Same weather here, Cynthia, but colder, I think, 32 F with a little overnight snowfall. I like this trivia question and will let my brain work on it a while to see if it can come up with anything.

Go, brain, go.

TM

TM, I envy you in that you aren't teaching any more. I adore the actual teaching part, but trying to stay on the good side of admin...well, that is a completely different thing and I am not much of a flatterer, which our current principal seems to prefer. Ah well. One of our Assistant Principals thinks I am pretty good, so that helps!

Cynthia

It is grey, but bright here - rainy yesterday and the day before, remnants of Sandy they say. Cool, here, but warmer than TM - almost 50F. What a week - I feel sort of manic/depressive. Week started with a call about a job, which seemed very firm. Online, at home, doing customer service. Interview went well, then on to testing my computer for speed, etc. Then an online check, and I was to send the results of that back to the co. Hmmm...it never seemed to go correctly, and what I got didn't look proper. I had to off load my AVG, and use IE instead of Firefox, so I was pouting about all of that. Finally I just reloaded the AVG, then decided to do one last go - it looked the same, but I sent it anyways. Well, it worked!! So training starts next week. Out for fish and chips last night with friends - I know too many carbs, but it was my only indiscretion all week. So things are looking up!!

I have maybe an idea, Cyn...I need clues to confirm them, though.

Nancy.

Hmmm, I'm thinking, I'm thinking, not that'll do any good LOL.

Annette

I think I may have it. The word I am thinking of is often associated, in certain circles, with a second word that starts with the same letter. The second word can also be something associated with bees.

TM

Hmmm, now you have ME thinking, TM. Bees, huh? Well, I never kept bees, although that would be cool, I think. I always wanted a horse of my own. Never mucked out a stall, though, but enjoyed all other aspects of riding and grooming. Also, there are few scents I like better than oiled saddle leather!

Cynthia

TM, I think you have it if you are concerned with swarming bees!

Also, forgot another name. Think ice skating.

Oh oh. I can't think of a connection between my word and ice skating. My word has a connection to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Does that make me OK, or way off?

TM

OK, I am really out here in left field, with no clue!! lol. Help!!

Nancy.

Yes, TM! Same last name as your guy, but different first name and mine died of AIDS almost 20 years ago.

Lots of immigrants in Great Britain these days, aren't there? When we teach VA history, we talk about cultures and how a country adopts the music, architecture, and food among other things from the populations that settle in a place. Food is certainly more interesting when you have lots of choices. The spice of life!

OK, could it have to do with pearls or yogurt?

Nancy - who is having a pleasant afternoon, listening to the greatest hits of Van Morrison and Cat Stevens.

Nancy, I love your taste in music! Those are two of my favorites.

Pearls and yogurt? Don't think so, but then I didn't know about the bees connection either.

Off to comb and brush my coat...er...hair before heading out to see "Argo".

Back soon

Cynthia

Argo, eh?? Don't believe everything you hear and see.....

Nancy.

I am here and still thinking. Haven't connected the clues at this point. Will continue contemplating while I do yard work.

OK, I got it now - RHPS!! He's my man!!

Nancy.

Cyn - you would love this Van Morrison collection - it's not actually a greatest hits - it's a double CD, Live at Austin City Limits. I bought it years ago, and not having a working CD player in the house (I listened to most of this in the truck) I played them on my computer, and a happy coincidence is that they loaded themselves onto my hard drive. Now that I know how fragile CD's are, I'll continue to save my music this way.

Maybe I can even " ----- " some favour this way??

Nancy.

Why, yes, Nancy, I do believe you can!

Oh, so what's not to believe in the movie? We still love Canada for that, you know!

Cynthis

Got the last of the leaves cleaned up until a wind blows those from the neighbors on both sides to my yard.. Still a lot of leaves on the ground in their yards.

While I was combing my hair a word came to me that fits some of the clues. Don't know how it concerns a trade or is related to TM's bee clue. DH tells me that brats are ready so am off for supper. Glad not to have the food item referenced to as it is too spicy for me.

