Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 17

Robbie’s Inspiration – Book review: The Last Pilgrim by Noelle A. Granger #historical #fiction #readingcommunity

Picture caption: The cover of The Last Pilgrim featuring a painting of a woman facing a ship on the oceanWhat Amazon says

This book captures and celebrates the grit and struggle of the Pilgrim women who stepped off the Mayflower in the winter of 1620 to an unknown world – one filled with hardship, danger and death. The Plymouth Colony would not have survived without them.

Mary Allerton Cushman was the last surviving passenger of the Mayflower, dying at age 88 in 1699.

Mary’s life is set against the real background of that time. The Last Pilgrim begins from her father’s point of view – she was, after all, only four when she descended into the cramped and dank living space below deck on the Mayflower – but gradually assumes Mary’s voice, as the colony achieves a foothold in the New England’s rocky soil.

What was a woman’s life like in the Plymouth Colony? The Last Pilgrim will tell you.

My review

I really enjoyed this historical novel about the first pilgrims to arrive in the USA on the Mayflower in 1620. Mary Allerton Cushman was the youngest child onboard during this turbulent voyage barring a baby who was born in transit. The journey was fraught with cold, sickness and food shortages and some of the passengers died, while the health of others was irreparably damaged, including that of Mary’s mother.

When the settlers finally arrive at their destination, there is absolutely nothing there and they have very little to start building their new life with. The diminished numbers of the new colonists, especially ‘good wives’ also made life harder as the six surviving women had to help nurse, feed and care for all the men and children. Mary’s mother dies soon after the family’s arrival and Mary becomes quite wild, in the sole care of her overburdened older sister, Remember. Finally acknowledging that he is not able to control Mary or train her into her future role as a ‘good wife’, her father sends her to live with the Govenor and his new young wife who is expecting a baby. Mary is initially heartbroken, but she soon warms to Alice Bradford who starts to mould her into a good and useful member of their household. Thomas Cushman is one of a few young male members of the household who reside with the Bradford’s for various reasons. He gradually becomes Mary’s friend and later her romantic interest.

This book follows Mary Allerton Cushman’s life and provides a huge amount of fascinating detail about the religion, food, clothing, customs and lifestyles of these first settlers. Themes like the suppression of women and their unequal role in the household as well as the dangers of childbearing are addressed in an upfront and fascinating manner. There is also a lot of interesting information about the settlers’ relationships with the local native Americans and also other settlers who arrive over the years. It was astonishing to me how people who travelled to America to escape religious persecution, were happy to dish out more of the same to other people seeking religious freedom. The behaviour of people never ceases to amaze me.

All the characters in the book are well developed and I became attached to Mary and Alice Bradford. Thomas is a hardworking man with a good heart, but he is also a bit narrow minded and unforgiving towards human flaws although he does soften over time. I never came to understand why he wouldn’t allow Mary to visit her sister, Remember, who subsequently died. It was a bit harsh and painted him in a less flattering although realistic way.

This is a beautifully written story, and the historical research is meticulous. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in American history and enjoys family dramas.

Purchase The Last Pilgrim from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089G9J83K

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog: Wedding Fun on Hotel by Masticadores

Thank you to Michelle Ayon Navajas from Hotel by Masticadores for sharing this upbeat poem called Wedding Fun.

Wedding Fun by Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – W3 No. 125 and Pseudo Tanka Tuesday #W3 #poetry

These are the guidelines for this weeks W3 challenge which you can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/09/18/w3-prompt-125-weave-written-weekly/

Sarah’s prompt guidelinesFORM:  Elfje THEME: ‘Soar’Elfje?

The word Elfje means ‘Elven’ or ‘Fairy’ poem (from ‘Elf’ meaning ‘elven’ or ‘fairy’ and the sufix ‘-je’ meaning ‘little’). The form consists of 11 words spread over 5 lines.

Line 1: One word.This word symbolizes a color or feature. The word symbolizes the atmosphere.Line 2: Two words.These are something or someone with this color or feature.Line 3: Three words.Giving more information about the person or the object. You describe where the person or the object is, who the person or what the object is, or what the person or object is doing. This sentence usually starts with the word ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘it.’Line 4: Four words.Here you are writing something about yourself in relation to the person or the object. This sentence is your conclusion.Line 5: One word.This word is called the ‘Bomb.’ It is the essence of the poem.Free as a bird

Wings

Soar bird

High above trees

I watch with envy

Freedom

Pseudo Tanka Tuesday

Tanka Tuesday is on a break, but if it wasn’t, these would be my micro-poems for this week:

Delicate iris

Dainty in yellow chiffon

Prettiest of all

***

Belle in lemon dress

Daintiest of spring flowers

Unrivaled beauty

***

Ruffled pale pink frock

Dims in comparison to

Stunning yellow twin

Picture caption: Above and below are my yellow irises. I was watering so they are wet.Picture caption: above and below are the pale pink irises.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Treasuring Poetry: David Bogomolny of The Skeptics Kaddish blog #poetrycommunity

This month I am featuring well known poet and blogger, David Bogomolny. David is sharing his thoughts about poetry and poems and I’ve also provided my thoughts on his memoire, shared as a series of blog posts.

