books

Romance, Eden and Distance.

Posted on by mjlarter2

        As an author, I note that romance stories (aka Mills and Boon etc) sell like hot cakes.  So … I thought, it’s not my style, but, what the heck, surely I could write something like that. I sent off to the M&B admin, and they sent back a list of rules that I had to follow if I wanted them to even look at my work – with no guarantees that anything I wrote would even be accepted. The list was amazing! Talk about writing to a formula.

          Still, I gave it a shot.

          Well, Bugger! It wasn’t as easy as I thought. It was no walk in the garden of Eden, that was for sure. I couldn’t come within a stone’s throw of anything that resembled a good story, let alone good writing quality! I threw up my hands in a gesture of surrender and decided that path was not for me.

          By going back to my comfort zone and putting some distance from the ridiculous notion that I could actually make money from my writing, I have enjoyed the writing process for its own worth, the wonderful effect it has on my ability to think and imagine, and the joy of simply having the challenge of finding new ideas and then using those stories to learn self-publishing as well as the use of the computer. I realize that as you get older, it is more and more important to keep your brain active, learn new things and still have dreams and goals.

          I also now use my hobby of knitting to donate my finished articles to charities. Maybe, during the harsh winters over in Europe and Asia, someone will enjoy wearing one of my knitted jumpers, or scarves, or gloves. I live in a relatively warm climate and a peaceful country. Here, I can make someone’s day by smiling at them, or simply complimenting a stranger on their lovely outfit etc.           

          Hopefully the people suffering the ravages of war, poverty or sickness in another country will benefit from my hobby. Funnily enough, even though it’s kind to help someone else, it actually rebounds to a kindness to yourself as well.

Heirloom – a romance of the past?

Rachel stared at the painting above the fireplace for some time. She had always loved it.

The woman in the tableau was sitting on an opulent armchair, staring out of the window. The room was full of the knick knacks of a wealthy Victorian family. The curtains pulled back from the multi- paned window were a rich burgundy velvet and the antimacassar protection on the back and arms of the chair were embroidered with coils of flowers. Behind her on the shelf, a Tiffany lamp stood amongst the displayed plates of a decorated set of crockery.

Outside, the falling snow had created a pristine outlook, which was now about to be ruined by two young boys, rugged up to the nines,  flying down the hilly street in what looked like a cardboard box, but was probably a wooden crate from the greengrocers just glimpsed at the top of the hill.

The woman looked serene, yet sad. On her lap, once busy hands that had been creating a patch of lace, were now idly holding the work, forgotten in the moment of reflection. Rachel wondered what she was thinking, what tragedy was causing her pause, or was she merely daydreaming?

Rachel was surprised how much her great- grandmother in the picture looked like her. The hair colour was the same, even the shape of her nose.

Of course, Rachel was modern. The clothes she wore were never considered to be fashionable in her grandmother’s time, let alone her great-grandmother. That period of time had had an elegance that was now lost. Rachel thought it must have been very uncomfortable to wear and truly restrictive.

 Now, as she stood looking at the painting, she wore shabby chic jeans. Her knees were poking out of custom-made slashes, and her feet were clad in canvas sneakers.  The old threadbare t-shirt, trimmed with lace and bling from a bedazzled machine, was one of her favourite tops.

Rachel smiled.

Her great grandmother in the painting would have been horrified of her style and the way she looked.

But still, Rachel touched the lace on the neckline, lovingly attached by her own hands.

Surely it was the same lace her great grandmother had been making, when the artist had caught and frozen that moment of introspection, those many years ago.

***

Does your child love the ‘Harry Potter’ stories? Well, maybe these two wizard chapter books might be something to enjoy. Written by me and illustrated by a close friend, I’m wondering if I should continue the series? What do you think?

Still only AU$18 each (or $32 for both). Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

***

FREE recipe to try.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 cup Pineapple juice (with water)

BREAKFST2 tblspns cornflour

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tblspns soy sauce

2-3 tblspns tomato sauce

1 cup chopped onions

1 ¼ cup of pineapple pieces

2-3 drops of red food colouring (optional)

other chopped vegetables as desired. (carrot, cabbage, broccoli etc.)

  1. Blend cornflour, pineapple juice and vinegar in a saucepan.
  2. Soak onion in red colouring for a few minutes.
  3. Add everything to saucepan except pineapple pieces.
  4. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
  5. Veg can be par cooked if desired.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Scarf.

The beauty of this pattern is that it is so simple, and can be adjusted to your needs. You can use more stitches and smaller needles for a firm cosy scarf – or bigger needles to create a more lacy feel. You can adjust the type of stitch for a pattern, keeping ordinary plain stitch to stop curl (stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl) will curl.)

0.jpgI use 6mm or 6.5mm needles and about 20 or 24 stitches, with 8 ply yarn. This gives a soft feel to the scarf. The bigger the needle the softer and lacier the feel. The smaller the needle the more compact the fabric becomes.

The same yarn, 4mm needles and 40 stitches, and still 8 ply, is the second random stripe scarf. These can be stitched together lengthwise to form a knee rug or bigger blanket. The stripes are a way to use up odd bits of yarn (But keep the same ply. The only problem I find with this is having to stitch in all the ends!

The easiest stitch to use is all plain (garter or knit stitch) – quick and easy, but you can vary it as you wish. Length is recommended as the height of the person you are knitting for. E.g. – I am 5foot 6 inches – a perfect length for me would be between 5 foot or 5 foot six inches – but you can change that to your needs.

IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY (or order) ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW.

Romance, Eden and Distance.

        As an author, I note that romance stories (aka Mills and Boon etc) sell like hot cakes.  So … I thought, it’s not my style, but, what the heck, surely I could write something like that. I sent off to the M&B admin, and they sent back a list of rules that I had to follow if I wanted them to even look at my work – with no guarantees that anything I wrote would even be accepted. The list was amazing! Talk about writing to a formula.

