Helloooooooo? Is anybody out there? We're going to start on July 5 with this just delightful collection of reflections on America from a master humorist.

If you haven't read a word, fret not, we'll take two of his 69 essays on American life a day, so the first pages covered will be 1-8, and the theme is CAN you go home again?

Whether or not you find him funny, reading this book will help you appreciate even more this grand country! A perfect accompaniment to those 4th of July hotdogs!!

Do get a copy, he's a great writer!

Ginny

Ginny, I want to participate but forgot to get this book! I've been so busy trying to find Amsterdam! And still reading Bryson's OTHER book and The Master of Hestviken and some wretched whodunit and and.... whew! I'll be dropping by, though, no matter what!

I think this is a pretty easy read, just short but tremendously funny or poignant essays about life in America. Will make everybody appreciate America even more, if possible!

Ginny

Well, here we are, a bit late this morning (on the East Coast) beginning our small but satisfying, I hope, discussion of I'M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF.

I hope you had a grand Fourth of July, it was really one of our best, and I even managed to sneak on to the Internet several times yesterday while waiting for this or that, so it was a great day all around!

This is, the third Bryson book I've read, and it seems a little different from the others, but I'm not sure how? He says these essays were originally columns for a newspaper in Britain where he had lived for 20 years, explaining America, essentially to the British and marveling at the little commonplace things we take for granted here.

What a marvelous thing to read while the light of the fireworks are still shining in your eyes.

While waiting for it to get "dark enough" last night for our own fireworks, I did get to see the end of the 1812 Overture at the Nation's Capital on television (looked for Joan Pearson in the crowd: thought I spotted her) and their splendid, spectacular fireworks, how exciting, how marvelous. How DID they get the Washington Monument lit up like that?

Anyway, it's a grand opening for our own efforts here. And thanks to Larry for getting this folder in the right place!!

I thought Bryson made some stunning points in these few pages. In the first essay he talks about "coming home," and "being identified" as an American: "For twenty years, being an American was my defining quality. It was how I was identified, differentiated."

Here I stopped, because it's so true. Have you ever been "defined" by something like that? I can think, offhand, of several instances I've seen in which somebody, because of their background, became "identified" with that background and thus BECAME the be all and end all on that subject: for instance, I once knew a Southerner who lived in New Jersey who BECAME, for not only the neighbors, but also himself, the very EMBODIMENT of the South, and he turned INTO a regular Colonel Sanders!! Drawl and all.

And it makes me wonder why we attach such importance to the labels others put on us so that we obediently turn ourselves INTO whatever is expected??

Am not sure we can take two essays a day at this rate! hahahahaha

On the post office one, I don't believe the


HILL
JOHN
MASS


story!!!! Do you?? Although we have had some strange letters delivered here, but HEY, we don't even have a blinker light in our little town, and we JUST lost the best Postmistress anybody could ever have had!!

And I didn't even get to today's theme, which is: can you go home again?

What are your thoughts on these first two essays today??

Ginny

This is my first Bryson book, although I have heard good things for a long time, just never got to reading one. I like his style. It goes quickly - I had to reread certain paragraphs to get the full impact of what was being said.

Yep, we sure do take on identities crafted by others for us. Do you think that this is because we haven't had the experience or taken the time to develop one of our own? I for one was so insecure and wanted to be part of the crowd, so-o-o I took my cues from my environment to become whatever I perceived was the most acceptable.

I grew up in NC and married a New Yorker and went there to live in 1952. I can identify with the "coming home" facet of the book, because I returned to NC in '91 after having raised four daughters, getting my degree from Cornell U. when I was 50 and living on my own for the first time ever.

I kept thinking of Thomas Wolfe, and thinking "Yes, I can go home again." While I was in NY I became the resident authority on Southerners and often had to call attention to the false stereotyping.

Now that I'm back in NC I find myself defending some of the false generalizations that I come across regarding NYers. I enjoy, just as Bryson did, discovering some of the changes that have occurred and remembering the old times, places and people.

Ginny, for me two essays a day is fine. I enjoy the book and I need something to read right now. How about others? I usually find myself reading more than one book at a time.

Moan! Groan! I have been unable to get a hold of a copy of this book! Darn! @#$%$#@! I will have to lurk until I do...

Hairline fractured my knee cap (walked directly into a road sign while conversing with a friend) and so have been reading Bryson off and on for most of the day considering I'm on bed rest until the swelling subsides enough for the docs to reevaluate it. The book is a delight for me - fun but each essay does have a message through the humorous comments. I'm also very familiar with Hanover having spent many a college weekend at dear old Dartmouth.

GREAT!! This is a great group assembled, and Jeryn, you can still participate while waiting for the book, what's your answer to Tom Wolfe's: "You can't go home again?"

Jump in on the issues till you can get the book!

Njames, YOU TOO? Me, too! As the only person in a family totally based in South Carolina to be born and raised in Pennsylvania, I had the opposite but same experience you have! And now, living in SC, with my "Yankee" accent firmly in place, I know exactly where you're coming from! In my case, it's strange, as I sound different, but all of my extended family is FROM South Carolina, and way back, too. Go figure, makes your head spin.

One thing I HAVE learned, tho, and I bet you found the same, is that people are people everywhere, we're all the same. Look at SeniorNet, how many like minded people we have found here from all over the country, and world!! I love SeniorNet, it's a grand meeting place.

I liked this that you said, too: "Yep, we sure do take on identities crafted by others for us. Do you think that this is because we haven't had the experience or taken the time to develop one of our own? I for one was so insecure and wanted to be part of the crowd, so-o-o I took my cues from my environment to become whatever I perceived was the most acceptable. "

Now THERE'S a thought! It's not that those of us who are not strong in identity are deficient, it's that we've not had the time or experience or taken the time, and we've tried to make ourselves acceptible. I love that. You aren't an only child, by any chance, are you? I am, and I think only children try very hard to adapt to whatever circumstance they find themselves in.

MAIDA!!!!! WHAT???? Broken knee cap? Walked right into a sign? Oh I do that all the time, not only do you get hurt, you have to rue the fact that you did it yourself!! OH!! How long will it take to heal, now?

Welcome to our group! You know Jeryn, and here's Njames (Neva) a very nice group here!!!

These next two essays: what can you say? I read them yesterday afternoon and sat in the chair and laughed till I cried, literally cried, over his description of the waiter rattling off the choices du jour at high speed. Oh that was funny. I'm glad I didn't try to read self to sleep with those two! hahahahah

WHY DO they do that? Why not just write it out! He's absolutely right, you can't remember a thing, he's such a hoot! hahahahahahah

What DOES "feuillete mean, anyway?

Oh mercy, "cerpe galette of sea shortle and kelp in a mal de mer sauce!" hahahahaahhaah (mal de mer of course, meaning "seasick,)" hahahahaha oh mercy and the "Rio Rocho cutlets, tenderized at your table by our own flamenco dancers," hahahahahahahahaa

In high school I worked as a waitress after school and sports and I'm telling you, this put me on the floor. He captures so well the whole concept of what people EXPECT from an "eating out" experience! hahahahahahahaa Food is food, why ever the big deal and fuss about "dining out?"

LOVED this: "I'll have whichever one is pink and doesn't smell like the bottom of a gym bag." hahahahahahahahahaha

oh gosh, hahahahahaha

Have any of you seen the OPEN UNIVERSITY on British TV? I must see this thing, I wish we had it, is it as he describes? hahahahahahahah

Is he right, by the way about what Americans expect drugs to do for them versus the British? I did like his take on JUST SAY NO to a nation consuming drugs in record numbers: 75 billion is spent on pharmaceuticals in the US.

OH and the bowler with hemorrhoids, and the cream right in his pocket?? hahahahahahah oh my hahahahahah I laughed and laughed.

I have noticed a big difference in British commercials and American commercials, myself. They seem to be selling different things. British commercials seem to cater to the average man on the street, even the accents are not "posh." In American commercials, the car is either parked in front of the Biltmore Estate or is driven by Cindy Crawford (buy this car and you'll attract the Cindy Crawfords of the world!!) or it's rough and tough and you can drive the thing to the top of the steepest crag (don't try this at home, kids!! It's for MEN~!~)

It's amazing, if you analyze commercials, what they're really selling.

And IS that true of us here in America? DO we expect over the counter drugs to "change our lives?"

We're taking two of these hilarious essays a day, and started on July 5, so it's easy to count up and catch up, do join us, you're missing a very good book!!

Ginny

Have just finished Bryson's chapter on income tax - it's read aloud funny - in fact, I have been driving my husband crazy by reading to him - not a great idea because while reading I start to laugh, can't stop and probably spoil the effect for my poor listener. I want to MEET this man. What do you want to bet he drives his kids wild - THEY probablly aren't old enough to apprciate dad's puckish sense of humor. I think that he's probably my kind of person - doesn't take himself too seriously and dearly loves (despite poking fun) his family. Best of all is his appreciation for the everyday events around him - who else but Bryson could put such an engaging spin - say on putting up the Christmas decorations? What one of us (as a small kid) never tried to stop the circulation in a finger using a rubber band?

Maida! Neva! GINNY!! I'm one of you now! Gave myself an early BD gift and bought this book today. Sat in the bookstore reading it for 10 minutes, guffawing right out loud; so decided I'd better buy it!!! Now to catch up with you all...

Oh Ginny! I'm an only child too!! And I think I'm Little Miss Adaptable too. It must be an Only Child Thing. Do you know of any good books ever written about only children? Besides novels...

Well, Maida, you and I are about in the same boat. I have an appointment with the podiatrist on Thursday to look at my foot which I injured. Unfortunately, I only just today decided to go to the dr. I tripped over a box of picture frames walking in the dark from the kitchen to the br in barefeet about a week ago. The man at the gym has been keeping an eye on it and since I forced it into my sneakers on Friday before my workout it has swollen more and continues to hurt.

But, I haven't been able to read as much as you have.

I agree with your conclusions about Bryson's attitude toward family and surroundings. It is wonderful to have that eye for the ordinary things - people, places, things - that help to bring out the special qualities that we so often miss in our hurried life.

Regarding eating out - so often it seems that one is out with friends or a spouse and get engaged in very interesting conversations and it's in the middle of a very suspenseful tale that the waiter arrives to get your order. And, who can remember the long list of offerings even if they are in plain English.

I can just see the scene - which is a great ability that Bryson has - in the restaurant. And, I was laughing so that I had trouble keeping my foot in place. There was an English actor who played butlers and doormen and the like, who came to my mind as the waiter. He always seemed so bored with the "dumb, unmannered" persons that he was in a movie with. Arthur Treacher I think was his name. That was the image that kept coming to mind.

Ginny, I've lost most of my northern accent since I've been back. It is sort of like riding a bike - no matter how long you are away, you can pick it up again easily and quickly. But, I lost my taste for iced tea - got in the habit of drinking hot tea - so that sets me apart.

Also, one of my colleagues, who was from Ga., told me in good humor that I had lost my "Southern gentility," and had the "Northern pushiness" which was an asset in advocating for families in crises. Now that I'm retired I have to be careful not to be too pushy appearing in my interactions with waitress and the like. But, unlike many people that I am with here, I will ask a waiter/waitress to get my order correct. Just recently, I sent a salad back at Denny's no less, because it was not properly fixed. I always get Denny's Caesar's salad and usually you can expect them to be pretty standard. My husband would suffer through unsweetended tea rather than ask that it be returned. I am looking forward to getting back to the next chapter. Maida, sounds as though you have gotten ahead of us. I'll see if I can catch up with you. Hope you get a good report from you visit to the dr.

It's beginning to look ominous outside. There are all sorts of severe weather warnings. How about you Ginny?

I'm reading another book, THE LAST GIFT OF TIME: Life Beyond Sixty, by Carolyn Heilbrun. It is short essays, but something of a more serious examination of Heilbrun's thoughts on being past sixty. and looking back to realize that sixty was a good time. Very timely for me.

I think Bryson is a delight, and I now want to get all of his other books to read. Are they all short essays?

I am going to go back to the book now. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Well, Maida, you and I are about in the same boat. I have an appointment with the podiatrist on Thursday to look at my foot which I injured. Unfortunately, I only just today decided to go to the dr. I tripped over a box of picture frames walking in the dark from the kitchen to the br in barefeet about a week ago. The man at the gym has been keeping an eye on it and since I forced it into my sneakers on Friday before my workout it has swollen more and continues to hurt.

But, I haven't been able to read as much as you have.

I agree with your conclusions about Bryson's attitude toward family and surroundings. It is wonderful to have that eye for the ordinary things - people, places, things - that help to bring out the special qualities that we so often miss in our hurried life.

Regarding eating out - so often it seems that one is out with friends or a spouse and get engaged in very interesting conversations and it's in the middle of a very suspenseful tale that the waiter arrives to get your order. And, who can remember the long list of offerings even if they are in plain English.

I can just see the scene - which is a great ability that Bryson has - in the restaurant. And, I was laughing so that I had trouble keeping my foot in place. There was an English actor who played butlers and doormen and the like, who came to my mind as the waiter. He always seemed so bored with the "dumb, unmannered" persons that he was in a movie with. Arthur Treacher I think was his name. That was the image that kept coming to mind.

