Vibrant Vici from California

Hey Vici, sooooo glad you enjoyed The Book Thief, I think it is one of the best books I have ever read. I was at a talk that Zusak gave at our local library and he is one of the nicest young men you could ever hope to meet. He got a lot of the material for the book from his parent's stories of their past, it is a very profound book for one so relatively young. I am hoping his next book will be as good.

Wonderful youtube Vici! I love the moose! So much affection, so much fun...

Hi Vibrant Vici - thanks for the Australia Day wishes. I love your You Tube with the twin baby moose(s)- an absolute joy to watch.

Vici, Thanks for the welcome. Hope to see you around the puzzles soon!

for your good wishes! It's going to be warm today too!

Hi Vici! Thanks for the happy Australia Day wishes!
Just watched your baby moose video - they are so CUTE! Made me laugh watching them play in the sprinkler - my kids used to play just like that! :)

Thanks Vici for my Australia Day wishes. A few Aussie treats for you to enjoy a Hot Pie with Tomato Sauce (Ketchup))Lamingtons Pavlova & A nice bottle of wine or if you prefer a nice COLD beer - very hot & steamy here today. Love your YouTube

Hi Vici, thanks for the Australia Day greeting. I will be enjoying snags on the barbie, a pav and a coldie, with friends of course. Couldn't be better. Love your Aussie smilies!

Thanks for the Australia Day greetings. It is a beautiful day and I have three of my grandchildren getting ready for a swim!

Hi Vici - I know I'm late doing this, but just calling in to thank you for the wonderful birthday greetings. I did indeed have a lovely day, made better by being able to spend it with the whole family. I feel happier than I have in years and I thank you and all my other Sudoku friends for your friendship and support. I love this site.
Thank you also for the Australia Day greeting - even though it's today, we had our celebration yesterday but can hear neighbours whooping it up watching and playing sport, barbecuing and singing Australian songs. Can't get any better than that.

HI YA there soulmate...
The picture on Hard today is one of the places I am going to take you for a picnic or BBQ when you come over. Wonderful spot in autumn with crisp, clear mountain air with just the whiff of woodsmoke from open fires or people burning off. Snows there occoasionally...

Vici - a personal thank you this time for "The Book Thief." Come on over to my p. 5 and 6. I'm posting some discussion of Jane Austen's novels. And you don't even have to steal a book to enjoy it, because the texts are available for free online from the Guttenburg (sp.?) Project.

Vici - Thanks for visiting. I'm thrilled to think you may actually crack a JA novel. I don't think I read my first one until I was in my 40's.
You're making me laugh to think I talked you into reading NA. Of all the places to start! LOL My advice for first JA novel would be to pick a favorite JA movie and then read the book the movie was based on.

It's funny, but I wouldn't recommend Northanger Abbey as a first JA novel read (though I certainly won't stop you). Why? It's very much a severe "period piece" for me - a humorous and interesting piece, certainly, but the "deep end of the pond" as far as JA novels go. Main objection is that it can be a turn-off (I think) when it comes to the patronizing-to-modern-ears attitude of a man consciously undertaking to form the thoughts and guide the intellectual development of a woman he's interested in marrying. It's "forgivable" once you're used to the time period but it's rather like having a first date with a guy and finding out he's taking you to a family reunion.(?) There's stuff there guaranteed to scare you away until/unless you've already made up your mind to brave the deep water.

As I said in a previous JA post, I think Pride & Prejudice is the perfect "gateway" book. But, you're a big girl and you don't need anyone to hold your hand. I have faith in your literary discernment because of The Book Thief. I'm just hoping you don't pick up NA, throw it down (or at me!) and never pick up another JA book as long as you live.

Comments from others appreciated!

www.gutenberg.org has all the JA books free online and I noticed all are also availabe as human-read audio texts to download.
P&P has 3 entries which makes me wonder if there are 3 different recordings. I would check out all the audios myself, but have had to stop enjoying so many videos and recordings off the internet, as my provider slows us down if we "overuse" our subscription.

