Of April #Snow, Medical Mutterings, #PetKid Antics, And Home Organization Progress

We had some April snow this year.  Not a lot of it, but still.

They'd predicted some to go with the dip in temperatures during the first full week of April, but I didn't expect us to actually get any.  I mean, it's April in the UK.  But we did, on April 6th.  Like I said: not a lot of it.  It was just a light dusting, and only just qualifies as snow.  But Kelly got a video when it was snowing anyhow, and here it is for anyone who wants to see.

 

*~* 

My right hand (the hand with the finger I broke by shutting it in a car door) has healed well, and I can use it again.  I've still been trying - admittedly not always successfully - to avoid using it to carry anything with any real weight to it, or to do anything fiddly, but other than that I've been using my right hand normally for a couple of weeks now.  And, since it's now been over the six weeks, intend to start attempting to do crafts again soon - maybe even this weekend.

~

Unfortunately, I'm still dealing with some issues from my bad reaction to the Covid vaccination - even though it's now a little over five weeks on from when I had it

 

My asthma nurse had to switch me to a stronger inhaler, since it seems the jab has triggered something that's made my asthma worse.  Hence the elephant on the chest feeling I had.  The asthma nurse is calling to check it's helping in a couple of weeks time, but I personally think the new inhaler is definitely helping, since the elephant has wandered off to go sit on someone else, and I can breathe again.  Well, other than at times that are known triggers for me, which are apparently more likely to trigger a full on asthma attack these days, as I learned the hard way a few days ago.  But the inhalers are doing their job well enough that we got it under control without a hospital trip, so that's the main thing.

I'm also still getting headaches, but it's not one constant headache any more (like it was for the first couple of weeks after I had the jab) and I’m mostly able to cope with it. At least it’s some improvement. I’ve always had headaches from time to time (because of having Glaucoma, which causes pressure build-up around the optic nerve) but I haven’t suffered with them this badly since I was losing the last of my sight.

I'm still easily exhausted and still ache everywhere too, so working on much fewer spoons than I was before I had the jab. But at least there’s some improvement from a couple of weeks ago, and I can function these days, even if a lot of naps are required to make it happen.

And, before anyone asks: no.  I'm still not going to have the second jab.

~

Kelly's parents have had their first shot too.  They also had the Pfizer vaccine (which is what Kelly and I had) and went through it with as little issue as Kelly: sore arm and tiredness for the first day or so, and that's it.

 

I hope, when everyone goes for their second jabs, they all go through it that smoothly again.

 

*~* 

Mollie's missing me having the bandage on my hand.  She looks for it every time, and seems disappointed it's gone.  Silly chinchilla! The good thing is though, her wanting to check out my hand means she often climbs in my arms for a cuddle, especially when I'm checking on her in the evening and she knows the babygate is closed (which means the dogs can't get in the living room, where her cage is).

~

Lilie has decided she loves a particular carseat Mam has in her car.  It's not exactly a dog carseat, but can work as one, while allowing the dog sitting in it to be able to see out of the window.  We tried Lilie in the actual dog carseat, but she hated it, and Logan ended up in there instead.  We tried her just clipped to the seatbelt with a car clip, but she hated that too.  She kept trying to jump in this carseat though, so we decided to try her in it.  As you may be able to tell from this photo Mam got of her, she loves it:

~

Logan's become more vocal since he turned two.  On the one hand, this is good because he's more likely to actually make a noise to tell me when he wants to go out, rather than just staring at me sadly like he was doing.  On the other hand, this is bad because it means he's more likely to bark at random noises and such.  I'm using the same method we used for Lilie to attempt to stop it becoming too bad, which involves putting him in puppy jail for a couple of minutes to calm down when he gets carried away.  Hopefully he'll be as quick as she was to grasp the concept that we mean it when we say enough.

~

Artemis has grown enough that we're thinking about getting her a bigger vivarium.  She technically still fits in her little three foot one, but we're sure she'd like the extra space.  Here's a recent photo of her in her vivarium so you can get an idea of what I'm saying:

The purple ball in with her is a solid cat ball.  Yes, she plays with it.  I got it for her after hearing about someone whose tortoise played with one, and she seems to really like it.  I managed to get my Mam on a video call watching her play with it, but we've had no luck getting a video or photos I can share with you.  What she does is shoot her neck out as if grabbing for food (but with her beak closed) so she hits the ball and makes it roll, and then she chases after it, only to repeat the process.  We'll keep trying to get you a video, but she doesn't play for long at a time, and keeps stopping just as we get the camera ready.  The one time she didn't, I'd aimed the camera completely wrong, so she's not in the shot at all

*~* 

Our tumble dryer died just as we moved, so we had my Dad drying our laundry until we could get a new one, which we finally did a couple of weeks ago.  It's black and a Beko, like our washing machine.

