Today I decided to ride my bike to the Eastham Library to augment my vacation reading list. I happened to be wearing a skirt at the time of this decision (surprise, surprise) and decided not to bother changing. I've riden in a skirt before, last time when our car broke down on Saturday (see Aaron's or Cara's post), so I figured I'd be fine. Wrong...this skirt got stuck in my chain three plus times, finally jamming it somehow when I was about halfway there. This obviously wasn't working, so I turned around and started walking the bike back, calling my dad on a handy dandy cell phone and feeling stupid. Daddy rode out to save me, but by the time he got there I was all unjammed. All the same, I rode home with him and changed before setting off again. I think I want to get one of those old fashioned bikes with wheel covers to prevent such misfortunes.
My perseverance in getting to the library paid off. I got a bunch of good books that the Bedford Library lacks to add to my queue. So, these are on my list right now:
84, Charing Cross Road. Thanks, Lindsay, for letting me borrow it again. I will buy it someday. :-) To everyone who hasn't read this, that is your pleasant assignment for the summer.
A knitting handbook with a stupid name but the best instructions and ideas ever. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how inspired I'd be while on vacation and only have some stupid pink acrylic yarn and size ten needles.
A Man of Property from the Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy. Sort of a nineteenth century soap opera, rather depressing.
Various Brother Cadfaels.
A P.G.Wodehouse.
The New Joy of Photography. I'm trying to learn how to use my dad's camera.
The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge. Hoping I'll like it as well as some of her others.
and so forth.. The list keeps growing, so we'll see how far I get. The weeks before vacation were so busy that I was starved for nonschool reading. I'm indeed enjoying the time now.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
WHO ARE YOU TO HAVE AN OPINION?!?!? :-p
Ahem. I WILL HAVE WHATEVER PROFILE PICTURE I LIKE, NO MATTER HOW UGLY YOU THINK IT IS. I DO NOT ESPECIALLY CARE WHAT YOU THINK, JUST FOR THE RECORD, SO YOU MAY CONTINUE TO SAY WHATEVER YOU FEEL LIKE. JUST DON'T EXPECT ME TO CHANGE SOMETHING BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAY, AND DON'T FLATTER YOURSELF THAT I DID IT TO PLEASE YOU IF I HAPPEN TO CHANGE SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T LIKE. IS THAT CLEAR? end rant. and thank you for your interest. :-)
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Elementary, My Dear Watson
The saddest thing in the world is a book jacket that gives away the entire plot of a book. The Brother Cadfael mystery I just read had just such a ridiculous dust jacket. After reading it, I correctly put my finger on the gist of the whole mystery. I don't think I would have guessed if I hadn't read the little blurb on it. It put two ideas in close juxtaposition, thus enabling my brain trained by no others than Sherlock Holmes/Father Brown/Poirot/Lord Peter Wimsey/Nancy Drew to make a correct deduction. The book was interesting even without the who-dunnit factor, BUT STILL!!!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Conspiracy Theory du Jour
I'm a big fan of conspiracy theories. (Some conspiracy theories anyway.) I don't really believe any, but there's a gullible part of me that can only be satisfied by believing in something that's probably fictional....but just might might be true. (I believed that "Out of the Silent Planet" was a true story.) Maybe all my willful credulity is due to the fact that I never believed in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy or fairies at all for that matter....Anyway...most conspiracy theories just make me laugh and thereby provide me with enjoyment.
This theory,however, I've always wanted to believe.
This theory,however, I've always wanted to believe.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Does this work?
Aaron informed me that I can email posts to my blog...testing to see if this works.
Viola Jokes
A good repertoire of viola jokes is nearly as important to a violinist as a good repertoire of music. My teacher makes sure he tells me a new one every now and then just to keep me sharp. He tells me that it isn't really fair for me to tell them because I don't play the viola, but they are good to know anyway. :) (For those of you who don't know, drummers, violists, and sopranos are at the receiving end of orchestra jokes. The viola is very difficult to play in tune, and for some reason, the viola sections of orchestras are often very small and weak, thereby lending themselves to ridicule.)
What's the difference between an onion and a viola?
A. When you chop a viola no one cries.
What do you do with a violist after he dies?
A. Move him back a stand.
Why does the violist put his instrument on the dashboard of his car when he parks?
A. So he can park in a handicapped spot.
How are a thunderstorm and a viola similar?
