December 29, 2006
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The Year is Running Out!
Hard to believe that only two days remain in 2006.
The older four and I went to see Eragon tonight. Now, if you’ve not read the book, you will more than likely enjoy the movie. If you read the book and liked it pretty well, you should enjoy the movie. If you read the book and really loved it, you will give the movie one star (as David did) because there is just SO much missing from the movie. It’s hard to cram 16 hours of reading aloud into an hour and forty-five minutes. Alas. I thought it was well-cast, except for Angela, who was too young.
Today we cleaned and I sewed and baked some cookies. Why do all the baking before Christmas? There’s plenty of time afterward. Tomorrow, we have Christmas with my brother and his family at my mom’s house. Then, Sunday night is the big party!
Here’s a funny story. We have a propane heater/fireplace thing in the basement. However, over the past month, the pilot light wouldn’t stay lit. I cleaned out the line, fiddled with things, and made sure the propane tank was full. We finally called the repair people to come, but they couldn’t come until January 8th, too late to make the basement warm for the party. On Thursday, before I left for the afternoon to run errands with Rachel, I begged James to have a look at it and call a friend to see if he had any advice.
When I called later in the afternoon, James reported that he and Nathan had fixed the heater. “Oh, we were down there most of the afternoon,” he said. Then he laughed. “Actually, we were down there about five minutes. Someone had unplugged the blower.” When the heater got hot, the blower did not turn on, so the heater shut itself off. Duh.
I finished P&P two nights ago and was struck by how many sequels and spin-offs took their titles straight from lines in the novel: An Unequal Marriage, An Assembly Such as This, Pemberley Shades, The True Darcy Spirit, Bridget Jones’ Diary…
Seriously though, I did have a question when I finished the novel. How deep is Elizabeth’s attachment to Darcy? She tells her dad that she loves him, but I think she is just really grateful and respects him an awful lot. Is that the same as loving him? I’m not questioning his attachment to her (which is a main reason why we like him). I’m not questioning that their marriage will be a happy one. I’m just questioning that idea her LOVE. Now, in the Bible, husbands are to love their wives and wives are to respect their husbands. The future Darcys will have that for sure. But, what do you think about Elizabeth and love? Compare it to Jane’s love, for example.
Comments (13)
I think Elizabeth is more grateful and admiring as the ending point–but I think that is the perfect foundation to cultivate a deeper love. Jane’s love was based on emotion to begin with and grew from there; it can go the other way around as well. So I think Elizabeth will end up having a fervent love for Darcy…
Well, true he wouldn’t be hanging here in the U.S. I do think, however, that hanging can be a perfectly humane punishment. The neck breaks, and that’s about all there is to it. Not quite as peaceful as lethal injection, but when compared to the medieval hanging, drawing, and quartering in which, among other things, the criminal’s intestines would be pulled out and burned before his very eyes (after he had been hung with an unusually rigged noose long enough to strangle a bit; his death would not come until his heart or liver was pulled out by hand), it seems quite tame.
I think that the punishment for murder is the same now as it was under Old Testament law. Consider Matthew 5:21-22.
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old tie, Thou shalt not kill,; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you That whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment…
You’ll notice that Jesus does not contradict the original law, but rather expounds on the fuller, more spiritual meaning of the commandment. Add to this His earlier statement: Until heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled, and I think one can draw the conclusion that execution for murder is still righteous.
As for the eye for an eye policy, our pastor recently said that Christ was not opposing this ideology in its legal application, but rather in its private application. The point Christ was making was that, as Christians, we should not take personal revenge on others who have wronged us, as the Pharisees had allowed, but that does not mean we should not defend ourselves, nor was He referring to the state’s handling of criminals.
So there’s my $0.02 on the subject, and its supporting evidence.
Oops! I meant “time”, of course. Not “tie”.
Yes, very hard to believe that we are almost into the new year! We have planned to make a resolution that I am beginning to dread now…oh well.
Thats too bad about Eragon, I read and loved the book. My brother and I are going to see it tonight.
Hahaha!!! Thats a funny story!! Sounds like something I might do!!
I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas! I have been offline for a bit….
Have a great New Year!!
Blessings…………….
I’ve thought the same thing about Elizabeth. I think she was raised on her fathers example of not taking things too seriously and will probably have a hard time surrendering to something so “foolish” as deep emotional love. Her mother is the one who loves emotionally, and given that example, I don’t think she trusts herself to retain her mind and love that way, though she seems to respect Jane’s love for Mr. Bingly. I predict about her second child she loves him as much as he loves her.
That Mr. Darcy has her respect is enough for now.
I’ve been wondering about Eragon. I think I need to read P&P again. But I do agree that the feelings she has can be cultivated into a deeper love.
I don’t think I’ll be able to bear seeing Eragon. One of my friends went to see it and said a lot of the relationships were lacking. For me, relationships are always the best part of any book, so to scrimp on them and fill up on the action. . . eeeps.
I think Elizabeth loves Darcy, and I have a feeling Jane Austen meant for her to love Darcy, but whether it’s realistic for that to be the case I’m not sure.
I hope the party goes well, and I wish I could be there. As for P&P, no comment. =)
Haha I still rank a bit beneath the title of “Queen of the kitchen” I believe…
Looking forward to the bash tomorrow!
WOW- what a fun party! We all had a super time and thanks for having us and the rest of the church crowd. It was memorable!!
Back to P&P, finally! (I’m already on chapter 20-something of Sense & Sensibility!…. I just couldn’t help it!!!;P)
…….. I agree about the love of Elizabeth. I think she began to feel strongly that he was a worthy person with excellent virtues and highly honored him, and THAT was her basis for her feelings. However, I think her honor of him is enough for her to continue and grow to love him, but, as we “deem” love to be today, her feelings do not measure up to he all-inflamed, passionate, “soul-mate” kind of love we see in the movies nowadays…. which is probably very good for the both of them!!
Jane’s love for Bingley is one, I believe, based upon common interests & attraction. Not physical attraction, alone, so much as a personality attraction that is very compatible and companionable — one that will enjoy each others’ company for years and years to come. There will also be honor and respect, but more due to the fact that they just plain ol’ like each other so much & they are both given to much kindness. It is a much more “romantic” form of love, but not solely based on feelings or charm.
HAPPY 2007!!! Yea!! Thanking God for another year of life and the opportunity to express His love to those around us!!