A retired teacher and mother of three adult children, I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida with my soulmate, Robert. Leisure activities include discussing current events with Robert, watching movies, and playing Scrbble. Robert usually wins!
I also enjoy going to the beach and taking road trips with my daughters. One of our favorite pastimes is observing the wonderful wildlife that surrounds us.
I keep busy writing poetry, and I would be delighted if you visited my website!
Brazilian Pepper Tree, formerly known as Florida Holly. Photo by Ann Murray, University of Florida.
Christmas in Virginia
Poinsettias indoors.
Cardinals at the feeder.
Red holly berries.
Red bow on evergreen wreath.
Christmas time in Virginia!
Christmas in Florida
Poinsettias outdoors.
Red poison ivy, palm trees.
Red Bow on faux wreath.
“Florida Holly” berries.
Christmas time in Florida!
Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels.
A Little Chat with Santa
Q. I know you grew up in Virginia, Cheryl. Do you feel that Christmas is too hot in South Florida where you now live?
A. No, South Florida weather is lovely at Christmas, Santa.
Q. Why do you have a fake wreath on your door?
A. Real wreaths dry out and turn brown within a couple of days here. Fake ones last forever!
Q. Florida Holly Trees are so pretty! Why don’t you plant some in your yard?
A. Brazilian Pepper Tree, sometimes called “Florida Holly,” is an invasive alien species related to poison ivy. It is irritating to some people.
Q. Oh! Why do you even have such a plant in Florida?
A. Florida has outlawed Brazilian Pepper Trees, but birds eat the berries and spread seeds everywhere! Despite our best efforts, I think that tree is here to stay.
Q. Why don’t you have a bird feeder? Don’t you like birds anymore?
A. I love birds! But Florida birds can find their own food all year long.
Q. Don’t you ever wish for a white Christmas? Snow is so beautiful!
A. No! I enjoyed snow when I was younger, but it got old scraping the windshield. I am glad we don’t have snow here. I wear flip flops and shorts every day. No need to bring me any mittens, Santa!
Q. Don’t you ever miss Virginia?
A. Sometimes…although I have lived in Florida for thirty years.
Q. Thank you for taking time to chat with us today, Cheryl. Merry Christmas!
A. My pleasure, Santa. Merry Christmas to you! I am sorry we don’t have a chimney, but I will leave you a key in the poinsettia pot by the door.
Adapted from the traditional children’s song, “Old McDonald Had a Farm.”
Photos by Ellen, Katey and friends.
With a neigh, neigh here…
and an oink, oink there…
Here a mew, there a mew…
Everywhere a mew, mew!
Katey and Ellen visited a ranch. E-I-E-I-OOO!
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, my daughters from Texas and I visited Zoo Tampa and had a wonderful time. On Wednesday, they visited the ranch of some of their friends in nearby Arcadia. I stayed home to rest and prepare for Thanksgiving dinner the next day.
I love the photos Katey and Ellen shared from that trip. Katey and Ellen love horses and volunteer at a ranch in Texas that uses horse riding therapy for disabled children. The pig in the pictures is a rescued wild pig. Cats and kittens on the ranch are very affectionate. One in particular seemed to want to go back to Texas with Katey. They also fed peanuts to a friendly squirrel!
After a quiet Thanksgiving and a dinner of ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, and ice cream, we rested up for a boat tour and dinner overlooking the bay in Punta Gorda on Friday. Robert was supposed to go with us, but the weather was a little cool and windy. On Saturday, we took a water taxi to an island restaurant, then had decadent deserts in Boca Grande. The girls went for a swim at the beach near the lighthouse.
Katey Batavia, Ellen Maher, Cheryl Batavia on the water taxi.
I have been under the weather, so we didn’t take the road trip we had planned, just some day trips nearby. Allergies and a sinus infection, followed by 24/7 migraine headaches for several months have slowed me down. I recently had an MRI, which ruled out the most serious possible causes of the migraines. A neurologist’s visit is scheduled for March to follow up. Meanwhile, a prescription for migraines from my family doctor should ease my pain. Hopefully, next year, my daughters and I will take our usual road trip.
Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights that commemorates the rededication of the second temple. There was enough oil in the temple lamps to burn for only one night, but miraculously, it burned for eight nights. “A great miracle happened here!” is the message conveyed by the Hebrew letters on the dreidel. A dreidel is a top that is spun in a traditional gambling game. Our children and their grandma played for pennies.
Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights. At sundown, the Hanukkah menorah is lit. One candle is lit on the first night. Another candle is added each night until, on the eighth night, all eight candles burn. Children receive a present on each night of Hanukkah.
A traditional Hanukkah food, latkes are grated potato pancakes fried in oil often served with applesauce and sour cream. The oil symbolizes the oil that burned for eight nights in the temple lamps. Hanukkah gelt is chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. Our family also enjoyed chopped liver on matzos (similar to crackers) and matzo ball soup at Hanukkah.
