General Chit-Chat Showing 301-350 of 1,288

[Bionic Jean]

Ah never mind - we'll just have to content ourselves by looking at your gorgeous profile pic then, Linda.

Just a thought, if the expression "having kittens" works for humans getting themselves overexcited, shouldn't the equivalent for cats be "having toddlers" or something?

[T4bsF (Call me Flo)]

Jean wrote: "What is a cavachon please? I know about cabochons..."

Cavachon is a Cavalier/Bichon Frise cross (and beautiful with it!)

[Linda]

Lol Jean. The profile pic is my car Dexter giving a "high five."

[Bionic Jean]

Linda - So he is! I hadn't spotted the paw - just thought it was some kind of ornament.

Flo - Thank you. Labradoodles were about my limit!

[T4bsF (Call me Flo)]

You can get all sorts of mixtures now Jean - but I think the funniest is a Cockerpoo!! (cocker spaniel/poodle)

[T4bsF (Call me Flo)]

....although perhaps an Affenpinscher and Shih-tzu mix might be funny - an affenshitz!!

[Bionic Jean]

LOL - Oh yes and the Cockerpoo. Crossbreeding for strength is something we need to relearn in this century, according to John Bradshaw in In Defence of Dogs

[T4bsF (Call me Flo)]

The good thing about our Bronwyn is that because of the Bichon input - she doesn't moult. No hairs all over the place and very few people are allergic to them.

[Agata]

I have heard somebody talking about across between a shih-tzu and a poodle... yep, a shihtpoo!

[Agata]

I do apologise for the terrible grammar in that last post...

[Sally]

I wonder if anyone can help me with a 'technical question'. When I viewed someone's profile and saw their favourite books, I used to be able to click (well, tap) on 'More ...' to see their favourites shelf, but when I do that now, it just takes me to their 'Read' shelf and there seems to be no favourites shelf to click on. So, how do I view a person's favourite books on their profile?

[Agata]

"Favourite" bookshelf is optional, so not everyone will have it, you could always look at their "read" shelf and sort it by rating to see which books they've rated the highest?

[Sally]

Thanks for your help, Agata :-)

[Courtney]

How many pages do you guys read in a day on average? Just curious. :)

[Paul]

read 100 pages a day minimum. Though today i'll be reading around 250...

[Courtney]

Paul wrote: "read 100 pages a day minimum. Though today i'll be reading around 250..."

I used to be able to read for a lot, but I got contacts and they're not as strong as my glasses were. :)

[Elizabeth]

A paltry 20 pages today. Busy cleaning and sorting today. Normally somewhere between 50 and 100.

[Carrie]

I try to read as much as I can. Some days I'm lucky to get 20 pages and others I can enjoy 200+.

[Sandy]

When I really enjoy a book it is difficult to stop reading. Too bad I have to work and life complications or I could read on.........

[Courtney]

Anyone play a musical instrument?

I enjoy playing the piano and clarinet. :)

[Linda]

No Courtney but I really wish I could play the piano.

[Elizabeth]

Used to play the recorder when I was younger, in a music group. We performed in concerts locally, but I haven't played properly for years. I helped my daughter learn to play last year. She is getting quite interested and plays in the school recorder group.

I learned piano as a child but gave up before getting to grade 5. Wasn't very good!

[Sally]

I TRIED for two years to learn to play piano but all I learned was that I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket!

[Portia]

Any bakers? I can be called a yeast junkie.

[Elizabeth]

We need a cookery thread, don't we?

I'll set one up, for all cookery chat.

[Portia]

Elizabeth, I think the cooking/ery thread is a great idea. Would you tell me which title you put it under, please?

[Elizabeth]

Portia wrote: "Elizabeth, I think the cooking/ery thread is a great idea. Would you tell me which title you put it under, please?"

It's here, Portia https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

[Jo]

Jean, in answer to your question elsewhere about the power, I a pleased to report that the problem was very local - only my house in fact whilst they replaced telegraph poles and associated cables. We are back on now. They were basically standing on my doorstep before sun came up, gave us the chance to boil the kettle and then switched us off. Fortunately it's an early school start day for us, so we were out minutes later anyway. As for the internet, our broadband connection is flaky at best. Almost at a standstill yesterday, better today. The joys of rural living... and don't get me started on the (total lack of) mobile phone signal!