          Still, I gave it a shot.

          Well, Bugger! It wasn’t as easy as I thought. It was no walk in the garden of Eden, that was for sure. I couldn’t come within a stone’s throw of anything that resembled a good story, let alone good writing quality! I threw up my hands in a gesture of surrender and decided that path was not for me.

          By going back to my comfort zone and putting some distance from the ridiculous notion that I could actually make money from my writing, I have enjoyed the writing process for its own worth, the wonderful effect it has on my ability to think and imagine, and the joy of simply having the challenge of finding new ideas and then using those stories to learn self-publishing as well as the use of the computer. I realize that as you get older, it is more and more important to keep your brain active, learn new things and still have dreams and goals.

          I also now use my hobby of knitting to donate my finished articles to charities. Maybe, during the harsh winters over in Europe and Asia, someone will enjoy wearing one of my knitted jumpers, or scarves, or gloves. I live in a relatively warm climate and a peaceful country. Here, I can make someone’s day by smiling at them, or simply complimenting a stranger on their lovely outfit etc.           

          Hopefully the people suffering the ravages of war, poverty or sickness in another country will benefit from my hobby. Funnily enough, even though it’s kind to help someone else, it actually rebounds to a kindness to yourself as well.

Heirloom – a romance of the past?

Rachel stared at the painting above the fireplace for some time. She had always loved it.

The woman in the tableau was sitting on an opulent armchair, staring out of the window. The room was full of the knick knacks of a wealthy Victorian family. The curtains pulled back from the multi- paned window were a rich burgundy velvet and the antimacassar protection on the back and arms of the chair were embroidered with coils of flowers. Behind her on the shelf, a Tiffany lamp stood amongst the displayed plates of a decorated set of crockery.

Outside, the falling snow had created a pristine outlook, which was now about to be ruined by two young boys, rugged up to the nines,  flying down the hilly street in what looked like a cardboard box, but was probably a wooden crate from the greengrocers just glimpsed at the top of the hill.

The woman looked serene, yet sad. On her lap, once busy hands that had been creating a patch of lace, were now idly holding the work, forgotten in the moment of reflection. Rachel wondered what she was thinking, what tragedy was causing her pause, or was she merely daydreaming?

Rachel was surprised how much her great- grandmother in the picture looked like her. The hair colour was the same, even the shape of her nose.

Of course, Rachel was modern. The clothes she wore were never considered to be fashionable in her grandmother’s time, let alone her great-grandmother. That period of time had had an elegance that was now lost. Rachel thought it must have been very uncomfortable to wear and truly restrictive.

 Now, as she stood looking at the painting, she wore shabby chic jeans. Her knees were poking out of custom-made slashes, and her feet were clad in canvas sneakers.  The old threadbare t-shirt, trimmed with lace and bling from a bedazzled machine, was one of her favourite tops.

Rachel smiled.

Her great grandmother in the painting would have been horrified of her style and the way she looked.

But still, Rachel touched the lace on the neckline, lovingly attached by her own hands.

Surely it was the same lace her great grandmother had been making, when the artist had caught and frozen that moment of introspection, those many years ago.

***

Does your child love the ‘Harry Potter’ stories? Well, maybe these two wizard chapter books might be something to enjoy. Written by me and illustrated by a close friend, I’m wondering if I should continue the series? What do you think?

Still only AU$18 each (or $32 for both). Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

***

FREE recipe to try.

1 cup Pineapple juice (with water)

BREAKFST2 tblspns cornflour

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tblspns soy sauce

2-3 tblspns tomato sauce

1 cup chopped onions

1 ¼ cup of pineapple pieces

2-3 drops of red food colouring (optional)

other chopped vegetables as desired. (carrot, cabbage, broccoli etc.)

  1. Blend cornflour, pineapple juice and vinegar in a saucepan.
  2. Soak onion in red colouring for a few minutes.
  3. Add everything to saucepan except pineapple pieces.
  4. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
  5. Veg can be par cooked if desired.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Scarf.

The beauty of this pattern is that it is so simple, and can be adjusted to your needs. You can use more stitches and smaller needles for a firm cosy scarf – or bigger needles to create a more lacy feel. You can adjust the type of stitch for a pattern, keeping ordinary plain stitch to stop curl (stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl) will curl.)

0.jpgI use 6mm or 6.5mm needles and about 20 or 24 stitches, with 8 ply yarn. This gives a soft feel to the scarf. The bigger the needle the softer and lacier the feel. The smaller the needle the more compact the fabric becomes.

The same yarn, 4mm needles and 40 stitches, and still 8 ply, is the second random stripe scarf. These can be stitched together lengthwise to form a knee rug or bigger blanket. The stripes are a way to use up odd bits of yarn (But keep the same ply. The only problem I find with this is having to stitch in all the ends!

The easiest stitch to use is all plain (garter or knit stitch) – quick and easy, but you can vary it as you wish. Length is recommended as the height of the person you are knitting for. E.g. – I am 5foot 6 inches – a perfect length for me would be between 5 foot or 5 foot six inches – but you can change that to your needs.

IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY (or order) ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW.

Rocks, Extreme and Deadly.

Posted on by mjlarter2

I’ve been getting a lot of posts in my social media accounts showing archaeology findings from the remote past. It really amazes me that previous civilizations went to so much trouble, in often isolated and awkward terrain (think Machu Pichu) to build structures that defy the imagination. There are rocks that seem cut to a precision we find hard to replicate even today with our technology. And huge stones, moved from sometimes miles away, as well as obelisks of extraordinary tonnage, lifted into position with presumably much difficulty.

