The Good News Thread

[Birdy]

Allison - Great fun! Thanks so much for sharing the smiles.
Birdy

[moira finnie]

Moira Really Hits The Big Time

If it wasn't enough that our dear friend Moira was already in charge here and has a fine career writing for TCM Morlocks she, along with the rest of the writers, get a mention in the July "Now Playing" guide. They mention her "Skeins Of Thought" website and a few topics on which she has written.

Wow, see what I miss when I'm offline more than on? Heck, now I have to figure out a way to get a copy from TCM. I'd no idea this was going to pop up like this in that month's issue. Thanks!

Alison,
I love the photos of your beautiful children, you and Bella España, even though young Joe seems to be suffering from a series of shifting mini-mood swings. He does have a flair for the dramatic, doesn't he? You do have your hands full, though you look as though you have things under control, for the most part. Thanks for posting them.

[knitwit45]

Alison, after seeing the pictures of Joe, I can just imagine his entertaining the "troops" on the bus ride home. Hysterical (though I'm sure you didn't think so at the time)

Nancy

[ChiO]

Kane has the puck...shoots...IT'S IN THE BACK OF THE NET!

THE HAWKS WIN THE STANLEY CUP!!!

[youtube][/youtube]

[charliechaplinfan]

Joe is an out and out entertainer, full of beans with a constant running commentary with a big booming voice.

You've got to imagine how it feels to take a walk with him and see a fat person because even though he's been told not to say what comes into his head without thinking about whether it's nice and appropriate, he pops out and says it anyway, leaving me cringeing and apologising. He's a big love though and provokes many laughs, he usually has a big sunny disposition. His sister is so quiet by comparison, very thoughtful and intelligent and lots of patience with him. It was a lovely holiday, sometimes I wish they'd never grow up.

[charliechaplinfan]

Alison,
The pictures are wonderful, the children are growing so quickly, aren't they. I am now officially in love with Master Joe, any time you want to bring them over here, my arms are waiting! The scenery behind you and the kids is amazing, thanks for sharing.

Nancy, I'd love you to baby sit them, they'd love you, they grow so quickly. There is three years between them, Elizabeth is so petite and dainty.

By the time we came home, everyone knew Joe and that coach trip. Oh my goodness, we laughed so much but I was mortified when he revealed a knowledge of biology that I didn't realise he had. He announced to the whole coach 'When my Mummy had Libby she was cut out of Mummy's tummy because she got stuck' OK, that bit isn't too bad but he followed it up with, in a very shocked voice 'but when I was born I didn't come out that way, I came out....' We we had to practically sit on him by tht point but tears were rolling down people's cheeks and I'm wondering whether he was going to take an educated guess or whether one of his little school friends had filled him in on how babies are born. We weren't taking chances. All very different from when he thought babies came out of their Mum's mouths.

[klondike]

OK, that bit isn't too bad but he followed it up with, in a very shocked voice 'but when I was born I didn't come out that way, I came out....'

Yup, then or now, our recently departed Art Linkletter had it right -
"kids say the darnedest things!"

[charliechaplinfan]

Don't they, you've got to have a sense of humour and expect a little loss of dignity with kids. They tell it as they see it.

[knitwit45]

I don't want to brag or make anybody jealous or anything,









but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.

[Birdy]

HAHA! I recently wore some giant neon pink earrings to a beach party because I thought they were back in style. My nephew said, "Gee, you could dress like a punk-rocker in those." I said, "I did."

[silentscreen]

Alison- great photos of you with the kids! They are beautiful, but then you know that!

My granddaughter Annabelle has begun to talk! She says, "No", "Outside", "Juice", and "Uh-oh." The latter she says when she throws something down on purpose, LOL! My son and his wife have tried to explain to her that you only say that when it's an accident, not when it's on purpose.

The twins just turned 15 months yesterday. My time is just flying by! They are both walking now and getting into all sorts of trouble.

[charliechaplinfan]

Time is flying by....

I've got some good news, Synnove/Hedvig and I got to meet up and visit some sights in the North West, we've been friends for three years since meeting on a silent film forum. Hedvig was studying near London and had just finished he exams and she came to stay with us. The kids and the cats loved having her here. We managed to get some film viewing done, Brief Encounter, The General, The Ladykillers, Queen Kelly, Whisky Galore and some Laurel and Hardy that the kids wanted to watch.

