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I'm listening to the (cricket) Test Match between New Zealand and England at Headingley right now. The match is quite evenly poised. I expect you're asleep, though.
I just got back from a month’s travel, mostly in England—research for my next book plus meeting my sweetie’s English relatives. (I retaliated by dragging him to Maine on the way back to meet some of mine!) Currently deeply immersed in the history of English smuggling.
I have no immediate travel plans, but am looking forward to our now annual summer beach house vacation with my brother's and cousin's families near the end of the summer. This will be our fourth year, and with all of us having children in the past few years, renting a house on the beach has been easier than loading up all the camping gear and going to the mountains. We have been picking a different beach along the Washington and Oregon coast each year, which has been a lot of fun.Until then, I have ongoing plans to work in the yard and get my herb and fruit garden into shape as the weeds have completely taken over in the past two years. So that is what is on my plate for today, to start poking about and see what needs to be done.
Linda wrote:Until then, I have ongoing plans to work in the yard and get my herb and fruit garden into shape as the weeds have completely taken over in the past two years. So that is what is on my plate for today, to start poking about and see what needs to be done. That sounds good. I'm not much of a gardener, but I have a good herb garden.
Abigail wrote: "I just got back from a month’s travel, mostly in England—research for my next book plus meeting my sweetie’s English relatives. (I retaliated by dragging him to Maine on the way back to meet some o..."
Well, we have missed you! Sounds like an awesome trip though.
HJ wrote: "I'm listening to the (cricket) Test Match between New Zealand and England at Headingley right now. The match is quite evenly poised. I expect you're asleep, though."
I'd be asleep if I had been in front of the cricket! Never been a fan!
HJ wrote: "I'm listening to the (cricket) Test Match between New Zealand and England at Headingley right now. The match is quite evenly poised. I expect you're asleep, though."I'd be asleep if I had been in front of the cricket! Never been a fan!
Oh dear, I have to second this. In fact if all sport on the face of the planet ceased to exist I'd only know because I'd hear people complaining . It's like I have a defective sports gene.....
In my defence, I'm only interested in a few sports (Formula One, cricket, snooker, National Hunt horse-racing, and sometimes rugby), and I can usually take them or leave them. The fact that I only watch them at the highest level (internationals, World Cups, etc.), and only in comfort, is an indication that I'm not a genuine fan!
HJ wrote: "In my defence, I'm only interested in a few sports (Formula One, cricket, snooker, National Hunt horse-racing, and sometimes rugby), and I can usually take them or leave them. The fact that I only..."Heh! I do watch some sport - & I'm married to someone who would watch The National Tiddlywinks Championships if it was televised! & he & our kids would dress up in their Hurricanes (Wellington Rugby team) gear to watch their games - on TV!
Barbara, I wonder if we're related! I definitely share some of those genes.I've encountered several people who just can't get their head around my not being interested in sports. Some tell me about it anyway with great enthusiasm, some look blankly and say, 'You don't have a team... so you just support England then'.
I have found a use for football however, it's noisy enough to block out distractions when I'm reading and not interesting enough to bother me.
I will watch snooker though, which is about angles and is therefore maths and not sport, and horse racing because my Grandad always put a bet on for me when I was growing up and is therefore gambling and not sport ;)
Louise Sparrow wrote: "Barbara, I wonder if we're related! I definitely share some of those genes.I've encountered several people who just can't get their head around my not being interested in sports. Some tell me abo..."
When I was pregnant & having trouble sleeping I would turn the test cricket on & I would go out like a light! :D
I do watch tennis (I was on the computer so late last night, because Roland Garros had been rained off, but I was still hopeful) & badminton (on the rare occasions its on NZ TV)
We are meant to be putting Sky on hold from tomorrow. While he watches other things, my husband really just wants to watch one game of rugby a week & he has realised it would be cheaper for him to go to the pub & buy a beer to see it!
Shame to miss the French Open's final week but I'll live.
Linda wrote: "I have no immediate travel plans, but am looking forward to our now annual summer beach house vacation with my brother's and cousin's families near the end of the summer. This will be our fourth y..."We're heading tomorrow to Gleneden Beach for four days. We're pretty thrilled- to say the least. And I'm getting a few tomatoes, peppers and marigolds planted beforehand. Right now. Here I go... Yep, I'm tearing myself away from Goodreads...
***Carol*** wrote: "I had a message from Karlyne ages ago & she had some hilarious ideas for topic titles. This one is my absolute favourite. I thought it could be nice to have a thread about other things going on in ..."Thanks, Carol! I do try for hilariousness in my life...