Interestingly, Mr. Affleck apologized for inferring that it was ALL a CIA plot. Here's something from Rotten Tomatoes:

If anyone had bothered to ask Antonio "Tony" Mendez, the real-life CIA agent portrayed by Ben Affleck in the new thriller Argo, about Canada's contribution to the rescue of six American diplomats from Iran in 1980, there would never have been any trouble.
"Canada was still the real hero in the whole thing," said Mendez over lunch back in September, before Argo had ever screened to the public. He gives particular credit to former Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor. "Ken took a huge risk and he handled it wonderfully. He got the blame and he got the glory."
Following the film's premiere at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), protests from concerned Canadians (as well as a personal request from Taylor) got director Affleck to change a postscript that originally slighted Canada's contribution to the dramatic Tehran rescue after the violence that followed Iran's 1979 revolution. The movie opens in theatres this weekend.
But as Mendez stresses in his new book, Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History (published by Viking), the Canucks were his backbone throughout. The book, co-written with Matt Baglio, retells the story from Mendez's point of view.
"When the six were seeking asylum, they were turned away from so many places, but when they came to the Canadians, (immigration officer) John Sheardon just said, "What took you so long?" and welcomed them in. He didn't even have to ask Ken. He knew he'd be on side."

So there you go - we're there for you!! lol. Just get the movie right, OK??

Enjoy the movie, hope I didn't ruin it.

Nancy.

Ah, well since we still remember the crisis, I guess we just carried our knowledge of what you folks did for us into the movie-remembering throughout that you saved those six! Also remember that the Canadian Parliament held a special session to allow the Americans to be issued Canadian passports. It showed amazing bravery on the part of the embassy to take them in. Bet they would downplay it and say they were simply doing the right thing! Good to know you have our back and that we have yours. At least, we had better!

Curry

I used a curry brush/comb on my 4-H calves. We did not have horses on our farm.

I still can't come up with an answer on my own so I'll hitch onto mnwsgal's coattails and go along with Curry :).

Annette

My bees clue was an oblique way to get to the word comb, as in curry comb. I still don't get the connection to a trade either, but I can see the other links.

TM

**** for TM, Nancy, Bobbie, and Annette!

Curry is the word! It's most commonly familiar meaning is the Indian dish which many say is now the national dish of England, replacing fish and chips in popularity. As many also know, it means to clean the coat of a horse- and apparently a cow, although I never heard that before! Of course, we all know the phrase "to curry favor" which is what I was going for when I talked about my principal at school-To seek to gain favor by flattery or attention. John Steuart Curry is the artist from Kansas. His murals are in the statehouse there and you may have seen the one that features the Abolitionist John Brown. TM made reference to Tim Curry the actor and John Curry was the British Olympic and World Champion figure skater. The trade of currying (currier) was a vital part of the early leather industry. Currying was the name given to the process of stretching and finishing tanned leather in order to make it supple and strong for the use of a saddler or cobbler. Grease or oil was rubbed into the leather. That smell in a tack room is, as I said, one of my favorites, although it has been many many years since I experienced that. I linked to an interesting article on the trade for you. In trying to connect TM's bee clue, I discovered that T.I.Curry has published his method of swarm control for beekeepers. Has to do with selecting and protecting the new queen as I understand it. Won't say that I truly understood it all, though. ;) Liked the comb connection there, too, TM.

So, there we have it. Curry seems to have more multiple meanings than most words! Now, that might be another trivia question-what English word has the most multiple meanings? Have fun with that!

Happy Sunday and have a marvelous week. For those of us in the U.S., be sure to vote on Tuesday!

Cynthia

Here is a link that might be useful: Currier

Interesting question and link, Cyn - thanks for the stars!! I have read that 'Tikka Masala' is actually an English invention!!

And you know - we share this 'island', so we will always have your back, as you have had ours!! Made me think of the link below, which came out just after the US pulled out of Vietnam, and then had a brief resurgence after 9/11. I remember having a sign with our two flags crossed, and the words, Together We Stand in the window of our office at that time, and this sentiment went right across our country. So no fear, we just wish Hollywood would get it right!! How was the movie??

Nancy.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Americans

Nancy, I never heard that before. Thanks for sharing it!

The movie was very, very good. Even though there were embellishments to increase the tension, we enjoyed it a lot. Popcorn was extra salty which was great, too! I do think that it showed somewhat the risk to Taylor and those in the Canadian residency, but it was focused on the CIA plan. Alan Arkin and John Goodman were great and quite funny in parts and the casting was uncanny. They put Kyle Chandler in the role of Hamilton Jordan, White House Chief of Staff and he looked just like him, I think. The 'students' storming the embassy and the Iranian woman who became their spokesperson on tv were quite accurate from my memory and they did use actual footage as well. It was worth the price of a ticket if you like the genre. Oh, and Ben Affleck was quite good as well-looks good in a beard and long hair, too! :)

Cyn, I'm looking forward to seeing "Agro", love Ben Affleck one of my favorite actors.
I've seen the movie with Gordon Pinsent "Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper", excellent movie which of course was the take on it from a Canadian perspective. Agro will naturally be more on the American side of this very successful caper. Yep, when it comes down to the nitty gritty we watch each other backs.

Annette