Tales from the Irish Garden Serialisation – Spring: Chapter Nine – The Betrothal Gift by Sally Cronin

Spring: Chaper Nine – The Betrothal Gift

After the banquet, there followed two weeks of entertainment for the visiting monarch and his family. There were picnics, concerts and sporting events that tested the strength and endurance of the courtiers and stretched Chef Marcelle’s culinary skills to the limit. Rarely were Queen Filigree and Prince Ronan apart, except for those few hours at night when they retired to their individual bed chambers. King Philip and his wife looked on approvingly as they had long wished for a suitable and regal enough wife for their eldest son. Queen Filigree might be quite a bit older than the Prince, but in fairy lifetimes, it was not sufficient to cause concern. Anyway, Queen Seren knew that her son planned on giving his bride-to-be a gift, that she knew from experience would make any age difference unimportant.

One evening, as the court prepared itself for an informal supper in the roots of the magnolia tree, Prince Ronan requested the chamberlain to convey an invitation to her majesty, to join him for a glass of mead in the miniature rose garden. The queen had already finished dressing for the evening, choosing something a little low key as befitted a night of Irish dancing and accompanying shenanigans. The Storyteller had sent over the Dapperman with a gift of a white blouse and emerald and blue tartan kilt, set off with a pair of black leather ballet pumps. She didn’t have time to change into something more formal, and decided that perhaps the off the shoulder blouse, and the string of daisies necklace, made her appear much younger than her years.

The look on Prince Ronan’s face, when she opened the gate to the rose garden, was proof indeed that she looked ravishing. She walked towards him, taking his outstretched hand, only to be pulled into his arms. Breathlessly she looked up into his sparkling green eyes, and within seconds, she found herself kissed as she had never been kissed before.

Reluctantly the prince pulled away from their embrace, and taking her hand, led her to a corner of the garden, lifting away a green silk drape. There before her eyes was a wondrous garden fountain, held up by two lovers entwined with leaves and roses. Queen Filigree gasped, reaching out her hand to touch the water that flowed from a small spout above the fountain, embedded in the root of the magnolia.

‘How did you find my fountain, I thought that it was safely in France with my son at his palace?’ She wiped a tear from her cheek and turned to face the handsome young man by her side.

‘I was visiting your son to discuss joint trade ventures and we walked his rose garden together, making a deal to import our Irish Amber Nectar special blend, in exchange for the lavender grown in his fields.’ He took the queen’s hand in his. ‘Your son told me that this was your treasured Fountain of Life that you could not bring with you to Ireland. He explained that by dipping your hands in its rejuvenating waters each day, and taking a sip of its sweetness, you will remain young and beautiful for ever.’

At Prince Ronan’s beckoning, the queen dipped her hands into the fountain and brought the water to her lips to drink, all the time staring deeply into the eyes of this handsome prince.

She felt a surge of energy as if every nerve in her body was tingling. She turned to Prince Ronan and whispered. ‘You have brought me the most treasured gift I could wish for,’ she touched the side of his face gently. ‘How can I ever repay you?’

The prince took to one knee and smiled. ‘Will you honour me by becoming my wife, and living the rest of your life with me?’

Filigree regretted for a moment, that she had not thought to change into a more fitting attire for this momentous occasion, but the sight of the handsome face in front of her banished all thoughts from her mind as she urged the prince to his feet.

‘I would be most delighted to accept your proposal,’ she whispered in delight.

King Philip and Queen Seren were already in attendance at the party, when the happy couple slipped in beside them an hour or so later. It was clear that an announcement needed to be made, and Queen Filigree requested that King Philip do the honours. The news was met with great excitement by her two daughters despite their envy of their mother’s handsome suitor. The little minxes recognised that they now would have a much more exciting social calendar to look forward to.

This new development further delayed the visiting royal’s trip to their summer home in Meath. The wedding date was set for a week ahead, and it was decided that Queen Filigree would accompany her new husband and his family for a month to celebrate their honeymoon. This too gave Princess Persephone and Narcissus a cause for celebration, as they would stay behind and be in charge of the court. And they would enjoy a great deal more freedom that they usually managed under the eagle eye of their mother.

The upcoming festivities had the whole fairy kingdom and their new friends, the Storyteller, Summer and Dapperman, in a whirl, as they hurriedly organised this royal union.

The wedding dress was being spun by a family of silk worms that the Dapperman had brought from India and installed in his attic. The fine threads were then dipped in vats made from halved dried pumpkin skins from last autumn. Dyes, that had been made the last summer from the flowers in the Spanish garden, were blended to create the prettiest pinks, the most vivid blues and purples, and the brightest reds and greens. Queen Filigree had decided upon a rose pink dress with multi-coloured bodice with a train of mauve and violet.

Even the Dapperman was in awe when he attended the final fitting, and he hurried away to add a dash of purple to the grooms velvet wedding suit, ensuring that he was in perfect harmony with his bride.

Meanwhile Chef Marcelle was beside himself with the stress, but finally with the help of the Storyteller and his suppliers, he managed to put together a feast like none other. For hundred hungry guests he would need 3 filleted trout, 2 lbs of sirloin steak, 1 lb of goat’s cheese, two pints of double cream, 25 fresh strawberries, 100 fresh baked rolls and 2 lbs of butter for cooking and for the feast. Luckily the magic garden had some spring vegetables, and the chef had stored away plenty of mushrooms last autumn in Spain, bringing them with him on the back of an express goose.

The Storyteller donated six bottles of Champagne, and six more each of white and his finest red wine. There were also two large vats of the amber nectar fermented from the court’s own beehives, and sweet water that had been collected in tubs at the base of the magnolia tree.

Finally the day arrived and with the Storyteller presiding, in his capacity of guardian of the magic garden, the wedding began. The groom stood nervously at the end of a carpet of rose petals as the two royal families and courtiers sat on chairs either side. The musicians began to play a gentle anthem that announced the arrival of the queen.

A hush fell over the assembled guests as the beautiful bride, dressed in a shimmering vision of pinks and mauves, stepped delicately onto the rosy carpet. She clasped a bouquet of miniature roses and bluebells, and she glided down the aisle with her eyes firmly fixed on the handsome man waiting for her. It is sad to say that, despite wearing delightful dresses of pale blue and lilac that glistened with sparkling sequins, Princess Persephone and Narcissus were largely overlooked.

With the solemnity that was required for this great state occasion, the Storyteller began the service of wedlock according to fairy lore. Ten minutes later, to resounding cheers, Prince Ronan and Queen Filigree were officially announced as man and wife, and were invited to seal the marriage with a kiss; which went on rather a long time. With anticipation and excitement the guests piled into the rose strewn aisle to follow the happy couple through to the ballroom to enjoy the sumptuous feast. Chef Marcelle looked upon the avid partaking of his finest meals with great satisfaction, before retiring to his kitchen and a filched flagon of the finest amber nectar.

The dancing went on to the early hours of the morning and nobody noticed when Prince Ronan and Queen Filigree melted away together at midnight. The two princesses however, did see the departure, throwing themselves even more enthusiastically into the dancing, knowing that for the next month they would be largely unsupervised.

A day was needed to recover from the festivities, but bright and early two days later, King Philip, Queen Seren and the newlyweds departed by carriage to continue their journey to their summer palace. The Storyteller was left in charge of the two princesses and it was with some misgivings that he watched their mother heading off with a smile and a wave. A month was going to seem a very long time with these two young ladies on the loose.

© Sally Cronin – Image Tales from the Irish Garden.

One of the reviews for the book

DGKaye 5.0 out of 5 stars Magic and Fairies and Goodness

Sally Cronin brings us back to the magical garden of tales, now transported to Ireland, moved from it’s former home in Spain. Here we are taken into the lives of mystical characters of old and new, with their busy lives taking place under the Magnolia tree, kept under the watchful eye of the Storyteller, and the reign of Queen Filigree.

The author shares with us, delicious descriptions of royal parties with kings and queens – be they Queen Bees or royalty, and prepared delicacies by a 3 Wizard Star chef, complete with healthy ingredients, snuck in by Cronin with her vast knowledge as a nutritional therapist.

