Introductions...Please click here and tell us about YOU!

[Frybabe]

Please scroll down and post a message to introduce yourself!  We're looking forward to getting to know you.

Click on the Discussion Index on the menubar near the top of every page to see what we offer: [/font][/size]




Latin Courses Information: Click Here



Not sure, PatH. Amazon lists it, but only on Marketplace.

I have Quomodo Invidiosulus nomine Grinchus Christi Natalem, and Cattus Petasatus as well as Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis. Oh, and a number of ancient e-texts in Latin that I got free from Project Gutenberg. Very few, I have actually tackled, though. Oh, there is a crossword puzzle book in Latin. That was fun.

JoanK, PatH: I thought everyone lost interest in the classics book discussion. It has been quite a while (a year?) since I've seen anything posted. No one responded to my last post. Maybe I'll go over and make a few suggestions.
Frybabe

[Dennis]

Winnie Ille Pu (Latin Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Ille-Pu-Latin-Milne/dp/014015339X/flavorpille-20

it is still available.

[dwyles01]

Hi, am not sure if I'm doing this properly, but I have just signed up for Latin 101 and am thrilled to be renewing my acquaintance with this great mind puzzle. I studied the language beginning 52 years ago and look forward to joining this group. I also love to read (although nothing very heavy); my most recent favorite was The Goldfinch, which I adored. Hope to have some good interactions with my fellow Latin scholars. I live in NYC and am a retired consumer health librarian.

Dana

[jane]

Hi, Dana....
I'll be sending you an email in the morning which will give you access to our Latin Orientation room.

We're delighted you're joining us.....and you'll find several retired librarians here...including me!

Jane

[JoanK]

Did you see Pedlin's librarian tee shirt "I'm a librarian: lets just save time and admit I'm always right."

[jane]

 Yes, I did.  Somebody shared it with me on Facebook.

[Bri]

Hello All,

My name is Bri and I am excited to join the Latin 101 class. I recently stumbled upon the site and am currently trying to learn my way around the hidden corners (this is my first on-line class). I don't have any previous experience with the language and never studied it as a young person but am looking forward to trying something new. Thank you to the individual who posted the link with the Helpful Books. I am sure I will be in need of them soon

[jane]

Hi, Bri...I'm glad you've come in here and introduced yourself.  This is the Introductions area for the whole site, so I hope you will also come over to the Latin area and let your classmates learn about you, too.

You can find that place here, if you haven't already...

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?board=178.0

and then click on the Orientation/Practice area.

jane

[JoanK]

Hi, BRI WELCOME!

[Frybabe]

Hi Bri, welcome. I think you will enjoy the classes.

I also started out knowing no Latin. I have so much fun even if it seems hard work sometimes (of course, it would help if my memory were better). For me, it is so neat to be able to translate the Latin phrases that authors often sprinkle about in their books and to be able to read the words of those who lived or lived closer to the history about which they were writing.

[mmahoney]

To JoanK,


I had to think about what classics I really would like to study.

I've had several irons in the fire and these are the subjects I've been interested in.

I had decided to reread some of the old Utopian novels that have been on my book shelf for 40-50 years, namely,
George Orwell, Margaret Atwood, and Aldous Huxley. Books like 1984, Brave New World, Animal Farm and the Handmaids Tale. These books seem to be spot on in prophesying a lot of the things that we are seeing today in the internet and reproductive technologies.

I have also been attempting to read Dante's Comedy. One of the background characters in Dante is Beatrice and she is based in the Aeneid of Virgil.

I am also been trying to get through St. Augustine's Confessions.

I also love Tom Wolfe, Colleen McCullough. Me being from Quincy, MA, David McCullough's 'John Adams' was of interest to me.

I am also a big fan of 'The Teaching Company's 'The Great Courses'.

That's just to start.

Happy Labor Day,

Peg Mahoney

[PatH]

Peg, which translation of Dante are you reading?  (I assume you're not reading it in the original.

I hope, in between your Latin homework sessions, you will look around the rest of our site.  Lots of good conversations about books going on.

