I watched Random Harvest last night for the hundredth time. I love the old corney shows I guess. I can relax with them after reading the news!

Callie - The Amazing Mrs. Maisel, is one that I'd never heard of . . . but now that I have, I'll make a point of watching it.  Let us know when your granddaughter will be on the show, so we can make sure to catch that episode.

I do like some of the programming on Amazon, but can't think of anything now except for the series, The Man in the High Castle, that we both like a lot.  I think Bosch, is on that channel?  I don't care for it, but AJ watches it. It's adapted from the books by Michael Connelly, which he likes, but I don't.

Gloria de - I didn't see Random Harvest, yesterday, but I probably watch the movies on TCM, more than anything else on television.  Like you, I find them to be very soothing, and sometimes filled with memories!  The musicals are wonderful . . . they don't make them like that anymore!  The dramas are great and the comedies are usually fun to watch.   

Marilyne, Harry Bosch is one of my favorite detectives.  He is now retired and working part-time on closed cases that were never solved.  His daughter is now in college and an excellent student.  Her mother died (I think in some nefarious murder scheme--but don't really remember).  She didn't tell Bosch about his daughter until the child was 10 or 11 years old.  The daughter and Harry are very close now.

Sue

I am watching the series
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" now  on
Amazon Prime.   

I absolutely adore it.  I find it interesting,  light hearted, 
with the best music.....  so many great songs from
the 40's and 50's...   As well as the styles.   Especially the
hats  and clothes..   

I recommend it, highly!

Sandy

Sandy - Thanks for more information on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".  I was planning to take a look, in hopes of seeing Callie's granddaughter . . . but now I have even more reasons to be interested.  My favorite music is from the 40's and 50's, and I love the clothes, shoes, hats, etc.  I remember it all, and never miss an opportunity to revisit my former life!

IF the scene doesn't get cut, Ellen will be in the season finale.  She told her Mom she's in a scene in a diner.  She has red hair but told her Mom she's wearing a hat.  Maybe I'll know more by the time that episode comes on.

Tonite is Episode 2 of The Miniaturist on PBS.  Starts in 3 minutes.  I loved the lst episode. 

I'm watching The Miniaturist, TomeReader1, but it is pretty grim.  I am going to look for the book when I go to the library on Friday.  I just found a 2 year old book club notice of recommended books which were to be discussed and The Miniaturist was on it.  That was the year I had a bad fall from a ladder and was in 3 different hospitals for treatment and therapy.  I'm glad I didn't live in the era of the Miniaturist!

Sue

Quote from: Marilyne on September 13, 2018, 03:05:39 PM
Sandy - Thanks for more information on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".  I was planning to take a look, in hopes of seeing Callie's granddaughter . . . but now I have even more reasons to be interested.  My favorite music is from the 40's and 50's, and I love the clothes, shoes, hats, etc.  I remember it all, and never miss an opportunity to revisit my former life!

I think that you will really enjoy this ...  I am loving it and it was before my time (born in 1943)  I am looking forward to the next season, should there be one.

Callie - Looks like your grand-daughter lucked out, by getting a small part in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!  As I'm sure you know, the show won more Emmy Awards, than any other nominated show.

I can understand why it's so popular . . . A unique plot, truly funny dialogue, and great characters.  I think Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Midge, (Mrs Maisel), is "marvelous", and deserves the award for Best Actress in a Comedy.  AJ likes Tony Shalhoub, ("Abe"). We both remember him from his years of playing Monk.  Kevin Pollak, who plays the other father, "Moishe", is hilarious. 

Anyone who has Amazon Prime, can access the Amazon Channel.  I highly recommend it - not only this show, but many others as well.

Marilyne,  she's in rehearsals now for a community theater production of Cabaret - performances over three weekends in October.  So I haven't tried to visit with her about her "extra" experience.
From what her mom says,  I suspect that, if you don't catch her red hair in the background, you won't know you've seen her in "....Mrs. Maisel".   

Callie - I haven't come to the end of season #1 of Mrs. Maisel,  so I haven't seen your granddaughter yet.  We're following three or four different series right now, and we change back and forth. (sometimes a movie is added). We don't like to "binge watch" a series, so try to space the episodes out over time.

