Monthly Archives: October 2021

Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives 2021 – #Potluck – April Children’s Book Reviews @BookTrib by Miriam Hurdle

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Since this series began in January 2018 there have been over 1100 Posts from Your Archives where bloggers have taken the opportunity to share posts to a new audience… mine.

The topics have ranged from travel, childhood, recipes, history, family and the most recent series was #PotLuck where I shared a random selection of different topics. This series is along the same lines… but is a ‘Lucky Dip’

In this series I will be sharing posts from the first six months of 2021 – details of how you can participate are at the end of the post.

This is the second post from children’s author and poet Miriam Hurdle and was published in April 2021 and is a bumper collection of reviews for children’s books.

April Children’s Book Reviews @BookTrib

I became a member of the BookTrib Children’s Book Network beginning this year. Each month the members receive a “Booster Box” with several children’s books to read and share on the social media network. I received my first package of books in March, and read then posted reviews on Amazon and Twitter.

Where, Oh Where, Is Barnaby Bear? by Wendy Rouillard

This board book has beautiful and colorful illustrations. The bright and definite contrasting colors are appealing to the toddlers. The sentences are from three to ten words, easy for the little ones to follow along.

Barnaby’s friends were searching for him while he is on an adventure. They wonder if he is in a balloon or has flown to the moon, is he down by the sea, or has gone out to tea. At the end, they found him in his cozy bed with his sleepy head.

The toddlers would love the rhymes and would read along with the adults.

Amazon Twitter

The Colorless Chameleon | A Picture Book For Young Readers 4-8 | Can Chameleon Find Her Voice and Stand Up for What She Wants? | Kids Relate to Her Desire to be Heard and Understood by [Hayley Irvin, Rachel Bostick, Cassidy Reynolds, Samantha Jo Phan]

The Colorless Chameleon by Hayley Irvin

Chameleon was a colorful lizard. She greeted her jungle friends with her vibrant colors. One day, the animals were preparing a party, her friends liked her colors and wanted to have them. The elephant took her blue before she agreed to it; the lemur took her red, and the crocodile took her yellow. Before long, she h.ad no colors left and no way to express herself. When her thoughtful friend flamingo asked how she was doing, she had no voice because her colors were gone with the colors. Flamingo asked if she were going to the party, she finally could shout, “No.” After they talked, Chameleon went to her friends who took her colors and asked them to return the colors to her. They were not happy about it but agreed to do so. Chameleon was her happy self again.

This hardcover book has beautiful illustrations with eye pleasing colors. It’s a delightful book for young children to read and learn to stand up for themselves.

Amazon Twitter

The Tale of Ferdinand Frog by [Mark Hughes]

The Tale of Ferdinand Frog by Mark Hughes

This book has three parts, The Problem, The Quest, and The Answer. The length and the word count of the book appear to be a chapter book.

The story is about Ferdinand Frog who was in love with Felicity Fogmore-Frog. Ferdinand’s friend, Wrinkleskin Rat, came to tell him that the evil snake, Samuel, wanted to win Felicity’s heart even though Felicity’s parents disliked Samuel the snake. Wrinkleskin Rat suggested seeing the wisdom and help from Osmiroid Owl. Two of them traveled miles deep into the wood and got frightened. They were rescued by Endroglen Eagle. They finally met Osmiroid Owl, who advised Ferdinand that with love, he could overcome the evil of the snake.

The text and the gorgeous illustrations are on the alternate pages. The lovely rhyming words read like poetry and song lyrics.

Amazon Twitter

Banana Fun Bread by [LEAR RIOJAS Illustrations by Chrissie Vales, Chrissie Vales]

Banana Fun Bread by LEAR RIOJAS Illustrations by Chrissie Vales

Banana Fun Bread is about a little boy, Fred chasing his imaginary banana bread everywhere. The rhyming words would appeal to little ones from baby to toddler. Sentences are easy for these kids to understand, such as:

“One loaf, two loaf, come back three, why do you run away from me?

Who, who, who are you? Don’t you know it’s too late for you?”

The illustrations are in pastel colors with cute expressions.

Amazon Twitter

If you’re interested in receiving free children’s books, please check out the website BookTrib Children’s Book Network for more information.

©Miriam Hurdle 2021

About Miriam Hurdle

Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She published four children’s books at twenty-six years old. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon.

Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.

Books by Miriam Hurdle

Read the reviews and buy the books:Amazon US – And:Amazon UK – – Goodreads: Miriam Hurdle – Blog: The Showers of Blessings – Twitter: @mhurdle112

My thanks to Miriam for allowing me to share posts from her archives… and I know she would be delighted to hear from you.

How you can feature in the series?

  • All I need you to do is give me permission to dive in to your archives and find two posts to share here on Smorgasbord. (sally.cronin@moyhill.com)
  • Rather than a set topic, I will select posts at random of general interest across a number of subjects from the first six months of 2021. (it is helpful if you have a link to your archives in your sidebar by month)
  • As I will be promoting your books as part of the post along with all your information and links so I will not be sharing direct marketing or self- promotional posts in the series.
  • If you are an author I am sure you will have a page on your blog with the details, and an ‘about page’ with your profile and social media links (always a good idea anyway). I will get everything that I need.
  • As a blogger I would assume that you have an ‘about page’ a profile photo and your links to social media.
  • Copyright is yours and I will ©Your name on every post… and you will be named as the author in the URL and subject line.
  • Previous participants are very welcome to take part again.
  • Each post is reformatted for my blog and I don’t cut and paste, this means it might look different from your own post.
  • If I do share a post which contains mainly photographs I will share up to five and link back to the original post for people to view the rest.

