Welcome to the round up of posts on Smorgasbord that you might have missed this week.
The weeks may be flying passed rapidly as we head into autumn and nature at least seems to be keeping to its schedule.. The news headlines are not improving with regard to Covid 19 and it seems that even those who have levels of protection we are not provided still are at risk. Our own Prime Minister and other cabinet members have been infected and certainly judging by the fatigue and signs of stress they are all showing, it is not something you bounce back from overnight.
All is relatively quiet in the Emerald Isles except for isolated clusters but cases have been on the rise, and hitting the younger demographic. Possibly because every person in my age bracket is wearing a mask and the majority gloves to do their shopping and stepping around each other in the supermarket in some quirky form of the samba.
The young feel invincible, and it is understandable that they are frustrated with the restrictions. Surely if they are bright enough to go to college and university, they are bright enough to understand that having 1000 strong rave until 2.00 in the morning with lots of physical contact, singing and shouting at each other over the noise of the music, and sweating as they dance, is not going to be boycotted by the virus.. Despite the fact most of the music would keep me away.
Then they wonder why there is a spike in infections two weeks later… perhaps commonsense is not on the curriculum!
Anyway enough of the grumpy old woman!
Classic Editor
On a brighter note I am hop, skipping and jumping all over the place to keep my classic editor going.. At least for the time being I still have the option and hopefully they will keep their promise until December 2021. It does involve remembering to click down options and select the classic version so you need to keep your wits about you.
Revisit to Author Interviews.
I am also doing a tidy up of my files and revisiting guest interviews over the last five years. Where information is reasonably current I am updating with the authors books and reviews and will be posting a selection of interviews on Sunday’s once the current series finishes on October 11th. The posts will take us nicely up to Christmas (sorry about using that word!) and then I will think about a new interview theme for the New Year…
My thanks as always to William Price King and Carol Taylor for their amazing contributions this week, and to you for all the support…
Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed during week here on Smorgasbord.
Another week has come and gone with little change to the headlines or the weather. However, as always the warmth of this community, its creativity and its tenacity has shone threw..I hope your week has reflected that.
Tomorrow author Harmony Kent will be the first guest in the new Author Spotlight – Life Changing Moments – and joining her over the next few weeks are D.G.Kaye, Colin Guest,Toni Pike, Sherri Matthews, andJane Sturgeon.. If you would like to join them then please check out the highlighted link. I am sure many of you have faced life changing moments that have led you to this point in your life.
My thanks again to the regular contributors.. and a welcome back to William Price Kingon September 1st with a brand new series. Carol Taylor is with us on Wednesday 2nd September with her A-Z of foods and this week it is the turn of the letter ‘Q’… packed with information and recipes. Debby Gies will be joining me as usual for the Laughter Lines on Tuesday and Thursday and as guest of honour on Sunday 6th in the Author Spotlight.
Here are the posts for the week and thanks for all you support in getting them noticed.. it is very much appreciated…
Before you go some posts from team members D.G. Kaye and Carol Taylor you might like to head over to read.
Debby Gies with this month’s #WATWB – We are the World Blogfest Face Masks Help the Hearing Impaired Community with the inspiring story of a teenager sewing transparent masks so that those with hearing difficulties can lip read..Face Masks for the Hearing Impaired
Carol Taylor with the first part of sugars and their effect on children’s teeth.. the statistics for children’s extraction of baby teeth and then as teenagers with their adult teeth are appalling. Well worth heading over to read. Children’s teeth and obesity due to sugars
Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will join us again next week.. have a lovely weekend. thanks Sally
Welcome to the round up with post you might have missed on Smorgasbord this week.
I hope everybody is doing well.. I am sure that like me you are watching the headlines and keeping up do date with not just your own country’s progress with the pandemic but also on a worldwide basis. At this point all we can do is remain safe and avoid covidiots that seem to think social distancing and masks do not apply to them.
On a positive note...I have made a few tweaks to new book releases from August 26th that I hope will increase exposure for the authors concerned. If you are already in the Cafe and Bookstore you new book announcement will be added to the Cafe Updates on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I hope that the fact that there are four authors in the post, it will generate more views for your new book. Over a period of a couple of weeks they usually generate an average of 150 views and multiple shares on Twitter and Facebook.
If you are a new author to the Cafe and Bookstore I will post the usual introductory promotion with bio etc.
This is the latest way to share your work and I now have some wonderful stories of defining moments in the lives of authors in the Cafe and Bookstore. It would be wonderful to share your stories too so perhaps you could read the post and read my story so you can see how it will look. The series begins the last Sunday of August and I am now booking for the second week in October.. Look forward to hearing from you.
