Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 23

Robbie’s Inspiration – Book reviews: You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie and The Rat In The Python: Book 1 The Home

You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie by Darlene ForsterWhat Amazon says

A collection of short stories inspired by growing up on a prairie farm in the fifties and sixties. Some of the stories are humorous and others sad, but all heartfelt. Stories about family life, cowboy wisdom, immigrant grandmothers, an inspiring teacher, and the arrival of a new sibling are part of this collection of tales from another time and another place. Proof that you can take the girl from the prairie but you can’t take the prairie from the girl.

My review

This book is not a traditional story but rather a collection of memories of the author’s childhood growing up on a prairie farm during the 1960s and 1970s. It was, in some ways, reminiscent of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder which depicted a pioneer childhood. The author aptly depicts that hard life of a farmer and a farmer’s wife and their complete dependency on the natural environment for success. Droughts, floods and other natural disasters impacted heavily on the financial health of the family. Even in this modern age, this dependency has not changed. The author’s siblings are details as well as the tragic and early death of one of her brothers. That story was one of the hardest for me to read. There are also stories of happiness and triumphs including a wonderful teacher who made a big difference to the author’s life. The one feature of this book that stood out for me was how kind and helpful people were towards each other despite their hard lives and limited financial resources. The author was very loved by her family members and this comes through strongly in each memory.

This book will engage readers who have an interest in real life history from the perspective of ordinary people.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Take-Girl-Prairie-ebook/dp/B0C399MHZP

The Rat In The Python: Book 1 The Home by Alex CraigieWhat Amazon says

If you haven’t heard of a liberty bodice, believe that half-a-crown is something to do with impoverished royalty and never had the experience of slapping a television to stop the grainy black and white picture from rolling, then this series might not be for you. Please give it a go, though – I suspect that most of it will still resonate no matter where you were brought up!

The Rat in the Python is about Baby Boomers who, in the stability following the Second World War, formed a statistical bulge in the population python. It is a personal snapshot of a time that is as mystifying to my children as the Jurassic Era – and just as unrecognisable.

My intention is to nudge some long-forgotten memories to the surface, test your own recollections and provide information and statistics to put it all in context.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Then I’ll begin…

My review

The short book is a forage into what life was like growing up in post war Britain (1950s). It is non fiction and the information is shared through discussions about a number of household articles. As my own mother was a young child during the war and a teenager during the 1950s, I was eager to learn how life changed after the war. It certainly took a long time for changes to filter through. Part of this was due to the enormous loans from the USA that Britain had and which needed to be repaid. Another reason for change happening slowly was the frugal re-use mindset of people post the war. Not that I think frugality isn’t better than today’s throw away society, but life remained very hard for people for a long time. The cold was difficult with limited heating. The descriptions in this book were similar to my mother’s memories of freezing cold mornings with ice inside the window panes. Patterns created by ‘Jack Frost’ and suffering with chilblains. The author’s comments about her mother getting up early to light a fire to heat the living area was also reminiscent of my mother’s life.

One of the big changes from the war era was the home decoration. People did loosen up and start making changes, using items like linoleum and wall paper although the do it yourself culture remained. The extreme caution around the use of electricity and the father keeping a watchful eye on the metre was fascinating. I am used to my own wasteful generation although my sisters and I, the daughters of a ‘war generation’ woman, were brought up to be frugal. It is easy to forget this when everything seems so easily available in vast quantities.

The rite of doing laundry when the author was young was similar to during my mother’s childhood. Although a washing machine replaced metal tubs, women still used dollies and mangles as part of the washing routine. Filling up the washing machine was as bad as filling up tubs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers who are interested in learning more about how people lived during the 1950s and 60s. The information about the use of arsenic in green paint was new to me and very surprising. This book will have you appreciating you comfortable life with all its modern conveniences.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Rat-Python-Book-Home-ebook/dp/B0C66JXRLK

“To a Lion: A Contemporary Poem” by Robbie Cheadle

Thank you to Barbara Leonard for sharing my poem, To a Lion, on Masticadores USA.

