The world’s a funny place - summer, winter, hot, cold, wet, dry, floods and bushfires. Thank goodness there’s usually plenty to enjoy no matter what the weather. But always a handy topic to return to. Enjoy your reading. 🤗🤗
I love the definition of a heat wave in your part of the world, and found the legend of St Swithin so interesting. I will forever remember him and his legend as his day is the day after my (birth)day. I hope summer comes back to you and you'll be able to enjoy the sun and warmth again! Advertisers here are already pushing "back to school" - I say "stem the tide" to hurry-up summer's end. 😎
Happy Belated Birthday, Sharon! 7/14 was also my maternal grandmother's birthday, and former US President Gerald R Ford's birthday. I have his signature on a birthday card he sent me, on White House stationery, after I sent him a card and wrote, "To whomever is reading this, as I assume President Ford doesn't read his own mail, please wish a fellow Michagander a happy birthday, as it's my birthday, too." 😁
Oh gosh, the 'back to school' stuff everywhere - I remember HATING going into town in the summer holidays, because all of the shops would have their 'BACK TO SCHOOL' banners up, and I'd be really cross because the school year had only just ended! Most schools over here finished today, I think - which means the weekend will be the start of the 'great British getaway' - ie all of the roads will be jam-packed with traffic!
Oh, the "Great British Getaway" sounds like a wonderful movie, or TV series!!! Texas schools finish at the end of May and begin again the 3rd week of August. In Massachusetts, schools finished at the end of June (seemed like a rip off, to me) and began the week before Labor Day (1st Monday in September). In my school years, we finished the first Thursday in June, and started the Tuesday after Labor Day. THAT is a proper summer to me! P.S. I, too, wish retailers would give the "back to school" thing a rest! My daughter used to cover her eyes in stores to avoid seeing the banners!
Oh wow, the academic year over there - in both Texas AND Massachusetts - is pretty different to over here. This weekend is the first of our school summer holidays - the last day of school was Thursday, and next term starts on September 2.
So interesting! Do your schools have longer than a week breaks throughout the year in addition to the summer holiday? Summer breaks of my childhood were always the months of June, July, and August, I think partly because of heavy agriculture: so many classmates were needed to work their family farms, the busiest being during those months.
Yes, as well as the six-week break in the summer there are two weeks at Christmas and two at Easter. Each term also has a week-long half-term holiday, generally the last week in October, the end of February and the end of May. That’s the set-up for state (public) schools. Private schools are often different: in return for the kids spending longer at school every day, they get longer holidays (eight weeks in summer, and sometimes longer half-terms).
I, too, had to put down the soporific Persuasion, which I found useful only in helping me fall instantly asleep at night. However, the 1995 film with Ciaran Hinds was very sweet, indeed, with long views of Bath and Exeter, and an excellent musical score. Romantic. I recommend it. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasion_(1995_film). I am so glad you have discovered Bill Bryson, Rebecca. He can be just hysterical. I recommend what I feel was is best - Neither Here Nor There, Travels in Europe. His take on trying to navigate through other cultural milieus is so very funny and perfectly matches my own. I loved your post today. I feel we are alike in so many ways.
Oh, fantastic - I’ll seek out the film! It looks as if it’ll make me feel much better about the book!
I’d thoroughly enjoyed Bryson’s ‘Notes from a Small Island’, and ‘Troublesome Words’, so I knew I was in for a treat! I hadn’t heard of ‘Neither Here Nor There’, but am adding it to my list - thank you for the recommendation. I am LOVING ‘Walk in the Woods’ - it’s hilarious already, and they’re only just setting off!
So glad you enjoyed this latest letter to Terry, Sharron - and yes, you and I are certainly on the same wavelength. That makes me very happy. 😘
Ah, geez, c'mon over the pond. You can HAVE some our summer which, until recently, has been scorching hot (95° F+) and lacking sufficient rain. Now that the temps have dropped and the rains have returned, the mosquitoes are trying to make up for lost time.
LOVE the Callium Bains quote and am going to try to internalize it. I'm nothing if not committed to follow-through, and I could use a little nut-adjustment there.
A Walk in the Woods was memorably delightful, as was A Short History of Nearly Everything. Let us know when you, Jim, and Terry decide to set out on the AT!
Re Persuasion: watch the 1995 or 2007 films (definitely NOT the 2022 version) and you'll get through it all painlessly. Some excellent acting and historic rendition while being faithful to the original.
Weather? We had 3 years of damp summers just past. I won't hold my breath on any account this year. Here we are in July - mid winter - and the bulbs are all flowering and the willows are leafing up. It's all topsy-turvy!
Thanks, Julie! I enjoy cryptic crosswords, but get soooo frustrated with them because I can only ever solve a few clues per crossword - there are more empty squares than filled ones on any grid I’ve ever attempted!
The world’s a funny place - summer, winter, hot, cold, wet, dry, floods and bushfires. Thank goodness there’s usually plenty to enjoy no matter what the weather. But always a handy topic to return to. Enjoy your reading. 🤗🤗
I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have the weather to complain about, Beth! 🤣 Hugs!
Clever clogs 😡
Yup. 😉
🤣
I love the definition of a heat wave in your part of the world, and found the legend of St Swithin so interesting. I will forever remember him and his legend as his day is the day after my (birth)day. I hope summer comes back to you and you'll be able to enjoy the sun and warmth again! Advertisers here are already pushing "back to school" - I say "stem the tide" to hurry-up summer's end. 😎
Hah! Me, too, Mary! We both celebrate our birthdays on Bastille Day.
