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

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

I think snakes and spiders would want to run away. Nice place to live if you have that phobia; places where yours actually bite! I allow spiders to live in our house because their webs catch mosquitoes, when it's mosquito season. If I see them, I carefully scoot them across the floor so they don't get stepped on. Clearly someone used to no insects being dangerous where we live! Black bears would also prefer to run away. We once beheld a gorgeous, large Mother with three cubs! She started into our east field with them but as soon as she heard our enthusiastic voices at the window, she veered them into the woods.

:) It really is special to walk down a snow trail, to empty our compost pail across the field or something. Then turn around, because I left the backdoor ajar, and call: "Kitties! Kitties"! Noses peek around and quickly trot after me. I love it. I miss Love doing that with us but his white sister and all the rest of the family still follows after me in a parade. Like you see there. Today was +18C! All of our property's trails have melted into wide patches of grass and pussywillows are already visible.

Actually anything mystical at all; even those animal communication books I recommended in the vegetarian discussion "Ms. Nose In A Book" wanted me to invite. There's nothing fictional about that but much of the magic in our world and universe is very real. :) Oh, other than the thrill of meeting you and your cat of course; don't get me started on what's to see in Florida!

The ocean. Lighthouses. Whales. Dolphins. Sunken treasure. Seashells. Disney World!!!! NASA!!!! I'm torn about "Sea World" type places. I oppose with every breath, taking animals away from their wild. How awful is that. But if they are injured or orphaned wildlife helped there, perhaps in-house temporarily.... I'd love to see those acquatic faces up close. Oh! Used book stores! Mine can't keep up with what I need from my list.

By that statement: unfortunately it still isn't understand. It **definitely** has to be you and maybe I'll fly over there and shake you. LOL. "ETHEREAL" IS ABOUT ANYTHING REMOTELY PARANORMAL, SPIRITUAL, OR MAGICAL. "Blends" or "right ones" is a misnomer. This group **is** the spiritual, magical, paranormal. NOTHING excluded. Fiction, non-fiction, young, old; the whole special trait of this group is that it is the very first one to include all possibilities. Please say you understand by now or I'll need to go and lie down. ;>

Thank you for your well wishes! I would love a record at the blog page, to keep and read again. If you visit, I have been eager to hear reactions to the kitty photographs I share, especially the one from which my blog's banner originates. :)

Kristianne mentioned make-up. There are countless ways to dissolve unethical practices, separate from food. What we buy is a vote, a message to suppliers about what is in demand. Ron & I look for a rabbit logo on shampoo and conditioner, or the words "Not tested on animals". If that guarantee isn't there, then sadly they do. We will not buy those. You can search "animal testing companies" on-line and print it. Take it to the store to avoid those companies. Not accepting real fur or leather is plain. Let us know when you have found animal-testing company lists to print for your office or home.

Whether or not Vixxie is your first dog, what a wonderful feeling to look at them and get that clarity and confirmation: they are alive and understand us! Since my twenty-one year old who ascended in 2003, I have seven kitty sons and daughters with me together; one unfortunately gone from instant heart failure a year ago. I have our other six and there is no aloneness; indeed these are real lives who communicate and with whom I exchange joy. I knew a long time ago they understand everything I say and saw the comprehension in their eyes. I have always spoken to animals and recall one of my Grandmas doing so, in full sentences. It was making the food connection to cows etc, that took time. I'm satisfied at vegetarian level because I am not eating a corpse or voting with my purchase at the grocery story, that I request any creature's demise. I tell you, I cannot stand walking past lobster and crab tanks. For anyone who doesn't know: "vegan" means no animal products; "vegetarian" declines to eat the animal themself. However I know dairy factories aren't always kind and aren't always alike so that is a worthy consideration. However the first decision has to be what we are willing to eat. Mom has always found margarine less expensive. What I did try that steps further than vegetarianism, is soy milk. Now dairy milk tastes off to me. So the only thing left that separates these nouns is that I am not picky about cheese or ice cream that I consume anywhere. If this is as far as I ever go, I have made a tremendous difference to animals and my conscious. The message truly is that it does not have to be "all or nothing" when we're wondering how to help. But you can buy non-dairy cheese and ice cream too if you are in a city; which we are no longer.