~

My brother, Wayne, offered us a table and chairs he didn't want, which is the same style as ours, but slightly bigger and more solid.  Both tables are ones that can be extended if required, and came with four chairs, but one is easily big enough for four and gets big enough to seat eight, while the other only seats three comfortably and gets big enough to seat six.  We decided to take it, since it meant we could then take our little one - which now only has three chairs, since the back broke on one of them, so Dad turned it in to a stool for me to use with my bureau - to put upstairs for crafting and such.

 

Unfortunately, there's not really space for it in the craft room though, and we didn't want to go through the hastle of swapping the craft room and computer room over (and need the bigger room for the computers and books anyhow) so it's in the computer room.  That's only the next room anyhow.  Plus, it will then be available for Kelly to potentially use it for gaming in the future too.  He's already been making use of it to put together some of his figures, and repair a couple that got damaged during the move.

 

 

~

Speaking of the computer room and craft room: there has been a little progress with sorting stuff in those, but with how my health has been we haven't done much more in either room during this past month, let alone actually finished completely.  I expect that doesn't surprise you though.

 

There are two small-ish boxes to sort out in the craft room, and maybe about three or four medium sized ones in the computer room.  That's it., unless Dad discovers more craft stuff when sorting the rest of Nan's stuff out.  But at least if that happens everything else in the craft room will be organized enough that I'll have some idea where to put anything else as it arrives.  In theory anyhow.  Either way, I'll get you photos when we've sorted the last few boxes.  I'm scared to say when that might be though, since the last time I mentioned a potential timescale I ended up with an injury and medical issues getting in the way.  Plus, I seem to be functioning on less spoons these days, so there's that to consider too.

Anyway, once we've sorted those few boxes, we'll just need to finish sorting the bedroom and living room.  Not that there's much to do for either of those rooms... The computer room and craft room were definitely the bigger projects. Not helped by the need to change some things around after we learned I was inheriting all Nan's craft supplies.  Which I'm totally not complaining about, by the way.

#Poetry #NewRelease "Poetry Treasures"

 

Open the cover

and you will discover

the Poetry Treasures of

guests on Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s 2020 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series on Writing to be Read.

 

Included are treasures from: Sue Vincent, Geoff Le Pard, Frank Prem, Victoria Zigler, Colleen M. Chesebro, K. Morris, Annette Rochelle Aben, Jude Kirya, and Roberta Eaton Cheadle

 

 

 

The "Poetry Treasures" anthology is now available to purchase from a variety of online retailers.  To find it at your prefered retailer, simply click here to buy your copy.

Day 5 of the WordCrafter “A Ghost and His Gold” Book Blog Tour + My #Review

 It's my stop on the tour for "A Ghost And His Gold" by Roberta Eaton Cheadle today, and Robbie has written a fascinating post for me to share with you.  I'll also be sharing my review for the book at the end of this post.  So, over to you, Robbie!

 

 

***~~~***

 

The Siege of Kimberley

Background

The Siege of Kimberley, a diamond mining town in the Cape Colony, took place during the Second Anglo Boer War when Boer forces from the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (Transvaal) besieged the town.

Cecil John Rhodes, a British mining magnet and politician in Southern African and who served as the Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896, was in Kimberley during the siege. Rhodes’ presence in the town was controversial as he was one of the main protagonists behind the war due to his involved in the botched Jameson Raid. Despite his arrogance and constant disagreement with the military personal charged with the defence of Kimberley, Rhodes was instrumental in organising the defence of the town.

The Boers tried to force the British garrison in the town to surrender by shelling the town with their superior artillery. The first British attempt to relieve Kimberley failed and it was only on the 5^th of February 1900 that the siege was finally relieved by a cavalry division under Lieutenant-General John French. After relieving the siege, the British forces immediately continued to battle the Boers under General Piet Cronjé at Paardeberg.