Ginny, I've lost most of my northern accent since I've been back. It is sort of like riding a bike - no matter how long you are away, you can pick it up again easily and quickly. But, I lost my taste for iced tea - got in the habit of drinking hot tea - so that sets me apart.

Also, one of my colleagues, who was from Ga., told me in good humor that I had lost my "Southern gentility," and had the "Northern pushiness" which was an asset in advocating for families in crises. Now that I'm retired I have to be careful not to be too pushy appearing in my interactions with waitress and the like. But, unlike many people that I am with here, I will ask a waiter/waitress to get my order correct. Just recently, I sent a salad back at Denny's no less, because it was not properly fixed. I always get Denny's Caesar's salad and usually you can expect them to be pretty standard. My husband would suffer through unsweetended tea rather than ask that it be returned. I am looking forward to getting back to the next chapter. Maida, sounds as though you have gotten ahead of us. I'll see if I can catch up with you. Hope you get a good report from you visit to the dr.

It's beginning to look ominous outside. There are all sorts of severe weather warnings. How about you Ginny?

I'm reading another book, THE LAST GIFT OF TIME: Life Beyond Sixty, by Carolyn Heilbrun. It is short essays, but something of a more serious examination of Heilbrun's thoughts on being past sixty. and looking back to realize that sixty was a good time. Very timely for me.

I think Bryson is a delight, and I now want to get all of his other books to read. Are they all short essays?

I am going to go back to the book now. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I have now finished the Bryson and feel disappointed that the book just didn't keep right on going. Near the end are some chapters which I found quite touching - sending his son off to college (THAT) was a wrench when I packed Carrie and Sarah off some years ago - his graduation address to the seniors at KUA. I love his love of small towns. I grew up in one in New Hampshire quite near Hanover and now live in one on the NH coastline - we can still walk to the stores, etc.

Ginny, only child? Me too! Yes, I'm adaptable but also a people pleaser having grown up with an alcoholic father. What do you think - do we have too many "control" issues?

Well, Ladies!! I can't decide now, if we're to be the ONLY CHILD'S CLUB or the INJURED APPENDAGES CLUB!!! hahahahahah We're certainly booming in both directions!

Maida: you speed reader, you!! That's an ONLY CHILD again! hahahaha DO we have control issues?? Hmmmm. You know they say the generation of tomorrow in Japan will be an unusual one as they usually average one child per family. Now, truly, how do you feel about life from your perspective?

It's kind of a disjointed thing, from my perspective, on the one hand you are fiercely independent. Right? And they do say a female only child should not marry a the oldest of males, too, or domination issues will erupt. (Guess WHO married the oldest of sons?)

So is it better or worse to be the ONLY?? I don't have a lot of control issues, I just want it my way? hahahahahahaaa AND DRIVING A CAR!!!!!

Now there is where the ONLY CHILD really shines. Other than to the husband to whom, of course, one always yields, hahahahah, WHO drives the car when you go out with friends? hmmmmmm????? hahahahahaha

NEVA!!! FOOT!!!! SWOLLEN!!! NO doctor? I think we are twins, even tho it appears you aren't an only child! Me, too, I wonder if it's a blessing of old age, ol timid here will actualy speak up in a restaurant and will actually send back silver, etc., and will sweetly ask for a window seat. Oh yes.

STORM? I hope you are OK, what are you near? I saw some awful things on radar going thru Charlotte. Yesterday on the way back home from visiting a friend in Columbia, the rain in Newberry was so bad I pulled off to get a Diet Coke and found an eerie wasteland in Clinton, SC on the 56 highway exit! No lights, nothing on in McDonald's, the restaurants, the gas stations, nothing. Went back across the bridge, all the gas stations, the Wendys' Hardees, all in darkness all silent. Nobody about. It was like science fiction. Obviously the storm had been there first. Got back on the road. hahahaha

We went out to eat at the Olive Garden and of course I could NOT stop trying to laugh every time the poor waitress came up, thinking of Bryson, and I guess she thought I was just another fat jolly person! hahahahahahahaa

OH me.

JERYN!! BOUGHT the book, now THAT'S dedication!! I can just see you there trying to read it and bursting out laughing. I think this book is DANGEROUS to your HEALTH!!

Last night I was just late so took the Bryson to bed with me to read the two essays for today: big mistake.

Laughed so hard stomach hurt over the airport license thing. OH my.

That happened to me but I didn't happen to have a book with my photo on the cover with me nor an expired license.

And his OUTLOOK on life, as Maida noticed, his not taking himself seriously: the bit about the airport agent sniffing that his license was out of date and his saying, "Then I won't ask to drive the plane." oh hahahahaha, GALES of laughter, there went my stomach for about 15 minutes. OH I know just how he felt.

I, too, like his quizzical and humorous outlook, am sorry to hear the book falls flat at the end, will try to appreciate the middle even more. The crowd scene where everybody crowds around including "a guy selling jewlery out of an aluminum case." hahahahahaahahahah OH hahahahahaha

The statistics on how Americans injure themselves, were you surprised at that? How about his "I am looking around my desk now and unless I put my head in the laser printer or stab myself with the scissors I cannot see a single source of potential harm within ten feet." And "statistically in New Hampshire I am far more likely to be hurt by my ceiling or underpants--to cite just two potentially lethal examples--than by a stranger, and , frankly I don't find that comforting at all."

hahahahahahaha It does make you wonder, but I really don't want to know, do you?

Oh and the part about seating himself in the restaurant and being called on it by the Customer Seating Manager (there's a little resistance to authority in Bryson, don't you thnk??) and his reply, "'Yup,' I replied proudly. 'Dressed myself too.'"

Do you think what he's doing here is SAYING out loud what the rest of us are thinking?? What we'd like to think? And now that we can finaly wear purple, are we, like Neva, actually GOING to have a little of that "Northern pushiness."

Oh and yes there are some great books on birth order, and what that means for the rest of your life, wasn't there one called THE BIRTH ORDER BOOK? Will go look.

Ginny

Well, folks, you can be sure that I identified with the essay about contacting the computer helpline. I don't know how I posted the same message twice, however, I feel so inept with the computer. I never even touched one until about five years ago and then only to use the word processor after my secretary set it all up and corrected anything or was available to answer any questions.

Now, no secretary - so I am on my own but it is fun using it. I just never know what to expect. And if I get with someone who knows something more, like my 15 year old granddaughter who installled ICQ Sunday and said "It's easy" I really freak. Computers have been a great challenge to my ability to laugh at myself and accept myself when others seem just a bit frustrated with my shortcomings. I feel as Bryson did in the restaurant I think. Thank God, I have grown enough to be able to laugh just as Bryson does----well, most of the time.

I am not much of a baseball fan but my daughter gives me the scoop on the NY Yankees and it appears that if you do get into baseball (or other sports, perhaps) it becomes the focus of your life--it is an emotional thing--like falling in love etc. Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote a book or maybe she just speaks about it frequently when she is interviewed and she expresses this devotion.

Ginny, I'm hoping not to become another statistic for injuries in the home. I think I have made that list tooo many times already. And now that I am living alone I am much more concerned about it. I seem always to be falling over things that I LEFT out of place. At least I don't have to face my girls - MOTHER, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TOLD US ABOUT THAT!!!

And then there are all of our rules - One of my friends from high school has made it her personal mission to reorient me to proper Southern mores. "Neva, put on some lipstick, Southern women DONOT go out without their lipstick."

It has gotten to be a joke with us and I think that it is now more of a game than anything else. I call her a Professional Southerner. Just like we use to have to wear white gloves and no white shoes after Sept. --was that the month.

What came to my mind as I read this was how when you are shopping in a large department store you can never find a salesperson when you need or want help. I have often wondered what would happen if I walked out of the store with my would-be purchase. Do you think I would get someone's attention.

In May I was visiting my daughter and we went into NYC for the day. I wore my white jeans and as soon as we got off the train we went into a coffee shop to relax and have a cup of coffee. (I didn't drink any before the 20 trip for fear of needing to use the br on the commuter train)

We were talking and I, in my usual "expressive-expressive" style, flung the cup into my lap. Yuk--but, not to be outdone, proving that I have to some degree overcome my fear of being different- we walked up 59th street and (being a stranger here myself, it was easier) went into Bloomingdales to get the cheapest thing in the shortest amount of time. Well, I found the pants, but could find no one to wait on me. There was a store detective folding ladies tops over and over, dressed in a tie and jacket. Two men, probably maintenance, were standing talking--this was about 10 am. So, I ask if they can find a salesperson--we are all looking around--me becoming impatient. NY is suppose to have everything--why not a salesperson????

The floor walker kept folding the shirt - avoiding eye-contact with me.I finally said "If I walk out do you think I could get some help" and this brought a smile to the overdressed clothes-folder-upper but still no verbal respones, so I walked over to another department and finally found someone to take my purchase.

Jeryn, thanks for letting me know to whom I was speaking. These names are often confusing. Maida, hope you are feeling better today. Once I was talking and turned around quickly and ran into a door. I think I lead a charmed life---I have done so many dumb things that might have maimed me for life.

Ginny, this was a great "first" book club choice for me. Now, I am already looking forward to the next. I had asked around and could find no bookclubs here in town. When I was a girl the society page was full of where book clubs met, what colors they used, what refreshments they served. I don't recall that they ever mentioned much about the book. Now there is no society page. I think Bill Bryson could have a field day with that scenario.

See you in the next essays.

Some thoughtful comments, Ginny. Oops, I married the eldest son too! No wonder we can sound like mortal combatants when discussing a policy issue - ESPECIALLY political policy. Of course I want things to go MY way! What other way is there? Heeeee It's probably something of a detriment to grow up w/o sibs - I think we have to try harder on the social give and take issues. Can remember not being really sure how I should respond/react to kidding, etc. I also think that I grew up being self conscious about being spoiled - which I undoubtedly was - and turned into a consumate giver. My daughters are forever annoyed with me for giving things away (even things that they have distained).

I don't think that Bryson's book fell flat at the end - I feel that he somehow just mellowed a bit - had less of an edge. What do the rest of you think about that? Yes, the plane identification chapter was a hoot - especially when he promised not to fly the plane.

Put on lipstick before leaving the house? From the minute school ends in June until it resumes in late August I never even think about make-up - mascara maybe. Because of this d----- knee injury I'm presently schlepping around the house in the coolest nightie I can find - probably not a pretty sight. Oh, well.

Well, I'm almost caught up, with everyone but Maida! I loved the restaurant essay. All so true but don't we just put up with it and order something we really don't want? Well, I DID. I'm trying to quit that and stick to the things I know I like. Seems to be a narrowing field...

Oldest brothers! Mmmmph! Try marrying another only child like yourself! Somehow I've managed to do that TWICE! Makes life interesting, ya know!!!

Someone asked if all Bryson's books were essays. I really don't think Walk in the Woods is. It's the only other of his I've read and seems mostly to be an account of his experiences on the Appalachian Trail, with lots of opinion thrown in among the humor, of course!

So far, I'll abstain from the injured extremities club! Been there; done that; hope not to do it ever again!

I thought I better start putting up today's essays in the title bar as I keep forgetting where we are, myself.

Now these two essays lack a little punch, didn't you think? And so they are sandwiched in the interior of the book. Don't you just wonder who arranges these things, and in which order? No use to start out with a flat one, or end with one, just ease it on into the middle.

He finds baseball exciting!! Well, honestly does anybody else? Do you?? I used to LOVE baseball, something about it is different now, and I don't want to hear all that about how much better they are. And the strange organ playing? I don't remember organs at Connie Mack Stadium, but what do I know??

On the computer help, I would be embarrassed to relate how many times I have had to ask some 9 year old on the phone for help and how many times I have had to risk death by irridiation trying to find something in the back of the computer.

You know they say to stay away from the backs of computers and monitors and if you notice in the department stores those dadgum monitors are pointed, laser like right at you: the back of them?? I have found myself leaning on them and recoiled like a shock. The sales people are often glad to see me leave!

OH Neva, hahahahahahah, expressive ol you, hahahahahahhaha. Listen you can't tell ME anything, you and I are now members of the latest club: the SOS!! Spot on Slacks club. I went all over England doing just that, buying new slacks, oh my. One time I was in this tearing hurry and didn't realize British slacks immediately shrink to fit skin tight upon getting back to the hotel, I have no idea, must be something in the air, there. Anyway, I could write an entire book on the incredible shrinking slacks (or my determination not to buy such a large size (theirs are bigger) slacks)!!! hahahahahaha

Oh and isn't it no white shoes before Easter and after Labor Day?

Maida: hahahaha Too Many Chiefs and not Enough Indians around your house? We're Chief heavy here, always astounds my husband who naturally expects his opinions to be the right ones, he's the oldest of boys!!

I think you are right about the kidding, the thing that always gets me is the backbiting, even in families, apparently if you have lots of brothers and sisters, you do this? Always astounds me.

OH and the over giving syndrome, how right you are, whatever you want, if I have it, it's yours. Drives my husband nuts, also. I think only children are the very least selfish people there are, and they can see through others like they were made of water, too.