Some of these characters in the Irish garden emigrated from Book 1 – Tales from the Garden and new ones have joined in. The stories are broken down and told in seasons, depicting characters and their stories of hardships and incidence coming full circle where despite the conflicts, there are happy endings with life lessons to take from. Jeremy, the timid donkey is back with his arch enemy Gerard, once again feeling threatened by any other male near his female heifer friends. And with the help of Jeremy’s mother Fiona, and the Storytellers’s aid, a plot was hatched to spare Jeremy from being bullied by the macho Gerard. We also encounter a May/December romance and relationship that works between the older Queen Filigree and the handsome young Prince Ronan. (Having access to the fountain of youth to maintain her youth and beauty didn’t hurt!) We’ll also experience the evil that jealousy can bring forth as when the evil Magnus turns newlyweds Eddie and Dorothy (the Storyteller’s daughter) into foxes, and mice who look after those in need.

Whether human or animal, everyone in the garden ultimately learns to get along and pulls together when danger approaches. Many great life lessons to be taken in this charming book for all ages alike. With kindness and compassion evil always loses out. #Recommended.

If you would like to browse my other ebooks.. you can find their reviews and Amazon links: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

Thank you for dropping in and I hope you enjoy the rest of the book.. Chapter Ten and Eleven next weekend. Sally.

The previous chapters of Tales from the Irish Garden can be found here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/tales-from-the-irish-garden-serialisation/

 

Smorgasbord Short Stories – Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction – White Washing by Sally Cronin

Time to respond to this week’s Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge by Charli Mills This week, Charli has asked us for 99 words, no more no less… on the subject of painting.. I also recommend that you head over and read the post that accompanies the prompt, as always interesting to find out what has been happening this week at the Carrot Ranch.

White Washing by Sally Cronin

One angry brush stroke at a time, the old man painted across the words on his neighbour’s garden gate,

They were a lovely family, who had been kind to him since they been granted asylum three years ago, and moved in next door. Having recently lost his wife he had been lonely, but they invited him in each Sunday for dinner, did his shopping when he was ill and the father often popped around for a chat after work.

The least he could do in return was to white wash over this mean spirited graffiti before they discovered it.

©Sally Cronin 2019

If you would like to participate in this week’s challenge here is the link: https://carrotranch.com/2019/06/28/june-27-flash-fiction-challenge/

I have a number of short story collections and you can find my books and their reviews: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have enjoyed my story….thanks Sally.

 

Tales from the Irish Garden Serialisation – Spring: Chapter Eight – The Royal Banquet by Sally Cronin

   Spring: Chapter Eight – The Royal Banquet

The court was buzzing, and not just because the bees in the hives above the palace were working overtime. The amber nectar, so revered by the fairies, was now stored in vats with tiny taps made from hollow reeds, and corked with willow bark. Honey was being placed in empty walnut shells; sealed with beeswax to keep it fresh. They would be opened on the night of the banquet and the sweet contents poured over the ground-almond pancakes served with baby strawberries.

The Storyteller had donated an excellent wine; imported from his French vineyards, and it had been resting down in the cellar of his cottage for many years. It did not take much amber nectar or wine to make a fairy tiddly, and one magnum of the rich red wine would suffice for the evening. There was also the juice made from a mixture of last year’s blackberries and fallen apples, as well as clear spring water from the well that did double duty as a ‘Make a Wish’ terminal.

Queen Filigree, her social secretary Sir Justin and the royal chef Marcelle had pored over the fresh ingredients available in their new home, creating a menu for a banquet fit for a King and Queen. The Storyteller had also suggested that Summer, whose children had rescued the royal pigeons the previous winter, should be brought in to make the desserts. Part fairy, she not only was a superb baker, but also knew the magic ingredients that increased the delight of those sampling her dishes.

Her chocolate brownies, renowned throughout the county for their medicinal properties, were served with whipped caramelised cream. They had been known to send those consuming them into ecstatic trances and artistic dances. Since dancing plays an enormous part in any fairy feast, her skills would indeed be treasured.

On the day of the banquet wild mushrooms were gathered and cleaned of their grit, ready to be fried in butter with some fresh garlic and cream from the farm on the far edge of the forest. They would be served on little fried squares of bread made by Summer from spelt flour and walnuts. Baby beetroots had been roasted and peeled, served with horseradish sauce and pomegranate seeds.

The main course was poached quail’s eggs and stuffed courgette flowers, filled with minced nuts, mushrooms and goats cheese and fried in crispy batter. This was served with chips and Chef Marcelle’s renowned curry sauce, a favourite after a night of drinking amber nectar.

As well as the delicious brownies made by Summer, there would be a selection of desserts made by this talented master chef, who it must be noted had three Wizard Stars for his cuisine. The elderberry jelly, with shortcake and frozen sheep’s yoghurt, had won awards across the fairy world. There were also some almond sweetmeats to accompany the coffee made from chicory plants in the garden.

For those who did not have a sweet tooth (not likely, but some of the courtiers from the visiting kingdom might be so inclined) there was a special treat.

Esme the goat had provided her rich creamy milk to make delicious tangy cheese, served with mini-pats of butter made from the Michael’s prize winning herd, and some Irish Soda bread rolls courtesy of Summer.

Finally the morning of the arrival of King Patrick, Queen Seren and their son Prince Ronan dawned, and the court was up and about early. In the royal chamber, Filigree bathed in scented warm water and contemplated her new ball gown that was hung on the front of her wardrobe. Made from finely woven silk that had been dyed to a beautiful turquoise, it had a fitted bodice ruched and trimmed with lace and a full skirt with hundreds of minute pleats that showed of her slender hips. Beneath the dress rested a pair of matching shoes with gold roses attached to the fronts and a little heel that would not impede her dancing the night away.

Satisfied that all had been made ready, with the guest chambers being finished with bowls of berries and chilled bottles of the amber nectar, she closed her eyes and imagined her impact on that irritating man Prince Ronan when he saw her in all her finery.

This scene was mirrored throughout the court as Narcissus and Persephone attended to their wardrobe for the evening’s banquet… They were delighted by the rose pink and emerald dresses designed by Dapperman and his team, but were slightly miffed that they would pale in significance when they stood side by side by their mother. However, they were young and loved the queen, and they knew that where there was one Prince Ronan, there was probably another, and their future looked very rosy indeed.

The Queen’s guard, consisting of twenty highly trained and athletic young fairies, were sent off in full ceremonial uniform to await the advance troops of the visiting royal party at the invisible gate at the far end of the magic garden. For strangers passing by from the human realm, it would appear as though a thick overgrown bramble hedge surrounded a broken down cottage. Little did they know that with a few incantations, a gap would appear in the greenery comprising a golden gate strewn with garlands of daisies.

Beneath the gates a path would appear that led directly to the magnolia tree by the Storyteller’s cottage, and on this auspicious occasion, it was strewn with red and pink rose petals. The Queen’s guard stood to attention as they heard the sound of calls and shouts on the wind as the advance party alerted them to their imminent arrival. With a flash of sunlight the royal party materialised at the entry to the gate and the two senior officers advanced towards each other.

With a nod to the Colonel in charge of the Queen’s guard, the visiting troops led the way through the golden gate followed by two ornate gilded carriages and several travelling coaches, packed with courtiers and belongings. As the heavy horse-drawn vehicles crossed the rose petals, a heady scent rose into the air and a rosy aura enveloped the length of the parade. As the soldiers reached the end of the path, they split to form a guard of honour, and footmen moved forward to open the doors of the lead carriages. At the end of a red carpet, Queen Filigree and her daughters waited in a fusion of turquoise, rose and emerald, waiting to greet their esteemed visitors.

The first to alight from the lead carriage was Prince Ronan who was looking very dashing in a black velvet jacket and red and green tartan trousers. He stood tall and handsome and with a smile and bow to Queen Filigree, he turned and helped his mother Queen Seren as she stepped down onto the carpet. King Patrick joined his wife and son and together they advanced to stand before their hostess. After much bowing and kissing of hands, the royal party entered the palace and adjourned to the throne room to partake of some amber nectar and honey cakes.

