Whatever Has Happened To Miss Laurie?

Dear Friends,

Please forgive my long absence and general lack of interesting posts over the last few weeks. This summer has been super busy with work, weddings, church activities, etc. But last weekend something happened that is shortly to change my life completely.

A couple weeks ago my mother's 90-year-old grandmother had a nasty fall and broke her shoulder. She's needed lots of help and her extended family had been bickering about how to best care for her - nursing home or in-home care. My grandfather and the rest of our branch of the family favored in-home care - which is where I come in. With my 6+ years experience of working with dementia patients and my healthcare skills and my state of singleness I am the perfect candidate to care for Gram. The family asked if I would go to New York to care for her and...I said "yes".

Saying yes was easy but then the hard part began. Going means quitting my cafe job here, saying good-bye to my wonderful work family, leaving my caring church family, uprooting my life from my immediate family (who I've never lived away from), packing my belongings for an extended stay and moving the 9 hours away from Kentucky to New York state. At this time it is uncertain how long Gram will need me - until her shoulder heals for longer as her memory fades.  I can't quite accurately describe the emotional roller coaster I've been on for the last week. Monday when I told my boss and co-workers I was leaving I got so many hugs and near tears it felt like it was actually my last day of work - but then I had two weeks of work to get through. I will miss the folks at the Creation Museum more than I can say, they have been so very special to me!

God keeps confirming my decision to go by working out the details and also working on my heart through scripture, sermons and songs. I know moving to care for Gram is what He wants me to do but at the same time it is hard to leave my life here in KY because I love it so much and was really looking forward to lots of things this Fall/Winter and beyond.

Please pray for me as I continue to make my preparations for the move. Pray for the drive up to NY with my family scheduled for September 6th. Pray that I will have wisdom in how best to care for Gram. Pray that I stay healthy and well from sickness. Most of all please pray that my words, actions and attitudes will be a testimony to God's faithfulness and to the joy that comes from serving Jesus. There are a lot of people watching me right now and I want to show them how much I love them and love the Lord..

While I have these plans ahead of me it looks very much like I shall be forced to take a break from posting at Old-Fashioned Charm for a while. Please bear with me during this silence that I hope will break towards the end of September.

Thank you for your patience and your prayers!

God Bless,

  

The Magic of Ordinary Days (2005)

I'd watched this film a year or two ago and back in February watched it with my sister for the first time and we both loved it! Get ready for a super sweet story with endearing characters set around World War II. The Magic of Ordinary Days made its CBS debut on January 30, 2005.

Story: Adapted from the story by Ann Howard Creel, this Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation is set in rural Colorado in 1944. After she becomes pregnant by a departing soldier, Livy Dune, the wealthy, pampered daughter of a Denver minister, is forced to forever abandon her hopes of becoming an archaeologist.  To shield her from further scandal, Livy's father ships her off to a remote farm and arranges her marriage with shy farmer Ray Singleton, who is struggling to live up to his proscribed responsibilities to the wartime government. Clearly depressed by the situation, Livy does as well as she can to be polite and civil to her husband and his sister Martha, but it is clear that she'd rather be dead than married to a man she doesn't even know. For Ray's part, he is unfailingly generous and kind, but the realization that Livy doesn't want him makes him feel more inadequate than ever. But when Livy makes friends with a couple of well-educated Japanese girls living in a local internment camp her very life might soon be at risk as prejudice runs high. Will Livy learn who she can trust and find that sometimes the ordinary days can be magical?

Costumes: Livy has the most amazing dresses, so pretty and feminine and perfectly 1940's - a new favorite period film wardrobe! Some of the other ladies have lovely dresses too. The gentlemen's clothes are perfectly fitted for the time period and fits in with their personalities.

Scenes: Filmed on location in Alberta, Canada so it's not quite Colorado, but the farm scenery is lovely and the wide prairie land stretches as far as the eye can see. There's also a few lake scenes that are quite picturesque. The scenes at the train station, in the town and inside the houses are all in keeping with the time period and are light and airy, setting a nice tone for the film.

