Of Idlewood And Introductions

Meanwhile, in the Idlewood Archives…

Ooh!! Visitors…. Fascinating People come a’calling…. Oh, how perfectly splendid!! However did you know I wanted company just now?? 

I AM delighted to make your acquaintances, you lovely timely creatures you…. Come in, do, and let’s all be comfortable and chummy right off!! Kindred Spirits you must be, else you would never have found your way here. And now that you have….

Welcome to The Idlewood Archives!!  

(Because that’s all this was going to be, before it became more out of necessity. It now doubles as an introduction of sorts!)

You really do have the most impeccable timing, you know, I’ve only just put the kettle on! And gotten out my very best rosebud spray tea set too, so you see how providential it is that you happened along when you did (; Do help yourself to a raspberry tart while we wait for our tea…. They’re especially toothsome today, if the ones I taste-tested are any indication!

But look at me, putting the cart before the horse!! We haven’t even been properly introduced yet…. And we  really must attend to it at once, because whoever heard of eating the raspberry tarts of perfect strangers?? The very thought of it is absurd! And yet…. Just look how scrumptiously they turned out….          

I tell you what, dearies, we mustn’t let them go to waste for the lack of a thing like introductions! What say you, shall I start us off and save them? Yes?

Right then. We will set forth from the very beginning, which I am told is always an excellent place to commence with anything…. Especially and particularly friendships.

Hello, my lovelies…. I’m Emily! Emily Kent, to be specific. Once upon a NotStarr. The one grew, see, as folks of even a literary nature ARE prone to do, and became the other. 

Im the one in the upper-right-ish corner of your screen there. 

See me? 

Now, if you’ll allow me to hazard a guess…. The next thing you’ll be wanting to know is it comes to be that I’m playing hostess here! Because that is the order in which things naturally go with introductions, y’know, after names come occupations…. Except sometimes favourite colours may be inserted in between. If you’re either really quite young, desperate for topics, or truly curious…. And that has nothing to do with anything at all. But it does give you a pretty good sample of the kind of rabbit holes I tend to jump down…. Wait for me, Mr. White Rabbit!! But, scrambling back up out of the burrow and into the sunlight, and dusting myself off a wee bit so as to get back into a presentable state…. Behold, the explanation!

It is this.

Treasure of a lass that she is, Juliette gave me this corner for my very own, and granted me free rein in it….

Which, as you may well imagine, was the most delightful 

thing ever to come down out of the hills to a scribbler of my creed! That is also why I’m Alice-ing merrily away even in that most serious of times, in which first impressions must irrevocably be formed. I really feel quite at home here, y’see!! 

But now things have changed quite unexpectedly, and it has come to pass that I  *awed gulp* am now the official caretaker in this establishment…. Which has turned what was supposed to be a cozy little corner into something a great deal more serious. And this page into a combination of Authorly Information and also the corner it was originally intended to be. 

(To meet the original and muchly beloved author of the blog, our very own Juliette….. Press the blue button and do pop in!)

I do beg your pardon for the sheer length of it….. 

I know, I know, solid walls of words are the very first DONT of blogging!!! But the words just tickle me, and I can’t make them stop coming for the life of me :P Its like Homer Price and the doughnut machine, I’m afraid!

Well! (Here you draw an exasperated breath) That was certainly quite the spiel, Miss Kent. WERE you quite finished? Is there not something more you could say? Never mind, (this hastily)

Now, all this technical mumbo jumbo is very well and good, you say, but it still doesn’t exactly tell us who you are, Emily. For instance, it doesn’t tell us a thing about your familial circumstances, how many pounds a year you have, the colour of the gables on the house you live in, or even if you are inclined have temper tantrums upon first meeting.

All very important things when considering a potential kindred spirit, as everyone knows.

So…. Who, pray tell, is this particular Emily, if she’s not a Starr? What is she like, and do we wish to stick around this place and find out, or do we not?? Well, the latter two I leave you to decide on your own, but allow me to elucidate upon questions 1 and 2! 

I am: A daughter of the King learning to live the grace-filled life, an enthusiastic Reader Of Good Books, and an incorrigible scribbler, in that order. I believe a fair bit of this has been established already. If there’s any doubt in your minds, though, it shall surely be banished in short order…. In other words, you’ll find that out soon enough!! Or if you haven’t got that kind of spare time laying around, just go read my formal introduction on the main blog, that works too (; You’ll find it right here…. Handy little shortcut.

One thing you may not know about me, however, besides the colour of my gables, is that I have quite a penchant for bringing fictional characters and events into everyday conversation. Anyone who has known me for even very a short period of time can testify to that, and eloquently, because you’ll find evidence of this fact all over everything I do, like fingerprints! (Surprised?? No, somehow I didn’t think you would be ;) Also the quoting of brilliant people, (mostly authors) the occasional dive into fascinating snippets of history, (mainly the 18-1900’s)  and positively everything truly Anne. No imposters allowed!! (Lookin’ at you here, Anne With An E….)

