Multi-Tasking Run Amok

Here I am again: another fun reality moment, when I caught myself stirring up roasting pumpkin seeds with a seam ripper. Yes, a seam ripper. I am not well. How did this come to pass? It is the frightening result of too much multi-tasking, my friends. Exactly how many projects/tasks am I working on right now? Let's count them up.

1. My son's Halloween costume. I saw a cute knight outfit, but it cost waaaaaay too much money. So I said, "Shoot, I can make that myself!" and promptly went to Joann (coupons in hand, of course) and bought material and trimmings. Of course, I was then kicking myself when I saw a knight costume for $14 at Wal Mart two weeks later. D'oh!
2. My daughter's princess dress. Luckily for me, this is a play-clothes dress for Christmas, so I've got time. Good thing, since the pattern and all the components are still sitting in the bag.
3. Repairing four BumGenius diapers. I saw them on sale for $5 each, thought it was a cheap way to add to our stash, and bought them. I should have taken a closer look at the diapers we already had so that I fully acknowledged what it would mean to replace shot leg elastic. Each leg has three seams to rip out before I can get to the elastic. I am close to saying that Cotton Babies swindled me out of $15. Luckily the last one is merely shot Velcro, which is far easier to replace, but alas, requires seam ripping as well.
4. Canning apples & pears in many permutations. Yes, I am still sitting on a half bushel of pears and a bushel of apples. See previous entry regarding effort involved. *sigh*
5. Shopping, wrapping, and packaging all Christmas gifts for DH's family, and shipping them before it costs a small fortune to do so. That means trying to ship them sometime in the next week. We are buying gift cards for all adults save one (I already bought something for one of DH's sisters), but I still have some things to ship.
6. Putting up fall decorations. This also involves thoroughly cleaning our pigsty disaster zone *ahem* home in the process. Bwahahaha!! Yeah, it's really high on my priority list, as you can see. I'm thinking we might be skipping fall and going straight to the Christmas decorations, just so I have them up before New Year's. Heck, I'm already wrapping the presents, why not?
7. Working on our bathroom drywall seams, wall texturing, priming, and painting. And laying tile. And putting on paper the design and all the cuts required for the tub surround. Yeah. Good stuff, huh? I am now wondering if we will be done by Thanksgiving.

This is on top of my REGULAR job as, you know, housekeeper and Mom Who Keeps Her Children Intact-for-the-Most-Part-by-the-Grace-of-God. And school chaffeur, what with DD's preschool thrice-weekly. And CFO! Let's not forget CFO! Chief bill payer and budgeter extraordinaire, that's me.

And that is why I was stirring roasting pumpkin seeds with a seam ripper. Because I was keeping my son intact, having discovered him with my seam ripper from the aforementioned diapers, and raced back to stir the pumpkin seeds I was roasting from the sugar pumpkins which were already roasted and food processed and bagged, cooling on the counter (away from little fingers) before freezer storage. Does it scare you? Because it does me, and we're not even close to Christmas yet. I have visions of myself cleaning the bird cage with an empty wrapping paper roll and giving my daughter stamps to use as stickers on her crafts. Stay tuned.

Can, Baby, Can

My house is overrun with produce. Not only has the first hard frost precipitated me yanking every remaining carrot, tomato, and other edible squash from the vegetable garden, but we are also awash with free apples and pears from our neighbor's fruit trees.

You see, I had to go and order a canner. I looked for one in the thrift shops, but I think I waited too late in the season to begin hunting for one, and got stuck paying full price. However, I think it is paying for itself with the glistening jars of canned goodies that I've put up already. Canning is very easy, actually, if you stick to a boiling water canner and high acid foods. Fortunately for us, that is all that we are interested in canning, so it is working out well as a way to preserve garden largesse.

Thus far, I have made 4 quarts of applesauce, 4 half pints of apple jelly, 2 quarts and 2 pints of apple pie filling, 2 twelve ounce and 2 six ounce jars of honey spiced peach jam, and 3 pints of honey spiced peaches. Oh and 7 six ounce jars of blackberry jelly. I have strained pulp, cooked apple peels in water (to make the apple jelly, a process which imparts a beautiful pink color to the jelly from the peels), used plenty of cheesecloth and managed to burn myself on the chin (now I know that applesauce 'burps' when it's being cooked), and I'm not even half done. I still have about four quarts of blackberries to use up in the freezer, not to mention about a bushel of pears and a bushel of apples on my kitchen floor. And I have six sugar pumpkins to roast and freeze. And carrots to clean, peel, and freeze.

