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Hi, Rusty!
Speaking of BGT....did you see that the Royal Variety Performance is this coming Tuesday, and, of course, the last winner of BGT features in it?
Lance Corporal Richard Jones - the magician!
I thought he was excellent!
I still think back and think how cheated I felt about whats'ername and the multiple dogs!
She had no right to the money and all the acclaim!
Grrrh!
I am reading Mr M's autobio still.... he is beginning to grate on me just a little.....
Don't get me wrong.....I am still impressed by the books he has written - and hope to read more of them - but his personality and attitude are becoming a mite irksome?
He is always "right"........ even when he has denigrated himself, he somehow redeems it!
Do you not find that?
Or am I being super-critical?

Hello, Elle!
The magic man was excellent!
Miss Jules, or something?
Possibly you are correct regarding Mr M.
I found him slightly right wing.
Another thing I discovered.
There is a discrepancy between the height of Queen Salote, that he gives, and what Wikipedia gives.
Wik says she was 6ft 3ins, Mr M says 6ft 8ins.
He is not to everyone's taste.
I am pretty sure I read that, when he married one of his wives they adopted two children from an orphanage.
When they divorced, the children were returned to the orphanage.
I think that was dreadful, if true!
But he wrote some good books, and to be fair, some mediocre ones.

Hi, Rusty!
My goodness, that is absolutely terrible, if true, that he should return adopted children to the orphanage on the dissolution of one of his marriages.
And I think it must be so , because I found this following excerpt in 'The Independent' newspaper........
Printed on Friday, October 17th 1997....... and found in James Michener's Obituary.........

" He and his second wife adopted two sons, but the boys were returned to an orphanage when the marriage ended"

You were quite correct, Rusty, in thinking that you had read this somewhere.

The only further reference I can find concerning Mr M and children is one referring to him and his third wife, saying that they housed and cared for many homeless children.
But this is no way makes up for abandoning his own adopted boys.
What a despicable thing to do........and how does that reflect on his - and that of his second wife's - character?
I don't like the man!

Hello, Elle,
Well done on finding the article.
I am not sure where I read it.
I do find it repugnant, though.
I wonder how long they had the children for?
Could there have been reasons for it, think you?
State Laws on adoption and then divorcing?
I am only wildly guessing, but it was a dreadful thing to do to two children.
I went off the man too, when I read that, Elle.
And we would not be the only ones!

Hi, Rusty!
I very much doubt that there were any rules about divorcing?
When you adopt, the child becomes "yours" legally.
Under whatever circumstances might arise.
I think Mr M and his 'soon to be ex' wife just behaved in an inhuman way.
Maybe, just maybe, there were mitigating circumstances that we don't know about........but I doubt it.
The way it was put, they just didn't want the children any more once their marriage was over.
I shall finish the autobiogrpahy - only a hundred or so pages to go...but my dislike of James Michener is rising.......

Hello, Elle,
But remember they lived in America.
Different laws there, and from state to state, too.
It still seems inhuman to me though, that people could do such a thing.
Especially Michener, who was an orphan himself, he says.
But, he would come up with a plausible reason for doing it.
Remember, he is a story teller.
I wonder what became of the children?
Anyway, I missed another favourite on SkyArts.
A programme about the song "Coat of Many Colours" and Dolly Parton.
I like both!
Did you watch the "Navy Blue Knickers" song on YouTube?

Good morning, Rusty!
We have a glorious day!
It is lovely out - blue sky, sunshine and mild (ish)!
I hope you have the same?
Yes, I have listened to the children singing Navy -Blue Knickers!
"A must -have for those with impeccable taste,
Glamorous and made to last!"
also
"And let's hear it for NBK
loved by every mademoiselle!"
Ummmm!
Funnily enough, I was listening to Dolly P singing "My coat of many colours (that my mother made for me)" only the other day!
Can you catch up with the programme on YouTube?
Right....coffee and the Everyman!

Good morning, Elle!
Fine day here, too!
Glad you watched "NBK"!
i have a question for you.
What did the choirmistress' "shoulder tapping" represent?
Right hand tapping right shoulder?
I'm puzzled!
There are many clips of Dolly singing "Coats" on YouTube.
There is one version of it by Shania Twain, and I think it is poor.
She is not a patch on Dolly, singing it.
Dolly had six brothers and five sisters!
I did the Sunday Times xword on line.
Not as challenging as the weekday ones, for me.

Hi, Rusty!
I must admit I didn't notice the choir mistress tapping her shoulder on my first viewing......
I had to watch it again!
And the answer is....I don't know!
I did wonder if it was a sign for only part of the choir to participate, but couldn't correlate that.
I have watched the video about Harper Lee........
It was only very short? that is, if I have looked at the right thing?
I was expecting an in-depth discussion about the morality in question!
I finished the Everyman earlier, and am now decorating the newly resurrected Christmas tree!
Hopefully, it will remain erect this time around......
Have you any plans for the day?
European Cross Country Championships this afternoon.
Is your man from Scotland taking part?
I cannot remember his name? (he has a brother Derek who also runs)
Hawkins?

Hello, Elle!
Callum Hawkins.
I don't know who is running.
Is it live?
I have skiing to watch.
The choir mistress is a puzzle with her "tapping"!
Wonder how to find out?
I thought the Harper Lee programme lasted more than an hour?
I just watched an excellent interview on Bloomberg TV, of Warren Buffett, a hero of mine.
No crossword for me until tomorrow!