h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

About the HP vs LOTR discussion I agreed with immensely! I work part time in a library and a few years ago for required reading the kids would actually measure the books to pick the skinniest ones on the list. Now if they have a HP book on the list they will go straight to that one or ask for the next volume, not bothering about the size of the book.

I enjoy them as well, I read them first because my son was in second grade when he wanted to start reading them and i wanted to check them out myself to see if they were appropriate for him. He has gone on to read all the rest & read through The Hobbit at age 8. I suspect the length of the book hasn't thrown him off yet.

It is as you say, a great escape from the mundane. Anything to keep my mind off of housework, animal chores, and other bothersome things is a great thing to me!
Thank you for your comments!
-gobie

eek I'll have to check what I said... and where I said it!!

I'm now about to start reading a new book to the Gruesome Twosome (gawds, I hate the school system here that almost forbids reading before the 1st grade...) and I can't decide between The Hobbit and Wind in the Willows.

When I was Gruesome #1s age I read King Solomon's Mines and The Count of Monte Christo. She's happy if she can stumble through the German equivalent of See Spot Run...

But being read to is another matter - they are begging and pleading for HP2, and I don't think I'll put it off too long.

and now, I will over to your space - I'm terribly nosey like that.

you are welcome to it! Of course, it is rather (y-a-w-n) boring. I am yearning to learn how to do all that snazzy html stuff to brighten up my space.
I'm hoping that when the kidlings go back to school (not soon enough for me)after the holiday I'm committing myself to studying the "spicing up your personal space" page and learning some tricks.

I love how you call them the gruesome twosome, I've taken to calling them frick and frack or whack-a-doo and whack-a-don't.

tee hee!

Ours have been back at school for just over a week - and the homework crises are multiplying exponentially. You wouldn't think it was 3rd grade stuff!!

As for (The World Famous) Gruesome Twosome, they are gruesome. And they come as a pair (although not twins). I think it may have come from Wacky Races - but now I'm showing my age!!

They were recently introduced to libraries - ours, rather inconveniently, seems to keep normal office hours, which is useless to me. So I have to buy books. :D But they were in England visiting my mum, and she took them to hers. Their Flabbers had never been so Gasted. They couldn't wait to tell me to go to a library "they're full of your favourite things, mum, and they have kids stuff too"
bless their little cotton socks

I was allowed a double quota of library tickets when I was #1's age. At the time kids only got 3. But that lasted me from saturday to Monday. So, after a few weeks of my begging, and after having tested me thoroughly on the contents of my three books, the librarian relented. And allowed me right into the grown up section. Pity my two don't take after me.

ho hum.

At our library everyone is allowed up to 20 books, however we don't really advertise that.Every now and then I will see an eager kidling check out 15 books and I just have a sinking feeling half of them will not be coming back. That thankfully is the exception rather than the rule.

I'm happy I work there, although I am happy to "pass" on my favorite authors in order to make certain patrons get to read the books first.

I saw your website, the flowers were very cute! Are the centers terra cotta pots? Do you paint the backs too? Do you buy the patterns or hand draw them?
Your kids are adorable! They made me smile!
I like to decorate cakes. I have taken some classes and enjoy making cakes for my kid's birthdays. I have made a number of wedding cakes for friends and relatives. But never anything for sale, I'm not that good!!

My mum used to run the garrison library when my dad was stationed in North Germany, and she loved it. It was very tiny and she read all the incoming books, and everything else besides. She had a whale of a time recommending books to young soldiers, crusty old officers, wives, kids, cleaners, assorted passers by... The usage went up so much in her time they were allocated more space and doubled their number of books. I helped her in the school holidays and it was like paradise, but I hated to see the books that I liked go out!

I'd like to run a little village library like that, but I wouldn't want to do it in German so it will remain my dream. Unless I set up an English book exchange (I've thought about that before).

Do libraries lose many books?

Oh, thanks for the comments on my website, it's about time I updated that.

The centres of the daffodils are indeed teracotta pots, I rather idiotically painted them, but they would have done just as well au naturel I think. People stop and point when they walk past sometimes, which is the general idea, since I'm trying to build up some stock of wooden stuff and sell it. If only I had the time (you know that, you are a working mum!) As for the patterns, I draw them freehand, except for the cow thing and the bee thing - they were from a magazine, but now I know how they go, I will make other figures too. I'm going to start with Halloween and move on to Christmas.

The Gruesomes do look adorable... they have their internationally famous name for a reason though.

You should consider selling cakes you know, just one or two to start, and then let it be known by word of mouth so you aren't swamped. My other half is a and he specialises in cakes and desserts. He's always being asked to do birthday/wedding/christening cakes, but never has the time, unfortunately. But then, of course, if you make it into a paying sideline business, it can suck some of the fun out of it.