Gentle SPECTRUMS discussion

This is a great topic for introducing ourselves and sharing anything we like. Please conribute any photos that help us get to know you in the photo album, too.

I am Carolyn, founder of these four reading group challenge themes and your hostess for six years. I am a cat Mom to six and a gardener. The "Gentle Spectrums" logo for 2016 was my own photograph, from a lovely visit to Oak Hammock Marsh, Manitoba! This province is marshland, prairie, and forestland. Indeed, I come to you from dial-up rural internet (slow!) in a forest. I am always pleased to meet you!

I want to share record-breaking weather with you today. We are well at home and the world, in southern central Canada, is turning. Our winter birds are merely eating more. What is your weather where you are?

Today, our forecast is unbelieveable! Often in winter cold spells, environment Canada will warn us that a wind chill can make temperatures "feel like -40 Celsius". I have never seen a forecast in which the temperature itself is nearly that. Well, here it is today! Our daytime high is.... -32 C! That is our high in daylight! Our own temperature gauge reached -30 C but no higher.

Are you ready for our low tonight? Our low on this day is -40 C! Ron definitely plugs in the car before he goes to bed, so it will start in the morning. There is a deer walking by my widow right now, who is not waiting for sunset, so I had better give her a cupfull of oats. We help the wild animals too around here! :) Scratch that: there are about 6 deer looking for oats. Excuse me while I bring a pail to our driveway, instead of a cup. We love these precious faces.

The whole environment is beautiful. We evoke the same feeling of this year's "Ethereal" logo: a sparkling artic world. You would not go outside much but the whole snow scene is brilliant and fresh.

Hi Everyone!
My name is Katie. I am 24 and I love to dabble in all sorts of different things. I love reading, sewing, knitting, unicycling and running. I also enjoy playing the banjo and accordion. When it comes to reading, I love a good mystery/thriller or something from the fantasy genre. I'm excited to get to know you all. :)

Hi Katie! I am excited to know you, too! Wow, someone who has the stamina to jog (I gasped after one block, even at age 24) and you are sporty as well as a reader! I was a bike-rider and will get back to it, even though I have moved to country roads.

A unicycle? You are awesome! This is why getting together in a blog group is awesome. Goodreads has too much traffic to know each other as well as this. I can play guitar with classical fingering (no pick!) and piano by ear. Banjo and accordian? You really spell uniqueness on everything and I love it. We are lucky to have you!

I'm Erin, a mother in central florida with a son who will be turning 18 in May. That's tough. I also have two adorable cats with completely different personalities. I've loved reading since I was small, have converted my small living room into a little library, but also am hooked on my paperwhite.

Hi Erin! Yes, our Floridian keeps print alive but reads and listens digitally as well. There is no way he will be 18! I remember you describing him as much younger.

Glad you got permission to keep the neighbour's cat. If they were "laissez faire" (French for "whatever"), he/she might as well be snuggled in that library living room with y'all.

I await a few folks saying they received my Christmas cards but a new occasion greets us. Happy St. Valentine's Day to all of my people! If you are hanging out to chat, I love it.

If you intend to join my relaxed, fun challenges, as you are about to see: please hit the sign-up buttons at my blog pages soon. Put a blog post or a Goodreads shelf as your website, into the linky buttons. This gauges that enough folks are in "'Ethereal", "Celtic Coasts", "Gentle Spectrums" to do what I intend.

It also matters that you subscribe to posts at my blog, or catch their links here. We can only play if you see them. Enjoy your evenings of romance, family, or friendship!

I hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's day! It fits my reading theme, "Celtic Coasts" but my family has always celebrated, because it is one of our family names. It is like it is for us! I phone my Mom, the rare time we have not gotten around to cards and fun trinkets and wear green.

There isn't much else to it except playing Irish music (Chris DeBurgh, Enya, the Cranberries, the Corrs) but giving a holiday attention is what counts and then, it is not just any other day. How about all of you? It becomes my spouse's birthday next, so we got busy with cleaning and family party-planning soon after. I might as well make a public note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DEAR RON!!!! :-)

Happy nineteenth birthday to our dear McCartney today!!!! We love you, McCart! Our darling Siamese is being fed everything he likes and is served first. I took in-door lounging photos, which are superb for him but tend to be mediocre shots. We'll go outside for birthday pictures when Ron is home from work.

With all our love,
Conan (returning soon), Carolyn, Ron, Spirit, Marigold, Angel, and Petal. Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo!

Monday, July 1st was CANADA DAY. It was not the best portion of personal life here but thankfully not the worst either. I am sorry my Mom has been in the hospital for weeks, most recently with pneumonia but I understand it is normal to take a long recovery. I know she will recover and say so to her, however worried our other family members get. We are strong and positive!

It is important to particpate in holiday cheer and to wish it to others, too. I hope my countrywomen and countrymen enjoyed our Canada Day long week-end and had happy ones! Mom loves the flowers from our home and I will bring her more, as long as she needs to be away to recuperate.

