Happy New Year!

 

Ever See a Rock Snake?

 

One of the places we enjoy trekking is the Lake Elsinore levee, where a kind person came up with the creative idea of a rock snake, that currently slithers down the trail for over half a mile.

The white birds are pelicans and egrets

Carefully painted, decorated rocks adjacent to the path, pull attention from ducks, pelicans, hawks and egrets like a display at a modern art museum. There are also rabbits bounding across into wild scrub brush, lizards sunning themselves on warm rocks, and who knows, maybe real snakes? Yikes. The rock snake is good enough for me.

Not only cute and entertaining, we have even added a rock from my personal Desert Rocks Collection. (Long story, but I painted rocks of the Coachella Valley and began freelance writing as The Desert Rocks, after leaving the newspaper business.)

The levee is a simple, flat walk with rest stops and fresh ocean breezes that swirl over nearby mountains from Orange County beaches. It’s the perfect place to stretch your legs and catch up on some local art!

Maybe it's a crow?

 A real turkey vulture

Watch out, is that a turkey vulture?  

Vulture at rest

Painted rocks....

as far as the eye can see.

Autumn's Warning

 

  

Crisp autumn seems to

gently negotiate with those of us used to warm climes.

Bold winds and light sprinkles advertise coming times.

New shows on the marquee,

mannequins with coats,

candy sales and baked brie.

January and February will be nippy,

she whispers among falling leaves.

Is your wine chilled or are you tipsy?

Craving hot appetizers on cool platters,

we want al fresco dining ‘til our teeth chatter.

 

Prepare yourself autumn seems to say.

Before everything turns gray.

Fix the furnace before it’s too late.

Shorter days are worth the wait?

Stock up on tea bags and cocoa,

there might be snow.

You never know.

Time to dig out sweaters and socks,

hide the shorts--ditch the flipflops.

Trade lemonade for pumpkin lattes--

and secretly pray for long summer days.

 

 

Eve Gaal

Another Part of the Circle-A is for Apple

 

With a name like Eve, it may not be surprising that we have an apple tree out back. Adorable, pale green apples sway in the autumn breeze, just waiting to be put into a pie. I seem to remember these are the Fuji variety. 

 

I was tempted.

What’s your favorite apple? Macintosh? Gala?

 Red Delicious? Honeycrisp?  

The Circle of Life Heats Up with Pickled Peppers

 

Remember Peter Piper and the famous tongue twister that’s been around since 1813?

I think I like tongue twisters as much as I love peppers!

Say red peppers-yellow peppers, five times fast!

As far as peppers go, I prefer jalapenos. They are readily available around here, and they add flavor to almost everything. I have a friend who makes jalapeno jam, and it’s delicious. Really.

I’m not sure if there’s a difference between Hatch and Anaheim peppers, but they are both as mild as bell peppers.

If you like a kick, there are poblanos, habaneros, serranoes, Hungarian peppers, ghost peppers and Scotch bonnets, just to name a few. The heat of these varieties is measured on something called a Scoville scale and measured in heat units that go from 2000 to over 2 million. Ever hear of a Carolina Reaper? (I’d turn back if I were you.)

Anyway, here are the tame little peppers from our garden. 

They have no heat whatsoever. 

I think they are banana or shishito, but it doesn’t matter, because they are delicious in this pickled salad recipe.

 

 

Do you have a favorite pepper?

The Circle of Life- Believe in the Tomato

 

 

To be honest, I LOVE this series on the circle of life, because none of it would be possible without seeds of faith.  Just when we thought the hundred-degree heat, and drought conditions in California, would dry up our garden, there are tomatoes on the vine, almost ready to be picked.

Tomatoes, are wonderful in salads, sandwiches, soups and sauces.  The ones in our garden, after what seemed like forever, turned bright red, are super juicy, and have the fabulous taste of summer in every bite. 

Since most of us like pizza and spaghetti, it’s not surprising to know that Italy is one of the top tomato producing countries in the world, after China, India, Turkey, Spain and the U.S.

In Italy they are called POMODORO

In Germany, Spain, France and Portugal, the word is TOMATE

In Hungary they call a tomato a PARADICSOM—which also translates to Eden and Paradise.

In Turkey they are DOMATES

In Holland and South Africa, they say TOMAAT.

