Familyhistorian's Year of History and Mystery part 10

Salt Lake City

Little Free Library

Number culled in February - 6

Number culled in March - 10

Number culled in April - 3

Number culled in May - 4

Number culled in June - 5

Number culled in July - 1

Number culled in August - 5

Number culled in September - 5

Number culled in October - 4

Number culled in November - 2

Total 2017 culls

My name is Meg and I love reading, especially histories and mysteries. This is my fifth year as one of the 75ers. It is great to find out what other people are reading but very dangerous, beware of flying book bullets! I keep myself busy with research and writing and hope to uncover more mysteries in family history this year.

Challenges I will do my best to partake of in 2017

American Author Challenge

January- Octavia Butler - Wild Seed - DONE
February- Stewart O' Nan - A Prayer for the Dying - DONE
March- William Styron - The Confessions of Nat Turner - DONE
April- Poetry Month - The Silence Now by May Sarton - DONE
May- Zora Neale Hurston - Dust Tracks on a Road - DONE
June- Sherman Alexie - Flight - DONE
July- James McBride - Song Yet Sung - DONE
August- Patricia Highsmith - A Game for the Living - DONE
September- Short Story Month - The Last Drive and other stories by Rex Stout - DONE
October- Ann Patchett - State of Wonder - DONE
November- Russell Banks - The Reserve - DONE
December- Ernest Hemingway

British Author Challenge

January: Irish Britons – Elizabeth Bowen & Brian Moore - A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen - DONE
February: Science Fiction & Fantasy – Mary Stewart & Terry Pratchett - The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart - DONE
March: A Decade of British Novels: The 1960s - 10 Novels by Men; 10 Novels by Women - The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks - DONE
April: South Yorkshire Authors: As Byatt & Bruce Chatwin - The Biographer's Tale by A.S. Byatt - DONE
May: Before Queen Vic: 10 Novels written prior to 1837
June: The Historians: Georgette Heyer & Simon Schama - Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer - DONE
July: Scottish Authors: D.E. Stevenson & R.L. Stevenson - Miss Buncle Married by D.E. Stevenson - DONE
August: Britain Between the Wars: Winifred Holtby & Robert Graves - South Riding by Winifred Holtby DONE
September: The New Millennium: A novel chosen from each year of the new century
October: Welsh Authors: Jo Walton & Roald Dahl - James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl -DONE
November: Poet Laureates: British laureates, children's laureate, National Poets - Selected Poems: John Dryden - DONE
December: Wildcard: Elizabeth Gaskell & Neil Gaiman

Canadian Author Challenge
January : Anne Michaels & Robertson Davies - Fugitive Pieces - by Anne Michaels - DONE
February : Madeleine Thien & Rohinton Mistry
March : Anne Hebert & Alistair McLeod - No Great Mischief by Alistair Macleod - DONE
April : Magaret Atwood & Guy Vanderhaeghe - The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe -DONE
May : Louise Penny & Leonard Cohen - The Murder Stone by Louise Penny - DONE
June : Heather O'Neill & Dan Vyleta - Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill - DONE
July : Carol Shields & Wayson Choy - Jade Peony by Wayson Choy - DONE
August : Ruth Ozeki & Douglas Coupland - Souvenir of Canada by Douglas Coupland - DONE
September : Lori Lansens & Steven Galloway - The Girls by Lori Lansens - DONE
October : Alice Munro & Arthur Slade - John Diefenbaker: An Appointment With Destiny by Arthur Slade - DONE
November : Gil Adamson & Guy Gavriel Kay
December : Donna Morrisey & Wayne Johnston

More Challenges

The 2017 Non-fiction Reading Challenge

January: Prizewinners - Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World by Maya Jasanoff - DONE
February: Voyages of Exploration - Road to the Isles: Travellers in the Hebrides 1770-1914 by Derek Cooper - DONE
March: Heroes and Villains - The Jack the Ripper: Whitechapel Murders by Kevin O'Donnell - DONE
April: Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions - Family Matters: A History of Genealogy by Michael Sharpe - DONE
May: History - A History of Scotland: A look behind the mist and myth of Scottish History by Neil Oliver - DONE
June: The Natural World - Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death by Jessica Snyder Sachs - DONE
July: Creators and Creativity - Falling Backwards by Jann Arden - DONE
August: I’ve Always Been Curious About…. - The King's Grave: The Discovery of Richard III's Lost Burial Place and the Clues It Holds by Philippa Langley & Michael Jones
September: Gods, Demons and Spirits
October: The World We Live In: Current Affairs - March: Book One by John Lewis - DONE
November: Science and Technology - Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong - and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini - DONE
December: Out of Your Comfort Zone

Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2017 - Renaissance/16th century - Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer DONE
April-June 2017 - 17th century - Trapped at the Altar by Jane Feather DONE
July-September 2017 - 18th century - The Silent Boy by Andrew Taylor DONE
October-December 2017 - Napoleonic Era

Monthly

January 2017: First Encounters - Scotland Farewell: The People of the Hector by Donald MacKay - DONE
February 2017: Storico Italia - The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich - DONE
March 2017: Meeting Madness - Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie by Anne Martinetti, Guillaume Lebeau & Alexandre Franc - DONE
April 2017: It's a Family Affair - My Dark Places by James Ellroy - DONE
May 2017: Oh What a State of Affairs - A History of Scotland: A look behind the mist and myth of Scottish History by Neil Oliver - DONE
June 2017: Fight for your Rights - Triangle: The Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle - DONE
July 2017: Viva La Revolución! - America Goes to War: A Social History of the Continental Army by Charles Patrick Neimeyer - DONE
August 2017: Art: Making it, Preserving it, Collecting it, Stealing it - Tom Thomson: Trees by Joan Murray - DONE
September 2017: Historically Significant Event The Contexts of Acadian History 1686-1784 by Naomi E.S. Griffiths - DONE
October 2017: Gothic - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield DONE
November 2017: Noir or Darkness - The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett - DONE
December 2017: Twisted Fairytales

It's November, time to remember and then on to a new topic. Will it be inspired by my recent genealogy trips or something else? Check out my blog at A Genealogist's Path to History and see.

