Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle here with you today with my December post in the Nature Photography section on LatinosUSA – English Edition.
Next week, I am featuring photographs of Buildings and Architecture.
If you have a photograph to share in the Buildings and Architecture section, please email me at cheadlerobbie@gmail.com and use the title Photography – Buildings and Architecture. Please also include a short write up about your photograph.
Egret at the Beach by Darlene Foster
This beautiful photograph was contributed by children’s author, Darlene Foster. You can find out more about Darlene and her exciting Amanda books on her blog here: https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
Egrets are a type of heron, a long-legged, long-necked, wading bird. They live in freshwater and saltwater habitats, such as marshes and wetlands, where they spend their day wading in shallow water, catching fish and other creatures. Most species form lifelong pair bonds with their mates and nest and roost in mixed species groups. Although they are found on most continents, Egrets avoid the coldest regions, high mountains, and deserts. They nest in tall trees over water with 10 to 30 other pairs. Most species are relatively vocal, making harsh croaking sounds and squeals. They feed in flocks, waiting in shallow water for fish to swim by before thrusting their beaks to catch their prey. Most animals don’t mess with these large birds; they find safety in numbers by staying in large communities. We often see them here in Spain in orchards, on golf courses and by the beaches.
Picture caption: A winter scene painted by van Gogh. This is the only winter painting I photographed.
Picture caption: This picture is a harvest painting by van Gogh so probably autumn. Oh well!
Picture caption: This painting is definitely summer. I really liked it.
Picture caption: This is the cabinet owned by Vincent’s brother, Theo. It is where Theo stored all his letters from Vincent. Lots of doors on this beautiful cabinet.
Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle with you today and I’m sharing my review of A Homemade Christmas by Carol Ann Taylor. Carol has also contributed one of the delicious recipes from this book. Thank you, Carol!
My review of A Homemade Christmas by Carol Ann Taylor
A Homemade Christmas is a delightful collection of recipes from an excellent cook and baker. This book is a treasure trove of delicious traditional recipes from the supporting dishes like garlic buttered peas, cranberry sauce, three kinds of gravy, and sage and onion stuffing, to the main event which could be turkey, ham or roast pork. For the more adventurous, there are a few recipes with an Asian flair to spice things up such as beef brisket with an Asian twist and Thai fried peanuts with basil leaves.
Well known Christmas snacks including pigs in blankets, sweet mincemeat, and sausage rolls make an appearance, together with recipes for traditional Christmas cake and homemade marzipan, Christmas pudding and fruit salad, for those watching their calory count.
Today, I am delighted to welcome author, Yvette, M. Calleiro, to Roberta Writes with a guest post about her latest book, the last in the Chronicles of the Diasodz series, The One Redeemed.
Picture caption: Cover of The One Redeemed featuring a green eye with a lava flow in the middle
Who are the Diasodz?
The Diasodz are special beings created by the Goddess to heal and protect humans. There are two classes: Altorus (the warriors) and Curatus (the healers). Diasodz live the first eighteen years of their lives as humans. Around their 18th birthday, they experience a “death day,” where the human part of them dies and the Diasodz part takes over. Not every Diasodz survives their death day. Most Altorus receive a tattoo with their weapon-to-call after their death day occurs. The tattoo awakens when danger is around. When the Diasodz touches his/her tattoo (or its area), the weapon appears in his/her hands, ready for use.
With Lucifer’s influence, a faction divided from the Diasodz and became known as the Raizyns. While there are many characters throughout the series, I want to introduce you to some of those who play an integral part in Drake’s journey. (All images are generated by AI.)
Drake is our main character of The One Redeemed. He is the Raizyn king and the catalyst that sets all other events in motion. He is obsessed with Valerie, Nolan’s wife, and tries unsuccessfully many times to make her his. Because of his actions, chaos ensues and families are torn apart.
Drake has the power to inflict pain and create paralysis through touch. He can control lava and earthquakes and can bring darkness, sadness, grief, despair, and anger to others. His weapon-to-call comes from a tattoo of a flail with three maces hanging from the tip. His tattoo is located on his upper right butt cheek.
Damiana is the Raizyn queen. As much as Drake is obsessed with Valerie, Damiana is obsessed with Drake. She is even willing to kill to make sure he remains hers. Her jealousy and need for total dominance drives her.
Damiana has the power to cause pain physically and mentally. She can create electricity through her fingertips. She also can seduce others through touch, making her irresistible.
Valerie is happily married to Nolan. Valerie was courted by both Drake and Nolan and chose Nolan. Drake never accepted the loss. Valerie endured great heartache because of Drake’s actions, but she never wavered from her love for Nolan and her loyalty to her family.
Valerie has the ability to heal minor injuries. She can also provide temporary strength to others. Her weapon-to-call is a bow and arrow. Her tattoo is located above her left breast.
Nolan is wholeheartedly in love with Valerie. He is loyal to his family and will defend them at all costs. He is just as comfortable fighting battles against the demons and deminions as he is staying home and spending time with family.
