so I just finished watching "the duchess of duke street" -- if you liked downtown abbey you probably will like this one -- it's on the amazon prime network -- she gets a little crabby by the end of season two but it ends without leaving you hanging -- 

the setting is 1909 to 1919 london -- filmed in 1976 --

and it is based on a real person in history although the episodes are likely the products of the writer's imaginations -- also it seems that were many different writers so it stays fresh --

now she has a cockney accent so I had to keep the captions on -- well worth the effort -- the acting, wardrobe, and settings are all first class -- some of the outfits are breathtaking --

what have you been watching?

I am watching Downton Abbey for the first time, on Netflix, and I love it!  Another favorite, which I am watching for the 3rd or 4th time is Merlin, the King Arthur legend, of course.

We are watching Little House on the Prairie for the first time....Can you believe that? My kiddos are nuts about it...so are we so far!

My daughter and I both loved Little House on the Prairie, one of our favorite things to do together.

We are watching the new Lost In Space on Netflix!  My husband is not a big TV watcher so we've watched a few series on Netflix, including Lucifer, which we also oddly enjoyed.  The Lost In Space re-boot is good and back when the original Lost In Space was being cast, my husband was up for the role of Will with several call backs.  He wasn't your typical red-headed boy next door look which is what they wound up going for.   But hey, if he got it and moved to Cali we would never have met.  Maybe.  So it all turned out good !

Oh boss, my girls got the same set a few weeks ago...and I'm guessing is going to be worn to pieces in only 35 days!

Other than that we neither have cable nor netflix...! If we ever watch something we do as a family... sooo, everything in this house has to be child/family friendly!

reggie — don’t watch the duchess of duke street! I would guess that it would all go over their heads but yeah no not for munchkins — we don’t have cable or Netflix either — 

hope the move is going well —I hope the New Jersey community will be a lovely welcoming comfortable place ~

Sure boss, just the name of duchess of duke street sounds dangerous enough for kiddos. I used to watch lost in space as a child... I think that one was kiddo friendly enough!

Oh yes, I forgot to update you ladies on that, we sold our house in less than 30 hours...isn't that crazy? In a month we will be settling in NJ. I'll miss this little town, the friends and the beautiful garden we are leaving behind...and my deck to take pictures! Also, NJ has a very strict rules for homemakers. I'll take some advice on how to handle that if any of you ladies have friends in the area!

That is also what I love about this community of ours,  your friendship dear ladies is portable :)

Janet, my daughter, also has the Little House set of books, worn to smitherines.  We are both big readers and never watched much TV, so they are were favorites of hers.

ReginaCoeliB, so happy to hear your house sold quickly.  I hope you enjoy your new home as much as your old.  Hugs.

"portable friendship" love.that!

as far as new Jersey's cake making rules, I would suggest doing a search here on cc for some information -- although I can only imagine how busy you are -- later today I can looks some stuff up meself for you -- I'll be back later...

Love you bosss...! I think I'll put you in charge of doing my paperwork whenever we will apply for citizenship....You are the top notch of efficiency...seriously!

thank you, reggie, what a tremendous honor to me for you to say that -- wow -- thanks 

now then, i have some bad news and some good news -- unfortunately new jersey has no provision for home bakers -- new jersians (is that a word? it is now) cannot bake from home legally -- here's some info:

New Jersey Cottage Food Laws - Cottage Food Laws By State 

and i don't think you have time or the inclination to be on facebook -- but there's a new jersey bakers group on there -- it's got over 6,000 followers -- here's the link

(20+) New Jersey Home Bakers Association | Facebook

this is a little thing about them:

if it's any consolation, i can send you the top secret instructions for my treasure boxes made from up-cycled cigar boxes -- and you can sell those instead -- no dishes to wash -- you never need to re-arrange the fridge -- no extra calories to jiggle around!!!

HOLD THE PRESSES!!!!

read this from that facebook page 

"

oh it didn't print!

IT IS NOW LEGAL IN NEW JERSEY AS OF AROUND NOON TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY MOLEY, REGGIE, YOU ARE IN!!!!!

well, it's becoming legal -- should be all ready by september

8_24 Cottage Foods 52 N.J.R. 838(a).pdf (nj.gov)

^^^ that has your application ^^^  and the rules & regulations -- but you'll want to give it a little time for them to get all the ducks in a row --

so this has JUST been voted in TODAY -- there's a 115 page document called the notice of adoption -- of all the people and comments used to get this approved -- dang! new jersey is the last state to enact cottage food laws -- 

Notice of AdoptionCottageFood.pdf (state.nj.us)

so in post #18 scroll about halfway down in that first link to get to the application, then keep scrolling a bit for the rules -- WOW -- how incredibly timely!!!

Somehow I missed this post. I soooo remember The Duchess of Duke St. Well known UK actress Gemma Jones in the lead. She’s a awesome actress.

Sandra …can’t believe you’re just watching Downton Abbey now!!  Make sure you see the movie. The 2nd D A movie is coming out this Christmas. 

Regina…ditto watching Little House on the Prairie!!! Use to watch with my daughter. My sister gave my daughter the series of books. Sam read em, and when she moved out we passed them on to my niece, Sam’s cousin, cause she has two girls. And terrific you sold your house so quickly!! Yay!! Portable friendships ❤️….gonna write that down. And you can start your baking business in Jersey!!! Woo Hoo. 