          Will we ever really know how they did it, and why? The theories are diverse and often presumptuous. Conjecture is a deadly thing. It can lead to the general public learning opinions rather than truths. I often wonder if the ‘experts’ have got it all wrong, and some other discovery in the future will turn our ancient history on its head.

          After all – it isn’t an extreme possibility when you look at our own media of today. It is skewed to what the powers-that-be want us to believe. What is reported in one way in our country, is reported differently in another. It was probably no different in the past, I’m sure.

           We are all manipulated, subtly and not so subtly, guided into a way of thinking. The media plays games with the public.

          With all the chaos in our world, sometimes created by the media, always remember to do the best you can in your little sphere of existence. Let your loved ones and friends know that they are important to you. Always be kind – you never know what trauma someone else might be facing.

          Having said that – here’s a story I wrote about the games people (in this case children) play.

FREE story to read. 

The treasure hunt.

          The hieroglyphics on the crumpled paper must have meant something to someone.

          Carefully I flattened the paper on the old table behind me. The ragged edges were a warning to me to handle it with care. The writing appeared to be in ink; there were blotches above the top line. A careless spill perhaps. Or maybe the message had been written in haste. Some characters had faded, particularly those nearest the edges of the paper.

          “I think that means ‘regal’ or something,” Daniel pointed to the glyph of an eagle surrounded by a thickly drawn oval.

         “Could easily be seen as a caged bird,” I said with a shrug.

          Daniel snorted. “Yep, I suppose.” He continued, “This last one could be the rising or setting sun.”

          I stayed quiet as I focused on the problem.

          “How’re we ever going to work this out?” Dave whinged, as he squinted at the fragile scrap that we had found.

          I looked up. His hair was dusty under his hat and the scar on his chin stood out starkly against his grimy face.

          I giggled. “You look like Indiana Jones,” I said.

          He nodded. “That was the intention,” he grinned, “and you look like Cleopatra. But I didn’t know when I got dressed, that your Mum had decided to have a real treasure hunt for your birthday party!”

          I shrugged as I continued studying the puzzle.

          “Hang on,” I hesitated.

          Daniel raised his eyebrows. “What?”

          “Let’s read this with modern eyes.”

          He nodded as I concentrated.

          “I think … the oval and eagle is ‘bird cage’ and the sun,” I peered at the

hieroglyphs, “is followed by a faded up arrow.”

          “The rising sun?” Daniel murmured. “Perhaps that’s ‘East’?”

          “Good one!” I was thrilled; he basked in my praise.

          “Now I understand the message. It says – ‘Treasure found forty paces east of the bird cage’.”

          I grabbed Daniel’s hand. “Yay! Done it! Let’s go, Dan!”

          I dragged him out of the potting shed to the aviary on the other side of the garden.

          We were going to be the first back to Mum.

***

I continue to write my children’s books. These are my three newest publications that I’ve let loose on the public.

Still only AU$18 each. Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

FREE recipe to try.

HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Cups Full Fat Milk or Low Fat Milk
  • ⅔ Cups White Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING CONDENSED MILK

  1. In a heavy-based saucepan, add the milk and sugar
  2. On low heat, gently stir until  the sugar is completely dissolved.
  3. Simmer, without stirring, on low-medium heat.
  4. Continue to simmer on low heat for 35-40 minutes, until milk changes to a dark grey color and thickens and reduces by half.
  5. Skim off any foam that forms, with a spoon.
  6. Remove from heat and pour into a jar. don’t add any sugary bits to the jar, as they will cause a problem with the mix.
  7.  Cool completely before putting on the lid.
  8. Label the jar and refrigerate. It should last for months.

A tip or two for your CONDENSED MILK:

You can use home-made condensed milk as an excellent substitute for eggs in cakes and cupcakes. You can use it in rice cream or baked rice pudding. Always use the condensed milk at room temperature when baking with it.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Baby beanie.

Use a nice soft baby yarn, and needles size 4mm.

Cast on 64 stitches, and rib 8 rows. If you want to, this can be done in a contrasting yarn – or not. Whatever you wish.

 change to 4.5mm needles and main colour yarn if you are using two colours.

 Now start stocking stitch (Knit one row, then purl one row – repeat). Stocking stitch 24 rows, finishing on a purl row.

Shape the top of the beanie thus:-

Row 1 : ‘knit 1 k2tog, knit 5’ – repeat (56 stitches)

Row 2,3 and 4 stocking stitch.

Row 5 : ‘k2tog k4’ repeat – finish row with k2 tog.(46 stitches)

Row 6 : purl

Row 7 : ‘K2tog’ repeat. (23 stitches)

Row 8 : ‘Purl 3 P2tog’ – repeat. P3 at end (19stitches)

Row 9 : ‘K1 K2tog’ – repeat. K1 at end. (13 stitches)

Row 10 : Purl

Cut the yarn and thread through the 13 stitches and pull tightly. Sew up the side seam.

Rifles, Excellent and Depiction.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Now the new year is bedded in and it will be Christmas again before you know it, I was sitting reminiscing about my younger days – when the children were small. I decided I wouldn’t succumb to the ‘male’ and ‘female’ roles of previous generations. I wasn’t going to let trucks and guns be male toys for my son and dolls were not for use only by my daughter.

Well, they say even the best laid plans can go awry.

My son, almost from the time he could walk, loved playing with toy trucks and bulldozers. He would even pretend to hold his sister up with the age old hand sign for a gun. Where did he pick that up from?

While he was saying ‘Bang, bang’, my daughter held her doll close to her chest and wailed – ‘Don’t hurt my baby!”

Are these roles ingrained in our DNA?

From history – weapons of every type have been used by humans – from clubs to cannon, rifles to revolvers, lance to lasers. Seems the human race is doomed to be forever aggressive.

Wouldn’t it be excellent if we could break the cycle?