Books read in 2017

October

The Leavers by Lisa Ko
Gallows View by Peter Robinson
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe
The Lost Island by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick
On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Total 2017 acquisitions

Books acquired in 2017

October

Scotland's Last Frontier by Alistair Moffat
Foul Deeds by Linda Moore
The Halifax Poor House Fire: A Victoria Tragedy by Steven Laffoley
Nova Scotia in your pocket by Stella McNeil
Anna's Secret by Margaret Westlie
On South Mountain by David Cruise & Alison Griffiths
Seeking Refuge by Irene N. Watts
Cold Earth by Anne Cleeves
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen
night, night, sleep tight by Hallie Ephron
The Truth of Memoir by Kerry Cohen
Fearless Writing by William Kenower
The Essential Guide to Freelance Writing by Zachary Petit
The Best of Roald Dahl
Killer Pancake by Diane Mott Davidson
The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Battles in Britain Vol 1 by William Seymour
Battles in Britain Vol 2 by William Seymour
My Several Worlds by Pearl S. Buck
Old Square-Toes and His Lady: The Life of James and Amelia Douglas by John Adams
The Merchant Class of Medieval London by Sylvia L. Thrupp
Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood by Wayson Choy
Civil War Soldiers: Their Expectations and Their Experiences by Reid Mitchell
The Whiskey Trails: A Traveller's Guide to Scotch Whiskey by Gordon Brown
The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
The Way to London by Alix Rickloff
City of Sedition: The History of New York City During the Civil War by John Strausbaugh
The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin
An Edwardian Season by John S. Goodall
Written Off: A Mysterious Detective Mystery by E.J. Copperman
Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do By Wallace J. Nichols
Elizabeth's London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London by Liza Picard
The Year Canadians Lost Their Minds and Found Their Country: The Centennial of 1967 by Tom Hawthorn

Reading Stats as of the end of October

Total books read 100

Fiction 69
Non-fiction 31

Female authors 64
Male authors 36

Happy new thread!! Your book acquisitions are making me feel better about mine! LOL Lots of great books in the TBR pile and the recently completed category, too! Great shot of SLC up top.

>13 Berly: Thanks Kim. I did get carried away on the acquisitions in October. There aren't as many book related events in November so hopefully there will be less this month although some books did find their way into my suitcase from Salt Lake City.

Happy new thread, Meg.

I must say that I am so impressed by how well you have managed the BAC, AAC and CAC challenges this year. Bravo!

Thanks Paul. I must say that it has been especially challenging this year to keep up with the challenges. I'm not sure that I will continue them all next year as I need to read some of the books off my shelves but, then again, I may have more time to read - decisions, decisions.

>16 Familyhistorian: I tended to go drastically off track this year and I have struggled with the five challenges I was doing and I will be amazed if I finish them.

The main one is probably my Around the World in 80 Books challenge wherein I am at 32 out of 80 countries. Hopeless case.....almost!

Hi Meg and happy new thread.

Best wishes for Retirement now that all your big trips are out of the way.

Happy New Thread, Meg!

I think Salt Lake City is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited, and in a lovely setting. There is a good bookshop there, too. :-)

Happy New Thread, Meg!

I join Karen in sending best wishes for your post-big-trips retirement. Nice photo of Salt Lake City up there. I haven't visited there since I was a young 'un.

Happy new thread, Meg. Sounds like you had a very good trip to SLC. With all that (I understand) is available on-line these days, is there a lot more to be gained from the Family History Center itself? And is there a lot more in Salt Lake than in the local branches?

Happy new thread, Meg!

>17 PaulCranswick: That's the thing about planning, Paul. We tend to think the year in front of us will be like the year that we have just been through and it doesn't always turn out like that. Sometimes RL blindsides us when we are least expecting it. Good luck with your challenges. I also am pursuing 5 challenges but none as ambitious as around the world in 80 books. Why don't you make that a challenge that runs over two years?

>18 karenmarie: Thanks Karen. I am working on the retirement thing and will see how it shapes up.

>19 EBT1002: Salt Lake City is very pretty, Ellen. I was fascinated by the brown hills with no trees, definitely not what I am used to. I am not sure that I found the good bookshop although I visited a few and some books found their way into my suitcase.

>20 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I loved all the travelling around but now it is time to get down to retired life. It actually was great to get back home and know that I can get into organizing although some of it will have to wait as the workmen are coming to put in the attic insulation on Thursday. Reorganizing the books in my bedroom will be a major project I can tell. I am just glad that I was away for part of the time between the inspection and the work because the piles of books spread around the room is disconcerting.

>21 RebaRelishesReading: There is a lot online for family history, Reba, but there are definite advantages to going to the Family History Library in Salt Lake. Some films have not been digitized yet and some that have can only be seen at Family History Libraries anyway. There are also books on the shelves not readily available in other places. On top of that there are no other things to distract you from your research and, at least in my case, I was with a whole bunch of other family history obsessed people.

>22 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. Have a great week!

Hi Meg, happy new thread my dear. Hope you are having a good week dear friend and sending love and hugs.

>29 johnsimpson: Hi John, the week is good so far although it is hard to get used to the chilly temperatures. The high is 6C. I hope you are back to your usual chipper self.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Meg! I like that Salt Lake City topper. Never been to that fair city.

By the way, I ran across It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree. Thought you might be interested.

>25 Familyhistorian: "...some books found their way into my suitcase."
Well then, you found whatever bookshop you needed to find. :-)

>31 drneutron: Thanks Jim. >33 drneutron: Ohh, It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree looks interesting. I am now number 12 in line for a hold that is on order at my library. Thanks for that!

>32 msf59: Salt Lake City is interesting, Mark. They do have a strange relationship with alcohol and coffee (and tea for those of us who miss it when it isn't there). You will be happy to know that they have beer in the grocery store but, sadly, no wine and no wine or beer in some of the restaurants. Great scenery though.

>34 EBT1002: Well, I actually found 3 bookshops and had room in my suitcase for books as I packed a winter coat and boots knowing the weather I was coming back to. Those books just slipped right in there. What was the name of the bookshop you were thinking of? Maybe I missed one that I should check out next time.

>37 Familyhistorian: That is so nice of you to provide a home for those runaway books! LOL. So glad you had fun on your trips. Now it is time to start another stage of retirement and I wish you lots of fun with that, too! Glad the attic will be insulated--don't want the books to catch cold. ; ) Good luck with the sorting afterwards.

>33 drneutron:, >35 Familyhistorian: - Meg, I was sure I had mentioned this book before but now, I can't find where. The author will be here in Toronto later this month to speak about the book:

https://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=67994~fff311b7-cda...

I don't think I will be able to make it that night as I may be having an out of town visitor that week and am not sure if she would be interested. But it sure does look good!

>27 Familyhistorian: Interesting. One of my (sort of) goals for this year is to join Ancestry.com and see what I can find out about our families. I have quite a bit of information about my mother's family thanks to a cousin of hers who did a lot of research some years back but I'd like to know more and to know a lot more about the other branches. I'm no where near ready to go to SLC though :)

Happy new one, Meg! Hoping your Wednesday is full of fabulous!

>38 Berly: It is nice of me to provide places for all those books, isn't it Kim. There is more than just reorganizing the books that has to be done because of the insulation project. They are coming through a window of one of the front bedrooms, probably the one where my son shoved everything aside so he could put in his new computer desk. Cleaning up that spare room is my project for today - not what I had planned *sigh*. I think there is a lot of not planned stuff that comes up in retirement from what people have told me.

>39 jessibud2: You did put the link to the talk about It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the Family Tree on my last thread, Shelley. I didn't make the connection with the talk and the book at the time, probably because I was in transit when you posted the link. Looks interesting, too bad you don't think you will be able to attend.

>40 RebaRelishesReading: Travelling to SLC comes much later in the process, Reba. I started with family stories and tried to confirm or disprove them by the records that I found. You might want to read a beginner's book for genealogy research before you commit to an Ancestry account. Also, beware of the Family Trees on Ancestry. Some people just attach any name that they think would fit and publish it as an entry on a family tree. I ran into that when I was searching for the parents of my many time great grandfather who fought in the American Revolution. I just knew that those entries were too good to be true and they were.

