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

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

Hi Kerri, I am working on honouring my dear Dad in print, writing, photographs, and music. For the first time in two decades, I have not read for about three weeks. It is okay. It is annoying that the year you are reading much less, I have put it aside but there is no race.

I glanced at messages 8 & 12 and think you might not have replied to everything in them. If you wouldn't mind breezing over them too, let me know if you answered everything that interested you. For now, I am taking pleasure in answering your most recent conversation.

I love reading your thoughts. It is nice that we agree on items we criticized. Any novel you generally enjoy appears to get five stars, so it was a pleasant surprise that you agree as much as you do. Other areas receive more of my understanding than you expected, which will be fun to talk about. Your point is excellent for everyone considering sex with someone, new or not and at any age, that cravings or curiosity does not mean being ready. I don't wait until the time or person is right. I have no interest unless I am in love with a person. I appreciate everything that comes with choosing an intimate partner, my monogomous mate.

I will never believe anyone lacks control, even though hormones differ. We all feel attraction and sexual passion but I am not like a moron on television or in a film, where kissing leads to undressing; especially dating someone new. Even if I felt elevated desire, I have no trouble leaving off until we reach a commitment of being in love. When you do see someone undress, you are comfortable and in a secure relationship. I can't fathom the awkwardness of being next to someone after sex, with whom there was nothing but temporary passion. Bridget was overwhelmed by the strangeness of intimacy after she cooled down and I don't wish that on any child.

Something really nice about aging or at least the confidence that is building in me over time, is the ability to clearly know that people are glad to joke with you, if you invite them too. For a short time, Ron & I tried a spiritualist church when we understood that the mainstream gospel sounded askew to us. Soon, there was a Christmas feast and party and we went to it. Only a few people recognized our faces, so when we entered the hall, there was that real western saloon reaction of us marching in with our winter boots and the sound in the place simmering down. All heads swivelled to us as one and I was glad of my veteran experience as a temp worker, perhaps, for removing any timidity from being the new person walking into a new place. I smiled at everyone and joked "Hi! Who are these guys, right? I can see you all wondering"! Everyone laughed, went back to what they were doing, the sound resumed all through the world, and absolutely any seat we chose was met by delight to welcome the sassy new Christmas guests.

I feel for anyone who does not have self-assurance for friendly uncertainty like that was. I can't attribute the rest to a temp career but I have no problem rising to speak, sing, dance, act and even entered an African dancing competition. Lygia's Mom was there, which made it so funny, hearing her call out my name and knowing my sassiness so well since I was a child in her home. She proudly declares that I came in second place because the winner was the "Folklorama" pavilion's African queen! :-)

In areas that affect my home life, I am shy. I hold my breath the occasional time I had to work up the courage to talk seriously and sensitively with Ron, a neighbour about a noise complaint, and a boss about a rude colleague. Having justification doesn't alleviate enough of the nervousness. it is about praying it will go right and well because it is important to your relief and freedom to enjoy home and work afterwards.

We agree that Tibby and Bailey were bossy, unpleasant people, even though they have good qualities. Seeing Tibby with her bunny and her friends are sides I like. I seem to be a natural at remembered teaching moments leaping into my view. I remember Phoebe on "Friends" wanting to break up with one boyfriend so she could be a couple with one person. She liked them both and decided to release the manlier guy, in favour of the softer man. His reaction was to sniffle and rush off, saying he needed to write in his journal! It was funny. You didn't picture that of him, just as you LOVE seeing a man be an animal rights protector and vegetarian.

I also truly love a man who is a pianist. Everyone plays guitar but to see someone sit down to a piano is gentle and passionate, to me. It is like you are really into music and not using a macho instrument like a bass, drums, or saxaphone. conversely, brava to women who play saxaphone, drums, bass, or electric guitar.

I love Bridget and Lena for the confidence to walk up to anybody outside their circle of family and friendship and invite them to socialize. I really do try making other friends beyond the few I have locally since I went country. Many people my age are keen but making the time takes awhile, unless children they have are grown enough.

No matter where I lived, it was a bitch to get together with anyone into sports. I hate the wasted time more than whether or not I could ace the physical and mental skill of it. If we were blessed with a dream come true of you visiting here, we would bring you to an NHL game: the Winnipeg Jets. There is something special about hearing "O Canada" sung, then seeing players so talented, the excitement of the fans, and feeling and smelling the ice in person. Most sports are better in person, although they are still like watching grass grow for me. Not major league hockey. However, even that on television is not my bag.

I recognized decades ago that I hate schedules and must go by passion and motivation. No matter how much I love anything: cats, books, flowers, music.... I do not want to drive anywhere on a certain day of the week. If I want rest that day or if a friend invites me to visit, I put that first. I am not a club or team person, in terms of schedule. I am a "team person" in the definition of being dependable, loyal, and happy to help someone.

I like learning on my own time, not from a club or classroom. I object to the word "expert" only referring to someone with a degree for spending time in a classroom. What is better than gaining skill and knowledge out of your own desire in regular life?

Doctors and vets know less than you & I do about some important aspects of health and healing. The worst pet peeve that has arisen nowadays is skeptics throwing a tantrum with the word "anecdotal" and spinning it as if firsthand observation were a negative. Tell me, what what proof would you feel more assured about? A statistic on a chart, or someone personally telling you that they witnessed that something worked?

I see Carmen as confident but she is touchy about race and sees judgement in places where there is only curiosity and the chance for friendship. Taking note that someone new we have met is dark skinned is no different than noticing they are petite, rounder, athletic, tall, red-headed or blonde. My radar breezes past appearance and considers whether or not someone is likeable, approachable, sincere, and fun. I experienced being different when I visited friends in the Caribbean but it was warm, kind curiosity and it was okay. I think I have a photo of a group of children wanting to touch my soft hair. They were used to pretty, natural curls. Growing up with a black best friend, we could see that I enjoyed being a little darker at summertime and she liked sitting in the shade.

Some challenges were fine popping in and out of this sweet novel. Ann Brachares needed to ladel it out less thickly. Lena could decline to date anyone while she befriended her Grandparents, Greece, and painted memories there. Bridget need not make a mission out of being sexual with a young coach. Carmen could discover a new family. The least the authoress should have done was not waste the one reserved day for Al and his Daughter. It was like a predictable, stupid sitcom for their private time to hinge on one day, then for him to visit a stepson's game, and finally for his fiancée to topple the outing. The same goes for Tippy, her beautiful bunny, and Bailey's young life.

Kerri, it was funny when you said you would watch when you put a comma in front of "and" or "but" because you did it as usual immediately. It is your style. You don't have to change unless you are curious about an old rule, or to see if you are able to, ha ha. I was told several years ago that I pronounced a few words incorrectly and I was able to switch them. It is a matter of wanting to and of course thinking you need to.

I am glad you know me as a balanced person, the way I recognize myself, Kerri. Thank you for seeing me for who I am: a lovely compliment! You are too. You seem sweet and gentle but when you suddenly vent or use profanity, it is a treat. I am professional as a writer on everything, including book reviews. If not for that, my language is that of a city girl. I'd be "what the fuck" in casual conversation, ha ha. Maybe you are likewise.

A comment I want to pick up is on interests or talents: Carmen - if partners keep a tennis date, Lena's painting, and Bridget's soccer. You wondered if these would develop into careers or be hobbies. It is important to me, a believer in strengthening and learning skill at home, to refute justifying anything with a career. I also refute minimizing a passion or gift by calling it a hobby. I think you must know what I mean, as a home student and embracer of the tableau of life similar to me. "Tableau" in French means blackboard. Our talents and loves are who we are, not for money, institution credit, or a certificate as proof.

I differ from many by disliking formal education. I would home school children if I had them. I know many experiences are important socially and dvelopmentally further to the material. I would send children to high school also for teachers at that level. However, I am an ideal example of an intelligent person for whom an early, repetitive schedule, and focus on mathematics did not draw greatness out of me. An "expert" is anyone who knows a subject well! I know cats better than typical veterinarians and biologists.

I saw "Ugly Betty" but was uninterested. I hated the title even if the content was warmer and there are better "underdog does her best" shows. I am intrigued in many, after you foisted Graham Norton on me. I shudder to think about what I might do with my days the first while we have a decent speed of internet. Films, TV shows, music, audio novels - oh my! A quote from "The Wizard Of Oz" of course.

I don't think I got an answer about whether or not you were familiar with "The Facts Of Life". Oddly, although the tomboy character Jo was my least favourite, I am intrigued by the actress. She was just on "The Drew Barrymore Show" with her gal pals and has a 1990s television show I want to try out. It could be corny but I saw a lot of it as a child. Everyone's favourite story is when Stacy Q was a guest. She & Tooti sang "Two Of Hearts", which was a hit at that time. I liked "Dancing Nowhere" and "We Connect" better, which sound similar.

Leeanne, thank you for mentioning in our public forum for starters, that you read and appreciate them. Posting the links is for more visibility to get people there. I hope to gather condolences where I maintain and save them, please. Hugs, Carolyn.

My dearest Dad rose to the afterlife three weeks ago. It has dawned on me that my blog is the best place to maintain and preserve the family history I wrote for him and other loved-ones. Condolences are welcomed honouring them all from any time. Here is it. Sincerely, Carolyn & family. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2024/0...

My dearest Mom rose to the “second chapter” of life in 2020. It has dawned on me that my blog is the best place to maintain and preserve the tribute I wrote for her. Here is it. Sincerely, Carolyn & family. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2024/0...

I believe I answered these stories on the private side, in letters, Kerri. If there is anything to follow-up that you asked or wrote generally, let me know in e-mail. We are done here. :) With love, Carolyn.

Ah, fresh perspectives, Kerri: this is why I buddy read! I had not thought of comparing the girls' personalities. I would say Lena & Tibby are solitary but confident. Only Lena has a talent hobby that she actually practices with gusto and lets her focus flow into. I love putting work into something that is coming along so well, it does not feel laborious or time consuming.

I made a start in ways that were easy: moving books into shelving from my Parents. I love doing it and it flew by. Ron sees some placement between our kitchen, livingroom, laundry room, bedroom, bathroom, office, and library that is going to flow and look good. I am relieved Ron is so pleased with the space in our bathroom from moving books to shelves in this office. He has ideas that did not occur to me, moving his shaver out of the medicine cabinet. It will be nice to see what he does with the wooden shelf.

