Rake it Up

 I recently read an article about trees networking in the forest through their root systems and found it fascinating. It was strictly scientific and yet it seemed to state something wonderful and inspiring. To me it seemed obvious that the smaller saplings would want to stay connected to the Mother tree. If trees communicate with each other, I assume the gorgeous display during autumn is their way of communicating with us!

Rake it Up

Eve Gaal

Letters of hope,

Cling to the branch,

A type of hanging rope

Waiting for the wind

To swirl the colors in front of your face

Desperately calling for your attention

As you drive through town in a race.

Parking,

Laughing,

Texting,

Dining,

Shopping,

Touring,

Dancing,

Picking up the kids,

Running errands,

The bank,

The cleaners,

The vet.

There’s a chill in the air,

You look in the rear-view mirror

Outraged at messy hair,

The messages keep falling

Piling on your windshield,

The network keeps calling.

Zooming,

Darting,

Dashing,

Jumping,

Bundling,

Packaging,

Shipping-

Avoid drops,

Watch for puddles,

Find your umbrella,

Wear a jacket--

Don't get wet.

Do you think trees communicate?

Summer Books and Short Reviews

When it comes to reading, I love variety. 

Here are three different books that have 

nothing in common except a great plot.

Science Fiction

Lena Winfrey Seder wrote an amazing story that mixes psychological drama and humor with a little bit of Frankenstein. I loved her creative, scary story and recommend it highly.

Serious Reading

Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates has some of the longest sentences in the world. Her writing is colorful, sensational and passionate and I'm left wondering if modern readers have the patience necessary for being sucked into such powerful, descriptive language. There are chapters about pet spiders and even a separate chapter about the family cat. My favorite chapter is the one about the clavichord and yet, at the end of this blazing hot summer when I've reached the final chapter and the story about this tragic family with some sort of gloomy curse is tightly crocheted together in my brain, all I can say is that I worked too hard to follow her prose. I need a vacation from reading! Admittedly, my attention span made me re-read passages over and over and to my delight, the re-reading kept me engaged enough to continue. Her imaginative, creative writing and deep descriptions can begin on one topic and end on another with several sets of parentheses falling somewhere in the middle. Truly, a master crafts-person, I feel Oates researched every one of her topics and added it to her dark and gloomy, gourmet dish. This is the casserole and epitome of the kitchen soup novel where every idea makes a statement, turns a key and presents an opportunity for a sigh. This famous, talented author makes verbosity elegant and if you're willing to struggle through some lengthy explanations depicting evil, hideous odors and a familial pride so immense only the fortress walls of a castle can keep everything together, you'll love reading this book.

 Young Adult

What a fun, engaging story. Tyler is a bored kid with a new friend from another planet who can turn life right into a fast-paced video game. Kids of all ages will enjoy Tyler’s adventures as he runs from the Borolox during a very exciting paint-ball sequence or meets up with Spider-Thing. The name Dirk distracted me a bit, because it made me think of the main character in books by Cussler. After a few moments, I realized the genius behind that idea but still longed for a little more character development. Here’s this kid Dirk from another planet and he’s Tyler’s age with dark hair. I know more about Ryan, another great character, than I do Dirk. Will we find out more about Dirk and his personal life in the sequel? I also wondered what Dirk was doing while Tyler hung out with the Fabulous Foursome. Was he at home? Does he get bored or jealous? These might be silly questions because this is a wonderful book! 

What have you been reading?

Desperate Measures

I'm just resting peacefully, minding my own business.

Oh noooooooo!

Hi, my name is Pinky. I have a stepsister called Fiona and you probably know she's very naughty. Unlike her, I'm a good dog. So why does my new mommy want to exploit me?

Am I sexy? She said sex sells.

Her book is only .99 cents until the 16th!! I guess that's pretty good considering there is mention of a dog. I think her name is Lulu. 

She's having a sale on Penniless Hearts and all the marketing information she has been reading made me think I better help out. It was either this or she was going to jump out of a plane holding a banner with a picture of her book. One person told her to wear a bikini in Times Square or ride a horse bareback down the Las Vegas strip with her birthday suit on. I couldn't let her do any of that! (Besides, she just doesn't look good all exposed anyway.) Remember, unlike Fiona, I’m a good dog. She feeds us delicious stuff and plays with me, so it’s fun helping her with stuff. Fiona would never do this. She’s a stick in the mud and always jealous but Mommy has plans for her too. Excuse me but I can't help but quickly wag my tail at this one: she’s going para-sailing with miniature goggles! 

The things we do for love and kibble.

Click on the words Buy it here now ,right under this sentence and it will direct you over to Amazon.   

                                      

Please help. Read Penniless Hearts
 and save my dignity today!

Buy it here now:

Hurry, every dog has their limitations.

Hanging All Over Sam

"After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her."

                                                                                                               From-Adam's Diary

I think he's trying not to laugh at my skirt.

"When the heart has something to say the product is literature, no matter whether the phrasing loyally follows accepted literary forms or splendidly ignores them, as the freshet ignores the dam."

From- Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 2 (2013), p. 188-89. Dictated 29 August 1906.

I love when a famous author speaks to me. Even if we disagree about adjectives and God, the immortality of Twain’s articulate words are transcending time, creating current connections in my life and in anyone wanting to read his writing. Many famous authors communicate through the mists of war, or a progressive fog and curtains of translation, across miles of virgin scrub brush, sage, parched landscapes, flooded valleys and frozen tundra. They enter through the front door of our souls and stay with us forever. All we have to do is open a book. Did any writer speak to you lately?