Jeanne...

[Lepine]

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granted, there have not usually huge numbers of attractive and very young females on QE2, but there were some

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We may not be young, but still heads turn.

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Sorry, I did not word that well. I know there are many very attractive "older" women, in general, and on QE2. Jessica Tandy was absolutely beautiful when in her 80's, for example.

 

I was referring to those very young girls who tend to be more vulnerable to those "less respectful" kinds of behaviors on the street and elsewhere.

[Jeanne S]

Thank you for your kind words. It is I who have been oversensitive, being that I will be turning 50 next year and while age is just a number - I think and am told - that I still look quite good and I do not feel old, reading your post I realized, "I am not young anymore and never will be again." Fortunately, my sister and I have been blessed with good aging genes (she is in her fifties and someone commented to her while on a Bermuda Cruise that she had "Buns of Steel.").

 

You have a very good point - we were the youngsters on our recent QE2 sailings. And Cunard is not RCCL with many, many young nubile ladies and that "Who Let the Dog's Out" Mentality (although the QM2 band plays this on Carib sailings).

 

Jeanne

[cunarder]

Jeanne,

 

You mean you're not 29?

 

Oh well, I will be toasting 50 next year with you also. We are doing the birthday cruise on the Star Princess next October (7th - New England/Canada). Maybe you should book that and we can toast to our birthdays with some Geyser Peak Cabernet (from the QM2 wine tasting). Then again, I'm going for the Moet.

 

Ed

[KenC]

..... being that I will be turning 50 next year and while age is just a number - I think and am told - that I still look quite good and I do not feel old, reading your post I realized, .....Jeanne

 

In your prime then Jeanne !!!!

[mufi]

Ken - The prime of Jean(ne) Brodie perhaps.

[Jeanne S]

Jeanne,

 

You mean you're not 29?

 

Oh well, I will be toasting 50 next year with you also. We are doing the birthday cruise on the Star Princess next October (7th - New England/Canada). Maybe you should book that and we can toast to our birthdays with some Geyser Peak Cabernet (from the QM2 wine tasting). Then again, I'm going for the Moet.

 

Ed

 

You are also my age? Had you told me that you were 29 I would have believed it!!! Right now I am looking at the photos of us all on the bridge with Captain Wright hovering over you, as you ring the noon day ships horn. He has this look of sheer admiration for you.

 

Is this ship leaving from NYC or Boston. If NYC I may be able to do that. I was looking at QM2 (and would like to do that) for the fall also but those rates are quite high - at least $1000 more in a balcony cat than the Carib Cruises.

 

Would like to go on Princess again, having only been on the Love Boat.

 

Did you happen to watch Travel Spies last night (would this be on in Binghamton) - the Radisson Navigator was the ship - the one we are sailing on this Wed. The lesson to be learned was that Butler service (at $3000 extra) is a waste of funds on Radisson.

 

Was it as hot upstate as it was here this past week? Set a record of 102 at Newark Airport.

 

 

Jeanne

[Jeanne S]

In your prime then Jeanne !!!!

 

Thank you Ken C. I like the term prime!

[Jeanne S]

Ken - The prime of Jean(ne) Brodie perhaps.

 

I seem to remember this was a movie in 1969 that won an Academy Award for Maggie Smith for best actress? Is that it?

 

 

Jeanne

[Jeanne S]

Was just purusing the novel by Muriel Spark and came accross this passage:

 

Miss Brodie's Physical Appearance

 

Miss Brodie is described as an average size woman with dark hair, flashing brown eyes, and a Roman profile. "Miss Brodie forced her brown eyes to flash as a meaningful accompaniment to her quite voice. She looked a mighty woman with her dark Roman profile in the sun." (P. 9) "Miss Brodie stood in her brown dress like a gladiator with raised arm and eyes flashing like a sword." (P. 46) "She looked disapprovingly towards the door and lifted her fine dark Roman head with dignity." (P. 46) "Miss Brodie's bones were small, although her eyes, nose and mouth were large." (P. 101) Miss Brodie has dominant features such as large eyes and a prominent nose just as she is a very dominant figure. She stands in a confident manner in front of her students and always walks about with her head held high. "… Miss Brodie on a day of lessons indoors stood erect, with her brown head held high, staring out of the window like Joan of Arc as she spoke." (P. 11) Miss Brodie was a lot like Joan of Arc in that she was a very opinionated and dominant woman; set in her ways and strong in her will. "Some days it seemed to Sandy that Miss Brodie's chest was flat, no bulges at all, but straight as her back." (P. 11) Like Joan of Arc, Miss Brodie was also masculine.

