Eve Gaal's Blog, page 7

No Chocolate Eggs?

Happy Easter!
Did you hear they closed down See's Chocolate Shops right before Easter? Oh, no. What are we supposed to do?Don’t you know, Eve wrote three books and she's working on a fourth? Let’s read!  Do we need to wear a mask?No silly rabbit, you can read her books at home.Which one should we read first? Well, there’s Penniless Hearts about an artist who gets lost in Hawaii.Hawaii? Are there pineapples?I think so. The second one is  Penniless Souls about the same lady in Vegas. Ooh, I bet that’s intriguing. Bunnies don’t bet.What’s the last one called? The Fifth Commandment . It’s perfect for Easter, 'cause Peter's in the story. Peter Rabbit? Peter at the gates of Heaven. Oh, he’s more important. I’ll say. Where do we get these books?Amazon.Yikes, we have to hop down to the Amazon?(Eye-roll) Amazon delivers books to your home. Oh good, race ya to the couch!

Three Tips From Quarantine

It’s hard to see the big picture right now, because we don’t know the future. But, wouldn’t it make sense to hoard something delicious, or nutritious, rather than toilet paper? I mean if push comes to shove, there are ways to hose off, or whatever, but virus or no virus, without food, even the greediest person will croak. Personally, if I was a hoarder, which I’m not, I’d be stocking up on Nutella. I mean life is short, and if all of us are going to be sick anyway, shouldn’t we dance the last waltz on a sinking ship? Party like it’s 1999?  Maybe not. After all, in this case, women, children and the elderly don’t necessarily have first dibs on a life raft. We are in this together.
Which reminds me of something that happened yesterday. The two of us left the safety of our quarantine, for a walk around the neighborhood. We’re holding hands and trudging up hill. While we may have grunted a few times, it seemed odd that a man stopped his truck next to us, asking if we needed toilet paper. Very strange. Of course, we thanked him and told him we had plenty at home. Then, he said, “Oh, I was going to give you some.” (Am I wrong for doubting the shady stranger?) Nothing about the situation felt right. Now I keep wondering how I might find that man in an emergency. Does he have a business card? I can imagine him being in control of the entire neighborhood; holding us hostage in a sense, by offering rolls of one-ply, for twenty bucks. Maybe I could trade one warehouse sized jar of Nutella? Never.

The Voice of Spring-(A poem)

Spring’s Voice

Spring pulled me aside to gossip about winter. She blew in my ear, gave me chills, made me grab my jacket. Pointing out the brittle leaves, complaining about the frost, she even whispered the truth about the bulbs. ‘They won’t be coming up.’ Her erratic laughter echoed in a layer of fog. Daunting, wet words drenched my path with rain. ‘Be still,” I said.‘I can’t,’ she replied.
‘Show me your buds, Let me hear the birds. Better yet, tell me about summer.’ The branches swayed,a swoosh of mist filled the air.‘You’ll miss me when I’m gone.’
I ran for the house,As a storm approached. ‘Yes, I will. I’ll miss every cool breath of wind howling under the window, distant rolls of thunder; distinct cloud formations, even showers pounding on the roof. Yes, dear Spring. I’ll miss your voice.’



