Little Women: the book, personal lessons and the movies

*Updated: If you don't feel like reading an insanely long post right now, scroll down and watch a hilarious video by my sister Sara!*

I recently have been re-reading the book "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. This is a favorite of mine but I hadn't read it for a few years; it is a timeless classic. We have a few study guides and informational books about Little Women and one antique copy. However I dearly 'fancied' a copy for myself and decided to purchase one while out with a friend this past Friday.

My 'Poohbear' and new copy of Little Women

I immediately flipped to my favorite chapters when I spotted it on the shelf:

"Meg Goes to Vanity Fair;"

"Aunt March Settles the Question" and

"The First Wedding."

For those who know me well, they will sigh and say, "Oh, that's so Meghan!" And if you did not read my last post, the fifteen random things about me, one of them was I am sentimental and romantic. I justified my spending money on the book by thinking, "For my hopechest and future home." Which.....isn't entirely true because I do not have a hopechest but I am collecting things for my future home. When Meg goes to 'vanity fair' as Ms. Alcott aptly calls the holiday at the Gardiners, she is tempted by the wealth of her 'friends' and feels very discontent and unhappy with her life. She is then "powdered, and squeezed and frizzled, and made (to) look like a fashion plate." In short, she gives into Satan's wiles and webs of discontentment and also gives into peer pressure. Lately, contentment has been a lesson I have been learning. Reading of the four March sisters' trials and scrapes, has prompted me to relate them to my own life. I love books where you can relate to a character in the story! I find I am much like Meg (big surprise!) in her domestic tendencies, quiet, motherly and lady-like nature. *Ahem!* But most especially her tendencies towards discontentment, comparing her family and home to others and vanity. In my faults I find I am like almost all of the March sisters. I need to learn to tame my tongue and be patient as Jo did. I need to think of others more than myself and to not be shy, as Beth did. My own dear "Marmee" has shown me the error of my ways and has encouraged and exhorted me to do better in my sin areas-as Mrs. March did in the novel. I am so thankful for my wonderful mother!

God's faithfulness is displayed through sometimes the simplest things...He reveals my heart through reading a favorite book, listening to a certain song, talking with my 'Mum....' He is so good!

On a lighter note, I also found that my varying interests go along with each March girl.

~I cannot wait to be a homemaker, I love to embroider and crochet....as Meg did

~I love to write! I love to think up plots and subplots in my head and talk my poor family's ears off about my novels.....as Jo did

~I love piano! And I do still love my dolls.....as Beth did

~I enjoy sketching occasionally.....though I tend to be a perfectionist and take way too much time on my sketches and drawings.....as Amy did

While I'm on the subject of Little Women, I can't NOT mention the three movie adaptions!

Little Women, 1933

Starring (off the top of my head): Katharine Hepburn (Jo), Joan Bennet (Amy), Edna Mae Oliver (Aunt March), Frances Dee (Meg) and Spring Byington (Marmee). These are the better known actresses that are in the film. This film is very similar to the book but, with all film adaptions of great novels, leaves alot out of the movie. Katharine Hepburn is very funny as Jo but in my opinion, isn't quite the right type to play the tomboyish and 'romping' Jo March.

Little Women, 1949

Starring: Janet Leigh (Meg), June Allyson (Jo), Margaret O'Brien (Beth), Elizabeth Taylor (Amy...yes, blond) Mary Astor (Marmee), Leon Ames (Father March).......AND (as if this wasn't a superb cast already!) PETER LAWFORD as Laurie!!!!!!! I love Peter Lawford! He was perfect for the role of Laurie, in my opinion, anyway. This one, in mine and Mum's opinions, is the best adaptation to the book. June Allyson is perfectly delightful as Jo! Four people out of the entire cast were all together for the first time in Meet Me In St. Louis playing family members! Odd coincedence. :) This is my favorite version because I love everyone who is in it! And, (my partiality is showing again!) it was made by MGM.

Little Women, 1994

Starring: Winona Ryder (Jo), Susan Sarandon (Marmee), Trini Alvarado (Meg), Kirsten Dunst (Amy), Claire Danes (Beth) and Christian Bale (Laurie).

This is a wonderful adaptation as well. It is probably the closest to the book and the most dramatic. The second version was the most lighthearted and fun, the first was, well, the first. But this one was the most serious one but it was very enjoyable. Winona Ryder made a great Jo and her acting job was very well done. Claire Danes played Beth the best, in my opinion. She did a really great job doing the very sad (not to mention hard) dying scenes. Yes I know....morbid! But she did do a wonderful job on a rather hard scene to do. Christian Bale was really good as Laurie-very charismatic and a wonderful acting job.....Its hard to decide between him and Peter Lawford......nah, Peter Lawford's much better looking. :)

Have any of you ever read and/or watched Little Women? What character(s) is/are your favorite? A favorite part or chapter of yours?

