Welcome to the weekly round up with some of the posts you might have missed on Smorgasbord..
This week has been interesting with the tail end of Lorenzo and with two more storm fronts rolling in behind it. I almost got my wish for my own swimming pool right outside the front door but thankfully we had one sunny day in the week and another today to evaporate some of the moisture. I have decided that my arthritis in my knee is actually rust and am going to see if the DIY hack of using WD40 might help.
But I cannot complain as the tiny pansies that I planted along with the mini cyclamens are thriving despite wind and rain and they are clearly Irish born and bred.
The week’s continue to fly by and hard to believe it is October, until you go into the supermarket and see that Quality Street is back in tins, two for a tenner and frozen turkey’s are on special! They do draw the line at mentioning the ‘C’ word but any week now..
Anyway… here are the posts from the week and thanks to the contributors who give up their time and offer their expertise to us all.. and to you for your continued support.
This week William Price King shares the life and music ofBill Evans, American Jazz pianist and composer (1929 – 1980).
Author Robbie Cheadle has been sharing The York Chocolatestory with us, following her recent trip to the UK. The York Chocolate Series Part Four – Chocolate in wartime First World War 1914 – 1918
The series continues after the summer break with a look at the minerals we can become deficient in… this week we feature Calcium and Carol Taylorwhips up a couple of great recipes to make sure you and your family are getting sufficient.
It is my mother’s birthday today and she would have been 102. Goodness knows what mischief she would have been up to if still with us, but I have a feeling that she is probably with my father and has got him suited and booted and going to a dinner dance tonight. Happy Birthday Mollie Eileen (The Duchess) 1917 – 2012
Imogen heads off to the wilds of Cornwall to start working at Killbilly Hotel… with a very spooky welcome..Chapter Fifteen – Killbilly Hotel, Cornwall and a Gothic Welcome.
This week it is poet’s choice for Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 147 and since time is whizzing faster than I can keep up with… I thought I would remind you just what October is really all about…time to get prepared for the night of reckoning….The Spell by Sally Cronin
Despite the fact that it is very difficult to get the attention of the mainstream media, I still believe that you should make every effort to get your book noticed. If you have done everything right – well written, edited, formatted and produced either in print, E-book or both, then it deserves your best shot.
In her second post, Linda Thompsonshares her encounter with Donna C… who matured faster than her fellow schoolmates and had two elder sisters to give her a head start. Linda also has some wisdom to share on body image.. Thank you, Donna C., Wherever You Are
This is the third post ofMelanie Stewart who blogs at Leaving the Door Open: A Daughter’s stories about an aging parent. In this post, Melanie’s mother faces the loss of a friend who had become like a sister to her. Saying Goodbye, a Story of a Friendship
This is the third post fromPeter Mohan who blogs at Cheers, Govanhill . In this post witty observations on the absurdity of modern life. I’m not going to Polmadie at this time of night
The Female Reproductive System – The fertile years 10 – 50 years old. In this third part of the series on the female reproductive system a look at some of the health issues that might occur in the 40 years that it is active.
In part two of this series I looked at diet from two to seven years old with the emphasis on developing a healthy immune system in a relatively short window of time. This week I look at declining activity levels for this age group.
This week it is poet’s choice for Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 147 and since time is whizzing faster than I can keep up with… I thought I would remind you just what October is really all about…time to get prepared for the night of reckoning….
The Spell by Sally Cronin
Step
into
October.
The month when those
who live in shadows
stir in unholy crypts.
Plans are afoot for mischief.
The victims are those that breathe air,
can survive the bright glare of sunlight,
and are unaware of the doom to come.
But there is a spell to thwart the demons.
Potent when spoken by a young child,
more so when they are in costume
with fangs and a devil’s tail.
So remember humans
on that special night
always respond
not with trick
but with
treat.
Today I would love to encourage you to delve into the world to online challenges and have some to recommend. Not only is it great writing practice but it also pushes a few creativity buttons, especially when it is outside your comfort zone.
The first is Colleen Chesebro’s Tuesday Tanka Challenge and I have two links for you. The first is the announcement of the poet of the week plus honorable mentions from yesterday and the second is this week’s challenge.