When my daughters visited from Texas recently, one of our excursions was to Zoo Tampa, rated the number five Zoo in the US. We participated in a “Feed the Rhino” experience and learned about how Zoo Tampa’s breeding program is helping to prevent extinction of the Indian Rhino. The “Feed the Rhino” animal encounter and photo purchases also raise money to support this program. Katey Batavia, Ellen Maher, and Cheryl Batavia.
Cheryl feeding collard greens to a young Indian Rhino. Notice the prehensile lips and short horn that distinguish Indian rhinos from African rhinos.
We enjoyed a ride on the old-fashioned carousel. Katey posed on a carousel animal.
On “safari” through the African animal enclousure, we relaxed on a tram riding past elephants, giraffes, storks, and painted dogs.
West Indian Manatee entering the viewing area. We also saw a beautiful manatee mother and calf in the aquarium/reptile exhibit. Zoo Tampa has a manatee rescue program for manatees injured by boat propellors. In spite of boating laws to protect them, some accidents still occur.
American flamingos wowed us in the Florida native animal area. They now live in the wild in Everglades National Park after a hundred-year absence from Florida in the wild. They unexpectedly reappeared about twenty years ago. There is speculation that they came from South America. Photo by Karolina Bobeck from Unsplash.
Endangered Florida panthers are featured in the Florida exhibit. Florida panthers are being bred in captivity and are rarely seen in the wild. Bobcats, also featured in the exhibit, have adapted to living near people and are a common sight in suburban Florida neighborhoods.
A sun bear was a delight to watch as he played with a toy that dispensed a snack.
Afternoon meeting on the primate island.
Ellen and Katey. Photo by Cheryl.
Heading home from Tampa. Sunset from the St. Petersburg Skyway Bridge. Photo by Katey Batavia.
We had a great time at Zoo Tampa! Rhino photos by zoo photographer, other uncredited photos by Ellen and Katey.
Cheryl and daughter Katey at the Miami Book Fair five years ago
I found these photos today and thought people might enjoy them.
Downtown Miami, night-time view from our hotel room. The two glowing buildings in the center are the beautiful concert hall and opera house. We attended the groundbreaking ceremonies for these two lovely buildings when we lived in Miami Beach. I later attended some concerts there.
The law firm where my late husband practiced law was located in the Intercontinental building on the left. The sculpture in front of that building is a monument to the Challenger Crew who died in a space mission accident. The tile we bought in support of the monument is still there.
Katey on the white marble slide near Bayside where she used to play as a child. She would slide over and over again until her face was flushed, and we made her take a rest. It looks as if a lot of children have loved it since then!
Katey met a new friend, “Clifford, the Big Red Dog,” at the Miami Book Fair. Katey and her brother had named our dog “Clifford” after him when they were very young.
Cheryl and Katey Batavia at the Miami Book Fair. The Hanging Out with Wild Animals books were on exhibit there.
House in Miami Beach where our family lived for seven years when our children were young.
The Miami Book Fair is one of the oldest and largest in the US. My book, Earthly Days, will be exhibited there by my publisher, Main Spring Books. If you get a chance to attend, say hello for me to my advisor, Chris (Christopher Hernandez) at the Main Spring Books booth.
Bayside is across the street from the book fair. It is a great place to eat with views of the water or walk along the waterfront to do a little shopping.
You may also soon see posts on social media about Earthly Days.
Thank you to my fellow bloggers for their ongoing support. I do not yet have very many reviews on Amazon. If anyone would like to post a review on Amazon, that would be extremely helpful to me. I will repost any reviews to my blog.
Thank you to those who have already submitted an Amazon review. If you have submitted a review and don’t see it online after a couple of days, please let me know. I have one report about someone not being able to post their review on Amazon.
Today I want to entertain you with an interview I conducted with our sweet friend, Cheryl Batavia. Cheryl needs no introduction. We all know and love her. But for the few who still haven’t heard of Cheryl, let me introduce you.
The Interview:
What is your intended audience for Earthly Days?
The poems in Earthly Days are written about the experiences of daily life. Many of the poems are autobiographical, but readers will find much that is familiar and relatable to their own lives. Earthly Days also includes personal perspectives about life and poems about environmental issues that I hope readers will find thought-provoking. In short, Earthly Days is written for a general audience.
What do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
I want readers to enjoy reliving their cherished memories and be inspired to reflect on their lives, relationships, and the environment. I hope that they will have a renewed sense of optimism and be open to new ideas and experiences. Most of all, I want readers to have a good time reading and come away with smiles that linger long after they have finished reading Earthly Days.
What was your motivation for writing Earthly Days?
I have been fortunate to have a fulfilling life with an ample measure of opportunities and challenges. My books are my legacy. As I reflect on the experiences of my life, I search for meaning. Whatever meaning I find, I share in my poems.
Earthly Days is organized by themes into five chapters: Perspectives, Love, Family, Nostalgia, and Mother Nature. What background information would you like to provide about these chapters?
