365 days in the life of "The world of Joanne-chan"

As we're approaching the end of the old year and the beginning of the new people often think about what happened to them and how that compared to their expectations as well as their dreams for the future.
One thing I hadn't expected this year was to be at a point in my life when I could be open with a goodly number of people about being an adult little girl, sharing with them all that this means to me and what as a community we are all about while at the same time dispelling some of the misinformation shows like the Jeremy Kyle show put out.
Equally I had not expected to have influenced some to have seen that within themselves which isn't to say they're clones of me bit by bit - identical - but they have been able to embrace it, finding a sense of inner peace.
If dear readers you fall in one or both of those categories then  I'd like to thank you all for reading this blog and being understanding on certain forums and social networks for that has help shape this years blog entries.
I've enjoyed being with those of you who are furries, leaning more about your fursonas, mets, amazing digital art skills, learning to share space with you on your sites as well as in chat.
Things around health have been at the core of my offline life from the severe reaction I had to a gnat bite that was super scary to being found so unable to work I was able to leave employment that had the effect of enabling me to spend more time as me although I do work when I'm not pawley voluntarily for a few hours helping out. I so hope not to have such a bite this coming year.
I've been enjoying reading a lot this year having found books I can read without major difficulties, chatting to people about them and even taking part in a bookathon where you read and discuss over a short period a book as a group which was rather fun.
I've talked about on forums and in chat with you about music in ways that just wouldn't of been as fun had they'd of happened in the sorts of places where groan up obsessives tend hang out.
What of this upcoming year? Well I do wanna get out more - out of the front door- visiting places, having fun times in my own little way.
Regarding this blog, I've already a few ideas for the next blog entries which will be that bit different than previous ones, raising the bar of this blog, widening the appeal.
I'll end by thanking everyone for reading this blog, the conversations we've had on various sites and wish you all a very happy New Year.

Christmas 2012

If you have just come to this site you probably did not expect me to publish a Christmas edition as I had said elsewhere I wasn't doing one before Christmas as I was going to be very busy organizing stuff for other peoples Christmas's, visiting and the like.

You might be thinking what is a Joanne Christmas like?

A Joanne Christmas is unapologetically a little affair, simple, very childlike wrapped around some groan up parts such as being with relatives so while they may do sophisticated things and talk about groan up stuff, I don't cos I'm the child.

I woke up, got dressed and spend most of the morning  in full uniform and I see I wasn't the only one in our community that spent at least some of our time like that today.

We went out for Christmas lunch where apart from having some lovely well cooked food, I played a small springy man with a sucker that holds it down for a minute before it goes pop and jumps up in the air landing all over the place. I had loads of fun doing that and Mommy was okay with it too. Having a Mommy that'll let you do this in public is so awesome.

Below is my present pile with an unexpected present on the top.

Hmm I wonder what it might be cos it came from a borderline lg colleague of mine who really knows what makes me happy.

Oh look, she bought me a Hello Kitty selection box with chocolate and other candy in it because when she saw it, it reminded her of me. It was so sweet of her as knows all about my little side.

I had some money cos really most groan stuff doesn't really do anything for me at all so I bought this years super annuals by Jacqueline Wilson who writes lovely children's books and yes a Hello Kitty annual with games,activities and other really fun things to do in them like colouring.

 As well I had this the 75th Anniversary annual of the British Comic the Beano with special stories, jokes and other things in them that make me happy.

In a Joanne Christmas, new childrens books feature as I love reading about people and their adventures so there's Emerald Star, a follow up to Hetty Feather and Four Children and It by Jacqueline Wilson in their hardback editions.
Mommy bought me some pastel pink super soft slippers that's she's happy for me to wear around her, a pair of soft snuggle socks and Scottish shortbread. I had a tin of chocolates to share cos well sharing is a 'very good thing tm' although Ill have to change some gloves as my hands are small, the fingers are smaller than Mommy's even and these are way too big.
I have record coming just after Christmas too as it was in the Christmas Eve sale too.
Now the funny thing is people this is so similar to the Christmas's of of the past and you know what? It just feels so right.

Ho ho ho!

This time of year brings back memories for me, some painful bordering on the harrowing (I have been know to go AWL from sites around this time of year) and others a lot more enjoyable. I suspect for a number of you it may be similar in which instance you have my understanding.
But as ever I'd not of posted an image here without their being some deep meaning to it and it's that one of the loveliest warm fuzzy feelings I remember is being sat on Santa's knee talking to him about how the year had been and what I'd really love for Christmas.
That's a very special feeling every child should experience as part of the magic of childhood and as we have increasing less days toward that Big Day we shouldn't lose sight of and why we 'do' the social Christmas with our families.
It's not about the money we spend, it's about sharing our love with one another, making each other feel special, loved and above all wanted.

