2john k - "Sad little legs" - you couldn't phrase it cuter. Frogs are super-ugly but their legs are very cute, I wouldn't eat them too. But...that's national French food. I'd seen many docs about France & there was not mention of "snail". oysters - yes, ditto crab. & the popular frogs. Hence my question.

2Emily - I read about famous Canadian & British squirrels willing to hang out with people. Not once the U.S. - ubiquitous, you say,  but do they actually run & climb people?

During my first music tour in Normandy in 1989, the hostess where I stayed was a gourmet cook. At one of the meals frogs legs was the first course. They tasted okay. (The main course was tripe). Haven't had them since and don't intend to. Don't like the idea of killing the frog just for its legs. If an animal needs to be killed, use all of it that's possible.
Frogs legs are popular down here. And in the better restaurants, snails are usually on the menu as well, as they also are in France. They're not called "snails" but "escargots." Can't get me to try them - sorry!

In our city gray squirrels are all over the place. I'm constantly swerving around trying not to hit them with my automobile. For some reason, the squirrel runs midway across the street, but instead of continuing, invariably hesitates, then usually turns back from where it came. Have learned to slow to a stop while the squirrel makes up its mind. However a lot of drivers aren't so patient therefore there are plenty of dead squirrels on the side of the streets.

Yes, JohnK I remember the special masses in Munich. Some in our group went 'church hopping', hearing some music at one church, then leaving to get to another church for more music.

This thread is so wonderful and therapeutic, bringing back great memories. Funny the things I'm remembering: the best peach I ever ate was in Paris in June 1978, the best melons in Russia in September 1991. The most beautiful music I ever experienced was in a church in Southwest France in July 1995. There was a music festival there and we were gathered at the church for a service. Towards the end, a male quartet from the Republic of Georgia sang. Assume that it was a religious song of some sort. It was so otherworldly beautiful - the beauty of the human voice, the exquisite harmonies!

BTW, in case people think I've never experienced great things in the US, the most beautiful place I ever saw was in the early 70s at Grand Tetons Park in Wyoming. Snow capped mountains, the valley completely covered in wildflowers of every color - awestruck!

[Carmina Burana]

Watching Carmina Burana at the Marienplatz, finding out at the very end that Carl Orff was sitting right behind me

You're kidding! That's fantastic!! His Carmina Burana is a great favourite of mine. I even accompanied a choir in selections from it back in the '90s...

Yeah that was wild, to actually see the composer, as I had just sung it in a university choir a few months previously. I also later sang it several times with the New Orleans Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, one time with a ballet company getting in on the fun. And it is indeed very fun to sing!

Haven't been to Europe since 1995 but had mostly great experiences in the following countries:

UK: loved walking throughout London, also Bath, Cambridge, Oxford, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Inverness. Easy to get around via train or coach. Historic homes, golfers playing in a gale storm with some snow on the ground in Scotland, eating lunch along the Avon, visiting Isle of Skye. Am hoping and praying to be able to go to the Lake District some day.
France: the cheeses (which I can no longer eat unfortunately), Normandy, Bayeux Tapestry, Le Mont St. Michel, lavender everywhere, hard apple cider.
Belgium: beautiful lace at Bruges, fountain in Brussels that a member of our group called "Monsieur Pee Pee", being given a free hotel room - on a street with women posing in the windows... Weird place.
Luxembourg: just passed through
Netherlands: history, Rijksmuseum
Austria: Salzburg, Mozart music, operas, Sacher torte, Vienna
Germany: more music, Augustiner Keller. Watching Carmina Burana at the Marienplatz, finding out at the very end that Carl Orff was sitting right behind me
Italy: Florence; Verona and most beautiful experience in evening watching Madame Butterfly outdoors, turned around and behind me was the magical Old Verona skyline
Czech Republic: Beautiful beads, wonderful beer, incredible Prague
Russia: super friendly people; arriving in Leningrad and the next day it became Saint Petersburg again; the Winter Palace; Novgorod

I'll try another one, since that one seemed to work.

