I’m a bit late reblogging this episode as I’ve been traveling and in the bush since 2 January. I can repost from Robbie’s Inspiration through Jetpack but this blog does not play the reposting game.
Thanks for sharing episode 12, Nolcha.
“The Soldier and the Radium Girl Part 1: The Bloom of Youth, Chapter 1: Enlist in haste, repent at leisure (cont. 12)” by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Jake Tanner
9 November 1917
Jake’s platoon was assigned a day of hard labor.
“From now on, men, it’s going to be one day of military training and drilling and one day of hard labor,” Sarge announced that morning. “We’ve all got to do our bit to help get the training center built.”
The troops spent the day digging foundations for the numerous buildings that would comprise the training center. There would be barracks, administrative buildings, hospitals, and Y.M.C.A. facilities. Other infrastructure would also be needed, including roads and telephone wires.
“The training center must be built and up and running before the next lot of recruits start to arrive,” Sarge said during the evening meal.
“I’ll be glad to get back to military training tomorrow,” Beau complained. “It’s easy compared to building.”
“It sure is,” whined Mike, “just look at my hands.” The palms he held out were studded with blisters. “I’ve got handling those five-ton iron and steel beams to thank for these.”
“Mine are the same,” Jake said, “What about you, Joe?”
I am late reposting this. I have been struggling to reblog from my iphone. I have to do it manually on my laptop. Is anyone else having an issue with reblogging?
Thank you, Nolcha, for sharing part 11 of my book.
Jake Tanner
Letter from Private Jake Tanner to his fiancée, Kate Henderson 3 November 1917
Dear Kate
This is just a quick note to let you know my battalion is billeted in a small town in France. I am sharing a barn with the men from my platoon. Joe, Mike, Beau, and Will are still with me, and that’s a comfort.
I am glad we are living in a barn and not tents, as it has rained nearly continuously since our arrival two weeks ago. The barns leak, but the earth floors are high enough not to flood.
The mud here is different from the mud back home. It is a yellow clay which builds up thickly on our boots and must be scraped off. I never thought I’d be spending 30 minutes a day trying to get mud off my boots and uniform.
A lot of the army supplies are still in England or stateside, so rations are a bit of a sore topic. The food is dull and repetitive, with stew and corned beef hash being staples. None of us has much money ,and we pawned just about every trinket we brought with us at the different stores in exchange for tobacco and chocolate. Some of the men resorted to smoking tea, dried clover leaves, and anything else they can get their hands on. Don’t worry, I have not done this. I’ve never been that keen on smoking, as you know.
We have started training even though a lot of our equipment hasn’t yet arrived. I hope the food situation will improve soon, as it is hard to be energetic when you are hungry.
Hi everyone, its Robbie Cheadle with you today and part 2 of my wonderful holiday treat. The multitalented Resa McConaghy is sharing another of her spectacular Art Gowns in celebration of the holiday season.
Happy New Year
Let 2026 begin in the best of spirits and full of cheer!
Thank you to Barbara Leonhard for sharing our Christmas story on MasticadoresUSA.
Enjoy this darling Christmas story. Merry Christmas!
It was two nights before Christmas, a cold and cloudy day When the Roundy Twins thought of a new idea for play Into Sir Chocolate’s Chocolatier, the naughty pair snuck And found his sweet decorating tools; for them a bit of luck
Picture caption: The Roundy Twins
They spent the long winter’s evening having a lot of fun And admired their handiwork when they were quite done They had painted the town with Sir Chocolate’s edible-paint The tubes were all empty, they had painted without restraint
Pictures and graffiti adorned every house in town’s walls They had been to the local market and sprayed all the stalls And the stage in the park, was full of paint and a mess Shocked at their destruction, the twins were a bit stressed
To all my readers who celebrate Christmas – Merry Christmas. This is my re-write of 12 Days of Christmas for the Southern African experience. Thank you to Kaye Lynne Booth for hosting.
Thank you to Nolcha Fox from Chewers by Masticadores for sharing part 10 in my story.
Jake Tanner
Letter from Private Jake Tanner to his fiancée, Kate Henderson 20 October 1917
My dearest Kate
I can hardly believe that it’s only been six weeks since we said goodbye. So much has happened in this short time, I feel as if a lifetime has passed.
I arrived in England ten days ago and have been waiting for transport “over there”. Yesterday, we got our orders to entrain for Southhampton Docks.1 I am mailing this letter to you today, and tonight I will be boarding a channel boat and crossing the English Channel to Le Havre. The next time I write to you, I will be in France. I hope the French food is better than the English food. The Tommies said the French, whom they call Poilu, eat snails and frogs’ legs. I sincerely hope I am not expected to eat either.
I am still with Joe, Mike, Beau, and Will, and they are also well.
Hi everyone, its Robbie Cheadle with you today and I have a wonderful holiday treat for you. The multitalented Resa McConaghy is sharing one of her spectacular Art Gowns in celebration of the holiday season.
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.
roberta-writes.com 