Celebrating #Mabon And #HobbitDay

Mabon - more commonly refered to as the Autumn Equinox - was last week.  In fact, the exact date and time of the astronomical event known as the Autumn Equinox took place at 8:21pm UK time on September 22nd 2021.  But for simplicity's sake I always celebrate the Equinox on September 22nd anyhow, even though it can fall any day between September 20th and September 23rd (in rare years even as early as September 19th).  I'm going to go ahead and assume I don't need to explain what this particular holiday is, since most people know of the existance of the Equinox and its link to harvest time, and - depending on your beliefs - the start or middle of Autumn.

Anyway, as usual my celebrations were pretty quiet, with a private meditation-based ritual and a themed meal being the main things I did to celebrate.  I'm nowhere near as good as I used to be at meditating regularly, and don't do it daily any more (despite frequent attempts to restart that habit) but I make more effort for special dates.  Even then there have been times I've failed to do it, but I do mostly at least do a meditation ritual for the holidays I acknowledge (or try to acknowledge) even if I do little or nothing else to celebrate them.

 

I'm also doing something that could be considered a month long Mabon celebration in the form of a "Small Things September" challenge I'm participating in, since gratitude is a big part of Mabon, and being grateful for those small things that give me pleasure and a feeling of hygge is the whole point of that challenge, so I'm counting it as part of my Mabon celebrations.  I'll tell you more about that on Friday.

 

For those who might be curious: my meal was a vegan adaptation of a recipe my Mam mentioned remembering doing us for Halloween several years ago - way back before I stopped eating meat, so it's got to be at least close to 15 years ago now, if not further back than that.  It was called a "Hubble-Bubble Cassarole" and involved sausages, bacon, mushrooms, onions, and some seasonings we couldn't remember (though when I looked up the recipe it said garlic and paprika) cooked with tinned tomatoes and baked beans.  So I veganized it by leaving out the sausages and bacon.  I also decided to use sage as the seasoning (even though I'd looked up what it was meant to be) since sage is a herb associated with Mabon.  The actual recipe also calls for the addition of sugar and worcestershire sauce, but I decided not to add sugar to my version, and didn't have any vegan worcestershire sauce (normally I'd use soi sauce in place of that, but decided not to bother in this case).  Anyway, then I served it over baked potato.  I also had some grapes as a dessert, which are a fruit associated with Mabon.  Apples would have been a better dessert choice, but I neglected to add those to the shopping list, so grapes had to do.  The potatoes and onions that were involved in my meal are also foods associated with Mabon - in case you're interested.

 

Artemis and Mollie got to have some of the sage and grapes as part of their food that day too, which both of them were extremely pleased about - I think they were especially glad they got to share my grapes.

 

September 22nd was Hobbit Day too.  So I celebrated that with some cake and tea in the afternoon - just because I could.  For those who like to know these things: the cake was some of the lemon cupcakes I had left from the ones I'd made a few days before, and the tea was peppermint tea.

"Where Spirits Linger" WordCrafter Book Blog Tour Day 5 + My #Review + A #Giveaway

It's day five of the "Where Spirits Linger" WordCrafter book blog tour, which means it's time for my stop on the tour.  I have an excellent guest post for you from one of the authors who contributed to the collection, a review, and details of how you can get your hands on a free digital copy of the book.  So, let's see what Stevie Turner has to say about writing "David's Revenge" shall we? Over to you, Stevie.

Writing “David’s Revenge”

by Stevie Turner

 

I have had a lifelong interest in the paranormal, ever since living in a haunted flat as a child and seeing ghosts and having to dive under the bedclothes during the night when my bed would lift up of its own accord.  In the mornings my mother used to tidy my bed to her exacting standards, and hey ho, the imprint of a body would appear with alarming regularity (and no, it wasn’t me).  My parents eventually discovered that a previous tenant had committed suicide in my bedroom.  I remember I would never go to sleep unless one of my parents was there in the room with me.  

 

We moved out of the flat when I was seven, and the paranormal activity stopped.  However, when I was in my fifties, I woke up in the night, put the light on to get a drink, and there was a lady sitting at the end of my bed wearing a doctor’s white coat.  I have no idea who she was, but she looked a bit like my oncologist.  She smiled at me and there and then I had the feeling I would recover from my stage IV cancer.  I did. 

