Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round up – 23rd – 29th January 2023 – Technology, Big Bands, Sir George Shearing, Podcast, PR for authors, Book Reviews, New Releases, The Brain, Funnies

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

I hope you have all had a good week. Nothing earth shattering to report from here but when I read the world headlines, I am very happy to be living in a quiet rural area away from it all. I know I used to be so much more adventurous, but even my upcoming trip to see my sisters requires planning and preparations for just a few days away. The days of flinging some clothes into a bag, grabbing a passport and whizzing through an airport to catch a flight to the other side of the world are long over.

Even technology is going to become interesting during 2023 as mobile phones that are programmed for 3G become obsolete in the UK and Ireland, making way for the new 4G voice technology. This means new phones for the majority of us, and whilst there are only a couple of places in the UK at the moment that have scrapped 3G, they and Ireland intend to move to 4G by the end of the year. Considering I used to drive hundreds of miles on my own without a mobile phone I am almost ashamed I am not brave enough to drive the 7k to Tesco without one!

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week for the Big Band Era with Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson and The Charleston. Also the next post on the life and music of Sir George Shearing with the last episode on this coming Friday.The following week a new series on the incredible Quincy Jones You can also find William – Blog– IMPROVISATION– William Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ has arrived safely in Mexico after a gruelling journey with snow blizzards, delays due to iced wings. During her time away I will be sharing some posts from the archives on Smorgasbord and her own blog. Tomorrow morning… one of her early guest posts here on an entertaining travel adventure. There will also be some funnies along the way. Debby did a Bon Voyage post on her blog with some interesting geographical, political and safety information on Puerta Vallarta and if you are planning a winter break you will find very helpful. Follow the link to Debby’s blog …D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor will be here on Wednesday with her A-Z of food and the letter ‘P’. Congratulations to Carol on becoming a great grandmother to Bonnie born on January 25th, a beautiful picture in her round up. On Monday Carol looked at the alternative options to antibiotics in the form of Echinacea, a better way to grow rice for the environment, a report on Trans Fats, a fitness update and a toadzilla found that would make anyone jump. Carol explores the cuisine of Fiji… very exotic locally sourced delicacies. Catch up on all Carol’s posts: Carol Taylor’s weekly round up 22nd to 28th January

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…..

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin 1930s – Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson and The Charleston

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Sir George Shearing – 1970s and Latin and Classical Styles

Podcast #Poetry #Flash Fiction – Light Lingers and Poisoned Apples by Sally Cronin

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Brain – Shopping list for the Brain and its support systems by Sally Cronin

Public Relations for Authors Recycled- Part Four – Social Media – The Pros and the Cons as an Author by Sally Cronin

Book Review – #Poetry – Sorrowful Soul (Book 3 in the Soul Poetry series) by Harmony Kent

#Reviews D.L. Finn, #Reading Robbie Cheadle, #Writinglinks D.G. Kaye, #Diary Yvette Calliero, #Interview Judith Barrow, #Funnies The Story Reading Ape, #Powercut Cheryl Oreglia

#Parents #Grief – Ok, Little Bird by Deena Goldstein

#Poetry #FreeVerse – Ida: Searching for The Jazz Baby – From Volyn to Kherson: Interpretations of the war in Ukraine by Frank Prem

#Romance – #Preorder – Reunion (Montana Bred Series 2) by Linda Bradley

#mystery #suspense – The Fathers, the Sons and the Anxious Ghost by Jamie Adams

#Pets on My Travels by Darlene Foster

#PotLuck – Top Ten Things Not to Do on a Men Only Weekend Trip by John W. Howell.

January 2023 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Margaritas and Regrets

January 2023 – Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp – #Marriage and #Fottles

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week… stay safe.. Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin 1930s – Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson and The Charleston

Welcome to the new series of the music column where I am joined as always by Jazz singer and composer William Price King.  We hope you will join us every Tuesday for some of the chart hits of the big band era from the 1930s through to the 1950s.

