Anne of Green Gables
Sometimes as much as I love finding new books to read what I really crave is a childhood favorite. Anne of Green Gables is one of those books for me. I know that I share that sentiment as it ranked #11 on the Great American Read (which I found agreeable). The last few times I revisited this story I did through watching Anne With An E and reading Marilla of Green Gables. This time around, I wanted to read the original story.
I know that this past year I just can't seem to read horror novels fast enough. Why would I be drawn to a children's classic??
I know that this past year I just can't seem to read horror novels fast enough. Why would I be drawn to a children's classic??
What would a woman has dark blonde hair and is a happily married, progressively minded and lives in downtown Saint Paul, MN have in common with a red haired orphan rural Canadian girl? Much more than you would think! I often find myself relating to the kind of incidents that this young girl often got herself into. This past year (these past few months especially), I find myself realizing that I am resorting to a lot of my habits that Anne Shirley would completely understand.
I know that Anne loses herself in her world of imagination and considers places like the "lake of shining waters" to have immense scope for the imagination. I think about her quite often as I stroll over the bridge for the Mississippi River every morning on my way to work and as I love using my work breaks to walk and let the river help me make up stories in my head.
Anne Shirley would totally approve of my horror obsession because she loved being "deliciously scared" and went through great lengths to avoid a part of the woods that she imagined to be haunted. While I don't avoid the things that scare me, this past fall I scared myself completely writing the first few drafts of a ghost story while being in an apartment by myself.
I know that Anne loses herself in her world of imagination and considers places like the "lake of shining waters" to have immense scope for the imagination. I think about her quite often as I stroll over the bridge for the Mississippi River every morning on my way to work and as I love using my work breaks to walk and let the river help me make up stories in my head.
Anne Shirley would totally approve of my horror obsession because she loved being "deliciously scared" and went through great lengths to avoid a part of the woods that she imagined to be haunted. While I don't avoid the things that scare me, this past fall I scared myself completely writing the first few drafts of a ghost story while being in an apartment by myself.
While Anne Shirley accidentally intoxicated her friend at a tea party, I had my own funny tea party when I came home with a horror novel titled the Tea Party the same day I got a large tea shipment in the mail.
However I did make iced raspberry tea when I came home from Stoker Con and felt that taking one of my books outside was very suitable. Anne was quite excited about her first time drinking raspberry cordial, even if it did end in disaster. This tea's flavor was reminiscent of raspberry cordial.
While this story does appeal to my more playful side, being in a position where I am a new girl at work makes me think of the pains that she has at the beginning of the novel. Being on a probationary period I know that I am "on trial" in my own way. I completely understand Anne's drive to make Marilla want to keep her in the midst of wanting to be accepted somewhere. While Anne despaired at the threat of being sent back to an orphanage, my own fear has been of things not working out "sent back" to being a housewife and/or working retail is one that hits home one of my deeply tender spots.
However I did make iced raspberry tea when I came home from Stoker Con and felt that taking one of my books outside was very suitable. Anne was quite excited about her first time drinking raspberry cordial, even if it did end in disaster. This tea's flavor was reminiscent of raspberry cordial.
While this story does appeal to my more playful side, being in a position where I am a new girl at work makes me think of the pains that she has at the beginning of the novel. Being on a probationary period I know that I am "on trial" in my own way. I completely understand Anne's drive to make Marilla want to keep her in the midst of wanting to be accepted somewhere. While Anne despaired at the threat of being sent back to an orphanage, my own fear has been of things not working out "sent back" to being a housewife and/or working retail is one that hits home one of my deeply tender spots.
However my glimmer of hope is in the kindred spirits that I have met at my new job.Anne's desire to have friends who she referred to as "kindred spirits" is one that I relate to. While my husband is my dearest friend this does not negate my need to find community and friendship at work. I am quiet about the delight I have found in finding the people who sit by me at work proving to be kindred spirits and discovering a friend who I enjoy taking lunch with. But as Anne vocalizes her delight in these discoveries, it reminds me of the ways that my own heart quietly rejoices. I know I can be strong and self entertaining on my own quite easily but I always have a fierce fondness for my friendships for however long they are meant to last.
When I am not at work I like doing more creative tasks. In addition to my writing projects, I love finding fun DYI projects and this spring I have started playing around with making my own bath salts. I accidentally ordered 10 pounds of baking soda for this project. While it was her guardian Matthew who bought 20 pounds of brown sugar out of social embarrassment I thought of this incident.
Revisiting Anne of Green Gables is not simply comfort food for me...it is finding someone who deeply understands the kind of journey that I have been on. My breath of new life this past year constantly think of this orphan girl's journey into Prince Edward Island. However I am happy to report that no one has forced me to break a slate over their head...yet. But as I reread this I realize that some books are worth revisiting because it is like revisiting an old friend who is a deeply kindred spirit.
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