Poet of the week and Honorable Mentions – with links to last week’s participants.
Congratulations, and many thanks to all the participants! Please visit the challenge post comments HERE and HERE where you’ll find the links to everyone’s poetry. Stop by and say hello!
The Poet of the Week
This week, I’ve chosen H. R. R. Gorman as the Poet of the Week for his Haibun/Cinquain poem featured below. I see he followed the Haibun directions to a tee! Here are my observations.
Haibun poetry must have a title. Structure your prose with short descriptive paragraphs written in the first person singular. Remember, when you write a Haibun the experience must unfold as if you are observing the occurrence before you.
The poetry portions should never repeat what you’ve already stated in your prose. The poetry should reflect another aspect of your prose. The two pieces are different – yet somehow connected.
The American cinquain is an unrhymed, five-line poetic form—the first line has two syllables, the second has four, the third six, the fourth eight, and the fifth two (2-4-6-8-2).
I also think a Haibun pairs well with any other syllabic form, except a Haiga, which should standalone – Just my opinion. 😀
The next challenge is the Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction inspired and curated by Charli Millsand each week the participants follow a prompt with 99 words no more no less. Here are some of the submissions for last week to give you an idea of the amazing stories in the challenge.
Between the big moments in life, there are interludes. Like the sweet piece during an orchestra’s intermission or the pause between acts in a play, these interludes set a different pace. Perhaps the temporal episodes add up to characterize more than a transition. They can even become more important than the significant markers of life.
What will writers make of interludes? You can count on variety and enlightening ideas.
The following are based on the September 19, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about an interlude.
PART I (10-minute read)
Sweet Interlude by Ritu Bhathal
Sophia leaned against the headboard, taking a drag of her cigarette.
She smiled at her reflection in the mirror; hair messed up, lipstick a mere stain left on her lips.
She watched him pull his pants back on.
“Hurry, Sophia!”
Marco slipped his shirt on, still buttoning as he left.
Voices. Her supervisor was coming.
She flushed the cigarette down the toilet, changed, and flung the door open.
“Oh Sir, these guests, too much! Smoking in here. Smell it!”
She bustled out, to the next room waiting to be cleaned, wondering when her next interlude with Marco would be…
🥕🥕🥕
A Woman Scorned by TN Kerr
It was early morning when Enrique crept home. Treading softly and turning his key slow; he eased the door inward. He started when a heavy glass ashtray bounced off the wall and shattered. Mesmerized, he watched as pieces of glass scampered across the dark blue tile floor. It brought to mind ‘la galassia via lattea’ it was beautiful. So was the dark-haired fury who came in quick and attacked.
“Ma il mio amore, eravamo in pausa.” Enrique shouted as he tried in vain to dodge her blows.
Marida continued to pummel him. Her fierce countenance set and forbidding.
And the third challenge that I personally have been participating in is the monthly speculative fiction originally on the blog of Diana Wallace Peach but due to commitments the baton has now passed over to Carol J. Foster.
In the form of a photo prompt, the challenge give you the freedom to write within any genre that you wish, poetry etc without word restrictions. Keep your eye out for October’s challenge and here is a little bit about Carol Foster.
Carol Forrester is a writer trying to be a better one. She’s currently working on her first novel ‘Darkened Daughter’ and attempting to put together a collection of poetry in the hopes of submitting to publication in 2020.
She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can.b4b80-chiaroscoru
Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.
More recently her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears.
She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers here on Writing and Works.
She hopes that 2019 will be the year that she finally sees herself as a proper writer.
Thanks for dropping in today and I hope to see you during one of these challenges or all of them… a great opportunity to share your writing skills and keep you out of mischief!! Thanks Sally
Welcome to the round up of posts that you might of missed this week on Smorgasbord.
September 29th each year is a very special date for us… and I thought I would share with you a fairy story that explains its significance.
Once upon a time there was a red-headed girl who was assistant manager in a hotel in a small hamlet in Mid-Wales. Bontddu ( the dd is th in Welsh and the u is ee so pronounced Bontthee) I mention this as my mother insisted on telling everyone that Sally was working in a hotel in Bonteedudu!
