Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – June 28th – July 4th 2020 – Music Festival, Book Covers, Fairy Stories, Poetry, Book Reviews and Author Promotions

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

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

Thanks very much for joining me today and I hope that everyone is still staying safe as the world emerges in a more unrestrained way… Today in the UK is going to be interesting, as though the British to do not officially celebrate July 4th, it is a great excuse to have a party. With the pubs opening along with hairdressers and unessential shops, it is going to make for an opportunity for much mingling, however many social distancing measures are in place.

The infection is still in the community and even here in Ireland people are still wearing masks when shopping and in close proximity to others. Despite my love of adventure… I will be taking things slowly for the next few weeks.

In the meantime life goes on and the weeks seem to fly by as they always have. The Irish weather this week has been at its variable best with autumnal high and cold winds and plenty of rain. Apparently sunny tomorrow, so if you don’t see me around the usually haunts you will know where to find me….in the garden.

The Meet the Authors series is still running for another two weeks at least as I feature the last 30 authors in the Cafe and Bookstore with their bios and links. When that is completed I will be looking at other options to help promote the books and will let you know about them in due course.

Just a some reminders about the promotions for the Cafe and Bookstore

Their purpose is to provide a consistent and free book marketing service for all authors in the Cafe, to my readers on the blog and to my social media networks.

They work better if the authors featured share on one or more of their own social media, particularly when they are multi-author promotions. I do this because I love to promote the hard work that goes into not just writing a book but the editing, cover design and creativity. However, it does make it easier and more worthwhile to be honest, if authors participate.

The one critical action that I ask is that comments are responded to individually as it does help to encourage readers to buy books. To that end I have made things as simple as possible. I only approve the first comment made by a visitor to the blog and after that there are no filters.

Later in the week a post about the new series of Posts from your Archives starting in August. So far in the last two and a half years there have been 1100 posts featured in this ongoing series…all with an opportunity to showcase books and other creative work. Looking forward to taking that figure up to 1500 in the rest of the year… details on Friday.

On with the shows from the week…

William Price King is off for the summer but we have decided to put on a Summer Music Festival with a mixture of music from William’s previous series and some tracks from my own playlists..

Smorgasbord Summer Music Festival with hosts William Price King and Sally Cronin – Headliners Johnny Mathis, Led Zeppelin and the Beach Boys

The importance of a book cover by Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Tales from the Garden Chapter Eight -The Goose and the Lost Boy

#Memoir #Waterford #Ireland #History – The Colour of Life – Work on a Timber Gang – 1942 by Geoff Cronin

#Eagles – Regal Hunter by Sally Cronin – Image by Tofino Photography

Letters from America 1985-1987 – June 1985 – Thunderstorms Texas style, Pool Antics and Birth Coach on Standby

Chesebro’s weekly Tanka Challenge – #Haibun – The Long Drop by Sally Cronin

#Poetry – Rescue and Redemption Poetry inspired by the T. S. Eliot poem ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ (A Love Poetry Trilogy Book 3) by Frank Prem

Food Therapy – Watercress – More Iron than Spinach

Vitamin D Deficiency Part One

Vitamin D Deficiency Part Two – Getting Sufficient

#Fantasy The Blessing of Krozem: A Tale of Ziraf’s World by Lorinda J. Taylor

-#Horses Jan Sikes, #Comingofage Bette A. Stevens, #Romance Ritu Bhathal

#Historical Noelle Granger, #Shortstories Karen Ingalls, #Thriller Daniel Kemp

#Memoir Pete Springer, #History Paul Edmondson #Thriller Mary Anne Edwards

#Mystery #Romance Alex Craigie, #Children Dawn Doig, #Humour Linda G. Hill

#Fantasy Deborah Jay, #ParanormalRomance A.J. Alexander, #Historical Ruth Larrea

#Humour Andrew Joyce, #Horror #Fantasy Julia Benally, #Thriller Iain Kelly

#Memoir Marian Longenecker Beaman, #Crime Sue Coletta, #Humour Geoff Le Pard

#Poetry Miriam Hurdle, #Thriller Jacquie Biggar, #YARomance Angie Dokos

#Familysaga – The Memory by Judith Barrow

#1920s – Telling Sonny by Elizabeth Gauffreau

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – June 30th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – July 2nd 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines Extra – July 3rd 2020- Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp

Thank you for dropping in today and during the week to leave comments and to share.. it really is much appreciated.. I hope you will join me again next week..thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up 21st -27th June 2020 – Josh Groban, Lemon Meringue Pie, #Ireland, Book Reviews, Authors and Humour

Posted on June 27, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

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 Mallon as 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.

