G3 I wholeheartedly agree. I noticed this also. We have to keep a strict on them. If they are not careful we may have to .

I need caffeine and it will not be coffee. So W2 you and your sister behave or G3 and I will get you.(and your little dog too)

C1

The phrase ‘needs must’ is a short version of ‘needs must when the devil drives' and originates in England. There is a variant of it in William Shakespeare’s ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ - “My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives”.

The actual origin of it is even older and there is an earlier example, closer to the modern form, which I found dated 1420.

Wren, I going to just come out ask this. I new to the forum but are you and Cindy sisters? Or is it you and Gypsy Charm? Just a little confused

Wren, you are right, around here they call the water fountain a "bubbler". What I find interesting is how television is changing the way people speak. It is making a more universal language. Most of the time it is only the older people that seem to use the regional expressions. I suppose, you pick up the language you hear the most often and kids are also quick to adapt in order not to be made fun of. I used to pronounce the word "idea" as "idear" (New England accent) until I joined the Army and people made fun of me. Just gentle ribbing but I became so self-concious that I quickly broke myself of the habit. Noone wants to be different from their peers.

However, now the younger generation is making their own dialect. Text messaging! All of the abbreviations used for that and for e-mail are creeping into our language. DH. BFF. LOL. I've heard so many people use them in a normal conversation. It is wonderful how language changes and adapts. I find it challenging to teach my children to read because the spelling and vocabulary of the English language is so complex. We have so many silent letters and odd spellings because of how many times England was invaded and the language adapted. And who came up with our two ways of making plurals? One house, two houses. One mouse, two mouses? Oh, no. That one is mice. Try explaining to a 5-year-old why that makes sense!

Another challenge for you Wren (and anyone else who wants to guess). What's a grinder?

Kim

You're absolutely right, Kim. It's not just England being invaded that adds to the language - it's all the places the British Empire spread out to that adds to the language, too.

I grew up using words like verandah (deck), setee (sofa), char (tea) and bungalow (a one level house) in everyday speech, all of which came to England from India with the members of the British Army who had been posted there.

There are so many Indian words that are in everyday use that don't need explaining. Pyjamas, guru, nirvana, pariah, yoga, pundit, bandana, cashmere, bangle, shampoo, gunny (cloth), to name but a few.

I makes me wonder just how many generations I would have to go back before myself and the people of that time would be unable to have a mutually understandable conversation.

Mr Spice

I agree with what you are saying. At times it feels like you need a dictionary to not only understand but to carry on a conversation. My husband goes to India and the Philippines 4 times a year. Both call on a daily basis ( he works from home). It is easier for me to understand those from the Philippines than India. Aaron calls and it sounds like he says Vladimir here. Instead of Aaron here. I have heard this for 3 years and it stills sounds the same.

Cindy

Hey, GypsyCharm said to let y'all know she will be out for a few days. Went to visit twin sis for their birthday tomorrow...and will be back by the week-end. Said she will chime in from Kewie's computer on the coast if she gets a chance. I'll be glad when she gets back...she's an early bird and the coffee is always ready when I get to the kitchen! Plus, I'll miss her! Wish the whole family would just move on up by us!

But Sherri & her kids will be here for Easter break...that's why we did not go, too. I can arrange my boys' school schedule as needed, but we mess them up because no one wants to go to bed on time if we go during a school week (they have to get up at 5:00 a.m. for the school bus, etc.) This means ds1 and ds2 get extra grammar and spelling tomorrow, so we can catch up before the homeschool group Valentine party at the end of the week. They also get to begin raking leaves, but they will get paid for that chore! As for schoolwork, well that is their job. Some things you just have to do.

wren...W2ofAE3

AAWWWWW...we will keep you comany until she gets back SIS!!
G3 of AE3

Me too!!
C1 of AE3

Wren,

Where are you located that your boys are raking leaves in February? Here in Wisconsin we have over a foot of snow on the ground!! I would love to trade shoveling snow for raking leaves!

Kim

Jill and Kim,

Cindy(C1), wren(W2),& Gena(G3) are aka as the Angelic Enforcers or AE3, based on our fondness for the series "Charmed." We found that after the Argeneaus, that was something of a connection between the three of us. So between reading, we amuse ourselves with our "powers" taken from P3...Cindy is like Piper, I am like Phoebe, and Gena is like Paige. So we are not biological sisters, but we have become sisters through Lynsay's forum. I don't know what I'd do without my C1 & G3.

GypsyCharm, otoh, is my IRL younger sister, Terri. She has an identical twin, Sherri, who is devoted to the Argeneau series and I actually "turned" her first. I am very close to both of them. Sherri has been reading the series with me since Lynsay moved to Avon. Terri & Sherri are celebrating their 41st today, and they have only missed one together, so Terri & Kewie (her daughter) are on the MS Gulf Coast this week with the rest of our family. Terri is a florist by trade, and Sherri delivered for them one Valentine's Day (florists always have to hire extra help for delivery on )...that was the birthday they missed spending together. Biggest day of the year for florists, followed closely by Mother's Day. Sherri will join us on the forum, but she doesn't have consistent internet access and she claims she still doesn't know how to turn on a computer. We are slowly getting her acquainted with

While we grew up in Pascagoula, MS...(how do you like that name? It's named for a small Indian tribe that no longer exists )...I have lived in central MS for the last 20 years in Vicksburg, a small city on the Mississippi River. Go west across the river, and you are in Louisiana. There is not a lot here, as we are about an hour west of the state capitol, so most restaurants and businesses decide we can just drive and they don't locate here. As for tourists, Vicksburg is a big historical attraction because it played such a large part in the US Civil War...the Union had to take Vicksburg to get control of the Mississippi River, which was necessary in part to cause the fall of the Confederacy...there is a large National Military Park located here with memorials devoted to both sides that is very nice and lots of Civil War Re-enactors visit there. As General Pemberton surrendered Vicksburg to General Grant on July 4th, after a siege that basically starved them out, the city didn't officially celebrate Independence Day for 100 years. Now they have plenty of fireworks, though!