We finished season #1 of Ozark, about a week ago, but haven't started on Season #2 yet.  By the end of the season, I was liking it better than I did at first, but find many of the storylines, a bit "hard to swallow".  However, it is good, with some excellent acting by all the characters. 

I see that Game of Thrones, is returning in November.  We've followed it for years, and will continue to do so.  However, I hope that this season is the final one.  The same applies to both Homeland, and Ray Donovan, which return in October.  Both of those were excellent shows, but have run out of credible stories.  However, I'm fond of some of the characters in the shows, so will watch, and hopes that we can bid them farewell in 2018.

Marilyne, she will be in the finale of Season 2 and, from what I've read on-line, I'm not sure it's begun airing. Information said there will "probably" be 8 episodes.

I started watching the series "Anne with an E" on Netflix but keep getting distracted.   I think it's the new season of "Anne of Green Gables".
Now I see that the premiere of "Anne of Green Gables Fire and Dew" will begin...oops!.... in about 10 minutes on my PBS station.  In this series, she goes away to school.
Better get to the t.v. and see what happens.......

Marilyne and Callie, I watched an episode of "Anne of Green Cables" last night on my PBS station.  Anne is a young lady now and the handy man played by (famous actor whose name I've forgotten!) died in this episode.  She has come home now and is teaching at a local school.  Anne looks far too young to be a teacher (IMO!).  It's an interesting story, though.  I read Anne of Green Gables in the original version when I was a pre-teen.  My grandmother owned the first book and my sisters and I lived with her when we were young.  I liked the novel and enjoyed this version, although Anne didn't meet my expectations.

Sue

I still have a very old Anne of Green Gables book that is falling apart.  The original version of Anne that were televised many years ago on PBS were just wonderful.  It spoiled me and I didn’t think the new Anne fit the part at all.  I watched the first episodes on Netflix but didn’t bother with the second group of episodes.

Sue, that's the one I watched and I agree about Anne (and Gilbert) looking way too young to be teachers - even "back in their day".
I am watching the second season of Netflix episodes.  I prefer the character portrayals on this one.
I'm sure I must have read "Anne of Green Gables" when I was young - but I'm equally sure I never pictured her (or her friends) as "nicey-nice" as they are in the PBS series or the Netflix series.

I visited the "Green Gables" homestead while on a tour of Nova Scotia; looks the same as the outside scenes in the shows.
  After the tour of the house/barn/etc.,  our tour guide (wearing an "Anne" straw hat with red braids attached) served Raspberry Cordial to the group - but it didn't have the same effect it had on Anne and her girlfriends! 
We also saw a Charlottetown theater production of a musical based on the story.

Like Green Gables original, The Secret Garden was my first book, I saw the first TV Movie and it was good, followed the story, but then they kept adding to the end, was like a new story. Saw it in a summer playhouse and it was down right awful. We were told all the people dressed in gray were dead people. I do not remember any dead people in the original, except the mother. It was my favorite childhood book,  2 years  ago my DIL gave me a new copy for Christmas

It's amazing that so many of us can remember favorite books from the past.  I wish I had the copy of Anne of Green Gables that first belonged to my grandmother.  I'd love to reread the original. 

Do any of you follow the new program about books on PBS?  I don't remember the name of the program, but PBS is promoting reading of many classics and I have read a lot of them, but there are many on the list I've not read.

Lately I've been reading Naval novels set during the Napoleonic Wars.  Dewey Lambdin is the author of the ones I'm currently reading.  The main character is a rogue--but interesting and he has some good points.  However, he is a married man with a nice family--but is still a womanizer when away from home.  You might find this part discomfiting, but in the end, he usually comes back around to being a good family man.

I also like novels by C.S. Harris who is a female who lives in New Orleans.  She writes about characters who live in London following the wars with France during Napoleon's reign. 

I think being a lifelong reader is such a joy.  I'm happy to say that my sons all in their 50's and approaching 60 still like to read.  However, the oldest is a Dean at SIUE and doesn't seem to have the time for recreational reading now.

Happy Reading. Every Buddy!
Sue

Sue, my sons both like to read. My mother took me to the library at and early age, of course at my age 94 you made up something to play with, listen to the radio or would read.

