Yours Faithfully, Amanda

September 24, 2018 Dear Jane, I shall, Jane, I shall! This is a quote from your masterpiece, Pride & Prejudice , and it reminded me of my time in England. I must confess that my imagination was taking flight with every new, astonishing location we came upon...  Also: Huzzah! I have begun Part Two of my England adventures! In truth, I was not sure that I would actually follow through on this momentous task, but here I am...following through. Small accomplishments, Jane, are life's greatest pleasures. And cake, of course. Small accomplishments and cake. Now, where did I leave off? Ah, yes- after Rachael and I nearly fainted from elated exhaustion onto our beds the night before, we awoke more or less refreshed and ready to explore London the next morning. Happily, another busy and delightful day was ahead of us! Day 2 If I remember correctly, day two was a Friday and it was exceedingly diverting. Now, to remind you of a delicate situation from my last letter: My glas...

September 12, 2018 Dear Jane, The time has (finally) come for me to attempt to give a charming and thorough account of  my diverting holiday in England, though I must say that the thought of relating every happy moment and activity is daunting! Therefore, I have decided to do one or two days at a time. I am well aware that if I do not write it down, I shall forget it and that would be unpardonable. I cannot believe it has been a over a month since I returned home! Where has the summer gone, Jane? (But also, huzzah for the fast approach of Autumn!) The above quotation is from a letter you wrote in August of 1796 to your sister, Cassandra, upon arriving in London. Oh, you do make me laugh, Jane...and how fortuitous that I too was there in August! Night of the Flight It was all going exceedingly well as I drove to JFK international airport on the first of August, Jane. I had my new E-ZPass, there was barely any traffic between Connecticut and New York City (unheard of!), my ...

July 18, 2018 Dear Jane, Photo by Yours Faithfully, Amanda We have once again reached the sad day of your passing. It has been two-hundred and one years since you departed this earth, but your memory and legacy are stronger than ever. To be sure, janeites around the globe mourn your early death (you were only forty-one) and yet we simultaneously rejoice in the beautifully written words you left behind for us. In truth, it is a most bittersweet day.  Now, as I have much updating to do, I will leave off with a short poem and the promise of another letter either this week or the next.  I wrote the short poem below after being inspired by the picture you see on the right. I took this photo this very morning, and the words, "She needed a hero so she became one," instantly caught my attention. You really were your own hero, Jane and I still admire you so very much! (And yes...that is a Jane Austen action figure.)   Jane the Hero She needed a hero and so ...

May 19, 2018 Dear Jane, As a self-proclaimed anglophile, I would be remiss if I did not write about two very important English historic events which occurred/is occurring on this date. The first event dates back quite a few years (four-hundred and eighty-two, to be exact) and the other is happening presently, as I write! But we shall go in order by year. "It is however...my Duty to declare that this amiable Woman was entirely innocent of the Crimes with which she was accused..." Miss Austen will, of course, recognize the above quote as being one of her own, but pray, permit me to enlighten my gentle readers. The above quote is from Miss Austen's, The History of England , a delightful parody of Oliver Goldsmith's book of the same title, written when the authoress was around the age of fifteen. It refers to Queen Anne Boleyn and her unfair trial and treatment by King Henry VIII. Jane was a firm believer, as am I, in Anne's innocence and today happens to be the 482nd...

May 3, 2018 Dear Jane, A flowery image I took this very morning! I write to you as we begin the month of May with both exceedingly hot weather and the most beautiful flower blossoms. In truth, I prefer the latter without the prior, but seeing as we saw two snow showers in the beginning of April, one must not be too particular! It seems that summer is fast approaching whether or not we are ready for it, Jane. Happily, I have a great many things to look forward to (though the hot weather is not one of them). I fear that it will sound as if I am bragging about my upcoming adventures but please know that this is not my intention; I merely wish to keep you informed...and cannot think of anything else to write about at present. Is this not a writer's greatest obstacle? My upcoming schedule (pronounced SHED-YOOL) is as follows: -------------------------------------- May I couldn't resist taking a  bookish photo! I, along with my sister and two friends, will be ...