Croix Parler

[Croix]

I'd like to use this pace for miscellaneous matters that don't fit elsewhere

Thanks

Croix

[Croix]

Dear Shelly Anne~

What a pleasure to see you here, there's never any need to knock - you are welcome anytime.

It's funny how people see things, I like you image of this place, though I think you probably missed a few bookcases, this place is full of them:)

Thank you also for the flowers and refreshments - most fitting . However the big thanks goes to you telling about your reading, Sydney Baldwin's book sounds a refreshing tale with a moral. When I've finished my current heap of books I might see if it is the library.

That reminds me, you mentioned before you did not know the origin of your picture of the young lady - would you like to know?

Croix

[SubduedBlues]

Es-tu Père Noël, Criss-cross, et Winnie l'ourson ?

Canadian French? No, but I did learn a few French words from chasing a Cajun girl once. I speak/understand barely enough to have a conversation in Welsh and Spanish. I also learnt how to say "Excuse me sir/ma'am/miss, I don't speak XXXX, do you speak English" in French, German, Dutch, Italian, Portugese and Russian. e.g. Pardon Monsieur, je ne parle pas Francais, parle vous Englais? Not so much now days, most everybody speaks some English, but traveling Europe back in the 70s/80s this was very useful.

Had a quick look at Google for its Welsh, its sort of there, but comes out rather mechanical. For example to say "I know some Welsh", I'd write "Rwy'n gwybod peth Cymraeg" but google says "Yr wyf yn gwybod rhywfaint o Gymraeg"

I have been endeavouring to become more fluent in Welsh, and learn Gaelic at the same time. The languages are about as similar as hopping and skipping, they both move you along but are a pain in the arse to do for a long time. I am hoping to spend a couple months touring the British Isles later this year. And being the person that prefers to experience the small towns over the big cities, I think it'll come in handy to know. Also, I want to visit the towns my brother discovered we have distant relatives from.

I'll have a look for Peter Corris. At the moment I am reading Clive Cussler's latest, Odessa Sea.

SB

[Croix]

Salut SB~

Winnie l'ourson - hélas pas, je suis vieux, désabusée, comme Lemmy Caution en Alphaville.

I was in France for a while in the 50's, went to school in Les Mainsons-Alphorts. Sadly it is all gone. I get a most weird feeling when I'm about to say something - and it is just not there, gone - vanished. The structure of the sentence remains, but the words have flown. I resort to translation most of the time - quel malheur 😞

As for Welsh, I only resurrected a few words to wish Gruffudd a happy Xmas, - did not have all that many to start with. I used to sit in copper decked kitchens listening to my Nain talking 20 to the dozen to my numerous aunties, there would often be a pause in the conversation and they would swivel their heads to look at me, then swivel back and resume their chatter. I never did know half of what that was all about.

Why on earth did you pick Welsh?

The book you mentioned to me arrived at the Library Friday, so I'll pick it up on Monday and see what it's like. I've all Clive Cussler's ficton books here, except I'm not so keen on his Oregon Files and Fargo Adventures, I've read them, but prefer Dirk Pitt and Issac Bell. I think a lot depends on who has has as co-author.

While swapping authors; Stephen Coonts writes, nowadays, in a similar style. His first book, Flight of the Intruder, about Vietnam flight operations, highlighted his personal experiences, but over time his hero , Jake Grafton, has morphed into the Thriller Genre, à la Dirk Pitt.

Peter Corris is interesting as a home-grown noir detective author whose protagonist (hero might be being too kind) roams Sydney and environs.

In your travels I'd recommend Holyhead -if it is anything like I remember, sadly it may all have changed/progressed.

À plus tard !

Croix

[Guest_1055]

Hello Mr Croix, .

Thank you for the welcome, I just walked straight in this time....

Yes I would like to know the origin of the picture, how does one actually find out?

And because I don't know a lot about you, except that you are an ex policeman. Do you work in a library? I think I read that somewhere but I cannot be certain though.

Hello dear Dottie, thank you I felt welcomed by you also.

[Croix]

Dear Shelley Anne~

Fancy walking straight in - welcome! It's really nice to talk to you.

There was an author named Martha Finley who lived in the 19th century. She was a schoolteacher and wrote a series of books about a little girl called Elsie Dinsmore. Your picture shows Elsie on the cover of the book called Elsie's Friends at Woodburn (written in 1887). If you know how to use WikiPedia you can find out more. All her books had morals.

