Thread by @lainasparetime

Okay, I'm ready for today's Anne chapter - are you?? #LainaReadsAnne

#LainaReadsAnne It is now August and everyone has pretty much settled in nicely, but Anne is slacking a bit on her chores. Today she's stayed playing wih Diana for half an hour longer than she was supposed to, and now she's hanging out on the woodpile talking to Matthew.

#LainaReadsAnne Who's basically hanging on her every word, which is adorable.

Meanwhile, Marilla has been waiting on Anne and she is 45 minutes late. And Marilla is a busy lady! She keeps not only the house but the farm going.

#LainaReadsAnne Anne announces the Sunday scool is having a summer picnic and she's so happy. She's particularly excited that Mrs Superintendent Bell and Mrs Rachel Lynde are making ice cream. She's never been on a picnic and I suspect she's never had ice cream, either.

#LainaReadsAnne Which I don't know how unusual that would be for the time period? I'm not that up on my ice cream history, I admit.

But regardless it's still super exciting for her.

#LainaReadsAnne Marilla tells Anne she needs to be on time when someone tells her to be somewhere - and fairly!

I think one of my favourite things about this reading is how often Marilla comes across as fair and reasonable. Anne DOES need to be on time to things!

#LainaReadsAnne Being punctual is a life skill and it's one that it is Marilla's job as a parent/guardian to teach Anne. There are going to be many times in her life when she can't be late for something because she got distracted without there being consquences.

#LainaReadsAnne Also, if you're meeting a friend or whatever, keeping them waiting is just rude.

Marilla also says of course she can go to the picnic. "You're a Sunday-school scholar and it's not likely I'd refuse to let you go when all the other little girls are going."

#LainaReadsAnne And if all the other little girls jumped off a bridge, Marilla...?

No, I'm kidding. I think that's sweet. It's nice she's encouraging Anne to join in one things

#LainaReadsAnne Anne is deeply worried that everyone must take a basket of things to eat and she can't cook. Marilla reassures her that of course she'll bake Anne a basket and Anne is so happy that she... well, glomps Marilla and kisses her cheek.

#LainaReadsAnne And it seems to be the first time that's happened, too. Marilla is rather flustered, but secretly very pleased by Anne's affection, so she gets all gruff and says she's been meaning to give Anne cooking lessons anyways.

#LainaReadsAnne I was thinking and Marilla and Matthew are rather opposite in what you'd stereotypically expect, affection-wise, aren't they?

Mathew is more openly affectionate, even if it's in more of a quiet way overall. Marilla hides her feelings under briskness.

#LainaReadsAnne I haven't read Heidi in a few years, so honestly I'm probably mostly going off the Hello Kitty adaptation, but if you think about Heidi's grandfather, he's more like Marilla than Matthew, isn't he?

#LainaReadsAnne About cooking, Marilla says, "You've got to keep your wits about you in cooking and not stop in the middle of things to let your thoughts rove all over creation."

Again, true! One, while they seem to eat quite well, that doesn't mean they have lots to spare

#LainaReadsAnne And that means they maybe don't have a lot of wiggle room for a lot of mistakes in cooking that may make the food inedible.

Cooking can also be dangerous, especially since they're probably working with a wood-burning stove.

#LainaReadsAnne Until you really know what you're doing and could do it in your sleep, you do need to pay careful attention to what you're doing to stay safe. And even then, you need to be cautious and take care.

There's a time and a place, really.

#LainaReadsAnne For instance, I think one place that Anne could spend time daydreaming while letting her hands work on autopilot is the patchwork Marilla has her doing.

Which Anne kinda hates XD

#LainaReadsAnne But sewing can be very auto-pilot, especially with patchwork (like, quilting) as you're doing the same thing over and over. This is a time to let your mind wander!

Anne here tells Marilla about the playhouse she's made with Diana, and how they've fixed it up.

#LainaReadsAnne She really wants Marilla to come see it, which I think is especially sweet.

#LainaReadsAnne Marilla is outwardly not the most welcoming woman, let's be real. But Anne sees right through that, and is so willing to trust and open up to Marilla and I really like that.

#LainaReadsAnne Shout out to the book that Diana lent Anne, also? Its heroine apparently has five lovers (Anne says she'd be satisfied with one, lol) and apparently faints at the drop of a hat.

#LainaReadsAnne The fainting is something that Anne is rather envious of, as she's "really very healthy for all I'm so thin". Though she believes she's getting fatter, and checks hopefully for elbow dimples every morning.

#LainaReadsAnne So it's August and she's been there since mid-May probably? So almost three months, let's say.

She probably HAS gained a little much-needed weight from having regular weight and not being run off her feet constantly by other peoples' children.

#LainaReadsAnne She also legit talks for almost 2 pages without taking a breath. Marilla times her, and eventually interrupts to say she's been talking for 10 minutes and to please take a break.

Honestly this is also something that's good for her to learn.

#LainaReadsAnne This kind of monologing was probably very much a defence against the loneliness of her past situation, but now that she's in a better one, it wouldn't hurt her to learn more about how to have a conversation where everyone can participate.

#LainaReadsAnne This is another place where balance is key IMO. Anne is an interesting person! She has interesting ideas and says interesting things!

But if she never lets anyone else get a word in edgewise, she won't hear the interesting things others think and say.

#LainaReadsAnne AND she might find that others don't want to talk to her as much because they feel ignored.

And it's confirmed here that she's never had ice cream. Again, not sure how common that'd be for the time period, but she's very excited.

#LainaReadsAnne In general she's so excited about the picnic that she's kind of a mess for the rest of the week and Marilla makes her do extra sewing to try and get her to calm down XD

#LainaReadsAnne Marilla worries that Anne sets her heart on too many things and she'll often be disappointed in life, aww.

Anne says being excited about something happening is half the fun, and I get that, honestly. It's nice to look forward to something.

#LainaReadsAnne The chapter closes with a mention of Marilla's amethyst brooch that she wears to church every week, which Anne thinks is beautiful and sounds gorgeous.

Wonder where that's leading to ;)