Courtiers gathered in groups and exchanged information and palace gossip until, with a clap of her hands, Queen Filigree bade her chamberlain escort their guests to their luxurious apartments. As they were ushered away to bathe and change for the banquet, Prince Ronan turned and headed back towards the queen and her daughters. It was clear that the two younger women were both hoping that he would approach them personally, but it was quite evident that he only had eyes for one of the regal beauties.

Disappointed, the two princesses moved away to complete their preparations for the evening’s entertainment, casting glances at the courtiers and military attaches that were still enjoying their refreshments. There was no doubt that those who served in the court of King Patrick and his queen, were all very handsome, and they looked at each other in delight at the possible opportunities that this might offer them.

Their mother was oblivious to their machinations, and was instead attempting to keep her regal dignity, whilst standing so close to this tall and spectacular looking young prince.
‘Your majesty’, a fragrance of warm sandalwood almost made her swoon. ‘I wondered if I might be so bold as to request the first dance with you tonight and the last.’

It was as if she was mesmerised by the deep and velvet voice in her ear. Before she could call upon her indignation as his effrontery, she found herself nodding her head and whispering back. ‘I would be very honoured Prince Ronan’. With a wink, the object of her fascination turned away and walked towards the door. Feeling very faint and much to the concern of her ladies in waiting, Queen Filigree sat on her throne with a thump and called for a glass of warm mead.

Two hours later, the great hall came alive, as hundreds gathered for the banquet prepared by Chef Marcelle and Summer in the kitchens, deep in the roots of the magnolia palace. Queen Filigree sat between King Patrick and Queen Seren, discovering long lost family connections and catching up on gossip from the fairy kingdoms. She was amazed to discover that Prince Ronan knew her son Prince Zachary, and had foraged quail eggs together.

Without trying to look too conspicuous, she peaked around King Patrick to where her daughters sat either side of the man in question. No wonder he seemed to know so much about her when they had first met, and she wondered how much Zachary had told him of her previous marriages and her current loveless situation. She blushed to think that he had been party to some of her most personal secrets, but at the same time, found herself imagining what it would be like to be swept up into his arms for the first dance after the banquet.

The feast went on for two hours, and as the amber nectar and wine was consumed, the noise level in the chamber rose to a crescendo of glass shattering proportions. A little bit lightheaded, from a touch too much of the Storyteller’s red wine, Queen Filigree rose and tapped her glass for attention from the revellers. Slowly the voices quietened and the two courts gave the queen their undivided attention.

‘It gives me great pleasure to welcome King Patrick, Queen Seren and Prince Ronan to our court.’ She paused and ignored the desire to turn and look at her handsome guest just three seats away.

‘It is with great pleasure that I invite you to retire to the anteroom for rosehip tea and almond pastries whilst the banquet tables are moved to allow for the dancing to commence.’

This was greeted by a roar of approval and much pounding on the tables before the guests rose and made their way through the large ornate doors. The royal party descended from their dais and followed the courtiers, with Prince Ronan taking the hand of Queen Filigree and escorting her across the floor. A glance and smile between King Patrick and his queen showed their approval of this development, and they graciously drew the two princesses to their side, to walk with them in warm companionship.

The Storyteller had insisted that his own musicians, the O’Reilly brothers would provide the music for the dancing, and the queen was considerably heartened to see that they had been attired by the Dapperman for the occasion. They were clearly fortified by some amber nectar, and exuded a rosy glow which she hoped would not impinge upon their ability to play. She noticed that they were also joined by two fairies from her court who were delightful fiddle players, and somewhat reassured, she signalled to the Storyteller that they might begin to play.

It was protocol that she should begin the dancing with a senior member of the court but as her chamberlain stepped forward with a bow and an outstretched hand, she motioned him away. The light from the candles was suddenly diminished as the tall form of Prince Ronan approached down the centre of the dance floor. The Queen could barely contain the trembling of her knees as he bowed low to the floor with one leg elegantly stretched out before him. His hand rose to gently enfold hers and with a deep sigh she surrendered.

The queen and prince did not leave the floor until daybreak, enjoying the first and last dance and every one in between. As the first rays of the sun filtered into the palace they bade each other goodnight and retired to their chambers in the knowledge that their story had only just begun.

©Sally Cronin 2018

Image Donata Zawadzka Tales from the Irish Garden.

One of the reviews for the book

DGKaye 5.0 out of 5 stars Magic and Fairies and Goodness

Sally Cronin brings us back to the magical garden of tales, now transported to Ireland, moved from it’s former home in Spain. Here we are taken into the lives of mystical characters of old and new, with their busy lives taking place under the Magnolia tree, kept under the watchful eye of the Storyteller, and the reign of Queen Filigree.

The author shares with us, delicious descriptions of royal parties with kings and queens – be they Queen Bees or royalty, and prepared delicacies by a 3 Wizard Star chef, complete with healthy ingredients, snuck in by Cronin with her vast knowledge as a nutritional therapist.

Some of these characters in the Irish garden emigrated from Book 1 – Tales from the Garden and new ones have joined in. The stories are broken down and told in seasons, depicting characters and their stories of hardships and incidence coming full circle where despite the conflicts, there are happy endings with life lessons to take from. Jeremy, the timid donkey is back with his arch enemy Gerard, once again feeling threatened by any other male near his female heifer friends. And with the help of Jeremy’s mother Fiona, and the Storytellers’s aid, a plot was hatched to spare Jeremy from being bullied by the macho Gerard. We also encounter a May/December romance and relationship that works between the older Queen Filigree and the handsome young Prince Ronan. (Having access to the fountain of youth to maintain her youth and beauty didn’t hurt!) We’ll also experience the evil that jealousy can bring forth as when the evil Magnus turns newlyweds Eddie and Dorothy (the Storyteller’s daughter) into foxes, and mice who look after those in need.

Whether human or animal, everyone in the garden ultimately learns to get along and pulls together when danger approaches. Many great life lessons to be taken in this charming book for all ages alike. With kindness and compassion evil always loses out. #Recommended.

If you would like to browse my other ebooks.. you can find their reviews and Amazon links: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

Thank you for dropping in and I hope you enjoy the rest of the book.. Chapter nine tomorrow… Sally.

The previous chapters of Tales from the Irish Garden can be found here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/tales-from-the-irish-garden-serialisation/

Smorgasbord Book Reviews – #Psychological Thriller- Hope by Terry Tyler

Delighted to review the latest release by Terry Tyler – a psychological thriller set in the future – Hope

About the Book

‘We haven’t elected a Prime Minister, we’ve elected a lifestyle’.

As the fourth decade of the 21st century looms, new PM Guy Morrissey and his fitness guru wife Mona (hashtag MoMo) are hailed as the motivational couple to get the UK #FitForWork, with Mona promising to ‘change the BMI of the nation’.

Lita Stone is an influential blogger and social media addict, who watches as Guy and Mona’s policies become increasingly ruthless. Unemployment and homelessness are out of control. The solution? Vast new compounds all over the country, to house those who can no longer afford to keep a roof over their heads.

These are the Hope Villages, financed by US corporation Nutricorp.

Lita and her flatmates Nick and Kendall feel safe in their cosy cyberspace world. Unaware of how swiftly bad luck can snowball, they suspect little of the danger that awaits the unfortunate, behind the carefully constructed mirage of Hope.

Terry Tyler’s nineteenth published work is a psychological thriller that weaves through the darker side of online life, as the gap between the haves and the have-nots grows ever wider. Whether or not it will mirror a dystopian future that awaits us, we will have to wait and see.

My review for Hope.

As a fan of Terry Tyler’s books, I was expecting to enjoy her latest book, Hope. What I was not expecting to be was horrified as well.  I doubt that I am the only one who wonders how we are going to move forward from our lives today, as technology becomes integrated, into not just our personal lives, but in communications, the work place and crucially, as an every advancing tool for our governments. We are already spied on by cameras, monitored on social media, having our personal data used for many purposes, and allegedly listened to on our devices. Wonderful if the attention is to stop crime as they tell us, but how quickly it might cross over into population manipulation.