>41 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. Have a great day!

>30 Familyhistorian:, Hi Meg, I am back to my usual chipper self after the slight blip over the weekend, we have had a good week so far and before Karen goes back to work on Saturday we are going to Skipton in North Yorkshire after we have dropped Rob at the station tomorrow.

We love this market town and I will be able to peruse some books and we hope that Emma's Apothecary have their Christmas display up and running so we can pick up another bauble for the tree. This has become a bit of a tradition with us and they always have some lovely baubles to choose from and it takes a while to select the right one.

Hope your day is going well my dear.

Hi Meg, just checking into your new thread. I am really looking forward to next Tuesday, it's going to be fun actually meeting face-to-face!

Thank you for that. I do know you shouldn't believe what you find in family trees unless you have documents to support it so I'll be careful. The cousin that did my mother's family was an FBI agent and his research was well documented. It's nice to have that to start from. My father's sister kept the family Bible up-to-date so I have that to start from and years ago I got my great-grandfathers' Civil War records. Beyond that, however, I'll have to just proceed carefully.

Happy new thread, Meg!

I've found faulty info on Ancestry family trees for my family, too -- immediate family, where I absolutely know it's wrong, and some of it is a tad offensive. It's very annoying.

It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree just arrived at our library, and it's in processing.

>46 johnsimpson: I thought you were feeling better, John. I hope that you and Karen have a fun trip to Skipton.

>47 DeltaQueen50: I am looking forward to our meet-up, Judy. You will be the first LTer that I have met in person.

>48 RebaRelishesReading: It sounds like you have a great head start, Reba. It pays to have a closer look at the items that you have and try to get more background on them. My knowledge of US history is sketchy so I did some further digging to find out more when I ended up with my 3 x great uncles's civil war records. I really enjoy doing peripheral research to find out about their lives and tell the stories on my blog. Right now I am working on a story about my Revolutionary War soldier who ended up in Upper Canada - intriguing stuff.

>49 tymfos: Those faulty Ancestry family trees are very annoying. I haven't put up mine because I don't want other people putting false links on it.

Looks like It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree is being processed at my library as well. It says it is "newly acquired."

Hi Meg!

>42 Familyhistorian: I think there is a lot of not planned stuff that comes up in retirement from what people have told me.

I'm just grateful that I now have the time to cope more easily with the not planned stuff. It would have had to be dealt with if I was working, making it more stressful.

>54 karenmarie: It was always a lot more stressful dealing with the unplanned stuff when I was working, Karen. But it has been pretty stressful even not working as I live in a strata and work is scheduled when they want it not when it makes the most sense for me. It always seems to come up when I have a trip planned. At least this time should be the last of being available for them to get into my unit for a while, I just hope they come early enough that I can make it to my evening meeting on time.

>50 Familyhistorian:, Hi Meg, I am back to full health and we have had a really lovely day in Skipton my dear. Karen picked up some nice Christmas baubles and one for Amy and three great cushion covers with Christmas themes that were brand new but from a charity shop and cost the vast sum of 99 pence each. Whilst mooching around we picked up five books between us and I will read them all at some point.

Hope you are having a good week dear friend and send love and hugs from both of us.

>56 johnsimpson: Christmas loot and books to boot! Sounds like you had a great time in Skipton, John, and good to hear that you are feeling better.

102. The Spirit of Africville by The Africville Genealogy Society

When I lived in Halifax I heard things about Africville. Of course, that was after the settlement had been bulldozed in one of those impositions of social change that abounded in the '60s. I was told that the settlement was close to the dump, not that the dump had been sited there over 100 years after the settlement had been established. But that was typical of how the City of Halifax treated the settlement, denying them services such as electricity or a sewage system. The powers that be thought that the settlement was a slum which would be better eliminated than upgraded.

The book was written by the people of the settlement that was razed. The buildings may have been bulldozed but the spirit of Africville lives on because it was more than a settlement it was a community that had endured for about 150 years. That sense of community lives on, in part, because of the work of the members of the Africville Genealogy Society.

Lovely picture of Salt Lake City, Meg! Glad you enjoyed your trip. Yes, living in a strata, it seems there is always something going on. Our place is going to need a new roof , likely next year. I'm okay with that, but I hope when it gets put to a vote , others are on board. My husband is on the strata board here, and we are trying to get ahead of the change of legalization of marijuana . No growing in your unit, undecided about where you can smoke - on common property or not? Will be put to a vote. I had not thought of all of the complications of legalizing pot. Personally I really dislike the smell!.

>36 Familyhistorian: "They do have a strange relationship with alcohol and coffee. " Okay, I am out! Grins...

Sweet Thursday, Meg. Hope the week, along with your current reads, are going along fine.

>59 vancouverdeb: I thought I was ahead of the game when I bought into a complex that had already had their roofs replaced. I was not aware that there are many, many other parts of the building that need to be replaced/repaired. I hadn't thought of the effect of legalizing marijuana on a strata, Deb. I don't know if it has been brought up in our strata. My insulation was done this morning, now I have to reorganize my closet.

>60 msf59: There are restaurants that carry both alcohol and coffee, Mark, so you would be safe to visit. You just have to make sure that you don't go to an LDS restaurant. It is a pretty city so worth a visit.

The reads are going down slow this week but I have two holds to pick up at the library, so there is that. I hope your week is going well, your work load is light and the weather is on the warm and dry side.

Meg, the ramifications of the legalization of pot did hit me either until it was brought up at a strata meeting. I'm really glad that our professional manager guy seems to be very pro active and thoughtful. When you share walls etc., as you do in a strata , things like growing pot and smoking it outside are that much more important to us in strata. It will be discussed fully and voted on at our annual general meeting.

When we moved into our townhouse back in 2000, the place was re - roofed just a couple of years into the process - but it needs doing again. I'm told that roofing materials have improved and this time round the roof should last longer. We have not had to to any re- insulating in our place, but a couple of years ago we replaced all of the fences, which was no small endeavor, but they were quite quick about it. We've had a few piping issues out on common property - pipes bursting here and there and that has been not fun. But overall, I really love where we live. Nice neighbours, just 34 units and about 1/2 of the people are 50 plus , I'd say. We certainly have kids, but it's not a noisy place, nor so huge we don't know what is going on.

>63 vancouverdeb: I just bought in 2009 so the roof should last a bit longer, Deb. Hopefully they used the new improved roofing. Since I moved in, they replaced all the windows and repaired the building envelope and now the insulation. At least one unit had a pipe burst right in front of it. There are 58 units in the complex and lots and lots of kids (we live right next to a middle school and there is an elementary school a few blocks away.) But kids are not a big issue, bears are a bigger one. They just rebuilt all the garbage enclosures and, hopefully, that will take care of the problem - we shall see.

"strata"--I know what it means in terms of rocks or lasagna but I'm trying got figure out what it means in terms of housing. From the discussion it sounds like it is a condominium where units are stacked on top of one another -- right?