Jeryn, married an Only Child twice?? Well, for sure you and he are pretty independent people, I bet! hahahahahaa Heckers, what choice does an only child have? He has to live up to and associate with people much older than he is all the time.

Personally, I HATE those 1-800-EMBASSY numbers? I admit they are easy to remember, but I hate having to study the phone to try to find where the M and the B are. And he's so right about the ridiculousness of the long numbers, I've noticed that myself. 9 Trillion people can't be wrong! hahahahahaha

However, I must admit that the 1-800-EMBASSY number has saved my goose a couple of times when I was running late for check in, or needed to cancel from a car.

We're already a society of numbers, and it's amazing how many people want to know your Social Security Number: I thought that was illegal, to ask for it?

Ginny

Ginny and Maida, I wonder if taking the essays one after another in such rapid succession doesn't give us the "let down" feeling. I have a daughter whose humor is razor-sharp and and I find that after several hours of trying to keep up with her puns and plays on words I become exhausted. Perhaps if we read these one a week it would not seem lessen in intensity? I am not suggesting that we do that1!!!!!!!

In my first marriage I was the elder of two married to the younger of two and that led to a "mother-son" relationship. I was always trying to fix things, take care of problems and protect. I think that might be called co-dependency. The second time I was married to the youngest of 8 which meant he could do it all by himself ---he was often left to his own devices. AND, he would eat anything!!!!!!! He was very grateful for any attention. So, I could relax and not have to take care of things and my husband still thought I was the greatest even when I burned the toast!!

I am up to #15 so will take a day off.

Maida how is your knee? Did you break your kneecap? I did that 6-7 years ago and had to have surgery with pins and a long recovery. But, I give you the good news: The knee that was injured and repaired is stronger and less given to arthritic aches than the other. Keep us posted. I'm sitting here waiting to go to the dr. Gr-r-r-r

I returned some books to the library yesterday and found that someone else was cleaning their old college books out. For 25 cents each I got already-broken in copies of THE FITZGERALD READER and THE TRIAL. I clean out and take books that I no longer wish to keep (like the twenty-pound computer book I never could use) and look over the "used book table" and usually come away with something.

Ginny, I am glad that I am not the only one who doesn't get excited about baseball. Give me the basketball games between Duke and Carolina any day. And I can never enjoy the game because of the outrageous salaries---I keep thinking--"So, you hit the ball and ran around the bases, but for THAT amount of money?????

Jeryn, how far along are you now??

I think that in New Hampshire (according to my NEVER WRONG mother it was no white shoes until after Memorial Day and definitely NEVER afer Labor Day. I don't even own a pair - white makes my feet look even more like gunboats!

Njames,

Thanks for asking about the knee - it's not broken, just severly bruised internally. And since it's still very swollen (after three days) I'm to stay off it for a couple more days. Getting bored here, folks. I don't like baseball at all - talk about boring. Seems to me that all the players do, besides standing around, is spit and scratch their butts. Not fun to watch.

Hi everyone. Ginny, want to make something clear--I've been married twice, to different guys both of whom are only children. It makes for some interesting times!

I'm afraid I haven't been trying to keep track, just hoping to catch up and now find I've pulled ahead? njames, I just finished "Design Flaws" and REALLY loved it as I am always trying to figure out why on earth the engineers and designers do the dumb things they do! I used to LOVE baseball, Maida, but have been largely turned off by the players' strikes, exhorbitant salaries, etc. Same thing with football; stoopid NFL has nearly ruined the sport. I thought poor Bryson's trip to the barbershop was hilarious. I empathize; I empathize! And where are we supposed to be, Ginny?

On dining out - did you ever notice that the waitress always asks you if everything is OK when you have a mouthful of food?

Registration and serial numbers, on anything, computers, telephones, vcrs etc, why o why are they always in an inaccessable place - and sometimes there are 2 or 3 sets of numbers and you don't know which is which?

I'm not a baseball fan but Boston is a diehard sports town. Every spring the Red Sox look like they're going like a house afire then peter out by July or August.

I'm a charter member of the "trip and fall" club.

Speaking of books clubs, has anyone read "And Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santmyer? It's about a ladies book club in a small mid western town from 1868 through to 1932 - huge book, took me forever to read - a nice bedside book that can be picked up and put down easily (:

Eileen Megan

Yessssss, Eileen! I just loved And Ladies of the Club. Always wished I could find such a club in real life. Here on SN is as close as I've come...

Eileen,

I read Ladies of the Club too but ages age - loved it and recall being impressed with the age of the authoress when she wrote it!

I really don't need the book, it's such great reading your posts... but I'll just have to get The Book now to see what I'm missing.

I'm married to an only child... I wonder if his mother ever said share to him.

hahaha, Pat, so good to have you back. SO sorry, All, am hopelessly behind, but every night you may be sure I take Bryson to bed with me as I need his funny look on things, so hilarious.

Now our Neva will soon be reappearing with PINS no less so we're going to need all our laughs here!!

Now, I'm not sure what we're saying here, would you all rather meet once a week or so? Maybe on Saturdays and get more essays done at once?

Is it too slow?

Jeryn, so sorry, here's where we are TODAY:

Today is ROOM SERVICE and DESIGN FLAWS!!

Pat are you the oldest??

We really must get some book about birth order in here!

Boy I could really relate to the keyboard thing on the computer, I'll type along, minding my own business, just typing along and suddenly hit the wrong key and BINGO, the whole thing is gone or some strange new thing comes up and I don't NEED all these keys.

You know what I thought about his son's 60 running shoes, tho? Maybe his son won't end up with bunions like I've got and hammer toes from forcing feet into too small a shoe? We used to run in any old kind of shoe as kids and I do agree the sneaker craze is obscene, but I also think good support now in a running shoe will pay off later for that kid!!

Do any of you have any information on The Motel Inn in San Luis Obispo in CA?

How do YOU like to travel?

I will never forget, I'm of the generation he speaks, the Colonial Courts ERA, and when I married, I assumed that my husband had done the same. Will never forget our first motel with kids, me going, "OOOO, isn't this GREAT?? OOOO look" and him in disdain, "NO! It is not. Keep the kids off that filthy floor; you don't know WHO has been on it," and thus began my total disenchantment with the Motel Inns of America.

Now I favor the Embassy Suites of the world and up.. I think the final straw was in New Mexico with my children, and a Best Western, I thought they were all the same, si? No. So I asked the kids, as the window unit dripped water on the carpet and tried to cool a bit cooler than 87 degrees, choose 1:

1. Stay here another night as planned or:
2. Return to Tuscon and the Residence Inn where you can each have your own bedroom and where we had stayed the week before.

Guess which they chose? Kids are not stupid.

I don't know. I'm only going around once that I know of. A nasty small hateful cramped hotel room can ruin a trip, I do know that. One time I took the kids to NYC and well, actually two times, once with a friend and her two girls, and me and my two boys. And we stayed both times in the cheapo downtown, once in the Ramada and once in the Howard Johnsons, saving money, and found out we had saved a grand total of $78 apiece and ...well, I can't say on the Internet but let's just say from then on I have paid my $78 extra and enjoyed my stay a whole lot more.

The one exception to this rule was the marvelous Leo House in NYC where we stayed in December on our first trip as a Books Group and it was a fun and fine experience, with very caring nuns running it, but that's the ONLY time, and I mean it.

How do YOU feel about travel in motels/ hotels? I was very pleased to learn who coined the phrase "Motel!"

Have you ever, by the way, read MOTEL OF THE MYSTERIES??? hahahahahah

How would you like to proceed here? Once a week or????

Ginny

Once a week what? Just post once a week? Or just read two essays a week?? I'd sooner post every day but don't care how many essays you want to do at a time--maybe one a day? I go along with the crowd, whatever.

I did really agree with Bryson on his "Design Flaws" essay. Aren't we always saying--some MAN must have designed the controls on the stove... or the buttons on the dishwasher... or these @#$%$#@ computers!!! etc etc?!?!? Don't you just know he who USES the object can figure out how much better it could have been designed! Designers must not USE these things. Ever.

I had to laugh with Ginny when reading over her motel/hotel stories. My worst experience happened while I was young and didn't much care about creature comforts. We were in Rome (college years) and had advance booked a "hostel" affair on the outskirts of this glorious city. It was on the outskirts all right - about 20 miles out - not fun since we hadn't thought about renting a car. This lodging was the Italian equivalent of a high rise. We were housed on the top floor with what seemed like 200,000 other kids and the ONE unisex bathroom didn't work, nor did the A/C. We were packed eight to a room most of us having to share a narrow bed - bugs were everywhere, no telephone - and, of course, not one of us spoke the language.

My idea of comfort now is staying at The Four Seasons or any of The Ritz hotels. The Ritz in Boston is my favorite - it overlooks the famed Boston Public Gardens and grand Newbury Street. The elevators still have operators who address you by name and the rooms come with every pampering convenience. Half the fun too is celebrity viewing as there's almost always someone of note staying here. Got to ride in the elevator with some of the Rolling Stones once - and didn't know who they were. My daughters cut me off at the knees when they found this out!!!! Another favorite is The White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport and The Cliff House in Ogunquit - the latter while not luxurious by any stretch is directly on a cliff overlooking the wild Atlantic. My idea of the ultimate heaven is to fall asleep there listening to the roar of the sea.

I never said a word about Bryson. My father liked the motel courts or cabins. My mother thought that they were, in her terms, "God-awful." I think that, like Bryson, we have a tendency to romanticise certain parts of our childhood. Isn't it a disappointment that most of these things don't quite live up to what we had remembered! I know that one can go home again - physically return to a place - but the home I recall from childhood (and all the attendant memories and emotions) can't be recaptured. I'd like to think that I keep moving forward.

Novice to computers and seniornet Hi! from Cajun country!

Hi, Nealie, and welcome to the Books & Lit!! We are delighted to see you here and hope you stay a long time!

Where is Cajun Country? New Orleans??

I think I would miss coming in here to see your great comments so let's keep on as we've started and if anybody would rather take several one day a week, they can do that too.

Maida: Wow, now, Four Seasons and Ritz, that IS puttin on the Ritz!! hahahahaha

Back tomorrow, going to read the next two, am looking forward to it, too!

Ginny

While in Savannah this week, I found a brochure advertising a 'Book Tour'. Would be a wonderful place to meet and do the tour.

Hey, Joan!! Oh, a Book Tour, you don't KNOW how many people wanted to come South for the Books, wouldn't Savannah be a great place for a Books Tour? Do you have a mailing address for a brochure or are they online? Would like to hear more, thanks so much for mentioning it!!

Megan: hahaha , yes waiters and waitresses coming up when mouth is full or just when you really are getting to the GOOD part of what you're saying, and usually something you don't want overheard.

Maida: yes, I do agree, I think we tend to romanticize our childhoods: witness the "shrinking house" feature many of us have encountered. On a recent trip I encountered the "shrinking statue" phenomenon, a landmark we used to meet by, a gigantic Sphinx like thing had shrunk to measley proportions. I know I've grown, but I'm not THAT big! hahahahah

Consuming Pleasures, the first essay for today was a hoot. How many catalogues do YOU get by mail? Someday I'm going to stack up a week's worth and take a photo of them. The briefcase thing was a hoot, and he's right, the descriptions make you want to rush right out and buy buy buy, how do any of us ever manage without the Briefcase Valet???

ahahahahah

Now that antique farm tractor thing, I must admit, interests me!!! hahahahaahha Also I do hate to say this but I like Don Knotts, saw him in person in Charlotte a couple of years ago, have always been a big fan of the old Andy Griffith show. He's a very kind, unassuming, shy, quiet man who, when pressed to DO his Barney Fife character, said that it took a lot of work and preparation to present Barney and that he couldn't do it off the cuff, he'd get it wrong and people would be disappointed. Charming man.

I've never understood why anybody wants to do housework in the nude. Even here, where I live, I no sooner get into shorts or something equally awful looking but here comes the Jehova's Witnesses or the UPS man, and it's not the normal UPS man, it's some new guy who is:

1. afraid of the dog so I have to ponce all the way out there, blushing furiously
or
2. who needs a careful signature once he activates the stupid little clipboard and who keeps me dancing in the sun yelling at the supid dog to shut up!

But the second essay on the GNP shows how humor can turn off in a heartbeat when you're trying too hard. Cancer is not funny, and neither is the high cost of medical procedures, so the cancer patient goint thru a divorce is not funny, but is a sly jape I think at the medical/ legal professions and their penchant for obscene charges.

I wonder sometimes if we will ever go to nationalized medicine like they have in England, for instance, where he lived for 20 years. But even there they do make choices and decisions about your health which might not suit the private patient?

I think he's making the point that money is not always good, and neither are it's by products nor its purveyors.

Whatever DID happen to the famous National Debt, anyway? Weren't we supposed to be slicing it off right and left? Campaign promises??