Theresa … What a fun story about your husband!! Almost Will Robinson.  We’re watching a show on Netflix about fabulous vacation places around the world. Very amazing places.  I watch lots of nature, biographies and documentaries on Netflix. I love biographies on interesting people. Not interested in the trashy…tell em all biographies. Got the biography of Eric Idle for Christmas, and I started reading, but there’s a lot of colourful language and downright rude stuff. Put it down for now. Was reading Martin Shorts biography, who grew up in the same city as me. But worlds apart. He lived in a very, and still is, expensive area. His father was CEO of the largest steel mill in the city. Still operating today, under different management. Both my bro-in-lws worked at that steel mill.  Anyhoo, in the book the beginnings of Martin Short we’re interesting, as obviously I could relate growing up in the same city. But it turned into a bragathon. Ugggggg. Put that book down too. Guess when winter comes…may start reading again. 

So currently I’m enjoying reruns of Designing Women, The Beverly Hillbillies and my fav….Matlock. Love Andy Griffith. And Everybody loves Raymond. If you’re feeling blue, oh my. Some episodes I laugh soooo hard…

We discovered a really cool series on Netflix ..Sweet Tooth. Loving it, kinda sci fi. Good Witch..a Hallmark staple. Started watching Why Women Kill last year. Three different couples in a macabre tale of murder and mayhem. This years is every bit as intriguing. One of my fav UK actors, Nick Frost, is one of the leads. 

Almost forgot..Unforgotten on PBS Masterpiece. Ohhh sooo good!! I haven’t seen any new episodes for a 1 1/2 because of Covid. I wait patiently every year to watch it. About a select group of UK cops solving old cold cases. I looove crime drama. I especially like series where crimes are solved..all the sleuthing, forensics, dna…

Ok Boss, little by little, I'm slow processing these past days!

Upcycled cigar boxes? Goodness, does that mean I have to smoke those cigars to empty the box...? Uggg, I don't think so!! I quit smoking back in 1999! Could I use empty cookie boxes instead, or maybe cereal boxes? I pile tons of those!

Ma'am, are you telling me that NJ is out of the woods on baking from home... oh probably someone told the I was moving there! Just kidding....Oh, those are REALLY good news, and the timing is just perfect...By September I'll probably have sorted my boxes out!

I'm telling you boss...I love you!

And please ladies, any suggestion for kiddos friendly series in the same style of little house will be appreciated... My girls were wearing bonnets and pinafores yesterday! And my boys have been deer hunting in the backyard... They do not make series like those anymore! :(

reggie, cigar stores sell empty cigar boxes -- it is an individual store thing -- I pay anywhere from $1 to $3 per box -- they come in a surprising variety of shapes and sizes --

but YOU WILL BE LEGAL TO BAKE AND SELL IN NEW JERSEY as of the new standards enacted YESTERDAY!!! all those 700 plus people in the notice of adoption link are responsible for years and years of work to get new jersey to change -- and it happened!

go buy a lottery ticket, you are some kind of lucky!!!!

YESSSSSSS, I'll play my lucky number today.... maybe my SSN! I feel bad just landing there to take advantage of someone's else hard work...But that's life I guess!

Oh thanks boss, I'll think about cigar boxes... what about the smell? I used to love the wooden boxes from Canada that had salted cod on them...Oh but the smell...mercy!!!

I'll pass to you any deer bones the boys hunt in the backyard... pooch will be happy!

oh no! feel great!!! feel fantastic -- y'all and God chose for you to move there on the heels of your side job being made legal for the first time ever!!! rejoice, you are loved!!!!!

the cigar boxes don't really smell because some of the cigars are individually wrapped and besides that i paint the boxes so the smells disappear anyhow -- but since you can continue baking you don't wanna do treasure boxes too -- do yah? 

june -- yes the acting in the show is incredible esp gemma j -- i do love a great crime mystery -- but i have kind of grown out of them or away from them -- they get too graphic now -- too creepy for me -- i like hallmark movies too --

have you watched doc martin? way too funny!!

I usually enjoy any of the pbs mysteries…But unless you’re a member, you don’t always get notifications of when series are starting. I tried to watch Doc Martin. But didn’t like the lead actor. Couldn’t get past him.

I don’t like too much graphic content, don’t think it’s needed or necessary. I remember the first year Criminal Minds came out. I thought, omg, waaay too much violence. And way too creepy. Actually giving viewers a lesson  on hurting/injuring  or killing someone.  Was disgusted. Never watched after first couple of episodes. And there are a lot of shows that are too graphic in nature, be it physical, or verbal. In Women who Kill, you don’t actually see anything particularly graphic, but enough to get the picture. There was a woman impaled on garden shears. I know that sounds completely gross. But the show made it so comical, no blood or guts it was actually funny. But this year’s episodes there’s some  swearing I’m not happy with. 

Speaking of graphic, everyone in their brother was watching Bridgerton on Netflix. After like 3 episodes, I just didn’t get on with it. Backstabbing, sleeping around..general debauchery. I guess for me, there’s already enough of that in life you see and hear about. Don’t wanna watch it.  Give me Aurora Teagarden mystery any day. 

reggie, just don't tell anyone it's your social security number -- lotta crooks out there 

Boss, when you see someone hitting the jackpot this weekend...you bet that was my social....but shhhh...don't tell anyone! Sure, crooks everywhere!