 

 

Armoured Train: Siege of Kimberley, 14th October 1899 to 15th February 1900 during the Great Boer War. Source: https://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/siege-of-kimberley/

Extract from A Ghost and His Gold

PIETER

Injured

The following day, Pieter tells his family about his time on the western front and how, after he’d been injured, the loyal Mhlopi had assisted him home to Irene.

“How did you come to be near Kimberley, Papa? We thought you were still in Mafeking. Oom [Uncle] Jannie told us he’d seen you there.”

“Willem and I were part of the Boer force that left Mafeking on the 18th of November under the leadership of General Cronjé. We marched southwards to Kimberley. Our generals considered Kimberley to be key to the war on the western front.”

“Why is Kimberley more important that Mafeking, Papa?” Estelle looked at him with interest.

“Kimberley’s the second biggest city in the Cape Colony and the centre of the diamond mining operations of the De Beer’s Mining Company. De Beer’s supplies ninety percent of the world’s diamonds, and I’m sure this fuelled our leadership’s desire to occupy this town.”

“Don’t forget, Pieter, that Cecil John Rhodes controls De Beer’s and the mining activities in Kimberley. I’m sure his being in the town was one of the reasons our generals wanted to occupy it,” Marta gently admonished him.

“Yes, you are right, Marta, Cecil John Rhodes’ presence in the town was controversial for us.”

 “Who is Cecil John Rhodes, Papa? Why don’t our generals like him?” Renette’s smooth brow wrinkled as she tried to understand the conversation.

“He was the Cape premier a few years ago and sponsored a raid by the British to try and overthrow Oom Paul and take over the South African Republic. The raid was led by a man called Dr Jameson and it is called the Jameson Raid. Luckily for us, it was unsuccessful, and Dr Jameson was sent to jail,” said Marta.

“Your mother is right. There were several reasons why General Cronjé felt it was important for us to join in the fight against the Khakis in the area surrounding the Modder River and Kimberley, and one of them was the presence of Cecil John Rhodes. Whatever the reasons, Willem and I ended up defending the area around the Modder River.”

Shifting in the bed, Pieter tried to relieve the pressure on his aching ribs.

“I was injured by falling off my horse during a fight with the Khakis’ mounted forces who were riding to relieve Kimberley. When I fell, I feared the worst and thought I would be left behind and captured. Luckily, Willem came to my aide. He managed to help me back onto my horse and we fled the scene and returned to our camp.”

“Why did you fall off your horse?” Renette asked. “You are a good rider.”

“Yes, I’m an excellent rider,” said Papa. “Oom Willem and I were scouting with a group of other Burghers when we saw a thick cloud of dust approaching. To be honest, the march on Kimberley under Lord Roberts took us by surprise. The Boers at Magersfontein were engaged in fighting the Khakis under Lord Methuen so they were not able to come to come to our aide. Do you remember that name, Marta? He was the British general who was defeated at Magersfontein on 11 December last year?”

“Yes, I remember,” Marta leaned forward in her chair. “He was attempting to relieve Kimberley. We heard about our splendid victories at the church service on Christmas Day.”

“That’s right. It was a black day for us when Lord Roberts replaced Sir Buller as the Commander in Chief of the Khakis in January. Together with his chief of staff, Lord Kitchener, they have implemented massive changes to the scale, organisation and tactics of the British Army. Lord Roberts has brought all the resources of the British Empire to bear against us and numerous reinforcements have increased the Khakis’ ranks significantly.

“Anyhow, while the Magersfontein Boers were fighting Lord Methuen, a few other commandos were fighting another division of Khakis, under Major General Hector MacDonald, as he marched westward to Koedoesberg. We were unprepared for a large-scale march on Kimberley, as Lord Roberts had been successful at keeping his plans secret, and our numbers were few between the Modder River and the town. The army we faced comprised five divisions and a whole division of cavalry under Lieutenant-General John French. That equals about forty thousand men, Marta.”

Pieter stops talking and gazes into space. Memories assail his mind in a kaleidoscope of sounds, smells and visions.

“At about midday, we saw a large cloud of dust coming our way. Having no idea how many horsemen there were, ten other Burghers, Willem and I quickly set up an ambush. As they drew closer, we could make out a mass of at least seven thousand horses and men. It was a hopeless situation and we prepared to withdraw, but the Khakis saw us and started shelling our position. My horse took fright at an exploding shell and bolted. I fell and broke two ribs, but luckily my horse is well trained, and he came back to me. Oom Willem hoisted me back onto my horse, and we were able to escape.”

