Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – March 7th – 13th 2022 – Hits 1990, Mel Torme, Food Therapy, Book Reviews, Book extracts, Poetry, Personal Memories and Humour

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

I hope that you are all well.. I know that there is another cold front hitting the USA this weekend and also much of Europe which hopefully is the last gasp of winter. We seem to have escaped the cold thankfully but we have had all of March’s rain in the first week. Not much help for the farmers who are beginning to put their stock back out. High winds don’t help much.

All challenging but at least the majority of us are safe and not facing the daily horrors and dangers in Ukraine.

I am very grateful to only have to worry about getting my feet wet! At least the majority of the world is united in efforts to bring life saving supplies into the country and 500 metric tonnes left Ireland, mostly with volunteer drivers carrying aid this week. And in a gesture guaranteed to irritate those in powerful positions in the Russian diplomatic circles, the road where their embassy is located in Dublin is in the process of having it’s named changed to Independant Ukraine Road!  Not going to look good on any snail mail to the property or on their letterheads! It has passed council approval and just waiting for the residents of the road to sign off on it.

Goodness knows what this coming week will bring but we can only hope it is a positive outcome to talks which seem to be stalled at the moment.

On a personal level…. I have been out an about this week in quite an extraordinary way…

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The collective members of Story Empire decided to give me a surprise party on Thursday with all eleven authors posting their own feature showcasing my blog and books.. What a wild and wonderful day and extremely grateful for the generous boost.

A mega promotional blitz by Story Empire: It is not often you get a day like this!

And a thank you to the lovely Marcia Meara who not only visited every post and left individual inspiring messages, but also shared her own post on Saturday Celebration Story Empire – International Day of Awesomeness

This week William Price King joined me for the Breakfast Show and hits from the 1990s followed up on Friday when William finished the Mel Torme story. Next week the amazing Dionne Warwick and her music.

Debby Gies with help from her neighbour continues to find great funnies for Laughter is the Best Medicine and tomorrow she begins a short series as part of The Travel Column on the best way to make sure you get the most from your luxury cruise.

Carol Taylor will be here on Wednesday for our Cook from Scratch series to prevent deficiencies.. and this week it is Vitamin B6 and some wonderful recipes to make sure you are obtaining the optimum amount of this essential vitamin.

In the meantime… catch up with her own amazing posts on her blog during this last week.

Carol Taylor’s Weekly Round up -6th -12th March 2022-Monday Musings, Health, A-Z World Cuisine, Bangladesh, Eggplants and Saturday Snippets where a “Hand” is my prompt

Thanks very much for all your visits during the week and comments… very much appreciated and on with the show

The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1990 Part One – Sinead O’Connor, Luther Vandross, London Beat, MC Hammer

William Price King meets the Jazz Icons – Mel Torme – The Finale

1987 – Texas Wedding – British Hurricane – Labi Siffre and Dirty Dancing

1988 – Hydraulic failure, New Zealand, Wind shear and Gold Panning.

Colleen Chesebro’s Tuesday Weekly Challenge #Rokugana – Superstitions

Podcast – Tales from the Garden – The Boy, his Dog and a Fairy Princess

Food Therapy Rewind- The Banana – Pre-Wrapped nutrient boost on the go by Sally Cronin

#Psychological #Thriller – Scam!: : An Electric Eclectic Book by Stevie Turner

#Military #Romance – Jagged Feathers (The White Rune Series Book 2) by Jan Sikes.