Sally Cronin: Lockdown #Poetry #Thoughts #Isolation #Writers

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.

Special Guest, Sally Cronin: Travels as a Child

Time to get on with the posts from the week and my thanks to William Price King, Carol Taylor and 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.

The Music Column with William Price King – Josh Groban – Part One

Carol Taylor – A – Z of Food – ‘L’ is for Lamb, Lavender, Lemon/ Lime Meringue Pie, Liquorice and Liver…

James the Landlord 1939

#Thriller – Five Stars – The Reckoning Squad by S. Burke

#Eagles – The Daredevil by Sally Cronin – Image Tofino Photography

Tales from the Garden Chapter Seven – Little Girl Lost

Chesebro’s weekly Tanka Challenge – #Butterfly Cinquain – Our Legacy

Letters from America 1985-1987 – #Texas weather, Suntans and Trivia Pursuit

#Acidity/Alkalinity pH Balance for Health Part Three and Music Therapy –

Food Therapy – Make the most of Summer – Homemade Fruit Salad and Smoothies

New Author on the Shelves – #RomanticComedy – Cogrill’s Mill by Jack Lindsey

#History – Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya by Paul Edmondson

#Murder #Mystery – Redlined: A Novel of Boston by Richard W. Wise

#Thriller Mark Bierman, #Mystery #Romance Lizzie Chantree, #Thriller John W. Howell

#Poetry Miriam Hurdle, #Memoir #Humour Andrew Joyce, #Memoir Marian Longenecker Beaman

#Memoir – Twenty Years After “I Do” by D.G. Kaye

#Poetry Frank Prem, #Fantasy Teagan Geneviene, #Humour #Mystery Mae Clair

Meet the Authors – #Mystery Barbara Silkstone, #Mystery Janet Gogerty, #Thriller Eloise De Sousa

#BritishHistory Mike Biles, #Thriller Suzanne Burke, #Doglovers Patty Fletcher

#PsychologicalThriller Lucinda E. Clarke, #Thriller John L. DeBoer, #War #Dogs Patricia Furstenberg

#Scifi #YA Heather Kindt, #Mystery Lizzie Chantree, #Scifi Jack Eason

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – June 23rd 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – June 25th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines Extra – TGI Friday – host Sally Cronin

Thank you so much for dropping by and I hope you have enjoyed your visit..look forward to seeing you again next week…thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – 14th -20th June 2020 – Outsmarting the Crows, D.G. Kaye and Relationships, USA 1985, Books, Authors, Music and Funnies.

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

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

I thought this week I would share some of the work we have been doing in the garden to brighten up the place. With the garden centres shut until a couple of weeks ago, I was reliant on the local Tesco for early spring plants to bring a little colour into the front of the house. I waited until this week to visit the local garden centre as I knew they would be swamped initially and I went this last Monday and had the place almost to myself. I piled my trolley high and spent two days in glorious sunshine getting all the pots out of storage and planted. The pansies from March and April are still going strong and I feel the place is looking much brighter. Here is a small snippet.

We have also had an ongoing challenge with rooks from the surrounding woods who believe that the seed we put out for the birds are for them alone. They have destroyed seed holders, knocked over the bird feeder tree and mobbed the garden. I don’t begrudge any bird food at this time of year when they all have young but the sparrows, tits and other smaller birds were being scared off. So I handed the problem over to David, who has spent the last couple of weeks in the planning and development stage. He has not adapted his design so only the smaller birds up to blackbird and starling size can get to the feed and the rooks have taken to sitting on the telephone wire opposite cackling amonst themselves and plotting their next point of attack.

It is quite entertaining to see them come down to walk around the perimeter, testing the coat hanger wire for any weakness, and doing balletic movements to reach in as far as they can. They get the odd bit of seed but their days of gorging are over. (She says with a fair bit of confidence) There is also a metre square bird bath which is in full use by all the birds and it is a wonderful place to sit and watch the entertainment.

