The Original Girly...

The Original Girly... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/ June, 2008 Manchester, CT - Case Mountain Sat, 5 Jul 2008 23:47:24 -0000 Fri, 4 Jul 2008 12:31:00 -0000 The Original Girly... http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/logo http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com 100 100 America, the Beautiful (and we SO know it) <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SG4YQAoKCsYAAGMS0To1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SG4YQAoKCsYAAGMS0To1/42-15396303.jpg?et=fLAWT62bcmQxRY8F7skezA&nmid=0" border="0"></a>As a kid, it was easy to understand the 4th of July.  It was my Dad's birthday.  My mom was born on the 3rd of July, and so - the fireworks were all about birthdays and parental egos. As I got older and learned (from sources other than my parents) that Independence Day was a celebration of something bigger, it became - well, one of those things I guess.  Celebrate, grill, be annoyed by bottle rockets well into the early morning hours.  Don't think much, just eat, drink, be merry. Much later, and now as I think about teaching my own child about the world, I wonder more and more what we're all about over here.  In America I mean. Another holiday to celebrate a victory in war and destruction.  We celebrate our "freedom" by a showy display of pyrotechnics, even as we impose our own democratic will on countries around the globe.  We display flags and dress in red, white, and blue to show how patriotic we are, but what are we celebrating?  The luck of hav... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/644/America_the_Beautiful_and_we_SO_know_it Fri, 4 Jul 2008 12:31:00 -0000 Happiness Is... A fresh jar of peanut butter.  And a butter knife. http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/642/Happiness_Is... Wed, 2 Jul 2008 19:48:00 -0000 Flat Sandy, The Album Flat Sandy came along with Susan for a visit to Connecticut. Here are but some of her http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/album/46/Flat_Sandy_The_Album Tue, 1 Jul 2008 17:59:57 -0000 T.E.N. <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SGo7HgoKCsYAAFylRNk1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SGo7HgoKCsYAAFylRNk1/TOP20TEN20SM.jpg?et=1Wx2xyfcdXASPQdQuqjUPg&nmid=0" border="0"></a> 1) It's 10 AM, and I don't know where my Californian is.  2) I need a week to recuperate. 3) I wonder what's for lunch. 4) Strapless bras are torture. 5) My nose is shiny with sunburn and it's distracting. 6) Is it weird that I can see my shiny nose out of the corner of my eye? 7) Bing isn't feeling up to par. 8) I need to buy toilet paper today. 9) And milk. 10) And maybe some lettuce.  That sounds good. http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/641/T.E.N. Tue, 1 Jul 2008 14:04:00 -0000 Jaime & Susan. Busy in CT Boy oh boy.  What adventures we're having!!  I hardly know where to start with my recap.  Together, we've done everything from buy cat food to stand in the bedrooms of the Vanderbilts.    Good stuff. <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SGituwoKCsYAADcn5OE1/102_2175.JPG?et=HIXsstB9ajw7a1XsWcUusg&nmid=0" border="0"> And yes, there's also been some mayhem.  I'm pretty sure the trouble started here.  Saturday, In line for a tour of "The Breakers" - a must see Mansion of Newport RI.  T'was hot. I faded fast as the tour went on and all I could think of was pressing my face on the cool marble surfaces.  Somehow - I didn't think it appropriate.  We headed for home. <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SGiuvwoKCsYAAEvVCHo1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SGiuvwoKCsYAAEvVCHo1/102_2201.JPG?et=Jip2jv2%2CBVpRs%2C5L9oklyA&nmid=0" border="0"></a>But wait. A real live New England rocky beach, complete with water breaking on the rocks.  Back in the car, it happened.  I smelled what was apparently rotting seaweed.  My stomach flipped.  It was all over. Luckily, Matt can pull over on a moment's notice, and did so sporadically throughout Connecticut as I got an up close and personal view of the side-of-the-road foliage.&nbsp... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/640/Jaime_Susan._Busy_in_CT Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:42:00 -0000 Introducing... Flat Sandy in Connecticut http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/video/item/49/Introducing..._Flat_Sandy_in_Connecticut Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:17:35 -0000 Sweet Child of Mine <a title="babyface by girlycurylo, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/67547503@N00/2617322505/"><img height="364" alt="babyface" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/2617322505_0ae61b1d8a.jpg" width="500"></a> All looks well, and the munchkin was an active little bugger.  