Inklings // December 2025

Happy 31st of December!! I hope you've all been enjoying lovely festivities this month. We're still in the midst of quiet (and not so quiet) Christmas carryings on here, but it's been a good month. 

We started the year with a lot to process (some broader things that were happening around us and subsequent decisions to make as a family) and we're literally ending the year processing further developments with all that, but being in a very different place than we started. God is good.

And I'm so thankful for each and every one of you that visits my little corner here! Your views, comments, and interactions are so very appreciated. I hope you all have very happy new year celebrations and looking forward to continuing blogging adventures with you all in 2026! 🤗 

As always, feel free to join any time here until the next prompt goes up! 💜 

Rules:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back here in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on this post. That's it!

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December's prompt is:

A party scene in book or film

So my '95 P&P review is still partially done... In the end it was just too much for this month, particularly as I don't want to rush something that's been patiently waiting for so long. (Truth be told, to do it justice, I really want to put more thought into the themes etc., which may necessitate a proper re-read.) But! In closing out 2025, I still really wanted to do something in honor of Jane Austen's 250th birth year + the 30th anniversary of our beloved adaptation... so then I thought of Inklings!

And (of all things) I keep coming back to this Christmas scene at Lucas Lodge. Probably because I love how they incorporated the Christmas carol into the background. It's also intriguing as it's a scene where you can really feel the tightness (dare I say stifling quality) and longstanding-neighbor-ish-ness of the society. A point much talked of already in the story, but you can really feel it here, and brought into contrast again with the presence of new outsiders/arrivals who are yet just passing through, Miss King and the Gardiners. 

It's also an underrated turning point, as we're well and truly set on the road to Hunsford and EVERYTHING that follows. 💜🥰 *happy sigh*

And, as Austen's works are peppered with sister relationships, I recently started taking great enjoyment in watching the little included tableau with Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Phillips, and their sister-in-law, Mrs. Gardiner. All in all, it may not be the absolutely smoothest scene in the entire adaptation, but it furthers both the story and character development for everyone. Such a wonderfully paced yet tightly written script. No extra scenes !

(On my last watching, I also finally noticed the peppermint bows in Mrs. Bennet's hair. Superb and delightful.)

Enjoy!

You can pop your links below:

🌿 I can't wait to see what you all come up with and Happy New Year! 🌿

January Life

So! I felt like rambling a bit this morning, so here's a (very general) current life recap. ;)

#1: Married life is Absolutely Wonderful. ❤❤❤

#2: I'm thrilled to be living where I am. In the west. Sandwiched between two glorious western mountain ranges. With the ocean a few hours away.

#3: Moving is a lot of work. A lot of work. And it takes lots of time to get organized. And I keep realizing that I've just moved across country and that's actually moving. Meaning, I guess it's quite amazing that I already have almost all my boxes unpacked and that things are as organized as they already are. ;)

#4: I'm getting a lot better at driving and also navigating my way round this brand new territory.

#5: I'm painting the inside of our house, so there've been lots and lots and lots of (actually maybe ten) trips to Home Depot for paint samples. I'm finally down to picking the color for the den, i.e. the very last room, and I have the gallons of paint for the rest of the house, so I'm hoping to soon wrap up my paint sample extravaganza. (Seriously, I have a whole collection if someone would like to take up some sort of art form with them??)

#6: My tried and true hand-me-down laptop computer officially reached the finish line this winter. But my Very Dear Man got me a new laptop for Christmas(!!!), which I'm learning all the ins and outs of and typing on this very minute. :D I was trying to ease my old computer along through all the wedding planning and it made it(!), but very sadly it's been getting melting-hot-to-the-touch for quite awhile and making odd, loud whirring sounds. The only thing it's not doing, in fact, is rocking round on the counter like it's about to explode; but I'm still holding my breath for some sort of terrible smell and a small stream of some sort of black, sticky, melty stuff to come oozing out somewhere with a little strand of smoke spiraling sadly away. Now I just need to get all my files pulled off and transferred over before some such dire calamity strikes.