I really enjoy the product, but it's a lot of work getting there. Free is good, so I hate to turn down free apples. In fact another neighbor has a tree full which I haven't even touched yet. I'm trying to plow through the rest of what I've got, and then I will hopefully get a second wind and pick more apples, to repeat the process again.

Of course my husband is all in favor of these endeavors. He said my apple pie filling tastes just like McDonalds' apple pies, which is a great compliment in his mind. I just followed the recipe from Ball's website, so if it happens to taste like Mickey-D's, that is something they will have to take up with the Ball folks. And truthfully I love all the goodies too. They are pretty in their jars, and certainly we will be (and already have been) gifting them to friends and neighbors for Christmas gifts. However, I would like to know how the old pioneer women found a way to, you know, keep the rest of their house from sliding into FILTH while they were putting up all their preserves and so forth. Our house once again is a scene of chaos and apparent bomb debris, the product of our two energetic children and my tired self. Tonight is grading night, too, since I teach tomorrow.

Wah, wah, wah. I know, I'm whining about having too much good stuff! I will be very happy when this season of harvest is over and I can put my feet up by the woodstove and relax a bit. And don't even ask about the bathroom. Quite frankly it's almost as if we don't HAVE a guest bathroom any more. I have more drywalling mud sanding to do, more drywall mudding to do, painting to do...and I just couldn't be bothered. My husband has been working like a Trojan getting the tile cut and laid on the floor, but I am just tired of dealing with it. Sometime I'm going to have to drag myself away from my apple mounds and get back in there and deal with it. Not, however, today...I am going to set up that peeler/corer gizmo, borrowed from another neighbor, and make some pear butter. With cardamom, because it's better that way. And some tawny port, since DH opened the bottle. So there. :~P

Austen Lit Reviews, for all my Fellow Austen Fans!!

Ok, I should be doing so many other things, but I have to let you know that I have discovered a new favorite (favourite, for my English friends) genre of novels, called Austen lit, or Austen fan-fiction. Basically, a bunch of crazy women (and yes, they are mostly women) who can't get enough of Jane Austen's novels have written a whole bunch of books which are spin-offs or "what if..." books centered around her famous novels and most famous characters. As you can imagine, I nearly swooned with delight to find so many books exploring my favorite novels of all time, and have devoured a bunch of them, which were handily given to me as birthday presents a month ago.

First, I have a few rules regarding these Austen spin-offs. One, I make every effort to avoid books which take Jane Austen's characters and put them into a seamy Regency romance novel. I really do not need to read vivid imaginings about Darcy & Elizabeth's sex life, thanks much. Second, I have also attempted to avoid novels which (in my very humble opinion) portray the characters in what I feel to be un-characteristic ways. I adore Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, so it is difficult to read books which I think treat them as other than they are presented in Austen's work. Obviously this is more difficult with novels which take a "what if" approach, so I have read one of those and suspended my disbelief about certain elements (see below). Third, I have included the Austen lit novels which involve some form of time travel or play-acting regression to Regency England. Although not strictly involving Austen's characters, I found them entertaining and sometimes a satirical view of Austen addicts and JASNA members (which, by the way, gentle reader, I have not joined yet; although I would like to do so when I have older children which will permit me to attend meetings).


So, for those of you who adore Miss Austen, please find here my reviews & recommendations of some Austen lit centering on the best beloved Pride & Prejudice and the characters contained therein.

1. The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds. This can be placed firmly in the What If category, as this author assumes that Elizabeth is caught being kissed by Mr. Darcy on the occasion of his first proposal, and she is therefore compromised and forced to marry him. I thought the author did an admirable job of conveying Elizabeth's distress about the situation, but I did question some of her portrayal with regard to Elizabeth's behavior after the marriage and the way in which Darcy & Elizabeth felt their way around to loving each other. I just thought Elizabeth would have been more straightforward, or that she would have talked it through with Jane. I just couldn't see her keeping it all to herself. Just my two cents and all that. I would give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.


2. Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride by Helen Halstead. This book is a Sequel and follows Darcy & Elizabeth as they navigate the Polite World following their marriage, as well as the family fall-out for Darcy on his marriage. I did like the insight into the social whirl, but felt too much focus was placed on this and it sort of obscured the view of their developing marriage and trust in each other. I guess I would say it got bogged down in that as a plot device to strengthen their marriage; so much so that I had difficulty finishing it! However it does a nice job of tying up loose ends of all the other minor characters, and even Miss Bingley is redeemed somewhat. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars and an enjoyable read.


3. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler. If you are or have ever been a modern singleton, this is the book for you. It is definitely a Time Travel/Displacement book. It follows a Los Angeles native after she breaks off her engagement, then finds herself in Regency England inhabiting the body of a gentlewoman named Jane Mansfield. She has to pick her way around her toxic mother and through the social milieu that sees a number of suitors and potential enemies crossing her path. She has to deal with her own demons from modern times while ensuring she doesn't leave Jane in a mess, assuming she ever leaves! A few nitpicks about the book: Courtney's vulgarity seems out of place several times early in the book and it made me wonder how a supposedly intelligent woman could forget the social strictures of the time, but I supposed it was the author's way of communicating her alienation from that society. And I felt the ending was incredibly rushed and somewhat unintelligible. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.


4. Austenland by Shannon Hale. This is another Time Travel/Displacement book, and definitely a great satirical view of modern Austen fans and JASNA members. Hey, if you can't laugh at yourself after reading this book, then you're taking Jane too seriously. Again we have a modern singleton, this time based in New York. Jane Hayes is in love with Colin Firth, the BBC adaptation of P&P, and Mr. Darcy as the dream man. By a curious bequest Jane is granted a trip to a fantasy theme park in demure old England, hidden in bucolic countryside at a great estate. She is given a fake name, fake hair, and a whole wardrobe to match, then introduced to the "country society" as a miss come to town to visit her aunt. Surrounded by fellow guests seeking to relive the past and actors paid to make their dream Austen experience come true, Jane confronts what she really wants in life. Really funny and well done, sort of like a modern day Emma/Elizabeth cross. I enjoyed it a lot, and would give it 4 out of 5 stars. Thumbs up.


5. Letters from Pemberley by Jane Dawkins; also More Letters from Pemberley. This book was my first introduction to Austen lit, and I have to say I adored it. Using letters from Elizabeth to several people, the reader is informed of how the new Mrs. Darcy gets on adjusting to her household, the affections of her husband, their country society and then society at large. It is a charming lens through which to view Elizabeth & Darcy after their marriage, and reading Elizabeth's letters make the reader feel like a favored correspondent of one of their favorite characters! The sequel is no less charming, if a bit more down to earth with the practicalities of being a large landowner's wife, and the realities of family life in that time. Really nicely done and so good I read them again. 5 out of 5 stars.
6. An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan. This is a trilogy of novels, all subtitled, "A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman". As you have probably guessed, they are a Spin Off, a clever take on the original Pride and Prejudice written from Mr. Darcy's perspective. Pamela Aidan does a superlative job of conveying Mr. Darcy's (presumed) motivations and thoughts throughout his meeting, courtship, and further wooing of Elizabeth Bennet. It is quite interesting to see the demands placed on Darcy by his status in society and his large estate Pemberley, as well as the care and essential rearing of his sister as she prepares for her Society debut. You can definitely see the rigid social class strictures at play, and the introduction of Fletcher, Mr. Darcy's indomitable valet, is fantastic. Fletcher reminded me of the best elements from "Gosford Park" or other peeks at the society of servants, and he is a great foil to Darcy's silent contemplations about Elizabeth. There are a few motifs that are woven throughout the novels with great aplomb, and although I was a bit annoyed with the Gothic novel aspects of Duty and Desire (Northanger Abbey was never a favorite of mine) the strength of the whole series really enchanted me. I would even venture to say that had Ms. Austen felt it within her purview to speculate about the thoughts of a gentleman, she would have written much as Ms. Aidan has. 5+ stars, my favourites of the whole genre thus far.

Well, there you have it--my opinions on some Austen fan-fiction. I really enjoyed re-visiting Austen's world through different viewpoints, and it inspired me to re-read Pride and Prejudice yet again. While my DH has to be somewhat relieved that my love of all things Austen has found a temporary respite in fan fiction, likewise he is probably a bit peeved that it has done nothing to curb my incessant watching of the A&E/BBC version of "P&P". Well, I suppose Colin Firth really is Mr. Darcy for me at this stage, so "Bridget Jones' Diary" and its sequel will do as well. I suspect my ardor for Jane Austen's novels and paraphenalia will continue for the rest of my life, so I am fortunate to have a husband who is amiable enough to go along for the ride with my Austen riddled viewing choices. And isn't that really what Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet are all about in the end? Learning to live with each other's differences and embracing them.