Welcome to the weekly round up which you may be surprised to discover is shorter and sweeter this week.. My sister is over for the weekend so we are gallivanting about the place. Yesterday was a beautiful day but it did not last long… still one out of three ain’t bad.
Thank you to everyone who popped in, liked, shared and most of all commented.. do love having a chat.
My thanks too for the contributions to the blog and I am so lucky to have such talented people sharing their work here.. Look out for a couple more in the next few weeks.
On with the show which included day three of the End of Summer Party and then several posts featuring the music requests of the guest.
Two more stories from my later father-in-law from Waterford through the decades. The first is the whirlwind romance of his American great uncle of 80 and his new wife of 29. The second is all about bringing home the bacon.
Writer in Residence – The Dancing Floor of Glastonbury by Paul Andruss
In June this year thousands descended on Glastonbury in Somerset for a music festival.. As always, images in the media show that there is a certain amount of licence to partake in various shenanigans during the days and nights of the festival.. but there is nothing new in history.. And who knows what ancients stand on Glastonbury Tor looking down on the festival site, laughing at the amateurs emulating a much more fascinating and sometimes deadly time in history.
Guest writer – One foot in front of the other by Julie Lawford
Time for another of Julie Lawford’s inspiring posts on lifestyle and weightloss and this week a look at walking. Something most of us do automatically from about the age of 18 months to two years and continue to do so until we die. There are times when we push ourselves physically to lose weight and that is incredibly hard to sustain day after day.. But walking briskly every day is less of a punishment and more a pleasure… as you will discover from Julie today.
Welcome to the round up and some posts that you might have missed. Especially if you have taken my advice and have not signed up for notifications. You would be so stressed! I know that I blog a great deal but by now you are used to that by now.. Popping in on a Sunday is probably your best bet so that you can select the posts that you are interested in.
Next weekend there is going to a change to the programme as it will be a three day party on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Unfortunately I may have tipped our summer into its own pity party when I announced this last week, as it has been blowing a hooligan and pouring with rain ever since! However, we will not let a little moisture get in our way.
My intention is to mention as many of those people who have been with me since the beginning of my blogging adventure in September 2013 with some specially prepared snippets. I also plan to do some introductory pieces on my regular guests as well with interludes for music, humour and of course food and drink. There will be a post each day and in the tradition of all good parties, mingling and exchanging details in the comments is to be expected.
Paul Andruss has prepared two posts which will go out in the week about some of the music he feels will get you in the mood and he will also round off the party with a post on Sunday Afternoon.
I hope that whatever your actual plans are for next weekend you will be able to pop in to one of the posts over the three days and leave your details in the visitors book.
My thanks as always to my guests this week and food was definitely on the agenda with the wonderful recipe for Babotie which is a traditional South African dish that I enjoyed as a child. My thanks to Tandy Sinclair for sharing. As you will have seen, Carol Taylor and I have teamed up for a new series on healthy foods alongside delicious recipes. This week the versatile banana received the Carol treatment.
And to encourage you not to let all this wonderful food cause a disruption to your waistline, Julie Lawford shares 50 benefits that demonstrate the positive effects of healthy weight loss.
And of course thanks to William Price King for his wonderful series on Tony Bennett first aired in 2015 and now taking us through the Summer (a term used loosely around here).
Now on with the show…..thanks for dropping in and please sign the guest book at the end.
Summer Jazz with William Price King and Tony Bennett
I am making good use of some of the photographs that Paul Andruss has donated from his wonderful garden. This is the American Monkey Flower.
Monkey-flowers are North American ornamental plants which also grow ferally in the wild. Common monkey-flower is the only plant of its genus that appears outside the confines of the well-tended garden: the other species survive here only if they’re cultivated. Unlike other new plants that have become problematic weeds or that have gone on the rampage or become a threat to native plants, common monkey-flower seems to be almost harmless. In its native western North America the species thrives in different kinds of damp environments – in Finland it can be found most often in the same kinds of places, most likely of course near inhabited areas.
The first thing that one notices about monkey-flowers is their exiting-looking flowers which probably also inspired the giver of their scientific name. the name of the genus comes from the ancient Greek word mimo which means ‘monkey’, or the Latin word mimus which means ‘actor, mimic’ – looking from the front of the plant its flower could resemble a monkey’s face or the mask used by an actor in a classical play. Apart from being an ornamental in gardens, common monkey-flower is also an important model organism in ecological and genetic research: the species’ genome was entirely decoded in 2007. Native Americans used the monkey-flower to treat wounds and pain.
Welcome to the weekly round up and a reminder that What’s in a Name Volume one is FREE until midnight tonight. I am not part of the Kindle family although all my books are formated to be read on Kindles, Nooks and any other devices. So I don’t do the Kindle select promotions. However, most of you know we well enough to email me and that your information is safe.
About the stories
There are names that have been passed down through thousands of years which have powerful and deep-rooted meaning to their bearers. Other names have been adopted from other languages, cultures and from the big screen. They all have one thing in common. They are with us from birth until the grave and they are how we are known to everyone that we meet.