N.B – To get the maximum benefit from your archive posts, the only thing I ask is that you respond to comments individually and share on your own social media.. thank you.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Memories, Music and Movies – 1970/1971 – On the stage – Interview – Full time employment -Rod Stewart and Shirley Bassey by Sally Cronin

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I cannot remember a time when music and movies where not a part of my life.

1970/1971 – On the stage – Interview – Full time employment -Rod Stewart and Shirley Bassey

In the first part of 1970, apart from studying for my secretarial and commercial o’level exams, I joined the college dramatic society under the direction of Mrs. Betty Lavington. This led to a leading role in that year’s production…Passion Flower, the operetta version of Carmen. To say that the last night of the run was dramatic was putting it mildly and did share recently how the events of that night impacted my dreams of going on the stage and you can read all about it if you missed the post: Thank you Mrs Lavington – Sally aged Seventeen

In July of 1970 I left Highbury Technical College with a diploma in secretarial studies. Whilst I worked the summer along the seafront in my role as taste controller for the whipped ice-cream machine!… I was also occupied with finding my first full-time job. To be honest I was earning around £7 a week with tips and was slightly disheartened to see that my diploma only qualified me for jobs that paid £6.50 or less in some offices.

My mother felt that at least it would be a stepping stone to better things in the future and that selling ice-creams was not necessarily a career. I persisted and indeed attended several interviews. One stands out in my mind as a watershed moment. The interview was conducted by a rather fossilised lady of a certain age who reminded me of my headmistress. The lady in question was a lovely human being I am sure but her opening statement made me reconsider my application.

‘I have worked here for Gamble Your Money Away Solicitors since I was a gal myself you know, forty years and just coming up for retirement. I am looking for a worthy replacement that I can train into my job over the next year.’

The next day when the evening paper came out I decided to change tack and lo and behold an advert leapt out of the page at me.

Secretary/Receptionist required for Dental Practice in Southsea.

Two days later I was interviewed by Roland Phillips.. He too was on the elderly side and in fact was 67 years old. I was seventeen but we hit it off and I was hired to begin the following Monday.

That was the September of 1970, but things evolved by accident. As we entered 1971, his full-time chair-side assistant collapsed during a surgical procedure. I heard the thump as I was preparing the accounts for Mr. Phillips private patients. Even though I only entered the surgery occasionally my uniform was a smart white coat over black skirt and white blouse.

This was intended to impress upon the patients that all the staff in the practice – the three of us were dental professionals.

I feared the worst. Had the patient fallen out of the chair during the procedure or even worse had Mr. Phillips succumbed to his advanced years in the middle of surgery. It quickly became apparent that this was not the case.

‘Miss Coleman, please get in here immediately.’

I entered the surgery to find that his nurse was now sitting in a chair holding her head in her hands and looking very pale around the gills.

‘Ah Miss Coleman,’ he smiled at the patient who was looking a little discomforted at this point, mouth wide open and wide-eyed.

‘Could you be so kind to take over and continue with the suction.’

It turned out that the lovely nurse who had been with him for many years was unexpectedly pregnant and could no longer stand the sight of blood. Luckily I was not squeamish and we swapped roles.

I learned on the job as well as studied at home with books from Mr. Phillips library. Over the next two years it became just the two of us and I learned a huge amount from this former Army dentist. You can read more about the adventures Thank you Roland Phillips DDS for teaching me about work ethics

In the February of 1971 I was 18 years old and my father who had retired officially from the navy in late January was able to pull off a very special treat to celebrate. His last job in the Royal Navy was as Staff Weapons Electrical Officer Bellerophon, which was the headquarters for Reserve Ships, based in HMS Belfast berthed alongside the shore establishment HMS Excellent.

HMS Belfast was also officially retired in January 1971 but it would be July before she was moved to her new berth and restoration on the Thames in London. My father wangled the use of the Captain’s Cabin on HMS Belfast before he left the ship for an early celebration of my 18th. I chose the menu. Beef Wellington and Baked Alaska. A wonderful memory.

So to the music of 1971 and there was still a very mixed bag in the top 10 of the day. Number one was Dawn with Knock Three Times followed by Rod Stewart – Maggie May (a hot favourite at the club I frequented on Tuesday and Thursday nights), TRex with Hot Love, George Harrison – My Sweet Lord, The Tams – Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me, The Mixtures – Pushbike Song, Diana Ross – I’m Still Waiting (popular too on Tuesdays and Thursdays to end the night with!) The New Seekers – Never Ending Song of Love and Judy Collins with Amazing Grace.

The one song that stuck out like a sore thumb for most of us teens was Clive Dunn with Grandad and number 5 for the year!

Anyway in honour of Rod Stewart fans and all the times I tripped the light fantastic to the song.. Maggie May.  Courtesy Rod Stewart

There were a couple of gems further down the charts… At 35 James Taylor with You’ve Got A Friend, at 50 The Jackson Five with I’ll Be There and Neil Diamond with Sweet Caroline another one of my all time favourites.