And so it should stand to reason that a dedicated Anne fan such as myself would naturally also be Anneish, shouldn’t it? Like attracting like, and all that…. But myself, I’ve always had trouble fitting in moulds of any kind, I stick out in some places, and don’t properly fill out others…. 

And so I am rather Emily-Sara-Valancy-Jane-Anneish! 

Emphasis on different girls on different days. And, seeing as this is one of my Anne days…. 

There are such a lot of Annes in me-
I sometimes think that is why I’m 
such a troublesome person. If I was just 
the one Anne it would be ever so 
much more comfortable, but then it 
wouldn’t be half so interesting!

See, I warned you! 

Batten down the hatches and prepare for an onslaught of quotes, me kindreds!

Now, as for what you may expect to find in Idlewood…. Because that’s where we are, you see, and the chronicles hereof are being penned as we speak. The POV being such as when one is within Idlewood, and peering curiously out the window of it!

Hmmm. Perhaps I should get on with it, and simply introduce you to Idlewood itself?? *Alright then, imagine if you took every book L M. Montgomery ever wrote, carefully selected everything true, lovely and of good report, (Omitting all Pringles and Sloanes) then tossed all the loose pages in one bushel basket.... And shook them til they were all well acquainted with each other, before putting them back together in one cover. Now, if you shook them in the right way, and I live up to my own dreams, that should be a pretty close replica of our Idlewood!

It’s to be a place where…. 

A scribbler may scribble for the sheer joy of doing so, simply because you have the itch for writing born in you. It's quite incurable, you know. So…. This is what I’m doing with it! And by the wayside, it mayyyy also turn playhouse occasionally. (Hence the aforementioned window) Just for all us Anne-kins who haven’t forgotten the way to fairyland…. But must play at being grown-up during the daylight hours, lest we be turned into paupers-of-the-first-degree. Is that not a noble ambition for a nook to have??

We’ll tuck it away in a wee hollow, with a sweet little ring of white birches ‘round it…. and plant twinflowers in every nook, while the violets live in the crannies…. And hang the fairy glass where the sunbeams can play with it to their heart’s content. A gloriously tall stack of blank Jimmy-books may set up housekeeping with the Golden Picnic blanket in the corner cupboard, and altogether, things shall be “put plump and cozy”! 

And furthermore, any charmingly old fashioned, brilliantly nonsensical, or endearingly kindred-ish article of interest that crosses my path is very likely to be adopted, and made honourary inhabitant. Which, being translated, means I’m quite likely ramble about them. Extensively and with reckless abandon! Exactly what said article may be depends entirely on which one of me I am on any given day. We don't know where we're going, but isn't it such fun to go??

Now it must be admitted that like the Original Emily in her early years, as the brilliant Mr. Carpenter informed her, I do not know a good place to stop when I see one! Hence, this is about 2 miles longer than it really ought to be. 

And as much as I would love keep writing here, I really, really should. Go, I mean. It doesn’t do to wear out one’s company too completely upon first meeting, so says The Family Guide. Well…. It doesn’t really say that. Not in so many words. But still, it’s good common sense, and I’m sure it would if they’d thought to put it in! Thus, I shall pay heed to the wisdom therein, be it published or not, and wish you all a pleasant rest of your day!

And so…. Fare thee well, ye Idlewoodlings! 

Do come see me sometimes, won’t you? The little blue armchair in the corner—although you may need to squint a little and use your imagination to find it—will be reserved especially for you, and none other, save the kitten, dare to sit in it!

Yours Ever Whimsically,

~Emily

**This is an Example, by the way. You should never, ever do this to a real live book. Not only would it be extremely confusing to whoever read it after you, it would also presumably be quite detrimental to the health of the poor defenceless book…. (Note that this only applies to GOOD books. You may make hay out of all the others in your personal library if you so desire!)

PS….

Furthermore…. Since you’re still here anyway…. (Why yes, I am very, very, VERY good at long goodbyes! Don’t tell me you noticed?!) But before I ask…. Have another tart for fortification? Or perhaps two might be an even better idea. 

(Mind the crumbs though, because the kitten does tickle dreadfully whilst housekeeping!)

There. Ready for it now? I do hope so, ‘cause I’m all but wriggling with anticipation here! Tis an invitation I’m extending here, you see, and I’m quite inordinately excited (; 

Here it goes:

If you find yourself feeling especially brave and adventurous today…. and you just so happen to be wearing play 

clothes that don’t mind getting a bit dust-bunny-ish…. 

There happens to be a bit of a burrow here that I’m dying to introduce you to! What say you, will you come jump down a rabbit hole with me?? I promise it’s quite safe, if not exactly tidy, and we can be Lovely Ladies again the minute we pop back above ground…. See, I know from experience that the dust from down there brushes off quite easily. And besides, it smells of old ink and books and Anne things, so it’s really such nice stuff that even if we just decide to stay rumpled and askew, no one will look askance at us (; Not in Idlewood!

Down The Rabbit Hole