Meeting with Danielle

[Choisya]

I met Danielle and two of her sons today and we had a lovely chattering three hours whilst the boys played in the hotel gardens And what handsome boys they are, aged 11+ and 8+ - one day they will break some hearts (She left her third son, age 4+ at home.) I asked the boys what they liked most about England and they said English breakfasts!!!

Danielle's English is really excellent, which was a relief since my French is practically non-existent. She very kindly bought me a copy of The Country of Pointed Firs in a Barnes & Noble carrier bag - brought back from America! I was really chuffed about that and will cherish them both. I didn't take her a book, only some Marks & Spencer organic Scottish oat and pumpkin seed biscuits and some Rhubarb & Custard sweets for the boys

I took a couple of photographs but unfortunately we can't upload photos here so I cannot show them to you. Danielle is petite and pretty - just as I expected a Frenchwoman to be And those boys.....I think I might suggest an arranged marriage with two of my grandaughters.....

[historybuff234]

This is kind of a wierd thing to say, but if you cold meet any classics author you would like to meet who would it be? It does not matter if they are dead, I just wondering.

I would meet Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conna Doyle, C.S.Lewis, Victor Hugo, Alexabdre Dumas, Plato, H.G.Wells, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Niccolo Machiaveli, Aristotle, Joseph Conerad, Sun Tzu, Robert Louis Stevenson, Fyoder Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Oscar Wilde, Mary Shelley, Daniel Defoe, and oh so many more.

[Laurel]

---

Choisya wrote:
I met Danielle and two of her sons today and we had a lovely chattering three hours whilst the boys played in the hotel gardens And what handsome boys they are, aged 11+ and 8+ - one day they will break some hearts (She left her third son, age 4+ at home.) I asked the boys what they liked most about England and they said English breakfasts!!!

Danielle's English is really excellent, which was a relief since my French is practically non-existent. She very kindly bought me a copy of The Country of Pointed Firs in a Barnes & Noble carrier bag - brought back from America! I was really chuffed about that and will cherish them both. I didn't take her a book, only some Marks & Spencer organic Scottish oat and pumpkin seed biscuits and some Rhubarb & Custard sweets for the boys

I took a couple of photographs but unfortunately we can't upload photos here so I cannot show them to you. Danielle is petite and pretty - just as I expected a Frenchwoman to be And those boys.....I think I might suggest an arranged marriage with two of my grandaughters.....

---

Great, Choisya! I'm glad you all had a good time. What fun! Is getting chuffed good or bad?

[Laurel]

---

historybuff234 wrote:
This is kind of a wierd thing to say, but if you cold meet any classics author you would like to meet who would it be? It does not matter if they are dead, I just wondering.

I would meet Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conna Doyle, C.S.Lewis, Victor Hugo, Alexabdre Dumas, Plato, H.G.Wells, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Niccolo Machiaveli, Aristotle, Joseph Conerad, Sun Tzu, Robert Louis Stevenson, Fyoder Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Oscar Wilde, Mary Shelley, Daniel Defoe, and oh so many more.

---

I think first I'll have tea with George Herbert and C.S. Lewis, and then I'll ast Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky to take me for a troika ride through the snow. Then we'll all sit in the Globe and be entertained by Shakespeare.

[Choisya]

Being 'chuffed' is being very pleased indeed (Not to be confused with chuff, which has a rude meaning.)

---

Laurel wrote:

---

Choisya wrote:
I met Danielle and two of her sons today and we had a lovely chattering three hours whilst the boys played in the hotel gardens And what handsome boys they are, aged 11+ and 8+ - one day they will break some hearts (She left her third son, age 4+ at home.) I asked the boys what they liked most about England and they said English breakfasts!!!

Danielle's English is really excellent, which was a relief since my French is practically non-existent. She very kindly bought me a copy of The Country of Pointed Firs in a Barnes & Noble carrier bag - brought back from America! I was really chuffed about that and will cherish them both. I didn't take her a book, only some Marks & Spencer organic Scottish oat and pumpkin seed biscuits and some Rhubarb & Custard sweets for the boys

I took a couple of photographs but unfortunately we can't upload photos here so I cannot show them to you. Danielle is petite and pretty - just as I expected a Frenchwoman to be And those boys.....I think I might suggest an arranged marriage with two of my grandaughters.....

