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

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

Drool! A wall of shelves! Even our library (we literally have most of our books in a separate building from our house) is comprised of shelves we purchased. All of these plans sound like great, major changes. If you share before and after pictures at your blog, I'd love to see them. I also find out that you are not only a kitty Mom but have a son. Neat!

It's very meaningful to buy one's first new furniture. If you've had 'make do' furniture all this time; what a gift to choose pieces for yourself. Other than those, is $1000 US all the renovations cost? Just supplies and you are doing this yourselves? Sounds like a pretty good deal. I asked about a fence once and $1000 CDN (nearly identical exchange value) was considered a modest estimate.

Work wise, are you a legal assistant? No fun to work on documents that take up time and concentration you don't enjoy. Nor people you don't enjoy. I temped at a law office at a time when an unstable character appeared nearly every day. From day one of the short stint, I was warned to call someone the minute he appeared. I was a professional temp over 15 years before leaving the city. I've seen all kinds of industries!

No? Good. I've been to a few humid places, like Cornwall, England and couldn't believe it. Great for the skin, hair, and nails I'm sure. I have to work at having sandal-presentable feet. Hahaha. I do! A little more cream for a day or so and I'm good. Florida is fairly high on my list of places to visit. My first brother (I have two) has been there recently: this time by car (I'd rather fly!), the previous time to board a ship.

Gosh. You live where there are ships. And sunken treasure. And alligators. How surreal is that?

Thank you! I've noticed you & I are neck and neck at about 82, with the same 150 goal. I'm glad you see that this thread has been here for some time. Now maybe the other mystery ladies in this group will jump in with a few titles too.

(1) “The Palace Guard” Charlotte MacLeod 1981
(2) “The Corpse In Oozak's Pond” Charlotte MacLeod 1987
(3) “Tempest In The Tea Leaves” Kari Lee Townsend 2011
(4) “The Cat, The Quilt, And The Corpse” Leann Sweeney 2009
(5) “Larceny And Old Lace” Tamar Myers 1996
(6) “The Christie Curse” Victoria Abbott 2013
(7) “The Cat Who Played Brahms” Lilian Jackson Braun 1987
(8) “A Novena For Murder” Sister Carol Anne O'Marrie 1984
(9) “Dyeing Wishes” Molly MacRae 2013
(10) “Aunt Dimity Beats The Devil” Nancy T. Atherton 2000

(11) “Mystery Of The Piper's Ghost” Zillah K. MacDonald 1954
(12) “Death Of A Literary Widow” Robert Barnard 1979
(13) “The Half-A-Moon Inn” Paul Fleischman 1980
(14) “The Riddle Of The Lonely House” Augusta Huiell Seaman 1935
(15) “Shattered Silk” Barbara Michaels 1986
(16) “Body Of Intution” Claire Daniels 2002
(17) “House Of Dark Shadows” Robert Liparulo 2008
(18) “Fool's Gold” Juliet Blackwell 2013
(19) “Tom's Midnight Garden” Philippa Pearce 1958
(20) “The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe” Penelope Lively 1973

(21) “When Midnight Comes” Carol Beach York 1979
(22) “The Mystery Of The Other Girl” Wylly Folk St. John 1978
(23) “Shadows At The Fair” Lea Wait 2002
(24) “Whose Body?” Dorothy L. Sayers 1923
(25) “The Mystery Book Mystery” Wylly Folk St. John 1976
(26) “Charmed” Barbara Bretton 2011
(27) “A Vision InVelvet” Juliet Blackwell 2014
(28) “Greystones” Antonia Lamb 1966
(29) “Murder On Location” Howard Engel 1982
(30) “The Unmasking Of 'Ksan” Eric Wilson 1986

(31) “The Lost Treasure Of Casa Loma” Eric Wilson 1979
(32) “The Missing Chums” Leslie McFarlane 1928
(33) “Lament For A Lounge Lizard” Mary Jane Maffini 2003
(34) “Gold Digger” Vicki Delany 2009
(35) “Too Hot To Handle” Mary Jane Maffini 2007
(36) “The Sayers Swindle” Victoria Abbott 2014
(37) “The African Quest” Lyn Hamilton 2000
(38) “Deadly Appearances” Gail Bowen 1990
(39) “Witchery Hill” Welwyn Wilton Katz 1984
(40) “The Castle In The Attic” Elizabeth Winthrop 1985