I've read the 3 utopian novels you mention, and they're definitely worth it, though it's been so long since I read Brave New World that I've forgotten most of it.  Guess I should read it again.

[mmahoney]

Hi PatH,

I have the Penguin Classics series of The Divine Comedy translated by Mark Musa. I also have a translation by John Ciardi. I also have a course on DVD taught by Profs. William Cook and Ronald Herzman from State University of New York. And, I have a course on DVD taught by Anthony Esolen for Catholic Courses. I guess I've got plenty of sources to compare.

Peg

[Qweekers]

I am joining the Latin 101 and finding the website not easy to manipulate.  I have taken a lot of latin in the far past, but have not taken a course like this on line.  I am hoping I can figure out this website in order to participate.

[ginny]

Well you made it to the right classroom (Caesar ) and it's home free now! Congratters!! Well done!

It's all down hill sledding from here.

[Dixie]

Hello,
My name is Stacey "Dixie". I took Latin 101 a few years back but feel I need to repeat it. My husband Josh is in Latin 202. We live in Connecticut with Missy - our two year old Siamese cat and NutMeg (Meggie) our seven month old Poodle-Bischon puppy. I am also studying French 101 in a brick and mortar classroom. I am a retired hospital CEO. Josh and I enjoy reading and playing tennis. I look forward to this class.

[jane]

Hi, Dixie,
I hope you've gotten over to your Latin classroom and have joined in the introductions there so you can meet your classmates.

Jane

[Dixie]

Hello Ginny & Jane,
Glad to be back...Looking forward to relearning and learning Latin. Going to my classroom now.
Stacey

[Kenneth]

Hello.   By way of introduction, my name is Kenneth and I am 67 years old.  I am currently teaching high school at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.  I retire in June of 2015 and will be moving with my wife, dog, and three horses to the peninsula in Washington state.  We have lived in Germany for the last 33 years - first with the U.S. Army as a Russian linguist and then as a high school history and English teacher for the past 26 years.  As you can tell from the horses, riding is my main hobby (both dressage and jumping), but I am also interested in languages and am looking forward to taking the Latin classes offered here.  My other hobbies are learning guitar, banjo, and harmonica.  I also love gardening.  This is a really impressive site and I am happy to be a part of it.  So I will finish my intro here with a wish for you all to have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

[ginny]

Welcome, Kenneth, to SeniorLearn!

Wow, what a resume! Dressage and jumping. Wow!  I miss having horses, my  last one died a couple of years ago and according to the vet  he was "way up" in his 30's.

We  are thrilled that you found us and hope you will enjoy every minute!

We can  use all the former teachers we can get here!!  I love Germany and just returned from it last year  again. Since you lived there 33 years what is your favorite part of Germany?  My grandson wants to go and his mother has said he can go in 2 years so am planning ahead. What would you advise for a 10 year old?

Welcome welcome welcome!! Make yourself at home. We have lots of book discussions coming  up you might enjoy, one on the US Olympic rowing team of 1936  in Germany.

[Kenneth]

Thank you for the warm welcome, Ginny.  Wow!  Asking my favorite part of Germany is like asking a parents which child they love the most.  There is an incredible variety here.  We lived in Berlin for ten years and were there for the fall of the wall in 1989 and just back there a couple weeks ago for the twenty-fifth anniversary of that event.  Berlin is my favorite city and one of the best cultural centers in Europe.  The museums there are amazing and they have pretty much concentrated them on Museum Island which is in the center of what was East Berlin.  Munich is also a good choice for someone younger - though at 10 will probably not be too excited about Octoberfest.  It is a beautiful city with the advantage of being not far from Salzburg, Austria and the Bavarian Alps.  It is also not far from Prague - a couple hours by train.  If you can give me a better idea of what your grandson's interests are, I could probably give you a more intelligent response.  For example, if he likes the beach, the area around Cuxhaven is quite nice in summertime and is close to some nice visits into Poland.  I hope this gives you a couple ideas. 

[jane]

Welcome, Kenneth!  I'm glad you found us, got logged in, and posted!

jane

[Kenneth]

Thank you, Jane.  Very nice to be here.

