I must admit, while I love Downton Abbey, I do not get why it is so popular compared to all the other fabulous offerings over the years from the BBC. Today, I am looking for inspiration and where else does one go but the master? Jane Austen. While Di and I disagree on the versions, I personally will never love another Darcy as I do Colin Firth. It took a while. Because I did not consider him dark like DARCY means and the first BBC Darcy (David Rintoul) embodied. But as time wore on, Colin quickly wore me down. He conveys so much in a look and it's true to the book. The depth of character in both Darcy and Miss Eliza Bennet is best conveyed in this complicated first proposal. The subtext is brilliant, no?
So I must share what has inspired me for years. What makes Downton possible and what has to be the quickest eight hours of quality television I've ever enjoyed. Again and again and again.
You may recall I fell and got a concussion at Santana Row a few weeks ago. Not to be deterred from great shopping by a simple head injury, my BFF Beth and I ventured there for dinner & a movie last night. Oh my goodness, Yankee Pier has this frozen strawberry lemonade for $4 a pop with no alcohol, but easily as addictive. I could have swilled a few of those, but I refrained (I was holding off on the calorie count for Sour Patch Kids and Diet Coke at the movies).
So we saw Mamma Mia, which was incredible -- the right kind of cheese! So much fun. Colin Firth in scary plaid and um, paisley. I know Colin, you’re trying to counter your Mr. Darcy effect. You took that role to say to us obsessive fans that you will not be typecast – and I have to admit, you looked really bad in Lilly Pulitzer-type paisley. Which tells one how cheesy the movie is, because a gay man would never dress so abhorrently, but whatever. Not helped by BFF whispering in movie, “Your boyfriend is wearing paisley.” Still a GREAT time, in singing/laughter-infused estrogen-fest and Colin, you will always be Mr. Darcy to us. It brought us such immense joy in our lives, it cannot be swayed by a fun role in bad beachwear. We…we will always remember the white fluffy shirt…the pond…the brooding, how ardently you loved and admired Miss Elizabeth Bennet. We withstood “Circle of Friends” and we can overcome this as well.
Onto something more serious. I currently am sporting a very bad, self-inflicted mullet. My hairdresser only had time for a color OR a cut. Well, go ahead, color me, I can cut it myself. Only I can’t. And I have a really scary business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back mullet of devastating proportions. And I’m too embarrassed to get a cut now because my hairdresser will have a fit. And none of this would have been that devastating, since I’ve been wearing my sunglasses on my head, but my DH arranged an appt early this morning, and my bedhead mullet, awoke to a gorgeous, young fireman at my doorstep at 8:00 a.m. Now I’m not so deluded as to believe said gorgeous fireman cares, but I don’t know, if you’re going to have a bad morning mullet, I’m thinking I want the guy at the door to be missing a few teeth. Is that too much to ask? DH had warm words of encouragement, “Well, you’re the one who cut your hair.” Sigh. The gulf between man and woman widens.
Update: Stardate 7/25 See attached photo, they fixed the mullet, but said it would take two haircuts to grow out. She said one side was actually one and a half inches longer than the other in the back. Pretty.
Kristin Billerbeck is a proud Californian, wife, mother of four, and connoisseur of the irrelevant. She writes Christian Chick Lit; where she finds need for most of the useless facts lulling about in her head.
Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.
Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.
Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.
Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.
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