Birthday Wishes From Colonel Brandon

Letter from Colonel Brandon to Miss Jane Austen on the occasion of her 236th Birthday.

Dear Miss Austen,
I earnestly hope that this letter finds you well.
There is joyful news of Mrs Brandon. After much foolish concern on my part she was delivered safely of a healthy baby girl. She is to be Elinor, after her dear aunt, and already shows a deal of her namesake's goodness. For my part I find the bonny babe to resemble her dear mama more in features and coloring. Although a son is usually to be preferred I must confess that I am glad to have a daughter if only for the Christening's sake. We had such a trouble thinking what to name a son, even though my wife's thought was that a son should have my first name.
Mrs Dashwood and Margaret were in time for her birth and and has agreed to a long stay.
Sister Elinor and brother Edward visit almost daily. Their own son Neddy has almost reached his second year.
As happy as it has been having the Ferrars living so near it can not be a permanent situation and Edward is happy at the prospect of being rector in his own Parrish.
Thank you for your kind inquiry after my ward. Our dear Eliza has formed an attachment with a young surgeon in her own village and will be married in the new year. We quite happy at her future prospects.
I am daily blessed in my darling Marianne. After my early disappointment in life I was sure true happiness was beyond my reach. How happy I am to have been proved wrong! All of my thanks must go to you, dear lady, for arranging my present bliss. Marianne is so much sweetness, loveliness and brightness of mind and certainly better than I felt myself to deserve. We two prove to be of such similar tastes and feelings. It has been a pleasure to watch her grow more fully into the elegant woman and tender mother that she is today.
Marianne has informed me that your birthday is fast approaching. Allow us to wish you joy! May the new year bring as many blessings for yourself as you have bestowed upon all of us. Marianne and everyone here send their fondest love.

I remain your humble servant,
Colonel Brandon

Much thanks to Miss Dashwood for hosting the Jane Austen Birthday Card Contest. It was fun thinking about how Jane Austen's characters were thank her for how she arranged their lives. I think Colonel Brandon would be one of the most thankful of her heroes, especially after his early disappointments with Eliza's mother.

Very Truly Your's,

Edit December 19, 2011:
Colonel Brandon's letter won 3rd place in Miss Dashwood's Birthday Card Contest. Thanks for hosting Miss Dashwood and thanks for this lovely image!

Jane Austen Puzzles

As Jane Austen's Birthday Week concludes I'll leave you with variety of Jane Austen Puzzles to solve. 

There are three different categories of games each have their own rules so read carefully.

Post your answers in a comment, feel free to guess as many times as you wish. I will respond with your scores. I'll post your comments and the answers to these games next Saturday.

Unscramble Character Names
(two names each)
1. CHOTUCATE LSARL (female)
2. ILORPELA TSABEH (female)
3. HAEITHT SRIMR (female)
4. CUSGRES HARLMOVE (male)
5. RAWFH COENRYRD (male)
6. JKNI GHTLOHNEY (male)


Complete The Quotes
(also guess the novel it comes from)
7. "A ___ ____ is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of."
8. "It darted through her with the speed of an _____ that Mr ______ must marry no one but _____."
9. "Think only of the ____ as its remembrance gives you ______."
10. "After all that romancers may say, there is no doing without _____."


Country Houses
(tell me which characters lives in these houses)
11. Kellynch
12. Delaford
13. Southerton
14. Hunsford
15. Woodston

Have a good time puzzling!

Very Truly Your's,

Period Drama Theme Song Quiz - Answers!

Many thanks to everyone who played my Period Drama Theme Song Quiz! I was quite delighted to have so many people here on O-FC and on my YouTube channel play this game! I'll definitely make another game like this one but it probably won't be until after Christmas.

Here are the answers to the Period Drama Theme Song Quiz:

(Click period drama titles below to listen to full theme songs)

Clip #1 - Sense & Sensibility (2008)

Clip #2 - Cranford (2007)

Clip #3 - Jane Eyre (2006)

Clip #4 - Wives and Daughters (1999) (theme starts at 1:10)

Clip #5 - He Knew He Was Right (2004)

Clip #6 - Bleak House (2005)

Clip #7 - Downton Abbey (2010) (clip I used was Season 2 "Did I Make The Most of Loving You")

Clip #8 - Emma (2009)

Clip #9 - Our Mutual Friend (1998)

Clip #10 - Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series)

Clip #11 - North and South (2004)  (theme starts at 5:12)

Clip #12 - The Way We Live Now (2001) (theme starts at 1:50)

Clip #13 - Pride and Prejudice (1995) (theme starts at 2:57)

Clip #14 - Daniel Deronda (2002)

Clip #15 - Little Dorrit (2009)

Much thanks to everyone who played:

Melody - 15 Correct

Laura - 14 Correct

Bethany (Anonymous) - 13 Correct

Miss Elizabeth Bennet - 13 Correct

Ana Smith - 11 Correct

Miss Dashwood - 9 Correct

Ella - 8 Correct

Lauren - 8 Correct

birdienl - 7 Correct

Abby - 5 Correct

Anne-girl - 5 Correct

Allison - 4 Correct

Jemimah - 2 Correct

Livia - 2 Correct

New game to come!

