C. (Comment, never msg).’s Comments (group member since Jan 30, 2014)

C. (Comment, never msg).’s comments from the Gentle SPECTRUMS group.

Kerri, please let us know if you are getting a PDF to read this half historic, half futuristic blurb. Shirin, please let me know if you are free enough to get back to our conversations around here. I would rather stir up activity again when you have time to jump in fully. I completely understand that setting up house takes time.

I hope you see my personal and national Message #6. As a general rule, please ensure you always read upwards past the newest messages, for others you had not seen.

I am glad, Kerri. If you obtain and read a "Shipwreck" PDF, naturally add your comments to that thread. I am awaiting Shirin telling me she is less busy, before adding to comments and I have dealt with crises at home anyway. I'll e-mail you soon but please don't hesitate to catch-up with me in e-mail about other things.

Let me clarify so I don't have to repeat this part in e-mail a second or third time, that captchas are nearly always a problem for slow speed internet users. I emphasize as strongly as I can, that I was lucky to get in the day they refreshed everyone's log-ins. I would like someone to please clarify if there is always a captcha at login now, or only if signing in doesn't go smoothly? I want to be forewarned.

Slow speed internet users often can't see captchas and get rejected by pages. When we do see them, like thankfully I did that sole time I needed to sign-in, it is rare, Kerri, that I can get the checkmark to work. I know you had trouble that day but I want to be clear that slow speed internet ISPs always have trouble checkmarking a captcha, if they see it and I was fortunate to get in. Slow speed internet members must avoid running into captchas at all costs and we need help warning Goodreads, who no longer offer e-mail addresses, to remove them for this reason.

I am glad, Kerri! That is heartening that if today's visits, including e-mail, seem unusually brief; you expanded your way around a tour of my writings. I would probably love to have the keepsake of the larger portions in our e-mails but my blog, with Wordpress loading these days, is another great place. You missed messages 9 & 10.

Would you let me know in e-mail, if you have seen all my personal films and elaborate on your impressions of them generally? That's the only thing missing or that got abbreviated, the only two times we talked around them. Mailed long ago, delayed by our post offices, then with a frustrating technical conversation to discuss. I wonder if you would write me an e-mail I can keep about what you think overall. I would cherish it. I wish all three of those deeply missed faces were still alive and with us! My Mom, Spirit, and Marigold! :) The poor videos became a time capsule. I guess it is nearly a year that I mailed and have looked forward to discussing them; or those you saw so far. Xoxo.

Happy Canada Day to all of my family, friends, and peers! I sang our anthem outside to the forest of our backyard, as my Mom taught me to do in caring patriotism. Kitty Petal was there to watch and kitty Angel no doubt heard nearby.

I thought of our precious Conan whom we pray is returned soon. And I am thinking strongly of our precious Marigold, who ascended to Heaven as rawly recently as last week and our precious Spirit, as recently as January. I wish they and my Mom were here, as well as kitty Love, ascended 6 years ago far too young. I think of all my loved ones and gather the love of their souls near to me on a sentimental day like this.

McCartney is in the house, relaxing from a large breakfast in the air conditioning and room ceiling fans. Tomorrow, on the birthday of my childhood cat, Thumbelina, he will match her age exactly: 21 years and 19 days. McCartney will then become our longest lived cat and forge ahead to new futures for our loved ones who remain: Angel, Petal, Conan. I have written about our children here. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2021/0...

Thank you for that, Shirin. Happy Canada to you and everyone as well! I am happy you moved and that your cats are taking to it very well. Examining every centimeter is not depression or fear: it is excitement, fortitude, and bright interest. That is good! You are already in the busy period I expected, so carry on and I look forward to your news when you have time. I will add to the "Shipwreck" conversation later. I am interested in the review grade you give it.

Tomorrow, we will also honour the birthday of our childhood cat, Thumbelina. She made it to 21 years and 19 days and McCartney matches her, on that very day. We are proud of him, excited and grateful for him. May Angel, Petal, and Conan do just as well as he does in a long, healthy life. We remember and honour Love, Marigold, Spirit, Thumbelina with all of our hearts.

