Re-Inventionators: Carol’s Christmas in July

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

 Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Terminator Santa robot riding surfboard by Teagan via Night Cafe

Welcome to a special “Christmas in July” feature of Re-Inventionators.   The Santa android just surfed in to help welcome today’s guest.  Some people go with the flow. Others whether through choice or necessity, ride the waves of into the giant “curl” of life’s changes, reinventing themselves.  They are re-inventionators. 

My guest today hosts a fascinating food and cooking blog, “Retired? No one told me!” Join the androids and me in welcoming Carol Ann Taylor.   When I asked Carol which of her cookbooks she’d like me to mention, she chose A Homemade Christmas, hence this Christmas in July theme.

Purchase link

During my adult life, I’ve made several long-distance moves — two of them took me all the way across this nation.  Though I’m no longer able to make such a big move, this year I’ve become fascinated with the thought of moving to a completely different country.  Knowing that Carol Taylor had done that, I asked her to describe the changes that came with relocating to a different country. 

Now, I’m handing the post over to Carol Ann Taylor.

Reinventing: Carol

Carol Ann Taylor March 2023

Thank you, Teagan for inviting me to guest post on your blog, I am most honoured…

Apart from raising six kiddies and a hubby… lol, plus working full time, completing all 26.2 miles of a marathon around London and looking after a menagerie of various animals — horses, snakes, lizards, cat, dogs and rabbits, my life was pretty average…

Then on retiring, hence the name of my blog “Retired No One Told Me, we threw away the box and leapt into the unknown…  Gulp!

cooking-the-steak
Cooking the steak by Carol Taylor

We travelled via down under (Oz) and then on to Thailand…  Our first venture was “Sugar Reef” a bar/restaurant. 

Then five years later we moved on to the North of Thailand… no beaches but wonderful rural life where I have discovered much about the real Thailand — away from the tourist spot where we first landed…  Where many still live in open fronted tiny wooden houses and cook over an open fire…

Jackfruit Tree by Carol Taylor
Jackfruit Tree by Carol Taylor

Take away food is much in demand here as it is cheap and freshly cooked.  There are eateries everywhere (not the McDonalds and Burger Kings, although they have arrived in the big cities) just good authentic Thai food.  Some of the best food I have eaten has been cooked in little out of the way places — all served with a smile…

I have never in my whole life moved as much as we do now…  We have another move planned for next year…  So, watch this space!

Terminator robot loading crates onto a moving truck by Teagan via Night Cafe

If I had written about where we would be in 20 years’ time, I would never have envisaged being here, starting a blog, writing cookbooks… two of them to date… a legacy for my children who were always asking me for that recipe mum you used to make when were kids… Yes, the one constant is I have always cooked from scratch…

Water Buffalo at Red Lily Lake by Carol Taylor
Water Buffalo at Red Lily Lake by Carol Taylor

The bonus? I now have friends who hail from every corner of the world …blogging opened that gate… I learned to cook new cuisines, tasted and grow fruit and vegetables I never knew even existed.  Where people freely share the food they grow. Where families live together, the parents looking after their children’s children, and keeping house for them while they work — and when they are too old, the children and their children look after them…  The circle of life is complete here, and I am so blessed to witness and be part of that.  So yes, my life has done a complete reinvention…and we are happy… xx

Now back to Teagan.

Re-Inventionator robot cooking by Teagan via Night Cafe

♣ ♣ ♣

It looks like my android alter-ego is a better cook than I am.  I admire Carol’s culinary skills and knowledge of healthful food, because frankly, I’m a terrible cook.  Friendly comments are welcome.  Thanks to Carol for writing her article and for the delightful photos.  Thanks to all of you for joining us.  Hugs!

NOTE: I’m under the weather this morning. I’ll answer comments as soon as I can.

♣ ♣ ♣

Oops… I have to include the obligatory shameless self-promotion. I’m keeping it in accordance with Carol’s Christmas in July theme.  It seemed fitting that I show my 1920s diesel-punk Christmas fantasy novelette.

Hullaba Christmas cover

Hullaba Christmas: Lulu & the Snatched Santa

Universal Purchase Links

Kindle:  relinks.me/B0D33MN3NJ

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0D8WR8T5B

♣ ♣ ♣

This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2025 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

75 thoughts on “Re-Inventionators: Carol’s Christmas in July”

  1. I hope you’re feeling better now, Teagan. Many thanks for this interview with Carol. I love her blogs and her recipes, but I many of these facts about her life were unknown to me. What a woman! Hope you both have a lovely weekend. xx

    😊

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  2. I have been following Carol’s blogs for a long time, we both have family in Australia. I have moved across the world twice, but mainly lived in suburbs, so not that adventurous. But it was adventurous of our parents to migrate to Australia in 1964, having never left England before. Carol’s life is fascinating as she is living the real Thailand.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    2. Hi Janet yes we have good and not so good in common but we have all come through still smiling…Twice across the world is fairly adventurous and more than many have done, Janet and you are still exploring the lovely area where you live now I always look forward to your posts and images as often they bring back memories for me…I hope you have a lovely weekend xoxo

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  4. It was nice to meet Carol, Teagan. Thanks for bringing her here to share your blog. I love Thai food and home cooking. I can only imagine how good they are combined.

    I’m sorry you’re not feeling well, I hope you are on the mend and feel better soon.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks for joining us Dan. Oooo that is a yummy thought. Carol’s food (informational) posts are fascinating too.
      Thanks for the good wishes. You know that asthma has been a big challenge for me this year. Night before last there was an “added bonus” that turned out to be a cluster of asthma, dehydration, and (LOL) burpy-gas. But waking up with the difficult combination which I didn’t at first understand was rough, and also frightening enough to trigger the panic attack. Last night was good, and I’m my usual self today. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. Hello Carol!

