This I Know

People who are too fat know it and we don’t need to keep being reminded. I eat too much and am too fat, but my real vice is that I am bad tempered.

 ~ Julian Fellowes

Source

I am joining Amy for Five on Friday for the first time! I am using the format "This I Know" inspired by reading the above quote at the above source. 

1. Since I am a horrible copycat, I will echo Julian Fellowes' comment. I am fat. I know it. You can shut up now. (Does this also make me bad-tempered?) 

2. Winter became a little brighter when Downton Abbey returned. I'm already in high anticipation for episode 3 on Sunday evening.

Source

3. Spoilers are no fun. It can be a challenge not to be Newsy Nancy so thank you to all who are in the know, yet play it cool and coy. 

4. The minute you pull out of the donate dock at your nearest Goodwill, you will think of a way to use whatever it was that you dropped off. 

5. ♪Jesus loves me, this I know. (And He loves you, too.) The Bible tells me so. ♪

♥♥♥ 

You can find the other participants at Love Made My Home. 

A happy weekend to you! 

Where Did They Go, Et Cetera, Etc.

I was shocked one morning a couple of weeks ago by what was going on at the bottom of my blog page. I went to bed one evening with over 500 Friends and woke the next morning with 480. Oh no! I wondered what I had done wrong to offend so many so quickly! Apparently, nothing. This is something that Google is doing. You can find a message on your Blogger Design Page about it in the Overview tab. (If you ever wondered in the first place. Did you?) I am happy to see the number ticking back up ever so slowly. Thank you to my new Friends. Perhaps some of the same Friends I lost. Not sure.
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Oh aren't we off to a delicious start with Season 6 of Downton Abbey?! So pleasant, after all this time, to watch Downton Abbey once again. No big spoilers here today (nor in comments please), though I did love the way Lord Grantham dispatched a certain troublesome witchy woman. That man is wiser than I gave him credit for. Oh and I did love Violet's question to Mrs. Crawford: Does it ever get cold on the moral high ground?
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A little off topic, but did you happen to see the Downton Abbey float at The Tournament of Roses Parade? Now that was beautiful. Wanda of Got a Minute or Two is showing some close-up shots of the floats, including the Downton Abbey one on this post. Wanda is revealing a couple of secrets about the float, too. ☺

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Off to dismantle a bit more Christmas. I am playing a game. If I am caught taking down Christmas, I lose. How good that John is not the most observant man. Slowly is the name of the game. No more than five trips up and down stairs a day carrying a tray of treasures. In the mornings I pack those away and start over. Perhaps the tree will be all down and packed away by the weekend or perhaps I shall decide that we need a winter tree with lights only to cheer us for another while. After all, I decorate seasonally all year through and winter is the current season. 

Downton Abbey Season Five Thoughts

Earlier in the week, I had promised my sparkling and witty observations on Downton Abbey Season 5 and am now quite shocked to discover I don't have any. What a bummer! Yes, I'm often running behind these days. (Unlike Violet, I am not able to claim that the last time I was late was the day I was born.)   No synopsis here. Just some random willy-nilly thoughts and some photos snitched from ITV dot com and such places.  There are a few screen captures from rewatching at Masterpiece through the PBS site. Okay, now that that's out of the way...off we go. Overall, I liked Season 5, though I had my doubts when Lady Mary was busily trying to "test" Lord Gillingham. Is there a delicate way to say this?  Such "testing" is unnecessary because the plumbing is so rarely the problem. Relationships are the problem and relationship does not require testing the equipment. (Oh dear, this is excruciating...don't mean to make anyone cringe.) And even with Violet's advice, "In my day a Lady was incapable of feeling physical attraction, until she had been instructed to do so by her Mama."   Yes, well, apparently, not. Because this season also included that back story about Violet's affair/near affair with Kuragin.  I can not imagine what drew her to him. He's definitely a moody Russian, but then life has been hard on him and perhaps he's become more and more depressed over time never having begun that way. Wonderful to hear the "details" of the story when Isobel and Violet were having their heart to heart. Being "snatched back from the abyss" by the Princess Kuragin proved to be one of Violet's greatest life lessons—family is more important than any affair with a moody Russian. One thing I would have liked is if the producers had included an actor of Violet's age. The actor who plays Kuragin is 12 years younger than Maggie Smith. It made for confusion when one is into timelines as much as I am.  It would have made that storyline more believable for me. You can find some excellent Downton Abbey timelines online, if you get confused by ages and events. For example, I was shocked to discover how old Lady Mary is.  Season Five Theme : Family is more important than any grubby old affair.
I'm going to leave poor Cora alone, but just so you know: I did not find her behavior blameless with that stupid art dealer, yet I am glad that, ultimately, she and Lord Grantham are closer now. I once described that couple as the glue that holds the show together and I still feel that way. The little filler stories didn't excite me much — the conflicts below stairs and the ongoing saga of Violet's battling staff. I know that I am not alone with wishing that Mr. and Mrs. Bates be allowed to move on to a happy future with no more of that bothersome story line. Joanne Froggatt is just amazing in her role. I enjoy watching those intense emotions flit across her face.

