"A Problem Page For All!"

I didn't know you talked to Jimmy like that! –Cait

Would you believe me if I said I was only joking? Hey, I try to be a perfect older sister, but I like to allow myself my bitchy days, same as everyone else….

Tell me all about how Esther had funny ideas of mail! –Cait

She was very unique with mail. She’d made envelopes out of ripped-out magazine pages and copious amounts of masking tape, then write our address on a tiny little scrap of white paper taped precariously to the envelope somewhere on the front. If she bothered to put a return address, it’d be written even tinier, usually just on the magazine paper in smudged calligraphy ink. Stamps were a necessary evil, but need not be put on straight or even all the way on the envelope. The letter inside would be folded in a complicated pattern involving physics, her current mood, and whether the mail carrier had been especially rude to her the day before. And, of course, the whole thing would be sealed with glitter glue, more masking tape, scotch tape on occasion, and many kisses.

I didn’t realize how much I loved her letters until they stopped coming. I miss her like crazy, and she’s all the way over in Stratford now with no phone, no address, and no e-mail. She said on the phone on Sunday night that if she dies, I’ll be one of the last people to have talked to her. That’s such an Estherish comment that I laughed at the time, but it does feel rather like life is precious, when my deaw fwiend is hawfway acwoss the wowld and I can’t contact her!

K’s Choice – cocoon crash –Ilona

Rachel and Jimmy and Cherie love K’s Choice! We thought we were going to see them in concert opening for Indigo Girls last year, but they pulled out sick or something at the last minute. I would’ve loved to see them. Rachel wants to choreograph a dance to one of their songs. I think they’re cool, but sort of mellow for my tastes.

The 3 books I'd most recommend of hers are… –Fleur

I’ll look for more of her books next time I’m at the library. I sort of think that they just might not be my thing, but I’ll never shun an author without giving her a fair chance!

It's funny you should say that Ilona, about telling you all what's new with Chloe, because we've just had some news! –Fleur

Thank you for updating us, Fleury! I didn’t know that Chloe was planning to live with Steve. I hope it’ll work out! The apartment sounds great. Oh, and I’m glad I was right about June or July…I kept thinking, “Isn’t Chloe’s due date getting pretty near? Wasn’t it sometime in July?” But isn’t her birthday also in July? I kept wondering if I was screwing up her birth date with her due date! Give her my love! I’m thinking of her.

Ester (as in Leah's sis right?) is going to Straford? –Fleur

Yes, as in Leah’s sister. I don’t know which Stratford it was. I was assuming Stratford-on-Avon; I didn’t know there was another one. I just got back in touch with her; we only had one phone call and then she left, so I don’t have an address, any contact info, anything. I can e-mail her and she might be able to check her e-mail in an internet café! I hope it’s Stratford-on-Avon, though, for her sake! And I’m jealous of her, in any case. I wanna go to England! However, I guess I shouldn’t be that envious; her family basically pushed her out, and the thought of having to stay with the family (with her brother now in her room, so I don’t even know where she was sleeping at home now…) probably made her sick. I guess I shouldn’t begrudge her England!

hey, Ellie if you choose Hull, you'll have to keep a look out for dear Alisa, or angel or whatever she likes to be called these days... lol. –Fleur

What on earth ever happened to her, anyway? We were supposed to be pen pals several years ago and she wrote once and never again. I heard from Sarah, a former pal of mine, that when Sarah was in England they were supposed to meet, and Sarah waited in a park for hours and she never came…and Sarah found out that Alisa had been lying about a bunch of stuff…is any of that true? I mean, I got all that gossip second-hand from Sarah, whom I trusted, but maybe Sarah made up the stuff about Alisa making up stuff…. Eh, whatever!

OMG Elizabeth, your dad reminds me of my mother... ARGH!!!!! –Fleur

Really? Oooh. That sucks that she won’t drive up to get your stuff from uni! Wouldn’t it cost an arm and a leg to mail all of it home? And what if it (gasp!) gets lost? (Caitlin and I seem to have one-track minds these days! Where is that frickin’ letter…?!)

I really hope Chloe and he will be really happy together with little Ella Jaye or Joshua (which names I really love). He'd better be good to her!! –Ilona

I agree on all points!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAITLIN!!!! –Ilona

Hear, hear!

hey Zib, isn't it Rachel's b'day sometime this month? –Fleur

Yep, her 21st, on the 19th. I’ll say happy birthday to her from you. Of course she knows who you are! I chatter about you all of the time.