Some of the earlier videos are not of the best quality however where possible we have sourced remastered copies to share with you. Considering some are almost 100 years old, it is remarkable that they exist at all.  A testament to the love of the music of that era. Along with our selections each week we will also be showcasing one of the dance crazes from the 1920s onwards and as with the music videos some are not of the highest quality and in some cases I have substituted more modern versions.

Here is my next selection from the Big Band chart in the 1930s from The Benny Goodman Quartet

“Moonglow,” composed by Will Hudson and Irving Mills, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange, was first recorded by Joe Venuti (the father of the jazz violin) in 1933. Venuti’s record didn’t hit the charts, but the following year the recording by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra did just that, and topped the Billboard chart at #1.

Here is my next selection from this era of popular music from Teddy Wilson

Teddy Wilson “Sweet Lorraine” (1935)

“Sweet Lorraine” is a popular song with music by Cliff Burwell and words by Mitchell Parish that was published in 1928 and has become a jazz standard. Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as “the definitive swing pianist”,Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. His version of Sweet Lorraine charted in October 1935, peaking at #17. OnlyJazzHQ

Other sources: Wikipedia

The early videos that I have managed to find are not always the best quality but hopefully they convey the wonderful joy that dancing brought to the times. Sally.

The Charleston is a dance named after the harbour city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called “The Charleston” by composer/pianist James P. Johnson, which originated in the Broadway show Runnin’ Wild and became one of the most popular hits of the decade. Runnin’ Wild ran from October 28, 1923, through June 28, 1924. The peak year for the Charleston as a dance by the public was mid-1926 to 1927.

Although it achieved popularity when the song “Charleston”, sung by Elisabeth Welch, was added in the production Runnin’ Wild, the dance itself was first introduced in Irving C. Miller’s Liza in the spring of 1922. Here is a modern video of the dance from
Der Charleston von Janin und Zsolt  Let’s Dance 2022 RTL

Your Hosts for The Big Band Era

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Thanks for tuning in and as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.

 

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 16th – 22nd January 2023 – George Shearing, Big Band Era, Intuition, Culinary ‘O’ foods and terms, New Releases, Book Reviews, The Brain, Bloggers Spotlight and Funnies

Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed in the last week here on Smorgasbord.

Not a great deal to report this week that is newsworthy but thank goodness for the blog which has kept me out of mischief… well almost! The weaher has turned a little warmer the last couple of days and I notice the first signs of the primroses under the hedge poking their heads about ground. I hope they are not being overly keen and I am sure some more frosts to come.

On the blog front.. delighted to say that quite a few bloggers have signed up for the new series of post from the archives and you will begin to see those posts beginning Tuesday. So if you would like me to share two posts from your archives from July- December 2022 then here are the details. #NewSeries January 2023- ‘Lucky Dip’ and Do You Trust Me??

Don’t forget to email me if you have a new release in the next few weeks so I can help spread the news. sally.cronin@moyhill.com. If you are new to the blog then I will let you know what I need… if you have been featured before I just need the Amazon link.

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week to celebrate the Big Band Era Ethel Waters, Duke Ellington and the Jitterbug. Also the next post on Friday with the life and music of Sir George Shearing.  You can also find William – Blog– IMPROVISATION– William Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ was here on Monday with an exploration of Intuition… and during this past week joined me for a laughter post.  On her own blog you will find her Sunday Book Review for Death and its Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Beautiful Lessons by therapist Becky Aud-Jennison.  Also a link to Debby’s two latest podcast.

Debby is heading off to Mexico for two months on her annual migration to warmer climes but I will be sharing some posts from her archives on her Monday slot in the meantime. She will be back in April with more of her Spiritual Awareness posts. Follow the link to Debby’s posts …D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor was here on Wednesday with her A-Z of food and the letter ‘O’. Over on her own blog you will find Monday Musings on Rhinos and natural antibiotics, On Thursday thoughts you can discover some interesting facts such as the first hot air balloon flight in the 18th century.  You can catch up with the news: Carol Taylor’s Weekly Round Up 21st January

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…..