(41) “The Witch Lady Mystery” Carol Beach York 1976
(42) “Look For Me By Moonlight” Mary Downing Hahn 1995
(43) “Spinning In Her Grave” Molly MacRae 2014
(44) “How To Tail A Cat” Rebecca M. Hale 2012
(45) “Watcher In The Woods” Robert Liparulo 2008

Reviews I have finished are always available in the following menu, or the Canadian one, in the drop-down bar atop the blog. All of your input for my 2015 groups will start joining me there: Gentle Spectrums, Ethereal, and My Kind Of Mystery.

I love visitors to my reviews. Receiving a 'helpful vote' when you get to the Amazon.ca link is always appreciated. :) http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/reviews...

Folks contributing to the mystery theme with me: please feel welcome to make lists here. I hope for comments and updates at the blog but this is a great place for lists. Here is my progress so far.

In case y'all miss the blog post: I wrote to say events are about to begin! You might enjoy introducing yourselves and how your spring and summer are going, here or in reply to that post. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2015/0...

On the most important note: thank you for commenting on any of my kitties! They are truly my children and make me very happy. Marigold and her son Conan are worst for turning their heads every way but where I'd like for a photograph. The others are easy, or I've gotten used to working with kitties. I know how you feel!

I always think photography is about luck a great part of the time as a whole, with any subject. There are some who technically know certian things to set up, or can guarantee settings working out but for everyone, there's a factor of luck. Therefore when I launched a greeting card company years ago and showed my work at craft sales; I was WAY more touched when they praised my verses. My writing is where I worked and still work (blog articles, activities, reviews) very hard. Almost anybody can take a picture. hehehehe

Hi Erin! I'm glad to see you! I was sorry my most active chatter thought this group was solely for "Gentle Spectrums". I created it and gave it that title because the best contests I could think of for this assortment of themes, are photo based. Easier to post pictures here, than bogging down my blog pages on slow speed internet. I added a "My Kind Of Mystery" discussion thread and indeed, some people here solely belong to that. I'll add an Ethereal thread if others join from that group.

There are three pals here who aren't in any of my challenges but are supportive of me, my efforts, and are here to see what's up or chat. So you are far from a sore thumb in this lot! :)

I shared that my Mom had success with heart bypass surgery. Readers are likely on vacation. Here's news about a forest fire crisis in several provinces. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2015/0...

It is late for the reasons explained. Here is the summary post for the 2014 Gentle Spectrums grand finale. Now all three of the groups can start their engines on current activity! https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2015/0...

I've gathered so far, you're a Floridian who enjoys a good garden or landscape and loves physical books. I also gather you siphen out deals and have a healthy sturdy stock of unread material? I hope there's no moisture issue where you live. Manitoba is nice and dry, be it heat or cold.

Other than Florida and moisture, this describes me; past a modest point that astonishes everyone. Both our book gathering and how much we garden. :) I really have to get back to chatting with my groups (at the blog): initiating conversations and activities because.... there are pictures of some of our books.

On a serious note, my Mom has heart problems. She's only 70 but a scare with chest pain arose thrice, about three months apart. A hospital kept her in for observation this week-end. Bypass surgery of the heart's arteries, indeed open heart surgery, was recommended. It happened very quickly, from my perspective out of town, that she accepted. She just came out of the five-hour arterial operation, which is a success! It was scary but this should end the problems and risks. She is expected to do well for a long time to come.

You, my friends and peers at Wordpress, Goodreads, and via e-mail are my community. I associate with you more than anyone else in person, which is true for many of us who pursue writing from home. I've never cared for sports or tying my time up into anything resembling an appointment, which is why you are it for a public community; apart from friends and family in my region of course. So it made sense I would want to share my relief and gratitude: that Mom risked something big and is well! Carolyn.

