Orange You Glad You Read My Blog?

"Orange strengthens your emotional body, encouraging a general feeling of joy, well-being, and cheerfulness. Orange vibration foods are: oranges, tangerines, apricots, mangoes, peaches and carrots."
~Tae Yum Kim, The First Element: Secrets to Maximizing Your Energy

I didn't have a chance to get out and do new photography yesterday, so I tip-toed through the archives looking for something that I hadn't previously posted on Ellipsis, and as I searched for new images a general theme began to emerge... the color Orange. So, here are some of my favorite orange things! Each on never fails to make me smile, I hope you smile to.

 Enjoy!

 

About that last one. Self portraits do not make me smile, but I have to confess I did enjoy doing that one. If memory serves me, it was for one of John Scalzi's Monday Photo Shoot assignments. When I first heard the topic I considered sitting the challenge out, but somehow that just made me feel like a bit quitter! Hey, what's the definition of a challenge? Something that challenges us to rise to the occasion... right? Anyway, at the end of the day, I met the challenge, and I did it by showing what I consider my best feature, my eyes. My one eye in particular. MY CREATIVE EYE.

:)

Mood: Happy

~ Me :)

Shamelss Self Promotion... But In A Good Way!

"Easy reading, is damn hard writing."

-Nathaniel Hawthorne

Guess what? The magnificent meme, Weekend Assignment, that I co-host with my pal Karen, has a brand new home! If you have always wanted to participant in a fun little meme of writing, come on down! If you just want done something different, or maybe meet new folks, or just shake things up a bit, boy do I have a meme for you!

The Weekend Assignment has been around for years, since 2004 to be exact! Started by John Scalzi, and passed onto Karen after the implosion of AOL Journals, the meme has lived to see another day. It is the same old meme, in a brand new place. Come on, flex your writing skills and hop on board. A brand new assignment will be posted tomorrow (Thursday) and you are invited to come and participate!

Everyone is welcome!

Grab a pen, or grab your keyboard, and come on down!

The Weekend Assignment (blog)

-Carly

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #21: Youngins'

"In youth we learn; in age we understand."

-Maria Von Ebner-Eschenbach

NOW CLOSED!

EMPS #21: Youngins'.
This week lets have some fun with youth, ours or someone else's. Grab your cameras and show me some YOUNGINS'. Kittens, puppies, baby birds, baby carrots, baby elephants, seedlings, a new moon, human babies and children, anything or anyone that is currently in it's YOUTH will do. So let your imaginations out to play with this one. If you do choose to show off some human YOUNGINS' please remember not to give away their exact locations in your entries. John Scalzi used to pass along that bit of wisdom when he was running that Monday Photo Shoot, and it just seems like a good thing to continue doing. So keep that in mind when you do your posting. :)

Extra Credit: As in my photo above show me sibling YOUNGINS'.

***PLEASE READ***

You have until next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET to get the photo, post it to your blog or journal and comeback here with the direct link to your entry that is specific to this photo shoot assignment. Please remember, it must be the full link back, not a general link to your blog or journal. NO HYPERLINKS ACCEPTED! Also, please include a link back to this entry, so that others can also do the photo shoot assignment. The more the merrier... right? :)

Linking List for EMPS #20: Snack Time! 01/12/09

NOW CLOSED!

1. Jama

2. Karen

3. Suzanne

4. Judi

5. Terri

6. Laura

7. Em Dy

Well done everyone! Now GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS! I will see you next Monday with an all new Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot assignment!

-Carly
"Youngins"
Santa Cruz, California
Summer 2006
Afternoon

AOL DOA WTF?

"A conclusion is simply a place where someone got tired of thinking."

-Unknown

Before the official AOL email arrived in my inbox yesterday, the word had already gotten around. AOL Journals is closing it's doors on October 31st of this year. You know, I wasn't terribly surprised. AOL announced over the summer, July actually, that they were doing away with AOL Pictures and so it crossed my mind that the Journals community probably wouldn't be far behind. It was just common sense in that it would make it more difficult to be creative with the journals. Still, when I heard the news yesterday, I felt sad to a degree. Not for me, but for all the folks who have shown such fervent loyalty to AOL over the years. A lot has happened, and I think that AOL has once again that they are dead last in terms of customer loyalty.