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers

Large, graceful, King of the Beasts Oh Tau, how you inspire respect and fear (1) Do not view me with suspicion I am a champion of the natural world A…

“To a Lion: A Contemporary Poem” by Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – Repost: Story Empire, What fiction writers can learn from reading and writing poetry part 1

This week on Story Empire I shared my first post about the benefits of writing poetry for authors. I have shared some famous examples of poems in novels that really strengthen the story line and writing.

what fiction writers can learn from reading and writing poetry part 1

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog: Growing Bookworms – Middle-grade fiction

This month I am discussing middle grade fiction as my Growing Bookworms topic. I must admit to having re-read and loved many middle grade books. Thank you for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Growing Bookworms – Age groups for children’s books: Middle-grade Fiction #growingbookworms #childrensfiction

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday and W3 Prompt (2) #poetry

This week, Colleen’s challenge is to write the second part of a Renga to which she supplied the first part. I tried to work with Colleen’s hokku but it really doesn’t suit our current Highveld weather, so instead of leaving it, I wrote my own hokku and my own wakiku. You can join in Colleen’s challenge here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/04/30/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-32-4-30-24-part-ii-grain-rain-april-19-may-4-koku-%e7%a9%e9%9b%a8/

Late Autumn

Late afternoon sun

Gently caresses flowers

Deceptive autumn

***

Temperatures drop overnight

Approaching winter’s warning

***

This is my hokku for Colleen:

Fallen leaves collect

Blocking gutters and downpipes

Wet season’s nightmare

Picture caption: My bearded irises are in flower again.Indulged eyes (shadorma)

Blooms on stalks

Are they beautiful?

Not to my

indulged eyes

Attuned to vivid colours

Not plain greenish-grey

Picture caption: The desert roses are in flowerPicture caption: I had a praying mantis visitorW3 prompt – Where do I belong

Am I as mad as the March Hare?

As muddled as the Mad Hatter?

Are my dreams of saving wildlife

As fanciful as a dormouse in a teapot?

Are my aspirations to slow down the extinction clock

As unrealistic as the White Rabbit’s hopes to be on time?

Will southern African wildlife disappear

In the manner of the Cheshire Cat?

The signposts are all so confusing

The race endless – round and round I go

Do I belong in Wonderland?

With all the other disappointed dreamers

The W3 prompt is as follows:

II. Destiny’s prompt guidelines

Compose a free verse poem of no more than 12 lines on the theme of ‘belonging’.

Each of us interprets this word uniquely, and its significance may evolve throughout various stages of our lives. Feel free to delve into your personal reflections and follow where your thoughts take you.

You can join in the challenge here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/05/01/w3-prompt-105-weave-written-weekly/

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog: Poetry Book Review: Poetry Treasures 4

Thank you to Dawn Pisturino for this wonderful review of Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature. Dawn is a talented poet and has recently published her first poetry collection, Ariel’s Song. Do take a look around her blog while you are there.

Poetry Book Review: “Poetry Treasures 4”

Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipe: Beef Wellington #recipe #beefwellington

I have now made Beef Wellington three times and have developed my own hybridised recipe incorporating ideas from several chefs.

Picture caption: cooked Beef Wellington ready to serveIngredients

1,5 kilograms beef fillet

500 grams sliced button mushrooms

500 ml white wine

5 ml thyme

2 x 250 gram packets of prosciutto ham

Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

2 eggs

500 gram frozen puff pastry

Method

Completely defrost the pastry.

Heat the oven to 220 C. Prepare a baking tray using non-stick spray or a thin layer of butter. Lay the beef on the tray, cover with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook the beef for 30 minutes for medium Beef Wellington. Cook for a shorter time for rare meat and a longer time for well done meat.

In a separate frying pan, heat olive oil and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and the thyme and continue to sauté until the wine is completely reduced and/or absorbed into the mushrooms.

