We had a great meeting this week of the Jane Austen Book Club.  Thanks go to English native Mary Wyatt, who made delicious salmon and cucumber sandwiches and Jean Davis who provided the food.  Mary regaled us with stories about England and her memories of English teatimes.  We had 10 people join us for the tea and also the discussion of Mansfield Park.  We also had two different versions of MP running on video.

Don’t miss this year’s Big Read selection, Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya!

No, we don’t mean that the cat needs an ice bath nor that it is the latest model on the catwalk. We mean that, among pet owners, cats are now the most popular, having finally lapped dogs in the race for America’s affections: there are officially more cats than dogs in American homes. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are 81.7 million cats and only 72 million dogs. However, there are more dog owners than cat owners—surely a testimony to the cat lovers’ desire for more than one feline!

Next Monday, February 11th at 6:00 pm, the Jane Austen Book Club meets in the MacIntyre room in the Carnegie Building, 244 W. Michigan Ave.  We have lots to talk about, especially last Sunday's Austen biopic on Masterpiece Classics. 

The opening salvo of Masterpiece Classics (formerly Masterpiece Theatre) missed the target with its new adaptation of Jane Austen's "Persuasion."  Vital scenes were played out of order and context, dialogue assigned to the wrong character and an embarrasing marathon by Anne Elliott through the streets of Bath.  Really!  Young ladies of good character did not hurtle down the streets in pursuit of young gentlemen in Regency times, yet this adaptation shows Anne running to and fro, hither and yon and meeting up with all the major characters in the novel, including her invalid

Masterpiece Theatre is America's longest running dramatic program.  Starting this Sunday, they will devote four months to dramatizations of all of Jane Austen's novels, as well as a film biography of the novelist's lost loves.  This is an unprecedented presentation of any author's work, but Jane Austen is acknowledged by scholars as the creator of the modern novel.  4 of the six film adaptations will be new to American audiences, and the best-known, "Pride & Prejudice" with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle has never been shown in the U. S.

Many of us make new years resolutions.  The idea is to change some things ourselves, or about their lives. Things like:

• Loose weight
• Get in shape
• Eat healthier
• Exercise more
• Learn how to use the computer

Many people break those resolutions by February.
Somewhere I heard that in order for something to become a habit you have to repeat it 21 times.  
So theoretically if we do some thing everyday for 3 weeks, it will be come a habit and become much easier to continue.

Sorry, I mispoke in my last missive.  We will be gathering on Monday nights instead - the 2nd Monday of each month.  Accomodations in the McIntyre Room were more readily available on Monday night.  We will meet on the following dates in 2008 - 1/07, 2/11, 3/10, 4/14, 5/12, 6/9, 7/14, 8/11, 9/8, 10/13, 11/10, 12/8.  We will meet from 6:00 to 8:00 pm during winter hours and 5:00 - 6:45 during the summer.

The Jane Austen Book Club is moving to Tuesday night!  Yes, the competition for well- read, intelligent company is intense and after much discussion, we have decided to yield Wednesday night to the many delights of choral music.  Therefore, we will be meeting on the second Tuesday of every month in the McIntyre room in the Carnegie Building from 6:00 until 8:00.

Good news for Jan Karon fans: She has published her; first new adult book in about 2 years,