Tagged! I'm It!

I was 'tagged' by my wonderful friend Bekah to post fifteen random things about myself...at least two of them will be the same as her's! So here goes:

15 Random Things About Myself

1. I still sleep with a stuffed Poohbear at night :)

2. I LOVE COFFEE!!! Not some yucky weak stuff. I love strong coffee. Starbucks, specifically. :)3. I am obsessed with old movies! Not only old movies as a whole, but specifically musicals. And even more specifically, MGM musicals-they were the best in my opinion.

4. One of my nicknames is 'Boo Boo.' I have no idea why.

5. In one summer when I was younger, I fell off my bike, scrapped both my elbows and my right knee very badly. That same summer, I fell off of a scooter and scraped my elbows and knees again! And still have scars to prove it.

6. I love to write but I cannot discipline myself to faithfully write in a journal everyday. I could blog or write stories and articles 'till doomsday' but I not in a journal!

7. I am incredibly sentimental and cry at the silliest things. I cry when guys cry in movies (especially Willie in Love's Enduring Promise!) I cry at tender father-daughter moments (end of Love's Enduring Promise) and really, really sad moments, too. :)

8. I was born on my maternal grandfather's birthday. He turned fifty one the year I was born.

9. I am incredibly sentimental and romantic. For instance, I fancied a Victorian looking marriage certificate at an antique shop but I am a cheapskate so I didn't buy it. However, my wonderful mother bought it for me and gave it to me for Christmas.

10. My 'Castle in the Air' (I've been reading Little Women lately) is to be happily married, a homemaker with lots of children.

11. I still have a plastic Barney toy that I've had since infancy. Right now he's in my room with a broken arm until I can hot glue it back on. Anna took a fancy to it, left it on the floor and Sara stepped on it.

12. I love music! For the most part, any genre except: rap, R&B, rock, hard rock, etc. I also love to adapt musical scores so I can play them on the piano. I play the chords and the melody so I kind of cheat. :-P

13. I used to sing in the shower when I was younger. I loved old movies with Kathryn Grayson (a beautiful actress/singer of MGM musicals) so I imitated her in our downstairs shower. However, my family loathed hearing it. The light switch for that bathroom was outside the bathroom on the wall right next to the door frame so if my singing got on anyone's nerves, Sara would shut off the light. I stopped quickly then!

14. I had braces for about a year and a half to two years. I still wear retainers and haven't lost them yet!

15. There are.....six months and eighteen days until my sixteenth birthday. A birthday I've looked forward to since I was little. :)

Phew! That was fun! Okay, I tag Ella , Alaina and Danielle if they want to do it.

Recipe Holder Giveaway!

Strawberries are gluten free is having a great giveaway for a Mary Engelbreit recipe organizer with 48 recipe cards. She has GF menu plans as well as recipes at her site! Check it out and don't forget to register for the giveaway!

http://www.strawberriesareglutenfree.com/

Menu Plan Monday

This includes our dinner recipe for yesterday.(it was hit!) It sounds so good, I thought I would share it. It is from the cookbook "More for Less" and is called 'skillet beef with lentils' and we're having salad with it. Incidentally, I've discovered bags of broccoli slaw at our local grocery store and always add some, chopped up, to our salads...the little ones eat broccoli without knowing it, and it keeps our salads very crunchy. We're using ground deer in this recipe as that is what we have a lot of. Here is the recipe:

Skillet Beef with Lentils

bring 1 quart of water to a boil then add 1 1/2 cups lentils/ cook 20 minutes, then drain, reserving liquid.

saute in 2 Tb butter 2 chopped onions and 1 clove garlic, chopped

stir in 1 lb ground beef

dissolve in 2 1/3 cup reserved liquid 2 beef boullion cubes ( I'm using homemade beef broth) add to meat mixture, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

stir in reserved lentils, 2 Tb. long grain rice, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tsp. ground cumin.

bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed. (add more liquid if necessary)...at the end, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, stir and serve.


Menu Plan Monday

*we're starting to add back in everyday, fresh carrot juice once a day, a kefir smoothie with frozen strawberries and blueberrys, and 'green lemonade' (green lemonade is made in the blender with romaine lettuce, spinach, fresh lemon and filtered water...along with a little stevia for sweetness) ...along with some salad every day, and fresh apples...trying to get some more enzymes and concentrated nutrition back after the holidays!*

Monday:
cheesy eggs with gf muffins
lentil quinoa stew
GF corndog casserole and salad

Tuesday:
cooked millet with apples and cinnamon
gf mac and cheese and apples
stuffed cabbage casserole and steamed green beans

Wednesday:
oatmeal
leftover skillet beef lentils
chicken tetrazzini (made with GF brown rice pasta) , steamed carrots

Thursday:
GF blueberry pancakes
chicken vegetable soup with brown rice
GF impossible cheeseburger pie, salad

Friday:
veggie omelets, homefried potatoes
baked lentil casserole with cheese, salad
Phillipino Feast! (at a friends) chicken adobo with rice, spring rolls and phillipino noodle dish. ( can't remember what it is called...sounds good, though!)