A. Neither lightning nor a violist's fingers hit the same spot twice.
:)
Now that I've had my fun, in order to be fair, I'm off to go listen to the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh. The violists on my recording aren't so bad...
Monday, May 09, 2005
"When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall..."
The other day, I started thinking about some children's stories and songs that actually are quite disturbing. Now, I'm not one who says children should only be spoonfed sweetness and light and joy and cheer. Where would we be without Huck Finn and Treasure Island and Hansel and Gretel and Captain Hook? (Understand that I'm speaking from the point of view of a kid who used to be terrified of Snow White's witch and the villains in Nancy Drew. I'm not saying kids shouldn't be kept from frightening things until they can handle them.) Outright danger and adventure are great. What weirds me out is thinking of how some things that aren't considered scary are actually not as sweet as they sound:
~Never-Never-Land. I loved the story when I was little, but now the idea of the place creeps me out. Sounds ominous.
~Do you know the line from Les Mis's "Castle on a Cloud"?
"...Nobody shouts or talks to loud....Crying at all is not allowed...Not in my castle on a cloud."
What kind of place is that for children? Children are supposed to shout. I guess they might not want to cry, but to me now, a place where crying was not allowed would not be nice. (I suppose that since every tear will be wiped from our eyes in Heaven that in a sense crying will not be a part of Heaven, yet I don't remember readint the Scripture as a mandate against crying.) A good cry can fix a lot, as I'm sure many of my public can attest. :-)
Hmm..so much for my piles of examples. I seem to have run out quite suddenly. I guess that's all that are on my mind for the moment. Apologize for the incoherentness. :-)
~Never-Never-Land. I loved the story when I was little, but now the idea of the place creeps me out. Sounds ominous.
~Do you know the line from Les Mis's "Castle on a Cloud"?
"...Nobody shouts or talks to loud....Crying at all is not allowed...Not in my castle on a cloud."
What kind of place is that for children? Children are supposed to shout. I guess they might not want to cry, but to me now, a place where crying was not allowed would not be nice. (I suppose that since every tear will be wiped from our eyes in Heaven that in a sense crying will not be a part of Heaven, yet I don't remember readint the Scripture as a mandate against crying.) A good cry can fix a lot, as I'm sure many of my public can attest. :-)
Hmm..so much for my piles of examples. I seem to have run out quite suddenly. I guess that's all that are on my mind for the moment. Apologize for the incoherentness. :-)
Monday, May 02, 2005
Speaking of Ditzes....
I can read and write, tie my shoes, remember to breathe in and out, tell right from left, and have even taken a course in logic. On the basis of these accomplishments, I have always considered myself slightly superior to other blondes. Unfortunately, this illusion was shattered today. I can no longer escape the curses of my hair color. I am a Class-A dumb blonde.
On my way to a violin lesson today, I went through the drivethrough window at the bank. Having noticed a sign requesting that customers turn of their engines to prevent fumes entering the building, I obligingly did so and absentmindedly removed the keys from the ignition.
Once my transaction was completed, I reached for the ignition and was startled to remember that I had moved the keys and could not remember where I had put them. I glanced guiltily up at the girl inside the bank who was watching me with a puzzled look.
"I can't...umm...find my...umm..keys. They're around here somewhere.."
They weren't in the cupholder.
They weren't on the floor.
They weren't in my purse.
They weren't on the ground.
People were waiting behind me.
My future life flashed before my eyes. I would have to call home on my cell phone for someone to bring a spare key. Someone would have to explain to the cars behind me that the girl in the green van had been stupid enough to lose her keys. I'd have to sit there and wait under the amused/annoyed glances of the tellers. My family would never let me live it down. Maybe the bank would even suspect me of some deep dyed plot to cause trouble.
I opened the door to stand up and really search. And there they were, just hiding on the seat under a fold of my skirt.
"Found 'em," I informed the teller, who was watching with raised eyebrows. "I'm such a ditz today," I added sheepishly, and got out of that place as fast as I could.
A mile down the road, I realized I had stolen the bank's pen.
After my lesson I returned it at another branch, to the amusement of the tellers there.
It's been quite a day.
On my way to a violin lesson today, I went through the drivethrough window at the bank. Having noticed a sign requesting that customers turn of their engines to prevent fumes entering the building, I obligingly did so and absentmindedly removed the keys from the ignition.