-Eve Gaal

Advertising Ideas--A Memoir

I remember stepping foot into his office. I’ll call him Jay. He was the first client who yelled at me. Later, much, much later, he warmed up, becoming cordial, but, that first meeting, when I was twenty-three, went something like this:
“Hello, I’m from the newspaper.”
“Yeah, so?”
I wore a dress I had sewn on my mom’s Singer; Kelly green with small white dots over a white, puffy sleeved blouse. In hindsight, I looked like Snow White’s sister.
“Thought I’d come by to talk to you about advertising.”
At first, he said nothing. Then Jay’s eyes sort of bulged out of his head and he turned red. “What in heaven’s name do you know about advertising? I have owned this dealership for fifty years and you think you can waltz in here to tell me what to do?”
“No sir,” I answered, worried the man might have a heart attack in front of me. My knees shook. Good thing I had opted for the pattern with the full skirt, I thought.
“Well, you’re going to tell me how to advertise? Do you know anything about advertising?” His voice shook the entire office. I think they heard him at the parts counter.
“I admit I’m new to advertising, but I have some ideas that could help sell more cars.”
“You have ideas, huh? You think you can help me sell more cars?” The yelling turned into diabolical laughter that shook his portly belly and scrunched his gray eyebrows together. At this point, I wanted to run back to the shelter of the office to tell my manager I had failed. Maybe, I’d take that low-paying job writing obits, after all.  Jay sneered a twisted smile, but it calmed me down. “Get out of here. Go get your ideas and come back next week. I’m busy.”
“Can I leave you a copy of the newspaper?”
“Yes, now get out,” he shrieked, pointing to the exit.
The following week, I came back with a mock-up of a full-page ad and he signed a contract. Jay became a loyal newspaper advertiser for many years. I had triggered something. Either guilt for his nasty behavior or pity for the newbie. A mystery I have yet to solve.
Once I had my first check, I bought a navy-blue suit, assuming falsely, it would help me command a bit more respect. Later, a closet full of suits, a briefcase and business-like pumps didn't help either. Sadly, many future clients also screamed about prices, tear-sheets, proofs, typos etc.  and those pencil skirted suits didn’t hide my quivering knees.  

Either way, Jay, and all the others, inspired me to figure out why things like this happen. Six years later, I went to grad school for a Master’s degree in Human Behavior. As if learning psychology would stop clients from shouting.

My Favorite Romantic Movies

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought you might want some suggestions for a romantic movie. You may have seen all, or most of these, but if not, you can’t go wrong with  some of my favorites. Here's a short list of the best!
                                                         

New Year Image Blog

The sky above our home seems to be sending a variety of New Year messages, indicating what looks like, happiness, inspiration and peace.  Maybe these glorified tweets or heavenly missives are meant to be shared?

DRAMATIC
RADIANCE
CALM
SPIRITUAL
MELLOW

Have you looked up lately? 

Do It in 2020!

Happy New Year to everyone!
The idea of an entire year filled with unlimited possibilities stirs the creativity in my heart. There’s so much to do for those who want to do it. Time is in the hands of those who want to help, create and serve. The other humans must wait. They feel time is sluggish. My old boss called them clock-watchers. At five o'clock they'd dash for the door, racing out of the parking lot as if something exciting waited at home. (Though the mannerisms looked exhilarating, these fast-moving coworkers were going home simply to feed their children and pets.)
Hopefully, though these type of folks feel the day is taking forever, they are filled with gratitude. Perhaps these individuals will be your audience or your patient. They will attend your recital, your gallery, visit your showroom and read your book. You will be counting on these  other people to review your business. They will go to your medical office, listen to your speeches, find inspiration in your sales spiel and give you five stars.★★★★★And, don’t forget the satisfaction of starting and completing something wonderful. Think about how fast time flies when you’re literally putting out fires? Saving a life? Guiding a river raft tour? Or parking a cruise ship, driving a cab, even baking a cake? Isn't doing something--anything--better than waiting in line? 
Within reason, you can make your dreams come true. Set a goal. Write it down and think of all the positive energy you will bring to your project. Stay focused. Meet with friends who support your endeavors. Teamwork can be magic!
Think of each day as a stepping stone crossing a mighty river. There will be those slippery, weird days filling you with trepidation. But you have a plan, and a brand-new year in front of you. Anything is possible.  After all, it's 2020!
Here's hoping all your dreams come true!

