Fools

"If there is reincarnation, I want to come back as Pamela Anderson's fingertips."

-Woody Allen

When Reincarnation Goes Bad...

Bootsy Von MacInerney, learned the hard way that one should never apply for reincarnation on April Fools Day!

-OndineMonet

New Life...A Round Robin Promotion

"If humankind would accept and acknowledge this responsibility and become creatively engaged in the process of emotion, consciously as well as unconsciously, a new reality would emerge, and a new age could be born."

-Jonas Salk

I love spring. Everything and everyone get a chance to emerge from the cold anew. With flowers blossoming everywhere, how can one feel downhearted? I enjoy visiting the various public gardens in the Bay Area, to see the new blossoms. Golden Gate Park puts on a beautiful show. Cherry blossoms, roses, California poppies, you name the flower...it will be in glorious bloom.

I was thinking about a favorite movie the other day, Cactus Flower, starring, Walter Mathau, Goldie Hawn, and Ingrid Bergman. Wonderful movie, with a wonderful message. It may take some blossoms longer then others to bloom, but when they do, you will find it was well worth the wait. It's about learning to enjoy your life, even if you are not a spring chicken any longer. It's about giving yourself permission to reinvent yourself, from time to time, to let your inner beauty shine though. We all deserve that...don't we?

In my 43 years, there have been many occasions to stop what wasn't working in my life, and try a new road I had never been down. It was a day like that, when I decided to start my first journal on AOL, "Ellipsis." The title seemed fitting, because I had been doing a lot of pausing in my life, and a lot of jumping from one subject to another. I had been quite ill, from 2000 until the summer of 2003, when I finally had a breakthrough with my emotional turmoil. One day, it all changed for the better. Suddenly I was on a new, much more brighter road in my life. Everything had color again, and finally, everything mattered. It was as if, someone breathed new life into my soul. I felt like I had been brought back from the dead. Here I sit, 2 1/2 years later, and while I still have days where things feel like a struggle, I don't feel the profound sadness I once did. I look forward to writing in my blog, to playing with Elvis, to inventing new recipes, and yes, I even enjoy the occasional flirt. ;)

I like the idea Sassy came up with for the next Round Robin Challenge,"New Life," because it is something all of us have enjoyed at one time or another. If you would like to share what this subject means to you, we invite you to join us on Wednesday, April 12th. All you have to do to play along, is to visit the official Round Robin Journal, read the entry for the current challenge, and follow the instructions for signing up. I hope you will consider joining us. It is a great way to meet new people, and see some awesome photography from our other Robin participants. I am always surprised an amazed at the talent I see, and we are gaining new members each time we play! Come on and join us...you know you want to. :)

-OndineMonet
"New Life"
San Mateo, California
March, 2006
Morning

Steven's Feline Friday

"Dogs come when they're called; cats take messages and get back to you later."

-Mary Bly

Elvis was a very happy boy yesterday, the sun came out for a few minutes and he was able to go into the yard and play. Elvis is a very social cat. He has made friends with most of the kitties we have up here in the hills. He best friends with an opossum family, Agatha and her babies, but sometimes I think he remembers, and maybe misses, his brother Jack Kerouac. Jack and he were born in the same litter, and although Jack outweighed Elvis a good bit, Elvis had always cared for him...under some very trying circumstances. Sometimes I look at Elvis, and think about all we have seen each other through, and I wonder how much of the bad he might remember.

Over all he is a pretty happy little guy. He smiles, he giggles at times. He plays tricks on Alan, I willshare with you about the hamburger incident sometime. LOL. He is a vocal cat, he and I coo with each other a lot. Mostly he just loves, people, other cats, birds, stray animals and me. :) I love this cat. :)

If you have a kitty friend, be sure to play along with Steven's Feline Friday, because, "Friday is for cats!" It's really easy to do. Just write an entry or post a picture of your cat, and then drop by Steven's blog (sometimes photoblog) and leave him a link in the comments for the current round of Feline Friday. You can find this week's entry here. :)

-OndineMonet
"Elvis In The Sun"
Berkeley, California
March, 2005
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #105: Share A Favorite Poem

"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotion know what it means to escape from these."