Finally, I was able to make a Caprese Salad with avocado. Delicious and worth the wait!

Filled with antioxidants, tomatoes are grown all over the globe and are classified as a fruit, but are also called vegetables. The reasons seem mysterious, but it has to do with the seeds. Those little things that move mountains. The stuff empires are built upon. Tiny little seeds.  

Another Circle of Life-My Neighbor's Figs

 

During a normal, non-pandemic summer, we might go somewhere and miss out on all this glorious fruit! Harvesting, cooking and baking reminds me there's an upside to staying home, in our personal Eden, surrounded by friends, neighbors, and beautiful trees.

 If you've tasted fresh figs, you know how sweet and delicious they can be. The flavor is hard to describe, but I'd say it's like a bite of apple, plums and strawberries all mixed together into one incredible morsel. Magical! 

My neighbor's fig tree

That's not Eve, but my neighbor, picking figs from her tree.

Fresh Figs

Fresh Fig Bar

My First Podcast

The wonderful ladies at the After the After Show interviewed me about my books on their first Annual Marketing Palooza. This is an exciting way for readers to hear directly from authors about their novels. After an author writes a book, they spend hours revising, polishing, proofing, and editing their work. Soon, it seems the book is part of their life, like a baby about to be set free into the world. When it's finally published, they want to make sure it gets into the hands of people who will appreciate what they wrote. That's why this show is a great way for listeners to choose which books they want to take on vacation, or have on the bedside table. Readers have so many choices, and giving them a verbal and intimate menu is a great idea. Thank you!!  

While the hosts of the show, McKensie Stewart and Amy Shannon, sound cool, calm and collected, my mouth took a hold of my nerves and ran around my monkey brain looking for anything coherent to say. Fortunately, I only had two minutes to tell my story. (I'm last after this amazing group.)

Idelle Kursman-(Check out her website for a free magnet)

Amy Shannon-(Author, Editor & Book Reviewer)

Chris Karlsen(Ex-detective!)

Listen to it here: 

 The After Show with Eve

"Whatever we can do to help other authors."--Amy Shannon, Author of Unlawful Identity

Thank again you for having me on the show!

The Circle of (Apricot's) Life

 

March

June

July

Until next time....

Pinky Goes Bye-Bye!

 

Since some of you “met” Pinky through my blog, and some of you had the chance to actually meet her in person, I thought I should address the fact that she’s gone bye-bye. It’s so hard to type when your glasses are fogged up with tears.

 

 

Normally, I could write about Pinky all day long. 

She was a sweet, lovely soul and she loved going bye-bye.

Fiona and Pinky watching the world outside

Hopefully, Fiona will be waiting on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

A Few Exhilarating Book Reviews

 

 

I’ve read some wonderful books lately,

 and thought I’d share my reviews:

  Fishnets in the Far East

Michele E. Northwood

I don’t often read memoirs, but this one is different from your average life story. Michele is a young woman about to embark on a trip of a lifetime to South Korea, as part of a dance troupe called the Colliers. What transpires in her grueling six months of on and off again work, becomes a story filled with pain and suffering. However, not only does she dance, but she’s also a talented writer who will pack you into her suitcase so you can almost feel, smell and taste her experiences.

By the end, she’s toughened up and attempting to be confrontational. Difficult and unreasonable conditions would be putting it mildly, and after turning pages quickly, it seems Michele feels defeated. Based on her visit to the bank, perhaps she’s even going ‘mad’.
On a positive note, read this book when you think your life is going badly. Read this, and you’ll be grateful for everything that’s going right! The weather? The rats? The agent who doesn’t want to pay? The weird food? The drunken gropers? The gross hotel? Michele has painted a complete picture, allowing us to be voyeurs of unfortunate events, making this memoir incredibly entertaining. The glimpses of a life I’d never live, and wouldn’t know anything about, made me feel like I was peeking into Michele’s diary where something strange might happen at any time!

 Misericorde

Cynthia A. Morgan

The year is 2446 and it’s after the Great Cataclysm. “So much of what was beautiful, colorful and diverse was gone.” But the people that remained were still filled with hate, suspicion and fear. Enter the Angel of Mercy who needs to find at least one merciful human. Sadly, even though he has a miraculous sword that guards him, he’s captured and tortured for a year, by a medical officer named Phillippe. The archangel’s screams can be heard far beyond the tower, across the military bastion, even keeping a young scullery maid awake during the night.