~Blast! They're arresting me!~

~Resolved or nearly...close enough!~

Mary's finest moment this season probably came with being willing to visit her maid in prison. I loved that about her. I did not love that she is so cruel and cutting to Edith. I agree with her Granny's assessment: My dear, a lack of compassion can be as vulgar as an excess of tears. And how unobservant Mary is to not recognize that Marigold is Edith's child. She's the last one at Downton Abbey who hasn't a clue. 

I find this ironic given her powers of observation. After all, she praises Henry Talbot for asking good questions, even as she tells him that she won't answer. I hope that these two are in each other's future. Really, I just hope that anyone, except Tom, is in Mary's. Sinderby's affair story line annoyed me. Refer to Season Five's theme. Though I am always happy when a snooty butler is reminded of his station by an even snootier butler. Ha!

~snooty butler/s~snooty Lord Sinderby bookends~ Because Rose was never a favorite character of mine, I am glad that she is married off and "redeemed" and heading for New York with Atticus and all in record speed, even by Downton Abbey standards. The scenes at Brancaster Castle were wonderful...the story not as much.

Perhaps it was just a chance for Alnwick Castle as Brancaster Castle to shine. Do you feel, as I do, that these grand homes are characters, too? Mrs. Drewe...ewww...not happy with this portrayal. I wanted real tears! After all, she considered herself Marigold's mother. And why did the producers see fit to deny us the scene between Mrs. Drewe and Cora when Mrs. Drewe snitched on Edith to her mother? I wanted to see that!

Speaking of whacked story lines, why in the world does Mrs. Hughes need a demented sister? I'm just glad that Carson loves her and doesn't care that there's an odd sister floating about or that Mrs. Hughes is a pauper. Hope that we get to see the wedding! Just one thing, she touched him on the arm when she accepted the old booby's proposal. Really? That's all? At least last year, we saw some hand-holding.

It seems that every episode brought some conversation about the changing times and how life could not go on as it always had done. Foreshadowing at its finest. Though I can not find a source (other than Susan Branch), I think next season will be the last. The characters are growing older and the actors can't age that quickly without serious time in the make-up chair. Think of the costs! ☺ Isobel is so smart. I am glad that she gave Lord Merton the boot as his sons were insufferable. She and Violet will be wonderful companions in their continued old age. Loved the closing Christmas scenes...

 ~actors waiting for their scenes...such fun to see!~

This is my fond hope for next season:

~torn between two sisters~  

~not this one~

~this one!~
What are you saying, Vee?! That's right: I want Tom to marry Edith and have more children and live a long and happy life. Mary can have anyone. No Boston for Tom! Tom, trust me, Boston can be the puds. That's the extent of it...almost.

~RIP Isis~

Some Items of Business and a Downton Abbey Spoiler Alert

Two items of business and then some major Downton Abbey spoilers. When you see *Spoiler*Spoiler*Spoiler,* you'll consider yourself warned, right? Oh good.

First of all, this week is the Note Card Party. I know. So soon! There's a new button, if you'd like to have it; otherwise, carry on as usual. Both buttons can be found at the page you find when clicking for details. Either button is fine with me — whatever fits your decor. Thank you for displaying it (presuming that you do). I appreciate it so much. Seems as if our little Note Card Party is in decline so we'll see how it goes and play it by ear. There are new things coming along in Blogdom all the time that may be of more interest.

Like the new thing going on at Donna's. She is hosting a photo challenge *here.* She will not be holding your hand (mine neither apparently), though she will be providing links where we can learn a few tips. The first photo challenge is...well, you just run over there and find out! This could prove interesting. I may learn something in spite of myself.