He has the power to manipulate objects and make items disappear and reappear. He can transport himself from one place to another. He can also transport an embryo from one womb to another. His weapon-to-call is two blades that come from the tattoo of blades on his wrists.
Liana is a Curatas, which means she does not have a weapon-to-call or have any powers. She is meant to heal others through herbs and the energy nature shares with her. Infatuated with Nolan, Liana is used by Drake to create chaos in Nolan’s life. Liana later plays a role in Damiana’s plot to hurt Valerie, but in the end, it is Liana who has the most influence on Sofia’s choices.
Sofia is the one believed to be the savior. She was raised on Earth with Liana. Sofia is human for most of the series. Her powers come to her before her death day. She controls fire. She can also combine other Diasodz’s powers to fight darkness and evil.
Rafe is believed to be Damiana’s son. He is raised as a human and knows nothing of the Diasodz world until his death day. He has the power to manipulate the earth and trees. He can make someone faint if he touches them. His weapon-to-call is an ax that is located in his tattoo behind his ear.
Angel is Liana and Nolan’s son. He is raised by Nolan and Valerie to give him the opportunity to be born into the Altorus class. He has the ability to manipulate emotions. He can control all forms of water. His weapon-to-call is a dagger that he can pull from his tattoo which consists of three daggers forming a ‘y’ at the bottom of the back of his neck.
Ar’ch is the son of Valerie and Nolan. He is in love with Sofia. He has the power to read minds and communicate through thoughts. He can enter dreams and compel others. He controls air, can make objects fly, and can create storms and clouds. His weapon-to-call comes from tattoos of swords on each hip bone.
Kamali is our newest character. She is appointed by the Goddess to help Drake on his journey through the afterlife. She is able to read Drake’s thoughts. She also has the power to transform into other people by borrowing some of their essence.
I hope this introduction helps you to visualize the characters as you read about their roles in Drake’s story.
Blurb
Drake had been an agent for chaos, a tyrant who focused only on his desires, even when they hurt those he claimed to love the most. Would dying to protect his daughter redeem him? Or would he spend an eternity reliving his biggest regrets?
Electrifying pain coursed through Drake’s veins as he sacrificed his life to save his daughter. When he becomes conscious again, reality sets in. He is dead. While he is overcome with grief, his mortal enemy, Goddess, offers him a path to redemption. In order to find his way back to his children, he must first revisit his past and atone for his choices. The journey will be brutal, and his outcome is not guaranteed.
Failure is not an option for Drake. He will do anything to get back to his children to make amends for his actions, even if it means sacrificing himself all over again.
Picture caption: Yvette M. Calleiro author photograph
Yvette M. Calleiro is the author of the Chronicles of the Diasodz fantasy series, HYPE, and a couple of short stories. As a heavily addicted reader of both young adult and adult novels, she spends most of her time pseudo-living in paranormal worlds with her fictional friends (and boyfriends).
When she’s living among real people, Yvette M. Calleiro is a middle school Reading and Language Arts teacher. She’s been sharing her love of literature with her students for over twenty years. Besides writing about the various characters that whisper (and sometimes scream) in her head, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, spending quality time with family and friends, and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.
Although an avid traveler, Yvette lives in Miami, Florida, with her incredible son who has embraced her love for paranormal and adventurous stories. She also shares her space with an assortment of crazy saltwater animals in her 300-gallon tank.
To follow along with the rest of this tour, please visit the author’s blog. Thanks for supporting Yvette M Calleiro and her work!
Brieuc Martin-Onraet from Equinoxio, A blog about magic, fiction, and art, kindly allowed me to share this post. You can find Brieuc’s (aka Brian) latest blog post here: https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com/
Brieuc is also a contributor to This Is How We Work: Stories, Memoirs and Poems about Social Dimensions of Work anthology compiled by contributing editor, Yvette Prior. You can find my review of this meaningful collection on Amazon USA here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2VAZFX1HLTANS
Argentina had only one god: his name was Maradona.
Thank you to Nolcha Fox from Chewers by Masticadores for sharing part 9 of my story.
Jake Tanner
16 October 1917
It was raining. It was always raining in this godforsaken place, miles away from home.
Jake was sitting propped up against his bulging backpack, with his inadequate covering tucked around his shoulders. The rough grey wool of the army-issue blanket reeked of mold and felt clammy to the touch, but small discomforts like these had ceased to bother Jake days ago.
The light of his small piece of candle flickered and danced in tribute to the icy wind sidling through the gaps caused by the ill-fitting tent flap. Fat droplets drummed steadily on the waterlogged canvas exterior of the tent, and Jake shuddered at the thought of the icy rivulets he knew were streaming down its sides. The trenches he and Mike had dug to stop the water from flooding their sleeping quarters had already been full to overflowing the previous night.
Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle here with you today with my December post in the People Photography section on LatinosUSA – English Edition.
