Thirty Days hath September

I had memorized this poem as a girl, to help me with the days of each month. As I learned it, I would get stuck around February and then the rhyme of the poem sort of fell apart:

Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November

All the rest have thirty-one,

Except for February; it alone has twenty-eight,

and in a leap year it has twenty-nine.

It was fun to find this article, with some better endings!

Except for February alone...

Which hath twenty-eight days clear,
And twenty-nine in each leap year,
or
Which has eight and a score
Until leap year gives it one day more,
or
Which hath but twenty-eight, in fine,
Till leap year make it twenty-nine.

Movie Review: Northanger Abbey

By Miss dePoint, The Pleasant Times movie critic.






Fountaine Abbey, Yorkshire


I hope you all missed the movie last night. I should have warned you that it wasn't worth it. The last time I saw a Northanger Abbey movie (the 1986 version), I consented to not only throw it away, but burn it. This one might be in the same category. If anyone finds this review while shopping to buy or try the movie, my advice is, find a better movie.

This version wasn't as bad as the last (1986), but it still wasn't good.
True, it followed the book nicely. The actress was pretty and I liked her hairstyle and her dresses, and she did an okay scatterbrained Catherine. And I liked the way that Henry was portrayed (he put some humor into it). The frustrating Thorpes were cast very well-- the brother was suitably creepy, but he swore too much. The music was a little more on cue, but still not right. The movie was not rushed along, but went at a good pace to allow people to figure out all the characters (there are a lot and one could get confused). The acting was, I think, not too professional.

If one has read Northanger Abbey, and found it amusing rather than offensive, then they would not have liked the junk added to this film. I think that movie people should leave Northanger to the page, and not try to make a film out of it. They do it ill.

The book was making fun of the Gothic novels of Jane Austen's time, and poke fun at girls who get too caught up reading them. Those of us with over-active imaginations who liked to read all day can understand the humor. I am not sure the movie portrayed that humor well enough for people who have not read the book, and get the point.

And besides all this, it put the person I was watching it with to sleep.

If you really want to know about Northanger Abbey, go read the book.

I found that I enjoyed a movie that came on the TV the other night a lot more- minus the violent scenes- about Stanley and Livingstone: "Forbidden Territory: Stanley's search for Livingstone." It was done over a decade ago, and I wasn't' sure if I would like it, but it wasn't too bad (for adults). This film along with "Amazing Grace" would be an interesting double feature, as they both have to do with the abolition of slavery in England and have some real inspiring heroes to think about (Livingstone and Wilberforce). It would also be some movies that the men of the house would consent to watch (as they always like guns and heroism). The story of Stanley finding the missionary Livingstone is probably not in the modern history books, but it was in mine and I think it is a fascinating one.

Some Things Better Left Undone

By The Pleasant Times Resident Etiquette Expert

I was out and about doing errands today, and was waited upon at a sandwich shop by a young man and a young lady with the oddest ear-rings in their ears. They looked like large plastic buttons. By the time I had my sandwich and was up at the cash register, I could see plainly that what these young people were doing was forming holes in their ears. Not the little pin-prick holes that come from earrings, but actual large holes.

As you can imagine, I was appalled.

Some compassionate person needs to talk to the poor misguided souls about what they are doing to themselves. I wanted to ask the young man if he was working at the sandwich shop to save money for the future when he would need cosmetic surgery to fix all the things he was doing to himself now? Not rudely, of course, but just out of concern (It is rather funny, but one does not want to bring up a subject that would embarrass another person, yet here is that person embarrassing themselves voluntarily).

And yes, I know that in other world cultures people have done such things for centuries. Some things were considered a sign of beauty. But that does not make it right. Certainly people of other cultures were beautiful, but they were beautiful because of how God made them, not because of what they did to themselves. What will come into fashion next, flattening heads? I'm sorry, but even if the whole world thinks that something is beautiful or fashionable, if it is not right, it should not be done. God made us with our ears just the shape they are. And they are beautiful that way. If he had wanted to, he could have made it to where our earlobes developed large round holes as soon as we became adolescents. But he didn't. So we shouldn't. Re-forming our bodies in ways that God did not intend is not right.

Anyway, I wonder why these young folk are not thinking about the future. They may not always have the same friends, the same tastes, want to follow the same styles, or lifestyles. Ten years from now, will a pretty, decent, well-behaved girl be attracted to a fellow with large ear-lobes with holes in them, or even with large plastic earrings? I doubt it. Since they do not know how their life will change, would it not be safer to leave their bodies alone so as not to suffer embarrassment or expense in the future?

How many people have regretted the tattoo that they felt so proud of! And what a lot of expense and anxiety it caused later on in life. Perhaps young people feel that they know what they want for sure, but they do not realize how their tastes will change someday. I would suggest that they stay away from anything that would alter them from what they naturally look like--from tattoos to holes in their bodies to hair colors.

Just the other day a companion of mine was asking me when I thought that body-piercing would go out of style. It does seem to hang on, disgusting as it is. Young people who pierce their noses and tongues certainly show that they can be dedicated and loyal to some things-- it must take a lot of patience for the wounds to heal from trying to eat with a pierced tongue, or sticking sharp things up your nose. It is too bad that they cannot steer that dedication and loyalty to making their world better, instead of injuring themselves and turning people off.

And, yes, it does turn people off. If I went to the store with a piece of spaghetti hanging from my mouth, as I certainly have the right to do, people would think that I was a loony and would steer clear of me. It would alienate people from me. I could say that everyone was rude for giving me looks or not wanting to talk to me. I could complain that people had no right to say anything about the way I chose to walk around with spaghetti hanging from my mouth, and should just accept me for who I am. And that is what most polite people are trying to do, difficult as it is. However, it would be a purely selfish way to behave. It would be most impolite.

Let me repeat, in case someone missed it, that to appear in public in such a way as to make others ill, is impolite. If people absolutely must wear rings on their tongues and other parts of their body, why don't they do it in the privacy of your own home, and not wear them to work?Though, in my opinion, it should not be done at all...why would anyone want to put holes in their heads?

Quick Container Wrap

By Lillibeth H.

Here is a quick way to dress up a nursery plant for giving, or to display before planting. Sometimes annuals in four-inch pots make good decorations for tea parties, wedding or baby showers or other events, and can be nice take-home favors.

Start with a twelve-inch piece of scrapbook paper, or card stock, to match the flower or decor. Stiff wrapping paper can also be used.

Here is the plant we are "wrapping", a magenta primrose.

Here you see some marks to show you where the paper is folded. Fold into thirds one way, then thirds the other way, and crease. Then take the corners and fold up in a triangular fashion...

...like so. Tape the corner shut where needed, with invisible tape. Try to do this with one or two small pieces of tape so that it is not so noticeable (one doesn't want tape showing all over the pretty paper!). Or if you have more time try gluing it.

Do all four corners in the same fashion and line the bottom with a plastic sandwich bag or other temporary liner. Set the plant inside. This is definitely not a permanent planter, you may want to take the plant out to water it if you are planning on using the paper container for

a longer time.