Ginny

I get TONS of catalogues. I think this stemmed from my being housebound with the chemo eight years ago. Not being able to Christmas shop I ordered 99% of the presents via mail and now, of course, I get more of these tiny little department store books than ever. Here's my solution. I collect my stash daily and bring them all to the school where I counsel. The kitchen ladies love having them and they in turn put them in the teachers' lounge. When the teachers are finished the special ed teachers snap them up. We have a huge number of severely "mentally challenged" students who use the catalogues for projects. This group also appreciates having left over Christmas cards too - and yarn, finger paint, cosmetics - and on and on.

Housework in the nude? Hmmmmm.

Uh, Ginny... this, uh, housework thing--is that an old Southern tradition or something? Just curious...

Catalogs. Well, I was delighted with his scorn and satire on that one, too. Not really much of an exaggeration, a briefcase stand! Many of the items are just outrageous. And there are some pretty good companies out there whose catalogs I enjoy getting so what are you going to do? Of course, the cost of hauling the stacks away in the garbage is a concern too...

Maida, that is so great, an actual USE for the things, and it only takes one mutter about trees sacrificed to give me a guilt feeling so I have to thumb thru them all, and you should have SEEN the stack which came today!!

But I'm like Jeryn, some of them have some great stuff, like that kitchen one with the strainer which sits on the sink and adjusts, that thing is NEAT!

We have major bad weather here, off and on with the computer, off and on, so if you don't see me, just jump right on in fearlessly till I can catch up!

OK, fess up! DO you eat "junk food," or do you make everything from scratch??? TRUE confession time!

Neva, how are you doing??

That little throw away about the grocery baggers, boy you don't appreciate baggers till you go to France, forget baggers, forget the clerk bagging them or the checker, forget the bag FREE, you have to pay for one or bring your own and snarl snarl if you dare to ask a question!! SNARL~!!

He's funny about that basement, isn't he? I don't know anybody who uses one, we had one when I was a child with a rec room in but most of it was furnace, (big furnace) which scared me to death, so I spent as little time there as possible. We don't have one here.

They have junk food overseas, too, and I should know, the twinkie queen can find junk food anywhere!! AND does!!

Hostess Cup Cakes!! I loved his bit on them, and how sad he was that they weren't as he remembered them in his youth. Have you ever experienced that, too?

I just did recently and have never been so disappointed, something I just treasured as a child, a coffee cake, was, to this adult, tasteless and flat and curiously awful. Sometimes I think our memories add the spice and sweetness to childhood foods.

Now, looking ahead I see Tales of the North Woods and the CUPHOLDER revolution!! ahhaahhaah, oh I can't wait for that one, see you tomorrow, I hope!!

Ginny

Don't read "Tales of the North Woods" just before going to sleep! Ooooooooooo; horrifications! It's a Northern Bermuda Triangle. He's not kidding on this one...

I had no idea cupholders were such a big deal. He says, "Americans live in their cars..." and it conjured up a scene from an old movie, "Soylent Green" where New York City was populated with, I believe, 40 million people, most of whom lived, actually resided, in their cars! Do we live in our cars? I guess everything is relative... I'm afraid I think cupholders are right handy in a car, but 2 is enough. Slurpees are for kids? Funniest part is the guy that thought he'd broken the cupholder on his computer... LOL on that one!

Jeryn, yes, that woods stuff was amazing, and I kept thinking, O come on, it's only New Hampshire, a very small state. I find that about the airplane crash and the lost plane and survivors, unbelievable, how about you all? Heck they can find plane crashes everywhere else, New Hampshire was not my idea of the BIG wilderness!!

That was an eye opener.

It was scary, tho, and one could see, through his imagination, how tales like Hansel and Gretel were written. You can see why a compass would be a very handy thing to have if walking in the woods, but I thought NH was SO populated and SO small that it would be hard to go out and not see anybody, much less disappear.

(Of course I get lost on the Interstate coming home from the grocery, but, hey).

Now the cupholder thing, I must say, I can identify with completely. I don't live in my car but when I do get in it, I have to have a diet coke, I don't know why. Kind of a Pavlov reaction. My car came with a revolutionary (for that manufacturer) cup holder, just one. Like he says about Volvo, the non American car makers underestimated what we want, but they sure don't now! Even so I've only got one so if I have somebody else in the front seat, they are on their own!!

Remember those little plastic nightmare cup holders you fit into the window of your drivers side door? We used to have one on an old farm truck and the only trick was to get the coke drunk before it totally came OFF the door into your lap. You never knew. They used to give them out free at some of the drive ins around here.

The drive in or drive thru is an idea whose time has long been overdue. I have always thought a grocery which would do groceries like a dry cleaners would clean up, place your order, arrive with check, and have it loaded in your car. No shopping, no bother, no change of garden togs! The civilization of the future will be instant everything, I bet.

That is if there IS a future, have you all read about the resurgence of Smallpox? Your vaccination having expired 10 years after you got it, and no serum anywhere but in one cardboard box in one lone fridge somewhere??

Oh boy.

I never saw Solyent Green, Jeryn? Was it Sci Fi? I've heard about it but don't know what I've heard.

Recently at the dump I encountered a couple who apparently used their truck bed as a trash can and they were shoveling it out with their hands into our nice new dumpsters at our new Recycling Center and it was pretty nasty and it did give me pause....it's amazing what people use their vehicles for, and I'm pretty guilty, myself.

What have YOU got in your glove "department" as my youngest used to call it? hahahahaha

Ginny

I am home again!!!! With a bright blue cast just about three inches short of my knee and crutches to challenge my athletic skills. But, I have six weeks to do all of those things that I hardly ever have time to do. Which means I will probably read more. Well, haven't you guys been reading about Rudolf who is supposed to have been in W. North Carolina for the last year.They still have about 100 men up there. They say you can't see or find your way around once the trees leaf out in the summer and the evergreens keep things covered all year round. I guess I never though of Vt. as being that thickly covered with forests.

As far as the cup holders go, I always have trouble getting to the stero buttons because of my cup. Course that was a pretty old Nissan. But, I couldn't find my cell phone in my new Honda, so I searched the house. No cell phone. Back to the car. No cell phone. So I called NY and my daughter who had recently been here driving the car said "Yes, MOTHER, (I could see her rolling her eyes) the cell phone was in the car."

So, back I went and guess what? There was a second compartment with the one I had looked into before. So, I found my phone, but I don't know if I have found all of the cupholders.

I loved the next essay: NUMBER PLEASE. In my preparation to retire a I called and called and called the SS office. Finally I went down. And they do have real people there. Recently, when I have tried to get my utilities and the like drafted I have run into the numbers game. I can never decide which button is the appropriate one for me to push to get my question answered.

And today, I called the Motor Vehicles Dept. to ask if they would send me a form to get a temporary HANDICAP PARKING STICKER. "No ma'm, someone must come down and pick it up" which means standing in line. I tried to explain the situation to no avail. So, one of my good friends (at least former good friend) will go down get the form, fill it out, take it to the Dr. and let him fill out his part and THEN return to the MVD for a sticker.

These two essays appealed to me! I also live in New Hampshire and Bryson is dead on about the plane crash - it still has not been found. There's a rumor afloat that the two occupants staged some sort of heist/getaway/tax evasion/ etc.etc.etc. but nothing so far has confirmed any of that gossip. It's still a mystery. And Ginny, you're absolutely correct - it is a small state so how come the powers that be can't find one small plane!!

About cars. I commute during the school year nearly an hour each way and can't function without coffee. I drive a small Mercedes which, despite all of other expected bells and whistles, doesn't come with a cup holder. Over the years I've come up with some mighty strange devices to ensure that my coffee doesn't spill on my suit/dress/. I wouldn't dare to count the number of times that I've spilled the hot mess all over me. And, yea, sometimes I feel as though I live in my car - have all the comforts of home (tapes, phone, comfy seat, A/C) - everything except my pillow and blanket - and, of course, I can't read while I'm driving although I often see men with a newspaper propped up on the wheel or some young chick fooling around with her make-up in the rear view mirror. Am I dependent on my car? YES!!

Yessss, we love our cars! We clean them, furnish them with luxuries, keep them supplied with necessities and relax there just like we lived in them! And each family member must have one! So count your blessings, folks! We are so rich here in the good ole USofA. If bad times ever come, we probably COULD live in them!

I like the interpretation that the plane absconded with the goods instead of going down! Bryson didn't mention that--would have ruined his tale, maybe?

Well you know, I thought all along that it was something fishy, if they can find bodies on Everest, they can fint a plane! I think the plane "disappeared!" But not disappeared.

Neva!!! Welcome back, pins and all!! We're expecting you to read every book we've got going now!! I believe you'll enjoy that handicapped thing if you can ever get hold of one! I got one for Mother and she does enjoy pulling right up to stuff, especially in some places, I get a glare when I get out but it disappears when I get out the wheelchair.

And how funny you are about the phone, I had almost the same thing!! OH and I get "Motherrrrr!!" all the time, hahahahaha.

My cupholder is hidden, it's in this well in front of the phone, built into the console. You don't see the phone or the cupholder, you have to push stuff for either and sometimes even when you push you don't see either. hahahahahahaa Or you get the wrong thing/ hard to call emergency with a cupholder.

Loved that joke about the computer cupholder! hahahahahahaaa

Jeryn, yes, we Americans sure do love our cars, but I think the Italians have us beat, their parking has to be seen to be believed!!

Not so long ago many Americans were photographed with their cars, do any of you remember that? Do you have any photos taken in the last 5 years of you and your car? What does this say about our society now??

In the old days, do you realize they would photograph the pioneers by what meant the most to them: that's why so many of them are standing by water wells.

I did think of Rudolph but surely the Appalacians are bigger and denser and less populated than NH~~~~

He's serious in these two essays today, and I'm not sure I agree with him on both of them, did you? I don't know the history of the Aldrich Ames thing, but I'm pretty sure they knew what he was doing. I simply can't BELIEVE they lost all the Desert Storm files; or that they were lost partly because some dope was downloading computer games.

Do you have that low an opinion of the FBI? I don't. Do I live in a dream world? I thought only the best and brightest associated themselves with the FBI.

I did not realize that about the airbags and the children, either. That they were in , well of course, they were in, the front seats and unbuckled. Shows you what the press is and is NOT doing to educate us.

I AM glad to hear New Hampshire is such a friendly place, restores your faith in small town America!!

Do you find it as he described it, Maida?

I know our JIm Daisey is from NH and a nicer more helpful person you'd never want to meet.

Oh and Happy Happy Birthday, Jeryn!!

Ginny

Eeeeek, another one! Ginny! REALLY!

I was soooooo sleepy last night that I only got one of Bryson's essays-of-the-day read. Pretty serious he gets, sometimes. No footnotes or resource lists. Wonder if all his facts are, well, factual?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JERYN!!!! I am with Jeryn regarding sources and footnotes. I think that an essayist MAY take some "poetic licence" along the way and make some sweeping generaliztions. But, the newspapers and TV give us such short sound bites that we never get the details about the FBI, CIA, etc. and there are not follow-ups to correct any wrong impressions.

I can't find a spell check anywhere on my tool bars, so bear with the incorrect spelling. My dictionary is beyond my reach. Next time I get up I will bring it to the desk.

I wish that I had the expertise to get into the gov. computers. I would be able to enjoy the day-to-day work that I am doing on my own computer so much more. I wouldn't worry about the gov. However, I think there are those young computer brains that love to see IF they can get in--not interested in what they find. I had a family friend back in the '60's whose two sons were at MIT and she was concerned that they were so absorbed in the computers that they had lost touch with the real world. Wonder what happened to them??

Now, to risk--with my bright blue cast what can I say??? Staying home and going to bed early isn't free from risk!!

I lived and worked in NYC in the late '60's, commuting from Flushing to Manhatten each day with a return trip at night. I rode the trains and didn't have any mishaps. I guess I was naive, but I was so energized by the city that I didn't feel any risk. Years later, I was at Columbia U. one summer and found that I was less brave--or wiser perhaps. But, I rode the buses downtwown and back.

My sisters-in-law, both older than I, are quite alarmed that I sleep with my windowns open sometimes. It is hard for me to get use to the idea that this small town has become unsafe--though the papers say otherwise. Yet, they put the ornamental iron work on the back windows which are about 6 feet off the ground, while the front windows are at ground level and no protection??? Hm-m-m

Ginny, I may not read THAT much. But, I must say, once I overcame the chagrin and trauma of the surgery, it is nice to have an excuse to do anything or nothing--I have so many would-be projects that I can't decide which one to begin. That's why I find it easier to pick up a book!!!!!

Enjoy it while you can, njames!!! And thanks for the wishes. I'm going to do exactly as I please all day today too... only without a cast! Hey, it's just for one day! <BG>

I find New Hampshire much as Bryson does. We live in a small town - about 13,000 in the winter and 50,000 in the summer. Neighbors chit chat, everyone reads (and comments on) the twice weekly paper, the grocery store clerks, librarians, postal employees call people by their names. Our firemen moonlight as carpenters, electricians and plow snow. We all know the police chief by name - and the names of all the horses too - they are used to patrol the public beach areas in the summer. Hanover, where Bryson lives, is a town with rarified atmosphere; three distinct strata reside there: the Dartmouth community, the medical contingent (huge) from Dartmouth Hitchcock and finally the business group comprised of local store owners.