Empaths and Spiritual Communication through Energy

The Colour of Life – The Shop and Bakery – Family 1840s -1940s by Geoff Cronin

Tales from the Garden Chapter Six – Trouble in Paradise – Part Two

Letters from America 1985-1987 – May 1985 – Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and Los Angeles

The Cruel Romance: A Novel of Love and War by Marina Osipova

Songs from the Movies – The Windmills of Your Mind, The Thomas Crown Affair

Project 101 – Resilience – Acidity/Alkalinity pH Balance for Health Part Two and Music Therapy –

#Children’s Snowlilie’s Brother by Victoria Zigler

#Childrens Franky the Fearless Flamingo: A ‘Using Your Strength for Good’ Hero Story (Franky the Flamingo Book 4) by Wanda Luthman

#Crime Virtually Gone: A Mended Souls Novel (High-Tech Crime Solvers Book 6) by Jacquie Biggar

#FamilySaga Judith Barrow, #History Mike Biles, #PsychologicalThriller Lucinda E. Clarke

#Family James J. Cudney, #Thriller Sue Coletta, #Prehistoric Jacqui Murray

#Psychologicalthriller S. Burke, #Paranormal S.A. Harris, #ParanormalRomance Linda G. Hill

Share an Extract from a Previous Book – #Memoir – No One Comes Close by J. A. Newman

#Children’s – Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action by Darlene Foster

#Crime #Mystery – Secrets of the Galapagos by Sharon Marchisello

#Children’s Annika Perry, #Mystery Amy M. Reade, #Afghanistan Mary Smith

#Fantasy Jemima Pett, #Children’s Janice Spina, #Fantasy Charles E. Yallowitz

#Fantasy C.S. Boyack, #Romance Christine Campbell, #Sci-Fi A.C. Flory

#Memoir #Africa Ann Patras, #Romance P.C. Zick, #Fantasy Lorinda J. Taylor

Poetry Balroop Singh, #Family Christa Polkinhorn, #Poetry Colleen M. Chesebro

Food Therapy – Walnuts – Not just any nut…

Laughter Lines – June 16th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Laughter Lines – June 18th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

More Humour from the Senior Team

Thank you for dropping in today and for all your support during the week… I hope you have enjoyed.. thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Music Column – Songs from the Movies – The Windmills of Your Mind, The Thomas Crown Affair by Sally Cronin

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

A film that made a huge impression on me when I saw in 1969 at age 16 was The Thomas Crown Affair – Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway were to a teenager the epitome of elegance and daring. The song has been covered by many artists over the last 50 years but for me Dusty Springfield brought something very special to the words and in the musical interpretation…uploaded by Dusty Springfield – Topic

The Thomas Crown Affair

Directed and produced by Norman Jewison the film won an Academy Award for Michel Legrand’s Windmills of your mind… two remakes of the film have been released one in 1999 with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo which was very good but did not have the same elegance of the Steve McQueen/Faye Dunaway version.

Millionaire businessman-sportsman Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) accomplishes a perfect crime by orchestrating four men to steal $2,660,527.62 from a Boston bank, along with a fifth man who drives the getaway car with the money and dumps it in a cemetery trash can. None of the men ever meets Crown face to face, nor do they know or meet each other before the robbery. Crown retrieves the money from the trash can after secretly following the driver of the getaway car. He deposits the money into an anonymous Swiss bank account in Geneva, making several trips, never depositing the money all at once so as to not draw undue attention to his actions.

Independent insurance investigator Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway) is contracted to investigate the heist; she will receive 10% of the stolen money if she recovers it. When Thomas first comes to her attention as a possible suspect, she intuitively recognizes him as the mastermind behind the robbery.

Thomas does not need the money, and in fact masterminded the robbery as a game. Vicki makes it clear to him that she knows that he is the thief and that she intends to prove it. They start a game of cat and mouse, with the attraction between them evident. Their relationship soon evolves into an affair, complicated by Vicki’s vow to find the money and help Detective Eddie Malone (Paul Burke) bring the guilty party to justice.

Buy the original film: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US

Additional Sources: Wikipedia

Thanks for tuning in this week and hope you have enjoyed the music.. thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – 7th – 13th June 2020 – FREE Book Marketing -ABBA – Kippers – Tomato Salad and a feast of authors, books and laughter

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the Smorgasbord Weekly Round Up with posts that you might have missed during the week.

