Pencil me out.
RJM
Didn't take long after the inevitable decline and fall of
their very own censored writing newsgroup for the twelve
bores to go off again in dear old MW. Any minute now
one of them will start a thread bemoaning the current state
of discussion in this "writing" group, complaining about a
lack of important "writing" matters. Whining on in "writing"
which only the kindest critic might describe as interesting.
I do love an expert, myself. Look at my shelves - Fowler's,
Smith & Keenan's English Law, Writers' & Artists', and
Roland Brown's Ultimate History of Fast Bikes - to mention
a few. Let's face it, we all need experts. Fortunately for us
in this obscure corner of Usenet, we can appreciate the true
value of professional expertise that is available to us in our
libraries and bookshops.
fundoc
"RJM" <sean...@beeb.net> wrote in message
news:bsuehn$7fa$1$8300...@news.beeb.net...
> which
That, shirley.
Davida Chazan - The Chocolate Lady
Actually, it would be "that shirley" or "which, shirley" - no?
(Who is Shirley, anyway?)
--
Davida Chazan (The Chocolate Lady)
<davida @ jdc . org . il>
~*~*~*~*~*~
"What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of
chocolate."
--Katharine Hepburn (May 12, 1907 - June 29, 2003)
~*~*~*~*~*~
ing
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So ... how was Christmas? Come on, let's have a report.
ing
RBA
"fundoc" <fundocyo...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
news:o5AIb.95321$UY6....@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
Norma
RJM
news:o5AIb.95321$UY6....@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>
Bollocks. And don't call me . . . ever.
RJM
news:EKDIb.9967$Vl6.1...@news20.bellglobal.com...
>So ... how was Christmas? Come on, let's have a report.
Christmas was Cumbria. Spent the week with friends in Kendal
in their new house. Midnight mass (optional), early morning phone
call from the grandchildren in Oz (obligatory). Slept late, went to
Troutbeck village for a pub lunch (no turkey!), drove down to Lake
Windermere and walked it off. The dogs ran and ran. Our friends
have two sheepdogs, mother and daughter, and they left Bruce for
dead, poor chap. Still, he had the good sense to pretend he had
important business in holes when they zoomed off, and he met them
on their way back looking apologetic, nearly. All in all, Christmas
was excellent. My first since I retired. Much, much more enjoyable
without all that grotesque posturing for clients and colleagues.
How was it for you . . . ?
Dr Zen
Which will surprise no one.
Zen
pandora
My Christmas? It was wonderful. Truly. My eldest son, his wife and their
two daughters came out on the 25th and we had lasagne for dinner. On
Friday, we all went for a long walk into the village, along the Bay and on
the new 804 Trail. It was sunny but cold with a brisk wind. That night,
our other children and their spouses arrived and we had our usual Friday
night pizza/movie night. Luckily, our livingroom is large enough to seat 10
people and still see the tv screen.
Saturday morning, we opened our stockings and gifts. I put out our
*traditional* Christmas breakfast of buns and coldcuts and cheeses. After
getting the turkey in the oven, we all went for another long walk with the 3
dogs who arrived with our children. For dinner that night, we had 2 other
guests (our daughter's husband's mother and step-father). Our diningroom
was a bit crowded for 12 for dinner but we managed. Lots of food was
consumed and much fun was had by all. On Sunday, my two daughters-in-law
and my daughter made breakfast. Then we just laid around for several hours
before they had to end their visit in order to get home for work on Monday.
I feel extremely blessed this Season. I wish to extend all my BEST to
everyone here for the New Year about to arrive. We are about to head out
for the snowy valley for a New Year's celebration at my best friend's house.
We've celebrated New Year's there for about 15 years now. Coincidentally,
she is also our middle son's mother-in-law. Works for us.
There is a snow warning in the passes but we're going anyway. We have our
truck with 4-wheel drive and chains, so we should be okay. If not, well,
it's been nice.......
Shalom and Happy New Year!!!
Marg
> ing
>
RBA
friendship and guidance over the years.
Merriam Webster's 9th
Merriam Webster's 2nd New International (in the dining room--too big for
shelves but often used)
The story of language
Writer's handbook 1994
Poet's market 1998
Children's writer's word book (aren't double possessives a little awkward?)
Women writers at work
Various types of Roget's
Bernstein's reverse dictionary
Harbrace college handbook 5th ed.
