anne of green gables - #141

Today was Lucy Maud Montgomery's 141st birthday. In this era, of course, there's apparently no better way to celebrate an author than to make a Google doodle out of her. 

Or her most well-known character . . . Anne of Green Gables. 

I grew up on Lucy Maud Montgomery. I've read every one of her books, and as a young girl, I read and re-read them every summer. 

I loved Kilmeny and Eric and Marigold. I loved Emily of New Moon and Ilse and the nickname Star and Pat. 

I loved the movies. I loved Matthew's shyness and Marilla's rough exterior. I loved all the scrapes Montgomery's characters got themselves into and the way they loved country life and only bits of city life, just like me. And I hated that the character who played Gilbert died last year and a little part of me couldn't believe it was real.

I was even fascinated by the odd back story to Montgomery's life: falling in love with a man who didn't love her and rejecting the love of a man who did and eventually marrying a minister she was indifferent to. 

But I will always love Anne of Green Gables the best. And I will always love Anne and Gilbert together even more. I loved their daughter Rilla and their home in Ingleside. And I hated that one of the Blythe boys died in World War 1. 

I can't wait to read each one of those books to our kiddos someday. Perhaps it will be on Montgomery's 142nd or 143rd or 144th birthdays. Or maybe all of them. Because this mama loves Anne of Green Gables just that much, Google doodle or not.