The films of the year were also a mixed bag. Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, Dirty Harry, Harold and Maude (great film if you can get a copy) The Omega Man, The Last Picture Show and of course a Bond film.. Diamonds Are Forever.

The wonderful Shirley Bassey gave this movie theme song the star touched treatment. Thanks to James Reed

1971 was the year that I fell in love for the first time.. And got my heart broken.. It was not to be the last time but like a bad cold boosts your immune system, heartbreak boosts your capacity to love…

Next time 1972..strikes, antiques, hairpieces, Amazing Grace and the Godfather…..

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – 24th- 30th October 2021 – Halloween Party, Out and About, 1981 Top Hits, Bloggers and Authors, Reviews, Health and Humour

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Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord

I hope you are all doing well.. Still too many cases of Covid around the world but I am sure like me you are still taking precautions when out and about.

Nothing really to report on the home front as we are waiting on a couple of indoor jobs to be done this week.. chimney swept and the wood burner repairs. After a month of rain in three days, like much of the UK, we are grateful for a dry and sunny day. Just a brief respite but very welcome.

Happy Halloween and wishing you a great many more treats than tricks.. I have shared a party to celebrate the event which was first aired in 2018 with some great guests in costume.. and a guessing game as to who they are.. There is also food, drink and music.

Halloween Fancy Dress Party Rewind with fabulous guests, Music, Food and Flaming Shots

My thanks to Harmony Kent and Balroop Singh for their lovely features this week and was very grateful for their kind reviews..

Harmony Kent Reviews Life is Like a Mosaic

Balroop Singh reviews books by Sally and Mae Clair

Just to let you know that the current series is now closed but I have great posts to share with you up to December 8th.. All things being well I will run a new series early in the New Year. Thanks to all who have participated.

Huge thanks to William Price King, D.G. Kaye (Debby Gies) and Daniel Kemp this week for the terrific contributions.. and to your for dropping in and supporting the blog in many ways.

On with the show

Chart Hits 1981 Part One- Luther Vandross, Kenny Rogers, Phil Collins, Dolly Parton

The Music Column 7th Anniversary – A wonderful collaboration with William Price King

Memories, Music and Movies – 1968 – Southsea Seafront – The Funfair – Mary Hopkins and Funny Girl

1969 – Moon Landing – Exams – Peter Sarstedt, Creedance and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

#Children’s #Fairies – The Tree Fairies by D.L. Finn

Rewind 2017 – #Children’s Sir Chocolate and the Sugar Dough Bees Story and Cookbook – Robbie and Michael Cheadle

Rewind 2017 – #Historical #Family Saga – A Hundred Tiny Threads by Judith Barrow

#Potluck – #ChineseNewYear by Miriam Hurdle

Know Your Worth – Claire Plaisted with A Conversation about Perceived Value Posted on Facebook by Amanda Zito.

-#Grandchildren – I’m curious – How do you do it? by Jan Sikes

My Favorite Commercials – Abbie Johnson Taylor

#Teaching – My Tibetan Girls by Darlene Foster

Weekly Grocery Shopping List by Nutrient – Part Four – #Phosphorus to #Zinc by Sally Cronin

October 26th #Reviews James J. Cudney, Colleen Chesebro, D.G. Kaye, #Story Elizabeth Gauffreau, #Storms John W. Howell

October 28th 2021 – #Environment Carol Taylor, #Review Harmony Kent, #Tribute Pete Springer with Jennie Fitzkee, #Interview Valentina Cirasola with James J. Cudney #selfservice D.G. Kaye

New Book on the Shelves – #Family #LGBTQ – His Ladyship by Stevie Turner

New Book on the Shelves – #Romance #Mystery – The Art of Spirit Capture by Geoff Le Pard

#Anthology – Autumn Paths – Seasonal Collective of Nine Authors

#Reviews – #Canada Margaret Lindsay Holton, #Mystery Fiona Tarr, #Thriller J.P. Mclean

#Fantasy C.S. Boyack, #Poetry Colleen M. Chesebro, #Historical #Witchcraft Nancy Kilgore

#Prehistoric #Adventure Jacqui Murray, #Postwar #Russia Marina Osipova, #Psychological Thriller Vashti Quiroz-Vega

October 26th 2021 -Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Diet Tips and News Flashes..

October 28th 2021 – Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp – Infringement and Cake Mix

 

Thank you very much for joining me and I hope you have enjoyed the posts.. please drop in again next week… Sally.

Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives 2021 – #Potluck – #Teaching – My Tibetan Girls by Darlene Foster

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Since this series began in January 2018 there have been over 1100 Posts from Your Archives where bloggers have taken the opportunity to share posts to a new audience… mine.

The topics have ranged from travel, childhood, recipes, history, family and the most recent series was #PotLuck where I shared a random selection of different topics. This series is along the same lines… but is a ‘Lucky Dip’

In this series I will be sharing posts from the first six months of 2021 – details of how you can participate are at the end of the post.

This is the second post from children’s author and travel blogger Darlene Foster and was published in April 2021. Darlene shares how she achieved her childhood dream of becoming a teacher and a very special group of students.

My Tibetan Girls

Ever since I was a little girl, my dream was to be a teacher. I loved learning, loved going to school and was lucky to have had some wonderful teachers. When adults would ask the inevitable question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would stand tall, even though I was very short for my age, and proudly state, “A teacher.”

