Gentle SPECTRUMS discussion

This is the home webpage for "GENTLE SPECTRUMS 2016", with full details. When you have created a post with the logo (blog owners), please e-mail me to let me know you have joined. Members without blogs, e-mail me with your Goodreads profile or shelf. If you have Twitter or another way to give us some promotion, thank you! https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/gentle...

Feel free to add Gentle Spectrums topic threads for yourself in this folder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you so much for sharing your story! I always find others' "journey to veg" stories really inspiring. It's funny how our companion animals make us more compassionate people. I had always had a sensitivity to animals growing up but I didn't fully realize it until I left home and moved in with my husband and our puppy Vixxie. I was anxious and afraid of being home alone and her presence and comfort alleviated all of that. It made me think of her differently and thus see animals differently. I could see her soul in her eyes and understood some of what she tried to tell me with her body language and such. It wasn't until I saw a ten second video on Facebook though that made me confront what was on my plate and made me question myself and my beliefs that I decided to not eat meat. Like a lot of other people I never really thought beyond what I was looking at it. I didn't make that connection. It was literally ten seconds that changed my life of baby chicks being ground up alive because they are male and the egg industry has no use for them, they're seen as trash. It got to the point where I would be having an internal battle with myself in the supermarket and I just couldn't separate myself from it anymore. I went vegetarian for five months and I just did a ton of research and learned a lot of things about myself and I went full vegan on my birthday in 2014 and never looked back. I am still learning as I am not 100% sure about proper nutrition. My acid reflux did disappear overnight so that was cool. I went vegan for the animals and haven't thought about health much but lately I have decided to read about nutrition and just make sure that I am 100%. You are so right about there being such a huge variety of food, it's just replacing or finding new ways to cook. You can eat healthy or even junk food etc. I literally changed everything from my food to my makeup. I am convinced any food nowadays can be adapted, it's been super easy for me and such a joy but yeah that's my story!

Oh yeah I should mention that I'm the only veg in my circle of family and friends which is difficult sometimes but everyone (for the most part) has been super supportive. My husband went pescatarian too and has expressed interest in vegetarian which is huge but I never wanted to force him to eat my way. I came to it on my own and really believe in it which is why I'm so successful at it and I don't want to rob someone else of that experience I do however share to raise awareness.

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

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

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

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

If folks should be interested in books that give testimony to our animals' sentience, here are some that changed my life. Like "Goldilocks": there is a small, medium and large introduction, depending on level of skittishness! LOL! If the equality of life would be new to you, the first introduces lightly. There is a medium and thorough book. "Animal communication" is dear to my heart. It proves animals speak, not just body language. "Telepathy / intuition" is why cats aren't sitting together meowing. They vocalize for people, after they see that we missed their first language: intuition! We do receive it, without knowing a name for it. It is a muscle born in all of us we can exercise. Many times, we know what our pets want or need and were pushed to attend to something for them. It is awesome to experience personally.

Easy introduction, lol! "Kinship With All Life" J. ALLEN BOONE (1954)
Medium information - "Your Psychic Pet" RICHARD WEBSTER (2002)
All in- "Straight From The Horse's Mouth" AMELIA KINKADE (2005).

Here is a touching personal blurb explaining why Richard wrote his book. http://www.richardwebster.co.nz/Home/...

Regarding reading groups: when I say "groups", I don't mean a chat group like this one unless I specify, I promise. This one happens to be an extra arm to my blog's reading challenge; some people just conduct the challenge over here instead of commenting there. However lest anyone else wonder: when I say "group", it is as a synonym to "challenges"; because challenges certainly are reading groups. At least the way I invite conversation and activities is! :)

That being straightened out, the three books I described above would fit both the "animal" category of the group "Gentle Spectrums" and "Ethereal" too. They are non-fictional, very real concepts but so is much of the wonder in our world non-fictional, isn't it? :) They fit that less-visible, less-known category in which we would find spirituality, telepathy, and our non-physical senses. For animal people, the information we find in them feels like an answered prayer. It is even more important for non-animal people to see what's inside these books. They are highly worth reading because they change the way we look at the world after we do.