Once my transaction was completed, I reached for the ignition and was startled to remember that I had moved the keys and could not remember where I had put them. I glanced guiltily up at the girl inside the bank who was watching me with a puzzled look.
"I can't...umm...find my...umm..keys. They're around here somewhere.."
They weren't in the cupholder.
They weren't on the floor.
They weren't in my purse.
They weren't on the ground.
People were waiting behind me.
My future life flashed before my eyes. I would have to call home on my cell phone for someone to bring a spare key. Someone would have to explain to the cars behind me that the girl in the green van had been stupid enough to lose her keys. I'd have to sit there and wait under the amused/annoyed glances of the tellers. My family would never let me live it down. Maybe the bank would even suspect me of some deep dyed plot to cause trouble.
I opened the door to stand up and really search. And there they were, just hiding on the seat under a fold of my skirt.
"Found 'em," I informed the teller, who was watching with raised eyebrows. "I'm such a ditz today," I added sheepishly, and got out of that place as fast as I could.
A mile down the road, I realized I had stolen the bank's pen.
After my lesson I returned it at another branch, to the amusement of the tellers there.
It's been quite a day.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Ditz Golf
"Next on Day-to-Day, we'll be talking with people who love ditz golf," droned Laura Connoy or some such person.
"What?" I said to myself. I'd turned on NPR to keep me entertained while cleaning bathroom. Seeing that NPR was not being entertaining, I'd mostly resorted to blocking it out, but had my ears pricked for something interesting.
"Many people like to use a ditz when they play golf. There's something so impersonal about hitting a ball..."
My mouth hung open. This sounded highly unPC and unNPRlike. Now usually I delight in anythin unPC or unNPRlike, but this seemed a bit much.
"...You can see where the disc is going as soon as it leaves your hand."
Aha...the lovely Laura was referring to DISC golf, much beloved by....thinks*...the Demmes!
My mind was set at rest.
"What?" I said to myself. I'd turned on NPR to keep me entertained while cleaning bathroom. Seeing that NPR was not being entertaining, I'd mostly resorted to blocking it out, but had my ears pricked for something interesting.
"Many people like to use a ditz when they play golf. There's something so impersonal about hitting a ball..."
My mouth hung open. This sounded highly unPC and unNPRlike. Now usually I delight in anythin unPC or unNPRlike, but this seemed a bit much.
"...You can see where the disc is going as soon as it leaves your hand."
Aha...the lovely Laura was referring to DISC golf, much beloved by....thinks*...the Demmes!
My mind was set at rest.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Yankee talk?
A few months ago, Aaron read an article about "New Hampshire speak." This article included a list of terms in the local vernacular, such as wicked (as an adjective, of course), Massachusetts drivers, ice out, some very, very strange terms I'd never heard in my life, and finally, "flatlanders." Now, DO YOU KNOW WHAT A FLATLANDER IS? Half the members of my family did and said it was quite a common term, and the other half insisted that no New Hampshirite that they knew had ever used it or knew what it meant. This debate has continued for months. I now turn it over to you, dear reader. Have you heard the term, do you know what it means, and would you consider it common?
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Strangeness
Yesterday, as Cara and I drove into the Nashua TJMaxx/Target parking lot, we saw several fire engines already there and another peeling in with its lights flashing. In a moment we spotted their emergency. Four or five firemen were standing around one of the little barkmulch islands in the lot, spraying chemicals on a tiny little sapling. The hoses they were using were coming from a trailer-like apparatus that bore the urgent motto, "PREVENT FOREST FIRES!" We shrugged and entered Panera.
Just did a quick spellcheck. It suggested that I replace "barkmulch" with "fearsomely."
Just did a quick spellcheck. It suggested that I replace "barkmulch" with "fearsomely."
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
"Sheer plod makes plow down sillion shine"
Somehow I've a feeling that these poem posts are a tad boring. But this one's been stuck in my mind so long, I have to share it.
The Windhover
Gerard Manley Hopkins
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,--the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!
No wonder of it: sheer plod makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.
The Windhover
Gerard Manley Hopkins
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,--the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!
No wonder of it: sheer plod makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Herodotian Update
Chad kindly informed me that his name is herOdotus, not HERoDOtus. I had sort of wondered and had been alternating pronunciations. Good to know, I guess. :P
I read about an Egyptian guy who had a cow-shaped tomb built for his young daughter who died. ONce a year, the cow tomb was brought outside so that her bones could see the sun. (!)
