Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 12th – 18th December 2022 – Ice skating, International Carols, Old Souls, Podcast, Book reviews, Christmas Guest posts, Funnies

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

I hope your week has gone well and I am sure you are busy with your holiday preparations. We have gone from white, frosty and Christmasy to gale force winds and driving rain overnight. I am not complaining as I will take a wet road over an icy one any day.

Although a few weeks away I am making preparations for my 70th, not a party but to renew my driving licence which is the age we have to do it here. It used to be you had to produce a medical certificate at 70 but they have just moved to 75 which is one step out of the renewal. To renew online however I have to go to a local office tomorrow with all my IDs and prove my identity, which gives me a card which enables me to avoid going 20 miles to the nearest licence office. I also get a free travel card when I am 70 which I can use on any public transport including all buses and trains. So whilst there may be a few more cracks in my face than last year, there are definitely benefits of turning 70.

I will however forgo any invitation to compete in Dancing on Ice as yesterday proved that I might not have the aptitude I used to have on roller skates. I went out to pour warm water in the bird bath, and next thing I knew I was flat on my back, having slipped on the ice that had accumulated around the bird bath during their ablutions. I was wet through from the bucket of water I was still carrying, and startled crows circled me calling out in distress. I assume it was concern that the human who spends copious amounts of money and time feeding the garden birds, and the crows when they can get at it, was lying injured on the ground. I suspect however it was excitement at the sight of the largest piece of road kill they had ever seen… possibly an early Christmas gift!

Anyway, I broke my fall with my wrist and apart from various bruises from top to tail I have escaped with another lesson learnt. Throw the water in the bird bath from a distance when the hose is frozen.

This week I will be sharing the final Christmas book fairs including new book news for John Howell and Dan Antion, there will be festive music, videos and funnies with a couple of short stories, book review and the round up over the holiday weekend.

Contributor News this week.

William Price King has been sharing some wonderful international carols this week and there will be more festive music on Tuesday and Friday…and on New Year’s Eve a party  with music from William and some special guests .  You can also find William – Blog– IMPROVISATION– William Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ was here on Monday morning with the next post in her Spiritual Awareness series – Old Souls.. It was amazing to read the comments and discover how many of you resonated with the post.  Over on her own blog you can find Debby’s own exciting news of her latest release Fifteen First Times: Beginnings: A Collection of Indelible Firsts and you can read all about that in the promotion post that went out here this morning. On Debby’s own post you will find December’s very useful selection of writer’s tips, and the Sunday book reviews... for Robbie Cheadle and D.L. Finn. Follow the link to Debby’s posts …D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor will be back after Christmas with the next in her Culinary A-Z and the letter ‘N’ – Carol is also one of the special guests at the New Year’s Eve Party. Over on her own blog you will find some amazing holiday recipes including Homemade Christmas Ham, …Winter Warmers…Hot Chocolate, Fish Pie and a delicious Thai Duck Curry…Carol shares more edible flowers and if you have room after the Fish Pie, there are some fabulous White Chocolate Chip Cookies…make a delicious ice cream sandwich…Head over for the winter warmer recipes… take your appetite: Carol Taylor’s Christmas Recipes Winter Warmers

Time for some shameless self promotion… and a heartfelt thanks for the generosity shown by the writing community.

My thanks to Joy Neal Kidney who didn’t just review my latest book but the other three collections in the ‘Life’ series. Wow.. I was blown away..

Joy’s lovely feature: Prose and Poetry Gems

Colleen Chesebro is celebrating the release of her latest collection Fairies, Myths, & Magic II: A Winter Celebration, and as part of her blog tour she kindly featured each of her hosts in a post. Colleen also included her review of my latest so I am feeling quite chuffed this week as you can imagine.

Head over to Colleen’s: Colleen’s blog tour and review for Variety is the Spice of Life.

Author Aurora Jean Alexander included me in her festive newsletter this week with an update on her writing, including her latest release  and recent blog posts, and a delicious recipe for tangy honey glazed ham topped off with a delightful poem. If you have a newsletter you have sent out during December please drop the URL in the comments so we can all enjoy..

Head over to enjoy AJ’s festive newsletter: A.J’s Writing Adventure

Thank you too for all your visits, comments and shares during the week. As always very much appreciated…♥

 On with the show….