Although we are a small state, we're close to dangerous old Massachusetts (taxachusetts) and have a huge influx of usually very poor folks moving up here - huge contingents have settled in the "combat zone" of our largest city, Manchester, where I work. We do have to lock our doors and cars and although it's safe to walk alone in the seacoast area at night, I wouldn't DREAM of doing this in Manchester - ever.

Maida, that's interesting about the influx due to taxes in Mass! I remember visiting Seattle years ago when people were just first learning about how great it was, the drivers on the street were so polite, would stop and cheerfully wave you on, everything was so cheap, everyone was so happy, but even then the town fathers were saying, come and visit but go home, please!~ I hear it's not that way anymore, guess some people stayed!

Neva, windows open? Hope you've got a dog!!! Why is your cast blue? I don't know about the FBI stuff but here he is again today, on about marijuana and other drugs. And here I guess I just don't have enough exposure to the facts or care enough really, to want to know. Seems unfair if you're in your 80s and your grandchildren are selling (selling??) drugs to put you in prison and take your home, surely innocent is innocent. I don't really understand the big thing about marijuana, so I really can't comment.

I did think, however, that the chapter on Dying Accents was pretty neat. Not too funny, but it is a shame to have these little pockets of expression die as we become more and more homogenized. I like the diversity even tho my accent is now so thick I have trouble understanding myself at times. I love the little cute expressions that you find locally.

The local garage owner says, for instance, "I took and...." I took and. I love that. "Running his eyes out on toothpicks" is another one, for staring.

I bet if you gathered all the expressions locally you could find, you'd find a pattern and I bet the pattern you'd find would tell you a lot about the identity of the region you lived in!

Jeryn, I'm so glad you enjoyed your birthday!!

Ginny

GinnyI'm leaving you messages all over the place since my email is still not working! Yes, please do send a welcome letter, thanks! My son is away on vacation, I don't have the Eudora book so I'm stuck I guess until I can talk to him!

Megan

There have been some pretty horrible stories about the enforcement of drug laws. I think some of the more harsh laws were reactions to the fears that the nation had. From what I have read the real, serious dealers do not get touched - they distance themselves from the risks. It is too often the little man/woman who faces the penalties, and sometimes there are those who are totally innocent to suffer. That was a little heavy for me. I've worked with so many families who are struggling with issues related to drugs that I don't find it a subject that I want to deal with. I'm retired!!! Ms. Citizen of the Year, huh????

Accents I can get into. When I went to NY in '52 I wanted to get rid of my Southern accent so that I wouldn't be the curiosity in that small Western NY town where I alit. Now, my NY daughters tell me that in the 8-9 years that I have been back I sounding more and more like a Southern.

I got a kick out of hearing people speak of "fishing in the crick" meaning of course the creek. And, "boughten bread" for a loaf of bread from the bakery. My grandchildren call me "Gra'ma" not Grandma. My children call me "mom" but I grew up with a "Mother" and "Daddy".

One day my husband came in to say that my daughter had called him at the office and said "Hey" to me. To which I replied -"Not my daughter." It would have been "Hi" or "Hello."

I remember how much fun we had in the NY City area with the "Youse guys." There are really interesting colloqualisms there. And, Ginny, I agree that our regional differences tell about the people and the origins-ethnic and social.

Stauton, Va is pronounced Stanton. And in NY state Campbell (my maiden name) is pronounced Camp-bell as though it were two words. I grew up Cambel or Camel.

Have a good weekend y'all.

Neva, Store bought bread!! Some of these old expressions, when you look at them, are cute. And the pronunciation of names!! My friend and neighbor is a Lancaster. She says Yankees pronounce it LAN CAS TER, when it's supposed to be LANK ester. That's cute. I do remember a Lan Cas Ter Pennsylvania. I also remember a zinc. Redd it up in the Zinc.

When I first got married I would refer to the Pike. My husand had no earthly idea I was talking about a road. And in NJ, we went to the Shore. Not the Beach or the Coast but the Shore. Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore. hahahahahaa

Now for today we take on the FAA of which I know nothing but fervently wish them well, the meat inspections which I totally agree with, have never understood how they can possibly visibly inspect meat, and walking.

That just blew my mind about the average American walking less than 75 miles a year, 1.4 miles a week or 350 yards a DAY!!

I can see illness as an excuse, but average means average. I like to walk too, and remember my mother always going up to walk to the stores when we lived in NJ and I was horrified she was going to walk all that LONG way. I bet it was a block, when you think about it.

Walking paths are dear to my heart, and I just heard, did I? with great disappointment that the scheme to make walking paths out of abansoned railroad tracks in America had come to nought. What a shame. England's wonderful walking paths are something we could really use and I do think there's a swing back to the small village type life and walking everywhere, do you?

Do you realize we're almost half way thru this book? Have never read one like this, I like it! How about you??

Ginny

My husband, raised in Vermont, often puts emphasis on the first word of a two word name i.e. GREEN bean, VIET Nam. Where we live is referred to as The Coast or The Seacoast - never the shore.

What a shame most of us fail to walk more. Walking "to downtown" or "uptown" used to be such a social thing. I can recall my mother walking downtown to buy the ingredients for that night's dinner nearly everyday. She ALWAYS wore a hat, always addressed anyone older than she as Mr., Mrs. or Miss. To this day all this first name stuff bothers me - I wouldn't dream of telling a small child to call me Jean (Maida) and I really don't like it when a doctor's nurse refers to me by my first name. A much younger doc tried this on me and was rather nonplussed when I assented with the proviso that I call him "Doug."

The temp is predicted to reach 100 today - that's HOT for New Hampshire, The computer keys already feel a tad sticky. Guess it's time to turn on the A/C.

I have enjoyed this book no end!

Walking--the lost art. Maida, I remember walking with my mother and visiting all along the way. And during WWII it was considered patriotic to walk.

I remember walking to and from school daily --up to 2 miles each way. Now, children either ride buses or drive their own car. And everyone wants to park as close to the Mall as possible, making two or three turns around to find the most desireable spot. I have always parked at a distance just so I could get the walk in.

Now, I live within the city limits but have no sidewalks in any direction. I have to drive somewhere in order to walk!!!!! Ironic isn't it. Of course now I am lucky to hobble to the kitchen on my crutches. Actually I am getting along fine. It is just hot and sweaty with the cast.

Maida, one of my daughters went The Meeting School near Keene, NH. I am forever getting NH and Vt. mixed up. So, NH has the shore line. That might help me to remember. And, didn't May Sarton live in NH before she moved to Me??

I remember Quiche Gourge (sp) which is on the border of the two states. There was a delightful restaurant where we had marvelous breakfast food. And the sunshine was streaming through the roof and windows.

Regarding the inefficencies of the regulatory agencies---I think we are a pretty hardy people to survive all of the possible accidents, food poisonings etc. I remember eating hotdogs on the streets of NYC and here I am -- 30 years later. Logically, I would think that eating on the streets of NYC might be the greatest risk one could take. Do you suppose there are inspectors who visit these vendors on any kind of regular basis.

When I was a child my mother would not allow us to eat at the county fair each year. I never had cotton candy until I was an adult. She didn't allow us to have "Coke" if you can believe that. Here we were in NC and no Cokes. When I started to HS we walked across town and in the afternoons we would stop at the drug store and I felt somewhat guilty as I sipped my Coke--over crushed ice. To this day I cannot drink any cola unless it is over ice.

It is hot and muggy here. Overcast, too. I was hoping that those couple of cool days would last a bit longer.

Ginny, we are halfway through July, also. How time flies. I leaned about Lancaster from a native Pa. Do they pronounce the SC town with three distinct syllables? Couldn't find the other book One Year to Live so I will just audit. This has been great fun. It amazes me how quickly I have come to sense a very personal communication here. I feel as though I almost hear your voices and sense personalities. What is next?

NJAMES,

Your memories of NH/VT are pretty good! Yes, NH has the coastline - all 17 miles of it. Buying a house right ON the ocean is nearly impossible unless one wishes to spend well over a million or has family connections. The gorge on the VT/NH border is Queechee and, you're right, it's a breathtaking spot.

Such delightful posts this book inspires! Love them all! Especially as regards language. I spent 5 formative years [age 14-19]in East Tennessee and even though I grew up except for that in the Midwest AND spent all my adult life here as well, people tell me to this day I have a hint of the South in my speech! I bet it is NO-THING to the South in our Ginny's speech though!

Mr. Bryson really loves to get on the soapbox from time to time, doesn't he?! I do think we NEED people to do that and point out for us the ills and mistakes of our public institutions. Helps keep 'em honest! By the same token, one hopes the man has his facts straight and isn't maligning some of them maliciously!

Neva, I don't KNOW about Lancaster, SC, I will ask around! hahahah I agree with Jeryn that the posts are almost better than the book, at least in these few essays lately: he is on a soapbox, but everything he's talking about probably needs addressing. I just don't know enough about the items to comment.

Maida, how funny, the FIRST syllable? Neat--o. I can well imagine the shore property being sky high, have you ever read the Siddons book on the same subject? Old families on the NE Coast, I think.

I really have no thoughts on Wide Open Spaces or Snoopers at Work? How about you all? I can certainly echo his sentiments that restaurant employees wash their hands, somewhere a study was taken showing that when nobody was thought to be looking, only 45% of people visiting lavatories washed their hands afterwards. I encountered one today in a public restroom. Here the original germ fanatic is, using paper towels to roll out the new paper towels? And here this woman is, no thank you ma'am, no soap and water for me. GOSH.

Makes you wonder how any of us are alive. Which hepatitis can you get from tossed salads? It's a miracle we don't all have it.

As for Daniel Boone, I'm of two minds: I can see how he felt encroached upon, here's a pioneer and man who enjoyed the privacy of the great outdoors, watching smoke from a chimney and moving on. I can see that for some reason, and it doesn't make him an idiot to me? How about you??

How about Prop 187? Do you agree with his outrage about that one?

A little controversial here today!

Ginny

Ginny, I am with you today. The soapbox is ok but I can't get my mind wrapped around some of these issues. Things are not so simplistic. If you fix one facet of an issue it sometimes causes problems in another area of the same issue.

I guess I haven't felt very energized today. Perhaps it's the sad events of this past weekend. Part is I felt a little let down by these last two chapters. I am already looking forward to another book.

Neva, it's so sad, isn't it? Hard to concentrate on anything else, yet I was pretty sure I posted here this morning, looks like not!

So here I'll try again.

Actually these two essays today were cute: Lost at the Movies and Gardening With My Wife.

I thought these were cute essays, but I disagree with him on the multiplex theater, I love them. I like the straight up theaters and the smaller seating area. While I miss the old picture palaces, I like such strange movies that I need a theater with 22 screens to be able to see the ones I like, and even sometimes then the "arty" ones aren't shown.

I agree with his review of Lost World, tho, but I loved Jurassic Park.

He's funny about his wife the gardener, too, but he's right about the British and their knowledge of plants and their referring to them by their botanic names. I'm always fascinated by British gardening magazines, they explain from scratch and get pretty involved, on a variety of subjects, and also take a landscaping project from beginning to end and explain every step and why, no wonder they know so much.

He's right about our weeds, tho. I often wonder if that's the earth trying to heave our attempts at civilization off it's back, have you ever looked at an old frontage road along the interstate? Doesn't take long for it to be reclaimed. Hahaahha he was so funny about his gardening seeming to involve, "bringing or taking away the wheelbarrow at a trot." hahahahaaa

Wish he'd move near me! hahahahaahaha

Ginny

And here's two more for today: now I can relate to the British and the sea side, but you know they LOVE our SC beaches, here and Florida with all that white sand, and boy howdy when you see the beach at Dover or any of the others you can see why, they're all pebbles!! Sharp round little brown pebbles. Of course, it stands to reason they probably don't have to truck IN sand from time to time or worry about the encroaching coast.

That was a hoot about the skunk, and he's right, tomato juice doesn't help much but I think the pet stores have something new on skunk odeur! hahahahahaa

Neva, just take a look at all the Upcoming Books we have on offer, we have new ones debuting every day, and get one and join right in!!

Where's Maida?? Jeryn??

I do like that catchy little British song, too, "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea!!" Do you all know that one?

These were cute, I had a momentary sadness at the On Losing A Son chapter coming up for tomorrow, but he's not talking about real loss, but I know what he means, and tomorrow is also Highway Diversions, can't wait to read them.

I'm enjoying my two every evening, and I look forward to Roadside America as I've got some tales of my own.

Remember Burma Shave??

Ginny

Still here, Ginny. Having a five hour surgery on my lower teeth (preparatory to a full set of crowns) today and so will have a bit more time here at home until the swelling goes down. The chapter on taking his son to college rang so true for me - it was an awful wrench sending Carrie and Sarah off, but I hadn't looked at it from a male perspective - it was touching despite the humor. Of COURSE we remember Burma Shave! How about the international dolls dressed in their native costumes sold at every Howard Johnson? My dad was "on the road" and always returned with a doll or two (favorite was Carmen Miranda) and a pocketfull of the little motel soaps wrapped up in paper - think that they were always Cashmere Bouquet - ??