For those of you who think you go through a lot of shoes: "The former of these cities, which is a place of note, is assigned expressly to the wife of the ruler of Egypt for the time being, to keep her in shoes."
Herodotus makes me laugh, because he's always making these statements such as "he, for his part, does not credit this," "the Greeks think this, but that is ridiculous." Usually he follows that sort of statement with a report of one of his exciting new discoveries (that the sun is what pulls the Nile out of its banks) or an important historical fact about the Oracle at Delphi.
I've also learned a lot about embalming.
I read about an Egyptian guy who had a cow-shaped tomb built for his young daughter who died. ONce a year, the cow tomb was brought outside so that her bones could see the sun. (!)
For those of you who think you go through a lot of shoes: "The former of these cities, which is a place of note, is assigned expressly to the wife of the ruler of Egypt for the time being, to keep her in shoes."
Herodotus makes me laugh, because he's always making these statements such as "he, for his part, does not credit this," "the Greeks think this, but that is ridiculous." Usually he follows that sort of statement with a report of one of his exciting new discoveries (that the sun is what pulls the Nile out of its banks) or an important historical fact about the Oracle at Delphi.
I've also learned a lot about embalming.
Little Susie Homemaker
I love making lasagna. Makes me feel so domestic and homey and stuff... chopping up onions and carrots really small, making a sauce with a little bit of this and that, trying to figure out how to stretch seven noodles into the nine or so needed. Friday is a good lasagna day, in case you're unaware of that. Life is good.
Another thing about Fridays...cleaning. Today I was in a major cleaning mood (actually, I would have had to do the cleaning I did whether or not I was in a mood, so that was lucky for me.), scrubbing bathrooms (yeah!), deep cleaning stuff, finally vacuuming my room, picking up random clutter, vacuuming other people's rooms. Has anyone else ever noticed that the more you clean, the more stuff you notice needs cleaning? It's a bit discouraging. However, our house is now beeautiful, to my joy. (Oh, and no, I am not a slave. The rest of ma famille worked hard also. :-) )
Another thing about Fridays...cleaning. Today I was in a major cleaning mood (actually, I would have had to do the cleaning I did whether or not I was in a mood, so that was lucky for me.), scrubbing bathrooms (yeah!), deep cleaning stuff, finally vacuuming my room, picking up random clutter, vacuuming other people's rooms. Has anyone else ever noticed that the more you clean, the more stuff you notice needs cleaning? It's a bit discouraging. However, our house is now beeautiful, to my joy. (Oh, and no, I am not a slave. The rest of ma famille worked hard also. :-) )
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Fairness, Family, and Flip-Flops
Did you know the common definition of "fair" has changed over the years while retaining a its old connotation? Yes, it has, and I just finished a paper about it, so now I don't have to think about it anymore!! Happiness.
Alicia and I went out for ice cream Tuesday to celebrate a great accomplishment. She'd been dry for an entire week, no small feat for a two year old. (And no, she hasn't had problems with alcohol; this was a matter of potty training.) This outing was in continuation of a long standing tradition of aunts and older cousins taking me out to ice cream in commemoration of such great events. We had great fun. She chatted away about "her brother Andrew," Baby Luke and his new sister, my family's Rialta, Uncle Earl and Aunt Ali, and many other interesting topics. Two year old have extraordinary minds! They also eat there ice cream exceedingly slowly and sometimes decide they want a treat as soon as they finish it...despite which, I happen to love this particular two year old very much.
I broke one of my flip-flops this week. "Exciting!" you say in a sarcastic tone. But really, it was rather, because it broke while I was walking in Manchester. The part that goes between the toes pulled right out. I dragged my foot along for a bit before surreptitiously taking it off and shoving it back together as best I could. It lasted about ten steps before coming apart again. This process was repeated multiple times. Believe me, there's nothing like a broken shoe to make one feel silly. I hobbled around the grocery store feeling like a homeless person who couldn't afford a decent pair of $1.69 flip-flops from WalMart. sigh. Once home, I taped them all together and went back out again. (Praise the Lord for duct tape.) Yes, I know, a bit unwise and rather cheap, but I was low on time and extra flip-flops. How was I rewarded for my frugality? By suddenly being shoeless on Elm Street the next day. grr. Managed to make it to a store and buy some shockingly bright blue and green plastic things that don't go with anything I have. Ah well, such is life.