This one is Boomerang (or BooBoo), our Miniature Australian Shepherd. He loves watching TV, especially animals. He goes nuts sometimes. That TV is relatively old, borrowed from a family member, because BooBoo destroyed the good TV when in all the excitement he banged his nose hard against it.

He tries to control the cats but they just ignore him, or, more often, tease him. They will act like they want to be friendly, then all of a sudden swat at him, hiss, etc. He just looks at me as if saying, Wha???

We used to have an Australian Shepherd who we found wandering on the highway, all full of heartworms, ticks etc. We got her well and she was with us for over 10 years. She had apparently worked on a farm, herding animals. When she arrived here, she must have thought that she was to herd the animals here. It was so funny, the way she moved around constantly, trying in vain to herd those pesky cats!

Hi, am having a lot of problems posting this. Not at my best, brain wise. Gotta remove the cobwebs!

Trying to show picture of my Dad's old calico cat, Sparky. She was his best buddy back 20 plus years ago. She loved to "help" with yard cleaning, especially if it involved leaves!
This picture was taken around 1995. She was relaxing in a planter my Dad was going to use. She smiled for the camera.
I imagine the two of them hanging out in Heaven now.

I'm a Stephen King fan, of his books but usually not of the movie adaptations. The only ones I really like are the ones that focus more on character development, such as Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile. One problem is that King injects some humor in his works that don't translate into film.

Thanks for mentioning The Running Man. Haven't read it and just downloaded it.
As for the movie, I think even now lights come on automatically (not at my house, however!). Now the bread in the toaster? That might take a while.

I prefer the Alfred Hitchcock movies when I want "horror" or mystery. One of my very favorite movies is Rear Window. James Stewart and Grace Kelly have such a wonderful chemistry, and Thelma Ritter provides some hilarious "gallows humor."

Have you seen movies that were set in the old CCCP? One movie that I liked was White Nights. Had some great dancing.

And sad to hear of Anton Yelchin's freak death yesterday. So young, and so full of potential. :-(

You don't think. To me, it's stupid question. I voiced my opinion which I think is ok as far as discussions go?

I am with Al - goats are very ugly animals. unlike certain pets...

No problem with voicing an opinion!  😀

I feel sorry about goats. The Bible talks about "separating the sheep from the goats" with the goats being the "bad".
Poor guys - they can't help that they're goats.
I enjoy watching the goats playing , hopping around etc. but every once in a while there will be that rogue goat such as the one who gave Al such a hard time. I'm hoping to have a couple of goats eventually, but they would have to be mini-goats.

Stupid question - they're dead, of course. Doubt goats live to 50-60. Or smb. ate it.

I don't think it's a stupid question, just a bit of lightheartedness in this crazy world.

And I'm sure Al is relieved to know that those goats didn't breed; that the white goat didn't have any descendants to "get his goat" so to speak 

.

Elizabeth - cool story. What is clogging? Cajun? Dance types such as "swing"?

Clogging, or clog dancing, is popular in the Appalachian states (Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, etc). It's a dance that originated in the British Isles.

On YouTube, check out: Blue Ridge Mountain Dancers with Pete Seeger

Cajun music is from Southern Louisiana. The Cajuns were kicked out of eastern Canada during the 1700s.
These are among the songs that our group performed:
     The Balfa Brothers- La Danse de Mardi Gras
     Beausoleil - Parlez-nous a Boire

Swing music - became popular in 1930s and still popular today. Dances such as Jitterbug and Lindy Hop.
We sang songs from Boswell Sisters and Andrews Sisters - available to view online

      Andrews Sisters - Boogle Woogie Bugle Boy
      Boswell Sisters - Crazy People 1932.        (Also did songs such as Mood Indigo, Roll on Mississippi, Heebee Jeebies, River Stay Away From My Door)

The dances you can check out on YouTube:
     Hooked on Swing Dancing
     Whiteys Lindy Hoppers - Hellzapoppin

Think you'll enjoy watching these.

