Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 42

Robbie’s Inspiration – Do you like insects? #insects #bookquotes

I am fascinated by insects and like to study them and take pictures of them. Lots of people don’t like insects, especially spiders.

Two years ago, I discovered a spider ball nest behind a wooden plank against the wall. I was very delighted by the spider ball and inspected it daily to see how the babies were getting on. I also kept it hidden from hubby who would have attacked it with the insect spray.

In due course, the hundreds of babies hatched and floated away on strings of web. A few found their way into my house and two took up residence in the bed. Hubby discovered these ones, and a few others creeping about and made short work of them. He was a little suspicious about how they came to be in the house, but that’s my secret [smile].

Later that same summer, I discovered another spider nest. Mom was lurking nearby, protecting her babies. I also hid this one [hides face in hands while shoulders shake with secret laughter].

When I was in KwaZulu Natal, I took pictures of a rather large and fascinating caterpillar.

“I think you’re wonderful,’ James told her. ‘Can I ask you one special question?’
‘Please do.’
‘Well, is it really true that I can tell how old a Ladybird is by counting her spots?’
‘Oh no, that’s just a children’s story,’ the Ladybird said. ‘We never change our spots. Some of us, of course, are born with more spots than others, but we never change them. The number of spots that a Ladybird has is simply a way of showing which branch of the family she belongs to.”
― Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach

“But what about you, Miss Spider?’ asked James. ‘Aren’t you also much loved in the world?’
‘Alas, no,’ Miss Spider answered, sighing long and loud. ‘I am not loved at all. And yet I do nothing but good. All day long I catch flies and mosquitoes in my webs. I am a decent person.’
‘I know you are,’ said James.
‘It is very unfair the way we Spiders are treated,’ Miss Spider went on. ‘Why, only last week your own horrible Aunt Sponge flushed my poor dear father down the plug-hole in the bathtub.’
‘Oh, how awful!’ cried James.
‘I watched the whole thing from a corner up in the ceiling,’ Miss Spider murmured. ‘It was ghastly. We never saw him again.’ A large tear rolled down her cheek and fell with a splash on the floor.”
― Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach

So tell me, have you ever hidden a spider’s nest from your partner and children? Let me know in the comments?

Robbie’s Inspiration – Book review: War poetry, Sheep on the Somme: A World War I Picture and Poetry Book by Frank Prem

In honour of Remembrance Day, I am sharing my review of this incredible book of poetry by Frank Prem about WW1.

What Amazon says

In this Picture Poetry collection, journey with the AIF, the ANZACS and the German and French armies at war on the Western Front during the Great War of 1914 – 1918.

Have your photo taken in a studio in Cairo, and your heart broken on a small street in Ballarat.

The bombs are falling in an endless fusillade of artillery fire from both sides of the conflict, turning the Somme into a clagging stew of slurried mud and maddened men.

Frank Prem has taken images of men at war and created verse stories to accompany them and to tell you that this war is hell.

Welcome. Welcome to the Somme.

My review

I am endlessly fascinated by war books and war poetry, especially about WW1 which seems to have been one of the most dreadful and destructive of all human conflicts I know about. The idea of millions of young men, the age of my oldest son, and maybe even my younger son, living in the squalor and horror of the trenches with death all around them is overwhelmingly dreadful. I keep wondering how the world ended up embroiled in the dead end and destructive war that continued for four years and destroyed the lives of an entire generation, male and female.

Frank Prem’s book is a beautiful and graphic tribute to all those brave men and women who gave their lives for their countries between 1914 and 1918. The poet has taken a selection of black and white photographs from the war archives and matched them to well chosen and vivid words about life and death during this time.

All the poems in this collection are powerful and worthy, but these two extracts are from the ones that have remained in my thoughts and heart:

“hush

be quiet now

don’t…

do not speak
a word

if we
lay still
enough

they may not
see us

hear us

they many not
find us

oh
let them leave us
I have had
enough”
from Hush

“and I
who wish
only
to sleep

I who would
the darkness
pray
take him

take him to
some other place

take him away

am doomed
to watch
the night at play

doomed to hear
the whistling
song

to sing it
like a mantra playing
oh god”
From another night (like this)

I purchased a paperback version of this book because I regard it as a collectors item along with my poetry collections by Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, and Rupert Brooke.