Reading books we like is another obvious example of hours going by in pleasure. Tibby spends time on film projects but only has ideas, unless Ann Brachares did not show it properly. You saw that her lack of clarity made me think Mimi was a baby Sibling. Maybe because Tibby spends time between her varied age family and her best friends, she is not alone to develop a talent. Bridget is obviously an athlete star, not only at soccer. Physical strength, endurance, and drive are the right attitudes and combinations for her to "get in the zone" for jogging too. I am not a jogger and early negative experiences probably turned me off from team sports, although my interest was never there. The good thing about school gym classes is trying a whole range of sports that many of us would not do otherwise and I am glad to have tried them.

As a Canadian, I had millions of opportunities to play street hockey with my Brothers and did a couple of times. I own one hockey stick but it is pristine, not taped as active players do. I dislike skating, so playing in boots suited me. This was well before the distraction of computers and even then, I would rather read or play music. I love things as a group but prefer board games, singing, and dancing: mostly pleasures and exercise of my mind.

I enjoy social gatherings much more than you and my Dad do, especially having friends at home with me for personal, cozy visits. Going to a friend's home is lovely too but not making a drive is preferred, as a homebody. The flexibility of declaring myself unavailable for temp jobs in the summer was wonderful. I wear no watch unless I am working or travelling.

I recognize myself as an example of balance. I am sociable but need time to read e-mails from dear friends like you in the morning and books at night. I must read at night the way some people must exercise by day. I love all kinds of things but the idea of scheduling them or having to drive elsewhere for them, is a turn-off. I do walk-ins, with a courtesy call to most businesses: chiropractor, hair dresser. The rare time I set an appointment, I am a bit apprehensivesleeping prior to it. I need to make my writing career and be successful at selling books at home too. Awakening by a clock and leaving home all day to dress a certain way and work somewhere else, was hard for me, as was school and certainly an aversion after years being homebased in the countryside.

I have pondered different reasons for my make-up. Mom suggested that the Aboriginal part of us is not focused on clock time. We flow with the seasons, sun and moon, and as the desire and need compel us. Many black actors joke about arriving at parties late or deciding not to go, which is true of my friend! We differ there, maddeningly. If I say I will visit you, I look forward to it and gladly go. She must be like us.

Something else I consider is that I was about 28 before I had my own home with Thumbelina. I was an adult who needed to feel like one in my own space, so I stayed over with friends or boyfriends on week-ends and went out a lot. When I had my own place, I felt right enjoying the home I had built. I have preferred not going out much since then, paired with hating schedules.

What is also at play is not being a morning person but I vary there too. I got up with Ron at 7:00 this morning even though I planned to go back to bed with Petal, who is sweetly and beautifully sleeping there now. I might nap to enjoy the loyal kitty who loves snuggling with me! However, my routine of looking at e-mail and writing to you at Goodreads is easy and pleasant, comfortable in my housecoat. If I had to rise to go anywhere, I would have felt reluctant. I will have an early sleep tonight but stayed up, so that I go to Winnipeg earlier and get that literal load off of my mind. The sooner I bring our Parents' items home, the sooner Mark & Jennifer can clean. A friend will help Mark with big furniture sometime this week. The medium and little pieces will do us at lot of good in our home, like Ron's bathroom space. :)

I need to get to know Carmen to decide if she is outgoing or not. She loves tennis and being with her friends. What is her talent and passion, I wonder. Does she prefer to be at home, including when she is with her friends?

I was never interested in the television show terribly called "Ugly Betty" or its premise. I can't bear seeing unshaped eyebrows. America Ferrerra is well known besides that show and I like and admire her. She would look like my picture of Carmen and do great. She was fantastic in "Barbie". I saw her family story on "Finding Your Roots" or "Who Do You Think You Are" recently too.

I peek in on a variety of talk shows, although much less than previously, so I know who North American stars are. On the other side of the pond, you are getting me acquainted with new faces in "The Graham Norton Show"! I continue to love people, shows, films, and music I had not heard of. I need to sell CDs I don't need to keep as it is.

I think I can counter your observation about stories keeping families in the background, with my preference for limiting characters and narrators. Fewer are better. You can have well developed characters without giving description and dialogue to external ones. If they are superfluous to the plot, keep those backgrounds short. I replied to you in our Anne Perry conversation and therein, you wrote astutely that she fills in a lot but no word is wasted. Thomas needs help from Charlotte and later Emily, Aunt Vespasia, and even Caroline Edison. We also get to know the interviewed neighbours, only because they are important to the story that unfolds.

Al was in Carmen's story as were Lena's Grandparents and Sister. You indicated that others are highlighted in sequel books. I have no liking or interest in Tibby, even though she cared for and mourned Mimi and Bailey. It it changes, it will be nice. If it does not, there are three other protagonists who are entertaining to me. Tibby was not left behind. Each friend was without all of them. Tibby simply spent her summer in their home city. She could have done something fun outside work. She ended up having a nice project.

It is especially for my dear cats that I prefer to be home. I am happy and touched to add that Petal came out of the bedroom, to sleep beside me in McCartney's & Angel's chair here. :)

Similar to disliking the Will Ferrell and James Spader periods of "The Office", where I prefer Dwight, Michael, and Andy as managers in that order; I can't stand the early seasons of "Friends" or "The Big Bang Theory". Penny is a bitch and too ditzy about science and academics as a cliche. Great Scott, you & I had no trouble discussing "The Time Machine", "A Journey To The Centre Of The Earth", and "The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde". We thrive on "Back To The Future" and I have no bachelor of science.

In a television conversation thread, I feel inspired to propose that Dwight Schrute is more intelligent than Sheldon Cooper and a whole lot more street smart, culturally savvy, and comfortable with who he is. It is only Sheldon's so called memory skill and science aptitude that make him look more brilliant than anyone else. Dwight knows all about fantasy, science fiction and nature and is confident to boot.

I am glad I made you laugh in writing alone! It bodes well for me as an author, Kerri! Your delicious reaction made me think of another funny moment with Dwight. When Pam did art in New York after she & Jim began their romance, they were talking on the phone. Knowing his deskmate was hearing him, he turned a glib remark into: "Dwight says hi"! Dwight leaned in and corrected: "Pam, that is false. I do NOT say hi to you"! I love it: who would do that and who would care? Dwight has an innocent driving force to be truthful similar to Sheldon but Dwight is socially self-aware and not oblivious to how he comes across. It was touching when Pam, married and pregnant, realized: "Dwight is the only one who will tell the truth about how I look".

He similarly warmed up to Erin, who had unsuccessfully flirted with Dwight at Robert California's pool. Honesty was right for her too, when she whispered: "I am trying to make Andy notice me". He replied: "How? Do you want make him jealous by cozying up to a superior male? I'll do it"! I am noticing my good memory, sharing many delightful lines like these. Take that, Sheldon Cooper. On his show, I only like the seasons after Leonard & Penny are married; after her hair regrows. She is more loving and participates in his interests more. I have no patience for her remarks about wanting alcohol.

Most of all, Kerri, thank you for appreciating family members I share of my beloved Parents and cat children. There are many poignant, heartwarming, happy memories between all of them and I am comforted and strengthened by that now. I don't think we grieve loved-ones as badly until we have to discuss them at a memorial. Afterwards, with the activity and attention from comforters settled down, and normal life slowly returning; we begin to miss them the most strongly. We are very glad for the family & friends who keep on missing our loved-ones along with us and those who comfort us anyway. Love, your friend, Carolyn.

I love hearing about your cats' personalities, Kerri and look forward to those of your family in letters. I was upset Kimmy did not have her emboldened freedom longer. Are they tattooed or microchipped? Here, tattoos are free when animals are spayed / neutered. Your prayers, support, and encouragement mean the world to our family.

No one important to us has done anything but believe and support our certainty that Conan is alive and will get home somehow. The very few doubtful people had to be left out of our life. Alive does not mean Conan is instantly here again. The warning I observed myself with Galaxy and another cat, is the tendency to think an unknown animal must be a neighbour, taking a walk. A cat who is there again in the morning, to caring people, or who shows up at various times of day, rather than certain periods of being let outside are signs to watch for.

Light from behind or photograph a tattoo that is hard to see, on your vision's part or the animal. I asked Conan to let people read the tattoo in his ear, if he needs assistance on the way back to us. If you do not see a tattoo, ask neighbours about an unfamiliar animal, take their photo, and physically print it for the nearest store bulletin boards as well as rescue groups on-line.

Take note of the animal's gender, whether or not a male is neutered, and tattoo or collar status. Many people kindly reported "orange & white cats" to us, which could be just about anyone. I was shocked and angry at the lack of thought for not noticing gender, neuter status, and tattoo status - even if you cannot read the digits. Narrowing the possibility of it being your cat or not is a must. We drove to several places to stake them out for days, in case it was our dear Conan. Eventually, a person or two was observant enough to have more knowledge and even a photograph, of a busy neighbour cat or different one, to confirm it was not him.

One broad place, a senior's community of houses and trailer parks, widely saw a cat that looks a lot like him. We asked around, looked, and posted there for years; which is hard to do if because they do not advertise for outsiders whom to post an outdoor notice and who posts at their indoor activity. It was by daring to ask area campground owners that I eventually learned they themselves, have a kitty who might look like Conan's twin to those who do not know him intimately and "Joker" is among the rare country cats around here who is tattooed.

Grateful for a lifetime of mystery reading, it occurred to me to ask if they had seen an orange & white cat in addition to their own. The Daughter did not know. She was running the campground while her Parents were on vacation overseas. She phoned them to verify this important detail on our behalf, God bless her! I knew it could not be him, when they confirmed that they had seen no cat resembling Joker. You have to push, try, pray, and telepathically encourage Conan that we are still waiting for him, to stay safe and careful, and that we SHALL help him come home any way we can.

"There Is Another Way" sucks and so does "Energy Medicine For Cats" by Madison King. I am surprised you forgot because it is a compelling title, which I said at least has a few methods that are worth knowing but is most valuable for the cat & dog meridian lines. I am glad to remind you of it. They arrived together, both thin, and were likely shelved together. I am happy you dove into it. After a break from helping my dear Dad, I have two healing books ready to go, sitting on my profile as "being read" to highlight them for public awareness.