Childrens The Messenger Misadventures: The Dylan, Deirdre & Dougall collection (The Princelings of the East) by Jemima Pett

#Memoir – Uprooted: A New Life in the Arizona Sun by Linda Strader

Personal Recommendations -#Mystery Anne Goodwin, #Psychological #Mystery Joan Hall, #Historical Andrew Joyce

Personal Recommendations – #Historical Noelle Granger, #Mystery #Thriller Harmony Kent, #WWII #VichyFrance Paulette Mahurin

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Happiness and Conundrums

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Peacocks and Bilingual applicants

 

Thanks for all your visits and support this week and I hope you will join me again next week. Sally

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 28th Feb – 6th March – Mel Torme, Puerto Vallarta, Vitamin B5, Aubergines, Texas, Poetry, Podcast, Book Reviews and Humour

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

I am sure that I don’t need to mention the ongoing conflict between Russia and the Ukraine, as it is headlines news around the world. I will however share a quote that allegedly was by Edmund Burke but is attributed to a number of other religious and political leaders over the last 100 years or so, in relation to a number of issues.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Many good men and women are in the process of taking action and are certainly not standing by and doing nothing. This includes millions of Russian men and women who don’t support the invasion and are being made to pay the price for their views. Very brave people of all ages on both sides.

Apart from millions donating to the refugee fund, it is interesting to read this morning that westerners are booking AirBnB’s in Ukraine to the tune of £1.5million even though they know they cannot take advantage of the bookings.. their way of supporting the hosts.

On the home front, cases of Covid for Ireland are only provided for PCR tests… and don’t include those who test positive and report it. This means that there are actually around 8,000 cases a day still, which for a populaton of 5 million is still too high, and a reflection of dropping most restrictions except for masks in stores etc. The UK is seeing the increase too at nearly 45,000 a day following their drop in all restrictions. Some way to go before we can become complacent.

We have have had some lovely weather this week and when the wind dropped I was able to sit outside and read for an hour which was amazing. Seems like ages since the end of last summer and a great boost. Lovely to see all the spring flowers brightening up the garden..

As always my thanks to William Price King, Debby Gies and Carol Taylor for their amazing contributions this week and if you have missed any of Carol’s posts on her own blog this week you can find them at the following link… always terrific information and entertainment.

CarolCooks2 weekly roundup… 27th February-5th March 2022-Monday Musings, Health,A-Z World Cuisine, Brazil, Black Gold and Saturday Snippets where a slice apple becomes a human ear.

Thank you too for all your generous support during the week, it is very much appreciated…

Chart Hits 1989 Part Two – Madonna, Gladys Knight, Bette Midler, Soul II Soul

William Price King meets the Jazz Icons – Mel Torme – The 1970s and 1980s

D.G. Kaye – Puerto Vallarta, #Mexico Part Two – What to pack, Tipping, Online Guide, Excursions, Renting, Property guidelines

Sally Cronin and Carol Taylor – Cook from Scratch to prevent nutritional deficiency – Vitamin B5 – Raw Vegetables, Spring Rolls, Chicken Livers, Salmon

Memories, Music and Movies – 1985 Part Two – Medieval Fairs, Fire Ants and The Alamo

1986 – Halley’s Comet -Hawaii – Magnum PI – Top Gun

Tales from the Garden – The Goose and the Lost Boy

Chesebro’s Tuesday Weekly Challenge – #CrownCinquain – The Colour of Life

Food Therapy Rewind – Aubergines -Don’t forget to eat your purples!

#Egypt Rebecca Budd, #Reviews D.Wallace Peach, #Africa Robbie Cheadle, #Spotlight Marcia Meara, #Writers Gwen Plano, #Brazil Carol Taylor

Personal Recommendations – #Dystopian #Elderly Alex Craigie, #Shortstories D.L. Finn, #Poetry Elizabeth Gauffreau

#Childrens Sue Wickstead, #Flyingboats Jemima Pett, #Portugal Louise Ross, #Thriller Alex Craigie, #Fantasy C.S. Boyack, #Romance Linda Bradley, #Suspense Joan Hall

#Military #Romance – Jagged Feathers (The White Rune Series Book 2) by Jan Sikes

The Senior Team pass the the funnies along – Aging and Catfish

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Splitting the Bill and Oil fires

 

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

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 21st – 27th February 2022 – Hits 1984, Mel Torme, #Bulls #Houston, Reviews, Poetry, Podcast, Health and Humour

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

I don’t think anyone around the world will have missed this week’s headlines when Covid was eclipsed by the unfolding battle for the Ukraine. The courage and patriotism of the people and their president is astounding and they deserve all the support the rest of the world can provide.