Music: I don't remember a lot of the music but there is one really fun dance scene in the film that will have you smiling and the family and friends enjoy celebrating a birthday. There might be a few other songs from the era, everything is in keeping with the time period.

Actors & Characters:

• Keri Russell as Livy Dunne - She's made mistakes in her past but owns up to her responsibilities and obeys her father by marrying Ray. She is spirited and determined, investigative and adventurous but with a kind heart. The story is mostly told through her perspective and we grow attached to her as much as Ray and the other characters do. Keri Russell is beautiful and captures the character very well.
• Skeet Ulrich as Ray Singleton - What's not to love about Ray? He's hardworking, generous, kind, open to new ideas but a little shy and slightly troubled by hard circumstances in his past. He goes out of his way to be nice to Livy and show her that he's always going to be there for her. An amazing hero of the story and Skeet Ulrich did a wonderful job portraying him! 
• Mare Winningham as Martha - Ray's friendly and outgoing sister who warmly welcomes Livy. Her family is full of life and love and set a good example for Ray and Livy of what they could become if only they'd try. A great character!
• Gwendoline Yeo as Rose & Tania Gunadi as Florence "Flory" - These two Japanese American sisters are a lively pair that remind me of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility! Rose is thoughtful, sensible and bookish while Flory is outgoing, fun-loving and a real sweetie. Their outfits are as lovely as they are. Their scenes are such fun!
• Stephen Strachan as Hank - Martha's husband who is hardworking but with a quirky sense of humor. He's a good father to their daughter and young sons.
• Katie Keating as Ruth - Martha and Hank's young teenage daughter who immediately forms an attachment to Livy and copies her hair styles and wardrobe choices as much as she can. She's very sweet and a bright spot in the family.
• Jane McGregor as Abby - Livy's stylish and carefree sister who comes to visit. She encourages Livy's bad choices but can be fun. 

My Thoughts: When I first watched this film I was a bit worried about the plot element of Livy being pregnant out of wedlock but it's not mentioned a whole lot and when it is Livy herself admits that she was weak and only looking for someone to love her. Ray is such a gentleman and quite excited about the prospect of becoming a father, promising to love Livy's baby as his own. Their story is so very sweet and engaging with awkward moments and it makes me tear up every time! It's nice to have a film where there's no whirlwind romance but a deep abiding love that grows in the ordinary everyday moments. The story reminds me a bit of Love Comes Softly and someday I'd like to read the book this film comes from.

Recommendations: Besides Livy being mentioned as pregnant out of wedlock and one slightly scary situation with a Japanese American refugee toward the end of the story, The Magic of Ordinary Days is suitable for family watching. It's a sweet film and I highly recommend it!
This film was released on DVD but it's fairly pricey so I recommend checking with your local library, watching it on Hallmark sometime or watching it on YouTube like I did (see my playlist here).

If you're interested in this film you can watch the trailer here. You can also watch The Making of The Magic of Ordinary Days (beware of spoilers!). I also have a board on Pinterest full of lots more photos from the film (some spoilers in that too!).


Have you seen The Magic of Ordinary Days? 

Who was your favorite character?

Happy Birthday to Bea!

Today is a special day for my sweet sister Bea. Today she turns seventeen!

I was almost nine years old when Bea was born and I was so so excited to have a little sister! She was the cutest thing, my own real life baby doll and the bringer of joy in our family.

Bea has always been quite shy in public but at home she if the chattering life of our family, she's always making us smile! 

She loves to bake, sew, crochet, snap photos, play with our cats and do anything fun. 

Today Bea is my best friend and partner in crime. She is so talented and caring. We have so much fun together but also enjoy just talking about things too.

Happy Birthday Bea! I hope your day is as special as you are! 