Reading books was a huge part of my childhood, and I was fortunate to live near a city library with a large children's section, so I always had access to books.  I also had an aunt and uncle, who gave me a present of a book every birthday and Christmas . . . so I accumulated a nice library of my own, that consisted of many children's classics.  Some of them I read over and over again, and I still love them. 

I especially remember loving Heidi, by Johanna Spyri.  I day-dreamed of being Heidi, and what it would be like, living in the Swiss Alps, with a grandfather like, The Alm Uncle.  I also fantasized a lot about being Becky Thatcher, in Tom Sawyer, or Mary, in The Secret Garden. 
I still do the same thing when I read fiction . . . I relate to one of the characters, and live the story through her (or his) eyes. 

If I get started naming my favorite fictional characters from childhood, I'll be writing all day, so I'm hoping that some of you will tell us about your favorites from childhood fiction?  I can see that many of you liked Anne, from Anne of Green Gables.  I can't believe that I missed reading that series when I was young, but somehow I did!  I do remember my older daughter reading them, and I still have an old copy of Anne of Avonlea here, that my mother gave her in the late 1960's.  Maybe I'll read it now . . . it's never too late!

My New Orleans grandsons used to spend the month of June with me and July with their other grandmother when they were pre-school and early elementary age because both parents worked daily and they couldn't afford sitters.  The boys had to return to school in early August, so that worked out for their parents.  I usually tried to take them on a road trip of at least a week, so we saw lots of new and different things while traveling.  Now both of them are in college on scholarships and the oldest will graduate in June from Birmingham Southern U. here in Alabama.  He hasn't mentioned to me what he will do after that--maybe he'll go on to graduate school if he gets a grant or scholarship.  The younger one is on scholarship at LSU (Louisiana State University) not far from their home in the New Orleans area.  He was a sophomore this year and wants to teach mathematics when he graduates.

Sue

Marilyne,  I was reading before I started to school - probably because I sat with my Dad while he read to me and learned to follow the words.  I still have the story book from which he read.

I also have the set of A. A. Milne books (all the "Pooh" books plus two of poems) and  "The Story of Dr. Doolittle" I was given as a child.  I gave my matched set of "Little Women",  "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys" to the granddaughter who is a "reader".

   I have one of the many Nancy Drew mysteries I loved - plus an autographed copy of Frances Parkinson Keyes'  "Once On Esplanade" that my aunt sent me while she was living in Louisiana.  Not sure but this may have been the only novel FPK wrote for "young people".
Have never quite forgiven my Mother (not really  ) for giving away my entire set of Bobbsey Twin books to a younger friend.  She and I still see each other occasionally and I still tease her about giving them back; she always says "when I clean out the attic....".

Sue,  I took each of my 3 grandchildren to an Intergenerational Elderhostel the summer after their 9th birthday.  They are siblings and fairly close in age so this was a very special one-on-one time for us.  They are now "20-somethings" and scattered across the country.

I now read e-books I can get on loan from the OKC Metro Library.  Started trying to keep a data base of ones I read and suspect I may be getting to the list limit and will have to start a second one.

In the meantime - did anyone watch the new season of DWTS that started Monday night?  The contestants are pretty good but I'm a little weary of the same old program format.   Now they're starting a Junior DWTS series but I really don't like seeing children prancing around like that.

At 94 I still love to read, I have lost most of my hearing, but God forbid I lose my sight and cannot read.  Iuse to play my organ, but now never, the computer took its place

Callie, yes I still watch DWTS. I seem to have lost a little interest, now it seems to be the skinny one who can wiggle against a more mature group, I guess it sounds again like my age talking

Callie - I also learned to read before I went to school.  Those of us who had a parent or grandparent who read books to us on a regular basis, learned to follow the words on the page, as they were being read. I can remember the actual day that I realized I could read the book myself!  It was a revelation, that amazed me at the time.  From then on, I was a reader.

I decided not to watch this season DWTS, so didn't tune in on Monday night.  I didn't know who any of the stars were, except for Mary Lou Renton. As you said, the format of the show is getting pretty worn and tired.  I think they're having a hard time getting "star" contestants that anyone has ever heard of or cares about watching.