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin 1930s – Ethel Waters, Duke Ellington and The Jitterbug

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Sir George Shearing – The Collaborations

Spiritual Awareness – Learning to Trust Your #Intuition by D. G. Kaye

Carol Taylor’s – Culinary A – Z Rewind – ‘O’ for Oats, Offal, Octopus, Oranges and Oysters.

Podcast #Poetry #Flash Fiction – Waiting for Spring and Good Morning Your Eminence by Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Public Relations for Authors Recycled – Part Three – Hitting the Red Carpet

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Brain – Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease by Sally Cronin

#Review – #Romance #Novella – Pour It On ( Keystone Couples) by Staci Troilo

#Forgottenwords Marcia Meara, #Booktitles Pamela Wight, #Reviews Diana Peach, #2022reads D.L. Finn, #Salad New Vintage Kitchen, #Frost John Howell.

#Suspense #Romance Tall Pines Sanctuary by Sharon K. Connell

#Contemporary #Suspense #Loss #Love – All That Was Taken by Lisette Brodey

#YA #Fantasy – Dream Walker: Book 5 in ‘The Council of Twelve’ Series A.J. Alexander

#Techno #Thriller What Comes Before (Heirs And Descendants Book 3) by Daniel Kemp

Host Malcolm Allen – January 2023 – Bird Power and Weighing Scales

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Notes to Self and Definitions

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week… be safe… Sally

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – January 9th – 15th 2023 – Wind, Big Band Era, Podcast,The Brain, PR for Authors, New books, Reviews, Funnies

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

Greetings from wild and windy Ireland, and considering around 23% of Ireland’s electricity comes from wind power, I should say this week they have more than enough to spare! Ice is coming in for the next two to three days and being rural the roads tend to stay frosty until enough traffic has passed over them. So I am off to do the shopping this morning and get it out of the way. I know there are many others knee deep in snow at the moment and we get off lightly, particularly here on the east coast so no complaints just an extra layer of thermals.

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week to celebrate the Big Band Era with Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra and one of the dance crazes of the age The Cakewalk. Also the second post on Friday with the life and music of Sir George Shearing.  You can also find William – Blog– IMPROVISATION– William Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ will be here on Monday with an exploration of Intuition… and during this past week joined me for two laughter posts. Over on her own blog you will find her review for the fantastic upcoming release Sisters by Judith Barrow and a bumper monthly writer’s links . Follow the link to Debby’s posts …D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor will be here on Wednesday with her A-Z of food and the letter ‘O’. Over on her own blog you will find Monday Musings on Chocolate and Jogging, in the Green Kitchen a fascinating visit to a local organic farm and ways to use stale bread and Thursday Thoughts with a fantastic soup recipe and an interesting piece about lithium battery alternatives.  You can catch up with the news: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…8th-14th January 2023

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…..

– The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin 1930s – Duke Ellington and Leo Reisman with Frank Sinatra

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Sir George Shearing – Into the 1940s

#Poetry #Flash Fiction – New Year’s Resolutions and Fire

Since this series began in January 2018 there have been over 1250 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 last six months of 2022

Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives -#NewSeries January 2023- ‘Lucky Dip’ and Do You Trust Me??

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Brain – Development from conception to old age by Sally Cronin

Public Relations for Authors Recycled- Part Two – Author Biographies -Tips and Translations

#FamilySaga – Sisters by Judith Barrow

Book Review – #Romance #Family – Searching for Home by Jill Weatherholt

Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Children’s – Amazing Matilda: A Monarch’s Tale by Bette A. Stevens

New Book on the Shelves – #YA #History #Timetravel – Patches through Time by Sian Turner

Menagerie: A Collection of Thirteen #Mystery, #Suspense, and Contemporary Short Stories by Joan Hall

New Book on the Shelves – #Fantasy – Mystical Greenwood (One with Nature Book 1) by Andrew McDowell

Smorgasbord Blogger Spotlight 2023 – #Sisters Judith Barrow, #Health D.G. Kaye, #Reviews Jacquie Biggar, #Peace Rebecca Budd, #NewYear Liz Gauffreau, #OddBirds Cindy Knoke

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Healthy Eating and Alternative Book Titles

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Biker’s arms and Interpretive dancing

 

Thanks very much for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week.. be safe… Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Podcast #Poetry #Flash Fiction – New Year’s Resolutions and Fire by Sally Cronin

Some more poetry and flash fiction from one of my collections.