Karlyne wrote: "We're heading tomorrow to Gleneden Beach for four days. We're pretty thrilled- to say the least."How exciting! This year we are staying north of there, on Rockaway Beach.
Have a great time, Karlyne. :)
Linda wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "We're heading tomorrow to Gleneden Beach for four days. We're pretty thrilled- to say the least."How exciting! This year we are staying north of there, on Rockaway Beach.
Have..."
If expecting to have a great time makes it so, we're in! (And I did get all my tomatoes, peppers, marigold and even the rosemary planted!)
Just got back from visiting a niece in Gloucester, Mass.Had a lovely fix of seafood, some lively Scrabble games and lots of conversation. DD bought some clothes on the way back. And also great -- we got some badly needed rain!
Jacquie wrote: "Just got back from visiting a niece in Gloucester, Mass.Had a lovely fix of seafood, some lively Scrabble games and lots of conversation. DD bought some clothes on the way back. And also great -..."
Where did you come back to? What an awkward sounding question! Where's home, Jacquie?
Karlyne wrote: "Jacquie wrote: "Just got back from visiting a niece in Gloucester, Mass.Had a lovely fix of seafood, some lively Scrabble games and lots of conversation. DD bought some clothes on the way back. ..."
I live in southern Vermont. Nice area, handy to an Interstate, in an old house with three cats. DD is visiting from Germany and getting my house and garden in order. When I visit her I just let myself be spoiled too!
Louise Sparrow wrote: "Barbara, I wonder if we're related! I definitely share some of those genes.I've encountered several people who just can't get their head around my not being interested in sports. Some tell me abo..."
I did used to like Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble and Monopoly - does that count do you reckon ? Nah, I know it doesn't ..
I can hardly believe it of myself, but when younger I used to go to the gym a lot and lift quite big free weights. I still do yoga once a week , but , I know none of this is actual sport .
My husband on the other hand is sporty as anything and still, poor lamb, comes and tells me incomprehensible things about games of something or other on the television. I'm always glad for him when someone comes over who can talk to him about whatever it is!
Barbara wrote: I did used to like Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble and Monopoly - does that count do you reckon ? Nah, I know it doesn't ..
I can hardly believe it of myself, but when younger I used to go to the gym a lot and lift quite big free weights. I still do yoga once a week , but , I know none of this is actual sport .
My husband on the other hand is sporty as anything and still, poor lamb, comes and tells me incomprehensible things about games of something or other on the television. I'm always glad for him when someone comes over who can talk to him about whatever it is!
I like board games. This coming weekend is Mind Sports in our town. I was given a free ticket & I'm going to do the Scrabble.
Barbara, I do yoga as well.
Jacquie wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Jacquie wrote: "Just got back from visiting a niece in Gloucester, Mass.
Had a lovely fix of seafood, some lively Scrabble games and lots of conversation. DD bought some clothes on..."
Vermont! It's supposed to be so beautiful!
Someone mentioned visiting Gloucester, Mass. Just out of interest, how do you pronounce that in the US? -- I know the "original" Gloucester in England quite well, and I'm interested to know if the pronunciation travelled with the name.I've realised that one reason I don't like taking part in games is that I'm not competitive enough. I don't like playing even board games. And when I watch the few sports I do watch, I will have a favourite (not necessarily the English person) but I'm not a rabid supporter of any one team or person, and often I don't remember who won for very long.
I think I just like watching someone who is very skilful using that ability!
HJ wrote: "Someone mentioned visiting Gloucester, Mass. Just out of interest, how do you pronounce that in the US? -- I know the "original" Gloucester in England quite well, and I'm interested to know if the..."With the Scrabble I went to one of the free lead up afternoons to make sure I was competitive at a local level. I'm sure anyone who is serious enough to travel to our little town to play will whip me!
Hi, HJ, it’s pronounced GLOSS-tr (I’d say t-schwa-r if I knew how to make a schwa on this keyboard) in the USA.
Abigail wrote: "Hi, HJ, it’s pronounced GLOSS-tr (I’d say t-schwa-r if I knew how to make a schwa on this keyboard) in the USA."That's how it's pronounced here too!
There's a rhyme:Doctor Foster
Went to Gloucester
In a shower of rain
(etc)
which is quite useful for helping people remember the pronunciation.
