Eve Gaal's Blog, page 29

Much Ado About 'Literally' Nothing

As some of you may have heard, the word literally has
finally been amended in the Oxford English Dictionary. It seems that things in
the world of academia take a long time and with all the other very important
things going on in the world, it struck me as funny. Here’s how I imagine these
brilliant men coming together to discuss this important issue.









“Lord Falconer, welcome. We have important issues to attend
to this morning and one of them has to do with changing our beloved Oxford
Dictionary.”




Lord Falconer clears his raspy throat and with a slightly
befuddled look and a cough he grunts, “Ah, yes.”

“Let us introduce everyone after we fix this behemoth
problem regarding the word ‘literally’.”




“Professor Sparrow has sent us an email regarding Mark Twain’s
incorrect usage. Shall I read it now?”




“Please Lord Hastings, let us hear the missive.”




“Not quite a missive, good chap, just a mere email.”




“Sorry, not familiar with modern communication, Sir. I
employ a secretary. Carry on....”




“Should I send you a text message with a link?”




“What part of modern communication do you not understand? I
don’t use email and I don’t have text messages on my phone.”




“Very well, I’ll skip it but there is another writer from
1769 who also used the word incorrectly.”




“That author of “The History of Emily Montague?”




“Yes, have you heard of it?”




“No, of course not, sounds like romantic bog-water. I read
about it in the bloody Times,” Lord Falconer looks perturbed.

“Why hasn't this been changed earlier? It’s just a small
addition and now we look foolish?”




“Is that literally?” Lord Hastings asks, while scribbling
notes.




“Yes, quite.”




“Sorry?”




“Do we have other words up for review?”




“Yes, in fact there are many, let me see,” glancing at his
notes, Hastings looks up with a smile and says, “the next one on the list is
irregardless.”



“Jolly good, let’s break for tea and discuss the other later.”

Twelve Positive Messages

Sometimes all we need is a little encouragement and a sense
of humor to tackle almost anything the day brings our way. There are those
agonizing moments when we are all alone and don’t know who to ask about things
pressing on our heart. The pressure can squeeze our temples giving us a
headache! Often all we want to do is take a step in a different direction and
start fresh. Life is a journey and we can lose our way. Just like those printed
mazes in children’s activity books—we CAN
start over. Take a minute and glance at some of these messages of hope that
might help with those new steps, giving us a new outlook on life.

 (While you may have
heard similar statements before, I want to say these came from my heart and I've
been in places in my life many, many times where I needed to start over and
look at things from a new perspective. My honest recommendations have helped
those I trained, coached and loved throughout my life and I hope they help you too.)






Listen. There’s ancient
wisdom in listening to nature. Listen to the breeze flow through the
trees. Listen to the rain falling on the leaves. Listen and act or wait
until your moment is perfect. You will know it in your heart. Listening is
spectacularly underrated these days and extremely important. Whom did you
listen to today? Did they say something important? Sometimes even a
stranger can say something remarkable. Listen.
There are billions of
people in the world but only one is exactly like you. Your uniqueness is
the art, the color, the shape and the sound of a puzzle and creation where
you are an integral piece.
 Do something—anything— if you don’t do
it, how will you know? Your clock ticks and tomorrow your clock will look
the same, but it won’t be the same. Change what happens NOW!


Perseverance is the best
way to reach perfection. Practice, rehearse, audition, submit, interview,
enter, sign-up and dare to do what you do best! Don’t be scared. Take baby
steps. At least make an attempt. Try. Someday, you will reap the rewards
of your efforts.
Take a chance and you
might catch a fish. Sit on the bank and pout and you will grow hungry. Active
participation and a positive attitude cannot be texted on your Smartphone.
Assist and get involved while learning or teaching others. Human contact
and personal communication is better than the fastest internet connection
or wireless phone.
Why choose between stylish
and smart? You can be both!  Learning sets the foundation to a fashionable future!
Everyone received a heart
so that everyone can love. 
Erase the sad parts of
your life story. Rewind, delete, delete, delete. Imagine a huge vat of Wite-out pouring over the past. 


Good ideas can launch more
than a thousand ships. Perhaps you are like an undiscovered DaVinci or
Steve Jobs with huge potential and a brilliant mind. Write down those
plans and chart your course for success. The world is waiting for you!
Even flowers will be
embarrassed when they see your smile out-match their spectacular blooms. Yes, there are bad things going on in the world and bad things will continue to happen, but there is still nothing wrong with being happy. Who knows, your smile might make a difference in someone else's life. Spread a little sunshine and smile.
Sure, bird song is lovely,
but you can express so much more! Describe how you feel and tell those you
love because they love the sound of your voice.
If the conditions are right,
you can do anything. Plan ahead and make sure the conditions are right. Act.





