Cynthia D. Bertelsen's Blog, page 7

A Gator Tale

I’ve started writing on Substack as “Florida Girl” and would like to invite all of you to take a look.  

Oranges, Florida’s Gold

Luis Egidio Meléndez: Still Life of Oranges, Watermelon, a Pot, and Boxes of Cake, ca. 1760 The thorn-like spines on the stems nicked me. I had no idea orange trees bore thorns, like the crown of Christ on the cross. And like Christ on the cross, I bled. Sucking my finger, I yelped, and Daddy … More Oranges, Florida’s Gold

Oranges, Florida’s Gold (Part I)

Luis Egidio Meléndez: Still Life of Oranges, Watermelon, a Pot, and Boxes of Cake, ca. 1760 The thorn-like spines on the stems nicked me. I had no idea orange trees bore thorns, like the crown of Christ on the cross. And like Christ on the cross, I bled. Sucking my finger, I yelped, and Daddy … More Oranges, Florida’s Gold (Part I)

Announcing “Mangoes & Roosters: Stories and Tales from Haiti” – and Other News

  Ever since colonial days, when France claimed it as her own, Haiti carried within it an aura of the unknown and the mysterious. Once called the “Pearl of the Antilles,” Haiti became for a time the largest sugar producing region in the world, thanks to plantations populated by thousands of enslaved Africans, who rose … More Announcing “Mangoes & Roosters: Stories and Tales from Haiti” – and Other News

Speaking of France …

You’re not supposed to begin a piece of writing with a question. Why not? No idea, except that the “experts” seem to think that it’s an easy way out. “You can do better,” they say. So what was my question? Oh yes. Why is traditional French food so terribly unpopular at the moment? Many authors … More Speaking of France …

I’ll Always Have Paris

The dog shit scene did it for me. When Emily, in Netflix’s new series – “Emily in Paris” – steps in the do-do, her immaculate pink shoes squishing with that “Oh no, ugh!” sound, I laughed out loud. You see, that happened to me as well. Rounding the corner one gorgeous late fall morning, headed … More I’ll Always Have Paris

Sunshine State Book Festival, January 27-28, 2023!!

Only 12 more days before the discount ends for authors. For $25 until September 1, you get half of an 8-foot table, chair, and tablecloth. After September 1, you’ll pay $50. And you’ll get to be in beautiful Gainesville, FL in January to boot, with no snow! To register, click on the graphic:

The Second Gold Rush: Citrus Crate Labels

Florida experienced a “gold rush” almost as soon as the first Spanish soldier spit out an orange seed and kept marching through the palmetto and myrtle oak in 1513. It’s no mystery as to why California and Florida became dominant citrus-growing regions. Moors (Arabs) ruled Spain for over 800 years, and citrus – particularly oranges … More The Second Gold Rush: Citrus Crate Labels

The Gilded Age in Florida: A Few Words about the Flaglers and their Food

No, here I’m not celebrating Julian Fellowes’s TV series, “The Gilded Age.” I’ll confess something right off the bat: I watched only a few episodes. Why? The story of that tumultuous time is actually more interesting than fiction. First of all, Mark Twain coined the phrase, “The Gilded Age,” in a satirical novel meant to … More The Gilded Age in Florida: A Few Words about the Flaglers and their Food

And it’s a Win (Times Two): Seeing Silver

I am thrilled to announce that two of my books won awards this past weekend in Orlando, Florida. The Florida Authors and Publishers Association awarded a silver medal to Stoves & Suitcases: Searching for Home in the World’s Kitchens in the General Nonfiction category. Meatballs & Lefse: Recipes and Memories from a Scandinavian-American Farming Life … More And it’s a Win (Times Two): Seeing Silver