Random Thoughts Showing 4,901-4,950 of 17,689

[happy]

No, just 5 strings along the roof line (very boring). When we get the inside lites up around the windows I'll post as pic :)

[[deleted user]]

Those Christmas lights can be incredibly frustrating. They usually end up making me want to pull my hair out. If I were you, happy, I'd just leave them alone & act like I planned it that way:)

[happy]

That's what the daughter recommended :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I can't do Xmas decorations yet. I have hubby's b'day tog et through first. I used to put everything up in November, but it took the joy off hubby's b'day celebrations. So the last few years we wait until December 1 to start putting up our decorations.

[Portia]

I love driving around and seeing people's lights and yard decorations. Me to Spouse who is driving: "Wait! Go back! I want to see that house again. Slow down!!!!"

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I am the opposite. I don't visit the light displays in town because all I see is the amount of electricity being chewed up. lol. :D Makes me cringe.
Although there are some very good solar displays and decorations around these days.

[Tim]

Ahem. Christmas lights? Its not even December yet, people!
Having said that I am looking forward to my 2nd American Thanksgiving this week, which is pretty much exactly the same dinner we used to have back home on Christmas Day

[Vanessa Eden]

We already celebrated Thanksgiving at our house because so many of us in my family are in the medical field and will have to work Thanksgiving Day. I cooked for the very first time and everyone loved my cooking! I was so happy! I made hashbrown casserole, rolls, candied yams, deviled eggs, peanut butter banana nut bread, peanut butter pie. Best part was, everyone ate every last bite of everything I cooked! I should have started cooking alot sooner !

[happy]

Congrats on a successful Thanksgiving feast. That peanut butter banana bread looks interesting :)

We're heading for my Dad's this year, as usual. We have one of the turkeys (there will be two), pies (pumpkin and lemon meringue) and vegi sides - probably some variation on broccoli

[happy]

Tim wrote: "Ahem. Christmas lights? Its not even December yet, people!
Having said that I am looking forward to my 2nd American Thanksgiving this week, which is pretty much exactly the same dinner we used to ..."

Well, since Thanksgiving is soooo late this yr, if they don't get up now, there is a good chance they won't get up at all (Snow storms and all - that has happened a couple of times to me :D). After they are fixed they won't be turned on until Thanksgiving night.

I want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of those residing here in the U.S. For those who don't celebrate the US Thanksgiving feast - Happy whatever you celebrate for a Harvest Celebration.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

lol. Took me a second to understand that Viking thing was meant to be a joke. Kind of disorienting at first trying to work out the context and what everyone was arguing about.

Humorous when I realised what it was about though. :)

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

I'm home. "Frankenstein" was bloody brilliant.

[Allison]

Vanessa wrote: "We already celebrated Thanksgiving at our house because so many of us in my family are in the medical field and will have to work Thanksgiving Day. I cooked for the very first time and everyone lov..."

Yum. Wish I had been invited :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Margaret wrote: "I'm home. "Frankenstein" was bloody brilliant."

Good to hear! :)

[Portia]

After spending a hour in traffic this evening, I am giving thanks that Thanksgiving is at my house this year, which I am already in!

Hello, Margaret! If we ask politely, will we get a few more words about "Frankenstein" from you?

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Sitting in traffic can destroy the calm of the most placid soul.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Portia wrote: "Hello, Margaret! If we ask politely, will we get a few more words about "Frankenstein" from you..."

Yes, she probably should share more about it. :)

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

I intend doing a blog on it (possibly tomorrow) so I will post the link here, if you like. :)

I have so many thoughts about it. I will say now, it was brilliant!

[Portia]

Would live the link. Thanks ahead.

[Portia]

Love. :P

[Alicja]

I know most Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving, but does anyone feel at least odd celebrating a holiday that marks the Native American's helping the white immigrants considering that Americans stole their lands, corralled them into reservations far away from their ancestral lands, and pretty much caused a mass genocide of the people (and Buffalo), and all this done through a mass slaughter of another animal, the Turkey? It has always made me feel uncomfortable to celebrate it and I haven't even done so in the past few years.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

hahaha. :D
Well there you have it.