Thanks for stopping by The Desert Rocks! 

10 Silly Jokes to Ponder

Things to ponder while I come up with my next post:








Why are girls named Bambi,
when Disney’s Bambi is a male deer?
Do pimps have pimples?
Wonder how those two words came to mean something so different and yet
perhaps pimps are the pimples in a clean, upstanding community?
Imagine the Underwear-bomber
going commando. What would have happened?
Did a guy called William
forget to pay his debts? Why do we call William--Bill?
Has anyone ever been
addicted to salad or zucchini?
Why can’t the cans of
hominy just say there’s corn in there?
What’s so holy about
monkfish and monkfruit? Do they inspire prayer? Chanting?
Apparently telemarketers
only text their friends because calling them is impersonal.
Do mimes scream when they’re
scared?
Why don’t zebras wearing
horizontal stripes look fat?

Fiona's Rug Story

Once upon a time, there was a rug.  It looked like this:


Here it is outside after getting washed.

I did everything I could to improve the aroma.




Eve is my mommy from The Desert Rocks. The first thing I saw after being rescued and brought to my new home was this rug. Big and soft, she vacuumed it all the time and acted like it was important. She called it her favorite rug.  Boo-hoo. Isn't that a touch dramatic? I mean it's a rug, for goodness sake. Get over it.


My name is Fiona and I thought

this huge mat was a giant pee-pad. Doesn't it look 

like a great place to...conduct business?







Soap, brooms and brushes couldn't get the smell out and now my favorite 'spot' went to the Goodwill. Too bad, huh?





Mommy was sad and she called me some mean names. Whatever, I don't listen to her anyway--not like I'm going to start now. 



Face it Mommy, the rug is gone! Bye, bye!







I won, I won--Mommy lost!



This is my tough bitch pose--either that or I have to pee.















Read more about me in 'Life is Good' a story in NYMB(Not Your Mother's Book) on Dogs.























The End

A Journey of Love For World Peace

Our pastor is leaving for Rio to participate in World Youth
Day and he asked us to pray for him. He said over three million young followers
of Jesus will go to Brazil  for the amazing spiritual festivities taking place
between July 23rd and July 28th. Of course, this all
sounds like a massive and incredible experience both for him and everyone
concerned. As someone from the desert, I’m in humble awe of the energy and
positive connection bringing all these souls together for lessons in love and
understanding. I sure hope collective prayer helps in bringing peace to our world. Several local students will also be traveling from our valley to
the event and I wish them a safe, beautiful journey they will remember forever.













Have you ever made a life changing journey? 

Was there a place that altered your perception of reality?

 How are you different and was it worth the trouble of getting away from the comforts of home?


                                                                                

Use This Word in a Sentence

Last week, I featured my favorite
word and one friend commented their favorite is disestablishmentarianism and another said discombobulation. Okay
everyone, well I wasn't asking for the longest word but your favorite word and yet there seems to be
some sort of connection. Wonder if this is somehow Freudian? The whole 'bigger
is better' thing. Interesting, huh? Well, I surrender.




Anyway, since Hawaii is one of our states we should know
a little Hawaiian. Don’t you think? Think about it-- we all know a little Latin, a
little French, Italian, Spanish and even German. (Trust me; you do even if you
didn't study those languages). For example: When you
go to a Café, ask for a menu and order your Duck l’orange a la carte or en flambé,
you’re practically fluent. The English language loves to
incorporate the best of all worlds.




Meanwhile, there are the lovely Hawaiian Islands that are
part of the United States of America and most of us don’t know more than Aloha!
The longest Hawaiian word is: Humuhumunukunukuapua’a  which is the official state fish. From a
language consisting of only 12 letters, I think this is a very beautiful, musical sounding
word.



Adorable, colorful and for those who think size matters, it's not very large, but has an angular shape, cute stripes and big lips that sift sand for morsels of food.



The long word actually translates to: reef trigger-fish that
grunts like a pig! If you've ever seen High School Musical 2, you might
remember a funny song about this fish. The fish, the word and the song are becoming
very popular and who knows, perhaps sooner than you know-- will be integrated
into our regular English vocabulary just like schadenfreude and fettuccine.


















Mahalo!!

An Excruciatingly Short Post

Though I've never studied linguistics, I still love the sound of certain words. Not the meaning, per se--but
the way the word rolls off the tongue or clicks around our teeth. Sometimes
words don’t make lips move--like the name Eve. It's the perfect word for folks with tons of plastic surgery and even better if you're a ventriloquist. "Eve". Anyone can say it even with a mouth full of popcorn! At least Adam has two syllables! Use even less lip-smacking action with words like pith or hair. 
Anyway,
I have many favorite words but after careful consideration, I have determined
that my favorite word (this month anyway) is: 


excruciatingly.