Saturday:
Brown rice custard
chicken salad on brown rice cakes, veggies
GF tuna noodle casserole, salad

Sunday:
cereal, banana, juice ( we usually have cereal only on Sunday, so we can get to church on time!)
GF pizza , salad
Ham and bean soup, GF sweet potato biscuits

~I find planning my menus makes my life so much easier...I can remember to take out what I need the night before, and the girls (I call them my prep chefs) , and our meals more nutritious...in addition to saving us a lot of money. I also love sharing recipes...and trying new ones! ~Sue~

Prayer Ornaments

I was blessed this Christmas season, to receive a lovely ornament from my dear friend Michaela. She has such a beautiful, passionate heart for missions. Michaela has graciously allowed me to tell of her beautiful ornaments and vision for her ministry on our blog. Each ornament is totally unique in its design and each represents fellow believers and missionaries serving abroad. Each child comes with a unique prayer request card made specifically for that country and Michaela also makes these beautiful prayer ornaments in magnet form too. Below is a picture of the beautiful ornament I received and what is written on the card that she came with.

Name: Ana

Ana is a representative of our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in Guatemala, South America. Whenever you catch sight of Ana on your tree, say a prayer for our fellow Christians in that country. They need our prayers of strength and courage. Below is a list of prayer requests for our brothers and sisters in Guatemala.

Prayer Requests:
Pray for strength for our fellow Christians. Guatemala is a country which is not open to the Gospel and many Christians endure persecution, both minor and major, for their faith.
Pray that the church will grow in Guatemala and that more and more people will come to know Christ as their Savior. Guatemala is predominately a Catholic and/or traditional religious country, if religious at all.
Pray also that pastors and christian aid workers will be effective in the many ministries being held in that country to serve the people. Guatemala is one of the top ten worst countries for human trafficking and child slavery- many people are hurting and need the truth of the Gospel.

Thank you for your prayers!

"You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.........His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. he is a shield for all who take refuge in Him." - II Samuel 22: 29, 31

If anyone is interested or would like more information about these beautiful prayer ornaments, please contact me at: mmbbg72493 (at) gmail (dot) com

Sabbath Rest...

Thought I would share this devotional from Max Lucado on this day of Sabbath rest..

"In this fast-paced world in which we live, the very thing we need to do is what we often don't do: We need simply to sit still and open our heart to the counsel of God. Then we wil be well prepared for whatever the day brings.

Sometimes the most Godly thing we can do for ourselves is to go to sleep. Sometimes, the most Godly thing we can do for our family and friends is to take a break and regather our strength.

Perhaps the words of the carpenter, promising rest, are so compelling because of our endless desire and quest to rest-not just to rest in the body, but to rest the heart, to find peace, to finally settle down in a valley fertile with contentment.

Do you know where to find rest? Where you find a clean conscience? Where you find the ability to sleep at night and live with yourself? By living in the pleasure of the Father who made you.

If you want to bring under control a fast-paced-lifestyle, you must eliminate the unnecessary; if you want to be where God wants you to be, you must concentrate on the necessary. ~PRAYER~

*Father, help us to use our time wisely, to take advantage of the opportunities we have to be just the type of Christians you want us to be. When it seems like we don't have enough time to do what we need to do, increase our gratitude for the challenges of each day. And, help us meet those challenges in ways that please you."

~May you all have a blessed, restful Sabbath day today....praising Him, worshiping HIm...in contentment and gratitude. We have had a 24 hour stomach virus going around here...but it seems to hit one person at a time, a week apart...last night Ronnie started vomiting and he is still sleeping...if he follows the pattern, he will be able to keep down some gatorade today and maybe a few pretzels later on....and will simply want (and need) rest today. We were supposed to get together with another family for dinner and fellowship today, but I think it will be a quiet day of rest at home...just us. Looking at the coming week on the calender, this might be the only day and evening we will have to rest and just be together quietly....busy week coming up. All very good things....just happen to fall in the same week. Be blessed today.....~Sue~

Provision, Generosity and Frugality...