 

I have been to various demonstrations of clairvoyance over the years.  My short story ‘David’s Revenge’ is the culmination of many meetings with spiritualist mediums, some of which have passed uncannily accurate messages to me from a few of my loved ones in the spirit world.  I attended a meeting one night and the medium told me that my uncle was there and that he could see I was having constant trouble day after day trying to unlock the door to my flat that I shared with a workmate.  My uncle told me that from that moment on I’d have no more difficulty with the key.  When I returned home the key slid easily in the lock as though it had been oiled and I never had any more trouble with it.

 

I have learned over time that genuine mediums always have a spirit guide to watch over them who on the earth plane was usually from a Red Indian tribe.  This very spiritual (but now deceased) guide bridges a gap from this world to the next and is an invaluable help to the medium.  In this way my character ‘Medicine Horse’ was born.

 

In the story, David Nelson died when only ten years old, and appears to medium Rae Cordelle (via Medicine Horse) at a clairvoyant meeting.  David has some terrible news to impart to Rae concerning the way in which he died, which involves David’s stepfather, Mick Curtis.  Rae has no choice but to pass on the news to David’s mother Karen at a private reading.  Karen is distraught.  Mick is aghast at information he considers to be completely false, but Rae is very gifted and knows that Medicine Horse would never lie. Karen and Mick must discover for themselves exactly what is going on.

 

 

There is scepticism as to whether mediums are genuine, but I believe in the spirit world because I’ve had proof, I’ve seen ghosts for myself, and I’ve lived in a haunted flat.  If doubters would only pay for a private reading with a good medium, then the messages they receive would convince them that the spirit world exists.  We are only on the earth plane briefly, but there are so many wonders waiting for us when it’s our turn to travel over to the ‘Other Side’.

 

 

Stevie Turner is a British author of suspense, paranormal, women's fiction family dramas and darkly humorous novels, and likes to find subjects to write about that are not often covered. Stevie is married and lives in the wilds of East Anglia, England, and enjoys cycling about the countryside when she is not busy writing.  http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk

 

*~*

 

 

Spirits linger in strange places for unexpected reasons.
Kaye Lynne Booth’s spirits care and want to be cared for in “The People Upstairs”.
Robbie Cheadle’s spirits have unfinished business in “Listen to Instructions”.
Stevie Turner’s spirits are out for revenge in “David’s Revenge”.
Enid Holden’s spirits linger in a house with a history in “The Chosen Few”.
Sharon Kretcshmer’s spirits linger on a battle field in “The Final Portrait”.
Crysta Planko’s spirits linger in an estate long gone in the winning story, “Olde Tyme Village”.

 Now available from Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Amazon sites for some other countries.

 

*~*

 

I was given a copy of this book to review for you, so here's my review:

 

Where Spirits Linger by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic and well-written collection of spooky stories, which would be a perfect read for near Halloween, or any time of the year you fancy a bit of a creepy read. All the stories were excellent, and it would be impossible for me to pick a favourite, so I won't even try. Kaye Lynne Booth's "The People Upstairs" is a very believable and chilling tale. Robbie Cheadle's "Listen to Instructions" is an unusual story with a cautionary lesson. Stevie Turner's "David's Revenge" is a heartbreaking but excellent tale with a twist. Enid Holden's "The Chosen Few" is an interesting story with a surprise ending. Sharon Kretcshmer's "The Final Portrait" is a sad story with a beautiful ending. And Christa Planko's "Olde Tyme Village" is an incredibly spooky story that was the perfect one to end on. All in all, I loved these stories, and would highly recommend this collection to lovers of paranormal tales.

*NOTE: I was given a free advanced copy of this 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.

View all my reviews

 

*~*

 

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

 

Want a free digital copy of this book? Then follow the tour and comment on the posts for your chance to win a free digital copy of the book.  Every comment earns you a chance to win in a random drawing, so the more posts you comment on, the higher your chances of winning.

 

To make sure you don't miss any posts, here's where you can find them all:

Day 1: https://writingtoberead.com/2021/09/20/welcome-to-the-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour/

Day 2: https://theshowersofblessings.com/2021/09/20/where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour/

Day 3: https://pattysworlds.com/day-3-of-the-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour-blogtour-wordpresswednesday/

Day 4: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2021/09/23/roberta-writes-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour-featuring-christa-planko/

Day 5: https://ziglernews.blogspot.com/2021/09/where-spirits-linger-wordcrafter-book.html

Day 6 https://writingtoberead.com/2021/09/25/day-6-of-the-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour/

 

 

#Autumn Trivia

Mabon - more commonly just refered to as the Autumn Equinox - is just two days away, so I thought I'd share these Autumn and Halloween themed trivia questions and answers I found recently.  Enjoy!