It certainly makes the storms we have been facing over the last three weeks simply weather, and mother nature reminding us that we cannot contol everything in our world. But there is no malice, greed or hatred which is the dubious perogative of human nature.

Book Promotion.

Delighted to have had some lovely extracts for this new series beginnning in March and here is a reminder of how you can give your most recent book a plug by sharing a 500 word extract… All the details are in the post link below.. Look foward to hearing from you.

Share an extract from your most recent book published within the last twelve months

As always my thanks to William Price King and Debby Gies for sharing their music and humour with us this week.. Debby is back on Monday with her travel column which is part two of Puerto Vallarta, William is here Tuesday for the Breakfast Show and Friday with the final part of the Mel Torme story.

Carol Taylor is here on Wednesday with our column, cook from scratch to prevent deficiency. This week it is Vitamin B5. If you have missed any of Carol’s post on her own blog this week you can catch up in her round up.

Australian Cuisine, Porcini Mushrooms, Home cooked rotisserie Chicken, and Saturday Snippets all about tongues.

On with the show…..

The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1989 Part One – Simply Red, Janet Jackson, The Bangles, Cher

– William Price King meets the Jazz Icons – Mel Torme – The 1960s

Tales from the Garden – Little Girl Lost

1984 – A Year of Two Halves – Tring and USA Opportunity

1985 Part One – Houston Arrival, TGI Friday’s, New Apartment, New Friends

Chesebro’s Tuesday Weekly Challenge – Butterfly Cinquain – Metamorphasis

Food Therapy Rewind – The pungent defenders Onions and Garlic

#Contemporary #Romance – Maggie’s Way by Linda Bradley

#Suspense #Thriller Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira by Joan Hall

#Mystery #Crime #Family – Brother of Interest by Karina Bartow

New Book on the Shelves #Preorder #Crime – Twisted Vendetta (Foxy Mysteries Book 4) by Fiona Tarr

Personal Recommendations – #Poetry Annette Rochelle Aben, #Family Sagas Judith Barrow, #Fantasy Richard Dee

Personal Recommendations – #Thriller Mark Bierman, #Family Lisette Brodey, #UrbanFantasy Mae Clair

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Sinatra and Dentists

– Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Driving and a moral story

 

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

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – February 7th – 13th 2022 – Computers, Interviews, Hits 1988, Mel Torme, Shortstories, Book Reviews, Health and Humour.

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

I hope you have had a good week. The world stage has certainly been dramatic with political upheavals and threats which makes you wonder just how much progress we have made towards building a peaceful and productive future for all of us. Along with the misbehaviour of sports personalities and celebrities it is becoming increasingly difficult to find something positive to read.

Thank goodness for bloggers with their creative, informative and often entertaining approach to life and I am reminded on a daily basis that in fact there are billions of really good people in the world who should be the subject of the media’s attention, rather than the motley crew supposedly in charge of us all.

Yesterday I noticed that I was not able to access my photo index and I have learnt that when I seem to have even a small technical problem I tell David right away. Just as well I did as it turned out my hard disk was crashing. He spent the rest of the day moving computers around so I could use another. Thankfully we back up regularly so very little data lost but it could have been a great deal worse… so do back up your work regularly to an external drive, especially if you are half way through your next novel!

I have also been out and about this week virtually.

I was delighted this week to be the guest of author and podcaster Louise Ross to chat about my nomadic life of travel and adventures. Here is the link to the podcast with a transcript of the interview: Interview Sally Cronin Nomadic Life and Weight Loss

There are also other places to listen including on Youtube where you can subscribe to Louise’s channel and leave your comments. Louise Ross Interview Sally Cronin Youtube

As you will see later in the round up I have reviewed one of Louise’s books Women Who Walk which I can highly recommend.