There are classical names such as Adam, David and Sarah that will grace millions of babies in the future. There are also names that parents have invented or borrowed from places or events in their lives which may last just one lifetime or may become the classic names of tomorrow.
Whatever the name there is always a story behind it. In What’s in a Name? – Volume One, twenty men and women face danger, love, loss, romance, fear, revenge and rebirth as they move through their lives.
Anne changes her name because of associations with her childhood, Brian carries the mark of ancient man, Jane discovers that her life is about to take a very different direction, and what is Isobel’s secret?
The book is available in Mobi (Kindle) Epub (other devices) and pdf for those of you without a reader.
Just email me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com and I will whisk a copy over to you. I appreciate that many of you have TBRs that rival the Leaning Tower of Pisa… but that is okay and I also have no expectation of a review… unless you really want to!
End of Summer Party – August 26th – 28th – all welcome.
I will be roasting showcasing, those bloggers who have been with me since I began Smorgasbord four years ago.. and apart from these guests, I am inviting everyone to chip in with their details in the comments. I have some food and drink (virtually no calories) and there will be some music. I hope you will be able to pop in .
My secretary Mavis has reminded me that it is time to get on with the round up of the week’s posts that you might have missed.
I am of course very grateful to my guests this week who have provided us with entertaining and interesting posts. Thanks to Anne Casey, Julie Lawford and Carol Taylor who will be with us through the summer and beyond I hope.
William Price King is still on his summer break but I have been sharing a previous series that proved very popular the first time around.. Tony Bennett the ultimate performer.
Guest post from poet and song writer Anne Casey talking about the path to the publication of her debut poetry collection. Including her published work in the Irish Times.
I was delighted to welcome Carol Taylor to the blog for the first of a collaborative series on my top healthy foods with some wonderful recipes from Carol.. This week delicious ways to prepare the king of fish.. salmon.
For the next 12 weeks I am guest posting with a number of fantastic bloggers as part of the Odd Jobs and Characters, What’s in a Name launch series. I am posting the first three and then this Friday, Debby Gies is hosting the first of the guest appearances.. By all accounts she has added some Debby specials to the post so I hope you will head over and check it out.
This week was part one of my adventures as a dental nurse back in the late 1960s…haha.
I am very lucky to have access to Paul Andruss’s photos that he takes when he is visiting gardens around Wales and the rest of the country. This photograph is of the Chinese Garden at Bidulph Grange.
You can find out more about this stunning place in Staffordshire at this link
Welcome to this week’s round up of posts that you might have missed. As you know I recommend that you do not sign up for notifications about my posts.. it would drive you crazy.. but you might like to put Sunday in your diary for a pop in.
As always I am very grateful for those who have shared their thoughts, words and wisdom with us this week. William Price King, Paul Andruss, Julie Lawford,Kevin Morris and Ali Isaac
I have had some adventures of the dental kind this week having fractured a molar.. We had not signed up with a dentist as yet but were recommended to go to one in nearby Arklow.. You can always tell how good a dentist is by sitting in a waiting room. If people have their head in their hands are sweating it is not a good sign.. In this case everyone was enjoying a banter and talking about the weather.. I was reassured. Having been on the other side of the dentist chair over 40 years ago and witnessed some of the treatments then available you might understand why I am still nervous of going for an appointment.
I need not have been worried. Despite barely any of the tooth left, the dentist fitted me in for an appointment within two days because she did not want to leave me with a loose filling whilst she went on holiday. She took out the old filling painlessly and rebuilt it painstakingly… with composite. I am delighted to have found such a great practice and will be returning when needed.
The weather has turned autumnal and conkers are already on the trees. We have had a dry if cloudy summer and I take heart knowing that here in Ireland September can be a glorious month. In the meantime I may be getting the boots back out of their summer hibernation.. they have only been in there for six weeks…
Anyway on with the round up and thank you very much for your continued support.. It means the world to me.
Summer Jazz with William Price King
Whilst William is away on his summer break I will be reposting the series featuring the amazing Tony Bennett who is still performing in his 90s.
Here he is with The Way You Look Tonight by Jerome Kern
This week Paul Andruss takes us behind the scenes of the real life relationship between two megastars of their day.. Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.. Expect the unexpected with The Dream Team.
A reminder that you can enjoy the full book of essays by Horatio Grin (AKA Paul Andruss) with bonus features FREE by emailing me.. Details in the post.
Over the next three months I will be posting a new series Odd Jobs and Characters to celebrate my latest short story collection in ebook and a printed edition containing both volumes of What’s in a Name? The first three posts are on my blog and then the other twelve are being featured on some wonderful writer’s blogs..
Just a reminder that all promotions for bloggers and authors on Smorgasbord are FREE… I can offer to showcase your work in front of nearly 30,000 across the blog and social media and give you regular updates every few weeks.