HJ wrote: "There's a rhyme:Doctor Foster
Went to Gloucester
In a shower of rain
(etc)
which is quite useful for helping people remember the pronunciation."
Actually, the locals, at least in Rhode Island Gloucester, say Glawstah as in "No school today Fostah-Glostah!" (Foster-Gloucester school district ALWAYS had snow days).
Worcester is technically the same but is said "Woostah." My dad has a wicked Woostah accent sometimes.
Doctuh Fawstuh
went to Gawstuh
in a showa'v rain
I'm just trying to imagine the reaction here if anyone pronounced Gloucester as Glawster!Someone with a pronounced West Country accent might say Glar-ster, with the r very prominent. In fact there was an announcer at the railway station who used to make us laugh by saying "Glarster, this is Glarster" every time a train arrived.
There are different New England accents depending on where you're from. Of course the most famous Boston anecdote is "Pahk the cah in Ha'va'd yahd." Here in Rhode Island the accent is a little different. People drop r from the end of words when it's needed and add one when there isn't one. My best friend, Jennifer, is "Jennifuh." I have a hard time telling whether my young nieces and nephew have toddler pronunciation they'll grow out of or a local accent. I think my sister's kids will never ever learn how to spell anything correctly. This site tries to explain it. I still can't understand everyone and I've lived here almost my whole life.
It is interesting isn't it , accents ? And sitting at the computer trying to pronounce them , probably not quite, quite right . I'd say say Glosstasha and Wustasha for Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. I'm English but lived a long time in Australia and my Australian husband struggles bit with those. Here also they pronounce Derby as if it were spelled Durby which drives me crazy , though I know it is more logical that the proper pronunciation, ie Darby!
I've been reading - all very interesting. I've been having my butt kicked at Scrabble. Because of the poor turnout, we are all in one group. The only person I'm beating doesn't have English as her mother tongue. :(
***Carol*** wrote: "I've been reading - all very interesting. I've been having my butt kicked at Scrabble. Because of the poor turnout, we are all in one group. The only person I'm beating doesn't have English as her ..."Ooops! Try some of the newly-approved words.
HJ wrote: "***Carol*** wrote: "I've been reading - all very interesting. I've been having my butt kicked at Scrabble. Because of the poor turnout, we are all in one group. The only person I'm beating doesn't ..."Ha! They have an old scrabble dictionary they are using as a reference. I swotted up my q without u words but I'm going to do some revision this morning.
I feel so sorry for the organisers. Last year they had a really good turnout. & they have this year for backgammon & some of the newer games.
Barbara wrote: "It is interesting isn't it , accents ? And sitting at the computer trying to pronounce them , probably not quite, quite right . I'd say say Glosstasha and Wustasha for Gloucestershire and Wor..."
The New England accent is similar but not as twangy.
The Two Nerdy History Girls had a post on British accents explained and one on Boston accent explained
It's really fascinating how all the accents developed and changed over time.
Jacquie wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Jacquie wrote: "Just got back from visiting a niece in Gloucester, Mass.Had a lovely fix of seafood, some lively Scrabble games and lots of conversation. DD bought some clothes on..."
Vermont: "must be lovely this time of year"
We love White Christmas!
I've always been interested in how dialects can vary even over quite small areas, and how differently English developed around the world. Thank you for the links.
Karlyne wrote: "Vermont: "must be lovely this time of year"
We love White Christmas!"
You read my mind :p
I thought I would put my comments about library systems here.Library fees was always a vexed question over here.(NZ) Auckland is now a Super City (which means the different wards have combined) Back when I lived there & was a library assistant, the bulk of Auckland was err...Auckland, some wards had a library, some didn't. If I remember correctly, one ward paid a fee so it's residents could use the system. People would get very upset when they had to pay to use the library, especially if they lived in a ward that didn't have one. But they were paying cheaper rates because they weren't paying for the upkeep of libraries, The Auckland Art Gallery & so on.
I'm really tired today. We are redecorating our bedroom, so are sleeping in our spare beds. When our kids left home we gave them their beds. The one I'm on is one we got from my late fil. The mattress is shot & I'm not getting any sleep. I'm going to try the couch tonight & tomorrow we are getting a new mattress!
***Carol*** wrote: "I thought I would put my comments about library systems here.Library fees was always a vexed question over here.(NZ) Auckland is now a Super City (which means the different wards have combined) B..."