C. wrote: "If folks should be interested in books that give testimony to our animals' sentience, here are some that changed my life. Like "Goldilocks": there is a small, medium and large introduction, dependi..."

It sounds interesting.

I must wonder then, is our gut instinct correct that cats just want to aggravate us half the time, like when they meow at the door to get out, but just stand there and stare at you when you open it? LOL

Anybody would get a lot out of any of these books. Ah yes, our favourite: cat leading us to food or door but not wanting food or the outside. If we aren't paying attention to their silent telepathic request; this is their only way to lead us somewhere they know we always follow.... despite on these occasions, needing something else. It's why just learning their language comes in handy!

Just finished the first book in a teen series with time travel called A Pair of Docks for the Couples/Pairing category. It was really good, and I liked the way women were portrayed in it. Two of the main characters were twins as well.

Another recent one for the Emotional/Spiritual category is Cathedral of the Wild by Boyd Varty. This memoir is about being close to nature and renewing your spirit from that relationship with nature. A very nice read, and I listened to the audiobook where Boyd reads his own words, adding to the experience.

Nice to hear from you, Shonna! I thought folks might find "couples / pairing" the most difficult category of Gentle Spectrums to fulfill; then the most unclear after, I added inanimate possibilities to ease eligbility. Hehe. Therefore you surrpise me by targeting this one first and managing to do it with my earliest, literal interpretation! Very good! Always nice to see women portrayed well. How apropos to comprise twins.

"Cathedral Of The Wild" draws my attention starkly. Not because nature and a non-physical church aren't already important to me. I think that book would deeply move me because nature and independently-spiritual faith, which my own religiously zealous Father has given me a hard time about just recently, is indeed the core of who I am! I will look it up. By the way, a used copy of "Bristol House" has arrived and a few of the authors I only know thanks to your recommendation of it and Simone St. James.

Yes C I think Cathedral of the Wild will speak to you. Hope you can find a copy. It is a recent release and I borrowed it from the library.

It is offensive, sad, and contrary to spirituality if others minimize a person's faith because it isn't along their lines. I have cherished the heart of everything around us, in favour of traditional channels, since I was a small child and thus for 35 years. To reinforce our beliefs with literature and others who understand, lifts us from the hurt of hasty and of course uninformed critique.

Shonna wrote: "Another recent one for the Emotional/Spiritual category is Cathedral of the Wild by Boyd Varty. This memoir is about being close to nature and renewing your spirit from that relationship with natur..."

I just looked up this book - it sounds interesting!

C. wrote: "It is offensive, sad, and contrary to spirituality if others minimize a person's faith because it isn't along their lines. I have cherished the heart of everything around us, in favour of tradition..."

A beautiful sentiment I wish more would embrace.

Thank you. So we can enjoy visits with lightness and especially to visit Mom: I hope Dad soon understands that embracing spirituality away from churches, does not mean turning from God. Religion/its text is a choice, not God Himself. Dad unfortunately interprets it that way. One of those "just saw the light" folks, going around analyzing and judging people who have been at spiritual peace since they were 7! As long as he is respectful and never again harps, as if spirituality were something new to me. Then we can get through the yucky feeling a recent conversation left in my stomach. That is where these posts came from the day I wrote them. Gosh, uninformed or misguided people sure do more damage than they know. Much appreciated, Erin!

Had a talk with Mom early this month and was very relieved she did not minimize my concern "to keep peace"; understood what was amiss. Relieved too either Dad realized argumentative tendencies went too far, or Mom filled him in that pressing a point is never worth feelings. Had them over for a Mother's day visit that went wonderfully well and was the most beautifully successful visit we have had in a long time. Conversation by phone thereafter remained pleasant too.

It sure works, to keep away from debating and not squander the time to update things about ourselves personally! It's all I ever want: to discuss music, films, books, gardening any of us have enuoyed lately: to savour our country surroundings. Very happy with how it went. Since I had been distressed enough to need a public outlet originally, thought I would strike balance by giving a happy conclusion.