But, as is often the case, life happens while you are making other plans and I didn’t become a teacher. I had great jobs in retail management, recruitment and employment counselling. But I still longed to teach. So, after my children were grown up and I was already a grandmother, I enrolled in a Teaching English as a Second Language, distance learning program with the University of Saskatchewan. This was a two year program. Since I was working full time, I did my lessons in the evenings after work. I graduated with a Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language shortly after my fiftieth birthday. It was a proud day.

At last, a teaching certificate.

My first job after graduation was teaching six orphaned Tibetan teenage girls who planned to work in health care eventually. Since many of the volunteer doctors they would be working alongside would be from English speaking countries, they required English communication skills. They had come to Canada for six months for that reason, sponsored by medical professionals. They already had some basic English language skills.

The students were delightful and soaked up the learning like sponges. We had so much fun. I learned as much about their culture as they did about North American life. They especially loved learning the idioms. As I left the school to catch the bus home one afternoon, they shouted, “Break your legs.”

We laughed and we cried together. A lesson about camping became a lesson in birth control. I taught them how to make hamburgers and they taught me how to make momos. It was an incredible experience.

I invited them to my house for a typical Canadian barbeque. I also invited my daughter and everyone got along so well. The girls sang and did a Tibetan dance for us. They said, “Now you have seven daughters.”

After six months, they graduated from my class with much improved English skills. We held a ceremony for them at the school the day before they were to return to Tibet. There were many tears shed that day. They had already left the building when one of the girls, Lasha, came running back in to give me one more hug. I still shed tears thinking about it.

This was another dream come true for me. I had other wonderful jobs teaching English to non English speakers and met some amazing people from all over the world, but these girls will always be my special students. It was the most rewarding job I have ever had and I will never forget my Tibetan girls.

Have you had a job that was extra special? 

©Darlene Foster 2021

About Darlene Foster

Growing up on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world, and meeting interesting people. She also believed in making her dreams come true. It’s no surprise she’s now the award-winning author of Amanda Travels, a children’s adventure series featuring a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places. Readers of all ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. When not travelling herself, Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, Spain with her husband and entertaining dogs.

A selection of books by Darlene Foster

amandadanubefinal978192676055151pisqlz-zl-_sx309_bo1204203200_

Find out more about Darlene’s books and read the reviews: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Website/Blog: Darlene Foster WordPress – Goodreads: Goodreads – Twitter: @supermegawoman

My thanks to Darlene for allowing me to share posts from her archives… and I know she would be delighted to hear from you.

How you can feature in the series?

  • All I need you to do is give me permission to dive in to your archives and find two posts to share here on Smorgasbord. (sally.cronin@moyhill.com)
  • Rather than a set topic, I will select posts at random of general interest across a number of subjects from the first six months of 2021. (it is helpful if you have a link to your archives in your sidebar by month)
  • As I will be promoting your books as part of the post along with all your information and links so I will not be sharing direct marketing or self- promotional posts in the series.
  • If you are an author I am sure you will have a page on your blog with the details, and an ‘about page’ with your profile and social media links (always a good idea anyway). I will get everything that I need.
  • As a blogger I would assume that you have an ‘about page’ a profile photo and your links to social media.
  • Copyright is yours and I will ©Your name on every post… and you will be named as the author in the URL and subject line.
  • Previous participants are very welcome to take part again.
  • Each post is reformatted for my blog and I don’t cut and paste, this means it might look different from your own post.
  • If I do share a post which contains mainly photographs I will share up to five and link back to the original post for people to view the rest.

N.B – To get the maximum benefit from your archive posts, the only thing I ask is that you respond to comments individually and share on your own social media.. thank you.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Memories, Music and Movies – 1969 – Moon Landing – Exams – Peter Sarstedt, Creedance and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid by Sally Cronin

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I cannot remember a time when music and movies where not a part of my life.

1969 – Moon Landing – Exams – Peter Sarstedt, Creedance and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

It is 1969 and Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first humans on the Moon, Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on July 20, at 20:18 UTC. Neil Armstrong became the first man to step onto the lunar surface six hours later on July 21 at 02:56 UTC.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

That was the year I was 16 and about to take some small steps that were to be a giant leap for womankind… Well me anyway… Still at school but in my final year.. My headmistress and my mother had a meeting with me present about my choices.. Stay on for A Levels and go to university or to leave school and attend secretarial college.

I was a spectator to the discussion rather than a participant. Given my choice I would have gone to drama school so that I could pursue an acting and singing career but opinions seemed to differ.

My headmistress a rather severe and dry woman of indeterminate age felt that academically it would be a waste of time for me to continue for another two years as I would be unlikely to be accepted for a university. She felt that a secretary or nurse would be a more suitable profession for me.

My mother agreed and it was arranged for me to go to Highbury Technical College in Cosham at the beginning of September for a one year secretarial course.

I did instigate the discussion at home, as to my desire to pursue life on the stage, but wisely my parents insisted that I have something to fall back on…(little did I know that fate would take a hand with regard to my dreams.. more next time)

I ended up with five O levels and spent the summer working along the seafront at my part-time job and putting money aside for non-uniform and more hip clothing as a college student.