January & February are cold (for us) but it only snows maybe every five years. We had a light dusting in early January, and all the kids were thrilled. We mostly get gloomy rain, or if the weather is really bad, we get an ice storm. Alas, today it has rained all day, so leaf-raking has been put off again. I'm surprised y'all haven't heard the happy sounds of boys who don't have to do any work in the yard today!
Actually, I'm happy too, because I would be involved with raking as well.

I have been to Wisconsin a few times, Kim. Where are you located? I have been to Fon du Lac, and Green Bay, etc. I'm guessing a "grinder" may be a sandwich, kind of like a hoagie or sub sandwich, or what in New Orleans they call Po' boys? Let me know if I am right. The bubbler was just a guess. I haven't been to Wisconsin in forever...but I do remember having assorted cheeses available in all of the restaurants and fish on Fridays, because my friends were Catholic. Although it was September, my at-the-time little southern self nearly froze!

wren aka W2ofAE3 or to my IRL sisters as Renee

Thanks Wren that clears up some confusion for me.

I would love to live in Vicksburg. All that history. I am huge history buff especially the Civil War.

I envy you that you don't have any snow. We are getting at least 3 to 4 inches right now with a forecast of ice tonight. YEAH!!! My least favorite thing in the world is digging myself out to go to work the next day.
It is definitely a night for some hot cocoa and a good book

Jill,

My dh loves living here because he doesn't have to deal with cold, snowy winters. When his brother & his family moved back to Kansas, he asked him why he wanted to go back to all that snow & ice. Other than southern foods (he can be a bit picky) he has become a "set in his ways" transplant. He moved so much growing up that it is hard for us to prod him to even go on a vacation!

Both our boys want to go up and see their dad's side of the family during the snowy winter time of year! I think next year, he will have to give in and take them!

I want to see your part of the country during the warm time of the year...not hot/not cold Come on to Vicksburg in the Spring or Fall...since you like history, you would enjoy the park and the Pilgrimage through the antebellem homes. One of them still has a cannon ball in the parlor wall where it landed during a Christmas ball. I'll have to see if I can find a picture of the PA memorial. Each state, from both north and south, has its own memorial in the Military Park.

wren

Wren,
your weather sounds nice. I like to have snow for Christmas and then after that I would love it to go away, boy am I ever in the wrong place we have snow until May sometimes even the beginning of June!

Jill, I wouldn't mind snow for Christmas...then go straight to Spring Our summers are horrid...so hot & humid that you don't want to be outside at all unless you are swimming or playing in the The other best thing to do is stay in the and read a good

wren

I love the fall and spring. Those are my two favorite seasons. Falls here are beautiful with all the colors. I live in a valley where on one one side during the fall you can see the trees turn colors from the bottom of the mountain to the top. It is really amazing.

I have heard about those southern summers though. I don't envy you those.
In October I went on my first vacation ever to the south. I got to go to North Carolina to the Outer Banks. It was absolutely gorgeous there. In fact words can not even describe it. Suffice it to say, as soon as I can afford to, I am going to make it my permanent home.

Jodi - I feel really sorry about whining about the few inches of snow we had tonight when you have so much snow for so long. Thank goodness for books huh? Those would be the only things to keep me sane.

Jill, yeah the winters up here seem endless and having it dark most of the time gets depressing but then we get beautiful summers and all the sunshine we could want so that kind of makes up for the winter, until the next one comes!

Jodi...who is happy my husband is coming home tomorrow, just in time for Valentine's Day, our first together in 7 years.

Hey Kim,

So, is a "grinder" a sandwich? Like a hoagie or sub...

Didn't know if you had seen my guess.

wren

That's exactly right Wren. A grinder is a sandwich. I grew up in Connecticut and that's what we always called a sub-type sandwich. I never thought of it as being something unusual until my husband was with me visiting my parents and saw it on the menu board at our local corner grocery store. He was like, what the heck is a grinder? Do they grind the meat before it's put in the sandwich?! (they don't, it's just regular deli meat )

He's from Racine, Wisconsin where we now live. It's located about halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. We live about 5 minutes from Lake Michigan. Our local library is right down almost next to the lake and has huge glass walls with fantastic views of it. I love this place in the summer but I am really getting tired of the cold and snow. I don't know why it's bothering me more this winter than before.

I seem to be feeling the cold more than previously. Is that because I am getting older? I just turned 35 last October. Right now my hands are freezing cold so I keep making mistakes on the keyboard. Why is it that the only sunny days are the bitter cold ones? It looks so nice outside but it's only 14 degrees and factoring in the wind chill it feels like 1 degree. At least the snow yesterday went further north and we just received a light dusting. Some of the counties had 8 inches of snow in 5 hours! Whew!! Glad that missed us! We got enough the last time.

I envy all of you in the south. Wish I was there right now

Kim

Dave or Terri: I am going to be a pain. My email is going to be changing (hopefully Friday because I am supposed to be getting High Speed Internet) I just starting getting the newsletters. When the time comes how do I have this changed to my new email address?

Jill, just drop an email to the house elf telling her what the new one is and what the old one was and she'll sprinkle her fairy dust on it and make everything right.

The house elf is at admin@lynsaysands.net Jill

Drop her line and see if she can remove the old address and put the new one in

Lynsay

Thank you