This is set only a few years into the future from 2023 on wards. Ordinary, hard working people are being fired from their jobs and find themselves homeless and at the mercy of the government and the new aid package. Villages where there is little hope of leaving, and where the numbers do not add up. Well crafted media campaigns promise a better Britain but it is tough to tell truth from lies. Those who want to expose the corruption are shut down and seeking the truth becomes dangerous.

The author has captured the era of where we are now accurately, which is very frightening. Superficial role models, a welfare state, education and health service stretched to the limit and increased lifestyle related obesity and disease. Crucially she also recognises how very little positivity is broadcast via the media, creating a very stark environment especially for the younger generation. Tyler then takes the next, and possibly inevitable step on from this scenario, leading us to a very dark place.

The main characters are realistic and identifiable, and are like billions of us, blogging and posting online daily, and initially doing very well by providing content that pleases. Some who are more sceptical are also working behind the scenes, questioning both the government and the growing monopoly Nutricorp taking over sectors of the food and health industry. Some work within the corporation, and begin to question its ethics or refuse to conform to the draconian regulations, but they are soon rooted out and fired. Leaving them with little option but accept the offer to relocate into one of the villages for the homeless… named Hope.

Those at the government level are greedy and self-seeking, and their goal is to get the population fit for work, and off benefits, by any means possible.

If this book was set in 2050 or later, one could dismiss it as a piece of science fiction that would never happen in reality. But everyday we see the signs of a fractured society in the headlines, in our own community and in most of our countries. I think everyone should read the book to see where that might lead us if we are not careful about who we put into power.

You won’t want to put the book down… and it will leave you with much to think about.

Read the reviews and buy the book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S89DK54

And on Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S89DK54

A selection of books by Terry Tyler

Read the reviews and buy the books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Terry-Tyler/e/B00693EGKM

And Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Tyler/e/B00693EGKM

Read more reviews and follow Terry Tyler on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821157.Terry_Tyler

About Terry Tyler

Terry Tyler is the author of sixteen books available from Amazon, the latest being ‘Patient Zero’, the third book in her new post apocalyptic series, which is a collection of stand-alone short stories featuring characters in the main novels. She is proud to be self-published, is an avid reader and book reviewer, and a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.

Terry is a Walking Dead addict, and loves history, winter, South Park and Netflix. She lives in the north east of England with her husband, a move that took place nine years ago from the beautiful Norfolk coast; she is still trying to learn Geordie.

Connect to Terry Tyler

Blog: https://terrytyler59.blogspot.ie/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerryTyler4

Smorgasbord Health Column – Food Safety – Toxoplasma Gondii – Pets are a joy but they also harbour unwanted visitors by Sally Cronin

Toxoplasma Gondii – Pets are a joy but they also harbour unwanted visitors

Handling food safely is of vital importance to our health. As children it is instilled in us that we must wash our hands after going to the toilet, and also before eating, but it is one of those rules that every generation learns, but is seldom explained in detail.

As a living organism we are host to parasites. Whilst we might like to think that it is only animals and particularly our pets that have worms and harmful bacteria, we provide just as welcoming an environment in our own bodies.

The real danger occurs in the very young and the elderly who tend to have either immature or repressed immune systems. The parasites or pathogens are able to take hold and overcome the bodies weakened defense systems.

Toxoplasma Gondii

There is one particular parasite that can not only cause problems for children and adults but also to an unborn foetus as well. This is Toxoplasma Gondii and the condition is called Toxoplasmosis.

Anyone who has been pregnant, will have been asked by their doctor if they have a cat, as this is the main source of this parasite. Cats are predators and they catch and eat infected rodents and birds. The parasite is then carried in the cat’s faeces and out into a litter box or soil. Kittens and young cats are the most likely to be infested with the parasite and it is estimated that over 80% of household cats carry the organism, with no signs or symptoms of the parasite infestation.

The parasite is then passed to the human through contact with the cat and then touching a hand to the mouth or by emptying the litter box without protective gloves. Also gardening without gloves, if you have a cat, it can expose you to the risk of infection as you work in soil they have contaminated.

If food is then prepared, the parasite will be passed onto the rest of the family. This is not the only way that we come into contact with the parasite. Most feral cats and even our own domesticated pets roam in other gardens and also in the surrounding countryside.  Grass and other feed crops are then grown in contaminated soil, and then fed to pigs, sheep and deer, which become infected with toxoplasmosis. We then handle and eat raw or under cooked meats becoming infected ourselves. We can also come into contact with the parasite on unwashed vegetables that have been grown in contaminated soil and then eaten raw in salads.

Symptoms of Toxoplasmosis

The great majority of us carry the toxoplasma parasite, but very few of us have the symptoms because the immune system, when healthy, keeps the parasite from causing illness. Some people who have toxoplasmosis may feel as if they have the ‘flu’ with swollen lymph glands or muscle aches. These symptoms can last for about a month. If you are concerned then do go and see your doctor and he may suggest a blood test to check for the parasite.

If a mother is infected before or during her pregnancy, she may not show any symptoms and neither will most babies at birth. However, a small percentage may be born blind or with some brain damage, but these symptoms usually develop over a period of time.

How to protect yourself from Toxoplasmosis.

In the first instance it is about maintaining a healthy immune system. This comes from eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, protein with some carbohydrates most of which should be unprocessed. Industrially processed foods, including refined sugars, should really only make up about 20% of your diet. There are a few basic hygiene guidelines that can minimise your chances of becoming infected with any parasites.

1. Always wash your hands with hot water and anti-bacterial soap after any exposure to soil, sand, litter trays, raw meat or unwashed vegetables.

2. Cook your meat completely so that there is no pink and the juices are clear.

3. Freeze any meat that you buy for at least three days before cooking as this will help kill any parasites.

4. Wear gloves when gardening or emptying litter boxes and always wash your hands afterwards.

5. Wash all surfaces such as cutting boards, knives and utensils used in the preparation of raw meats and unwashed vegetables in very hot, soapy water.

6. Make sure that you thoroughly wash, and if possible peel, all fruits and vegetables before consuming. This especially applies to salads and it is something worth considering when you are eating in a restaurant. Most will be complying with health regulations, but if you are in any doubt about the cleanliness of an establishment, then perhaps better to eat a cooked item on the menu. Also beware of a salad buffet where many hands may be touching the serving spoons before you.

If you are owned by a cat!

1. It is not necessary to give up your pet if you get pregnant, but if possible get someone else to change the litter box every day, as the parasite does not become infectious until 24 hours after elimination.
2. Your cat’s chances of becoming infected are reduced if you feed it cooked home prepared food or high quality tinned food.
3. Do not be tempted to pick up stray kittens or cats if you are pregnant and wait until after the birth to get a new cat. Keep all your pets as parasite free as possible by using one of the number of natural products available. Check with your vet if you are at all concerned about the health of your cat

©Sally Cronin Just Food for Health 1998 – 2019

My nutritional background

I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain. Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 20 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines and posts here on Smorgasbord.

If you would like to browse my health books and fiction you can find them here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

As always delighted to get your feedback and questions. This is not intended to take the place of your doctor’s presence in your life. But, certainly in the UK, where you are allocated ten minutes for a consultation and time is of the essence; going in with some understanding of how your body works and is currently functioning can assist in making a correct diagnosis.

Some doctors believe that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. However, I believe that understanding our bodies, how it works, how we can help prevent health problems and knowing the language that doctors speak, makes a difference.  Taking responsibility for our bodies health is the first step to staying well.

Thanks for dropping in and I hope you find useful.. Sally.

Smorgasbord Health Column – Major Organs and Systems of the body – The Heart – Part Two – Angina, Arrythmia and Valve disorders by Sally Cronin

I appreciate that many of you who have been kindly following the blog for a long time will have seen this post before. However, if you are new to Smorgasbord, I hope you will find interesting.

Last week I looked at the structure and function of the heart: Part One

The Heart – Part Two – Angina, Arrythmia and Valve disorders

One of the main causes of angina and heart disease is atherosclerosis and that is where we should start when looking to change our lifestyle and diet.

Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries as a result of plaque that has built up in the arterial walls narrowing the blood vessels and restricting the flow of oxygen rich blood to the heart and other organs such as the brain. Atherosclerosis accounts for almost 75% of deaths from cardiovascular disease.

What is Angina?

Angina (angina pectoris) is a type of temporary chest pain. There are a number of types but the two, stable and unstable both indicate that there is likely to be coronary heart disease.

Stable angina attacks occur after vigorous exercise that requires additional blood to be sent to the heart. An attack might last from one or two minutes to fifteen minutes. Activities that also increase the risk of an attack are cigarette smoking, stress, abrupt changes in temperature or altitude, heavy meals that are not given time to digest and sudden exertion such as running for a bus or upstairs. These types of attack are also described as “predictable” as they tend to happen between early morning and noon. One reason for this may be the body’s inability to go from a state of complete rest to fully active immediately on getting up in the morning. Like an old car, it takes time to get all functions working efficiently especially if arteries are blocked and oxygen is in short supply.

Unstable angina is more dangerous as it is also unpredictable and will last longer than fifteen minutes. It can occur at rest and without any previous history of heart disease and should be treated as an emergency as it could indicate that the person is just about to suffer a full heart attack.

What are the symptoms of Angina?

People who suffer from angina describe the pain as crushing, burning behind the breastbone and as if there is a weight resting on the chest. The pain can radiate out from the chest and affect the neck, arms, jaw and the abdomen. Women are more likely to experience abdominal pain during an angina episode and it makes it more difficult to establish the problem. The person might also feel light headed and experience a faster than normal heartbeat (arrhythmia)

Some attacks are accompanied by nausea, sweating confusion and dizziness. These kinds of symptoms, particularly in the elderly add to the difficulty of diagnosing the problem.

Whether the episode lasts a minute or longer you should get it checked out. There is a strong possibility that if the attack occurs after eating a very heavy meal that you might be suffering from indigestion. But, if this is happening frequently the causes need to be identified and treated.

However, if the pain has moved from under your diaphragm and you are experiencing discomfort in any of the other areas that I have mentioned above, and the attack lasts for more than a few minutes you should definitely seek medical help.

What are the treatment options for Angina?

The medication most commonly prescribed is Nitrates such as nitro-glycerine that dilates the walls of the blood vessels allowing more blood and therefore oxygen to reach the heart. If there are repeated angina episodes then there could be the addition of beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers.

Beta-blockers slow the heartbeat and also reduce the strength of the muscle contractions taking some of the load off the organ.

Calcium channel blockers block the entry of calcium into the cells. This dilates the coronary arteries and increases the heart’s blood flow.

Antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs inhibit the formation of blood clots by inhibiting the platelets that normal bind together. Aspirin is often prescribed in a relatively low dose, which a patient can take daily.

There are a number of surgical options for advanced stages of atherosclerosis and therefore increased angina attacks. These include angioplasty, stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting.

Angioplasty is a procedure where a balloon-tipped catheter is inserted in the blocked coronary artery and inflated. The balloon compresses the plaque against the walls of the artery, which increases the blood flow. This is usually combined with the inserting of a stent via the catheter. A stent is a small mesh tube that holds the damaged artery open allowing for increased blood flow.

A coronary bypass is a far more invasive procedure, which involves the grafting of the patient’s own veins and arteries, from other parts of the body, around the damaged blood vessels thus by-passing the blockage.

What can we do to prevent Atherosclerosis and Angina?

One of the most important preventative measures that you can take is to learn about your own body and also the medical history of your immediate family. It is more likely that if your parents, grandparents suffered from heart disease or diabetes then you may also be at a higher risk of the same problems. Diabetes sufferers are more likely to suffer from heart problems and monitoring this through regular blood tests is important if there has been a family history of the disease. Having this knowledge gives you the opportunity to make lifestyle choices that reduce your risk of developing heart disease in your own lifetime.

First and foremost you must give up smoking cigarettes, as this is a major contributor to heart disease.

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by itself. When it acts with other factors, it greatly increases risk. Smoking increases blood pressure, inhibits oxygen uptake during exercise and increases the tendency for blood to clot. Smoking also increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery.

In the last three years I have written several blogs regarding both the unhealthy type of LDL cholesterol which has smaller platelets and when oxidised (likely with a poor diet of refined sugars and industrially produced foods) it clumps in the arteries causing blockages and narrowing the blood vessels.

Other common heart conditions.

Apart from Angina, there are a number of other conditions that affect the heart. The good news is that most are either preventable or can be supported with a few changes to your lifestyle.

Arrhythmia and problems with your heartbeat

• Arrhythmia is an erratic and abnormal heart rate. This is most commonly caused by blocked coronary arteries.
• Sinus tachycardia is a regular heartbeat but too fast, usually over 100 beats per minute. It can also be caused by over exertion or stress.
• Atrial fibrillation is caused by abnormal electrical activity and the result is a heartbeat between 300 to 500 beats per minute.
• Ventricular tachycardia is caused by damaged heart muscle resulting in an ineffective heartbeat of between 120–220 beats per minute without the power to push the blood through the system.

Heart murmurs

We normally cannot hear the blood actually flowing through the heart but sometimes there may be some unusual noises that are called murmurs. These indicate that the smooth flow of blood has become unstable due to structural damage inside the heart. This is commonly caused by damage to the valves between the atria and the ventricles which causes either narrowing or leaking.

Heart valve disorders

As with any part of the body, the heart valves are subject to wear and tear. Our heart function is totally dependent on the pumping action and therefore on the health of the valves. There are two types of abnormality, stenosis which is a narrowing of the valve, allowing less blood through and an incompetent valve which allows blood to leak back down into the ventricles through an improperly closed valve.

Some valves can be corrected surgically but it is quite common these days to have the valves replaced completely restoring normal heart function. The replacement valves are made from metal and plastic, which may require medication to prevent clotting, or animal or human tissue which is not as long lasting but does not cause clots.

Next time some foods to include in your diet to help maintain a healthy heart. It may also help you lose weight and if you have read yesterday’s post you will know that the heart beats over 3 billion times in a lifetime and as with any pump it wears out.

Just losing a stone in excess weight can reduce the number of times your heart has to beat every day significantly – saving a million heartbeats a year will extend the life of your heart and therefore your life.

©Sally Cronin Just Food for Health 1998 – 2019

My nutritional background

I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain. Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 20 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines and posts here on Smorgasbord.

If you would like to browse by health books and fiction you can find them here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

As always delighted to get your feedback and questions. This is not intended to take the place of your doctor’s presence in your life. But, certainly in the UK, where you are allocated ten minutes for a consultation and time is of the essence; going in with some understanding of how your body works and is currently functioning can assist in making a correct diagnosis.

Some doctors believe that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. However, I believe that understanding our bodies, how it works, how we can help prevent health problems and knowing the language that doctors speak, makes a difference.  Taking responsibility for our bodies health is the first step to staying well.

Thanks for dropping in and I hope you find useful.. Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Music Column with William Price King – Arturo O’Farrill #jazz musician, pianist and composer.

Welcome to the music column with William Price King and this will be the last column from William until September as he will be embarking on his usual very busy summer months.

This week William shares the music of Arturo O’ Farrill jazz musician, pianist, composer, and director for the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.  and here is official biography from his Website

Image http://www.arturoofarrill.com/

ARTURO O’FARRILL, pianist, composer, and educator, was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. He received his formal musical education at the Manhattan School of Music and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Arturo’s professional career began with the Carla Bley Band and continued as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte. Arturo is a member of the faculties of both the Manhattan School of Music and the School of Jazz at the New School.

In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music. Learn more about ALJA here: http://www.afrolatinjazz.org.

In December 2010 Arturo traveled with the original Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra to Cuba, returning his father’s musicians to his homeland. He continues to travel to Cuba regularly as an informal Cultural Ambassador, working with Cuban musicians, dancers, and students, bringing local musicians from Cuba to the US and American musicians to Cuba.

