Time to Make a Choice By Mary Cooper

Time; the hardest of all dimensions to come to terms with. It is limitless, yet defines our limits. It is invisible, yet we see it’s visible effects. We all know what it is, yet if asked to define it, we can’t. Even if we stand still, time continues to move forwards; it is relentless and when it has passed it is gone forever.

Time to Make a Choice.  By Mary Cooper

There is a theory that at the moment of the Big Bang, 14 billion years ago when our universe was blasted into existence, time was born and has been moving relentlessly forward ever since, but go back just one second before the Big Bang and bang goes that theory.

Time to Make a Choice.  By Mary Cooper 2

At the instant of our conception we are allotted our quota of time – of which we are ignorant. We let it slip away, till one day we have to face the fact that we have been constantly moving away from our beginning towards our end, and that time, as it always has, will continue without us.

Time to Make a Choice.  By Mary Cooper 3

I now have less time before me than I have behind me. My past is gone, seemingly, in the blink of an eye and even though there is plenty of time, it isn’t mine and I cannot access it.

I wonder, how should I spend the last of my time; this priceless commodity? At least in that I have some control – the choices are limitless …

Time to Make a Choice.  By Mary Cooper 4

 

 

Holiday Destination: Kerala, India by Pat Heath

Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath

Cycling in Kerala sounded fun. Yes, they mentioned mountains, but how hard could it be?

Day 1 was deceptively relaxing – a guided tour of Kochi and its history. Separated from the rest of India by mountains, Kochi was influenced mainly by foreign traders, attracted by the lucrative spice business. The apostle, Thomas, beat the Portuguese missionaries by several centuries, and Indian-style Christian churches alternate with Hindu temples and mosques, together with one beautiful old synogogue, maintained by just six Jews.

The cycling started gently, along quiet canals. The locals stopped washing their clothes in the waters to enquire just how old we were? And couldn’t we afford a car?

Then the first mountain appeared. It was beautiful (I think – I mostly stared at the road, with gritted teeth, resisting the call of the air-conditioned, leather-seated support vehicle ahead). But after hours of grunting and cursing, we arrived at a spice plantation, set on the mountain-side. After cakes, fruit juice, and a much-needed shower, the owner showed us around. Every spice we’d ever heard of – and some we hadn’t – were growing around us. Using smell and taste, we identified nutmeg and mace, ginger plants, cardamom pods, all spice, and cinnamon bark. The photograph shows Johann, an Austrian guest, testing peppercorns on the vine.

Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath 1

Our evening meal, naturally incorporated all these spices.

Next day – more climbing, but the rolling tea plantations were worth the shaking thighs. We paused (any excuse) to watch the tea-pickers cutting leaf tips into bags attached to their scissors.

Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath 3

Then we visited Tata tea factory (thankfully by car) to watch the tea process and buy fresh, high-quality tea.

On to the Periyar Rainforest. Wearing sackcloth overboots (for leech protection), we crossed the river, by standing on a narrow raft of thin branches.  Incredibly we reached the forest still on board. The native guide showed us monkeys, giant squirrels, numerous medicinal plants and even fresh tiger paw marks (no sign of the owner, fortunately).

Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath 4

Finally, it was downhill, literally, as we whizzed to the Backwaters. Rounding a corner, we braked to avoid flying into a huge lake – cartoon-style. The guides loaded our bikes, plus us, into a large canoe and we chugged to our waterside accommodation – a traditional farmhouse with luxurious, open-roofed bathrooms – a shower with a suntan.

Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath 5 Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath 6

More delicious Keralan food followed, with a chance to sample the local coconut toddy.

The Backwaters comprise hundreds of reclaimed islands, surrounded by lakes and canals. By hiring a houseboat, you can see life on the water – families fishing for their supper, school children travelling by canoe (see photograph) and local youths practising snake-boat racing.

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We were greeted with a coconut drink and banana fritters on our houseboat.

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After a peaceful night, rocked by the water, we enjoyed a typical South Indian breakfast, watching cormorants and sea snakes.

Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath 2

After disembarking, we cycled to the Alleppey beach, for camel rides.

Holiday Destination- Kerala, India  by Pat Heath 9

Would I recommend Kerala as a holiday destination? Absolutely.

Kalypso Adventures is a holiday company based in Kochi, Kerala. Their experienced and high-quality customer service works to give a wonderful holiday experience : http://www.kalypsoadventures.com

 

 

 

It Takes Two – The Idea Behind KISHBOO by Sharon Boothroyd

It was my husband Keith who had the idea of producing an e-magazine in the summer of 2014. He has pro web design experience and I had written all the text for his corporate client websites, so we were used to combining our skills and working together as a team.