Purchase Sheep on the Somme: A World War I Picture and Poetry Book

Amazon US

Frank Prem’s Amazon author page

Growing Bookworms – The importance of colour when illustrating children’s books #childrensfiction #readingcommunity #growingbookworms

This months Growing Bookworms post discusses the importance of colour when illustrating children’s books. Thanks for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Writing to be Read

Many children’s picture books make use of brightly coloured cartoon style illustrations. Children are attracted to bright colors such as red, yellow, green, blue, and pink. These colors create a sense of energy and playfulness and also emanate happiness. Colour impacts on children’s moods, behaviour, and educational performance.

Part of the reason children prefer bright colours is because saturated colours are easier for young, developing eyes to see. Bright colors and contrasting colors stand out more in a child’s field of vision than feinter shades.

Colour effects the way the brain functions and can be used by illustrators to encourage pattern recognition, memory, and the ability of young readers to absorb new information.

Here are a few examples of colours and how they can be used for learning:

RED– a powerful and attention-grabbing colour, red stimulates alertness and excitement. It encourages creativity and can also increase appetite.

BLUE–…

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Robbie’s Inspiration – Layers & Textures: The Unfolding …

Lauren from baydreamerwrites blog shared some lovely pictures of the sky and clouds. You can read Lauren’s post here: https://baydreamerwrites.com/2022/11/07/layers-textures-the-unfolding/ I thought I’d do the same and share some African sunrise and sunset scenes.

Have a great new week.
Robbie

Robbie’s Inspiration – recipes from sound the world: Chicken Paprikash

Last week was a bit tough. On Tuesday, I took Michael back to the doctor because he was very congested. The doctor said there was an unusual amount of swelling around the surgical site on the right hand side of his sinuses. There was also a lot of crusting (blood, and other fluids that solidify and become scar tissue). He suctioned it all away and we were told to continue the steaming and douching and to return this week Wednesday. On Monday, I tried to send Michael to school. That was a disaster and he developed a bad headache with dizziness and nausea. I had to collect him early.

We saw the doctor again on Tuesday morning and he was most concerned that the swelling hadn’t improved and the crusting was worse. There were also signs of an infection. Michael is on another strong antibiotic with an antibiotic cream for his nose and we have to continue with the steaming and douching. The doctor is doing some research and is likely to test Michael for certain auto immune diseases that effect the sinuses. We will see him again next Wednesday and see what his sinuses look like post the antibiotic. He may need more surgery on the 15th of November and we are planning for it.

On the bright side, at least the doctor is doing everything possible to manage the situation and prevent scar tissue formation and a chronic infection. And we have a plan, which is much better than no plan.

This past weekend, I made this chicken paprikash because Michael likes it.

Ingredients

1,8 kilograms chicken thighs and drumsticks with skin

15ml olive oil for cooking

2 onions diced

3 multicolored peppers, diced

4 tomatoes, diced

Salt and pepper

3 cups chicken stock

4 Tbspns sweet paprika

1 Tbspn garlic flakes

500 ml double thick yoghurt

4 Tbspns plain flour

Method

In a large pot, brown the chicken pieces in the olive oil. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add a little more oil and fry the onions for a few minutes. Add the peppers and tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and then the chicken stock and then the paprika and garlic (both burn if the pot is to hot). Add back the chicken. In a separate bowl mix the flour into the yoghurt until smooth. Add to the chicken mixture and mix. Allow to simmer for 1 hour.

Serve with rice.

This dish is delicious. The paprika gives it a rich flavour.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Thursday Doors, in the kitchen and a catering quantity curried mince recipe #recipe #kitchendoors

Welcome to Thursday Doors, a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).

You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2022/10/27/new-old-doors/

My parents live with my family. They have their own cottage and garden. This is the doorway into their home:

My mother has green fingers and her garden is always beautiful.

Recently, their oven stopped working. Terence and I bought them another one. It is very nice and naturally mom and I had to christen it. We made a 5kg batch of South African mince curry. This is one of our favourite recipes for catering functions at home. We made this before Michael went into hospital because I didn’t know if there would be time for any cooking. We split it up and froze the portions for a few meals.