This well-written novel will pull you into a fairy-tale like setting where the plot goes deeper than simply the good versus the bad. In fact, the stakes are higher now, and hell is filling the shadows with pure evil. Will Tzadkiel the archangel, find what he’s looking for? Can he escape the wrath of the guards and the commanding officer, Levesque? Is there a shred of mercy left anywhere? Read Misericorde and find out.

 

Twisted Tales from the Universe

Mari Collier

By the time I was old enough to watch television, the Twilight Zone shows were in reruns. Rod Serling wrote and produced most of the episodes, which he introduced himself. After the famous music and his introduction, I was mesmerized. The shows were either science fiction, horror or a blend of comedy and superstition. I also watched the Outer Limits, but nothing has ever compared to the Twilight Zone. Flash forward fifty years and there’s this incredible writer called Mari Collier. I’ve read other story collections by Collier, but this book pulled my attention in a bit deeper than the others. Man, oh man, if you liked The Twilight Zone, you’ll be hooked!

There’s a fascinating story about a shift in time that rearranges the mountains around Banning, California. In fact, Banning disappears completely. Truth be told, if you’ve ever been to Banning, you’d probably agree it wouldn’t be a big loss. Don’t worry, Collier laid out a hopeful solution, and kept me wondering whether things would go back to normal.

There’s a story titled One Flesh, about finding the perfect specimen of male, where the main character says, “I tingled in places I didn’t know I had.” A visit from an incompetent tooth fairy, a bizarre Halloween fight from 1952 that takes place in Iowa, a thirsty man trying some moral fruit, a story about Will who accidentally makes a mess of things during the depression, and more.
Will Gavin meet his quota in spite of the Red Dragons? Will Amelia return from the past? Will Flame Mouth get his Revenge? How about sweet, unassuming Auntie May?

If you are looking for far out entertainment—you found it. Best of all, each short story only takes a few minutes to read, so why not order a copy today?

 

  Skin Tight

Carl Haaisen

 

Right now, there’s a lot going on in the world. In fact, the craziness in a Hiaasen novel isn’t limited to Florida anymore. Which is exactly why I figured, this author, would come through with politically incorrect crude humor and some laughs. Meh. It had to be me, after all, Hiaasen is hilarious. I’ve read other Hiaasen books and laughed my head off. This one however--took me a long time to get through for some reason—and, in spite of the complex plot, too many characters and heaps of blood, I found it entertaining, but not funny.

Everyone loves the mysterious protagonist, Mick Stranahan, except the people who want him dead. Personally, I was so frustrated, I could have left him sunbathing on his stilt house forever. But this book is about Dr. Rudy Graveline anyway. Graveline made a mistake that will haunt him forever and covering it up with payoffs, bribes, mobsters, crooked lawyers, politicians and beautiful women, won’t make his problem go away. In fact, after he meets Chemo, and Reynaldo Flemm, things seem to head downhill, fast.

And where’s Mick when you need him? Like the invisible man, he’s there, but he’s not. It’s like he’s outsmarting the evil people in the book while outsmarting the reader too? Okay, so he’s got connections, friends and he’s got bullets--but wait--come back. Hello? Clever. I’m left hanging, and like Christina, I’m searching for a map to the next Hiaasen book about Mick Stranahan.

  The Deal-A New Beginning

Arch Font

Amazing but familiar characters! I’ve read many other wonderful novels by this talented author, and this book is unique to all the others. Font nails some of those fascinating personalities you only hear about in legends about RV lots. The salesmen, the managers, the receptionist and of course the unsuspecting customers, all seem to have some valid complaints. Buddy made me laugh-- I felt sorry for Chet-- thought Mindy and Katie were awesome--kind of wished Billy would return after doing his taxes--thought Max is perfect--and Lauren, I felt, was exactly the strong and beautiful woman he needed. Of course, all the customer characters are hilarious! Especially the stinky ones who make brownies. The book reads well. I had to keep reading to find out what happens to Alec and his dad. There are several touching moments, for example, when Max recites the serenity prayer. Very enjoyable plot with some captivating surprises. I guess unique is an understatement! Escape to the RV mall and have fun reading The Deal. I recommend it!