I hope everyone is doing well and is looking forward to a more lifting of restrictions in the coming week. Still some confusion about where, with whom, why and when you can do things but hopefully that will be clarified! First, something that can do something about…..

Ongoing book marketing opportunities.

Delighted to say that the Meet the Authors series every weekend is going well, and I will have featured every author in the Cafe and Bookstore by the end of July. As an author in the cafe, you don’t need to do a thing although it would be great if you could share the post to boost for your own books and the other two authors featured with you.

Share an Extract from your most recent book.

Stop me if you are currently selling too many books or are receiving too many reviews…

I wish I was in that position. But, in case like me you could always use a little more visibility, and you are an author in the Cafe and Bookstore, then why not spend five minutes of your time and send me 500 words from your most recent release, or if you are poet… a poem… so that I can put together a promotion for you, such as the one I have featured for today: Extract from Silent Heroes by Patricial Furstenberg

Here is the post that tells you how you can participate with an example of how it looks with one of my books… it is FREE Book promotion… don’t miss out: Share an Extract from your latest book

If you need any more convincing.. the average views of posts in the previous series was over 100… hopefully resulting in one or two sales and more reviews.

Anyway.. I will be waiting to hear from you.. and you are very welcome, even if you have been recently featured. The list is growing daily so please get in touch soon.

Time to move onto the posts from the week you might have missed.

Thanks as always to the contributors and guests who bring such amazing posts to the blog, and to you for all your support.

William Price King ABBA Part Five – The Finale

Carol Taylor – A – Z of Food – ‘K’ for Kale, Ketchup, Kippers and Kanom Moo Krob (Crispy Pork and Kale)

#Italian Cookery with Silvia Todesco – Simply Delicious Tomato and Basil Salad

Wake Robin Ridge Book One by Marcia Meara

May 1985 – Las Vegas Razzle Dazzle Part One Sally Cronin

The Colour of Life – The Price Of A Habit – 1937

Tales from the Garden Chapter Five – Trouble in Paradise – Part one

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – Powerscourt Ireland

Chesebro’s Poetry Challenge – #SynonymsOnly -#GarlandCinquain – Garden Birds

Acidity/Alkalinity pH Balance for Health Part One and Music Therapy

New Book on the Shelves – #Sci-fi Promise Me (Dave Travise Book 3) by Richard Dee

#Contemporary -You’re Never Too Old to be A Prom Queen by Olga Nunez Miret

#Historical -The Last Pilgrim by Noelle Granger

#GraphicNovel Sue Vincent and Stuart France, #Historical #1950s Bette A. Stevens, #Poetry Balroop Singh

#Memoir Ann Patras, #Poetry Frank Prem, #Mystery Barbara Silkstone

#Memoir D.G. Kaye, #Childrens Pamela S. Wight, #Memoir Pete Springer

#Childrens Nicholas C. Rossis, #Fantasy Vashti Quiroz Vega, #Writing Harmony Kent

#Blogging Anne R. Allen, #Thriller Mark Bierman, #Childrens #YA Robbie and Michael Cheadle

#Thriller Carol Balawyder, #Flashfiction Sarah Brentyn, #SciFi Richard Dee

#Thriller Jaye Marie, #Thriller J.P. McClean, #Contemporary Jessica Norrie

Food Therapy – #Honey -#Propolis – Thousands of Years of History and Health

Laughter Lines – June 9th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Laughter Lines – June 11th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

More Humour from the Senior Team

Thank you very much for dropping and for your generous support, I hope that you will join me again next week..thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Music Column – Songs from the Movies – Jail House Rock – Elvis Presley.

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Before the big rock bands had their fans gathering in their thousands to show their adoration, The King.. Elvis Presley was faced with swooning girls at every turn. I was a little young to appreciate him in the first few years, but even I got a touch of the Elvis fever when I got into my teens.

The closest that I got to being near him was via a charming French actress who was in her early 60s when I met her at one of the Anthony Robbins seminars we attended as part of his Life Mastery course in 1996. Her name was Monique and she has appeared in one of Elvis Presley’s films in the late 1960s, she said he was actually very charming and a lovely man. So sad that he died at age 42, despite the rumours to the contrary.

I still have some Elvis on my playlists and he has helped me with the ironing on numerous occasions.