Kristianne said something I resonate with: that why we turn to vegetarianism/veganism makes a large difference. People who do it because they no longer consider animals edible are least like to turn back, of course. Who wants someone's body on their plate? People who try it out for nutrition reasons might revert, because there isn't an ethical issue you have changed your mind about. One of my neighbours has a hunter boyfriend! A topic I step carefully away from because as I said, animals are as good as people to me and no matter what laws and the world approves; I see it as hunting people. Anyway he watched "Forks Over Knives" or similarly titles; one of many resources that describes what crap the North American food industry sells our people. They were vegan about three years and I have heard they stopped, because they found it too expensive. He does not know animals have souls. He ticked me off by disbelieving animals understand what we say: something I know more about than anything! Unfortunately my neighour does what he does. It would be nice if she stayed vegan.

What we eat is so fundamental, it is easy to revert to how we did it before, if it our viewpoint on what constitutes food doesn't change along with our menu. If we do, it's easy. I have one brother who thinks I'm a beatnik and a neighbour made a "vegetarian" crack. Otherwise people are supportive and polite. Kudos for going it alone and your husband eating only fish! I am accepting that Ron fishes, an excursion he enjoys. It's the closest thing to hunting I could bear and he knows we are able to be a couple because he is not into any other form. Like your man, he tried the veggie beef and other meatless meat tcoming into our home and found preferred it to formely live meat! He read food industry literature (even though he grew up on a family livestock farm) and couldn't bear cruelty to calves. When I used to occasionally choose veal at a restaurant thousands of years ago, I didn't know it meant baby cow! Even then, I never touched it again upon that knowledge. Ron decided on his own and I couldn't have been more pleased. When people come over, we say nothing and offer a great variety of food. After they tell us how much they love it, we explain it meatless meat. It is very easy to buy if you look. Jews need meatless food in various occasions. :) Thank you for sharing!

By 2007 I had joined "MySpace". At first to follow my youngest brother who had moved, then to find animal groups who might patronize the greeting card company I launched in 2006. I learned rescuers are out-of-pocket! Instead of customers of my creations, I received information and education. This is always the key to banishing erroneous impressions. I discovered "my one barrier" from an angle I hadn't expected. It dawned on me that if eating animals meant blocking out what is done to them and if I would never do those things myself nor could ever tolerate watching: there was something wrong with that. I stepped outside the habit of my upbringing and asked: who does something they need to block out?

I stopped eating the remaining animals: chickens and turkies. An unbelievable sign, endorsement appeared three days later! I worked downtown, near our cities busiest intersection; an infamous one. It is a place of pavement, not of wildlife other than house sparrows and pigeons. All of a sudden there were turkey sightings downtown! One in the tree, outside the building where I worked! She stayed three days, I photgraphed her. She became a card in my collection, with a verse dedicated to her. Most importantly: I got to see a turkey up close, eye to eye. Observe for myself how intelligent and unexpectedly beautiful she was; colourful actually in the light. I have also learned that turkies are deeply bonded to their families and have specific cries to locate each other if chicks lose sight of their parents and siblings. For the first time in my life, I was able to look her in the eye as an equal; knowing I did not eat her kind.

People and restaurants lack the education to serve the abundance of alternatives they could but I never looked back. It is up to us to educate, request options befitting 2016. I believe it is a faux-pas to assume someone eats (formerly) live meat, as much as it is rude to presume a couple is traditionally married. If you are hosting a fundraising barbeque, PLEASE INCLUDE VEGETARIAN HOTDOGS / HAMBURGERS and advertise that you are doing so! Do not presume no one wants them. Most vegetarians (or other people with diet needs that veggie meat accommodates) are unaccustomed to speaking up. We usually accept a bag of chips with a sigh. If vegetarian alternatives are not offered at a wedding social or fundraiser you attend, please say you would like them to include it next time. That stops anyone from declaring ever again: "no one has ever asked before". Whenever anyone says such a thing, I reply: "Now someone has. See you next time". If anyone asks why, my easy quip goes like this: "If it has a soul, I don't put it in a bowl"! I have always considered animals equals in life worth. Now my plate matches my heart and I have never been more glad to make a change. This is a short version of my story. I hope you like it and that it is beneficial. I am happy to clarify or elaborate based on questions and conversation that now emerges. :)