There is a lovely photograph of our baby, Marigold, in our Gentle Spectrums photo album. It would already be my profile photograph if I knew how to copy or select it from a group photo album, to add to my profile photo album. Marigold climbed our high metal ladder onto the low workshop roof, to look around the sky and our home, even in her last couple of days, last week. She is our spry, strong, intelligent, loving, dear girl. https://www.goodreads.com/photo/group...

Well, it will not take long for us to meet at the same place with our reading. The last 10 pages of the PDF or so are advertisements. I have finished the story! There is however, a lot to discuss, so tally ho! Let's have your impressions. Lead the way. :)

I want to leave a note for Kerri to see, in case she joins us, that will ensure she does not judge Maureen Jennings' novella for using simple, straightforward vocabulary. I have to say, it is a fresh change from authors who are too wordy and I liked it. Stick to the details, feelings, and action. It is in Maureen's first novel that we will learn her style and the character of her storytelling voice. Please give me a chance to indulge in a few non-Canadian books I have looked forward to reading in July, when this year's reading challenge is done this month. After, I am game to try out book 1.

Kerri, in 2010 the Canadian government had an adult literacy campaign called "Good Reads". They obviously didn't give a hoot about their moniker b similarity to this American social network, haha! The object was for a few Canadian authors to contribute adult content with simple words, so mature folks learn to read in English, with a more suitable level of interest than from baby books. That is a thoughtful idea. It so happens this is my second book in the program, after Louise Penny's.

Kerri, if you are curious: you are 15 hours ahead of Manitoba, if in tandem with Australia. It is easy for me to tell your time. I mentally switch my clock from AM to PM and add 3 hours. You do the reverse to tell my time. I am going to bed to read "Ghosts Of James Bay" now. Keep the reading going, with a goal to finish 4, for 40 total.

Well, thanks to Shirin, I have something else chalked up for Canadian content before the end of this sacred, hard month. I finished 6 flowerbaskets this afternoon and watered all of our pots planted earlier. They all contain Marigold seeds with planned flowers. :)

Ron handled the gardens with the sprinkler when he arrived home from work and read outside with the cats. Now he is watching a hockey game, even though the Winnipeg Jets aren't in the Stanley Cup playoofs. That's a Canadian for you: loving summer stuff, then sitting down to a sport with ice, haha. Bonne nuit, mes cheres amies!

Woo hoo! First, I will sow 4 flowerbaskets. Every one of the 10 left to plant will include Marigold flower seeds. :) Then I will read a little from the PDF. At night, I will bring my Canadian paperback, "Ghosts Of James Bay" to bed. Two books at once will make extra reading! I checked your time zone. You are 9 1/2 hours ahead of Manitoba.

My friends, having been gifted with a PDF to start with this prequel novella, it is my pleasure to read it first! I usually choose publishing order to let authors carve out their strides but sometimes it is fun, to see if retrospective prequels are solid and work well. A paperback novel exists, which I will be glad to obtain second-hand sometime. Your friend gratefully and sincerely, Carolyn.

It is Howard Engel that I would love people to try. His work is so special. I will let me reviews do the talking.

"Good Witch" is always sweet and feel good. I am tired of it never showing the paranormal. Magic is implied too subtly, as of worrying about offending someone. I spell it without a "K" because little outcomes are of the universe alligning sort, not Wicca. I would enjoy plain Magick use but these really are wonderful feel good shows, if you know that up front.

They started as annual films, that I discovered on the satellite dish. They became a TV series. We cut back to save money for Spirit and no longer get their main channel. I can see reruns, which will include shows new to me. I did not follow it, even though I enjoy it. So much TV, films, and books. You can't choose when to watch, like people who download the torrent files or have Wifi based channels.