Marta’s pale face and the tension around her mouth and eyes suddenly register with Pieter.

Is she upset because of my injury or because the Burghers ran away?

“It was cowardly of you men to flee, you should have stayed and fought,” said Marta, her lip curled with contempt.

How does she think I could have carried on fighting with broken ribs? She’s being ridiculous; if we’d carried on fighting, we would’ve all been killed. A handful of men couldn’t hold back such a significant force.

Smiling wryly, he took a sip of water. “Maybe you are right, Marta, but I was in too much pain to influence that decision.”

 

 

The blurb

After Tom and Michelle Cleveland move into their recently built, modern townhouse, their housewarming party is disrupted when a drunken game with an Ouija board goes wrong and summonses a sinister poltergeist, Estelle, who died in 1904.

Estelle makes her presence known in a series of terrifying events, culminating in her attacking Tom in his sleep with a knife. But, Estelle isn’t alone. Who are the shadows lurking in the background – one in an old-fashioned slouch hat and the other, a soldier, carrying a rifle? 

After discovering their house has been built on the site of one of the original farms in Irene, Michelle becomes convinced that the answer to her horrifying visions lies in the past. She must unravel the stories of the three phantoms’ lives, and the circumstances surrounding their untimely deaths during the Second Anglo Boer War, in order to understand how they are tied together and why they are trapped in the world of ghosts between life and death. As the reasons behind Estelle’s malevolent behaviour towards Tom unfold, Michelle’s marriage comes under severe pressure and both their lives are threatened.

 

 

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

 

I am a South African writer specialising in historical, paranormal and horror novels and short stories. I am an avid reader in these genres and my writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, the Bronte sisters, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

I was educated at the University of South Africa where I achieved a Bachelor of Accounting Science in 1996 and a Honours Bachelor of Accounting Science in 1997. I was admitted as a member of The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2000.

I have worked in corporate finance from 2001 until the present date and have written seven publications relating to investing in Africa. I have won several awards over my twenty year career in the category of Transactional Support Services.

I have been published a number of anthologies and have two published YA books, While the Bombs Fell and Through the Nethergate. I have recently published my first adult novel called A Ghost and His Gold which is partly set in South Africa during the Second Anglo Boer War.

Other books by Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Through the Nethergate

Margaret, a girl born with second sight, has the unique ability to bring ghosts trapped between Heaven and Hell back to life. When her parents die suddenly, she goes to live with her beloved grandfather, but the cellar of her grandfather’s ancient inn is haunted by an evil spirit of its own.

In the town of Bungay, a black dog wanders the streets, enslaving the ghosts of those who have died unnatural deaths. When Margaret arrives, these phantoms congregate at the inn, hoping she can free them from the clutches of Hugh Bigod, the 12th century ghost who has drawn them away from Heaven’s White Light in his canine guise.

With the help of her grandfather and the spirits she has befriended, Margaret sets out to defeat Hugh Bigod, only to discover he wants to use her for his own ends – to take over Hell itself.

Follow Roberta Eaton Cheadle at:

Website

https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Blog

https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19631306.Roberta_Eaton_Cheadle

Twitter

https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

Purchase links:

TSL Publications (paperback)

https://tslbooks.uk/product/a-ghost-and-his-gold-roberta-eaton-cheadle/

Lulu.com (ebook and paperback)

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/robert-eaton-cheadle/a-ghost-and-his-gold/ebook/product-d858km.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Gold-Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/dp/1913294943

 

***~~~***

 

My review:

 

A Ghost and His Gold by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a thrilling and gripping read, with a wonderful cast of compelling characters, not to mention a fantastic plot. The author clearly did a lot of research, and reading the details of the war going on when most of the events in the story take place is fascinating, despite the disturbing nature of some of the unfortunately entirely factual occurrences.

I only hesitate to give this book the full five stars because the way the different stories were told required some getting used to, so it took me some time to get in to the book (though I was thoroughly enthralled by the tale once I got used to the way it was being told). Also, I felt the definitions being presented as footnotes rather than simply in a glossary of terms at the end of the book interrupted the flow of the story - something possibly more noticeable to me due to the need to rely on a screen reader to read the book.

*NOTE: I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book or the contents of this review, and all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Logan The #Cavapoo Turns 2

Hi everyone.  This is Logan the Cavapoo.

     

I had one of those birthday things; I turned two on April 14th. 