Further Musings On Marrying

It's been a while since I've written a very personal post so I hope ya'll don't mind something completely different than my usual period drama posts.     

"Only the deepest love will persuade me into matrimony." 

- Lizzy Bennet, Pride & Prejudice (2005)

In April of 2009 I wrote a post with some Musings On Marrying - my 21-year-old self's thoughts on courting and marrying. Recently I received a comment (thanks Hamlette!) on that old post that got me thinking about what I have learned and believe now, especially how it differs (if at all) from what I wrote then.

That Was Me Then: "I was provoked to thought when responding to a Christian girlfriend's e-mail in which she mentioned her relationship with a young man. A proposal is expected and she intended to accept even though she knows her Christian parents have a "problem" with him. I don't know her young man (he is a Christian) but I do know that my friend has a pretty good head on her shoulders and has been really taking it slow and getting to know him before this point. I've been in prayer for her and am going to encourage her to really pray and talk to her parents before becoming engaged.

This scenario saddens me a bit because my first thought is "I could never marry someone my parents didn't like". It really started me thinking about honoring my parents and I know that one of my requirements in finding a mate is that my parents love the man I'm going to marry. I know part of my personality is a desire to please others but I also really trust and value my parent's opinion to the point where I'd trust them with picking a husband for me. Is this a really warped and old-fashioned view or am I at least sort of on the right path? I mean I wouldn't want to marry without love but is an "arranged" marriage such a bad idea?" - quoted from original Musings On Marrying post

"...you're right it's very different when families face life decisions with prayer, unity and looking always for God's will. Moving cautiously is certainly one of those things the world looks at strangely. Probably one reason why so many marriages end in divorce today is because couples move fast relying on their feelings alone and don't take the time to really get to know each other building a strong friendship first. And certainly most couples don't take the time to work at their marriage or pray over it. 

Romance is something that our society holds on to, it's what gives them a sort of 'high' feeling. While romance is important it's not as important as knowing the person you're vowing to spend the rest of your life with. 

As far as arranged marriages I'm not sure I'd advocate marrying someone your parents chose and then getting to know him, but I think it is very important to have your parent's approval - that would help with the 'horrid in-laws' image too. 

For myself I guess I just feel confidant that my parents have taken these past 21 years to learn and mold who I am and know me so very well that they could be trusted with going out and finding a suitable match. For one, I know they love me very much and I'm close to their heart so they would look for someone who'd fit me perfectly. Secondly, we just don't have that many secrets from each other, they know what I like in a guy (I'm very opinionated, or should I say my standards are high). And thirdly I know they'd bathe their decision in prayer. My wish is sometimes that when the right man comes along my parents and friends will recognize him before I do. Wouldn't that be something!" - quoted from my response to comments, Musings On Marrying 

This Is Me Now: First of all that Christian girlfriend married her young man in April 2011 and I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid at her wedding (read my post with Wedding Photos). The Lord was in every detail of the special day and I feel so incredibly blessed that I got to share in it. There was still a bit of tension on that day and I was sorry to see that the couple's parents really didn't know each other very well. I was also quite surprised to see that her family had very little time allotted to offer help in decorating or even for the rehearsal.

What are my thoughts and prayers about dating / courtship and marriage today? Well, in most ways my thoughts are not much changed from what they were four years ago. I still am living at home and in many ways my parents are very much involved in my life - I see them every day and consult them often before making decisions and with spiritual matters. I still feel that if my parents weren't supportive of my relationship with a guy that would be a strong indicator that the guy wasn't right for me. It's also still very important to me that a relationship starts with a strong friendship before it turns to thoughts of romance. It still doesn't seem right to just run around dating new people every other thing - there's so much heartache and emotional baggage in those kinds of relationships that's just not worth it. Emotional as well as physical purity is so important to strive for. These are the things I want for myself and what I encourage younger ladies (like my own dear sister) to strive for - God's best.

