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Superb Owl Sunday
Feb. 8th, 2026 10:37 pmI enjoyed The Atlantic's annual roundup of superb owl photos (gift link) this morning. I didn't watch the game; my Sunday evening plans were just choir, as usual.
It's been a quiet weekend for me, and a chilly one - weather during the work week was fine, but the temperature absolutely plummeted yesterday, and it looks like more cold ahead.
I have made some progress in Mansfield Park, though I'm still not even halfway through; I just finished the first volume (of three), in fact. Honestly, it took me a while to get into the story, and to get a good sense of the heroine, Fanny - at first, I pitied her but wasn't otherwise too interested, but now I adore her! And on a personal level, as someone who was told many times as a child that she was too sensitive, I love that Fanny's sensitive nature doesn't seem to be condemned or shown as an obstacle she needs to overcome in order to come into her own. It's even a good thing to the extent that it makes her sensitive to others' feelings and needs, and to the demands of propriety - she's socially conscientious, in a way the Bertram siblings are not. What she needs isn't to be less uptight or to grow a thicker skin, but to trust her own judgment more.
Exciting developments planned for the week ahead: I start French classes Tuesday night! I've studied Spanish and Latin, but never French - so wish me bonne chance!
It's been a quiet weekend for me, and a chilly one - weather during the work week was fine, but the temperature absolutely plummeted yesterday, and it looks like more cold ahead.
I have made some progress in Mansfield Park, though I'm still not even halfway through; I just finished the first volume (of three), in fact. Honestly, it took me a while to get into the story, and to get a good sense of the heroine, Fanny - at first, I pitied her but wasn't otherwise too interested, but now I adore her! And on a personal level, as someone who was told many times as a child that she was too sensitive, I love that Fanny's sensitive nature doesn't seem to be condemned or shown as an obstacle she needs to overcome in order to come into her own. It's even a good thing to the extent that it makes her sensitive to others' feelings and needs, and to the demands of propriety - she's socially conscientious, in a way the Bertram siblings are not. What she needs isn't to be less uptight or to grow a thicker skin, but to trust her own judgment more.
Exciting developments planned for the week ahead: I start French classes Tuesday night! I've studied Spanish and Latin, but never French - so wish me bonne chance!