-Emily Dickinson

Weekend Assignment #105: Share a favorite poem.

Extra Credit: Ever write poetry yourself?

-John Scalzi

I love poetry, and have many books, and the collected works, of many different poets, but on cold, rainy evenings...no matter what season it might be...I always seem read Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Her poetry just soothes my soul, and stirs all kinds of memories that warm me like the most comfortable of blankets. The sound of the rain outside, like tonight, inspires me to feel and dream. Sigh.

Sonnets from the Portuguese X
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Yet, love, mere love is beautiful indeed
And worthy of acceptation. Fire is bright
Let temple burn, or flax; and equal light
Leaps in the flame from cedar-plank or weed
And love is fire. And when I say at need I love thee
I love thee in thy sight, I stand transfigured, glorified aright,
With conscience of the new rays that proceed
Out of my face toward thine.
There's nothing low in love, when love the lowest:
Meanest creatures who love God, God accepts while loving so
And what I feel across the inferior features
Of what I am, doth flash itself, and show
How that great work of Love enhances Nature's.

Extra Credit: Nope...I don't have a lot of talent in that area. :)

-OndineMonet
"Three"
Marin County, California
Autumn, 2005
Early Evening

Ellipsis Flashback: 3/30/04: 8 Legged Diphead

Hi Everyone :)

I am completely exhausted tonight, after a long rainy day here in the Bay Area. We actually set a record for the most rainfall in the month of March. The previous record was set in march of 1904. If we have one more day of rain, it will surpass that record! The Weather Channel, predicts that we will be experiencing some especially cold weather the next few days, so there is a pretty good chance that record will be broke.

Anyway, I have some blog jogging to do tonight, to visit the Round Robins and see their current challenge entries, so here is an Ellipsis Flashback from March of 2004. It seemed to bring a giggle or two, so I hope you enjoy it again. :)

Carly :)

"I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick. Not wounded. Dead."

-Woody Allen

Eight Legged Dip Head

By Carly

Kachoo, kachoo, kachoo. I always sneeze in threes. Anyway, I thought with Martha Stewart otherwise engaged, I might audition for Journal Land's "Maven Of Good Living," position. This is my original recipe for those intimate little get togethers of eight or so people. This recipe is best served in low lighting, accompanied by a sturdy little wine such as Ripple, Nyquil or if you are feeling classy...Cold Duck. Don't forget finger bowls and fresh flowers are an entertaining must!

1 Fully intact, freshly deceased Octopus
5 lbs. Velveeta, cut into cubes for melting
24 Radishes
3lbs. Pre-softened Chive or Vegetable Cream Cheese
1 Jar Baby Gherkins...definietly don't but the adult Gherkins
8 Individual Ginsu knives

Carefully remove your freshly deceased octopus from the original packaging. Cut a large round hole in the top of the octopus's head, similar to the carving of a pumpkin. Remove the innards and set aside. Immediately place a disposable bowl inside the cranial cavity for optimal shaping.

Place the octopus with it's tenacles stretched out in eight directions, place garnish of choice around it on a nice serving platter. A nice choice would be Crabapples or Fig Newtons.

Melt the Velveeta in a microwave safe container till creamy. Fill the bowl in the Octopus's head with the melted cheese. Spread the underside of each tentacle with one inch of the room temperature cream cheese, and fasten alternately with a decorative toothpick one radish and one Baby Gherkin per section. Roll each tentacle into thirds.

Place the octopus so it's eyes and beak are facing your guest of honor. Use the Ginsu knives for easy cutting and dipping of your tentacle. Enjoy!

Serves 8

Note: I am pretty sure this recipe isn't Atkins friendly.