Here is Jail House Rock from the film of the same name, Elvis’s debut movie.. a good excuse to get up and take a break. Uploaded by Turner Classic Movies

The film…

Vince Everett is serving a one-year jail sentence for manslaughter. While in the big house, his cellmate, a former country singer, introduces him to the record business. Everett takes to it so well that he decides to become a singer when he gets out. However, he is quickly disillusioned by the record business. But with the help of a new friend, he decides to form his own label, and soon becomes an overnight sensation. But when he becomes a superstar, will his desire for fame and money cause him to forget the people who got him there? Written by <jgp3553@excite.com>

Available: Amazon US And: Amazon UK

Thanks for tuning in this week and hope you have enjoyed the music.. thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – 24th – 30th May 2020 – ABBA, Jelly Beans, San Francisco, Resilience and Laughter

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

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

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying any slight lifting of restrictions. I notice a couple of people missing from social media this week and hope they are okay and I will follow up with them offline if I can. It has been a drastic change to our normal routine and so very much more difficult for those with children or who are separated from their families and close friends.

Everything here is becoming the new norm… nothing new to report except for the new book marketing series starting Monday.

There are over 150 authors in the Cafe and Bookstore and I wanted to keep it to key pieces of information such as buying links, recent review, website and covers. However, I know that readers also like to know more about the background of authors.

In this series during June and July I will share the bios of all the authors in the cafe in a random selection. I hope that this will introduce you to the authors in more depth and encourage you to check out their books and follow them on their blog and Twitter. If you are in the Cafe and Bookstore then you will automatically be featured over the next few weeks.

The posts for next week are all ready scheduled and the first authors on Monday are John Howell, Judith Barrow and Mary Crowley.. I hope you will join us to discover more about them and their books.

As always my thanks to those who contribute to the blog and this week columns by William Price King and Carol Taylor.

Thanks to you too for keep showing up and your support…here are the posts from the week.

ABBA Part Four 1980s Gimme Gimme more hits.

Carol Taylor – A – Z of Food – ‘J’ for Jelly Beans, Jalapenos, Jack Fruit and Jerky all with a little Jus

Letters from America 1985-1987 – April 1985 – Beverly Hills Cop, Sleepless Nights in San Francisco!

Chapter Three The Last Emperor

The Financier and the Farmer’s Wife

#Historical #Mystery – A Girl Like You (A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel Book 1) by Michelle Cox

Lanzarote Plants Cling to Life

New Zealand, Queenstown Bridges

Butterfly Cinquain – Random Acts of Kindness

Project 101 – Resilience – Chronic Inflammation and the Immune System and Musical therapy

beating heart GIF

Weight Loss, Heart function and Immune System – Musical Therapy

Resilience – #Sleep Strategies and Music Therapy – Sally Cronin

Food Therapy – Mushrooms – The Egyptians believed they granted immortality

A Year in the Life of Andrea Coe: A Psychological Thriller (In the life of …. Book 2) by Lucinda E. Clarke

#Fantasy #Shortstories The Butterfly Tree & other stories (Dragonscale Diffusions Book 2) by Freya Pickard

Pre-order for June 2nd – Cape Menace: A Cape May #Historical Mystery by Amy M. Reade

Pre-Order – #YAFantasy -The Green Door (The Eternal Artifacts Book 1) by Heather Kindt

#Shortstories Cathy Cade, #Science Fiction A.C. Flory, #Historical Apple Gidley

#Reviews #YAFantasy Jean Lee, #Humour Geoff Le Pard, #Poetry M.J. Mallon

#Romance #Suspense – Backstage by Harmony Kent

#Memoir #Drama – Miedo 2: A Reckoning With Fear by Kevin Cooper

May 26th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

May 28th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Really Bad Dad Jokes and a few funnies

Thank you for dropping in today and for your support during the week.. I hope you have enjoyed and will join me again. Thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – 17th – 23rd May 2020 – Rainbow Fairies, Sound of Music, Books, Guests and Funnies

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the weekly round up with posts you might have missed in the last week.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying some minor lifting of restrictions in the last week, certainly here and in the UK. It does look if travel plans are still on hold for millions who were planning to go away in the next few weeks, and for those without plans, the prospect of 14 day quarantine there and when you return is a daunting.

We have no plans before November but we might have to rethink that depending on virus resurgence and restrictions at each end. For us a minor inconvenience but for so many their livelihoods not just this year but going forward.