Find-outers

Hallo there.
I've a bit of blocked up nose today so I'm doing some schoolwork complete in my full uniform today apart from some reading too.
That takes me to today's subject.
There are many types of stories written such as those centred on fantasy, romances, animals, adventures and so on but one genre I struggle with is the Detective Story usually because it requires  you use more short term memory while reading to piece together from the clues you're told, who really did it.
Unfortunately for someone like me reading something like that is like trying to run complex games on old computer with a slow processor and very little RAM (it might load up but attempting play is sluggish and may even stall!).
Fortunately I found a detective  mystery  series by Enid Blyton that were written for children from around nine years upward that I can follow reasonably well.

This series goes under the name the 'Find-outers' after the title the children who form a detective club called themselves dedicating themselves to solving mysteries and outwitting the local Police Constable, Mr. Goon who they christen 'Clear-orf' after what he shouts at them accusing them of meddling and otherwise interfering in the LAW.
The leader of the club is Frederick Algernon Trotteville  who is a boastful as well as cheeky outsider to the others in the village of Peterswood but is actually quite bright being good at languages and art at his boarding school. Because of his build he's called Fatty although he is quite physically fit playing school sports.
His deputy is Larry who is really called Laurence and they are joined by Daisy (his sister), Pip alias Peter, and Bets (Elizabeth) who is just 9 and the youngest of the group.
Fatty has a dog called Buster who obeys Fatty's commands well.
Upon being formed they call themselves "Five find-outers and Dog".
Mr Goon is probably the most incompetent policeman ever to taken on investigating mysteries in their area and the children in the first story, "the Mystery of the Burnt Cottage", strike up a very good relationship with the Inspector of Goon's force much to the displeasure of Pc Goon, especially when the inspector realizes just how good the Find-outers really are solving the mystery Goon failed to do!
There are in total 15 stories in the series which were all  issued by Dean's in the Rewards series in 1990 with reprints from that edition keeping the typeset narrative intact through most of the 90's whereas current editions like most of Enid's output have been revised and rendered 'politically correct'.
Thankfully it's easy to find these editions but Deans also did something else, as with the Schools series Enid wrote, they did two omibus editions each having three stories from the first six published and the top one issued in 1992  is mine (it's a 1994 reprint).

This one (the second in the set) has 'Spiteful letters', 'Missing Necklace' and 'Hidden House' in it and was published in 1994 although my copy is the 1998 reprint and both keep original illustrations and text in them, making a great starter set you can get cheaply used.
I'm really enjoying reading this series, more than I thought I'd of been able to howling at how Fatty and the gang put Clear-orf off the scent as Fatty's boisterous wit as well as his genius with disguises.
They also are a period reminder of how life was in sleepy English villages back then before policing moved mainly to the town and your only contact with the police was in their distinctive 'Panda car' they came out to visit your patch in where at the time this was written your Policeman lived in a Policehouse in your village and he patrolled it.
So far I've picked Mystery of the Pantomime Cat, Mystery of the Invisible Thief and Mystery of the Banshee Towers to go with the omnibus editions.

It's a wrap!

Well, the first week of new improved life went pretty well from the ability just to do a bit a work and keep up with the lives of my work colleagues now the crazy world of paid work is over. I had a blast talking with and helping our clients out as I've so much more control over how much I take on.
I was able to spend some more time dealing with sorting out presents for people although as some of you will recall from last year with the current financial situation effecting us all, I have again parred down how much I'm spending as have those who'd usually treat me. I do sometimes wonder if we'd be better of giving more of ourselves all year round instead.
Arrangements have been made to get me to and help me throughout this years works Christmas lunch which usually involve a quiz and various presentations outside of the formal meal.
I also did some more reading last week and will be taking part in this years Winter readathon where we read a set book and discuss together which should be fun as we're tackling the first Secret Seven novel!
I've wrapped up all ready my stuff cos as I think we all know sometimes it can be hard to get folk to get you what it is you really would like for Christmas with people feeling a bit awkward and that, so to avoid that foot stamping angry protest from the Little Girl within, she's been the money to get what she would prefer with the help of her bigger side.
That makes a lot of sense really as Christmas is really important for children.

Reading and more on change of circumstances

Well the start of the week is among us and as you've no doubt read this week will like all my weeks from here on in will be different meaning I'll have to fill the extra time I have to be my little self up by myself which should prove most interesting.
Tomorrow, I'll be working for a few hours across the morning at my own pace talking with people and from that helping them out for the people I was employed by because it's a skill my health situation aside I'm actually rather good at.
I liked the people we get for the most part (you'll always get the odd one that's a bit awkward), finding our conversations rewarding apart from learning about other peoples circumstances. Anyway my leaving employment isn't and really shouldn't be seen by anyone as just more time for to be online for hours at a time just because someone may like a bit of company although it'll enable me to visit a few sites more often where I can have fun people who know me there and I love their company a lot. Their support during this period means a lot to me, personally.