>65 RebaRelishesReading: Ha, good guess but not right, Reba. It is building related but it is about how the buildings are run rather than how they are built. Strata corporations are used to run housing that it is owned by multiple owners, like condos or townhouses. Both Deb and I live in townhouse complexes. In my case there are 58 townhouses which all have different owners but there is common property like the grounds, fences, roofs, in fact anything which is on the outside of the building. We use a strata management company to manage our strata corporation which looks after common maintenance, in the most recent case it was improving the attic insulation in all 58 townhouses.

>66 Familyhistorian: - Interesting, Meg. I also live in a townhouse with a setup like yours. I have not heard the term *strata* before, though. We have always been self-managed, with a locally voted board of directors who managed everything. Just this year, though, we voted in a new Board, a change I personally felt was a good move. The old board has been there forever and we were losing confidence in their ability to do a decent job with transparency about how they ran our affairs. Our new board has done a lot of research and homework and we have just recently (in the last month), hired a Property Management Company to take over. So far, it sounds ok. Interesting how different locations deal with similar setups

So I live in a six-story building with about 90 units, each independently owned. We have a "home owners association" with a board of directors which is elected by the owners. The home owners association contracts with a management company to take care of the day to day operations of the place. At Chautauqua we have a townhouse in a group of 29 with the same arrangement: home owners association that contracts with a management company. So do I understand correctly that the management company is the "strata"? Or is it the home owners association?

It's All Relative should arrive at my library this next week. I ordered it before I left town last week when I discovered it was available through our leased books program. I'll read it from the library and decide whether it's something I want in my personal collection permanently or not. If so, I'll order a copy for myself.

>67 jessibud2: On the wet, sorry, West Coast, we have been calling these set ups strata's for years. I can't imagine trying to manage our property with our own board of directors especially as here, real estate can get bought and sold fairly rapidly at times and, then again, there is that issue of empty units due to off shore investments. In some cases, it would be hard to get enough people to make up a board of directors, I would think. I much prefer the arm length management having been in a housing co-op where the treasurer made off with the funds.

>68 RebaRelishesReading: The strata would equate to the home owners association, I guess, Reba. According to the Province of BC: A strata corporation is a legal entity with all of the powers of a natural person who has full capacity. This means that it can sue or be sued, enter into contracts and hire employees. The owners of the strata lots are the members of the strata corporation.

So it is something that is in place under BC law. Interestingly, a Google search on stratas shows that it is a concept that was introduced in New South Wales, Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strata_title is a Wikipedia article about strata title.

>69 thornton37814: I am currently number 12 on the hold list for 3 copies which have not yet been processed, Lori. I hope that it is worth the wait.

103. John Diefenbaker: An Appointment With Destiny by Arthur Slade

Arthur Slade was one of the authors for the CAC in October. His name was familiar because he was at the Surrey International Writer's Convention this year although I didn't attend any of his talks. He is best known for YA fiction.

John Diefenbaker: An Appointment with Destiny was definitely not fiction or YA. It was a very readable biography of the man who was Canada's Prime Minister from 1957 – 1963. In fact, the author was able to infuse Diefenbaker with a likeability that I was unable to perceive when I knew him as the leader of my country, but then there was a large gulf between us; he was older and I was very young, he was a Conservative and, even then, I was not.

>71 Familyhistorian: - That is actually one of the main reasons we felt we needed the change. It's always the same handful of people on the Board (when we were self-managed) and no one else wanting the demands of the job.

I was going to try to answer that strata question earlier, Meg , Shelley and Reba. I had not realized that the word " Strata " was not commonly used. Here's a link - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/strata-housing/operating-a-st...

A detached house can be designated as strata housing, if just the "drive in " area is on private property and is shared by 5 detached homes. I have a friend who lives in such a ' subdivision" . They have lovely 2500 sq ft home with a nice big back yard, but they share a central driveway with 4 or 5 other homes. I think strata is a legal term that is used in BC, though the vast majority of strata's are townhouses or condos.

Here is another link - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/strata-housing/understanding-...

Shelley, I too am very glad we have professional management company . We have 6 people on the strata board, but without the work of Century 21, I don't think anyone would want to volunteer on the board.

>75 jessibud2: That is a common story, Shelley. In any organization it always seems to be the same handful of people who actually end up doing the work. I hope the change makes things better for you.

>76 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the links, Deb. I had no idea that stratas are so complex. Interesting. Before I read that I thought that all condos and townhouses were by definition, stratas but it looks like that is not the case.

Me too, thank for the links, Deb. I had honestly not heard the term *strata* before. Interesting (if somewhat complicated!)

>79 jessibud2: Stratas are a way of life in BC, at least in the Lower Mainland which is the only place that I have lived in this province. Come to think of it, most of the housing where I have lived in Canada has not been strata but, then, I have either lived in a house that I rented from the owner or have lived in a housing co-op (now that is another complicated housing arrangement.)

If your house is detached in B.C. , most likely it's not strata titled. The vast majority of detached homes are not strata titled. The friend I have that lives in bareland strata detached house - well, I would never have known if she had not mentioned it to me. I think the reason the developer had to register it that way is because it was built on an existing road and was just large patch of field that the developer than created 5 homes in, with one driveway in, but each home has it's own parking area / garage. If something goes wrong with the common area " driveway" - like a pipe bursting, or crack in the concrete, all of the owners have to pay for the repair. ( At least I think it is called bareland strata titled , as you mention, it does get complicated!

Here is what my friend lives in - " A single family home in a bare land strata development (“strata subdivision”) can look identical to the single family home across the street which is not in a strata corporation."

>81 vancouverdeb: Trust BC to make things complicated!

I feel like I've learned something, reading all the housing management approaches. Where I was in Edinburgh, because so many people live in flats the management of the communal areas is a tricky issue. Especially now with air b and b.

Hope that the insulation work is done quickly Meg and that you can spend some more time with your books.

Happy Sunday, Meg.

Happy Sunday, Meg. Hope you enjoying the weekend. We are getting a touch of winter here. It looks like it might rebound next week. Yah!

Strata title issues on condominiums and apartments are pretty much par for the course here, Meg. Biggest problem generally is that when the properties are properly re-surveyed generally the purchaser finds he was originally short changed by the developer who sold him a 2,800 sq ft condo and actually provided 2,680 sq ft.

Have a splendid Sunday.

>72 Familyhistorian: Yep, that sounds like the "hoa". Thanks for teaching me a new word and soothing my curiosity :) I googled it when you first used the word and what came up were all either proper nouns of companies/groups or were geological (at least the first ten or so). I'm guessing that reflects where the google search originated.

>83 charl08: Air b and b is a big problem in Vancouver as well. The rental vacancy rate is about 0.7 percent. In part this is because of air b and b as well as off shore investment which leaves empty units. Having stratas doesn't help the issue, unfortunately, but it probably makes the management of buildings run more smoothly with so many absentee owners.

The insulation work was done in to installments and has been completed, the reorganization is just in the beginning stages and taking a lot longer than I thought it would but maybe that is because I am making time for the books.

>84 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara, have a great week.

>85 msf59: I hope it rebounds before you take to the streets, Mark. The weather here is rain for the foreseeable future.