For the same reasons, the indigenous population in Australia are usually not all that impressed by the 'non indigenous' nation celebrating Australia Day so ferociously.

Australia Day marks the arrival of the First Fleet to Australia in 1788.
Not the greatest of moments in indigenous history. :)
In fact, the worst of moments for the Australian Aborigine AND the Australian environment.

[Michal]

This is completely random, but I am currently reading Terra Incognita and this is one of the quotes that made me laugh:

"One of the many difficult things about women was that they tended to pick the most unsuitable times to tell you something they considered to be important, and then became irrationally upset when you failed to remember it. On the other hand, they sometimes dropped oblique hints about something they were eager to tell you, expecting you to show an interest. When you failed to take the hint, instead of simply saying what it was they wanted you to know, they were upset because you had not asked."

[Portia]

My Spouse would no doubt agree with the writer/speaker:)

[[deleted user]]

Alicja wrote: "I know most Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving, but does anyone feel at least odd celebrating a holiday that marks the Native American's helping the white immigrants considering that Americans s..."

Being half Native American descent & half European descent....I've always felt kind of odd, or maybe confused, about celebrating it. I grew up with that weirdness. My Dad's side(European side) always had a huge feast & celebration. My Mom's side(Native side) would show up, but it wasn't hard to tell that most of them thought it was a farce.
That being said...I get the day off & I'm gonna eat some good food...so I'm going to enjoy it. I get where you're coming from, though.

[Dawn]

mixal wrote: "This is completely random, but I am currently reading Terra Incognita and this is one of the quotes that made me laugh:

"One of the many difficult things about women was that they t..."

I laughed at this one too but Ruso really is a particularly dense version of the male species and no matter how Tilla told him something I'm sure he would mess things up!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Derek wrote: "That being said...I get the day off & I'm gonna eat some good food...so I'm going to enjoy it. I get where you're coming from, though. ."

That, I believe, is what these kind of days are now about. I am always uncomfortable talking about your Thanksgiving, because I don't know what the politics are like around it. It doesn't seem like something to celebrate. Just as celebrating the First Fleet coming to Australia doesn't seem like something that we should celebrate as a nation. Considering what impact that arrival had on the native population here.
But then it isn't about the First Fleet to most Australians now. It is about loving our country and being proud to be Australian. We have fun getting a day off to have a barbecue, put on our Australian flag thongs (flip flops..not the underwear), go to the beach, or do nothing at all. And it isn't because of white settlement, it is because we want to celebrate who our country is now.

Perhaps Thanksgiving is the same? It isn't really about the Indians and the Settlers anymore? It is more about having a tradition that you share with a large part of the United States population. It can be unifying for a country to have special days.

[Amanda]

Terri wrote: "Perhaps Thanksgiving is the same? It isn't really about the Indians and the Settlers anymore? It is more about having a tradition that you share with a large part of the United States population. It can be unifying for a country to have special days."

That's how I think of it. For my family, it's just a good excuse to get together, cook some great food, and hopefully make some memories. I try hard not to think about the history behind it and instead try to make it a happy occasion.

[Tim]

Terri wrote: "Derek wrote: "That being said...I get the day off & I'm gonna eat some good food...so I'm going to enjoy it. I get where you're coming from, though. ."

That, I believe, is what these kind of days ..."

I would suggest that its a bit like Christmas in the UK; A tradition where families get together, eat turkey and drink too much, maybe argue a bit, lie around watching TV and these days has very little to do with the event that it is supposed to be commemorating.

[Dawn]

Thanksgiving in Canada has it's origins in harvest festivals. The theory behind ours being earlier than the US is that our harvest is sooner because of our geographic location but I don't know how true that is.

I've never heard of there being any political connotations with the US Thanksgiving though. All I ever hear about is Black Friday.

[Lia]

Marina wrote: "We'll start the Hanukkah celebrations today, and for the next 8 days.
So basically a week of lighting candles and eating doughnuts :D"

Happy Hanukkah, Marina... Shalom!

[Portia]

And from me, Shalom!

