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Emma? Lizzy? The Dashwoods?

This morning, as I was blearily punching up my email while simultaneously burping the baby, I received a note tipping me off to an article in the New York Times Magazine insert.  An article about houseblogs.  In which housebloggers are compared to the protagonists of Jane Austen's novels AND publishers of smutty pornography at the same time.  (Well, he actually seems to go much deeper into comparative literature and makes all sorts of excellent intellectual points according to Aaron.  I'm just skimming because, you know, sleep deprivation.)

I immediately looked down at my uniform these days of sweat pants, spit-up streaked nursing shirt, clogs, burp cloth and "baby as appendage".  What I would give to channel either Lizzy Bennet or Pamela Anderson right now!  Okay, maybe not Pam as much.  But she did used to be the "Tool Time Girl."  So, there is a connection there, however slight, right?  I mean, Pam and I have both worn tool belts.  And that is where the comparison sadly ends.

So, I went to brush my teeth to make myself  feel better.  (I can look like a mess and brushing my teeth always makes me feel a bit more human.  I don't look cleaner but...hey!  Minty!  Fresh!  Breath!) 

As I stared into the mirror and reflected on Stephen Metcalf's article, I was propelled back in time to the first day of walking through the house.  When this very space where I was brushing my teeth looked like this:

How in the world did we ever picture the end result with that as our starting point?!  It is still a mystery to me.  But, maybe housebloggers as Emma makes sense after all.  Emma took people on as projects to be improved and "raised up".  (Look at her work on Harriet Smith!)  We take on houses instead of people.  And, as with  Emma, things don't always go as planned.  Though we all hope it turns out okay in the end.  Yes, sometimes we have to call in the professionals (either from lack of special equipment or skills, or because building codes require it).  But this brings its own potential complications and pitfalls as well as an (often) amusing cast of characters. 

Mr. Metcalf's article just makes me all the more impatient to keep going on the house...to move on to our next projects.  Transforming the living room.  Finishing the windows on the first floor.  Attacking the exterior.  Trying to figure out the "real" kitchen.

But, um, first we have to finish the second floor.  There is still trim to be reinstalled.  And, having doors on the rooms would be helpful.  Doors on the bathroom cabinet.  I have to figure out how I'm going to make interior windows.  You know, little things.

And, I took the Jane Austen's Heroine Quiz.  You know, just for the heck of it.  Turns out, I'm Marianne Dashwood.  Now, if I can just get safety goggles to match that lovely hat...

By the way, there are a LOT of houseblogs out there to enjoy...here are a whole list of them.  Enjoy!

Posted by jeanne on March 5, 2006 at 2:20 PM (8)

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