Next week’s photography section will feature nature. If you have a photograph to contribute, please email it to me at cheadlerobbie@gmail.com and use the title Photography – Nature. Please also include a short write up about your photograph.
When I was three-months old my biological father died of a massive heart attack in front of my mother. She was left on her own to raise me as best she could. According to my mother, I was a very easy baby and never fussed or cried unless I was hungry or wet. Mom believes I could sense her sadness and distress and behaved accordingly, making her life easier.
Mom also said that after my father, William Cecil Weatherburn-Baker, died, she promised me that we would always stay together. She travelled with me all the way to South Africa when I was nine-months old and when I was two years old, she married my stepdad who I refer to as Dad. Mom and I have always been together, just as she promised. When I got married, TC and I bought a house in the same road as my Mom and Dad. When Mom could no longer manage the stairs in their house, we sold it and TC and I bought a house with a cottage for my parents. They have lived there for over 21 years now. Mom turned 87 on 21 October this year (2025).
When I was in prep school and junior high, all the girls were obliged to take domestic science as a subject. The syllabus was split into six months of dressmaking and six months of cooking. During my first year of junior high, I was obliged to do an applique project for school. Each girl was required to draw a design on paper and then cut it out of pretty fabric. The process then involved ironing a piece of white backing onto the fabric pieces so that the fabric didn’t fray around the edges. Each piece was then sewn onto the two pillowcases and duvet cover that comprised the project deliverable. Our parents had to purchase the fabric, backing, and bed linen. I decided to create a Holly Hobbie design and took great delight in drawing each piece including a flowery pink dress, patchwork apron, and flowery bonnet. Mom kindly bought me a plain pink duvet cover and pillowcases. I meticulously cut out my shapes and ironed on the backing, ensuring the sticky side was downwards onto the fabric. I used blanket stich to sew my pieces onto the pillowcases and duvet cover. My sewing was neat and tidy and my teacher was pleased with the end result. I was delighted with my new Holly Hobbie bed linen.
I continued to use my applique knowledge to decorate bed linen for my sisters. I entertained myself this way for an entire school holiday. One day, I placed the backing back-to-front and ironed onto the sticky side. That was a disaster as the glue burned onto the iron. I managed to clean most of it off but, after this, Mom wasn’t keen on me using the iron for applique.
I kept my bed linen all through my teenage years until I was seventeen. Cath, however, decided one afternoon soon after her bed linen was finished, to cut out the Holly Hobbie with a pair of scissors. Obviously, that didn’t do the duvet cover much good and it was the end of her Holly Hobbie bedlinen set. She never got another as between the destruction of her duvet cover and Mom’s reluctance to let me use the iron, I gave up applique as a hobby.
Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle bringing you an interesting reflection by Rebecca Budd on Walking Through Winter with Vincent van Gogh. Rebecca has a keen interest in art and artworks and shares wonderful articles on her blog, Chasing Art. You can find her latest art post here: https://chasingart.ca/2025/11/28/a-gift-of-small-kindnesses/
Walking Through Winter with Vincent
Landscape with Snow by Vincent van Gogh (Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Winter comes in quietly. It does not rush in so much as settle, as if the world is taking a long breath after the brilliant months of autumn. When the first snow falls, everything seems to pause. The noisy parts of life drift away, and what stays is the gentle invitation to pay attention.
Thank you to Nolcha Fox for sharing Part 8 of my WIP, The Soldier and the Radium Girl.
Jake Tanner
9 October 1917
For seven days after leaving Halifax, the convoy traversed the continuously heaving ocean. Aside from twenty short minutes a day stretching their legs and taking the air on deck, the men passed the time playing cards in cramped, confined conditions.
Throughout this time, the confinement chaffed at Jake. Being below deck was like being jailed in a mausoleum with no natural light, airflow, or freedom of movement.
From time to time, a terrible yearning to get out of this horrible place rose within him, making swallowing difficult and constricting his airways. Sometimes a scream fought to escape, and he clamped his jaw tightly shut, holding it back. If he started screaming, he might never stop.
Stormy weather struck two days out of Halifax, and the ship had rolled and lurched ever since. Many men were struck down by seasickness, but, thankfully, neither he nor Joe was affected. Mike took to his bed early on, and they took him water and food at mealtimes.
“No soup.” He pushed his lunch away again today. “The smell makes me sick.”
His hand trembled as he pointed at a small basin. Jake held it under his chin as he retched weakly.
“Water,” he whispered. Jake held the cup to his mouth, and he drank a few sips before sinking back onto the lumpy pillow.
“I’ll eat his soup,” Joe took the bowl and started shoving spoonsful into his mouth. “You’re lucky to get this,” he said to Mike. “You should see the swill we get. Boiled pork and worse yet, boiled rabbit. English food!”
“The foods not the worse part,” Jake added. “The British and French officers are the most stuffy and pompous assholes I’ve ever met.”
“How’s the voyage going?” Mike’s papery voice was reedy.
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