Treasuring Poetry – Meet poet and blogger, David Bogomolny, the mastermind behind The Skeptics Kaddish blog and W3 prompts #poetrycommunity

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog: My poem, Precious Resource, on MasticadoresCanada #poetry

Thank you to the team at Masticadores Canada for sharing my poem, Precious Resource.

Precious Resource by Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration: Tanka Tuesday and W3 No. 124 #poetry

It’s been a strange weekend. My aunt moved to a care facility on Saturday morning. It is a nice place and she has DSTV and internet, the meals are nice and the staff seem kind. She didn’t want to go, however, so her sons basically forced her which has made it a bit horrible.

I was reflecting on how we/she got to this point and those reflections resulted in this list poem for David’s W3 #124 prompt.

Lynn’s prompt guidelinesPROMPT: Compose a  ‘list poem’ , which includes the word ‘fall’ or some form of it (falling, fallen, fell, etc.).List poem?

A list poem is a deliberately organized poem containing a list of images or adjectives that build up to describe the poem’s subject matter through an inventory of things.

You can join in W3 prompts here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/09/11/w3-prompt-124-weave-written-weekly/

The Unbearable Endurance of Being

The call for help came early; just after 7am on a cold winter morning. My breath puffed in steamy clouds as I locked her house.

Hours spent in the Emergency Room culminating in a hospital admission at 5pm. Exhausted after a long and anxious day.

Thirteen long days spent in hospital – five of these in the Intensive Care Unit – Unlucky 13?

Three good days at home and then a sudden and swift reversal. Steady decline leading to another race to the hospital.

This time I’m on my own. Armed with a wheelchair, I manhandle the patient out of the car and wheel her into the examination room. Bright lights glare.

Eight fraught hours of vomiting, cauterization, and pain, resulting in a second hospital admission. Strong smell of disinfectant.

Seven days of driving up and down to the hospital for visiting hours. Some relief when son #1 arrives from the UK.

Two weeks of recover overseen by patient son #1 who nurses her, arranges for home help and a panic button. He exits via plane.

Four hellish weeks of worry interspersed with doctors visits and new medications. We try everything for the pain. Drugs increase the fall risk.

Hubby and I plan a much needed weekend away. I take her to the doctor the day before we leave. Health clearance received.

Our first game drive ends with a call from the neighbour with news of a new catastrophe. She kindly does the hospital admission.

More ICU visits, this time the patient develops ICU delirium and things the nurses are trying to kill her. My nerves are finished!

Son #2 arrives from the USA. A whirlwind week of anger and tears as he prepares a move into a care home.

A farewell. She leaves to start a new life; imposed on her by age, illness and loving sons who live on the other side of the world.

Tanka Tuesday

This is the last of the current series of Tanka Tuesday challenges. A huge thank you to Colleen for hosting this challenge for an entire year. A new challenge is starting from 1 October and I am hosting the kick off challenge. I hope you will all join in. You can learn more about it here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/09/10/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-51-9-10-24-part-ii-white-dew-september-7-22-hakuro-%e7%bd%e9%9c%b2/

Micro poem 1

Chronic exhaustion

Steeped into every muscle

Tension hangover

Micro poem 2

Dark melds with lightness

Wings of ebony uplift

Delicate body

This poem was written for a butterfly I saw on Michael’s blog here: https://lifeexperiencesandadventures.wordpress.com/2024/09/10/art-in-nature-527/

Picture caption: This is a great heron. I didn’t write a poem for it but its a great picture.

Growing Bookworms – A farewell to Growing Bookworms and a new series #readingcommunity

This is a goodbye to Growing Bookworms and a hello to Read and cook. Thanks for hosting Kaye Lynne Booth.

I have been publishing this series for many years and during that time my own two boys have grown up into young men. I am no longer involved in the …

Growing Bookworms – A farewell to Growing Bookworms and a new series #readingcommunity

Robbie’s Inspiration – Book review: Bella’s Countryside Christmas by Claire Huston #RBRT #readingcommunity

What Amazon says

An uplifting festive romance perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Phillipa Ashley, Trisha Ashley, Sue Moorcroft, Rebecca Raisin and Donna Ashcroft.

Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.

Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.

A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.

My review

I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.

I rarely read romance but I really enjoyed this book which is much more than a romance novel. I enjoyed the character of Bella, a woman who is successful in her career in finance but it has not brought her happiness in life. As a fellow successful woman in finance, all of Bella’s frustrations and miseries were highly relatable to me. I understood perfectly her enthusiasm for life in a small town she visited and met a pleasant and good looking man. Every time I go on holiday, I fall in love with the place I’m visiting and wish I could move their permanently away from my job and career. Of course, I’m not as brave as Bella so I’ve never actually done it like Bella did.

Bella attends a work conference situated at a venue near where she had planned to be married before her romance failed. She sneaks off to visit the church she’d chosen and meets a lovely man as a result of an accident with a Christmas tree. She plays hooky from her conference dinner and volunteers to attend a wedding taking place that evening at the church with the lovely man. His Plus One hasn’t materialised and Bella wants to help him out of an uncomfortable situation as the bride is his ex-girlfriend.

The lovely man, called Jack, falls hard for Bella and she likes him too but before they can exchange phone numbers after a delightful evening, Bella is called away by her flighty sister who is always needing financial assistance. One year later, Bella goes back to this same small town, this time with a job and a new life lined up.

This story is really delightful. The characters are beautifully drawn and I was very drawn into their lives and loves. The story revolves around a retirement village which I also found different and interesting. I liked the involvement of characters who were older. There are a couple in interesting sub-plots in this tale that keep everything ticking over nicely as the romance progresses.

A wonderful read that I highly recommend.

You can pre-order Bella’s Countryside Christmas on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Bellas-Countryside-Christmas-heart-warming-Haileybrook-ebook/dp/B0DDTQK9NT

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday #poetry #wildlife #spring

I didn’t manage to post my Tanka Tuesday poems last week due to the fact I arrived home from a weekend away to a medical emergency with my aunt. Her son arrived from the USA on Saturday and we are making arrangements for her to move to a retirement village where she can get the care she needs.

These are last week’s poems, inspired by our time in the bush.

Micro poem 1

Golden band of hope

Light meets dark, rain laden clouds

Which will win this day

Picture caption: sunrise fighting the cloudLion Kill (shadorma)

Crunching sound

Bones ripping apart

Lion feeds

Glazed eyes

In bouncing head of dead buck

Nature’s life cycle

Picture caption: Lion killPicture caption: Lion kill with the dead head of the impala going up and downRed Wound (shadorma)

Cheetah mom

Keeps a watchful eye

While cubs feed

Harsh nature

Evidenced by injury

Red in morning light

Picture caption: Injured mom – I don’t know how it happened, perhaps horns.Micro poem 2

Tender, juicy leaves

Tantalizing spring breakfast

For hungry giraffe

Picture caption: giraffe eating new leavesMicro poem 3

Long legged and graceful

Runway model of the bush

Everything looks good

Picture caption: young giraffe in the early morning sunlightMicro poem 4

Three little warthogs

Speeding around the bushveld

Curly tails held high

Picture caption: three warthogsMicro poem 5

Shepherd’s tree becomes

One with growing termite mound

Beneficial shade

Picture caption: Shepherd’s tree with large termite moundPicture caption: close up of the termite moundMicro poem 6

Thorny breakfast fare

End of winter scarcity

Elephant makes do

Picture caption: elephant feeding on thorn treesMicro poem 7

Enjoying the sun

White fronted bee eater pair

Survey their surrounds

Picture caption: White fronted bee eater

This week’s poems are as follows:

Micro poem 8

Pale purple clusters

Peek out from amid green leaves

Spring wisteria

Picture caption: The first wisteria of the year in my gardenMicro poem 9

Fluffy banks roses

Cocktails for African bees

Scent floats on light breeze

Picture caption: My banks roses

You can join in Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/09/03/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-50-9-3-24-part-i-white-dew-september-7-22-hakuro-%e7%bd%e9%9c%b2/

Robbie’s inspiration – repost: Pickled in Poetry on Chewers by Masticadores #poetry

Thank you to J re Crivello editor of, inter alia, Chewers by Masticadores, for publishing my poem, Pickled in poetry.

A short while ago, I was having a comments conversation with the amazing Rebecca Budd. It led to me saying my brain was pickled in poetry and the idea for this poem was born. Thank you, Rebecca. I hope you enjoy my creation. You can find Rebecca here: http://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2024/09/02/s4-e12-simple-pleasures-by-elizabeth-gauffreau/

“Pickled in Poetry” by Robbie Cheadle