     

To be honest, I'm not really sure what that means - I don't do numbers.  But that's what Mummy and Lilie say, and they also say it's a good thing.  Everyone also says I'm a big boy now.  I don't feel like I'm a big boy, even though I'm bigger in size than Lilie these days, but everyone keeps saying I am.  Is it OK to still just be a little bear if I feel like one? Daddy and Lilie say I'm meant to be a big boy, and I'm more of a big bear than a little bear, but Mummy and Nana say if I still feel like a little bear inside then that's what I am.

     

~

    

Anyway, I got a new honking piggy toy, since we love those, but we're tough on toys - especially Lilie - so we keep needing new ones.  Plus, I got a biscuit covered with something that looks like chocolate, but it isn't chocolate, so it's safe for dogs to have. 

     

Lilie got a treat and new piggy too, but it's OK because I got a teddy and treat when she had her birthday as well.  Mummy says it's easier to do it that way, otherwise we'll both get upset when one of us gets something and the other doesn't get anything.  We're glad she feels that way, because then we get extra stuff.  Although, Daddy says we'd probably get just as much stuff anyhow, it's just spread out more this way.  As long as we get the toys and treats though, we don't really care which of them is right.

     

Lots of licks,

Logan

Follow Me Via Bloglovin'

<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3624235/?claim=g3evh59xasb">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

I'm making sure you have this option, because Feedburner - who you'd be subscribed via if you used the "follow by eMail" thing on the sidebar - just announced their service won't work as from July, and I want to make sure those of you who subscribe to get my posts have another way to get them.

If the link at the top of this post doesn't work for you, you can find a "Follow Via Bloglovin'" thingy on the sidebar (it's quite a way down, but it's there).

If your blog is on Bloglovin' too, let me know so I can follow yours as well.

#Vampire #Fantasy #BookRelease - "War of Nytefall: Savagery" by @cyallowitz

It's Monster vs Monster and Only One will Keep His Head!

For the first time in over a century, Clyde will know what it means to feel powerless and weak. Headless bodies appearing across Windemere is only the beginning as Clyde faces the terrifying vampire hunter, Alastyre.  Able to match the Dawn Fang leader in power and ferocity, this new menace shows no signs of weakness or mercy.  With both friends and enemies getting dragged into the battle, Clyde will have to find a way to become stronger.  For that, he will have to accept an ancient challenge and pray that those he cares about and trusts can hold Alastyre at bay. Which monster of Windemere will claim the top of the food chain?

Want to hear more?  Enjoy this Teaser!

Alastyre disappears for a moment before reappearing in front of Clyde and grinning at how the Dawn Fang does not react. “I have waited many years for this day. You probably don’t remember me since it has been so long. The temptation to tell Mab the truth when she was my captive was so strong that I knew I needed more time to mature. I should only feel happy and excited when we are about to clash. By the way, your enemies put up an entertaining fight. It lasted no more than a couple of minutes, but I enjoyed it. My hope is that your reputation is true and I will get to use my full power for once. The thought of ripping your head off and adding it to my collection is one of the few dreams that gives my life meaning. Is this where we’re going to fight? I see that there is a lot of sand and giant boulders scattered about. Do you use this courtyard as a large rock garden in order to relax? You are a more amusing monster than I expected.” “I don’t like you,” Mab growls before she is grabbed by the face. “A drug-addicted worm should watch-” “Put . . . my . . . partner . . . down,” Clyde growls from behind the hunter. The illusionary vampire fades away as the real one materializes, his gauntlet sword already pressed against the man’s meaty neck. “You say we’ve met before and you’ve been training to fight me. Looks more like you’ve altered yourself to become a freak. The smell of your blood reeks of corruptive magic and demon influence. There’s a hint of Dawn Fang and dragon in there too. You’re nothing more than a glorified golem. Bunch of parts and auras cobbled together to turn a weak mortal into a monster. I’m not impressed, Alan Stryker. Still trying to strike fear into the rotting hearts of my kind? At least your name isn’t as stupid as it was before.” “Wait, do you mean that guy who attacked you outside of Lord Shallis’s castle?” Titus asks with a chuckle. He grunts when his sister is thrown into him, the force sending the siblings crashing against the patio’s railing. “I told you that keeping him alive was a mistake, but I didn’t think it would turn into this. You must be angry that nobody believed your story about vampires that are immune to the sun. Is that what this is about?” With a casual flick of his finger, Alastyre sends Clyde’s sword and arm flying across the courtyard. “No because it was another hunter who survived and told that tale. Your leader was so distracted with Mab biting him that he failed to notice a second mortal that he failed to kill. I focused on recovery and getting stronger because I refused to follow such a ridiculous plan. The fewer people who knew about the Dawn Fangs, the better my chances were at being the one to succeed. Please know that I only want to destroy your leadership. Originally, I wished to wipe all of you out of existence, but that could prove to be impossible. You monsters are more talented at hiding than anything else I have hunted, so I could never be sure of your extinction. The next best thing is to take over Nyetfall and use it as a jail for your kind. All Dawn Fangs will be contained on this island once they no longer have their precious rulers. Don’t you agree that this is much better than extermination, Clyde?” “I have no opinion because it’s never going to happen.” “Do you accept my challenge?” “You never officially made one.” “I demand that you fight me to the death.” “Thank you for being straightforward and not making me hunt you down.” “We fight in an hour then.” “Why not now?” Alastyre points while mentioning, “You are still missing an arm. I want to face you at full strength.” “Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance,” the Dawn Fang says as he continues healing the injury.

Get a copy of this vampire action adventure for 99 cents on Amazon! Help spread the word by adding it on Goodreads!

*****

Want to catch up on War of Nytefall?Grab the volumes 1-5 for 99 cents each ($5 total)!

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

Interested in more Windemere?  Then don't forget to check out Charles E. Yallowitz's first series: Legends of Windemere

All Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic. Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com Twitter: @cyallowitz Facebook: Charles Yallowitz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyallowitz/

Enjoy the fang-filled adventure by clicking here!

 

#PetKid Pals: Push-Push

Hi everyone.  This is Lilie the Westie.

 

I have a new friend for you to meet today.  So, let’s see who it is, shall we?

 

Hello new friend.  What’s your name? If you have an unusual name, or there’s an interesting story behind it, I’d love to hear about it, and am sure others would too, so please share.

 

“Hello, my name is Push-Push. I was originally going to be called daiquiri, after my friend Robbie’s favourite drink, but my Dad changed it to Push-Push. He gave me that name because when I was a small kitten, I used to roll onto my back under the couch and used my claws to pull myself along underneath it. My Dad thought that was very funny and changed my name. I didn’t mind because I was only six weeks old at the time.”

 

That’s an interesting name, and thanks for sharing how you got it.  So, Push-Push, what species and breed(s) are you?

 

“My Dad says I am a ‘pavement special’. My Mom and Dad got me from a shelter. I was born in a box in the parking lot outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken Drive-thru. My brothers and sisters were all rescued, and I was only in the shelter for a few days when I was chosen my Mom and went to live at my forever home.

 

Mom and Dad live in a small house down the garden path from a bigger house where my friends, Robbie and Terence, and their two sons live.”

 

That’s great that you found your forever home before you’d been in the shelter for long.  I love your setup... Must be great to have so many people looking out for you.  Describe your appearance for us, please.

 

“I am a tortoise shell cat with a very pretty coat in four different colours: mustard, orange, white and black. I have a sister, Smudge. She is a short-legged tortoise shell cat.”

 

You sound very pretty.  In fact,I know you are, because here's a photo Robbie sent us of you:

 

Anyway, Push-Push, I know you said something about a sister and two houses, but can you explain for us... Where do you live? What sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with? Do any other animals live with you? Or is it just you and your humans?

 

“As I mentioned earlier, I have my sleeping home with Mom and Dad and my visiting home. I like to spend time lying on the Persian carpet in the lounge while Robbie works. Sometimes I scratch the carpet and then Robbie sprays it with a nasty smelling stuff, so I don’t want to scratch there anymore. More of the time, I’m happy to just lie and doze in the sun.

 

I have a big garden to play in and I’m allowed to hunt rats and lizards. My Mom hates lizards. I am not allowed to hunt birds as Robbie is very fond of birds.

 

There are lots of fruit trees in our garden: a fig tree, a peach tree, a blackberry bush, two plum trees and a lemon tree, so you can just imagine how many bird visitors we get. The Loerie birds were so fat after eating all the plums, Robbie was worried they wouldn’t be able to fly away from me, but they did.

 

We also have four Hadeda birds that live in our garden. These birds are big, so my sister and I only stalk them for play. The also have loud voices. In the mornings, they sometimes sit on the roof and sing for us.”