>86 PaulCranswick: I saw that there were stratas in your area of the world when I did my research, Paul. My you have big units if they are even just 2,680 sq feet. Our condos are generally smaller than that with many people living in 500 or 900 sq feet.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: You learned about a different way that property is dealt with and I learned that the way it is done on BC is different than a lot of places and there are other places across the world that also use strata titles. So I guess we both learned something, Reba.

104. No Word From Winifred by Amanda Cross

I love a good mystery and, while dated, No Word From Winifred was an interesting conundrum. Professor Kate Fansler was recruited to see what happened to Winifred. Was she dead or had she disappeared somewhere for reasons of her own?

With the help of her niece who wants to be her 'Watson', Kate uncovers clues through making connections the MLA conference, which she, so far, has managed to avoid although it is a conference in her own city and area of expertise. Literary clues are also helpful in the quest for Winifred. It was an interesting mystery which, in the end, was resolved.

Hi Meg, I am slowly making my way through the threads and catching up with things over here. going back to a previous thread, congratulations on winning both of your silent auction bids and Yikes on the unexpected surprise of a black bear sighting as you got home.

Congratulations and happy retirement wishes! Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job filling your retirement days with things to do - conferences, lunches, walks, etc - and more time for genealogy research. In my pre-LT days I did some genealogy research but with working, I just cannot find the time. I am pretty sure I will go back to genealogy, but not before I retire. ;-)

Love the pictures you posted from your trip to Salt Lake City.

Happy newish thread, Meg!

>94 lkernagh: Hi Lori, good to have you visit. Retirement started off really well with lots of things to do, I kind of planned it that way. Now comes the hard part, trying to get myself into some kind of a routine so that I can get some of the things I want done. It is nice to get back to genealogy research. I had been doing a bit while writing my blog but now I will have time to get on top of the stories for the blog and also to take my research further. I also hope to get more other writing done.

It is hard to fit everything in when you are working. Good on you getting in to crafting. I used to do crafting before I got into genealogy. Although I am sure that you can combine the two especially if you are into scrapbooking.

Hi Meg!

Just a quick hello. I hope you can settle into a routine that makes you comfy. My routine got disrupted within 2 months of retirement, but I hope that with the end of settling Mom's estate and husband firmly and happily settled into his new job, the beginning of 2018 will allow me time to establish a routine that combines things that need to get done with things that I want to get done.

Well, some weather we are having lately! I can take rain, but this has been heavy rain and lots of wind. I think today is supposed to be rainy and windy too. sigh.

>96 karenmarie: I hope that 2018 brings a new start for retirement for you, Karen, but it seems to me that you are well on your way to establishing your routine. Right now I am taking the beginning steps and will see how things pan out. At the moment I am working on getting my house in order because of all of those things I was going to "do later" when I was working. I am finally getting into reorganizing some stuff (and out the door for a lot of it.)

>97 vancouverdeb: I am about done with the rain and wind, Deb. Last Friday was a nice break but then the forecast for two weeks of rain - disheartening.

I had my first LT meet up today! Judy, DeltaQueen50, and I met so that she could pass on The Poisoned Chocolates Case. Thanks Judy. There may have been the names of a few LTers that came up in our discussion. Unfortunately, there is no photographic evidence of our meeting so you will have to take our word for it!

I really enjoyed meeting you today, Meg and I hope you enjoy The Poisoned Chocolates Case.

>101 DeltaQueen50: It was fun, Judy. Thanks again for the book.

Hooray for the LT meet up! Judy was the very first one to hit me with a book bullet when I joined LT.

>103 Crazymamie: My first LT meet up, Mamie. So cool! Yes, Judy has a deadly aim with those book bullets!

105. Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior by Ed Clayton

Early Reviewers

Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior was an ER book and an updated version of the book that was published in 1964. It is a relevant today as it was then. The events which were significant to Dr King's cause were outlined in accessible prose, a result, no doubt, of the author's years of experience as a journalist.

I appreciated finding out the facts behind the myth. I now have a better understanding of Martin Luther King's crusade and the price that he and, those who supported him, paid to bring change.

This has been a great week for me on the literary front. I had my first LT meet up. Great to meet Judy, DeltaQueen50, in person. Tonight I attended my first in person book club. Looks like that will be a fun group to join.

Great that you had a meet up with Judy, Meg. And what did you read tonight at your in person book club? Or was it a planning meeting?

Glad it was a good meetup! Next time pics... 😀

>93 Familyhistorian: I'm not sure I ever read any Amanda Cross mysteries.
I'm glad you found the MysteryCAT thread. I'm kind of looking forward to that challenge for 2018. I was an avid mystery reader for years and have kind of gotten away from them so this will be a good way to re-immerse myself in the genre.

>107 vancouverdeb: The book for book club was Don't Tell Me What To do. I only found out about it 4 days before the meeting so I didn't read the book which is just as well because it is a collection of short stories. I have a hard time reading short stories. I just wanted to check the meeting out and now I know the book for the next meeting. It is Do Not Say We Have Nothing which I am about half way through for the CAC. I will now have an incentive to actually finish it.

Your name did come up at our meeting, as you would be the one other LTer that we could meet with easily, Deb.

>108 drneutron: Yes, sir! It didn't cross our minds at the time, Jim. Next time.

>109 EBT1002: I have read quite a few Amanda Cross mysteries, Ellen. They are dated. One of the characters was working as a word processor. Ah yes, published in 1986.

The MysteryCAT looks way too interesting. I am going to have to do some serious thinking about what I want to read next year. I don't think I can fit another challenge into my round up. Mysteries are one of my preferred genres and that category would help with reading the books on my shelves. What to do? What to do?

106. The Lost Ancestor by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

I love a good mystery and I am an avid genealogist, so mysteries that centre on genealogy along with mystery are my cup of tea. The Lost Ancestor is the second book in the series featuring genealogist, Morton Farrier. Once again Morton has a commission to find out what happened to his client's long lost relative but there are forces working against him. Why don't they want him to find out the truth and what lengths will they go to?

The writer weaves a tale between Morton's search and the story of the missing ancestor. It starts off slow but evolves in to an account full of action which also delivered an emotional wallop.

Hi Meg and happy Sunday to you!

>113 Familyhistorian: Sounds wonderful. I start series at the beginning these days, so have just put Hiding the Past on my wishlist!

Happy Sunday, Meg. Hooray for a Meet Up. I would love to visit one of these days, (it is on the list) and meet with you both and hopefully add Deb to the party also.

Hope you are enjoying the weekend.

>114 karenmarie: Thanks Karen. Weekends are different after retirement, aren't they? Not as different as they would be if there was no one working in the house, though.

It is a good series to start from the beginning. Morton changes from one book to another or at least, his life does, and that is a part of the background of the stories.

>115 msf59: It would be great to have a meet up with you here, Mark. Vancouver is an interesting city but best not to visit during the rainy season.

To say the weather here has been bad is putting it mildly. There were very few walkers in the park today as it was windy, rainy and cold. These soccer players must have been soaked to the skin - they sure are tough! (The lights were on because it was so dark out.)

>118 Familyhistorian: Oh boy, I can sure relate. Although now past history, two daughters were soccer players and I have done my time at the sidelines in those exact circumstances. Brrrrrr. I miss it though!