Shirin & I are starting "Shipwreck" today, who provided me with the PDF. I would love it if you can join us. It is short enough to include in this year's Canadian theme, even though I have to read from my PC at this desk. I will juggle read it with "Ghost Of James Bay", that I can bring to bed and outside. I will set-up a topic thread. It lets us to push back "Exit The Dying" by a few books, if that is all right. I always have a queue of non-Canadian books I am eager to jump into with joy, when the year has unwinded.

The service was very good: thank you, Kerri. Again, we used the library one-room building, so McCartney, Angel, & Petal were in close quarter attendance with us.

Yes, I have not been able to stand seeing our dearest Spirit's name on a temporary stick marking his resting place; now our dear Marigold rests there too. But it was a beautiful serivce with all of our hearts combined, for her and for us. More personal details for e-mail but thank you for the basic care right here.

You are opposite, hearing of the books. This show is so long-running and present, I can find it any time I turn on the satellite dish. I only indulged once, so I start from the beginning after I have the DVD set. The show I got was very tame, even with charm and a little humour. It is historical fiction, which reduces the shocking things. I shouldn't be as confused as TV fans, that the books have William's romance with a landlady instead of doctor colleague.

I did hear from Shirin: would you believe, half an hour before we held Marigold's service. It felt good and was another boost we needed. I will put this update in its own thread but to be sure you see it, she helped me obtain the "Shipwrecked" PDf and we will start with this one today. If you can do likewise, of course please do join us. Love and gratitude for good friends, Carolyn.

P.S. I hear McCartney giving us the Siamese trumpeting, so it is time to sprinkle arthritis supplement pieces into the second breakfast he is obviously eager to have.

Different from most Canadians including my parents, I am sure; I do not watch the longstanding detective television series "Murdoch". I figured I would eventually obtain the DVD set and see it from the beginning. I caught one episode from the beginning years ago and loved it. I loved the little appearance by the actress who plays the mayor in "Good Witch".

Round about next week, Shirin, Kerri & I will read the first story by Maureen Jennings': "Except The Dying" and we welcome everyone. There are complaints about liking the novels less, for personalities and details differing from the beloved TV show. Mahap that will not be no problem for us.

I would like to add that in the eulogy of the great Howard Engel, Maureen Jennings counted herself as a fan, along with Ruth Rendell, and said she considered him a mentor to herself! The adorable Benny Cooperman in Howard's hometown series near Niagara Falls, is one of my special favourites. I invite you to see my review of "The Suicide Murders" for something fun, intelligent, and different.

Here is the review that I have written of "Knots & Crosses". https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It looks like I was the one who had not replied after April 17. I wonder what I was doing at the time. I often feel like I want to sit down to replies when I can jump into great conversations. Other topics must have distracted me. I would gladly take up the thread anew, when I have time next week.

It is a momentous, hard, memorial day for our dearest Marigold today. After her service, we must hug all our other cats. Then I will work on Canadian reading until the end of June. It so happens that I wrote my "Jekyll & Hyde" review yesterday. It is at this link and I like how it turned out. It doesn't cover much of the great questions you ladies raised because I allot 300 words for them. Thank goodness for these free reign threads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I will read Maureen Jennings for next year's Canadian reading theme, starting anew on Canada Day. The cat trivia book is dragging, probably because grief is not a time for jokes or jocularity. I think I would find the presentation random and incomplete at the best of times. I have been craving novels, like the two short youth ones I want to fit into this year's theme. I keep falling asleep a few pages into that boring trivia. How did you hear of a Canadian series? The novels or TV show?

Ron & I have a funeral service to plan and put on today. I must write the best possible words for Marigold, on behalf of McCartney, Angel, Petal as well and for our dear Conan, who did not see him Mom or Spirit again on Earth. That is a shame but Ron & I will do our best to make this uplifting and bright. He is preparing her resting place.