Would I still feel comfortable letting my parents choose my future husband? Actually I would! Mom and dad still know me really well, better than my friends at this point. My father works for a ministry now and he's mentioned a few times about keeping an eye out for future spouses for me and my siblings (mostly joking now but there is always that possibility!). I've also let myself be surrounded by lots of other Christians that look out for my best interest in many areas and I wouldn't be adverse to meeting a young man they might suggest. (As a neat side note a guy friend at Bible study mentioned recently that his girlfriend's family has some concerns about him and he's already told her that if there's serious issues they should probably stop seeing each other. I just thought it was neat to see a guy saying "I love you but we shouldn't go against your parents.")

Have I met anyone yet? There's that age-old question that all singles hate! My answer? a big resounding "NO!" Not even any close calls yet. And you know what? that's okay.  My continued prayer is still that the Lord will one day bring the right guy into my life BUT if that's not God's will then that's okay.  Oh yes, it's hard to say "being single is okay", especially since I'm a hopeless romantic and probably always will be! But in the last couple years I've been realizing that the desire to be married is like any desire that we have in life, God always supplies our needs but the wishes aren't always necessary 

Here's some things God has been showing me:

Psalm 37:4

This verse was always one I clung to in my late teens when I was fervently hoping and praying that the "right guy" would come along. It is still very relevant now but in a different way for me as I realize that God does know the deepest desires of our heart if we dedicate ourselves to delighting in Him and His Word the Bible. But I've also realized that as we delight in the Lord and listen to His Word our desires somehow seem to change a bit and line up with what God wants for us. It's not Him just giving us whatever we think we want.

Jeremiah 29:11

I love this verse and the promise it brings that God always has our best interest in mind. He loves us so much and we can safely trust in His plans, whatever they may be.

'Let not those fear starving that are at God's finding and have him for their feeder. More is implied than is expressed, not only, I shall not want, but,"I shall be supplied with whatever I need; and, if I have not everything I desire, I may conclude it is either not fit for me, or I shall have it in due time." '

- Matthew Henry (from his commentary on Psalm 23:1)

This is one of my all time favorites quotes because it sums up quite nicely what I've learned through reading on this subject of desires. God will supply what we need and He delights in blessing us by giving over and above what we ask and think, BUT He knows what is best for us and only gives us what is good for us when it is good for us.

So here I am at 25-years-old. I'm older than most of the literary heroines I read about. I'm not too far away from reaching the age of Anne Elliot from Persuasion or Charlotte Lucas from Pride and Prejudice and they were almost considered spinsters! *gasp*  Age 30 has begun to loom darkly ahead in the unknown future and I certainly don't have "all the answers" like I thought I would by this time in my life. (Ha! But then nobody has "all the answers"!)  Is God still good? Does He still know what is best? Absolutely!
It would be nice to marry some day and I'm still praying for that friendship that will one day turn into a romance. But right now I can only keep doing whatever work God brings to me - whether housework, writing/blogging, ministry work, helping friends, a "real job" or studying and learning more.

Paalm 19:14 (the whole chapter is really good!)

 Lately this verse has been my day to day prayer that the Lord has given me. I've been trying not to focus on the uncertainties of the future or the mistakes of the past and just focus moment by moment on how my words, thoughts and heart motives are lining up with what the Lord wants from me. It does seem a daunting task at times but He has redeemed me from my sinful life and continues to be my strength. God is so good!  

So now I want to hear from you! What is your story?

Are you waiting patiently for the "right guy" or depressed to spend another Valentine's Day alone?

If you are engaged or married how did God work in your life story?

What has God been teaching you lately?

Very Truly Yours,

Little Men (1998)

I didn't know anything about the story before but when I saw this film on Netflix I was so excited!
It was one of those films I watched once by myself and then liked so much I convinced my sister that she had to watch it with me. She liked it a lot too!

Based on Louisa May Alcott's sequel to Little Women, Little Men (1998) is a fun family film. It's a nice companion piece to Little Women (1994) although they weren't made to be watched together. It's wonderful to find new adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's works!