It is about this time that resolutions we might have made on New Year’s Eve begin to feel a little bit more challenging than we imagined… I hope this poem might encourage a different approach.. and a story of a healer from our ancient past with fears for the future. I have added a haiku I wrote for New Year from my archives.

Sally Cronin – Smorgasbord Blog Magazine · Smorgasbord Poetry And Flash Fiction New Year Resolutions And Fire

 

New Year Resolutions

As
the clock
strikes midnight
around the world,
people will rejoice.
Kissing their companions,
they make New Year promises
to do better and to succeed.
Resolutions they will strive to keep
for longer than they have done so before.
It is very easy to lose sight of
all that we have achieved in our lives,
as this night’s traditions urge us
to set new targets of worth.
Instead look at your strengths
and focus on how
you can enhance
existing
winning
skills.

Fire

The firelight flickered across the walls of the cave and the healer stared into the flames.
Fire was a precious gift that had been passed down by their ancestors, but for some it brought a great burden. Those with healing skills saw visions within the heart of the burning mass.

It would not happen in her lifetime, but as the healer sat transfixed by the prophetic images, tears rolled down her wrinkled face. Her time was nearly over, but she hoped, that in the future, one of her descendants would be strong enough to put out the coming conflagration.
©Sally Cronin 2023

One of the  reviews for my latest collection. 

Dec 27, 2022 Darlene Foster rated it Five stars

The cover alone makes this a special book. A wonderful collection of poems and short stories that reflect the feelings and cares of the author. The poems skillfully depict her understanding of relationships, her care for the environment and her love of animals and nature. It’s as if the author is able to look into the souls of our animal friends. For anyone who thinks writing a short story is easy, I’m afraid you are mistaken as it is not easy to convey a message and get the reader to care about characters within a few words. Sally Cronin is a master of being able to do that. “Miss Lloyd’s Robin” is especially poignant and “The Secret” will bring a tear to your eye. I highly recommend reading this book and giving another copy to a friend.

Thank you for listening and if you would like to know more about my books and their reviews you can find them on my books page Sally’s Books and Reviews 2022

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – January 2nd – 8th 2023 – New Series, PR Authors, Big Band Era, Sir George Shearing, Karma, Culinary A-Z, Podcast, Book Reviews, The Brain, Funnies

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

It has been a pretty wild and windy week here and it seems the weather has been hitting most places with some unseasonal variations. I don’t want to wish my life away, especially when there is less in front that behind me, but an early spring would be appreciated.

Life has got back to normal after the holidays but we do have a few celebrations in the family to look forward to in the next few months. We have found one or two spots that we frequent in the area and looking forward to catching up with my two sisters in February in the UK after three years as we have some milestone birthdays between us.

On the blog front, a new series of Posts from Your Archives begins soon with the promotional post on Wednesday, a chance for bloggers to share two of their posts from the last six months of 2022… the catch being that I get to choose them. An opportunity to perhaps connect with a few more people.

There are several new books scheduled throughout January and if you do have a new release please let me know by emailing me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com so I can get you in the diary. If you have featured before I have all your details and just need the Amazon link, if you are new to the promotions then we can chat about that after you email me.

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week to celebrate the Big Band Era and the dance crazes of the age and the start of a new series on Friday with the life and music of Sir George Shearing.  You can also find William – Blog– IMPROVISATION– William Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ was here on Monday with an exploration of Karma… and also joined me for the laughter post. Over on her own blog you will find her review for Ida: Searching for the Jazz Baby by Frank Prem, and a post reminding us to take care of our physical, mental and emotional care, especially during highly emotional life events. Follow the link to Debby’s posts …D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor was here this week with her Culinary A-Z and the letter ‘N’. Over on her own blog you will find her first post of the new year Monday Musings with some goals she has planned for the year, on the Thursday Thoughts there is a reminder of soups.. always warming at this time of year and Carol’s plans to cut back on blogging while she focuses on her two cookbooks. You can catch up with the news: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…2nd-7th January 2023

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…..

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin 1930s – Earl Burtnett and Cab Calloway

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Sir George Shearing – The Early Years

Spiritual Awareness – #Karma – The Law of Cause and Effect by D.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor’s – Culinary A – Z Rewind – ‘N’ is for Nicoise, Nori, Nuts, Noodles, Nettles and Naan Bread.

Podcast #Poetry #Flash Fiction – The Long Drop and Key Lime Pie by Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Health Column 2023 – The Body our Greatest Asset – The Brain- Introduction and Anatomy by Sally Cronin

Public Relations for Authors Recycled- Part One – People buy People First – Profile Photo

Smorgasbord Blogger Spotlight 2023 – #history Robbie Cheadle, #Funnies The Story Reading Ape, #Opportunities Marcia Meara, #Review Olga Nunez Miret, #Priorities Pete Springer, #Connections Jennie Fitzkee

#Romance – Unbranded (Montana Bred Series 1) by Linda Bradley

Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Children’s – Barty Barton: The Bear That Was Loved Too Much by Sue Wickstead

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – January 2023 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Nutcracker and Long Flights

Thanks very much for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week.. Sally

 

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – January 2023 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Nutcracker and Long Flights

Firstly, some funnies from Debby Gies who has been doing some New Year foraging for us.

D.G. Writes is where you will find an archive full of wonderful posts across several subjects including writing tips, social issues and book reviews.

My thanks to Debby  for expert foraging…

D. G. Kaye – Buy: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK Blog: D.G. Writes – Goodreads: D.G. Kaye on Goodreads – Twitter: @pokercubster

Debby’s latest post in her series Spiritual Awareness. Karma

Now something from Sally’s Joke book archives….

Consequences…

A doctor and a lawyer crash into each other in a country lane. Neither is hurt, but the cars are a mess. Seeing that the doctor is a bit dazed, the lawyer offers him a drink from his hip flask. The doctor accepts the drink gratefully, taking a big swig and hands it back to the lawyer who puts it in his pocket. ‘Aren’t you going to have one?’ the doctor asks. ‘I’ll have one later,’ says the lawyer, when the police have gone.’

Long flight

An aeroplane is just a couple of hours into a transatlantic flight when the captain announces, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, one of our engines has failed. There is no cause for alarm. Our flight will take an hour longer than scheduled, but we still have three engines left.’

A few minutes later the captain comes on the intercom again.’Another engine has failed. The flight will now take an additional two hours, but we can still fly on two engines.’ Thirty minutes later the captain takes to the airwaves again. ‘One more engine has failed and the flight will now take an additional three hours. There is no cause for alarm, we still have one engine left.’

At this point one of the passengers turns to the woman sitting beside him and mutters in annoyance, ‘If we lose one more engine, we’ll be up here all day!’

Thank you for joining us today and we hope you are leaving with a smile on your face… thanks Sally and Debby.

 

 

Smorgasbord Afternoon Video – Cute reminder of animals in 2022

Thanks to Funny Animals plenty more great videos on their channel..

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 26th December 2022 – January 1st 2023 – New Year celebrations, Short Stories, Music, Reviews, Funnies and Videos.

Welcome to the last round up of 2022 and the first of 2023 with the posts you might have missed during this festive week on Smorgasbord.

Happy New Year and I wish you an amazing 12 months ahead full of love, laughter, health and creativity.

I look forward to showcasing the results of that creativity and don’t forget if you have a new book coming out or available email me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com so we can chat about a promotion. It is FREE… and all it takes is a little bit of time before and during the process.

I hope you had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and yesterday there was a party here with the contributors and some music in celebration of the year passed and the year to come.

Head over to enjoy the music and meet the contributors in person..…Smorgasbord New Year’s Eve Party

Normal service will resume tomorrow with another post from Debby Gies in her Spiritual Awareness series, this week on Karma…On Tuesday William Price King and I begin a new series with the top songs from the Big Band Era and the popular dances from the 1930s to the 1950s. On Wednesday Carol Taylor will be back with her A-Z of culinary terms and food with the letter ‘N’

Thanks very much for your visits during the year and for your very welcome comments and shares on social media.

On with the show

Christmas and New Year Special – #Story – You are never too old to be loved

Christmas and New Year Special – #Story The 1812 Overture

Christmas and New Year Special – #Story – Prince Charming

Christmas and New Year Special – #Story – #Dogs – The Sanctuary

Podcast #Poetry The Leftovers

Mid-Winter, Snow, Ice Summits, Buried in the Snow

New Book on the Shelves – #WWII – Code Name: Iron Spear 1941 by Allan Hudson

Christmas and New Year Special – Alternative 12 days of Christmas by Sue Wickstead

Posts from Your Archives 2022 – Christmas and New Year Special- #HolidayExpenses #Charities Sharon Marchisello

Previous Reviews 2021 – #Paranormal, #UrbanFantasy, #Shortstories -Things Old and Forgotten by Mae Clair

December Book Reviews Round Up – #Memoir D.G. Kaye, #Romance Stevie Turner, #Fantasy #Fairies Colleen M. Chesebro, #Food #Environment David Moscow, #SocialMedia Alex Craigie

Laughter is the Best Medicine – Host Malcolm Allen December 2022

 

Thank you for dropping in today and wishing you a Happy New Year and look forward to sharing 2023 with you.. Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Podcast #Poetry #Podcast – Mid-Winter, Snow, Ice Summits, Buried in the Snow by Sally Cronin

Today some more poetry and flash fiction from one of my collections.

 

Sally Cronin – Smorgasbord Blog Magazine · Smorgasbord Poetry And Flash Fiction Midwinter Snow Ice Summits And Buried In The Snow

 

Mid-Winter

Chill
winds blow
full of vice
from arctic lands.
Laughing they funnel
their energies to find
any cracks in your shelter.
Time to batten down your hatches
and to don your fleecy underwear,
protected against the beast of the north

Snow

Dormant beneath snow
nature nurtures vibrant growth
waiting for the spring.

Ice summits

Etched against the sky
jagged snow and ice summits
entice the daring.

Buried in the Snow

The elderly farmer and his dog stood at the base of the hillside and searched the snow covered slope for signs of the flock. His grandson, swaddled against the biting cold, reached out to tug on the old man’s sleeve.

‘Granddad, how are we going to find the sheep, they must all be buried under those drifts?’ The boy looked close to tears.

‘Just wait, lad, just wait.’ He patted the boys head.

Just then a dark shape moved amongst the white mounds and the farmer smiled.

‘That’s why you always have a black sheep in your flock boy.’

©Sally Cronin 2022

One of the recent reviews for my latest collection.

Dec 27, 2022 Darlene Foster rated it Five stars

The cover alone makes this a special book. A wonderful collection of poems and short stories that reflect the feelings and cares of the author. The poems skillfully depict her understanding of relationships, her care for the environment and her love of animals and nature. It’s as if the author is able to look into the souls of our animal friends. For anyone who thinks writing a short story is easy, I’m afraid you are mistaken as it is not easy to convey a message and get the reader to care about characters within a few words. Sally Cronin is a master of being able to do that. “Miss Lloyd’s Robin” is especially poignant and “The Secret” will bring a tear to your eye. I highly recommend reading this book and giving another copy to a friend.

 

Thank you for listening and if you would like to know more about my books and their reviews you can find them on my books page Sally’s Books and Reviews 2022