Looking at local businesses there are some who have adapted, gone online or offer takeaway if they are a food provider. I wonder though if my family run hairdresser and some of the small coffee shops in our high street will survive. I hope so and I know that the government is going part way to helping businesses.

Apart from that we have had some lovely bright days and I have managed to top up my tan in the garden.. we have had 48kph winds the last two days so whilst sunny not particularly enjoyable to sit out in…or to wear a dress.

Apart from starting the new series Project 101 – Resilience – Get fighting fit, which seems to be going down well…I have been plotting another author promoting series for lunchtime for the month of June for every author in the Cafe and Bookstore.

This time, you don’t need to do anything as I will be taking care of the details but it would be great, if you are featured as one of the four authors each weekday, if you would share on your social media. I will tag the authors on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn if you are there too. Starting Monday June 1st…

As always my thanks to guests who have contributed to this week’s posts and to you for dropping in to read them.

Here are the posts from the week.

Robbie Cheadle – How did we come up with the idea for Sir Chocolate and the Ice cream Rainbow Fairies story and cookbook

Something Good – The Sound of Music

Animal, Chicken, Hen, Poultry, Beak

The Colour of Life – The Devil Finds Work 1936

Tales from the Garden – Chapter Two – The Sanctuary by Sally Cronin

Cadiz – Coastal Defenses

Spain Magnolia and Bees

Brazos State Park, Anacondas and Doggy Bags

Fantasy, Paranormal Viral Blues by C.S. Boyack

Double Nonet – The Crocodile

Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit

Improving lung function, Weight loss hack – The Power of One and Music Therapy

Resilience – Weight Loss Hack No 2 – Improving lung function No 2, Musical Therapy

#Childrens – Busy Bee and the Silent Spring by Paul Noel

#Romance Jacquie Biggar, #Mystery Mae Clair, #Adventure Audrey Driscoll

#Thriller Paulette Mahurin, #Fantasy Marcia Meara, #Mystery J. A. Newman

#Memoir Pete Springer, #Writing Jane Sturgeon, #Fantasy Fiona Tarr

#Thriller – My GRL by John W. Howell

#Fantasy The Prince’s Man by Deborah Jay

#Thriller The Magus Covenant – Book 1 in The Jotham Fletcher Series by Toni Pike

Short Stories The Alternative by Suzanne Burke

Food Therapy – Salmon – Omega 3 on a Plate

May 19th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – May 21st 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp

Thank you so much for dropping in and I look forward to seeing you again next week…thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Music Column – Songs from the Movies – Something Good The Sound of Music

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

The Sound of Music was based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp – The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. The story is set in Austria in 1938 and tells the story of Maria who joins the von Trapp family as a governess whilst a novice in a nunnery and not as yet fully committed to becoming a nun. Maria loves the children and also finds herself in love with Captain von Trapp. He is ordered to accept a commission in the German navy but is in opposition to the Nazis who are currently taking over in Austria. He and Maria decide to flee the country.

The original Broadway production opened in 1959 with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein. The musical won five Tony Awards before going on to open in London in 1961. In 1965 it was adapted into the film starring Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews and won five Academy awards.

I was thirteen years old when I first saw the film and I must have watch at least 10 times in the last 54 years, but I knew the songs off by heart by the time I was 15 having bought the score and lyrics from our local music shop. I was in my last two years at school and at Christmas my best friend Samira and I dressed in costumes we had made and visited three old people’s homes to give a performance of some of the songs. They were very gracious!

In my 40s on a visit to the Alps one summer, I found myself in the middle of one of the high meadows without a soul in sight except for my husband, surrounded by mountain peaks, and felt the urge to burst into song with The Hills are Alive…..On reaching the final note I turned around to find some very surprised Japanese hikers taking photos….

Many of the songs are now standards and known by millions. Tough to choose just one that I love but Something Good…always struck a chord with me….

Thanks Hannah Sklar

And just in case you would like to have a good singalong (watch out for tourists)…. thanks to Nette’Marie

Buy the movie: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

Additional information: Wikipedia

Thanks very much for tuning in today and I hope you have enjoyed the concert…thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Weekly Round Up – 3rd – 9th May 2020 – New York, Houston, Waterford, Sri Lanka, Asparagus, New books, Reviews, Guests and Laughter

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

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..