When the mad Exodus To Blogger happened, on November 15th 2005, some things changed. Pardon what I am about to say, but AOL (the corporation) displayed a FUCK YOU attitude toward their customers, and for many of us it was the last straw. A Journal or Blog is a very personal thing for most folks. It represents an important part of a person, and to not be given a choice in something as important as to who is advertising on one's blog, or even if someone is advertising on a blog is also a very important thing. To some folks it wasn't a big deal, but to others it represented selling of one's creativity to the highest bidder. AOL never got that. It was merely another place to sell advertisements. Period. Money, it seems, will always... always be the bottom line.

How AOL (the corporation) felt didn't make any difference to me, but how AOL (the people who made up the Journals Community) did. I was saddened by all the hard feelings that were expressed. I never stopped loving the community, but I didn't love AOL and somehow, at times, I felt like... well... I was some kind of turncoat for doing nothing more then changing my journal address. I stopped letting it hurt my feelings that some folks decided not to follow me over here. Folks were always welcome to come and visit, or join in the Round Robins any time they wanted. And eventually some of my dear friends did comeback to me. I am hoping when folks make the next big exodus, they will look me up, or send me their new links. There is a good chance we can repair whatever damage was done, by doing nothing more then extending our hands to each other and saying "Welcome Back Into My Life Old Friend, It's As If No Time Has Passed." At least that is my hope.

I imagine that most folks over on AOL are a bit shell shocked today. I know how they feel. It can't be easy to find out that you are being evicted, and you have 30 days to gather up your memories and get out! For some it will mean 5 years of memories. The part that makes me just heartsick, it the loss of Pam's journal, and Frank's journal. I loved those two people very much, and even after their deaths I would visit from time to time just to be close them. To read the words they wrote. At the end of the month, it will be like they never existed on AOL at all. I wish there was some way of bringing them along, but there isn't. And it probably wouldn't be right to. Sigh. I still miss Slomo It's going to be hard knowing that I will probably never hear from her again.

It's a very sad situation. However, it doesn't have to stay a sad situation. If you are about to become a new AOL refugee, please know how very welcome you are over here on Blogger. Please know you are more then invited to join us for the Round Robin Challenges, and the Monday Photo Shoot. It is the very same project John Scalzi ran for years, and as always, everyone is invited to play. I would like to see some wounds heal, and I am here to help in that. If you are going to be new to Blogger, and need some help, send me an email and I will do my best to help out. The neighborhood might be different, but the community is what's important... right?

-Carly

Monday Photo Shoot #35: Two "D" Words And An Announcement

"An idea is a point of departure and no more. As soon as you elaborate on it, it becomes transformed by thought."

-Pablo Picasso

New Monday Photo Shoot #35: Departure of Destruction. Photograph a departure of some sort, people walking away, a train pulling out of a station, a graduation, whatever - or evidence of destruction. If your photos combine the two somehow, that's even better!

Karen Funk Blocher, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

About The Train...

I chose the picture you see above, because Karen always seemed to enjoy it. She has given me a lot of positive feedback over the years about my photos, and it was always so appreciated. I remembered you liked that photo Karen, so that one is especially for you! :)

About The Monday Photo Shoot...

As you probably read over on Karen's blog, Outpost Mavarin, as of next Monday, September 1st, I will be taking over the Monday Photo Shoot. The MPS has been a big part of my blogging life since our Blogfather, John Scalzi, debuted the project back in March of 2004. I was very sad when he left AOL at the end of last year, because I had appreciated the effort he put into both the MPS and the Weekend Assignments. Both memes allowed me to step out of my own comfort zone, and do an assignment that I more then likely wouldn't have tackled all on my own. Sometimes I needed to step out of my own box, and challenge myself. That's what a challenge is supposed to do... right?

I was relived, and very pleased, when Scalzi personally handed the reins of the MPS to Karen. She did a great job with it over the last 8 months, with some really good, strong assignments. I always enjoyed the weeks I played under Karen's direction very much, I wish I could have played more weeks, but unfortunately sometimes things just got in my way. Life has been hectic in our little cottage, and I am sorry if I wasn't as supportive as I could have been, because I really thought she did an excellent job with it. But I do understand the feeling of burnout that she mentions. Blogging can do that to you, and every once in a while, it is a good idea to take a step back and reassess your priorities.