One thing I will probably be doing more of is reading which for all my difficulties with it, is something I'm really enjoying right now and one site has an upcoming readathon I'll be able to take part in, sharing observations around the story as we all read together.

This week I've been reading the Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton which is about a group of children - Jo, Bessie and Fanny - who having moved to the Country, encounter a  most odd wood at the end of their garden - The Enchanted Wood where pixies, fairies and others live. Growing in this wood is the Fareway Tree which initially the children climb that leads to the top where you can enter lands, lands that change regularly where many an adventure is had often featuring Moon-Face who has a face just like the moon and Silkie who has hair just like silk.

Some of the lands are really magical like Nursery Rhyme Land or the Land of Presents, cautionary such as the Land of Do-as-you-please or a bit nasty like the Land of Tempers. Well, would you liked to be surrounded by people always in a bad temper?
My copies of The Fareaway Tree and the Folk of  the Faraway tree are copies I had from my chronological childhood being printed around 1971 and1972 but the first book of the series the Enchanted Wood is a newer copy from 1987, all just being decimalized but otherwise keeping the same text as earlier editions which isn't the case with the current ones with name changes for the three children, gollywogs being removed and any mentioning in passing of slaps or spanking as punishment removed.

Related to that and again from my original copies from the early 1970's I read Wishing Tree series (in the original series there but two books) which are fun to read. The plot is essentially that of two children, Peter and Molly who go to an antique shop to by their mother a present and come back with a chair that, when wishes are made has the magical ability to fly. They discover and make friends with a pixie called Chinky and have adventures flying in the Wishing Chair meeting also sorts of amazing and sometimes slightly scary characters.
As with Fareway Tree, these two books (Adventures of the Wishing Chair and the Wishing Chair Again) have been extensively 'revised' in their current editions to remove all the stuff so-called 'Politically Correct' people have issues with even mentioning.
Thankfully for those without copies, the Deans hardback Rewards series are easy to find used in at least acceptable condition being in print until at least 1990 where the heavy revisions came in.
Malory Towers revisited:
I got used the unbutchered text editions in the form of a W H Smith hardback Omibus edition of the first four novels and the separate Deans hardbook Rewards series ones from 1990 of the last two.
There are entire paragraphs missing from the current ones and the 'PC' alterations do effect the characters responses to some important storylines in the books. Rereading them, it all makes more sense.

The child within is free

Hallo there, It's Joanne here see with a bit of good news within the not so good.
You'll be seeing more of me rather than the person from planet groan up cos they are Pawley(tm) so need to leave that funny world called employment where you get paid for doing things. They'll get some special help to pay the bills instead but able to do a bit of work when they feel able.
The good news is I can come out to play doing the things us school age girls love so much more during the weekdays wearing my uniform and play clothes and I feel super excited about that. I'll be able to go on excursions exploring places, maybe even taking a train and having fun packed days.
I'll have to organize my own days rather than having my boss doing it but formal adult stuff is over. Three cheers for childhood!!!

I'm bored?

I'm bored is the usual cry you hear from children but what is boredom?
One way of looking at is spare time to which you haven't found something that holds your interest to do.
That can be for a variety of reasons such as limited imagination - you fail to visualize something you could do - that may involve others or where say the adventures maybe in a book or tv show are such that they'd take a hold in your so that for you at that point they taken on real emotions.
That was one reason I liked to hear stories read at school with all that vocalization.
Another reason for some is sadly they fail to see others in that they can't relate to them in social settings so working on some joint activity just doesn't happen. They either do everything by themselves or failing that just sit doing nothing waiting for something to happen where just maybe someone might invite them.
Certain times of the year sometimes have a saddening affect and for sure the onset of the Winter is one when it's cold to play, natural daylight is limited and ice sometimes cause the groan ups to call off going round to your friends.
I've always liked doing things with others and boarding school was really good cos well we all were still at school after lessons to do stuff before evening meals and lights out.
If you changed the jersey of the girl on the right of the picture to red, that was very much a Joanne style of play running around the playground!!!!

Beatles new vinyl (Teenbeat special)

This weeks TeenBeat special is about my collection of Beatles records.

As some of you may be aware I've been buying new Beatles records since 1977 starting with the 'Blue' compilation (1967-1970) and adding the odd used copy over that period since been introduced to them by friends and family as a kid.

In the intervening years, I had managed to almost complete the collection which was mainly of Canadian copies although like many, my collection went through a turbulent spell in the mid 80's when their UK albums were issued on cd and as some lps sadly showed their age through wear and damage in my teens, so they got to replaced by the cds in a few cases .  Indeed for a three year period I was minus a lot of their more important albums, period on record !