Absolutely get a new mattress! I sucked it up and got a really good one 2 years ago, and, oh, boy, do I like to crawl in bed at night now! We're building our retirement cabin up in the foothills of the mountains right now and sleeping on an air bed while we're up there. I'm debating buying a rather cheap bed for us to use up there that I can give away or sell when we actually move. Because: air bed!
Our own bed has a decent mattress but because we are recarpetting all our furniture is everywhere! Only our bed base still in our bedroom. Mattress is leaning against a wall in the hall!My husband has offered to sleep on the couch as he wants to watch rugby, so I have decent spare bed tonight.
Going to a furniture sale to pick up a mattress tomorrow - yay!
Louise Sparrow wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Vermont: "must be lovely this time of year"
We love White Christmas!"
It's very nice at this season -- very green with blossoms as well. We are finally having summer -- warm but not hot as yet.
Jacquie wrote: "Louise Sparrow wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Vermont: "must be lovely this time of year"
We love White Christmas!"
It's very nice at this season -- very green with blossoms as well. We are finally ha..."
We've had an odd, already heated summer. The usual temperature is high 70s, but we've already had two days over 100. Too hot! I'm wilting...
Well it's literally freezing down here! Some of the coldest weather on record in parts of the country. 4 degrees Celsius here - & I'm in one of the warmer parts of the country. A town in the South Island had -22 degrees Celsius.Not a good time to have the curtains off in 2 rooms but we are painting window sills in 2 rooms.
***Carol*** wrote: "Well it's literally freezing down here! Some of the coldest weather on record in parts of the country. 4 degrees Celsius here - & I'm in one of the warmer parts of the country. A town in the South..."Be careful -- some paint doesn't work properly in very cold temperatures.
Our painter gave us this paint to use so hopefully will be Ok. Loaned us his sander too.But tonight was the coldest I've ever been at yoga classes - even with the heat cranked up.
It's too bad that we can't swap a bit of temperature and hit some moderation! We've got a heat wave headed our way, and the forecast is for between 105 and 110 Fahrenheit for about 5 days straight. I'll leave you to convert that to Celsius...
Late to the game, and probably missing something, but, it has been a cool summer here in Virginia, USA, rarely above 90F/32C.Next month I will be visiting Chincoteague, an island famous for somewhat wild ponies. This has been made famous in the US with the help of the "Misty of Chincoteague" books and a movie (in the 1950s or 1960s I think).
Has everyone here heard of the Island, the ponies, or the books? I wonder if it is just known in the US.
Critterbee wrote: "Late to the game, and probably missing something, but, it has been a cool summer here in Virginia, USA, rarely above 90F/32C.Next month I will be visiting Chincoteague, an island famous for somew..."
I read the books when I was a kid, and I've always wanted to visit! (I'm in Idaho, by the way)
Those were my favorite books when I was in third grade! I had to make up a year’s worth of studies in half a year of school that year, and I got a plastic horse in the shape of one of the ponies from those books for each workbook I finished.
Critterbee wrote: "Next month I will be visiting Chincoteague, an island famous for somewhat wild ponies...Has everyone here heard of the Island, the ponies, or the books? I wonder if it is just known in the US."I have not heard of the island or the books, but I have not had the opportunity to explore the East coast at all except for the Chicago area for a week 25+ years ago. I'm in Washington state. But that island looks great, I looked it up and the photos of the wild ponies are amazing! I'll have to check out the books sometime. Add them to my forever-growing TBR pile. :)
In Seattle we've been in the upper 80s/ low 90s for the past 3 weeks or so. This June was the hottest on record, I think. Usually we deal with the "June Gloom" and our summer doesn't technically start until the day after the 4th of July. So, hovering around your "cool" summer is a "hot" summer for us, especially for it only being June!
Powerful motivation, Abigail!Do you still have them?Our June has been record-breaking down here, too, Linda. I'm not a heat lover at all-probably because I was born in Mt. Vernon...
Karlyne wrote: "Our June has been record-breaking down here, too, Linda. I'm not a heat lover at all-probably because I was born in Mt. Vernon..."Oh, Mt. Vernon. OK! A cousin of mine lives up there right now, among many other family members all around the Skagit Valley over the years.
Usually I'm in the yard gardening this time of year, but working in the yard in this heat and with the soil all dusty dry does not appeal to me at all. I much prefer a cloudy 60 degree day, and then bring on the sun and heat in August when I'm done with my work.
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So here it is. :)
To get the ball rolling - I'm Carol. I'm a volunteer in a small town in the North Island of NZ.
I'm in the middle of booking a months holiday to SE Asia so yeah - pretty excited about that.