During 2016-2018, Arturo has performed with orchestras and bands including his own Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Boss Level Sextet, as well as other Orchestras and smaller ensembles in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, and South America.

An avid supporter of all the Arts, Arturo has performed with Ballet Hispanico and the Malpaso Dance Company, for whom he has written three ballets. In addition, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company is touring a ballet entitled “Open Door,” choreographed by Ron Brown to several of Arturo’s compositions and recordings. Ron Brown’s own Evidence Dance Company has commissioned Arturo to compose New Conversations, which premieres Summer of 2018 at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA.

Arturo has received commissions from Meet the Composer, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Philadelphia Music Project, The Apollo Theater, Symphony Space, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Young Peoples Chorus of New York, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Arturo’s well-reviewed and highly praised “Afro-Latin Jazz Suite” from the album CUBA: The Conversation Continues (Motéma) took the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition and the 2016 Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. His powerful “Three Revolutions” from the album Familia-Tribute to Chico and Bebo was the 2018 Grammy Award (his sixth) winner for Best Instrumental Composition.

Now to share some of this wonderful artist’s work that I am sure you will enjoy…..

With the album “Song for Chico”, Arturo O’Farrill pays tribute to his late father Cuban-born Arturo ‘Chico’ O’Farrill, who wrote the well known “Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite” which was recorded in 1950 by Machito and his Afro-Cuban Orchestra with Charlie Parker as guest on the alto saxophone. Chico O’Farrill was known for merging bebop with the Afro-Cuban tradition of Latin jazz. The title track, « Song for Chico, » was written by Dafnis Prieto and the entire album is a joyful mix of musical languages and rhythms with complex and artfully done arrangements. In 2009 O’Farrill and his Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

Courtesy of  Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Topic

“El Bombón” was written and sung by Guantánamo resident “Cotó” Juan de la Cruz Antomarchi and is from the album « Cuba – The Conversation Continues, » which stems from an imaginary conversation between the trumpetist Dizzy Gillespie and Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo during the 1940s and materializes Gillespie’s dream to create universal music. This musical dialogue creates a bridge between Afro-Cuban music and jazz, featuring compositions by six American and four Cuban composers, and played by 24 musicians. This double CD crosses genres while respecting tradition and going beyond boundaries. “The Afro Latin Jazz Suite”, from this album, won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental in 2016.

Courtesy of Arturo O’Farrill

“Three Revolutions” is from the album “Familia: Tribute to Bebo & Chico”, a family reunion bringing together two true pillars of Afro-Latin Jazz – pianists Leyanis Valdés et Auturo O’Farrill, celebrating their fathers and their rich musical family legacies. In this tribute they share a story from the 1950s when Bebo and Chico were musicians in Havana. This album is a testimony to three generations, grand-fathers and parents, Bebo Valdés et Chico O’Farrill, their sons Chico Valdes et Arturo O’Farill; and their grandsons, Levains Valdes, Jessie Valdes, Adam O’Farrill and Zack O’Farrill and represents the scope of their musicality and virtuosity. “Three Revolutions” won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Musical Composition.

Courtesy of motemamusic

“The Offense of the Drum” is the fourth album from Arturo O’Farrill and his Afro Latin Jazz Orchesra and was released in May, 2014. Here he presents not only his 18 – piece band but also 28 percussion instruments from all over the world along side such prestigious musicians as pianist Vijay Iyer, DJ Logic, Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and spoken word artist Christopher “Chilo” Cajigas. Once again Chico O’Farrill demonstrates his talent to combine and modernize his knowledge of the history of jazz and latin jazz with African, Caribbean, and South American influences to post-bop big band jazz. The drums and percussions, used for contestation, are at the heart of Arturo O’Farrill’s music. “Offense of the Drums” won the 2014 Grammy Award for best Latin Jazz Album.

Courtesy of Arturo O’Farrill

Buy the music of Arturo O’Farrill: https://www.amazon.com/Arturo-OFarrill/e/B000APLN4C

Performance Dates: http://www.arturoofarrill.com/calendar

Albums and tracks: http://www.arturoofarrill.com/cds

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

His debut jazz album was entitled “Home,” and was a collection of contemporary compositions he composed, with lyrics written by his wife Jeanne King. His second album was a Duo (Voice and Guitar) with Eric Sempé on the guitar. This album included original songs as well as well known standards from contemporary jazz and pop artists. The “King-Sempé” duo toured France and thrilled audiences for more than three years before going their separate ways. King has formed a new duo with French/Greek guitarist Manolis, and is now exploring new ideas, in a smooth jazz/soul/folk direction.

In addition to singing and composing, King has been collaborating with author Sally Cronin over the past few years on her blog “Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life,” with the series “A Man And His Music – Jazz, Contemporary, Classical, and Legends” and now, the “William Price King Music Column.” Working with author Sally Cronin has been an exhilarating experience in many ways and has brought a new dimension to King’s creative life. King has also created a micro blog, “Improvisation,” which features and introduces mostly jazz artists from across the jazz spectrum who have made considerable contributions in the world of jazz; and also artwork from painters who have made their mark in the world of art. This micro blog can be found on Tumblr.

His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Tormé. King has a distinctive wide-ranging voice which displays a remarkable technical facility and emotional depth.

William Price King on Tumblr – IMPROVISATION – https://williampriceking.tumblr.com

Buy William’s music ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/william-price-king/id788678484

Connect with William

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WilliamPriceKing
Twitter – https://twitter.com/wpkofficial
Regular Venue – http://cave-wilson.com/ 

You can find all of the Music Column series in this directory: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/william-price-king-music-column/

As always we would love to receive your feedback.. thanks Sally and William and I am sure you will join me in wishing William a wonderful summer…

 

Smorgasbord Short Stories – Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction – Waiting for the Bus by Sally Cronin

The last post of the week is in response to Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge by Charli Mills and the prompt this week is ‘Waiting’. This week in her post Charli Mills talks about the challenges they face with completing on their house with VA loans dependent on certain work being carried out and an inspection to check compliance. Added into the mix is a starling intent on building a nest in the most inconvenient place.

Waiting for the Bus by Sally Cronin

The young girl waited anxiously for the bus. She huddled into the long queue of people standing impatiently in the rain, hiding her bulging rucksack between her feet. She was cold and wet but determined to get away from this place. The planning had been carried out meticulously, and she was happy that she had everything needed for a new life. Her stomach began rumbling. It was Friday and her mum made fish and chips for tea. People muttered as the five year old pushed through them, dragging her rucksack and heading down the street. She smiled in anticipation.

©Sally Cronin 2019

If you would like to participate in this week’s Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction here is the link: https://carrotranch.com/2019/06/21/june-20-flash-fiction-challenge/

I have a number of short story collections and you can find my books and their reviews: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have enjoyed my story….thanks Sally.

Tales from the Irish Garden Serialisation – Spring- Chapter Seven – Jeremy the Donkey by Sally Cronin

Spring – Chapter Seven – Jeremy the Donkey

As the magic garden came into bloom, creatures that had been sheltering in the nearby forest during the icy winter began to run and play in the long grass and hedgerows. On the edge of the forest was a small farm, with a herd of beautiful black and white cows and a rather bad tempered bull called Gerard. He had a fearsome temper unless he was romancing one of the ten big-eyed cows in his herd, and even the farmer, Michael, took every precaution when moving him from field to field.

This meant enticing the bull over to the barred gate, and offering him peppermints which he was addicted to. Once his head was over the gate and he was munching away happily, Michael would slip the rope through the ring at the end of his nose, and the bull would then follow quietly behind his master; into the next field.

After one such occasion, when Gerard was safely secured in his own private paddock, Michael let his donkey, Fiona, in with the cows, who always welcomed her with a skip and a little dance. Fiona was normally ignored by the bull when he was grazing with his harem, but the donkey had given them a lovely surprise earlier in the spring. By her side was her son, who was just a few weeks old, and who looked the image of his father. Fiona had been lent to Michael’s brother Thomas the previous winter, to help his donkey Ned pull some fallen trees out of the forest to be cut up for firewood. They had spent some time on their own in Michael’s small paddock, and clearly had become close friends. Now Fiona guided her beloved son Jeremy into the herd of cows that gently inspected and kissed him in welcome.