-OndineMonet
"Party Girl"
Berkeley, California
March 2005
Evening

Round Robin Challenge: Obstruction

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

-Christopher Reeve

When Nancy, author of the journal, "Nancy Luvs Pix,"came up with the idea of "Obstruction" for our challenge, I was challenged indeed. Right off, I couldn't think of what I might post for the entry. It seems I hadn't taken a lot of photos, this past year, that really fell into that category. I did remember however, that there was an unusual barrier that encircles the base of my very favorite place to get away from life's troubles, Fort Point, which sits just beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

One day last week, I went out to the bridge to relax, and get a few more photos for this challenge.I have always been interested in the two unusual plaques that are attached to the fence,so, I thought this might be a good time to inquire about them. One of the plaques is of a pair of paw prints, the other is of a pair of hands. The story, as I came to find out, was life affirming and profound.

The plaque of the hands is named, "Hopper's Hands," in honor of, Ken Hopper, an iron worker on the Golden Gate Bridge. According to a 2001 article about Mr. Hopper, in the 17 years he had worked on the bridge, had successfully talked 30 people into not committing suicide, by jumping into the cold, foggy waters of the San Francisco Bay. It is estimated that as many as 1,300 may have jumped to their deaths from the bridge, since it's opening in April of 1937. One day an ironworker, working at the bridge, decided to do something to try and help one of those poor lost souls.

The ironworkers who continually work on the bridge are known by several nicknames. "Cowboys in the Sky,""Men of Steel,"but do they have some special training to be able to save a suicidal person? Nope...they simply care THAT much. Although, they have been coached by suicide prevention experts, and sometimes, there will be a police psychologist to assist the men by radio, most of the time they will be on their own to talk the person down. A dangerous job to be sure. , they never quite know who or what they might be facing. Once, a distraught man pulled a knife on an ironworker, yet another was bitten by a woman he had pulled over to safety.

Hopper, and the other ironworkers who volunteer to respond to calls of a possible suicidal person, are on call for this duty 24/7. With each call, at least two will respond, and they employ a number of methods for talking the suicidal person out of killing themselves. The ironworkers all take their turns. When asked why they perform this service, Hopper replied, "We are the only one's dumb enough to do it." The ironworkers have the knowledge, and equipment for the bridge that allows them to be safer then most who might try to help.

Hopper remembers every one of the 30 people he saved, but still remembers the two he lost. One night a man tossed his young child off the bridge, and then threw himself in. After a while, the experiences all became too much for him, and he retired his name from the call list. In time, with a little help for himself, he once again had his name added back onto the call list, to make himself available as an obstruction between the cold water of the bay, and those who feel all their hope is gone. Hopper, and those like him, are the kind of obstacles we pray will come our way.

Note: It is a long standing tradition for the joggers who visit the Fort Point area, to high five, "Hopper's Hands" as they turn around. It's a good feeling to watch that happen...it's a good place to visit, and a good place to remember to count your blessings. As for the second plaque I mentioned. Well, the story goes that the ironworkers noticed that a certain female jogger, who always gave "Hoppers Hands" a "high five" also had her dog touch the plaque, so one day they decided to make a special plate for the canine friends who visit the fence. :)

"One day, if I do go to heaven...I'll look around and say, 'It ain't bad, but it ain't San Francisco."

-Herb Caen

Please pay a visit to the other Round Robin participants, and if you would like to play along, just drop by the official Round Robin Journal, read the entry for this challenge, and the Welcome Entry & Rules Of Play, and you are all set. :)

1. Nancy: Nancy Luvs Pix
2. Karen: Outpost Mavarin
3. Dorn: Through The Eyes Of The Beholder
4. Julie: Julie's Web Journal
5. Jessica: QuickSilver
5. Sara: Animated Seasons
6. T. J. Photo Inclusions: Every Picture Tells A Story
7. Tammy: The Daily Warrior
8. Steven: (sometimes photoblog)
9. Carly: Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly
10. Valorie: Keeping Our Human Mother On Her Toes

-OndineMonet
"Fort Point Barrier" "Hopper's Hands"
Fort Point/Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, California
March 25th, 2006
Afternoon

Oops... There Goes Another Rubber Tree Plant!

"Everybody's human-everybody makes mistakes. If you laugh it off and keep going, and try to give it your best the next time around, people respect that."

-Unknown

Mistakes happen. Sometimes big, sometimes small, sometimes in elections, sometimes in advertising, sometimes in opinions, and sometimes in perceptions. I was just speaking with a good pal tonight, about how really good friends don't usually need to hear, "I'm sorry," when a mistake is made between them. Along with friendship, comes the unspoken acceptance of humanity in our friends. I am lucky to have extraordinary friends in my life, who have learned to speak the language of, "Carly." Watch any program about friendships, and you will see that very same unspoken realization, is always a part of the glue that holds things together.

It's that unspoken element, that happens between people who take the time to stop and let each other into their lives. I love the fact that people are human, and capable of making things interesting. Believe me, I have been making human mistakes to a glorious degree my whole life, but in the last year or so, since the onset of the Fibromyalgia, my penchant for getting it wrong has become something of an art form. LOL. Oh, but now I just sound like I am bragging. Tell you what...here are a examples of how getting it wrong can make it all right...as long as you remember to keep your sense of humor.

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."

-Napoleon Bonaparte

Hell No I Won't Go! (Marines Try To Recruit 78 Year Old Woman)

Mrs. Sonia Goldstein, of Saugus, California, was surprised recently, when she received a letter in the mail from her local recruitment office, which asked her to become one of "the few, the proud." The letter told Mrs. Goldstein the service could use her language skills to serve her country. The thing is, Mrs. Goldstein is 78 years old, and can only walk assisted by a walker, and the only language skill she possesses is that she can speak English. LOL. Although she had to decline the offer, she was very proud to consider serving her country, "I'll do whatever I can for this wonderful country we live in." Hey, it was a compliment to be sure, and it gave Mrs. Goldstein and her friends a laugh or two. LOL. Heck, it gave me a giggle as well. In a statement, Maj. Joseph Kloppel, a corps spokesmen, had this to say, "the letter must have been sent as a mistake." When I stopped laughing, I had to wonder, who else got a recruitment letter by mistake? Hmmmm.

Superman Is Gay? Not That There's Anything Wrong With That!

Back in our "getting to know you," days, Alan and I, and a group of pals, liked to hang out together. We would go about our lives all week, with school and jobs, but on the weekends, we would do the same old thing. We would meet at the mall, have lunch at Red Robin or Farrells, and then hit an afternoon movie. It came around to my turn and I chose "Death Trap." I love comedies, and mysteries, and Death Trap seemed like it would be a nice mixture of both...and it was. Not to mention one of the best looking movie men of all time, Christopher Reeve, was a co-star of Michael Caine and Dyan Cannon.

Since I don't know if you have already seen the movie or not, I will tell you that the movie takes a lot of twists and turns, and finally leads you to a point that you probably wouldn't expect. Christopher Reeve kisses a man! I was shocked. I was amused, I really didn't see it coming, but apparently I wasn't the only one to be caught off guard, because from somewhere in the back of the theatre came a loud gasp and then in a loud, disappointed voice, came "Superman is Gay?" Now, I lost it. I laughed so hard, I could hardly breathe, but it wasn't just the words the lady had said that made me laugh, it was the collective GASP in the theatre. It seemed like the entire room had suddenly been let in on a secret of national security. LOL. I mean Superman is an American icon. He does work, at times with our military. What would this mean? LOL. I am sure everyone came back to the realization in a second or two, that this was an entirely different character, but you should have heard the collective gasp!

A few days later, I went into Farrell's to have lunch because I could get there quickly on my lunch hour. I was happily enjoying a delicious burger, when two ladies sat down in the booth behind me. I wasn't really paying any attention to their discussion, until something caught my attention. It went something like this..." Shelia, did you hear that Christopher Reeve is gay?" LOL. I felt myself gasp! Christopher Reeve is gay? What would this mean for womankind? LOL. "It's true...he came out in a movie. My sister just saw it last week." LOL. Hmmm...Had her sister been at the same showing I had? LOL. Isn't that odd? Sometimes that's how rumors, and misconceptions get started. If you haven't seen the film yet, go rent it, great movie, great cast. Christopher Reeve will always be yummy. Jeepers I miss him.

"Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fall in order to practice being brave."

-Mary Tyler Moore

Terry Bradshaw Is Gay? Not That There Is Anything Wrong With That!

As you know I am somewhat challenged when it comes to linking. I also have my moments with spelling, and grammar, all because my brain is misfiring lately. Sometimes, it gets so bad that what can only be describes as complete gibberish, will come spewing from me like rainbird. Alan, has learned to speak Carly, so he can usually decipher what I am meaning to say. It's difficult sometimes, to be thinking a certain word, and have something completely different come out of my mouth instead. A word that isn't even on my mind. Sometimes, that same type of misfiring comes with my hearing as well. The following is a good example.

I was trying to do to many things the other night, like breathing, typing an entry, and watching TV at the same time. LOL. KRON Channel 4 here in the Bay Area shows reruns of "Sex And The City," from 10 to 11 PM Monday thru Friday. Last week I turned it on, because there was going to be an episode I was particularly fond of airing that night. I turned the set on just in time to see a promo for the news at 11. And oh what a promo it was..."Terry Bradshaw's boyfriend, Mikhail Baryshnikov, to make a speech this weekend." Terry Bradshaw is dating Mikhail Baryshnikov? When did that happen? I mean, I try to keep up with things, I read a lot of different publications. I didn't know they were dating. "Hey Alan...did you know Terry Bradshaw is dating Mikhail Baryshnikov? "Huh?' Said Alan. He came into my office to see what I was doing, when he saw the end credits for "Sex And The City" on the TV. He began to laugh...at me...really hard...the rat! "Carly, do you think maybe they said, Carrie Bradshaw's boyfriend, 'Mikhail Baryshnikov?' "No," said I, "Carrie dated Alexander Petrovski, NOT Mikhail Baryshnikov." "Carly, love, who played Alexander Petrovski?" "Mikahil...Oh...OH...never mind." LOL. It was a true Emily Latilla moment, if there ever was one!

We all have these moments. I like being a human, capable of making mistakes, as long as I don't hurt anyone in the process. It's frustrating when it takes me 2 hours to remember how to spell, "of," or I when find that I have typed an entry that is at least 50% gibberish. Sigh. "Neuter" as opposed to "Nurture." "Nad" instead of "And," "Fiend" when of course I mean, "Friend." LOL. I should try to remember to cut myself a break once in a while...hey there are worse things then being human. :)

-OndineMonet
"The Alien Won"
Haight/Ashbury
San Francisco, California
Spring, 2005
Afternoon

The Fabled Ondine

The Fabled Ondine

Born not of air, not of earth
But of the wave, searching ever
For the heart of a mortal man.

Ondine, exquisite spirit of the sea
Forming mind showers of it's braided
Glittering spray
And haunting sirens call
To the mortal man who came to her
By way of a haunted sea

A mortal to love for a moment...or all eternity.

Pat, author of the journal, "Here, There and Everywhere 2nd Edition," has asked the Blogsphere to tell her the story of how we chose our screen names. I have shared this story once before on my AOL Journal, but I haven't shared about it since I moved to Blogspot. So, here is how I came up with the name "OndineMonet." It was an easy choice for me, I simply blended my favorite legend, the mermaid Ondine, and my favorite artist, Claude Monet.

The name Ondine has been given to many different things. There is a restaurant in Sausalito, California, a band, a faucet company, and even a curse. But it is the 3 act ballet, "Ondine" which was written especially for Margot Fonteyne, by Frederick Ashton, that I enjoy the most. The ballet is based on the legend that tells of Ondine's transcendent journey to live with the mortal seafarer she had lost her heart to. His name was Palemon, but through her metamorphosis from sea nymph to human woman, she began to age, in time she lost her otherworldly beauty to her mortality. One day Ondine found the man she so desperaretly loved, had given himself to another and she, in her despair, cursed the man. The man from whom she first heart the human heartbeat. With a kiss from Ondine, he dies and she takes him home with her to the sea...for eternity. Ondine is sometimes spelled "Undine" in German folklore.

The poem, which I put at the top of this entry, sent to me by a lovely lady I met one day, who came by to visit my art journal, "Ellipsis...The Moonlight Gallery." She had left me a comment that many year's ago, there was a perfume named Ondine, and she just happened to have saved the poem that was written for the perfumes ad. Holly and I marveled at how wonderful it can be to to discover something lovely, such as an obscure poem, and not realize how it can touch someone years later. Someone we have no idea we will meet. If not for the Internet, I would never have met Holly, and I, would have never heard of this poem. I am not sure if I ever shared this with Holly, but the day she emailed it to me, was just awful, but getting this simple poem, and her act of kindness, completely lifted my spirits...for the rest of the week in fact. Things happen for a reason...this was no coincidence, I believe I was destined to meet Holly, and like all I have met through my journal...I am so glad I did. :) Thanks again Holly!

As for Monet, well he has been my favorite Impressionist painter, since I was a small child. The first time I saw Monet's "Water Lillies," I was amazed. I couldn't take my eyes off it. The colors, the way it seemed to flow on a gentle breeze. It has remained one of my very favorite pieces of art, my whole life. As you can see by the photo below, #3, I have been inspired at times, to try taking photos with an impressionist feel. This is not easy to do. So much has to be working in your favor. I just happened to get lucky one day last year, while visiting the Japanese Tea Garden, in Golden Gate Park. The flowers in garden had just begun to bloom, and there was a very gentle breeze flowing up into the garden from the Pacific ocean, which is about 3 blocks from the garden. The sky was slightly cloudy, which allowed for some interesting shadow play.

I have to say...it was one of the best days I had with the camera last spring. A truly peaceful and mind soothing day. I came home exhausted, but oh-so-calm. So, that's it. I got my screen name from a mermaid legend, and my favorite artist. :) Now, have some fun, and share about your screen name with Pat. As she says, "write up and entry and comeback and leave here a link." Just follow the link below. Thanks Pat, for the awesome idea! Also, drop by and say hello to Holly, she is a lovely lady, whose kindess I have always appreciated.

-OndineMonet

Pat "Here, There, and Everywhere 2nd Edition"
Holly "Diary of a Mad Angry Displaced Replaced Housewife"

1. Ondine's Cliff-Artist Unknown
2. Ondine's Village-Artist Unknown
3. Ondine's Moments(Retired)-OndineMonet -GGP, San Francisco, 2004
4. Water Lillies 1916 -Claude Monet

Don't Dream It's Over

"People don't come to church for preachments, of course, but to daydream about God."

-Kurt Vonnegut

I don't often speak about religion here on my blog, but something happened last week, during one of President Bush's press conferences, that I found particularly interesting. Since I haven't seen a lot about it, in either the mainstream media or in the blogsphere, I thought I might try to open a dialog about it here. I am interested in what you think about the connection between George Bush, and the Apocalypse.

Now wait before you answer, you should know I haven't gone off the deep end of things, I don't believe George Bush is the Anti-Christ, I do wonder however, about some of the decisions he makes, given that he claims to be a Christian. I am concerned sometimes about the assertion from some members of the far right, that if one is a Liberal and a Democrat then therefore there is no way one could also be a Christian. I am here to tell you, and show you, that I am living proof of such. I have been happily enjoying a relationship with Christ for many years, but not all of the years were as happy and content as they are right now. See, when I was attending regular church services, I came out of those services feeling worse then when I went in.

I couldn't take the sermons, week after week, encouraging me to hate my neighbor. The church I was attending had been robbed of some expensive items, several times, and from the pulpit week after week came the same message, that the people in the area around the church were to be feared and loathed. They were stealing from the church to buy drugs or alcohol. There was no real proof of who had broke into the church, let alone what their motive was, so how could I possibly embrace the thought that I needed to automatically hate whoever did this to my church family? I asked once, "Why are we not going door to door in the neighborhood, to preach and share about our church with local families?" I never really got a good answer to that question. Why do we humans always seem to hate what we don't understand?