Alicia and I went out for ice cream Tuesday to celebrate a great accomplishment. She'd been dry for an entire week, no small feat for a two year old. (And no, she hasn't had problems with alcohol; this was a matter of potty training.) This outing was in continuation of a long standing tradition of aunts and older cousins taking me out to ice cream in commemoration of such great events. We had great fun. She chatted away about "her brother Andrew," Baby Luke and his new sister, my family's Rialta, Uncle Earl and Aunt Ali, and many other interesting topics. Two year old have extraordinary minds! They also eat there ice cream exceedingly slowly and sometimes decide they want a treat as soon as they finish it...despite which, I happen to love this particular two year old very much.
I broke one of my flip-flops this week. "Exciting!" you say in a sarcastic tone. But really, it was rather, because it broke while I was walking in Manchester. The part that goes between the toes pulled right out. I dragged my foot along for a bit before surreptitiously taking it off and shoving it back together as best I could. It lasted about ten steps before coming apart again. This process was repeated multiple times. Believe me, there's nothing like a broken shoe to make one feel silly. I hobbled around the grocery store feeling like a homeless person who couldn't afford a decent pair of $1.69 flip-flops from WalMart. sigh. Once home, I taped them all together and went back out again. (Praise the Lord for duct tape.) Yes, I know, a bit unwise and rather cheap, but I was low on time and extra flip-flops. How was I rewarded for my frugality? By suddenly being shoeless on Elm Street the next day. grr. Managed to make it to a store and buy some shockingly bright blue and green plastic things that don't go with anything I have. Ah well, such is life.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Friday, April 08, 2005
Observations
~The ancients certainly knew how to write history texts. Herodotus blows A Beka out of the water. Every time he introduces a new character, he tells interesting stories about him, not to mention the fact that there are no "comprehension checks" at the end of each page.
~It is entirely possible for homeschoolers to get senioritis.
~Today I lost several games of "horse" and a bet. Our pond insisted on melting nearly a month earlier than my guess, dooming me to last place in our little family competition. How sad.
~There is no nicer thing in the world than a secondhand compliment. (I've heard some nice things about you.)
~I saw one of the greatest tabloid headlines ever today, not that I make a habit of reading the Enquirer. I just happened to notice one at WalMart this afternoon. It read, "Army develops Invisible Soldier!!" To prove the point, there was a picture of a soldier standing next to a tank next to a picture of the same tank without a soldier, sort of before and after pictures. Cara and I had a good laugh.
~It is well past my bedtime, but I can sleep in, so who cares.
~It is entirely possible for homeschoolers to get senioritis.
~Today I lost several games of "horse" and a bet. Our pond insisted on melting nearly a month earlier than my guess, dooming me to last place in our little family competition. How sad.
~There is no nicer thing in the world than a secondhand compliment. (I've heard some nice things about you.)
~I saw one of the greatest tabloid headlines ever today, not that I make a habit of reading the Enquirer. I just happened to notice one at WalMart this afternoon. It read, "Army develops Invisible Soldier!!" To prove the point, there was a picture of a soldier standing next to a tank next to a picture of the same tank without a soldier, sort of before and after pictures. Cara and I had a good laugh.
~It is well past my bedtime, but I can sleep in, so who cares.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Still Alive
I actually am alive and kicking. I also am actually extremely lazy.
Some highlights of the last unblogged month or so (make that the last week or so. As I said, I'm lazy.):
~Driving out to NY for Easter weekend. The family left about noon Friday, and Aaron and I followed later. I really enjoyed the five hours with him, even if his driving did occasionally make me nervous. (For those of you who don't know, he got his license a few weeks ago, and he really is an excellent driver.) During the times when he was driving, I entertained myself by reading old journals, an entertaining experience. "I always carry my diary with me. One must have something sensational to read on the train." (Rough paraphrase from "The Importance of being Earnest."
~Chatting with chicken-pocked Becca. She's quite an interesting conversationalist when she can sit still long enough!
~Playing Cranium with Ben, Katherine, Klara, Cara, and Aaron. Katherine wowing us all by unscrambling some random phrase into Oprah Winfrey at the last minute.
~Conspiring with Ben and Aaron to scare Cara and Klara while they were out tending to goats. (Fire crackers are quite effective.)
~Listening to Joe and Allouette Anderson's stories.