The easiest way to tell my story is that despite being raised in a meat-consuming family, I have always loved animals with all of my heart. Same for many of us. There are some who farm, hunt, or chefs accustomed to dressing down an animal but not I. Most animal lovers could do no harm but simply grew up eating meat. We block out of our minds whence it comes. Remember that film "City Slickers", where Jack Palance tells Billy Crystal that everyone has "one thing" that is the key to our happiness if we discern what it is? I have found as an animal lover that there was one thing stopping me from approaching food the way my heart embraces animals: "What else am I supposed to eat"? I was never a salad fan. I was a city girl in a hardiness zone 3 Canadian climate. We can only grow food summer and autumn and did you know that in winter, there are absolutely no insects?

Grocery stores were a way of life for too many of us. Store lettuce and other produce has no flavour. I used to think people who ordered salad were hippies. How do you get excited about that? The error? Vegetarianism is not about eating salad! It solely SWITCHES the source of ONE FOOD GROUP. Any recipe that has meat, can be replaced by veggie meat; available at grocery stores. Tacos, pasta, soup, hotdogs, hamburgers; there are even meatless chicken nuggets. See at the store for yourself and taste for yourself. The funny and impressive thing is: I didn't know that when I began sparing animals, starting with fellow mammals! I just could no longer regard them as edible. I didn't know what else I would eat. The answer is: nearly all the same things as usual!

In 2003 my twenty-one year old cat passed away of natural causes. (I'm not even a practitioner of 'euthanasia'!) So long was our close family relationship, that she had been both a sister and a daughter to me. She was more bonded with us, communicative, sentient, and intelligent than I have time to describe. When she died by my side one night I had quite a spiritual experience and it changed me. She undeniably has feelings, intelligence, and a soul. Why consider other animals a product? Oddly it was the second or third season of "Survivor" that taught me it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I'm not a fan but watched one show because the radio station where I worked held a live game of "Survivor" in my city. A woman refused to eat a cow's brain. When offered a worm, she exclaimed: "I can do that! It isn't a mammal"! Perhaps others remember this show. That made a difference for me. There was still plenty to eat at anyone's house or restaurant and I spared mammals for three years. [To be continued, especially with evidence people are reading this story].

I have wanted to do this for a long time! I have dared to clarify and pare down the definition of the "cozy mystery genre". I have seen series and authors mislabelled numerous times, as you must have as well. If we can agree to the fundamental basics, we can replace the unhelpful, clogged websites that people have been pointing inquirers to. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2016/0...

I am going to tell this story in parts, partly because it takes time to tell and I mustn't sit in one place on a week-end afternoon. Secondly, it takes a lot of energy, if folks aren't going to be reading along. The rare occasion I am asked for my vegetarian story I am pleased to tell it, because it is a great chance to clear up misunderstandings of this word. There are many who adore animals and/or ponder healthier nutrition but do not conceive of doing this. For some erroneous reason, this is perceived as a large deprivation of food. It is in fact, solely a replacement of ONE FOOD CATEGORY. Protein is one food category and it does not need to come from (formerly) live meat, nor meat at all. Truly, the only folks who would have difficulty with this swap are those who incorrectly view meat as "the big event" on a plate, instead of MERELY ONE FOOD GROUP. If you view meat protein as equal or more correctly, as inferior to fruits / vegetables / pulses & grains; a change is easy. It is solely difficult for those who view every other food group as a garnish on their plates.

The second mental, perceived barrier to a food group swap is that it need be all or nothing. It needn't. Every little step matters. I started out by sparing mammals. My spouse is pescatarian; occasionally consuming fish. [I will stop here for now. I leave room for people to take up our discussion and will re-join later].

I love to see folks chatting on any subject. We start with literature but this is a socializing lounge. We happen to have a "FOOD" category this year. When "Ms. Nose In A Book" sought the story of me becoming vegetarian, which can't be said in a few words; it is a much easier forum to share that tale here. :) Questions, observations are welcome. Kristianne & I approach it from a gentle viewpoint, literally.