However over  time I had re-established much of the collection and replaced the odd surviving copy by newer copies that sounded better as some of the discs we had back then weren't so good.

This Monday, November  12th  sees the reissuing  in both the States and also in Europe of their entire catalogue on heavy weight 180 gram vinyl following the now authorized canon of UK releases using the transfers including edits done for the cds which were reissued on September 9, 2009 but without the small amount of limiting applied to the very loudest moments of the music that was applied to the cds.

It also is increasingly recognized the amount of fine detail thought in the very early 1980’s to be acceptable for cd was inferior to that of vinyl or higher resolution digital formats like super audio cd or high resolution lossless files so these records cut from higher resolution than cd files could easily out perform the cd versions.

Because I already have an extensive lp collection I have decided not to buy a complete box set but just to get new European pressed versions of those I remain unhappy with the sound of .

Magical Mystery Tour.

Capitol /EMI SMAS2835

First off, one benefit of this pressing is everything is in true stereo being  rather than the awful duophonic fake stereo of the analogue US and UK versions on the songs Penny Lane, Baby, You're A Rich Man and All You Need Is Love that my very first copy had. Because this lp was in truth a American creation added later in the day to the World-wide catalogue, they have used a old style colourband Capitol logo for it. So cool!

The booklet is tucked in the left jacket pouch rather than stapled in the gate-fold ready to fall off and is printed in thicker paper.

Secondly Sean Magee cut this and he did an extremely good job of getting deep bass on it, the treble is very smooth, and the presence on the vocals almost fooled me into thinking this was analogue sourced, lacking the harshness you sometimes detect on cd. He left a good amount of space from the end of the final track to the edge by the label to minimize any end of side playback problems. I went from having the 1976 UK version with the last three tracks in fake stereo originally to the 1988 Capitol digitally mastered one that was a bit better.

I feel this is the best one yet I've had.It was dead quiet too!

Past Masters

Parlophone

A product of the 'core catalogue' is all you need idea, this was compiled and originally issued in 1988 to round up material that didn't make its way into the individual UK albums that for the most part I never owned then but to which were all re-issued on cd world-wide the previous year.

These weren't just obscure tracks but actually a good many of their British singles and the whole Long Tally Sally ep that for North Americans we got spliced into our unique albums.

I needless to say bought the cds as soon as they were issued but the lp issued several months later never sounded good. It was thin, lacking in deep bass and oddly enough worse sounding than the cds which weren't all they could of been either.

This new copy sounds that much fuller with the added benefits this time around of stereo versions of two German language singles plus From Me To You and Thank You Girl minus the echo on the Capitol lp ‘Second Album’.

From my point of view the main value lies the the tracks that sadly we never got on our lps in real stereo such as This Boy, I Feel Fine, She's A Woman and Yes It Is plus the regular UK mixes of Day Tripper as well as the original single version of their first UK hit, Love Me Do. An aside: It was a shock to here I Feel Fine in stereo compared to the very echo filled fake stereo when I got the UK RED album.

I am extremely impressed with how this album has turned out this  around on lp sounding so much better than the original edition and would go as far as to say it bests the current cd when it comes to detail and sound-staging.

White Album: This edition I got for Christmas 2012 has far more bass than any previous edition and has been cut with a bit of gap between the end the last track and the start of label which helps as the originals didn't making getting clean sound at the end of the record difficult and a 1975 edition I had sounded thin.

A brief list of my Beatles lps to date.

STEREO:

Early Years (Capitol Canada) - early 80's

Second Album (Capitol USA) - 2nd copy early 80's

Please Please Me (Parlophone UK) - 1981

Beatlemania! With The Beatles (Capitol Canada) - late 70's.

2 copies one the 'TLC' wide stereo, the other narrowed

A Hard Day's Night (Parlophone UK) -1981
This was the first UK studio album I bought.

Something New (Capitol USA) -early 80's

Beatles '65 (Capitol Canada) -1983 (Colourband)

Beatles For Sale (Parlophone UK) -1979 

Bought used a few years ago

Beatles VI (Capitol Canada)-1983 (Colourbar)

Help! (Parlophone UK) -1973

Bought used a few back to replace Canadian Capitol Help soundtrack from late 70's

Rubber Soul (UK Parlophone)-1980 (_5/-6 HTM cutting)

Bought used a several months back to replace a late 1970's Canadian Capitol lp.

Yesterday and Today (Capitol USA) -early 80's All true stereo copy!
Revolver (UK Parlophone)1986
This -5/-4 UK copy made just before the cds were issued and the records then altered to us same source as the cd was bought very recently to replace my Revolver (Capitol USA) 1981 edition which sounded a bit distorted in places and only had 11 tracks not 14 of the UK edition.

