Enchanted: The Influence of Stevie Nicks

While my husband was flying last night, I curled up in my chair and embraced the opportunity to watch a few movies which I knew would not interest him. At the end of the second movie, Stevie Nicks' unmistakable voice rang out, placing a smile on my face as I shut off the television and downstairs lights and headed up to bed. As I sat in bed listening to Stevie's second-to-newest album, In Your Dreams, I realized just how much her music has impacted my life. I associate almost every song on the album to some event in my life, or emotion that I felt during a rough patch.

Stevie has always been my favorite. Under the influence of my aunt and uncle, I became interested in classic rock during high school, and for Christmas one year, I acquired greatest hits albums of ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, and, of course, Fleetwood Mac. I remember listening to these albums, particularly Fleetwood Mac, incessantly. My love of Fleetwood Mac increased when I found a vinyl copy of Rumours and Stevie's The Wild Heart (among other classic rock albums) in my parents house. They promptly became my albums, and thus began both my love of vinyl and Stevie. In college, my collection grew to contain thirteen vinyl Fleetwood Mac albums and nine Stevie albums, five vinyl and four CDs, and the original Buckingham Nicks album. I blasted my vinyl Fleetwood Mac/Stevie collection so frequently that my college roommate is a fan of Stevie, too.

And truthfully, cranking my turntable's volume as high as I could without people complaining was one of my few solaces in college. And the lyrics brought me comfort in a chaotic environment. I cried through Beautiful Child as I struggled to get over a crush who had chosen another. I danced with one of my closest friends to Oh Diane. Trying to impress me with his sound system, a friend asked me what my favorite song was, and I replied Edge of Seventeen. Other times that I nursed my broken heart, I found comfort in Rose Garden and Love Is, among many others. I walked through the streets of Charleston, South Carolina listening to New Orleans on my iPod. Charleston was one of my grandmother's favorite places, and it was the last family vacation we would take with her; she died the following spring.

In my married life, Stevie's words continue to be inspirational.  I have broken into song countless times singing some Fleetwood Mac song, prompting concerned looks from my husband. I refrain from dancing while he is home, but when he leaves for a flight, all bets are off. Even as I was starting this blog a few months ago, I combined Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks songs that define me: Leather and Lace, for the two sides of my personality; Wild Heart, for my ever-changing, "wild" emotions; and Gypsy, for my restlessness and eclectic interests. Even now, I am sitting at my dining room table writing this blog post and listening to "The Other Side of the Mirror", which is, in my opinion, a highly underrated album.

Despite the big hair, this album will always be my favorite.

Beyond the elements of my personality that those songs remind me about, they remind me of who I am and where I've been. Stevie's songs are based on what she has experienced, which I think is why her songs are so meaningful to me. We all experience hardship, and we all find comfort in different things. Stevie's songs speak to my heart and comfort my soul. Some of her songs make me smile and others make me cry as they bring back memories of good times and bad. But they are also a reminder that there's always something more, always hope in everything.

Are all those tears necessary?
For all that pain that you carry,
You just send those tears away.
Come in and out of the darkness;
It’s a beautiful day.

Death Comes to Pemberley: A Review

For the last 200 years, Jane Austen has been an increasingly popular literary icon. The 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley reinvigorated interest in the 19th century author, along with other film adaptations of all of her works within the last decade. Austen-inspired spoofs and modern day interpretations have popped up on occasion, too, including three exceptional vlogs. And that only covers the film side. There are countless books about all of Austen's characters, ranging from sequels integrating Austen heroines from different books to the retelling of Elizabeth Bennet's life as a zombie hunter. Most of these tales are adequately done, with a few exceptions, but few measure up to Austen's style and wit.

When the BBC announced the film adaptation of a Pride and Prejudice sequel, I was surprised. Of all the literary sequels that have been released, I never expected to see a film adaptation. Being the dedicated Austen addict that I am, I ordered a copy of this sequel from Amazon in order to read it before the film adaptation aired on BBC America. Even though I am not usually a fan of mystery novels, never before was I so impressed by an Austen sequel in my life. And to be honest, the producers of the film adaptation created something just as remarkable.

The Book

Death Comes to Pemberley is the literary masterpiece of mystery novelist P.D. James. The novel takes place a few years after Darcy and Elizabeth are married. They have one child and are the epitome of marital bliss. Georgianna is unmarried, but has two worthy suitors seeking her hand. On the eve of Lady Anne's Ball, an event which coincided Darcy's mother's birthday, Lydia Wickham arrives at Pemberley screaming incoherently (in a very Lydia fashion) that Wickham has been shot. Upon further investigation, Wickham is found in Pemberley's woods, crying over the body of his best friend, Captain Denny. Thus ensues the investigation, trial, and, eventually, the truth behind the mysterious death of Captain Denny.

P.D. James is brilliant -- but not in the way that most modern authors try to be brilliant. The storyline of this novel is possibly one of the simplest in modern literature. After the death occurs, the investigation is (outwardly) straightforward and the trial is conducted quickly. The motives behind how the characters acted is what gives the novel depth and makes the story interesting. James explains Regency Era judicial practices flawlessly, and uses only the resources and logic that early 19th century investigators had at their disposal.

But none of these reasons account for James' brilliance. Death Comes to Pemberley is magnificent for one reason: James understands Austen. The writing style in Death Comes to Pemberley mimics Austen's style perfectly. Many Austen sequels say that the author has a style like Austen's, and this is rarely true. But reading James' writing truly feels like you're reading an Austen novel. The other part is James' understanding of the characters. Mr. Bennet makes clever remarks; Mrs. Bennet complains about her nerves. Jane provides comfort; Lydia loves pretty dresses. Wickham is a scoundrel. Darcy and Georgianna both struggle to balance their duties with their emotions. And Elizabeth is a beautiful mixture of wit, curiosity, and kindness. Never once did I think, "Oh Lizzy would NEVER say that" or "Darcy would never do such a thing." All of the characters come to a similar ending as Austen envisioned in Pride and Prejudice. Good characters have good endings, and the wicked pay for their deeds. Austen would be proud.

The Adaptation
 
With any film adaptation, I feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Since I always read the book first, I have certain expectations and certain ways which I envisioned the characters and setting. If the BBC produces the adaptation, I have no doubt that it will be excellent. If the adaptation is American, I know that it won't live up to my expectations. (The two 2012 adaptations of Great Expectations is a prime example of this.) The film adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley is no exception.

The film adaptation sticks primarily to the book. The only major way that it deviates is to give Elizabeth a larger role in discovering the truth behind the murder of Captain Denny. Otherwise, the differences are miniscule. Truthfully, this adaptation does a better job at using the original text than any other film adaptation that I have watched. The casting was fantastic -- Anna Maxwell Martin makes a fantastic Elizabeth, and Jenna Coleman deserves an award for her performance as Lydia. My only (slight) irritation was Mr. Alveston's proposal to Georgiana. Another disheveled proposal scene? Didn't we already see that with Mr. Darcy?

If you are an Austen fan, I highly recommend both the book and the film adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley. Both are extremely well done, and worth your time and energy. If you aren't an Austen fan, I suggest reading and watching Pride and Prejudice before looking into this sequel in order to fully understand all the references and character back story. Few adaptations or sequels can measure up to the standard that Austen set, but this one would make her proud, without a doubt.

The Grass is Greener on the Bourbon Side

For the past two years, I have traveled to Louisville, Kentucky with my aunt and uncle for a car meet. I always joke that a more accurate description of these events is a drinking club with a car addiction. It's a ton of fun; we go places during the day and drink and talk in the evenings. But apart from all the car related stuff that we do, we always try to visit a few distilleries. We make the "annual pilgrimage" to Buffalo Trace, where they recognize us now, and choose another distillery in the area that we haven't visited before or for several years. Last year, it was Heaven Hill (which I only saw half of the premises because I was feeling ill) and Wild Turkey. This year, it was Barton's.

Now, those of you who know me know that this is heaven on earth. Bourbon has always been my drink of choice, and I highly doubt that will ever change. And the more I learn about it and try new brands, the more I realize that it's not just the taste of bourbon that I love. It's the whole experience. So here's a few reasons why I drink bourbon, and why you should too.

