Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – April 12th -18th – Relationships, ABBA, Guacamole, Pasta, Guests, Poetry and Funnies.

Welcome to the Smorgasbord weekly round up with posts that you might have missed.

I hope you are all doing okay and that family and friends are doing well also. It has reached that critical mass in the pandemic, that it  is more likely you will know someone who has been infected with Covid-19, and it the case with us with friends in America and Spain. Thankfully recovered, but still very concerning, when all you can do is offer platitudes rather than practical help.

Being over 65 here in Ireland as far as the supermarkets is concerned, puts you in the elderly and vulnerable category, and it is certainly less stressful shopping in the designated time slots. It is tough though to accept that is how you are perceived, despite being active and in good health.  I know it is for our own benefit, but I have to make sure that fear does not drift into the rest of my activities.

Despite physical changes to our bodies, how we feel inside is unlikely to have changed dramatically since our mid-20s. Our thoughts and emotions may have matured to achieve balance, but that does not change our fundamental personality. If we did not look in the mirror, our perception of ourselves is largely based on how we feel and think, and it is important that the label that has been given us during this crisis, does not take away our independence or freedom to undertake new  adventures in the future.

I will admit that right now going through an airport, getting on a plane and mingling with thousands of strangers is not top of my wish list, but I hope that over time, I will still spread my own wings and live as I have always lived, seeking new places, people to meet and stimulating experiences.

In the meantime we have a lot to be grateful for with the Internet, so that even from my office chair, I can reach out around the world and touch base with you from the safety of my own comfort zone. I realised the importance of the world wide web before this pandemic, but now treasure it beyond belief, as I am sure you all do.

Anyway, around here things are operating as usual, and my thanks as always to the contributors for keeping their wonderful posts coming and to you for your continued support.

And despite the lock down…a little bit of a celebration as the blog passed 1 million views since October 2013 this week.

Here are the posts from the week that you might have missed.

Part two of the Easter Parade with flashback photos and music from D.G. Kaye, Robbie Cheadle, John Howell, Miriam Hurdle and Mary Smith

D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – Know when it’s time to go – When giving becomes one-sided

The Music Column with William Price King – ABBA – Part One -Meet the Group. Posted on April 14, 2020 by Smorgasbord – Variety is the Spice of Life.

Carol Taylor – A – Z of Food -‘G’ for Ginger, Garlic, Guacamole, Goosefat and Gribige…

Italian Cookery with Silvia Todesco – Butternut squash and porcini mushrooms noodles. Different. Fast. Easy. Delicious

Memoir – Life on the Ocean Wave – Chapter Two – Royal Navy Training -1936 and two encounters with the King and HMS Nelson by Eric Coleman

#Memoir #Waterford #Ireland 1920s – The Colour of Life – My Grandfather’s Story 1930 by Geoff Cronin

Letters from America 1985-1987 – Adventures in the USA – Homesickness, First Dinner Party, Huntsville State Park

Western Romance Thundertree by Sandra Cox

Double Etheree – Sunflower Seeds

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Special – #Non-Fiction – #Anthology – #Pre-Order May 1st – Deep Down & Dirty Writing Secrets: : A Treasure Trove of Writing Tips

#Thriller Paulette Mahurin, #Memoir Marian Longenecker Beaman, #Fantasy #Western Jean Lee

#Mystery Judy Penz Sheluk, #Dystopian Teri Polen, #Writing Denise O’Hagan

-#Thriller Mark Bierman, #PsychologicalThriller Lucinda E. Clarke, #Dystopian Alex Craigie

How a novel is born: “Love of a Stonemason” by Christa Polkinhorn

Friendships – Online and Otherwise by D.G. Kaye

Adding Real Life Issues In Our Novels #DiabetesSucks by Jacquie Biggar

Remembering my Frugal Mother by Sharon Marchisello

#Convents: the Religious Life of Medieval Women by Patricia Furstenberg

Food Therapy – Green Tea – One small leaf with terrific health benefits

More funnies from D.G. Kaye and a joke or two from Sally.

More funnies from D.G. Kaye and a joke or two from Sally.

Thank you for visiting and your support.. stay safe and look forward to seeing you again next week.. Sally.