Sgt Pepper (UK Parlophone) -mid 70's

Bought two years ago to replace Capitol Canada 1979 edition

White Album (Capitol USA) -1988

Abbey Road (UK Apple) -1979

Bought used to replace 1979 Capitol Canada lp that I scratched

Let It Be (Capitol USA) -1979 Mastered fresh by Wally Traugott and sounds very very good

At the Hollywood Bowl -1977 (Capitol Canada) + (Parlophone UK)

Compilations:

Rock and Roll Music (Parlophone UK) -1976

Love Songs (Parlophone UK) -1977

1962-1966 aka RED (Apple UK) -1989 (Replaced 1977 UK)

1967-1970 aka BLUE (Apple UK) -1991 (Replaced 1977 UK)
Rarities (Pathe Marconi/French EMI) -1985
It's the French edition of the Capitol lp that had tracks not easily found in North America some of which ironically no longer in circulation.
Reel Music (Capitol USA) -1982 
The first US album to have Ticket To Ride in true stereo believe it or not!

Mono:

Please Please Me (Parlophone UK) -1988 

With the Beatles (Parlophone UK) -1982

Beatlemania! with the Beatles  (Capitol Canada) -1963

A Hard Day's Night (Capitol USA) -1988

Beatles For Sale (UK Parlophone) -1982

Help! (UK Parlophone) -1982

Rubber Soul (UK Parlophone) -1982

Revolver (UK Parlophone) -1967

Sgt Pepper (UK Parlophone)-1967

From Liverpool Box set

On November 3rd 1980, the mail order  division of England's EMI records, World Records issued a special 8 lp box set entitled "From Liverpool-The Beatles box" whose timing was unfortunate being but five weeks off the death of John Lennon, something I can recall all to clearly even today.

It had two posts, a couple of flexi discs and a leaflet outlining other titles they did and critically at the time as I recall well, the chance to be entered in a Prize Draw
It was heavily advertised at the time in magazines including the Radio Times and sold very well no doubt appealing to those who need to have something to remind them of the magic of the time during the period after John's tragic death in New York.
As you can from the above entry attempts had been made before to condense the magic of the Beatles for casual fans especially in an era where many singles were not on the contemporary lp releases in the UK but this set attempts to fill the gap by adding a sizable number of prime album cuts from each original album to the 45's and EP tracks making in effect a halfway house.

All 124 tracks over 8 lps were freshly mastered by Harry T Moss who did many of later full lp masters and Simon Sinclair who compiled it, used a number of rare or alternate mixes never previously issued in the UK too adding to it's collectors appeal.
The discs are set out in chronological order meaning that things from what become the Let It Be album appear before Abbey Road as they were recorded first and a number of tracks have 'clean' starts and earlier fades when they were segued on albums such as Abbey Road and the 'White Album' with the majority of tracks in stereo although two - P.s I Love You and She Loves You - remain in UK fake stereo form from the 1960's and freshly mastered tracks where no stereo versions were found were issued in mono.
Each disc has a separate glossy picture lp jacket with a history of the period on the reverse with a lined inner sleeve to protect it. It was also issued on cassette form in a box with the tapes being Dolbyized.
Some hifi types allege this album is too quiet having long sides but as generally they have 8 tracks per side (one more than usual in the UK) and only one side goes near 24 minutes it's well within the optimum range for lp cutting and more to the point sounds extremely good with fairly quiet vinyl too.
I actually wanted this back in 1980 but my folks never bought it me so to get a mint copy now is really nice transporting me back to that time.

A word from the Big Girl to the one within

A recent dialogue between my adult (BG) and Little (LG) sides

BG: Hello there my friend
LG: Oh Hi. How are you you today?
BG: Oh I'm okay, just keeping an eye out for you  now. And you?
LG: I'm good. Actually I haven't felt better for many a year since I've been allowed out earlier in the year thank you
BG: That's good. I was worried about how you'd cope after all that time cooped up but you surprised me.
LG: I did??? You trusts me now?
BG: Hey, little girl I trust you. You've got brains and spirit it's just you had taken that long rest and I thought you'd be out of practise that's all.
LG: I think I learn a few things from you.
BG: Aww that's really sweet of you. Have you done anything different recently?
LG: I've been reading story books a lot. You learn heaps from books.
BG: That's true. I hear some of these books are similar to those I remember.
LG: I think so. I liked the school stories by Enid Blyton a lot and that Storytime book with the picture of the girl with a candy-striped dress walking her dog plus a boy on the cover.
BG: That's not so surprising is it as you're a schoolgirl after all and they're about your World.
Tell me who leads in that picture on the front of the other book?
LG: The boy with his book. I like that.
BG: That's interesting. You are his equal but you know what? Boys can use their extra strength to keep girls like you safe. If he were real would you like that?
LG: Yes I would.
BG: Good girl. Boys, unlike what your unkind sisters say can be kind, gentle people who'll look after you. It's called chivalry.
LG: I see.
BG: Have I told you I like how you look in your uniform?
LG: No.
BG: Then I will say it suits you perfectly, especially as I know you're 'all regulation' now and I also like your play clothes. You deserve a MERIT badge for how you've handled being out.