The warehouse at Buffalo Trace, Frankfurt, Kentucky.

Bourbon is universal. Bourbon isn't like wine or brandy, where you take a sip and you instantly feel a cut above the company (boxed wine excluded). But it also isn't like cheap beer, which instantly gives off the impression that you don't have very good taste in alcohol. I can drink Bourbon out of a flask at an outdoor party (which I do; I have had Wild Turkey 101 in my flask constantly for over two years) or I can sip it out of a glass at a high class event where I'm dressed in heels and an evening gown. At neither event do people look at me oddly because bourbon in universal. It's like your favorite pair of shoes that you can wear with anything and it looks fantastic. Bourbon is never out of place.

Bourbon is mature. Drinking bourbon shows that you're an adult. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person ever who wanted to turn twenty-one so I could visit distilleries and sip Eagle Rare on the back porch. Now, if you're drinking to get drunk on a regular basis, then you probably aren't mature and don't want a mature drink. But if you're out of college and finished playing beer pong, you probably want a drink that doesn't taste like sewage. If you aren't to that stage yet, I assure you, the grass is greener on the bourbon side. Bourbon shows that you are a cultured human being who is more interested in the alcohol than getting drunk. I get carded more when I order wine then when I order bourbon. Why? Bourbon isn't the typical choice for an underage drinker at a bar.

Bourbon is classy. As much as I can drink bourbon anytime and anywhere, it is still a classy choice. Actually, any whisky is a classy choice. If you're drinking Jack, I will question whether you like your liver, but any other whisky - bourbon, scotch, rye - automatically shows that you are an educated individual with educated taste. Does something mixed with vodka give off that impression? Unless you're using vodka to make vanilla, I'm going to guess that it doesn't. With bourbon, you demonstrate your taste without being overly pretentious. And women, let's face it. You look like a boss when you're drinking bourbon.

Bourbon is interesting. You don't make the bourbon interesting, the bourbon makes you interesting. Here's what I mean by that: I can walk into a bar and order a Bloody Mary, which I've been known to do on occasion, and the bartender mixes the drink then goes to the next customer. Or, alternatively, I can walk into a bar and order Knob Creek on the rocks and the bartender raises an eyebrow. Truthfully, bartenders have high-fived me before for ordering bourbon. I've had conversations about whisky with people twice my age, and they are generally impressed by my knowledge and interest in trying different types of hard liquor. Now, am I an interesting person without bourbon? That's up for debate. But when you drink bourbon, most people are intrigued by your choice, especially if you're under forty.

Bourbon is unique. If you have never tasted bourbon, you might have a difficult time following this point. Bourbon is one of those drinks that you can taste the intricacies of the distilling process and the passion of the distiller. It's like craft beer; you know that the person who created this masterpiece devoted all of his energy to its perfection. But unlike beer, the aging process is completely unique. During our recent trip to Buffalo Trace, the tour guide was discussing how anything and everything affects the end result of a barrel of bourbon. For example, they have been experimenting with their barrels and seeing a different taste from two barrels made from the same tree! A number of other factors apart from age affects the taste, too, including climate, location, and construction of the warehouse. Every barrel that a distillery produces is unique, which means that there are endless combinations for distinct creations. Maker's Mark and Four Roses will always taste different, even though they use the same distilling and aging process.

Bourbon is eco-friendly. That's right. Stop rolling your eyes because it's true. During our tour of Buffalo Trace, I was amazed at how many of the byproducts are reused. After distilleries take the parts of the grains that they need, the leftovers go to local farmers to feed to their livestock. Then, after the aging process is complete and the barrel is empty, the barrels are shipped worldwide to age scotch, tequila, wine, beer, and maple syrup, just to name a few. After the barrel has been used for a few decades (believe it or not, a bourbon barrel really could be used for decades) then it is retired as a planter. I doubt there are many other industries that recycle key elements of their product to that degree.