However in my spare time I was having a great time.. I was tall and despite being only 16 I could get away with going to the pub.. Also through my father’s social life in the Royal Navy, I got invited to certain functions where I met young midshipmen who were kind enough to ask me out. I must admit that they thought I was taking my A Levels rather than O Levels…. So thought I was 18…

With my earnings and also by delving through my sister Diana’s wardrobe I was able to buy or borrow the expected LBD… Little Black Dress. I would head to school on a Friday and my satchel held more than the usual school books. My LBD along with suitable heels, make-up and underpinnings. I would change after netball practice into a butterfly. I would sail out of the school gates under the noses of the same aforementioned Head Mistress who would peer over her glasses in bemusement as to which of her students I might be. I would sashay across the pavement and hop into the waiting sports car where a young man would be waiting in mess kit. She really should have recognised an actress when she saw one!

Anyway to the music that I loved that year and the Top Ten was overflowing with amazing tracks and the top artists of the day. By 1969 the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll movement was in full voice and here are some of the favourites of the day.

The Archies with Sugar, Sugar, Rolling Stones with Honky Tonk Women, Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg with Je T’aime, Marvin Gaye and I Heard It Through the Grapevine and here is one that still makes me go weak at the knees 46 years later… Where do you go to my lovely – Peter Sarstedt

There were still some iconic artists in the top 10 and these included Frank Sinatra and the classic My Way, Fleetwood Mac and Albatross and Bobbie Gentry with I’ll Never Fall In Love Again which was the anthem of all teenage girls that I knew!

However, I could not feature 1969 and not include the song that has been with me in various formats and on my playlist today. Bad moon rising Creedance Clearwater Revival

The films in 1969 were also some of the best and included True Grit with John Wayne, The Italian Job with Michael Caine, Midnight Cowboy with Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman and Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson.

But who could forget Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head from that amazing film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Robert Redford and Paul Newman.

 

So that was 1969.. 1970 saw some dreams realised, romance and full-time employment.. Yikes. See you next time.

Other sources Wikipedia Apollo 11

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Halloween Fancy Dress Party Rewind with fabulous guests, Music, Food and Flaming Shots

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Image Student Chill out

In 2018 I held a Halloween Party with a number of guests in costume with food and music to mark the occasion.. with various things going on … I didn’t have time to get a celebration together for this year.. So I have waved my magic wand and hey presto… 2018 is relived!!

I hope that you are going to enjoy the food, music and company. There are some wonderful guests who have shared their photos in various forms of dress..(and undress) and in some cases they have shared ghostly images from the past, and for some a total transformation into another being!

An example of that is the massive transition I had to make from my normal witchy visage… to this stunning creature above with her royal guard. The alchemist Dr. Cronin spent many hours perfecting the transformation and the only downside is that I don’t get to keep the body. He actually prepared two images to choose from but I felt that this one was better not shared in public. I don’t know whose body it is but I bet they are missing it!

Oops.. there I went and shared it anyway….never mind as the clock strikes midnight I will be returned to my former self.. the scourge of internet trolls and nincompoops globally.

My butler, Snarky, despite being the most grumpy individual I have ever come across, will be serving drinks and snacks throughout the day. Or he too will be turned into something considerably less savoury at midnight… he has a thing about cats…he has been warned.

Anyway time to get you warmed up, and before we get to the tequila shots, here is a Bloody Mary for you… or if you prefer to have without the alcohol (if you insist) Snarky has prepared Virgin Marys too. Excuse the jars.. I know when you lot get the worse for wear my nice crystal glasses will be in shards…

 

And a little music to get you in the mood for today’s darkness… courtesy of Bobby Pickett – Monster Mash

Time to meet a few guests and you will recognise some but others may have you stumped.

Now as a little party game.

I am going to give you all the names of the guests which link to either their blog or their books. Their photos will be scattered throughout the post and your job is to match the photos to their originator. Since some have sent stand-ins I will put little clues above each of the photographs which will be numbered.

I am relying on your honesty here (don’t forget I am a witch and will be able to tell). Put the numbers of the photographs that have you stumped (hopefully only one or two) in the comments along with your own links to blog or books.

The person who is the most honest (and I will know) gets a night out with Snarky…who I believe is an excellent dancer – Second Prize is two nights out with Snarky!

Here are names of the guests.. and if you click the name it will take you to their blog or books. They are in no particular order..

Barb Taub Donna Parker Hugh W. Roberts John W. Howell Robbie Cheadle

Mary Anne Edwards Marcia Meara Anne Marie Andrus Alethea Kehas

Chuck Jackson Annette Rochelle Aben

D. G. Kaye – Debby Gies Stevie Turner Darlene Foster Geoff Le Pard

D. Wallace Peach Colleen Chesebro

The Story Reading Ape

Guest number one shows us a glimpse into a particular each week on his blog.

Guest number two shares her memoir writing expertise and travels a great deal.

You must be a monkey if you don’t get this one!. Guests number three

I think you probably could use some food right about now and Snarky will be going around with some lovingly made Devilled Eggs, prepared by the catering team I brought in for the party… Snot and Dribble Party Food Purveyors…

And perhaps a little music before I greet my other guests..the one and only Michael Jackson with Thriller.. please feel free to have a twirl or two…

And here is the next batch of guests starting with number four…a witch and fairy whisperer.

Guest number five flirts with time….in a brilliant disguise…

Guest number six likes sherry trifle….so do flies

and guest number seven… travels the world with her teenage character.

Time for some more refreshments and music… first some red velvet cupcakes.. these were made by Drogo the vampire with leftovers…

And a little reminder off the holiday we are celebrating.