~

Q. How heavy is the heaviest pumpkin ever recorded in the world?
Answer: The pumpkin currently holding the Guinness World Record for the heaviest pumpkin is 2,624.6 lb (1,190.49 kg) and was grown by a man in Belgium.
 

Q. What makes leaves change to either a red or purple color?
Answer: Sugar is trapped in the leaves causing the red and purple colors.
 

Q. In what city was the first OktoberFest held?
Answer: Munich, Germany in 1810. It started as a celebration for a royal wedding between a prince and princess. The celebration became a yearly tradition every year afterward.
 

Q. What country did Halloween originate from?
Answer: Ireland. Halloween originates from a Celtic festival celebrating the new year on November 1. Traditions were to light bon fires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.
 

Q. What state in the USA is home to the largest corn maze in the world?
Answer: California. In Dixon, California, Cool Patch Pumpkin holds the Guinness World Record for the largest corn maze in the world at 60 acres. It’s common for people to call 911 because they can’t find their way out.

#AmWriting + Cute #Dogs + Artemis The #Tortoise Turns 2 + #Mountain #Fog + #Crafting + #SelfCare With Happy Post

Thanks to some encouragement and accountability partnering from my friend and fellow author, Barb, I finally made some decent progress on writing.  I wrote a couple of new poems, but also managed to make some excellent progress on three of the stories I started but didn't really get anywhere with before world and life events got in my way, plust ended up starting another.  I'm hoping to be able to publish one of them before the end of this year, and the others early next year.  Yes, progress was that good.

In the meantime, though one of the poetry books I published earlier this year is now available in audio, audiobook production is still not complete on the other one.  I'm hopeful that will change soon.

 

*~*

 

When we first got Logan a little over two years ago, we were concerned that our hopes of him and Lilie becoming great friends weren't going to come to pass.  Especially in the first couple of months.  After a while though they did become very close, as photos like this one taken when they were cuddled up together at the foot of the bed on the evening of September 5th illustrate:

Aren't they cute?

*~*

It was Artemis' second hatchday on September 6th.  So, my little Hermann's Tortoise - who isn't quite so little any more, having easily doubled in size since we got her - is now two years old.

We always give the petkids something for their birthdays, but there's not much to buy a tortoise as a gift, so I treated her to some extra helpings of fruit.  My Mam even got in on it and contributed some melon.  So, Artemis got a special hatchday breakfast of lettuce, tortoise pellets, melon, apple, raspberry, and strawberry.  Here's a photo and video of her, taken right after we presented her with her breakfast:

*~*

We had woken on the morning of September 6th to find this:

No.  There's nothing wrong with the camera, or your monitor.  That really is a whole lot of fog.  A curtain of mist had all but concealed things in every direction, so that the whole of our area of the mountains was blanketed in it.  Mam could even see that there was a lot of mist in our direction from her place, and she lives just over five miles away.

It had cleared by lunch time, leaving a rather warm and sunny day.

*~*

I finished a crochet dishcloth I've been working on.  This is my first completely 100% solo crochet project, since my Mam had helped me get the only other one I've done started, but this time I didn't have help from her.  Here's a photo Kelly took for those who would like to see it:

 

I'm now working on finishing a half-knitted blanket I found among the craft stuff I got from Nan.

 

*~*

Remember the charity thing where I knitted squares to send to someone who was collecting them for a charity that turns them in to blankets for the homeless? The goal was to get 100 squares to send to the charity by the end of August.  Well, the final count is in, and it turns out between us we made loads more than that.  In fact, we weren't too far off tripling the goal.  The charity will be getting 271 squares.

 

*~*

 

I've got lots of happy post to enjoy these days.

 

Since it's my favourite way for some self care, I've been making a point to spend some time enjoying a book while working on a craft project, with a cup of herbal tea and a snack to hand, while enjoying a scented candle.  So, since I love getting subscription boxes - AKA happy post - I decided to make sure I was subscribed to some that would encourage me to keep doing it.