LG: Thank you ( * Hugs BG)
BG: It's good for you not to have to think too much about what to wear so you can just learn and go out and play without worrying about tearing dresses.
LG: I play now.
BG: I know and I want you to play as much as you can even if you get a bit dirty cos play is important for you. I think it helped you a lot this year.
LG: Aww after letting me play you wants me to do it more.
BG: That's right little girl. Thanks for talking with me and remember you're out now for good. Bye bye.

Children of Cherry Tree Farm

I grew up in the countryside in a small hamlet with just one store and public house that we spent summers outside drinking lemonade in when we weren't playing out  so it isn't that surprising I love stories about the kinds of communities I lived in.
Enid Blyton wrote three super books that deal with this topic that I adore.
We start with four children Rory (13), Sheila, Benjy and Penny - that's the youngest at 7 - who lived in London are sent to their Aunt Bess and Uncle Tim's farm, Cherry Tree Farm,as they were poorly to recuperate while their folks were on business in America.
It's an old country farm with thatched roofs and little mechanization.

They learn about country life and lore encountering Tammylan a person who understands about looking after animals and explains the them all about different species and their role in the countryside. For the period this novel is set in Tammylan has enlightened views about the importance of the environment. The fresh air soon helps the children recover and also ignites their imaginations.
They learn about how farming families pull together and have a pleasant surprise as their folks upon returning decided too forgo their city life to return to farming.
The Children of Willow Farm and More adventures on Willow Farm are the stories of bringing a farm back to life, establishing new crops together with livestock as it is a mixed farm and the trails and tribulations of running the farm that the children increasingly learn to do for themselves.
The children learn about being responsible, working as a team and dealing with disappointments.
What I love about these books isn't just the story about the children it's how carefully information about wildlife and farming practise is slipped into the book so you learn about the basics of agriculture and making things like milk, cheese and cream!

Are there advantages of being ALG?

After our last Teen Beat special, I wish to return to an interesting topic  around those of us  who are Adult Little Girls and in particular those who take part in forum discussions and the like.

I haven’t really addressed this before but one thing that struck me about our groups especially at GT, is what an array of talents we happen to have in our midst, from artists, seamstresses, writers of fiction, people who in are Engineering, the Sciences and so on.

One does wonder about how much society actually gains from people like us who use childlike, non-linear thinking as well as problem solving to come up with solutions over our more regular colleagues and friends.

It wasn’t me but someone known well to this blog who remarked that thinking about the hundreds of people they’ve worked with and groups and forums they themselves have interacted with finds this group (at GT) having an unusually high percentage of   greater intelligence, wit, imagination, creativity compared with others.

Put like that, personally having been in a number of forums including TG ones and worked with a number of people in different fields, that’s how it comes over to me too.

I do wonder if  being inclined to think outside of adult boundaries and the social need self-censoring ones thoughts,  because we are childlike so never stopped doing so, you remain more open to possibilities exploring them?

Maybe this might answer the question “Do we have a role to play in society?”

Billy Joel, the Piano Man Pt.2 (teenbeat special)

This is the slightly over due part two of our Teen Beat specials on Billy Joel whose music I loved growing up.

Following a bit of a gap the program resumed with 1978's fantastic 52nd Street jazz influence album with it's hit singles My Life and FM album favourites like Zanzibar which like all of  Mobile Fidelity's  issues in this series isn't just a finely mastered cd besting regular Columbia/Sony issues but also a even better sounding super audio cd that can be played on a dedicated sacd player or many Blu-Ray players that have playback built into them.
These releases use a mini lp style of presentation complete with lyric inserts which I much prefer over plastic jewel cases.

 On July 31st 2012, the specialty reissue company Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs as part of it's program of Billy Joel reissues put out a new version of Billy Joel's 'new wave' Glass Houses album from 1980, the one with 'It's Still Rock and Roll To Me' on it.
If you like Billy Joel as I do then you're no doubt familiar with numbers like 'All for Leyna' but what makes this so enjoyable is it hasn't had any extra narrowing of the quiet and loud passages applied to it so when those drums kick in you can tell! Plus it sounds really clear in the presence area great for Billy's voice and the percussion.The last edition of I bought was the 1998 Sony re-master which I have on Minidisc.

