Norah Lofts Message Board
Djo posts on 12/26/2008 7:37:39 PM
I've lived in New Jersey, USA since last December. Before that I lived mainly in Bristol, in the south-west of England.
Have you got a bit of snow round your way Cassie?
Cassie posts on 12/26/2008 7:01:31 PM
I live in Western Washington, USA. Where do you all live?
Djo posts on 12/26/2008 12:15:00 PM
Hello everyone, I hope you all had a good Christmas. Mary - when we first moved here I swore I would remain English in my speech, but with two daughters under 5 I find I have had to modify my approach. My elder daughter is at nursery school and is quickly adopting American words and pronunciation. In fact she tells me off when I use certain English words! I try to ensure that they now both the American and English versions. There is one American word I love 'rutabaga' - I thought I'd discovered a new veg. Imagine my disappointment when I found it was just the common swede. Oh well!!
Cassie - Thomas Hardy is a good author. I remember enjoying 'Far from the Madding Crowd' most of all. 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' and 'The Trumpet Major' I also enjoyed. I gave up on 'Jude the Obscure', mainly because I dropped the book in the bath by mistake!! Daphne du Maurier has written some good books, she is worth a try if you haven't read any of her stuff.
Cassie posts on 12/26/2008 11:10:39 AM
I wondered about the baby talk too! I figured someone must have done a lot if it for them to put that in there.
Also, why can't you put a subject in the subject line. I almost want to just to see what happens!
I do really like this board and I've promoted it in my workplace's book swap.
Gabi posts on 12/25/2008 10:31:11 PM
I find the punctuation very arbitrary and inconsistent. I suggest everyone write to The Feedback (see right column) and ask for an Update. It's is too difficult to get the emphasis on just the right word or phrase this way. By the time you've finished, it's completely unintelligible. Whoah, 3 big words in one paragraph. (Go on, moderator, I dare you)
Barbara H posts on 12/25/2008 9:50:10 PM
I'm only really sending this for the pleasure of using the apostrophe for making quotation marks. Thank you Gabi. And yes, what bliss if there was away to double check typos, so annoying . In fact I sent in a post as Anonymous recently ,not from any desire to remain hidden but form an anxious cut-and paste job to try and not lose text! .
Cassie, please keep visiting, even when a depression hits - we'll be here ! I know what you mean by seeing really clever analyis and/or erudite stuff too. I look on it as good reason to re-read whatever it was and to see what Mary (or whoever) saw there. Was it you said that you had never heard of Thomas Hardy? What a treat you have in store . Make sure you find a place 'far from the madding crowd' when you start..
By the way, while we are on odd idiosyncrsies of this posting board, does anyone else find it odd that baby talk is specifically prohibited? I mean it would be annoying , no doubt, if it happened often, but who would use it so much that an actual ban was needed I wonder? Foul language yes, or sexist or racist language , but baby talk?
Gabi posts on 12/25/2008 6:48:24 PM
I belong to a Craft page and they give you a panel above the message box with seven tools to use. Bold,Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Links, Pictures & Files. This sort of written punctuation turns up as you first type it in your message box. But what is supposes to happen is, once you post it, or send it, or add it, the punctuation is there.
Some things like underlining or italics etc, you can normally do with your keyboard control key. Dont try it here, you will lose the lot.
Yes, the webmaster really needs to correct this. If you want a successful page, people have to be able to emphasize certain words to make the particular point needed.
I would say we need at least one of Italic, Underline or Bold plus Spellcheck. You can use the apostrophe for Quote marks, I think.
I'll do it before I 'drop out'. There, it's in. Get it?
Cassie posts on 12/25/2008 4:13:38 PM
Mary,
Aye Aye! on the punctuation. This is a really primitive posting system. But I love this board just the same.
I've never heard of Thomas Hardy before. Maybe I'll check him out!
Merry Christmas!
Mary posts on 12/25/2008 12:52:27 PM
DJO, I don't think it would be bad form to mention other authors on this site! After all, we don't read in a vacuum, and one author reminds us of others. (BTW, you've been on this side of the ocean only a year and you're saying "I guess" already? Tch!)
And Cassie, your "happy ever after but for one small thing" has to remind us of Thomas Hardy, whom NL has always reminded me of, although she's blessedly less bitter!
Finally, dear webmaster or mistress, isn't there a way for more actual punctuation marks to show up on our posts? Am I the only one who cringes to see her quotation marks rendered the way they currently are? And could there be a way for us to edit out our typos that we don;t catch until they're posted?
Cassie posts on 12/24/2008 9:48:18 AM
I feel better now.
I'm finding it difficult to find some of the books at our local library. I had to join the City library to be able to find the "Domestic Life in England" book.
I feel really ignorant after reading some of the posts here. I always felt like I was a really big fan of NL but then I get on here and so many people know so much more and have read and re-read her books more recently and I feel like a very amateur "purveyor" of NL books.
I like learning what other people find significant, things that I might have skimmed over without even noticing.
I remember reading the Maude Reed Tale when I was young and then I read another, longer version. I think that's when I really knew that I loved her work.
Sometimes I have to take a break because I get a little depressed. I've noticed that there are many "near misses" in her books. The characters would live happily ever after but for some small thing. It can get a little depressing.
I hope to hear from you! And I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
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