Be kind, considerate and peaceful. Open doors for strangers, buy coffee for someone in less fortunate circumstances than you, smile and enjoy the beauty of life instead of complaining. The world would be a better place.

I think the depiction of the horrors of the world are all too easy to see and report on in the social media of our day. But it seems greed and the desire for power override any decency for fellow human beings. We’ve seen it over and over again through the ages.

Sorry – Rant over.

Anyway – talking about kids and their toys – inspired me to write this little story. Enjoy.

FREE story to read.

Kids

“Do you like poetry?” Danny asked his friend.

Kevin screwed up his nose. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Well,” Danny said. “My Mum can recite all sorts of funny ones.”

“Poetry isn’t funny,” Kevin smirked.

Danny recited, straight-faced – “The boy stood on the burning deck

                                                        picking his nose like mad

                                                        rolling it up in little balls

                                                       and flicking it at his Dad. – that’s poetry.”

Kevin laughed. “That’s gross!”

Danny lifted his nose in the air and boasted. “Mum can also recite ‘The owl and the pussy-cat went to sea.’ and she says she can still remember another title of a poem, even tho’ she’s forgot the poem.”

Kevin looked down at the ground and wriggled his toes.

“What title?”

Danny scrunched up his face in concentration. “I think it was ‘Fireforefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell’ – it was about a cat, she said.”

“That’s silly,” Kevin flicked a piece of grass at an ant to see if it would be able to lift it, or walk around it. “Poetry is supposed to be serious – you know – Shakespeare and stuff.”

“Who?” Danny asked.

“Apparently he wrote things a long time ago – and MY Mum says, it was hard to understand, and anyway, everyone died in his stories.”

Danny nodded. “I wonder if they’ll teach us that sort of stuff when we get to school?”

“Who knows!” Kevin answered. “I’m not looking forward to starting school!”

Danny shook his head. “I am. You get to make new friends all the time, and play, and draw, and Mum says you learn lots, too.”

Kevin looked at Danny as if he had grown two heads.

“Yeah! Right!” he said, then got up, kicked the sand, stood on the ant and began to run towards the sea.

“Come on. Let’s go and have a swim.”

FREE recipe to try.

Tuna, corn and egg pies:

1 can tuna, drained

baby spinach leaves, chopped

1 can corn kernels, drained

6 eggs

3 sheets puff pastry

  1. Preheat pie maker and spray with oil.
  2. Combine tuna, spinach and corn with whisked eggs.
  3. Cut pastry into 6 tops and bottoms of pies. Place bottom in pie maker.
  4. Fill each pie with egg mixture.
  5. Put on tops. Close pie maker and cook till light goes out. Makes 6.

The basic pie can be filled with ANY filling – mince in gravy ; mushroom and capsicum vegetarian mix ; Chicken and cauliflower in cheese sauce ; sweet and sour pork ; etc

OR stewed apple and cinnamon ; apricot and almonds ; fruit mince ; etc.

Enjoy experimenting.

***

Some of my children’s chapter books for the reader in the 8 to 10 age group. These are AU$18 each, plus postage. DM me for extra details and see if I have any discount or special this month.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Soft caterpillar/ worm toy.

Using whatever colour 8 ply yarn you have, cast on 6 stitches.

next row : purl

row 3: knit 1, then increase in each stitch. (11 stitches)

Repeat rows 2 and 3. (21 stitches) (if you are making a worm, or snake – stop here and then continue in stacking stitch for length desired. Decrease as per end of caterpillar)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 (41 stitches)

Now continue to length desired, adding different coloured yarn as desired.

Decrease :-

starting on a knit row – Knit 3, Knit 2 together, (knit 2, Knit 2 together). Repeat the part in bracket to end of row. You should have 31 stitches left.

Next row – purl.

Next row – Knit 2, knit 2 together (knit 1, knit 2 together) – repeat part in brackets to end of row. (21 stitches left)

Next row – purl.

Next row – Knit 1, (knit 2 together) to end of row. (11 stitches left)

Next row – purl

Next row – Knit one, (Knit 2 together) to end of row. (6 stitches left)

Next row – purl.

Next row knit 2 together to end (3 stitches)

Next row – knit 3 together and finish.

When finishing the toy, stuff sections the tie off with tight yarn and finally decorate as you wish.

If these instructions are confusing to you, or you need more information – please message me and let me know. Thank you.

Red, Entry and December

Posted on by mjlarter2

December 2023 – gone – and another year is over again. Where did that year go?

The older I get the quicker the time flies past. I think that is so unfair! I have so much to do still and, while I’m healthy and mentally okay, time should be more flexible – don’t you agree?

Entry into the year 2024 is full of hope. This New Year will be a great year – the drama of the Covid shutdowns, masks and fear are hopefully behind us. Although I have to admit the media absolutely loves finding another drama to push our contented lives into disarray.

Begin this year by trying on the mantle of kindness. Hug a loved-one, just because you want to. Compliment a stranger just because you can. If you are ever in a queue – let someone in before you. The smiles you receive are worth the effort.

The Ukraine/Russian war still rages on, now overtaken by the muddle that is Israel and Gaza. I feel so much for the families of all sides that experience that loss of peace, the death of family members and the destruction of home and hearth. It makes me see red that politicians have to flex power muscles like young children – you know – ‘my Dad’s better than your Dad’ type scenarios.

But they play with people’s lives and the planet’s health.

It is time all countries stop thinking of a small section of the Earth and realise that without a planet we have nowhere to live and no-one wins. Greed and power are useless emotions when life and our planet is forfeit. I’ve coined a new word – we should all be Earthians.

This year, I will endeavour to give you, each month, a FREE recipe, FREE knitting pattern and a FREE short story for your reading pleasure, so keep scrolling to find your free gifts.

 Let me know your thoughts on the content of my blog – DM me at my facebook page for more information and feel free to follow me.