Sue - Looks like your two grandsons are doing very well.  My youngest grandchild - Jessica, graduated from LSU last June. (2017) She's a native Californian, but she quickly learned to love Louisiana, and had a wonderful four years there.  She graduated with a degree in Human Resources, and is now living in San Francisco, and has a great job working for one of the Silicon Valley tech companies. 

Both my Mother and Father were
avid readers...  In fact,  everyone in the family
seemed to always have their face in a book...   

Good way to escape,  (I guess).. better
then having to communicate with each other,
when we didn't seem to have too much
in common except the love of books.. 

Sandy

as I wrote before my mother got me a library card early in life and I read good books, BUT about 10 I started reading True Story, Modern Romance I am not sure my mother rekizedit,she did leave them laying around.  They were a little education, but I think I still turned out OK

I knew John S from the Dukes and seeing him on Hallmark the gymnast also I remember . Teaching as to be hard on the both of them. I cannot seewhere they can go with choreography, if he has to hold on to her all the time

When my grandsons were still spending June with me, I bought most of the Harry Potter books which Alex loved, but Nic preferred his computer--which I found appalling.  He is still very into that and doesn't read as much recreationally as I'd like, but as my sons tell me, "different strokes for different folks!".  My oldest son who is a Dean at SIUE in Illinois reads a lot for his job, but not so much for entertainment any more.  However, Tim the middle son who lives in the next town to mine reads a lot as does Jon, our youngest who is the father of Alex and Nic. 

Tim takes me Kroger shopping, the library, and out to lunch on Fridays as he is self employed and saves that time for me.  He has pointed out some of his favorite authors and I am beginning to enjoy the ones he likes, too.

Enough blathering for this evening.  Have a nice evening and enjoy whatever you might be reading now.

Sue

I did most of my reading the first 50
years of my life,  until I got introduced to computers.

Then my reading switched over to the computer.   
When I lost much of my vision five years ago,  I
turned my "reading" with my eyes over
to"listening"  with my ears.   

I have already spoken about how very
different those two experiences are,  so I won't
elaborate.   

I do still visually read on my computer, but in
a much limited way....     

It is all good.  At least I am still in touch
and feel connected ...   I hope that I can maintain
my visiual and auditory abilities as my life
matures..   

Sandy 

Sandy - Great that you're still enjoying reading, even though you've had to make  some adjustments.  My eyes are dependent on about 10 different pairs of glasses that are scattered around the house . . . reading, computer, TV, driving, and general distant viewing.  Sunglasses to go outside, even for brief periods, are a must. Needless to say, I get all of these glasses mixed up and I'm constantly searching throughout the house for the right pair for the correct usage! 

My husband has all the same eye problems, but different corrections, so when I say that every flat surface in our house is covered with eyeglasses, I'm not exaggerating.  Well, I know we are fortunate that we can still read, drive, enjoy TV and get around, so I try not to complain.

Movies I watched this week, that I think you all would enjoy:

Last night we watched a TCM comedy from 1943, The More the Merrier, Starring Jean Arthur, Charles Coburn and Joel McCrea.  I get a kick out of this oldie, and usually watch it whenever it rolls around on Turner.  One of those movies, that's referred to as a “screwball comedy” . . . along the lines of  It happened One Night.  If you get a chance to see it, it will make you feel good, and you will enjoy the lighthearted story, as well as the cute 1940’s clothes worn by Jean Arthur.

Other old movies I've watched recently are:  Lost in Yonkers, 1993, a Neil Simon Broadway play, that was made into this wonderful film.  Lots of Oscar nominations here, and all well deserved.  It takes place in Yonkers, during the War Years. The two lead women in the movie, also starred in the Tony Award winning play . . .  the stern mother, and the semi-retarded adult daughter.  The two young teen boys were marvelous. And Richard Dreyfuss was very good. Highly recommended!

If you like Film Noir style movies from the late 1940’s, Where The Sidewalk Ends, is a good one.  Directed by Otto Preminger, It stars Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney and many actors who became stars in later years - Craig Stevens, Karl Malden,and others.  The musical soundtrack is good - mostly classical music by Mozart and Beethoven.