Provision....Generosity, and Frugality....I'm very excited about this post! I'm going to start, by saying "Thank you, God, for your constant provision for our family!"This picture above is 20 quarts of turkey stock!!! The excitement of this is that one of my best friends does not like turkey very much and gave me 2 turkey carcasses to freeze after the holidays. Well, I pulled them out this morning, and made 20 quarts of golden, rich stock.

I got a huge platter of meat when I deboned them after cooking the stock...I couldn't believe how much meat I was able to get off those bones!

We had so much, I was able to make a large bowl of turkey salad to put on rice cakes for lunch ( my husband, who isn't gluten free had 2 big turkey salad sandwiches)...with some leftover.

I froze a large bag of meat to make Turkey Tetrazzini sometime in the coming weeks, which will feed our family dinner and have some leftovers for lunch as well.

and I took some of the stock and meat and made turkey soup for dinner with thai rice stick noodles....delicious! I have enough of the soup left for another large meal or lunches with some cooked brown rice.

So, thank you, Rhonda, for your generosity! Our family is continuously blessed by you!!!

And....how is that for frugality?! LOL I actually had fun today planning this meal...and this post as well! (my daughters couldn't understand why I was taking pictures of food....for a blog post, of course!) The girls and I even had some time today to run to the yarn store for the supplies to make a special "Dr. Who" scarf for a friend, and to return a gift at Best Buy and get a special old movie tin with 10 old movies that we love.

In a coming post, I want to put into words what God has been doing in my life, and our family for the past 2 years...with simplifying, contentment, organization, and creative frugality...but this meal was such a perfect example...and I am so very, very grateful for God's provision, Rhonda's generosity and God's gift of creativity and creative frugality!!! ~Sue~

Reflections on 2008

Our family is so blessed! On Jessica McDonald's blog, she had a great idea of posting all of what happened that year. This year has been a combination of laughter, tears, blessings and burdens. Our Lord has seen us through it all and for that, I am so thankful! New friends have come into our lives, and we've also been getting together with old friends as well. 2008 was a good year, and God really revealed to us that his way is the best way and his plan is perfect. Here is the lowdown on 2008...

January: Ronnie celebrated his 6th birthday with a huge party with eight little hyper boys... ugh. He had fun, but the noise...Ronnie had his first corrective surgery to re-align his hips, and we pretty much stayed at home during the three months of recuperation.

February: Same ole, same ole... Ronnie was receiving postcards by the pound thanks to my mom's idea: Postcards for Ronnie. She made up a chain email and emailed it to all her friends and family, who in turn emailed it to their family and friends, etc. People we don't know sent the sweetest cards and postcards, most of them from Europe and Asia! That definitely brightened his mood!

March: Ronnie began scooting around on the floor, rejoicing at this new found freedom. Ronnie moved up into the spare bed in Anna's room so it would be easier if he needed his parents at night (His bedroom and Meghan and my bedroom are on the first floor). Again, nothing earth shaking as Ronnie was still in his cast.

April: Ronnie got his body cast off, celebrated my Aunt Pammy's birthday, and went to the aviary where we got a special backstage pass to meet the new penguin, Sid. Ronnie loves penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins...get it?) so he was thrilled. They said because he went through what he did (surgery wise) he deserved something special. We were so grateful to the Pittsburgh Aviary that they thought of him.

May: Finished up school (Meghan: 9th grade. Me: 8th grade. Ronnie: kindergarden.)

June: Summer finally starts... we went to a baby shower for my cousin, other than Church, our bible study, and get togethers with friends it was a pretty slow month.

July: Our adorable cousin Ty was born July 5th, Meghan celebrated her 15th birthday, Daddy celebrated his 46th birthday, we had the oppurtunity to help church friends move to Altoona, and had our dear friends, Michaela and Morgan, sleepover to have fun and eat popcorn.

August: My mom turned 43, our cousins Ben and Crystal tied the knot, as well as a christening for Ty, and a trip to Keystone Lake for a day trip.

September: Ronnie's Cub Scout meetings began with what is probably the biggest den in scout history: 12 boys! Luckily, we're getting a den chief to help encourage the boys and keep order. He also started hockey with Dad as parent coach. He enjoyed it immensly, and so did Dad!

October: For some reason, October was really busy for, of all people, me! I had numerous babysitting jobs, and school too. And we had my costume party. Major fun, I went as Juliet and Meghan went as Meg March.

November: I turned thirteen, Anna turned four, and more babysitting...

December: CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS... You were with us for all that, so I won't bore you with the details, Ronnie had his second and hopefully last surgery, taking out the metal they put in the first time... he is such a trooper!Then Christmas came and went, New Years came and went...viola! 2008 in a slightly large nutshell!

I wonder what 2009 will hold... hmmm... anyways, that was our year. I'll be back soon to post something new: a tag! Made by me, I will be tagging the first four people who comment on this post. Good Luck!

Sara