Gosh that sounds so nice that I want to give birth right now! –Cait

You crack me up!!

I like what I'm wearing -- jeans that I just finished applique-ing with blue spirals, green teardrops, and navy blue stars; and a black sweater. –Cait

It sounds gorgeous! I wish I could sew. Do you use a machine or do it by hand?

Do any of you ever use your giftpoints? Anyone interested in getting mine? not that I have a lot, only about 900, but if you want them you can have them. –Ilona

If you’re really honestly willing to give them away, I could use some. My upgrade runs out on the 31st and when it does, I’ll lose everything in my account – all my items (except five), all the reviews that went with them, etc. I want to renew the upgrade, but I’m broke. I thought I’d use GPs, but I don’t have many. So I could use some extras, but only if you really don’t have anything to do with them yourself!!

I've pretty much buried my Britney Spears CD and my Spice Girls CDs under my bed. –Cait

I have one buried under my bed, too! I thought about selling it on eBay, but I think I’ll keep it…for nostalgic reasons. Plus, Rachel and I might want to do a highly sarcastic pink dance to a Britney Spears song one day….

Hartelijk dank, Loon!!! … (Did that make any sense??) –Cait

No fair talking in “code”!



(At least, in that high school photo...my hair is shorter now because I got it cut and yours looks much longer in the photos you sent!) –Cait

You sent Ilona photos and none to meeeeee?! I was just thinking that I wanted more photos of you, tulip. Howzabout I rummage up some to send you and you send some to me and we can both be happy?!

I just have a hard time knowing the difference between friendship and a crush, and that's what's going on with Grant. –Cait

It sounds complicated and confusing. I’m always here to listen whenever you need to talk! I don’t have any experience with that sort of relationship (I’m just the virgin sitting in the corner with her knitting…!), but I’ll help if I can!

I hate being behind in posts. It's miserable. –Cait

I hear you! I’m thrilled because I’m almost caught up!

There was a lot of good stuff in that package. –Cait

I’m so curious! Tell me what’s in it, pretty please? Then not all will be lost…I can still thank you for it! I mean, it’s the thought that counts.
But are you really worried about copying CDs? –Cait

I don’t think that the CD police will come knocking on our doors, but I do think there’s a possibility that, like, the SM would shut down this forum because we’re using it to engage in an illegal activity. Literally, web hosts get really uptight about CD copying, because they can be blamed for the people who get on their sites and use their facilities to discuss copying…. We had a big argument on the NBTSC wiki because the admin guy deleted a page about copying CDs; he was afraid our whole wiki would get shut down because of that certain content. It does happen. Just a warning!

What is Sunshine like? Is it "old-fashioned" writing, I mean, like Jane Austen? I'm usually really not big on that kind of writing...I like modern, funky, experimental stuff, but I'm in the mood for something way different than what I usually devour. –Cait

Jane Austen? No, absolutely not. Most of Robin McKinley’s novels have an old-fashioned, medieval feel to them, but this is a vampire fantasy set in a modern-day world. They use the internet (she calls it something different, but it’s clearly a computer network thingy), the main character works in a coffee shop, etc. The writing flows effortlessly, with an undercurrent of sarcasm and a sort of hip-ness that reflects the protagonist as well as the world RM has created. If you can get your hands on a copy, read it and tell me what you think!


Oohhhkay. I’m done replying to all the posts! But I have some logistical news of my own. My family is leaving on Tuesday the 25th to drive down to Texas to attend the Rethinking Education conference in Irving. The conference runs until the 31st; after that, we’ll head up to Kansas to visit Jimmy’s friend who runs the National Weather Service office in Dodge City (Jimmy’s really, really excited about visiting the office again!), then head home. We’ll get home on Friday, June 4th if all goes as planned. I have a really crammed schedule between now and leaving, though, so I don’t think I’ll be able to get on much between now and arriving home. Don’t post too much, or I’ll never be able to catch up!!! I wanted to let y’all know our plans, so you don’t worry that I’ve been eaten by an alligator or something…not that Indiana has alligators as far as I know, but, hey, it could happen.

I love you all! Gotta go do chores now.

Hugs, Elizabeth


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