For example:
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1342
audio index, scroll to Austen, Jane, 1775-1817:
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/categories/1

Hey Vici,
thanks for the holiday wishes, we went away with some friends of ours for the long weekend, they have a caravan down on the coast, boys fished, we vegged had a good time but too short, how r u I hope its not to cold, cheers for now.

Hey Vici, I love Author Talks too. I am going to hear Alexander McCall Smith in a few weeks. I adore the No. I Ladies Detective Agency AND the Sunday Philosopher's Club AND the 44 Scotland St AND the Portugese Irregular Verbs series. He is so prolific, and always has something good to say.

PS Thanx for the Oz Day wishes. I had lunch in a Greek cafe and watched live music by the harbour..very nice

Hey Vici, in Perth we don't have many Greek restaurants, but Melbourne where I was for Oz Day, has the largest Greek population outside of Greece, so lots of yummy cafes. The No.1 Ladies series is very sweet and a perfect counterpoint to serious crime novels. I hope you get the chance to enjoy them.

love...

Hello Vici we had a great Australia Day weekend went to Sydney to my sisters place while we were there we bought a 2003 Land Rover 4wd came back early yesterday to miss all the traffic.

Vici I have been viewing your photos they are wonderful if I had a better internet connection I would have been able to click on all of them but it takes ages for them to appear, just had to see what Fiona looked like up close though LOL.

re JA's NA. I'd be interested if you'd pop in at least a few times during the course of your reading and let me know what you think as NA is unfolding.
Have you ever watched the movie "Jane Austen Book Club"? There's a guy character who's in the "club" to get to know a girl and he actually goes out and reads the main gothic novel JA's characters reference in the course of NA. The other Club members, all JA fans, are suitably impressed (as none of them has read it). But it's just a throw-away reference - we who have not read it learn nothing about it. Which makes me suspect that the writers and filmmakers didn't read it, either, just made a joke about somebody actually reading it.

Thank for your message in the wee small hours of this morning Vibrant Vici - and your earlier messages. I couldn't sleep - just kept looking at the spot where Schultz used to lie near the computer with that big grin half looking over his shoulder. I know it will get easier but it is still very raw.

Hey Vici, Shosho put me on to the fact that one of our members, Livia from Texas, writes mystery books. They are the 'cosy' kind and include recipes. Very enjoyable on a cold winter's night with some hot choccie!

Hi Vici, You were nice enough to greet me when up signed up here in Sudokuland. I'm a bit slow in working my way around here and have no pictures to show anyone, but wanted to say thanks for the welcome.
I'm sure I'll be seeing you around.
P.S. You have some great photos!

Hey Vici, you won't have a problem Published authors aren't shy

Hi Vici,
thanks for your mail, I have/do travelled a fair bit,born in Denmark and emigrated with my family a long long time ago. Good Aussie these days but I will also always be a Dane.

Vici, love your sleeping cat 'smilie'!
My cat likes to sleep that way only in the late evenings. We call it his '10PM position'.

Hi, Vici! The recipe is in the "Forum" Recipes page. It won't be in the cookbook until the next update. Sorry, I should have mentioned that on Easy. And, in fact, I will now. Thanks for alerting me!

Just poping in to say Hi and give you some Flowers


The video is really cute.

Thank you Vici for my birthday wishes - had a great day with family & friends & lots of wishes from cyber friends

And to you Vici and to you... Have a loverful day I'm just home from an evening out eating Peking Duck. Not quite sure what "my valentine" might have planned for tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day friend!

For you my dear friend on VD...you don't have to save them for tomorrow! Thank you for all my goodies...

he he....WHO is nuts?
Cya....

Happy Valentine's Day

Hey Vici, Happy VD to you too

Hi Vici - have a wonderful Valentine's Day - thanks for popping in to visit and leaving such a happy message!

Thank you for your Valentine's Day wishes (that snuck up on me - mid-February already!) - and thanks especially for the heart chocolate. Mmmm! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Happy Valentine day to you to! Thank you for your gifts and good wishes