(10) “The Cold Blue Blood” David Handler 2001 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R1KT7IUV...
11) “The House With A Clock In Its Walls” John Bellairs 1973 (5 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/RWW4NP8W...
(12) “The Thirteenth Tale” Diane Setterfield 2006 (4 stars)
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R364EYIN...
(13) “The Forgotten Garden” Kate Morton 2008 (nearly done, will probably allot 4 stars).

By coincidence, I am potentially enjoying all of these at a five-star level. Something I disliked somewhere in the book, in most instances a weakness of writing or motive, necessitated one star fewer. Excepting the 1973 classic previously unknown to me. The first, famous volume by the late David Bellairs received an emphatic five stars! I would be grateful for "helpful" button votes at Amazon Canada, where all of my reviews lead.

For all who missed it: I wrote a special post about my blog's anniversary. Honouring that is kind but reactions to one photograph on there in particular is what I look forward to. It was a big reveal for me. I show for the very first time, the full photograph from which my blog's narrow banner comes. It is my wilderness backyard in snow, like we have today, with the trails Ron pushes through it. Upon this trail: you see four of my dear kitties trotting along it! It was their first time walking in snow, the three youngest. The white in front is our dear Love as a baby. At the rear is McCartney, who is not seen in my blog's top banner because a small view of this very special tableau fits. I wish for enthusiasm about this more than anything. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2016/0...

They cut Jenny Beavan from being any longer, because it was as soon as she declared "I would just like to add in closing". Rude. Her speech was not long. Someone was too gung-ho. I meant censored from adding any more to her acceptance speech. Uncalled for because it was one more very nice sentence about making sure the "Mad Max" film doesn't become prophetic. You clearly see the body of Leonardo's acceptance speech itself was far longer, before he added on. Anyway if you commented at my blog, that's even more rewarding and I will follow-up there. Thank you and thanks again for saying something about Spirit's biological sister, Nirmal. I reiterated what it meant in comment #18. I'll have to take him to visit his remaining sister, Boots. We really must.

What has me revise my answer is that Ron has been reading a nature book and says there is more to it than us not staying warm enough for other reptiles or insects. While garter snakes are extremely common and completely harmless, apparently Canada's home for them is rare in the world. I wouldn't have known. I keep our cats from bothering this sweet little guys when they happen by. I saw them more our first year here but the cats must keep them from our flowerbeds and the periphery of our house.

It's cool to know more about where you are from! You are among the earliest writing to me here. I knew it was upper east United States with three unique kitties, a husband, and two David Bowie memories. You might know I am halfway to Winnipeg west and a little further from Ontario east. I could be in the U.S. in two hours, in another direction. North: Manitoba goes all the way to the Arctic circle. My instinctive response was going to be that somewhere that doesn't hold a +Celcius temperature all year can't have dangerous reptiles or insects but you sound like you have a few.

In Canada, British Columbia has rattlers but that's it across the board. Quite a safe land, if you don't bother mammals who are Mothering. Otherwise even the black bears that stroll through our own property are fine. We watch them go by if we have a chance and they keep going. Only scary moment was setting a massive flock of Canadian geese after me in the city about 7 years ago. Those guys are powerful and chase you quite far!

Wow! I consider this first Georgetown book early but she has earlier ones. If you say it appears to follow other plot lines, earlier ones must be what you mean. Hm.... I am only missing a few of those.

I think is it's a compliment. For some, it might be too good to be true! I should probably expect people to blink twice. There has never been a place for everything spiritual, paranormal, and magical (hence "ethereal"). If people like witches, they're in Melissa's group. Many were drawn to the new "Flights Of Fantasy". The only other paranormal group was vampire-oriented or maybe worse, YA-oriented. ;-) Wouldn't they freak and run over to my blog, when they realize there is finally a place for ALL OF THAT? :-) Your blog post will help and I'll be earlier next year, so that everyone's blogs; presumably with more traffic and different circles than mine, will help too.

"Ammie Come Home" is similar to other books Barbara Mertz published? Then am I in for a treat. Don't name any names. I want to be surprised and do own a pile of her novels. However I have been going in release order, as is my way. I really find this one unique so this is good, surprise news, that better is in store! :) The ultimate ghost story for me would be a ghost simply wanting to communicate or enlist help, without evil crap going on. Authors should know a good ghost encounter for grown-ups is all we need. It doesn't need to be any more muddled than that.