I could probably vocalize half a dozen or more reasons why everyone should drink bourbon. It's an excellent choice for any occasion, no matter who you are. Not everyone likes whiskey, or even alcohol in general. But if you do enjoy a drink every now and then, try bourbon. There are hundreds of options, all different variations of the same distilling process, all different results. If you prefer mixed drinks or something less overpowering, many of the distilleries are now producing liquors (think Bailey's) and I have not tried a bourbon liquor that I didn't like. I haven't tried everything, but I have tried all of the bourbons that I mentioned in this post, plus a few extras. And if you don't like it, try something else. Every bourbon is different; find the one that you love.

And always remember, the grass is greener on the bourbon side.

New Year, New City, New Projects

A new year means new adventures and new challenges for most people, and being married to a Naval officer (or any military personnel) only means change is inevitable. The month of December was one of the most chaotic months of my life, but January is threatening to be even more hectic, if that's possible. Once everything settles down, 2015 looks promising. So here's a rundown of changes and what is to come.


Changes Aplenty

In the second week of December, my husband finished Primary flight training and selected his platform. When I say "selected", I mean that he told the Navy what his top three choices for what he would like to fly and they tell him what he's actually going to fly. Fortunately, the needs of the Navy aligned with the desires of the aviator-in-training. So my husband will be flying the E-6 Mercury, which is based at Tinker Air Force Base, located right outside of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

E-6 Mercury -- a.k.a. the other woman.

But before we get to Oklahoma, he still has a lot of training to do. Advanced flight training for future E-6 pilots takes place at NAS Corpus Christi (Texas). So, after spending two weeks visiting family, we returned to Florida in time to welcome the movers and watch all of our belongings disappear in the matter of a few hours. On January 6, we loaded the trucks with the valuables (the bike, the Xbox, the weapons, the sewing machines, and the cat) and made the trek to Texas. The cat behaved and nothing flew off the trailer, so I call that a successful day's journey.

Trying to figure out what is going on while stopping to gas up.

The last several days have involved living in the Navy Lodge, surprising the cleaning ladies by telling them that we only needed them to take the trash, playing lots of Xbox, and eating more microwavable meals than I have at any other time in my life. Tomorrow we will get the keys to our new house on base, freshly painted and carpeted, and hopefully our furniture will arrive sometime before we move to Oklahoma. Alas, I will almost miss the coffee and pre-packaged blueberry muffins in the hotel lobby, just because I didn't have to make either of them.

Returning to "normal" life almost won't seem normal because something, whether it was visiting family for two weeks or living without furniture/in a hotel, has been abnormal for such a long time that I almost don't remember what normal feels like. But hopefully we will discover normalcy and return to it within a few days.


Projects Aplenty  

A new year means new projects and challenging one's self in new and different ways. As a housewife, I have a slew of new recipes that I hope to try and a new house to decorate with new curtains and quilted treasures. But these minor projects aside, I have two goals for the new year which should keep me preoccupied for many months.

Wardrobe renovation: Every year fashion changes, and I get increasingly tired of my clothing choices. So, this year I hope to make new outfits using mostly fabric which has been lying around my parent's house for upwards of ten years. I plan to fight with a few Vogue patterns (and will probably lose) but ultimately I hope create some new, stylish dresses. Pictures to come in future months!

Books, books, books: Each year, I try to read books on diverse topics. I always read one fantasy series, Dickens novel, classic female author, political theory, historical, and theological, and the rest of the year is filled in by historical fiction. But this year I'm challenging myself to read more classics by Reading England 2015. This challenges readers to read different books which take place in different counties in England. My mom and I are doing this challenge together, and starting with three books and adding more depending on how quickly we read the first ones. The first book we are planning to read is Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. In May, a film adaptation (trailer found here) of this book is coming to the silver screen, starring one of my favorite actresses, Carey Mulligan. So in preparation for this masterpiece from the BBC, Hardy's classic Dorset novel is the first on our list. As for my yearly Dickens novel, I have chosen Nicholas Nickleby. Like most Dickens novels, this book takes place in several different cities but it primarily occurs in Yorkshire. Again, I am looking forward to watching the 2002 film adaptation of this movie, starring Charlie Hunnam, Anne Hathaway, Romola Garai, and a handful of other wonderful actors. My yearly female author selection is the Lancashire-based North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I adore the film adaptation of this book starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe. I have been hoping to read this novel for several years and I am very excited to finally read it.

