Sherry Weaver Smith's Posts - The Wild Geese2024-03-29T06:52:50ZSherry Weaver Smithhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/SherryWeaverSmithhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/68535519?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/blog/feed?user=1bn4odv5b5ygm&xn_auth=no'Dancing to an Irish Reel': Novel Brings Connemara To Vivid Lifetag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-03-03:6442157:BlogPost:1848762016-03-03T18:00:00.000ZSherry Weaver Smithhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/SherryWeaverSmith
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84716610?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84716610?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200"></img></a> <strong><span class="font-size-5">W</span>hile reading <i>Dancing to an Irish Reel</i> by Claire Fullerton, I felt as if I had joined a dance myself</strong>, part of a song beyond the ordinary world I’d left behind. The setting, Connemara on the West Coast of Ireland, lives on every page—the coastal pathways, a midnight pier, a hillside graveyard.</p>
<p>Readers meet one of…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84716610?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84716610?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="200"/></a><strong><span class="font-size-5">W</span>hile reading <i>Dancing to an Irish Reel</i> by Claire Fullerton, I felt as if I had joined a dance myself</strong>, part of a song beyond the ordinary world I’d left behind. The setting, Connemara on the West Coast of Ireland, lives on every page—the coastal pathways, a midnight pier, a hillside graveyard.</p>
<p>Readers meet one of the main characters, Liam, early, but just like Hailey, the central character, keep wondering when we’ll see him again. Intrigued, I kept reading as a relationship developed. Although a few readers might prefer a more traditionally masculine Liam, not many would object to an Irish version of Heathcliff, who reads poetry and plays traditional music in darkened pubs. </p>
<p>At the same time, Hailey, an American with experience in the record business, takes on a role to build up a music center, fostering the careers of Irish musicians. This plot brings in fully realized supporting characters and rounds out the action. At first, I wished Liam had been more involved in the music center, but I’ve realized his absence let Hailey shine as the independent protagonist she truly is. There isn’t any feeling of a woman needing rescuing about her, and that fact is refreshing.</p>
<p>With the novel told from Hailey’s point of view, readers don’t know fully why Liam alternatively pursues her and then hesitates. Hailey’s independent and compassionate spirit and the realistic way Liam’s character is written make their love story suspenseful and unpredictable. </p>
<p>Within a novel that creates a full story for each character, Hailey, and readers, also learn about another culture -- the linguistic differences of English spoken in Ireland, the names common there, the sights and pubs of Galway, and rural traditions. I traveled via the written word, a gift given from such a well-thought-out work of literary fiction.</p>
<p>Buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Irish-Reel-Claire-Fullerton/dp/0990304256/" target="_blank">Dancing to an Irish Reel on Amazon</a>. </p>'The Wolf and the Shield': A Boy in 5th Century Irelandtag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-02-19:6442157:BlogPost:1838202016-02-19T23:00:00.000ZSherry Weaver Smithhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/SherryWeaverSmith
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84715941?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84715941?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a> <strong><span class="font-size-5">I</span>'m new to the Wild Geese flock so I thought I'd post about a few things</strong>. But the spirit of St. Patrick carries through all of them. </p>
<p><strong>The Wolf and the Shield: An Adventure with Saint Patrick</strong></p>
<p>For those of you who know children ages 8-12, you might be interested in my book,…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84715941?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/84715941?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a><strong><span class="font-size-5">I</span>'m new to the Wild Geese flock so I thought I'd post about a few things</strong>. But the spirit of St. Patrick carries through all of them. </p>
<p><strong>The Wolf and the Shield: An Adventure with Saint Patrick</strong></p>
<p>For those of you who know children ages 8-12, you might be interested in my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Shield-Adventure-Patrick-Friends/dp/0819883565/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455921158&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wolf+and+the+shield+st.+patrick" target="_blank">The Wolf and the Shield: An Adventure with Saint Patrick</a>, published on New Year's Day by Pauline Books and Media. </p>
<p><span>In the story, a boy in 5</span><sup>th </sup><span>century Ireland tries to care for an orphaned wolf pup while searching for a shield that's strong enough to protect everything -- and everyone -- he loves. Guided by St. Patrick, he finds the real answer to the question, “What does your heart hunt for?” It is the first book in the </span><em>Friends with the Saints </em>line aimed at ages 8-12, centering on typical, historical children, the same age as the reader, stepping out on exciting adventures guided by saints. </p>
<p>Brian McKee, an educator in Belfast, comments: "It reads at a good pace and the imagery is truly evocative and captures the Celtic atmosphere in a powerful manner. There is an eerie, haunting feeling to the story and this invites the young reader to step into a world of mystery and intrigue."</p>
<p><strong>St</strong>. <strong>Patrick's</strong> <strong>Day</strong> <strong>Activities</strong></p>
<p><span><span>But it hasn't been enough for us simply to read about St. Patrick in our family. We've been doing some fun craft and food activities, especially related to shamrocks. Check out my <a href="http://www.sherrysknowledgequest.com/saintpatrickactivity.htm" target="_blank">activity</a> page to:</span></span></p>
<p>* Create a shamrock prayer.<br/> * Find St. Patrick symbols in a word search.<br/> * Hike for redwood sorrel "shamrocks."<br/> * Turn Pillsbury bread dough into shamrock bread.</p>
<p><strong>See's</strong> <strong>Candies</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Patrick's</strong> <strong>Day</strong> <strong>Potato</strong></p>
<p><span><span>The most fun activity of all has been trying the See's Candies <em>St. Patrick's Day Potato</em>. Rush out and dig up this fascinating and realistic candy. Apparently, they soon disappear. When my daughter and I opened the box, we were amazed at the realism. The pine nut eyes looked as if they would sprout roots before our own eyes. My 'tween daughter couldn't stop laughing at the cocoa dirt. Beyond the sense of sight, texturally we felt that the candy imitated a boiled potato. It was the precise level of squishiness we expected. We recommend this food-disguise experience!</span></span></p>