If you missed them here are some posts from my contributors this week that you might like to head over and read.
Debby Gies interviews Adele Marie Park about her childhood on the island of
Rousay part of the Orkney Isles where she encountered tales Finn Folk,
Selkies and mermaids.. Adele has just released her latest book, Sea Dragon – Wisp II and shares what is coming next. As always Debby’s questions are tailored to her guest and the interview makes for interesting reading.D.G Kaye interviews Adele Marie Park
Carol Taylor with her Saturday Snippets with posts ranging from Bees and their importance to our environment, Lemon Meringue Pie, National Afternoon Tea Week, Music from Jimi Hendrix, Rooftop farms, removing hooks from shark’s mouths and respect for those who died during the holocaust.. As you can see a varied and interesting post.. please head over. Saturday Snippets with Carol Taylor
Time to catch up with the posts from the week here on Smorgasbord.. thank you for all your support and also to Debby Gies and Silvia Todescofor their wonderful contributions this week. William Price King is back with a brand new Music Column on September 1st.
Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.
I hope you are all doing well and that your families are safe and well. There are mixed messages as always about what we can and cannot do and clearly there are still some hot spots around our countries and the world where life continues to be very difficult.
I thought I would give you a hint of the new promotions that are coming up in the next couple of months and to remind you of those running at the moment.
I am creating a spin off Cafe and Bookstore for Children’s books and Early Teens… As Robbie Cheadle pointed out in a comment this week, it is very difficult to market children’s books, especially at the moment with virtual launches. Also because many children’s books tend to be print only. The authors with books suitable up to 12 years old will have separate entries for their children’s books in this new Cafe but will still retain their entries in the main bookstore with other books they may have.
There will be new author and book promotions, separate children’s cafe updates and special promotions at certain times of the year such as Christmas.
I really would like your help once it is set up to spread the word to children’s authors who might like to have a promotion for their books and be showcased in the new cafe. I have a post going out about it on the 27th of July.
I am putting the entries together in the next week and will share the link in the promotional post. If I have missed any books of yours that are suitable for children up to 12 years old you can let me know at that point.
I have had a great response to the post and August is now fully booked but if you would like to participate in September then just let me know. An ideal opportunity to promote your blog posts and I will also top and tail with any book details, author bio and links. Full details are in the post.
Coming in September – the return of the Sunday Author Interview… with a new theme and questions… promotional post on July 30th.
As always I am very grateful for the time and effort that the contributors to the blog put in to produce such amazing posts, and to you for dropping in. If you have time to leave a comment it is always appreciated and it also is a way to connect to others who pass through the blog. This community has never been more important as it is today, and the stronger it is, the stronger we are as individuals.
Calling All Fixers
Are you that person who has a dire need to fix the people you care about? Are you that person who thinks nobody can fix things like you can? Let me tell you, I was one of those people, and I learned that there are definite limitations when it comes to thinking we can repair others—despite how much our hearts truly wish we could.
There is little doubt that this last three months of lock down has impacted all our lives. Marjorie Mallon has compiled an anthology that shares her own diary of events over that period about the pandemic and life as a family in lock down.. and the thoughts and poetry of others within the blogging community including myself.
Welcome to the weekly round up with posts that you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.
I hope you are all well as we peel back the layers of re-entry into the world again. Some are getting on better than others, and I can understand why the younger generation wants to dive back into the deep end of the pool.. but I think I will potter around in the shallows for a little while longer.
I am delighted that my hairdresser has finished the re-opening preparations, and they rang without prompting to ask if I needed an appointment.. David has done a great job with his clippers at the back, but the front that I have attended to, looks a little ragged around the edges. You can’t do it when wearing glasses very easily so took those off… not a good move… so it was a bit hit and miss with the scissors and I think I might have accidentally removed half an eyebrow too!.
Anyway…July 7th I will have it all cut back and aim for a quick visit every six weeks… with no magazines, a cup of coffee and no chit chat behind our masks it will not be quite the relaxing treat it used to be. It will be a while before the longer appointments for colour, highlights and extensions are reinstated but thankfully I use a silver rinse once a week at home and I am done…
The weather has been a mixture of very hot days, thundery nights, and now rain for the next five days. At least the lawn and the pot plants appreciate it. I have loved sitting outside with books and music and I am hoping that after this few days summer will return… one can only hope.
