I love period dramas. I just do.

It’s not just that I find this era of online dating or 5-minute speed dating sessions unromantic or excessively droll. I do, but there is more to my disgruntled views on the subject. I’ve been lead to expect more.

I love watching a costumed performance with butterflies in my stomach as I wonder how they will resolve things. I still watch and rewatch anxiously every time. Yes, I know how it ends, but on pins and needles, I watch again wondering how it will turn out this time. Will Captain Wentworth tell Anne Elliot how he still cares for her? Will Margaret Hale finally admit that despite all appearances she loves Mr. Thornton and admires him above any other? For some reason, the magic still exists upon a 2nd, a 5th, a 100th viewing.

I love immersing myself into a delicious period novel. I bury myself deep into another world and discover that there is more to love than instant chemistry or an insatiable desire. I’ve learned that sometimes love is unrequited and that it doesn’t have to be reciprocated to be worthwhile. I’ve noted that love is patient and kind and wants the best for the other even if it isn’t the fairytale ending of dreams.

And that's what I'm looking for...something more. I know the truth is that movies and books can’t top real life. A good book can’t replace the drama, the nerves, the highs, the lows, the joys and passions of living life for real. I know that. But see, I’ve witnessed real love in those around me. I’ve watched friends grow in love and blossom into a couple. I’ve observed apparent opposites struggle in vain until they realized that together they completed the other. I’ve admired several patient men who have waited and waited for the woman they love. I’ve cried with girlfriends who thought they would die of broken hearts only to meet another and find out what true love is. Yes, true life trumps the storybook ending every time in my book.

And so I’ll wait to see how my story progresses! And yes, I did say how my story progresses...I’m not waiting on another to get my story started. Goodness! I’m a third or half way through my story already, and that’s just if GOD sees fit to keep me here! Who knows what the next chapter holds! It may not win me an Oscar for the drama or a Pulitzer for the storyline, but it’s my part of the story. It’s real, full of surprises, and totally unexpected some days. And that’s just the way I like it!

Why is it when I go on a roadtrip on my own that I suddenly go country again?

I think it’s weird. Not that I like or listen to country music...that’s not weird. What I find odd is that I suddenly pull the country music back out again because I’m going on a roadtrip! Go figure. It must be my travel thing...

So anyway, I’m all packed and ready to head to Michigan with my country tunes in tow. I even put a Reba McEntire CD in the mix, which will remind me of Camp Spearhead with a smile. Of course, I had to bring Abba along as well. See, I can be versatile!

Ahhh...life is good! Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!!!

It’s really happening…

After years of romantically dreaming about castles, zealously reading English novels and watching BBC productions, and serenely picturing myself meandering thecountryside… I’m actually going to be there. I’m going to England. I’ve talked about the idea of this trip for a long time, and I’m finally at the next step. Now, I'm blogging about it.

http://janeaustenhereicome.blogspot.com/

But I am truly doing more than blogging about it. I’m planning it. Two of my friends are already on board with me. Truth is that they kinda started the idea up again, and together we’re planning, scheming and budgeting for a visit to Jane Austen’s world. OK, so England is more than just Jane’s land, but to give credit where it is due, we must confess that Jane definitely has played more than a small role in getting us to cross the Atlantic!

To us, it is also a home to castles and English manors, a place where the tranquil countryside still exists and where history is still very much alive, a birthplace to the tongue we speak and delight in. It’s like coming home in a way. Is it too ridiculous to say that? Oh well, it’s the way I feel...

Working with Accents! Ooooh-la-lah!

It occurred to me today that I am quite blessed. Why? – you may well ask. Well...because I work in a global company, and as such I have daily interaction with people from all over the world. I know people from England, Australia, France, India, the Middle East, China, etc. In any given week, I have lots of global interaction from the 1,000 plus co-workers at my site to thousands more around the world. The president of my division is from France. The CEO over the entire company is from Australia. Yes, I am in a sea of accents, and I like it.

I have a work colleague in France who always inserts a line of French in his emails just to give me a hard time because my French is so rusty. His emails make me laugh as he tries to give me more practice with my poor French. Another colleague is from England. He visits my desk almost weekly with inquiries about something or other. He is always in a good mood and has plenty of British pluck!

I can be down the hall, around the corner and completely out of sight, but when a certain co-worker speaks, I can’t help but smile. His thick Australian accent is hard to miss. And then of course, I can recognize a Canadian accent rather quickly, too. I use to get daily calls from a Canadian colleague at our Saskatchewan office, and I always knew it was him by his hello.

Yes, I count myself fortunate to have the pleasure of mingling with people from all over the globe. It keeps life interesting!

I don’t know why a serial killer is so attractive…

But I have fallen head-over-heels for the show Dexter. It’s a Showtime series I watched last fall, and after gushing about it to a co-worker recently, I re-watched season 1 in anticipation of season 2. The 2nd season starts next weekend, and I am breathlessly eager to see how it all pans out. Yes, I upgraded my cable again just to catch season 2.

The basic premise of the show is that Dexter, a forensic blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department, takes out serial killers in his own ritualistic style. He hunts serial killers in his spare time, and rather than leave them to at the mercy of the American Legal system, he disposes of them in a more complete fashion--permanently.

Like other serial killers before him, Dexter basically doesn’t feel anything. He fakes his way through life and lives by a code his adopted father instilled in him. He is able to maintain relationships with a sister, Deb (the daughter of his adoptive father) and even a mostly healthy dating relationship with his girlfriend Rita. In an ironic twist, he is a heroic champion to both of them. He’s Deb loving big brother--listening and counseling her on her dating and job woes. And in nearly every episode, he helps Rita out with some problem. Whether it is a custody battle with her abusive ex-husband or an ugly debate with a lousy neighbor, Dexter is Rita's knight in shining armor.

And yet he is such a man--living his life with dark and twisted secrets. If either of the woman in his life knew the truth about him, there relationships with him would definitely change.

As season 1 progressed, I started to note changes in his behavior, a deviation from his “normal emotionless state.” It’s as if he is developing a conscience and starting to care about things, and it’s that character development, that growing vulnerability that keeps me eager with anticipation. Will Dexter be able to keep his secrets from the 2 women in his life? And if these women learn the truth, what will they do? Stay tuned...

August was for Michigan travel after all, I guess...

I had planned on going to Michigan's Upper Peninsula with 2 girlfriends in August, but we cancelled that sight seeing trip for serveral reasons, and it turned out to be a really smart decision. I had to make 2 other treks up to my home state as it turned out.

First of all, my Mom hurt her back, and so my sister and I went up for a few days to help care for her, my 91-year-old Grandmother, and my Dad who was still recovering from hip replacement surgery a few weeks earlier. We learned later that my Mom has arthritis in her back, and so it is just something she is going to have to watch and take care of. If she over-exerts herself, it can get inflamed and cause horrible pain.

Then last weekend, I went back up to Michigan. My Dad was hospitalized with blood clots in his leg. This happens after he has surgery sometimes. They take him off blood thinners before the surgery, and it takes a while for his blood to get back to where they want it afterwards. He came home on Labor Day, and I stayed until early Wednesday morning and then came back home to Indy. They all seemed to be doing much better when I left. In fact, Tuesday was a lot of fun. We took a "3-hour tour" (a drive that lasted more like 5 hours) North along the Lake Huron coast and got to see lots of my favorite waters, the Great Lakes. (sigh!) So it was a nice stress reliever after our few days of stress and hospital visits, etc.

I'm hoping my next trip to Michigan is just for a fun visit though!

Cricket Invasion Continues

OK, I thought we were done with the crickets, and I'm still hopeful that there won't be anymore. BUT, I found 2 more dead crickets in the dining room. This time I am suspicious that their worst enemy helped to deplete them of life.

And who is a cricket's worst enemy, you may ask? Well, we share the same worst enemy -- the spider. So, now I'm concerned that I have some well-fed spider living in my dining room finishing off the half-dead crickets who are dying due to the insect spray. Hmmm...maybe that will eventually kill the spider, too. THAT could work to my advantage.

Seeing Bears and Butterflies

I had a fabulous time with Janet. I really did...even thought it has taken me weeks to finally blog about it. We went to the Indy Zoo and spent a rather hot day there, but it was awesome. A lot of the animals (despite the heat) seemed to be coming up really close to the fences. I got some incredible shots of the Kodiak bears, and normally these bears are sleeping in their caves, etc. During our visit, the bears were hanging out at the fence probably imagining how well we would taste for lunch. YIKES!

After the zoo, we walked through the butterfly conservatory. One of the beautiful blue/purple butterflies landed on my purple shirt and wouldn't leave me alone. It was rather funny. Janet took photos of course, and these 2 young girls kept coming over and checking the butterfly out. They told me I was going to wind up on the news and be famous because of my new butterfly friend. That just made me laugh! Kids just make me smile! I love how they think...

Janet is Coming! Janet is Coming!!

My niece Janet (17) is coming to spend a few days with her old Aunt Mel this week. It should be a lot of fun! She is bringing her friend Deja with her for a couple of days. I'm eager to meet Deja since I've only heard about her since Janet was in grade school, but we've never met. We're planning to go to the Edinburgh Outlets one day and the Indianapolis Zoo another day.

I'm sure that Janet will want to watch a bunch of movies, too. I'm the corrupting influence there, I guess, since I love movies! WOOHOO!! It should be a fun few days.

Updated Score: 29 to 3

I think this is the current score. Truth is I feel like I've lost track. I went for nearly 5 days without a sighting, and then BAM! there were 3 more half-dead crickets walking around in my dining room last night. UGH! Just not what I wanted to see after a long day at work...oh well! It could be worse.