>119 mdoris: Too funny, I just posted something to your thread. I can remember those days too. This is a much nicer field than where my son used to play. His field was under the main hydro wires. I switched to an umbrella with a wooden handle after feeling the buzz of electricity through the umbrella with the metal shaft!

It was dreadful yesterday, yes!!! So windy and hard rain. Today the our clouds got the memo! But it is all the rain and wind is supposed be back for the most of the week. I have had enough!

>121 vancouverdeb: It rained here today, Deb. Even part of the time when it brightened up there was still misty rain in the air. I was so disheartened by the weather forecast that I checked the 14 day one. Right now it says that we will have sunshine December 1 but it will be about 1 C.

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

>123 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I am sure they are all enjoying their holiday and giving thanks.

I am far behind in my reviews. My excuse is that I have been back a few centuries digging into my ancestor's pension records for the American Revolution. There is a lot to go through (48 pages), how cool is that. Even more interesting is that he was given land in Upper Canada. I wonder if he brought up that he fought on the other side?

107. The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom

I was intrigued when I heard about The Norfolk Mystery as it was described as a County Guide mystery. During the course of my research I have consulted the County Guides by Arthur Mee. I know the author got his inspiration for the series from Mee, especially as he includes pictures from those guides in the pages of the book. I just wonder if the bombastic Swanton Morely is based on Mee.

This was a fun novel, more of a character study and view of Norfolk society in the '30s than mystery. Still there was a death and it was preventing Morely and his assistant Sefton from going about their business of discovery all there was to know about the county. Being sidelined, Morely, never idle, must investigate the death and explains everything in the end, after ruffling many feathers, of course. It was a delightfully funny book.

Happy Thursday Meg my dear, sending love and hugs.

>127 johnsimpson: Hi John, I hope that you and Karen are doing well. Have a great weekend!

108. The Reserve by Russell Banks

I read The Reserve for the AAC. I have a feeling that it is not one of Banks' better known works. It tells a story of the privileged set who, even in the '30s, are still well enough off to have a well appointed retreat to go to for relaxation. This is the reserve. Only the well to do and those who serve them are allowed in the retreat.

But even in the best families, there are some bad apples, like the Coles' several times married daughter, Vanessa. Artists are a class of their own which is where the airplane flying, womanizing, Jordan Groves comes in. Jordan and Vanessa are drawn to each other but there are other forces at play. It was a story of attraction, adultery and madness which didn't end well. But I was not upset by that as the characters left me cold.

On this day of American Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things, one of them being



Thank you for being a part of my LT joy. : )

>130 Berly: Thanks Kim. I hope you are having a great Thanksgiving.

Well, sunshine on December 1st would be a treat. Say, if you enjoy mystery, do try the new series I discovered that I mentioned on my thread. The first in the series is A Killer In King's Cove. I read all three in a row back in September, and there is one being written right now. The author lives in Vancouver and the series take place in 1940's Nelson BC area. But I think she is a great writer no matter where she comes from.

>132 vancouverdeb: Did you see the sun today, Deb? That was a surprise! I actually have A Killer in King's Cove in the batch of books that I acquired this month. I saw that you enjoyed that one and I think it was your thread that prompted me to get it.

109. Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong – and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini

Hanging out on the threads is a dangerous place. There are so many book bullets flying around it is hard to duck them all (and who wants to – most of us are hopeless book addicts.) There are some wonderful books out there and I am so glad when incessant warbling gets me to pick up particular gems like Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong - and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story.

I could easily relate to Angela Saini and her self-confessed female geekery, the only woman engineer student at university in a class of nine. I was the only female student in a class of about 25 technical drawing students. I loved the class content but didn't take any more technical drawing classes. It's hard to buck the trend as an awkward teenager.

From the stats Saini alludes to, it appears that it is still hard to buck the trend, there are still many areas of practice where there are few women. Saini looks at this, then delves into scientific research from its beginnings in the Victorian era (they knew where women belonged and their research supported that) to the present day. She shows that gender bias is still very much in play in the professions as well as the framing of research.

It was a very interesting read which confirmed some of the things that I have experienced as well as letting the reader know the present state of affairs. Even now, it seems, I most likely wouldn't have become a practicing engineer.

Happy Saturday, Meg. I am glad you got to The Reserve and joined us on the AAC. It does have an interesting premise.

Any sunshine?

Happy Saturday, Meg! Hope you have a delightful weekend.

>135 msf59: The premise of The Reserve was interesting but I didn't connect with the characters. So far I am 11/11 for the AAC this year, Mark.

I saw the sun for a few minutes today but it looks like it's gearing up for rain again. *sigh*

>136 Carmenere: Hi Lynda, thanks for the good wishes. I hope that your weekend is going well and that you have lots of pumpkin pie to see you through it!

Hi Meg! I hope your day is going okay. Yes, the overcast and rain is relentless. A peek of sun here and there. I hope you enjoy A Killer In King''s Cove.

>139 vancouverdeb: Ha, I almost made it through my whole walk today without using my umbrella! Hope you got to enjoy some of the day outside before the rain came back, Deb. Right now my reading is pretty booked up as I am trying to finish some of the books that I started working on before I started travelling. I hope to get to A Killer in King's Cove early in the new year.

>134 Familyhistorian: Interesting. I have never felt excluded from something because of my gender. I was in the second class of women at Amherst, I played rugby and I was on the men's water polo team. I actually belonged to a fraternity (the school made them go co-ed and they were later denied National membership) where we had keg bowling, and I studied neuroscience, a very male-dominated field. What does that say about me? Don't anwer that! ; ) Very nice review and I'd like to read it.

>141 Berly: Well, one thing it says about you is that you are younger than me, Kim. LOL I bet you also went to school on the West Coast which is more liberal (as in National membership was denied). It is a very interesting book and much in demand at present. I had to put a hold on it at the library as there was a queue of readers waiting to get their hands on it.

110. Let Loose the Dogs by Maureen Jennings

I have watched many of the Murdock mysteries on TV. As I read Let Loose the Dogs, I remembered the episode which was based on the book. Changes were made for the program to fit in with the TV cast but the gist of the story was there.

It was interesting to read the book and see the differences which the longer story and Murdock's slightly altered circumstances made. Still at the heart of it was the story of Murdock investigating a murder to attempt to find out the truth of whether his estranged father was the perpetrator. It was a hanging offence.

>143 Familyhistorian: I have watched the Murdoch mysteries on the TV here in Malaysia not realising that there are books too.

I will certainly go and look for them now.

Have a lovely Sunday, Meg.

>143 Familyhistorian: I've only read a few of Jennings' books. Maybe I'll eventually get around to a few more. I've seen a couple of episodes on TV, but not many.

>142 Familyhistorian: Wrong on the school location, actually East Coast, but are right about our ages. I am younger than you. A tad. : ) I will request it from my library pronto! Happy what's-left-of Sunday!

>144 PaulCranswick: The Murdoch series is based on books by Maureen Jennings, Paul. I really enjoy the series, probably because of Yannick Bisson. I don't enjoy the books as much. I have a niggling feeling that is because they are set in Toronto. Many cities in Canada think that Toronto is too full of itself, particularly Montreal, where I grew up. Maureen Jennings also writes another series which I prefer because it is set in WWII England. It features Detective Inspector Tom Tyler.