Thank you for your own beautiful, strong, compelling light; intelligent tips and suggestions, and for everything you do to help our whole family. Do continue reading what you can of Conan, tune into him, and help encourage him to walk home or close enough to consult someone else. Love, Carolyn.

I had not thought of Lena & Bridget balancing each other and will consider that for awhile. It is certainly nice to think about. We all know our Parents, Siblings, and variety of friends if we are so blessed to have a good blend, fill in traits and talent gifts that help and restore us. I had not pictured a balancer.

I certainly asked my Dad to sign papers with low grades because he didn't get mad at educational mediocrity. When it came to friends coming over, or arranging outings, Mom was keener in her first reaction. Dad loves people but similar to Angel, prefers being around family. Dad and perhaps all of us, need time to veg. I do not allow the schedule frenzy in our home life of some people I know. Not to sound like I don't believe in community and outside exposure, I was glad when Ron stopped joining sports teams. It took a lot of personal time, especially living here and he himself likes being home as much as possible. When we do go out, it is fun, stimulating, special, and refreshing.

Like me, once Dad got visiting, he enjoyed most people. Most people think he is sociable because they see him warmed up to it, not complaining about going somewhere earlier in the day, ha ha. Although Dad and everyone in our family has a good variety of lifetime friends, he differs from Mom & I by putting blood first and not equalling anyone else to family. He thinks if there came a choice, they would put their biological families ahead of anyone else but that reasoning came from only considering people with the same perspective as him.

Among my family and friends, I know who is a good listener, who makes it easy for us to finish saying everything, who understands us best without rebuttals, who poses questions which is highly gratifying to me, and who will go certain places with me when we visit. There are a variety of spiritual beliefs and none among my friends.

My dear university friend (whose unusual name I'll keep in letters, like my other beautifully named friend) was not someone to join me for dancing or bars of any kind. I might have gotten her to a family wedding social to be supportive but there needed to be worthy conversations if you did not dance or drink. She appeared at my dearest Mom's service without asking and I went to her Mom's, at the worst time in my life.

I am glad Bridget's family will join her stories and the other protagonists' families. I no longer want to see the films, at least the first, if Lydia or her children are curt. So rarely does an author avoid that stereotype of jealousy or impoliteness, that it is a letdown for the novel not to keep that positivity at play.

I had zero interest in a story about Kostos over any more pages than it was and certainly won't watch a film exaggerating it. Here, Ann refreshingly also gave us the rarity of subtlety and minimizing content of romance. Filmmakers need to see the gifts of stories and keep those elements shining for audiences.

You added an interesting proposal about Tibby. We said she should acknowledge the boy's kindness with an outing, get to know more about him than his hair products, and they could be pals instead of dating. I shared that I had platonic guy pals, or intended to say it. Did you? Your suggestion is new, that Tibby only needed to reconsider the boy on a calmer day. That is right. It is too bad if she declined a nice chat or a new friend, for turning answering at the wrong moment and sounding like there was no opening for them.

I am going to vent a quibble that will feel good to get out, ha ha! The way I learned grammar, words like "and" and "but" have pauses built into them. You do not put a comma in front of them unless you are finishing a list of more than two items. I only wanted to take a Phoebe Bouffay moment and exclaim: "My eyes! My eyes!" to see commas in front of them. Gack! Obviously, we write however it naturally comes for us but I admit I clip all the "non list" commas if I copy text to work with or save, by authors included.

I side with protagonists when I read and except in stories where multiple protagonists works well like this, I do not want the narration of anyone else. Because Lydia is an unintended roadblock to Carmen's joy and freedom with her Dad, I did not care about of imagine what she might think. She read like a villain or issue to overcome. I like what you proposed, about the book's original Lydia liking and welcoming and valuing Carmen. As you do, I wonder too, if she thought Al could handle honesty, preparedness, and feelings much better. Would she keep it to herself, because Carmen was not a part of her life yet, or would she privately clue Al in on Carmen's thoughts and feelings. We both agree that the youths were nice too.

Yes, Dad was happy to know I recognized how he filled in for Mom. I thanked him honestly every time he wrote a birthday card for our cats, even if I asked him and helped. I encouraged him to send Christmas cards to us and his Sons. Dad very sweetly suprised me by choosing and writing his own birthday cards for me too. He was as excited as a kid to give them to me as soon as he was out of the car. I laughed and appreciated that aloud with him, too. When it occurred to me that he acted for both parents, different words than keeping up things Mom usually did for us, I was glad for the chance to express that train of thought too. He thanked me for the praise and love and returned it.

I don't only enjoy "The Office" for humour. My pleasure extends to the actors. I will enjoy what they share of themselves as people. I look forward to seeing extra details of the shows. It will be awhile before I have a box set, or downloads of the later bonus scenes that succeeded the DVDs. As someone who looked at the pictures, books, plants, windows, desk items, and everything to see; I will relish those additional minutes of acting!

At the end of "The Big Bang Theory", it became obvious that their kitchen table had a bottom layer. Now that I know of it, I see it in many episodes. It is fun to see what they put there. I am satisfied with a short glimpse. I don't record the show because it is on every day and similarly to "Friends", I don't care for the old seasons. I do like seeing special shows again but prefer certain periods and characters.

I have been laughing, often thinking about one of the last scenes I watched of "The Office", which was especially hilarious. When I tuned in, the late seasons aired beginning with Michael's resignation. I wish we had seen his & Holly's marriage. Afterwards, it restarted after Pam & Jim first dated, which is exactly what I wanted to see. I noticed more details than ever before by seeing episodes from the beginning and in order. Things that only looked funny, became informed by a background that was insightful for me. With the randomness or isolation gone, I remember the shows much more. However, to my pleasure, Kerri, there were many shows in this early dating period that I had not seen at all! What fun that was to indulge in.

Near the end of the run of the period I was finishing, Jim & Dwight were rivals but knew each other well. Jim wrote out a Valentine's Day card for Dwight, who saw that before Jim handed it to him. As if he were a lady standing up for propriety, he exclaimed: "That wasn't meant for me. You just wrote it. I will not be your Valentine"! How funny and literal is that!? To this, Jim quipped "Aw, nuts". Those show openings are good to see.

I look forward to what you add about your reactions to this first volume. Did you react to anything we have not written about? I am glad to know this popular story and will have fun reading the next one sometime.

The long week-end of our four kittens' first birthday, I was moved and glad to help Galaxy get back to her Daughter and human Momma. It additionally inspired me to see that the animal rescue and animal rights circles I had been in so long, starting at Myspace, imparted tips to me that really work.

It is very warm and stirring for you to say that Galaxy sensed who would help her. Whether it was the love of our spirits or light of our camp fire, Galaxy meowed with relief and ran up to us. You really moved me with your impression of what we meant to her. Maybe Conan felt like that, even though he chose to go on a holiday. I have prayed and trust that he knows how to choose good, safe, honest, caring people.

On behalf of cats who need help going home like Galaxy and Conan, I feel pushed to make clear that it was easy to assume we were seeing a neighbour's cat. I soon noticed she was visiting at any time of day or evening. Being unfamiliar with her was the first clue.

I asked a few people. They were seeing her but did nothing about it. I said if she came to our house the next morning, she was not a visiting neighbour. She did and I leaped up to feed her and give her water. If you wind up feeding a sociable neighbour's cat, that is an acceptable "worst case". It is most important that someone in need receive food and confirm that they can safely trust you.

I looked for a tattoo and Galaxy let me see it. If a cat is not sitting still, take a digital photo of their right ear, until there is a clear view. Shining a light behind an ear helps too. I think body scans are more popular for now but that requires a cat letting you drive them to a vet or shelter to read it. A tattoo shows a finder that this cat has a family and home to get back to.

I must add a warning about "humane societies": a poor choice of words for an organization that kills those they profess to help. Never bring an animal there, unless you make it clear that you only want them scanned to find ID of some kind. Insist on taking them back with you until their family is reunited. I only phoned our nearest "humane society" to obtain the information from Galaxy's tattoo. Afterwards, I had to forcefully clarify to the second person I spoke to, that I would NEVER bring an animal there and said NO such thing to the first person.

On another note, shelters stretch space and finances. Individual people do not. We are better off to care for animals indoors or somewhere comfortable outdoors, until we find their families.

I pray someone is instrumental in helping Conan return to us now, if he needs assistance or guidance, for their fourteenth birthday in two weeks.

It occurred to me that I might show Petal & Angel that same peaceful power at Gimli Lake. However, Angel is uncomfortable around people at first meeting and has seldom been at anyone else's house. She even freezes at the veterinarian to get it over with and hides immediately after. She could manage with a closed room the first day with their familiar dishes, a blanket from home, litterbox, and a fun view. Then she might mingle with Mark, Jennifer, Timmy, Andrea, Uncle Fred. Most relatives and family friends only met "Marigold & her family once or not so far. She comes for treats, with time to relax in a secure place with all of her first needs.

An outing and more socializing would do her good. A cat is safer around a lake: one direction we can't go in, few trees. I have leashes for Ron & I to help them walk around if they want to, or sit out in a scenic, comfortable spot. Petal would walk around chatting, eagerly peering out every window, and serving appetizers. In case of urgency or not seeing where they are, all of our children have always been trained to come when they are called. However nervous they might be in a new place, we would draw them back and probably be called by them until we see them. Ron & I might not stay nights and instead, keep doing the 2 hour drive. I would think he will take holidays to go often when my Brothers set the week.

Spirit, McCartney, and Marigold were social butterflies too. Love was only a little less wary than Angel. Conan is another social butterfly, which is another reason we know he is all right and gets whatever assistance he needs, away and to return here at home now. That is our prayer, that is our faith, what we envision, and what we trust. Amen!

I am pleased to see you react excitedly to Anne's first series with the words: respect, excitement, gifted writer, special, compassionate, and unique angles. What kind of angles did you mean? I am fascinating to know. Anne is definitely unique but as a rare 'historical fiction' or reader of England, I wondered if that was the impression of someone who sees her setting less often.

I think all 'historical fiction' writers want characters to be relatable, usually by making them ahead of their time. I say Anne succeeds at being relatable because she writes from the point of view of feelings, even within that timeframe and thankfully extinct English class culture. What you love about her not wasting words but smoothly fitting in a full spectrum of story characters, I appreciate highly too. Her endings could let us soak them in more and later novels do.