“Perspectives” includes personal philosophy, observations, opinions, and ideas. “Love” is made up of poems dedicated to my soul mate, Robert, but also a couple of poems about men from my earlier life. “Family” and “Nostalgia” are mostly autobiographical stories. Some are poignant, and some may make you laugh. Although “Mother Nature” has her dedicated chapter, she finds her way into poems throughout Earthly Days!
Life on Earth is finite. Our Earthly days are the time we have to enjoy, to learn, to love and be loved, and to accomplish our life’s work. Whatever our beliefs concerning an afterlife, we should make the most of our days on Earth!
Tell us about your writing style and routine when writing.
Earthly Days includes poems about critical environmental issues. Some poems deal with profound ideas about the meaning of life or our relationships with others. Nostalgic poems may tell lighthearted stories and share humorous memories. All of the poems are written in a simple, often conversational style.
Whatever the subject, however serious the issue, the tone of Earthly Days is positive, and the poems end on a hopeful note. It is okay to feel sadness or become discouraged, but ultimately, we must find peace and seek solutions!
I am not a very prolific writer. I write when I have something to say. When I try to write poems on demand, I am not usually happy with the results. I write what comes to me in a dream, won’t let me go to sleep, or is on my mind when I wake. Sometimes I write about current events or old memories that suddenly come to mind.
First drafts are written in my favorite black pencils topped with erasers. The drafts are set aside for a few hours or overnight, then edited, revised, and typed on my computer. Finally, I select photos and add them to poems. You will find many beautiful color photos in Earthly Days.
Dear Cheryl, Thanks so much for sharing this lovely look into the human behind the pencil. And I hope that our readers are enticed just enough to head over to Amazon to purchase your much-awaited book of poetry. What a lovely gift to oneself this good book is!
Dear Readers, I guarantee that you’ll love it as much as I do and will want to purchase it for those people you already know will love Earthly Days as well. I promise you–this poetry collection of nostalgia is an invitation to consciously recall your own treasures. The poems will awaken you to the beautiful world we journey together.
Earthly Days, poems by Cheryl Batavia, is ultimately a love letter to life, a testament written with the youthful exuberance of a life lived in gratitude. I concur that nothing is as beautiful as arriving at retirement and looking back at life with such a grateful heart.
“May your days on Earth be blissful.”~Cheryl Batavia
Earthly Days is dedicated to Robert Snyder. Photo by Cheryl Batavia.
Cheryl Batavia lives on the Gulf coast of Florida with her soulmate, Robert Snyder. A retired teacher, she is the mother of three adult children. Leisure activities include following the news and discussing current events with Robert, watching movies, and playing Scrabble…Robert usually wins!
Cheryl likes going to the beach and taking road trips with her daughters. One of Robert and Cheryl’s favorite pastimes is watching the wildlife that surrounds their home: bobcats, squirrels, armadillos, tortoises, raccoons, dragonflies, butterflies, cardinals, mockingbirds, woodpeckers, hawks, and many other wonderful animals.
The Lightening Bug! What a charming blog title! Both whimsical and inspiring, it is the name of the blog of a brilliant young doctor, Sheereen Fatima. I have followed her on her blog through the grueling, sleep-deprived years on her way to becoming a practicing physician. Shereen shared the beautiful moment of her first experience delivering a baby, and of publishing her first book, Stars and Stethescopes.
Dr. Sheereen Fatima shares a moment with a patient.
Then Sheereen became an oncology resident. What challenging work! It takes a very special person to deal with such serious illness. Sheereen is that special person! She wrote an essay in a competition at her hospital with the theme of “Doctor-Patient Relationship” entitled “Power of Empathy.” Read her prize-winning essay on her blog. It is truly inspiring!
Sheereen says,”I have always believed that empathy and compassion are the core of patient care. However it was an encounter with one patient…” Sheereen has that invaluable “personal touch” that any patient would be hoping for when treated by their doctor.
Sheereen wrote a glowing tribute to each of her colleagues. When presented to them it was enthusiastically received. You can read this warm and lovely poem, “The Oncology Family” on her blog.
Sheereen publishes professional papers and books. Her first case study was published in an international medical journal. “CHEK 2 Gene in Metastatic Prostate Cancer: a cordial check on DNA damage repair pathways.”
Despite Sheereen’s impressive accomplishments and promising medical career, she maintains her delightful sense of humor and her humanity. Best wishes, Sheereen, as you treat your patients and make the world a better place! Wishing you a long life of health, success, and happiness!
Happy Holidays! It is the holiday season. I will be taking time out for Thanksgiving and a vacation with my daughters. When I return, I will share some of the festivities with a post. In December, we will be celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas!
Earthly Days is a beautiful collection of poems that resonates with the soul. The verses capture the essence of life, love, and family with a warmth that makes you smile and reflect. The nostalgia in some poems takes you down memory lane, while the love of nature and concern for the environment inspires contemplation. The author’s words linger in your heart long after you’ve turned the last page.
Gulf Coast Poet 