[Alicja]

Dawn wrote: "Thanksgiving in Canada has it's origins in harvest festivals. The theory behind ours being earlier than the US is that our harvest is sooner because of our geographic location but I don't know how ..."

Oh yeah, black Friday *shivers*. Actually, this year a lot of stores are starting black Friday on Thursday. So that means many people don't even get a day off. I think it is all about capitalism these days anyway, not that that is much better.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Terri and Portia (and anyone else interested) - I've done the blog post on the National Theatre's Frankenstein. The link is below.

http://margysmusings.wordpress.com/20...

[Mark]

Margaret wrote: "Terri and Portia (and anyone else interested) - I've done the blog post on the National Theatre's Frankenstein. The link is below.

http://margysmusings.wordpress.com/20......"

Definitely going to see that, if it comes up my way.

thank you margaret enjoyed reading your blog.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Glad you enjoyed it, Mark. :)

[Portia]

Margaret, thank you. Great review!

Does everyone but me know (thank you, Mindy Kaling!) if/when this(these) are screening in the US?

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

I'm not sure, but I think there are more screenings in January.

[Portia]

I'll keep my eyes open.

Would I be "starting something" if I admitted to really liking "Elementary," Jonny Lee Miller's portrayal of Sherlock on American network TV? I can see that Holmes purists would not be enamored of the show (I've heard some had a real problem with what the writers did with Irene Adler), but I think Miller has a great comic sense and Lucy Liu is downright adorable.

I am not going to the mat to defend "Elementary", I am simply curious.

Best from
Portia

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

LOL. We've had this discussion in the Sherlock Holmes thread. :D

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Portia]

Yep, you did. Thanks for the pointer, Margaret!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Tim wrote: "I would suggest that its a bit like Christmas in the UK; A tradition where families get together, eat turkey and drink too much, maybe argue a bit, lie around watching TV and these days has very little to do with the event that it is supposed to be commemorating.

..."

Same here. Christmas for me and my family, and everyone I know actually, is not about Christ anymore. That is long gone for those who are not Christians or are not practising Christians.

Christmas for the rest of us means family traditions and having a great day giving and receiving and relaxing. Oh..and eating too much.
It is an excuse to let go and forget everyday strictures. You can forget the waistline and over eat. Forget work and chill out.
As for the present buying. I am all for that. Not only does buying Xmas presents and all the associated Xmas stuff help the larger economy, but it helps small business and it helps create jobs.
I think everyone SHOULD buy some things at Xmas (whether it be decorations or a small present for someone) to help create jobs and help businesses stay viable.
By giving to each other through purchasing decorations, presents etc.. we are also giving to strangers (by helping with the jobs thing). That's how I see it. If we all stopped buying things at Xmas time, people would start getting laid off instead of being hired. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Happy Hanukkah, Marina! :)

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Terri wrote: "Tim wrote: "I would suggest that its a bit like Christmas in the UK; A tradition where families get together, eat turkey and drink too much, maybe argue a bit, lie around watching TV and these days..."

I agree, Terri. That's my take on Christmas. I tend to support local business where I can when buying my gifts.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It is a good thing to do. Some local businesses need those Xmas sales in order to pay bills they couldn't pay through quieter times, or to give staff a bonus, or to hire extra staff over Xmas, or to earn some money themselves as they just get by over the rest of the year.

Being a consumer at Xmas gives us the power to help out strangers as well as make family and friends smile through our gift giving.

People get down on all the gift giving special days. Valentines, Easter etc..but it is all the same, it all helps the economy. If it helps the economy, I say enjoy the giving and spend up (but stay within budget of course)! :D

That's my advice to the world. lol ;)

[Allison]

This has nothing to do with your guys previous posts, just wanna see if my computer has gone wonky. Did everyone's notification screen change? Mine was all frozen for a while and now looks completely different. Me no likeee.

[[deleted user]]

My notifications screen changed too.

[Allison]

Oh good. Thanks for the prompt response :)

What's not so good is my tablet won't let me click on them! Ugh!

[Portia]

Moi trois

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Mine has changed. It sucks. Especially the envelope icon one clicks to go to inbox.

I am whinging about it in Goodreads Feedback. If anybody else wants to whinge you can join me there. :D
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...