>145 thornton37814: Have you tried Jennings WWII series featuring DI Tom Tyler, Lori? I really like those ones.

>146 Berly: I didn't realize you were a transplant, Kim. Maybe Portland is like Vancouver, most people come from somewhere else? I hope you enjoy Inferior.

>148 Familyhistorian: Murdoch

>150 thornton37814: Jennings is best known for her Murdoch series. There have been a few different TV adaptations.

111. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

The Thin Man is a classic piece of noir. In it, Hammett introduces the characters of Nick and Nora Charles, wisetalking, boozing amateur detectives. I can see why there were movies made with the detective duo. Much of the novel is made up of dialogue, perfect for the movies of the time that featured lines of run away speech.

As a detective novel, The Thin Man's plot left a little to be desired. I am glad I read it but hope that my next Hammett novel is easier to follow.

For what it's worth, Meg, for me The Thin Man is one of his weaker novels. We LOVE the Thin Man movies, and this is, for us anyway, one of those rare instances where the Powell-Loy movies are better than the book.

>153 jnwelch: I thought Nick and Nora Charles were the best part of the novel and whoever had the idea for the Powell-Loy movies probably thought so to, Joe. I could see those characters in my minds eye while I read the book which made it readable. I hope you are enjoying getting back to home base.

112. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I love it when challenges get me to read the books off my own shelves. This time I needed a gothic novel and The Thirteenth Tale fit the bill. The narrator is a single woman writer who lives with her disfunctional family in a bookshop. She is commissioned to write the biography of a famous female author but there is a deep mystery behind this writer.

The biographer, Margaret, needs to go to live with the author to research the story quickly as the woman is dying. Of course, there is a strange dark house and a mystery or two that Margaret must unravel for the sake of all involved, including herself – good stuff.

>149 Familyhistorian: Yup. Definitely a transplant. I have also lived in MN (2 times), CN, MA (5 times), NJ, and Toronto. But Portland is by far the longest I have lived anywhere. As more and more people realize that Portland is a nice place to live, the transplants keep coming!

>155 Familyhistorian: Oooh! That one sounds good!

>156 Berly: Ha, I had to look up the abbreviations, Kim, but didn't find a state for CN. It seems that people who have lived in lots of places tend to gravitate to the West Coast. That's what I did. Lots of people in Vancouver are from somewhere else.

What, I got you with a BB? My aim is getting better!

>156 Berly: - You lived in Toronto?! When? For how long? We could have passed on the street!

>158 jessibud2: Um, hi Shelley.

Hi Meg!

>155 Familyhistorian: I read it, remember liking it, gave it 3 stars ("good"), but don't remember a single thing about it. How sad is that?

>160 karenmarie: Maybe it will come back if you read your review? There are lots of books that I read but don't remember a thing about. Maybe that says something about how much we read, Karen.

"So far I am 11/11 for the AAC this year. " You nearly made me cry, Meg. Sniffs...

I have not read The Thin Man in a long time. I have been meaning to get back to Hammett.

Seeing any sun?

>161 Familyhistorian: Alas! I bought it in September of 2006, probably read it in 2007, and didn't join LT til October of 2007 so although I know I read it I don't have any info on what I thought about it.

I have a spreadsheet of all 1,008 books I've read from 2008 on, and when I go back and look at it sometimes, there are many books I either don't recognize or don't remember reading. As my MiL used to say, "I miss my mind."

>155 Familyhistorian: - Loved that one!

>162 msf59: There, there, Mark. Did I say that I have a Hemingway on the shelf just waiting for December? I was very lucky today. Every time I went out walking the rain had stopped but there was no sun.

>163 karenmarie: You must have read it when it was very new and shiny then, Karen. Too bad you don't have the review. That is 10 years ago so no wonder you can't remember it. Look at all the other books that you have read in between.

>164 lkernagh: It was a good one, Lori.

>157 Familyhistorian: CN is Connecticut. : ) Yes, there are definitely some East Coasters out here in Porltand, but a lot of them are from California. And still a lot of natives.

Yes, you hit me!!

>158 jessibud2: I was but a youngster. Kindergarten and First grade. But I learned some French in school (no one spoke it out on the streets) and and it must have burrowed in there somewhere, because I loved it in Middle School and HS when I studied French in the states. : )

Raises hand re living on the west coast aka Vancouver! I want it on record that I have lived in Vancouver since I was 3 or 4 years old. True, my parents were born in Winnipeg, but dad's job brought us to Vancouver ( CPAir or CPA or whatever it was called back then). I've not lived in anywhere else. My husband is a true BC'er , born in Penticton, I think it was. He too moved to Vancouver as he works for the same airline as my dad did. My two kids and three of my sibs were all born right here in Vancouver! It's a divine city! Shelley, no offense to you, but now that my brother and family have moved to Barrie Ontario, because he works out of Pearson Airport for Air Canada, I have to remind him that Toronto and Ontario are not the centre of the world. I'm not sure he believes me, but I try!!! So ironic that the same biz that my dad was in took my brother off off to Barrie. He and his family really love Barrie. Well, it's not bad! ;-)

FYI I believe that CPA is the real airline of Canada, but it has morphed into Air Canada. What can you do? So nowthat my family that is still living works for Air Canada, which is fine, but CPAir is the real deal! lol! Being a pilot must be a genetic thing - though my husband is not a pilot, but my dad was a commercial airline pilot, as are my brothers. My paternal grandfather flew for the RCAF in WW11. He came home, but suffered a stroke at the age of 42 and lived on in a locked in state til he was about 48. I never met him.

Well, I was born and brought up in Montreal (well, actually, a bit north of Montreal, in Laval) and only moved to TO in 1980. I still laugh and roll my eyes at Torontonians for some things (like their shock every year when it comes to *winter*). But the city has changed a lot since I've been here and not so much for the better, in my opinion. Still, it's a great place and I do like it here. There is great culture here and lots of parks, ravines and green space, and those are important to me, especially as the condo towers keep sprouting and turning so many parts of the city into concrete jungles. Blech.

I've only been to BC once but thought it was beautiful.

>170 jessibud2: Just had to kid you a little, Shelley! :-) My brother is so pro - Toronto, despite living in Barrie and being there for about ??? 7 years now.

The Lost Ancestor just went on the heap!

>153 jnwelch: What Joe said.

>112 Familyhistorian: I have had this one on the shelf for years - you make me want to get to it.

Hoping your Wednesday is full of fabulous, Meg!

>168 Berly: I figured it might be Connecticut but the abbreviations I found had it as CT. There are a lot of East Coasters here, at least there were when I first started out but maybe that was who I was hanging around with. Now I meet more people who are from here but then that might be because they are second generation. Even my own son is from here. LOL.

>169 vancouverdeb: You sound like a true Vancouverite, Deb. I agree it is a beautiful part of Canada. Well, I must agree as it is the part of Canada that I have lived in the longest. I was on Facebook the other day, looking around and got stumped by the "where are you from" question. I don't really know how to answer that having lived in: England, Montreal, Nova Scotia, PEI, BC, Alberta, BC, Halifax, BC. How do you answer that question, Deb?

