Ooo 6 pages..

I mean how are you a prude? You certainly don't sound like one!

Say it isn't so! Ok, I'll be serious for a moment or two...

Hmmm, maybe "prude" isn't the right word for me, after all. However, I do have some strong Christian beliefs and fairly conservative values, and that often applies to what I will watch or read. It's just that having a sense of humor is important in life, and some people are just too serious about everything. So, I try to find a balance. After all, I believe God created us with a sense of humor and an imagination and gave us a brain. That is delving a little too far into religion for the forum... so that is a personal statement for me and as far as I'll go on here.

Also, I am married but my dear husband does not mind if I read romance books or any other genres that I enjoy. He knows what I buy or borrow from the library. Also, he doesn't think the there is anything wrong with the books that I read. If he objected, I would talk it over with him, and depending on his viewpoint, I wouldn't read them if he thought it was wrong to do so. That is because of a personal religious belief and because it is just good "marriage maintenance." There are a lot of compromises in a really long-lasting but good relationship. Just ask my dear frog prince...he does a whole bunch of the compromising!

There are many authors that I will not read because of the graphic language and sex or content of their books, but that is a personal choice because I find the books offensive. Many of my irl friends will not read any romance books...they would find the love/sex scenes inappropriate. They would also not watch "Charmed" because it contains witchcraft and Wiccan beliefs. My dh shakes his head and says it is just "Charlie's Angels" recycled into three sister witches by Aaron Spelling, LOL! Well, when Charlie's Angels was on when we were teens, I watched that too. Also, many of my friends don't read because they are too "busy." Being overly busy isn't the best way to live, in my never so humble opinion!

A few years ago I learned I had to evaluate what I watch or read for myself. A few years back, I was letting "religious people or media" tell me what I "should" read or watch, and many of the attitudes were negative. My momma and I talked about the negativity one day, and I let go of that negative influence because it just wasn't the right way to lead my life. That reminds me of something. Many years ago, I asked my daddy if he would smoke a cigarette at a church. I was surprised when he said yes, that God already knew that he smokes cigarettes. Now, that doesn't mean he smokes in the sanctuary or during the service ...he is very courteous, and would go outside or somewhere appropriate and would dispose of any trash so that litter would not be left there. His point was he had nothing to hide, and he wasn't going to let others make his decisions. That was an especially good life lesson!

I am also not dead, and neither are the other married or in a relationship gals/guys on the forum. When we are all talking about the "yumminess" of a fictional character or an in real life person (like a celebrity)or a plot twist in a discussion, that is just normal talk. On the forum, we just have fun. In real life and on the forum, I know when to be serious and I know right from wrong. I also know when we are just bantering and kidding around out of fun.

Just like I have friends who would not even consider reading romances or paranormals, there are others that I know who go too far the other way with what they allow into their lives. "Garbage in, garbage out." So, rather than being a "prude" I'll just say that I don't cross the line of my own fairly conservative Christian values. Neither do I use the forum to get into deep political or religious talk because it's not the appropriate place. I'm happy to answer questions, so people can always email me, otherwise I'm just here to enjoy being with people who love Lynsay's books and like to have a little fun and make new friends.

wren from the relatively prudish USA...although not as much as it once was...who is through with the serious essay now!

Wow thanks for that wren. I knew that some people have different faces, usually on the internet they can be somebody without the restrictions life places on them

Thanks Acal. well, it is morning here in Mississippi!Don't know what it is in Australia!

Fortunately, I have been very blessed in life. As you can tell from my last "essay" my two sisters and I are very close, and we grew up with parents who have a lot of good common sense. We were sheltered a little when younger, but also taught about the important things in life. We had four wonderful grandparents, one who is still with us today at 83yo. We were surrounded by a huge extended family...each of my parents comes from a family of six children. I have a fantastic, very steady and wise husband (Okay, I'm admitting the wise part here...he doesn't read the forum, ususally )and he puts up with me even when I'm at my most difficult! I was blessed with the two best parents-in-law a girl could have, even though it was only for five short years, and have had a great relationship with E.G.'s side of the family. I can call several people "true friends." If you only meet one or two "true friends" in a lifetime, you have had the best. Even through this forum, I have made friends that have become very special to me.

What can I say...I am rich in love, family, friends, and books! I must be doing something right, huh?

wren...who has her days & nights mixed up again! I think I was meant to be nocturnal!

Phooey...Gypsy isn't here to make coffee!

Hmmm, Acal...it is 7:14 a.m. here, so I think I'll go now. I'm sure I was meant to be nocturnal!

wren

I am always amazed when I consider different countries television and movies. I watch a lot of the BBC and what I see on there would be reserved for stations usually like HBO or Cinemax or something. It doesn't bother me because I am very opened minded about most things. But still you can see the difference in attitudes and content.