I think it looks like Matt.  Or... well, King Ramses - but then, I watch too much Discovery Channel. http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/639/Sweet_Child_of_Mine Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:33:00 -0000 On Notice <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SGKdBAoKCsYAAASdePM1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SGKdBAoKCsYAAASdePM1/104_4400.JPG?et=G7fx3JL7%2BmVdkuITvUYv2g&nmid=0" border="0"></a>Right. So.  Today I found my eyeshadow.  It happened quite by accident.  My finding it I mean.  It was another one of those things where I was putting something away in the bathroom, noticed how unruly my drawer had become... yadda, yadda, yadda... here's my eyeshadow. It's um, a trio of color.  I clearly remember it being so.  Back when it was purchased for my wedding.  in 2001.  I've decided that sometime in the upcoming days, I will buy myself some eyeshadow.  I will.  I will don it with style and grace, and in un-clown-like fashion. But, I'm not going to the MAC counter, my reason is two-fold: First of all, MAC intimidates the bejeezus out of me.  I'm not gonna lie.  I was friends with a girl who worked there, and she shaved her eyebrows so that she could draw them in with eyeliner until she had the money to get them tattooed on. Seriously.  Did you read that? And yeah, we were friends - she was cool.  It was like h... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/637/On_Notice Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:30:00 -0000 THE SMART WAY vs. the jaime way  Now that it's noon, and I have about 2 things from my 200 point To-Do list accomplished, I sit to reflect.  I share my findings. The Smart Way to Clean a Kitchen: Start at one end of the room.  1) Pick up clutter, put things away. 2) Wipe surfaces with appropriate cleaner. 3) Dishes, if applicable. 4) Sweep. 5) Wet Swiffer, or use that funky floor cleaning machine thing. *If time and energy allows, when all other to-do's are complete, return to do some detailed dusting etc.* The Jaime Way to Clean a Kitchen: Start at one end of the room. 1) Pick up clutter, put things away. 2) As you put away the masking tape, and notice the Junk Drawer is unruly?  Organize it. 3) And aren't the cabinets kinda dirty too?  Clean those. 4) Now that you've got a sponge out, wipe surfaces. 5) Don't forget the tops of the fridge, dishwasher door, and oven door. 6) Wow, the oven is kinda gross.  You know what to do. 7) Now that rag you're using needs to be washed.  Go throw a load of laun... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/636/THE_SMART_WAY_vs._the_jaime_way Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:06:00 -0000 Ten. Tuesday. Take it Away... <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SGFtlgoKCsYAAAWdbMs1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SGFtlgoKCsYAAAWdbMs1/JuanManuelDiezPropaganda.jpg?et=NV9BE3yeByzzE%2C3LEo4unA&nmid=0" border="0"></a> 1) Why oh why do I love the oyster cracker? 2) Oh right, because they're scrumtrellescent! 3) Hmmm, Matt's not at his desk. 4) Nor his cell. 5) Huh, ditto IM. 6) All this technology makes me appear stalkeresque. 7) How weird is it that Iced T is in one of the most popular TV drama's. 8) The rapper, not the drink. 9) The rapper, not the wrapper. 10) Chris didn't even notice that in my second video yesterday my toenails were painted, and that's just really sad. Bonus 11) It's even more sad that her opinion of my toenails is the ONLY reason I chose THAT particular clip to post.  Say it with me: Lame, Jaim. *the author is not responsible for whatever the above photo may or may not say.* http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/635/Ten._Tuesday._Take_it_Away... Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:43:00 -0000 GACK! All the live long day I've been trying to post videos for you. The blog is written.  In draft status. The videos are uploaded.  Also in draft status. The whole plan has gone to pot.  First because of my own doing, and now because of a Multiply glitch that won't allow me to make take my vids out of "draft", ergo you can't see them, ergo I can't paste em in the blog that's just sitting there waiting for them.  In draft status. BUGGAH! I've written to Multiply, and trust that the issue'll be resolved.  Post.  Haste. Stay http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/634/GACK Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:23:00 -0000 floor.MOV http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/video/item/48/floor.MOV Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:08:07 -0000 intro.MOV http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/video/item/47/intro.MOV Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:05:23 -0000 Videos, FIE-NALLY In a blatant yet misguided attempt to entertain you this morning, I recorded not one, not two, but several videos. As it turns out, they served not only this purpose, but also aided me in organizing myself for the long few days ahead as I get ready to welcome my visitor from California.  