A New Obsession

(image from www.sidereel.com)

About two months ago I started reading (at my friend Adrianne's suggestion) Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it and had to return it to the library, being unable to renew it.

Well, several weeks ago one of my blogging friends wrote about this 2004 version of the movie North and South. I finally borrowed it from the library and have LOVED watching it these past two days (it is a four-hour movie). Um, seriously, I think I am obsessed. The whole movie is great, and it has one of those romantic endings that you just have to rewind and re-watch about 15 times. It is a must-buy. Check it out.

I need to finish reading the book now!

Confessions of a Twilight Addict

My sister-in-law has terrible dreams when she is pregnant. In fact, that's how she first knew she was pregnant this time around. The dreams started coming.

I think I only dreamed about my unborn baby once while I was pregnant. I dreamed that I could "unzip" my little marsupial pouch and hold him, umbilical cord still attached and everything. I must have known that it was a bit odd at the time, because I asked my doctor brother in my dream if it was all right that I was holding him. He said, Yes, as long as he stayed asleep. So I continued to hold him as I hiked around Arches National Park. Yes, nothing to brag about, and not nearly as freaky as the dreams my sister-in-law has had recently about her unborn daughter.

After the Buddy was born, however, the dreams about him came a little more frequently. How many new parents have not had dreams that something tragic happened to their newborn child? I sure had my fair share of those.

Last night, however, my dreams jumped to a new energy level (see "Quantum Mechanics"). I dreamed that Jared was a vampire. Now, I suppose that this dream was not unfounded. Jared only has 2 teeth, but they are quite sharp, and he has been known to bite me in tender places. However, I think there's more to it. Have you ever loved someone whose biggest desire was to drink your blood? That was the basis of my dream. This little person whom I loved was chasing me around all night wanting to drink me alive. Weird. Sounds a little bit like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books. I happen to enjoy these books quite a bit. My husband and I have read them out loud to each other. Before the third book, Eclipse, came out, my husband would periodically ask rhetorically in a suspenseful voice, "What's going to happen to Edward and Bella?" Unfortunately, we still don't know. My siblings have had some good speculations, though. A few days ago I was looking on the web at the cast of characters for the upcoming Twilight movie (undoubtedly the real source of my dream). Check it out yourself! I think they did a good job casting! Now, my only last request is that they cast Dennis Quaid as Charlie. He'd be perfect. Don't you agree?

It's strange how one small, innocent act can affect my tender sleep.