I know we are all so busy at this time of year, in particular today, as many of us are getting ready to gather with friends and family to celebrate the festive season. So, I’m going to keep this short, especially since I can see how quiet blogtown is today, lol.
I want to wish all my friends and readers a beautiful holiday season and thank you all with deepest gratitude for all your visits, shares and interactions here for the past year(s). May you all be blessed with love and hope and gratitude for you and yours.
Also, for you bloggers who are looking for a great blog party complete with all things festive – food and drink and great music, and some wonderful Christmas wishes added from several authors over at Sally Cronin’s Christmas Smorgasbord, the post is still running hot and live throughout the holidays. So come take in some festive cheer over at Sally’s blog!
Wish – Guests, Food, Music and laughter
The theme for this year’s party is ‘Just One Wish’. We are all familiar with the story of Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother, who was pretty liberal with that magic wand of hers and managed to turn a pumpkin into a golden carriage.
Unfortunately, she has long since retired and hung up her wand, but because I asked nicely (and she would like me to promote her memoir –The Prince Charmings I have Known!) she has agreed to allow my guests, just one wish…
My thanks to everyone who sent in their special wish and with a great deal of positive thought from us all, and of course a little assistance from the magic wand of the Fairy Godmother, they might just come true…
Please help yourself to food and drink and if you would like to dance on the tables… that is great. You will find links to authors author pages and a selection of their books and their social media so please head over and discover more. . . Please head over to Sally’s and join the fun!
I wanted to share Sally Cronin’s post and help spread the word for her fun Easter Parade blog party taking place at the Smorgasbord this weekend. Sally always has a fun blog party going on for the holidays. And this weekend she wants us to bring our hats with us and come visit! Check out her post and don’t forget to drop in this coming weekend!
I am sure that most of you will be busy over Easter with family and friends but, you know me, any chance for a party.
Apart from an opportunity to share your blog and books, it is also a chance to meet others who will be featured or who drop in.
There will be food provided as always and something to drink as well as a bit of music.
Just to make it a little interesting and since it is Easter……..I would like you to participate by sharing a photograph.
Sally Cronin is hosting the 12 Days of Christmas at her blog daily, and I was thrilled to be featured with my best Christmas gift along with 2 other authors, Lizzie Chantree and Joy Lennick. Every day of the 12, Sally shares a fun story and lots of food and drinks to celebrate the season.
As a bonus feature, I’m sharing Sally’s generous offer on her blog now through Christmas Eve where Sally is offering 5 of her ebooks absolutely FREE! Please check out the second link at the bottom of the post to get to Sally’s book promotion and take advantage, I promise Sally’s books never disappoint!
Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Christmas – The Fifth Day of Christmas with guests D.G. Kaye, Lizzie Chantree and Joy Lennick
Welcome to the fifth day of Christmas, and today my guests are D.G. Kaye (Debby Gies), Lizzie Chantree and Joy Lennick. We will find out more about their most favourite Christmas memories later.
As I continue to reflect on Christmas Past… I came across some pictures of Saas Fee in Austria the Christmas of 1995, here is a mountain shot that I found on Pixabay which is far better than the ones I took with my old camera. It was to be a memorable festive break for more than one reason… We stayed in a lovely hotel which was family run and the guests were mainly German speaking. There was one other English couple and the management kindly put our two tables close together in the dining-room. We actually got on with them very well and over the course of the 10 days we went on some excursions as a foursome. The other thing that the management did to make our stay more enjoyable was to translate their morning newsletter and guide to the day’s menu from German into English.
These were the days before Google Translate was offering such a useful service and I know that the two pager must have taken considerable time to convert especially as there were only four of us who could not speak German. That is true customer service. However, it unfortunately did lead to some hilarity at the breakfast table despite our best efforts to maintain a stiff British upper lip. There were a number of ‘moments’ including our confusion over the ‘Cancer Butter’ to be served with the salmon at dinner (Crab butter) and the title of the Version Original film to be shown at the local cinema ‘The Hard with a Vengeance’ (Die Hard with a Vengeance).
David was hitting the ski slopes every day whilst I explored the trails around Saas Fee by foot. However, between Christmas and New Year the four of us decided to try out the very long toboggan run from the top of the tree line down into the town. Luckily there was a ski lift up to the top where we collected our individual sleds. I was not very proficient to begin with and the other three were soon on their way as I trailed tentatively behind. The route took two hours normally and by the time I got to the last down hill stretch David and our two companions were gathered enjoying a mulled wine and waiting for my arrival. That last slope was both steep and lengthy and I perched over the lip prepared for a fast ride.
At that moment the three of them turned to face the slope and began waving.. as did most of the other spectators. I was quite chuffed by the attention as they all waved both arms over their heads and shouted encouragement. Taking a deep breath I launched myself off and gathered momentum very quickly…. too quickly and barely keeping the sled under control I hurtled downwards towards the waiting crowd. The end of the run ended in a gradual slope upwards to slow the progress of over eager tobogganers.