South African mince curry recipe (catering quantity)Ingredients

5 kilograms beef mince

5 eggplants

5 onions, diced

5 green peppers (I used mixed peppers), diced

30 ml garlic flakes

30 ml chilie flakes

30 ml ginger

45 ml turmeric

30 grams fresh corriander

45 ml hot curry powder

10 ml cloves

10 ml cinnamon

4 Tbspns beef stock powder

1 cup water (250 ml)

1 large tin apricots, drained and diced

4 x 240 ml cartons of tomato puree

1 small tin apricot jam

30 ml balsamic vinniger

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Slice the egg plants, wash them in cold water and cover with salt. Set aside for thirty minutes. Cut up all the other vegetables.

Brown the mince and remove from large pot.

Rinse the egg plants to wash off the salt. Cut the rounds into quarters.

Fry the onions for 5 minutes and then add the peppers and eggplant. Saute for a further 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili, ginger, turmeric, curry powder, cloves, cinnamon and beef stock powder. Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the apricot jam, diced tinned apricots, tomato puree, water, vinegar and salt and pepper. Add back the meat. Allow to simmer for 1 hour until the liquid has reduced to a quarter.

Serve with rice.

A sugar fiends story, best creative cake, spiders and a few thank you’s

It has been a turbulent week with Michael having major surgery on Tuesday (you can read about it at the bottom of this post: https://roberta-writes.com/2022/10/21/roberta-writes-thursday-doors-riverstill-guest-farm/)

The Visions anthology book blog tour, including my winning short story, The Bite, taking place, as well as the Great Blogger’s Bake Off last weekend.

To top it all, creative dynamo, Teagan Riordain Geneviene, has written an innovative short story featuring my fondant and cake artworks from Michael and my latest children’s book: Haunted Halloween Holiday.

You can read Teagan’s brilliant Spook-tober Shorts story here: https://teagansbooks.com/2022/10/22/spook-tober-shorts-surar-fiends-featuring-robbie-cheadle/

Thank you, Teagan, you are truly amazing!

Teagan has a fabulous new book for Halloween:

You can purchase Teagan’s book here:

Kindle: relinks.me/B0BJ9N1GBX

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0BJBXGJ7L

My circus cake won the Most Creative Cake Award. I am proud to see it displayed in this post, among the culinary creations of so many talented bakers: https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2022/10/20/the-2022-awards-go-to/

A huge thank you to Mel, Gary, Jeanie, and Jack for hosting this year’s Great Blogger’s Bake Off which is such a fun challenge, drawing entries from all over the world.

These are the cakes I entered for the Great Blogger’s Bake Off:

Circus CakeThe Great Mince Pie EscapeLion Scream

Lastly, lovely blogger and poet, Lauren Scott, wrote a beautiful poem and a prose piece about spiders. You can read her entertaining post here: https://baydreamerwrites.com/2022/10/21/touching-funny-and-reflective/

This is my fondant gift to Lauren:

Robbie’s Inspiration – Visions WordCrafter blog tour: featuring Her Beholder by C.R. Johansson #booktour #review #readingcommunity

WordCrafter Press presents Visions, a fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror anthology.

Giveaway

Five digital copies will be given away in a random drawing at the end of the tour. Each stop visited earns an entry. Let me know you were there by leaving a comment.   

Blurb

Fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.

An author’s visions are revealed through their stories. Many authors have strange and unusual stories, indeed. Within these pages, you will find the stories of eighteen different authors, each unique and thought provoking. These are the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.

What happens when:

An inexplicable monster plagues a town for generations, taking people… and souvenirs?

A post-apocalyptic band of travelers finds their salvation in an archaic machine?

The prey turns out to be the predator for a band of human traffickers?

Someone chooses to be happy in a world where emotions are regulated and controlled?

A village girl is chosen to be the spider queen?

Grab your copy today and find out. Let authors such as W.T. Paterson, Joseph Carabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Stephanie Kraner, and others, including the author of the winning story in the WordCrafter 2022 Short Fiction Contest, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, tantalize your thoughts and share their Visions

From Kaye Lynne Booth, editor of Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore, Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception and Gilded Glass: Twisted Myths & Shattered Fairy Tales.

Available for purchase here: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28

Inspiration for Her Beholder by C.R. Johansson

Itwashar. From the moment Lok growled the word into my minds ear, “Her Beholder” was born. I knew it was going to be a love story, but I was surprised to discover that it went beyond the basic beauty and the beast idea. It was a bittersweet love story not only between an ogre and a woman, but more precisely a love story between a woman, her lost child, and the mirror of time.