In the last couple of weeks I have been a guest on some friend’s blogs and if you have time to pop over and read and share that would be amazing.
Last week I was the guest of Marjorie Mallonas part of her series on poetry and thoughts of writers in isolation. She kindly share a recent poem of mine and my views on our lives going forward, particularly those of the younger children, those waiting for treatment for life threatening diseases and the elderly. Marje will be releasing an anthology of her own stories and poetry as well as her guests thoughts on the pandemic soon.
This week I was the guest of author Darlene Foster whose successful Amanda travel series has introduced children around the world to the joys of discovering new countries and cultures. I shared my experience as a ten year old, of travelling to South Africa and some of the adventures during our two year stay in Cape Town.
Time to get on with the posts from the week and my thanks to William Price King, Carol Taylorand Debby Gies for their contributions which are always a delight to share and clearly enjoyed. Also thanks to you for dropping by, commenting and sharing; it is much appreciated.
Welcome to the round up of posts this week you might missed here on Smorgasbord
There has been some lovely weather this week, especially once the breeze dropped, and I have been taking full advantage… it also offered me the opportunity to listen to music and to catch up on my reading which is always a good thing.
In most of our countries there is a gradual lifting of restrictions, although some around the world are being a little less cautious. The fact that a high percentage of those who were told to isolate for the last couple of months have said they are reluctant to go out and mingle again, is quite understandable, especially as there are so many mixed messages being given airtime by the media.
There are a few studies and findings that do have merit however, and they confirm the views I have always held. We have to take more responsibility for our own health, especially as we get older. The key indicators for mortality from this virus are becoming evident and rather than feel powerless and afraid of the predicted resurgence in the second wave or this coming autumn, we now have an opportunity to stack the odds in our favour.
I have posted columns in the past about the immune system, lung function, the digestive system, reducing weight to healthier levels, diabetes and reducing the toxic load on the liver. These systems are not as robust or as effective as we get into our mid 60s and older, and need constant maintenance and input in the form of fresh food that provides the nutrients the body needs to defend itself and keep it functioning.
I am 67 years old and well aware that to the medical profession I am in the vulnerable range, and I have taken a good look at my own lifestyle and diet in the last 8 weeks to ensure there are no gaping potholes in my health care.
Having lost quite a bit of weight in the last year, I know that I need to tone up and change my exercise to improve my heart and lung function. So I am going back to swimming once the local pools are open.
I am not on any prescribed medication, but I want to make sure that my blood pressure and blood sugar levels remain within normal ranges. This means making some small changes to my regular diet and exercise.
Having been a practicing nutritional therapist for over 20 years, I am a firm believer in not making sweeping and tough to adopt changes. I believe in the ‘101 small changes’ approach that are easy to incorporate into our daily lives, but which make a huge difference to the problems that need addressing.
I am starting a new series from May 19th for three days a week, that provide a guide to improving the function of these key areas of the body to improve our resilience to any opportune pathogen that comes our way, not just the current one. I hope you will find interesting but also helpful. There will be dancing involved!!!
Anyway, time for this week’s posts and as always I am so grateful for those who contribute and participate each week and to you for all your support..
Welcome to the Smorgasbord Blog Magazine weekly round up with posts that you might have missed during the week.
I hope that everyone continues to do well. There is some evidence that there might be an easing of the self-isolation restrictions for some age groups, and also the possibility in the UK at least of being able to interact with close family members, up to a bubble of 10 people, in the weeks ahead. That is good news as for those elderly, living on their own without physical contact with children and grandchildren it has been very challenging.
I have to say that I am very impressed by the majority who have followed the restrictions and also the supermarkets and stores allowed to be open who have done very best to the items we are used to available as well as the essentials… and also there efforts to maintain social distancing. I am so grateful for the front line staff, stocking the shelves and manning the checkouts who remain cheerful and helpful. A simple thank you seemed totally inadequate.
Also of course those health care workers who are working so tirelessly to keep those infected alive, and I hope that when this is over there will be a shift in both the operational side to the NHS and other health services with regard to the well being of their staff, and also planning for the future using the lessons delivered during the pandemic.
And of course there is the amazing contribution from individuals such as Captain Tom Moore who it is believed in in line for a CBE following his fund-raising for the NHS to the tune of £28 million. With congratulations on reaching #1 in the charts with his single recorded with Michael Ball ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone”.
What an inspirational man and he is 100 years old in five days time. The local post office has already had to take over a local school’s gym to stack all the cards and gifts that have been arriving daily and if ever there was a star of this challenging time is an old man who has already served his country and is doing so again.