I had been there for 18 months and to be honest, the little time I had between shifts was spent either sleeping or walking (I had no car) to the two towns equal distance 5 miles each way. Dolgellau and Barmouth a delightful seaside resort with a long sandy beach.
I had been married before for seven years and that had foundered around the four year mark but dragged on for another three (I must have broken a mirror). I was quite determined that I was never getting married again after this experience, and to this end I still wore a wedding ring to deter any possible overtures I might have been lucky enough to receive.
On one sunny Snowdonia morning (rare at certain times of the year) I intercepted a phone call in reception from someone wishing to book two rooms for two weeks. I will admit that I was quite taken with the soft Irish accent of the man on the other end of the phone, and having reserved the two rooms, I put the receiver down and turned to one of the receptionists and uttered the famous last words ” He sounds rather nice, I think I’ll marry him!” Much hilarity ensued and a week went by.
On the day of the reservation I had been off for a few hours and returned to assume restaurant management duties. In those days I was required to wear a long dress in the evenings at dinner and guests were formally accompanied to their tables. It was not long before I identified the Irish accent as Room 40. Tall, dark haired and very handsome, a veritable Prince Charming. To be honest I was all of a twitter (not the 140 character kind) and during the course of my duties I enquired of room 40 if he had been given sufficient crackling….
To cut a short story even shorter. I arranged a number of meetings and dinners for Room 40, and two weeks went by without so much of flicker of interest from said resident. If not for the opportune intervention of a couple who were regular guests at the hotel it may well have remained a disappointing encounter.
They enquired, obviously in earshot of Room 40, if my divorce had been finalised. I replied that I had received that particular gift on my birthday back in February, and that I was officially free again. Well, talk about Speedy Gonzalez…. before I could say I was not that kind of girl, the next day I was taken out on my day off for lunch, treated to a Chinese Takeaway when I got off duty that night, and presented with a Celtic pendant for all my assistance..
There must have been more than MSG in the Chinese because I suddenly heard the words “I think there is only one thing for us to do, will you marry me”
I think my flabber must have been well and truly gasted because before I could laugh at this insane proposal, on our first date, barely past first name terms, I said yes.
That was 29th September 1980, 13 days after his arrival at the hotel and into my life. And forget the long engagement. He found us a flat in Dolgellau, posted the bans at the local registry office and 39 years ago on November 15th, we were married on a wild and blustery Welsh morning. Even more shocked than the bride where her parents, the groom’s parents and my boss.
After the proposal David left to get the flat organised whilst I went into the hotel for the normal busy Saturday. My boss was enjoying his morning coffee with the local paper when I announced casually I was getting married… “Who the hell to”…was the response and mine ” Room 40″
We have travelled the world together, lived in 17 homes both temporary and permanent, worked side by side and on occasion in separate countries. We have had our moments but they have been brief and usually down to me being a bit of a handful! We are best friends and have shared laughter, loss and humour, and somewhere I believe there is a very smug fairy godmother….
Time to get on with this week’s posts that you might have missed….
As always my thanks to contributors and guests who take the time to write such amazing posts, that are informative, entertaining and inspiring. And to you for dropping in and being part of the week.
Jessica Norrie is exploring books that are set on the coastline in various places around the world. I love the sea and hope that when we buy our final house it has a view of the ocean and all its changing moods.
The York Chocolate Series – Part Three – Chocolate in wartime Second Anglo Boer War 1899 – 1902 – In 1899, war broke out for the second time between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics in South Africa. In advance of Christmas 1899, Queen Victoria asked Cadbury, which held a Royal Warrant as suppliers of cocoa and chocolate products, to produce tins of chocolate to send to the British men fighting in South Africa as a gift..
Previously Imogen takes a temporary job selling advertising for a local paper and ends up running a very interesting section … selling personal services! Chapter Thirteen – Makeover and the art of buying a car.
Previously Imogen went into Central London for a much needed makeover and shopping trip, which brought to mind her friends escapades when buying a new car. She now moves on to a private school where she finds more interesting characters. Chapter Fourteen – Mayhew School for Boys and Girls.
