Scaifea's 2014 Challenge - Thread #15

Welcome to The Fifteenth Thread!

This year, since I read a fair amount of children's books, I think I'll open my threads with photos of the work of some of my favorite picture book illustrators.

Helen Oxenbury is an illustrator whom I wasn't aware of at all until I started reading through the awards lists after I found out that Charlie was on the way, and I'm so glad that I found her. She's wonderful, don't you think?





Below you’ll find an explanation of my reading habits, which, I warn you, is a bit crazy. Usually I have about 10-12 books going at once, one each from the following groups (and occasionally other books slipped in there, too):

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The CYOA books
c. The Newbery Honor books

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A book for the Presidential Challenge. Books for this category are read in chronological (presidentially) order.

5. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

6. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker lists (combined, in chronological order)

7. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. A book from my shelves which I haven't yet read
b. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. Stephen King's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

8. A bath-time book: I read aloud while Tomm gives Charlie his bath.

9. A book from my Classics shelves.

10. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

11. Book-a-year challenge: Last year at some point, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've decided, again, to follow Paul's lead and try to fill in some of those blanks, and so I'm adding an entry here to my lists.

12. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

And on top of these, there will be a multitude of picture books, which Charlie and I read together. I only list picture books that I or we read for the first time - no repeat reads will be mentioned here (and they are legion).

So, now you've got a glimpse of just how neurotic I am.
Please feel free to post comments, recommendations, or whatever else strikes your fancy. And Happy Reading, everyone!

What I'm reading now:
-Lady Chatterley's Lover (Banned Books list)
-Indian Captive (Newbery Honor book)
-Journey to the West (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times (Presidential Challenge)
-The Amulet of Samarkand (audio book)
-The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber (no touchstone) (Hugo award list)
-Enemy of God (from the TBR shelves)
-Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King (bath-time book)
-The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine (off of my classics shelves)
-Deity Yoga (buddhism list)
-Parnassus on Wheels (year-by-year book list, 1917)
-Paddle Your Own Canoe (from the READ ME NOW pile)
-The Iliad (everyday audio book in the car)

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1

And here's my list for the Reading Bingo, which seems to be taking us 75ers by storm. Like many others, I'll not make an extra effort to fill it, but rather just see which of the books I read this year happen to fit what categories:

More than 500 pages:
Forgotten Classic: The Man in the High Castle
Book that became a movie: The World of Pooh
Published this year:
Number in the title: 45 & 47 Stella Street
Written by someone under 30: Cirque du Freak
Book with non-human characters: Odd and the Frost Giants
Funny Book: Diggers
Female Author: Flora & Ulysses
Book with a mystery: One Came Home
One-Word Title: Truckers
Book of short stories: M Is for Magic
Set on a different continent: Wings
Non-Fiction: Buddhism for Beginners
First book by a favorite author:
Heard about online:
Best-selling book:
Based on a true story: John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, a Private Life
Book at the bottom of TBR pile:
Book my friend loves: Stories I Only Tell My Friends
Book that scares me: The American Red Cross First Aid & Safety Handbook
More than 10 years old: The Genie in the Bottle
Second book in a series: E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!
Blue cover: The Life and Times of Paddington Bear

Books Read (see previous threads for previous reads):

APRIL
248. My First Little House Books: Summertime in the Big Woods (public library book) - 8/10
249. (#32) Mr. Popper's Penguins (Charlie's bath time book) - 8/10
250. (#33) Cirque du Freak (1001 Children's Books list) - 5/10
251. Hansel and Gretel (Caldecott Honor book) - 9/10
252. Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
253. Hooray for Fly Guy (public library book) - 8/10
254. (#34) Because of Winn-Dixie (1001 Children's Books list) - 8/10
255. Ozzie and the Art Contest (public library book) - 8/10
256. The Insomniacs (public library book) - 9/10
257. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet (Charlie book) - 8/10
258. Big Bear's Big Boat (public library book) - 8/10
259. (#35) Jungle Safari (CYOA series) - 8/10
260. Duke Ellington (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
261. Noah's Ark (Caldecott Honor book) - 7/10
262. The Stray Dog (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
263. Tibet Through the Red Box (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
264. The Wall (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
265. I Spy Fly Guy (public library book) - 8/10
266. (#36) The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly (1001 Children's Books list) - 9/10
267. Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl (public library book) - 8/10
268. Sugar Snow (public library book) - 8/10
269. How I Learned Geography (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
270. Red Sings from Treetops (Caldecott Honor book) - 7/10
271. Creepy Carrots! (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
272. Winter Days in the Big Woods (public library book) - 8/10
273. Dance at Grandpa's (public library book) - 8/10
274. A Little House Birthday (public library book) - 8/10
275. Buzz Boy and Fly Guy (public library book) - 8/10
276. Bunny's Lessons (public library book) - 8/10
277. Hello, My Name Is Ruby (public library book) - 10/10
278. Dave the Potter (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
279. A River of Words (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
280. Sleep Like a Tiger (Caldecott Honor book) - 8/10
281. (#37) Fire, Bed & Bone (1001 Children's Books list) - 8/10
282. Xander's Panda Party (public library book) - 9/10
283. How to Make a Wind Sock (Charlie's school book) - 8/10
284. The Sweetest Valentines (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10
285. King Big Wig (public library book) - 8/10
286. Biblioburro (public library book) - 8/10
287. Ollie Forgot (public library book) - 8/10
288. I Will Surprise My Friend! (public library book) - 8/10
289. Crazy Hair (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10
290. (#38) Skellig (1001 Children's Books list) - 9/10
291. Nighty-Night, Cooper (public library book) - 8/10
292. Ollie's Easter Eggs (public library book) - 9/10
293. The Little Red Hen (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10
294. Tap the Magic Tree (public library book) - 9/10
295. If You Give a Dog a Donut (Charlie book) - 9/10
296. Warning: Do Not Open This Book (public library book) - 9/10
297. Gus, the Dinosaur Bus (public library book) - 8/10
298. Max Spaniel: Funny Lunch (public library book) - 7/10

The Charlie Topper:

And the Bonus Question:

In high school, which Breakfast Club category would you say you belonged to (Brain, Jock, Princess, Freak, Criminal,…)?

Oh, Brain, definitely. There were subclasses of the Brains, though. There were the Brains who were deemed acceptable by the popular kids (maybe because many of them also played sports?). Then there were the Brains who were considered "weird" by the popular kids. I was a "weird" Brain. The further along we got in high school, the more the popular kids mostly left the weirds alone and the more both sets of Brains intermingled (at least at school). So there's that, I guess. I was always more of a "small group of very close friends" kind of person, and I had that small group of very close friends, so high school was pretty much okay anyway. Middle school, now, that was another story. I still had the close friends, but the mean kids were much meaner then than in high school.

Brain, but relatively social one. Band geek too, so that helped. :)

Whew, 15 threads!

What Jim >5 drneutron: said! Brainy socialite band geek.

>4 lycomayflower: >5 drneutron: >6 michigantrumpet: Laura, Jim & Marianne: I sort of figured that most of this group would claim Brain status - sort of a, uh, no-brainer, eh?
I was a Brain, too, and was also in band, but I was in the drumline, so that apparently totally boosted my Cool Factor, which left me in the pretty neat position of being a Brain and a Band person and a Kinda Cool Kid, but not a card-carrying member of the Really Popular Crowd. All of that meant that I could float in and out of all crowds, really, and I ended up being the person at everyone was friends with in some way or another. I took advantage of that and talked to and made friends with pretty much everyone, without the pressure of being in that Popular Crowd. I did what I wanted, wore what I wanted to wear and hung out with whomever I pleased and still incurred no jeers or wrath or meanness from anyone. Worked out pretty well.

I was a Brain, too, but my class only had 52 people in it, so we didn't have a lot of distinct groups.

Happy new thread, Amber!

Nice new thread Amber and a lovely Charlie photo.

Amber, congrats on your new thread.

>8 katiekrug: Katie: Wow, that's pretty small! Where did you grow up, if you don't mind my asking?

>9 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>10 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

>11 scaifea: - I grew up in rural New York, where NY, Massachusetts and Connecticut all meet. But I went to a small boarding school for high school. It was in the same general area, but had I gone to the local public school, my class would have been at least a couple hundred.

Another brainy band geek here, Amber. Happy new thread!

I was always in the top third of my class, brain-wise, but I was also very social (some would say too social). My report cards always had a line about how "the work comes easily for Judy but she must learn how to apply that knowledge". Translation: I was quite content to just skate by.

>12 katiekrug: Katie: Very cool!

>13 Crazymamie: Mamie: We're in good company, aren't we?

>14 DeltaQueen50: Judy: Ha!

I don't know what a breakfast club is because it wasn't part of my school experience, whether grade school or high school. My home room was art, which made us a group apart right there. We don't have things like drum corps at Canadian schools. I was a speed swimmer but none of our high schools had pools, meaning that my sport was done away from the limelight of school sports, so no one knew I was good at something athletic. And I was a disaster at math and physics, so was only a brain in certain subjects like English, History, and languages. I tended to hang out with the other artistic, bright but not wildly popular kids and really much preferred our group because they were kind and a lot of fun. So wherever that lumps me in...!