So, when she asked me a couple weeks ago if I was still interested in taking over the MPS I said "YES!" See, I think it will be a good project for me right now. We are coming into the autumn and winter months, where I always feel at my most creative. The problem is, I know that getting out with the camera will be a bit more challenging this year due to my recent diagnosis of degenerative arthritis in my right knee. Doing the MPS will help me center my own creativity, and give it a finer focus. I did a lot of thinking about it, and I talked to Alan, and I really think it will be a nice way to keep my creativity going strong.

I have some fresh ideas for the MPS, and I think they will be ones you will enjoy a lot, but over all it will still be about a group of friends and fellow bloggers chasing away the Monday blues, by sharing their love of photography with one another. If you want to play along, well that would be just wonderful, but if you are busy, or uninspired by a topic I choose, or just plain don't wanna play along... lol... that's fine too. No worries. We all get busy, we all have those days when things just don't seem to fit. It happens. When I get that way, I pick up my camera, but that's just me.

Anyway, I want to thank John Scalzi, for creating the MPS, and Karen, for all her hard work and effort with it, since he handed it over to her last January. Without the two of you, Monday would have just been Monday, with you, Monday became a photographic adventure! I promise to try my best with this project, and make it a fun and creative outlet for everyone. So, I will see you next Monday, and hopefully for many more Monday's to come!

Always, Carly :)

Your Final Photo Shoot: Goodbye!

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

-Garrison Keillor

Your Final Photo Shoot: Wave goodbye! Because all good things must come to an end, but I think we can leave on a high note.

-John Scalzi, of the blog, By The Way

I tried and I tried, but I just couldn't smile. :( I am going to miss you John. Take good care of yourself. I wish you, Krissy and Athena a bright and happy future and a wonderful 2008!



-OndineMonet
"Goodbye"
Berkeley, California
December 26, 2007
Afternoon

Always, Carly

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 196: Plans For 2008

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

First the important news: This is the last Weekend Assignment I'll be doing here at By The Way. Next week is the last full week of me doing By The Way, and also we'll be in the thick of the holiday madness, so I think it's best to wrap up this very long-running feature here and now. It's been lots of fun, though, and I hope you've all enjoyed playing along as much as I have.

But I don't want to spend too much time with the past here, because the future is so much more interesting to me at the moment. With that in mind, here is the topic for this week's Weekend Assignment;

Weekend Assignment #196: What are your hopes or plans for 2008? Any big projects for the year? Anything you hope to accomplish or change? Or will you just relax? Because, you know, that's okay, too.

Extra Credit: How was your 2007?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Well, I will get to John's question in a moment, but first I want to once again tell John how much I will miss him and the Weekend Assignments, in 2008! Somehow, I wish there were just a few more weeks in 2007, so we could make it to an even 200 Weekend Assignments. LOL. Can you believe I just said that? The lady who began praying for New Year's Eve, just a couple weeks into 2007? LOL. Oh goodness, this was a bumpy year for me personally. I don't want to look back right now, because that is not the focus of this assignment. The point of this assignment is to look into the future. And when I do that, I get excited at the possibilities. :) So when I look into my future, through my crystal ball, here is what I see...

**I am going to take some additional classes on meditation and yoga, in an effort to improve my overall well-being. I need to cut some stress, as that is my number one trigger to my diabetes. Stress is even more dangerous to me then sugar. Don't get me wrong. My numbers are fantastic, my doctor is thrilled with what I have accomplished since July, and on this course, I will be officially diabetes free as of July, but I need more than one good A1C test before I get the full ALL CLEAR.

**I am planning to take a ceramics class. I want to learn something new, and hopefully make some new pals. It's time to climb out of my shell a little. I like people, and I like life, and hopefully they wont hate me on sight. Right? I remember our Blogfather once said, Internet friendships are wonderful, but nothing beats the relationships we have in real life.I am paraphrasing of course, but you get the idea. It sounded like sound advice to me. I have spent too much time in my own little world. I am so done with the past! I am over it!

**I want to volunteer for a political campaign. I have always wanted to do that, and I think it would be a great experience. It's something new, that I have never tried, and I can kind of choose how much time I want to devote to it. This is an important election coming up. Something has to not just change, it has to change for the better! If I am going to put myself out in the world, I want to help make a positive change, even if all I do is stuff envelopes. You know? It's time to do my part for the future.

**In terms of creativity, there is nothing more important to me then my photography. I need to really work on it, not just stick with the same old comfortable subjects, but rather really push myself to go to the edge with it. There are some photography classes available at the community colleges in my area, so why not expand my horizons a bit? :) I took a class online, in Portrait Photography, earlier this year, and I found it very enjoyable. :)

**Overall, I want to just experience life. That's all. My priorities have changed, since I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am so lucky that I wasn't told it was cancer, or heart disease or any one of the other things that tend to punch us down for no apparent reason. Since I began blogging in 2003, I have lost 2 good blogging/journaling buddies, Frank and Pam, to those things. I still miss them terribly, and they remind me of how short life is. It's too short to be afraid of the future. So, here I am, thrilled about 2008, and all it has waiting for me, good or bad! Maybe I will do all the things I have listed, maybe I will do none of them, maybe I will do other things that I can't even conceive of. Who knows? Isn't it exciting? Stay tuned, because you just never know with me!

Extra Credit: How was your 2008? ROFLMAO! Well, at first I thought it sucked! Then things kind of tapered off, and now, well, I can look back and see, life has a way of working itself out. All in all... it wasn't the worst year I have ever had. :)

"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest, that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present."

-Jan Glidewell

-OndineMonet
"Believe"
Merry-Go-Round
Christmas Fantasy In The Woods
Tilden Park
Berkeley, California
November 29, 2007
Evening

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #195: Be Nice

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness."

-Seneca

Weekend Assignment #195: Do something extra nice for someone you know. Which is to say, something above and beyond your general level of niceness. Could be for a spouse, or a friend, or a co-worker, or a child, or someone you've met randomly as you're walking around the mall.

Does this mean I want you to do it and then write about it? No necessarily: Some acts of kindness or niceness are better shared just between those who perform than receive them. See, this is one of the reasons why this Weekend Assignment is different. On the other hand, if you want to share, I wouldn't mind hearing about it.

-John Scalzi, of the blog, By The Way

Be nice? Be NICE? That's our Weekend Assignment? Nice? Hmmmm... how am I supposed to do that? Should I let someone go first in traffic? Nah, that might anger the guy behind me. I know, I could take that spooky spider I see in the corner and set him free in the yard, rather than squishing the life out of him! Nah, it's cold outside, and he might catch a cold. Who needs a spider sneezing on your Christmas lawn ornament? I guess I could volunteer at my favorite charity, Schoclocker's Home For Wayward Cats. No wait, that's right, they close every year about this time for their annual Neuter-off Festival. All neuters, all week. So, what to do, what to do...

I know! Alan did some repairs in the bathroom yesterday and made a HUGE mess. A big, gnarly, splintery mess of a mess. He promised to clean it up. LOLOLOL. His idea of cleaning it up and my idea of cleaning it up, are NOT the same. Oh well, he tackles the big hairy spiders, and the big creepy unknown creepy crawlies, so I will be a good wife and go above and beyond my usual pleasant self and finish the cleaning job for him. And to be extra specially nice, I won't even put him in the dog house for not finishing the job he promised to do in the first place. And if that wasn't bad enough, he managed to beat me at Monopoly last night, without having an actual monopoly! LOL. Honestly Alan! This ought to earn me some points... you know? Tee Hee. Sometimes, showing a little extra understanding to your spouse, is as big as any gift you could give them. :)

-OndineMonet
"Naughty Me"
Berkeley, California
December 15th, 2007
Late Evening

John, Don't Go, I'll Change!

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary so you can meet again, and meeting again after moments, or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends."

-Richard Bach

Oh God! I am beside myself with grief. So much so, that last night I ate an entire Reese's Peanut Butter cup, because I can't stop sobbing. WAAAwaaaWaaa! Our beloved Blogfather, John Scalzi, and AOL, have decided to amicably part company, which is always a good thing, but what about me?!? Whatever will I do with my Monday's without the Monday Photo Shoot, or my weekends, without the Weekend Assignments? Yeah, I know, it would be selfish to try and hold back a talent such as John Scalzi's, but dagburnit, I wish the fun hadn't ended so soon. :(

It's true, I thought he would always be there. I took him for granted. I forgot all the birthdays, anniversaries, and Groundhog Day! I didn't send he or his family the gift of "Bacon of the Month," and I never tried to build a bomb of Club soda and Mentos. Why, I was so remiss in my admiration, that I never, ever, went to stalk him, I mean see him, when he was at a book signing in the Bay Area, but, see, I thought we would have forever! Sigh. My bad! ;)

Oh well, what's a girl to do? Well, she dries her tears, and puts away the Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and she grabs her two good friends, Karen and Steven, and together they start a blog to honor the greatness that was/is John Scalzi! The journal is titled, ScalziCelebration, and it pays tribute to all creative ways John got us flowing as young bloggers. The Weekend Assignments, The Monday Photo Shoots, and there might even be a few more surprises along the way. :)

Drop by the blog, have a look around, and participate. Let's send John off with our appreciation for the last 4 plus years. My goodness, I can't help but think back fondly to my first day as a blogger on AOL. So many people took me in and made me feel important and accepted, and the day I found myself on John's sidebar was one of my best days. I met so many new friends because of that simple little nod. John helped connect us as bloggers and friends, and helped the community feel like a hometown, I wish he could have stayed forever, but now is the time to wish him well, and send him off with thanks in our hearts. So, visit the blog, and do your part. See you there!

Ain't he cute? I might have to put this one in a frame, and place it on my desk next to my photo of John Ritter! Tee Hee.

-OndineMonet
"Goodbye Road"
Monterey, California
October 11, 2007
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Frosty!

"Try to remember me when the cold, frosty winter sets veils of snowflakes over my cold old hair. I will remember you too."

-Mariana Fulger

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show something frosty. A window pane, a frosty cold mug of beer, a pet coming in from the cold - if it's frosted, it's in. If it's not particulary cold where you are, or you don't have any frost laden pictures in your archives: Fake being cold. Because that would be funny.

-John Scalzi, of the blog, By The Way

What's a girl with a head cold to do? She wants to support our dear Blogfather, John Scalzi, by going out into the cold and getting a photo which perfectly illustrates something "Frosty," but she has a husband, and a cat, who have blocked the doors and windows until she is fully recovered! Well, ever the trooper she is, so she took a picture of her favorite Snowlady, and then added some magic by way of her photoshop program, to pretty accurately depict the Snowlady in the snow! Yep, the Snowlady is faking it. Yes, Yes, Yes... she is! Tee Hee. Sorry darling Blogfather... I owe ya one! :)




-OndineMonet
"Snowlady"
Berkeley, California
December 13, 2007
Late Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #194: What You Wanted Back When

"The best gift you can give is a hug. One size fits all, and no one ever minds if you return it."

-Unknown

Weekend Assignment #194: Think back to when you were eight years old. What did you really, really, really want for Christmas/Hanukkah/Other seasonal celebration? We're taking the thing you wanted so much that you would just die if you didn't get it. If you can't remember what that was when you were eight specifically, then pick an age close to it. But if you can remember what the thing was when you were eight: Share it!

Extra Credit: Did you get it?

-John Scalzi, of the blog, By The Way

Oh my, this one is easy. As you probably know, I was a girly girl when I was a child, actually, I am still a girly girl. LOL. I loved stuffed animals and dolls, and I still put the occasional bear or doll on my Christmas list. But I have also had a lifetime love of music, and I can remember Christmas 1970, and my undying love for Keith Partridge, played by David Cassidy.

In my neighborhood, either you were a fan of the Brady Bunch or the Partridge Family. Both had their own appeal, but I think I liked the novelty of the music in every episode of the Partridge Family, as opposed to the only occasional, and in my opinion, lame music, of the Brady Bunch. LOL. I just realized how much thought I have put into this, and frankly, I find it a bit disturbing. LOL.

Anyway, in September of 1970, the Partridge Family debuted on ABC, and by Christmas of that year the single, I Think I Love You, had made it to the top of Billboard's charts. And that is what I wanted for Christmas that year, the 45 single, I Think I Love You, by the Partridge Family! LOL. Oh my. :)

I hadn't thought about my crush on David Cassidy for years. I think he was my obsession until Bobby Sherman came along a couple years later. Actually, Richard Thomas (John Boy Walton) may have been a crush in between David and Bobby, but he didn't sing, so he was out! Tee Hee. Goodnight John Boy!

Extra Credit: Yep, I did get the 45 single, I Think I Love You, and then for Valentine's Day, my sister bought me the full length album.

"Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third."

-Marge Piercy

-OndineMonet

Your Monday Photo Shoot On Tuesday: Odd Man Out

"It's a very odd thing, as odd as odd can be, that whatever Miss T eats, turns into Miss T."

-Walter de La Mare

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Give us a picture of many things alike - and one thing not. If you're of a certain age (i.e., my age), you'll remember the song from Seasme Street that went "one of these things is not like the others..." This is a picture version of that. Could be as simple as three cups and a dish, or six cars and a bicycle, or a bunch of young kids with an elderly person. You get the idea.

-John Scalzi, of the blog, By The Way

Yep, I do get the idea. When I was visiting the Dahlia garden in Golden Gate Park, this past summer and autumn, there was ample opportunity in front of me to get just such a photo. There is an amazing amount of varieties of dahlias in the garden, and in every color imaginable, so I tried to photograph two different ones together when I could. As I looked through my archives this evening, this photo really popped out at me. I had passed it by for an earlier posting because of how different the colors were, but it fits this entry quite nicely. :) That was the only red dahlia plant, in an otherwise sea of light purple/white dahlias. Pretty, isn't it? :)

-OndineMonet
"Not Like The Others"
Dahlia Garden
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
August 29, 2007
Late Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #193: Comfort Food

"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four, unless there are three other people."

-Orson Welles

Weekend Assignment #193: Share one of your favorite comfort foods. Because it's just about the time of year for them, isn't it? Getting chillier and with the cold comes the desire for warm food that makes you happy. Hello! Comfort food.

Extra Credit: Well, a picture of your favorite food would be nice, and might also make me hungry.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Ahh yes, comfort food! This might sound a little silly, but right about this time of year I get hungry for what I call "Bachelor Food." You know, Macaroni and Cheese, English Muffin Pizzas, and of course Beans and Franks, which you see pictured above. I love it! I used to make it with different types of sausage, but this version is a lot healthier. I made it with vegetarian baked beans, low calorie barbecue sauce, and chicken franks. Still yummy, and slightly less devastating to my current health regimen. :) It was really cold outside the night I made this, and let me tell you, it's hearty goodness really hit the spot. :)

Another comfort food is homemade cookies. I love cooking, and baking this time of year, there is nothing like the smell of a freshly baked cooking coming from the kitchen. I made a batch of Chocolate Chip Cinnamon cookies this weekend, and they came out really chewy and chocolaty good, but on Tuesday of this week I am planning to make some Hanukkah Sugar cookies. Yum. There is a lot of other culinary comfort food yumminess I have planned for this week. Sweet Potato Pie, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Cheese turnovers etc, all of which I can have, just in moderation. That's the key to comfort food, and all food really, moderation. :) Go Comfort Food! :)

"Never eat more then you can lift."

-Missy Piggy

Extra Credit: See above. :)


-OndineMonet
"Beans and Franks"
Berkeley, California
December 2nd 2007
Early Evening

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Light Effects

"Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished."

-Michael Strassfeld

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show us light in a surprising way. Long exposures, interesting reflections, the play between light and shadow - anything that calls attention to the light itself. This is very open-ended, so I'm curious to see what you all will come up with.

-John Scalzi

One of my goals for this coming winter, is to take an object, such as one of my roses, and photograph it in different winter light opportunities, such as just after sunrise, and just before sundown, or maybe even do a time lapse series. I haven't quite decided which as of yet. For now however, I have these photos that are actually from my archive. I hope it's ok with John that I opted to use an older photo as opposed to going out and capturing something new. I thought these would be perfect with the theme. The two sky photos,were the result of ice crystals in the clouds. Both are winter shots. The leaves were both done on the same day, last autumn. I thought the shadow play was particularly striking. I like looking at light, and following it around with the camera. Stay tuned, I have some definite goals in mind for following light with my photography. :)

-OndineMonet
"Ice Light"
2005

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 192: When Do The Holidays Start?

"Nothing says holidays, like a cheese log."

-Ellen DeGeneres

Weekend Assignment #192: When do you personally start celebrating the holiday season? Do you get into it at midnight of the Friday after Thanksgiving? Do you wait? Is Thanksgiving annoyingly in the way? Share your thoughts!

Extra Credit: Do you dream of a White Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or a Winter Solstice, etc), just like the ones you used to know?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

In our house, the "holiday season" begins on the first day of autumn. Our fruit and vegetable gardens are usually at their best in autumn, and we have a lot about this time of year to celebrate. We have our wedding anniversary on October 13th, and then our official Family Day on October 23rd, followed by Halloween. In the time between Halloween, and Thanksgiving, we are making all kinds of plans for how we will celebrate Thanksgiving, complete with trying out new recipes with the garden veggies.

Really, as I sit here typing this, it has seemed like a blink between Halloween and Thanksgiving. :) I can't believe another one of our favorite made-up holidays, "Black Friday" has already come and gone! LOL. But I know it has, because later this weekend, we have plans to put up our Christmas tree, then go and enjoy the Holiday Fantasy in the Woods, in Tilden Park. LOL. It may seem kind of silly, the fact that we make up holidays, but we are happy with each other, and we enjoy this time of year so much, it may not work for everyone, but it works for us.

-OndineMonet
"The Season"
Pastorino's Pumpkin Patch
Half Moon Bay, California
October 21st, 2007
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #191: Change

Click on the above photo to see it in a larger version.

"Change is inevitable, except in vending machines."

-Robert C. Gallagher

Things change. People change. Hairstyles change. Can you guess what this week's Weekend Assignment might be about?

Weekend Assignment #191: Show us, or tell us a story about, change. A before and after picture of the street where you grew up, a story about meeting an old friend after many years, two pictures of yourself separated by a number of years, a tale about changing your life, or showing or tell us about something in the process of changing itself. Any of these is good. And doesn't have to be a negative, because sometimes change is a good thing.

Extra Credit: Do you feel that you are changing right now?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

I had a wonderful time last month on vacation. We drove to Reno, and along the way I had the chance to photograph be beautiful changing leaves that are on the trees that line the amazingly beautiful Donner Lake, on the Donner Pass. I wish I had a photo of how the lake looks in other seasons, but I don't have one available. I am now inspired to get up there this winter, to photograph it after all the leaves have fallen, and while there is still snow on the ground.

The Sierra's are beautiful anytime of year, but I am especially drawn to this area in the autumn. It just glows in the autumn, and I feel peaceful and calm, like during no other time of year. Autumn is about change, and while I am certainly not a fan of change, I yearn for the autumn. Strange, but true. This autumn has already brought me some wonderful gifts, especially in regards to my diabetes. I just wrote about my good news yesterday, so I won't go into the details again, but I will say, I am a very happy camper because of the positive changes I have gone through this year. John is right, change doesn't always have to be negative, sometimes change can completely make our days, and our lives. :)

Extra Credit: Yes, I am changing right now. I am learning to appreciate change, and not fear it! :)

"I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed."

-George Carlin

-OndineMonet
"Lake Donner Changes"
Lake Donner, California
October 23rd, 2007
Late Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #190: Staving Off Boredom

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."

-Ellen Parr

Weekend Assignment #190: Share some of your favorite boredom-alleviating tactics from when you were a kid. "Kid" in this case can stretch from the ages of about six to eighteen; just pick an age where you did something particularly ingenious (or alternately, just plain weird) and go with it. One caveat: avoid the boredom alleviators where the story could end "and then nine months later little Jimmy was born." because that's in the realm of too much information.

Extra Credit: When was the last time you were really, really bored?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

I wanted to take a couple days to think about this assignment. I have many of the usual boredom relieving resources that a lot of other kids did when I was a little person. I loved TV, I loved reading, and I loved doing jigsaw puzzles. I always had a camera in my hand, but that wasn't encouraged in times of boredom, because Mom and Dad paid for the photo developing, so I saved my photography for either holidays or special occasions. We live in a different world now. If I had a daughter Athena's age, I would put a digital camera in her hand and encourage some photography. Even if a child is home from school sick, there is a lot around the house that could make a cool subject, such as Pets, Windows, Shadows, and the ever popular Still Life.

However, the Weekend Assignment as me to tell about what I did as a child to alleviate boredom. And John wants weird. Well, see, I played a lot by myself when I was a kid. Our street suffered through the death of a child who lived up the street from me, and who was my best friend until I was about age 8. His name was Mike. After his death, the kids on the street really didn't play together anymore. We did our own thing, in our own yards. It isn't as sad as it sounds though, I think it was our way of healing. Children process things differently then adults do, and while we all remained friends, we all got a look at what being a grown up is like.

My brother is 15 years older then I am, and my sister is 10 years my elder, so I was pretty much an only child, but I wasn't particularly lonely or bored, because the world fascinated me. I don't remember being too bored for too long. I would work jigsaw puzzles, or write in a little journal I had, about missing Mike or about what I had seen and done that day. I wanted to grow up to be a journalist one day.

Well, being a professional Journalist was not to be, but who could have foretold that one day a mass medium would exist called, Blogging, that would allow that something I wrote could be read my someone clear across the country? Who knew that the entries in my paper and pen journal as a child, would be great practice for my life as a blog author? :) Who could know, that it would also lead to my making wonderful friends? Sometimes, great things come along when you least expect it. :) Sorry John, nothing really ingenious here, or weird, but what I did do was a lot of fun.