I haven't heard from Shirin about Marigold and am sure she would e-mail support right away, so I re-forwarded our announcement last night. McCartney is yelling for a second serving of breakfast, a happy sign from cats, so I shall indulge him. He is taking the herbs now and accepts it in his food, as well as the broken arthritis supplements. :)

Hi Kerri! When did you decide to join Shirin & I and order your first Maureen Jennings book? You had heard of it and marked it to read a year or so ago, so I am pleased. From where do you order? You are in good time, as long as I finish and review my ride along with William Murdoch by June 30. I want to fit in a couple of other Canadian novels on my own that are short and less well-known. Our conversations on any books past and present may certainly exceed it.

Gosh, I am sad that destiny and health change. I already received caring condolences for when Spirit ascended to the afterlife on January 14. I cannot believe that our precious, tiny Marigold also suddenly ascended to Heaven yesterday: June 21. Our dear, strong babies are well enough to enjoy life with us and engender hope, then have questionable health briefly and cross over.

Our Spirit is the grey tabby sitting on the drier in this group's photograph. The other boys sitting with him are Marigold's Sons, the missing Conan (orange & white) and the late Love (diluted orange). Marigold is the pure orange sweetheart in my profile photograph: next to Conan, Spirit, & I. In this group album, there is a darling photograph of her descending a ladder at a tree. That is how spry and agile Marigold was until the moment she ascended.

We will miss you and always love you and watch for your presence, my dear Daughter Marigold! Love Always, Momma & Dad

Shirin & I are shortly going to read "Except The Dying" by English-Canadian, Maureen Jennings. If I understood Kerri's "to read" entry, she has a copy too. I welcome anyone to join us, say next week.

I will certainly finish it this month, before concluding the Canadian reading challenge hosted by my friend, Shonna, who is in this group. The new year opens on Canada Day, July 1st, should any of you wish to hop aboard this time. All you have to do is review and link as many Canadian books as you can, with the target being 13 of them to match our 10 provinces and 3 territories that comprise our country.

They can be by Canadian born or residing authors, set here, or featuring Canadiana in some way. For example, "Back To The Future: The Story" is neither by nor about Canadians. However, it is unforgettably connected to Canadian Michael J. Fox, whom the photo album highlights.

To simply join our buddy read or conversation about "Except The Dying", please watch for a new topic by that name in this "Buddy Reading & Conversations" folder.

Dear Kerri, you are very kindly among the first to personally e-mail condolences for our precious Daughter cat, Marigold. Thank you for that. Please feel welcome to continue these book discussions and the rest of our e-mails. Sometimes people don't know if it is okay to return to normal topics. I am happy to have other things to enjoy during the toughest part of painful grief. I expect everyone else with whom I shared the news to e-mail me this week, which I appreciate. It is comforting to receive support and dismay over Marigold's important, dear loss, over several hours and days.

You have my first reply to your wonderful input here. I will get to your second entry soon. Today's book review covers most of it. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It is funny, I never saw photos of P.E.I. and suppose our slow internet could show me that bright, unusual soil. I love Maud's description of contrasts and passion for her home province. Anne shared the passion and hastily said on the boat ride: "It is not my birthplace but it is Prince Edward Island for me". That was before she beheld Nova Scotia again. That is the place for me, second to Manitoba. If Conan were back, Dad not living, and the ascended cats laid to rest long enough ago that I could bear to leave that sacred ground; it is tempting.

Nonetheless, the strangely absent island ambiance is more extreme than Maud furnishing the autobiography with a description instantly. She insisted it is in their blood and they can't get away from it. She must either have been unaware that Avonlea was conveyed as "anyplace", not even Canada, or wanted it that way; which I presume the makers of "Schitt's Creek" did. Or Maud's habit as she said was to borrow from life but invent her art contents. I do believe she would want to share P.E.I. more than she did and venture to say she was unaware she fell short. She constantly spoke of beautiful wildflowers and streams but nothing identifiably island-like or Canadian.