This 1982 album saw Billy emulating the feel of the 60's with many a nod to Paul McCartney and featured hits such as Allentown that caught the despondency of the early 80's Reagan era America as the smokestack industries faced decline.
This new version on regular cd is the best I've ever heard this album which although recorded digitally was actually mixed to analogue tape.
It is to be hoped the 50's pastiche that is An Innocent Man gets this treatment soon.

Happy Halloween

Yes's it's that day in the year where the ghouls all come out and I stock up on candy to dole out.
Happy Halloween people!

Some of us can't get enough Fairy Tail!

The internet, the rights of children and the childlike

This whole topic is one very dear to the heart of the author of this blog.
I as I'd hope every one of us believes in the rights of children such as the right to a safe happy childhood, the right not to be abused not least sexually by adults  but in our modern sophisticated world it seems it's harder to ensure they do not encounter inappropriate material or are groomed for later sexual attention.
Let's make this plain, this blog and what it is about is 100% behind those who are trying to keep children's lives safe, happy and free from adult predators.
Blogs however have methods where people can show they follow them often publicly and the words used to describe those that do may not help as Google, for instance call those people "Blog Members" so you might think they contribute to the blog and there is an inference the person on whose blog they have placed their following have approved them.
It's the opposite actually, they choose to follow your blog, can't contribute unless you personally allow them, approve themselves although you can remove them later and I regret to say I had to remove one after it was brought to my attention material I would consider hostile to children's interests was on their site.
The internet is we have to remember is the internet, a place where many people do things that legal but may not be, to borrow a British phrase, ones cup of tea and some take liberties too  deserving reporting.
The following is for readers of this blog:
Some followers may host "Adult "  material usually with a screen between your instant access and their own site to tell you so if you do not want to see anything that may be termed that, I would strongly suggest you do not click on them.Please don't presume I've necessarily endorsed followers either as I may not have checked their sites before you click on them! Not a few of us who  are childlike don't want internet porn either.
I really wish 'adult sexual' content sites had to use a separate internet domain that you had to opt into with your internet browser as it is all to easy to find adult sites with the most innocent search terms and if your are or have been a parent it would rightly alarm you especially in an era of mobile internet access that increasing number of children have. Speaking as one who is ALG I'd also block it that way on all my internet capable devices too.
Followers of this blog are just people that like it some of which while I like them as people you may not feel their site is one you'd like to visit and generally I'll only act on those sites who compromise child safety by their content by showing for instance pedophilia but remember I WILL.

Guilty secrets.

We might begin by saying according to Google, I have now 14 followers of this blog and it is going to circulated a bit more widely with a short introductory message.
For most of this week I've been reading a mixture of Enid Blyton's Secrets series with the first two stories in their 1960's paperback editions as modern editions haven't so much edited as partially re-written the first chapters that are essential to understand why 4 children would runway in this period from their guardians.

Guilty secret time:

Okay, the eagle eyed will spot a modern no-no on the front cover of this, one of the original three story collections in the Amelia Jane stories.
Amelia is a home made ragdoll who lives in the toybox with the other twos of the children who own them with a teddy bear, sailor boy, wooden mouse and a clown as well as a 'golly' a black faced doll if you grew up in the 70's or before you may well have had in your toybox.
I have fond memories of my toy box I can assure you with dolls teddy bears and even a golly (eek).
Amelia being home made hasn't been what we'd call socialized and so is gets very bored doing incredibly naughty damaging things, playing with matches, being very rude and spiteful, just like many young children, something that no doubt makes it very easy to identify with.In some respects it's almost a moral tract showing action and consequence through the adult narration.
The other toys do with the help of the brownies (another no-no in modern editions) restore order. Amelia has to stand in the corner  and is smacked, just rather like I was at that age for doing pretty much the same things cos like any kid I was capable of 'naughty'.
'Golly' is a no-no too but anyone who has read these stories know he's a really sweet but strong character who will stand up for himself and isn't afraid to take the lead on bring Amelia back under control.
I guess the 'Golly' problem lies with parts of his depiction having prominent eyes and red lips being too close for some to 'blacked up' white actors who some see as promoting a negative stereotype of black people although Enid Blyton sure doesn't in her stories and in the UK at least 'Golly' or 'Gollywogg' was never frequently used as a racial insult.
Given I at least have been called a 'muppet several times before now and no one has insisted on removing that word from public tv and literature, shouldn't we judge a book by it's content and only take offence when a character is being portrayed in an offensive way?

I want to see the lights

Well I'll start this blog entry with a thanks to Pink and Frilly for following this blog.

Okay guess where in the UK this might be seen? You see I went off on another little adventure to a place you might have childhood memories of  and is surrounded by fun things you might want to do.This place has trams a plenty running up and down some like these are modern ones but at weekends and high season the old types are run.