I have only gotten a reply or too thus far, so I'd like to reiterate. I invite everyone - and have been doing so myself - to feel welcome to share thoughts here. Both book wise and personally. If you prefer to read rather than share: please let those who do, know they have been seen. ;-)

I edited messages #2, 3, 4 to remove authors I have read since posting these lists. It's fun and rewarding to see that they have whittled down nicely!

It is my pleasure to recommend. When you get a chance to browse my reviews, don't worry. They are careful to never be spoilers. That's a no-no to me. Congratulations on remodelling your home, Erin! Inconvenient but must be rewarding later. I'm busy too, by my non-whirlwind standards. I will be giving my groups due attention with discussions, if not mystery clues and prize events very shortly. Ethereal is merely transfering anything you've read that's spiritual, paranormal, fantasy, or witchy. Talking or very intelligent animals count. Gentle Spectrums is just matching 10 broad subject or broad colours (or both). You can even glance at them right here in the group to ponder what reading you've already done that fits.

Right now is central Canada's gardening season! If you look up 'hardiness zone 3', you'll see we ain't Florida! LOL! We have a short time before we get to a period, in September, that it is possible for overnight frost to ruin plants. This is after waiting for the previous frost dates to end: early May. EVERYTHING comes alive and bursts into colour here and I prefer growing absolutely everything right from its seeds. Flowers and as vegetarians: almost all of our food. :-)

HAPPY FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY today to our very dear Siamese, McCartney!!!! We love you very dearly and are having a very nice, sunny day with you.

Hi Erin!!!! :) Edit that to CAROLYN, will you? Rhymes with "gin", not "wine". Story of my life, *without* getting into the tiny little last name. LOL Wonderful to see your input, including MANY I too would drool for you to get going on. I haven't updated this and am thrilled to see you kick it into life. See my highly-recommended reviews on Juliet Blackwell, MaeveBinchy and you bet, Barbara Michaels. Finally, non-humorous ghost stories for grown-ups!

Lilian Jackson Braun is WAY better than you think too. See those reviews as well. They link to Amazon Canada, where 'helpful votes' really help me build a good reviewer rank. That's what we have, instead of a 'like' button. Funny about Juliet: I loathed her first witch novel, found her first ghost one so-so. Gave her a try because like many of us junkies, I already bought the set. A good thing: she is one of my two favourite US authors! Nancy Atherton is the other. http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/reviews...

Anyone interested in the conclusion of MY KIND OF MYSTERY 2014; a post about it is here at last. One more annoucement to go and then activities will pop up for all 2015 members! :) If you haven't already, it's worthwhile subscribing to my blog or alternatively, asking me for an e-mail when events are posted. Happy summer from me! https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2015/0...

Eek! If there's one frustrating thing, it's going into detail and the information not being absorbed as I hoped. Perhaps the two who lately said "sorry to hear about PC problems" were being general and do understand. My concern isn't a PC problem. My concern is that 'windows' 7 & 8 themselves, are terrible operating systems. Yes, the PC 'worked' so to speak when we tried it years back. Anyone who doesn't know a great deal about computers, or for whom whatever 'win 7 / 8' comes with is all they need: they wouldn't notice a problem. Folks using computers since way back, with older software for all kinds of things like editing PDFs, vintage games, creating videos.... programs more than a few years old? The new 'windows' won't let them work.

Yes, we had a tough virus. But I knew I could erase and reinstall our harddrive to get rid of it if I had to. I'm glad I found another way, because I couldn't have reinstalled 'win XP'. THAT was my worry. Our CD is from 2002. They stopped making XP. I can't update 10+ years, on dial-up internet! My 'problem' was, possibly being forced to use 'win 7'! Unless I have the latest of every program that are my REASON for having a computer.... I don't look forward to the switch making the software I need obsolete. 'Microsoft' likes to make things useless so that you're forced to buy new versions of products. No thanks! I think everyone will understand now, especially if they use programs beyond the usual (ie- not 'miscrosoft' products at all and a few years old).