John Brooke helps Nat Blake

Story: Young Nat Blake earns his living as a street musician in Boston after his father dies. One day he is falsely accused of theft after his friend Dan pick-pockets a gentlemen's wallet. Mr. John Brooke sees the commotion and offers to pay his way at Plumfield School, a boarding school run by his sister-in-law, instead of the police sending him to jail. Shy and quiet Nat fears the school will be strict by when he meets Fritz and Jo (March) Bhaer - who liked to be called "Father and Mother Bhaer" - and the other students he soon feels right at home. As winter nears Nat's friend Dan shows up at Plumfield and is taken in but his streetwise ways soon land him and the boys who follow him into more serious trouble. There are many lessons for Nat and the other students to learn about honesty, friendship and compassion.  

Opening Scene

Script: Not knowing the story I read the Wikipedia page for Little Men and compared the two. It seems they did make a few changes from the book mainly that Amy and Laurie, their daughter Bess and Meg's younger daughter Josie do not appear in this film. Jo and Fritz only have one son Teddy, aka "Little Bhaer", instead of two sons (Rob and Teddy) like in the book and there's only two servants at Plumfield instead of three. Otherwise the general plot of the story seems to be the same and the characters of the boys seem similar. The language used in this film sounds like it might be updated and changed a bit from the original. A narrator starts and ends the story and adds voice over bits in between some scenes, it's nice because it helps the viewer to remember this is from a classic book.

Bhaers receive news Nat is coming

Costumes: Pretty simple and homespun looking but fits well with the late 1800's time period. The ladies' dresses are quite plain but there are some nice fabrics and small jewelry pieces worn. The boys have some very handsome coats, scarves, hats and indoor wear as well. Simple costumes but effective in communicating the time period and lifestyle of the characters.

Plumfield in Autumn

Scenery: Filmed entirely in Montréal, Québec, Canada there is some of the New England charm missing but not too much that you'd notice. One street of "Boston" is shown for one scene. The rest of the film takes place at Plumfield house, barns, school room and out buildings. It is Autumn when Nat arrives there and the huge farmhouse is surrounded by gorgeous foliage! Toward the end of the film there is a great snowfall and it's wonderful to see the kids running and playing in the snow. I think the house could have been a bit more grand and perhaps not so secluded looking (it did sort of look like a farm in the middle of nowhere) but overall it was a great location for filming.

Nat plays the fiddle for Jo, Fritz and Franz

Music: Sort of matched the style of music used in Little Women (1994) thought not quite as grand or memorable. There are a couple dances played on the fiddle by Nat and Dan sings Amazing Grace with the others at the end of the film.

Little Men 1998 Themes

My music video with songs from Little Men (1998) with screencaps I made from the film. Listen to the Opening Theme, Nat Plays the Fiddle, Dan Sings Amazing Grace and the End Titles. You can briefly hear Chris Sarandon as Fritz Bhaer singing in Amazing Grace, he has a very nice voice!

Stuffy, Daisy, Demi and Tommy

Characters & Actors: Many Canadian actors but some American as well make for a good mix.

• Michael Caloz as Nat Blake - Nat is a bit shy and skeptical when he first comes to Plumfield but everyone gives him such a warm welcome. Michael Caloz's bright brown eyes and sweet manner are perfect for Nat and made me like the character right away! Surprisingly Michael did the voice of pesky sister D.W. in the PBS animated TV show Arthur!

• Mariel Hemingway as Jo Bhaer - While blond haired Mariel doesn't really look like my idea of Jo (she has "chestnut" hair in book doesn't she?) she does present a kind and caring character who loves her students and family very much and tries to take on the world. She took some getting used to but I liked her for the most part. Mariel Hemingway is the granddaughter of famous author Ernest Hemingway and was given the name Mariel after one of his favorite places to vacation.