~Just visiting with close friends.
~Coming home. It's good to visit, but better to be home.
Some highlights of the last unblogged month or so (make that the last week or so. As I said, I'm lazy.):
~Driving out to NY for Easter weekend. The family left about noon Friday, and Aaron and I followed later. I really enjoyed the five hours with him, even if his driving did occasionally make me nervous. (For those of you who don't know, he got his license a few weeks ago, and he really is an excellent driver.) During the times when he was driving, I entertained myself by reading old journals, an entertaining experience. "I always carry my diary with me. One must have something sensational to read on the train." (Rough paraphrase from "The Importance of being Earnest."
~Chatting with chicken-pocked Becca. She's quite an interesting conversationalist when she can sit still long enough!
~Playing Cranium with Ben, Katherine, Klara, Cara, and Aaron. Katherine wowing us all by unscrambling some random phrase into Oprah Winfrey at the last minute.
~Conspiring with Ben and Aaron to scare Cara and Klara while they were out tending to goats. (Fire crackers are quite effective.)
~Listening to Joe and Allouette Anderson's stories.
~Just visiting with close friends.
~Coming home. It's good to visit, but better to be home.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Only in New Hampshire
This evening over dinner my family was talking about the half a million protesters in Syria. Daddy mentioned how tempting it must be for Israel to send over a missile to wipe out all those terrorists in one fell swoop. Mama wanted to know how close Lebanon was and what it's relationship was to Israel.
"Would that be like Canada to us?"
"Nah, much more hostile. Sort of like Vermont." or something like that.
Earlier this evening we were trying to think of a way to stop Massachusetts drivers and liberals from moving up here.
As Stephen Vincent Benet wrote in "The Devil and Daniel Webster," "And he [the devil]hasn't been seen in the state of New Hampshire from that day to this. I'm not talking about Massachusetts or Vermont."
New Hampshirites sound a bit hostile, but we're really quite friendly.
Live free or die!
Oh yeah, and I'm back. Jet lag's almost gone, and England seems far away. :-(
But I made risotto today, and that made me think of making it with Karena. My pictures come tomorrow!!! (exclamatin points)
"Would that be like Canada to us?"
"Nah, much more hostile. Sort of like Vermont." or something like that.
Earlier this evening we were trying to think of a way to stop Massachusetts drivers and liberals from moving up here.
As Stephen Vincent Benet wrote in "The Devil and Daniel Webster," "And he [the devil]hasn't been seen in the state of New Hampshire from that day to this. I'm not talking about Massachusetts or Vermont."
New Hampshirites sound a bit hostile, but we're really quite friendly.
Live free or die!
Oh yeah, and I'm back. Jet lag's almost gone, and England seems far away. :-(
But I made risotto today, and that made me think of making it with Karena. My pictures come tomorrow!!! (exclamatin points)
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Last Post from England
Karena told Lexie today that I'm going home tomorrow. In the saddest of tones, Lexie replied, "I'm sorry."
I'm not! (I"m allowing myself one exclamation point per posting) I'm going to miss the Weisses, and I have truly enjoyed staying with them and seeing England, but it will be good to be home. I hear that I'm flying into a very snowy New England, so I'll know I'm home right away.
I definitely have enjoyed England. Some of the highlights were:
~Chatting with Karena
~Talking and playing Lexie
~Seeing Arthur smile
~Long walks around town
~Standing at the bottom of King's Chapel and looking up
~Trinity's courtyard and chapel
~Lunches out with Karena and Lexie
~Bumping into two people I knew (or at least had been introduced to by karena) while in town, made me
feel like a native Brit.
~Tea with John, Laura, Xanthe, Otis, and Ianthe.
~Driving on the wrong side of the road
~People watching while in town
~Walking through Clare and St. John
~Watching "24" with Charlie and Karena, listening to Charlie's excited commentary
This is getting long....I think that as the taxi is coming at six tomorrow and my bags are all packed, I will retire. Signing off from this side of the pond...
I'm not! (I"m allowing myself one exclamation point per posting) I'm going to miss the Weisses, and I have truly enjoyed staying with them and seeing England, but it will be good to be home. I hear that I'm flying into a very snowy New England, so I'll know I'm home right away.