>16 tiffin: This is the Breakfast Club to which I was referring, the John Hughes film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/

If you didn't have a pool at school, how did you get interested in speed swimming?

My dad worked with the Y so I have been a Y kid/person all my life. The Y had a speed swimming team. Yay!
ETA: aha re the breakfast club

>18 tiffin: Oh, very cool! As someone who can NOT swim at all, I'm so impressed with those who can do it so well at a young age.

Because of our living circumstances connected with Dad's work, I really only learned to swim when I was 11, Amber, so came to it later than most. Once I got the chance, though, I never looked back! Being in a pool is still my happy place. I always wanted to know how to ride a horse and never got the chance. You can probably do that, being a country girl bred and raised?

>3 scaifea: Drama Fag. Was called this, in fact, many times.

>20 tiffin: Ha! My dad gave me a horse for Christmas when I was 7, so, yeah, I can ride.

>21 richardderus: Richard: I hope it wasn't in a mean-spirited way? Cuz that's a pretty awesome group to be in.

You're bonus question is particular apt, Amber. I just watched The Breakfast Club on the weekend (the first time I'd seen the whole thing). I was definitely a Brain in high school. I was in an international honours program and everything. :)

Brain--but also drama! Helped run the lights sophomore year while the seniors did "Our Town" (never got tired of it, kept seeing new depths to it throughout rehearsals), was the character actress in junior year, and the lead my senior year. But definitely brain--the only girl in the science club. Only two girls took physics. The popular brain girls took yearbook and journalism the same hour.

See you have cold bad weather you are sending our way. Your are way too generous. Seriously. Feel free to keep it!

>23 MickyFine: Micky: It's one of my favorite Brat Pack movies. I was so in love with Judd Nelson.

>24 ronincats: Roni: I was one of only 2 girls in my physics class in high school, too, but it never stuck with me, I'm afraid. I'm a Humanatee all the way (so I married a physicist just to keep all the bases covered). Ha!

>25 michigantrumpet: Marianne: So sorry for the weather. It's in the low 20s here this morning and won't even reach 40 today. Gah.

It is 63 this morning and will drop 30+ degrees by tonight. Ugh.

On the agenda for today:
It's a stay-at-home day, mostly, today (Charlie has his second dance class this evening). Laundry. I may bake some bread (cinnamon raisin). A little cleaning. Hopefully a bit of sewing time - I've put aside the napkin project for now, because it's that time of year for me to whip up a few more pajama pants for Charlie - pajama shorts, really - and to cut off the winter pajama pants that I made last fall and make them into shorts, too. Well, yes, I know that it's 20 degrees out there today, but I'll make the new ones first and leave the pants as pants for a few more days. Sheesh.
I actually read multiple chapters in The Wanderer yesterday, which has taken a turn for the weirder in parts. I'm reading through the Hugo list with my best friend, who has already finished this one, and he tells me that it gets even worse before the end. Great. *sigh*

Today's calendar book is one that it seems most people in the group have already read: Gone Girl. It's already on my wishlist.

I was definitely a brain in elementary school, but I abandoned it for the freak category by the time I reached high school. ;)

>29 Ape: Stephen: Oh, you never really abandon the Brain category once you're in it, Stephen. :)

Excellent article about the politeness of whippersnapper language:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/opinion/sunday/like-degrading-the-language-no-...

I was a brain, for sure. A very nerdy, somewhat socially awkward brain. But still well-liked. My class in high school had only 20 people, and the entire high school had maybe 75 kids, so the social lines weren't nearly as clearly drawn as at larger schools. Everyone knew everybody else too well to be too mean.

>32 casvelyn: I love small schools! My elementary was one, but by the time I got to high school, they had consolidated all the little local schools, which meant we had a fair-to-middlin' sized school. Not really big, but not teeny, either.

Morning Amber- Happy New Thread! Now, it was my turn to wake up to snow. UGH! This is cruel. I LOVED Gone Girl, but I know LT opinion is mixed.

Y'know, I had a similar thought not long ago. Not about the non-degradation of language, but the whole "if today's youth are doing it it's wrong" mentality.

My sister had played her that popular "What does the fox say?" song when we were all together on a Saturday, and my mom was quite disgusted by it. "How could a song like that be so popular, all they are doing is making noises! In my day they made real music, no nonsense like that." The whole day all I could do was sing "Who put the bop in the bop-shoo-bop-shoo-bop, who ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong" in my head al day. And don't get me started on "that lonesome cattle call."

I think it is human nature to believe we are all-knowing, at least when it comes to those that are younger than us. *Shrugs*

>34 msf59: Morning, Mark! I know, right? Sheesh.

>35 Ape: Stephen: I get irritated at people who do the whole, 'back in my day everything was better and people were more respectful' business. Because it isn't true. There has never really been a time when that has been true.

283. How to Make a Wind Sock by Ellen Tarlow (Charlie's school book, beginning reader) - 8/10
The was another book sent home by Charlie's teacher, but this time, she hadn't read it with them first, so Charlie was sight-reading it. And he did really well, with only a little help needed from me!

284. The Sweetest Valentines by Jane E. Gerver (Charlie's school library book, easy reader) - 8/10
A group of children are making valentines at school, but one little one can't decide what kind to make until it's too late and school is over for the day. He's sad, but he goes home and finds inspiration to make his own valentines on his own.
Cute, but nothing spectacular.

Morning, Amber. Your day sounds like a good one - I love stay-at-home days!

Hey Amber! Glad to see on your previous thread that you are liking Enemy of God. That trilogy is my favorite of all the Cornwell books.

I don't think that I ever saw The Breakfast Club all the way through. Was there a category called Invisible? That was me!

>38 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Charlie has informed me that we have several 'art projects' to do today, too, so our day just got busier - not that I'm complaining...

>39 Fourpawz2: Charlotte: Invisible? Surely not. Have you seen that episode of Buffy, though? Good one.

>40 scaifea: - Totally invisible. I was that person in a corner at parties and other gatherings. I was horribly shy all through school and beyond. Even now I am often uncomfortable in new company. When I started working at my recently vanished job, I did not feel that I 'belonged' for a year. Literally - a year.

Oh, Buffy! We LOVE her!

If there had been cliques in my high school, I would have been a brain, or a theatre geek. But it's hard to have cliques in a graduating class of 1.

;-)

Brain from first grade on. In high school I was in a group of about thirty brains that took a Gifted class together and many of the same advanced classes. You'd think we'd stick together but no. We had the same Breakfast Club divisions within the Gifted group. I was the Lone Bookworm within the Brain group. I usually had just one friend at a time except in my junior year when I made several Freak friends outside the Brain group.

Awesome clothes and stuff for a fantastic cause:

http://outofprintclothing.com/p-s-244-library-fundraiser/

>41 Fourpawz2: Charlotte: I'm a lot like that in groups of people that I don't know and with whom I am forced to socialize. Ugh - awful. Also, I forgot to mention that this Cornwell series makes me want to read more of his stuff!

>42 Crazymamie: Mamie: All awesome people do. :)

>43 foggidawn: Ha! Wow, now that *is* small! Home school?

>44 Morphidae: A sub-clique of Brains? Ha!

>46 scaifea: Yep.

Hi Amber!

In high school, I was definitely a band nerd (and I guess a brain?). However, due to where I grew up and my younger-self friends, I had an odd rapport with the burn-out girls. We were not in the same classes, but they were very nice to me. So, imagine nerdy Kerri walking down the hall with her bassoon case, wearing a sweater vest and then two tough girls in Metallica-patched jean jackets saying, "Hey. What's up, Kerri." I will say that I did not get invited to their birthday parties anymore though. Ha!

>48 DorsVenabili: Ha! That's awesome, Kerri!

Charlie and I just finished up a slice each of warm Cinnamon Raisin Bread, fresh out of the oven, and chatted about where raisins come from and how awesome bread dough feels when you knead it (he helped me make the bread), and about the Little Red Hen story, which we just re-read last night. These are the moments when I thank the PTB that I was able to leave my job and stay at home with him. I know I've said it before but I feel like the luckiest gal on the planet.

Happy new Thread! I love Helen Oxenbury. Our favorite is We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

>3 scaifea: I was an underachieving Brain. Although I was nominated my senior year for "best dressed" which could imply some leanings toward princess. I didn't win though.

As I head in the direction of going back to work after 15+ years home with the kids, I have been thinking how lucky I've been to be able to be home with them. It's hard work some days, but so worth it.

Also, the Latin book came yesterday. Along with a bag of chocolate covered cinnamon bears. I LOVE my sister! It was totally worth the wait. :)

>48 DorsVenabili: oooh another high school bassoonist! ^5

>51 nittnut: Jenn: That's our favorite one, too!
It *is* hard work some days, but, yeah, it's amazing, too.
And Yay for Latin! Just let me know when you're ready to go by PMing me your email address and I'll send you some stuff to get started.
Also - chocolate covered cinnamon bears? What?! I must investigate this...

>52 AuntieClio: Stephanie: Bassoonists are super-awesome!

We're off to dance class!

Hi, Amber! I found a relatively short thread that I could get through, and here I am!

