A Long Fatal Love Chase, by Louisa May Alcott

(Just for fun here is a picture of the snowman my boss built on Tuesday after it stopped snowing! Isn't he cute!)


I picked up this book from the library on my first visit, but I didn't get a chance to read it, so I had to re-check it out, then we went to DC and I didn't want to travel with a library book, I guess I am a bit old fashioned, I was worried about taking a borrowed book on the road! So I finally got to read it this week! (Which it was due today, so when I finished the last few chapters last night it was just in time!!)

In the Binkley household, we grew up reading Little Women, as well as Little Men and Jo's Boys, but I had never heard of this one before. I guess that is partially due to the fact that it wasn't even published until over 100 years after it was written. In 1995 Kent Bicknell edited it and got it published. A Long Fatal Love Chase is very different from her other books. You can read a summary of the book here. I really enjoyed that, seeing the diversity in her writing, but I wasn't prepared for the sad ending...you would think with a title like A Long Fatal Love Chase I would have been prepared, but I was still so sad at the end and wanted it to turn out differently! I am a happy ending type of girl. If I am escaping reality to read, I want a happy ending, which is also why I keep putting off reading Wuthering Heights!

In a way I was reminded of The Tenent of Wildfell Hall. It was a completely different story, but the heroine, Rosamond, reminded me of Helen in a way. Just because they are both such good characters, as in morally good beyond what I believe to be possible!! If you are prepared for the sad ending, then I would say it is a good read.

In sewing news....

My neighbor dropped off two bags of fabric scraps at my door on Thursday, so that was a fun treat to come home to! I need to be working on the name tag for the quilting guild, (our second meeting is tomorrow and I am supposed to have made one...oops!) or the owl quilt blocks for the swap I signed up for and are due this month, or the many baby quilts for all the babies due within the next few weeks and months...but instead, after finishing A Long Fatal Love Chase, I went through the scraps and made some fun modern blocks. I really haven't done this type of sewing before, and it was fun!!! Some of the scraps were REALLY TINY!!!

I made two 10 1/2 inch blocks and started two more, but I finally had to put them away to save for another day.

I need to get to work on some projects that are more pressing...sewing, cleaning, baking, organizing, etc. We bought a filing cabinet a few weeks ago and I need to get that into working order...that is a project that I dread, but I know I will feel relieved once it is done and our papers are finally organized!! We will see if it makes it onto the list for this weekend or not...

Our trip to DC

Here is our trip to DC in pictures...


Mt. Vernon

This is Kevin (and Tim's) boss Jonathan, from when they worked at CFA in High School, and his beautiful wife Crystal! It is always to nice to catch up with them at seminar each year!

Library of Congress

National Cathedral
Lincoln Memorial
White House

Jefferson Memorial

Natural History MuseumThe Hope diamond



Air & Space Museum(Yes, of course I had to get a picture of this, bathrooms in space...anyone with IC would want the picture people!!)


Ford's Theatre


China Town
(That is Kev & I, he had this full head cover thing on because it was so cold, too funny!!)


The Capital
We had fun with Tim, too bad his lovely bride Anna couldn't make it for the fun this year!!


Washington Memorial


Some faves....

(It was WINDY people...and SOOOOO cold!!)


I loved this little apartment building, it was right by our hotel, so we passed it everyday on our way out to the metro...which was one of my favorite things about the trip! I LOVED the metro and somehow I didn't get any pictures on the trains, or in the stations...too bad!!

A beautiful Monet at the National Art Museum!

When we were walking back to our hotel one evening there was this limo in traffic with a deer head sticking out of the window....so random I HAD to get a picture!

We took a million pictures (or at least if felt like it) at the National Air and Space Museum because my darling 6 year old nephew wants to go there so bad. (Noni and Papaw had him and Zion last weekend, so they took them to Disney World. When they were telling him they were going somewhere special he asked if they could go Washington DC to the National Air and Space Museum! What a cutie!!)
Since you couldn't get up there, Auntie Em and Uncle Kevin went there especially for you Mr. C and took a ton of pictures! Ask mommy to show them to you, I sent them all to her!!

Links to a few giveaways

Thought I would post some links to a few giveaways I found in blogland this week!

First for the book lovers:

Laura at Laura's Reviews did an interview with Elizabeth Chadwick, the author of The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion. She is giving away 2 copies of The Scarlet Lion, so be sure to check that out. (Drawing closes at midnight on 3/19.)
Jan at Prytz Family is giving away a fun travel book Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks From Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West, by Shannon McKenna Schmidt & Joni Rendon. Be sure to swing by her blog and sign up for a chance to win (Open til Sunday 3/7.)

For the sewing/fabric lovers:

Amy at Park City Girl is hosting a giveaway for some scrumptious fabric from Michelle at Rosebudquilter. The fabric is from the Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow line. Very fresh and springy! (I don't think that is a word, but you know what I mean!) (ends 3/7)

Bev at 44th Street Fabric is giving away some adorable Love U fabric. Check out her blog to see what you have to do for a chance to win!! (ends 3/7)

Still snowing...

And it just keeps on coming down!! The snowflakes are so big and fluffy and there is so much coming down it is amazing! It is mesmerizing looking at it all coming down!!

Hubby says it is only raining at his office, so I am posting a few pictures of the lovely snow we are getting at my office!

Welcome back to the south!

After freezing while we visited DC I was so ready for the nice, mild and warmer weather of the south. Monday was that perfect southern March weather...not so much today!!

Here are some pictures from my drive into work this morning...

In other news, here is one fun thing from our pile of mail that I picked up from my wonderful neighbor, who collected it for us while we were gone!I got this lovely package in the mail all the way from New Zealand!
(Hubby wants to go here so bad!! Hopefully someday we will make it!!)
Thank you so much Lara!! I love it!

My recent reading material...

We are back from DC, and back to regular busy life, so who knows when I will have a chance to going through and posting all the pictures from out trip, but I figured I should go ahead and post a note about the books I read while we were there. (This was at the American History Museum, just thought I would stick this in here for you to drool over, what amazing quilting!!)

I got to read another one of my favs, a Lisa Scottoline book. (I sure do love her!!) In fact I got an email from Borders that she has a new one coming out soon and I am really excited about that!! I have read two of hers within the past two weeks...I just can't get enough!! My grandma is actually the one that introduced me to her work, and I am so glad she did!! But, that is not what I am going to write about. I am wanting to write about the other book I read last week while in DC, that would be Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange.

I bought this book at Christmas to give to my sister, to hold her over while I finished reading these books, which were her REAL Christmas gift, but I was trying to get them read before I gave them to her! I really enjoyed this book! I like reading different versions and spinoffs of the wonderful Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, but I think that my favorite, the ones I actually could think of as being the real story of the Darcy family is the series by Elizabeth Aston.

As usual, I really don't know what to say about this book, without the risk of giving away the ending, so I will just say, if you like Austen, and you like vampires, go ahead and give this one a read. It is a fairly fast read, so I won't take much of your time!! I thought this book was a great love story, showing how much Mr. Darcy really does love Elizabeth!! It gives you a different take on why exactly Mr. Darcy was so proud! It took me a bit to get into the book, but that might have something to do with the fact that I read it right after finishing two different Lisa Scottoline ones, which are a completely different type of book from a regency style romance!!

Along with the theme of books, I got three from the library today! (I had ordered them before I left and they came in while I was gone, so I had to pick them up today!!) I got two more Austen spinoffs by Joan Aiken and The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I actually need to read another library book first, because it is due this weekend...so I will have to wait just a bit more efore I can start these, but I am excited to read them!