What is it with words we hate, multiplying torturously? I had to go down to 4 stars immediately, when Maud insisted on using that damned "D" word for "lunch", instead of "meal" or "food" once in a while. Then she repeated the fucking word 20 more times in the next pages. And we ended up with the assumption that kittens "have to" be drowned. I get that there was no spaying & neutering then. Did we kill humans when there was no birth control? Don't deem life inferior and presto, we find solutions!

Like you, I loved the book. I felt that some childhood portions went on long but would have forgotten about it, if the things story readers need to know for balance and information sake had not been so grossly unfulfilled. I loved the snapshot and jokes about her newspaper days and the years she dared send poetry to magazines.

I loved that she spent a year with her Dad. Why did he not raise her? Where did he live in P.E.I? Not in Cavendish with the other relatives, like his Montgomery parents? Where was the sense of how much he and Maud saw each other, before he moved to Saskatchewan? At which point in her life did he move?

Yes, Maud is a gorgeous writer and refills my vocabulary supply. It seems odd she doubted herself. I could not get over how stupid it was to throw away doodlings, before she submitted work samples, nor the ones that were rejected so far. Writing is always worth something for ourselves, those close to us, and posterity. I loved hearing that fresh paper was rare and that she loved using long post office record slips.

Here is a fun fact: I use the back of any 8x11 paper as scrap printer paper; old bill summaries or flyers by mail. If it is not handed in formally, like book shopping lists or notes Ron & I make around home, scrap paper will do. I have printer paper for years.

The same as you, I loved the background of her family and did not expect it. I had the idea Maud lived apart from her relatives; now we know her Mom ascended when she was little. The thrown in comment that her Grandfather ran the post office was annoying. While you were constructing the family portrait, could Maud not have said "Grandfather and Father do X for a living"?

I wonder if she kept things short, because this autobiography was for a serial magazine. Shortness can comprise a fully balanced story. Had Maud gone back to fill in gaps (she was a tried & true newspaper editor!), we would have had chronoligical character presentations; not "By the way, Grandfather did this and Father moved there" annotated abruptly when she unexpectedly needed supplemental details further in.

Some people of any age are sensitive and that it isn't about children, as Maud thought. We grow better able to handle malicious or unintended ribbing but I would still hate unwanted nicknames or certain attitudes. I had to walk away from someone at a friend's birthday part a few years ago. I made a joke to keep it gracious: "Woops, I see I am at the wrong table" and left them to animal-killing remarks. That visiting man Maud abhored, as Anne abhored Gilbert needlessly for the furation of their childhood, came across as a sweet man to me. Except that he needed to take the hint if he could see Maud's nicknames were angrily received.

I did not relate to names and addresses not being the first things you exchange when you befriend someone. It was a sweet tale about instantly enjoying someone, touching that she ever remembers their conversation. Perhaps Diane arose from her. I felt critical of some things you found endearing through and through. Still, four stars are high praise. Great pleasure, smiles, and inspiration offset dubious frowns here & there. I loved knowing people's presumption to know whence her characters come, are erroneous. Details about "Anne Of Green Gables" seem few & far between, when these are largely what many people want.

I am certain it is inarguable that the most touching part that you & I read at this point was Maud's memory of her precious ascended Mom. The whole episode was touching and also, that such a young toddler could have that memory at all. My Uncle says the same of my Great-Grandma. He is a lot younger than Dad and their eldest brother, the Uncle we lost at the same time as Spirit & Jimmy. The elder two recalled their Dad's parents but my younger Uncle only recalls Great-Grandma's funeral service. I think remembering the love and sadness surrounding people is something and good for Maud and my Uncle to have had.

We thankfully don't know what it is like to be only children, Kerri. But it often works out, like it did for Maud, that they had cousins, neighbours, or friends with whom to grow-up and that was nice to see. I will see if you have any more to say about this first half, then answer the rest of your observations. I love know I haven't steered you from what might have occurred to you, even if they are the same. At this point, I had not minded the length of pre-success recollections, because I surmised the part we are waiting for, the road to and road after success, would be just as detailed.