PRgal

Wasn't he married at that time? Seventeen year old boys usually aren't married, so he would have been in his 20s. Still, Violet was likely older (probably 30s), making her...a cougar.

I think it's really only since the 90s that society has been more accepting of unwed mothers. Murphy Brown kind of changed things (yes, I realize that she's different, since she's not a teenager or even a 20-something college student). It's now increasingly difficult to adopt privately as more and more women choose to parent.

Marigold is more or less the same age as Betty on Mad Men, but without the advantages that Betty had as a child. Even though she's the daughter of a farmer, there are likely still expectations of her, and for her to have a mom and a dad in a "real" family rather than being raised by a single mom who had her without being married would still have been seen, in the 1920s, as "bad." We aren't talking about Marigold as an adult in the 1940s or later, we're talking about how people would treat her while she's a child and a teenager in the 1930s. Even if she's able to get into good schools like Cheltenham Ladies' College or Roedean (i.e. boarding schools girls in her cohort would have gone to), how would her peers see her? I'm sure people talk, and boarding schools are full of bullies. She's going to have better opportunities by attending the local school. She'll probably end up working in a factory during WWII and then will marry a returning soldier. I don't think she'll be destitute. Margie might seem crazy to us, but she's just trying to be protective. I'm a prospective adoptive mother and should we be matched domestically through private adoption, it will likely be open. However, we're advised to set boundaries. For example, we might see each other once a year, or Skype every other month.

Or even minorities not in the same minority group. A while back, I tried explaining the differences between racism towards East Asians and blacks to a black woman. She was one of those "minorities are minorities and we all experience it the same way" types that I thought only came from (usually older - as in over 50) white Protestants (and often women). I don't know how the Jewish (or Muslim) girls felt about chapel at my school, but regardless of religion, a good number slept (how they did so without getting caught, I DO NOT KNOW). I know that there were few non-Christians in the choir. The only ones who were vocal about chapel were self-proclaimed atheists. Even around Passover? WOW. Then again, I live in Toronto and in a higher income area (yeah, I know, stereotype). One of the (relatively smallish, compared to the suburbs) supermarkets has a kosher section, though I don't seem to notice it at Whole Foods.

So now they want to send Marigold off to a "school" in France? Is it in an old house in Paris all covered with vines? Just wondering...

Brunch: Wish. One of the few places that actually takes brunch reservations! My favourite items on the menu include their French toast, Nutella sandwich and Eggs in Purgatory (basically shakshuka under a different name). Another favourite of mine is Lola's Kitchen, which is great if you're vegan/vegetarian. Both restaurants also serve dinner. Third favourite: MoRoCo Chocolat. THEY HAVE SIPPING CHOCOLATE!!! Definitely order THAT to finish off your brunch. So much richer than your regular hot chocolate/cocoa! Also a great spot for afternoon tea. Chinese (dim sum): Lai Wah Heen if you want something on the higher end or Pearl Harbourfront if you want traditional cart service. There are also plenty of places in the suburbs. Toronto's Cantonese cuisine is Hong Kong style authentic, and it's actually very difficult to find North American Chinese food (i.e. chop suey and egg rolls. Ask any Chinese person for egg rolls and they'll give you something sweet). If you're looking for more (modern) Taiwanese/Shanghainese style, Lee Chen Asian Bistro is great for soup dumplings, though there are more authentic places in the suburbs. Whatever you do, DON'T GO TO CHINATOWN for Chinese food unless you want to go really, really cheap and eat at sort of hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Toronto's Chinese community generally won't eat there unless they're coming from the office. Other Chinese/Chinese-inspired places you might want to try include DaiLo (interesting note: They originally wanted to call the place GwaiLo, but (probably) had to change it because it's a racial slur for white people), Lee or Bent (both are Susur Lee restaurants). I would also suggest Luckee. I personally like that it serves dim sum at dinner, but some people think it's a bit overrated). Indian: The Host Indian Cuisine or its more modern/fusion cousin, 259 Host (in the financial district). Utsav in Yorkville is also good. "Canadian" Food: Bannock, especially after a day of shopping at the Eaton Centre. They also have brunch. Pizza: My favourite mini-chain, Magic Oven, especially if you want vegan or Pizzeria Libretto (another mini-chain). If you want Roman style, there's Tutti Pizzeria, a newly open and hidden place in Yorkville or Buca (the Yorkville location is more seafood inspired, while King Street is more meat). Pizza is served with scissors. Middle Eastern: Fat Pasha (Israeli-inspired cuisine - portion sizes are fairly large and made to share. Definitely order the cauliflower) or Tabule (love their falafels). Mexican: Wilbur Mexicana for tacos, Los Colibris for something sitdown. Expensive Date Night: Sassafraz or ONE Restaurant, both in the tony Yorkville area of Toronto. Another favourite is La Société, especially in the summer when they open their lower patio. Ice Cream: Summer's Ice Cream. It's seasonal - they're usually closed between November and March. Another place to try is Gelato Simply Italian, which has two locations in the city. Other places: Brownstone Bistro (general restaurant with pretty much everything), Origin (two locations, including one in the suburbs), Trevor Kitchen + Bar (they have complimentary cotton candy) as well as the restaurant at The Beverley Hotel.

Hotel restaurants and a few other places as well.