It's so musical. Almost like  an onomatopoeia for crunched up or crinkled, I imagine a severe pain moving like a balled up, slowly unfolding piece of trash. Not only did it miss the receptacle but it's unfurling and going against your battle to squish it. Or like the unexpected crackle of an empty water bottle on a quiet summer night. Of course there are longer words and more interesting words but few can effectively enter into daily conversation. 






What’s your favorite
word?

The SoulCollage Experience at Mouse House Studios

Attended a wonderful art class at The Mouse House Studio in
Rancho Mirage, California where artists worked on writing poetry through
SoulCollage. I had never heard of SoulCollage and was under the mistaken impression
I was going to make a collage. It sounded very exciting to me because I spend
most of my days writing and joined the class to kind of escape into an art
project. The instructor Michelle Hedgecock guided us through a soul-searching
exercise about how images inspire or make an impression on us. She had magazine
pictures on a table and asked us to pick three for a combination that spoke to
us in some meaningful way. Then we did a small writing exercise starting with
the words, “I am one who…” and then we were to summarize the point with a small
paragraph about “My gift to you is…” Delving even further into the pictures and
our words, we then assembled everything into a poem and wrote a final “gift”
segment. Judging from the art surrounding me and the other collages made by
some of the frequent visitors to this studio I was afraid I was in way over my
head but fortunately Michelle is a kind, sensitive person who provided
brilliant prompts, allowing me to write from my heart.










Too Many Burdens?

 By Eve Gaal




I am one who longs

To collect my thoughts-

Like seashells, driftwood

And worn out socks.




I am one who fills my soul

With a burden of pain

It takes its toll

When something falls away

And I run screaming—

Dropping everything.

I’m heading for the door--

Before looking back.




I wanted peace

Now I’m missing everyone.

I miss the past,

I miss the smiles,

Your hands and your hearts.




My gift to you is:

 Help each other.
Share the load. Be together.










Here’s the collage I just made with my computer from the
three photos at the workshop.


















My Poem:




Too Much




Lift off my collection

My possessions.

Bearing down on my legs,

Holding my arms.

Let us run-

Holding hands

Let us be free.

Together we can manage,

Together’s the key.







Too Much of a Good
Thing-- My gift to you:




A lighter burden

Is shared when

Two discover love.

Whisper soft together

A feather light embrace

A group hug will set you on a canoe.

Release you. Ahhh.













What a wonderful process. In the end, it turned into an art project after all.... Do you see the formation of a
deeper thought just from the above exercise?































































































































What do the three photos mean to you?










For anyone looking for a creative group of artists and
writers, I recommend Michelle’s Soul Collage workshops at The Mouse House
Studio. Here's a link to see some of the other collages and poems or to sign up for future workshops. 



Group hug anyone? 

The Monkey Pod Tree From Chapter 46

     I mention a Monkey pod tree in my novel,
Penniless Hearts and wanted to share some of the interesting facts associated
with this particular tree. It has many names but people often call it a
Rain tree because it has rain-forest type good looks and also because the leaves curl
up at night so the rain can fall on the ground feeding the plants or grass
below. It features pink and white flowers and long carob-looking pods that
taste like licorice. The grayish trunks are all tangled like a Banyan tree
but the foliage and leaves grow up very high, to over 100 ft. They look like
they’d make super cool tree houses and in some parts of Central and South America
the monkeys feel very much at home in them.( I think I saw a bunch of monkeys
living in one when I visited Costa Rica.)








Introduced to
the Hawaiian Islands in 1847, the wood makes exquisite souvenir bowls, tiki
carvings and furniture but generally the greatest part is the bountiful shade! Sometimes
you’ll also see the seeds used in floral leis.




In case you’re thinking of growing
one of these fast growing trees, just remember they only grow fast if the
temperature is nice and there’s no shade or frost around. Once grown, the
canopy provides lovely shade for large picnics but watch out for the honeybees
that are always busy thanks to this gorgeous member of the pea family.









Love Hawaii? Read Penniless Hearts by:clicking here.

The Sounds of Desert Silence

Hello and welcome to summer in the desert. Great place to catch up on some reading and a special time for any writer who likes severe quiet coupled with the white-noise feature of an air-conditioner. It drowns out the sounds of modest little crickets and cicadas while a radio plays classical music in the other room. The buzz of the condenser adds a new level to the violin section. Beside giant heat waves there is humidity, monsoons and gathering clouds outside, and it's time for the brain to lock and load. Safety latch off. This is the time to write. There are no excuses. Get ready, set, go.




 I just added this cool shelf at the bottom of my blog and I'm having fun filling it up with all the books I've read and a few that I'm planning to read. Check it out. It's almost like one of the many bookcases I have at home!





Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

Bailin' by Linton Robinson
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Sahara by Clive Cussler