Strolling Through Snow on a Thursday Evening (Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening)

The Roomie had service tonight, so I decided to be a good friend and hang out with her while we were waiting for the service van to come. It. Was. Beautiful. It. Was. FREEZING. We wandered around for a little while, trying to keep warm while we waited for the van, and then, we noticed the huge snowflakes falling everywhere, landing on our coats and our hair. They were so big that we could see all the little details on each flake! It was just an amazing experience with nature!

I walked back alone, and had a few peaceful minutes just to contemplate the world around me, and the glory that God has created. (By the time I got back to my dorm room, I couldn't feel my face, fingers, or toes...I'm currently defrosting). But, before I left the Roomie, we had some time to talk about the snow, and both of us thought of Robert Frost's poem: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," one of my personal favorites :D The weather must have been just like this when Robert Frost wrote his poem...

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

~Robert Frost

Snow

The snow is just so beautiful today, although incredibly cold. As I stare out the window of my dorm room, watching the puffy white flakes flying around dizzily, I can't help but think how wonderful today would be with a cup of hot coffee, a good book, and a cute man to cuddle with :")

Well...hehe...the only coffee I have access to right now (as in, if I want to stay inside where it is warm...) is rather lukewarm, and bittter, since I was in a rush, and didn't have the chance to add any sugar this morning, when I bought it! :P As for a good book, I actually don't have anything that I really want to read right now, and there is no cute guy for me to cuddle with...just a fleece blanket covered in hearts; the roomie and I refer to it as "The Blanket of Love," lol. So...I guess I'll just continue staring out the window at the snow. It's peaceful and beautiful, and it makes me happy...

On the Concept of Courtly Love

Up until this year, my opinions of the cult of "Courtly Love" were pretty consistent with those of the people from Sir Thomas Malory's day, in the 1400s, namely that it was a cute and comical concept used as a lighthearted and amusing literary plot device, but nothing more. Courtly Love doesn't exist, and if it ever did, it surely did not survive until now. Well, this year, I've had a bit of a rude awakening, and this poor, tormented English Major learned the hard way that there really is such a thing as Courtly Love!

To start this off, I would like to give you a quick run down of what Courtly Love even is. Basically, its what happens when you have a young man fall headfirst into love with a woman who probably doesn't even know he exists, and as a result, he starts to display signs of an "illness" that we now know as "love-sickness" :P In my case, however, the roles are slightly reversed, in that I'm the one falling in love with someone else, even though I'm the woman!

I'm not going to burden you with all the details, but I'll give you a quick rundown of some of the signs of Courtly Love (yes, I really do have a handout with them all written down on it :P Thank you, English classes!)

3. No one can be bound by a double love
15. Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his [or her] beloved
17. A new love puts flight to an old one
23. He [or she] who the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little
30. A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thoughts of his beloved

Eesh...right? So, I'm sure you'll understand my predicament. The wonderful "lover" in question is my dear Willoughby from "Walking in the Rain (Sense and Sensibility)" As the wonderful roomie and I were reading over the list the other day, we were both amused and slightly worried by the fact that I really did display most of the traits of Courtly Love. I guess its just one of those amusing karma kicks in the pants...don't doubt or you will be punished, lol. :P

(So, is this why I've had butterflies in my stomach ALL day, and I can't get him out of my mind? Being in a relationship with him was not healthy for me, but even so, it doesn't mean that I don't love him.) CURSE YOU, COURTLY LOVE!!!!!! /:-c

Happy Birthday!!!

Just wanted to wish a wonderful 20th birthday to a dear friend of mine! Happy Birthday, Matt!!!

Walking in the Rain (Sense and Sensibility)

The weather today is TERRIBLE! It's been wet and rainy and gross...but to be honest, I kinda like this weather...It's perfect for curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee... Today, however, there are two problems with this... 1. The roomie gave up coffee for Lent, so for solidarity, I've also tried to give it up (or at least resist drinking it in her presence). 2. I've been inside all day, and I'm starting to go stir-crazy-- I just can't sit still!

This weather really reminds me of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin. The wonderful roomie actually introduced me to this story at a point in my life when I was still recovering from a toxic friendship, and I needed to find a way to escape from this man who was making me into something I was not. The roomie and I joked that all I needed to do would be to wander in the rain until my Brandon came for me. Well, I wandered in the rain of life, and a Willoughby came for me instead. :(

"When he was present she had no eyes for anyone else. Everything he did was right. Everything he said was clever. If their evenings at the Park were concluded with cards, he cheated himself and all the rest of the party to get her a good hand. If dancing formed the amusement of the night, they were partners for half the time; and when obliged to separate for a couple of dances, were careful to stand together, and scarcely spoke a word to anybody else. Such conduct made them, of course, most exceedingly laughed at; but ridicule could not shame, and seemed hardly to provoke them."

~Jane Austin (Sense and Sensibility)

He sounds so wonderful, but underneath all that is a total loser; and I'm not interested in that for myself... Like Marianne, I was in a vulnerable state when Willoughby found me, and I fell for his charms. Sometimes, in the dark, rainy parts of our lives, we can't really see if the person coming to our aid is a Willoughby or a Brandon.

However, I've finally gotten past Willoughby, and I'm ready for my Brandon to come and find me when I fall. This time, I've learned...I'm not going to be caught searching anymore. I'm just going to wander in the rain until I stumble; then, Brandon will come.

Happy Monday!

Hello everyone, happy Monday!

I'm so excited to announce that this is my FIRST blog post EVER! I can't wait to see how this turns out!

Ummm...okay: a little about myself... My name is Emmy, and I am a college student between the ages of 18 and 30. I'm IN LOVE with literature, and as I'm sure you'll be able to tell, this is going to be a blog devoted entirely to books. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to work this, but I would say there will be a bit of my literary "insights," and of course, my ramblings. If you like books and want to talk about it, post me a comment with opinions, suggestions, etc. :)