Definitely a brain, I was. Still am, I guess!

Hi Amber, I am going to come right out and say it. I think the illustrations let We're going on a Bear Hunt down! :( I guess I just like a bolder brighter style of pitcher ;) I still love the story though.
>40 scaifea: Charlie has informed me that we have several 'art projects' to do today, too, so our day just got busier
LOL
It's a bit like that around here too! Yesterday we had an emergency last minute block painting session (just before tea time) as we chanced upon a perfect cube amongst the wood pile. Wilbur HAD to make a dice. So we did.

>54 tloeffler: Well, you're in good company here, eh? Good to see you, Terri.

>44 Morphidae: Megan: What?!?! Shocked, I am. Shocked, I say! *snork!* Just kidding, of course.
Don't you just love those impromptu projects?

44/55: same dif
:)
I pride myself on being open to impromptu projects/outings, but sometimes I have taken on more than I was able to actually accomplish.

We didn't really have those kinds of cliques in school. (I think it might be something of a North American thing? We don't have extra curriculars in school like you do; if you have special interests you do them in your own time.) We just had people divided into "popular" and "not popular". I was most certainly "not popular".

>57 LovingLit: Megan: Oh, yes, I've taken on more than I can manage before, too!

>58 PawsforThought: I never really envied the Popular kids, really. They seemed to live in a display case, which seems horrifying to me, plus their method of hanging out and 'having fun' never seemed interesting, either. I'm fairly certain that I wouldn't have been able to carry on any sort of meaningful book conversations with them. Ha!

On the agenda for today:

It's Wednesday - Library Day! Woot! But first, a little cleaning, and possibly some cookie baking will happen this morning. it's supposed to reach the mid-50s today, so hopefully we'll be able to get outside for a bit this afternoon.
I tore through the first half of Skellig yesterday, and so far it's a great little read. Very intense but also very well written.

Today's calendar book: Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America's Canine Heroes. Nope, no thanks. No dog books unless I absolutely have to (i.e. if they show up on a list). Anyone read this one?

285. King Big Wig by Portia Aboro (public library book, easy reader) - 8/10
A king decides that bigger is better, tests the theory, and then changes him mind.
A neat little book, the kind in which some of the words are replace with little pictures. So Charlie 'read' the pictures for me, and then by the end, had started to read some of the actual words, too (the oft-repeated ones).

286. Biblioburro by Jeanette Winter (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
The story of a man in Columbia who set up a travelling library on the backs of two burros.
Great based-on-true-events story, with lovely illustrations. Charlie was fascinated by the thought that it's a true story, and I told him that we'd find some photos of the real thing today.

>59 scaifea: I desperately wanted to be "one of them" when I was around 10-15-ish but after starting upper secondary (high school) and finding new people to hang out with, I never looked back. I gave up a lot of myself to try and become popular and it's taken a long, long time to get it all back. It's not worth it, not even a little bit. I'm really glad to be ME again.

>62 PawsforThought: That's the scary thing, isn't it? Young people giving up what makes them *them* to try to be popular non-entities. Ugh. So awful on so many levels. Yeah for being you again!

>52 AuntieClio: - Oh, my! :-) When it came time to choose an instrument in 4th grade, they wanted me to play percussion (because I played piano and could rock the glockenspiel), but I chose the bassoon. Quite frankly, not choosing percussion is one of my biggest regrets in life, but bassoon stories are good for cocktail parties, so there's that. :-)

>64 DorsVenabili: I'm not gonna lie - being a percussionist is pretty awesomesauce...

>65 scaifea: - Well, yes. In my alternate reality dreams, I graduate to the kit and eventually become the drummer of a moderately successful 90s all-female punk band in Chicago. Ha!

ETA: Oh, I should add that I did play the xylophone in high school marching band, as one cannot march with a bassoon.

>66 DorsVenabili: I would SO listen to your alternate reality band!

>66 DorsVenabili: Ha! Love it!

>67 PawsforThought: Me, too!

Hi Amber, baking sounds perfect. I hope you can enjoy it outside. Waves

In high school, which Breakfast Club category would you say you belonged to (Brain, Jock, Princess, Freak, Criminal,…)?

If I had to choose one category I'd say Brain. I played sports (football, spring track, cross country), but I wasn't talented enough to warrant Jock status. I was one of three or four 10-12 black students in my overwhelmingly white large suburban high school (there were over 500 students in my graduating class, and only three or four of us were black), so everyone knew me even if I didn't know them. Fortunately I was a good student and was generally well liked by my fellow students and the teachers and administrators, although I didn't entirely fit in to any group or have any truly close friends.

>69 Ameise1: Barbara: Well, it does sound good, doesn't it? But I'm not certain that it's going to happen today - the morning kind of got away from us.

>70 kidzdoc: Darryl: I went to a small-town high school, which was also almost completely 'white.' In fact, for the better part of one year I was known as 'the girl who's dating the black kid.' I'm sad to say that there were members of the community - and of my own extended family (although not my parents) - who were demonstrably not pleased with this.
He was the smartest kid in my class and what can I say, I've always been attracted to the brainy ones (smart is so sexy). I did, after all, marry an astrophysicist...

>71 scaifea: Your husband is an astrophysicist? That IS sexy. I love astronomy.

>72 PawsforThought: Yep. He had a position as a physics prof for a while, but he's now director of digital content for all physics textbooks for McGraw Hill.

ETA: And, yes, he's totally hot. :)

>73 scaifea: That is quite a designation! I thought McGraw Hill sold off their publishing business to some PE firm some time back, didn't they?

I remember being told such, by a Director of McGraw Hill a year-year and a half back, when we were in the process of creating a South Asia JV (based out of India) with their subsidiary, S&P Dow Jones.

Hi Amber, catching up on threads is impossible. I've seen Charlie featuring in several posts and I'm hoping everything is alright in your home.

>74 PiyushC: Piyush: I think another company bought MH, but they're still, well, MH. But, yes, there was some sort of buy-out.

>75 connie53: Hi, Connie! Yep, everything is fine here - good to see you!

I was in mixed schools from 3rd grade on. But this was in SE Florida so the minority population was much less a minority. I'd say my high school was *at least* 25% - 30% minority if not more.

*pause for a short break*

MrMorphy and I just went through my senior high school year book and that's a pretty good guess without actually counting.

>78 Morphidae: The school I went to from 1st to 9th grade had one (1!) kid whose family were immigrants. And two kids were adopted from abroad. Everyone else white, "ethnic Swedes". It's much more mixed nowadays.

>78 Morphidae: & 79 There was also one Jewish family (and those boys were twins, so the rest of us were kind of in awe of their difference (that last word should be spoken with a heavy, fake, French accent, if you please). And that's it. Everyone else was Wonder Bread. And one gay student (of whom I knew), but he most certainly wasn't open about it, and I don't blame him.
That's one of the things that I regret about leaving the town in which we lived in Ohio - it was a small town, but it was also a town that included a small, liberal arts college with a healthy dose of diversity, both among the students and - more importantly for me - among the faculty, whose children would have been in school with Charlie. Here there's more diversity in the schools than where and when I grew up, but not as much of a feeling of acceptance of differences as Charlie would have gotten in our previous town.

That sweet UPS man paid me a visit again today:

>70 kidzdoc: >71 scaifea: Interestingly, I had the converse experience. My grade school was predominantly black. As the shortest little girl with long blonde hair, I became the class pet. My friends would play with my hair, but couldn't understand why the braids wouldn't hold in my thin straight hair! I was one of the ones everyone recognized even if I didn't know them. Even now, when I go back, I can go into a store and someone will know me by name ...

Anyone who doubts the value of diversity should undergo a similar experience. I quickly developed the ability to fit into many diverse groups, appreciated values and backgrounds unlike my own family's, and a love for meeting all types of different people. This broadened perspective has been a godsend ever since.

>82 michigantrumpet: Yep, and that's why I really wish we were somewhere that had a much more diverse school system, so that Charlie could grow in that kind of environment and so that it would just be natural to him.

Exactly! I have a far more ecumenical approach to life than many of my friends. Nothing I love more than to meet someone new, interesting and different.

I'm trying to apply that to my reading life. Although I think I have fairly broad interests, I've even taken to a little fantasy fiction on occasion. Neil Gaiman is on my wishlist! Romance han't popped up much, though. I'm still a work in progress.

>84 michigantrumpet:: Ha1 I just finished another Gaiman (see photo above)! Love him.

>71 scaifea: for the better part of one year I was known as 'the girl who's dating the black kid.'

Oddly enough, that comment brought back a sad and painful memory. One of my classmates, a white female, invited me to our senior prom, although it was through an intermediary. She wasn't dating anyone at the time, and I was either between relationships or had just started dating a new girl. In any case I wasn't at all interested in going to the prom, so I declined her offer; we weren't as close after that, although we stayed on good terms.

Four years after high school I read our local paper that my parents subscribed to, which I usually didn't do, and happened to see an article about Dawn. She was stricken with acute leukemia, had failed all treatments, and died within a few weeks of the publication of that story. I was absolutely heartbroken, and felt even more guilty for not taking her to our prom. Even though it's been over 30 years since her death, thinking about Dawn earlier this afternoon brought tears to my eyes, as she was a very smart and likeable girl who had a bright future ahead of her.