Awwwwww! Belated happy birthday, Sharron!!!! 🥳
Happy Belated Birthday, Sharon! 7/14 was also my maternal grandmother's birthday, and former US President Gerald R Ford's birthday. I have his signature on a birthday card he sent me, on White House stationery, after I sent him a card and wrote, "To whomever is reading this, as I assume President Ford doesn't read his own mail, please wish a fellow Michagander a happy birthday, as it's my birthday, too." 😁
Mary, that’s a wonderful story! I LOVE this!!!!!!!! 🎈
😀
Oh gosh, the 'back to school' stuff everywhere - I remember HATING going into town in the summer holidays, because all of the shops would have their 'BACK TO SCHOOL' banners up, and I'd be really cross because the school year had only just ended! Most schools over here finished today, I think - which means the weekend will be the start of the 'great British getaway' - ie all of the roads will be jam-packed with traffic!
Oh, the "Great British Getaway" sounds like a wonderful movie, or TV series!!! Texas schools finish at the end of May and begin again the 3rd week of August. In Massachusetts, schools finished at the end of June (seemed like a rip off, to me) and began the week before Labor Day (1st Monday in September). In my school years, we finished the first Thursday in June, and started the Tuesday after Labor Day. THAT is a proper summer to me! P.S. I, too, wish retailers would give the "back to school" thing a rest! My daughter used to cover her eyes in stores to avoid seeing the banners!
Oh wow, the academic year over there - in both Texas AND Massachusetts - is pretty different to over here. This weekend is the first of our school summer holidays - the last day of school was Thursday, and next term starts on September 2.
So interesting! Do your schools have longer than a week breaks throughout the year in addition to the summer holiday? Summer breaks of my childhood were always the months of June, July, and August, I think partly because of heavy agriculture: so many classmates were needed to work their family farms, the busiest being during those months.
Yes, as well as the six-week break in the summer there are two weeks at Christmas and two at Easter. Each term also has a week-long half-term holiday, generally the last week in October, the end of February and the end of May. That’s the set-up for state (public) schools. Private schools are often different: in return for the kids spending longer at school every day, they get longer holidays (eight weeks in summer, and sometimes longer half-terms).
I, too, had to put down the soporific Persuasion, which I found useful only in helping me fall instantly asleep at night. However, the 1995 film with Ciaran Hinds was very sweet, indeed, with long views of Bath and Exeter, and an excellent musical score. Romantic. I recommend it. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasion_(1995_film). I am so glad you have discovered Bill Bryson, Rebecca. He can be just hysterical. I recommend what I feel was is best - Neither Here Nor There, Travels in Europe. His take on trying to navigate through other cultural milieus is so very funny and perfectly matches my own. I loved your post today. I feel we are alike in so many ways.
Sharron, I loved the 1995 film version of Persuasion and am glad to see you mention it here!
Oh, fantastic - I’ll seek out the film! It looks as if it’ll make me feel much better about the book!
I’d thoroughly enjoyed Bryson’s ‘Notes from a Small Island’, and ‘Troublesome Words’, so I knew I was in for a treat! I hadn’t heard of ‘Neither Here Nor There’, but am adding it to my list - thank you for the recommendation. I am LOVING ‘Walk in the Woods’ - it’s hilarious already, and they’re only just setting off!
So glad you enjoyed this latest letter to Terry, Sharron - and yes, you and I are certainly on the same wavelength. That makes me very happy. 😘
Ah, geez, c'mon over the pond. You can HAVE some our summer which, until recently, has been scorching hot (95° F+) and lacking sufficient rain. Now that the temps have dropped and the rains have returned, the mosquitoes are trying to make up for lost time.
LOVE the Callium Bains quote and am going to try to internalize it. I'm nothing if not committed to follow-through, and I could use a little nut-adjustment there.
A Walk in the Woods was memorably delightful, as was A Short History of Nearly Everything. Let us know when you, Jim, and Terry decide to set out on the AT!
Oh blimey - I’d say 95° is far too hot to handle, Elizabeth! Mind you, the rain and mosquitoes don’t sound much fun either!
What an idea, to walk the Appalachian Trail with Terry - we’d certainly have some stories to write about! 😁
Would you please send St. Swithin over the pond? Colorado could use forty days of rain. Thank you.
LOL, Peter! 🤣
Re Persuasion: watch the 1995 or 2007 films (definitely NOT the 2022 version) and you'll get through it all painlessly. Some excellent acting and historic rendition while being faithful to the original.
Weather? We had 3 years of damp summers just past. I won't hold my breath on any account this year. Here we are in July - mid winter - and the bulbs are all flowering and the willows are leafing up. It's all topsy-turvy!
Gosh, those willows and bulbs sound keen, Prue!
Thank you so much for the film recommendations - I shall seek out one of those Persuasions and settle down to enjoy it!
I love your explanations of those puzzles. I am clueless and unable to solve them although they make sense once you explain! Thank you!
Thanks, Julie! I enjoy cryptic crosswords, but get soooo frustrated with them because I can only ever solve a few clues per crossword - there are more empty squares than filled ones on any grid I’ve ever attempted!