• Chris Sarandon as Fritz Bhaer - I'm not a huge fan of the Jo/Professor Bhaer match up in the book and don't really like most of the film versions I've seen of him. However Chris Sarandon as Fritz Bhaer really stands out as one of the main reasons I love this film. The character becomes this strong but compassionate character who love and supports his wife and directs their students with a firm but caring hand. You might recognize Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride or as Charles Darnay / Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities (1980) but this is by far my favorite role of his.

• Ben Cook as Dan - Nat's homeless friend who finds his way to Plumfield where the Bhaers take him in. Ben Cook does a great job of portraying the struggle going on in Dan where he wants to be loved and have a home but also leads the other boys into mischief. Jo doesn't give up on him and he eventually finds his place in their family set. Road to Avonlea fans fight possibly recognize Ben Cook from the Season 7 episode From Away where he played Ian McNulty.

• Serge Houde as John Brooke & Emma Campbell as Meg Brooke - John Brooke finds Nat on the streets of Boston and pays his way to Plumfield. John and Meg come for a visit later in the series where it becomes evident that John is not in the best of health. I didn't really like these actors in the roles, they seemed too old and a bit contrived to me, but they were nice enough.

• Tyler Hynes as Demi Brooke & Julia Garland as Daisy Brooke - John and Meg's twins who live and go to school at Plumfield with their aunt and uncle. They are the first to welcome Nat when he arrives and are very good tempered kids. Demi has odd hair but seems quite scholarly while Daisy has long pretty hair and is very domestic and sweet. Julia Garland didn't do much acting after this role but this was Tyler Hynes' first role and he's gone on to many more film and television roles (and he has great hair now, haha!).  

• Gabrielle Boni as Nan Harding - Nan comes to Plumfield after her mother dies and is to be a companion for Daisy. Nan is even more of a tomboy than Jo was at her age and soon earns the boys respect by beating them at baseball. I wish Nan had been introduced sooner in the film because she's such a fun character! Actress Gabrielle Boni looked very familiar to me and then it all made sense when I found out she played Rebecca Graham in the Wind At My Back TV series. Love her red hair and freckles!

• Mickey Toft as Teddy "Little Bear" Bhaer - Teddy is Fritz and Jo's little five-year-old son who joins in with activities with the other boys. He doesn't have very many speaking lines but Mickey Toft steals the show by being so darn cute! (I mean just look at that grin!) He likes Dan a lot and Dan in return is very kind to him. 

• Ricky Mabe as Tommy Bangs - Tommy is one of the first friends that Nat makes at Plumfield. He and Nat go into business keeping chickens and selling the eggs. One of my favorites of the boys, he has a really good heart.

• David Deveau as George "Stuffy" Cole - Stuffy is comical and the lines he has are a lot of fun. 

• Michael Yarmush as Emil - Fancies himself a pirate, often wearing an eye patch, and says his rather is a sea captain. This is different than in the book where Emil and Franz are Professor Bhaer's nephews.
• B.J. McLellan as Jack Ford - Another of the students but with a slightly vengeful streak. 
• Justin Bradley as Adolphus "Dolly" Pettinghill - He's introduced as a student but I can't remember what he looks like. His name is really neat though!
• Mathew Mackay as Franz - Professor Bhaer's nephew who helps with the teaching. He's in a few scenes and does very well.
• Kathleen Fee as Molly & Narrator - Molly is the housekeeper who takes care of everyone. Kathleen Fee also did the narrating parts throughout the film.
• James Bradford as Silas - Works with the animals and is a bit of a handyman. He doesn't like Dan's streetwise ways but admires his way with horses.

