Boston and Washington Spring 2016 - Boys, Blades and Balls! - Day 6 (Library, Skating, Charlestown)

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Goldia

Moosha did finish the NYC trippie and has since started a new trippie for their recent Florida holiday which I'm following at the moment. It is very detailed, which I love, and they flew into Miami and were driving up to Orlando last I read. You should check it out she does write a great trippie. is that like telling Barbara Cartland that Danielle Steel writes a good book? you both do good trippies...

I don't tend to announce what I do as I'm very conscious of my privacy. I'm in a senior position at my school. I'm not on any social media at all and the dibb is the only forum I'm a member of. I like sharing my options but I don't like the idea of being identified and so I don't put any photos up and I think that would make for a very boring trippie so you won't see one from me anytime soon.

See ya real soon

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Ooh, in that analogy I call "dibs" on Barbara Cartland! You snooze - you lose, moosha!

I agree about trippie specificity - that's why I like HEMANCLOFTY's latest effort. I also think Mrs. Pumpkin is lovely and specific (and her photos are just UNBELIEVABLE).


And your secret's safe with me. I understand completely. It's baffling when teachers put all their personal information out there on the internet - surely that's just asking for trouble, especially if you work with older kids.


Bummer about the Goldia trippie, though.

[collybird]

Bagels with lox and cream cheese are my favourite. My breakfast of choice in NYC.

You are so right about the abundance of children's books in the States compared to here. Barnes & Noble is a favourite haunt of ours, we spend hours there. I love hearing about Poot's love for books, it warms my heart. I went to the library everyday after school and all of my birthday/Christmas gifts were books, I feel sad that so many kids these days are missing out. I read a critique a while ago of the vlogger Zoella's WH Smith book club saying the books were very samey boy meets girl stuff. Anything that attracts young people to reading is a good thing as far as I am concerned.

I laughed at R.C reaction to your fall (I am a terrible person), that is exactly how Nik would react! I suppose if you had to fall it at least it was somewhere beautiful. All joking aside that must have been very scary for you all.

P.S. Moosha's are one of my favourites

[Guest]

Originally Posted by collybird

Bagels with lox and cream cheese are my favourite. My breakfast of choice in NYC.

You are so right about the abundance of children's books in the States compared to here. Barnes & Noble is a favourite haunt of ours, we spend hours there. I love hearing about Poot's love for books, it warms my heart. I went to the library everyday after school and all of my birthday/Christmas gifts were books, I feel sad that so many kids these days are missing out. I read a critique a while ago of the vlogger Zoella's WH Smith book club saying the books were very samey boy meets girl stuff. Anything that attracts young people to reading is a good thing as far as I am concerned.

I laughed at R.C reaction to your fall (I am a terrible person), that is exactly how Nik would react! I suppose if you had to fall it at least it was somewhere beautiful. All joking aside that must have been very scary for you all.

P.S. Moosha's are one of my favourites

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Wait 'til you try the bagels in Montreal - they are even BETTER than NY ones!


My favourite breakfast? A bagel with cream cheese, two rashers of streaky bacon - and a glass of chocolate milk.

My USUAL breakfast? Greek yogurt, fruit - and tap water.


I like your book story - I can remember being about eleven, and asking my father for three or four dollars (no small amount for us back then) - and he said, "I'll give it to you, as long as you promise not to spend it on books." He was a brilliant man - but like R.C. - utterly baffled by novels.

"WHY do you want to read about something that isn't REAL?"


It was the same with telly and films - documentaries were a yes, but anything "fake" was a no. He took us to see exactly ONE film in all of my childhood - "Return of the Jedi".


And hmm...as for "samey boy meets girl" - my favourite novels are "Jane Eyre" and "Persuasion". Sorry, snobby academics (not sorry) - "relationship" books will always draw girls and women. As a girl I remember my mother despairing of my purchase of "Sweet Valley High" books - but they don't seem to have done me any lasting harm.

You're too young to have read these - but there was an amazing series of teen historical romances called "Sunfire Romances" back in the 80s. If you ever see one at a used bookstore/thrift shop in America - be sure to pick it up. They were FAB!

I think my favourite was the one (Amanda?) set on the Oregon Trail...


And yes () - that's always R.C.'s reaction. Men! It was a blessing that I was out cold during the fall - and that I didn't knock any of my teeth out. That marble's a doozy!

[collybird]

I looked Sunfire up, they sound amazing! I was hoping someone out there had converted them for Kindle but no such luck. I'm thinking of ordering a few from Amazon when we're in Florida but they all sound so good I don't know how I'd choose!

Dad's are funny creatures! I have never seen mine read a book (he works and sleeps) and we had very little money growing up, I was very conscious of this and did not ask for things. But sometimes I would see a book I really wanted and he would always give me the money without question. Sometimes, he'd go for a drink by the beach and take me with him, he'd give me money to buy a book and I'd walk around with my head in it whilst he was in the pub. My brother and sister, who are not readers, never got such treats!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by collybird

I looked Sunfire up, they sound amazing! I was hoping someone out there had converted them for Kindle but no such luck. I'm thinking of ordering a few from Amazon when we're in Florida but they all sound so good I don't know how I'd choose!

Dad's are funny creatures! I have never seen mine read a book (he works and sleeps) and we had very little money growing up, I was very conscious of this and did not ask for things. But sometimes I would see a book I really wanted and he would always give me the money without question. Sometimes, he'd go for a drink by the beach and take me with him, he'd give me money to buy a book and I'd walk around with my head in it whilst he was in the pub. My brother and sister, who are not readers, never got such treats!

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Lol...I actually checked to see if they were available for Kindle before I posted the snap.