FYI I believe that CPA is the real airline of Canada. You will never get me to agree to that as I grew up in the east where Air Canada (TCA at the time) dominated and both my father and my uncle worked for Air Canada. Having joined when they lived in England.

>170 jessibud2: Hi Shelley, we were practically neighbours growing up. I grew up in Pointe Claire.

I know what you mean about condo towers sprouting up all over the place. It is the same in the part of the Vancouver area that I live in. Fortunately, there are so many trees and rivers and mountains that they can't take away the predominant green of the area.

>172 sibylline: The Lost Ancestor is a good one, Lucy. But it is the second in a series. The first one is Hiding the Past. Did I get you with two BBs there?

>173 Crazymamie: Is that the Amanda Cross mystery or The Thirteenth Tale, Mamie? I hope you are having a wonderful day. Me, I am just trying to talk myself into going outside in the rain. *sigh*

>169 vancouverdeb: - But... but... you are forgetting Wardair. How can you forget Wardair? That was my favorite airline, back in the day. Of course, there were those years of only two national airlines (Canadian and Air Canada)... oh wait, are we still with just two national airlines (WestJet and Air Canada)? So confusing! I really wish we had more competition in the air industry here. That being said, I am probably one of the few Canadians to fly Greyhound Air during its short life in the annals of Canadian air carriers. They had awesome uniforms... first and only time I had seen flight crew wearing shorts.

Hi Meg!

>179 lkernagh: - I never heard of Greyhound Air! Sounds like a joke!

>180 jessibud2: - Well, it was a short-lived venture... I don't even think they lasted 12 months. They were based out of Winnipeg - which makes for a change - but other than that (and the shorts) I can't really tell you much except they were a "discount" airline, trying to break into the Juggernaut hold the two national airlines had. ;-)

>179 lkernagh: Wardair? l vaguely remember them, Lori. I don't remember Greyhound Air. I did work for PWA, Pacific Western Airlines, briefly. Nobody mentioned that one.

Ohhh I loved The Thirteenth Tale. Wardair, yes, it was rolled into Aircanada. My husband originally worked for PWA, but he got laid off and got an offer from - er CPA . My dad briefly worked for TCA, but got a better offer from CPA. Hmm. I'm not sure I recall Greyhound Air. Let me ponder that. We do have more airline in Canada. Air North http://www.flyairnorth.com/, which one of my brothers worked for quite a few years, and Harbour Air aka Ken Borek, which my other brother worked for many years. http://www.borekair.com/ That brother did a lot of flying to the Antartica - three and a rescue mission.
But it will always be CPAir for me! :-)

Greyhound air link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound_Air

>183 vancouverdeb: Well Deb, we will have to agree to disagree as I have never flown CPA but have taken TCA/Air Canada flights so many times over the decades that I have lost count. Besides, my Dad worked for Air Canada for 30 years or so.

I don't remember Greyhound air either and I can see why after reading about them. Thanks for the link.

My husband just published a book on unusual airlines and airliners. Too bad he never saw Greyhound Air because it would have made a good addition to his great collection of interesting airline/airplane photos.

>185 RebaRelishesReading: - One that comes to my mind, makes me wonder if he knew about the one from South Africa: Kulula

Hi Meg. I love the image of the free library. Is this yours?

>185 RebaRelishesReading: What is the name of your husband's book, Reba?

>186 jessibud2: Kulula looks interesting.

>187 Whisper1: I took the photo of the free library but it isn't my library, it is in the park that I go to frequently because it is in my neighbourhood.

113. March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell

I have all three of the March graphic novels to peruse but I am going to count each of them separately because I want to read them slowly to remember the information that they convey. It is hard to credit that it was not that long ago that segregation was part of the law in some US states. I remember because it happened in my lifetime.

March: Book One is the story of how the people used non-violent (at least on their part) protest to bring about change. It is a timely view about how unjust things were and a warning to be vigilant least society deteriorate to that state again.

114. Selected Poems: John Dryden

The BAC challenge for this month was to read one of the poets laureate. I chose Dryden because he was the first one on the list. Besides, Selected Poems: John Dryden was a slim book which gave a short bio on Dryden and, very helpfully, had notes in the back that explained what each poem was written about.

>190 Familyhistorian: Hooray, for March! This is such a fantastic trilogy. I am glad you are finally getting to it, Meg.

> 190 - I just commented on the NF thread to your comment on this. Books 2 and 3 are even more powerful than the first, Meg. Such an important read, all three. And of course, count them as 3 because they are separate books.

115. Chapter & Hearse by Lorna Barrett

I enjoy cozy mysteries and have a lot of these series one the go. Some I follow from the beginning and some I pursue back from the middle. There are others that I only dip into from time to time. The Booktown Mysteries are one of the series that I pick up here and there.

I enjoy reading about Tricia Miller who runs a book store and has a complicated love life. The recurring characters and their relationships are part of the series' charm. Of course, in Chapter & Hearse there is the requisite murder but can they keep it to only one?

>192 msf59: March has been on the shelf for a little while now, Mark. Well really, what hasn't. I was glad to find the time to delve into it. I am looking forward to the next two books.

>193 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley, I thought I left posting on October's thread too late to get any comments. I will go and check out what you said. I am glad to hear that the next two books are powerful.

I just had a look at my reading totals for the last three years. The totals are:

2014 115

2015 117

2016 118

My reading numbers have been pretty consistent and slowly, very slowly, increasing. It looks like I will finish quite a few more this year. I'll see how far I can get - 120? 130? 140? 150??

Go, go, go!! : )

>198 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I need a cheering section!

Hi Meg! Congratulations on a great reading year so far. Good way to be trending, too.

>194 Familyhistorian: I read the first two in that series. I own the 5th one, but I think I put off reading it until I read 3 and 4. I'd forgotten the series until you mentioned it. I suppose I need to add that series into my 2018 rotation.

>200 karenmarie: Thanks Karen, I think retirement helps!

>201 thornton37814: It is a fun series, Lori, but I don't have any urge to be a completest with that one. I think that I read the second one Bookmarked for Death besides the one that I just read. I have too many series on the go as it is.

Ok, I wasn't exaggerating when I complained about the rain. According to the weather forecast on Global, we had 22 straight days of rain in November. It is the first day of December and what is it doing - that's right, raining.

>197 Familyhistorian: - Love the consistency! Do we get to guess what your 2017 reading total will be? If yes, I want to guess 121... so read really small books for the rest of the year, 'kay? ;-).

>205 lkernagh: Yes, you get to guess Lori. I think I can do 121 even if I read big books. LOL I am already at 116.

Congratulations on your reading, Meg! And yes, agreed, November has been one for the record books rain wise . I hope we will really see some sun in the next few days.

>207 vancouverdeb: They are predicting sun to start on Sunday, well maybe not full on sun but no rain. There were 27 days with rain in November and 22 days of rain in a row. We beat some records! I like it better when we beat the records for sunshine! But then, I read a post of mine back in August some time when we were wondering where the rain was. I guess we should be careful what we wish for.

My reading has increased a bit since I retired, I think. But that is a good thing because I have so many books in piles that I am thinking of getting more bookshelves and I already have lots of those.