On the other hand, there are those who have royally miffed me this week in the press… Celebrities posing or moaning about being in isolation in their mansions with football pitch sized gardens, or on their luxury island paradises or mega yachts. Female celebrities (and some male ones) and those who aspire to being one, whipping their clothes off and posing in underwear, bikinis or even naked, as if this some how would lift the spirits of the majority of us, male or female with other more important issues on our minds!
I am not going to touch leadership issues and alleged ‘cures’ with a barge pole……..
What I will do is offer this musical interlude that shares the wisdom of Monty Python, and whilst it might be top of the list when it comes to funerals, it is also something to inspire the living…
I have selected the singalong version…I hope you will join in…
The Cafe and Bookstore has approximately 150 authors and up to 7 of their covers on the shelves. So that I can have the time to check each author regularly and update with their reviews and latest releases, the authors featured have reviews that are less than six months old.
A few statistics about the Cafe and Bookstore in 2019/2020
In 2019 there were 130 Cafe Updates featuring 3 to 5authors in each post, including the summer features and Christmas book fair and 125New book Promotions
The average new book on the shelves promotion has over 100 views on the blog, multi-retweets on Twitter and shares on Facebook.
It is a freebook promotion and all it costs is a little bit of your time, letting me know and responding to comments. Judging from comments, I am confident that the posts do result, in not only effective exposure for your books but also sales and more reviews.
In 2020the number of Cafe updates has increased to three a week which will take the total updates to 156 and there are three special features during the year when every author on the shelves will be promoted in the Spring, Summer and Christmas.
With this new series Share an Extract that will offer 100 + more marketing slots for authors on the shelves.
We put a great deal of effort into promoting our new, recent and upcoming books but often our previous releases get sidelined.
In this new series I am offering you a chance to promote an earlier book by sharing an extract from the book.
The aim of the series
To showcase a previous book and sell some copies.
Gain more recent reviews for the book.
Promote a selection of other books that are available.
I will top and tail in the usual way with your other books and links, bio, photo and social media. I will also select a review that I feel has the best selling pitch for the book.
This series is open to authors in the Cafe and Bookstore who have more than one book (as this already gets promoted on a regular basis) and have reviews for that book I can select from.
I suggest an extract of approximately 500 words or a poem that you feel best reflects the theme of your collection.
If you have an illustration or images you can attach to the email for me to include. No need to send the cover as I will have that or will access from Amazon.
I will check reviews on Amazon sites as well as Goodreads and select one I feel is a great advertisement for the book.
As an author in the Cafe and Bookstore I will already have all your details, links and covers of other books so need to send anything further.
Please send your extract and any accompanying images to sally.cronin@moyhill.com
Welcome to the weekly round up of posts on Smorgasbord that you might have missed this week.
Happy Easter every one.….Not one that we expected to be spending in isolation from the rest of the world when we made our plans for 2020, but it is still a time for family and friends. I know for those who are living on their own, it is far more difficult, especially if separated from children and grandchildren, but we have to recognise that until there is a vaccine and the virus has gone back under whichever rock it crawled out from…. these measures are saving our lives.
We have had our lock down extended to May 7th and hopefully that will be sufficient to decrease the number of infected and deaths. We are very lucky in Ireland in as much as the population is small enough to put restrictions in place and maintain them. I do feel sorry for those who are living in the cities, especially in apartments without access to the outside and it has certainly impacted our position on our next move. That is on hold now indefinitely and we realise that we have everything that we need here, even if it is a little bit too big for the two of us. So we are going to enjoy the renovations inside and in the garden and be grateful that we have the outside to enjoy.
I hope that despite the separation from those you love that you are taking full advantage of the technology and being able to talk face to face. I speak to my two sisters by Skype during the week and they talk to each other everyday too. It does make such a difference seeing someone’s face rather than on the telephone, and if you have not got one of the video applications on your computer or phone here are some links.
My thanks as always to regular contributors and guests who provide interesting and entertaining posts for the blog, offering me a chance to enjoy their hard work as well. And also to you for coming by, sharing and for commenting.
The first of the Easter parades this weekend with guests who share photographs from the 1960s through to the 1980s and select a song that brings back memories of that era…such as this one, In My Life by The Beatles.. chosen by Diana Wallace Peach. I hope you will pop in and leave your links in the comments… thanks Sally.
Welcome to the weekly round up with posts that you might have missed during the week here on Smorgasbord.
I doubt that there are many of you who are not in some form of self-isolation at the moment and I hope that you have everything you need to keep your spirits up. It is saving our lives and I must admit that even going out once a week for my fresh vegetables and fruit does have me spooked as I try to avoid the invisible serial killer roaming the aisles. Thankfully, the majority of people here are very good about self-distancing and being respectful. Some are wearing masks or scarves as I do, and latex gloves.
The supermarkets are taped for distancing and the checkout staff are behind perspex. Everyone is doing their bit and again, they and the healthcare sector are heroes for turning up each day.
I thought you might like to share a special moment. For the last couple of years, my lucky black ceramic cat has sat next to the front door looking out on the world. One morning just after I placed it there, a black cat came to visit. He still does from time to time, but as you can see he is observing social distancing. I have no idea why he keeps coming back as he gets no response from our cat, but I guess he might be determined to do so one day.
Stay safe and as I have previously offered, if you are struggling and would like to chat online then please email me at sally.cronin@moyhill.com.
And in the spirit of getting together and having a little fun, despite the circumstances, there is a party going on over Easter weekend 11th and 12th April. There are still some spots available and I hope you will participate…
This Easter most of us will be in isolation from family and friends and I know how tough that can be. However, as planned the Easter Parade will go ahead and I hope that you will join me over the two days.
Apart from an opportunity to share your blog and books, it is also a chance to meet others who will be featured or who drop in.
There will be food provided as always and something to drink as well as a bit of music. Since the theme is ‘Flashback’ – the music will be from the 1960s – 1980s. All I need from you is a photograph taken any time in that time period along with a favourite song of the era.
I wrote this piece about the dreaded driving test that we had to take to enable us to buy a car and get insured. We both had full licences from the UK but had to give this up and obtain a Texas licence…
Thank you for taking the time to visit today and during the week. It means a great deal…stay safe and I hope you will join me again next week for more fun and games…Sally.
How are you all doing? A tough week for every country as the virus takes its toll and family and friends around the world are being directly impacted.
We are officially on lock down here in Ireland from today until April 12th initially. No non-essential journeys unless to work, supermarket and medical appointments. All non-essential businesses such as hotels, cafes and restaurants, hair salons etc have been shut down for a couple of weeks now and I think that the current lock down has been timed over the Easter weekend to counteract any thoughts of heading off to the coast or other holiday destinations in the country. I went out early to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables and everyone was being very respectful of safe distances and I was in and out in 20 minutes, including waiting for the shop to open.
The shelves were all stocked including toilet paper, and it was good to see the check out staff behind perspex, so important to keep them safe. As much as I admire the health care staff, who are amazing, it is the men and women who are turning up to work in our essential services every day and putting themselves at risk that also should be shown absolute courtesy and gratitude.
Here we have around 4,500 living in the area during the off season, but from Easter through to September this usually swells by many thousands more staying in mobile homes along the coast. Unfortunately many of the small businesses rely on this summer trade and will no longer be viable after this virus has passed. When you look at issues such as this on this level it is easy to see how our world on a global scale is going to be changed, possibly for many years.
I do think that on the upside, the majority of people are going to be a lot more self-aware with regard to health, personal space and the way they travel going forward. Perhaps for some it will mean a completely different perspective on priorities and what they can live without.
Anyway I do hope you are staying safe and staying indoors and have access to all the food you need and support. And with that in mind, I have created a new theme for Posts from Your Archives, focused on the family and friends who play such an important role in our lives. I hope you will read the post below and participate.
There is no doubt that during this current health crisis that is on a global scale, with many of us in long term lock down, it is our family and friends that we will be turning to for support. Even if, as in my case, my family are hundreds of miles away in the UK and we are only in touch by email and Skype. The online connection we have with family and friends around the world is very important, and I would personally be lost without it. Social media is also key at this time for helping to maintain connection during the isolation, particularly for those living on their own.
In this new series, I would love you to share your posts from the archives about your family and friends, and that can of course include the very important fur and feather family that provide so much comfort.
It might be historical posts about your family who I am sure in the past have had to show their own fortitude during hard times and conflict. It could be a tribute to parents or grandparents or children or grandchildren. How a pet has brought you joy and connection. Stories of your life over the years and your friendships that have supported and motivated you. In prose or poetry.
Now on with the other posts from the week, and as always, my thanks to all the guests who have contributed and regular contributors who add so much to the blog.
Thank you very much for dropping in during the week and leaving your comments, they are much enjoyed. I hope you will join me and my guests again next week and that you stay safe and well… hugs Sally