If you are interested in traveling to England through literature, I highly suggest looking into this challenge. It is a fantastic way to read a wide variety of literature from different eras and counties. If you want or need suggestions, I'll readily give my opinion. (Austen and Dickens are my favorites, and are always excellent places to begin.)

And if you aren't into reading, I encourage you to do something in the new year to increase your knowledge or skill set in this new year.

Resume life in three, two, one.

The month of November was one of the busiest and personally challenging months of my life. Outside of the usual cooking, cleaning, and handful of Supernatural episodes, November revolved around writing, thinking about writing, and more writing. (Oh, and Thanksgiving, which was a week of cooking and giving the dishwasher the workout of its life.) Pretty tedious, eh? And I only did half the word count that most people undertook.

So, I managed just shy of 26,000 words, which is about 1,000 words over my goal. Within those 26,000 words, the main character began her quest for healing, love, and passion, but she still has a long way to go before she finds happiness. At least 50,000 more words and a lot more drama until she finds her happy ending. Wanna hear more? Sorry, it isn't written yet.

Now that NaNoWriMo is over, it's time to have a life outside of Regency England, as fun as it was. I still have a two tons of proofreading to work on, which will probably consume a good chunk of December (and many following months). And there's always continuing to write, or pretending to write in the least.

December means keeping my house clean, cooking my husband real meals instead of heating up leftovers at every chance I have, and watching two handfuls of Supernatural episodes a day. I also have numerous quilt projects to work on, including a new mystery quilt from Border Creek Station, table runner bindings, and other unfinished projects. Oh, and I have a couple computer, Xbox, and PS3 games which have been dying for my attention, along with all the blog posts I've been mentally drafting for the last month. And seriously, I need to stop even opening Facebook because everyone keeps posting delicious looking recipes that I know my husband will love.

So now it's time to go get dinner, watch more Supernatural, and paint my nails blue. Why? Because it's advent, silly. Who doesn't paint their nails according to the liturgical calendar?

Challenging my Creativity

For years (and yes, I mean years) I have wanted to participate in NaNoWriMo. For those of you who think that I've learned to speak Japanese, that is an acronym for National November Writing Month. The purpose of this trend within the writing community is to encourage people to write a 50,000 word novel in a month.

As an aspiring author, NaNoWriMo has always been an appealing challenge that I wanted to participate in, but something always got in the way. Typically, it was that pesky thing called college, but now that I have my degree, the only excuse I have to not participate is a dirty house and an overflowing laundry hamper. Fortunately, cleaning and folding clothing are perfect breaks for me, and breaks give me the opportunity to mentally draft the next chapter.

What will I be spending the month of November writing, you ask? Well, I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but my most recent creation is a wealthy widow who returns to Regency London after living abroad for a decade. Upon arriving, she experiences love, lust, heartbreak, and happiness, all while coping with the death of her husband, the wild behavior of her step son, and the wrath of her bitter, fortune-seeking mother. Sound wickedly fantastic? I think so too.

I have never lacked the creativity of writing a couple hundred page novel; I can make literary figures suffer in more ways and jump through more hoops than some people could imagine possible. My weakness lies in my perfectionist personality. It could easily take me a few hours to write a page due to changing the wording of a sentence fifteen times before being satisfied with the result. Therefore, while I will still strive to write 50,000 words, I will first work toward 25,000 words that have not been changed half a dozen times. Perhaps I am not pushing myself as much by lowering my expectations, but housewives do have some duties other than cleaning the bathroom and going to the grocery store!

I strongly encourage all my friends who are interested in writing to consider participating in NaNoWriMo. It doesn't matter if your writing is horrible, or if you start over because you hate everything you've written. There's only one way to improve: practice. Visit the NaNoWriMo website here for more information. Happy writing, everyone!

Here's a helpful guide that outlines every author's life.

A Day in the Life of a Navy Wife

Contrary to popular belief, being a military spouse (even as a housewife) isn't all fun and games. Sure the pay and benefits are fantastic... but when the Navy decides to throw a wrench in all your plans, you start to ask yourself if it's really worth it. So here's a day in my life as the wife of a naval avaitor-in-training.