Christmas Music with William Price King Rewind – Carols from around the World – #Germany, #Greece and #France

Carols from around the World – #Italy, #Nigeria, #Sweden

Spiritual Awareness – Old Souls by D.G. Kaye

#Flash Fiction – Season of Goodwill and Retail Therapy by Sally Cronin

New Book on the Shelves – #Memoir – Fifteen First Times: Beginnings: A Collection of Indelible Firsts by D. G. Kaye

#Shortstories Hugh W. Roberts, #Crimestories Jane Risdon, #Historystories Lisette Brodey

Book Review – #Contemporary #Romance – Falling by Stevie Turner

 

New Book on the Shelves and my review – Fairies, Myths, & Magic II: Book 2: A Winter Celebration by Colleen Chesebro

Previous Reviews from 2022 – Oh Baubles: A Christmas Romance Novella by Harmony Kent

#Thriller #Mystery John L. DeBoer, #Malaya #1950s Apple Gidley, #Romance Stevie Turner

#ElementarySchool Pete Springer, #Fantasy #Magic Chris Hall, #Poetry Balroop Singh

#Photography #Poetry #Flash M.J. Mallon, #Women’sLit Toni Pike, #Family #Poetry Lauren Scott

A Christmas Eve Poem: Children Singing in Latin by Elizabeth Gauffreau

#Recipe #History – French Canadian Tourtière, Our Family Tradition by Dorothy Grover-Read

#Christmas #Santa Darlene Foster

Cooking up Memories- EggNog French Toast #Recipe #Christmas #FamilyFirst by Jacquie Biggar

Host Malcolm Allen December 2022 Part One- #Christmas Crackers

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week if you have time.. Sally

44 thoughts on “Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 12th – 18th December 2022 – Ice skating, International Carols, Old Souls, Podcast, Book reviews, Christmas Guest posts, Funnies”

  1. Pingback: THE WRITER’S GRAPEVINE HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA DEC 2022 – JAN 2023 ONLINE EDITION – Patty's Worlds

  2. OMG, Sally, I’m so glad you’re not badly hurt, although the bruising is bad enough! You had me cawing with laughter at the crow line! 😂 Thanks for another wonderful week and roundup and for showcasing Oh Baubles … I wonder what you might have cried out when you fell?!? 😉 Hugs and love and wishing you a wonderful holiday season 💕🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Hi, Sally:

    First, I was so distressed to read about your fall. That was a very funny line about the roadkill, but I’m sure the birds were concerned. I hope you heal quickly!

    This was a delightful round-up (not that I was delighted to hear the bird bath incident!). I loved the videos. That animal compilation is wonderful — and I wanted to hug that bear cub.

    Thank you so much for your kindness … always.

    Talk to you soon!

    xo
    Lisette

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Ohhhh and Ouch…But the roadkill made me smile although I’m sure the crows were worried. I do hope apart from your pride that the bruises which by now are probably out and a glorious shade of purples are not too painful mine are always in glorious technicolour although the cause hasn’t been ice for many years…just the flip flops-smile-Thank you for the mention, Sally I do hope you have a fabulous Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year Hugs xx

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  6. Glad you escaped severe injury. Hopefully, renewing your license is a snap. They typically ask us to take a vision test every few years here in California when we have to go in to renew our license.

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  12. I’m so sorry about the fall, but glad you are ok except for some bruises. I know the birds were worried! I did the same thing a few weeks ago in the snow but only twisted my foot and pride….lol. Happy almost birthday too. Thank you for another great week. Merry Christmas Hugs xo

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  13. I’m so glad you weren’t seriously hurt, Sally. Ice and seventy are polar opposites, or should be. A great week and looking forward to the next. I went through that DMV process when I turned eighty. My next visit is in 2029.

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  15. Sal, thanks again for a wonderful week, and for getting us into the Christmas season here. Oye! You must be so sore! My gawd woman BE CAREFUL. I do hope there is no residual anything other than the soreness. Healing hugs your way my Sister! ❤ xxx

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  16. The crows soaring overhead may well have been giggling in crow!?
    Hope you’re not too injured.
    Oh that ice can be treachourous.
    Another week full of entertainment and fun. Thanks and Happy Christmas

    Last time I slipped over splat on my bottom in the mud I was furious and soaked through until, looking up I noticed, my usually so serious son’s bottom at the back of the car and as it was apparently shaking I knew he must have been trying to hide his hysterics.
    It’s still a comical story we share on occasion.
    I couldn’t be cross but did have to change everything through to my underwear and we were then late for school. lol!

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  17. “I suspect however it was excitement at the sight of the largest piece of road kill they had ever seen.” OMG, you had me laughing with that one, though I’m glad you weren’t badly hurt, Sally. I’m sure the crows were just worried. Thanks for a great week of fun. Merry Christmas, my friend. ❤

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