As alway my thanks to William Price King for sharing his love of music with us, and Debby Gies for her wonderful funnies foraging.. Debby is back tomorrow with the Travel Column and a look at Puerto Vallarta where she is currently enjoying a winter sun break… and on Wednesday Carol Taylor will be with us with delicious recipes to ensure we are getting sufficient Vitamin B3.

In the meantime head over to enjoy Carol’s round up of the last week. CarolCooks2 weekly roundup… 6th February-12th February 2022-Monday Musings, Health, A-Z World Cuisine, Albania, Cardamom and Saturday Snippets.

Thank you too for joining us this week and for sharing and leaving your very welcome comments.

On with the show

Chart Hits 1988 Part One – George Michael, Bobby McFerrin, Guns n’ Roses, Belinda Carlisle

William Price King meets the Jazz Icons – Mel Torme – The Early Years 1940s

Falling in and out of love – The Florist

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Memories, Music and Movies – 1981 – Sheep farming Wales, Liverpool, Retail, The Police and Chariots of Fire

Podcast – Tales from the Garden – Trouble in Paradise Part One

Food Therapy Rewind- The Humble Potato

#Reviews D. Wallace Peach, #Writing Jacqui Murray, #Valentines Carol Taylor, #SouthAfrica Rebecca Budd and Robbie Cheadle, #Ireland Rowena Newton

#History #Africa #Flyingboats – White Water Landings by Jemima Pett

New Book on the Shelves – #YA #Fantasy – Golden Healer (The Curse of Time Book 2) by M. J. Mallon

#Scifi – The View from Here by Leon Stevens

Personal Recommendations – #Romance Jacquie Biggar, #Contemporary #Irish Mary Crowley, #Ireland #Music Claire Fullerton.

Personal Recommendations – #Prehistoric Jacqui Murray, #Afghanistan Patricia Furstenburg, #History Mike Biles

The Senior Team Pass along the Funnies and One Liners

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Jeans and Aging.

 

Thanks for dropping and I hope you will join us again next week… Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Seventh Day of Christmas 2020 – Mel Torme, Jerez, Stuffing, James Cagney and Bob Hope, Pentonix, swans,

In the run up to Christmas Day I am going to share some of my memories of this time of year, some favourite food and drinks, plus some music you might enjoy. I have taken snippets from 2016 and 2018 to share with you.

First to get you in the mood…. one of the iconic Christmas songs is given the Mel Torme touch...Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas..

My Christmas memories

I love Christmas as you have probably gathered over the last few days with my memories and adventures. There was a time in my life when Christmas was not really a time of celebration and it culminated in the November of 1977 when at age 24 my first marriage of four years finally fell apart. It is a long time in the past now but I do remember that particular Christmas as being the hardest I had ever faced.

Divorce in those days was still very frowned upon and appearances could be very important. Especially as I was the one walking away. At a distance over 40 years later it is easier to put things into perspective, but at the time the hurt was very real, and there was little sympathy for those who gave up on their vows however valid the reasons.

I gave up everything I owned except for two small suit cases. It broke my heart to leave behind my beloved collie, but I knew that he would be well taken care of by my husband’s family. I had no roof over my head or any prospects, and it is one of those times in your life when you have to make a decision to save yourself and take the consequences. I had about £50 that I had taken out of our joint savings account and that had to last me until I found a job. I stayed with a friend of my mother’s in her small house and paid £5 per week for full board. I earned some cash in hand by helping a local dress shop owner get a cafe started in the back of the store, while I looked around for something more permanent.

In those days there was no Internet and few recruitment agencies. I had been a senior receptionist in a hotel, and thankfully done management training with a restaurant chain as well as run my own kitchen in a large public house that I co-managed. I needed a roof over my head and fast before my money ran out, and in those days the top magazine for all domestic and hotel jobs was The Lady. I applied to one or two live in housekeeper jobs but heard nothing back, but then I spotted an advert for a housekeeper/caterer for a public school in Sussex. They were looking for a manager who was older and more experienced than I was, and when I was asked for an interview there was quite a bit of scepticism about the likelihood of me being hired from family and friends.