My review of Her Beholder

I found this story about a woman who loses her firstborn at a very young age and is taken away from her life by an ogre, very compelling. The death of a child is the worst experience I can think of and I believe the emotion and longing captured in this short story are very realistic and heart breaking.

Despite the love showered on the woman by the ogre, combined with memory altering magic, the woman never forgets her dead child and the trauma of his passing. She clings to the belief she will see him again in her own afterlife.

A beautifully written story that reminded me in some ways of the dark fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers.

About C.R. Johansson

C.R. Johansson writes gripping thriller, science fiction, and fantasy stories with a genetic twist. Her characters explore universes where the unknown prevails and the impossible is possible akin to her life with congenital heart disease. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and comical pugs. When not writing, she enjoys listening to the river nearby, working in her garden, paper mache’, knitting and sitting on the couch drinking tea.

Book your WordCrafter book blog tour here: https://writingtoberead.com/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/wc-book-blog-tours-2/

Treasuring Poetry: Meet children’s author, illustrator and poet, Judy Mastrangelo #review #poetry #childrensfiction

My October Treasuring Poetry guest is talented children’s author, poet and illustrator, Judy Mastrangelo. Judy is sharing her thoughts on poetry and her favourite poems as well as a few gorgeous illustrations from her new book, Poems to dream on. I have shared my review. Thanks for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Writing to be Read

Today, I am delighted to welcome talented children’s author, illustrator and poet, Judy Mastrangelo, as my Treasuring Poetry guest with her new book of poems for children.

Which of your own poem is your favourite?

SWAN BOAT

by Judy Mastrangelo

A Graceful Swan Boat

glides through quiet waters.

***

Sing to me my little ones of

Lands where Dreams are Born.

***

Sky Dreams, Cloud Dreams,

Castles full of Fairy Tales.

Lands where Elves dwell,

and Fairies dance till morn.

This is a beautiful poem, Judy.

What inspired you to write this poem?

Being an illustrator/artist, plus an author, I often begin a creation with an image that appears in my imagination. I call it a “Mind Painting”. This little poem came to me along with the Fairy image, with its lyrical song-like verse. The rhythm of the words seemed to go along with the gentle rocking of the Fairy…

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CATCHING UP WITH ROBBIE

Thank you to Mel from Caramel blog, host of The Great Bloggers Bake Off, for interviewing me today in advance of the Bake Off weekend. This post is all about my baking and why I bake and I am honoured to be featured for the Star Baker Interview this year.

The challenge takes place for the entire weekend with loads of great baked goodies on show from many talented bloggers. Do visit and join in the fun.

One of the most exciting parts of THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF is when our special BAKE OFF Judge Jeanne designates the STAR BAKER accolade. It seems the perfect way to pre-empt the BAKE OFF this weekend by catching up with one of our fabulous STAR BAKERS.

Two years ago, one of our special STAR BAKERS was the astoundingly talented Robbie Cheadle, creator of Robbie’s Inspiration and Robert Writes and also Robbie Cheadle, was awarded a STAR BAKER accolade for a stunning drumkit cake. Do you remember this showpiece?

Robbie has made a huge contribution to both THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF and also to WordPress. She has a true creative flare, which she expresses in her writing and in her baking.

We were thrilled that Robbie agreed to be interviewed for our special STAR BAKER feature this year. I suggest you make a cup of tea and sit down to enjoy our catch-up with the phenomenal Robbie Cheadle!

WHAT DO YOU FIND THE MOST JOYFUL PART OF BAKING?
I usually bake or cook for family events like birthdays, Christmas, or other religious holidays. I am the oldest of four girls and we all live in Johannesburg, South Africa, so we usually gather for events. My parents live in a separate cottage on the same property as my family, so these gatherings are usually hosted by me.
The best part of creating these cakes is sharing them with my family, in particular my sons, nieces, and nephews, and enjoying them together. It always amuses me that the small children eat the fondant icing. I find it too sweet personally. The actual creation of a cake is also satisfying, and it is nice to see a cake art idea taking form.

Continue reading here: https://crushedcaramel.wordpress.com/2022/10/14/catching-up-with-robbie