Turns out, there's a lot to do and in my videos I invite you to come along as I explore the doings that need... uh, doing. Here's where it all unravels. After a photo-journalistic tour of my house, and no less than a dozen video snippets (which I FULLY intended on editing cleverly together to form a side splitting montage) I left my new laptop busily about the task of encoding (translating) my video while I ran out to drop off 700 shirts at the cleaners. It was finished when I returned. To make a long, frustrating story short, my new computer is smarter than I.  It chose to encode my videos to a format that no editing software I have recognizes, and I have no encoder that .... eh.  Suffice it... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/633/Videos_FIE-NALLY Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:59:00 -0000 Flat Peeps First, thank you Sandy, for your <a href="http://samadri.multiply.com/journal/item/293?mark_read=samadri:journal:293&replies_read=7">fabulous flat post</a> that reminded me to put this out there. As I think the universe knows, Susan will be here in less than ONE WEEK for a whirlwind tour of Connecticut and the surrounding area.  If all goes according to plan, we'll be in Mass, Rhode Island, and who knows - with my keen sense of driving direction, possibly Vermont! It is with these adventures in mind that I offer up an exclusive opportunity.  Join us. That's right. <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFwXaAoKCsYAABw2Fac1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFwXaAoKCsYAABw2Fac1/fs-tracingtemplate3.jpg?et=Oim5KSjMH%2BAXGJ1C8s1Cmw&nmid=0" border="0"></a>Via <a href="http://www.flatstanley.com/">"Flat Stanley"</a> mode of travel, send one of us a .jpg of yourself that we can print and tote along on our journey!  Last year, Flat Jaime traveled to exotic locations such as Alaska, Hawaii, Wales, Canada, NY, MA, ... I know I'm forgetting some.  So, if you've always dreamt of touring the rocky New England coastline, seeing colonial America, heck - spending an afternoon kicking back with a couple rockin chicks, not to mention meeting your flat multiply brethren... Send your flat selves pronto!  You've got... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/631/Flat_Peeps Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:42:00 -0000 Feed Me Seymour Of all spices in the universe, I find myself out of paprika.  I'm pretty sure that in my adult life, I've never run out of a single spice.  Most of the time, I buy a jar of this or that for a specific recipe - use my half teaspoon, and there it sits.  For years. Yes, I know - even spices have a shelf life.  But really.  So imagine my surprise when I turned my paprika jar upside down to score a whopping 2 tablespoons, and came up with... less than half that.  I mean really.  What have I been doing?  Making deviled eggs in my sleep?  Anyway... This brings me to today's adventure:  the grocery store, which I do find myself frequenting far more often now that I'm uh... with child.  I've eaten every bit of peanut butter I can find in the house (even super chunk, which... blech) and I DARE you to find a carbohydrate I haven't devoured. I'm off. http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/630/Feed_Me_Seymour Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0000 Book Class (Silas Marner) My class yesterday took a fascinating twist.  No, there was no strange magic teaching fellow explaining his theory of the universe, but yes my inner-nerd busted forth in all her glory once again.  This time though, I didn't care as much - I was so wrapped up in the conversation. Little had I known that the book I read a few weeks ago in preparation for this class is as amazingly deep as it is.  We discussed the biblical symbolism, from Adam and Eve to Job that were subtly written into the plot.  We spent a lot of time, however, on a main theme buried within.  Two characters - one of whom firmly believes in the divine - God's control of his life - and a contrasting character who believes that humans control their own fate.  He plans and plots things down to details. It came down to this:  what is life all about?  - Chance - Human Choices - The will of the Divine Good question, and one for the ages.  Now - if you think you have the answer, how... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/629/Book_Class_Silas_Marner Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:04:00 -0000 The Class As I prepare to embark upon journey of journeys (to my infamous "Book Class") I realize that many of you may not be familiar with my previous adventures. For your enjoyment, I've included them here.  (Excluded is the tale of the class that I never got to because I got lost in the school then got a flat, nay - SHREDDED tire on the way home). <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/70/A_Review_of_my_Book_Review_Class">A Review of my Book Review Class</a> <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/340/Calm_Cool_and_Collected">Calm Cool and Collected</a> I'll let you know how it goes. http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/628/The_Class Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:23:00 -0000 Stupidity - A Rant I don't think I'd be far off if I guessed that you know someone stupid.  Of course, it's you who thinks they're stupid.  It doesn't necessarily make them so - I mean, everyone has something they know well.  Everyone has a forte in which they'd be considered "smart".  But man.  I know some people with serious education that are dumb.  You probably know what I mean.  People who can calculate advanced equations, but for some reason when it comes to the rest of the world... forget it. Here's where I think it's nuts though.  Our society totally fosters this.  People I know go around quoting political soundbites about serious topics.  They have no opinion of their own.  People are so wrapped up in themselves, their own lives, that it seems like too much hassle to learn anything new unless it's spoon fed. The news leads us around by the nose.  They tell us what's important in life, they post cameras outside Hillary Clintons h... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/627/Stupidity_-_A_Rant Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:32:00 -0000 Father's Day <a title="102_1943c by girlycurylo, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/67547503@N00/2579538913/"><img height="500" alt="102_1943c" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2579538913_c49669a9a1.jpg" width="333"></a>   In about six months, my very best friend will become a Dad. It's a new thought for me this Father's Day.  In years past I've thought about my own dad, my grandfather, my brother... This year, I'm thinking of my partner in parenthood.  The guy who has some mystical power over little kids that makes them laugh and laugh.  The guy that little girls love to antagonize.  The man who loves to teach. I don't know what kind of parents we'll be, but when I get scared about being a mom - I think about Matt being a dad and it makes me feel like things are gonna be okay. What a journey. http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/625/Fathers_Day Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:05:00 -0000 On Chameleons <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFEK-AoKCsYAACw6bQU1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFEK-AoKCsYAACw6bQU1/AB008015.jpg?et=h3N6CfUqDKjvsxoAx1dErw&nmid=0" border="0"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFEK-AoKCsYAACw6bQU1"></a> <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFEK-AoKCsYAACw6bQU1"></a>  Originally, I was gonna post the <a href="http://www.lyricshosting.com/artists/03/culture_club/karma_chameleon.html">lyrics to Karma Chameleon by Culture Club</a> here - but really, they make little sense.  What I'm getting at is the kind of person who bends and flexes to his or her environment.  Know any? Now wait, there's a difference I need to make clear.  I fully believe that every person has various facets to their personality.  With some friends, I'm goofy and giggly.  With others, I have serious conversations.  Some people might even be surprised to see me behaving a certain way. But - the thing is, I'm always ME. The Chameleon I'm talking about is one who is full of contradictions.  They like ABC when talking to one person, but switch the crowd and XYZ is the way to go.  In fairness, I suppose I spot these people because for years, I did the same.  I wasn't aware I was doing it - but in an attempt to "fit", I changed my mind with the tides.  One person could tell me it was day, and another it was n... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/624/On_Chameleons Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:39:00 -0000 West Coast Meets East Coast Susan visits New http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/calendar/item/10011/West_Coast_Meets_East_Coast Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:33:04 -0000 Rusty Bum (a pictorial) <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-JngoKCsYAAGIrD6s1"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81"></a><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SE-FCgoKCsYAAHzpc@81/100_3967.JPG?et=aX6gQF5GxF91bMQ28JmlDw&nmid=0" border="0"> For a while now, a strange phenomenon has been occurring in our laundry.  Orange-ish splotches that weren't there before, suddenly appear after coming out of the dryer.  