 

That sounds great.  But what’s your favourite thing to do?

 

“I really like to sleep. I lie in the sun and sleep as much as possible. In the early evening, Smudge and I like to stalk the birds and at night we sometimes catch lizards and rats and leave them as gifts for our Dad. One time, we left our lizard gift in Mom’s shoe and she didn’t find it until she looked for something she said was ‘smelly’. She wasn’t as grateful as I would have expected when she found that gift. It had been there for a few weeks, but still, a thank you would have been nice.”

 

I agree.  These humans just don’t appreciate things properly, do they? By the way, do you like toys? If so, do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

 

“Smudge and I aren’t very interested in toys. We have a scratching post which we like to use and that is all. Sometimes when Mom and Dad’s other daughters come for a visit and bring their children, they try to interest us in toys. We only oblige them for a short while to be nice and then we run away and hide in Robbie’s lounge.”

 

Fair enough.  How about food? What’s your favourite food?

 

“We only eat special cat pellets our Dad buys for us at the vet. Robbie let me sniff some of her gingerbread at Christmas time but, yuck, what a strong and horrible smell. I didn’t even stay long enough for her to take a proper picture of me.”

 

That’s a shame.  Hey, with all those humans some of them have to do things you love.  So, what’s the one thing any – or all - of your humans do that you love most?

 

“My Mom lets me sleep on her couch when she rests during the day and Robbie lets me sleep on her best carpet. Dad looks after us nicely and washes all our blankets and gives us our food.

 

I like to visit Robbie in the morning for cuddles, but I only stay for about 15 minutes. I don’t want to spoil her.

 

My sister is a one cat girl. She loves Dad and follows him around like a dog. She lies on the floor in his office or in the patch of sunshine just outside his office. When he isn’t there she cries until he comes home. I’ve told her she is silly to behave like a dog instead of a cat, but she ignores me.”

 

That all sounds really great.  And your sister sounds like my brother, Logan.  There are other humans in the world... Some animals just don’t get that though, and insist on sticking like glue to the one human.  Anyway, how about things you don’t like? What’s the one thing any – or all - of your humans do that you hate most?

 

“I live with lovely humans and have a beautiful home. I can’t think of anything they do that I hate. Sometimes the grandchildren are a bit noisy and boisterous, but when I’ve had enough I just disappear for a while.”

 

I’m really pleased to hear that.  OK, so... I happen to know one of your humans is a writer/blogger.  Has she written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think she will in the future?

 

“Robbie is a blogger, but she doesn’t write about us often. I have done two guest posts for other bloggers, actually, that is why she wanted the gingerbread picture. Oh well, I can’t please her all the time.

 

Robbie likes to write about animals she models from fondant. She has made a lot of cats and wrote a story called the Dinah in Wonderland, the fondant cat parade. If you would like to see her fondant cats, you can download the story for free here: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/dinah-in-wonderland-fondant-cat-parade/”

 

Oh, yes, I met one of her fondant cats once.  In fact, you can read my interview with the fondant Siamese cat by clicking here.  Back to you though, Push-Push.  And, I’m curious, what do you do while your human writes/works on blog posts?

 

“I sleep, of course. That’s what we cats do best.”

 

Ah, of course.  I might have known.  Well, I should probably let you get another catnap in.  Before you go though, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

 

“I am clever and I wind my humans around my paw. I am proud of my intelligence and good looks.

 

Thank you for inviting me to come and chat with you. It’s been such fun.”

 

I can see you’re a very clever kitty.  And, you’re very welcome.  Thanks for visiting.

 

***~~~***

 

Author CV – Roberta/Robbie Cheadle

Robbie Cheadle has published nine books for children and one poetry book. She has branched into writing for adults and young adults and, in order to clearly separate her children's books from her adult books, is writing for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle.

Robbie Cheadle's Sir Chocolate children's picture books are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision. Her books for older children also incorporate recipes that are relevant to the storylines.

Roberta Eaton Cheadle's supernatural stories combine fabulous paranormal elements with fascinating historical facts.