I definitely have enjoyed England. Some of the highlights were:
~Chatting with Karena
~Talking and playing Lexie
~Seeing Arthur smile
~Long walks around town
~Standing at the bottom of King's Chapel and looking up
~Trinity's courtyard and chapel
~Lunches out with Karena and Lexie
~Bumping into two people I knew (or at least had been introduced to by karena) while in town, made me
feel like a native Brit.
~Tea with John, Laura, Xanthe, Otis, and Ianthe.
~Driving on the wrong side of the road
~People watching while in town
~Walking through Clare and St. John
~Watching "24" with Charlie and Karena, listening to Charlie's excited commentary
This is getting long....I think that as the taxi is coming at six tomorrow and my bags are all packed, I will retire. Signing off from this side of the pond...
Monday, February 28, 2005
Joys of Adventuring
Hard to believe that two weeks is just about up. I only have one more day here.
Lexie and I went to her play group again today. I talked for quite awhile with one of the girls who was running it, a most interesting person. Asked me some interesting questions about homeschooling and informed me that she's apprenticing to be an Anglican priest.
Part of today's plan was that I would go to a lunchtime viola recital at Clare College where Charlie teaches and afterward do some shopping and site-seeing. Promptly at quarter of one, I set off with map (drawn by Karena), money, and camera. I tripped lightly down the road, feeling like a native cuz I knew how to get to teh college, found the college, was impressed by its beauty, and asked the porter wehre the chapel was. There I waited with some other music hungry souls for the violist. He didn't come...someone came and told us he'd canceled. Sad.
However, the extra time was a great advantage. It's an awesome feeling to know where one is, roughly have an idea of where one wants to go, have an even rougher idea of how to get there, and have plenty of time to get there and back. Oh yes, and having a warm house to return to when the exploring is done doubles the awesomeness. And if one has a little money to spend, has a very faint chance of getting lost (just enought for adventure), and speaks the same language as the natives in case of getting lost, one has a perfect afternoon. Add to this a camera with plenty of film, and absolutely amazing architecture (appreciate the alliteration?) to shoot, and one cannot ask for more.
Enough of hypotheticals. I had an incredible afternoon. Went to the outdoor market and bought souvenirs, b-day presents.
Explored Clare, St. John's colleges. Struck on blindly past them, turned down a few promising streets, explored Jesus College, found a pedestrian street that looked promising and returned to my known territory. Along the way shot several rolls of film.
I cannot believe how beautiful some of the buildings here are. some of them I had seen pictures of, but their grandeur can only be appreciated by standing next to them. They are all incredibly tall, and although massive, don't seem ponderous. I can only pray that my pictures turn out well.
All the walking made me sleepy, so good night.
Lexie and I went to her play group again today. I talked for quite awhile with one of the girls who was running it, a most interesting person. Asked me some interesting questions about homeschooling and informed me that she's apprenticing to be an Anglican priest.
Part of today's plan was that I would go to a lunchtime viola recital at Clare College where Charlie teaches and afterward do some shopping and site-seeing. Promptly at quarter of one, I set off with map (drawn by Karena), money, and camera. I tripped lightly down the road, feeling like a native cuz I knew how to get to teh college, found the college, was impressed by its beauty, and asked the porter wehre the chapel was. There I waited with some other music hungry souls for the violist. He didn't come...someone came and told us he'd canceled. Sad.
However, the extra time was a great advantage. It's an awesome feeling to know where one is, roughly have an idea of where one wants to go, have an even rougher idea of how to get there, and have plenty of time to get there and back. Oh yes, and having a warm house to return to when the exploring is done doubles the awesomeness. And if one has a little money to spend, has a very faint chance of getting lost (just enought for adventure), and speaks the same language as the natives in case of getting lost, one has a perfect afternoon. Add to this a camera with plenty of film, and absolutely amazing architecture (appreciate the alliteration?) to shoot, and one cannot ask for more.
Enough of hypotheticals. I had an incredible afternoon. Went to the outdoor market and bought souvenirs, b-day presents.
Explored Clare, St. John's colleges. Struck on blindly past them, turned down a few promising streets, explored Jesus College, found a pedestrian street that looked promising and returned to my known territory. Along the way shot several rolls of film.
I cannot believe how beautiful some of the buildings here are. some of them I had seen pictures of, but their grandeur can only be appreciated by standing next to them. They are all incredibly tall, and although massive, don't seem ponderous. I can only pray that my pictures turn out well.
All the walking made me sleepy, so good night.
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