And my next guest.. number eight lives in a house without windows..

Guests number nine has sent an early photo of her helpers before she started making fondant characters.

Guest number ten sent a stand in – a boy called Rabbit..

And guest number eleven does posts that are a performance art with video and gifs

Guest number twelve is lucky for some and has created myths in a mirror.

The pumpkins have been peeled and mashed and made into delicious pies.. time to tuck in and gather your strength for the last few hours of the party.

Time to get on the dance floor and to the Time Warp instructions are included…

Guest number thirteen asked What Did I Do? And wanted to wear something cool so he could dance all night

Guest number Fourteen celebrated the launch of her book in style.. a bit of a giveaway and shame on you if you don’t get this one….

And guest number fifteen looks at things from a Haiku perspective and loves dressing up…

Guest number sixteen sailed into trouble with his shipmate John Cannon..since he is most comfortable in t-shirt and sandals.. this really is his fancy dress...

And guest number seventeen.. brought James Bond with her for moral support.. She must have met him when touring in her camper after the dog died…

And last but certainly not least…Guest number eighteen has brought a friend possibly one of the warriors from the labyrinth.

To finish off the party and to keep you warm on your way home.. some flaming shots…. Snarky will be around with those in a minute..

And to end the dancing.. one of my all time favourites that I hope you will enjoy as well.. Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bad Moon Rising.

My thanks to Pixabay.com for the images… Snarky for behaving himself. Dr. Cronin for the transformation and all those who dared to share their photos..

Please do not leave without saying hello and leaving your links to blog, books or both. Stay safe tonight… those little trick or treaters can be persistent… and have lots of fun.

Normal service and body shape will be resumed tomorrow…

Smorgasbord Book Reviews Rewind 2017 – #Historical #Family Saga – A Hundred Tiny Threads by Judith Barrow

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A reminder of some of the books that I read and enjoyed in 2017 that I can recommend.

This review is for A Hundred Tiny Threads by Judith Barrow which is the prequel to the Howarth Family Saga

About A Hundred Tiny Threads

It’s 1911 and Winifred Duffy is a determined young woman eager for new experiences, for a life beyond the grocer’s shop counter ruled over by her domineering mother.

The scars of Bill Howarth’s troubled childhood linger. The only light in his life comes from a chance encounter with Winifred, the girl he determines to make his wife.

Meeting her friend Honora’s silver-tongued brother turns Winifred’s heart upside down. But Honora and Conal disappear, after a suffrage rally turns into a riot, and abandoned Winifred has nowhere to turn but home.

The Great War intervenes, sending Bill abroad to be hardened in a furnace of carnage and loss. When he returns his dream is still of Winifred and the life they might have had… Back in Lancashire, worn down by work and the barbed comments of narrow-minded townsfolk, Winifred faces difficult choices in love and life.

My review for A Hundred Tiny Threads October 2017

A brilliant prequel to the Howarth family saga.

I read and reviewed the three books in the Howarth Family Saga series and was delighted to discover that Judith Barrow was going to release a prequel to the series. We meet Winifred Duffy and Bill Howarth well into middle-age in the trilogy, and it is wonderful to find out how they began life, and the experiences that formed their characters.

Winifred Duffy finds it difficult to bond with her rigidly unloving mother despite the best efforts of her father. Their grocery shop is a focal point in the street and being under the watchful eye of the neighbours makes their strained relationship worse. It is a time when the Suffragette movement is gathering pace, and much against her mother’s wishes, Winifred becomes involved. Her new friends are vibrant and colourful. They are completely different to anyone that she has known before and they draw her into a dangerous liaison. Winifred has to develop the strength to overcome the consequences of these relationships if she is to continue to live within the narrow minded community around her.

Bill Howarth is a young man whose early life and time in the mines has marred him, leaving scars that make him unpredictable and angry. But Winifred catches his eye and ignites a love that is both powerful and destructive. Bill enlists to fight in the First World War and his experiences of the horror drives any compassion he might have had, deeper beneath his anger. This is reinforced with his service as part of the Black and Tans regiment in Ireland leaving him with few options if he is to find redemption.

Judith Barrow has created two very different characters that cross paths on a number of occasions, sometimes without being aware of each other’s existence. It is very difficult to like Bill Howarth, and it takes a skilled writer to instil some compassion and understanding for the young man he becomes. Winifred is much easier to admire, as she faces and overcomes some life-changing events, and comes to terms with secrets from the past.

The pace of the story is excellent, with several other wonderfully drawn characters such as Honara and her brother Conal, and the completely unlikeable Ethel Duffy. The history of the suffragette movement and the Irish conflict are very well portrayed, forming a compelling backdrop to the story of two young people being drawn into events, often beyond their control.

I recommend that if you have not already read the three books in the trilogy, that you begin with A Hundred Tiny Threads. This will offer you a wonderful introduction to the Howarth family that you will next meet during the Second World War. Also, having become familiar with the locations in this prequel, you will feel immediately at home when you encounter them in the first of the books, Pattern of Shadows.

Head over read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – and Amazon UK

Also by Judith Barrow

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – Follow Judith: Goodreads – – blog: Judith Barrow – Twitter: @judithbarrow77

 

About Judith Barrow

Judith Barrow,originally from Saddleworth, a group of villages on the edge of the Pennines,has lived in Pembrokeshire, Wales, for forty years.