[JoanK]

WELCOME WELCOME KENNETH. What was Berlin like during the fall of the Wall? (I still have the piece of the wall I bought afterwards -- don't tell me if it's a fake.)

You might be interested in an upcoming proposed discussion "Boys in the Boat" about a US rowing team in the 1936 berlin Olympics. Look for it.

[marcie]

Welcome, Kenneth. I think it's wonderful that you lived and worked in Germany so long. I'm intrigued by your horsemanship (and wondering how you will  get your horses to Washington?)

I hope that you will enjoy some of our book discussions as well as the Latin classes.

[Ella Gibbons]

WELCOME KENNETH.  And we are so happy you find our site interesting; we have a long history on the Internet - stay awhile  - enjoy.  We have new book discussions in the planning stage and, as mentioned above, our next book will be the popular BOYS IN THE BOAT by  Richard Preston.  The Berlin Olympics of 1936.  The rowing team consisting of boys from the west coast.  Our own Jesse Owens.  Does anyone in Germany speak of those days?

We were all mesmerized watching  television when the Berlin Wall came down.  In 1992 my hometown of Columbus, Ohio hosted AmeriaFlora (an international flower show) and one of the exhibitions was a large portion of the Berlin Wall with graffitti on it. 

And in 2015 you, too, will be celebrating America's thankssgiving holiday.

[Kenneth]

Thank you all for the warm reception here.  Marcie, in answer to your question, my horses will be flown back to the States.  This is how horses are transported to various international events such as the Olympics.  There are firms that specifically deal with this.  The horses have a box style container very much like their current stalls.  I'm not sure if they get their choice of movies to watch in flight.  The process takes about a month since there is a three week quarantine but the service is door to door. 

[ginny]

What a beautiful horse!~ And look how straight you sit! What interesting information, I love the concept for some reason of shipping a horse in an airplane.  I did not know baggage holds are that tall.

On my grandson's interests? He's a typical 7 year old, well,  he turned  8 last week. He's very athletic and into sports, plays on soccer and basketball teams, can throw a spiral football pass 25 yards, but smart, too. Into computers, IPads,  just the same things other children are into. He loves swimming, his other grandmother has a pool and a beach house so I think she has that covered.

We  just took a week's trip to NYC which he absolutely loved. There was nothing about NYC he disliked. Every morning he'd take his breakfast  on a little...ledge overlooking a spectacular view of the city, watching the workers on Wall Street flood in. We took him to the Met, his mother thought it would be a 1 hour run through, due to his age, we could not get him out. He had his own  audio guide and we literally spent the entire day. Same with the Museum of Natural History but no audio guide, that's a mistake, I think, on their part, but we stayed there a long LONG time, anyway. He loves technology, big buildings, subways, Broadway, revolving restaurants.  His interest in Germany comes from loving his German teacher at school, anything she says do,  he's ready to go.

But he's just turned  8. I don't know what his interest will be 2 years from now.

I thought of Munich, I love Munich, that spectacular Science Museum. I know he'd love that.  The salt mine, the antique cars, the making paper demonstrations, even if they are in German. That whole complex, the underground supermarkets.  The day trips to Neuschwanstein, and Ludwig's castles, I know he'd love that.

But then I think Cologne, same ambiance really but the Rhine...train to Bacharach? Go down or up the Rhine from there? Castles? That Cathedral? Roman ruins.

Berlin? Berlin was a revelation to me this past June. it was my first trip there.  The Reichstag Building!  That dome! We took a tour of it, spectacular!  My son is interested in German history, we did Aachen, saw a lot of things, it was amazing. I had not expected to like Berlin and other than the Pergamon museum I had not much interest. How wrong can anybody be?

I wanted to see the Pergamon Altar of course at the Pergamon, but when I came through the Ishtar Gate and turned around (this is me, coming through)  to see what I was coming thru that everybody was looking at, I had to, literally,  sit down. The Market Gate of Miletus just took my breath away. I did not know it was there. The Altar however is now closed until 2020, so he'd not be able to see that part.