We called our publishing brand Ryecorn Digital Publishing, after Ryecorn, the fictional Yorkshire town in my kindle chick- lit novella.
Keith designed all the unique graphics for the chapter headings and he also designed the book cover for me, too. I was really pleased with his design. The free android app version looked great too.

To keep costs down, we set up a free website to help promote it: www.ryecorn.orgfree.com

We had already enjoyed minor success with another online project of ours called ‘A quick read.’ This entailed uploading stories onto our website and onto the accompanying free android app.

We didn’t charge writers a fee for publication, and the website cost around £60 a year. Even though we were overwhelmed with work, as time passed, we couldn’t see how the project could develop, so sadly in 2014, after two years, we decided to close it down.

So – we had published online,on kindle and on the android app format. We both really warmed to the idea of publishing an e-mag on 3 digital platforms.

It Takes Two - The idea behind KISHBOO by Sharon Boothroyd


What could we call our magazine though? We thought of hundreds of names, but the domain names were all taken, so we hit upon the idea of blending our names to create something truly different. We really hoped that the name ‘KISHBOO‘ would stick in people’s memory.

It would be non- profit making project. We’d fund the competition prizes through the competition entry fees, and we now realised that we could use online advertising to help cover the cost of our website.

pic.KISH_2In August 2014, we were ready to launch the project! However, the actual magazine wasn’t published until October, as we needed stories and articles to fill it.

I began to send press releases out and my network of writer friends helped spread the word  for us via social media. Keith worked hard on search engine optimisation, and I began to tweet for the first time in my life.

I was worried that we would receive no articles at all because at the moment, we are unable to pay writers. However, we can offer them free promotion of their kindle books and blogs within their articles. I wasn’t even sure we would get anyone entering our competition. I needn’t have worried – the comp entries and articles began flooding in!

Back issues are easily available – here’s what the first KISHBOO looked like:

pic.KISH3Here’s the cover of the second issue, which was published in January 2015: pic.KISH4

We are now very working hard on our third issue, which will be published in April 2015. It’ll be packed with even more features.

Please visit: www.kishboo.co.uk
Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/kishboo.mag
Follow us on Twitter: @KishbooMag

 

 

Top Books: What To Read

thewhiterussian

Now in paperback, The White Russian by Vanora Bennett is a deeply romantic and escapist read. It is well-researched and is a book which gives hours of enjoyment.

From the author of Midnight in St Petersburg, a novel of love, art, music and family secrets set amongst the Russian émigré community of Paris in 1937.

Evie, a rebellious young American leaves New York in search of art and adventure in jazz-age Paris, where her grandmother lives. But on arrival, her grandmother’s sudden death leaves Evie compelled to carry out her dying wish: to find a man from her past called Zhenya.

The quest leads Evie deep into the heart of the Russian émigré community of Paris. With the world on the brink of war, she becomes embroiled in murder plots, conspiracies and illicit love affairs as White faces Red Russian and nothing is as it seems.

With Jean, a liberal Russian writer by her side, Evie finally seems to have found the passion and excitement she’s yearned for. But is she any nearer to discovering the identity of the mysterious Zhenya, or the heartbreak of her grandmother’s past?

kidsdon'tcomewithamanual

Kids Don’t Come With a Manual – The Essential Guide to a Happy Family Life is a brilliant all-round book which is easy to read and is based on hard evidence and the latest research. It offers a fresh perspective and practical tools. It is a brilliant parenting book which is easy to digest. A good, pragmatic and fun read.

Parenting is an important job, yet parents receive little to no training. Since most of our experience is based on our own upbringing, we can feel uncertain as to whether we are doing the right thing. To complicate things further, our partner is likely to have a different parenting style to ours. Drawing on their experience in early childhood education, as Parenting Coaches, and as parents, Carole and Nadim have helped thousands of parents with their programme of practical tools designed to empower parents to:

1. Deal with everyday parenting challenges without confrontation or anger;
2. Help children to become happy, fulfilled and self-reliant adults;
3. Maintain a strong and loving connection with children throughout their lives;
4. Agree on a balanced and more enjoyable approach to parenting

mistmaryfitzgerald

Mist By Mary Fitzgerald is an escapist, interesting and different read. Engaging and enjoyable. This is the second book from Mary Fitzgerald we have reviewed. Recommended.