I'm still with you in spirit, Ginny! The grandson is here for a visit all week and keeping me a bit distracted! You have to hear this! The other night I was reading to this 10-year old grandson from Bryson's essay on summer movies. The grandson thought it was hilarious and wants to borrow my book when I'm done with it! Talk about universal appeal! I wonder what Bryson would say!

Last one I read was the gardening one so I'm only a little behind. I'd love to live next door to an Englishman and absorb some of that knowledge and motivation! I like gardening but in the hot, muggy heat of summer, I just get behinder and behinder! I'm a bear on weeds though... <BG>

Bear with me; grandson is here till Saturday...

Oh, the screened in porch brought such memories. In Chenango Co. NY we had a screened in porch on which we lived all during the brief summers that we had. We ate all of our meals there. And then later we lived in a country house further west and ate out doors almost every meal. The long winters were one reason that I chose to come back to NC. But I did not remember how hot the weather was here. I found that I couldn't sit out or cook out because the heat was unbearable. But, I will put up with the heat, particularly now that we have A/C, so that I need not spend so many months wearing winter clothing.

I can still remember how I would often go through the process of getting two of the older girls dressed to go out in cold weather. They were preschoolers. So, it was on with the one piece snow suits, scarfs, extra socks, hats, mittens, and boots, then almost everytime one would say in a sheepish voice: "I need to go to the bathroom." So it was off with everything and then a repeat of the dressing. Of course, when they were out it was for only 15-20 minutes. I devised a line over an outlet to hang their mittens on.

One good thing about living in the North was that I became quite adept at knitting mittens, gloves and socks, not to mention scarfs and sweaters. Now, here in NC I have had to send all of my woolens back to NY where my adult daughters enjoy wearing them.

The skunk.....oh, I know that smell. I have never been sprayed but there were always skunks hanging around the garbage cans at the dorms and it was a great risk to go out after dark. I have heard of people burying shoes to try to rid them of the odor. But they are cute to look at--from afar.

I could never get in the water at any beach in Maine because it was so cold. In fact, I don't think I can remember getting into a lake or the ocean in the NE because it was too cold. I was accustomed to the Carolina beaches with the large expanses of sand and the warm water. In Maine the huge bolders that were along the shore in the Penabscot Bay area were dramatic and I found it facinating to sit along the shore in my jeans, turtle neck and wool sweater watching the tide come in and cover these enormous rocks.

Ginny, I just hobbled into the library and got a couple of books on tape thinking that I might put my foot up and close my eyes. You know what will mostly likely happen!! I'll fall asleep. Do you just browse the book section and see what is being offered??

Maida, dear Maida. I can not even imagin five hours of mouth surgery. I hope that you have some good pain pills. I think I would want to just go for a long sleep. Can you eat??

Jeryn, what a great thing -- sharing a book with a 10 year old. I think Bryson would be delighted. Ten year olds are a nice age don't you think? Then they become teens and for a time they don't want to have anything to do with parents or grandparents. My grandson will graduate from Cornell next spring and he emails me and we discuss books. He is studying Plato this summer so I don't have much to say. He also warns me about giving out my name and address on the internet. Very protective.

Njames,

Thank for the long distance tooth sympathy! I'll take all I can get right about now. The surgery last six hours, not I cannot eat. The good news is that I'm not too swollen - can run to the post office without having to explain that no one belted me in the mouth! The good news is IT'S ALL OVER!

I appreciated your memories of having to dress and undress the little children - and, of course, the bathroom trips. Never failed! I can still smell the odor of wet wool mittens, can't you?. How wonderful to have Bryson's screened porch. We have a deck - not the same thing by any stretch - especially during black fly and mosquito season! Off to bed - today tired me out.

Hearkening back to an earlier essay, my grandson said today he really really liked the way the cupholders work in my car [an old Camry]. I laughed and told him he should read what Bryson has to say about cupholders. It will be his "bedtime story" tonight; he's allowed to read in bed for half an hour! So tomorrow, I may have a "book review" from a 10-year old!

Oh what marvelous posts, and we now have a new member corresponding, Jeryn's grandson!! Welcome, Young Man with Great Taste!

You will LOVE the chapters for today, on "Deck the Halls" and "Fun in the Snow!"

I tried to read those two last night in the bed and truly laughed out loud so hard it hurt my stomach. Had to keep putting the book down and trying to cool it, but every time I picked it back up, would start again!

It's hilarious.

Hatch aerobics!! (I've skipped two chapters here, I'm afraid, or three, so say anthing you all would like on Highway Diversions and Fall in New England,and The Best American Holiday).

The bringing of the tree into the house, we always use a live tree that the children cut down and our experience is exactly like the one he describes, it's a HOOT! And the snowmobile!! When he got to the part about jettisoning weight with every lively bump, I just howled to the point that I got a stomache ache. The man ought to come with a warning label, don't read in bed. He's a hoot.

Those two are worth the price of the book.

Do you, also find Thanksgiving more relaxing than Christmas?

Neva: why did you hang over a light socket, what have I missed???? I'm glad you're still with us! hahahahahaha

How's the leg?

I remember those bundling up to go outside 3 seconds! hahahahaaa, I guess every child is the same.

Maida: 5 hours? Oh my goodness, does it seem to be getting any better? Bless your heart, there's nothing like dental work to brighten up one's attitude, I marvel you can be pleasant at all!!

Jeryn, read these two essays, you will howl!! No sleeping tonight!

I remember the first time I tried to ice skate. We had moved to New Jersey when I was in the 8th grade and everybody knew how to ice skate, everybody went down to the local pond, where there was a green flag for go ahead and risk your life and a red one for stay out. Everybody was there, hot dog vendors, music, like a Norman Rockwell painting. Except I couldn't stay UP on the buzzards, the only thing I ever learned to do was run on my toes. You can't run on your toes all over the ice just because they have those little toothy places on the tip of the skates, you look like an idiot. So I fell down too. It's funny, I had been quite the roller skater in my youth but never mastered the ice. I still think they should make skates with two blades for adults like they do kids! We have more to risk!

I did get asked to play the accordian for the radio station broadcasting there one day, don't ask, so I guess that will have to be my best effort on Strawbridge Lake!

Ginny

Oh rats! I got behind!! Christopher did read the Cupholder thing and chuckled a lot. HE had the book so I had to read something else! When asked what he thought of it, he said, "I'll finish it tomorrow!" Hahahahaha! He's leaving today! So much for the book review!

Ginny, I can see how one needs to be more exact in our wording. I put a line over the HEAT outlet to dry wet mittens.

Highway Diversions-I still make note of the licence plates as I did when I was traveling with children. Ginny, SC has so many different ones - as do many other states now. I remember when each state had only one.

But, I think that NC mountains will hold their own as far as fall beauty goes. And, have you seen the mountains after the leaves have fallen. That is quite a special treat. You can see all of the shapes and movements of the mountains. was one fall in Blowing

Thanksgiving is a grand holiday I think because it usually involves getting the family together. I am not a very good cook either, but I learned how to bake turkey with bread crumb stuffing. I guess that I like the stuffing as much the turkey.

Bryson outdid himself with the Christmas story. I can see him dangling there from the attic---and the decorations were in the basement. That sounds like me.

I have simplified my Christmas now so that it doesn't become such a big drain or strain. I usually make many of the gifts that I give and in my family we draw names for big gifts--each person only has one big expense. Well, relatively expensive.

Fun in the snow is not one of those experiences that I can identify with. I was never athletic and going to NY from NC I was totally unprepared for outdoor winter sports. They had seemed so romantic in the movies but I found that I could not stand up on skates,(Ginny, I had done well on roller skates too.)I never learned any activity except shoveling!!!!!

Have a good weekend everyone.

Oh heckers, Neva, I thought you had discovered a new thing! Darn!! Since I spend so much of my time out of the loop anyway, I'm always excited to hear what everybody else knows! hahahahahaha

Oh I agree with you on the foliage here, even in SC it's beyond belief, and the trees light UP like beacons. Maybe I can find a photo and scan it in here. Naturally because I'm from Pennsylvania, I've had to line the drive with Sugar Maples (which some woodpecker has totally ringed, hope they manage to live) and they are truly spectacular. Yet the red maples and the HICKORY trees are startling beyond belief.

I remember as a child making forts out of the fallen sugar maple leaves, they kept their colorful tones even when on the ground, unlike a lot of trees!

Now I've been pausing to let people catch up? You really must not miss the two chapters on Christmas decorations and Winter Sports. I read almost all the book last night, tho, in bed, as am leaving Thursday for Seattle, so put up a schedule in the heading for you all to sort of follow, if you like, will be back Wednesday a week.

Maida, how's the jaw? Neva, how's the leg? Jeryn, I still love the picture of you and your grandson, how lucky you are, I'll have grandchildren, God willing, some day, too. Can't wait!

This chapter today was fascinating, on The Mysteries of Christmas? I don't think he's right on wassail but I have a very authoritative book and will look it up (got hung up on his Herbert Hoover stuff last night, really am learning stuff). Anyway, I've always loved that song about Wassail, Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green, and all the other songs about it, including the one about if you haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do, and if you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you!

How does that one start out? I could put it IN here if I could remember the beginning.

How about the "an apple, a pear, a plum a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry, One for Peter, Two for Paul, Three for Him who made us all."

Pretty clear there's some major begging going on.

How about BOXING DAY? So glad to finally get clear what that IS!!

I always fix mince pie, do you? I can't get my husband to eat more than a fork full, he says it's suet. I can't get my youngest son to, either, but my oldest will have some drowned in vanilla ice cream, for the sake of the season!

And you know, I really enjoyed his description of what it's like at -19 degrees? I have often wondered, and can't imagine such. Those of you who live in a colder climate may be totally familiar with such cold, but I can't imagine it. I like his staying out as long as he can without extra clothing: he's a NUT!! hahahahahaha

Have you ever driven at night without lights just to see if you can?

hahahahaha

Once dated a fellow who claimed we don't need headlights at night. Wonder what happened to HIM? hahahahah

Ginny

I'm hopelessly behind you all - I just finished Chapter 24 about "Dying Accents" - I know I'm "behinder" but still would like to note that his reference to "jar your mother's preserves" I recall as enough to "rattle the jars on your mother's preserves". I remember NH friends calling Manchester something like "Manchstir". In Massachusetts there is a town called Wareham - some say natives call it "Warm" and don't forget Worcester which is "Wooster". All ancient history but fun to recall.

Eileen Megan

MEGAN!!!! Welcome,welcome, you will LOVE Chapters 37 and 38, just don't try to read them in bed before going to sleep. Isn't it amazing what we pick up out of these essays? I missed that one entirely and I DO can!

You will love this group, too, it's a fine one! YAY!@!

Ginny

Before he left Saturday, I got a thumbnail review out of my grandson [finally!] He had read most of the essay on cupholders. He said, "It's pretty funny but it got boring." He didn't finish it. Which is in itself a comment, I suppose. Hahahaha.

Well, I'm caught up and then some. Let's see. Cold climate. I can relate except I wouldn't be caught dead [which is what could happen] going out without a coat at -19 degrees. Bryson is crazy! But that's what makes this book fun I guess!

My husband just finished Lesley Stahl's book and is procrastinating the start of Bryson - I could just crown him! After all, he sat right there and listened to me howl with laughter. Have got Notes from a Small Country back from my aunt and plan to read it through quickly. What's next for this discussion? Jaw is much better, thanks for asking. We are just back from three wonderful days in Maine - had real withdrawal when I found that the hotel didn't have a computer available for guests' use.

Maida, jaw fine, but Computer Withdrawal set in!! hahahah, I can relate to that. Just read about a hotel in London from which you need not bring your own computer, naturally they are set up in each room for your convenience, with room computers. I have no idea what that costs, and am afraid to ask!!

Jeryn, well at least he began it!! That's something, in this day and time, anyway!!

Now, what next? Let's finish this one first, some of these essays are marvelous.

Here, for yesterday, is a really neat Mannheim Steamroller version of The Wassail song.

Now the words, somebody help me out, here, are:

"Wassail, wassail all over the town....
Our....is bright and our ale, it is brown
The .....is ....on the white? willow tree?
From the Wassailing Bowl we'll drink to thee!
"

Sure would like to have the words. Can you hear this music? It is marvelous! Wassail!!

Wassail Bowl 

Ingredients (24 servings) 
1 ga Apple Cider  
1 c Brown sugar,packed  
1 cn Frozen Lemonade concentrate  
1 cn Frozen Orangejuice concentrd  
1 tb Whole Cloves  
1 ts Whole Allspice  
1 ts Ground Nutmeg  
24 Cinnamon Sticks  

Instructions 
In large pot, combine cider, sugar, undiluted lemon and orange juice. Tie cloves and all spice in cheese cloth; add to the cider, along with the nutmeg. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Remove and discard bag. Serve hot, in punch cups, with cinnamon stick in each cup. 