 Berlin is another city you need a lot of time to spend in, I can't imagine the good fortune of living there 10 years, did you get to see all the museums? I need to see all the museums, myself.

They are working on something to link them all together apparently? It will be spectacular as is Berlin today.

So with this in mind, and your tremendous experience in Germany, what do you recommend?

[marcie]

Thank you, Kenneth, for the information about flying horses. (I've always been attracted to Pegasus.) I hope they do well on their trip.

[Kenneth]

Ginny, I have discussed your grandson's trip with my wife  (a former middle school teacher) and we both think that Berlin would be the best bet if you have to focus on one place in Germany.  It has some of the best museums in the world which have pretty much been consolidated on Museum Island (Museen Insel).  These alone could take a month to go through.  We visited almost all of them before they were moved.  The Dahlem museum was one we visited many times picking a section per visit so as not to hit museum sensory overload.  There are also two small museums just outside of Charlottenburg palace, one Egyptian and one Greek.  Honestly, it has been twenty years since we were there so I am not sure if they were moved to Museum Island or not.  Anyway, there are some wonderful pieces there including the bust of Nefertiti.  We also thought Berlin would be most suitable because the transportation system is excellent as well.  It is possible to take the underground and S-bahns to places like Potsdam.  You mentioned that he likes swimming and athletics.  The swimming pool from the 1936 Olympics is still there - though I am not sure if it is currently open to the public.  It was on the base on which I was stationed in the early 1980s.  There are also some very nice beaches at the Wannsee.  Berlin is also known for its nightlife with discos etc.  There may be some programs available for young people at the Free University.  Another nice point about the city is that many Germans speak English so language should not be a problem.  As you can see, I am rather enamoured of the city so consider that as a major bias on my part.  I hope this gives you some ideas for the trip. 

Marcie, thank you for the good wishes.  I, too, love Pegasus which is why I love jumping with my horses so much.  It is the closest I can come to a flying horse. 

[ginny]

Thank you, Kenneth~! I appreciate your taking that time and trouble to confer. Berlin appears at the top of many "don't miss" lists, and I appreciate these extra suggestions, too.

Today either the BBC APP or the CNN APP has a feature on not to be missed Day Trips from Berlin, I would never have considered Potsdam which apparently has no end of historical things to see. Of course a German train would be a thrill for an 8 year old, he'd love that, especially if he might get in the engineer's car. I know it blew me away when I first saw it and I was not 8 years old. At least not chronologically. ahahaha

Thank you! I appreciate all your help!

[StellaMaris]

Greetings! Just arrived as of today. I'm 57 with a love for books and have come to investigate the Latin group. While wandering around, I got hooked on a novel in the discussions here--Kristin Lavransdatter.  Very nice and varied site you have here, glad I found you.

[Frybabe]

Welcome, StellaMaris

I am happy to see that you are interested in the Latin classes. Ginny or Jane can give you particulars. If you haven't already, please check out our Classics Forum which is open to all.

We have a super group of people here. I think you will like it  here. We are always happy to have new voices join us.

[jane]

Welcome, StellaMaris!

I've answered you in the Latin Class Info site, and I'm delighted you've found a reading discussion of interest!

Jane

[JoanK]

YEAH! And check out our ongoing discussions, too. Mystery, Sci Fi, non-fiction, etc. you can join in whenever you arrive! Just read the last handful of comments to see what we're talking about, and jump in.

[StellaMaris]

Many thanks for the kind welcome! I've already jumped onto a book discussion thread and am enjoying myself immensely.

[marcie]

Welcome, StellaMaris. I'm glad you've joined us and have already found your way to the discussion of Kristin Lavransdatter.

[dvconlee]

I retired a couple of years ago and have caught up around the house; have always wanted to learn Latin. I am looking forward to meeting all of you and the challenge of a new task

[Frybabe]

Welcome, dvconlee!

I've been having fun learning Latin for about five years now. I do hope you will find it just as much fun as I do. Ginny is a wonderful teacher.

Don't forget to check the Classics Forum. This forum is an informal gathering place for all, and it is where many of us post news finds and pix.

[JoanK]

WELCOME! And check out our book discussions.