Father and Mother Bhaer

My Thoughts: First of all, this film is such fun! It has a very sweet story and the characters are dear to us even if the actors don't exactly fit them in looks. Virtues such as honesty, compassion, kindness and generosity are valued. The boys at Plumfield have a lot to learn but they also have a lot of fun.
But the best part of this film for me was getting to see Jo March and Fritz Bhaer as they work together and care for their "family". I'm one of those who couldn't quite reconcile Jo marrying the Professor (and Laurie marrying Amy is so weird!) but the way they are presented in this film is just perfect! They are equals who love each other and care deeply about their family and the students at Plumfield. Fritz Bhaer's compassion really stands out as he teaches the boys in classes and through life lessons. The sort of education the Bhaers provide is caring and inspires the boys to be good and strive to be better and kinder.
Nat is also a favorite character for me, it's interesting to see the story unfold through his eyes and see him put into practice the lessons he is taught. The ending scene is a bit cheesy but this film overall is just wonderful and I'd watch it again in a heartbeat! Watching this film really made me want to read the book and I will, someday...

Dan and Nat

My Recommendations: This film is rated PG-13 for some minor scary scenes such as fire, a cut foot, and one scene where a cigar and a bottle of beer are used by the boys who are see the error of their way after that.. The word "damn" is also used several times by the boys.  I really don't see why this film was given the PG-13 rating because there is nothing really objectionable for families today and I would highly recommend it as a family film. If you like Little Women (1994), the Anne of Green Gables films or the Road to Avonlea (TV series) then you will love Little Men (1998)!

Have you seen Little Men (1998)? What did you think of it?

Have you read Little Men? What about Jo's Boys?

Are you a fan of the Jo/Professor Bhaer match up?

~*~

This is my 2nd film review for the Period Drama Challenge going on now!

Good-bye 2012, Welcome 2013!

It hardly seems that another year has gone by already! This time of year I always like to take a few moments to ponder what has taken place before and what may come hereafter - a sort of out with the old, in with the new. 

"...it was a quick succession of busy nothings..." 

- Mansfield Park, Jane Austen

2012 In Review:

(interesting happenings in 2012)

~ My family adopted two new kitties in. They have turned out to be the sweetest boys and a special part of our family.

~ I hosted the Charles Dickens Birthday Week from February 5-11 in honor of his 200th birthday.

~ I was interviewed by Eva at Ramblings Of A Janeite (then called Elinor and Emma).

~ Watched my first episode of Doctor Who in March and became a full fledged Whovian!

~ Watched and listened to the 10th & 25th Anniversary Les Miserables concerts and became an instant fan.

~ Collaborated on Persuasion Comparisons at Austenitis in June.

~ My dad applied for a job with Answers in Genesis (AiG) in February and began a long interview process.

~ My dad was offered a job with AiG toward the end of April and accepted.

~ I ended my job caring for my elderly lady in June. She passed away in December.

~ May and June were spent in packing boxes, holding garage sales, loading a truck, saying good-bye to old friends, visiting with family, traveling to our new home, unloading the truck, unpacking and settling into our New Kentucky Home!

~ Went to AiG's Creation Museum for the first time.

~ Celebrated my 25th birthday by attending the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, KY.

~ Collaborated on Pride & Prejudice Comparisons at Ramblings Of A Janeite in August.

~ A family of friends from Maine stayed with my family for a week in September. It was such fun taking them to the Creation Museum!

~ September 4th marked my fourth year of blogging at OFC.

~ I reached over 400 followers in 2012!

~ In late September, started attending a young people's Bible Study on Tuesday nights and have met a great group of friends.

~ October marked a year of me posting a new period drama or history related game every week (with a couple exceptions). 

~ Had a blast in December caring for some our friends' three boys while they had their baby girl.

~ So many other blessings that it's difficult to count them all! God is so good!

2013 Comes In:

It's difficult to know what lies ahead in the new year. It will probably bring new work, new friends, new achievements and new interests. But how these things will come about is a complete mystery. 

One thing is sure, God has great things in store for me and for you! 

And I'll still be blogging about  here at Old-Fashioned Charm about "Everything Old-Fashioned Under The Sun!"

 Happy New Year!

What has been awesome about your 2012?

Is there anything you are particularly looking forward to in 2013?