 

Have any recommendations? 

How about a book that made you laugh?

 Are you going to read any of my recommendations?

Love is the Cherry on Top!

 

Mainly due to sensitive teeth, I never crave ice cream. I know, weird, huh? There’s also some science backed medical issues about—well—forget it. That’s not the point. Truth is, I try avoiding the delicious treat, but find myself buying cartons of various flavors to please my sweetheart, who usually ends up eating it alone.  To which sceptics might say, sure, ‘she likes it too’. Well, I’m not made of stone. Plus, there’s some delicious, creamy options available that are softer than the icy stuff I remember from childhood.

Anyway, last night we made homemade banana splits with coffee-almond-fudge ice-cream and fudge brownie ice-cream, whipped cream, walnuts, and even a dash of caramel sauce.

Before I took the first bite, I noticed something was missing. The cherry!

We had a bowl of naturally sweet, cherries on the countertop and I grabbed one to decorate my dessert. There, among the fudge swirled creation, spoke the intangible analogy of a charmed life. The fruity banana on the bottom, the flavorful, the nutty and the sweet. And that cherry. Not a maraschino cherry, soaked in chemicals and food coloring, but a fresh, heart-colored delight sitting on top of a mountain of happiness. A sin about to be devoured.

I looked up at my husband gleefully enjoying his snack, and a powerful feeling of love came over me.  We were sharing a memorable moment like two partners in crime. Both aware of temporarily deviating into the dark side of normalcy, but doing it together, like Adam and Eve or Bonnie and Clyde.  I grinned, grabbed my spoon, and ne’er a pain from any tooth bothered me during this feast. Two seniors, now wild children, running on the freshly mowed grass and giggling with abandon.

For those few minutes, it felt good to be a rebel. (Come on, even doctors don’t know everything!)

                                                                                               

After all, isn’t love the gift that makes life

 prettier and sweeter—like a cherry on top—perfect?

Heart Shield

 For everyone returning to school, or work,
 after the pandemic:

 Listen to Your Heart

Sometimes our hearts have extra beats.

Rhythmic ones,

making us do things

we didn’t think we could do.

These beats encourage tenderness

to sprout into confidence,

with a whisper of boldness,

a murmur of sass.

 

A wilting flower,

now top of the class.

Instead of dregs,

the last in line waits for a fresh,

warm tray of refills.

A leader in a world of followers.

Blossom among weeds,

poised colorfully,

above spikey,

painful foxtails.

 

Those tapping extra beats,

thump loudly when facing the enemy.

Where evil lurks,

focus on the sound

emanating

from the heart.

Choose a course,

where distant drums approach;

the aegis,

the backup,

the cavalry

on the path,

to success.

 

St. Rae Helbignatni (In Reverse)

 Just for fun!

Oxymoron- (A phrase with contradictory words)

I’ve been told by a few people that the title of my latest novel is an Oxymoron.

In other words, The Happy War sounds about as believable as jumbo shrimp or an original copy. Certain phrases sneak into our vocabulary, like the walking dead, for example. In my novel, Linda, the main character, uses the phrase The Happy War as a way to refer to her plan. She has an idea to save the world from hate, and though it’s not really a full-fledged, regular, fighting type war, it’s a personal mission against all manner of evil. When she meets a guy called Eric, they seem to click on a mysterious romantic level, but he also shares her desire to ‘save the world’. They assemble a team of loyal friends to help them with their endeavor and that’s how their ‘war’ begins.

Anagrams- (rearranged letters for a new meaning)

There’s an anagram finder available at:

What Hay Prep?
Yup, another anagram of The Happy War

Anagram Creator

The best anagram I found for The Happy War is Warpath Hype

Palindromes- (A phrase or word that reads the same backward or forwards) If your name is Anna, Bob, Otto or Eve, you know what I mean. Just remember when you visit Amazon to look for The Happy War by Eve Gaal. 😊

A Semordnilap is Palindromes spelled backward. It’s sort of like a palindrome except now there’s a new meaning. For example, War is now raw. and stressed is desserts. No lemon is no melon and a famous semordnilap is Madam, I’m Adam.

The best I can say, is that our hearts- can love forwards, backwards and upside down!

Love With Everything You've Got!

 

Imagine that Jesus asked you to visit on Easter.