2 questions - what did you do in Czech Republic? What is "NOLA" in your username?
[/quote]

While in the ethnic music group, I went on four 3-week tours between 1989-1995; France, France/Netherlands, Russia (still technically USSR or CCCP if you wish), and the Czech Republic. We played at festivals except for the Russian tour which was a "cultural exchange", singing and dancing to various American genres, clogging, swing, Cajun, etc.
Absolutely loved the Czech Republic - Prague was such an incredible city and wish to somehow return there some day.
(Also loved Russia, but the bathroom issues got to me after a while. Hard to find a bathroom, but finding a place outside was usually better than what we experienced in the bathrooms we found; Ycch! Hopefully, 25 years later, it's better?)

NOLA is where I live, New Orleans, Louisiana, the usual abbreviation used down here. There's at least one other person on this Board with "Nola" as part of his screen name and he's also from the New Orleans area.

Okay, now to you. Why RangeRoverA1?

Thanks for the info, john & Elizabeth. I just assumed by logic that hearing or seeing sth. cool, you'd tell yourself "Whoah Nellie" so it's your name. But it was question, I wouldn't actually say "Hey, Nellie" when see your posts. Nor "Betty". It is too familiar address.

thorgil, thanks for nice words.

I've been called Liz, Lizzie, Lizard, Em (as in Auntie Em from Wizard of Oz). In the Czech Republic our host for some reason called me Alice. In music groups was called the Drone Queen (cause I loved singing the drone parts), and the Human Pitchpipe (or, more indelicately, as 'B with the Pitch,' as I used to be cursed with perfect pitch)
One of my sisters calls me Iddabet. Mom calls me Bibbabet
Which is more than you wanted to know, for sure.
So really don't care what you call me. 

Good post, NOLA BBF. So your name is Nellie. To me the best BBs song is "At My Window"...sung by least favorite BB, go figure. It is very short & packed up with little tiny cool things & the vocals are beautiful ("he caaaaaame to myyyyyyy wi-indoow").

Well, my real name is Elizabeth, but you could call me Nellie if you like (or you could call me Betty, and I could call you Al, or whatever - sorry, couldn't help it)

"Whoa Nellie" is an American expression. Nellie (or Nelly) refers to a horse. 'whoa' means to stop. I use that expression when I experience something very out of the ordinary that makes me stop and take notice, something that makes me think "Wow!"

Yes, John, to have a haven of tranquility, to be able to read SS posts "in an atmosphere of calm" so to speak.

I enjoy reading stories about how people came to love the Beach Boys. You called listening to All I Wanna Do as your "on the road to Damascus moment". I tend to call them "Whoa, Nellie!" moments.

My Whoa Nellie moment was hearing Don't Talk (Put your head on my shoulder). Just so beautiful

At the beach on a warm Summer's night, a gentle breeze, the relaxing ebb and flow of the waves ...

I have problems with milk products, especially some cheeses. As time goes by I become sicker when eating dairy. Perhaps a little bit of yogurt, that's it.
Being where I am, have to love seafood. Last night, grilled some catfish. Tonight, made stuffed mirlitons with shrimp. Mirlitons, also known in the rest of the US as chayote squash, are used in our local cooking mainly stuffed for Thanksgiving dinner in November. However, our city didn't have any freezing weather this past winter, so the mirliton vines produced a second late spring crop. A friend of mine gave me a couple of them from his backyard garden.
Just now have made zucchini banana blueberry bread, 2 loaves 1 to give to my "mirliton" friend who's having his birthday tomorrow. The blueberries are from our bushes at our "dacha" lol.
Just sitting here, a kitty on my lap, looking at the mess of a kitchen that needs to be cleaned up. But I can't disturb my kitty cat!  

This is Princess. She showed up at my Mom's house in late May 2004. On June 2 she had 3 kittens, one of which we kept.
She was very scrawny when she arrived, but soon became the beautiful cat she is now, eager to pose for photos.

http://s19.postimg.org/lqzjt19n7/Princess.jpg

I've never been beyond the "semi-professional" level, being paid for performances but not all the rehearsals needed.
Was with a group for 20 years; we specialized in "ethnic" music, primarily from Eastern Europe as that music is so interesting. I was music director for a number of years and was responsible for teaching people their respective parts, as most didn't read music. (Actually, most of the music wasn't written down but what I could pick out listening over and over).