I want to write a note about our second-eldest cat, also a son to us: Spirit! As you see in my new profile photo, on July 19, our dear tabby turned 15. Happy birthday, to our dear Spirit! We remember him being a tiny baby whom we brought home to McCartney, when McCartney was only 3. :)

I wonder how many people know: we Canadians have two of my favourite authors to thank, for having our own "Crime Writers' Association": co-founders Howard Engel and Eric Wright. I read that Howard died last month, at age 88, when I was writing my delighted review last night, of his eighth novel, "There Was An Old Woman". That title expresses an idea of his creativity, whimsy, and originality.

Here is a wonderful article discussing what he meant to Canadian literature and to future authors. https://www.thestar.com/entertainment...

Happy ninth birthday, to our precious kittens today, September 7th! We pray Conan is home soon, from wherever he has been missing from home. However we have faith that he is all right and will get home when it is safe. Or he may seek the right helper; someone who knows what to do with his tattoo, to reach us on his behalf. Conan is nine years-old today, too. We are spoiling the girls, Angel and Petal!

We remember their brother Love, with all our hearts, who lived for four very happy years. Happy birthday to our four precious kitties, who were so tiny and whose arrival we remember so well; we can't believe it was nine years ago. We love you, kitties! Always, your Mom, Marigold and Ron & Carolyn.

Their birthday was made very special, by my Mom making her first trip to our home in the country with Dad, since she got out of long hospital care. What a joy to have my Mom enjoy them, be there for us, and to have healing from a visit with us and our cats, too. They crowded around Grandma and were excited to see her! My Dad always enjoys our kitties, too.

We were cautious with Mom and her walker but what a wonderful improvement to have her here. There is no rush about getting better: relax and heal right. I wanted to share this happy day with my friends and reading community.

I am glad to wish a happy birthday to my Mom! I described above, that after being in the hospital, was mobile enough to visit my kitties on their ninth birthday. It means a great deal and is an answered prayer, for my Mom to have her birthday.

Ron & I visited her Sunday, pampering my Mom with great home-grown food and flowers as gifts. She loved the attention, treats, and our singing of "Happy Birthday" with Dad. I showered her with love by phone and sang it to her again on her actual birthday date yesterday. I see her getting better and she agrees she feels that way every week or so, therefore her family is pleased and relieved.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my Canadian friends, today and tomorrow! May we all be blessed, happy, and at peace. (Work with us, neighbours' dogs!) May we all be in long-lived good health, and may all our prayers be answered! Your friend, Carolyn.

Tomorrow, October 21, 2019: a woman has a chance to be elected Prime Minister of Canada! We admire Elizabeth May, her platform matching our ideals inspiringly. I shall cast my latest vote with pride tomorrow evening! She isn't only about protecting animals and the environment, although they certainly matter to me. My parents would be much relieved by life-saving medication and dental care covered by our health plans.

People who liked her and her badly-needed platform since 2006, were automatically shy about "using a vote on a small party". No so tomorrow! There is such a shake-up, every face new except Elizabeth's and Justin Trudeau's: that we look forward to watching on TV, which way our election will go! Make it a good one, fellow Canadians!!!! *Hug!*

IT IS MY BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!! I changed my picture a few days ago, to again show a newborn portrait with my parents. What is more, since my Wordpress blog is working for me on good old November 18th, I shared a funny story I have been meaning to tell! I bid you to enjoy it here. Your birthday girl, Carolyn.
https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2019/1...

It will be fun if the Winnipeg Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup today! My Mom is from Hamilton, therefore we are happy if the Tiger Cats win too. Both of our cities have needed to win the championship since the 1990s, so this tournament is special!

I have serious personal news that might prompt replies and I am happy about that. But people don't seem to look at friends' profile instructions, to double-check that they want things like direct-messaging and recommend button-sending. I avoid cringing to receive them, by clarifying I do not like them. Reaching me by e-mail, this group, or commenting publically on my profile are easier and my pleasure to receive.

I love hearing that several of you want to continue rejoining my various four reading group themes. I have kept at them since launching them in 2014, even in two lean membership years. I considered taking a break next year, because Wordpress is hard to access. Prairie Online dial-up internet in Manitoba won't reply by e-mail and have only voicemail. Not being able to call directly, when I seldom have a phone plugged into my landline, is a piss poor way to serve anyway. They should acquiese to my request that they e-mail back, or tell me when someone might pick-up their sole phone number.

I can use Wordpress but can not tell from one day to the next when it will load and my slow connection rejects photo uploads of over 100 kbs. Not easy to work with but my year resumes in February and I had time to give it thought.

Five days ago, my precious Mom died. This is the biggest change of my life. That adds too much to struggling with unreliable, cumbersome internet. I had better take a break and just read and write reviews. With love, Carolyn.

I'm so sorry, Carolyn. My mother-in-law passed away three weeks ago and as she lives a block away from us and we are very close, it has been difficult. I feel for you and know how hard it is. Prayers your way. Take time to grieve and heal.

Thank you so much, my dear Sue. It is wonderful to hear supportive words from you. I am only sorry they are recently close for comfort, as the saying goes. My respects to your family and your in-laws. May they heal as well.

Books are a respite for people like us. I will still look for wrap-up posts and comments by January 31. After the emotions and work we put into formal life send-off services, we are uplifted by little normal entertainments. Xoxo, Carolyn.