On a less depressing note: the Lutheran elementary school I went to in Jersey City, New Jersey was very mixed, which was split roughly equally between black and white students (45-50% each), with a couple of Latino kids mixed in. The associated church was also mixed, although it went from being majority first- and second-generation German to majority black from the early 1960s to the mid 1970s. Everyone got along well, and several of the German families, especially the Dahls, Carons and Brombachers, were among my parents' closest friends, and we kids were just as close. So, when it came time to attend the nearly all white suburban high school and live in a nearly all white neighborhood it wasn't a huge adjustment for me, as I already had plenty of white friends from north Jersey.

>86 kidzdoc: Oh, I am so sorry for bringing up sad memories, Darryl. Completely unintentional, and I hope you'll forgive me.

>87 scaifea: Not your fault at all, Amber! I started to teasingly blame you for doing so, though, as I'm nowhere near as upset as I was a few hours ago. I hadn't thought about Dawn for many years, and I was surprised at how intense my reaction was when I remembered her.

ETA: Likewise, I hope that I haven't made anyone too sad by posting that depressing story.

>88 kidzdoc: It's good to remember such things and those people, though, I think. I'm a firm believer in the idea that people who are gone still live on in some way or another, as long as there are those still here who remember and think of them.

>89 scaifea: I agree completely, Amber. As long as one doesn't dwell too much on their deaths or become overly morose about that person I think it's good to think of them. I was quite sad for half an hour or so, but I now fondly remember her easy manner, her infectious laugh and her sharp wit.

>64 DorsVenabili: I went to a small high school and I think they needed a bassoonist, so I was it. For the first part of the year it was "marching" band for which I played glockenspiel and then "orchestra" when I played bassoon. I also sang in choir.

Like Katie, I graduated from a very small school (class of 42 and rural Illinois for me), so there weren't really enough kids to divvy them up into discrete categories. Most everyone was a combination of one or more things. I've never seen "The Breakfast Club" but from the categories you listed I guess I was a brain, although I did get suspended twice for being truant. In terms of diversity, it wasn't. The school was all white except for one family from India.

Back to Breakfast Club... Big surprise that I was a Brain.

My graduating class was 12; doesn't beat the class of 1, but still teeny. Large enough for "groups", but not enough to have major cliques.

To make life worse, it was a K-12 Christian school & my mom taught there. So not only was I an over achieving perfectionist, but I was also a teacher's kid. :)

I still managed to be well liked. Most of the time. I had several good friends. I cheered. "Played" softball (read stood in left field scared of ball), sang in chorus, & eventually edited yearbook. But I was one nerdy girl. Only in the last 5 years or so have I decided to embrace my nerdishness & learn to love that I'll never be the cool kid. ;)

Gosh - a class of 52 or 42 was small? We had 33 in our class and 100 in our year. Mind you, it was a private school, and class sizes in the UK are mandated by law (I think).

I grew up in England and I always thought those "Mean Girl" type films were highly exaggerated, but my North American cousins told me that it was like that in school. But pretty much all schools (private or public) have uniforms, which (to cut a long theory short) keeps things somewhat in check, I suppose.

So, I don't fall into any of those categories, really. I was reasonably clever, but could have worked harder. I was quiet and shy, but I had a group of good friends. We didn't have many extra curricular activities, that I remember, except sports teams, but I wasn't sporty. There was needlework club, which I was forced to attend, because I always forgot to take my needlework in on the day that we had class, so I had to catch up.

(My sewing teacher got so fed up she started giving me detentions every time I forgot my kit. I got 3 or 4; if you got 9 in a year, apparently, you were expelled. So I was heading for expulsion for forgetting my needlework!)

Oh - found you a chocolate covered cinnamon bear. Sort of :

>94 humouress: I grew up in England and I always thought those "Mean Girl" type films were highly exaggerated, but my North American cousins told me that it was like that in school

I've always wondered about that as well! Every US high school film that I've ever seen seems to consist of one group being horrible to another group. I went to an average size school in UK terms (so around 210 people in my year) but it wasn't particularly cliquey. We certainly didn't have the emphasis on sports as being supercool. (at one stage I was going out with the captain of the rugby team, but it wasn't seen as a particularly cool thing to do.) I was always academic, but that wasn't seen as nerdy either.

>90 kidzdoc: Darryl: I think about my brother every day (he died young and suddenly, just a little over 4 years ago), and it gets easier everyday for those thoughts to be celebrations and not a form of mourning. But it took me a long time to get there.

>91 AuntieClio: Stephanie: Whew, those bells must have been *heavy*! I carried some heavy drums in marching band, but we never marched bells.

>92 rosalita: Never seen the Breakfast Club, eh? At this point I think it's maybe too much a product of its time to recommend heartily, although I do love it dearly. Lots of nostalgia for my youth in that movie.

>93 TinaV95: Oh, but you *are* one of the cool kids here! Just check the threads, lady! :)

>94 humouress: I think maybe the nomenclature is confusing - when we say 'class' we mean 'year' in this context. I graduated in the Class of 1993, for example. So a 'class' of 50 is pretty small. I graduated in a class of 200 or so, but our class(room) sizes were 10-15.
Sadly, the Mean Girl bit isn't all that exaggerated, I think. And I love the idea of school uniforms; I honestly wished that there was such a thing for my school when I was in it. Levels a few playing fields, I think.
Love the sewing kit story - adorable. I really didn't like sewing class, which all girls were required to take in junior high (ugh). I already knew how to sew because my amazing seamstress of a mother taught me, and the class went intolerably slow for me and was led by a teacher who believed that everyone had to go at the same pace and take the same steps at the same time... Blech. I could have gotten so much sewing done in that 50 minutes every day if she had let me bring in my own projects to work on, but noooooo, that wouldn't be right... *sigh* (I think she was uncomfortable with the fact that I was better at it than she was! Ha!)
And thanks for the bear! I think...

>95 SandDune: Rhian: Yep, it's pretty much true, I think. Sad, really.

On the agenda for today:
I've got a small To Do list for this morning while Charlie's at school, and then I'll try to spend the rest of the time before going in for my library volunteering in the sewing room. I made one pair of pajama shorts yesterday, so maybe I can get at least one more pair made before time to head out. Today's a big day for Charlie, because this evening is the Cruise Night at school, for which we build the cardboard box car. He's so excited!
I finished Skellig yesterday - as strange but lovely book - but didn't make any more progress on The Wanderer. Dang, that book is bad. Ha!

For whatever reason, the book calendar has a mid-week quote instead of a book recommendation:
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." - Joseph Addison

The shorts (Cat in the Hat!):

>96 scaifea: I'm sorry to hear about your brother's sudden passing, Amber. I've found that one of the hardest things to overcome when you lose a treasured friend or family member are the memories of them that catch you off guard, or when you suddenly have the desire to see or talk with that person before you realize that they are no longer there.

ETA: I love Charlie's Cat in the Hat shorts! I wonder if they make them for adults...

>98 kidzdoc: Darryl: Oh, I agree. I still catch myself thinking, "Oh, I can't wait to tell Steve,..." and then remembering.
And, yes, I could definitely make you a pair of shorts Darryl, if you send me your measurements! :)

>97 scaifea: HA! A third book shelf. Anyway...

Remember those Freak friends I told you about? One of them was gay. In fact, I was the friend he talked to when he was trying to decide if he was straight or gay. He was obviously gay but I'm sure the struggle was with societal mores. He was the first person I talked to about the abuse at home.

In 1983, I graduated 36th in a class of 363, just squeaking into Honors Cords.

>100 Morphidae: I told you - they're everywhere in this house! That one is one of Charlie's, clearly, as it's in his room.
And, yep, I was that friend to the gay friend, too.

287. Ollie Forgot by Tedd Arnold (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
Ollie's mother sends him to the market with a few coins and a mental list of things to buy, but Ollie is extremely forgetful and a bit oblivious, which ends up getting him in one mess after another. It all works out in the end, though.
Cute. I like this one better than his Fly Guy books, and Charlie enjoyed it, too.

288. I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems (public library book, easy reader) - 8/10
Piggie and Elephant decide to surprise each other by the Big Rock, but it doesn't work out as they had planned...
Yeah, yeah, I know. Mo Willems isn't my favorite. But we have now read nearly all of the Fly Guy books that the library has, and all of the ones that were on the shelves yesterday, so Charlie oh-so-adorably walked up to Miss Erin, the children's librarian, and asked, "I really enjoyed the Fly Guy books - do you have anything similar to those?" (Cue heart-melting here.) She pointed out the Elephant and Piggie books to him, and so here we are. And it wasn't horrible! So there you go. I'm certain that it won't be the last one we read, since there was much giggling and 'read it again, please!" yesterday with this one...

289. Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman (Gaiman bibliography, picture book) - 9/10
A guy with wild hair tells a curious little girl all about its dangers, but she heeds him not and insists on trying to tame those locks...
Wonderfully, classically Gaiman. A little silly, a little scary, a lot awesome.