It was obvious to those watching that I was not going to be stopping anytime soon and the crowd parted as I rushed through them and I heard what they had been shouting to me on the way down as they waved their arms in the air “Ice, Ice, walk down on the edge – don’t do it. I took off from that ramp like Santa and his sleigh and thankfully landed in a snow drift positioned as a precautionary measure…. As I rose to my feet unharmed I turned to find anxious faces peering over the edge. I was laughing with adrenaline overload and with that everybody began clapping and slapping each other on the back… It was obviously the best entertainment in town….
Time for my first guest and it is D.G. Kaye.. Debby Gies who is not just a wonderful friend and supporter of the blog but also a much valued contributor. In particular the monthly Travel Column which has taken us to warm and exotic locations in the Caribbean and The Lesser Antilles…on cruise ships with all the know-how necessary to get the best value and enjoyment from our holiday. Recently Debby has been keeping an eye open for funnies to enhance the Laughter lines including this recent post
Debby shares her very poignant best Christmas Gift ever.. the first year that she was married.
My best Christmas gift was marrying my husband in October 1999. One week after our marriage I became almost fatally ill and spent the first few months of marriage in and out of hospital. The steroids I was put on made me gain a bunch of weight and my face wasn’t spared with the often talked about ‘moonface’ many experience on that drug. I was sick, depressed and couldn’t stand looking in a mirror. My husband caught me secretly crying in the bathroom and asked me what was the matter. I tried to explain how I felt through my fit of tears and here was his response: “I love you to the moon and back. You will always be beautiful to me and that’s all that counts.” If I hadn’t already known I married a prince, I knew in that moment.
Please continue reading at Sally’s blog, for more food, fun,memories and videos.
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Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – Buy a Book for Christmas – The last author to be (self-promoted) and Free Giveaway – Sally Cronin!
Time for some self-promotion…. but I do come bearing gifts!
I am going to share the books and one of their reviews, and offer five of the E-versions to you as a Christmas gift. I have no expectation of a review, but I write books to be read, and it gives me pleasure to know that someone is intrigued enough to want to accept the book.
The offer runs from today 18th December until Midnight Christmas Eve 2018 wherever you live – Please visit Sally’s post to take advantage of her generous offer
Join Sally Cronin’s ‘End of Summer’ party at the Smorgasbord Invitation. Sally is inviting everyone over to her summer’s end party this weekend! To take part in the fun, read her post below, choose your favorite food and music by answering 3 simple questions:
Smorgasbord End of Summer #Party – Weekend August 25th/26th 2018 – Invitation.
You are invited to the End of Summer Party on the weekend of August 25th and 26th to enjoy music, good food, witty conversation and an opportunity to plug your books and your blog.
Of course in this virtual world of ours music is great, and so is the wit, but the food is less fattening. It is a chance to mingle and make new contacts and learn more about your fellow bloggers which is always a good thing.
To enable you to do this, there will be four meals where you can be a guest over the two days.
Brunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner on Saturday and Sunday Lunch.
I want to make this as easy as possible to accept this invitation so please just answer these three questions. . . Continue reading at Sally’s blog
Donna Parker of Vague Meanderings of the Broke and Obscure (Yadadarcyyada,com) is hosting one of her fabulous blog parties. In her introduction to the party she is talking about: What if there was no more . . . blogs, books to read, chocolate, kisses, etc., you get the picture, or erm, at least you will if you are used to her hilarious blog posts and matching memes to go with her thoughts. Head on over to Donna’s blog to enjoy her humor and to add a link to yourself or one of your own blog links to join the party.
The Wonder of You Blog Party
Sometimes, trying to write, or trying to blog, I think, it’s all been done? Is there anything new under this sun or any other? This world is old, ancient, instead of getting discouraged that it’s all been done, why not be inspired? What piece can we add to the puzzle of flesh and blood? Why not add to the delicious soup of humanity?
2. Remember the first song you heard? Did you think, no need to hear any more music.
3. First joke? You laughed and thought, did that, no need to laugh anymore.
4. Can there ever be enough smiles? Enough laughter? Enough joy?
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9. What if no one wrote more books because, what else could they possibly add? No more books that make you: smile, cry, cringe, laugh, ponder, hope, fear, flinch, surrender, suffer, wallow, leap for joy, Breakfast Club fist pump, stay up late (just one more page, one more chapter…). Please continue reading
Today’s extra edition is a special, animated, amusing and informative post by the always entertaining Donna Parker of yadadarcyyada . Donna is currently running one of her famous blog parties through Christmas. She provides great entertainment and laughs and is inviting everyone to drop by to the party every day and leave a link to your blog and/or website. How cool is that? Fun, mingling, networking all rolled into one. There’s something for everyone in this post, as well as her recommendations for book gifts and other authors and bloggers she recommends. So come over and visit!
Here’s a snippet from the post, so come over and keep reading at Donna’s place!
“With an emphasis on the gift of reading. New, almost new, new to you, gently used, regifted – books bought from wherever, or a gift certificate or e-certificate for books or ebooks. While it might be difficult to resist the bestseller list, why not try some indie authors, they’re the cat’s pajamas, remember, best-selling doesn’t mean it’s the best book. Shop local and/or shop within your blogging community. Buy from the author or go on Amazon (dot whatever your country) and look up some of these authors – ebooks download in a flash. . . CONTINUE READING AT DONNA’S!
DGKayewriter.com 