Back to school

Today my son started fifth grade. New town, new school, completely new curriculum so it's a big change for him, as well as me. He had been at a local Montessori school since he was three. Last year it became very clear the school wasn't right for him any longer, so we decided to put him in public school in our new town, which happens to have a fantastic school system. So far, we're thrilled with it; we're getting far more support than we ever did in a private school. Better yet, he's excited about school this year, which is a big change for him -- he'll be in a classroom that's half boys. At his Montessori school, he was in a mixed grade classroom, the only 4th grade boy in a class of mostly younger girls. Hey, I'm a girl and I wouldn't want to be around that many girls! His new school also has a strong emphasis on physical activity; O's at that age where he needs to move so it's perfect that they have this program called "Project: Adventure" where fifth graders work as teams to work through a pretty impressive obstacle course in the woods. Think Outward Bound for kids.

As for me, I don't have to make a 13 30-mile round trip twice each day ... I just put him on the bus that happens to stop in front of our house and I'm on my merry way. What a relief. The older I get, the more I loathe driving. I don't mind a road trip now and then, but I hate burning gas when I don't have to. My New England sense of thrift grows by bounds with each passing year. Which is another reason why I love our new town: I just hop on my bike and in minutes I can be at our town library, swimming pool, Whole Foods, post office, CVS, and if I'm feeling especially energetic, I can bike to Cambridge and meet my husband for lunch. (As long as I start biking around 9 a.m.)

Anyway, this is a long way of saying ... I didn't post much this summer because I was actually out and about enjoying summer. I tried to stay away from the computer and instead, focused on doing stuff with my son, who's getting to be that age where he soon won't want to hang out with me. Of course, I managed to get some good knitting done, and yeah, there were a few times I got sucked into some good British gossip (Prince Harry! Oh my gosh, stop the presses -- the royal scepter spotted in Vegas!). So I hope as the days get shorter and my time at the computer grows longer, I'll catch up on my posting. Lots to show you!

Hope you all had a wonderful summer. :)

Knit Your Own Royal Wedding

I stopped by the bookstore this weekend to skim through knitting books, and lo and behold, look what I spotted on the shelf:

Too funny! I'm tempted to buy the book for the corgi pattern alone -- aren't they adorable?

 

The Queen is a great-grandmum

Last Wednesday, Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn, became parents of a daughter, making Queen Elizabeth II a newly minted great-grandmother.

So today the newspapers are announcing the baby's name.

Savannah.

Yes, Savannah Phillips.

Somewhere, Brooklyn Beckham and Paris Hilton are having a good giggle.

What do you think of the name? Fresh and modern, a nice change from the Georges and Beatrices? Or too chavvy for you?

Sarah Ferguson's Oprah appearance -- a recap

... and surprise, surprise, the taped interview took up the whole hour-long show.

It was a painful interview to watch, quite frankly. First, because I take no enjoyment watching someone's distress on national television. I'm not condoning Sarah Ferguson's behavior nor do I feel particularly bad for her as I think she's got more advantages than most 50-year-old women have in this world. But she looked ... shattered, I guess is the word, and I guess I'm a big softie because I don't like watching anyone fall apart, even if they've brought most of the trouble on themselves. Then second? I'm not a huge fan of daytime talk shows, "Oprah" especially. The shows are just way too new agey for me, with guests talking about their "authentic selves" and "Little Sarahs," which makes me think of ... never mind.

With that out of the way, the highlights for my European readers who may only see short clips:

• Oprah was warm and fuzzy, but also fairly direct with Ferguson. She called her on some b.s., like when Ferguson claimed "a friend" had introduced her to the undercover journalist and when she tried to explain (lamely) how she started with $40K payout (meant for "a friend") but eventually increased her price to £500,000. Wasn't that $40K some kind of down payment on the £500,000?


• Ferguson said the journalist had stolen the identity of an Indian businessman whom her friends and associates knew; they checked references and everything shored up.


• Yet unbelievably, Ferguson also claims at the first meeting, she knew the "businessman" was a journalist with the News of the World and called him on it. Her solution was to draft up a confidentiality agreement, which of course, the "businessman" eventually tore up. Yet Ferguson, so "out of her mind," by this point, ignored her suspicions and pursued the money trail.


• As Oprah viewed the tape with Ferguson, Sarah uttered, "I feel sorry for her." She also said, "The woman on the tape is out of control." Oprah called Sarah on this, too, curious as to why Ferguson would refer to herself in the third person while watching the tape.


• Sarah is not drunk on the tape, nor does she ever imply she has a drinking problem. Instead, she was just drinking that night. Finally, something I can believe.


• When Oprah queries Sarah on the dates of all the meetings with the News of the World folks, Sarah interrupts her with, "You know better than me." Wait, was Oprah at those meetings?