290. (38th non-picture book read this year) Skellig by David Almond (1001 Children's Books list, 182 pages) - 9/10
A boy moves into an old fixer-upper house with his family and struggles with moving to a new home, and with the fears that come along with an infant sister on the brink of death. And then he finds...something...in the dilapidated old garage, which will change everything.
It's difficult to describe this one. Part fantasy, part horror (but not really), but also a touching story of a scared young boy trying to deal with the horrors of real life. It's beautifully written. Recommended.

291. Nighty-Night, Cooper by Laura Numeroff (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
Cooper isn't sleepy and his mother sings silly songs to him to help him get to sleep.
Cute, but not up to the level of the If You Give... books.

That UPS man has been at it again...

Hi Amber! Funnily enough, I've been thinking a lot about high school over the last couple of days. I was definitely in the Brain group. There were 20-25 of us who were in advanced classes together all four years and we were very close. I was also in the Chorus group. My senior year I spent more than half of the school day in the chorus room as an accompanist for the girls' chorus and mixed chorus and a member of the madrigal group. Several of us also spent our lunch period in the chorus room. There was a little overlap with the Brain group in chorus. There was a mostly non-violent antagonism between the Jocks and a group we called the Podz. (I never knew why they were called that.) The Podz would probably fit into the punk rock subculture. There was some overlap between the Brains and the Podz, and also band and chorus and the Podz, so I counted several Podz among my friends.

We were pretty much tracked all the way through middle school and those of us who were advanced in middle school pretty much got a head start by taking classes that were typically for sophomores our freshmen year so we were basically ahead and then could take advanced honor courses our junior and senior years in various disciplines. That pretty much meant that the ones of us in that group were pretty close. Of course, I was also in band, and we definitely had our cliques there as well.

>96 scaifea: Amber, I played this kind:


And what I didn't tell you was the year before that I "played" cymbals but they were concert cymbals, not marching band cymbals. I'll let your imagination run away with what that was like for a full-chested teenage girl.

>98 kidzdoc: and >99 scaifea:
Right there with you. For a year or so after my friend Shauna died, I would pick up the phone on my way out of work to call, as had been my habit since she had been diagnosed with cancer. It's so hard. I don't want to think about what happens when Don goes. So grateful for every day he's around.

>103 scaifea: oh Amber, you didn't warn Richard first. ;-)

glick
fhnnnuuurf
gaaak

*death from Dickensosis*

>104 cbl_tn: Carrie: Since I was in the drumline, I couldn't be in choir, as band and choir were mutually exclusive. Also, I have a terrible singing voice, so no one would have wanted that. Ha!

>105 thornton37814: Lori: Another brain! Woot!

>106 AuntieClio: Stephanie: That reminds me of the cymbal line for the Velvet Knights drum corps, which was traditionally all girls.

>107 AuntieClio: Stephanie: Yep, those little bits of habit can really get to you.

>108 AuntieClio: Stephanie: Oh, *raspberry.* He's posted at least one photo that I can remember which featured a Dickens tome, so I suspect he doesn't mind, really. :)

>109 richardderus: *sigh* You poor thing, you. *pats Richard on the back sympathetically*

>60 scaifea: Skellig was my favorite read of 2008! I love this book.

Chiming in on the topic of diversity, when young, I grew up in a very small community. My heritage is Welsh and English. My great grandparents on my mother's side came from Wales where they worked in the coal mines. I lived in an area called "The Slate Belt" where people worked in the slate quarries.

I distinctly remember that those who were deemed not as good as those hailing from Wales or England were the "Italians!" Originally living in a town called Bangor, PA,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangor,_Pennsylvania

The town most near us was Roseto

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseto,_Pennsylvania

When I was a child in the 1950's, Roseto consisted of 99% Italians.

My parents forbid me to have Italian friends, forbid me to go to the Roseto carnival, (called the Roseto Big Time.)

Actually, for those of you who have read The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani she had relatives in Roseto and based the story on the once a year Big Time and the election of the queen who rode on the parade float.

I was very sensitive and precocious, somehow I knew that the words "guiney", "whap", "dago" were meant to sting.

I remember clearly that in third grade a boy sat next to me whose parents recently came from Italy to live in Roseto and that he could not speak English. I felt tremendously sad for him and tried to help him.

I then found playmates that were Italian. My mother never knew that I walked to Roseto after school and visited my friends. I learned to love this culture, based on the love of a close family, using food as an indicator of love, I felt so warm and wanted in the homes of my friends.

As a protestant, I was awe struck when visiting a Catholic church with my friend. The beautiful statues, the darkness illuminated by the light of the red glow of candles, the holy water, and crossing myself as I knelt at the altar, literally gave me a fright of my life. I feared that the Catholic God would know I was a protestant and would not like me in that church.

My prayer was that my mother would never learn I went to Catholic church.

Now, I laugh at this story, but also know that my parents, and many in that community had to feel big by making others feel small. It saddened me.

>103 scaifea: Oh, that is a beautiful edition of Great Expectations. Almost salivating over here.

>111 Whisper1: It *is* a good book, isn't it? Nora tells me that there's a movie, too, which I didn't know - I'll have to see if Netflix has it.
My first encounter with the Catholic church was when I was 7. My aunt had married a Catholic man and had converted, and when she died she had a Catholic funeral. I was fascinated by the rituals and the incense and the costumes, and I'm pretty certain that my life-long (academic) love of myth and ritual had at least some beginnings right at that moment. I have a lot of issues with the Catholic church and their checkered history, but one has to admit that they do religion with flair. Ha!

>112 PawsforThought: It's a Penguin Drops Cap Edition! I'm completely head over heels about them.

On today's agenda:

Grocery shopping this morning. Laundry. Still haven't made cookies this week, so maybe today? Hopefully some more sewing. Friday is Family Game Night, so we'll be ordering in for dinner.

The calendar book today: Galileo's Daughter, which has been on my wishlist for a good while. Anyone read this one? Thoughts?

Charlie had a wonderful time at the Family Cruise Night at school last night:

Cute Charlie pictures!

">

>114 scaifea: Oh? I'll have to check it out. Unlike most people, I don't normally like Penguin editions of books (I think they're hideous) but I really like that one. I wonder if they have all Dickens's work in the same style.

>117 michigantrumpet: Thanks, Marianne!

>118 PawsforThought: No, it's just the one Dickens. The Drops Caps Editions are a series of books, one author/book for each letter of the alphabet:

http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/classics/penguindropcaps.html

>119 scaifea: Boo! I don't like when they do that; I want all books by the same author to look similar/in the same edition.
I came across Barnes & Noble's website (not one I usually frequent) and I really like the look of the Everymans's Library edition they have.

Love the Charlie photos. What a happy driver. :)

I wish I could play the drums. It looks like so much fun. I learned piano, which is definitely not portable, but I do have a story about a moving piano...
When I was 16, I played in a piano recital at a local university. I was the eldest of that teacher's students by about 6-8 years. I had a lovely piece called Confidence by Mendelssohn to play and I had worked really hard at it. We were in a lecture hall that had the seats going up all around a central lecture platform. I sat down at the concert grand and began playing. Ever so slowly, the piano started rolling away from me. By the time I finished I was really reaching for the keys and I was hearing *snorks* from all around. Of course it never occurred to me to stop, get up and lock the wheels, and begin again. At the time, I didn't find it terribly funny, and I never played in a recital again, but now. Now it's really, really funny.

>120 PawsforThought: Well, I have a complete Dickens set that looks all the same, of course, but it's not above me to buy multiple copies of the same book to complete other sets...

>121 nittnut: Jenn: Oh, my. I sympathize, since I played in a recital at a young gal in a university recital hall, too, and I was terrified! Good that you can laugh at it now!

Happy David Tennant's birthday, Amber!

Hey there, Amber! If you get a chance, do pop over to my thread. I've put out a call for help and I think you might be good on this one ...

>122 scaifea: Ah, not my thing. I just want one. But it has to match the others.

>123 norabelle414: Haha! Major holiday over at your, Nora?

>120 PawsforThought: I love Everyman's Library books. I have almost all of Jane Austen's works in those editions.

>123 norabelle414: Whew, it's getting warm in here... Many thanks for that, Nora!

>124 michigantrumpet: I'll be right over...

>125 PawsforThought: & >126 casvelyn: I'm an equal opportunity editions lover - I want them all!

Good morning, Amber! I am not much help with your daily book question -- I just bought Galileo's Daughter in an ebook sale a few months ago but (of course) haven't read it yet. I hope you get some positive responses!

Charlie looks adorable behind the wheel, and I think his car is quite the handsomest ride there. That looks like a fun event!

>126 casvelyn: Oh, no! Don't tempt me. I'll have to go and look at the Austen ones now. I can't afford all this.

>115 scaifea: - I'm even less help than Julia. Galileo's Daughter has been on my wish list since 2009 with a centimeter of movement off of it. Looks as it might be a candidate for library borrowing.

American Gods is waiting for pick-up from the library. Can't get it til tomorrow though - library is closed today. :(

>116 scaifea: Great photos of Charlie and the other kids, Amber!

>128 rosalita: Julia: Thanks! He does look pretty adorable, doesn't he? There was a girl there (not in any of the photos I took) whose car had working (!) tail lights. Crazy. But very cute.