Time for this week’s response to Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 146 and this week we are tasked with finding synonyms for the words ‘Fall and Give‘.. and I have chosen ‘Drop and Gift’..
Linda Thompson’s first post is a wonderful, nostalgic look back through the years to special family dinners and how it is so important that our elderly parents are given the opportunity to still feel useful in our lives. A Place at the Table for All
This is the final post from educator and author Pete Springer .I think most of us who have finished our careers allegedly to retire, find there are elements of our jobs that are missed, and in this post, Pete shares the ones that he misses the most about teaching. What I Miss Most About Being a Teacher by Pete Springer
This is the secondpost of Melanie Stewart, she is faced with a logistical nightmare to get on the road for a trip and deal with a sudden change to her 87 year old mother, Ginny’s cable set up. The Cable Debacle.
This is the second post fromPeter Mohan who blogs at Cheers, Govanhill as his alter ego .. Boy David. I selected this post as we head into the late autumn and we get visitors both of the garden variety and field.Footprints in the Butter – Cheers Govanhill.
The obesity epidemic and finding a point to intervene in the life cycle – this week the diet of two to seven year olds, can determine their health in adulthood.
Thank you so much for being part of the week here on Smorgasbord, and I hope you have enjoyed your visit.. please pop in again next week.. thanks Sally.
Time for this week’s response to Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 146 and this week we are tasked with finding synonyms for the words ‘Fall and Give‘.. and I have chosen ‘Drop and Gift’..
Image Pixabay.com
Double Etheree – A Celebration
The
autumn
is a time
to celebrate
what has gone before
and what is yet to come.
As gold leaves drop from trees
and roses lose their petals,
the natural world boosts defences
against the harsh winds and frosts of winter.
But, beneath frozen earth new life will stir
as mother nature prepares for spring,
nurturing seeds and unborn young
as she has since time began.
Her wisdom is unmatched,
even when humans
attempt to thwart
her efforts
to gift
life.
Welcome to the weekly round up of posts the you might have missed during the week on Smorgasbord blog Magazine.
You might have noticed that the round up has a new header. Apart from looking to give the post a bit of a freshen up, I also wanted to emphasise the theme that I have developed over the last seven years, of a magazine style blog with a wide range of subjects. You will see from this round up that there are a number of regular contributors and guest writers.
Currently on a fortnightly or monthly basis I am lucky enough to have William Price King (music column), Carol Taylor (Food and Cookery Column), D.G. Kaye (Travel Column), Annette Rochelle Aben(Numerology) and Silvia Todesco (Italian Cookery) and I write the (Health Column). Jessica Norrie wrote a wonderful (Literary Column) last year which I am currently repeating.
Do you have an area of expertise that you would like to share and promote your blog or books at the same time?
If you have an area of expertise that you would like to share here on Smorgasbord and can write a column of between 1000 to 1500 word every two weeks or once a month, then please get in touch. It could be care of elderly parents, Cooking by nationality – French, Indian, Chinese etc, Writing or Editing guidance, History of where you live etc.. contact me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com so we can chat about it..
If you do not have the time to commit to a monthly column, perhaps like baking, chocolate expert and author Robbie Cheadle, you might like to do a short series of guest posts.. Check Robbie’s latest post on The York Chocolate Story later on in the round up and get in touch if you would be interested in doing something similar @sally.cronin@moyhill.com
From sun tan to wellies
We have had a wonderful week weather wise and we were lulled into a false sense of security. I checked the ten day forecast which predicted rain for until after October 5th and beyond so exchanging my bikini (thank goodness there are no drones in the area) I legged it to the garden centre and bought all my wintering flowering plants, some new potting compost and dashed back to spend the afternoon changing out all the pots.
This may be the last recorded sunshine of the year! So this week I am just going to share this special moment, and the new mini cyclamens and winter flowering pansies.
Now on to the posts from the week, and as always a huge thank you to the contributors, this week William Price King, Carol Taylor and Robbie Cheadle with some special mentions. And also for your support every week and generosity.