On our plants subject: gardening season has long ago arrived in Manitoba! It is wonderfully early this year and I need to soon take pictures of each of our four plots and flowerbeds because they are already growing! Three days after our regions's usual "last frost date"! For a little of what I'm up to lately and a look at what gardening is like in my province - very different from most other places due to sudden nighttime frost possible in September: here is at last a blog post from me. The next will be about our reading groups (meaning reading challengs; these *are* reading groups after all). :) https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2016/0...

I'm new to gardening but want to retry some plants this summer/spring since it's been hot awhile. Some of mine last year...died. May as well try again.

C. wrote: "Had a talk with Mom early this month and was very relieved she did not minimize my concern "to keep peace"; understood what was amiss. Relieved too either Dad realized argumentative tendencies went..."

Parents are frustrating to argue with or have issues with. My mother especially gets to me if somethings wrong. I think its because the feelings run so deep or something. Glad the visit went so well!

Mom knows Dad has a short temper but it felt good that she understood that what he berated, cut too inappropriately deep. You don't question the long spiritual life of your child, over something you read or watched lately. Mom said in reassurance and seriousness that sometimes his temper hits a kink where he makes no sense and doesn't care what he's saying and that it was unfortunate I got him at such a time on the phone that day. For me this time, the effects were heavy; for him, he wonders with great concern why we seem upset with him afterwards. I can imagine your Mom getting to you when you see her daily. Can't be easy and yet you appreciate her help, being a working Mom and having her nearby.

Yes, it was a relief every bit of our visit was such a pleasure. And I think Dad knows now better than ever, that certain topics are off the table because they aren't worth the negative tone that some people can't help bringing with them. So it should be wonderful visits for a long time forward. He is letting me choose any record LPs that I want, since they have been filling up his basement for years and I appreciate a lot of old music. As for Mom, she may want to join me at this week-end's garage sales in our area! Ron & I look forward to these each year.

Gardening in Florida! You will pay attention to heat, shade, watering and whether you need to add purchased soil. Often are soil as-is is great. However in terms of having warm enough weather to grow things long enough (soil temperature of 15 Celcius): Floridians are blessed! I always fun it strange and fun to imagine people living in the land of palm trees. To us those are vacation spots! Pretty much plant anything you want and match sure the sun doesn't scorch them. I'll be eager to hear about it! Annuals expire eventually but if you plan perennials, they should go on and on.

C. wrote: "Yes, it was a relief every bit of our visit was such a pleasure. And I think Dad knows now better than ever, that certain topics are off the table because they aren't worth the negative tone that some people can't help bringing with them. "

I find that when a person can realize that and use it to their advantage, that's one of the greatest techniques to use when dealing with people of all sorts.

C. wrote: "Gardening in Florida! You will pay attention to heat, shade, watering and whether you need to add purchased soil. Often are soil as-is is great. However in terms of having warm enough weather to gr..."

We are blessed with not having too many cold fronts, but the soily sand is rough here. I have mainly used purchased soil for any plant I bring in and plant it with the enriched soil, but still many plants don't seem to make it long. It's confusing on going between the plants that need a lot of watering to those that die if you water much. I've tried to research plants that only fit one category, but the local sources mix them and don't offer many options of variety.

Over-watering should be never be an in a ground and not bad in pot/basket/box with a well-ventilated bottom. Anyway it's fun to talk gardening and I'll do more of it soon. Today is McCartney Hendrix's sixteenth birthday!

June 13 is a day to take pictures of our cats today, wherever I can find them walking around in decent backgrounds. Then taking pictures with our cats when Ron is home. My parents already mailed him a humorous card. Happy sixteenth birthday to our dear boy, McCartney today!

Happy sixteenth birthday to your kitty :)

Thank you! That means the world, to hear the wishes returned to us! I need to pose with McCartney in a few good pictures but got a good variety of him and the others, in and out, that day.

