On 14th May 1908, The Franco British Exhibition opened in White City. People travelled across the globe to attend the various exhibits and pavilions.
This first picture fits in nicely with my A-Z Challenge theme of Australia and you can read the other posts here via this tag line
On 24th May 1907 The Queen’s Memorial statue was unveiled in Melbourne. The pillars representing, Australia, Canada, India and South Africa.
This next postcard is from Southend in Essex and shows Empire Day which was celebrated across the “Empire” on 24th May. This is from 1905, the year it was first introduced. In 1958 Empire Day changed to Commonwealth Day and whilst is formally celebrated in parts of the Commonwealth it is not here in the UK, although the Queen attends a ceremony at Westminster Abbey
On 28th April, 1796 Amelia Simmons’ cookbook, American Cookery was published.
It was the first cookbook by an American author.
You can read and download a PDF version of the book.
The book can be viewed as a success as it was printed, reprinted and even pirated. Have a look at Lucy Emerson’s New England Cookery Book 1808, which is essentially Simmons’ book with a different cover!
While have a look on the website that hosts this PDF version I came across The Historic American Cookbook Project which sounds really interesting. On reading further it is a collection of heritage cookbooks and contains images of heritage cooking utensils and objects held by The Michigan State University Museum. There is a detailed essay of how the project started HERE and it also contains full details of the books within the archive and links to them.
This is a fabulous site and I am so pleased I stumbled across it.
Taking part in Weekend Cooking, hosted by BethFishReads
Welcome to Desiree Finkbeiner, as today we are taking part in the Morning Star (Book 1 in the Ethos Series) Book Tour. Congratulations on the publication of Morning Star.
About the Author:
Desiree Finkbeiner attained a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Missouri Southern State University (2006) with a heavy background in business, marketing, music and fine art– She was heavily involved in campus affairs and served actively in several committees focusing on campus entertainment and events.
She performed with musical acts/bands in rock and electronic genres, released seven studio albums, performed in 11 states and has written hundreds of songs. Her band, Carbon Star, was a finalist for VH1’s “Bands on the Run” reality TV show in 2000. Then she performed with Pointy Teeth until finally leaving the music industry for the quiet life.
She had a scholarship for acting in college though she was not a theater major. Although she no longer performs or focuses on musical/performing arts, she has chosen to shift her talents to other areas that are more conducive to raising a family.
Continuing education is a constant adventure for Desiree with topics of interest ranging from civil and corporate law, history, political conspiracy, homeopathic medicine and spiritual healing. She prefers to read non-fiction, especially on topics that educate and broaden her perspectives on controversial issues.
With thousands of completed art works in her archives, most of which appear in private collections worldwide, Desiree hopes to focus more on publishing, marketing and licensing her work so she can leave a legacy behind.
Interview:
Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration comes from so many sources, but I mostly rely on God to plant the story in my mind. I believe the source of all good things comes from a higher power, so why not rely on that source to inspire? If relied on my own understanding to try and write a book, it would be a total flop. But if I allow myself to be a conduit through which God can speak, I know I will always be able to write something worth reading.
Do you have any other projects in the works?
In addition to completing the Ethos series, I’m working on art for the special edition print version of the book. It will be a half-graphic novel of sorts. I’m also working on a steampunk YA series set for release next year. There is also an audio book in production for Ethos.
How do you deal with rejection letters?
Very well, I have a pretty thick skin. I was especially thankful for publishers that were nice enough to give me some feedback as to why they rejected my work. Constructive criticism is an opportunity to improve, and I have taken to heart every comment that has helped me become a better writer.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?
In a series with a complex plot like Ethos, sometimes it can be a challenge keeping my fictional ‘facts’ straight. There have been times I had to rewrite entire chapters when I make a mistake in the plot or a character mistakenly reveals something too early in the story for it to be effective. Since the Ethos series is written in first person, I don’t have the luxury of simple narration. Every fact that comes to light has to be introduced to the reader through the characters. So my character development is vital for the story to come together.
Are you attending the Book Blogger Convention (aka Bea Bloggers) and/or Book Expo America in New York City in June? If not, will you participate in the online event called Armchair BEA?
Sadly, I won’t be attending the Book Blogger Convention, I would love to, but I am not in the US, so this would be an international trip and cause chaos to my domestics! I will make it one year.
I will be taking part in the Armchair BEA. I did last year, but didn’t manage to contribute as much as I would have liked to, as there was a date clash with a professional conference. The dates this this year’s BEA is 4-8 June 2012.
Y is for…… Yothu Yindi I first heard Yothu Yindi at a concert in Sydney back in 1991. A remarkable mix of modern music and the continual embracing of indigenous music. One of their most popular songs is Treaty.
When I returned to the UK in 1992, I was on a tube heading across London and saw an advertisement for Yothu Yindi who were on a tour of the US and Western Europe driven by the success of the album that Treaty was on, called Tribal Voice. As luck would have it, I managed to get tickets and saw them again.
Since those early days I have replaced my tape collection, although I still have them with CDs of their music and now have them on my iPhone for continual enjoyment! You can read about the band’s success HERE
On 25th April, New Zealanders and Australians celebrated ANZAC Day and in keeping with remembering that day, which ties in nicely with the A-Z Challenge I have kept to the theme of Australia. You can read the A-Z challenge posts via this tag line and read my ANZAC Day post HERE.
The last two postcards were published by The Limbless Soldiers Association in New South Wales
X is for…… Now, X is always troublesome and I pondered for several weeks before I made this discovery in my stamp collection. The very moment I saw it, I knew that I could use this, thinking outside the box!
The stamp was released in 1957 and is to commemorate the work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. The organisation literally flies aXcross the Country providing a wonderful service.
W is for…… Worship In 2005 I registered the surname of Worship with the Guild of One Name Studies. The name was the that of my husband’s late Grandmother. The surname is an interesting one and searching using any search facility produces, understandably many, many results relating to religion and churches. My husband’s Worship ancestors came from Huntingdonshire before moving to Yorkshire. Within the confines of the study I seek to record all representations of the surname across the Globe. I have located a few in Australia, and in view of the fact that yesterday was ANZAC Day it seems fitting to talk about the military record I found for Harry Worship. Harry, as far as I know, does not fit into my husband’s ancestry. So the details that I have pursued are limited and purely for the benefit of the one name study.
This first page of Harry’s enlistment papers has his place of birth listed as 7 Oaks, which is actually Sevenoaks in Kent. There is a familiar feel to it, perhaps the person who completed the form knew of the area or simply had written it before. Harry is 43 years old and is single. He names his next of kin as Clara Worship who is his sister. Having joined up in September 1914 he served three years before being discharged to due Rheumatics and being overage. His service record reveals that he was often reprimanded, for insulting behaviour, drunkenness and being absent without leave and I think that this reflects the hardships that the troops were ill prepared for.
Julie Goucher ~ Anglers Rest 