The Bend in the Road (ch 38)

"When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla."

Don't you wish everyone had this kind of outlook on bends in the road?

Lastly, "nothing could rob her of her birthright of fancy or her ideal world of dreams. And there was always the bend in the road!"

The Reaper Whose Name Is Death (ch 37)

Matthew is gone.

"Anne looked at the still face and there beheld the seal of the Great Presence."

"She felt something like shame and remorse when she discovered that the sunrises behind the firs and the pale pink buds opening in the garden gave her the old inrush of gladness when she saw them - that Diana's visits were pleasant to her and that Diana's merry words and ways moved her to laughter and love and friendship had lost none of its power to please her fancy and thrill her heart, that life still called her with many insistent voices."

"Today Diana said something funny and I found myself laughing. I thought when it happened I could never laugh again. And it somehow seems as if I oughtn't to."

The Glory and the Dream (ch 36)

Congratulations Anne! You've won the Avery. How wonderful. Now it's back to Avonlea and the apple blossoms.

But apple blossoms don't last forever. "Anne always remembered the silvery, peaceful beauty and fragrant calm of that night. It was the last night before sorrow touched her life; and no life is ever quite the same again when once that cold, sanctifying touch has been laid upon it."

The Winter and Queen's (ch 35)

Her thoughts are often turning to Gilbert. HMMM........

I didn't think I was ever going to find a picture of blooming chestnut trees. This is a painting done by Pierre Auguste Renoir’s (1841 – 1919).

Purple violets. I have several of these in my flower bed. I love them too, Anne.

The Hotel Concert (ch 33)

My how Anne has grown up. Her room must seem pulchritudinous to her. I couldn't wait to use that word. Just don't ask me to pronounce it.

I had forgotten that Anne was older than Diana. Will Diana ever make it through school with out Anne?

Does Lucy Maud Montgomery know how to end a chapter or what? "Well, I don't want to be any one but myself, even if I go uncomforted by diamonds all my life," declared Anne. "I'm quite content to be Anne of Green Gables, with my string of pearl beads. I know Matthew gave me as much love with them as ever went with Madam the Pin Lady's jewels."

elocutionist - a person who studies and practices oral delivery, including the control of both voice and gesture (I knew what this word meant, but i wanted to include it anyway)

unpropitious - Unfavorable

The Pass List is Out (ch 32)

Will she pass or fail?

"if you can't be cheerful, be as cheerful as you can."

and

"the sun will go on rising and setting even if I fail geometry"

And pass she did. With flying colors at the top of the list.

fortnight - the space of fourteen nights and days; two weeks

A Queen's Girl (ch 34)

Ahh, how lonely to be in a narrow room with no green or bookcase. And to think that Marilla was looking down the lane for Matthew. And then that Josie Pye. Maybe loneliness is better than Josie's companionship.

I can see that my post are getting shorter. I wonder if that is because Anne is all grown up. Or am I just tired of writing and want to get this chapter over with?

garret - an attic, usually a small, wretched one

Tuesdays Quote

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.



~Groucho Marx

Where the Brook and River Meet (ch 31)

I'm wondering how much our clothing affects our attitude. I know of course that I feel better when I'm dressed nice. But how does it affect our children? Does it make a difference?





Well, Marilla, crying over Anne not being a little girl anymore. I don't even want to think about that thought.





unregenerate - not renewed in heart and mind or reborn in spirit; unrepentant





flounce - a strip of material gathered or pleated and attached at one edge, with the other edge left loose or hanging: used for trimming, as on the edge of a skirt or sleeve or on a curtain, slipcover, etc.

The Queen's Class is Organized (ch. 30)

Finally!!!! She has forgiven Gilbert and didn't even realize it. Oh Anne, I'm so happy that you don't carry that bitterness around anymore.





I can't blame her for wanting to put those books under lock and key. I would want to do the same thing. Thanks goodness I don't have to teach geometry yet.

Quotes I want to remember....always

I've decided to make a list of quotes that I want to remember. And since my memory isn't so good lately I thought I had better write them down. They will be listed under "quotes I want to remember."


Oh it was a never to be forgotten day, Marilla.

An Epoch in Anne's Life (ch. 29)

I do love this chapter but so far my favorite is this. "It's always wrong to do anything you can't tell the ministers wife." It's as good as an extra conscience to have a minister's wife for your friend."

It brought tears to my eyes to read the words, "But the best of it all was coming home."

I can't imagine what Anne's life would have been like if she had not gone to live with Marilla and Matthew. What love has grown up between Marilla, Matthew and Anne. It makes my heart swell and my eyes water.....again.

epoch - a point of time distinguished by a particular event or state of affairs; a memorable date

prima donna - a first or principal female singer of an opera company

prosaic - commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative

An Unfortunate Lily Maid (ch 28)

I've been waiting for this chapter. I can't wait to read what I saw on the movie. I had forgotten exactly what happened. But I could remember the pond and a boat and something dreadful.

Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert. He came to her rescue and still she hates him.

Again, Matthew saves the day and tells Anne to keep at least some of her romance.

parsed - to analyze (a sentence) in terms of grammatical constituents, identifying the parts of speech, syntactic relations, etc

presentiment - a feeling or impression that something is about to happen, esp. something evil; foreboding

Vanity and Vexation of Spirit (ch 27)

Gasp! Anne has green hair. Oh the poor girl. She tries so hard and then it just blows up in her face. At least she is trying to be a more forgiving. And in the end Marilla says that her talking isn't making her headache worse.


coruscation - a sudden gleam or flash of light

snood - the pendulous skin over the beak of a turkey or a headband for the hair(I'm quite sure Anne wasn't talking about the turkey snood)

The Story Club is Formed. (ch 26)

So, what is your besetting sin? First I have to know what besetting means. Ah, judging from dictionary.com it must be a church word. See below. Hmmm, it is going to take some thinking to come up with my besetting sin.

Oh my gosh, my daughter just turned 12. According to Anne, when she turns 13 she will know so much more. I'm not sure I'll be able to stand that. LOL!

Oh my, doesn't Anne have an imagination. Can you believe that Bertram jumped in to save Geraldine but forgetting he couldn't swim they both drowned. I actually laughed out loud when I read that. She is quite entertaining.

besetting - constantly assailing or obsessing, as with temptation: a besetting sin.

Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves (ch 25)

Finally, a nice new dress for Anne. With puffed sleeves, however, the dress in the book is brown. Oh my, what poor Matthew had to go through to get it for her.

And I do believe Marilla is coming around.


cogitation - concerted thought or reflection

deprecatory - apologetic; making apology

contemptuously - scornfully

ingratiatingly - charming; agreeable; pleasing (i like this word)

Miss Stacy and Her Pupils Get Up a Concert (ch 24)

My daughters piano teacher calls her students pupils. Interesting.....


Isn't it remarkable how Anne's life has changed since she came to Avonlea. She has many friends and family. And, maybe most importantly, someone to "spoil"her.


A student is a person attending an educational institution or someone who has devoted much attention to a particular problem.

A pupil is one under the close supervision of a teacher, either because of youth or of specialization in some branch of study.

gadding - to move restlessly or aimlessly from one place to another (my kids gad about all the time, don't yours?)

Anne Comes to Griefin an Affair of Honor (ch 23)

Daring was the fashionable amusement among the Avonlea small fry just then. It has begun among the boys, but soon spread to the girls, and all the silly things that were done in Avonlea that summer because the doers thereof were "dared" to do them would fill a book by themselves. I love that line.

"Anne tossed her red braids." Oh no, here comes trouble.

"No, Diana, I am not killed, but I think I am rendered unconscious." THAT is too funny.

I would have fainted too if I would have had to explain how I broken my ankle to Marilla.

"Oh, I'm an afflicted mortal."

I too, know some some people that surely couldn't have ever been children.

And to end the chapter. " There's one thing plain to be seen, Anne," said Marilla, "and that is that your fall off the Barry roof hasn't injured your tongue at all."



oft - short of often

Anne is invited out to tea (ch. 21)

Anne is always so caught up in doing what is right and proper. Oh how I wish my children would think like that. At least to some degree. Then Marilla gives her the best advice of all. "You should just think of Mrs. Allan and what would be nicest and most agreeable for her,"


The Family Herald - according to wikipedia - The Family Herald: A Domestic Magazine of Useful Information & Amusement (1843-1940) was a weekly story paper established by James Elishama Smith in 1843


manse - the house and land occupied by a minister or parson

pithy - full of vigor, substance, or meaning (hmmmm)

I'm way behind.

Yes I know. I am way behind. But I'm going to try and get finished by the end of March. The reading part isn't what's keeping me from finishing. Well, maybe that is part of it, because I have read about 5 books since I started Anne of Green Gables. It takes a while to read and look up words and type and look up words and post and look up words. You get the drift. Anyway, I'm back on track now. Thanks for sticking with me.

Tuesdays Quote

My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter. ~Thomas Helm

A New Departure in Flavorings (ch 21)

LOL!!! This is too funny. "Many a thing Mrs. Lynde had lent, sometimes never expecting to see it again, came home that night in charge of borrowers thereof." Ha! They needed a good reason to gossip.


Funny how much emphasis there was on housecleaning and feminine duties. "....sound doctrine in the man and good housekeeping in the woman make an ideal combination for a minister's family." And poor Anne used anondyne liniment for vanilla. That must have been awful.


presentiment - a feeling or impression that something is about to happen, esp. something evil; foreboding

sojourn - a temporary stay (didn't know that)

dyspeptic - suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion) (is that where pepto bismol gets its name?)

anodyne liniment - find a recipe here