Children's picture books - available as a square book and an A5 book (co-authored with Michael Cheadle):
Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the baby cookie monster story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the sugar dough bees story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Condensed Milk River story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Sugar Crystal Caves story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Fondant Five story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Ice Cream Rainbow Fairies story and cookbook

Middle school books:
Silly Willy Goes to Cape Town (includes five fun party cake ideas)
While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with Elsie Hancy Eaton)

Poetry book:
Open a new door (co-authored with Kim Blades)

Supernatural fantasy YA novel:
Through the Nethergate

 

Supernatural historical adult novel:

A Ghost and His Gold

Horror Anthologies (edited by Dan Alatorre):
Spellbound
Nightmareland
Dark Visions

Wings & Fire

Paranormal Anthologies (edited by Kaye Lynne Booth):
Spirits of the West
Whispers of the Past

Murder mystery Anthology (edited by Stephen Bentley)
Death Among Us

 

 

Robbie Cheadle’s books

Sir Chocolate books

Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream berries story and cookbook

The adventures of Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet in poetry form. Michael came up with the idea of Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet and many of the characters contained in the books, when he was ten years old. His ideas were such fun that Robbie decided to turn them into little verse books for his entertainment. The book contains recipes for children to make with adult assistance.

Sir Chocolate and the baby cookie monster story and cookbook

Book 2 of the Sir Chocolate series: Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet find a lost baby cookie monster. Join them on an adventure to return the baby to its mother and learn how to make some of their delicious recipes at the same time.

Sir Chocolate and the sugar dough bees story and cookbook

A greedy snail damages the flower fields and the fondant bees are in danger of starving. Join Sir Chocolate on an adventure to find the fruit drop fairies who have magic healing powers and discover how to make some of his favourite foods on the way.

Sir Chocolate and the Condensed Milk River story and cookbook

The Condensed Milk River where Sir Chocolate goes fishing has stopped flowing. The water creatures are losing their homes. Can Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet solve this problem? Five lovely new recipes are also included.

Sir Chocolate and the Sugar Crystal Caves story and cookbook

The Condensed Milk River where Sir Chocolate goes fishing has stopped flowing. The water creatures are losing their homes. Can Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet solve this problem? Five lovely new recipes are also included.

Sir Chocolate and the Fondant Five Story and Cookbook

Number 6 in the Sir Chocolate series: Five zoo animals go missing and Sir Chocolate needs to find them. Includes five lovely new recipes.

Sir Chocolate and the Ice cream Rainbow Fairies Story and Cookbook

Join Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet on a fun adventure to discover why the milkshake rain is pale and white.

Silly Willy goes to Cape Town

When the George family go on holiday to Cape Town, Cautious Craig cannot believe what he has to endure at the hands of his naughty and wilful younger brother, Silly Willy. Willy throws tantrums at the most embarrassing and inappropriate times, causes a commotion on the aeroplane and tries to steal a chameleon from Butterfly World. What is a poor older brother expected to do in these situations?

While the Bombs Fell

What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2?

Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden.

Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia.

Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes.

Open a new door

Open a New Door is a poetic peep into the lives of the poets, Kim Blades and Robbie Cheadle, both of whom live in South Africa.

 

The book is divided into four categories: God bless Africa, God bless my family and friends, God bless me and God bless corporates and work. Each part is sub-divided into the good, the bad and the ugly of the two poets’ experiences, presented in rhyming verse, free-style, haiku and tanka, in each of these categories and include colourful depictions of their thoughts and emotions.

 

The purpose of this book of poetry is encapsulated in the following tanka and haiku poems:

What drives me to write?

To share my innermost thoughts

The answer is clear

It’s my personal attempt

To make some sense of this world.

 

Inspiration blossoms

Like the unfurling petals

Of the Desert Rose

 

~

 

Buy Robbie’s books from...

Purchase links:

Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/Robbie-Cheadle/e/B01N9J62GQ

Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robbie-Cheadle/e/B01N9J62GQ

TSL Publications

https://tslbooks.uk/robbie-cheadle/

 

~

 

Follow Robbie Cheadle at:

Website

https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Blog

https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle

Twitter

https://twitter.com/bakeandwrite

 

***~~~***

 

Thanks for coming over to meet Push-Push, and hear about her and all her humans.  I hope you enjoyed getting to know her.  If so, please consider leaving a comment, sharing this post around, or both.

 

Also, if you’re a bird, cat, chinchilla, degu, dog, fish, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, tortoise, or any other non-human animal, you share your home with a human who calls themselves a writer – yes, blogging counts – and you’d like to become a PetKid Pal yourself, don’t hesitate to get in touch.  You can do so via the “PetKid Pals” page, where you can also meet all the others we’ve had as guests in the past.  We love meeting new friends, so hope to hear from you soon.

 

Lots of licks,

Lilie