Swiftly, humorously, Anne fills me in on one-hundred year-old, English culture by observing how Thomas Pitt is answered at a door and how his well bred speech surprises them. She teaches us why Charlotte & Emily need to speak carefully but can still make their point known; the funniest parts. You will love it when they move out and deal with their Grandma more directly. Caroline changes a lot and when she feels well seated to tell her Mother-in-law off, it is gratifying and triumphant.

I am happy you identify that Anne wrote full stories that are much more important and rounded out, than the mysteries in them. This is why Louise Penny is special too: you get an education about people and the French Canadian culture. You are shown the duality of Anglophones, Francophones, and bilinguals like me living in it. I was mad that Charlotte's Dad did not think the unpleasant reports of newspapers were acceptable for his Daughters or even his adult wife but understood the milieu.

It becomes very fulfilling as Charlotte, Emily, and the future Aunt Vespasia for you to love learn about the difficulties Londoners face from Thomas. They cannot vote but Aunt Vespasia gradually convinces good men to run for the senate and create life-saving bills of rights. You see, these are no mere entertainment novels. I detected no soapbox because we are emotionally shown, not told a variety of stories.

Yes, the four ladies' eventual involvement in this series' premise as a whole, is crafted in a plausible way. Thomas is assigned high profile crimes to solve and has the perfect assistants to gain information in fancy chambers.

I disliked the pompous, frivilous Emily at first but it seems that one's environment and life exposure raises one's character. By the time Emily went undercover as a maid and was inspired to make her staff's living quarters and work schedule better, she had my heart. She is funny soon enough.

You know how in their day, they had to send messages by mail or a carriage driver? It is so funny, that Emily is so curious about Thomas' cases and wanting to use her intelligence to help him, that she can hardly stand to wait for Charlotte to give the details. As soon as Charlotte sends a message asking Emily to come over, there is no thought of greeting manners. She waltzes in and immediately asks: "What is it!?" Oh my goodness, Emily's reactions make me laugh more than anything else in these novels.

I happily reassure you that the cast we love is fixed. There are some things Thomas wants his wife, maid, and Sister-in-law away from for their safety. For the most part, this is not an authoress who tediously has investigators waving away the help of protagonists whom readers look forward to seeing.

When I think of constant characters, I smile about those of Kate Carlisle. She is an exemption rarity for me similarly, in the 'cozy mystery' gem. Focused on comedy but with another original series premise, her Parents and best friend appear in most of her stories, with pop ins by some of her numerous Siblings. What premise? Brooklyn grew up on a commune, that subsists on a vineyard and she is a bookbinder.

Oh, although I could do without her, a frequent cameo is by Brooklyn's enemy, a rival bookbinder jealous about Brooklyn's contracts but not at her quality of crafsmanship. She gets in the way and had to be saved once but seeing Brooklyn openly retort that she is a bitch is vicariously funny. How often do we feel able to repel anyone as directly as that? Moving from Kate's profanity, it is fun to talk about Anne Perry's well mannered books with you, Kerri.

Kerri, I love reading all about this. It works out beautifully that you lead the conversation in your feelings and reactions to Anne Perry. I delayed contributing, because we were busy with letters and three book discussions but this gave you time to add more, which is my delight. I agree with everything you said. I wonder if I should hold off replying to things that you want to discover in the series, or may I confirm some general things to look forward to? :)

I think you signed off for the night. As Graham Norton says: "Off I go with my story"! I could do without "the big red chair" and dislike that he tumbles some people but know it is fun for local viewers. I hope Graham gets their names afterwards, thanks them, and gives them a t-shirt, mug, or studio souvenir gift. Their dismissal looks abrupt on stories everyone loved. I was on TV once and worked in radio, so I know people are greeted before and after being on air.

If someone naturally hilarious like Ricky Gervais and Alan Carr are there, seeing them take pleasure in a regular person's comedy or story is thrilling. I am also proud to know who the hell British talent like Alan Carr are now. Also, apparently Kylie Minogue is still making bestselling albums there! I like her.

Reading about Bridget Vreeland was a pure joy. She really loved life and her chance to play on a team in Mexico. She loved the sky, the stars, and everyone she met. She dared to dance, sleep outside, and romance a coach. He was a teenager too and kind enough to speak with her about being pushed past his own sexual restraint. I would have winced if he had been 25+ upwards. I was sad to see this powerful, carefree colt feel sad and uncertain but it confirmed for us that this magnificent spirit was human. Our little colt soon rallied and had friends to talk with about her experiences, which perhaps will be in the next childhood novels.

We were not introduced to her Mom or her family's life when she lived. I thought your cancer reference was about Mrs. Vreeland. I would like to know her twin Brother, Perry and her Dad better. As hard as something like this is to fathom, say, and write; you know my dear Dad just went to Heaven last week. I can't help getting personal here. Where we are and how we are feeling in life, opens or closes us to what we are reading and how it impacts us. As I consider our fictional Bridget & Perry, I am very glad I thought about what my Dad has meant to be lately, in the nick of time to thank him for it.

I realized he has been both Parents to me for these 4.5 years. In a good moment, the time I saw him before he got too itchy and uncomfortable to focus on talking, I shared this significance with him and thanked him for being both Parents to me recently. He appreciated it. As a 51 year-old in the position to appreciate the poignancy of your remaining Parent, Mr. Vreeland must be the whole world to Bridget & Perry. I hope Ann Brachares gets that right and says something about it in one of the childhood period novels. I am grateful for my Brothers & I and every child who grows up to be an adult before there Parents go to the Second Chapter. I pray for and feel for those who need to adjust to that big change earlier.

I was stunned but recognized your ability to say you know a lot about sick kids. I have questions that I believe you want me to pose in e-mail instead, so I will defer that part of our conversation therein.

You will see that I am reading Britney Spears' autobiography. You might be surprised that both Ron & I love her music and are drawn to her as a person. If she is on, which I was delighted to catch a bit of yesterday of all coincidences, we listen and watch with pleasure. I did not know much about her and neither did the public, as open as social media purports to be. I am getting that Elvis Presley movie feeling, of horror rising for someone going through strife I cannot fathom experiencing, especially with the public shouting around you for your attention. She is a star figure like Elvis and Michael Jackson. She started early enough to sing with Michael, a performance I am familiar with that I enjoyed when we had city internet. I am surprised and dismayed that she had sex at 14 years-old while dating her Brother's friend. If you couldn't interest me in uncommitted sex in my 50s, I was not going near it before I was 20. Even then I was pressured at every physical stage and reluctantly agreed, to shut that boyfriend up. What matters is someone's comfort level and morals. Sex is something Britney is freer with, which paired with her well-earned fitness, makes her at ease in risque clothing. She is gorgeous and suits it well, as does her confidence level.

Sexuality for her is less set by personal rules but she must have had an emotional or mental reflection or crisis. I knew she was upset about Justin Timerlake's break-up but did not know they had lived together, perhaps because she was young. I guess when you have money, you move out of Louisiana. He was more terrible to her than I knew and it flattened her, like anyone would feel. The press was shitty to her about taking a break from performing, even though she had blown through three hit albums and travelling tours in a row. She abbreviated that early but clearly has a lot more to tell her fans in her autobiography. I have almost 200 pages left and dread what she is going to say. It seems like fans asking if she was all right, was not exaggerated.

You are right that tamping down hormones and getting to know the person behind the attractive physique, would serve Bridget well. Even the coach said he would happily date her, after she is a few years older. It seems like their personalities are compatible. You do get to know each other well in camp, even if you don't seem to interact much. All meals, leisure, activity, and sleep are in the vicinity even if you interact as a group. If people prioritize sex, that needs to be compatible. It is ideal if the sexual experience between a couple is marvellous. However, I think being personally compatible comes first. Unless intercourse is everything to someone, you stay loyal to a partner if sex is not easy, or sublime, or medically limited. This is another reason to ensure you love the person you have met, or with whom you have children. After the bedroom, whether it was adequate or fireworks, you need to be able to talk to and like each other around the house. When an old friend told me her boyfriend, in their early 20s, only said "I love you" during sex; I suggested it was time to pick someone else. After he displayed a number of hangups and excuses, she did.

I liked the camp girls but Bridget was wise to only be open with Lydia. How long could a teenager resist telling one person, who might tell another person, about sleeping with the coach? That would get him in trouble at least with his reputation, even though Bridget would defend her willing participation. As a woman, their undenied attraction made me keen to read the details but I remembered it was a kid Ann was writing about. No steamy details for us in these books! I seldom read romances, so am pleasantly surprised if a sex scene comes into a mystery or something, ha ha. I don't care for pornography, so it is nice to have a little entertainment in a book once in awhile!

Yes, I know all the "Friends" references, even though I liked Joey Tribbiani least. I can picture the not sharing food reference as well as angry Ben Stiller, tweeting a retort at two birds. After "The Office" ran twice and I used my PVR to rewind and look at all the details, including items in the background, I am well versed in quoting and picturing everything from this wonderful series as well. I am holding myself back from reading Jenna Fischer's book, which I know is not entirely an autobiography. I will start with Mindy Kaling's first one and will run for it, if John Kraskinski or Rainn Wilson write their stories. Rainn probably has books about general musings, which would be funny enough to buy. I hear there are "Superfan Versions" of the shows, that are not entirely on the DVD sets. If I can download them and find MORE details to pour over, you bet I will.

I too loved Lena's art. I love Ann describing how artists and athletes feel and think and put themselves in the present moment.

I did not remember Brian giving Bailey a handheld game, only that Tibby delivered something. Any boy who offers to console a girl for crying, is worth a coffee together. Tibby should have gotten to know the guy she had been interested in. She thought she was curbing expectations fairly by not accept a date but how about changing her mind or being friends? I don't know about you but I had many guy friends. They might have been interested in romance at first but many of them morphed into friends, whom I valued for a long time. The two who were close friends with each other, coincidentally moved to different parts of the United States. One visited me where I live now, before going out of touch. Others were part of couples Ron & I enjoyed. I am devoted enough to Ron, that he did not care who I spent time with if he was busy. I returned that trust to him when an ex-girlfriend phoned, wondering if he was single, ha ha.

If managers are professional and consider profits, they would know they lost more business from us than they saved. Asking us not to take plastic or paper toys, or sharing a couple of dollars worth of food, resulted in not selling us one meal plate again. If you have rude employee stories, I would enjoy being entertained. After being customers and working in public, all of us have tales to tell with which to regale each other. Something we were discussing recalled a pushy security guard story awhile ago. My reflection on someone trying too hard was recent. I will see if I remember our topic.