My three new picture books launched in 2023 are:-  Still only AU$18 each. Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

FREE story to read.

A new beginning.

A short story for the start of a New Year.

Nadia spread the blanket over the sand and sat down. The beach was deserted. English people weren’t silly enough to come down to the coast during winter. They were home in the warmth, enjoying the aftermath of Christmas – of too much food, too much drink and too many relatives and visitors. She pulled her sweater collar up to protect her nose from the cold.  The water would be frigid now, but she didn’t feel like swimming anyway. Somehow, the troubles of the past year began to uncoil from her mind as the solitude worked it’s magic.

It wasn’t long before an inquisitive seagull arrived and regarded her curiously. She didn’t take any notice, and the bird soon flew away. Several other seagulls swooped down, but quickly realised that there was no food being offered and didn’t stay. The sea was calm and the temperature pleasant. The monotonous sloshing of the waves soon lulled Nadia into a mesmerized stare. Somewhere, deep down in her mind, the unhappiness of the last year drained away.

 “Hello!” a male voice said, causing Nadia to startle. She turned and then smiled. It was so nice to see the man standing there. He looked concerned.

“I saw you from my holiday home up there,” he explained, waving his hand in the general direction of the street above. “Are you okay?”

Nadia nodded.

“Just enjoying the peace – even the seagulls are leaving me alone!”

The man laughed.

“They know you have no food!”

“Thank you for checking on me,” Nadia added. “I only arrived this morning and I couldn’t wait to come down here and enjoy the calmness.”

“Yes,” The man agreed. “I love it here, too. By the way, my name is David.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nadia replied. “I’m Nadia.”

“Mind if I join you?” he asked.

Nadia shifted slightly and patted the blanket. She felt the thrill of the attraction for this man. 

“Please do.”

David sat and they both stared out to the ocean for a while. David quietly reached for Nadia’s hand and she shifted just a little closer.

It was going to be hard, but Nadia and David had to do something to revive their marriage, and this get-away seemed the perfect answer.

FREE recipe to try.

HOMEMADE ONION SOUP MIX

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried onion
  • 4 beef stock cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredient and seal in an airtight container.
  2. Store in the cupboard up to 6 months.
  3. Five tablespoons = 1 packet of soup mix

Recipe Notes:-

 I dried my onion and garlic (separately) before I blitzed them to form a powder. I had to put the dehydrator outside as the smell was too overpowering in the house.

This mix was also useful as a seasoning mix for gravy, stews  etc.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Ear-warmer headbands.

Using 6 mm needles, cast on 14 stitches.

Knit each row until the strip measures 17 inches.

Cast off.

Stitch together the short ends.

This pattern is extremely simple and great for beginners. You can vary it by using different coloured yarn, or different pattern stitches as well as the method of stitching together.

IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW. AU$5ea plus postage (AU$3extra)

Rice, Earth and Days

Posted on by mjlarter2

March – already into the third month. Days of Autumn – in the words of a well known poem by Keats – the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. The time for the Earth to bliss out after the heat of Summer and before the cold of Winter. In my humble opinion – one of the best times of the year. Lazy days of relaxation and meditation.

I also use the time to garden. Getting my vegetable beds ready for my winter crops – cauliflower, cabbage, silver beet and broccoli. I love experimenting with my vegetables, and last year tried clumping onions and leeks. This year I’ll try red onions and English Spinach. Living on a farm I will plant out some wheat in the paddock, too. Although this last summer has been very wet, I don’t think I’ll bother creating a paddy field of rice though. I saw the work that went into that when I lived, for a short time, in Asia.

The rice paddies show a flooded paddock, and boy! have we had some flooding this last month! Hope everyone is coping, and those people that have lost so much, my heart goes out to you. I live on the eastern seaboard of Australia, so I, too have watched and dreaded the rise of the water. I also must put in an apology as I omitted 1 cup of sugar in the last month’s recipe of Diane’s biscuits. Asking you to cream the butter and sugar, when there was no sugar included in the recipe was just a tad confusing. Again – Sorry.

This time – here is a recipe that is tasty, and includes rice.

Griffin’s Rice Slice.

½ cup brown rice

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini, grated

1 small can corn kernels, drain, wash

¼ cup chopped chives

1 cup cheese, grated

extra grated cheese for top

¾ cup SR flour

4 eggs

½ cup milk.

¼ cup sweet chilli sauce

  1. Preheat oven to 180-200°. Grease and prepare a slice tin
  2. Cook rice to instructions on packet. Allow to cool.
  3. Combine rice, carrot, zucchini, corn, chives, cheese and flour in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk eggs, chilli sauce and milk together in a jug.
  5. Add to rice mixture and mix well.
  6. Spread in tin, sprinkle with extra cheese, then bake for approx 35mins, until cooked through and lightly browned.
  7. Stand in pan for 20mins then slice and serve hot or cold. Serves 8.

***

Noises.

Gary always loved living on his farm … until tonight. He had an urgent call to make in town, and his car had decided not to start.

After calling a friend, he wandered down to the gate near the road and proceeded to wait.

The sky was ablaze with stars – so bright in the blackness. No moon yet – it hadn’t risen, and the trees were silent as well. No breeze to sway the leaves, or rustle the long grass in the long paddock*. It couldn’t have been a nicer evening.

slowly, Gary became fidgety. Stephen was taking his time. Where was he?

That’s when the noises started. A scrabbling sound in the grass near his feet. A croak from a frog that felt like it was near his ear. A slither on the gravel that might be a snake. A clicking of a beetle. A whirring of wings across the sky.

Then it got worse.

Was that a footstep behind him?

He twirled around, but couldn’t see.

He fumbled around in his pocket for his mobile phone and flipped it open. The light of the screen dazzled him for a fraction of a second. He looked around again. Were the footsteps still coming towards him?