With that in mind, along with the Makerly Crafts and Cosy Craft Club craft kit subscription boxes I was already getting, I now also subscribe to the scented tealights subscription box from Sara-Jane Candles, as well as the Bird & Blend Co. tea tasting club subscription box, and The Vegan Kind lifestyle box.

 

I can't do any of the book subscription boxes, for obvious reasons, but I do have an Audible subscription, so technically I also have one for books, even if those get chosen by me and delivered to my Kindle, rather than chosen by the companies and delivered to my door.

 

Anyway, the arrival of my subscription boxes gives me plenty of happy post, and also acts as a reminder and excuse for some self care.  Plus, since Kelly has his game and magazine subscriptions, it's only fair I get some fun subscriptions each month too, right?

Free To Be Me Community Call - Every Friday

The following information first appeared here on Patty's World, and refers to the call I refer to as my "Zoom book club" - Patty and I would love for you to come along and join the call.

 

*~*

 

 *Note! You need not be an ACB member, nor do you need to be disabled. All are wanted and welcome.
 

EVERY FRIDAY!!
 

Free to Be Me: 2pm ET, 11am PT, 8am HT, 7pm UTC
 

If you enjoy free-flow conversation about books and anything else that might come to mind, this is the call for you.

Come as yourself. All are welcome and wanted.
 

To make certain you’ve got the call in information you may subscribe to the ACB Community Call Events email list to receive the daily schedule by sending a blank email to: Acb-community-events+subscribe@acblists.org
 

If you need any further assistance, please contact Patty L. Fletcher at: patty.volunteer1@gmail.com
 

Thanks in advance for attending the call.

"After The Fires Of Day" WordCrafter Book Blog Tour, Day 5 + My #Review

 

Today is day five of the  "After The Fires Of Day" WordCrafter book blog tour, and I have a guest post for you from the author, Cendrine Marrouat, as well as a short book extract, and my review of this title.

 

So, over to  you, Cendrine.

 

 

 

‘After the Fires of Day’: The Inspiration Behind the Title and Book Cover by Cendrine Marrouat

 

 

I was 19 when one of my aunts put a copy of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet in my hand. She promised that this book and Gibran’s words would change my life. She was right.

When I read Alphonse de Lamartine’s The Lake a few years later, something clicked within me. It was as if I could walk on water.

I had always wanted to pay homage to Gibran and Lamartine. I had many options, including writing an entire book on the reasons why they have been such inspirations in my writing career. But it would have been a boring read. I also thought of using Found Poetry. Having tried to emulate Gibran's and Lamartine's styles a long time ago, I knew that I would fail miserably.

I wanted to do something personal, yet respectful, at the same time.

In the late 2010s, I had an idea: Why not “borrow” the energy behind their beautiful words and go from there? My long break from writing was suddenly over. As I started penning haiku again, everything came together beautifully.

The only problem was that I did not have a title before completing the project. This was totally new for me—but so was the concept behind the book. Initially, I wanted to release After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine in two volumes. Volume 1 would be about Lamartine and volume 2 would be about Gibran.

After the Fires of Day was an instant choice for the first volume. The words translate as “après les feux du jours” in French and appear in Alphonse de Lamartine’s poem “Le soir” (Evening). Let Us Speak of Beauty, which is taken from the chapter on beauty in The Prophet, popped up in my mind shortly after. Finding fitting titles had never been easier and faster!

Once I was done formatting the first volume, I realized that one book made more sense. I went for After the Fires of Day because the words sum up the essence of the haiku — short, impactful and conjuring up images that go beyond nature. Plus, they make the title look like a mini-haiku!

The cover, though, required a little more work.

Whenever I read Gibran or Lamartine, three words come to mind: 'boundlessness', 'peace' and 'nature'. Their poems and stories inspire me, uplift my soul, and transport my mind to places of deep comfort.

I have designed my own book covers for years. Except for a couple of them, they feature my own photography. For After the Fires of Day, I needed an image that conjured up the three aforementioned words; it took me a while to find the one you see. But when I did, it made complete sense. I took it at Pine Point Rapids, Manitoba, Canada, a few years ago.

Still, there was something missing. And I found it in one of Lamartine’s poems: "Le papillon (The Butterfly)". A butterfly added a lovely layer to the design. That was it!

Working on After the Fires of Day was one of the highlights of my writing career. I will treasure this book for a long time.

Thank you for reading! I look forward to your comments.