[Bionic Jean]

That is good news Jo! Our broadband is a bit dodgy too though - never really understood why.

[Susan]

Courtney wrote: "Anyone play a musical instrument?

I enjoy playing the piano and clarinet. :)"

I play flute, Courtney - with rather more enthusiasm than talent! Was a pianist in my youth - but gave up as an adult because you can't carry it with you - and took up said flute!

Recently retired to rural France, where cultural pursuits are quite hard to find (not that the French don't pursue culture, it's just we're so far from any sizeable town/city). Anyway, the Orchestre de Toulouse were in our nearest, small local town on Saturday, and we were treated to some Dvorak and some Shostakovich, which was lovely. Lots of flutework in the Dvorak - so I cheered them madly at the end!!

[Elizabeth]

Our broadband connection is weak and goes off without warning. IPlayer virtually impossible to watch sometimes.

[Bionic Jean]

I play the piano. It proved very useful in schools as a basis for many productions of mine. I think recorder playing in school has great potential Elizabeth if it's taught properly - no squeakiness! I used to arrange music in 4 parts for them so it wasn't just descant recorders, including pieces/songs they knew. Added other instruments, part-singing in a choir and Bob's your uncle.

Each school I worked at I had to work hard to get boys properly represented though - especially in the choirs. Once I started auditioning and it had some kudos though we were well away! I'm in touch with over 40 of those kids now through Facebook, and they have very fond memories of those times - and a few have even become professional singers/musicians. I'm quite proud to have sparked the interest of these inner-city kids at Junior school level. It's a nice feeling.

Yes, Susan, I agree the piano is a difficult one - less opportunity to perform either solo or with an orchestra. Virtually impossible to make a career from on its own. I tried teaching piano privately for a couple of years and was bored out of my mind. And it's the poor relation in most schools - high-profile subject teachers are Maths, English and Science. If you're Arty like me you have to fight for your career/promotions!

[Jen]

I played b flat cornet in high school studied it for GCSE music. I did have a little giggle whilst listening to classic fm the other day during the request session, as the man said his son was learning the cornet and could he request star wars as his son hoped to learn to play it.

I laughed because I was 3rd cornet in our orchestra and all I had to play during Star Wars was a bunch of semi-breves, hardly something that needed learning!

[Paul]

For all those wanting to win a years supply of books, nations Book Tokens have just started a new competition:

http://caboodle.nationalbooktokens.co...

[Sandy]

Jen it is funny you mentioned Star Wars. In school I played the viola and we never had the melody! First violin got all of the good parts. .:(

[Jen]

Has any one done this?

caboodle.nationalbooktokens.com/hiddenbooks/

I've got 14 so far...

[Paul]

I have only got 12!

[Jen]

I finally got them all with a little help from Mumsnet!

[Paul]

well done!

[Shirley]

I've got 19, so annoying, there's just one I can't get!!!

[Jen]

Which one? I could give vague clues?

[Shirley]

It's the bottle, probably really obvious, but I just can't think what it is!

[Jen]

Ohh, what's the measure of the bottle?

And it's not HIGH.

[Shirley]

Ooh, now I have to have another think, thanks Jen!

[Paul]

Jen wrote: "Ohh, what's the measure of the bottle?

And it's not HIGH."

Gah! Still not getting it!

[Shirley]

Paul wrote: "Jen wrote: "Ohh, what's the measure of the bottle?

And it's not HIGH."

Gah! Still not getting it!"

Me neither!

[Jen]

Oh dear!

Okay what's the bottle measuring in? Pint? No...

[Cheryl]

I need one more!

Can anyone give me a hint to the train?

[Shirley]

Jen wrote: "Oh dear!

Okay what's the bottle measuring in? Pint? No..."

I got it!!! Now I can sleep!

[Shirley]

Cheryl wrote: "I need one more!

Can anyone give me a hint to the train?"

Think about what the train is decorated with...