Book Review: The Watsons

As part of Miss Dashwood's Birthday Week for Jane Austen she issued a Book Challenge for participants to read one of Miss Austen's novels or short stories. I've long known it was time for a re-read of The Watsons, and once I began I became so enthralled with the characters and their stories! I took ever so many notes and knew I absolutely had to do a full book review! 
The Watsons by Jane Austen

Penguin Classics Edition

Plot: The Watsons follows the large family of Mr. Watson, the sickly rector of Stanton. His youngest daughter, sweet and elegant Emma Watson, returns home to her family after being raised by her aunt. When Emma attends her first ball in the neighborhood her oldest sister Elizabeth drives her over to stay with the Edwards family who will be her chaperons. As they drive Elizabeth talks of their brothers and sisters who Emma barely remembers and advises Emma on the customs of the ball and the characters of the people she is likely to meet. At the ball much of the excitement happens when Lady Osborne and her large party comes in late. Among the party is ten-year-old Charles Blake who is disappointed when Miss Osborne breaks her promise to dance with him. Emma quickly asks him to dance the next two dances, thus earning the regard of the boy's widowed mother and his bachelor clergyman uncle. Emma is much looked at by awkward young Lord Osborne and flirtatious Tom Musgrave. The day after the ball Emma and the Edwards are visited by friends from the ball and Emma just escapes having to ride home to Stanton with Tom Musgrave, but is obliged to tell him plainly how little she thinks of Lord Osborne. The third day after the ball Elizabeth and Emma receive a mysterious visit from witty Tom Musgrave and Lord Osborne who sits next to Emma speaks only to talk about half-boots and hunting hounds. In the weeks that follow Emma and Elizabeth become great friends. Their sisterly felicity is interrupted by Emma meeting more of her estranged family including her troublesome sister Margaret, their snobbish lawyer brother Robert and his conceited wife Jane. Emma finds peace from her squabbling siblings by nursing her sickly father. When Robert & Jane go home Emma is much pressed to return with them for a long stay, but she decides to bear the odd humors of Margaret over the eccentricities of her brother and his wife. Jane Austen's writing ends here.

Happy Birthday Dearest Jane Austen!

"Steventon: December 17, 1775.


DEAR SISTER,--You have doubtless been for some time in expectation of hearing from Hampshire, and perhaps wondered a little we were in our old age grown such bad reckoners, but so it was, for Cassy certainly expected to have been brought to bed a month ago; however, last night the time came, and without a great deal of warning, everything was soon happily over. We have now another girl, a present plaything for her sister Cassy, and a future companion. She is to be Jenny, and seems to me as if she would be as like Harry as Cassy is to Neddy. Your sister, thank God, is pure well after it."

-Letter from Reverend George Austen, Jane's father

Born 236 years ago in the little village Parsonage at Steventon, not even Jane Austen's parents could have dreamed how popular and well known their daughter's name would become. In fact I'm sure all their hopes for their daughter would have centered around her health and goodness. Jane's family were her biggest supporters in her literary pursuits. She drew from what she knew and created characters and stories that were true to life.

I recently discovered this lovely quote:

"Miss Austen understood the smallness of life to perfection. She was a great artist equal in her small sphere to Shakespeare..." - Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1870

I love this quote because it perfectly sums up my sentiments on this occasion:

"Jane lies in Winchester -- blessed be her shade!

Praise the Lord for making her, and her for all she made!

And while the stones of Winchester, or Milsom Street, remain,

Glory, love, and honor unto England's Jane! "

- Rudyard Kipling, Epigraph to "The Janeites"

I do thank the Lord for creating Miss Austen and giving her such a clever mind to create all those amazing stories and characters. I could long sing her merits but all I simply wish to say is: Happy Birthday dearest Jane Austen! 

What would you give Miss Austen for her birthday?

What would say if you got to wish Miss Austen "Happy Birthday" in person?