If the movie plot changes were from the first story, please describe them. I am curious but if I see the film, it will be good not to expect events that were different.

I really must have pushed through the Tibby parts, because I have no reflections on Tibby's interactions with her little Siblings changing. Now that you mentioned it, I remember the story of her Parents cleaning someone's house and wanting to upgrade themselves. I remember Bailey's interpretation of them wanting to do even better for their youngest children. I did not think about it anymore or Tibby softening towards the ruckus. I think I chalked it up to her feeling grief over Mimi's and Bailey's passing. I was always glad to get past Tibby's parts and hope the need for that goes away in the rest of the stories.

I enjoy reactions to what I tell and write, as you and everyone must. We speak and write to communicate, which we want to come back two ways. I smiled and laughed whenever you said you felt angry at the two restaurant managers on my behalf and got angry as you wrote about Carmen's Dad.

Did you like Lydia and the kids? I did. I am also pleasantly surprised that we share a four star grade for a novel we thoroughly enjoyed. I am glad you recalled the series little enough, to read it with me. It feels good when you pick up something I did not and I feel just as nice when we harmonize on details and topics.

I see you are reading multiple entries in our conversations. I hope you will check even if I do not write "continued", to end worries about any messages being missed. Scrolling to the end and seeing all of your entries, as long as possible, is a pleasure!

I think we are done here and levelling off personal subjects, which are the fun part.

I suggest you ask for a fresh digital camera as a gift. Even if I had a smart phone, I don't see myself using anything but a camera. I am not a scientist but sense that there is obviously more to camera quality than photo file size. A former friend assumed his cell phone was superior based on file size, to the fancy digital camera they stopped using. The lack of quality was clear, to my eye. You might look up a superb used camera, with so many people thinking a cell phone is good enough. I might do that, come to think of it. I am due and have earned a new camera.

What if there are camera sets in boxes someone does not use? I would save the tax and store mark-up. On the other hand, I want an employee to confirm, from the manufacturer if need be, that whatever I buy has a great flash and batteries, that quickly recharge to take successive photographs indoors and when it is dim.

I loved travelling with our boys. It was the only time they beheld a lake and they shivered at its immensity. It was dark and of course they see well but McCartney & Spirit could also sense its vastness. I did have them on leashes and put each of them in my arms in turn. There was a screened porch at the cottage rental. Once, Spirit ran under the place for several minutes, when the woman bringing the note for me let him out by mistake. Spirit didn't go anywhere else, it was only annoying to wait for him to emerge. Ron was worried about me politely chatting when we had minutes before check-out time but it isn't everyday that a fellow traveller comes to bid you good-bye.

One must be careful with every pet. It is harder to lose a horse and I smile at thinking of the birds you saw. I wonder what kind they were. A woman took her cats camping several miles from my home. Her Parents live around our town and she visited from Winnipeg. Her cats went missing. It must have felt terrible to leave, which I could not do and wait for the week-end to return to look for them. She had to have trusted that her Parents regularly called them. She was pregnant and thankfully found one of them that first week-end, I believe.

The other cat, named Galaxy, for some reason did not stay beside her home partner and went looking for help. I know all of this because when she saw the light of a campfire and cautiously came out of the dark to meow for assistance, September long week-end of 2011: the help she found were Ron & me. She made it to the home of people who would help any animal.

For a couple of days, I wondered if she might be a friendly neighbour's cat but she kept coming back. I checked her ear for a tattoo and there was one. Otherwise, I would have posted her photograph in town and on-line. That is what to do. Thankfully, she let me read it and prior to glasses, I could see it clearly. The Humane Society gave our phone numbers to them and her Parents got Ron's cell phone. It took a long time to phone the people because they weren't home and had no answering machine. Since then, I ensured that my file for Conan has instructions to give our e-mail address and phone numbers to his "finder" right away. That avoids waiting for staff members to be available to retry people's phones or e-mail addresses.

They told me the cat's name was Galaxy. I tried it and she replied to it with relief, that we knew her. I explained that her family was coming for her. I fed her daily but had let her stay free in case she wanted to walk home. The pregnant woman phoned me after her Dad and asked if I would keep her until the week-end. I agreed and kept Galaxy close, who had no need to go anywhere else again. The reunion was lovely. This is the only cat other than ours, who I have seen rise up on two legs to reach for you. It was a beautiful way to spend our four kittens' first birthday. I gave the girl a CD of numerous photographs together, around our driveway and yard.

Kerri, I was able to finish my replies this evening, after message #12. Now I am going to read Britney Spears' wonderful autobiography. I opened my first edition from Ron last night, for our anniversary and loved it instantly.

I really loved Lena's initial approach to Kotos. I think the picture she gave him was a sweet touch.

Do you mean only wanting to know her Grandparents and enjoy Greece? Her Grandparents should want the same thing. Introduce and get along with Kostos, fine but not push a romance for the few months her family had to share in person. I love a girl who does not need a boy, or woman who does not need a man. It became a cliché to become interested in him. I think Lena's emotions were mostly stress from Kostos' rift with her Grandparents, the need to speak up in fairness, and the sadness of discovering he was orphaned. He was apparently good looking but the other emotions were all related to her compassion and concern. Also, the sexiest and fittest guys aren't always the best mates. Sweet people can be attractive but one is suspicious of self-absorption at first, that such people are not superficial.

Lena was very right not to go by looks. She was not very disappointed in anyone she dated. It must have been mentioned marginally because my impression, as I wrote, is only that Lena was a magnificently honest, intelligent girl who did not want appearances prevailing among the people she met.

I disagree with Bailey and Tibby in one regard. Bailey was made to be ALL correct and wise. No one is. She was a very rude person. Later, you appreciated her directness when she had some good lessons about life. I felt that only Bridget was candid gracefully and affectionately. Tibby had been attracted in a boy for awhile and there is nothing wrong with that. We think it is the outer package but what we pick-up of a personality is what attracts us the most. So what if the guy wore gel and spent time on his appearance? Most teenagers do. There, the author got the guru idea wrong that she was trying to attribute to a child, facing a time limit on life. The point Ann originally made about Bailey is that she looked past the video games, freakish nails, and low wage retail manager geek. The guy Tibby liked for months wears gel and the moral cherry atop the novel's resolution, is to turn down coffee with him? He was being nice because she was crying. He was not even asking him for date. I would apologize for THAT reaction in this novel, instead of Rebecca looking at a chequebook.

I caution you not to think I will feel uncomfortable about hospitals, generally. It was the tender, end of life care of cuddling someone in a hospital bed, or holding their hand. Hospitals and cancer had so little to do with my family, praise God, they are not difficult connections to me. Similar personal details are what is powerful and too fresh.

Bailey and her authoress were imperfect, including forgetting that her protagonist foursome needed no lessons about friendship and its diversity. Tibby spent her life with close friends of all backgrounds and temperaments. She knows all about acceptance, tolerance, and reaching out a caring hand. However, she made light of hobbies she did not share and I agree that Bailey taught her that.

I am surprised you forgot about the animal. You read the story in print first, didn't you? Fair enough that the film did not feature Mimi. Tibby's grief over Mimi is highly felt by me and was too much for this novel. Ann did not make her hamster biology clear enough. She named a lot of human family members, with whom Tibby helped. When Bailey came over and asked: "Can I hold her?", I thought it was one of the babies. It was odd when she said "I have not had a pet". Chapters later, the idea of talking to Tibby's Sister did not change when Tibby said she forgot to feed her. Even when she poured seeds, I thought "That is something healthy we would eat". After, I knew it must be the hamster who had been introduced much earlier, whose name and species the authoress needed to remind us of upon reintroduction.

We don't know of Tibby's other films, only that she filmed activities with her girls. Ann did not convey she was talented, only that she had ideas. It reminded me of Herbert Wells: presenting the project but you & I doing the filling in of how any of it works! Bailey learned about equipment but took Tibby's plan and found human interest stories that Tibby did not see. You don't teach intuition. That is like me with great photography. I only have to add the word "amateur" to be clear that I will not do in technically challenging settings, or where the photographs must work out.

You & I agree that Ann was being dramatic about pushing a character wearing the jeans, when they did not make sense. You bet that there was tons of time to bring any good dress to Al's wedding.

We also agree that the authoress was portraying a tender moment with Bapi & Lena, which should not have cancelled Lena learning to speak to him. He would have been overjoyed at a few Greek sentences from her and they could talk more. They could also go back to reclining together peacefully. Being contemplative people was not the only reason they hardly talked. As the expression of confusion goes: his language was literally "Greek to her"! From humour, I turn to how much your suggestion touches me, Kerri. I would have swooned much more if Lena's new words were "I love you" and "I am glad I came here"!

It is helpful to know there is a second film and that it shows the fourth story. I might have watched it before reading those books.

I often think of stories to tell from real life. They are good comparisons or morals to help paint a picture of understanding for people. There is a North American (not just "American") restaurant chain called Boston Pizza. They have a chest beside the front desk with tiny toys, which children and adults can dig among for little treats. Offering a trunk full of toys for free, means they are cheap items likely worth a penny apiece, our smallest denomination. No one has ever cared how many anyone takes home. I get them as side gifts for my Niece & Nephew. I don't fill a suitcase for Pete's sake but I might choose four or more to send my family over time.

I kid you not, one full of himself manager told me that I should not be taking more than two at a time. He made an issue and took me aside. I politely listened, refrained from a "whatever" eyeroll, and complained instead, to the waitress who served us after Ron & I sat. I am a smart person but am surprised by rudeness and am not always quick with retorts. Had I ordered first, or received the bill and been treated like that on the way out, I would have fluttered the bill in front of him to remind him of what we had spent. I could fucking buy the treasure chest for a quarter, if you know what I mean. The waitress, in her words agreed "It was a douchebag thing to do". Ron & I did not eat at that Boston Pizza again, for years if at all.

On the theme of minimum wage managers thinking they need to control some flimsy corner of the public, the other time we were treated like thieves was in a nearby restaurant. Yes, I guess some people take advantage of buffets with a flat "all you can eat" price. We were not rowdies, winos, or children. I had already ordered a meal, Ron wanted the buffet. I tasted his plate while I waited for mine and a fuckhead came flying at me, to say he would charge me for a buffet meal if I kept it up. I told him I had already ordered a meal and that in every other restaurant, it is natural to try each other's food. We never returned there at all.

I worked for minimum wage for half my teenage and early adult job years; was chopped a huge percentage of my salary the other half of my work life, by temp agencies contracting my employment. I never acted like a dickhead. I knew where my bread was buttered (you see what I did there) and wanted to remain professional. It is essential to obtain further temp assignments and I take pride in the reputation of my own God given name. Like Tibby, I felt unsuited for and disliked by retail jobs and dramatic managers. She should have left retail. I did.

I can't wait to see what the girls are like, together again after that summer apart and with their newfound confidence and wisdom. If it was Ann's first novel, I look forward to seeing how she grew better, too.

Hi Kerri! I hope to trust that: (1) You would have kept posting without waiting for a formal "reply". (2) You will raise fresh thoughts and ideas, not only reply to mine. I wish you would go first but maybe it has been said enough that you don't hesitate in either case. Most of all, if one of us is preoccupied and the other person delays posts until then, they don't only lost the opportunity to be daily reading entries instead of book reports. It stretches waiting and freshness. If you were busy after I eventually posted, it wouldn't do for me to wait for your entries either. You get it, right?

I love reading your thoughts just as much. I am eager to read the rest of thoughts that are your own. It is nice that we agree on items we criticized. Any novel you generally enjoy appears to get five stars, so it was a pleasant surprise that you agree as much as you do. Other areas, receive more of my understanding than you expected, which will be fun to talk about.

I hate the "R" word and use the synonym "sexual assault". I wouldn't miss it if it got edited out of view. Absolutely no experience with it but a terrible crime that I will not read about, fictionally or not. No, the coach would not have been charged with statuatory assault. Bridget would not have laid charges or complained because her hormones hoped to be intimate with him. She was almost 16 years-old, a small loophole that would not have been fought unless Bridget claimed to have been coaxed into it. I am surprised it came to mind, having nothing to do with Bridget. It is not a subject I am keen on.

Your point is excellent for everyone considering sex with someone, new or not and at any age, that cravings or curiosity does not mean being ready. There is a greater spectrum of considerations than readiness, pregnancy, and disease. The authoress kept details and discussions to a minimum but I understood Bridget when she described how she felt. It was more personal than she imagined: meaning too intimate for someone she is only attracted to hormonally. It is the same conviction, feeilngs, and comprehension I happened to share with you by e-mail, about spirituality and morality. I have ZERO interest in "a booty call", unless it is my personal mate. Sex is too huge emotionally, mentally, and sacredly to offer as a mere activity in dating.

Understand: I don't make myself wait until the time or person is right. I HAVE NO SEXUAL INTEREST unless I am in love with a person. Someone added similar morals to the "LGBTQ" group, which I think is excessive. It is only about morals, man! I think a lot of people are good looking and might have sexy dreams about them. I wouldn't want to walk up and touch them.

I appreciate everything that comes with choosing an intimate partner and for me, my monogomous mate. Knowing how someone looks naked is supposed to be a rare, special event and the trust and comfort level need to have grown to be sky high by then. There is a major difference between Bridget feeling sexy and self-assured in jogging and swimming clothes, versus undressing for sexual bonding. All she knew was Eric's first and last name, town, and career. Sex is reserved as advanced step in a relationship, unless both parties ONLY regard it as a solely hormonal act. By then, you should feel love and trust and know your mate's favourite animals, music, authors, flowers, colours, places. You should have been through ups & downs together as friends and already confided feelings or situations in each other.

It was not only about Bridget not being ready mentally or age wise. She got a glimpse that this act belonged to the advanced part of a relationship. Seeing that it didn't fit and was out of place, is what had her ill at ease. She wondered if she squandered something she should save for another time or person. I think she learned and calmed down enought to know that no, it was not too late. She had plenty of years to enjoy sexuality in all its glory: lovemaking. Sometimes we end up with a few partners because the relationship went as far as possible and it is fine to move on with someone else. As long as we build up to the level sexual intimacy deserves in the relationships we are in.

Many of the issues feel so easy to resolve that I wonder why Lena doesn't calmly point out her Grandmother misinterpreted the situation and Carmen not have a chat with her dad without running away!

You are right. Her Grandparents were odd for saying they didn't want to talk about what happened. I hoped they meant the men's fight, not a Granddaughters need to discuss how she felt, traumatic or not. Her Grandma knew English well enough for Lena to say: "Listen, you need to hear this. Kostos only saw me at the pond. I ran away to get dressed".

I am more understanding of Carmen in retrospect, than I thought. This is the gift of great discussions between us friends! I just love it. I am good at remembering my feedback no matter how long ago I read the book. I customarily alternate between reading a bunch and then breezing through a writing queue. But do you know what, Kerri? I have not had an easier time knowing what to say in reviews, than when I have discussed those books with you. It is all done for us by the time we write those mere 300 words (my limit), after all our chatting here.

So! Carmen should not have the temper to throw a rock. She should have shown her Dad she was upset enough to leave, so that he would wake up and prevent it. Have that honest, healing converation come out of them at last, although I remind myself that it is cheap and fast to fly to North Carolina from where she lived. What is the town setting of this series? Anyway, getting a hint of Carmen's rage or disappointment after she left made it more awkward to talk: a serious disadvantage I hope Ron is clear about once and for all! Taking a breather around the yard or in front of the TV is one thing. Renting a hotel or worse, leasing an apartment makes it harder to talk and indeed, to resolve everything and come home. Living or visiting in the same place, means having to say and resolve something or have some peace that it IS NOT over, within the day and in person. However, do you remember how many times Carmen tried and how often she was dismissed or unnoticed? She was only 15 years-old but I myself would feel awful if anything similar had happened to me. Imagine this.

Carmen believes she has a whole summer of Father & Daughter time and is soaring with happiness over it. This is her other equal Parent whom she sees so little, it is a pleasure to yell out "Hi Dad"!

Carmen does not know he has a girlfriend to see in between, which she could tolerate. She obviously doesn't know her Dad has moved into her house and is engaged to her. There is no time to get to know her or caution her Dad, because the wedding is that summer. What adult could take all that in?

Carmen was looking forward to seeing her Dad's apartment. We aren't told how long they were dating and engaged. She wanted a piece of her Dad while he was still no one but himself and her Dad. She is also piled on with having to handle the disappointment too, that just being with her Dad is less likely anymore. She has to balance all of that out in her mind and emotions, before she could contemplate being happy for him and getting to know Lydia.

Carmen is prepared to deal with all of that, don't you agree? She accepts a room and supper with them, they are very nice to Carmen. What went sour is her Dad not bending over backwards to make her feel loved, prioritized, and heard. She tried to express her feelings but her Dad continued up the stairs, closing the space for her to answer and explain that she did not have a good day. Either conversations were not opened ended enough for her to answer much, or he was too uncomfortable and unfair to hear Carmen express discomfort. If someone does not forwardly ask "Are you okay, Sweetheart?" and wait at length for you to find the words and composure to answer, how many of us would speak up? Carmen was so confused, disappointed, betrayed, and upset; she needed someone to coax her or listen while she worked out her feelings and put them into words.

On top of hardly stopping to talk to Carman and ask about her feelings in private, I was disgusted that her Dad kept inviting the in-laws into their personal space and postponing the sole tennis game he had reserved! When he stopped at the soccer game on the way to FINALLY play tennis, I thought: "I will freak out, if this author goes low, into the expected drama of cancelling the tennis game". Of course, Lydia had a fit over a business hurdle that could not wait, the one day Al was prioritizing his Daughter? She was selfish for that and Al was too stupid to understand he had stretched Carmen's patience thin, by screening the soccer game, on their one damn day out. Being a house guest does not mean sharing quality time, like Lena and Bapi communing over breakfast.

Lygia was stressed about having to find another reception hall. It was inconvenient but did not need to impose on Carmen's pittance of conversations with Al. So her only time with her Dad was cancelled by a soccer game and hall rental problems. She agreed to be in the bridal party of someone she had just met, for her Dad's sake and to try fit in as family with his Dad nonetheless. She wondered if remarriage meant seeing him less often, or hardly speaking alone. At the height of these questions and heaviness, the dressmaker unintentionally makes Carmen feel oversized and alien to a family she has belonged in longer than the wedding party has. All she wants to do is be babied a little by her Mom and Dad and vent about the remarks that were made about her appearance.

This was the worst time to not receive his focus and time to talk. She had tolerated enough and had no patience left. She took off. It would let her think, calm her down, and was the only way without words or interruption, that Carmen knew how to get her Dad to worry about how she felt. It was a sure way to get him to ask if she was okay and privately talk about it. It would be gratifying if he would search for her and sit down with her on the riverbank alone. It pisses me off if Ron does not ask how I am in another room or in the yard and I have reached age 50, with a whole set of skills and experience for coping with slow-minded males.

Kerri, can you imagine pain of walking back to the house because your Dad had not sought you out as you hoped and finding that they had noticed NOTHING wrong at all? Or that they had decided they could only wait for Carmen to return but were calm enough to eat supper without her?! I almost understand throwing the rock and wanting to shake some shock into those fucking people. I almost understand leaving. Only experience and intelligence taught me that WARNING that you have been pushed to feel like leaving is enough. How her Dad did not insist on speaking to her by phone thereafter, loses his respect for me. The window break was violent and extreme but it was not about that and the Dad of a 15 year-old should know that. I was never prouder of any of the kids, than when Al had listened awhile and Carmen pushed on, assertively saying: "I am not done". I like Lydia and her kids. That man had a lot to learn.

I look forward to our Anne Perry conversation too, something to brighten my life for sure. Your friend, Carolyn.

I want to start by reiterating the form book discussions take: keep posting each time you have read a bit. If you were busy, like the time wasting of goading Protonmail to work for two days and counting, fine. This is not like letter writing where you wait for turns. If you write again and again before I chime in, go for it. This novel does not have chapters numbered, except if we counted them. However, a page number is a good approximation to avoid spoiling anything. Keep on posting your notes.

I had already received the e-mails you sent but thank you for sending them where I could reply to them. Proton had better stop the fucking "session expired" glitching and damn well show my e-mail by tomorrow. I don't have time to waste on this, ever but I have a houseful of my parents' items to organize and more to gather the next week-end or two.

