texjagman, Great suggestion. I borrowed that book from the library. For now, it is one of my top two choices. I like how it talks of pine, spruce, and fir trees and how growing Christmas trees is a year round job. We have various species of pine and spruce the children can go outside and explore. In talking further with the nature center where this would be held, I was told we don't have to completely avoid the Christmas theme....I know some places would have issues with that. So this book may well be the one I use. Pineresin, I agree, people need real world experiences with nature. Not much good to only read about it. We'll try to spend most of the class time out exploring the forest of Red and Eastern White Pines, White and Norway and Colorado Blue Spruce, and Eastern Red-cedar (I don't think I'll be telling 4 year olds those are really junipers!). I'll make sure the craft part includes real needles and cones to touch and play with and some to take home. Maybe we'll even plant a tree or two. Our weather is unseasonably warm yet and the bird feeders at the center need some cover nearby. I appreciate being reminded that real plants need to be the main focus.

My four-year-old daughter enjoyed listening to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Stuart Little" (her fave so far) and now I'm reading "Charlotte's Web" to her. I include reading chapter books to her along with picture books...she seems to enjoy listening to both. We have gone through several of the "Winnie the Pooh" books too, she loved those very much. I've ordered a "King Midas" book written by Lynne Reid Banks...my youngest son enjoyed this one and our copy of it has been lost somewhere. The "Indian in the Cupboard" series was fun too, I'll probablly read those to her as well. Her favorite pictures books lately are "Madeline", "Olivia" and "Trashy Town". We usually go through an assortment from the library, which is a "hit or miss" endeavor but we have found some great books this way that are not in the mainstream.

At last I have finished Trollope's The Warden and . . . for Sheri . . . who couldn't remember the 'plot' It concerns the warden, kind old Rev Mr Harding, who is in charge of the Barchester 'hospital' ie alms houses for 12 old 'beadsmen' of the city. A young radical hot-head John Bold, believes that Harding is taking too much money as his stipend from the Trust, which should go to the old men instead. People take sides, even the pensioners, not understanding Harding already gives them an allowance out of his own pocket. The London newspapers take up the story leading to innocent-in-the-ways-of-the-world Harding resolves to leave his post and live on a very small amount of money in a tiny parish. Tied in with this is the bossy Archdeacon, the kindly Bishop and the lovely Eleanor Harding who spends too much time, in that rather unhealthy Victorian way, weeping on the bosom of her Father . . . and he on hers.

Carolyn and Merry, after reading the book mentioned above it appears that the court tried to 'get her' on a charge of spying. The German trial dealt with over 80 people in one day and no prisoners had been allowed to be seen by a defence lawyer. None of the court justices spoke French, the prisoners didn't speak German. Nurse Cavell spoke only French and a single interpreter was able to go from French to German but none of the prisoners or the defence members were allowed to read/check the German written statements taken at the time of arrest. At the time the only person in authority to 'help' EC was the head of the neutral US Legation in Brussels (representing UK affairs) who suffered from a delicate constitution and had taken to his bed. Much hand-wringing throughout Europe but little practical help and (in hindsight) only a day in which to do it. After the very speedy execution and burial the German General who had passed the sentence was hastily 'recalled' by the Kaiser and the US Head of Legation sent back to DC for 'recuperation'. I am not a lawyer but wonder at the term traitor in this context. I'm sure one of you knows if you can be a traitor in the country in which you are working, that has been overrun by another power. So EC though English, working in Belgium for all nationalities is a traitor to the invaders . . . very complicated. Had the Geneva Convention been introduced by WWI? Perhaps I'd better look it up myself.