And a special thank you to D.G. Kayewho devoted her regular Writers Tips post to all the three Cafe and Bookstore book marketing posts so far…What an amazing thing to do. Debby has been part of the support team for the blog for five years and every night, even when she is on her winter break in Mexico she comments shares all my posts from the day across her social media. Thanks Debby and sorry they are not real…
Carol Taylor shares the joys of soup which can be eaten whatever the weather as a starter or as a snack even as a main meal if it is a substantial one served with lots of fresh crusty bread or with the addition of rice or noodles as it is served here
Carol Taylor is another friend that I owe a bouquet of flowers to. Not just for the wonderful posts that she brings us throughout the year but also the support she offers every week by sharing my posts on her eclectic and fascinating blog. Healthy eating, conservation, Thai foods and cookery and down to earth commonsense. Next month it will be the second anniversary of the food column and I am very grateful for her generous contribution. Thank you Carol.
Part two of The York Chocolate Story from Robbie Cheadle.. not sure how much more temptation I can take lol.. find out more about The Terrys and the Cravens.
My guest this week is regular guest to the blog, author Darlene Foster who has recently released another book in her successful Amanda Travel Series. Later in the post she shares an excerpt from Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action
Twitter – New look and and step by step guide to Book Marketing useful functions.
As an author with books to market, getting as storefront on Twitter is important. It is a networking site and whilst you may not want to use for social media, it is great for connecting with other authors, reviewers, bloggers, all of whom are likely to be readers too. Here is a step by step guide to getting your books front and centre.
For this week’s Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 145 Colleen Chesebro has provided us with a photo prompt.. in a new twist the previous month’s poet of the week for the photo prompt gets to choose the image..This month that honour falls to Jane Dougherty. I have selected a #Tanka for this week’s challenge…Adrift
This is the final post from the archives of author and poet, Patricia Furstenbergwho as you can tell from some of her books is a dog lover. Children and pets can be magical and bonds are formed that ensure a child never feels unsafe or alone throughout their early years. In this post Patricia explores this in more details. Pets — Understanding Your Child’s Affinity Towards Animals (2018) by Patricia Furstenberg
This is the finalpost from the archives of author, fitness advocate and photographer Terri Webster Schrandt. In her post Terri offers four reasons to attend the next one you are invited to. Four Reasons to Attend a Blogging Conference (2017) by Terri Webster Schrandt
This is the final post from the archives of Jim Borden who blogs on‘Borden’s Blather’across a variety of topics. I know that my computer can be funny weird… frequently but have not so far seen it be funny ha ha! So I decided to end Jim’s short series for this season with this post. Can Computers be Funny? (2018) by Jim Borden
This is the third post from educator and author Pete Springer who began blogging in April this year. I am sure you will agree that he has made a fantastic start to his new project. Pete shares some incidents that could have been a lot worse if laughter had not been the outcome.. and there there is the mystery of the knocking in the pipes! The Importance of a Good Sense of Humor by Pete Springer
Delighted to welcome Melanie Stewart to the series.. In Melanie’s firstpost she shares some of the wisdom she picked up from author Judith Viorst who is almost 90 years old and the joy that her mother who is in her 80s, has found in following Tiger Woods…. Finding Joy in your 80s and 90s (2018)
This is the first post from Peter Mohanwho blogs at Cheers, Govanhill as his alter ego .. Boy David…I thought in this first post I would let Peter introduceGovanhill to you to set the scene for the other posts Thou shalt buy thy round
I repeat this series in particular every year, in the hopes that those who are new to the blog will find it interesting and useful. I worked with couples who were planning on getting pregnant and it was important that both understood how each other’s reproductive systems worked. Also if you know your body well, if something is even slightly different from the norm, it encourages you to have it checked out. The Female Reproductive System.
After 45 years of working in the food industry and then in the last twenty as a nutritional therapist, I explore where in the life cycle we can intervene to prevent the current obesity crisis.
For this week’s Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 145 Colleen Chesebro has provided us with a photo prompt.. in a new twist the previous month’s poet of the week for the photo prompt gets to choose the image..This month that honour falls to Jane Dougherty.
