100 First Lines for Volume 100

The Mom Weekly Volume 100: July 8, 2025

You can read this, or any other previous Mom Weeklies, by going to the home page here.

100 First Lines for Volume 100

You may have noticed that this week is Volume 100 of The Mom Weekly. There may be a few misnumbered ones in the early days, so there may be a few more (or less) than 100, but I am impressed with myself!

In honor of 100 volumes of The Mom Weekly, I was trying to think about things to do. 100 pieces of advice? 100 recipes? 100 photos?

And then I thought about something that is “on-brand” for me. How about first lines of 100 books that I love, or that our family loves? 

At first I was unsure that I could come up with 100 first lines easily or quickly enough. While it did take a fair bit of time, it was a fun exercise and trip down memory lane. Our family has read and enjoyed a lot of great books!

Unfortunately, 100 first lines would make “one” Mom Weekly far too long, so it will be broken up into groups of 10, shared over the next few months, off and on. This week features “Classic British Literature,” and so it will be Jane Austen-rich.

Remember how much I love you,

Mom 

First Lines—A Sample of Classic British Literature

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were roused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents; there any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic affairs changed naturally into pity and contempt as he turned over the almost endless creations of the last century; and there, if every other leaf were powerless, he could read his own history with an interest which never failed.

Jane Austen, Persuasion

No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine.

Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.

Jane Austen, Emma

The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex.

Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

About thirty years ago Miss Maria Ward, of Huntingdon, with only seven thousand pounds, had the good luck to captivate Sir Thomas Bertram, of Mansfield Park, in the county of Northampton, and to be thereby raised to the rank of a baronet’s lady, with all the comforts and consequences of an handsome house and large income. — Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

No one, probably, ever felt himself to be more alone in the world than our old friend, the Duke of Omnium, when the Duchess died.

Anthony Trollope, The Duke’s Children

Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.

George Eliot, Middlemarch

“Edith!” said Margaret, gently, “Edith!” But as Margaret half suspected, Edith had fallen asleep. She lay curled up on the sofa in the back drawing-room in Harley Street looking very lovely in her white muslin and blue ribbons. If Titania had ever been dressed in white muslin and blue ribbons, and had fallen asleep on a crimson damask sofa in a back drawing-room, Edith might have been taken for her. 

Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

Interesting/Notable: 

When Everything is Chaos, Who Cares Which Fork You Use? This Guy—WSJ gift article

This is a very fun to read and also useful article.

But he insists that tips on proper decorum are mainly about sharing space as peaceably as possible.   In a moment when “many people in high office aren’t leading by example,” he argues it’s incumbent on the rest of us to compensate with kindness and respect. “And I do think we’ll have the last laugh,” he says. “I think the nice people will win.”

An Action Item: Clean out your microwave

I was just doing this the other day, and I thought it would make a great “action item” because it takes just a few minutes, and it is very satisfying to accomplish it!

Here’s the best way that I have found to do it.

One: Put a cup or so of water in a pyrex (I usually use the 1-cup or 2-cup version), then sprinkle in some baking soda. Put this pyrex in the microwave, and before you start it, pour in a little vinegar. This will make the water mixture foam, but that’s fine.

Two: Now run the microwave for about five to six minutes. When the cycle completes, leave the pyrex in there for a few more minutes.

Three: When it has cooled a little, carefully take it out of the microwave and pour the water down the sink. Bonus: It can help to deodorize the drain somewhat.

Four: You’ll notice that there is probably quite a bit of condensation on the walls of the microwave. Take a small rag or several paper towels and wipe down the wallls- anything stuck on will come right up.

Five: You’ll probably need to hand wash the rotating dish that circulates in the microwave. It comes up very easily, and in the sink, you can spray it with a little detergent, wash it off, and dry it before putting it back.

Six: Now take the damp paper towels from wiping the microwave inside with to clean the front of and around the microwave.

Congratulations! You now have a clean microwave. Repeat as needed — if you cover things in the microwave, you only need to do this every so often.