Rice cookers are great! I don't make ride much anymore (quinoa, bulgur, feel, etc... have pretty much replaced rice) but like you said, they're really handy. Still need to figure out how to make other grains in the machine though. I also love my chopper/food processor and slow cooker (stews, slow cooked apples (a favourite at Thanksgiving 2014) and hot cereal). ETA: I should also add that I love my Breville Smart Oven! There are only two of us, so this is perfect for weeknight dinners. I don't use our regular oven unless I'm cooking for company. :)

It depends. My husband's Jewish (ethnically Eastern European. His parents were born and raised in Montreal) and my MIL said that it would be completely inappropriate to call non-relatives "Aunt(ie) and Uncle" in their culture. Topic: I agree. Tom and Mary would be really, really weird. I mean, George and Sybbie would be cousins AND step siblings. Would Sybbie still call Mary, Aunt(ie) Mary and George call Tom, Uncle Tom?

Of course! Violet's immortal. She's still alive in 2015 and wondering what a weekend is. Of course a 2015 Matthew will too.

Completely agree. My husband's friends from high school and university are really casual and they always asked their children to "say hello to PRguy and PRgal," not "Mr. and Mrs. Lastname." I've attempted to correct them, but since I have not known them as long as he has, I'm not sure if it's my place. My friends' kids tend to call me Auntie PRgal (if they're of Chinese descent) as it's the custom to do so. My non-Chinese friends' kids tend to call me Mrs. Lastname or Ms. Maidenname. Back on topic now.

More and more, I'm thinking that Mary's life is turning into Sex and the City. Blake vs. Gillingham is a bit like Big vs. Aidan.

And Matthew looked really fake to begin with, probably because Dan Stevens isn't a natura that blond. I recall someone on TwoP said that they made Matthew a surferdude blond so he could be easily distinguisable from the brown haired guys on the show/Mary's other suiters, who're (mostly) darker haired.

I haven't seen the Nanny in years and didn't watch it on a regular basis when it was on, but yeah, I guess they would. As for Cher in Clueless, it's pretty much known that she is - there's a scene on the TV version of the movie that was a flashback (or maybe photo - I don't remember) of her singing "Dreidl, Dreidl" a fairly well-known Chanukah song and I'm 99% sure there have been references to her bat mitzvah.

Martha is loud and obnoxious. That's the stereotype of a Jewish (American/Canadian, anyway) woman of a certain age. Heck, there's even an Instagram account called Crazy Jewish Mom! Then there's the younger woman stereotype (think Cher from Clueless), which is a whole other story...

Nah...Tom's couple name with Thomas would be....Branrow or The Toms. And yes, Isobel NEEDS to say YES! She has to have a companion closer to her own age. As for Miss Bunting: I wonder if she's rude to the kids she teaches or to their parents. I'm not sure if the village school is a one roomer (did they have one room schoolhouses in the UK?) or if there are several classrooms. If it's the latter, I wonder if she's one of those teachers that kids pray that they WON'T get!

I HATE it when people don't eat something you made! When I was 10 or 11, I made a fruit punch for a barbecue my parents were hosting and NO ONE drank it! Not the kids or the grown-ups. And I often worry about making what my husband calls "PRgal" food for some of my relatives - recently, my parents said that it's "probably not a good idea" for me to make an entire meal for my relatives because they might not "like" my quinoa dressing ("dressing" as in turkey stuffing that has never been stuffed IN the turkey). Non-relatives tell me my quinoa dressing is good. My parents think so, as does my husband. It's just that it's a "PRgal" dish and not something more...Chinese.

We don't have Ulta in Canada (yet), but one of our major drugstore chains is known for having an excellent beauty section with more premium brands (segregated from the drugstore lines, of course) like Stila, Lancome, Clinique and Smashbox. They also run a small chain of beauty stores. I go there a lot as well, since I get points. Once, I only had to pay $25 for a bill worth at least $150. I pretty much only get beauty products there and at Sephora. :S

You can also use pureed beets to get the colouring. Here's a recipe: http://bakecakery.com/2011/03/16/red-velvet-cake-with-beets/

You mean a "moving/motion" picture? It's 1924, so movies are still silent. I'm sure she has - or knows of them. I mean, she knows who Douglas Fairbanks is.

It's fairly strict, and probably MORE SO in the 19th century! My husband's Jewish, I'm not, so any kids we have won't be unless I convert or our kids convert. On the other hand, my nephew IS Jewish even though my sister-in-law is married to a non-Jew. However, I found it surprising that Cora even got an IN with the British aristocracy, considering her family background/religion.

Cora only said her father was Jewish and did not say anything about her mom. Was there any intermarriage back then? If Cora's mom is not Jewish then neither is Cora.

Turkey meatballs with quinoa tonight! :)

Yum on the grits (okay, I've never really made grits, only polenta, which, from what I understand, is from a different species of corn) and mustard greens...not a big fan of shrimp though.

Since Robert seemed to be so anti-radio in last night's episode, I wonder what he wouldn't want to see in his home in 2015. A 4K TV or something else that's a bit unnecessary? He probably would have a Blackberry only because he needs it for email (touchscreen? Android? iOS? Whaaaaa?????). Otherwise, a flip phone from 2005 is fine. Heh.