He was a beautiful baby with large brown eyes like his mother, but strong long legs like his father. The cows thought he was adorable and Fiona was filled with pride as she watched her son being adopted by her herd sisters. None of them saw the anger filled face of the master of the herd however, as he glared across the barbed-wire fence at the little infiltrator. Gerard did not care that Jeremy was a donkey. He was male and that was unacceptable. As the bull chewed on the last of his peppermints, he hatched a plan to get rid of the usurper.

His plan took a few weeks to put into action, since he was now kept separate from his herd by the fence and the iron gate. However, he spent the time fruitfully, pushing his big wide shoulders and rock hard forehead into the wooden gate post. Because Michael just threw the occasional bale of hay over the gate, and only checked Gerard out visually as he ate the offering, he didn’t notice how unstable the gate post had become.

One morning when the bull saw his master drive off in his cart to market, he gave one final push to the damaged post. It collapsed into the field where his herd was grazing peacefully. They and Fiona looked up to see the angry bull, shouldering the now lopsided gate aside and charging towards them. The cows immediately sensed that Gerard’s target was the small and vulnerable Jeremy, and they ganged up together, facing the bull as he closed the gap.

Fiona in the meantime, nudged and pushed Jeremy to the hawthorn hedge that enclosed the field on the forest side, edging him towards a small gap in the greenery.

With the thunder of hooves behind her, Fiona knew there was little time; she was going to have to get Jeremy through the hedge without any delay. She was desperate; aware that she might be pushing her young son into a strange and potentially more dangerous world. But if he stayed it would be even more perilous.

Just as she felt the hot breath of the bull across her tail, she managed to push Jeremy through the small hole in the hedge, and felt him pop out the other side. She nimbly kicked up her heels and caught Gerard across his big beefy nose, twisting to one side as he crashed into the green barrier.

She ran up and down the edge of the field calling to her baby; finally hearing a faint cry as Jeremy, now very bewildered, located her voice.

‘You have to go my son. You only have minutes before that monster breaks through the hedge,’ she desperately tried to get her son to listen to her through his crying. ‘Find the path into the forest and follow it until you get to the magic garden. The Storyteller will take care of you.’ Fiona turned to see that Gerard was madly trying to push himself through the small hole he had created, still mad at the innocent young donkey.

‘Go Jeremy, go now and I will find you one day I promise.’ With that the plucky mother donkey charged at the enraged bull, nipping at his heels with her sharp teeth. Momentarily distracted, Gerard backed out of the hedge and started slashing the grass with one of his front legs, head down and preparing to charge.

But the bully had not taken into account the love that the herd of cows had for Fiona and her son. He was not expecting to find his path blocked by several enraged wives, whilst the others gathered around him to the sides and rear. All the snorting in the world was not going to make any difference against the combined efforts of his harem, who stared at him with determination and anger.

Eventually after much huffing and puffing and stamping of hooves, Gerard nonchalantly sauntered across to his own field, stepping daintily through the open gate, satisfied that he had accomplished his mission of ridding his herd of another male, however small.

Jeremy in the meantime had run as fast as his gangly long legs could carry him. Spotting a sunlit path through the mighty trees, he followed his mother’s instructions until he emerged into a wide grassy field full of meadow flowers. He stood petrified; camouflaged in the shadow of the forest, beginning to feel very alone and hungry.

With a startling whoosh, a long-eared face appeared with a bunch of buttercups between its teeth. Jeremy jumped back in alarm, finding himself backed into the gnarly bark of an old oak tree.

‘Don’t be afraid pet,’ A high-pitched voice issued forth between the petals of the buttercups.

‘My name is Neville and I have been sent by The Storyteller to take you to the vegetable
patch in the magic garden for some supper.’

Jeremy was surprised that he could understand this strange creature, but the mention of food helped persuade him that he should follow his new friend.

‘Come on pal, let’s get hopping, I need to get some carrots before the rest of the warren gets hold of them.’

With that Neville turned tail and hopped off through the long grass. Jeremy took a tentative hoof forward, and then galloped after the rabbit along the path he made towards a distant house; smoke billowing from its chimney.

Soon the young donkey emerged from the meadow grass and passed through an opening in a wooden fence. Neville was there, pulling up a carrot, and he also saw some mice and a badger helping themselves to other vegetables. There were even two foxes eating out of a bowl of chopped chicken wings, and a squirrel drinking from a pan of water. It was very strange indeed.

Jeremy was used to the kind human hand of Michael, his master, so was not afraid when an old man walked into the vegetable patch, heading towards him leading an enormous white goat on a rein.

‘Hello there Jeremy, I heard you were coming to visit us.’ The Storyteller’s soft voice comforted his new visitor. ‘You are going to stay with us and you will see your mother soon, but in the meantime, Esme here is going to be your foster mum and give you some warm milk.’

Warily, Jeremy sidled up to the strange creature that turned to look at him with large wise eyes. He nudged her underbelly and snorted with delight at the rich and strong tasting milk he found. He barely felt the gnarled hand that stroked his back or the sound of his new friends foraging. He missed his mother but he felt safe in this magic place.

Over the next few weeks Jeremy grew bigger and stronger, making some very special friends amongst the other inhabitants of the garden. He even came to the attention of Queen Filigree, who would lead him by a halter and rein of silk as she wondered the garden. Small moss lined baskets of woven twigs were balanced on his back, holding precious herbs and medicinal roots that her majesty would turn into healing potions and tablets.

His only sorrow was that he missed his mother very much; each day he looked towards the forest to see if she might have followed the sunlit path through the trees. The queen and the Storyteller could see that the little donkey was pining. They put their heads together and discussed the problem as they sat on a large toadstool in a patch of sunlight.

One day, after spending a delightful day foraging in the woods for mushrooms for the upcoming royal banquet for King Patrick and Queen Seren, Jeremy and her majesty returned with laden baskets bouncing on his back to the rear of the Storyteller’s cottage. As the Storyteller unloaded the mushrooms, Jeremy heard a gentle throaty purr from behind him. He whirled around to find his mother walking towards him being led by Michael the farmer. He took off like a rocket and was soon standing alongside Fiona, touching her warm coat so closely he could hear her heart beat. She gently caressed his face with her breath and a wave of love and happiness swept through them both.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jeremy saw the Storyteller shaking hands with his former master and some paper changing hands. The queen came over and stroked between Fiona’s ears and gently touched her long face.

‘Hello Fiona my dear, lovely to have you join us and we can now gather many more mushrooms and herbs, the three of us together.’

That evening, Jeremy introduced his mother to all his friends as they gathered in their special vegetable patch. That spring night passed delightfully as new friends exchanged their life stories.

©Sally Cronin 2018

Image Donata Zawadzka Tales from the Irish Garden.

One of the reviews for the book

claire ford fullerton 5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! December 14, 2018

I was attracted to this book because of its title. Show me a title concerning Ireland, and you’ve got my attention! I had seen good reviews of this book and, as are legions of others, have been a devoted fan of author Sally Cronin’s blog Smorgasbord on WordPress for years. And so it was that I bought Tales From the Irish Garden, not fully knowing what to expect. To say I was roped in from the onset puts it mildly! I was immediately bowled over by the minute details in this highly creative story, one part fantasy, one part fairy story and all parts sheer, delightful suspension of belief. Only, and here’s the kicker, as I read this engaging story, lured along by its romantic, magical undercurrents, I began to intuit the deeply human parables! Sally Cronin is a writer gifted with insight, humor, whimsy, and unparalleled story pacing abilities. Tales From the Irish Garden invites the reader to enter a plausible, magical realm so real as to make the reader want to stay there.

If you would like to browse my other ebooks.. you can find their reviews https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

Thank you for dropping in and I hope you enjoy the rest of the book.. Chapter seven tomorrow… Sally.

