This one's for the ladies

Ok girls, are you ready for the most wonderful, fantastic, tremendous news ever? I hope you're ready because this news might just blow your mind. Gentlemen, just stop reading now because you really won't care a bit about my news.

Here's a little hint...

And another.....


Do you give up? Ok, I'll tell you...





PBS is running a 10 week Jane Austen series!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD- I don't know how to contain my excitement.

Unfortunately, I am a bit late in spreading this amazing news as Sunday night was the first movie and they aren't replaying it. It was Persuasion which was always my least favorite Austen novel. I was pleasantly surprised, though, by how much I enjoyed the new adaptation. I am actually considering rereading the novel. Austen historians believe it to be her most mature and developed novel; maybe I missed something the first time through.

Four out of the six novels are new movies. Next week is Northanger Abbey, which is generally felt to be Austen's weakest piece, but it was also one of her first. Perhaps the new movie will highlight the best of the novel.

The highlight, though, has to be the three week BBC Pride and Prejudice (I do own it on DVD, but I still plan on watching it on TV) staring my love Colin Firth. He is just the dreamiest Darcy ever; I don't care if that statement makes me sound like a 15 year old from the 50's. You can't hide the truth.

Another exciting feature will be the movie Miss Austen Regrets based on Jane Austen's letters. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it has got to be better than Anne Hathaway's barely true version of Jane's life.

You can also go and vote for your favorite Austen leading man on the PBS site created for the event. It's such a hard decision. Do I pick Darcy for his dashing good looks and reserved yet wounded nature? Do I pick Knightley for his thoughtful sincerity and sage advice? Do I pick Edward Ferrars for his fierce loyalty and firm convictions? I just don't know.


Frederick Wentworth even made a case for himself in the new version of Persuasion (the actor's incredibly good looks might be swaying my decision though.)

I'm thinking Katherine might be the only one who made it to this point in my post, and perhaps the only one reading who isn't pondering whether I have finally lost my mind. Fortunately, she will understand my excitement and maybe, if she isn't dead tired, she will be able to experience the joy that is 10 weeks of Jane Austen.

If you didn't already know, I love Jane Austen. And to finish off my post I would like to show you the proof of this love.

Yes this is Jane Austen's house and yes I did go all the way out to Jane Austen's house when we went to England.

This is Jane Austen's desk. She would sit in her parlor and hide her writing. The door leading to this room creaked and she would cover up her manuscripts when a non-family member would enter the house. They don't want visitors to touch anything, but I'll tell you a little secret. I grazed the table a bit. Perhaps I hoped bit of her magic and genius might rub off on me.

Or maybe it is this weird thing I have about being in places where important things have happened and taking in everything I can. We travel down the canals of Venice and I imagine the courtesans littering the bridges. I stand in the Place de la Concorde and hear the throngs of people cheering on the guillotine. I walk through the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and wonder if I am stepping on a piece of floor where Louis the Fourteenth paced hundreds of years ago.

Well that was a bit of a diversion. I hope you all have a chance to catch one Jane Austen movie over the next 9 weeks. Give Jane a chance. You will quickly understand why the new personalized plates on my car read AUSTNFN. (YES I DID!!!)