He stood quite still and listen. Everything was silent. Suddenly there was not a sound at all.

That made Gary even more nervous.

He turned on the phone torch and swung the light in an arc.

He saw nothing. He took a breath and told himself to settle down. Stephen would be here shortly. would he turn off the torch? Yes – he was fine. It was just his imagination.

Just as he saw the lights of a car come around the bend in the distance, he felt a wind pass his ear, and he shuddered.

Immediately, he flicked on the torch. On the gate post in front of him sat an owl, eyes large and unblinking.

Damn! Those birds flew so silently, he wondered if that was the reason all the other night noises had stopped. Had they sensed the presence of the owl and gone to ground – out of the way of the predator’s talons? He turned back to the road as the car slowed down.

Stephen came to a halt in front of Gary.

“Sorry, mate,” he ducked his head to look through the passenger side window. “Hop in.”

Gary turned and looked at the post. The owl was gone.

“No worries, Mate,” he said as he opened the car door and folded himself into the seat. “You weren’t long. I didn’t mind waiting at all.”

(* In Australia, the long paddock is the area by the side of the road that belongs to the council/government before your own property starts at the fence line. Often, in a drought, farm animals are tethered along this area.)

***

I hope you enjoyed the previous little bit of flash fiction. As my blog is called Read, Eat and Dream, each month I will include a short story, a recipe and a dream. One of the dreams of many of us is travel – to places exotic and exciting. Of course, over the last two years this has been an impossibility. So, perhaps we can only travel these days through the Images on T.V. or on the Internet. For many of us, it has become a fantasy – as the risk of travel seems to outweigh the actually enjoyment. Staying at home, as also meant we have hopefully had the time to kick back and relax and do some reading. Maybe the parents have also had time to read with their youngsters, or given their primary age children books to improve their reading.

Here are a couple of my books that might fit your children’s likes. They are AU$18 each. If you add postage for your particular destination, and send me an email ( maureenlarter@gmail.com ) with your address, I can organize to send you whatever you like the look of.

My facebook pages are:

https://www.facebook.com/BooksByMaureenLarter

https://www.facebook.com/AlphabetanimalsofAustralia

https://www.facebook.com/Sweetfields-Publisher

Linkedin : MLarter

Instagram : lartermaureen

Twitter : @MaureenLarter

Rain, Enjoy and Dance.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Aaaah! A New Year!

Let’s hope it is better than the last couple! I don’t know about other people, but I think it is time we got down to ‘living’ again. We seem to have had one disaster after another – from bush-fires, floods, disease, volcanoes erupting … you mention it, we’ve had it. I also realize these things have been with us forever, and the human race is still here and with more of us than in any other time in history. Let’s put everything back into some sort of perspective without the media channeling fear, drama and over-exaggeration. Only last month I listened to a news report that used the word ‘scare’ several time – no wonder people are brain washed into worry!

With that in mind, the following short story is inspired by a child-like innocence that we need to tap into and re-discover.

The Puddle.

Emily kicked at the puddle and watched the muddy water trickle over the toe of her yellow rubber boots.  There was a certain satisfaction of fracturing the reflection that had been caught in the mirror of the water.

She bent down and stuck her hands in the mud, feeling it ooze delightfully through her fingers. Mummy wouldn’t be happy – she had got mud on her dress. She flung it off and sat down in the puddle. It was not cold.

This summer had been a wet and hot one. The paddocks were green and the rain constant. It was so much fun and she often danced in the cooling showers. At night she would lay in bed and listen to the frogs calling to one another. There was a small frog living in the down-pipe near her room, and it’s voice boomed out into the darkness. At first she had been frightened, thinking it was huge, but one day she saw it – all of five centimetres long! So cute.

Now she sat and enjoyed the sensation of mud in her knickers, and coolness against her skin.

Over the rustling of the gum tree leaves above, she heard her name called. She closed her eyes and stayed for a few minutes more, appreciating the joy of being at one with nature. but the call from her mother grew louder and more insistent.

“I’m here,” she murmured, as she stood up and let the mud and water run down to her bqare feet. She stepped over to the pile of her sodden dress that she had draped over her boots, and wandered back in the direction of the now frantic calls.

When her mother caught sight of her, she rushed over and clasped Emily, mud and dripping water and all.

“Why didn’t you answer me?” she asked her daughter.

“I’m okay,” Emily looked puzzled. “I was just enjoying the moment.”

Her mother smiled. Oh! if she could only do the same!

Recipe – Maureen’s Scrumptious Boston Bun.

Ingredients : 1 and a half cups of mashed potato; 2 cups SR flour; Three quarters of a cup granulated sugar; 1 tspn salt; 1 cup milk; 1 and a half cups of sultanas or mixed fruit.

  1. Preheat oven to 180-200C
  2. Place mashed potatoes in a bowl and add sugar. Mix well
  3. Add fruit and mix.
  4. Sift flour and salt together and add to poato mixture alternately with milk.
  5. Place in two greased loaf tins, or one greased large cake tin.
  6. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven, cool slightly then ice while still warm.
  8. (Icing – 1 cup icing sugar; 1 tspn vanilla essence; 1 to 2 tblspns Lemon juice or water or a mixture of both: 2 to 3 drops of food colouring if desired). Mix these ingredients to a stiff consistency and spread over bun.
  9. Cut into slices and serve If desired, it may be spread with butter.
  10. Serves 6 to 8 people.

Please try the above recipe, and enjoy!

Now that the new year has arrived, perhaps you are thinking to change your life-style. If your dream is to make more money and be financially more stable, it night be the time to start a new sideline or business. The booklet below is available from me for AU$8. It could be the thing to start you off. Be aware, some of the rules are for Australia – so check with your local country representatives if you start a business.I will send anywhere in the world, so if you are interested or would like a catalogue of my other books, just email me at maureenlarter@gmail.com and I can get a copy to you.