Turabian 4th ed.
Rewriting writing (only pt. 5 is useful)
Writing well
Writing down the bones
Effective science communication: a workbook for biological, medical and
technical writers (small but mighty)
O'Conner's English vocabulary builder
Evan's Dictionary of contemporary American usage 1957
Authors Card Game, printed by Western--probably 45-50 years old
The courage to be rich by Suze Orman ; )
Norma
ing
A sense of freedom and relaxation is a wonderful thing, isn't it? When
you can just ENJOY on your own terms. Sounds wonderful - am real glad
you had a lovely holiday.
>
> How was it for you . . . ?
Relaxing and fun -- despite negative anticipation a couple of weeks ago
-- it was a nice day. Spent it here in the inner city, for one brief
half day, completely devoid of traffic and clanging city noises. No
snow, thank the lord. An early morning walk with the dogs down to Cherry
Beach to watch the birds soar out over the lake, and breathe the crisp
clean air, then home. Folks began arriving. A few family members, not
all of them since many live a long distance away, a couple of good
friends, and loved ones round the tree, sipping drinks and then much
yakking round the kitchen table (the chief gathering place in this
house) while I stuffed sage dressing into turkey, peeled taters and
picked over the required brussels sprouts. Christmas dins is NOT
complete without brussels sprouts. Hums of conversation, bursts of
laughter, Christmas carols on the radio, door bells ding-donging and
barking dogs wagging tails at new guests. Delicious cooking odours all
day long, windows steamed up, beer and wine stashed out on the deck for
want of room in an overloaded fridge -- warnings to all not to let the
cat out ... long distance phone calls ... all that stuff. We are so rich
you know ... not money-rich for sure, just "rich" in good things.
One thing truly touched my heart. While for me, Christmas has never
been about presents, I was given one by a dear friend - in response to a
fleeting comment I'd made MANY months ago - which was a wish that some
day I might have my very own VHS copy of "The Dead" - John Huston's last
film, based on my most favourite of James Joyce's stories. After
searching for years, I'd long given up any hope of finding it, but still
savoured memories of seeing it in the theatre, when it ran its course,
back in the 80s.
And there it was on Christmas morning. All wrapped in shiny red paper
and green and white ribbon. I had not expected any gift from this friend
-- was only happy for his presence this Christmas. But he had listened,
heard and remembered my long-ago uttered comment, when I myself had
forgotten all about it. He said he'd never seen the film himself, or
read the story ... but that he'd remembered that I'd wanted it, and he
thought I should have it. That he had remembered that wish, from so long
ago, and gone to such efforts (for him anyway, it was a huge effort) to
find the tape ... I was touched and overwhelmed. Am not sure why,
perhaps mostly from the knowledge that he had listened and heard -- that
a small wish of mine was remembered and acted on. And somehow, that made
me feel special. I've since watched the film twice -- and each time, as
the ending monologue comes up and the image of the snow drifting past
the darkened window, I can feel my heart twisting in response to the
timeless message. It's a gift I'll treasure forever -- just like I think
I'll be treasuring all Christmases from now on. Each one is a gift all
by itself I'm finding.
So, a good holiday it was ... with lots of leftovers, too much
shortbread and eggnog and brandy, lovely oaky icy chardonnays, lots of
shared love and a renewed determination to take on whatever 2004 hands
this household.
Best to you, ducks!
ing
RJM
Yeah, well, I'm a terrible heathen, you know, but I'm older now
so I don't mind so much about all that stuff we feel because it's
Christmas. Herself and I compromise and have a party at Christmas
one year and New Year the next. And like the Misses Morkan's
annual dance, everybody who knows us comes to it, members of the
family, old friends of the family. It goes off in splendid style.
We had a do last night. Not a drop of snow, mind. It's odd, the new
weather, over here at least. I know what you mean about Gabriel's
thoughts, sure. I like to think of snow falling faintly through the
universe, and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon
all the living and the dead.
Still, I took advantage of the dry weather, went for a ride today. You
never quite as willingly experience near death as you do leaned over
at sixty watching the vanishing point opening up as you add more speed
trusting in your luck, and more often than not the little old lady in her
Morris Minor will keep over to her side. Leaned over at sixty! I just read
that again. Killed me. I think I'll have it engraved on my headstone.