The Big Bang Theory 8. 13

In The Big Bang Theory, we have quite an entertaining look at how frazzled Sheldon is willing to get in order to work productively on his new area of interest; Dark Matter. Pushing his anxiety levels results in some good results and lots of laughs, as his friends all happily pitch in. But going days without sleep and hardly eating can have their own set of side-effects.

Meanwhile, Howard entertains the group {at Raj’s expense} with his new favorite game, Emily or Cinnamon, in which the group must guess whether Raj said the quotes to his girlfriend or his dog. Hilarious fun! Next week’s episode looks exciting as well.

Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know. 

His house is in the village, though; 

He will not see me stopping here 

To watch his woods fill up with snow. 

My little horse must think it queer 

To stop without a farmhouse near 

Between the woods and frozen lake 

The darkest evening of the year. 

He gives his harness bells a shake 

To ask if there is some mistake. 

The only other sound's the sweep 

Of easy wind and downy flake. 

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, 

But I have promises to keep, 

And miles to go before I sleep, 

And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost 

Downton Abbey 5.4

In this latest installment of Downton Abbey, we have quite a bit going on as the show begins to build up to a dramatic climax. Mary and Anna go to London for a few days where Mary reunites with Blake at a fashion show and then breaks off her relationship with Gillingham {yay!}. Gillingham refuses to believe her and tells her they'll get through it together. Anna delivers a letter to Gillingham's flat for Mary and then walks into the square where Green died, attracting the suspicions of the police. Meanwhile, Edith is still upset over not being allowed to see Marigold anymore and gets news of what might've happened to Michael, then asks her uncle Shrimpy to look into his disappearance. Shrimpy is visiting to tell his daughter Rose that he and her mother are getting a divorce. and Mr. Brickers comes calling again, to Robert's displeasure. Robert finally loses it when Miss Bunting prods too far with her outrageous views and demands she leaves the house immediately, causing quite a flutter of talk and activity. When he recovers, he explains to Mary and Bronson why he doesn't want to sell his land to the big developing company - I agree with his logic.

There is a lot of stuff going on that's all leading up to something pretty big. I can't wait to see the next episode!!

The Secret of Pembrooke Park Book Review

Title: The Secret of Pembrooke Park.

Author: Julie Klassen.

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Regency England.

Plot: Abigail Foster has always been the sensible, sturdy one in her family. And when her family faces financial ruin, it's her burden to bear for having advised her father to take up the scheme in the first place. Sacrificing her dowry for her sister Louisa to have her season, Abigail {now twenty-three}, must accept that her chances of getting married are gone forever - especially since her childhood sweetheart seems bent on courting her younger prettier sister. Abigail and her father go house hunting and receive an astounding offer to reside in a beautiful manor that was abruptly abandoned eighteen years ago.

With hints of treasure and a secret room somewhere in the house, Abigail begins to dig up long-buried secrets while forging new friendships with the neighbors, the Chapman family. In particular, she befriends Leah and William Chapman, a brother-sister team that works together to educate the poor children of the community. William, also the local parson, soon finds himself falling in love with Abigail. But with mysterious visitors lurking in the shadows and a dark secret overhanging Pembrooke Park, William and Abigail's future is uncertain and quite possibly a hopeless dream.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved this book! It was filled with so many wonderful unique characters, beautifully written and had lots of delicious twists. The end was beautifully wrapped up, every stray thread tied off nicely. It was the best book I've read this year so far and I fully intend to add it to my personal library. Highly recommended!

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for content {a few kisses, a past murder, etc. nothing graphic}.

Date Review Written: January 20th, 2015.

January

The days are short, 

The sun a spark, 

Hung thin between 

The dark and dark. 

Fat snowy footsteps 

Track the floor. 

Milk bottles burst 

Outside the door. 

The river is 

A frozen place 

Held still beneath 

The trees of lace. 

The sky is low. 

The wind is gray. 

The radiator 

Purrs all day.

John Updike

Downton Abbey 5.3

In the latest episode of Downton Abbey, not much is really going on. The sergeant explains about the witness who heard Green speak just before his death, and he interviews Bates - to Anna's agitation. But Bates' alibi seems intact, though Mrs. Hughes is doubtful. Meanwhile, Mrs. Patmore is distraught over the fact that her cowardly nephew won't be remembered on any of the local memorials being set up for the war. Daisy is progressing well with her math and begins to dream of something other than being a kitchen maid, while Rose gets involved helping out the Russian refugees. She invites some of the Russians over to visit Downton and discover that Grandmama knows one of them, to Mary's amusement. Mary has been getting some heat from Grandma over her week with Gillingham and her own indecision over whether she actually wants to marry the guy or not, which is stupid because he can now use that week against her. Mary sends Anna home with her birth control to hide it which is definitely gonna backfire on her if and when Bates finds it. And poor Edith is getting too chummy with the little Marigold, which ticks off Mrs. Drewe and Mr. Drewe has to tell Edith to keep her distance for awhile. Why don't they just let Mrs. Drewe in on the secret? Seriously, it would make their scheming so much easier.

I think the next episode will be interesting.