She has an MA in Creative Writing with the University of Wales Trinity St David’s College, Carmarthen. BA (Hons) in Literature with the Open University, a Diploma in Drama from Swansea University and She has had short stories, plays, reviews and articles, published throughout the British Isles and has won several poetry competitions..

She is a Creative Writing tutor for Pembrokeshire County Council and holds private one to one workshops on all genres.

 

Thanks for dropping in and I hope you will be leaving with some books — Sally.

 

Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives -#NewSeries – #Pot Luck – My Favorite Commercials – Abbie Johnson Taylor

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Since this series began in January 2018 there have been over 1100 Posts from Your Archives where bloggers have taken the opportunity to share posts to a new audience… mine.

The topics have ranged from travel, childhood, recipes, history, family and the most recent series was #PotLuck where I shared a random selection of different topics. This series is along the same lines… but is a ‘Lucky Dip’

In this series I will be sharing posts from the first six months of 2021 – details of how you can participate are at the end of the post.

This is the second post by Abbie Johnson Taylor and in this post she shares her favourite commercials.

My Favorite Commercials – Abbie Johnson Taylor

Welcome to another edition of Open Book Blog Hop. This week’s question is: “What commercial do you hate? What commercial is your favorite? (YouTube link us if possible) Have you ever got an idea for a story from a commercial?”

***

I don’t watch television anymore. There just isn’t a lot I like to watch now. So, I don’t even pay for cable. That having been said, I remember three commercials from my childhood.

Armour Hot Dogs

As a kid, I loved hot dogs, plain, with no ketchup, mustard, or bun. When I was little, my mother sliced them into bite-sized pieces that I could eat with a fork. When I grew older, I enjoyed picking them up and biting into them. I don’t know if my mother ever bought Armour Hot Dogs, but I sure loved the jingle.

Oscar Mayer Bologna

I wasn’t into bologna as a kid, but as an adult, I like to eat it every so often, either in a sandwich or sliced into a salad. When I make my grocery list and decide to buy it, I often sing the last part of this jingle to help me remember how to spell it.

Dr. Pepper

Last but not least, here’s a commercial for my favorite soda that I still drink today. Years ago, I was inspired to write a poem about Dr. Pepper, which appears in my collection, How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver. I’ll paste it below the video, along with a recording of me reading it.

Ode to Dr. Pepper

I like to swallow its cold carbonation,
feel it come back into my mouth in the form of a belch.
Oh, that feels so good!

I drink it in mid afternoon.
It helps me get through the day.
I sometimes consume it in the evening
when I’m sleepy, and it’s too early for bed.

In the good old days,
I drank a lot of it,
just what the doctor ordered.
Now, the doctor says it has too much sugar
so I limit my consumption to one or two cans a day.
What would I do without it? 

ode to dr. pepper.mp3

How about you? Do you have any favorite commercials? What advertisements don’t you like?

©Abbie Johnson Taylor 2021

My thanks to Abbie for letting me share her posts from the first part of the year and I know she would love to receive your feedback..

About Abbie Johnson Taylor

I live in Sheridan, Wyoming, where for six years, I cared for my late husband Bill, totally blind, who was partially paralyzed by two strokes soon after we were married. Before that, I was a registered music therapist and worked for fifteen years in a nursing home and other facilities that served senior citizens. I have a visual impairment, and during this time, I facilitated a support group for others like me. I also taught braille and served on the advisory board of a trust fund that allows persons with blindness or low vision to purchase adaptive equipment and services.

I’m the author of a romance novel, two poetry collections, and a memoir and am working on another novel. My poems, short stories, and essays have been published in various journals and anthologies. I belong to several writers’ organizations and a women’s singing group and take water exercise classes at the YMCA

Books by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US: Blog: Abbie’s Corner WordPress Goodreads: Abbie Johnson Taylor

Thanks to Abbie for letting me share posts from her archives and I know she would be delighted to receive your feedback. Thanks Sally.

How you can feature in the series?

  • All I need you to do is give me permission to dive in to your archives and find two posts to share here on Smorgasbord. (sally.cronin@moyhill.com)
  • Rather than a set topic, I will select posts at random of general interest across a number of subjects from the first six months of 2021. (it is helpful if you have a link to your archives in your sidebar by month)
  • As I will be promoting your books as part of the post along with all your information and links so I will not be sharing direct marketing or self- promotional posts in the series.
  • If you are an author I am sure you will have a page on your blog with the details, and an ‘about page’ with your profile and social media links (always a good idea anyway). I will get everything that I need.
  • As a blogger I would assume that you have an ‘about page’ a profile photo and your links to social media.
  • Copyright is yours and I will ©Your name on every post… and you will be named as the author in the URL and subject line.
  • Previous participants are very welcome to take part again.
  • Each post is reformatted for my blog and I don’t cut and paste, this means it might look different from your own post.
  • If I do share a post which contains mainly photographs I will share up to five and link back to the original post for people to view the rest.

N.B – To get the maximum benefit from your archive posts, the only thing I ask is that you respond to comments individually and share on your own social media.. thank you.