#7: My brain is spinning with all sorts of ideas for spring-ish headers and backgrounds, but I think I'll make myself wait a few weeks. (In other words, can you tell I've just been on Pinterest after four months of fairly complete abstinence?? ;P)

#8: Along those lines, I'm setting up a new author website (part of the whole name change transition), which is taking quite a bit of time and effort as well, but I think it's coming together and we're getting close to the grand unveiling. (Along with some other grand announcements in the writing/book department around the same time, so stay tuned for that.)

 #9: Hamlette is hosting an I Love Austen Week soon!! (Splendid, is it not?) If you haven't already, do read her post and you can join in HERE. I'm planning a couple posts and it promises to be an absolutely lovely time.

#10: What do you all think of a reading challenge? I know. I feel like I'm being extremely ambitious, but I would like to get back into reading more and I thought something super easy might work well. The number of books would be anywhere from 3-10 (because we're already nearly in February and everyone gets busy in December) and you could choose whether to share a mini or full length review. The only stipulation would be that they're books you've really wanted to read for awhile and haven't previously reviewed. (Preferably previously unread too, but I suppose a reread could be fine as well.) What do you all think? Does that sound manageable/interesting to anyone?

Now I think I'll head off to get some lunch and then outdoors for some fresh air and exercise. I hope you're all having a lovely Tuesday!

Let me know about the reading challenge idea and I'd love to hear what you've been up to this month!

In the New Year of our Lord 2016

I hope you're all having a most lovely New Year's! Right at the moment, I'm sitting in my blue room enjoying my sparkly white twinkle lights after coming in from enjoying the outside sparkle lights while doing chores. We don't have any snow at the moment, but we got lots and lots of rain last weekend and now there's plenty of that certain, thick, brown, squelchy substance in places. And after milking, I got to go up and help (most) of the herd find their new round hay bale. (Apparently, they got so excited about it that they completely forgot where the fence opening is to get round and to it. Quite ridiculous behavior. Really. ;)) 

And earlier this afternoon, I got to watch a movie with my family while sipping coffee from my new French blue coffee cup and smiling over my 2016 tropical water/places calendar (both Christmas gifts from my brother ;)).

:)

This isn't a new year's resolution post, but a lot of things have been wrapping up in the last few weeks and I've been thinking through some new things I'm hoping to do soon -- and as all of it delightfully coincided with the beginning of the new year -- some sort of post just seemed fitting. 

2015 was an incredibly full and really most blessed year. It had its share of tough and difficult days at times, but throughout every moment of them God was utterly faithful.

I read a lot more last year than I had for several years previous, which pattern I'm looking forward to keeping up! (And at the moment I'm feeling inspired to do book reviews, too, so we shall see...)

Along with and included in it, I discovered some MARVELOUS new stories -- both books and movies. I've been updating my top favorite films list here over the last month or so. (There are several more that might be making an appearance soon, but I'd like to rewatch them again at least once first. ;))

I was also blessed to go on some fairly epic travel adventures this year. In April, I got to go with two of my siblings for a fast road trip east and really and truly got to meet a dear friend face-to-face (whom I first met through blogging) AND attend her beautiful wedding!! In October, I was blessed to take a two week trip to stay with a very old and very dear friend (and her lovely young family) across the country, which was absolutely splendiferous. And in November, I was blessed to go road tripping across the country west for yet another dear friend's wedding (in which I was honored to be a bridesmaid, and which was altogether perfectly thrilling and wonderful). As I said, it was all quite epic. :) (And YES, I am still very much hoping to share some pictures!)

And.... some most exciting things have also been/are happening on the writing front lately. ;D

There are so many things that (Lord willing!) I'm eager about and praying for in this next year -- and here are just a few of them I'm planning to do on a daily level:

~ I really like the new Bible reading approach I tried during part of last year: reading from Genesis-Revelation in 10 chapter increments (or an entire book, depending on the length) + a psalm or a proverb, so I'm planning to do that again.

~ With my next sister in the house there are plenty of different exercise options floating around and she found a new walking routine recently that looks interesting. There's also my favorite Ballet Beautiful waiting to be picked up and I think they might compliment each other well, so I'm thinking of alternating between the two and seeing what happens.

~ Picking up my fiddle again would be excellent.

~ And (we'll see what happens with this one), but I've wanted to learn Spanish for quite a while. So now just to make a start.... :)

So there you have it! My (very) quick overview for this January 1st. Now I'm off to do some kitchen tidying and finish testing out a new spelt flour pretzel recipe I've got in progress. ;)

A Very Merry 8th Day of Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all!!

Tell me! What's one adventure you'd love to take on in this Year of Our Lord 2016?

Darkness, Glory and A New Year

As I was going over my bookshelves—trying to find words to catch some of the deep excitement I have for this new year—a dear, familiar, green-covered book sprang forward to notice: Greenwillow by B.J. Chute. A top favorite, I’m still always freshly and incredibly amazed by its delightful wordplay and rich goodness. And it had exactly what I was searching for…

“Outside darkness stayed, darkness and snow and ice, as if it would stay forever. 

So no one in Greenwillow was prepared for the morning when it came, not in a slow snowy dawn but with the sun shouting up over the hills and catching a million mirrors of ice storm, as if the music from a harp had been frozen and splintered and flung from the west and the east and the north and the south. The great trees were sheathed in ice, and so were the tiniest meadow grasses. Branches glittered and cracked under their frozen weight, and small autumn seed-coats turned to diamond stuff.

The sky was as blue as the first dawn itself, the one that woke Adam, and there was a fresh powdering of snow that had fallen before the ice began to creep. It was next to impossible to look abroad for the dazzle, and the Reverend Birdsong stood on his doorstep and shielded his eyes and felt very near to bursting with God’s wasteful glory and this new Creation. Charity the cat came out beside him, walking very daintily in the cold, looked at the snow, sneezed in protest and withdrew to the warm hearth. Birdsong rubbed his hands together and crowed.” Greenwillow by B.J. Chute

Over the past year I’ve had (and I know will most definitely have in this new one as well) some tough and difficult days—but at the moment I’m very thankful. Longing for some things…but yes, very thankful. God has been very good, and His grace and lovingkindness have been and will be sufficient!

For wonderful things also happened in this last year. Wonderful things that wouldn’t have happened if every day of 2014 hadn’t happened in the way it did. On story (and subsequent blog fronts), I have some tremendous goals for 2015. They’re pretty huge, but so many different areas of life seem to be falling into place—fitting together from disparate pieces to a cohesive whole—that, altogether, I can’t help rubbing my hands together, running from one place to another, and feeling very much like the Reverend Birdsong!

And with this beginning to a new year, the time is also most ripe and perfect for a heartfelt “thank you” to all of you wonderful followers and dear, encouraging friends! Thank you so much for taking of your time to read and visit!!

Merry Christmas (again) and a very Happy New Year to you all!!!

The Constant and the Changing

Moving house presents all sorts of opportunities–opportunities to build on what has passed and create something new. Most of all opportunities to work with people: to show kindness, patience; to bide your tongue and actually listen to all their ideas–to think before replying–to find their ideas are wonderful. Opportunities for exciting jobs like moving books and cupboards, and also for less glamorous tasks like washing the ever appearing mountain of dishes and baking potatoes to make sure that–in all the flux–everyone stays fed.

It all seems to fit: moving house and into a new year at the same time. Our lives are always full of the ever-constant and the ever-changing. God is constant and calls us to be so likewise–living out our faith–and at the same time He has decreed we be constantly changing–growing and maturing as He shapes us more and more to the image of His Son. That shaping process is sometimes painful, but at the root of it is joy–the joy that lies beyond smiles and beyond tears.

In entering a new year–yes–we leave behind the past, but at the same time, we don’t. Everything it was has become a part of us and we step into the future with it–with all God has worked in and for us over the past year, and looking forward to discovering the joy of what He will do in the next. 

All seasons shall be sweet...

We’re into the second week of Christmas (!)

and Happy New Year!!!

~

“Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,

Whether the summer clothe the general earth

With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing

Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch

Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch

Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eve-drops fall

Heard only in the trances of the blast,

Or if the secret ministry of frost

Shall hang them up in silent icicles,

Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.”

Frost at Midnight – S.T. Coleridge

~