Farmgirl Follies

Bright Star in the storm

Posted by Farmgirl on February 8, 2010  |  3 Comments

We had a snowstorm Friday night.

And then the power went out.

Suddenly we’re rationing drinking water … and let’s be honest … flushes, too. The first night was spent cozied up to the wood stove. By day two, we were rewiring things to work off the generator.

The house was warm again. Candlelight created cozy ambiance.

Three kids fighting over two flashlights did not.

The generator kept the furnace running. Another extension cord made the refrigerator functional … until Sunday afternoon, when the dirt overwhelmed me and I had to unplug the fridge to do a little housecleaning.

In case you’ve ever wondered, you can run a vacuum cleaner off a generator.

And a television.

That’s the Bright Star in this situation.

I’ll admit it, without apology.
I unplugged my refrigerator from a generator so I could plug in the TV and DVD player. Priorities, you know. But only after the chores were done, animals fed and kids in bed. And I solemnly vowed to plug the fridge back in after the movie.

I must be honest …Farmguy would have absolutely detested this movie. But I loved it to the depths of my poetry-reading, word-smitten, literature-loving soul.

The setting … the costumes … the unspoken entendres. Exquisite.

London: 1818 — a secret love affair begins between 23-year-old English poet, John Keats, and the girl next door, Fannie Brawne, an outspoken student of fashion. This unlikely pair started at odds; he thinking her a stylish minx, she unimpressed by literature in general.

By the time Fannie’s alarmed mother and Keats’ best friend Brown realize the attachment, the relationship has an unstoppable momentum. The young lovers are intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other. Keats wrote, “I have the feeling as if I were dissolving.”

And here’s my favorite line in the description:

Together they rode a wave of romantic obsession that deepened as their troubles mounted.

It was a good movie. 

It kept me warm on a cold winter’s eve. (And no, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s rated PG)

You may want to watch it a second — or possibly third — time if say, your power is still out and not expected back on until Wednesday.

But only after chores are done, animals fed and kids in bed.

And remember: hook the refrigerator back up to the generator when you’re finished.