The only thing that I ask is that you participate by responding to comments of those who have taken the time to make them, and to share across your own blog and networks. This also involves responding to those who share on Twitter as I tag you in any retweets. Most who share on Twitter are authors themselves and are part of a very supportive community who welcome new members.
It does make a huge difference to the response. Not just for the initial promotion but those that follow. People buy people first..
A great example of participation this week was Vashti Quiroz-Vega whose enthusiasm for promoting her New on the Shelvespost resulted in over 150 views and 50 retweets.. I did a quick count up of the number of followers who retweeted the post or the original tweet. Vashti’s book had the potential to be seen by half a million readers. Of course this does not necessarily correspond with books sold or downloaded but those people now firmly have Vashti on their radar.
As an author I love providing this promotional opportunity but it is a collaboration.
Here is how you can join over 200 authors in the Cafe and Bookstore…
Some of the wonderful blog posts I have read this week.. Sorry not to be able to showcase everyone.. but you can always send me a link for your most recent post for me to share.
Thank you again for joining me here on Smorgasbord.. Keep an eye open during the week for a new interview series beginning in September in the Sunday Morning slot.
Welcome to the round up of some posts that you might have missed this week. I have been offline more than on but I hope to reveal the cover of What’s in a Name Volume II in the next few days. It is done all bar the shouting (Amazon) which as an independent author and not part of KP can take a few days.
Request.
I would be really grateful for an opportunity over the weeks following the book’s release if I might do a guest post. Each one will be sharing the inspiration behind the main character of the story with a short excerpt. If you feel that might fit in with your blog and schedule please email me and once I have a firm release dates I can let you have the weeks that are currently free. sally.cronin@moyhill.com
William Price King is on his summer break now until September. He has gigs in the Nice region which as you know is a very popular tourist destination. I will be reposting one of his contemporary season from earlier in the year to make sure you don’t have withdrawal symptoms.
Horatio Grin caused quite a stir with his essays on the origins of Fairies and this week we revealed the last mystery behind the man…. Quess Who… and the initials are PA… If you would like a FREE Epub or pdf of Horatio’s book which contains additional bonus essays, then the details are in the post.
Robbie Cheadle takes us on a tour of Cape Town to celebrate the release of her latest children’s story and cookbook – Silly Willy goes to Cape Town with some traditional foods from South Africa that definitely brought back happy memories.
Judith Barrow shares the story of her treatment and survival of breast cancer. A must read for every woman.
My thanks to everyone who has contributed this week and of course to all of you for your ongoing support. Enjoy the rest of Sunday and see you soon. Sally
William Price King meets some legends
I thought you might like to listen to one of my favourite tracks while you browse.
To celebrate the release of the latest children’s book Silly Willy Goes to Cape Town, Robbie shares some of the delicious traditional food you can find in South Africa.
The new series of Blogger Daily has begun again and please do not hesitate to let me have the link to your most recent post either in the comments section or by email.
Life is not one never ending fairy tale. Not many people sail through their years without encountering obstacles to their happiness and most of us, being human, contribute to the problem.
I was only twenty when I fell for an older and charasmatic man. I was told I was playing with fire but knew better. Four years later the charm offensive had just turned offensive, and I left with a couple of suitcases.
At first I thought a distance of 100 miles was sufficient but a few late night calls from friends persuaded me that I needed to put even more miles behind me and I headed to Snowdonia in Wales to work in a hotel. Forty years ago, without the Internet you could disappear quite effectively. It eventually took me three years to disentangle myself legally and my divorce was finalised on April Fools Day 1980!.
They say that our lives are mapped out for us. I find it ironic and slightly spooky that if I had not run off to Wales I would not have met David six months after my divorce.. and that would have been the bigger tragedy.
I wrote a lot of song lyrics back then (never seen the light of day). They are good old fashioned country with plenty of angst.. But those original lyrics have formed the basis for later poetry and this is a poem about what was a short but impactful period in my life.
Time on my Own
I came to these green hills in search of peace
Away from the betrayal and blame
Hoping the distance would make nightmares cease
help me banish the feelings of shame
Some told me that it was mainly my fault
That our marriage was doomed from the start
Filling my wounds with their pinches of salt
Ignorant of what caused us to part.
Some of the truths I will take to my grave
There are others I need to let go
It is frightening but I must be brave
Learn to breathe and to go with the flow
I doubt that I will completely forget
The emotional scars of those years
And my decision I do not regret
refusing to shed any more tears.
I am young and despite all this drama
I will not let its pain mar my life
I just need time to patch up my armour
And forget I was ever your wife.
Life is taking me along a new path
Winding around and not very clear
I hope to a safe place where I can laugh
Throwing away these feelings of fear.
Will I love again I really don’t know
For now I just need space of my own
But it is time to get on with the show
To stop my heart from turning to stone.
I am a professional freelance writer and blogger with a passion to create original content. I develop web content and write for online and offline magazines. I'm a seasoned blogger with expertise in writing impressive blog posts, comments, and use of social media.
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