rthstewart | In which Ruth almost but not quite outs herself

Been there, done that, got the turkey coma (and a search at 11:30 PM last night for a grocery store that was still open and had fresh turkeys to accommodate my swelling gust list. Yes, I cooked 2 turkeys this year as my list went from 7 to 15).

We have a tradition that everyone at the table must identify a book or movie that was moving, interesting, or memorable in some way. Two years ago at Thanksgiving, I went on and on about Roald Dahl and the Irregulars in Jennet Conant's book (and TQSiT was the result). Last year I blathered about the Kladstrup Wine and War book (which I used for Maenad of the Maquis)..

This year, it was gay giraffes, same sex paired albatrosses, and Biological Exuberance and that remarkable wikpedia entry. Apparently I was hilarious and articulate. But really my wine soaked guests had difficulty getting passed the "OMG GAY GIRAFFES?" We were very loud. Good thing the kids were watching Jurassic Park. I consider myself a pretty dull person in real life. It's pretty funny when the stories you tell about the fic you saw in a porn challenge involving Pepsi and Coke and John Major and QE2 are memorable enough that people remember them the following year.

Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate it. If not, I hope you had a lovely day. I am grateful to all my imaginary friends.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thank you so much, Clairel! And you checked with your Dad, which was so nice! I've found a lot of information, and I'm overthinking as I do have an easy deux ex leo in the form of the Pevensies now having access to an American family with access to the PX/Commissary. There's a sort of Christmas Carol thing forming in my head where all problems are solved with the arrival of the Christmas goose or turkey with the Americans, but the American food traditions, as the next entry shows, do not have this tradition of dried fruits soaked in spirits and set aflame. The closest is that thing known as the Fruit Cake which nowadays at least is the subject of scorn. Dried fruit and nuts barely held together with a batter and soaked in rum or brandy and packed in a tin. It was popular at one time but I can't imagine a fruit cake taking the role of the Christmas dessert -- though.... I should check the Joy of Cooking, the classic American cookbook that has been in print since the War. (I referenced it in the Tools of the Trade chapter in TQSiT). The classic Joy gives instructions on how to skin squirrels.

In my head, btw, I'm assuming they are COE. Though I admit that English class dynamics are not something Americans understand well at all. Thanks so much!

Yeah, I find the nuances fascinating and confusing as well, even when it extends to things like sports. According to my father, if you were upper class, you played rugby and lower class you played football/soccer. So at their boarding school Peter and Edmund would play rugby, tennis and row. Although as far as I can tell everyone played cricket!
ClaireI

This is one I'm never going to nail exactly. My British readers have been incredibly generous both in not criticizing my errors and in gently helping when they could. Though I seem to have lost theoretica, who was very helpful with the military side of things. And the hummingbirds.

In which Ruth almost but not quite outs herself

Re: Christams food during the war

Re: Class distinctions

Re: Class distinctions