But in the defense of our countries how do you expect us to change when our forefathers were Puritans?

Oh yeah.. have you read the news lately? An ex-p*rn star in Italy is running for a seat in Rome's City Hall and she plans to build a red light district only a few kilometers from the walls of the Vatican!

Its 10:46pm here

Oh yeah and I thought it such a restrictive country when it comes to sexual things that series like Rome which could be classed as soft p*rn would actually be allowed on TV, I heard that even under HBO's rather loose standards that stuff still had to be cut out. It was shown here in Australia at 10:30pm because of its rather explicit nature (MA15+ only just scraped in R18+ stuff is banned for free-to-air TV in Australia)

no that is funny!!
a red light district next to the vatican, but they banned MADONA from ever performing there because of her like a virgian tour!....(saw that from Ausraila. they aired it live....(crazy stuff!) but nothing like that!

Actually I wasn't aware that was even legal in that country. Interesting. The things you learn

Maybe things have changed, Italy has a new government and it looks like a lot of City Hall is going to be replaced. So the project might well go ahead, they aren't exactly 'sex' shops she said that they are going to be 'Love Shops' for couples

well isn't that "lovely" euphemism

RRIIIIIGGGHHHHHTTTTTTTTT!


and the girls in the windows aren't trying to get customers....they are modeling!!

Is that what they call it on the street these days. Man I have been out of the loop for a while now.

I thought it was cleaning trailers?!`

I'm not even sure what that means

if u really want to know e-mail

*snort* cleaning trailers

oh, yea, they are professional models, and actrsses...didn't you know??

and apparently professionally cleaners. Do you think they come with their own french maid outfits?


J4- Who is in a VERY evil mood tonight

i am sure.... all you have to do is ask!! they are good at "CLEANING"...its a little more involved then your usual education!!!

I don't think I am gonna go there. Nope not for all the money in the world

oh yea!....

Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent

Prue's not around anymore!!!

Okay, I had to search for it but the mention of Italy reminded me an article in last week's paper (Wall Street Journal, April 8th). It's on the front page and is titled "Italy makes it hard for jailbirds to stay in jail".

It talks about how less than two years ago they had to let more than a third of their prisoners go free because they had no room in their prison system ("built to hold 43,000 inmates, it was straining to contain more than 60,000"). Things went crazy for a while with bank robberies jumping by 20%, all other crimes had an increase as well and "for awhile Italy had more prison guards than prisoners to guard."

Over there "the death penalty is considered abhorrent, and life sentences are rare. Defendants have the right to two appeals, and even traffic tickets can be appealed to the nation's highest court. Italy's courts are so clogged that the statute of limitations on most felonies expires before a final verdict can be reached."

What on earth has happened over there? Did you know that Italy's two-time prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, "has been named as the target in more than a dozen criminal probes, and has been sent to trial at least a half-dozen times on charges ranging from tax evasion to bribing judges."?

He "was convicted in two of the cases brought against him but the charges were all eventually overturned on appeal or tossed out because the statute of limitations had expired."

Also, "more than 20 of the 945 elected members of Parliament have been convicted of crimes including associating with organized crime and committing acts of terrorism."

If you can, find the entire article and read it, it's just unbelievable what's going on over there. So I can easily believe that they have an ex-porn star running for office and that there is a good chance she could win and build her Red Light district.

What a world, huh?

Kimberly

Oh, and I can read about so much more than I would actually be comfortable seeing on my television screen. Something about it being right there in front of me makes me squeamish. I feel like a peeping Tom (Thomasina?).

Does anyone here watch any soap operas? They have certainly changed the standards for those. I have to record mine (One Life to Live and I only watch it to see Rex and GiGi) and watch it when the kids aren't around because otherwise they want to know "what are they doing on the bed?" It's not like it's like that all the time but I never know when they might have a scene like that and better safe than sorry. Whatever happened to fading out and leaving it to our imagination?

Kimberly

Maybe because it attracts people and because well producers probably got tired of forced 'decency'

I watch a soap, the only scenes like that are implied

Well, some of the scenes that they had on mine one day were very hot and heavy kissing, and well, petting. And the characters were flush against one another, moving against each other and without a sheet covering them either. *fans face* And this show airs at 1:00 pm in the afternoon! And they have Victoria Secret's commercials that air during the soap on another channel that I used to watch. My kids walked into the room one day and wondered why a lady was walking around in her underwear wearing wings. Kind of hard to explain that.

I don't think I could ever be an actress, no way I could do those kind of things with someone I wasn't involved with for real.

Acal, if you aren't familiar with Victoria's Secret, it's a lingerie company that has stores all over. Teenage boys over here regularly steal their mom's catalogs to gawk at.

