i'm relieved to hear that a few others' kids would also be ok on the arcane objects.

DD5 loves paper maps, writes real letters every week (stamps!), is learning to touch type (typewriter!) and flips through the Sunday NY Times every week (to research her football picks.) she is also campaigning for me to buy her bottles of ink and fountain pens. the iron on the other hand is not getting much use around here, but i swear we do have one... i should ask DD if she knows what it is. we also have a gramophone amplifier, but it's for the ipad - so that may or may not count toward our status as completely insufferable luddites.

and i'm with y'all on the Monty Python/Far Side/Fawlty Towers - if we can add Yes, Minister to the test, we're all set.


Every Sunday it brooded and lay on the floor. Inconveniently close to the drawing-room door.