Driad

Eliza writes with her left hand. I don't recall anyone criticizing her for that; maybe they have enough ammunition from her being an outspoken woman. But in this episode she started to peel a potato, holding the knife in her right hand.

Week 21: 3/5, no *.

The new vet, having been introduced to Mrs. Hall, thought Gerald was Mr. Hall. By 1940 was it no longer the custom to address a middle-aged housekeeper as "Mrs.," whether she had ever been married or not? (Therefore one should not assume that a Mr. Hall existed.) If it was still the custom, maybe the new vet didn't know that, or maybe he was flustered or deficient on social graces.

Week 20: 2/5. Season to date: 72/100, 8*. Bringing a big batch of spanakopita.

Tumblers do not have to have flat bottoms. Originally they had rounded or pointed bottoms, so they could not be set down between drinks. Maybe taverns chose them so patrons would drink more.

Week 19: 3/5 + 2*. Sorry I'm late. but over the past week winter storms caused power outages and 6 days without wifi, so I'm just catching up from the archive. Bringing clean snow with hot maple syrup to pour over it.

Week 18: 3/5.

What in the ever-loving blue-eyed is a grocery specialist? (Maybe this came up when Roy was on before, but I don't remember him.)

It would be helpful if people who create episode threads would include the guests' names with the titles. adTHANKSvance!

I haven't read Secret Garden (but fortunately had heard of it). In college I had to read The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. I could only stay awake if I walked up and down the hall while reading it.

Week 17: 5/5 + 1*.

I wish they would bring back Genealogy Roadshow, which featured non-celebrity people chosen because of their interesting and varied ancestral stories.

I wonder why he stopped the confessional bits he used to do. (Maybe too much in the news to talk about?) My favorite was something like, "When I go to a jazz club, I sometimes applaud at random times to confuse people."

Why "naked as a jaybird" anyway? Jays are no more naked than other birds. I have heard "naked as a frog," which makes more sense.

When the Smothers Brothers had Harry Belafonte on, they introduced him with "Here's the group you have always heard about -- Tom, Dick, and Harry!"

Thank you. Maybe some of us can make cilantro-free sauce.

Week 16: 5/5. Bringing Margherita pizza.

Raquel was sitting in a chair, and I think I have seen another contestant sitting. I'm glad to see that they make this accommodation.

Yes. Although bears (at least young small ones) can climb trees (upward), which bulls can't. Goats can climb some trees.

They wrote him very badly. After he lost his arm, they could have had him try to adapt to a different medical specialty. Paul McCrane could have improved the show if he had a well-written story line, but they turned Romano into a cartoon instead, as you said.

Is anyone else noticing a theme in FJ this week?

The only couple I sort of know who had quadruplets also gave them names starting with A, B, C, and D, as the parents in this episode did. I hope the local store carries nail polish in several colors, to help tell the babies apart.

Barnum had Jumbo taxidermied, and later donated the stuffed elephant to Tufts University, where it was housed in a museum named for Barnum. Tufts athletic teams were named after the elephant, and students treated it as a good luck charm. The museum burned in 1975 and Jumbo was destroyed. Someone put some of the ashes in a jar, which continues to serve as a good luck charm for Tufts athletics teams.

Margaret and Frank certainly did not agree on everything. In one episode, Margaret was drinking with Hawkeye et al., and was at least three sheets to the wind. Frank came in and lambasted them. After he left, Margaret asked, "Who was that?"

Week 15: 3/5, no *. YTD: 54/75, 5*. The national dish of Bhutan is Ema Datshi, a stew loaded with red chilies, cheese, and tomatoes. I'll look for a recipe and bring a batch.