Kimberly

Actually you may not have to if you wanted to be an actress. Look at Denzel Washington. According to what I read he actually has never gotten nude in any movies he has done.

***SPOILER ~ TD&H***

Terri & Bastien went shopping at Victoria's Secret in TD&H. One of the best scenes is when Terri puts the salesgirl "in her place."

Hey, didn't Lynsay say this one was taken from a "real-life moment?" LOL There is a lot of Lynsay & Dave in TD&H...

wren

Okay, Wren, you've got me wantign to re-read TD&H! I absolutely loved that moemnt. And now that I think about it, I think I read their story way too fast.
There was a particular scene with them in the office or some such room with everyone out in the main area...yep, gonna have to go read.

Oh, and.....my favorite quote for VI...re-read all the juicy parts last night.

"Are you quite done? I'm growing tired of watching him squeeze your ass"

I had to get it right.

That's one of my favorites as well Tracy. Could just Julius standing there tapping his foot and his hands on his hips with irritation trying not to rip the poor guy from her grip and strangle him. lol

best scene in TD&H...

star, stop, start, stop! HI MOM!!!...

its all Im sayin!

Poor Bastien! He's the best btw.. Marguerite just knows the right time to butt in doesn't she?

That was the funniest part of the book quite possibly but the hottest part was the ice cream

Tracy,

TD&H is one of the best...reread away! I think I've read is over five times. What can I say...it is delicious!

A few of the scenes, such as the kissing in front of the Hilton and taxis, are a real-life Dave & Lynsay moment from their whirlwind courtship. Actually, I don't know how long it was until they married, as they had to overcome a large ocean being between them and rearrange all their work ...but email did make things easier.

I think they may have fell in love the first week that they met in New York! They met in New York while Lynsay was at a book conference and Dave was on holiday, if I remember correctly. It's always sounded like they connected immediatly, and they are so perfect together!

wren...feeling sentimental now!

*puppy dog eyes* awwww

That is such a great story. I love hearing romance stories like that.

how col is that!!...and from the glimpses we get on the forum and blgs, they are well suited for each other!!!

Yes they are. Kinda reminds me how my parents met. My father is from New Jersey and my mother is from New Mexico. They both had a friend in common and they began to write letters to each other just as sort of pen pals. And one thing led to another and now they will be celebrating their 30th in May.

I just love stories like that. Makes you all warm and tingly inside. I am such a sucker for a good love story

aawwwww

So many things to comment about!

First:

Awwwwwwwwwww I want a *~Lynsay *&* Dave~* Moment! (of my own, I don't think they'd appreciate a peeping kelli)

Dos:
I don't want to be a historical heroine lol remember the leg fur we keep talking about? I'd be hairy everywhere! My legs, my underarms My other lady areas (ahahahhahah sorry)and I might smell a little funky. Can I just be a crazy cousin that you may or may not want to call the white coats on from time to time?

Tra La Laaaaa :) I like Lynsays "romantic scenes" verrrrry good and the heriones are old enough not like 13 year old virgins married to 50 year old men for the first time in England. (I just randomly picked numbers and England, nothing against England, I love it, wanna visit). And they aren't corny.

I think I ran out of things to mumble about.

I think you already are the crazy cousin. I don't know. I like my extras like deodorant. So I probably wouldn't do well there. But on the other hand I wouldn't have to shave and I would still consider a catch.

Gotta way the pros and cons I guess

Good Morning Ladies!
Well, I am still waiting for TAV!! I'm #1 on the list but the nice readers have until Apr 30th to return it.....

So, I re-read TD&H!! Know I remember why I bought this one to keep and it;s forever MINE. MINE, MINE!

Okay, for this thread, I definately have to go with the 'trifle' what exactly is that by the way?
well, I know it has sponge cake, cherries and apparently is very tasty on one certain mortal, LOL!

Uhm, yep, that's definately THE HOTTEST scene. Really makes you wish there were more Argeneau men out there! *sigh*

Hmmmm also think the scene when Rachel and Etienne are together for the first time coming from the club. They didn't even make it up the stairs.

J4.....oh yea!!! then down at the lake!! one of my favs!

wren: aww, seriously? how absolutely romantic!! To know some of these are real lifers really gives hope.

I found hubby at 17, after a roller coaster like life and three girls, 18 yrs later, we are still together and even though some days I want to wring his neck, he still makes the butterflies appear.

Oh most definetly G3. Tracy that was an aww....post. You married people are making me slightly jealous.

Tracy - Trifle is custard, ice cream, dried fruit and jelly and you stick into what you'd use for a milkshake and you eat it with a spoon

But.. obviously.. Bastien found other ways of eating it