I returned from Sussex on the train with £15 left in my purse and facing Christmas four days away. That was the lowest point in my life and I struggled against the general belief that I should return to my husband whatever the circumstances and accept the situation. On Christmas Eve just before my resolve was about to be broken, I received a telegram from the the delightful headmaster and his wife at the school. I was sure that it was going to be a rejection and it took me a while to open the envelope.

Me and the school mascot!

They wanted me to start in the first week of January before the children returned to school after the holidays. I would have my own self contained flat in one of the school cottages and £25 per week. I think that you can imagine how I felt on receiving this very special Christmas Gift. That is why I love Christmas. It was a defining moment in my life and the road I then followed, eventually led to me to meet my husband David three years later, and funnily enough when I had moved to another job that had been advertised in The Lady….lucky magazine that and still going strong.

Two more iconic performers now put on a display that would make any Christmas Party go with a swing..James Cagney and Bob Hope dance off.

The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Day 7 (31st December): New Years Eve (known as Hogmanay in Scotland). One of the earliest Popes Sylvester I is celebrated on this day. He is still remembered across central and eastern Europe and you will often find New Year’s Eve referred to as ‘Silvester’ New Year’s Eve in the UK was celebrated from medieval times but with sport particularly archery which was mandatory for all men between the ages of 17-60 – the territorial army of its day with men trained to fight.

Over the years many interesting traditions have developed for celebrating the turn of the old year to the new and of course the making of resolutions….

It is rumoured that all the gifts of Christmas originally were code references to various Catholic beliefs that had to be kept secret during the various persecutions that occurred over the centuries from around 1530. There is little evidence this is the case but the Seven Swans Swimming were said to represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The first time the carol was sung in Britain was in the 18th Century and was a game where if you forgot a verse you paid the price in the form of sweets or a kiss…I think I played that game once.

I can beat the Seven Swans – feeding time at Bray Harbour in Southern Ireland…

Christmas Carols

If you have not yet listened to the amazing Pentonix then here is there version of Deck the Halls…from their Youtube channel..PTXofficial

The carol dates back to the 16th century and actually started a Welsh song usually sung on New Year’s Eve… “Nos Galan” was published in English with lyrics by Thomas Oliphant.

The popular “Deck the Halls” song is a Christmas carol that dates back to the sixteenth century. It wasn’t always associated with Christmas, however; the melody comes from a Welsh winter song called “Nos Galan,” which is actually about New Year’s Eve.

The first time “Deck the Halls” was published with English lyrics was in 1862, in Welsh Melodies, Vol. 2, featuring Welsh lyrics by John Jones and English lyrics written by Thomas Oliphant.

 

Now time for some Christmas food traditions… no turkey would be complete without the stuffing.

As always Carol Taylor has this covered and you will wow the family with her take on this important element of Christmas dinner including Rice, walnut and Squash, Date and Bacon, Mushroom and the traditional Pork, Sage and Onion stuffing: Homemade Stuffing at Carol Taylor’s Blog

I do enjoy a good sherry before a meal and of course living in Spain there was a plentiful selection of excellent varieties. We did travel through the country in the 17 years that we lived in Madrid, and a visit to Jerez is intoxicating…..and you can also find some of the most beautiful Andulsian horses combined with Flamenco.. I have seen this live as part of the Andulsian version of Carmen.

There are three main types of sherry – dry, medium and sweet. You would probably enjoy a chilled dry sherry before a heavier fatty meal, a medium with a lighter fish meal perhaps and the sweet goes well with dessert.

The supermarkets are producing some great dry sherry and you might try an Oloroso or Fino and chill in the fridge first… For a medium – Amontillado Sherry  and a richer Cream Sherry both available from Jerez and in supermarkets.

For more information on top of the range sherries and their origins: Liquorista Best Sherry 2020

 

Thank you for dropping in today and as always I love to receive your feedback.. thanks Sally.