Got frustrated at times when some singers just couldn't get it, or weren't confident enough to keep to their parts and not start singing someone else's. That's why I get upset when some downplay the importance of the other Beach Boys in singing Brian's music. It's a skill, a talent that they had, to sing those close harmonies so well with a great blend.

Was in one band for a couple of years (Beatles tribute, performing their songs with different rhythms such as 7/8 - Tell Me Why- or 5/8 - Rain, or chant like - Eleonor Rigby, etc). Got real good support from local press, but at our best show, that ended up being our last, things just fell apart and no one could figure out why. Got jaded after that, no more bands.

I no longer sing in groups as the vocal chords are no longer cooperating

Can't think of performing the Zombies' songs without the keyboards. Incredible that they could get away with that.

Thanks for the link. Was listening to it while the TV, on mute, was showing an old broadcast of the Lawrence Welk Show. The tap dancer was in perfect sync with Mr Coltrane. Surreal 😀

Yes, Jonas' avatar gives me migraines! And am afraid to "bump" a thread as I haven't been here long enough and don't want to be yelled at. But anyway, Jonas listed about taking a class on Jazz. One of the best courses I ever took was a Freshman elective on the history of Jazz I took in the early seventies. Was in seventh heaven.

Love the Benny Goodman concert at Carnegie Hall featuring Sing Sing Sing (have seen videos of Gene Krupa, will look for them). Also Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Thelonius Monk, early Miles Davis, singers such as the Boswell Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and finally some West Coast groups such as the Dave Brubeck Quartet and Vince Guaraldi.

Also fusion groups such as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Pat Metheny - his song, American Garage, got me up many a morning circa 1980.

Am open to hearing some more Jazz; am most interested in  Classic Jazz but could stand to expand my horizons a bit.

NPR First Listen has, at least for a little while, a link to listen to the entire American Tunes recording.

Among other sites, it can be accessed at bandwidth.wamu.org and scroll down to see the link

The thyroid gland, among other things, regulates metabolism. With hyperthyroidism, the metabolism goes into overdrive, so weight loss is a major symptom, The kitty was small for her age, and very skinny.
One of these days I'll figure out how to upload photos. The oldest, Sai III, and the youngest, Tanner, are tabby cats (one gray, one brown). The second youngest, Tabitha, looks like a Maine Coon cat. Mr. Fuzzy, the only boy of the bunch, is all black except for some white "fuzz" on his chest. Finally, Princess, the one we're unsure of age-wise and Tabitha's mother, is gorgeous. She's a big cat, but squeaks more than meows. If you go to the English Wikipedia.org site and enter "tabby cat", Princess looks like the first cat pictured in the patterns section, only even prettier.

We haven't had any cats with kitty asthma, but as RR said they can have many conditions that humans suffer from. My sister has a bunch of "rescue cats", and one has hyperthyroidism and needs medication.
Type 2 diabetes is a growing problem with cats, due to improper diet, and too many treats!
Well, RR, there are 5 cats in our household, only one who's less than 10 years old (she's 9 1/2). The others are 12; 13 or 14 (she showed up one day back in 2004 and according to the vet she was approximately 1 - 1 1/2 years old), 14, and 15. They are all in good health for the most part, although the oldest looks like she has a bit of arthritis.
For the cats we've had over the years, kidney failure is the illness that eventually sends them to cat heaven.

Oh my, can't believe that I forgot the most important condiment - hot sauce!

Love the Tabasco brand green sauce. Great on scrambled eggs.
Crystal brand hot sauce is great in gumbos, red beans and rice and other bean dishes. Not too hot, with a lot of flavor.
Tabasco hot sauce is okay but not so flavorful.

Don't like hot sauce that's so hot that it has no flavor and overpowers the dish.

Don't like any cheesy dressing. Ranch dressing? Yuck.

Strange, I like pickles, but not on hamburgers. However, do like a little relish on hot dogs.
Hate yellow mustard - think the color turns me off. But like what we call "creole mustard" down here, brown, coarse, spicy mustard.

Have never liked ketchup on hamburgers or, horror, hot dogs.

Like salsa, sauerkraut (in small amounts), and especially olive salad (used in our local mufaletta sandwiches, and a good topping for other salads/sandwiches as well).