What would you bring?

How would you dress?

Would you call your friends to tag along?

Would you call the television news stations in your area?

Shout about it on rooftops?

Alert the newspapers?

Stand on a street corner and preach?

Share it on social media?

Borrow the intercom at the warehouse store?

Advertise it on the stadium jumbotron?

Shake from fear?

Begin to pray?

Ask for forgiveness?

Read the Bible?

Volunteer?

Stop at stop signs?

Write a will?

Blow it off with a joke?

Visit relatives?

Remind Him there’s a pandemic?

Tell Him you’re busy?

💓 

Seriously. Close your eyes and imagine it. He’s saying, ‘Please, we’d love to have you.’

Picture the Son of God asking you to join Him.

Visualize His face, His robe, His hands.

He asks for YOU every day!

It doesn’t mean you have to run to church.

Or learn special prayers.

If you want to be with Him,

He’ll feel it.

He knows you're not perfect.

If you’re near, He’ll know it.

Accept the invitation immediately.

Tonight.

Tell Him you can’t wait.

Be happy and eager.

And, while you’re getting ready,

spread love.

It's the best way to

prepare your intangible heart.

 

“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). 

Happy Easter!

Staying Optimistic

 

March 2021 is such an interesting month. By this time, we should have an idea which way things are going. We’ve left the cliff behind, right? After a year like 2020, our ears are perked like Easter bunnies and our eyes focus on the horizon. It's almost St. Patrick's Day when folks hold up a glass and say, Slainte, which means health. Speaking of health, things are better, right?

The future of America depends on kids who can attend school! Teams are waiting for star players, while crickets hang out under the dugout. Libraries are opening but have several restrictions, churches take reservations, restaurants may, or may not, have indoor seating, and you might be able to try on clothes at your favorite department store, but don’t quote me. And, while you’re out and about, don’t get tired, because there are no benches or places to sit. I’m convinced double masking is for the young. I can’t do it.

How about the age limit for a vaccine? Should I skip it all together? Will anyone want to hug or shake hands anymore? Is kissing someone on the cheek forbidden? Dancing? Weddings? Dang, I'm confused.

It’s like that song by The Clash, ‘Should I stay or Should I Go?’ 

Thankfully, there’s one constant--the love in our hearts coming from God. One Alpha and Omega who is the same yesterday, today and forever. I think I’ll focus on that for now.

 Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my friends!

Though I had trouble breathing,
 the merchandise spoke to me. 

You Never Walk Alone

 

As a writer with hobbies like reading, cooking and crocheting, getting exercise is imperative. The last few weeks we’ve had to go on slow, short walks, even though my legs prefer, and need, longer walks. The short walk is about a quarter mile and the long walk is a lovely two miles. While there are a few medium routes that are one mile long, I get overruled on those due to hilly terrain or traffic. Hubs has pain from knee surgery and an old ankle injury. Maybe I was a Labrador retriever in my last life, because I love to go for walks. Short, long or in between, I’m happy with any kind of walk!

Funny thing is, I have a sweet friend who would gladly walk with me and go on long, strenuous walks, but bless her heart, she likes to go fast! She’ll round the corner, shouting and turning back to me, “Hurry up,” she’ll say, “come on!”  But, I don't want to hurry. Being outside is a luxury during a pandemic. We've been cooped up like chickens and locked up like convicts! This is 2021—nothing is fast—why should I be fast?  I like to listen to the birds sing, I like to enjoy the fresh air, the flowers and the all-around scenery, perhaps take photos of a sprouting tree or the yellow underbelly of a finch. Sadly, I told her I’ll walk with my husband, who would rather do just about anything these days, and yet, out of the kindness of his heart, he still acquiesces to the short walk; this is the same guy who once walked 100 miles at one time in the Army!  

When I go alone, I opt for a brisk medium walk. Truth be told, I miss walking my dogs. Pinky is a senior dog and I can’t risk some lightning fast dog approaching her and scaring her to death. She’s been attacked before in La Quinta (Bull dog and Rottweiler-15 stitches), and then almost again when we lost Fiona to a big Belgian Malinois running off leash. Fiona had on a thick camouflaged harness, looking adorable, when out of the blue, tragedy struck.  I picked up Pinky and ran home screaming, “Jesus help me!” Yup, I left Fiona and my husband to die. Fortunately, Steve survived, but after fighting over Fiona, the dog had bit Steve’s throat while looking for his jugular!