I have selected a #Tanka for this week’s challenge…
Welcome to the weekly round up of posts that you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.
Things have been relatively quiet around here which I am grateful for. We have had some lovey sunny days and I have taken advantage of those. We both have some projects that are nearing completion so that has taken up a fair amount of time.
Coming up next week
Robbie Cheadle with the second part of The York Chocolate Story on Monday
Tuesday William Price King shares the life and music of Mary Lou Williams – American Jazz pianists, arranger and composer.
Carol Taylor’s food and cookery Column on Wednesday
The regulars will be here with book reviews and new releases for authors in the Cafe and Bookstore, The health column, funnies and afternoon video..
The health column continues with the major organs and systems in the body with the start of a series on the female reproductive system.
Some new bloggers who have been writing for under a year start their new series from the archives and some great posts to showcase.
The book marketing series on Saturday covers more of the online watering holes that are useful elements in promoting your work.
Just an Odd Job Girl with two more chapters Saturday and Sunday.
My guest next Sunday in the author interview is Darlene Foster.
And through the week the Blogger Daily will share some exceptional posts from the blogging community
And there will be some responses to poetry and flash challenges.
Just a reminder if you are in the Cafe and Bookstore and are planning to put any of your books on offer in coming weeks to let me know so that I can include in the updates. You can email me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com or leave a message on Facebook.
On with the posts this week
As always a huge thanks to those who contribute with guest posts and columns…. as well as to you for dropping to read them.
My guest this week is author and proofreader Jo Elizabeth Pinto who has recently released her latest book Daddy Won’t Let Mom Drive the Car: True Tales of Parenting in the Dark. Jo Elizabeth shares the inspiration behind her love of books and her own writing and lets us peek into her latest book with a humour filled extract that definitely entices you to read more.
Jessica Norrie explores the legendary first lines of books we have read….Authors need a rocket, or at least a hook, right at the start. Dickens has the best opening line ever: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” (A Tale of Two Cities). What scope he gives himself, with that, for anything at all to happen, in any possible way
Delighted that over the next five weeks, author Robbie Cheadlewill be sharing the The York Chocolatestory with us, following her recent trip to the UK..
Chapter Ten – Imogen and Peter’s relationship hits a bad patch and a cat burglar does not help matters.. and then there is the matter of the insurances cheques.
This week the importance your blog has as part of your book marketing strategy. And a checklist to make sure you have certain elements in place to be effective.
I was born on Friday 13th (February) and it has always been lucky for me… there are a number of variations, including Tuesday 13th and Thursday 13th, on the theme around the world and for various reasons..
This week’s prompt words for Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 144 were ‘Enchant and Fly’ and I have used the synonyms ‘Charm and Soar’ for my double etheree
This is the third post from the archives of author and poet, Patricia Furstenberg . I love medical conditions.. not necessarily when afflicting me personally, but the causes, symptoms and treatments.. I know I need to get a life. However, some conditions have a literary origin…. 5 Medical Symptoms Named After Literary Characters (2017) by Patricia Furstenberg
Sleeping Beauty painting by Victor Gabriel Gilbert
This is the third post from the archives of author, fitness advocate and photographer Terri Webster Schrandt.I could not share some of Terri’s posts without including a photograph…. so whilst short this is also sweet, particularly as that is the favourite taste sensation of the subjects of the photograph. Photography – Never Ending Quest for Food (2016) by Terri Webster Schrandt
This is thethird post from the archives of Jim Borden who blogs on ‘Borden’s Blather’ across a variety of topics. This post from Jim reminds us all of what there is to life we might be missing out on. The Benefits of Having a Purpose in Life (2017) by Jim Borden
This is the final post from the archives of the eclectic blog of writer Marilyn Armstrong and I have selected this one from a series of posts in 2015 – Sharing my World..Hugging the Dogs: Sharing My World 2015- Week 2 by Marilyn Armstrong
This is the final post of author Antoinette Truglio Martin who began blogging in 2018.. I am going to share four posts from her archives that were part of her A-Z challenge last year. Pasta is a favourite in our household.. and Antoinette has a story about Pastina…
This is the finalpost from the archives of Anne Copeland, writer of nonfiction articles, books, and poetry, as well as a mixed media and fiber artist. This post is a poem that sums up how I feel about the world at times. Weltschmerz (2018)
This is the final post fromauthor and designer, Valentina Cirasola I have chosen this post because my mother was a Libra born on October 5th and I am sure several of you will have your birthdays in the coming month. #Astrology Born A Libra Under Venus (2018)
This is the finalpost of author Ellen Hawley who has enjoyed a wonderfully varied career before leaving the United States to settle in Cornwall. The opioid crisis in the USA and increasingly in the UK and other countries is not the first time in history that an addictive substance has become concerning. In this post Ellen explores Tea and opium.. care of The East India Company. History – Tea, opium, and the East India Company (2018)
This is the second post from educator and author Pete Springer who began blogging in April this year. I am sure you will agree that he has made a fantastic start to his new project. I know how many of you are dog lovers, and this one is for you… My Buddies by Pete Springer
I wanted to describe the passage of a very common and tasty snack that many of us enjoy. Usually with only one thing in mind. The taste.. However, perhaps after following this chicken sandwich through your digestive tract you might think about it in a different way.