Holiday Greetings from Pinky Claus

Mommy told me to say ho, ho, ho instead of ruff, ruff and ruff. And since the mailman isn’t here yet, I’ll be quiet. Ruff or not, this has been a rough year. Get it?
Anyway, she made this silly hat, and thought I should model it for all the world to see. Isn’t that hilarious? I can count her blog followers on one paw. It’s not like she’s some sort of 'influencer'. Do you think I listen to her? Hardly, ever. But it’s the holidays and the area around my heart is filled with gas and something called unconditional love. So, here I am in the hat. (Small shout out to my online friends Agatha and Winston who are probably dying of laughter. Wish we could sniff each other. If you want to meet them click here:)
The stuff mom’s been passing off as health food sucks. Plus, dad tries to sneak in some gross liver pill. Everything they eat smells better than the stuff in my bowl. It’s so unfair. When I beg for a scrap, they give me a pat on the head telling me I’m cute. Liars! How can I believe them? I’m losing weight and they still won’t make me a rib-eye steak!
Well, as I mentioned above, this past year has been an obstacle course. Not just for me, but for all of us. I’m tired of it. Especially that vet place where the other patients look big and mean like they want to eat me. Sorry, I’m still having flashbacks regarding my little sister who met a big mean dog near the park. (Very sad story but she’s at some rainbow place.) Mom says I have a dog version of PTSD. Personally, I think she does. I cheer her up with licks.
I’m even boycotting my tennis ball. She throws it, and I watch as it lands on the grass, and for some strange reason I think it looks nice sitting right there on the lawn. Guess my bones don’t feel like running and lunging anymore. Man, I used to be hyper. I’d dash around the house like a racehorse and jump onto the dining room table looking for leftover morsels. At least I still have energy to yell at that mailman. And, with any luck I’ll still be slinking around here next year at this time.  Meanwhile, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled with fabulous belly rubs and the awesome snacks from my dreams. 
Wishing all of you the Happiest, most joyous New Year ever! 

My Intangible Slant on The Twelve Days of Christmas

The original Twelve Days of Christmas is a popular carol written in 1909, by an English composer named Frederic Austin. The song refers to some strange, expensive gifts. I mean why would anyone want seven Lord's a leaping for a Christmas gift, unless they're putting on a show, and need a group of guys to dance in front of the chorus? (Believe it or not, I've been there.) Truthfully, I think it's a unique, annoying song that permeates the holiday season with repetitive lyrics we've heard a gazillion times. So, I changed it up a bit in order to reflect true, intangible love, which is not supposed to be based on high-priced gifts or partridges in a pear tree. (This doesn't mean we don't like gifts--especially expensive ones. But come on!) Items in the original song would probably cost at least $50,000 dollars in today's money. Five gold rings? Swans and geese? Sheesh, we have zoning laws that prohibit poultry and French hens in my community. I guess true love can be impractical. Take for example my book Penniless Hearts which takes place a week before Christmas in the Hawaiian islands. I think my book demonstrates that romance and sanity are sisters from another mother. The bad guys want the money and all Penny wants is love. John loves Penny with all his heart. A breakdown of communication causes everything to go haywire. But remember, it's Hawaii. What can go wrong?   


On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
A garden of flowers and trees.

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Two smoochy kisses
in a garden of flowers and trees.

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses
In a garden of flowers and trees.

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses
In a garden of flowers and trees.

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses,
In a garden of flowers and trees

On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Six romantic smiles
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses.In a garden of flowers and trees.

On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Seven love poems,
Six romantic smiles, I tried to draw a woman showing her surprise. 
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses,
In a garden of flowers and trees.
On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Eight uplifting emails,Seven love poems,
Six romantic smiles
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses,
In a garden of flowers and trees.

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:Nine back massages,
Eight uplifting emails,Seven love poems,
Six romantic smiles
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses,
In a garden of flowers and trees.

On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:Ten truthful-sounding compliments,Nine back massages,
Eight uplifting emails,Seven love poems,
Six romantic smiles
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses,
In a garden of flowers and trees.On the eleventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:Eleven cups a brewing,Ten truthful-sounding compliments,Nine back massages,
Eight uplifting emails,Seven love poems,
Six romantic smiles
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses,
In a garden of flowers and trees.
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:Twelve advent chocolates,Eleven cups a brewing,Ten truthful-sounding compliments,Nine back massages,
Eight uplifting emails,Seven love poems,
Six romantic smiles,
Five bear hugs,
Four blooming rose bushes,
Three home-cooked meals,
Two smoochy kisses,
In a garden of flowers and trees.

Merry Christmas to you! 

Thank you Bees

The month of November reminds us to be grateful for the little things. Can you imagine Thanksgiving dinner without vegetables, salad, green beans, potatoes, pies or even the centerpiece of flowers? Without bees there wouldn't be honey-roasted carrots, or honey-mustard dressings, all-important herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The delicious and festive holiday would be bland and rather boring. Of course, the bee is not responsible for our cooking or dull and dreary relatives.