A girl with no home, a house in need of love… A beautiful romance set in the breathtaking Welsh mountains

Lark has been wandering the country for many years, with no real place to call home. Until she meets Matthew Williams, a Canadian who has inherited a run-down hill farm in North Wales. Young and enthusiastic, Matthew has no knowledge of farming and no experience of living in the countryside.

Entranced by the beauty and wildness of the place, Lark agrees to help, and together they throw themselves into getting the farm back onto its feet.

Until a terrible accident brings Matthew’s father over from Canada, and suddenly none of their lives will be the same.

 

normalgraemecameronbookreview

 Normal By Graeme Cameron is compelling and unforgettable. There are some comparisons with TV serial killer Dexter in this book of a ‘normal’ and likeable serial killer. The book is good and is engaging enough to be read in one sitting. Different and well-written.

“Hypnotic and chilling — you won’t forget this in a hurry.” – Lee Child, Sunday Times #1 bestselling author
He lives on your street, in a nice house with a tidy garden.

He shops at your local supermarket. He drives beside you, waving to let you into the lane ahead of him.

He also has an elaborate cage in a secret basement under his garage.

The food he’s carefully shopping for is to feed a young woman he’s holding there against her will – one in a string of many, unaware of the fate that awaits her.

This is how it’s been for a long time. It’s normal…and it works. Perfectly.

But this time it’s different…

Dark, twisted and compelling, this is the most exciting and original thriller of the year

 

 What are you reading this month?

 

 

Bingham Hotel Restaurant Review

The Bingham hotel is tucked away in a great location next to the river Thames in Richmond. First impressions are very good, the staff are professional and the hotel is immaculate. Before we have our meal we go to the bar and order some cocktails.

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IMG_0977The Bingham is well known for its cocktails and its easy to see why. The barman is extremely skilled and rustles us up two delicious mocktails in front of us. (Catherine is pregnant hence the mocktails).  My mocktail is delightful, I’m tasting something unlike anything I’ve experienced before and I feel as if I’ve been transported to another part of the world.IMG_0707IMG_0993 The bar is a beautiful grand room, full of comfortable chairs, very high ceilings and views looking out over the Thames. It’s all real luxury. The main restaurant is similarly impressive and we have a table looking out over the river. Despite coming across as a luxury first class restaurant the atmosphere at the Bingham is relaxed – something which is very rare in these high end establishments in my experience. The room has a warm feel and the service is absolutely first class. The staff are all highly professional, knowledgeable, friendly but also not overly formal, which allows you to feel very comfortable. The style of the restaurant food is modern British.

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The Bingham is proud of its extensive wine list and rightfully so the wine we had was superb.

To start we have some delicious homemade bread – it’s amazing the difference good quality bread can make to a whole meal – it sets the tone.IMG_0712

Catherine started with Heritage Beetroot – chicory, horseradish ice cream £11.50
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An interesting savoury dish with lots of imagination. Catherine chose it because of the horesradish ice cream which is not something you see on the menu every day! The dish was extremely inventive and worked exceptionally well.

I have Quail with butternut squash, quinoa and tarragon £11.00 IMG_0716

As you can see from the picture the presentation is superb. The quail has been cooked beautifully. It’s crispy on the outside and juicy and tender in the middle, The butternut squash is perfectly smooth and has a delicious flavor. Together with the quail and texture provided by the quinoa this is a perfect starter.

For my main I have the sweet potato ravioli with goat’s cheese, spinach and toasted seeds £15.50

A picture tells a 1000 words

A picture tells a 1000 words

My ravioli is perfectly cooked and the combination of goat’s chess and spinach is a classic and delicious combination. It looked so good I was afraid to eat it.

Catherine has the beef with salt baked celeriac, caramerlised oniom, variegatedkale £25.00IMG_0997

The beef was extremely well cooked and the sauces and kale went perfectly together. It was a beautiful piece of meat.

For my dessert I have the Rhubarb Millefeuille which also comes with a Rhubarb sorbet, ganache and cream pattisserie. £8.00IMG_0721

I loved my millefeuille which went perfectly with the sorbet which was a great accompaniment. This was a very skilfully created and tasty pudding.

Catherine has the Banana Parfait with chocolate mouse, peanut ice cream and salted brittle £8.00

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Showstopper

Wow this looked incredible on the plate and tasted just as good. The combination of the different elements was simply divine.

The Bingham was a wonderful experience and we will definitely be returning in the near future. The setting next to the Thames is stunning. The interior and atmosphere were perfect, the food and drink was superb and the service was flawless.

http://www.thebingham.co.uk/

61 – 63 Petersham Road, Richmond Upon Thames, Surrey. TW10 6UT T: +44 (0) 20 8940 0902 Email: info@thebingham.co.uk

This Month’s Health & Beauty Picks

Here are our top health and beauty picks for this month.