The most fun was going to visit some of the highlights of the North West. On Saturday, we took my husband and the kids to Carnforth Railway station which was the setting for Brief Encounter (they couldn't use Watford Junction because of the war time restrictions so David Lean searched high and low until he found Carnforth which had the curve he wanted). The station was staffed by volunteers who were having a great time, we got escorted around by a 'spiv' selling black market stockings, he showed us all the places where the lovers would have stood. A sing song is in order on the hour, such classics like 'Wish me Luck as you Wave me Goodbye' 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary'. It was so nostalgic and friendly, my husband was very impressed, it wasn't a place he particularly wanted to go to but it was so well done he enjoyed it too.

After Carnforth we went to Lancaster castle, they have the oldest working courts in the land and most of the castle is a prison. The guided tour was superb, the castle has quite a ghoulish history, it's where the Lancashire witch trials took place and where the hangings for Lancashire used to take place every Assizes. We got shut in a small cell with the rest of the tour, to give the impression of what it would be like to be shut in without trial for 6 months, you'd have gone mad in the dark before you ever reached trial. It's well worth the trip.

[feaito]

Alison,

I had not seen the wonderful pics of you and your children, thanks for sharing! And I'm glad that you had such a great time with Hedvig and your family.

[charliechaplinfan]

On Sunday we went to Chatsworth, home of the Devonshires. The Dowager Duchess was formerly known as Deborah Mitford the youngest of the Mitford Girls, her sister in law was Kathleen Kennedy, a long ago ancestor of the present duke is Georgiana brought to life in the film Duchess. Chatsworth is one of the grandest of all the stately homes of Britain and my favorite. It's on a grand scale, it takes a day to appreciate it, it's laden with treasures from top to bottom. The grounds and garden are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

On Monday it was just the two of us and we went to Fountains Abbey, one of the largest ruined monasteries in England, ransacked by Henry VIII and very grand and very haunting. I'm tirn when I see it, I'd love to see it in tact but I'm not sure it would be as grand or haunting as it is in all it's ruined glory. A guided tour of over two hours was part of our entrance, now we know all there is to know about monasteries and the order of monks that lived there.

From there we stopped at Bolton Abbey which was on our way home, another ruined abbey but smaller in size, more a priory. A church stands next to the ruin and in the churchyard is the grave of Freddie Trueman a famous English cricketer. Lots of people come to Bolton Abbey because of the beautiful surroundings that it's set in, stepping stones cross the river and it's a summer treat for children to try to cross them with their parents. By the time we got there it was practically deserted, all the better for us.

On Tuesday we spent the day at Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters. I'm biased, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are amongst my favorite works of literature. The parsonage is set out as the sisters would have known it and many of their belongings have been tracked down and put on display. The couch were Emily died is in place, the father saw all of his six children die before him, Charlotte being the last.

[charliechaplinfan]

There is also a Victorian village and church outside the parsonage, the apothecary where Branwell bought his laudanum and the Pub where he supped are still there. The graveyard has some very old stones in them, in the Bronte's time Haworth suffered badly because the water wasn't very sanitary and the parson made it his job to improve the lot of his parishoners. The Bronte's aside it's an interesting look at Victorian life.

After this we went to Saltaire, it's a town built by the industrialist Titus Salt for his workers. A philanthropist who cared about his workers he built his village away from the factory so the workers would not have to suffer from the fumes, he built good quality properties and a school. All the houses have back yards, not the back to back houses and shared privies that were common at the time, his workers were looked after. There is a variation in the properties, to reflect the level of worker, the bigger houses being reserved for the overseers. Very interesting.

I didn't leave our my home town, Hedvig took the kids to school with me every morning, she saw my church which dates to 1774 and best of all, we took her along the canal path to one of the most famous institutes here, an award winning ice cream parlour.

Wednesday was our last day together. We headed up to the Lake District, a vast area of beauty. Starting at Keswick we visited the Castlerigg stone circle, a mini Stonehenge, then we came South past Thirlmere lake to Grasmere, past Wordsworth's house and on to Beatrix Potter's house, Hill Top House which is set in the most beautiful countryside, I could picture msny of the scenes the books from just standing there. Typically the film starring Renee Zellwegger did not use Hill Top but another farm some distance away, why when Hill Top was splendid I don't know. After Hill Top we retraced our steps and went the scenic way down Lake Coniston most famous for being Donald Campbell's watery resting place until he was found in 2001 and laid to rest. Each time I go back to the Lakes I'm blown away by the scale of their beauty. I find them difficult to describe and much more difficult to photograph adequately. For me it was like another holiday and it was lovely to absorb all the history and grandeur of these places with someone who is as much a fan as I am.