This week’s prompt words for Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 144 were ‘Enchant and Fly’ and I have used the synonyms ‘Charm and Soar’ for my double etheree
Image PIxabay
Double etheree – The Charm of Fairies – Sally Cronin
I
believe
in fairies.
I have done so
since I was a child,
and saw them clear as day.
Finding me they sought to charm,
fluttering on gossamer wings,
and sprinkling fairy dust in my eyes,
so I could see the magic in our world.
People will state that they do not exist,
and are of the imagination.
This is because they have not seen,
or felt the wonders you have.
Not all this world is known,
or those parallel.
Let in the joy
and you will
learn to
soar
Welcome to the weekly round up of posts that you might have missed on Smorgasbord this week.
It is a time of great suffering and challenges for the thousands who have been devastated in the Bahamas and also those caught up in the hurricane as it moves up the Eastern coast of the USA. Whilst the majority of us are just spectators as these tragedies unfold, they do touch us and make us realise how lucky we are not to be in the path of the destructive force of nature so regularly. Especially when so many of those impacted had little to begin with.
I know that I bang on about the Irish weather from time to time, but it is still a moderate climate without the extremes normally, and we are very lucky.
This coming week sees a new feature for those authors in the Cafe and Bookstore, in line with my renewed focus on promoting this group of writers.
If you have a book that you are going to be offering free or for a reduced price, usually 99p/99c then please let me know a week in advance if you can, by email sally.cronin@moyhill.com…or if you are on Facebook you can send me a message. I will add in its own section at the end of one of the Cafe Updates.. all it costs you is a few seconds of your time to let me know.
Also I don’t want to come across as a nag, but please remember to respond to comments individually, as it will encourage more sales, for your books and also for your blog to be remembered with more shares across social media. Thank you for listening to this service message!!!
As always a huge thanks to the contributors to the blog, my aim to have a magazine approach originally has been fulfilled by their wonderful posts, offering a diverse range of subjects that I could not provide myself. Their knowledge and effort are very much appreciated. Also thank you for your support for their work and for my own posts, it helps motivate and inspire me.
Time to get on with the show…..
A welcome return to our musical columnist William Price King with a new series of posts on influential musicians.. this week American jazz-rock guitarist and composer John Scofield
The week D.G. Kaye takes us to one of the lovely islands in the Caribbean and provides us with all the information we need to visit...I’ve written about a few islands in the Caribbean so far, and today I want to continue the Caribbean theme and take us all to Saint Barthelemy, or the often abbreviated, St. Barths, the French prefer tocall it, and, St. Barts in English.
This week Carol Taylor shows us How to add fuss free flavor to your food. To make delicious family food you don’t need to spend a fortune on fancy ingredients which cost a fortune. Most of us have access to a whole range of simple herbs, spices and aromatics which we can use to accentuate and bring maximum flavor to food.
This month a cake that will tempt you beyond all self-control from Silvia Todesco – a step by step guide to Italian deliciousness. Fluffy apple coffee cake: irresistible!