Later, when animal control took a report, they told us they weren’t putting the bad dog down, only placing him on house arrest for one year! Just appalling. Sorry for the sad facts, but walking just isn’t the same without your furry friends at your side. And, I suppose as time goes on, I'll be  relegated to going it alone or mopping my floors instead. Housework sucks! 

The thing is, I shouldn’t mind walking alone. After all, I’m never alone, right? Remember that song from the musical “Carousel”, called, “You’ll Never Walk Alone?” Here’s a great rendition: 

Today, I noticed a few chalk drawings in front of the park where Fiona and Steve were attacked. A year and half later, my head still can’t shake those vivid, painful memories. How can something like this happen in our neighborhood? I fight back tears every time I walk by the scene of the bloody event and there, at my feet is a message.  A chalk drawing to remind me--He’s here--wherever I choose to step-- and wherever I intend to go.

Valentine Hope!

 

It’s gray outside, in fact, it looks and feels bleak. Our country is not only cold, as in rain and snow, but also battling a virus. For the last few months things have been horrible and depressing. My noise cancelling headphones broke in half—so now there’s nowhere to hide from the six o’clock news. Our friends are in and out of hospitals. Sadly, despite our constant prayers, a few didn’t make it. Another is stuck in hospice.

Even during the darkest days, we know things will get better. Of course, they will, but even smiling broadcasters don’t have a clue as to when. But there’s always hope, or at least there should be hope.

“Where there is no hope, it is incumbent on us to invent it.”
~ Albert Camus

At 7:48am this morning someone sent me flowers. The doorbell rang and the driver, who should have worn a mask, handed me a lovely bouquet of roses, lilies and daisies. After setting them on the counter, I immediately washed my hands. Still, it came as a delightful surprise.

Five minutes later, a romantic couple of large, mallard ducks flew into our backyard as a sort of harbinger of spring. Splashing and quacking, they shook their tail feathers and sat down on the flagstone. Every year a couple, maybe the same ones, return to lay eggs behind our mesquite tree. Once the ducklings hatch, they toddle off behind mama duck, to a local creek. Why would this year be any different?

An hour later, my Valentine went to get his first dose of the vaccine. Things are looking up. There might even be a bit of sunshine today!

 

May hope and love fill your heart this Valentine’s Day!

Nervous Birds!

 

When I look at the birds, I feel sorry for them. Outside in the cold, they sit on barren trees, exposed to the elements, in what folks in California describe as cold weather. 

In ancient times, way before they had fast-talking meteorologists, there were natural ways to figure out upcoming changes in the weather. I don’t mean fast-talking as a slur, but here, during Golden State winters, we have a lot going on.  Periodically, I even worry the forecasters need to take a breath, lest they keel over on camera.

Arms gesticulating in front of a giant map, they inhale and explain how rain is swooping in from the north, while heat is coming in from the south. There’s a dangerous current blowing in from the east, snow in the mountains with light precipitation in the valleys, a heat wave in the desert, and hazardous rip currents at the beach, with an onshore flow that will bring coastal fog to low-lying communities.

Oh, my goodness, it all sounds so exciting, even my heart begins to race! (It doesn’t take much during this stay at home order and pandemic.)

As a viewer, we try deciphering the diagrams pertaining to our area, but somehow, the predictions rarely match reality.  Maybe we live in a micro-climate? While the doppler radar can foresee our future, we scratch our heads wondering where our home fits into the analytical scheme of things. Still, we’re a sucker for entertainment so we keep watching the weather report.

But outside, there’s something different going on. “Relax,” the birds outside my window seem to chirp. “You have a home— so stop complaining—stay inside. Sure, it’s cold—it’s winter—duh. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re busy. We need to build a nest as soon as possible. I need a twig. I need to call my friends. How am I supposed to raise a family? I need to sing to warn the others that bad weather is coming, and I need to find food to sustain me when it’s cold.”

Every night at 5pm, hundreds of crows fly overhead.

Okay, I see their point. Just like weatherpersons speaking faster in winter, they fly and flit with a greater urgency. Time is of the essence. Based on what I see, it’s going to rain tomorrow.