Remove the beef from the oven and allow to cool. Lay 8 slices of the prosciutto ham on a piece of cling wrap. layer the ham with a thin covering of the mushroom mixture. Cover the beef with a thin layer of Dijon mustard and lay, mustard side down, on the mushroom layer. Cover the top of the beef with a thin layer of Dijon mustard, cover it with the other half of the mushroom mix, and layer another 8 slices of prosciutto ham over the mushrooms. Wrap the beef up in the cling wrap and leave in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Picture caption: prosciutto ham covered with a mushroom layer on cling wrap or silver foilPicture caption: Dijon covered beef layered with mushrooms and prosciutto ham ready to wrap up.

Roll out one third of the puff pastry with sufficient width and length of lay the beef on with about 5 centimetres to spare all around it. Lay the pastry in a prepared baking tin.

When the beef is ready, carefully remove it from the cling wrap and lay it on the puff pastry.

Roll out the rest of the puff pastry and drape it over the beef. Beat the two eggs and use the egg mixture to seal the edges of the pastry. Using a sharp knife, make steam holes along the top of the beef through the pastry. Cover the pastry with the rest of the egg wash.

Roast in the oven on 180 C for another 30 to 40 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.

Picture caption: TC carving the Beef Wellington

This post is for Retirement Reflections recipe challenge which you can join in here: https://retirementreflections.com/2024/05/01/the-truth-about-tofu/

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday and W3 Prompt 104 #poetry

The following two poems are written for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday prompt. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/04/23/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-31-4-23-24-part-i-grain-rain-april-19-may-4-koku-%e7%a9%e9%9b%a8/

Crimson Pride (tanka)

Full of boastful pride

Wall exhibited its coat

Pride leads to a fall

Soon its crimson covering

Would be stripped bare of its leaves

Picture caption: A high wall covered with a curtain of crimson leaved creepersDancing Clouds (shadorma)

Dancing clouds

Sensational show

Swaying in

Slow dance pairs

Shapely contours silver bright

Pregnant with raindrops

Picture caption: Autumn clouds which should not contain rain, but did.

This next haiku is written for W3 #104.

This is the prompt:

II. Ben’s prompt guidelinesFrom free verse to haiku…
This 'folly', be up to you!
Can't wait to read how you do.
Your inspiration is 'folly'.

You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/04/24/w3-prompt-104-weave-written-weekly/

Autumn Folly

Nature’s last folly

Temperature’s drop at night

Frost decorates buds

Picture caption: We had a week of cold and rain and now it is unseasonably hot. Certain flowers have come back into bloom.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Colleen shares a delightful Sip & Read interview and Smitha shares a wonderful book review #readingcommunity #poetry

Good fortune has smiled on me twice today.

The lovely Colleen Chesebro, Tanka Tuesday Poetry Spinner, has featured my latest poetry book, Square Peg in a Round Hole as one of her Sip & Read Interviews. The interview revolves around why I wrote this collection and what it means for me and, hopefully, for readers of the collection.

You can read Colleen’s interview here: https://colleenchesebro.org/2024/04/22/sip-read-interviews-square-peg-in-a-round-hole-poetry-art-creativity-by-robbie-cheadle/

In addition, I discovered a delightful review of Square Peg in a Round Hole by poet and author, Smitha Vishwanath.

You can read Smitha’s detailed review here: https://smithavpennings.com/2024/04/22/book-review-07-50-square-peg-in-a-round-hole-by-robbie-cheadle/

This is an extract of a picture and poem from Square Peg in a Round Hole.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday and South African birds: Ostriches #poetry #birds

Colleen’s prompt for this week is this picture (for the Southern Hemisphere):

This is a dodoistu (7/7/7/5)

Wet Veld

Breathe deeply, scents of wet grass

Autumn dew sparkling in rays

of moderate morning sun

So fair, so freeing

Autumn seeds

Red baubles

Decorating husk

Shiny new

Promises

Of future magnolias

Life’s continuance

You can join in Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/04/16/24-seasons-poetry-challenge-no-30-part-iii-clear-and-bright-april-4-18-seimei-%E6%B8%E6%8E24/

South African Birds – ostrichesMale and female ostriches

Ostriches are large, flightless birds. They are heavy, weighing up to 145 kilograms, and lay the largest eggs of any living land animal. The males are black and white and the females are grayish-brown and white.

My video of this same ostrich couple: