I am a native of California who lives in Southern California. I have a background in healthcare and Special Education. Writing is a new adventure for me.
Recently read a post by Calvin Trillin in the New York Times, When ‘All Thumbs’ Becomes a Compliment,thanks to a mention in Ronni Bennett’s blog Time Goes By.He was referring to the common idiom about someone being ‘all thumbs’ or clumsy with hands and that it may no longer apply in current times as when he was “watching a teenager text” with their thumbs at lightening speed on the subway. This got me thinking about common expressions and idioms, that I still use all the time, and how they fit or not with modern times. Here goes:
“Hold your horses” meaning slow down,wait. ( used to refer to reigning in a horse or team of horses). I once said this to my daughter when she was little and she replied, ” I don’t have any horses!!”
“Spill the beans” (reveal a secret, sometimes prematurely).
“Mull it over” (ponder, think carefully about).
These next two may require prior knowledge of poultry farming:
” Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” ( don’t put all you resources into one thing) I usually use this to mean don’t put all your hopes on one venture, try, or possibility.
“Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched” ( Don’t assume something that has not happened yet)
“Don’t sell yourself short” ( Don’t underestimate yourself. Probably used to refer to the selling stock for less than what it would be worth in the long run.)
“Go the extra mile” ( Going above and beyond to make an effort to do something. May go out of style if we all go to metric system)
Photo by Davyd Betchkal NPS Denali National Park
“Won’t give an inch” ( stubborn, unwilling to compromise) This is similar to “Stick To Your Guns”
Shooting Jane Russell GIF via giphy.com
” Not playing with a full deck” ( Cognitively impaired, not functioning well. Like playing cards without a full deck of cards)
“Lose Your Marbles” ( mentally impaired, lose your wits)
“Sharp as a tack” (very intelligent, bright. Used to refer to sharp cutting edge. A tack is a small sharp pointed nail.
” Hit the nail on the head” (precisely, correct) Like hitting a nail head with a hammer.
via giphy.com
“In a nutshell” ( concisely, in summary) “alludes to the Roman writer Pliny’s description of Homer’s Iliad being copied in so tiny a hand that it could fit in a nutshell,” Idioms by The Free Dictionary.
“Close, but no cigar” ( almost the right answer or close to winning, but not quite) may be referring to old time carnival game stalls where the prize was a cigar.
Groucho Marx ‘A Day at the Races’
Do you have any favorites? Do they still work today?
Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. Today’s prompt is to look to the publication (book, newspaper, permission slip from your kid’s teacher, whatever you find) closest to you, and base your post on the sixth, seventh, and eighth word from the beginning of the page.
Featured image of ‘Young people texting’ by Tomwsulcer via wikimedia.org, homer simpson moe GIF via giphy.com, ‘Ponder’ image via Hobvias Sudonelghm on Flickr.com, Chicks and Nut images via Pixabay.com
Los Angeles Union Station is done in Art Deco design as are other buildings like the City Hall, my featured image of the Eastern Columbia Building, Griffith Observatory, and more. So much was created in Art Deco design… buildings, furniture, jewelry, art, trains, cars, screens, doors, theaters. Elegant Art Deco.
LA Union Station waiting room
LA Union Station old ticket room
Kim Novak at LA Union Station 1956
Super Chief
California Zephyr
California Zephyr 1949
Pacific Shasta Daylight
Spirit of the Wind ‘Victoire’ by Lalique
Griffith Observatory
Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. Prompt for today is -eco. Featured image is The 1930 Eastern Columbia Building in the Broadway Theater and Commercial District of Los Angeles via Visitor 7 on Wikimedia.
“Maybe it’s just in America, but it seems that if you’re passionate about something, it freaks people out. You’re considered bizarre or eccentric. To me, it just means you know who you are.”
― Tim Burton
Just Jot It January is hosted by Linda G Hill. Featured image is ‘Jame’s Flamingo mating ritual’ by Pedros Szekely on wikimedia.org
The first Wednesday of the month is time for a post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. This month’s (optional) question is:
What steps have you taken to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?
I am glad this is optional because my answer would be pretty brief. I have been taking a break or mini sabbatical from regular writing, a period of rest or leave. Resolved to not have a schedule at this time. In a bit of flux about where my writing is going. I have made an effort to write Flash Fiction for the Write…Edit…Publish WEP Blogfest. Just finished one for the December Challenge, Redwood. And it did take effort to sit down and write that piece. I had an idea I wanted to explore in the beginning and once I got it started it took on a life of its own in that new ideas did come to me as I wrote it. I am proud of my story. It takes courage to write creatively in that I am putting a part of me out there, making that effort. I do think that Flash Fiction is an interesting form of writing. Another scheduled writing I have been pretty consistent with is Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Seems like I do have a bit of a schedule in place after all. To write my blog at least once a week and participate in WEP.
“In the final exam in the Chaucer course we were asked why he used certain verbal devices, certain adjectives, why he had certain characters behave in certain ways. And I wrote, ‘I don’t think Chaucer had any idea why he did any of these things. That isn’t the way people write.’
I believe this as strongly now as I did then. Most of what is best in writing isn’t done deliberately.”
― Madeleine L’Engle, A Circle of Quiet
I do not feel boisterous since I am getting over a vi-er-us. It was not the worst cold (and cough) I ever had but it was not the best way to spend the holidays. Felt like I was sitting out the holidays, literally. Not that I like a lot of raucousness and crowded parties. But it has been a bit dreary even for someone who likes quiet.
Just Jot It January. Today’s prompt word ‘boisterous’ is provided by Dan Antion of No Facilities. Featured image of ‘Owl’ by Mark Coleman on Flickr.
Resolved, not to make any New Year’s resolutions. A definition of Hermitage via Google “the dwelling of a hermit, especially when small and remote.” Well I am not a hermit but I would keep this promise to myself, to always have a small place where I can go to be by myself with my thoughts and maybe some books, even if it is an imaginary place. I will keep my hermitage.
I like the setting of this tiny house in the desert but would not like the transparency and it would be very hot in the summer. Have to have my privacy. January 2 is World Introvert Day. 🙂
Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt for today is ‘resolution.’ Featured image of Tiny House via Pixabay.com. Image of tiny house in desert by Nicolas Boullosa on Flickr Description: translucent tiny house in the desert of arizona (within Taliesin west)
Yule starts with the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. For many of us it is time to gather for holiday celebrations. We just celebrated Hanukkah last week with part of the family. The best gatherings are with family and close friends. We might enjoy some eggnog or mulled wine and special meals like roast turkey. My daughter wants to make something different, paella. I look forward to being together with my daughter and my son and his family. Have a cold this week and grateful for online shopping. My little grandson is sick and had to go into the hospital yesterday. He is doing better and should be home soon. It has been a tough year for many people with all the hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and wild fires. I hope everyone can be with their families and friends and have Happy Holidays!
Wassail pronounced like waffle but with /s/ sound can mean drinking to your health, like a special holiday punch, or caroling ( singing Christmas songs). Here’s to all of our good health and Happy New Year!
Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt words for today are you’ll, Yule, Yul. Featured image of ‘Snowing Snow Lantern Red Little Girl Winter’ via Max Pixel.
Rachel Baum was looking forward to another opportunity to get out in the forest. Her job as a biologist at UC Berkeley was the study of the effect of climate change on Redwood trees. In recent years there was a growing alarm at the rapid changes in the California climate and how it was stressing the trees. Many felt it could be reaching a tipping point with how long the trees could adapt and survive. Her work sometimes required her to climb to the top of a 300 foot tree to check instruments that monitored the weather up in the canopy.
Rachel loved the spectacular views from the canopy and listening to the wind in the leaves. She came to the grove with another biologist who remained on the ground. Josh would send up any needed supplies with a pulley. There had been reports of a storm front moving in but Rachel and Josh thought they would have enough time. As she reached the top of the tree she heard a loud rumbling and looked up to see dark clouds rolling in.
“We better make this quick, Rachel,” Josh called over the two-way radio.
“I just want to check the fog monitor and then I will head down.”
Rachel was reaching over to the monitor when she saw the little Spotted Owl on a lower branch.
Female Spotted Owl
She was about to catch a quick photo when she felt the hair rise on the back of her neck. The lightning hit a nearby tree sending chunks of wood exploding through the air. A large piece hit Rachel.
Rachel was traveling through a tunnel. She felt the tunnel closing in on her body, squeezing. She thought she heard a young woman cry out and then she forgot about her life on Earth as she came into a new world. The midwife smiled as she welcomed this new life. Her parents named her Alexandria.
Alexandria Mata was one of the first babies born in the Mars colony. Her parents were part of the first colonists to live on Mars. They were both botanists working on plant cultivation. Growing up Alex liked exploring the gardens and small nature areas that were part of the biosphere. Her parents often found her reading her books under one of the few trees. Alex loved stories about trees. She grew up to be a botanist like her parents and her affinity for trees continued. Many of her contemporaries considered her a bit odd for her interest in Forest Biology because, as they told her, the forests are gone on Earth and there would be no forests on Mars. There was one friend who shared her interest in trees, Jeff Kimura. His focus was paleobotany, the study of fossil plants.
Artist concept Mars Colony via NASA
Alex was working the day a small package arrived in a shipment from Earth. The contents of the box were not revealed by the label which said it had come from the University of California, Berkeley. As she opened it she found a note from a biologist. I hope you can find a home for this specimen of Sequoia Sempervirens and help this majestic spirit survive in the universe. Most of these trees had been lost on Earth during the Great Drought of 2030-2045 when there were years of little rain with many months of wild fires. Global warming had denied the moisture giving fog to the giant trees and the drought dried out the soil and the surrounding undergrowth. The fires did the rest. Alex wanted to show the seedling to Jeff but he was at a dig site on Olympus Mons.
Olympus Mons was an old shield volcano and one of the tallest mountains in the solar system. Jeff’s team hoped that the volcano had some buried secrets in its slopes. They were looking for signs of earlier plant life on the planet. Jeff knew Alex would be very interested in what they discovered, part of a fossilized forest.
“Jeff, this is fantastic, proof of ancient forests on Mars! When will you get some specimens back here?”
“We have them here now if you want to come over to my lab.”
” Right away!”
Word spread fast among the scientists and Alex found a large group in the Botany lab. The lead paleobotanist, Dr. Albero, was speaking. ” The microscopic evaluation of the fossils suggest these trees were ancestors of Sequoia Sempervirens, or Coast Redwoods.”
“How could Mars and Earth have the same trees? “ Alex thought, incredulous.
After the announcement people broke up into smaller groups to talk about the discovery. Jeff signaled to Alex. She walked over to a corner of the room where he was standing.
“Can you believe it, Coast Redwoods on Mars?
“We found a body.”
“What! Where?”
“We found a body buried near the trees.”
“What kind of body? What did it look like?”
“Like this.” Jeff showed Alex a photo he had stored on his communicator.
“Oh my God! This proves there were humanoids here on Mars.”
“Well there was one anyway.”
“Why wasn’t the discovery of this body announced?”
“Dr. Albero wants to discuss it with some higher-ups at NASA. He thinks this discovery might cause some panic in the colony.”
The colony leaders called for a community meeting the following week. Dr. Albero was asked to speak about the discovery.
“I know there have been rumors about the other discovery made on Olympus Mons. We found the body of a humanoid buried near the petrified forest. Further testing on the remains indicates that this humanoid is genetically related to us.”
******
The expedition found two planets in the solar system with environments compatible to their home world. They decided to introduce some of their flora prior to colonization to see if it could survive. They planted some seedlings from one of their most revered and beloved trees.
Ancient Coast Redwoods tower above hikers at Simpson Reed Grove Trail
“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It’s not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time.” – John Steinbeck
More information about climate change and the Redwoods. And 100 Practical Ways to Reverse Climate Change: Drawdown.
Featured Image ‘Growth, plant’ by Antranias on Pixabay.com. Image of ‘Female Spotted Owl’ by Emily Brauwer of the US National Park Service via wikimedia. Image of ‘Petrified Wood, Petrified Forest National Park, USA’ via Pixabay.com. Image of ‘Mummy’ from British Museum Collection by Klafubra on wikimedia. Image of Coast Redwoods in Redwood National Park via US National Park Service.
This post is part of the Write…Edit…Publish #WEP#ff December Challenge, The End is the Beginning hosted by Denise Covey, Yolanda Renee, Nilanjana Bose, and Olga Godim.
Notes Tied On The Sagebrush 