***

0700: Wake up. Roll over. Husband? Nope, not there. Oh right, now I remember. He had a 6:30 brief for a flight at... I can't remember the time. But he'll be home... sometime.

0715: Coffee.

0800: What am I doing today? Um. Proofreading (assuming I can concentrate), reading, sewing. I should probably do dishes. And clean things. The living room looks like a tornado hit a flight school, but I have to accept the fact that there are things I can't change in life. Like the fact that airplanes are the only topic of conversation in our house anymore.

0830: I should get breakfast. But I really like Facebook right now.

0900: What am I making for dinner? Well, that depends on what is going on tomorrow. Does my husband have a flight? I don't know, and I won't know until this evening. So... what should I bring down from the freezer? I better plan for him having a flight, even though it'll probably get canceled due to weather because Florida hates everyone. (You are probably asking, what is the correlation between flying and dinner? Well, certain foods cause air sickness, so if the husband has a flight, he eats very light dinners.)

1000: I believe I hear the husband's truck backing into the driveway.

1002: Mmmm. Flight suit.

1015: How was your flight? Oh, it was canceled due to weather. Shocking. Yeah, it does look nasty outside. Do you have a flight tomorrow? No, you aren't on the tentative schedule. Do you have duty tomorrow? No, not as far as you know. Well, that's helpful. Kinda. But I still won't change what I'm planning on cooking.

T-6 Texan, the training plane used at NASWF.

1100: Craaaap. Does he have clean undershirts and socks for tomorrow? When did I last do laundry? Oh, he doesn't have any more tan shirts clean to go with the tan flight suit, but he still has some black shirts. I guess he's wearing the green flight suit, then.

1200: Lunch.

1230: "Oh look, the clouds are going away! Someone can fly! Not me, but someone." (Yes, my husband just said that.)

1300: The guys are coming over for dinner. Advanced notice is for losers. Guess the steak is going back into the freezer. I have nothing else that will feed four people and keep in mind food restrictions. Oh, John thinks he only has a sim tomorrow? That helps SO much. I guess it's time to rearrange the menu or run to the commissary... But I don't feel like going out. I can rearrange the menu. Burgers it is.

1400: More coffee, this time with booze. It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

1500: If the guys are coming over, I need to make sure the house looks semi presentable. But... netflix.

1600: OK, now I actually have to do things. Like start dinner.

1700: Is the schedule out yet? No. Isn't it supposed to come out around this time? Yes.

1730: Look! Avaitors! Guess what the topic of conversation is going to be tonight. And guess how much of it I'm going to understand.

1800: Is the schedule out yet? No. Wasn't it supposed to be out an hour ago? Yes.

1900: How about now? Oh, the schedule is finally out! What do you have duty tomorrow? No. Do you have a flight tomorrow? Yes. So the tentative schedule lied? Yes. I'm glad I planned for a flight even though you didn't think you'd have one. What time is the flight? 1700? Great. Right over dinner. I guess I'm having leftovers tomorrow and you're eating when you get home. Oh but it'll probably be canceled because the weather forecast looks bad? There's nothing like having no clue what your work schedule is for the next day.

2000: Well, at least we can stay up later since the flight is way too freaking late. Never mind, we're old people. Lets go sit in bed for an hour and read because we're tired. Or fall asleep at 8:30...

***

Obviously not all of these things happen every day, otherwise I would have admitted myself to the insane asylum months ago. But every. single. day. I have to figure out what I'm cooking and try to guess what the flight schedule will be hours before it comes out. And when it does come out, it's normally several hours after it is supposed to come out. It is impossible to plan anything for the following day, because without a doubt if we want to do something, he'll be on the schedule for something. Of course, whether a flight actually happens is weather, instructor, and plane dependent, and all have a habit of being uncooperative. Some weeks are worse than others, but I'm still looking forward to the end of flight school, whenever that may be. And despite the negative sides of his flight training, I'm still thankful that my husband has a steady job that he enjoys.

Welcome to the Navy. Just remember: Semper Gumby. Always flexible.

The husband's squadron patch -- VT-2 Doerbirds.