 

 

Then there is:

Miss Brodie the Hypocrite

 

Miss Brodie shows she is a hypocrite at many different points during the novel. "Her disapproval of the Church of Rome was based on her assertions that it was a church of superstition, and that only people who did not want to think for themselves were Roman Catholics." (P. 85) Miss Brodie does not like the Roman Catholic religion but she tells her students of her vacations to Rome which she took in search if culture. She also chose her set much like Jesus chose his disciples. "She always went to church on Sunday mornings, she had a rota of different denominations and sects which included the Free Churches if Scotland, the Established Church of Scotland…" (P. 85) Miss Brodie liked the Church of Scotland but yet she did not like John Knox, the founder of these institutions. "…and 'John Knox' said Miss Brodie, 'was an embittered man.'" (P. 33)

 

Miss Brodie disliked the concept of team spirit but was very interested in Mussolini's fascisti. " ' Phrases like "the team spirit" are always employed to cut across individualism, love and personal loyalties,' she said, 'ought not to be enjoined on the female sex, especially if they are of that dedicated nature whose virtues from time to time immemorial have been utterly opposed to the concept…'" (P. 79) "Mussolini had put an end to unemployment with his fascisti and there was no litter in the streets." (P. 31)

 

 

and last, but not least:

 

 

Miss Brodie's Travels

 

Miss Brodie did a lot of travelling during the summer. She visited Italy, Rome, England, Germany, and Austria. She was well traveled but most of her travels took her to fascist countries. Miss Brodie was not the only woman of her kind during this time. Many women like herself also traveled around the world and took up new languages. "There were legions of her kind during the nineteen-thirties, women from the age of thirty upward, who crowded their war-bereved spinsterhood with voyages of discovery into new ideas and energetic practices in art or social welfare, education or religion." (P. 42) These women had lost husbands in the war and occupied themselves with arguing over trivial matters. They were feminists and found talking to be a great joy. "But those of Miss Brodie's kind were great talkers and feminists and, like most feminists, talked to men as man-to-man." (P. 43)

 

(question: If one is divorced and now single, am I a spinster?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh boy!

[cunarder]

Hi Jeanne,

 

I am well kept for my age. Numerous years of sports year round have kept me in shape. I turn 50 on Oct. 5th 2006 - thus the cruise on Oct. 7th. In fact, my mother-inlaw's birthday is Sept. 23rd, a friend of ours birthday is around then and Sandy and mine's anniversary is October 23rd. All will be on board for alot of celebrating - would love to have you join us. If you decide to go, let me know so we can tie the dinner reservations together.

 

The Star Princess does leave from New York - or should I say Brooklyn. That is ok though because my mother-inlaw is from Brooklyn so it will be nice for her.

 

I didn't see travel spies last night - it was Big Brother night so I didn't look.

 

The temps in Binghamton have only been in the 80's lately and next week supposedly only in the high 70's. Time will tell.

 

You sure that was admiration by Captain Wright or was it because I let the old Queen Mary Horn blow for about 20 seconds??? I enjoyed it!

 

Enjoy your cruise and give me the lowdown when you get back.

 

Ed

[Jeanne S]

Ed:

 

Captain was definitely admiring – had a big smile on his face.

 

The Radisson Navigator’s Hotel and Cruise Director this next week are the same from last year so I cannot wait to meet them again and ask about the Spy show – they were ambushed and I do not think they were pleased.

 

Hope the Spies do Cunard next. There are 3 of them and they each stay in the different types of accommodations. On any of the Queens one could do Grills, Caronia and Mauretania or QG/PG/Britannia. You would like this show – they are so over the top.

 

Hopefully I can make the Fall Princess cruise!

 

 

Jeanne