D.G. Kaye, Debby Gies, kicks off the new author interview series in great style sharing the inspiration for her writing, the editing process and software, and books on our craft that she considers are must reads. I am sure you will enjoy as much as I did. You can also enjoy an excerpt from her memoir Twenty Years After “I Do”.
Previously Imogen had regaled Andrew with her antics as one of the team in the Ladies Fashion department at Huntleys, and her run in with shoplifters.Chapter Seven – The Cosmetic Department.
Previously Working in the Cosmetic Department of Huntleys was not all about nail varnish and lipsticks, there were also fascinating social issues to be discovered and embraced. Chapter Eight – The Steakhouse
Being the first Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 142 of the month, Colleen allows us the freedom to choose our own words…Double Etheree – The Summer Bids Farewell
This week’s Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge by Charli Mills was to use the title of one of the greatest western’s of all time True Gritin one form or another.. Since is was my father’s favourite film (along with any John Wayne Western) I have responded with this.
Attracting your readers, Covers, Book Titles, Tag Lines and Key Words Authors are small businesses with a product that needs marketing to obtain sales. Once you start thinking of yourself as a business it tends to focus your mind differently. One of the key elements of marketing and selling is to attract the right customer for your product and in book marketing this is your readers.
Kicking off the new series of posts from the archives of bloggers who have been blogging for under a year, is Pete Springer, sharing his story of getting fitter and healthier after retirement. Making Healthy Changes by Pete Springer
The current series of potluck posts continues for a couple of weeks and in this post Terri Webster Schrandtunderlines the need to make sure that children and adults are safe in the water. Don’t Become a Memory: Three Easy Ways to Be Safe in the Water (2015) by Terri Webster Schrandt
This is the second post from the archives of author and poet, Patricia Furstenberg who as you can tell from some of her books is a dog lover. In this post Patricia shares the steps to igniting the love of reading in boys. Here’s How To Get Boys To Read In 5 Easy Steps (2017) by Patricia Furstenberg
This is thesecond post from the archives of Jim Borden. One of the areas I think we do not do well here is with a Community Alert System should there be a potential disaster.. along the lines of this post. #Community First Night of CERT Training (2016) by Jim Borden – No, this post is not about how to properly take a breath mint, although I know many of us who could benefit from such training.
This is the third post from the archives of the eclectic blog of writer Marilyn Armstrong and I have selected this one because despite being written seven years ago…our lives are still run by batteries and power boards.Charge (Batteries) 2012 by Marilyn Armstrong
This is the third post of author Antoinette Truglio Martin who began blogging in 2018.. I am going to share four posts from her archives that were part of her A-Z challenge last year. Since my downfall is and has always been food….I enjoyed browsing Antoinette’s challenge. This week, a food that immediately brings back memories of New England… Lobster.
This is the third post from the archives of Anne Copeland, writer of nonfiction articles, books, and poetry, as well as a mixed media and fiber artist. This post is heartrending and inspiring. As someone who has lost a late-term baby, I found this very touching and it is a beautiful undertaking by an extraordinary woman. An Angel Among Us (2018) Anne Copeland
This is the third post from author and designer, Valentina Cirasola. I have chosen this post from the Home Designs Blog and as I have always painted by kitchens Yellow… I thought you might get some inspiration from Valentina from September 2018 Yellow For Manifesting – Valentina Cirasola – Interior Designer
This is the third post from the archives of Lee who writes for her blog Woeful to Froful, where she shares about hair and skincare, beauty, positive thinking and music. This is from Lee’s second blog and I thought it was a lovely way to express a mother’s body….
This is the third post of author Ellen Hawleywho has enjoyed a wonderfully varied career before leaving the United States to settle in Cornwall. Here Ellen shares a recipe for another family favourite. Recipe – Peach or blackberry cobbler: an American recipe
Last week I began a series on The Immune System and how it works. This week I would like to show you how your role in your immune system’s efficiency is critical and possibly life saving.
Thank you for dropping by and for all your amazing support it is much appreciated. It would be lovely if we could connect on the following sites too. Thanks Sally.