I am in the position of having to discuss the whole novel instead of a little section, which is not the way buddy reading should go. However, I am taking a break from wrestling with Protonmail to catch-up with you. I was concerned you might not have posted until I reminded you that short notes should be on-going. Alas, I am finished the novel. Oh well, perhaps a summary will be easy and leave plenty of conversation space anyway.

I loved 3/4 of the characters, a very few side characters, and loved the writing. Unfortuantely, Ann is one of those maddening people that jangle misophonia by spelling "backwards" without an S but thankfully that only occurred once. I hate "towards" lacking an S but was able to ignore it. Her descriptions were beautiful, warm, and usually true to life. The girls themselves were well acquainted by me and I didn't care that their families were mainly known by name. Some authors like Kate Morton load on excruciatingly superfluous detail and skipping the family members and keeping the main scenes going was fine by me.

My soothing enjoyment waned when Lena and Carmen began having trouble and I never enjoyed Tibby, who always had anxiety or anger. You might call it the natural drama of a story but it became formulaic. Everyone was given a difficult situation at the same time, even the vibrant Bridget. It was like flipping a scene set of a play, then everyone worked the rough scenes out and took a bow when the novel closed. My criticisms are few but I decided four stars suited how wonderful this novel is, with space to place my ultimate favourites higher. Comparison should be considered.

Tibby's hamster did not need to go to Heaven and also Bailey! Lena did not need to like the guy we were proud of her not liking, when her Grandma hoped she would have a summer romance. Lena never said the boy threatened her. Her Grandparents reacted at seeing her upset and she needed them to listen carefully to her English to set them straight. I was annoyed with Kostos for approaching Lena often but am glad he was going to the pond himself. I don't think Lena had trouble with boys. I read that she wanted the focus away from a person's appearance generally.

I do not identify my precious Dad or beloved Spirit with cancer. It is distant from who they are. What you did not warn me about and should have, is the pet going to Heaven and a visit to a hospital. Those are way more personal and way too recent. I got into the bed and cuddled my Dad too. I spent hours in hospital rooms with him and my wonderful Mom, where thankfully visiting hours were disregarded. I hate hospitals now. I had hardly been in them before.

Bailey saved Tibby's story from being boring. Losing her beautiful, elderly hamster was too sad. However, Carmen shone when she went to comfort her and Lena was a God send for Bridget. It was an awakening education for Bridget to crave sexuality but find sex too personal and serious for her young age. You don't act on yearnings just because something is exciting, she knows that now.

It was unnecessary for Lena to fly to Mexico, however, because Bridget was returning the next day. I love how Lena and Carmen handled their families, even if the drama seemed made-up. They both learned to communicate no matter how unused to listening their relatives were, nor how uncomfortable.

Carmen could have arrived before the wedding and not surprised her Dad. Even booking a flight the night prior to flying, she could have worn or brought formal clothes! Putting the jeans into that situation was tacky. We get it, they are special and gave you courage: now put on an elegant dress.

I don't know Carmen's or Tibby's talents. Lena is a wonderful painter. Both she & Carmen have relatives that make learning a second language easy and rewarding. Bridget is a wonderful athlete and confident girl, who appreciates where she is. So did Lena. Tibby and Carmen were complainers but I understood Carmen's reasons.

What Dad would not tell his Daughter he was dating and then that it was serious? How did Ann think she could sell anyone heaing about new people, living with her Dad and a wedding set? I felt proud of all four girls for being brave in rough situations, including Tibby for loving her hamster and Bailey enough to cry.

I liked Tibby developing respect and interest in people such as the video game champion, instead of laughing at them as if they were odd. Tibby's environment and personality were unpleasant, added to it that she did not bathe for days! I can't stand that. Mom & I bathe no matter how unwell we feel. It makes you feel better. Feeling gross does not. I never liked Tibby's chapters and her emotional scenes sprang from boring or too sad, even though we appreciate that she was touched to being a better person by her hamster and Bailey.

The only place I liked any extra characters were Lena's Grandparents and Sister and Bridget's teammate, Diana. That black girl was special, smart, skilled, insightful, respectful, and fun all rolled into. I would love to make friends like her. I disliked Carmen's Dad and step family. Her Mom was sweet and comforting. I didn't mind skipping the other characters to keep the story interest high.

I was surprised that you wanted to reread this series, after finishing all of it; not only the first story. You also saw two films. However, if it was over a decade ago or you don't remember the novels clearly, it is my pleasure to keep on when we are in the mood to travel with this girls again. I dislike their rules for the pants, starting with not washing them and costing mail in a short span of time. However, the premise of confidence and beauty shared between the friends equally is lovely.

Ann Brachares is great but used a few gimmicks to raise emotion, that came out false for me. The novel was lovely without pushing unbelievable behaviour. For example, Lena had decided to learn Greek phrases for her Grandpa. She decided they both enjoyed being quiet. That does not mean you should not speak a few sentences with him! Also, letters and the pants arriving the day they were leaving certain places, is trusting mail farther than anyone would in reality. The girls knew each others' itineraries.

This book was warm and just what I needed to read, as my dear Dad's life was closing here, in the First Chapter of living. Thank you for sharing it with me, my own dear friend. Love, Carolyn.

Kerri, we agree everywhere on the subjects that have arisen from this novel. Even if I were a binge reader or watcher, I want a break from Rebecca's whirlwind of changes, even positive ones like being wealthy and working in fast paced writing and television. I hope she genuinely seeks what she needs, rather than justifying worse spending. However, I look forward to seeing how she is and what Brandon is like. I think I saw an error: he said his lady had broken-up with him a couple of weeks or months prior. However, she walked through the film studio with him.

I did not laugh at anything in this novel as I remarked in your well-written review: neither Jesus quips, nor actually supporting a luggage industry that steals fur and skin from animals, especially babies like calves! I have grown educated enough that I do not accept words like "slaughter", "calf skin", "veal", and neither "leather bound book" with anything but disgust. Writers often brag about leather books, chairs, meat related food and I would respect anyone who broke this casual use of animal death vocabulary.

If not for that and Rebecca learning that Brandon had a girlfriend, playing with suitcases would have been a fun scene. Yes, every scene with her parents and how much she felt free going there any time she wanted, was beautiful. I think a phone message to her roommate was enough. Her roommate did not need to imagine she was forced to phone her and pretend to be okay. Rebecca left word and did not want to talk any more than that. Opening up to her parents was a must. No indeed, don't let your parents think you were stalked. Asking them to help stay away from an unsettling creditor should have been enough. I did not think her Mom had a spending problem but was only keen when Rebecca was with her.

Her neighbours were very generous in comforting her by remarking that asking her advice did not mean they needed to act on it. That was true. However, it was tiresomely stupid that Rebecca did not emphatically correct: "I work at a press release writer but am not trained in finance". Feeling embarrassed at a meeting is one thing. She should be able to correct her neighbours and also easily clarify that she had no attraction to their Son.

Sophie kept pushing things, perhaps trying to mimic physical comedy but her gimmick amounted to being dumb. I respect and advocate that women can assault men and call out her inappropriateness. I wonder if we think it is less serious because men are unlikely to be harmed by women and female assailants are less common than men are. However, one might emotionally push a man past an appropriate comfort level, as women have been goaded into sex. Experiencing an inappropriate touch or suggestive push can be distressing, like it was for Brendan Fraser. However, you noted that the fictional boyfriend could be less forceful than punching. Self-defense can get desperate if a person does not know how to ask or stop an aggressive person.

The hardest part of the Hallowe'en photograph fiasco was the couple expecting to see the unsuccessful photos. It was awkward to see that it wasn't going to work, as suspected, when the lights and pace got worse but I felt I did my best by asking a colleague to take over the photos. I conveyed it to the couple but they wouldn't hear anything, including that I was unqualified in unnatural light and technical training. Even though I said their photos were transferred to the colleague's camera because mine did not suit their room, they had me trying my best as their photographer for still photos during the evening. They had no right to be disappointed that mine did not turn out, when I said I switched to the colleague as soon as I saw the problem.

I needed to emphatically say "No" no matter how uncomfortable I was with their certainty that any camera & flash would do. People see my excellent photographs but do not consider where or how I succeeded at them. Natural light requires minimum technical know how, where my natural talent shines. Even if a wedding were outdoors, for which I did turn down friends years after, a wedding should be recorded by someone who is trained to guarantee every contingency will turn out clearly and well. People take photos more than ever but I think there is less adeptness at doing it well because people think the quality of a camera (or cell phone) is all they need. Get all those feet, ears, and tails into my photos of Henry, Izzy, and the other animals please. I am good at photography for an amateur. I do not have the training or equipment for a wedding.

My digital camera has served me wonderfully well for memorable locations. Even its flash and batteries are not good for dim light. About ten years ago, Ron was among those honoured for a job milestone. I had my digital camera to see if I could get a good one or two of him accepting his gift at the front of the dining hall, at the Christmas banquet. I knew I had to hold it still and try to record photographs were he was still enough for it to be clear instead of blurry or dark. I expected to pose with him up close afterwards.

It was far back enough that everyone having a smart phone and a camera was uncommon. The former boss asked if anyone had a camera to shoot everyone's award and I knew not to offer that. At Ron's turn, I discreetly photographed him. The former boss said "Oh, I guess there was a camera" and his bitchy Daughter blabbed out "Hm, it was only available for Ron". This wasn't the place to explain that the dear little camera was not for distance flash situations. I would have done better walking in front of the podim, then I would have needed to have stood there for everyone. Abbreviating details to calm people in that situation, does not compare to Rebecca's inability to speak-up. I said I had retrieved it from the hotel room in time for Ron's award. People need to fuck off from bugging me to taking charge of photo events. I hope higher quality digital cameras with excellent flashes and batteries are available nowadays. They have been on a low priority wish list. My cameras are wonderful: in natural light.

I think how often the creditor found Rebecca at events was an exaggerated gimmick of stupidity. I was ready to throw something when her boss divulged her neighbourhood, she had given both her names, and the creditors recalled her. I also wondered if Rebecca quit that job for the television and freelance newspaper ones, or if she related that in the second novel.

