because she is always writing. She is currently writing a novel which she is going to try to get published. She has already written her autobiography here is her shipwreck story from it: And it's all very true!

True story of survival after shipwreck off Sahara Desert coast, West Africa.  Shipwreck Story  

First Impressions

  My friend at Snowtop Studios recently posted a post on a group of young people who are making a movie called First Impressions, based on Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austin first intended to call her book First Impressions but after it failed to publish she revised the book and renamed it Pride and Prejudice.

I love home made movies. We have made a couple with our friends, one is in the process of being edited at the moment.

Here is their blog and website

A Scribble or Two

One whisker on a kitten

A smallsome thing to see

As essential as her single mitten

More wanted than a flea

 * * *

A solitary seagull;

Soaring wings on air.

Climbing swiftly up aloft 

Silent as a prayer.

With Graceful sweeping brushstrokes

White she tints the blue,

Brushing the empty canvass

 A lonely lingering hue

If you are still confused from yesterdays photo, here is the explanation :)

Crazy Boaties!

 I also was a little confused when I first saw this photo of my brother, Nathaniel.

Beach Ride

These photos were taken last year at the same beach on the same ride. We went down this big sand dune again!  Fun and scary, especially when your horse wants to gallop down!

  Today my brother, Pete, took me and Tigger up to the beach to ride with the pony club. It began to pour with rain just after we got there. We were the first to arrive and thought it might have been cancelled as it poured all day yesterday and we had a terrific lightening and thunder storm last night to lull us to sleep! The thunder is very loud here because of the hills, one peal goes on and on bouncing up the valleys then back down until it has growled itself out before the next blinding flash and boom. But I am parting from the theme. The sun did come out after a long while and the people and horses gradually arrived and we rode off up the long beach.

   It was all great fun and Tigger's crazy Thoroughbred side came out for the day. I went for a gallop with Peter after everyone else had finished and we didn't have to go slow for everyone. That was the best part of the day!
  On a sad note there were allot of dead birds washed up on the beach from the Pacific Ocean. Apparently allot of birds are starving because the fish are dying because some cold current from Antarctica hasn't come.   We saw a couple of dead puffer fish too. And almost galloped through a fishing wire going down the beach to the sea! Ah, but it was all good and that's all I have to say.

   P. S. Here is something of interest because I'm sure 'all my readers' love The Lady of Shallot

I'm Home

by John White Alexander (American 1856-1915) ~ Sunlight

  I am home from a very nice time away house sitting. It was nice to be by myself for a time with all the animals there, four dogs, three cats, and two ponies. I spend time every day with the horses and started the little pony Heidi, so now all the little boys can ride her.
   I have only now had time to have a proper look at blogger and all the lovely blogs I follow. I found the above picture on Love for Books  where there are allot of beautiful illustrations from books. The painting caught my fancy immediately, I love the skirt of the dress and how the ribbons of light fall across it. The only fault I find with it is her pose my be a little too dramatic or overstated and her face isn't what it could be.
  Also this came up in my emails from Poetry Soup and I thought of interest to share with even those who don't write poetry. Who hasn't read at least 95% of them in poetry and prose too?