A guide to getting you started in business. Available for AU$8 straight from me.

If you want to check me out, or look at my credentials – these are my social media contacts:-

My facebook pages are:

https://www.facebook.com/BooksByMaureenLarter

https://www.facebook.com/AlphabetanimalsofAustralia

https://www.facebook.com/Sweetfields-Publisher

Linkedin : MLarter

Twitter : @MaureenLarter

Instagram : lartermaureen

Red, Entertaining and Drinking

Posted on by mjlarter2

December is once more with us – the American festivals of Halloween and Thanksgiving now behind us. Hopefully, this year, with the restrictions forced on us by the pandemic, we will be able to see an easing of the rules and we will enjoy a family get-together. In Christian countries, we look forward to a joyful Christmas and then a fresh and happy new year, when, if we are lucky, we will enjoy a year of wonder and excitement, love and merriment and, for some, the ability to start towards a dream of their own.

Needless to say, as the year draws to a close and another begins, we will all have seen our share of sorrow, disappointment and even tragedy. But this month we should look forward, not back. Remember the bad times, by all means, but learn from them and strive for something better in the future.

Next year my blog will consist of a nice recipe, (For the eat part of my blog), a short story to read, and a dream to hold and try to pursue. After all, my blog is called ReadEatDream! I will continue to use the R.E.D. titles.

I hope you have enjoyed the art work I have presented throughout this year, and the short stories they have inspired. This story, for the festive season, is inspired by my friend, Annie Gabriel’s painting. She has also illustrated many of my children’s books.

Double shot 25 x 30 -$65

There was laughter around the table as Judy lifted her glass and said “Some more please!”

Judy wasn’t known for drinking, but it was Christmas, and she had let her defenses down. Besides, after a year of feeling sorry for herself, the new year was coming, and it was a perfect time to make a fresh start.

Judy knew that her smile and her conversation hid a mountain of heartbreak. Her Mother had passed away during May, and she had felt so helpless as she had watched the life drained out of her. Cancer was such a horrible disease. Then her father had succumbed to a broken heart in September – he just couldn’t face a life without his wife.

To make matters worse, Judy had lost her job and her long-term boyfriend all in the same month as well. Dennis had said that he couldn’t cope with her depression, her constant tears and the way she had pushed him away in her grief. The fact that she had had so much time off at work caused the boss to suggest she take a long look at herself, take an extended holiday, and look for another job.

The party noise lifted to the next level and Judy sipped at the red wine, not particularly enjoying the taste. Entertaining and being entertained wasn’t within her comfort zone.

But she tried.

But Judy was amazed. Although she hadn’t forgotten, and never would, the traumas of the past year, she discovered that she could move on. She could be happy. She could enjoy life. That it wasn’t a betrayal of all that had gone before, but a celebration of her parents, a celebration of her life.

She knew that there would still be hard times ahead, but she decided as she smiled and raised her glass to the joy of the Christmas season, that she would learn to live again.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. A male voice interrupted her thoughts.

“You have such a nice smile.”

***

My chapter books for middle school children often have the theme of not giving up in them. For example ‘Petey’ tells of a bird left alone by jealous siblings having pushed him out of the nest. The environment is hostile, yet he has the will to survive.

Even my fantasy series about a wizard, Rosferado, tells of the re-education and hope of a bright future – more so in the 2nd book of the series – ‘Rosferado, wizard – Banished.’

These are available for $18AU plus postage – feel free to give me a message with your details so I know where to send it.

Roving, Electricity and Devastation.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Over the last two years, life on our planet has suffered. We have had our lives turned upside-down in nearly every country in the world. Here in Australia we have coped with drought, devastation from fires, then floods, then the pandemic, which included border closures and business lock-downs. After beginning to rise from these catastrophes, we were hit once again by floods throughout the eastern seaboard. Electricity, Internet and mobile phone services were curtailed and supplies in the shops almost non-existent. Overseas travel just not available. Roving reporters went from place to place reporting on the destruction.

Elsewhere in the world, deaths from the Corona virus were horrific, and then some suffered with erupting volcanoes, political upheaval and even landslides and earthquakes. Life certainly hasn’t been easy.

But humans continue to survive. Rally against what is thrown at them, and still live with hope. The story that follows, inspired by the water colour painting by Lynnetta McGrath, is to show us, that whatever happens, tomorrow is another day. That life can flourish against adversity, and there is never a time when giving-up should be the way out.

Miniature – by Lynnetta McGrath.

The silhouette of the palm tress in the dying moments of the day reminded Felicity of the fires. She bowed her head and tears began to prickle her eyes. She had lost it all – her home, her family and her memories – all gone in an instant by a roaring monster of unbelievable heat. She wished Dan and the kids hadn’t decided to stay.

She sat quietly on her deckchair in the park and watched the sun disappear below the horizon, the tears finally tracking down her cheeks, the mozzies* enjoying a feast on her bare arms, and the sound of the music in the distance not penetrating her hearing.

How could she be in such a lovely spot, when her reasons for being had gone, her family burnt and her home left as a smoldering ruin? Now, not only was she in northern Queensland because her grief councillor had told her to move away to clear her head and come to some sort of acceptance of her situation, but now she couldn’t go home – the border to N.S.W. and her parents property had been slammed shut.

She took another gulp of the rum drink in her right hand.

A young girl wandered past and smiled shyly at Felicity. Felicity smiled back, though it was a bit difficult. The girl came towards her.

“You look sad,” the young girl commented.

“Yes,” Felicity whispered.

The little girl came towards her and placed a warm hand on her arm, batting away a mozzie Felicity hadn’t even known was there.

‘I was sad, too,” the little girl said. “My Daddy passed away last year, and then I found out I had cancer. Mu Mummy looked just like you do now.”