 

 *~*

 

BOOK EXTRACT

Chapter 1: Kahlil Gibran

Among the leaves,

raindrops gather slowly

in my hands

.

Chapter 2: Alphonse de Lamartine

Morning glory

from the blue-green lake

two butterflies.

 

*~*

 

        
 

AUTHOR BIO

Cendrine Marrouat is a French-born Canadian photographer, poet, and the multi-genre author of more than 30 books. In 2019, she founded the PoArtMo Collective and co-founded Auroras & Blossoms with David Ellis. A year later, they launched PoArtMo (Positive Art Month and Positive Art Moves) and created the Kindku and Pareiku, two forms of poetry.

Cendrine is also the creator of the Sixku, the Flashku, and the Reminigram. Cendrine writes both in French and English and has worked in many different fields in her 17-year career, including translation, language instruction, journalism, art reviews, and social media.

 

Books:  - Songs in Our Paths: Haiku & Photography (Volume 2) (2021)

- Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography (2021) (Co-author)

 - 30 Creative Prompts to Take Your Art to the Next Level (2021) (Co-author)

 - Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020) (Co-author)

 - The Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: 2020 Edition (Co-editor)

 - The Auroras & Blossoms NaPoWriMo Anthology: 2020 Edition (Co-editor)

 - The Little Big eBook on Social Media Audiences: Build Yours, Keep It, and Win (2014 - Second edition 2020)

 - Blog Your Way to Success: 35+ No-Nonsense Tips for Authors and Writers (2020)

 - Walks: A Collection of Haiku (All the Volumes and More!) (2020)

 - Photography of Life and Living: The Black and White Book (2020) (Co-author)

 - Songs in Our Paths: Haiku & Photography (Volume 1) (2020)

 - Bad. Pitches. Period. 30 Flavors of Spammy Emails (2020)

 - The Heart of Space (2020) - My Twitter Workbook: 20 Tips to Get Noticed and Followed (2020) (Co-author)

  - My Positivity Journal: 100 Action Verbs and Affirmations for Daily Inspiration (2020) (Co-author)

  - My Poetry Workbook: 20 Tips to Write Great Poems (2020) (Co-author)

  - My Creative Journal: 40 Prompts to Take Your Writing to the Next Level! (2020) (Co-author)

  - My Marketing Workbook: Promotional Tips For Poets (2020) (Co-author)

  - Dans le silence des mots: Une pièce en trois actes (2019) - Walks: A Collection of Haiku (Volume 3) (2019)

  - Walks: A Collection of Haiku (Volume 2) (2019)

  - Walks: A Collection of Haiku (Volume 1) (2019)

  - In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018)

  - Life’s Little Things: The Quotes (2017)

  - Life’s Little Things - Les petites choses de la vie (2016)

  - When the Mind Travels: A Poetic Journey into Photography (2015)

  - The Little Big eBook on Blogging: 40 Traffic Generation Tips (2012)

  - Five Years and Counting: A Journey into the Mind of Soul Poetry (2010)

  - Project: Heartbeats and Elevation (2009) - Short Poetry for Those Who Fear Death (2006)

  - And They All Rejoiced! Soul-Stirring Poetry (2006)

  - Sortons des chemins battus (2006)

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: https://www.cendrinemedia.com

Blog: https://creativeramblings.com

Books: https://creativeramblings.com/books

Email: cendrine@creativeramblings.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cendrinephotography/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cendrineartist

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cendrinemarrouat

*~*

And here's my review:

 

 

After The Fires Of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran and Alphonse de Lamartine by Cendrine Marrouat
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an excellent collection of haiku, which evoke all kinds of images. I'm really not sure what more I can say about this book, except that I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading haiku poetry.

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

View all my reviews 

*~*

Did you miss the other stops on this blog tour? Then check them out using the links below:

Day 1: https://writingtoberead.com/2021/09/06/welcome-to-the-wordcrafter-after-the-fires-of-day-book-blog-tour/

Day 2: https://theshowersofblessings.com/2021/09/06/blog-tour-after-the-fires-of-day-haiku-inspired-by-kahlil-gibran-alphonse-de-lamartine-by-cendrine-marrouat/

 Day 3: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2021/09/08/robbies-inspiration-after-the-fires-of-day-wordcrafter-book-tour/

Day 4: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2021/09/09/roberta-writes-after-the-fires-of-day-wordcrafter-book-tour/