The previous chapters of Tales from the Irish Garden can be found here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/tales-from-the-irish-garden-serialisation/

 

Tales from the Irish Garden Serialisation – Spring – Chapter Six – The Magic Garden Comes to Life by Sally Cronin

Spring – Chapter Six – The Magic Garden Comes to Life

A month after the arrival of Queen Filigree and her court, springtime had brought magnificent colour and creatures to the magic garden. However, there was still sadness in the heart of its queen as she had lived in her previous magnolia tree palace for over 700 years. She had been married twice in that time. Once for over 450 years to a tall and dashing king who had made her heart sing. But he had fallen for one of her ladies-in-waiting and, after fifty years in exile, had been banished to the world of humans.

The Queen in those fifty years had been romanced by many who were keen to be king of her magic palace and its riches, but only one had captured her heart. A blonde and very handsome prince who was some years younger and who had the singing voice of a lark. They had married one summer and had been blissfully happy for twenty years until one day, completely out of the blue, her king had been struck down by a bite from a mosquito and had never recovered. Her majesty had been heartbroken but she was still a young woman, as far as fairy queens go. She yearned to find someone to dance and laugh with and to kiss beneath the glittering firefly chandelier.

Apart from this lack of male attention, she had to admit that their move to this green and welcoming island had been for the best. Despite missing some of the refinements of her palace in Spain, she appreciated that those had taken place during her 700 years on the throne. There was no reason why she could not bring some of those niceties to this palace in time. Income was beginning to pick up from sales of the very special honey that was being produced by the Queen Bee and her subjects. A local amber nectar brewery had commissioned a barrel a month to add to one of their special brews for the coming summer festivals they so loved here. A barrel of honey took a great deal of bees and time to produce, but the income would keep the court in food and necessities for an entire year.

The people were a delight too, and she was particularly fond of the Storyteller whose life had also held sorrow. He was reluctant to talk about his family but she sensed that one day he would share what was troubling him. He had been so generous and clearly she and her court filled a void in his life; which brought her joy. And as for the Dapperman, he was a positive gift for any woman of taste, and she delighted in her new wardrobe of such exquisite design and colour.

The Storyteller assured her that the magic garden that surrounded the magnolia tree was completely safe to venture forth into, and with the warmer weather of late spring, Queen Filigree found herself in a wild part of the garden with the scent of roses perfuming the air. She sat on top of a broad headed mushroom by some old steps; guarded by her faithful eagles who attended her whenever she left the safety of the palace. They had flown across from Spain at the wing tips of her carrier goose, and now resided at the top of the palace with the pigeons until needed.

She was wearing one of the new day dresses that had been designed by the Dapperman, and her hair had been freshly styled by her chief lady in waiting. She crossed her legs and admired her new emerald green shoes that matched the silky material of her dress, thinking how sad it was that there was no handsome suitor to admire it.

As the heady scent of the roses filled her nostrils, she closed her eyes and let the rays of the sun fall onto her flawless complexion. Was she really destined to spend the next thousand years of her life alone? Was there anyone in this new and strange land who would be suitable for a woman of her position? Suddenly she sensed that her eagles were moving around in an agitated manner and opened her eyes… She was somewhat reassured that the Storyteller had been adamant that no harm would ever befall any of the court in his magic garden, but something had spooked her guardians.

‘Well now, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes’. With a gasp of outrage, Queen Filigree turned to find herself staring into bright green eyes beneath an unruly mop of red hair. She blushed as she realised that she was staring, but she had to admit the face that went with the eyes and the hair was remarkably handsome.

‘Do you know who you are addressing?’ she demanded haughtily. She was even more annoyed when this was met with very manly laughter, and turned to her guardians who were standing wing to wing in front of their queen.

‘Begone you impudent wretch or I shall set my guardians on you and you won’t be laughing then.’ She crossed her arms and gave the man her most regal glare.

‘Suit yourself darlin’, but I have come a long way to meet you, and the least you could do is invite me down to that palace of yours.’

‘Darlin’, who are you calling darlin’ you ruffian.’ With that Queen Filigree got off the mushroom and began to walk back through the garden with her eagles close at her heel.

From behind her she heard footsteps along the stone path and looked over her shoulder to see the tall stranger following. She had to admit, in his heather coloured linen trousers and fitted tweed jacket he looked like a fine figure of a man, and for a moment she wondered if she had conjured him up when day-dreaming of romance in the sun?

‘Why are you following me you horrid man, go away or I will order my eagles to tear you to pieces.’ Even her eagles looked at her sideways when she uttered this bit of nonsense. They hadn’t picked anything to pieces except their dinner for centuries; relying on their size and wingspan to intimidate.

‘Allow me to introduce myself to your majesty,’ the stranger softened his voice to a rather alluring tone. ‘My name is Prince Ronan, and I have come to pay the respects of my father and mother, King Patrick and Queen Seren of the Kingdom of Sean-Choill in the forest to the south of here.’ With that the prince stopped on the path and waited for the queen to respond.

‘Well why didn’t you say so in the beginning?’ Unexpectedly, the queen felt a little fluttering in her heart at this surprising turn of events.

‘You may follow me and make your formal presentation to the court, but please maintain your distance.’ She had to say, she didn’t appreciate the grin that spread across this impudent prince’s face but, as she turned back to the path, she found herself smiling in anticipation.

Her heart was not the only one that was all of a flutter at the appearance of this strikingly handsome redheaded man, as he crossed the threshold of the palace, and was escorted by the royal guard into the throne room… The queen flounced into the velvet covered seat and crossed one elegant leg over the other. She beckoned to Prince Ronan to approach; waiting for him to drop to one knee in respect… Instead he walked right up to her and took her delicate hand in his own. He grinned at her, winking, as he leant over and kissed the captured palm, before returning it to her lap. Despite the audacity of the man, Filigree had to admit that she had not felt this young in the last 50 years.

He stepped back and stood with his hands behind his back, and once Filigree had regained her composure, she smiled regally and gestured to one of the footmen to bring across a chair to sit on.

‘You may now speak,’ she announced imperiously.

‘Thank you so much your majesty,’ he smiled charmingly. ‘I am here on behalf of my mother Queen Seren, to ask if she and my father might pay a visit next month, when they travel through the magic garden on their way to their summer home in the land of Meath.’

His green eyes stared directly at the queen and she felt a blush rising up from her neck to bring a glow to her cheeks.

‘That would be entirely acceptable, and please convey my pleasure at the prospect of meeting the King and Queen. We would be delighted to accommodate them in the guest chambers and hold a dinner in their honour.’

She gestured to her court social director and rose from the throne. ‘Please accompany Sir Justin to his office where you can discuss the dates and times of arrival and please convey my best wishes to your parents.’

He bowed elegantly, and dismissed, turned and followed Sir Justin out of the throne room.

However, just as he reached the ornately carved doors, Prince Ronan turned and winked at her, causing her to gasp with irritation, tinged with a little bit of excitement. Perhaps it might be time to call in Dapperman to plan her new dress for the royal visit.

©Sally Cronin 2018

Image Donata Zawadzka Tales from the Irish Garden.

One of the reviews for the book

claire ford fullerton 5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! December 14, 2018

I was attracted to this book because of its title. Show me a title concerning Ireland, and you’ve got my attention! I had seen good reviews of this book and, as are legions of others, have been a devoted fan of author Sally Cronin’s blog Smorgasbord on WordPress for years. And so it was that I bought Tales From the Irish Garden, not fully knowing what to expect. To say I was roped in from the onset puts it mildly! I was immediately bowled over by the minute details in this highly creative story, one part fantasy, one part fairy story and all parts sheer, delightful suspension of belief. Only, and here’s the kicker, as I read this engaging story, lured along by its romantic, magical undercurrents, I began to intuit the deeply human parables! Sally Cronin is a writer gifted with insight, humor, whimsy, and unparalleled story pacing abilities. Tales From the Irish Garden invites the reader to enter a plausible, magical realm so real as to make the reader want to stay there.

If you would like to browse my other ebooks.. you can find their reviews https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/

Thank you for dropping in and I hope you enjoy the rest of the book.. Chapter seven tomorrow… Sally.

The previous chapters of Tales from the Irish Garden can be found here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/tales-from-the-irish-garden-serialisation/