---

Great, Choisya! I'm glad you all had a good time. What fun! Is getting chuffed good or bad?

---

[Everyman]

And here I thought you, at least, could have appreciated my humor.

---

Choisya wrote:
But your new interpretation of Richard III is revisionist!! And so will the one on King John be.

---

Everyman wrote:
Revisionist history is a wonderful thing.

Of course, then we have to revise the revisionists, then revise the revisers, then on and on until we come full circle and find out that the original history was pretty accurate after all.

---

Message Edited by Choisya on 02-27-200704:56 PM

---

[Choisya]

Sorry again It would be nice to be able to look down on our great-grandchildren to see what versions of history they are reading. History certainly does seem to 'repeat itself'.

---

Everyman wrote:
And here I thought you, at least, could have appreciated my humor.

---

Choisya wrote:
But your new interpretation of Richard III is revisionist!! And so will the one on King John be.

---

Everyman wrote:
Revisionist history is a wonderful thing.

Of course, then we have to revise the revisionists, then revise the revisers, then on and on until we come full circle and find out that the original history was pretty accurate after all.

---

Message Edited by Choisya on 02-27-200704:56 PM

---

---

[LizzieAnn]

Has anyone ever read The Rivals by Sheridan? I'm about to begin reading it and was wondering if anyone had any insight or comments? All I know is that it's a comedy with assumed identity as part of the plot.

[IlanaSimons]

I'm so warmed hearing this. How great that B&N sparked a live meeting. I'd love to see the photos.

---

Choisya wrote:
I met Danielle and two of her sons today and we had a lovely chattering three hours whilst the boys played in the hotel gardens And what handsome boys they are, aged 11+ and 8+ - one day they will break some hearts (She left her third son, age 4+ at home.) I asked the boys what they liked most about England and they said English breakfasts!!!

Danielle's English is really excellent, which was a relief since my French is practically non-existent. She very kindly bought me a copy of The Country of Pointed Firs in a Barnes & Noble carrier bag - brought back from America! I was really chuffed about that and will cherish them both. I didn't take her a book, only some Marks & Spencer organic Scottish oat and pumpkin seed biscuits and some Rhubarb & Custard sweets for the boys

I took a couple of photographs but unfortunately we can't upload photos here so I cannot show them to you. Danielle is petite and pretty - just as I expected a Frenchwoman to be And those boys.....I think I might suggest an arranged marriage with two of my grandaughters.....

---

[Everyman]

---

LizzieAnn wrote:
Has anyone ever read The Rivals by Sheridan? I'm about to begin reading it and was wondering if anyone had any insight or comments? All I know is that it's a comedy with assumed identity as part of the plot.

---

Egad, I read it forty or more years ago. I remember reading it, but I have minimal recollection of it. My most vivid memory is that it introduced Mrs. Malaprop, from which we get malapropisms. I also recall that it was fairly farcical. Other than that, nothing springs to mind.

[Choisya]

I have seen it on the stage on a number of occasions LizzieAnn. It is a satirical comedy of manners based on his own life and is very very funny, full of unforgettable characters like Mrs Malaprop (from whom we get the word). I recommend it but even better, go to see it if you can.

---

LizzieAnn wrote:
Has anyone ever read The Rivals by Sheridan? I'm about to begin reading it and was wondering if anyone had any insight or comments? All I know is that it's a comedy with assumed identity as part of the plot.

---

[Choisya]

I will email the photos to you Ilana.

---

IlanaSimons wrote:
I'm so warmed hearing this. How great that B&N sparked a live meeting. I'd love to see the photos.

---

Choisya wrote:
I met Danielle and two of her sons today and we had a lovely chattering three hours whilst the boys played in the hotel gardens And what handsome boys they are, aged 11+ and 8+ - one day they will break some hearts (She left her third son, age 4+ at home.) I asked the boys what they liked most about England and they said English breakfasts!!!