Felicity nodded.

“But then I fought and fought, and my Mummy had to help me. Now I am better, and I enjoy every day, and so does Mummy,” The little girl smiled as a woman came up to Felicity.

“I hope Gail isn’t bothering you,” she said.

Felicity shook her head.

“No – It was just the message I needed to hear,” Felicity took a deep breath and smiled.

And so began a wonderful friendship, and the glimmer of hope that was able to grow.

…

My children’s books offer hope, and friendship. If you have little ones, it is always a good idea to teach those qualities early in life. Most of my books are either chapter books or picture books. They sell for $18 AU and added postage if you are outside of Australia. I try to teach a lesson in all my book, and often talk about endangered animals as well as giving teachers ideas for projects in the back of my picture books.

A chapter book about a lost black bird in a hostile environment. Another bird finds him, they become friends and Petey survives.
Two bees show consideration for all the hard work the Queen bee does and throws her a party.
A lonely Galah that looks for a friend and then finds his family again.

Refresh, Energize and Diverge.

Posted on by mjlarter2

2020 has been a difficult year and I must apologize for neglecting my blog. We have all suffered, from drought, fires, floods and Covid, and I have been busy, at home during lock-down, writing and published more of my own and other author’s books. All the books are available from me – so please message me if anything looks interesting to you. The following is only a small sample (page two has my catalogue on it).

On a completely different tangent, I’ve also learned to knit with 4 needles and have made myself 4 pairs of socks for next winter.

Now I feel it’s time to refresh, energize and renew my blog … diverge into a different style – give my readers some of my writing with short stories inspired by various artist’s work.

So … enough of my waffling! Please remember, if you are interested in any of the books or paintings featured in my blog, please follow the links ( https://www.facebook.com/BooksByMaureenLarter ), ( https://www.facebook.com/AlphabetanimalsofAustralia ), ( https://www.facebook.com/Sweetfields-Publisher ), or Direct Message me. Thank you.

This is the first of twelve paintings that have inspired me to write a short story. Don’t forget to follow the links to more of this artist’s works. This painting is by Mykel. If you would like to see more of his work pop over to his Instagram account – https://www.instagram.com/kwhyette

Waterdragon

Serpents.

Lucius stepped back and checked the floor again. One more tile and a polish, and the design would be finished.

He squatted down and placed the last of the lapis-lazuli tiles in position, then relaxed back on his heels and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was very happy with the work, the centre-piece of the lavish courtyard in this lush holiday villa. He was looking forward to doing his next job for Marcus Flavius.

That next job included a vicious, snarling dog. It was to be laid in the entrance foyer as a warning to unwanted guests.

Lucius smiled. Marcus Flavius had been so impressed by his designs, he had freed Lucius from the bonds of slavery and was in the process of gaining the necessary Roman citizenship for him. He would do a mosaic worthy of his own elevation, and to do his ex-master proud.

Only a couple of weeks later, the dog was nearly finished. Lucius’s Roman citizenship had come through and he was about to set up his own business in the main city centre. He could see a bright future ahead of him.

There was a rumble beneath his feet. What was happening. He got up off the floor and ran. There had been only a few tiles left to place.

***

The drone that belonged to Arthur swept over the next part of the archaeological site. It’s infrared cameras sent back to the computer a rough outline of a large villa.

Arthur had already begun the dig.

He was excited.

They could see the beginnings of a mosaic, undamaged by the layers of ash that Vesuvius had spewed over the town. Slowly a head of a large black and tan dog appeared – it’s mouth open in a growl and it’s fangs large and menacing. What a magnificent work of art. The owner of the villa must have been wealthy to have been able to hire such wonderful craftsmen.

Arthur turned to his partner.

“Such a pity this was never finished.” he remarked “But I wonder what other treasures we will find within this villa’s walls?”

Rain, Elusive and Daytime

Posted on by mjlarter2

Here in the Mid North Coast of Australia, we are in the last month of winter. So far, there has been so little rain that I’m hoping my cows, goats and chickens on my property aren’t going to become extinct!!

The ground is like concrete and the grass is dying – in fact quite a lot of it has completely died. I am feeding my poor animals every day, and the cost of stock food continues to rise, as it becomes more and more scarce.

I really have tried to ‘drought-proof’ my land, but it isn’t easy. Although, I remember when I first moved here, nearly twenty years ago, the ground was empty of vegetation – it was just dust. So I haven’t done too badly, I suppose.

ISBN – 978-0-9876393-9-4 Contact me if you would like a hard copy.

Another thing that has been going well is the breeding, in China, of the fabulous Giant Pandas. They were considered close to endangered and now seem to have been brought back from the brink. I wrote a book – called ‘In Search of the Elusive Panda’ (a chapter book for children) and in my research was pleasantly surprised by the work that is going on in the field. This book is a ‘Kathy Edwards’ adventure, and I have decided to use that type of theme for my other books in the series. The next book in the series (now half written) concerns the sea-dragons off the Tasmanian Giant Kelp fields. And to be quite honesty – I’ve already planned out another 2 books with endangered turtles in one and a more general ‘rain-forest destruction’ in another.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there just isn’t enough daytime hours for me to do everything I would like to do. but I still persevere. There isn’t any point in joining ‘protest’ marches about climate change, the destruction of our environment and the wholesale extinction of so many of the world’s creatures, if I don’t actually do something about those problems. I’m hoping my books will educate the younger generation. The previous generations certainly didn’t have any idea what their practices were doing to our planet. I also have my doubts that today’s politicians care either. Their hip pocket seems to be the only thing that drives them. Let’s hope that will change radically in the future. (Although – having said that – if the dinosaurs hadn’t become extinct – we’d still be knee deep in them! – perhaps we should be thankful for that!!)