Okay that place is Blackpool, Lancashire, Northwestern England, a place that is  unapologetically loud and I travelled on as coach using the Motorway network although we as a bit naughty and used the slip road but a few miles from my main road to join it! Being very near the entry point to one of the principal motorways has its advantages.
Like a number of UK resorts it's has a pier that jets out into the sea with various attractions including amusement arcades on them. This one had a Victorian Photography booth where you can wear and be photographed in period attire.

 You can see just how far out it goes! It's as well there were things undercover as it rained hard for a period in the afternoon. I went to Harry Ramsden's for lunch where the service was exemplary and the Plaice lovely and moist.

One prominent landmark is the Big Wheel although going on that is out of bounds for me as I'd lose my head if I went on on it.

That's the big Tower which is being restored near the SeaLife Centre, Dungeons  and the waxworks museum. I spent quite a bit of time in Toymaster looking at the dolls, colouring books, sylvarian families toys and that. I'm sure the assistant clocked me!
In the foreground is one of the illuminations that was one of the main reason for going as these lights have partially renewed allowing for more fantastic effects. There were fairies, teddybears, diamonds and at a Quarter past six, we assembled to go through them all illuminated at Seven PM. It was beautiful.
By Eight-thirty, I was back home for a light snack before putting my jim jams on  as this little girl was dead tired and needed her sleep.

Darning free zone

Hello and hope you're having a jolly good day as we move into the fall.
The great thing about the fall is the colour of the leaves changing aided by low glowing sun but there's no getting away from it, it's a little cooler than it was.
That takes me to one of the essentials of my uniform, long over the knee socks to keep my legs nice and warm.

Well, a pair of mine were getting a bit of hole in them and with my paws I can't darn them  so in replacing them I give a hit of thought what they were going to go with and these go with my school skirt as well as my black pinafore dress.
With that I got two pairs of each from Sexy Minx - not all her stuff is suitable for children - but what the heck, she's a great etailer on ebay.
Rather dash don't you think?

Joanne is reading for pleasure

A return to work this week after being poorly but immersed in littleness for the preceding two  prompts this weeks entry.
Reading  for people like me who have difficulty recognizing words and following English grammar is hard going but we are getting somewhere as I actually enjoyed for once reading while unable to work.
A good while back we were talking in chat about favourite stories and Jennifer said she liked the Famous Five series to which my reply was one of once I'd finished paying back some money I spend on a big cd box set, I'd consider getting a set cos although I did read a few when I was officially younger, I'm missing a set.
The stories feature the adventures over their vacations of Julian ,Dick, Anne and George aka Georgina and her dog, Timmy. George lives with her father Quentin, a Scientist, next to Kirrin Island that George 'owns'. In total there are 21 stories the earliest being 1942's Five on a Treasure Island to 1963's Five are together again

That bundle of books is the "classic" edition which retains Eileen A. Soper's original illustrations not to be confused the 2011 significantly altered set and only set me back just under £25 shipped from Amazon that's really quite a bargain.
One bone of contention regarding all of Enid Blyton's books is, over the years some subtle and not so subtle alterations have been made.
While this set isn't too bad from that point of view with no loss of  or major changes in characters, some of those made make no sense such George - the girl who wants to present as a boy - we are told in this edition wears a jersey and jeans however the illustrations clearly show her in shorts (something boys under 14 in the UK did wear during the period these books were written) and further research I did showed this to a fairly recent alteration. Equally a reference to Quentin in Five on a Treasure Island  threatening a spanking to George for being very awkward as well as cheeky is removed (even though it would of been very likely to had been made back then) and yet in Five go off in a  caravan, Nobby the circus boy is still threatened with a whipping and gets it from Tiger Dan his circus step father.
For all cackhanded so-called Political Correctness though I'm enjoying reading these stories and it's interesting she made 'George' the way she did without any implied criticism. A heroine if ever one needed one.

Not unsurprisingly I love school stories especially boarding school ones and one series I've been slowly collecting inspired in part by our motley alg crew's tastes is by Anne Digby and is called Trebizon that runs to 14 stories.
If that sounds terribly Cornish it's meant to be cos it's based on this super school for bright girls next to the beach and being written and published between 1978 and 1994 covering a  period when I was in boarding school (yay!) we are treated to such cultural references such as British Rail, Wimbledon, duplicating machines with their stencils, cassette tape recorders and finally Television!

That is the 1993 first three stories in one hardback book edition as published by Deans.
The stories are centred around Rebecca who joins the school having been at a London Comprehensive following her parents stationing in Saudi Arabia with a common theme being her emerging talent at Tennis although (hurrah!) she does play Hockey too! Of the other major characters we learn about her best friends Tish Anderson and Susan Murdoch and her boyfriend Robbie. We learn about the trails of fitting in when you join a school in the second term after everyone's paired off with friends, about hard choices deciding what to major in and what you may need to drop to keep your schoolwork schedule manageable.