Now as we listen to that marvelous sound, I must admit that I never appreciated Herbert Hoover until I read this and now I want to know more. Boy did HE get a bad rap! Anybody know any more about him? Wonder how Clinton will be looked at 50 years hence?

Maida, would your husband like to go into the Lesley Stahl discussion? They will do a wonderful job of it, I know!

Ginny

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great sounding recipe, Ginny! Did you forget the whiskey? Hahaha! I've always thought of "wassailing" as a sort of progressive carol singing expedition with frequent stops for liquid refreshment. Certainly a fun pastime with a group of friends?

Presidents. More about old presidents than I wanted to know, actually. But it IS interesting to see Bryson trying to set the records straight about poor Hoover. He DID get a bad rap, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as it were. But was it or was it not Republican policies that supposedly got us into the mess called the depression?

Jeryn: For a very inciteful lesson & discussion of the Great Depression, I suggest that you read the first 12 chapters of a new book by David M. Kennedy titled "Freedom From Fear....The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945.

I am in the middle of this book and it is ,beyond any doubt,the finest explanation of this period of time in American History,than ANYTHING I have ever read..This book is History as a page turner.

Thanks for that reference, Ed, I always like to read history as I know it was, interesting, instead of awful dull nothings.

Was quite impressed by Herbert Hoover's bio in the Bryson.

Am off now to Seattle, see you in a week, do, please, keep on with the schedule above and comment on any of the things you find amusing or interesting.

See you next week, hope to have a million new posts to read!

Ginny

Thanks, Ed. I am not real big on history; couldn't you tell! But once in a while, I surprise myself. I should take an interest in the depression--I was born in the middle of it!

Moving along with Bryson, didn't you just love his parody of the income tax instructions! Oooooooo, wouldn't you just love to strangle whoever writes that stuff!!

Bryson goes back and forth between hilarious and serious in a most disconcerting way. I was not laughing when I finished his little treatise on waste. Are we all guilty, or what!?

Hey, where is everybody? Don't leave just 'cause Ginny's gone! She'll be so disappointed to return and see that we haven't Carried On!

Jeryn I'm a faithful lurker but today I promised myself that I'd at least read the current chapters under discussion! Hope I can think of something to say (:

Eileen Megan

Ok, I finally read something up to date! The Tax form I could barely read, my ears teared up from laughing so hard. I've been doing our income taxes for years so it really hit home with me.

Eileen Megan

Oh yesssss, Eileen! That was definitely one of the funnier ones! We do our own taxes too and the language just gets more convoluted every year till I'm laughing while I'm reading them! Like, someone who wrote these must have such a twisted sense of humor.

I've read up through "Life's Mysteries", one of today's per the schedule above. Haven't gotten to "So Sue Me" yet. "Life Mysteries" is pretty subjective and doesn't particularly speak to ME. I think he was just getting things off his chest. Any of us could make a similar list I bet!

"Drowning in Red Tape" is really kind of sad. I'm sure it's more true than not, having worked for the government at the state level, I do know red tape happens. Why this needs to be so, I won't venture to say.

"At the Drive-In" was kind of cute and nostalgic. Who among us has not misspent many youthful hours in such places??! With what sorts of memories? For sure, the movie-watching quality stunk!

Stay with me here, Eileen! We may be the only two people left on earth... [just kidding!]

Jeryn OK, I'm going to read some chapters today since it's too hot to do anything else!

Eileen

I could only get through "So Sue Me" last night before sleep took over. Falling behind again...

Well, yes; nothing new there about lawyers in the USA. Has disgusted me for years. What a can of worms! I hope I'm not stepping on any toes but there are far too many of them and it is much too easy to sue in this country. Ridiculous. Most of the time, they are so overpaid for what they do, it is criminal. I agree with his serious carping on this one...

Not to say an attorney isn't a comfortable thing to have, on occasion. Someone, somewhere needs to set reasonable limits on what constitutes a sufficient reason for litigation. I bet we can all agree on that!

I did get a copy of this book. In fact, I purchased it. We enjoyed Byrson`s other books so much. I will try to figure out about where you are--it doesn`t really matter if they are not read in order, does it?

I just read about 5 of the chapters, several of which are very critical of America - he may be right but it still put my back up a little.

"A Slight Inconvenience" refers to our penchant for "time savers", he has it wrong - we are gadget happy, any new gadget that comes along has to be played with! By the way, I DO know how to shut off my hot water - I just unscrew the 4th fuse from the left. Also I grew up during the depression and my generation has been brought up on shutting off lights, saving leftovers (until they turn green) etc.

"At the Drive In" these were called "passion pits" in my day.

"So Sue Me", quite right about the plethora of lawyers but stop telling the neighbors about us!

"Death Watch", I quite agree with him about planes, for me, ANY plane.

"Diners", oh yes we did have odd shaped places in New England such as oranges and chickens - in fact there is still a milk bottle on route 138 in Raynham, MA

Is it the heat or am I just grumpy?

Eileen Megan

Must be the heat, Eileen! Bryson does stray a bit from his intention to be humorous, doesn't he. I think he WANTS to step on our toes! I prefer the humor. Some of his "seriousness" is just whining.

May Naab! Glad to see you joining us! There's a sort of schedule up above which we faintly adhere to in reading these essays. Just jump in and comment on whatever you're reading; we won't mind. Ginny will be back Wednesday to keep us in line!

My husband took Bryson to the beach with him yesterday - said that fellow bathers began to look at him queerly because he couldn't stop laughing out loud. And now I'm laughing at him because he resisted reading this book for so long. I find that I don't mind Bryson having a slightly critical look at us - sometimes the truth hurts especially when it is seen by another countryman - one who hasn't lived here as an adult for 20 years.

Hi Maida! Yes, we need to laugh at ourselves sometimes, as individuals and as a nation. I just prefer the "Your Tax Form Explained" type of Bryson's essays that DO make one laugh a lot instead of the crabby, whiny tone he takes in "The Waste Generation" and "So Sue Me". He makes his point hit home best with laughter.

Well, I think I just lost about three paragraphs--trying to find spellcheck. So, take my word for it that I was inciteful, precise, succint etc. I'll get back another day.

Yes, I prefer the really funny essays too - especially when he makes fun of himself - something I do all the time - it certainly puts others at ease.

I've got hold of the UK edition of Bryson's book, which doesn't seem to have all of the same chapter titles, but enough to follow along. Parts of it are hilarious, and also educational -- I come from a long line of New England farmers and teachers, but married a Norwegian and haven't lived in the USA for, my goodness, 45 years. Of course I've been back for fairly frequent visits, but have often wondered how it would be to settle down for a long period and meet all the changes in day-to-day living conditions. Now I'm learning. Guess it's true that you can't go home again. The home you remember isn't the same any more. I've felt culturally and geographically challenged ever since "they tore down part of Boston and repaced it with something else" as the Helen Hokinson lady said in a cartoon.

Planes: The Bryson family's experience sounds just like what happened to me many years ago, travelling alone with three children aged 3, 4 1/2 and 6. The stewardess said nothing could be done for us, and strongly implied I was making a tiresome nuisance of myself. But some wonderfully kind fellow passengers volunteered to switch seats so we could sit together, no thanks at all to the airline personnel. Sorry to gripe. To tell it straight, this was the same airine Bryson mentioned.

Well, now on a happier note -- the amazing abundance and variety of choice in an American doughnut shop! My husband loves to tell people about how he ordered coffee and a doughnut in America, and was taken aback to be asked, "What kind?" To a Norwegian a doughnut is a doughnut (you know, the kind grandma used to make down on the farm) and Fritjof has always relished listing for the edification of his countrymen the chocolate doughnut, the cinnamon, the coconut coated orange flavored, etc. etc. How many kinds are there?

Carolyn

Good to see you again, Carolyn. It's been a while. True you can't go home, but that's so with the States. But do come visit and if you do let us know.

Carolyn

Years ago I was married to a fellow whose parents were Norwegian. The marriage was a disaster but his mother made the most wonderful things to eat the names of which I cannot recall. She used to fry up mashed potatoes into some kind of a flat bread thingy which was used to wrap slices of meatloaf - sounds awful but was wonderful. Her pastries were divine too.

Oh GOLLY how marvelous to look in and see so many of my favorite people assembled!!

Welcome, Carolyn!! It's been too long! and our own MAY!!! This is like Charistmas when combined with our own Maida and Neva and Jeryn (wonderful job!) and Pat W and Megan! Now whom have I left out? Nobody I hope!

And of course, having just gotten OFF a plane I had to howl at Bryson!

Zippers~! !!! On my trip before last I noted in the hotel room that the zipper of my nice Samsonite had been undone and made a note to file a complaint with the treacherous baggage handlers when I observed that I couldn't get it shut either? It was opening from the wrong end. So I sat in the airport sewing it together with my handy dandy emergency sewing kit only to find it:

wouldn't stay shut and the disease had spread to the other side and

I pricked my fingers so many times I looked like bloody Mary.

So I can relate to his horrors of flight, getting cramped in crash position (how many of us have wanted to unrecline those reclining passengers before us?) I once got trapped on an Atlanta to London flight between the seat in front and the drunk on my left who was comatose: not fun, that's a LOOOONG trip.

I loved this, when the zipper broke: "Confused and unable to help, my hair went into panic mode." hahahahahaahaaa oh hahahahahaahaaa

AND: "Put your hoods up, children, Daddy's about to cut his meat." hahahahahahaha

Oh me.

hahahahahahaa

I loved his attempts to be "suave." My youngest son used to prounounce that "suavaire," as he was given to making up words. My attempts at "suaveaireness" have also fallen a bit flat, and I loved the blue teeth episode.

Also it's so true about the CRS we've all experienced, I expect. My first notice of that was my ability to read a book over again with the same enjoyment as the first time, that was a little scarey and that was a long time ago, too! My latest moments of CRS occur when driving, when, lost in my own reveries, I suddenly look around and, not recognizing any landmarks, have to wonder WHERE I am, in relation to where I want to be. Bryson is much too young to be experiencing this, I think but he's funny anyway.

And I had another funny story about zippers on baggage, but I forget now (really) what it was!~ hahahahahaha

Glad to be back,

Ginny

AND on this last trip my fantastically expensive Warrenteed for a Lifetime Atlantic bag, bought to replace the Sampsonite, had a zipper pull come off in my HAND?? Hello?? Brand new??

Must be a flaw, back it goes immediately.

Zipper troubles, travel and did you hear that Delta is adding: hold on for dear life: 32 new coach seats to its existing planes? Wonder who will continue to fly Delta at that rate? The L1011 and the 767 curently have the most foot room, I have long legs and hate getting trapped and not being able to cross my legs!

Lately also people seem terrified there might be a conversation? They whip out books at the first settle down and don't put them back in till the airport is wheeled up to. Jeepers if they only knew, even on the 20 minute commuter hop to Atlanta from here! I did have a nice conversation on the flight TO Seattle with a very nice woman but other than that not even a grunt escaped us important travelers, one man put in ear plugs and pulled out a eye mask for, for Pete's sake a day time flight from Seattle to Atlanta. Looked like an idiot: if you're looking in, yes, you did!

Ginny

Oh, Ginny! It's soooooooo good to have you back!! Just not the same without our GINNY! I confess to falling behind in my reading here so must refrain from comment until I catch up... tonight I hope.

Did want to say, though, how much I enjoyed the new [to me] poster--Carolyn Andersen! Loved your tale of your husband and the donuts! One wonders if you would even LIKE the USA anymore after 45 years... sometimes, I'm not sure I like it. JUst kidding. I'm really very patriotic...

Ginny, It's good to have you back among us!

Thanks, Guys, what a grand and welcoming spot our Books is!

Ginny

I DID get caught up on Bryson last night! "Rules for Living" is pretty subjective, downright personal, if you ask me. One can empathize with some of Bryson's sweeping statements, perhaps even with all of his statements some of the time; but definitely NOT all of his statements all of the time!

The nostalgia of "Our Town" is sort of touching... having just moved last winter from a village where I lived for ten years, I hope to see it stay the same when I go back to visit...

The all time laughing-out-loud essay to me, as we are nearing the end of this smorgasbord of essays, was the satirical "Your New Computer". Honestly, folks, when YOU took the plunge with your first computer, was this or was this not the way it was??!!

I think it would be fun if we all thus picked our personal favorite from these essays when we're finished... what say?

Ginny, so glad to see you back, missed you!

I have fallen behind again on reading the book partly because my husband has been sneaking the book out to take to work . . . I can't get any good comments from him to post about it . . . he's the Gary Cooper type, "yep and nope" responses.

So far the Tax form had me helpless with laughter.

Eileen Megan

Yesssssssssss, Eileen! The Tax Form essay rates my second choice! A guffaw every second. Don't you wonder if any computer executives or Internal Revenue bureaucrats read this book?!?!?!?

Yes, let's do pick our favorite on the last day, the 10th, because I'm not thru but so far the Christmas ones have to get my vote!

I love that, Megan, your husband takes it away and you can't read it, love it!! hahahahahaha

More anon on this!! Later today, thanks for the welcome backs! Had a great time.