Rebecca saw that information had stuck with her but it did not relieve the hundreds of pages wherein she acted like a factory drone. I had a job of cutting & pasting translations but had to know French to read and correctly identify my sentences and paragraphs. I could do that but even at my high level, am not brushed up enough on extended vocabulary to qualify as a translater. However, I do not know if Rebecca was supposed to only copy memos. She might have written press releases if she had not been lazy.

Yes, we enjoyed the story when Rebecca helped and cared about her neighbours and paid attention to the wrongful actions of an insurance company. We always like people and animals caring about each other and I prioritize and feel brightened by stories like that.

I don't know if Sophie put effort into the logic of this plot or if it was a fluke but I notice two good morals. We discussed Rebecca's concentrated work leading to better suited job opportunities. I also notice that Rebecca being honest enough to take care and state her intentions about writing an article to the opposition, no matter how awkward it was, served her well. Brandon could not complain that she did not reach him, warn his company, or ask his assistant questions. Doing the work right does not only reward yourself and the others who read it: her fairness was covered from any complaint by the opposition.

I don't think there was anything to apologize about to Tarquin. She peeked at his chequebook, tacky rather than rude to him. A little moment passes, or makes an impression on the other person about if they want to pursue them or not. It isn't an issue to resolve. She was uninterested and should merely have been honest with her roommate. She tried dating him and her roommate accepted it. Tarquin got the hint that she was uninterested when she did not go to the theatre, which was all she needed to say anymore.

Terms like "fancy" and "sorted" were weird because as I said, Canadians do not use them the way Brits (and New Zealanders) do. Fancy is an adjective, not a verb and "sorted & out" need to go together, which means physically organizing something. It is a relief to read North American and notably, Canadian stories after awhile. :)

On the subject of impressions we keep to ourselves, many years ago, Ron & I met a nice woman at a camp. It was the special time we took McCartney & Spirit travelling with us, where Ron took the unbelievably unique photograph of our boys & I posing at the Ontario province sign. We don't see cats travelling with families. :) At the camp, an assertive woman chatted with us. I was more comfortable with her than Ron was. She left me a nice note, about being a solo woman traveller who was glad to have a conversation with another lady. She offered to keep in touch.

I am keen to write people I have met. I reread her note a few times for a couple of years and eventually gave it up. It was a little thing and goodness knows, I was pushed to vent and beg for peace in my new neighbourhood afterwards. However, the woman yelled at someone rushing by fast in a car or truck, which I could understand. Animals and people must be kept safe. Yelling as her first reaction, where she had stayed temporarily, coloured her character as explosive. I yelled after years of feeling disrespected, unheard, and a prisoner to noise around our home. The Ben Stiller role on "Friends" demonstrates how I felt, so I let that meeting stay in the past.

Ha ha, I have to laugh! I arose early to look for condolences and caring words and found more of them, including from you. I noticed that the day my Dad went to Heaven, you spent more time than usual with yours. I am happy for you & him. I know Sue's name but put his in a future letter. I composed hearty conversations in both of our book threads and as I finished, your nice letter came in. You went to bed, understandably if it was 1:00 AM. I spent all my waking day working on all kinds of writing that you will find to reply to anew. Hee hee, thank goodness you enjoy this as much as I do, Kerri.

Ron & I chatted over breakfast, he went for a bike ride, he hoisted two flowerbeds of hollyhocks that yesterday's rain tipped. Then we picked delicious produce from our gardens. I cooked a rice goulash Friday for supper. Ron is making a Swiss chard pasta for us today. Tomorrow, we are going to Mom's & Dad's place. I am enjoying saying that.

The other productive task I did, arose from seeking my other Ann Brashares books. I thought they were behind a HUGE stack of Clive Cusslers and J.D. Robbs on the shelf by the cat pedestal and west library window. They were not in the left corner but Sophie Kinsella was. I could take a photograph but you can tell how tall our cat pedestal shelf pile is, if you have heard of Clive Cussler and know how big his hardcovers are. Several of his and J.D. Robbs' paperbacks teetered around them. Well, it dawned that the wonderful Ann Brashares was BEHIND them, in the middle!

I took most of the front books out, sat them on the handy pedestal and Barbie camper near me (yes, mine from childhood) and organized the lot.... after retrieving Ann from the very bottom of the stack against the wall. I stood most of the Clive Cusslers upright, making most titles visible and handy and laid a much smaller quantity in a pile. The fun news is that I have all six of Ann's books, besides fan volumes "Letters" and "Scrapbook". Except the first novel, THEY ARE ALL IN FIRST EDITION!

Two outside the "Sisterhood" series look good: "The Last Summer" and most notably "My Name Is Memory". What have you read and how many films have you seen, if there are more? Reviews are low for her 2014 and 2017 novels, everyone saying they are fans of this sweet series but not those. That is fine. I don't need anymore to read, if moving a drop in the books we have, makes my biceps sore.

In continuing my praise of my hundred page introduction, my second favourite story is Lena's. Lena is smart, self-assured, does not give a shit who her Greek Grandma hopes she would date, is a painter, and appreciates the special place she & her Sister, Effie are visiting. She does not minimize herself but does not believe it is right for people to focus on her looks; intelligently dressing plainly to avoid that.

I also love Cameron but her story became unpleasant. Her Dad not tell her she was walking into a new family. Preferring to say it in person was a poor choice. She needed to be warned and her Mom, who should communicate with her Dad in South Carolina, did not know he was engaged and in a house either. Before that, I loved all the writing about how Carmen enjoyed her Dad and was not bored being asked about school and regular stuff, because she saved it up all year to tell him. Ann wrote beautifully about that and how this is their first full summer together. I hope she gets a lot of one on one time with him and acquaints his fiancee & her kids.

I am disinterested in Tibby, who seems to be pushed to portray a tomboy or rebel. There was such a character on "The Facts Of Life", if you saw that 1980s TV show. Confidence and individuality can be conveyed without acting tough and while being feminine. However, I appreciate the confidence and uniqueness to herself and that she is a beloved, equal member of this quartet of friends. Her story is also less interesting because she doesn't travel, is angry about missing everyone else and not in the buoyant mood of the others. No one wants to read about a retail job.

Is the child she meets with leukemia the cancer topic? I worried it might be the girls, or story of Bridget's & Perry's Mom. If this is all, it is fine. Now Ron has made that wonderful, freshly picked, vegetarian, Swish chard pasta lunch, so I am off for that. Thanks to our meals, your eyes and fingers get a break! Xoxoxoxo, Carolyn.

In two night readings, I have zipped to over 100 pages. Stories, which for me include autobiographies, go by fast for me because I am compelled by the people, places, feelings, and goals they feature. They just need to be written well, without dislikes or clichés, and this book is. I would call Ann Brachares a fine writer, a high quality authoress, which surprises me from popular, modern fiction. I guess we look to classics for being well written, don't we?

Loving the characters and wanting to see them through their story helps too, as much as this positive, happy atmosphere does. Problems are little but when we get to them, we care about the protagonists and they aren't isolated, like in many stories that are wretched to drag through. They have a huge support network.

I did not have a big circle of mutual best friends but very separate people whom I saw one at a time. I had a best friend, who is still in my life as one of my "closest". Now a few special people, among whom I include you, are "my closest friends". Then, there are others I can call on in need or for fun. Many are via the internet now, so those I can see and phone nearby are important.

I was thinking of how my experience compares and when I had larger selections of friends, they did not go together, unless I threw a birthday party. I also have wonderful Cousins who are my age but only those in each family go together. My Mom's family hardly knows my Dad's, among relatives who are living nowadays. I guess that is partly because the 2/3 of us children who had a wedding, married out of town. Therefore, watching these pals be a quartet of best friends together is sweet. I love the unique storyline of their Moms giving birth together, meeting at a pregnancy exercise class. Kids who meet in school are going to be born the same year, like my childhood bestie is but their unique bond was given an ingenius, completely plausible back story. Every family is unique and every story thread is built so well, I admire it.

It just occurred to me after I got started writing, that modernity is a gift that keeps on giving in the books I have found. Besides a few special authors like Anne Perry, I feel disconnected from historical fiction and absolutely relish stories written in their true time. This is modern enough, without anyone bogged down with smart phones and I am loving every word of it! Adding to all these positive attributes, dividing between four families and four locations leaves no room for boredom.

I love Bridget in Baja, California the best because it is pure joy and discovery. Here is a girl who knows what she loves, goes for it, and appreciates every instant around her. I love that for someone only about to turn 16. I applaud her confidence in herself, especially with a Mom she would miss with all her heart, clearly lost far too young, at both their ages. I dislike sports as you know but am loving how much I am learning from this positive space. Reading about how Bridget feels about jogging, soccer, teammanship and why she is good at jogging without much practicing, are revelations to me. I am uninterested in those activities but love watching her shine and enjoy her passions. I relate to being comfortable making friends and stepping into a community of strangers. As a temp, introducing myself as the new girl was a regular event. I loved meeting people, animals, and insects as a child anyway.

Similar to Anne Perry, Ann Brachares (I just noticed they have a similar first name), very skillfully narrates how everyone feels and what is special about those situations. She informed us that Bridget liked strangers and made her vacation comfortable by inviting anyone she pleased, to go swimming or to sleep under the ocean stars. A 16 year-old just should not have flirted with a 19 year-old. One could marry and have sex maturely, with some wisdom and earning power. The other is a child.

I will continue after Ron's beautifully fragrant vegetarian breakfast, our week-end pleasure and communion together as a couple.

It is comforting and lovely for me to have several conversations going with you, Kerri, personally and in literature pleasures. A question it is helpful to pose is: because you read but mainly remember the story of "The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants" from a film, is there a such thing as a spoiler? May I post whatever I like, even if I am way ahead of you? I seem to be breezing through this novel as well and am glad to love it so much, because I need a light heart, calm, stability, and peace.

If you do not recall the book and do not want the differences spoiled that might be in it, you only need tell me so. Should we use our normal way, to give a chapter and page heading, so that we can postponing looking at some of our entries if we want to? Is it okay for me to generally gush about character traits and broad story threads? Or shall I treat this gradually, as a new novel for you?

There are some books I read so many years ago that I do not remember them. I want to read them and will enjoy the fun of using fresh eyes on them and making discoveries within. Recall improved amazingly well after I got to know authors and became aware of books belonging to series. Even better refreshers are my reviews, which are so naturally paired with my regular reading, that I can't believe I only began to create reviews (with a few exceptions) around 2012.