Saturday, September 04, 2010

Happy 2nd Birthday, Dylan And Hendrix



"It takes a long time to grow young."

-Pablo Picasso

Alan and I were going to celebrate the boys birthday on Thursday. Everything was planned, but good old Murphy's Law intervened and Alan had to work overtime. Sigh. The party would have to be delayed a day. No worries. So, we celebrated the boys special day a day later then we had planned, as it turns out, their birthday fell on Friday anyway! I had written the day down wrong in my datebook. LOL. Sometimes things happen for a reason I suppose. We had a great time. Chicken Alfredo Pizza, and Black Forest cake for dessert! Next it was time for the birthday pinata! 2 dozen new mice and some yummy cat treats! Not too bad for a 2nd birthday... right? It's hard to believe that my little guys are now 24 in cat years! They're still my little babies!

They grow up quick!

:)


And then it was time for bed...



Happy Birthday Boys!

-Carly

Thursday, September 02, 2010

The Music In My Head...



"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence."

~Leopold Stokowski


I have had this song in my head all day. Why fight a good thing? :) This song is one of my Top 5 all time favorites!

How about you? What songs would be in your top 5?

-Carly

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Weekend Assignment #333: Writing On The Wall



"Is there life before death?"

-Unknown Graffiti Artist

Weekend Assignment #333: Writing on the Wall

I apologize for the blurry picture, but there is a good reason it is the way it it. You see, I had to capture this particular image while driving on HWY 13! If you don't live in the Bay Area, you probably don't realize how harrowing that can be. Hwy 13, aka the Warren Freeway runs along the hills between East Oakland and Berkeley. Hwy 13 becomes Ashby avenue, and if you don't make any turns at all, you will eventually find your way to the Berkeley Marina or that approximate general area. This particular story takes place at the HWY 13/HWY 24 junction, and while it wasn't the safest place that someone could have chosen to play out this drama, it sure brought me a lot of amusement as it unfolded. First came the above message. Within a week it had been removed by the whoever it is that cleans up graffiti, but a couple days after that, the gray cover paint had been replaced with the second message...



This message was again covered in gray paint, but the artist had one final message for those who would dare stifle his message...



I LOVED watching this bit of artistic drama play out! It's something I will never forget. I needed that original message, and the humor that followed. As it played out over those weeks, I found myself contemplating what the author meant, and who the author might be. To cover his uplifting message seemed almost wrong somehow, but art is subjective... right? And we humans so tend to pick and choose our evils! Case in point... In the days after 9/11 a large American flag mural was painted on a retaining wall which faces HWY 680 near San Jose. The retaining wall is owned by the State of California, therefore Caltrans eventually painted over it. Well, the ensuing public outcry was deafening. HOW DARE CALTRANS PAINT OVER THE FLAG! It's sacred after all! IT'S THE FLAG! Well, no, it was graffiti, but eventually the screamers got their way and the graffiti artist was allowed to put the their flag back.

Too bad the simple message of FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS had no value what so ever.

Maybe if there had been an American Flag to accompany it.

Who knows?

It seems to me that if the motorists along 680 really wanted a flag near that retaining wall, they could have removed the flag mural/graffiti, and installed an actual flag!

Strange the way people think.

In any case, I will always be grateful to the HWY 13 graffiti artist who tried to give the world a message of hope and did so with proper punctuation I might add!

:)

If you haven't played this week's Weekend Assignment, there is still time. You can find out all about it by clicking here.

-Carly

HWY 13

Governor Sorry About Flag Caltrans Painted Over (SF Gate)

A moment of AWWWWWWW!




"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

-Unknown

I love cats. There, I said it! Someday, I will be the crazy old cat lady with 31 cats! I am really looking forward to that day!

I found this cute little graphic at Paw Nation. What kind of kitty would be right for you?



I want them all!

By the way, tomorrow is Dylan and Hendrix's 2nd birthday! Be sure to come by on Friday to see photos from their party! Yes, of course there's going to be a party! Silly!


:) -Carly

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Flag Etiquette... LEARN IT!



"I prefer a man who will burn the flag, and then wrap himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag."

-Craig Washington



PET PEEVE... It's the flag of our country, it should NEVER be used as apparel! Just once I wish that when Glenn Beck, and Sarah Palin would open one of their Hootenanny's with a little bit of FLAG ETIQUETTE!



Since 9/11 it has become popular to see American flag clothing, and pillows and even stuffed bears, and none of it is allowed under official FLAG ETIQUETTE rules!

Oh but Carly, I want to show my patriotism by wearing my new nifty FLAG coat, hat and bandanna, besides, everyone is doing it!

The fact that flag apparel is popular, doesn't make it right! In fact, by wearing the flag you are doing about as unpatriotic thing as you could possibly do. The flag is not decoration. It is a living symbol of the country you live in, and should be considered as such.

It's not always fun or convenient to do the right thing... is it?

If we are going to relax the rules of respect for the American Flag, the living symbol of our country, then where does it stop?

Just once, I would like to see Glenn Beck, and Sarah Palin address that!

Flag Rules And Regulations

The Flag Of The United States Of America

United States Flag Code

-Carly

Monday, August 30, 2010

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #105: Nostalgia









"Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson. You find the present tense, but the past perfect."

-Owens Lee Pomeroy













EMPS #105: Nostalgia NOW CLOSED!
Let's take a look back in time this week folks! Show me the old fashioned and nostalgic! Old stoves, old refrigerators. If you have an avocado green tank water heater, it will do nicely for this challenge! I want to see the truly old. The older the better! I want to see not just old but truly NOSTALGIC!

Extra Credit: Share what your item means to you! How was it in it's hey day? Was the item passed on to you be a previous generation, or did you purchase it because of it's NOSTALGIC quality? Tell us everything!

**PLEASE READ**
This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET. Please submit your entries by that time by uploading your photo to your blog, journal or website, and then comeback here with the link that goes back to your entry. The link you leave must be to an entry which is specific to this week's assignment. A general link to your site will not work, and HYPERLINKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Also, please include a link in your entry to this photos shoot assignment so that other folks can find us and participate with us. The more the merrier... right? ;)

Linking List for EMPS #104: Photographer's Choice 08/23/10


1. Freda

2. Greg

3. Jama

4. Jr, Cline

5. Karen



I will post the list of this week's participants right here, next week, in my "Gone Fishing" entry.

Okay folks, as you know this is our last Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot of the year! I will be back on Monday, January 3rd, 2011! Be good while I am away. I will be checking on things here and there, and dropping by with a greeting for you during the holidays, so don't forget to check in here once in a while... ok? Okie doke... See you back here on Monday, January 3rd, 2011!

-Carly :)

Don't forget, if you miss me, you can always find me on TWITTER or drop me an email at...

Onidnemonet@aol.com


:)