March Tea and a TV show (or two)

March has come and nearly gone, and what with revision, travel, and friends coming to town, I haven't had much time to read, much less blog. So this very late edition of Tea and a Book will have a slightly different focus.

This past Friday, my dear friend Michelle and I capped off her visit with afternoon tea at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. The setting was elegant, the food delicious, and the company divine! (Click photos to enlarge)



You can see the actual menu here. Michelle and I both appreciated how the Adolphus emphasized quality over quantity, and how we were allowed to enjoy the experience in a leisurely fashion while still receiving the appropriate amount of attention from the unobtrusive staff. A skilled pianist played familiar classical tunes. Nearby a mother treated her two adorable daughters to a birthday tea. At other tables friends chatted and laughed. It was such a pleasant environment--highly recommended. (Apparently the Adolphus does brisk business at Christmas. Bookings open October 1st and fill fast.)

And now to the TV portion of this blog post . . .


During her visit Michelle introduced me to Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart. Many of you know that I'm a total sucker for Hallmark Christmas movies, so when Michelle first mentioned this show I knew I'd be interested, particularly because it's a historical featuring a refined young woman who takes a teaching job in a western mining town. This show was like a soothing hug, especially after all the dark stuff I've been watching lately. (True Detective, Walking Dead, etc.) I loved the strong female characters, the gentle romance, the family themes, and the fact that I could watch the show with no worries that a beloved character would suffer a violent death. (We had a special When Calls the Heart tea while viewing, and of course I used my new red teapot in honor of Mountie Jack.)


Michelle and I also watched Death Comes to Pemberley during her visit. (And I watched a second time with Steve over the weekend.) I read the book as soon as it came out and . . . I actually found it a bit tedious. The mystery was interesting enough, and P.D. James stayed true to Jane Austen's characters, but there was way too much telling and overall I found it hard slog to finish. This BBC adaptation (which comes to PBS in November) breathed new life into the story with its stellar cast and lovely production values. Matthew Rhys was nearly perfect as Darcy, and even though Anna Maxwell Martin (whom I adore) wasn't exactly how I see Lizzie Bennet, she played the part very sympathetically. Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who companion Clara) was excellent as Lydia, but for me the true standout was Matthew Goode. Until now, I've never seen a convincingly dashing Wickham. Goode is physically striking and certainly plays up the selfish and rakish aspects of "wicked Wickham," but he also has quiet moments of sensitivity and vulnerability. He's not a good man, but in this production I certainly see how a woman like Elizabeth Bennet might have found him greatly appealing, at least for a time.

Now back to revisions AND a three-day school visit. I wish you all a wonderful week!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

April is for tea with friends (including our pal Jane)

Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at Dragonmoon Tea Company with friends Brandi, Michelle (who was visiting from Tennessee), and Ange. This was our third year of taking tea together in Tulsa. May the tradition go on and on!


Click here for a closer look at the tea tray: scrumptious scones, sandwiches and sweets!

This month's tea recommendation: During our visit I enjoyed more than one cup of Organic Irish Breakfast from the Metropolitan Tea Company. (Follow the link to order from the charmingly named Tweed & Hickory Loose Teas.)


Michelle and I also enjoyed tea during our marathon of Jane Austen adaptations (inspired by our obsession with the Lizzie Bennet Diaries). We watched Pride and Prejudice '95, Emma '09, and Persuasion '07*. Can you identify the film we're watching in the above photo? :)


Cedric always joined us for tea, but he preferred Michelle's company to mine. As a keen lapstalker, he knows a cuddly warm napping spot when he sees it!

*Speaking of Persuasion, I would love to indulge in a fantasy casting of a new, let's say, three-part BBC adaptation, but perhaps that's best for another post? I'll still take suggestions in the comments below. Persuasion really should be given the screentime it's due, don't you think? I'm raring for a re-read.

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

The Jane Austen cure

For the first time in a while, I woke with the itch to blog! And it's all Jane Austen's doing.

First, some context: For the past week, I've been dealing with flu. That's right -- I didn't get my flu shot. In fact, I've never had one. But after days of pain, sweats, chills, and general misery, followed by days of exhaustion and general puny-ness, I've decided that maybe a yearly flu shot is not such a bad thing after all. It never got to "state of emergency" levels, but it was no fun at all. This morning the birds are singing and I actually feel stirrings of energy. Hooray!

Did you know yesterday was the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice? A lot of you did, because I saw several posts about it. One of my favorite blog posts can be found at Relatively Entertaining, where my friends C and E give an overview of noteworthy film and book adaptations of the story.


One of the adaptations they mentioned is The Lizzie Bennett Diaries, a web series that I finally started watching yesterday. The short episodes are perfect rewards for progress with first pass pages. Very addictive, but I'm a little daunted to learn that I have about 70 eps to go before I'm caught up!


One adaptation they didn't mention is Lost in Austen. Am I the only one who thought this zany mini-series starring Jemima Rooper was a hoot? Parts of it made me scream with laughter, you guys! Most interesting was how it helped me see Bingley and Wickham in a new light. You can watch it all on YouTube, if you like! Just keep in mind that it's wacky.


And OH, how I'm looking forward to the film adaptation of Shannon Hale's Austenland! First of all, it's an adorkable story. Second, the film stars cutie-patootie Keri Russell and costume drama favorite J.J. Feild (Mr. Tilney!). And Jane Seymour! And more! Can't wait for this one.

It's a great time to be an Austen fan, eh?

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Oxford 2011: Week 3 in review

On Monday I took the train down to Winchester and then a taxi over to the little village of Chawton to see Jane Austen's house. It was wonderful to meet up with my old grad school buddy Laura (who is now a college professor and gets to teach Austen, Bronte and all sorts of lovely 19th century authors).


I'm knocking at Jane's front door! After exploring the house and enjoying tea across the road at Cassandra's Cup, we walked to the church where Jane Austen's sister and mother were buried and ogled Chawton House, one of the estates owned by Jane's brother Edward. Chawton House is now a library of early English women's writing. Someday I hope to go back for a tour.


Last year I was in quite a frenzy to capture images of all the Peter Wimsey-related sites in Oxford. At that time St. Cross Church, where Peter and Harriet were said to have been married, was covered in scaffolding. Fortunately the work is done now, but the church has been made redundant (how can this be?) and is to become a historical collections center for Balliol College. We could not get inside on this evening, but we did sneak into the churchyard . . .


to get this picture. Lovely, isn't it?


This past weekend my Dad and stepmother came to Oxford. We dined with them Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday took them to Blenheim Palace. Steve and I had been before, so this time we tried to explore the more remote reaches of the gardens. (It was lovely, but I still prefer Chatsworth.) This is a shot of the palace and its Italian garden.


I like this shot of Steve and the . . . what is she, exactly? It's a lion with wings and a woman's head. A sphinx? It was such a sunny, warm day. Almost too warm -- in fact, we're having quite the heat wave this week. High of 80!

Only two weeks left of this glorious summer in Oxford. How can it be August already?