Danielle's English is really excellent, which was a relief since my French is practically non-existent. She very kindly bought me a copy of The Country of Pointed Firs in a Barnes & Noble carrier bag - brought back from America! I was really chuffed about that and will cherish them both. I didn't take her a book, only some Marks & Spencer organic Scottish oat and pumpkin seed biscuits and some Rhubarb & Custard sweets for the boys

I took a couple of photographs but unfortunately we can't upload photos here so I cannot show them to you. Danielle is petite and pretty - just as I expected a Frenchwoman to be And those boys.....I think I might suggest an arranged marriage with two of my grandaughters.....

---

---

[Choisya]

It is very popular as a school play over here Everyman - perhaps you did it at school?

---

Everyman wrote:

---

LizzieAnn wrote:
Has anyone ever read The Rivals by Sheridan? I'm about to begin reading it and was wondering if anyone had any insight or comments? All I know is that it's a comedy with assumed identity as part of the plot.

---

Egad, I read it forty or more years ago. I remember reading it, but I have minimal recollection of it. My most vivid memory is that it introduced Mrs. Malaprop, from which we get malapropisms. I also recall that it was fairly farcical. Other than that, nothing springs to mind.

---

[Choisya]

I've been meaning to recommend this musical Bollywood movie to folks as a change from our Western productions. It is great fun!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/09/16/bride_and_prejudice_2004_review.shtml

[LizzieAnn]

Thanks for the info - it does seem funny. I'll let you know what I think!

Message Edited by LizzieAnn on 02-28-200711:39 AM

[Everyman]

No. And I have never heard of any school over here doing it. The iconic HS play in the US is Our Town, which is probably not done very often in England..

---

Choisya wrote:
It is very popular as a school play over here Everyman - perhaps you did it at school?

---

Everyman wrote:

---

LizzieAnn wrote:
Has anyone ever read The Rivals by Sheridan? I'm about to begin reading it and was wondering if anyone had any insight or comments? All I know is that it's a comedy with assumed identity as part of the plot.

---

Egad, I read it forty or more years ago. I remember reading it, but I have minimal recollection of it. My most vivid memory is that it introduced Mrs. Malaprop, from which we get malapropisms. I also recall that it was fairly farcical. Other than that, nothing springs to mind.

---

---

[IlanaSimons]

---

Choisya wrote:
I will email the photos to you Ilana.

---

thank you!

[Choisya]

My old Asian lodger bought it for me for Xmas 2005 - I quite like Bollywood movies, they are always so optimistic and cheerful.L)

---

LizzieAnn wrote:
Thanks for the info - it does seem funny. I'll let you know what I think!

Message Edited by LizzieAnn on 02-28-200711:39 AM

---

[Choisya]

I have just remembered that I am 74 tomorrow (2nd), so I am staying up so that I can open a couple of cards and pressies that came this morning It will cheer up a evening. Have a drink on me everyone!

Message Edited by Choisya on 03-01-200704:44 PM

[Choisya]

I think The Rivals is popular over here because it is a very OTT Restoration Comedy. I have seen boys do it very well because they like the 'drag' element of the costumes. I thought you might have done it when you were in England.

---

Everyman wrote:
No. And I have never heard of any school over here doing it. The iconic HS play in the US is Our Town, which is probably not done very often in England..

---

Choisya wrote:
It is very popular as a school play over here Everyman - perhaps you did it at school?

---

Everyman wrote:

---

LizzieAnn wrote:
Has anyone ever read The Rivals by Sheridan? I'm about to begin reading it and was wondering if anyone had any insight or comments? All I know is that it's a comedy with assumed identity as part of the plot.

---

Egad, I read it forty or more years ago. I remember reading it, but I have minimal recollection of it. My most vivid memory is that it introduced Mrs. Malaprop, from which we get malapropisms. I also recall that it was fairly farcical. Other than that, nothing springs to mind.

---

---

---