>129 PawsforThought: A problem common to a lot of us, I think.

>130 Fourpawz2: That's alright; I'm fine with it living on my wishlist for a bit longer. And oooooh, I can't wait to hear what you think of American Gods - I'm always a bit nervous when a friend starts that one, since opinion is so divided about it. I just want everyone to love it. Ha!

>131 kidzdoc: Darryl: Thanks! My cheeks are sore this morning from all of the laughing and smiling at the kids, who were clearly all having so much fun. How wonderful of the teachers and staff to put the event together, staying after school, and organizing it one their own time, because you *know* they're not paid overtime for this stuff. PTO pitched in for the snacks, at least.

I love the pics of Charlie in the car!

I really liked Galileo's Daughter.

I love the images of Charlie. The second photo in the series of three makes me smile spontaneously

>133 banjo123: Thanks! And I'm glad to hear that you liked the Sobel book!

>134 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda - that's my favorite of the photos, too.

>129 PawsforThought: I buy them used, when I can find them. It's why I don't own all the Austen books yet.

Hi Amber. I love Charlie with his car! He simply radiates with joy!

>136 casvelyn: I would never be able to find used ones from that edition over here.

>136 casvelyn: I do that, too. I'm fortunate to be close to a couple of excellent thrift stores that occasionally will have such used gems.

>137 connie53: Thanks, Connie! That's what I particularly love about the middle photo - you can just see how much full of happiness he is!

>138 PawsforThought: Dang. That's frustrating, I bet.

So, we have new neighbors moving in up at the end of our cul-de-sac - the moving truck has been back and forth all day yesterday and today so far. Charlie and I just spent some time outside in the front yard playing, and so the new neighbors' first impression of me as they drove by is anybody's guess - Charlie and I were well into a rousing game of Follow the Leader (with Charlie as the leader, of course), and we were skipping across the yard flapping our wings like a couple of nutty birds and giggling our silly heads off. We both waved enthusiastically and received hesitant waves back. Ha!

>139 scaifea: Well, yeah, I suppose. I'm used to it, though, so it's not really something I think about much. I generally prefer new books to used ones as it's easier to find complete sets from an author that way and used ones are not always in good enough condition that I'd want to buy them.

>141 PawsforThought: Very true.

>103 scaifea: Gorgeous cover!

>116 scaifea: Looks like Charlie really had fun. Somehow 'cruise night' made me think 'ships', not 'cars'.

>140 scaifea: I'd have waved back. I embarrass my husband sometimes ...

>113 scaifea: Amber, I was raised Episcopalian and there are days when I realize how much I do miss the rituals, especially those of high mass.

I had a recent encounter with the offices of the California Province for Jesuits and, while perusing their website, noticed they sell mass cards and perpetual certificates. In keeping with the fine tradition of buying prayers for people to get into heaven.

Please everyone, understand I don't mean to be offensive here. It just amuses me that some of the truly ancient traditions still exist.

>115 scaifea: Amber, I've not read Galileo's Daughter, but she's buried on Mt. TBR somewhere.

>145 AuntieClio: Nina: I think I likely embarrass Tomm on most public outings. He's very reserved and I'm, well, not.

>144 AuntieClio:: Oh yes, I'm fascinated by that sort of thing! But, to be fair, my interest in religions is pretty much purely academic and has been for a very long time.

Charlie look full up to the brim with pure joy in those pictures, Amber. That's one happy kid.

I love your UPS guy.....what are you doing to get him delivering all those presents for you ;) Those Penguin editions of the classics, with the letters on the covers....they are lovely books.

Way back when...you were talking about diversity in your neighbourhood/schools/kids' schools. I grew up in a town that was all (very predominantly, anyway) white. There was one family from Burma, and they were well known as "the family from Burma". And only a couple of Maori kids at my primary school. Here in the city....30 years later there are heaps of Asian families, and I am glad that Wilbur has a multi-cultural class. He is the second tallest kid in his class, and his trio of friends includes him, plus the tallest, and shortest kid in the class. They are a funny looking trio! Two tall white boys and a really little brown boy called Jaydeep. They play Star Wars every lunch time :)

Amber, I finally put a little something in the mail to you and Charlie today. Because who doesn't send a package to Scaife Manor and include Charlie?

Love the Charlie photos :)

Happy new thread, Amber - a whole 150 posts in! Your question is a hard one to answer so I am going to borrow >58 PawsforThought: response as being the closest to my high school experience and say that I was in the "not popular" category, which was just fine with me.... I really didn't connect with the 'brains' or the 'jocks', although one of my best friends fit into the 'princess' category.

That being said, The Breakfast Club is one of my all time favorite movies!

>115 scaifea: - Great pics from Charlie's Family Cruise Night!

Amber, I wish you

>147 ronincats: Roni: I know, right? Makes me feel pretty wonderful to see that face looking so happy.

>148 LovingLit: Megan: *ahem* He's such a nice guy that I don't have to do anything (besides order the books). He's a handsome fellow, too...
That's awesome that Wilbur has such a diverse class! Charlie is the tallest in his class by nearly a full head - and he's friends with the shortest kid. It's pretty adorable.

>149 AuntieClio: Stephanie: Aw, excellent! I'm excited!

>150 BekkaJo: Bekka: Thanks!

>151 lkernagh: Lori: All this talk has made me want to watch the movie again! I haven't seen it in a good while.

>152 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Happy Bunny Weekend to you, too! Charlie's getting pretty excited about the Big Rabbit coming to our house tonight!

On the agenda for today:
A family outing to the grocery store today, as yesterday's trip was a bust - the power went out in the entire town for about an hour (!) and I didn't want to try again later in the day. Then, Tomm has some house stuff to do (fix that on-the-blink toilet, mow for the first time this season,...) and at some point we'll all dye some eggs. I'm hoping for some LT catch-up time today and some sewing time, but we'll see how the day goes.
I started a bit of Indian Captive yesterday and am already completely engaged. Lenski is excellent, as usual. I also managed a few pages in Deity Yoga last night, but I admit that quite a lot of it is over my head even though I am still enjoying it. Very interesting stuff.

The book calendar weekend quote: "Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."
Any guesses who uttered this one?

I love the car pics! The kids look so happy, and Charlie looks dashing in his car. And I still envy his ability to look so good in a hat! I hope you have a lovely weekend.

>155 cbl_tn: Carrie: Ha! He informed me that his car was a police car and that the St. Louis hat was his police hat. I just went with it.

>153 scaifea: Amber, Easter with kids is just gorgeous. I remember well how my daughters were waiting for Easter Sunday to go looking in the garden what the Easter bunny could have brought.

>157 Ameise1: Barbara: Yes! I just wonder how many more years I have of Charlie believing in the Bunny and Santa and such. A few at least, I hope.

>158 scaifea: Amber, you wiil. My daughters are still looking for their special Easter's nest and they would be very disappointed if they couldn't find it.

All caught up here, Amber! Charlie was adorable in his new car, and what an incredibly infectious smile he has! Hoping that your Saturday is full of fabulous!

Happy long weekend, Amber! What's new on the reading front?

>160 Crazymamie: Mamie: Isn't he, though? And so far so good on the Saturday front: groceries shopped, eggs dyed, and now I'm sitting back with a cuppa and LT while Tomm mows and Charlie plays.

>161 richardderus: Hi, Richard! Nothing much new - The Wanderer is still sucking my will to live, but I'll finish it soon, hopefully.

Sounds perfect!

>162 scaifea: I surely hope >163 Crazymamie: means that the arrangement of the day sounds perfect, not the fact that your will to live is being stolen from you....

>163 Crazymamie:: It is pretty nice!

>164 richardderus: *snork!*

Ha! Yes, I meant that the arrangement of the day sounded perfect.

Happy Easter, Amber. To you, Tomm and Charlie!!

Hey Amber!
I picked up American Gods this morning from the library and have been reading it this afternoon - after grocery shopping, a stop at CVS and some yard work. Am on page 81 and am liking it quite well, so far.

Hope you and Charlie and Tomm have a lovely weekend!

>167 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

>168 Fourpawz2: Charlotte: Oh, I'm so glad! I hope it continues to be a good read for you!

It has been a wonderfully relaxing day today, and the weather is *gorgeous*! We've spent some time outside, and then while Tomm and Charlie were rough-housing in the living room, I sneaked downstairs to lend The Bunny some help - plastic eggs are now nicely stuffed with jelly beans and chocolates and ready to hide tonight, and the stuff for the Easter Basket is ready to go, too. The tradition here at Scaife Manor is that Charlie has a special basket that he puts out in the living room on Easter Eve and the Bunny fills it with goodies while also hiding a few eggs in the room, too.

Love the mental image of you and Charlie flapping around the front lawn as the new neighbors arrive!

Also, glad you enjoyed Skellig. It put me in mind of my favorite Gabriel Garcia Marquez short story, "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." Have you read it?

>171 foggidawn: I haven't read any Marquez, but he's certainly on the wishlist - and I'll be adding that story, too. Thanks for the recommendation!

