Little Pleasures in Life

Hello! I'm getting here a little late today. I had one of those "I didn't think today was going to turn out like it did" kind of days, but in a good way. Anyway, I hope your weekend was fabulous. I had a great weekend but it was over in the blink of an eye. So, here's a quick re-cap of what I've been enjoying...

I made these yummy GF Peanut Butter bars for dessert last night. I topped part of the bars with crushed peanut M&M's (not gluten free) but you can add what you like. They're made with natural ingredients that are usually on-hand and they're easy to make and easy to adapt with different toppings.

I stayed up late last night with my husband and mom-in-law to watch a double episode of Downton Abbey. It was so worth staying up late. If you haven't caught the craze yet, you can check out what I said about it here or here.

Today, I came across this little guy and other lovely treasures that I want to bring home.

Downton Abbey, Season 2

Hello and Happy Tuesday to you! Just a quick post to follow up on this.

The long-awaited second season of Downton Abbey premiered this past Sunday. Did you catch it? What did you think? The story has been fast forwarded two years to 1916 and the middle of World War I. Along with the turmoil unfolding across the world, the world of Downton Abbey is also changing. Relationships are on shifting ground. Safety is no longer taken for granted. Ripples of change are felt everywhere like the waves of a turbulent sea. And I, for one, am happy to be along for the ride. If you missed the premiere, I know that one our local PBS stations is re-airing it tonight so check your local listings to see if it's being re-aired.

Downton Abbey

I have a certain weakness for British literature and films, particularly 19th and 20th century pieces. I spent my teen years reading British authors like Agatha Christie and one of my mom's favorite authors, Catherine Cookson. I'm an unabashed Jane Austen fan. Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel and this movie version tops my list. All this to say, I was pleasantly surprised last winter to discover the PBS series, Downton Abbey. I looked forward to watching each new episode on Sunday nights. Have any of you seen it? What did you think?

Written by Julian Fellowes, who won an Oscar for his Gosford Park, Downton Abbey follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family, and those of their servants, during the Edwardian period. Beginning with the sinking of the Titanic, season one concluded with the outbreak of World War I. I think the character development is particularly well done. Throw in a compelling plot with plenty of twists, intrigue, romance and gorgeous set design and costuming and you have a very fun series. So, if you didn't catch it the first time, starting on December 18th, PBS is going to re-air season one. Season two is scheduled to premiere on January 8 on PBS. I'm so excited! You can check out more here.

My one precaution is that Downton Abbey contains s few grittier scenes than what you'd see with, say a Jane Austen movie, but seemingly less than Gosford Park or other big screen productions.