I see a goodly few are available from Amazon for £3-4 (with shipping). And I've added them to my book list for NY - hopefully Poot and I can find a good used bookstore with a large kids' department. Fingers crossed.

What period in history do you like? I remember really enjoying "Sabrina", which is set during the American Revolution - but in the SOUTH. And "Merrie" - I think that was on the Mayflower - and "Margaret" - that one features a young schoolteacher in Nebraska, who has to teach "boys" older than she is how to read. Oh, dear - talking to you about this has made me want to go and buy them all...

And that story about your father is terribly sweet - I assume we grew up in rather similar circumstances. We never knew month to month whether there would be money or not - it was only when I got older that I really recognised the sacrifices my parents made for us. I don't think my father ever owned more than two pairs of shoes in his life. I was so happy when I started earning a good living and could help my mother. But I had such a happy childhood nonetheless. Kids don't really want stuff - they just want their parents' time.


I can't imagine a life without books. When people say they don't read - I feel myself die a little inside.

[Goldia]

If we're sharing our favourite books then mine is Gone with the Wind. I've just re-read it. Each time I do I hope that Scarlett will make better decisions, recognise what she wants and needs are different things and be kinder to those who love her, but she still makes the same terrible mistakes and is self centred, mean and completely unlikeable yet somehow I love her dearly. I also always hope the end will be different but it never is either!
Funnily enough my dad has never read a book of fiction. He reads the telegraph and Time magazine and he does sudoku puzzles in big books but that is it.
Lovely to read both your stories ☺

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Goldia

If we're sharing our favourite books then mine is Gone with the Wind. I've just re-read it. Each time I do I hope that Scarlett will make better decisions, recognise what she wants and needs are different things and be kinder to those who love her, but she still makes the same terrible mistakes and is self centred, mean and completely unlikeable yet somehow I love her dearly. I also always hope the end will be different but it never is either!
Funnily enough my dad has never read a book of fiction. He reads the telegraph and Time magazine and he does sudoku puzzles in big books but that is it.
Lovely to read both your stories ☺

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"Gone with the Wind" is The Queen's favourite book, too. This is starting to get spooky, Abby!

When I was a girl, GWTW was on the telly once a year - and DM and I would always watch it - right up to the point where Bonnie was born. Then we turned it off - so that my mother could pretend the film had a happy ending. I used to tease her mercilessly about that - until I was a mother. Now I understand COMPLETELY.

Did you read/watch "North and South"? Not the Elizabeth Gaskell one - the John Jakes (Civil War) one with Patrick Swayze...

I never really fell in love with the book - but if you imagine GWTW with even MORE melodrama...that's NAS. And the mini-series is the guiltiest of guilty pleasures - but I LOVE it. I absolutely wanted to marry Orry Main. And the frocks! Be still my heart!


My father, my brother, my uncles - R.C. - none of them ever read novels. Only nonfiction. It's a man thing, I think.

But I tell you, if all I ever read was the newspaper and "Time" - I'd be suicidal. I need a BREAK from the real world, thank you very much.

[Goldia]

I've looked up North and South, it doesn't ring any bells, but it's got some acting greats from the 80's. I'd be surprised if we didn't watch it, for starters there were only 4 TV channels back then, also Kirstie Alley was a mega star and Patrick Swayze was my hero. 😚I cannot tell you how many times I watched him in Dirty Dancing and also a more obscure movie called The Outsiders which has a very young Tom Cruise as well as many other 80's heart throbs, it's a movie about gang rivalry.

And I think I already mentioned about being separated at birth from the Queen! You best get saving so I can come to the next skating championships. 😂

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Goldia

I've looked up North and South, it doesn't ring any bells, but it's got some acting greats from the 80's. I'd be surprised if we didn't watch it, for starters there were only 4 TV channels back then, also Kirstie Alley was a mega star and Patrick Swayze was my hero. 😚I cannot tell you how many times I watched him in Dirty Dancing and also a more obscure movie called The Outsiders which has a very young Tom Cruise as well as many other 80's heart throbs, it's a movie about gang rivalry.

And I think I already mentioned about being separated at birth from the Queen! You best get saving so I can come to the next skating championships. 😂

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You're right - I think a lot of younger folk really don't get just how different American pop culture was from English pop culture in the days before cable/satellite TV and the internet. We had six TV channels in America, though.

And "North and South" was a MASSIVE HIT (as was "The Outsiders", must confess I had a little giggle at you calling it 'obscure'). But it would be the same in the other direction. I can remember being rather smug about my collection of abstruse punk records - only to discover from my cousins (who still lived in Europe) that all the bands were massively popular and MAINSTREAM (the horror!) in Europe - some had even been on "Top of the Pops".



OK...having said all that...you know I would normally say something like, "I'd never tell you what to watch..."


But in this case, Abby - RUN, don't walk - to Amazon. You can get episode 1 for £1.89 here:

amazon/d/51/North-...orth+and+south

...and see if it's for you. I always have lots of Amazon video credit - maybe you do too and could get it for free. Or the complete DVD set is here:

amazon/North-South...orth+and+south


Patrick Swayze with a South Carolina accent...is it getting warm in here? When I was a girl I liked him best as "young" Orry - but now that I am middle-aged I confess I prefer him as the silver fox he becomes in the later episodes...mmm.


OK, I'm DEFINITELY done telling you what to do now. Sorry about that. But I really do have your best interests at heart - especially now that I know we're related.

[collybird]

Ooo North and South sounds right up my street, I don't think I've heard of it before.

Not an Outsiders fan, I've never seen the movie but I read the book as an adult and just didn't get it.

Goldia, I love your story about hoping the ending will be different as you re-read. I do that too, especially with Harry Potter. People who don't read would never understand.