>154 scaifea: It's not a guess because I ran across that quote a couple times this week. It's Mark Twain. :)

I just want to hug Charlie and his little car! He is so stinking cute!! You did such a great job, Amber!!! Really, super creative!

Wishing you and the whole Scaifea gang a blessed and

>116 scaifea: Love the pics of Charlie in his police car and hat! Like Linda (>134 Whisper1:), they brought a wide smile to my face!

Happy Easter to you all!

>140 scaifea: They may as well know now. :P

Happy Easter fun!

Happy Easter, Amber and Tomm and of course Charlie!

Happy Easter, Amber! I hope you and the family have a great day. I wish you could have made the Meet-up. We had a terrific time and you would have fit in perfectly.

>173 MickyFine: DINGDINGDING! Right you are, Micky!

>174 TinaV95: Many thanks, Tina! I hope you and Lisa have a wonderful day, too!

>175 Storeetllr: Mary: Charlie's happiness can be pretty infectious, I have to admit. Happy Easter to you, too!

>176 nittnut: Jenn: *snork!* True - it's only fair.

>177 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! Those are adorable!

>178 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I'm heading over to your thread now, hoping to find some photos!

On the agenda for today:

Charlie has already found all of the eggs and sorted through his basket, we've had our breakfast of french toast made from the remains of the cinnamon raisin bread (yum!), and now Charlie and Tomm are busy putting together the Lego set that the Bunny left for Charlie. Some baking today, maybe (black forest tart), some sewing, hopefully, and some reading. Steaks on the grill, mashed potatoes and cooked carrots for our (fairly non-traditional) Easter lunch.
Suffered through a couple more chapters of The Wanderer last night while waiting for Charlie to fall asleep so that The Bunny could do his stuff. Ugh. Seriously! This book is so bad it's funny! Sheesh. But I will persevere!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Happy Easter, Amber! Looks like it is already off to a wonderful start! Your non-traditional lunch plans sound yummy!

>181 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie!

292. Ollie's Easter Eggs by Olivier Dunrea (public library book, picture book) - 9/10
Ollie and his friends hide and hunt Easter Eggs.
We love the Dunrea books - the stories are cute and the illustrations are so stinkin' adorable!

293. The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone (Charlie's school library book, picture book) - 8/10
A slight variation on the old story.
A nice version with good illustrations.

294. Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson (public library book, picture book) - 9/10
A really fun book in the vein of Press Here, in which actions you take in the book work magic on the following pages. Love this sort of thing, and so does Charlie! Definitely recommended.

295. If You Give a Dog a Donut by Naura Numeroff (Charlie book, picture book) - 9/10
If you give a dog a donut, he's gonna want some apple juice to go with it...
You may recall that we also absolutely love Numeroff's books. This one is no exception.

296. Warning: Do Not Open This Book by Adam Lehrhaupt (public library book, picture book) - 9/10
This one is much like The Monster at the End of This Book, except with monkeys. Ha! Hilarious and so much fun. Prompted several giggle-filled exclamations of "Read it again, Mommy!" So you know it's a good one.

297. Gus, the Dinosaur Bus by Julia Liu (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
One lucky school has a dinosaur instead of a bus to bring the kids to school and back, until the principle gets too many complaints about traffic disruption. Gus is sad about being decommissioned, but the children help solve the problem...
Cute, with fun illustrations.

Ooooh... I'm coming to your house for non-traditional Easter lunch. Our non-traditional Easter lunch is turkey, dressing, and sweet potatoes, none of which I like.

Have a happy day together.

>184 casvelyn: Ha! Come on over, then!

>185 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy!

I love Charlie's smile. They are so rare. He looks as if he is having a fabulous time. I noticed that he was one of the few that had straps so he could run without having to hold up his car. Great job!

>187 Morphidae: Ha! They're not really all that rare; he just tends to wax philosophical for photos. And thanks - he was pretty proud of the car, and I was glad that we added the straps, which made things easier for him.

Today's results from a couple of hours in the sewing room (more pajama shorts for Charlie):

Happy Easter Amber.

I want to go to the school that has Gus, the Dinosaur Bus. Yes I know, I have grandkids. I STILL wanna go for a ride on Gus the Dinosaur Bus!!

>190 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>191 richardderus: Richard: I know, right? How cool would that be?

>191 richardderus: Who wouldn't want to go one a DINOSAUR BUS? I don't know anyone, young or old, who'd say no to that!

I hope your Easter Lunch was delicious, Amber!

>193 PawsforThought: I rode on an elephant once - that sort of counts, doesn't it?

>194 connie53: It was! Tomm is very good at grilling steaks.

>195 scaifea: Sorry, but no. It's incredibly cool to had ridden an elephant (and I'll be forever jealous of you for that) but nothing will ever be even remotely close to as cool as riding a dinosaur.

>196 PawsforThought: Or as impossible... Ha!

>197 scaifea: Hush! Don't ruin my fantasies! I will get to ride a dinosaur one day. Just as I will one day receive my acceptance letter from Hogwarts. Just you wait!

>195 scaifea: Have ridden pony, horse, camel AND elephant. Living in India does have some perks :)

Coming to the more important point of riding dinosaurs; it is obvious you can't ride the carnivorous ones, since most of them stand upright on their hind legs; there would also be that small problem of the carnivore making snack of you. One can't ride all the herbivores either, stego, for instance, doesn't seem to have a back conducive for riding. The choice I think would be restricted to the long necked ones.

>198 PawsforThought: *snork!* So sorry for the bubble-bursting!

>199 PiyushC: Piyush: Well, I've rode all of those except a camel, and I'm not certain that I want to try that one - they're kind of mean, aren't they? Also, Gus *was* a long-necked one in the book, so good call!

>199 PiyushC: That's fine, the long necks were the biggest ones anyway!

Hello, Amber! You were very much missed at the meetup yesterday. It sure sounds like you managed to cobble together an awfully nice weekend without us, though. :-)

>189 scaifea: Some little person is going to enjoy those!

>201 PawsforThought: Ha!

>202 rosalita: Julia: What?! Were you talking about me?! Sheesh.
I thought fondly of all of you yesterday, wishing I could have been there...

>203 thornton37814: Lori: Yep, that little person has the Cars pair on already!

>204 scaifea: Yep, I was bragging about our January meetup in Iowa City. I said you were a lot of fun. :-)

*waves* I would say that I was a combo of brain, geek, and freak. Yeah, I know, crazy huh? I played piano for most of my childhood and did band for a while (cornet,french horn). I made straight A's in high school (only one B) but I hung out with the "weird" kids. We were just all silly and harmless, mostly geeky. Our idea of a good time was a Jim Henson marathon.

Danny and the Dinosaur. That is all.

>205 rosalita: Julia: *puts on best Gru voice* "Yeah, I *am* pretty fun..."

>206 leperdbunny: Hi, Tamara! Jim Henson Marathon? Sounds like my kind of crowd! We used to do Monty Python marathons when I was in high school.

>207 nittnut: Jenn: YES! Charlie has that one on his shelves!

On the agenda for today:
A few To Do list items while Charlie's at school (bills, laundry, take down the Easter decorations...). I didn't get round to making the Black Forest Tart this weekend, so I may do that today. Maybe. And then I'll either work in the sewing room or work more on my book shelves project.
Split Pea and Sausage Soup for dinner tonight.
On the reading front: I spent a lovely couple of hours yesterday in the rocking chair with The Indian Captive, with the patio door open to let the breeze blow by me. I'm enjoying this story, even though it isn't grabbing me as tightly as it could, I think, were it a bit more vividly told. Still, an interesting tale. Also, last night I read a goodly chunk of Parnassus on Wheels, which is a complete delight.

The book calendar offers another quote in place of a book today: "Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting." Anyone want to chance a guess who?

Hi Amber; I was going through my reviews for December (realised I hadn't finished them & don't even talk about this year) and was reminded of Even More Parts, a Tedd Arnold book, which I thought was quite clever. I vaguely remembered you mentioned a book of his up-thread; you might want to look out for that series.

>210 humouress: Nina: I saw that one one the shelf at the library, so I'll have to check it out - thanks for the recommendation!

Clever puss to have put Charlie's car on straps. I looked at poor #5 having to push his car along and thought that of the two, Charlie was having much more fun with his sporty racing model.

>212 tiffin: Ha! That's Charlie's friend, Gavin, in the #5. I think he managed to have a pretty good time, in the end, too, although that *is* a ginormous car... Not really sure what his parents were thinking with that one.

Good morning, Amber! Have you ever posted the recipe for the split pea and sausage soup? That sounds yummy!

>214 rosalita: Julia: I'm not sure if I have. Here it is:

Split Pea and Sausage Soup
Ingredients:
• 1 package smoke sausage
• 1 pound dried split peas
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• ¼ onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 bay leaves

1. Cut sausage in half lengthwise; cut into ¼-inch pieces.
2. In Dutch oven, combined all ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 ¼-1 ½ hours or until peas are tender.
5. Discard bay leaves.

298. Max Spaniel: Funny Lunch by David Catrow (public library book, easy reader) - 7/10
Max the spaniel opens a diner.
We picked this one one up at the library as one of the books recommended to be similar to the Fly Guy books. I like the Fly Guy books better. Ha!