Cawston Press Juice

cawstonepress

Three new juices from Cawston Press. Sweet Greens, Sunshine Blend and Radiant Roots. These are a delicious and unique fruit and vegetable blend. They taste great and are super healthy. They are free from added sugar, sweeteners, preservatives and colourings. What more could you want?

£2.99 from the chilled drinks cabinet in Tesco.com

Proactiv+

proactivreview

proactiv+

proactivbox+review

A classic for people with sensitive and spot-prone skin. It leaves the skin hydrated whilst reducing the appearance of spots and blemishes. Now new and improved from skincare experts Dr Katie Rodan and Dr Kathy Fields. It’s superior Smart Target Technology is specifically developed to deliver more salicylic acid straight to the pores, leaving skin fresh, healthy and spot-free. Ola Jordan and Nicole Scherzinger are fans. We have tested it and are very impressed with the results.

Eye of Horus Husk Brow Define
huskbrowdefinereyeofhorus

eyeofhorus brow definer

brow liner

Australian make-up brand Eye of Horus has just launched its own brow offering: the Brow Define. This is a brilliant brow definer. Slimline to make realistic strokes and it lasts. We were very impressed. Even better, the formula is enriched with Castor Oil, known for its hair growing properties. There is a handy brush on the other end to blend and it is long-lasting and smudge proof. It is also paraben-free. Win-win.

horus

£15 from beautybay.com

 

Biotrue ONEday Contact Lens
biotrueonedaylenses

New to the market is Biotrue ONEday, a premium disposable contact lens developed by Bausch + Lomb.

The Biotrue lens is made from HyperGel™, a new material which helps maintain eye health because it works like your eyes:

  • Matches the water content of the cornea
  • Allows optimal oxygen transmission
  • Mimics the protective lipid layer of the eye to eliminate friction and improve comfort

Biotrue ONEday is available from Asda.com and independent opticians.

 

 

 

How To Read Music: This Video Shows You How

National_Anthem_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran(SHEET_MUSIC)Ever aspired to be a musician? Are you musician who wants to be able to read music? Well, look no further. Those awesome people at TED-Education have a brilliant video from Tim Hansen on How To Read Music, and it is a lot easier than you think.

Like an actor’s script, a sheet of music instructs a musician on what to play (the pitch) and when to play it (the rhythm). Sheet music may look complicated, but once you’ve gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and clefs, you’re ready to rock. Tim Hansen hits the instrumental basics you need to read music.

 

 

APE|MEN – Zero | Music Profile

ape men zero music news profileBand/Artist: Ape Men (stylized APE|MEN)
Location: Industrialized world, South Eastern Fringe of the European Union
Styles: Indie, Indietronica, Alternative, Indie Pop
Similar to/RIYL: Kasabian, Nine Inch Nails, AWOLNATION, Beck, Panda Bear
CD: APE|MEN – ZERO (2015, debut EP)

Accolades: This outfit hasn’t gigged outside clubs, but is a trio formed from indie band Gravity co. which has over 18 top musical achievement awards in South Eastern Europe, has opened for the Prodigy, Fun Loving Criminals, Stereo MCs, Kosheen, and others and has played festivals at EXIT (Serbia), Sziget (Hungary), Eurosonic (Holland), Bestfest (Romania), Spirit of Burgas (Bulgaria), and others.

Members/Instruments: Bobby, Ivo, and Petar
Bobby Cheshirkov – Vocals, guitar
Ivo Chalakov – Guitar, vocals
Petar Samanliev – Computers & gadgets
Production:
Composed by Ivo Chalakov
Lyrics by Bobby Cheshirkov
Co-produced by Ivo Chalakov & Petar Samnaliev
Arranged by APE|MEN
Mixed by Petar Samanliev & Ivo Chalakov
Mastered by Plamen Yotov

Tracklisting:
1. Pictionary
2. Bye-Bye Devil
3. Up Is the New
4. Cash
5. Zero Pictionary

Bio:
Ape Men (APE|MEN) are an edgy indietronica trio from the post Iron Curtain fringes of the European Union formed in 2013. The band paint an urban soundscape with gritty scuzz guitars and moody lyrics over saturated synthesizers and thumping electo beats.

The band’s debut EP “ZERO” was released independently on Feb 19th, 2015. The EP is accompanied by a single and music video release for “CASH”. The video was directed by Ruscen Vidinliev.