How does this apply to President Bush? Well, last week during a visit to Cleveland Ohio to promote the war in Iraq, a women who was in the audience made a reference to a recently published book that says, "members of the Bush administration have reached out to prophetic Christians, who see the war in Iraq and the rise of terrorism as signs of the apocalypse." She then asked, "Do you believe that the war in Iraq and rise of terrorism are signs of the apocalypse?" Bush responded, amid laughter from members of the audience, "The answer is, " he said and paused, "I mean I haven't really thought of it that way. First I've heard of it by the way." I thought about the question for a moment, then considered the rest of his answer, "I guess I think more practical then that." What could be more practical, from a Christian standpoint, then the contemplation of how the world, and it's inhabitants are progressing spiritually?

If you are a Christian or have studied the bible, then you know the signs of the apocalypse are quite clear, and so is the suggestion that we not waste our lives looking for it, because it will come "as a thief in the night." There are however, clear signs we will see which will be leading up to the end of days. War & rumors of wars, the earth will experience "birthpains." Man will turn against man. It won't be a very pleasant time at all.

Now, every generation has speculated about the end of days, it is something to consider. Many a cult has been based on those fears. Personally, I don't fear the end of the world, I mean, what can I do? Can I hold back God when he says, enough is enough? It's the times leading up to those last few moments on earth that concern me. When researching for this entry, I came across all kinds of opinions about whether or not we are in the end times. One particular opinion that struck me was the thought, from a far right web site, that believes we shouldn't care about Global Warming, because we are already at the end of days. I don't know about you, but isn't that when we should care the most? As a Christian, I believe God gave us an amazing gift...THE PLANET EARTH...and because of the toxins we have put into the ozone, we may have begun something that we have no way to reverse.

The United States leads the world in the amount of toxins we put into the air. Recently, the Bush administration tried to stop a top NASA scientist from reporting his findings on the effects of Global Warming. We already know we are facing another year of stronger then average storms, when hurricane season begins in June. Why do you suppose President Bush pays such little attention to our environment? Why has he been so complacent when it comes to having enough medication for all Americans, should our worst fears come to life, and we experience a pandemic in the United States? How can a man, who claims to have a close relationship with God not be concerned about these issues? Why has he ignored the terrible conditions around the world, such as the near genocide happening right now in the Sudan?

I could give you the laundry list of what has changed in our environment in the last 25 years, in the last 10 years, in the last 3 years, but I give you credit for realizing what's happening around you. If you hadn't heard, about the polar bears that are drowning because of the ice melting beneath them, or how much the temperature in the Atlantic ocean risen, or the unprecedented amount of discoveries of new species of animals, then you may want to do some research and decide for yourself what might be happening. Sigh. Tonight on AOL news, is a report about the possibility of a large earthquake occurring here in the East Bay, of the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live. It has some startling facts that we in California tend to not think about, until we have a series of tremblers like we have had recently reminds us of our complacency. We don't have a certain weather to serve as an indicator, or a certain time of year, to shore up for. As a result, our earthquakes come suddenly, like a thief in the night.

I don't worry about the end of the world happening in my lifetime, because I try my best to remember the teachings of God. Not the teachings of ANY mortal man. Our ministers are there to guide us, and I don't make a sweeping generalization that all ministers are missing the mark, but unfortunately, the ones I have met so far left me with the distinct feeling that in order to truly be loved by God, I had to have the approval of the teacher teaching me. I had to be right with God, according to the minister's assessment of me. That meant falling into line, and hating all the right things, and all the right people. Almost as if there was a political correctness that was taking place in church. I can't do it. I can't put that much faith in any one mortal man, be it minister or politician.

So tell me, do you think we are in the end of days? Share with me what you think might be the signs, if you do believe we are there. Do you think today's churches are run more politically then in the past? What do you see as the biggest obstacle facing the world wide Christian community today? If you aren't a believer, I still want to know what your thoughts are. Please feel free to tell me what you think. Your comments are always safe here, as I have said before, all comments are welcome, provided they are made with respect.

Article Links
"Bush Explains Confidence In Iraq Progress" USA Today
"Happy Doomsday To You" Washington Post
"Next Big Quake?" AOL News
"Analysis: Defining Genocide" BBC

-OndineMonet
"In Autumn"
Yuba Gap
October, 2005
Afternoon