No I have never worked in a library, though I probably have as many books as my little local branch library does. After I was invalided out of the police I studied and then was an educator at a uni.

My best wishes

Croix

[Just Sara]

Hi Croix;

Out late tonight, saying hello and letting you know I'm visiting with an evening snack consisting of several hard/soft cheeses, a selection of cold meats, dark seedless grapes, green apple and crusty bread straight from the oven.

My fave...King Island Camembert and fresh Pastrami on small slabs of ripped up bread. Very tasty but shocking on the waistline. Bah...!

I might include a bottle of local Merlot to wash it down, that's if you don't mind.

All's well in my realm as I hope it is in yours.

Sara the Just

[Guest_1055]

Are you okay Croix? I was wondering if you are a bit sad is all. I am sorry if you are...

Thank you for finding out about the picture too. I appreciate you doing that. I was actually pleasantly surprised to find out from where it come from. Shall I tell you... ? Well I have the first 12 volumes of the Elsie Dinsmore collection on my bookcase. They were re printed around 2009- The illustrations on the cover of these later ones are a bit more modern. Anyway that's pretty cool that I like the books but was also drawn to an actual illustration from the old edition and didn't even know from where it came.

So yeah thank you for that interesting info.

Also I want to thank you for another reason, you mentioned something really kind about me on a new member s thread Steph. I don't know what else to say about it but thank you!

Shell

[Croix]

Dear Sara the J~

Ta for the feast - urp, uses napkin - pardon me.

With my limited knowledge of biology I always wonder where the next generation of seedless grapes will come from

C

[Croix]

Dear Shell~

Yes I'm ok now, was a bit down for a while and did not sleep well - that's not unusual around here, but I'm good. Thanks for asking, it's really nice to have been asked.

A bit of irony for you, that book is number 13, so if you had just one more - of the original series I guess - you would have known where it came from.

BTW Wikipedia lists where on the web you can find all the ones you don't have, so if you look up Elsie Dinsmore in Wikipedia you will know too. They are so old they are in the public domain and free to read , just open the web page concerned and there you are.

Have you ever read any books by Louisa M Alcott such as Little Women - I think they may be the sort you might like?

Croix

[Croix]

Dear Dottie, Sara et al.~

Sumo cat is most definitely (ex)male with magnificent whiskers and a most regal manner. A faux-Siamese in XXXXXL

Yes, what can I say, Futuristic’s Music Saved My Life is exactly it – and in its reflection I worry a little less about you (I’m sorry, I’m human)

It starts to getting more and more desperate then climaxes and finds a reason to go on – what more could one one want. The sax relaxes from the tension. I think it actually was from Mr Beck’s life experience.

Completely to one side the opening vocal note reminds me just a little of the start of the vocal (a bit into the track) of Ogi No Mato (the folding fan as a target). I doubt you would like it. William Tell retold à la Nippon.

That sax did lead me on to another contemplative piece, Vangelis’ Opera Sauvage – Rêve, again probably not your taste - still you never know, I like Vangelis.

As to the four you mentioned before I really liked the first one; Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black. Genuine and just a little earthy – though why they had to hit a bell as a sort of musical censor in the middle of line 2 of the first stanza – trust small minds to miss the art.

It – because both of the title and also the subject matter - reminded me of The Rolling Stones’ Paint It, Black, one of my favorites. But then I’ve always been hooked on ‘Vietnam’ music. I did not go there thank god.

Birdy's Skinny Love – The clip I watched had a young lady (Birdy) playing the piano, appropriate. It has a sort of insistence about it and is melancholy (surprise!:)

Another gentle melancholy - All I Want (Kodaline), good, but not quite as good for me as the previous two. Guitar is your other instrument – so appropriate too. Lyrics “Took my soul and wiped it clean” reminds me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Florence and the Machine was ok, though I found post-punk and religion an unusual mix. Chacun à son gout rules I guess.

Talking of minds there are two versions of Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective. Quirky, surreal, noir. The 1986 Michael Gambon version I like because it has clips that exactly remind me of being a schoolboy in England in the 50’s – not something I’d guess you relate to 🙂 The Robert Downey Jr film in 2003 is a better version otherwise.

Care

Croix