Miss Potter

Morning readers,

Last night I watched the film 'Miss Potter', which is about Beatrix Potter and her rise to fame. I thought the film would be a good topic for todays blog, as it is about writing after all ;)

SPOILER ALERT!

If you haven't seen the film or read the book, maybe skip this part to the next paragraph,, as I will be outlining the plot.

Helen Beatrix Potter was an unmarried woman of 32 living in Great Britain in 1902. She lived in the city, but liked to visit the countryside when she can. During this time, she went to Scotland and the Lake District , where there are many working farms and hundreds of acres of land to be used.

Beatrix had been meeting different publishers for quite some time before she found one that would actually publish her book.

This was an act of perseverance to the highest level; courage as well. If Beatrix had stopped looking for publishers one time before meeting the Warne brothers, we would have never been introduced to Peter Rabbit and Jessica Puddleduck.

Norman Warne, the youngest and most inexperienced of the Warne family, was assigned the task of publishing 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit', Beatrix's first book. Just after publishing the book an Christmas Day, Norman proposed to Beatrix. Mis Potter, had, in fact, decided that she would never marry, as did her best friend Milly (Norman's sister). However, she couldn't turn Norman down. Her parent''s did not approve, though, but they came up with a compromise. The couple would be engaged in secret, and no one would know about it for the whole of the summer. If, when the summer was over, Beatrix's feelings had not changed, they would officially announce the engagement.

Norman made Beatrix very happy, and she was certain her feelings would not change a bit throughout the 3 months she was away from him. However, what happened not long after Norman had seen her off at the station, she received a letter from Milly.

Norman had fallen ill and was asking to see her. She left the countryside immediately to go and see him. Unfortunately, she was too late. Norman had passed away, and the funeral had been held the day before Beatrix arrived at the Warne household. She returned to her house and mourned for a while after that, but Milly came to her, and got her out of the house.

Beatrix went back to the Lake District, and bought Hill Top Farm. She also purchased other farms to preserve the unique landscape. Beatrix continued to write and draw in her new estate. She married William Heelis, a solicitor, in 1913, and stayed married until her death in 1947.

If Miss Potter had given up, stopped writing and drawing, and bended to her parent will, she would have never become a successful,published author; she would not have met her best friend Milly and the man she loved and would have married; she wouldn't have moved to the Lake District, bought all those farms, and stop the land being misused. Her courage, perseverance and determination gave her love, wealth and happiness. Miss Beatrix Potter is an inspiration.

See you tomorrow!

E.V. x

p.s. the winds have died down, and most of the fires are out, so we should be good; although, we were driving through La Londe yesterday, and saw this:

Just for whoever reads the New York Post, what they wrote about the fires 'tearing through the town of La Londe Les Maures', it's not true. SUCH DRAMA QUEENS!!

now for the quotes for today