It's beyond strange.  Some are pinprick spots, some are quarter sized swaths.  They're not always round, they vary in darkness, and they target everything from undies to dress shirts - but not in every load. I know. <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE-HLgoKCsYAADGUdOc1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SE-HLgoKCsYAADGUdOc1/102_2027.jpg?et=7r%2BGpg4dUGRsES6tnLsJ5w&nmid=0" border="0"></a> The latest victim?  Matt's brand new khaki's.  That's right, a small, but noticeable spot - right on the keester. It was determined that the placement on the cheek would indeed draw attention, and that was it.  Matt was fed up. I told him again that I thought it was rust.  From what?  From where?  I know not.  But time and time again I've soaked, scrubbed, and re-laundered to no avail. <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SE-IBQoKCsYAAEQIw6c1/102_2028.jpg?et=zrnfo7FRjz%2B7F8EcZlLi3Q&nmid=0" border="0"> I decided it was time to bring out the big guns.  While wandering aimlessly through the grocery store, I stumbled upon this product.  The front says: "Safely and easi... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/622/Rusty_Bum_a_pictorial Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:26:00 -0000 Where is Our Lennon?  I've been thinking about this topic for a while now, but hesitating to blog about it.  It's controversial - which I've never shied away from - but I'm leary. Maybe I'm a fool, but this is still my blog - and therefore, I'm gonna write about what's on my mind.  I ask that if you express opinions, they're respectful of each other.  (Deep breath)  Here we go.  <a href="http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SE5z7goKCsYAACbAbVI1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SE5z7goKCsYAACbAbVI1/HU002172.jpg?et=epMfTLIX%2C3JVvGIVJIUtHQ&nmid=0" border="0"></a>Regardless of how you feel about this man, I think it can be said that John Lennon was a creative genius. Skipping over the phenomenon that was The Beatles, I'm writing about the last decade of John's life.  The time when he and his wife worked on changing the world.  It's a common thought that Yoko Ono changed John.  Made him strange and political.  Turned him into something that he wasn't. Having never known either of them, all I can say is that I doubt it.  John himself rebuffed those comments, saying that he was happy just to be with someone as strange as he always had been.&nb... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/621/Where_is_Our_Lennon Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:25:00 -0000 The Cleaner <img class="alignleft" src="http://images.theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SEfflQoKCsYAADUTn7s1/100_0863c.jpg?et=z1pNTa4hu%2BmpR4hWwGLPsQ&nmid=0" border="0">I wouldn't say it's every day that he brings home a "gift", but this year - it's been rare for him to come home without. My demon cat has now polished off 7 bunnies, 3 chipmunks, and a mouse.  I'd think him a serial killer, but his MO changes too often. Anyway, that's not exactly what I'm writing about.  Through this massacre of wildlife, Bing has begun to change the very eco-system of my yard.  That's right.  He's bio-Bing. It starts like this. Bing meows in a very peculiar way, and I go to the door to find him with something in his mouth, or at his feet.  By that point - if he's interested in consuming any part(s), he's done with that business - and once he leaves his kill, he's done with it.  I scowl, let him in - ask him what his problem is - and I leave the creature for Matt to dispose of.  It's always been this way. But then one day, I noticed Bing's discarded half-bunny was ... simply ... gone.  I quickly deduced that it hadn't hopped away, bei... http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/journal/item/620/The_Cleaner Thu, 5 Jun 2008 12:43:00 -0000 Silas Marner Much to my dismay, I tend to stumble through classic literature. I think I loose myself in the language and read 10 pages without capturing a thing. However. Silas Marner was written in the UK in the 1860's and is set at the turn of the century, approximately 50 years earlier - it's a page turner. The story itself almost resembles a fairy-tale: Silas is an aloof outsider living in a stone house all alone. He hoards his gold and becomes obsessed with the treasure. But this book is also filled with irony, humor, and symbolism not lost by the language of 200 years ago. The fortunes and misfortunes of Silas (which are directly tied to the other main characters) can be taken as whimsically or profoundly as you'd like. A short book, fairly easy read, and a timeless tale. I highly recommend. http://theoriginalgirly.multiply.com/reviews/item/18 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 18:56:00 -0000