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23 Minutes to go…

December 24, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

It will be Christmas Day in Australia in 23 minutes…

We’re busy making stuffing and preparing the turkey to cook at 8am, getting veggies ready as much as I can before cooking in the morning and still wrapping pressies!

The trifle has it’s first layer of sponge finger biscuits, fruit and orange jelly, lime jelly tomorrow topped with custard and freshly whipped cream covered in chocolate Flakes and cherries.

May you have a lovely festive time with family and friends and all the very best for 2015.

#Merry Christmas #Happy New Year!

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Dear Dad ….. Giving a Thank You Letter as a Christmas Present to an Elderly Parent

December 22, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

This is such a tender idea…

SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland

In 2003, when my father was 84 and in good health, I decided to give him the gift of a ‘thank you’ letter for Christmas. Interestingly, I can’t remember if I gave him anything else to supplement it but I know for sure that the letter meant the world to him then and means a huge amount to me now.

It was a five page letter, written by hand with a fountain pen, and started like this:

DearDad,
This may seem like an odd Christmas present but I want to remind you of all the really ‘fatherly’ things you have done for me since I was born.

It covered happy times growing up and moved on to his involvement in my education:

Another aspect of life was the academic; your willingness to pay for me all those years in Trinity. The PhD was the outcome for me – …

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4 Sleeps ’til Christmas

December 21, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

The party’s over… and

judging by the sound levels

as everyone arrived at once,

they were all in the mood

to catch up on family news

since last year and indulge.

My grandies sang carols,

waved sparklers as the sun set

and sat at a special kids table

for all the littlest guests.

I tried to freeze-frame certain

moments between cousins,

brothers and sisters and dads,

for future reference. Noted

changed shapes and faces, hair

colours and sparkly shoes.

Loved every moment, surrounded

by those I hug as often as I can,

now the party’s over, I can sew…

finish those last minute pressies.

And the tree survived little hands!

Only 4 sleeps before Christmas Day.

@FrancesMForde #FrancesMacForde #4Sleeps’tilChristmas #Christmas

Posted in Christmas, Writing | Tagged 4Sleeps'tilChristmas, @FrancesMForde, Christmas, FrancesMacaulayForde, FrancesMacForde | 2 Comments »

5 sleeps ’til Christmas

December 20, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

A friend shared

some food art, so

we incorporated

built enthusiasm

for the family BBQ.

Until the carols

I was too busy

feeding guests

to notice them

not here to share

~ to sing with joy.

Then I saw

the faces of Ryder

and Tais light up

watching their Dad

play guitar and sing.

And I smiled.

#FrancesMacForde @FrancesMForde #5Sleeps’tilChristmas

Posted in Christmas, Writing | Tagged 5Sleeps'tilChristmas, @FrancesMForde, FrancesMacaulayForde, FrancesMacForde | Leave a Comment »

6 sleeps ’til Christmas

December 19, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

Last year’s tree

looked so forlorn,

standing neatly,

a few pressies,

lights off.

No mess with

the stress, less

because grand-kids

away in another country.

No reason for Santa…

#FrancesMacForde @FrancesMForde #6SleepsBeforeXmas

Posted in Christmas, Writing | Tagged 6Sleeps'tilChristmas, @FrancesMForde, Christmas, FrancesMacaulayForde, FrancesMacForde | Leave a Comment »

Art as the Spark: Orchid

December 18, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

Orchid

With a Naturists eye

Infinite care, such

considered placement

A fern fond here

A gum leaf there

Pink & yellow

Dried petals

Delicate veins

Like a wedding veil

Placed in the center

of our two-tiered cake

an orchid appears

A most exotic,

rare orchid

like me.

@FrancesMForde #ARTIST:JessicaMcCallum #CreativeConnections #ArtIsTheSpark #Romance #POEM:Orchid

Posted in Art as the Spark, Creative Connections, nature, Poetry, Romance, Writing | Tagged Artist: Jessica McCallum, Creative Connections, Frances Macaulay Forde, Orchids, POEM: Orchid | Leave a Comment »

Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin

December 17, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

“…like a dinner plate.”

Copy by Zach Jackson

In a hotel room awake

as dawn

drops

the moon

like a dinner plate

and,

from the slit

between the curtains

hazy mists of morning light

coast in,

like blood from a wound

underwater.

All the birds and sharks

have started

to sing.

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Poetry Postcard: Head Music

December 17, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

#FrancesMacaulayForde #PoetryPostcards #PP:HeadMusic #Poetry

Posted in Love, nature, Poetry, Poetry Postcards, Writing | Tagged FrancesMacaulayForde, poetry, PoetryPostcards, PP:HeadMusic | 4 Comments »

THE 2014 BOOKTOPIA BOOKS OF THE YEAR

December 15, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

Will have to trawl the bookshops, too late to order some of these on line for pressies…

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JULIE HEDLUND BUSTS MYTHS ABOUT AUTHOR PLATFORMS

December 15, 2014 by Frances Macaulay Forde

Words from the very wise…

Alayne Kay Christian

This month’s ALL ABOUT PLATFORM BUILDING guest blogger is the one and only Julie Hedlund. Thank you, Julie, for taking the time to share your thoughts on platform building.

Before I move on, I want to mention that registration for Julie’s 12 x 12 picture book writing challenge begins next month. If you don’t know about this wonderful writing community and challenge, it would be worthwhile to give the 12 x 12 page a look.

Now, here’s Julie. . . .

BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT AUTHOR PLATFORMS

BY Julie Hedlund

Thanks Alayne for hosting me today! I’m a big fan of your blog, so it’s an honor.

Never has a word inspired so much fear and angst into the heart of an author. Part of that fear, IMHO, is based on myths about platform that I want to bust for you today. My goal is that by the end of this…

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