*Spoiler Alert*Spoiler Alert*Spoiler Alert* 

So there we were watching Downton Abbey last night with part of the storyline taking place near Iverness, Scotland (Scottish Highlands, up in the glen, very pretty place).

Oops...wrong show!

There was a lot of walking about in the countryside and the gardens...

Violet Crawley and her niece Susan married to Shrimpie, parents of Rose

Am I far enough down here yet? I certainly hope so because I'm about to blow...

They killed him? Are you kidding me?! First they kill Sybil in an extremely cruel way and now Matthew? Oh there was a lot of foreshadowing, many hints of things to come.

Okay, perhaps not that bad...

Allow me to back track a bit. Just when I might have supposed that Matthew and Mary's love story is the major one of Downton Abbey, I realized all over again

that theirs is not the major love story after all. It is this love story that holds the fibers together:

And so help me, if they mess with that love story much more I am really going to be upset. Consider yourselves warned, Downton Abbey people. (Julian Fellowes, this means you!)

Last night, there was a whole lot of "coupling" going on. Even Mrs. Patmore was in on it. Thank goodness she listens to her dear friend Mrs. Hughes.

Let's see, we had...

Doctor Clarkson and Isobel Crawley. I love the acting...doesn't she have the perfect pleasant and perplexed look going on? (Not only that, I loved the color of those walls.)

Tom and Edna and, thank you, Carson and Mrs. Hughes, for calling it correctly. That little Edna had to go. Phew! I just love Mrs. Hughes' wisdom: "Tom, she tried to make you ashamed of who you've become."

Mr. Bates and Anna shared an idyllic picnic in Scotland. Lovely to see them together and I only hope that the scene with little Rose is not any kind of foreshadowing whatsoever. Do you hear me, Downton Abbey people?

(I did like the way Rose's dress matched the tree.)

Then we had Edith and Michael (the married man) and, sadly, Edith has slipped her moorings telling him that they will have many more evenings together. Ackkk....

And wouldn't I just love to see Carson and Mrs. Hughes finally realize that they care deeply for one another...What do you think?

But just this one last time, let us focus on dear Matthew and Mary...

Mary looks so lovely in blue...

The newest Crawley family and the newest Lord Grantham to be... Will his name be Matthew? 

Matthew's over the moon with happiness...so giddy!

"You'll be a wonderful mother, Mary."

The final kiss...

So very giddy...

I'd just like to say that it would be fine with me if you'd change your minds, Downton Abbey people. I am not opposed to "it was all a dream" sorts of scenes. Just sayin'...

Your thoughts on Season Three?

A Lovely Lady

Lovely frost tracings. John thinks this looks something like a swan swimming in ferns. It certainly has been frigid in our corner. How about yours?

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So I've been cleaning and cleaning and tossing and shredding left and right. These are my mother's and grandmother's papers. I hold onto anything that is a letter with any information that might be of interest one day. If it's all about the weather and local gossip...not so much. If there's a mention of historical events...definitely yes. If there's a mention of family history...yes. There are a lot more yays than nays.

I repacked all the family photo albums dating back to beginning of time. For the first time, I can see how such treasures wind up in flea markets. There's just so much hauling these things along. What does one do with it all? 

And in the middle of that, I brought home another instant ancestor. I brought her home because her photograph was so clearly labeled. Her name is Irene Marion Powers and her photograph was taken in 1901 in Pittsfield, Maine.

sitting on my window ledge

Imagine my surprise to look for her this morning and find her already featured at another blog right *here.* The blogger has done quite a little research and found out some interesting additional information about the lovely lady.

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Downton Abbey...one cannot complain about that program dragging as the plot boots right along. Last night, the Spanish Flu was a part of the story line.

Back when I was teaching, I sometimes asked my adult students to write an essay on family legends and lore. If students couldn't think of anything to write, I would offer suggestions, one of which was to discuss how the flu pandemic of 1918 affected their families. I suggested it because my family is filled with stories about that time.

My great-grandmother went to bed on an autumn day and didn't get out of it again for six weeks. My grandmother, nine years old at the time, was coming down with the flu when her father fixed her a hot toddy and sent her to bed on the suggestion of the family doctor. Her father found her on the stair landing curled into a ball when he went up to bed. My grandmother recovered quickly unlike her poor mother. And the stories come from all sides of the family. Does your family have such stories?

I see that next week is the Christmas Show on DA. Does that mean that it's the final one of Season 2?