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.
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.
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.
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.
I’m a bit late with this post but it’s been a tough week. My big transaction went live at 5.08pm tonight after four days of manic rushing about tying up loose ends and getting all the deliverables ready. This is the end of 10 weeks of hard work and I’m glad it’s done. I have another three on the go but those are smaller and more manageable.
Anyhow, on to the writing challenge. Esther’s prompt was angel. I had an idea last week which I didn’t manage to write up. Then I read Freya’s final post in her Dragon Scales poetry style series, and the following poem came all at once. So, this poem is for Esther’s challenge and is my first Dragon Scales poem. I’m not sure I got it quite right per Freya’s directions, but I’m pleased with the result. You can read Freya’s poem here: https://freyanrites.wordpress.com/2025/12/02/hollowness-verse-7/
When I was five, we moved into a house in Blairgowrie in Johannesburg. At the time, it was a typical suburban house with a low wall separating the front garden from the grassed pavement. Mom was very busy with my sister, Cath, you was only one and I spent a lot of time playing by myself.
That Christmas, Mom gifted me some old tinsel which was bald in patches. I could play with it and even cut it up into smaller pieces to use for my creative projects. I made one piece into an angel halo.
I was a good singer and was already singing in the school choir by the end of my first school year. I took it into my head to dress up as an angel and sing Christmas carols on the pavement outside my house.
I remember wearing a long white nightdress and borrowing one of my mom’s glittery evening shawls for wings. I put the halo on my head and took up a position on the pavement on my knees. Mom found me there several songs later, entertaining a gathering of pedestrians who had stopped to watch my show.
Mom was not pleased with me making an exhibition of myself.
These pictures are of the reception main door at Champagne Sports Resort Hotel where my family spent three days in early January this year. The Christmas lights and decorations were still up at that time.
The picture below is of the hotel rooms where we stayed. Ours were the bottom units.
This week’s challenge by Melissa, is to write a Double Ennead poem on the theme of gratitude. The syllabic count for a Double Ennead poem is 3 x 3 verses of 6/5/11/6/5.
I am late with last week’s CFFC and Thursday Doors post so I’m including it here with this week’s CFFC post.
The four photographs below are of the wharf at Westminster Bridge in London. This is where tourists leave for tours of the River Thames. You can see the London Eye in the background. These are for Dan’s Travel Hubs challenge which you can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/12/01/travel-hubs-cffc/
Last week’s CFFC challenge was Places where people work. I have a selection of doors from my trip to London.
The slideshow below is of the entrance and door of a bank in Westminster, London. I thought the door was beautiful.
Picture caption: Entrance to The Institute of Civil Engineers in LondonPicture caption: Entrance to The Royal Courts of Justice, London
Thank you to Nolcha Fox from Chewers by Masticadores for sharing part 7 of my WIP, The Soldier and the Radium Girl.
Jake Tanner
30 September 2021
The ship had crawled up the coast for five days, reaching its destination the previous evening. Once on the ocean, Jake found his sea legs quickly and looked forward to the periods when his platoon was allowed on deck, and he could look at the dark body of water that heaved and churned relentlessly. He found it endlessly fascinating.
Mike was not as fortunate and experienced ongoing seasickness.
He’d languished in his narrow bunk until Beau goaded him into going up on deck with Jake and Joe.
“You would be seasick, Mike,” Beau laughed. “You’re not only the runt of the litter, but the weakling, too.”
After ten minutes of walking up and down the deck, inhaling the tangy ocean air, he’d admitted to feeling much better. “I’m glad you made me come outside.”
Their interludes on deck were far too short, and the trio spent a lot of time playing cards, shooting the wind, and talking about “over there” with their contemporaries.
roberta-writes.com 