• Sarah Ferguson says the £500,000 figure was "plucked out of the sky" during her meeting with the businessman. So I guess Prince Andrew didn't suggest this figure?


• When Oprah asked Sarah about her divorce payout, suddenly Sarah was mum and said she couldn't discuss it because she had signed a "confidentiality agreement." Which is odd, because she'd been talking about that $20,000 a year settlement to anyone who would listen a couple weeks ago.


• She wouldn't reveal anything about Prince Andrew's response to her actions or what he said to her.


• And the apology? She kind of said sorry at the very end of the interview, but it was more like, "I'm sorry for letting down my family, my friends, my charities, etc." It wasn't the big huge confessional apology I expected it to be.

To tell you the truth, I felt kind of icky after watching this. I didn't believe half of what she claimed and I felt like I was watching a small child try to wiggle her way out of a bad pinch. Not fun. I sincerely hope Sarah Ferguson figures out a way to deal with her problems in a responsible manner and finds some peace with herself. She's clearly not a happy woman.

If you're here in the U.S., did you watch the interview? What did you think? Were you sympathetic to her story, or did you feel it left more questions than answers? Add your comments below.

Sarah Ferguson to apologize on "Oprah" next Tuesday -- and Hail Britannia on BBC World Service to discuss

So Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and self-appointed fixer for royal access, is getting a huge career boost: She is getting 10 minutes on "Oprah" next Tuesday to tell her side of the story to an American audience.

I'll definitely be watching as I've been contacted by the BBC World Service again to offer my opinion on Ferguson's appearance and expected apology. (The BBC show will probably run on Wednesday, June 2. I'll post more details as soon as I get them.) Will she make a similar apology in the UK, where the British are far more annoyed with her behavior than Americans seem to be? Is her "Oprah" appearance part of a carefully crafted plan to win sympathy with American viewers as Ferguson's only hope for future success is here in America? (She may be hard pressed to improve her financial situation in Britain at the moment given how she seems universally loathed and reviled by the public.) And I hope she tells us how her ex-husband and two daughters are coping with her disgrace; I'd love to hear what the Queen thinks too, but that may be wishful thinking on my part.

Sarah certainly hasn't been hiding for the last week. She was in Los Angeles earlier this week to collect an award for her charity work (where she received a big round of applause from the audience), and she's now in New York at the Book Expo America conference doing PR for her children's book. I give her credit for not hiding, but I do wish she'd stop saying she "hates adults and loves children," a veiled snipe at her recent troubles. Although I think Ferguson's in a tough place and I'm quite sure she adores children, she's brought trouble on herself by acting more like a child and less like an adult. Harsh words, but there you go.

Stay tuned ... and do add your comments below. I'm especially curious to hear your opinions on Ferguson's upcoming "Oprah" appearance.

The Duchess of York is not having a good week

... and it's her own damn fault, say a great many people on both sides of the Atlantic. The Duchess, the former wife of Prince Andrew -- who happens to be an unpaid trade ambassador for the U.K. -- was caught in a sting set up by a British tabloid as she tried to sell access to her former husband. (The video is here.) The scandal hit the papers this weekend, and now Sarah is tearfully apologizing to the press for her involvement in this scheme.

I think it's interesting how The News of the World, the tabloid that set up the sting, has positioned Prince Andrew as an innocent bystander in this mess, even though Sarah Ferguson (that's the Duchess) suggests that Andrew knows about her wheeling-and-dealing and even suggested the £500,000 figure as Sarah's payout. Of course, Sarah could by lying through her teeth, but she could be telling the truth -- after all, they've got an oddly close relationship for a divorced couple. At any rate, supposedly The News of the World has a staunch Royalist readership, so this could be the reason they're letting the royals off scot free on this scandal.

Knives are drawn for Sarah this week, and I wonder how she'll get through this mess. Reports have been flying about for the past couple months that she's on the verge of bankruptcy. And yes, I will admit I feel a bit sorry for her even though her latest downfall is down to her own poor decision making (what the hell was she thinking? Did she learn nothing from the Countess of Wessex's experience with The News of the World?) and she's got so many advantages that regular folks don't have. I'm reading comments sections of newspapers where readers are telling her to get a job or go live on a council estate. A job, yes, is a great idea -- she should do what Jackie Kennedy did and get an editor job in London! -- but other than that, she can hardly disappear into the woodwork and become a regular person, can she? She'll forever be associated -- good or bad -- with the royal family, and there will always be expectations of her. That's got to be a lot to live up to, especially when you lack the budget (or class, many would argue) to do so. I don't envy her at all.

And my last musing on the matter -- this would be a fine week for the royal family to announce an engagement, don't you think? Add your comments below.