Ginny

Oh I loved these two essays today, the problems in 1999 of maintaining a small town atmosphere in the face of Wal Marts and Mega Bookstores! Those are real concerns. I personally am a Wal Mart junkie and can't understand why I should pay more for the same item just because it's closer. The mark up surely is close to the same. Likewise a happy day in my life was when the Barnes & Noble came to town. I regretted the loss of the marvelous Book Store and Deane in the mall but it was a B Dalton which is a chain too. Deane and staff now meet at B&N once a week for coffee. Sometimes local bookstores are pains in the neck, not always, some are marvelous, true bookstores and some are a huge mess, disorganized and mouthy. I'll take a mega store any day, but we really don't have any good local ones with people who know books at the helm.

I LOVED the other essay and agree on about 80 percent of his points. I was in a line at the supermarket the other day when the woman attempting to use an ATM card could not remember the pin number and had to leave the line and all of us in it to go CALL her hubby and when he wasn't there, had to track him down till she got him and the number! HELLO??

I am the person pushing the stupid elevator button a million times!!

I agree Martha Stewart should be banned to Outer Mongolia.

I wasn't sure what was wrong with the Christmas card greeting: what does he want? "Try not to eat too much this season, Fatso?"

Oh the photo copy thing, at the library I always get the one set on half a wall size and 200 copies, what a HOOT!!

Oh and having just rented an automobile in March I can relate totally to the triangles nobody knows what they are on the dash. Nothing more embarrassing than turning on the wipers when it's not wet out.

Oh and the expressions, seeking closure, there are several which irritate me no end, one is: "Shop Belks." You can't "shop Belks." You can shop AT Belks, BEHIND Belks, OVER Belks and UNDER Belks, but you cannot "SHOP BELKS!"

How about this one, seen near here? "SODA'S: 50 cents"

And the jargon in basketball :"The old give and go, " oh sometimes I think they could call the games without looking at them.

But the worst, the very very absolute worst is when the football player is going off field, " HE'S MAKING HIS WAY!!" Yes, he's making his way. He's not walking he's not running, he's not hurrying, he's MAKING HIS WAY!

What are some things which irritate you? hahahahahaha

Making My Way

AAAAARRRRRRGGHH! Don't get me started, Ginny!

Labels in clothes--you know, the ones that ir-ri-tate your neck.

Clothes. They are all so hideous these days. And I even have to shorten my t-shirts, for pete's sake!

People who drive toward you down the road IN YOUR LANE!

Supermarkets that have x-brand of something you love then suddenly don't have it any more.

SN people with "edit" privileges who cheat on their game scores!

to be continued... if anyone can stand it!

People who say "lay down" instead of "lie down"

Using "like" instead of "as" (Winston tastes good like a cigarette should

The misuse of the work "myself" - "Myself and John went to the store" - people use this word because they don't know the difference and rather than sounding incorrect they overuse.

The use of "me and so and so did....." - mostly a young person thing.

Supermarkets which stop using a brand name - drives me crazy to have to schlepp to two or three different stores to complete one grocery order.

Salesclerks who chew gum - anyone who chews gum in public

Road rage - scares me and infuriates me - see!!

Doctors who blow off a genuine complaint.

My husband's snoring, inability to FIND anything and the number of hours he spends watching any pro team from Boston.

Any sports announcer - why must they always shout?

Had enough, folks?

No never enough, sports announcers, basketball announcers are the worst!! Scream scream, let's have the stats on each player. What's he OUT OF? hah?? OUT OF? Gee excuse me but I thought all football players and baskebtall players were born of woman, as they say. No, he's OUT OF Clemson or Penn State.

How about "Between you and I?" One of the folders we wanted to put up and hesitated a bit over and now have decided to follow thru on, is a new one coming up on grammar, the diagram. Some of us demented souls enjoy diagramming sentences, and we'll see if there's any interest in same in September, but some of these sentences in our books selections defy the mind vis a vis grammar construction: should be fun, between you and MYSELF! hahahahahaaa Maybe we'll all learn something.

I actually have the book about the Titanic he's quoting. What do you think his point was on that essay? Kind of left me in the dark.

Remember the old jingle about the Titanic?

Oh they built the ship Titanic to sail the ocean blue
And they thought they had a ship the water wouldn't go thru.
It was on its maiden trip when an iceberg hit the ship
It was sad when the great ship went down.

Chorus:


Oh it was sad, it was sad,
Oh it was sad, it was sad.
It was sad when the great ship went down.
To the bottom: there were husbands and wives,
Even children lost their lives,
It was sad when the great ship went down.


Then there are a couple of more verses of a grim nature concerning the poor ("So they put them down below where they'd be the first to go," and the emergency signals "Oh the Captain tried to wire, but the lines they would not fire," and one about "they were not far at sea, when the band struck up with "Nearer, My God, to Thee ,") do any of you remember that ballad?

I've read several eyewitness accounts of the sinking over the years and the Nearer My God to Thee seems to be a myth, it was a jazz piece at the last so the consensus runs.

Myself will be back in a moment, laying down more facts! hahahahaha

Ginny

Here's another one I absolutely hate, my all time pet peeve in language: Born and reared.

I hate that reared, how common, how disgusting. What's wrong with raised.

Reared?

AGGGGG

Ginny

How about "cremation was accorded"? Is this correct? Sounds weird.

Pet peeve... Drivers going 62 mph in a 65 mph zone.

Cremation was accorded? ACCORDED? I never heard that one. According to my dictionary, that doesn't make a bit of sense?

Do you see it in the papers?

It's amazing the efforts people will go to to prettify death and its accessories.

Ginny

How about "effect" and "affect" used improperly?

How about folks who, while driving, don't put their signal on until the last minute or not at all?

I identified with the "why am I here, what am I looking for" chapter, especially since I used to pride myself on having a great memory!

The stores I miss the most are 5 and 10s, remember how you used to be able to find all sorts of "little stuff" in them? When I was a kid that's where I did my Christmas shopping, hairpins for my grandmother, powder puffs for aunts, shoelaces for Dad, perfume for Mom - ah, me.

Ginny, oyez, the grammar thingy would be great! I'm gonna need it, the doc (my boss) wants me to correct any grammatical errors in his letters and newsletters - boy, has he got the wrong person!

Eileen Megan

YES, YES, YES TO A GRAMMAR DISCUSSION!!! Ever notice the number of perfectly good nouns which, in popular parlance, are being used as either verbs or adverbs? My fellow counselors often speak of a student who "suicided" - HUH? I think, too, that we are becoming a buzz word society, and if I weren't in the public school system I'd be (to use one of their words) clueless! Should we invite William Safire to head up a grammar discussion? He's a senior and certainly an expert - might as well since we can't have E.B. White. Whatever happened to Mr. Strunk? Your bible in college? Mine

Hey, William Safire? Let's do! Want to write him, Maida? Why not why not??

Glad so many think it might be a fine idea, have been timidly keeping it on the back burners, will try for September 1.

Well here we are at last, at the end of the book. I loved the commencement address, thought it a hoot, and very fine sentiments, most of them.

I loved the essay before that one about trying to tell the plumber where the cut off was? That's such a hoot. That's the difference between a man and a woman, right there, a woman would:

1) probably know and tell the plumber
2. if she didn't know would flap her hands and look helpless, the plumber would find it quicker than any person could tell him and she'd know in the future!

(I speak from experience here)!

And I note he ends the book on the same note he started: you can't go home again. Somehow I think it's different going HOME and moving back, in your middle age with your parents, and going to AMERICA. I love to travel and can see myself summering in England, love England, but there's no place on earth like America, and you just need to get out more and see that for yourself. Yes, there are ancient cities, yes I could spend all the summer in them, but America is America.

Now what are your reflections on these last essays and tomorrow, let's pick our all time favorites!! TOP THREE!!

Ginny

My favorite was the commencement address - touched a chord in me somehow. I don't think that one can go home in the sense that one returns to life as we remember it from childhood. Since my parents died when I was only 30 the town where I was raised has no appeal for me. However, I distinctly recall feeling a sort of relief when I moved back to New Hampshire in 1975 after living in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington. I'm not even sure WHY I felt relief. Isn't home where, when one goes there, "they" have to take you in? What if the "they" (implying family) are no longer living. From a woman's point of view, I think of home as where I make a nest, so to speak, whether it be a God-awful apartment on an Air Force base or in a pretty house by the sea. Maybe I have a somewhat jaundiced view having moved five times in the past five years.

Home is where I'm content and comfortable--because my things are there, including that old "thing" that eats my cooking without complaint! I do think one is most comfortably "at home" in a familiar environment, "be it ever so humble". I think Bryson will long for England when he's in America and long for America when he's in England!!

My favorite essays are those in which Bryson succeeded in being very funny along with the sarcasm, i.e. "Your Tax Form Explained", "Your New Computer", and "Design Flaws" for a top three 'though there are many others I enjoyed too.

We moved all the time when I was growing up but my grandmother's house at 132 Walnut St., Somerville always meant "home" to me. We also lived out of Mass., during WWII in Chicago, a summer in Far Rockaway, NY and after high school in Florida. Now, I am a dyed in the wool New Englander, the only other state that I would live in beside Mass. is New Hampshire.

Jeryn, I like your picks, they pretty much would be mine too, especially the Tax Form - that really had me guffawing.

Eileen Megan

Home is such a loaded word, isn't it? I grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, yet there's nobody there now of my family, as they were all from the South and nobody there now at all who knows me except my High School class. For some reason I've always felt rootless, until we bought this farm. And the very first time I ever walked on the terrace, I knew this was home, felt so at peace here, used to come up here before we ever moved in just to sit, very peaceful, despite the ghost. hahahahaaa

So I guess that's why I was so bound and determined to create a HOME, and to stay there, when I do go back to PA and NJ I have to go find so many of the places we once lived (and we only moved three times) that one time my youngest son said, "Gosh, did you live all over the place?"

Now just recently people have started saying to me, "now when you move..." And I say, "Move? I've made my last move," and they give me this look, like, oh sure you don't know.

I know a lot of us seniors are on the move, we're moving to be closer to our kids, to get OUT of or INTO better weather, to be in a better situation, that seems part of getting older today. I'm not sure what the future will bring, but this has been a good home to me for 20 years, and I hope to continue in it at least 20 more, if not, it's been good.

I loved the Computer essay and the Christmas decorations essay and the Winter Sports, I guess because I can relate personally to each one. We ALWAYS have a giant live tree, the kids cut it down, it's a cedar, it never has the right shape, it always scrapes the ceiling and everything else on earth when it comes in, it doesn't have that fir smell, or balsam smell so I have to buy boughs of balsam, and I wouldn't have any other kind, now, every year it's more "perfect" than the one before. For some reason, it looks like a giant popsicle every year in the photos, but,hey, the thing is so big I guess it overwhelms everybody. We like it. I guess someday that will stop, too. I must admit last year I got irritated at having to lug all that stuff (literally an entire wall of cabinets in the barn) down to the house, hope I don't get that lazy, but I do feel it coming!

More than you wanted to know,

I've enjoyed this book discussion very much, hope you have too, still have a few people to hear from, isn't it nice to have read one of the BIG best sellers on the NY Times list and actually enjoyed it? I love going into Barnes & Noble and seeing how many I've read, feel quite well read now, not so before our Books sections. I do think it makes a difference, to read.

Ginny

All this sharing of opinions also helps us to know one another better, don't you think, Ginny? Anyhow, thanks for leading the discussion--a very enjoyable read and a very enjoyable discussion, all of you!

Hi Ginny Anderson and all of you who have posted here.I just read all the post here and the book has been read and reviewed. I enjoyed all. I like to read or I would not be on S/N. Went to buy the book Charming Billy in my small town and the clerk asked me if it was about bill Clinton so after my laughing was over we found it and am reading it. I find it a good book but I like non ficton, will be looking for a good non fiction to read.

ginger

GINGER!! Hi, and what a HOOT: CHARMING BILLY CLINTON! hahahahahaaa

Well,I guess he IS charming, to some. Have you been reading the excerpts of the new Hilary book in the NY TIMES affiliates? I love book excerpts, I think they sometimes are the best parts of the newspaper and WHAT excerpts these are. Uggers Uggers.

Hilary doesn't get my vote for anything. Neither does he. Let 'em go. He's the perfect 90's man: all on the surface.

I'm glad you enjoyed the posts here, I enjoyed the book and the posts, have enjoyed hearing everybody's stories, too bad we can't write a collective book!! hahahahaha

I guess that's what's especially fun about our books discussions, you get to hear charming "Charming Billy Clinton" tidbits and stuff about other people's experiences which are marvelous and which let us feel closer to each other, while exchanging ideas about books: it's perfect, and very nice, I do think!

Ginny

Ginny, Hilary's book no have not seen any articules on it. They get no vote from me either, Do hope he does not start a war before he is out.

ginger

No Clinton vote from me either.

Hi Guys and Gals, I guess I'm to late for "I'm a Stranger Here" My daughter has the book so I will be reading it as soon as she is finished. I read Bryson's book about his return to England and loved it. Read some of your reviews so can't wait to get into the book

And Ginny you do have a friend in NJ

Clare