    Yes, no one mentioned I was retired either. It just happened upon me during Covid.

    Sounds like you are a busy person, and it sounds like your reinvented life is a happening thing. Congratulations!

    Teagan, thank you for featuring Carol here today!

    Big hugs all around, or as I like to mistype upon occasion, Bug Higs!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. I love the Homemade Christmas cook book idea! I’ll have to get it. I have lots of my own recipes, handed down from my grandmother to my mother and then me. I have never been to Thailand but I saw a tree with fruit that looked like the jackfruit in Kenya. It was called a sausage tree and the Masai brewed a concoction from the fruit. My husband tried it and said it was delicious and potent.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    2. Hi Noelle…Yes even though its a Homemade Christmas the recipes can be used year round and its a lovely way of preserving those recipes that have been handed down through generations..Of course I had to look up the Sausage tree the name intrigued me…it seems it is used in similar ways as the jackfruit except you can eat the raw jackfruit unlike the sausage tree…something I have learnt a new tree that you can make a potent drink from-smile-Thank you, Noelle…xx

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Jennie, I’m surprised — I always imagined you were a kitchen goddess. 🙂 I’d rather listen to songs about cooking than try to cook. LOL. Thanks so much for joining us. Both of you ladies (similar to what you said) keep rockin’ and rollin’! Hugs.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. I hate cooking…okay, there I’ve said it. That’s why I drool over Carol’s cooking. I have a handful of ‘tried and true’ that I rotate, but that’s about it. Songs are right up my alley! Love the video!

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

  10. An inspiring reflection by Carol. I cannot imagine picking up and moving to Thailand. I could do the open fire cooking thing but there would be a noticeable lack of sophistication in the end products. (to be read burned) Thanks for having carol on your blog and thanks to Carol for sharing her journey. 😊

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Hi, John. I’ve tried to imagine it, and the prospect is beyond daunting.
      Haha, I’m not so sure your open fire cooking would be bad, but mine sure would. Although that might be a safer place for me to cook than inside! 😀 Many thanks for joining us today. Big hugs.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    2. Hi John…when I look back that was so unlike anything I have ever done…I don’t think anyone who knew me would have imaged we would do it…Would I do it again …Yes!…I will admit I do leave the open fire cooking to those who are better at it than me ..I just eat the delicious food and am in awe of what can be cooked on an open fire…:) x

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  11. Carol is a great blogger and I love her cookbooks. I use A Homemade Christmas all year round. I haven’t met her in person, but had a great conversation with her on the phone when I was in Thailand. I love her adaptability and lifestyle. Like her, I also moved to another country later in life.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Hi Darlene…Thank you for your kind words and yes we both made our moves later in life and have no regrets…We did indeed have a lovely chat when you were in Thailand a shame we were more than a days travel away but never mind it was great to chat 🙂 xx

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    2. Hi, Darlene. How fun that you two got to talk. I love your travel photos, and the ones you shared of Thailand were particularly splendid.
      I’m impressed with the level of thought Carol puts into her food/recopies. It’s clear that she’s considering everything from multiple directions.
      Yes, adaptability is a necessity in reinventing oneself. Thanks so much for joining us today. Hugs.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. It would have been nice to meet up, but we were just too far apart. But the video chat was great. I’m glad you enjoyed the Thailand photos. I’m about to start Amanda’s adventures in Thailand!

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

      1. Ahhhhhh…Teagan…still Thailand just further North my DIL insists she wants to look after us…Alan is looking forward to being able to do more fishing and I am planning my new garden with a walled area for my kitties they have a lot of land so I can build my dream oasis…Excited…Thank you so much for hosting me today its been fun and lovely reading the nice comments … I am blessed to have met some absolutely lovely people through blogging…Big Hugs from me and my Kitties and not forgetting Saangchai xoxo

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  14. What a fabulous post! I’ve read Carol’s blog and her contributions to Sally Cronin’s blog, but didn’t know the story behind her move and how it had all come about. Fascinating! It goes to prove that it is never too late too late to reinvent oneself. And the book is a great suggestion. Thanks, Carol and Teagan!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    2. Oh, I didn’t know you had traveled there, Fraggle. It looks like such an impressive (not to mention gorgeous) place. Although I admit that from what I’ve seen in videos, I’m intimidated — just as I am by Japan (I always wanted to go there), mostly because it looks like there are sooooo many people. I get panicky just watching videos — all the while being wistful and amazed. Thanks for joining us. Big hugs.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  16. Pingback: Re-Inventionators: Carol’s Christmas in July… by Teagan Riordain Geneviene… – Retired? No one told me!

        1. Thanks. 🙂 I’m perking up now. It was a cluster of things that hit all at once around 4AM — and those things (or me freaking out about them) brought on a panic attack at the same time. LOL, Double Trouble… 2 kittens are double for all good things. ❤

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

            1. I feel *much* better this morning, thanks very much, Carol. The panic attack was just the crown. It turned out to be a combination of asthma, dehydration, and (LOL) burpy-gas. But waking up with the combination which I didn’t at first understand was rough, and also frightening enough to trigger the panic attack. Thanks again for being my guest. ❤

              Liked by 1 person

              Reply

  18. Oh Pete…Thank you so much for your kind words…You are one of my favourite bloggers whom I would never have even known existed if I hadn’t started blogging when we moved here which was originally just to chart our new life for friends and family…I hope you are having a great week 🙂 x

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

Leave a reply to tidalscribe.com Cancel reply