Thanks for the recipe, Amber! It looks tasty and easy, too (always a plus for me). So you don't have to saute the onion and celery and carrots first? You just dump it all together and go? Super easy!

>217 rosalita: Nope, just dump it all in. I suspect that you *could* saute first, which would give is a slightly different flavor.

Yum! May have to try that recipe one day (after we move into our new place with the lovely big kitchen). We never discard the bay leaves, though they're not edible. When we were little kids, my mom always left the bay leaf in the special hamburger soup she used to make in the winter. It turned into a game, and whoever it was that got it in their bowl would be the winner. Winner of what? Nothing except the right to to shout out, at the dinner table and in front of my parents, "I got the bay leaf!" (Even as little kids, we knew better than to eat it.)

>189 scaifea: Amber, those pajama shorts are so cute. I hope you have a lovely day.

#189 Those are brilliant! I want some! Though I have a feeling the postage might be prohibitive :(

Maybe I need to sew...

>219 Storeetllr: Mary: Fun! I'm always afraid, though, that I'll forget to look before I eat (I'm a bit of a barbarian when it comes to table manners) and swallow it before I know what's happened!

>220 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! I'm, in fact, just taking a quick Check-LT Break before heading back into the sewing room to finish up another pair! Both the Cars shorts and the ones I've working on now (Mickey Mouse) are made from toddler bed sheets (I never through anything away! Ha!).

>221 BekkaJo: Bekka: Likely, yes - why is it so expensive to send something to your next of the woods?! Extortion, clearly. Shorts are about the easy-peasiest things to sew, though; you could make your own!

>209 scaifea: Amber, split peas and sausage? Recipe please!

ETA ooops never mind

I can't handle split peas but if anyone has a good recipe for green pea soup I'd be very interested and very grateful.

Happy new week, sweetiedarling. Hoping all is warm, dry, and fun in way-western Wisconsin.

>223 AuntieClio: Ha! Glad you found it up there.

>224 PawsforThought: Well, these *are* green, and the soup turns our pretty green, too... :)

>225 richardderus: Hi, Richard. A few sprinkles today, but nice and warm, so I'm not complaining!

I'm definitely going to try the split peas and sausage soup. NEXT WINTER. Which I hope is a long time from now.

>227 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, I make soup all year round. We love soup too much to wait for it to be in season, I'm afraid.

>226 scaifea: Non-split green peas, then! Geez, woman. Split peas (and in particular yellow ones) gives me horrible flashbacks to primary school. Yellow split pea soup was one of the few things I NEVER ate at school. The smell still makes me nauseated.
I'm sure yours is nice, but I could still never.

Ever made green goddess soup? I like that for summertime.

>228 scaifea: Soup is great! I make soups all the time. I could live off of nothing but.

Oh, I make soup all year too, but somehow the beans-or-peas-based ones are wintery fare in my mind. Gives me something to look forward to when the weather turns cold.

>229 PawsforThought: *snork!* Note to self: no split peas when Paws comes to visit...

>230 richardderus: I've never hear of it - do you have a good recipe?

>231 PawsforThought: I know, right?! We love it. All kinds.

>232 laytonwoman3rd: I understand that - there are certain soups that are better in winter, for certain.

>233 scaifea: I don't think I dare tell you the rest of my dietary restrictions...

>234 PawsforThought: Bring it on! Tomm has a ton: gluten, onions (I know they're in the above recipe, but I leave them out), dairy, garlic,... And then my mom is (and my uncle and my brother were) Type 1 diabetics. So I'm used to cooking for dietarily challenged eaters.

Here's the result of today's sewing-room labor:

>235 scaifea: Ah, bless, your husband has it worse than I. Admittedly, only some of my restrictions are for allergic reasons. Mostly it's me being a very picky eater. I'm allergic to nearly all fruits and berries so can't eat them if they're uncooked (unprocessed, really). My doctor says I should be able to overcome it with immunotherapy but I don't dare try it on my own - I could use a dietician but haven't got around to contacting one (not sure about the waiting list for those, either).

I love all the pajama bottoms you have been constructing for Charlie!

The Breakfast Club is my absolute favorite movie of all time! And of course I was a Brain...although I did play basketball. I also played trumpet in the band. I graduated with a class of 32 students and was valedictorian.

You have the best questions on your threads!

>237 PawsforThought: I have some very light nut allergies, too - mostly they just make my mouth really sore.

>238 Cobscook: Heidi: Thanks! I've made his pajamas every year since he was 1 1/2 and outgrew the footed kind (he's very long in the torso) - it's so much cheaper than buying them, and I love being able to make him custom PJs!
Isn't the Breakfast Club great! Brings back so many memories of growing up in the 80s - ha!

Green Goddess Soup

1lb plain yogurt
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1 carton chicken stock
6 avocados, mashed.

Mix.

>180 scaifea: I got lost in thought once I read the words "French Toast".....at least now I have breakfast planned!

>215 scaifea: that I could handle, it sounds great. And out local butcher does fantastic smoked kranskys.

^RD's recipe? I am not so sure about.

>240 richardderus: Thanks for the recipe, Richard, but I'm afraid no one here likes avacado.

>241 LovingLit: French toast made from leftover homemade bread is The Best! And I hope you like the soup!

On the agenda for today:
A trip to the library, and then packing for Charlie's and my visit to Indiana (we leave tomorrow and will be back sometime on Saturday). Maybe some baking of some kind. Otherwise, not much planned - if it's nice outside, I'm sure we'll be out in it most of the afternoon.
Leftover soup for dinner, but I'm thinking about trying out a recipe for pita bread to go with it...

Today's calendar book: The Barbarian Nurseries. I've never heard of this one before, and I'm not sure that it sounds like one I'd enjoy - here's the blurb: "Scott and Maureen have fallen on hard financial times, which means that can now afford to employ only one Mexican domestic worker instead of the usual three. Araceli is that Mexican, and when Scott and Maureen have a nasty fight that sends both of them out of the house, Araceli is left with their kids and absolutely no idea when either parent will return. As days pass, Araceli and the boys travel to Los Angeles in search of someone who will take responsibility - and make some sense out of the situation."

Must have been some subliminal messaging going on...I made myself French toast for breakfast this morning. No homemade bread, because my oven has been on the fritz. An attempted repair yesterday didn't fix the problem, so we have decided not to throw anymore money into it; new stove shopping tomorrow.

>244 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: New stove - that's exciting!

Good morning, Amber. The calendar book sounds weird and not appealing to me.

Meant to add my compliments re: Charlie's car. He looks ready to go in the pics while some of the other kids look as if they are glued to pavement! Good job, Amber.

Also - I was listening to a conversation on the radio where medical record confidentiality was being discussed. It was suggested by someone that people who are concerned could request that notes their file always be written in Latin by doctors and nurses. Good idea, said the moderator, but is anyone teaching Latin anymore? Really? Did Latin in schools die and I missed it?

>246 rosalita: Julia: I know, right? Weird.

>247 Fourpawz2: Charlotte: Thanks - he's been playing with it here at home and it's still in one piece! Amazing!
Also, yeah, that moderator doesn't really know about which he's talking. Latin is on the rise in schools these days.

>247 Fourpawz2: I'd be concerned that a mistranslation in the future would result in gross inaccuracies in my medical record. There's already so many reports about patients who misunderstand doctors' instructions and doctors who make mistakes during surgery, etc., that I'd want stuff written in as plain English as possible. Anyhow, if privacy is the main concern, I'd want my medical records written in a language known to as few people as possible. There are enough child languages to Latin that it's still possible to muddle through without too much effort.

I took high school-leverl Latin in middle school, although I remember far more vocabulary than grammar. After two years of Latin plus one semester of Biblical Greek in college, you'd think I be able to understand declensions, but grammatical case just doesn't make sense to me. I can translate it, because I can memorize that this suffix means that word order in English, but I don't understand the logic. On the other hand, I love the idea of a language with no fixed word order because the grammar is in the vocabulary rather than the syntax.

But enough mad ramblings from a linguistics nerd.

I was talking to a friend this weekend about Latin, which he studied in high school. He said he had a tutor who was really helpful when it came to verbs, but when he asked for help with nouns, she declined.

(Apologies if you've heard that joke before -- I hadn't, so he really got me with it!)

Latin in schools was on the decline when I was in upper secondary school (high school, which was 10+ years ago). My class was the last one at my school to take Latin. It hasn't been taught there since and the teachers doubt it ever will be again. I don't know of anyone younger than me (and very few people older than me) who have studied Latin at school. I suppose it depends on the country/region/whatever you live in, but it's definitely NOT on the rise in Sweden.

>249 casvelyn: Latin word order is not free or even all that less rigid than in English - it's just serves a different function. It indicates emphasis, among other things, rather than meaning or grammatical function.

>250 foggidawn: *snork!*

>251 PawsforThought: It's not on the rise everywhere here in the states, but it is in some places, and in more places than people suspect, really.

New thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/173029

>240 richardderus: Avocados? *makes some really immature gagging noises*

>254 Morphidae: *snork!*

>252 scaifea: I said it confused me! :)

>256 casvelyn: Ha! Fair enough!