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I know that Abbie would love your feedback.. thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Update – #reviews – #Prehistoric #Adventure Jacqui Murray, #Postwar #Russia Marina Osipova, #Psychological Thriller Vashti Quiroz-Vega

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The first review today is for Against All Odds (Book 3 of the Crossroads Trilogy) by Jacqui Murray

About the book

A million years of evolution made Xhosa tough but was it enough? She and her People finally reach their destination—a glorious land of tall grasses, few predators, and an abundance that seems limitless, but an enemy greater than any they have met so far threatens to end their dreams. If Xhosa can’t stop this one, she and her People must again flee.

The Crossroads trilogy is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated most of Eurasia. He was a violent species, fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened his survival except for one: future man, a smarter version of himself, one destined to obliterate all those who came before.

From prehistoric fiction author Jacqui Murray comes the unforgettable saga of a courageous woman who questions assumptions, searches for truth, and does what she must despite daunting opposition. Read the final chapter of the People’s long search for freedom, safety, and a new home.

A perfect book for fans of Jean Auel.

A recent review for the book

C. Lee McKenzie 5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner in the Crossroads Series  Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2021

Xhosa’s people have searched for a place of safety and finally arrived in what will in later history become the Spanish plains. They’ve survived severe hardships along the way, and those hardships have left the band in perilous condition. Even Xhosa, their undaunted leader, struggles to keep going.

The story might take place thousands of years ago, but the underlying human condition transcends the huge gulf of time, and the reader will find himself pulling for this stalwart group to not only survive but thrive.

A great last book in this Crossroads series, and one I suggest you buy and read. It may be fiction, but it’s a very well-researched piece that will give

Also by by Jacqui Murray

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow Jacqui: goodreads – Blog: Worddreams – Twitter: @WordDreams

The final books today with a recent review is by Marina Osipova – Push Me Off a Cliff a novel set in post war Russia.

About the book

March of 1948. Three years have passed since the Great Patriotic War ended in victory, disposing into the streets of the destroyed and hungry cities and villages brave decorated soldiers: thousands of them having been burned, maimed, or disfigured beyond recognition.

On a crowded commuter train, Maria hears an invalid singing, which painfully connects her to her time at the front and to the love that failed to happen to her. Why, then, since that day, does the voice from the past echo so insistently in her present life? The torture of uncertainty—was it really Armen?—intensifies after the next encounter and leaves her with an unsettling compulsion to do . . . what? Help him? Or, rather, rescue herself from her lonely and unassuming existence her heart subtly rejects? She must decide whether she is willing to let go of the life she knows for feelings she had never thought she could experience.

But, first, she has to find him.

As the genocide of 1915 within the Ottoman Empire destroyed the lives of Armen’s parents and about one-and-a-half-million ethnic Armenians, his future is shattered by this other war and betrayal. Legless and totally alone, and without any family after his mother is gone, it seems the most merciful thing for him would be to end his miserable existence by leaping off a cliff. Otherwise, he must find the courage to continue living in the condition the war left him and find his place in the bitter every-day reality full of difficulties prone to men like him.

Maria and Armen. Each carries private wounds. In the face of despair, will fate offer them a chance to heal their souls and hearts?

One of the recent reviews for the book

Just Reading  5.0 out of 5 stars A heartfelt look at war  Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021

We will truly never know what went on inside the minds of the ones who fought in this war. We only have books to guide us through history.

This book will captivate you. It did me. The time and energy this author put into this storyline is incredible.

As a veterans’s wife, I felt so.much of the main character’s thoughts and bravery. I’m sure life wasn’t pleasant back then and I couldn’t imagine anything they went through.

This is a story of love, but not just love. This is set at war time. The book gives us a peek into the lives of the main characters that are dealing with life.

It is well written and so worth the purchase!  

Other books by Marina Osipova

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And on: Amazon UK – follow Marina : Goodreads – website:Marina Osipova – Twitter: @marosikok

The final review today is for Vashti Quiroz-Vega and her novelette Memoir of a Mad Woman.

About the book

Who can explain how madness begins?

This is the story of Emma. Reared by a religious fanatic, orphaned at a young age and sent to a mental institution and an orphanage. Molested and betrayed by the people who should be watching over her…

Who can say that madness has no logic?

During a fight, Emma’s best friend punched her in the abdomen. Since then, Emma has believed there’s something damaged inside of her.

Every month… she bleeds.
She tries to fight it all her life, but the pain and the blood return twenty-eight days later… and the cycle begins again.

But Emma, even in her madness, knows how to take care of herself.
She knows how to make things right…

You may not agree…
But, who can reason with insanity?

Read this tragic but fascinating tale and traverse the labyrinthine passages of madness.

One of the recent reviews for the book

Karen Black 5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the squeamish, this story is haunting  Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2021

Abandoned by her father and thrust into an orphanage after the death of her mother, Emma didn’t have an easy life. Told in the first person, Emma exhibits the personality traits of a sociopath, who also suffers from a bit of paranoia. But even as her vindictive streak began to surface, I sympathized with her. I wanted to like her. As the story progressed, however, I changed my mind. As the tension builds, so does the horror. Not for the squeamish, this adult story is haunting.

The characters are easy to picture. Their personalities are apparent in their actions. The plot appears to be predictable, but appearances are deceiving. You will not expect the ending.

Books by Vashti Quiroz-Vega

Read the reviews and buy the books :Amazon US – and :Amazon UK – Follow Vashti : Goodreads – website:Vashti – WordPress – Twitter:@VashtiQV

 

Thank you for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books.. thanks Sally.