Cats can be hard to take pictures of. My friend is a photographer but she said after one session with dogs that she's not interested in being an animal photographer lol. They don't tend to cooperate with the camera :D

Thankfully I have succeeded at getting many wonderful portraits. That's why I had my own greeting card company! I should show you my PDF catalogue one of these days. It was my outlet to publish some of my words (with my own pictures) in a small way, years before I would finally think about what to write as a novel. :) As I mentioned in yesterday's e-mail, I'm shy about asking for money, even when completely warranted and fair; so I made a terrible salesperson. Presenting myself to stores sucked, so I just have whatever's let of my stock to sell friends/family and the odd new interested party from home.

I stopped creating new cards (and no longer have my print manufacturer) since I left the city, so there are none of Marigold and the cute faces of the kitties that were born here! However the existing cards features several of McCartney, Spirit, and my former dear cat who looked like Spirit: our precious Thumbelina. I did succeed at getting nice shots of several friends' dogs, horses, and other animals too. My company was called "Riedel Cards". They had a neat feature I created, which I thought filled a hole in everything out there in stores. They aren't blank notes, nor do they ruin the front of the pictures with the name of a holiday across the front. They are "Unseasoned Greetings", as I trademarked them so you can use my verses and portraits for whatever you wanted. Think of it as "blank, without being blank". An awesome idea, if only I didn't live in a community that was dollar store-minded. Mine are gorgeous 5x7 portrait quality cards at $4.00. :) As a future author, I like to think my verses were much better quality than what was out there too. LOL!

Yes, definitely show me some of the PDF files with the pictures. It sounds charming. I'd love to see more pictures of your cats.

And I'm awful with money and sales stuff too. I don't see how some people are naturals with it, but I guess we're all different. I can't even negotiate at thrift sales.

On the subject of celebrations and memories: happy birthday to me on November 18! There was a post about how I am doing at my blog, should readers wish to belatedly share the love and friendship via comments. :-)

New: the update post for the fourth group is finally up! Whether you are in Gentle Spectrums or not: visit and reflect on reading! https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2016/1...

I have been busy November, over my birthday and over Jesus's. :) January finds me swirling with no less to do on all fronts: home, writing, and family. I assure readers of my genres and themes that my RIEDEL Fascination quartet: Celtic Coasts, Gentle Spectrums, Ethereal, and My Kind Of Mystery will definitely reprise this February 1st!

Further to being busy, I have a glitch of the kind only Bill Gates can answer for: the software I used last year to put text on those necessarily eye-catching logos, does not work since Ron & I switched to Windows 7! With slow-speed internet, searching out and grabbing some other software is no fast task. I will figure something out, after the crazy bout of housecleaning I need to finish today, including receipt-finding.

If you know which themes you would like to join without awaiting a logo, it is only a matter of e-mailing me. :) I regret this delay and wanted better advertising by propping up this year's shingle earlier. However you will all be very helpful advertisers with your your posts later. For now, please tell any paranormal, mystery, Celtic-lovers you know: Carolyn is hosting again this year and only needs an e-mail! :) The new address again is: RIEDELFascination{at}Gmail{dot}com.

I am going to post the 2017 sign-up / home posts for Celtic Coasts, Ethereal, My Kind Of Mystery, and Gentle Spectrums soon. We don't begin anew until February 1. I am sure most people are too frankly busy for website updating and reviews, until well into January like I home. Therefore even if you would like to run your reading along January to December lines, you have the relief of not needing to update the four groups with me until later. Even after February, I keep the linky buttons open. Why not, right?

I do know that most people browse for challenges in December and we hoped for many more participants this year but I am usually too busy November and December. What's more, changing from XP to windows 7 means the software I used for the logos is no longer functional for me. The update is that I did find something that will work!

This is after a two-week cold snap (suddenly it is above 0 C, which is UNHEARD of in January), several Christmas storms, and a recent power outage. I don't mind being without light but our well doesn't pump into our plumbing without electricity. That's right: six hours without running water. Before my daily bath! I was mighty pissed that day. I keep rainwater pails just in case and go figure, in the Canadian prairies of a January: it is frigging raining! I tell you, only WE know how to dress for all weather.

Please stay tuned for those fresh posts. Perhaps if each of you attracts some eager people, our membership will rise anyway. :) Yours Truly, Carolyn.