Extra Credit: It usually takes a lot to bore me, I still find the world fascinating. :)

-OndineMonet
"Bunny Jigsaw"
Pastorino's Pumpkin Farm
Half Moon Bay, California
October 29, 2007
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #189: Amuse Me!

"It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously."

-Oscar Wilde

You know, I just had me a thought. I've been doing these Weekend Assignments for, what? Three and a half years now? Every Thursday, posting something to amuse you and give you something to post about over the weekend. And what do I get in return? Well, yes, I get paid. In cash, even. But where is the love? Where is my amusement? Where is my fun? Damn it, when do I get mine? Huh?

Weekend Assignment #189: Amuse Me, Damn It! Yeah, that's right. You amuse me for a change. Tell me a joke. Tell me a story. Show me a funny picture. Point to an good online video game. Suggest a good book or movie. Link me to a diverting YouTube or AOL video, like those soda/Mentos fountain things (but not that, I've already seen those). Anything, people, just as long as it's amusing. You know, something you think I would like. Like what, you say? Well, you know. Surprise me.

Extra Credit: Share your favorite pun. I love me a good pun.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Day 8 Of The 13 Diabetic Days Of Halloween!

Yep, I'm back from Nevada, and it is day 8 of my journey through the 13 Diabetic Days of Halloween. I wasn't sure how I might include the Weekend Assignment in with my series on how I am dealing with having diabetes during the Halloween season, but I found a away. And yes, at times it has been mighty amusing. I was actually chased by a good sized chicken the other day, while attempting to get in some walking time at a pumpkin patch. Having a chicken pecking at your pant leg will get you to walking at a moderate pace, I will tell you that!

It seems the chickens in Nevada are, well, let's just say, a bit temperamental. LOL. I don't think he cared for all the recipes I was talking to Alan about, which happened to have chicken as the main ingredient. I guess I was being a bit, "PI" or "Poultry Incorrect." I didn't get any photos of the red menace chasing me, because it is rather difficult to take a good photo, while a big chicken is stalking you... they aren't subtle about it... but I did get a number of other fun and amusing photos of the pumpkin patches I visited. So, here are the photos, and a few little Halloween themed jokes, which can be shared with the family, that I found on the Internet. John, I hope they make you laugh, or at the very least, bring you a smile. :)

Joke #1: why do witches use brooms to ride on?

Answer: Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy.

Joke #2: Why do mummies have trouble keeping friends?

Answer: They are too wrapped up in themselves.

Joke #3: What does a vampire never order at dinner?

Answer: A stake sandwich.

Joke #4: What do you get when you goose a ghost?

Answer: A handful of sheet.

Joke #5: How does a lady vampire flirt?

Answer: She BATS her eyes.

Joke#6: What is it like to be kissed by a vampire?

Answer: It sucks.

Joke #7: Why did the skeletin go disco dancing?

Answer: To see the boogyman.

Ok, so some of those are clunkers, but humor really is good for the soul. Thank you John, for lowering my blood sugar levels by encouraging me to get in touch with my silly side. Laughter is the best medicine. My glucose reading today, 2 1/2 hrs. after lunch was, 101! :)

Why did the vampire subscribe to the Wall Street Journal?

He heard it had a great circulation. :)

Extra Credit: "When she told me I was average, she was just being mean."

Halloween.com

-OndineMonet
"Mr. Happy Pumpkin"
Half Moon Bay, California
October 21, 2007
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #186:Unexpected Gifts

"To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of it's own."

-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Weekend Assignment #186: Talk about an unexpected gift that you've received. That gift could be anything big or small - just something that you didn't see coming, and/or from someone you would not have expected to get a gift from. Holiday/Birthday gifts can be included here, but gifts at unusual times are particularly good too.

Extra credit: Have you ever given an unexpected gift?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Recently, I got a nice surprise in the mail. My Mother-in-Law sent me some very special photos. All of Alan's school pictures, all 12 grades. It meant so much to me, because I only have a couple little treasures from his childhood. It wasn't my birthday, it wasn't my anniversary, she just sent them along because she loves me, and she understands the hopeless romantic in me. :) Photographs mean a lot to me, especially family photographs, and she understands that as well. She is a neat lady, and I am very lucky to have her in my life.

Extra Credit: I have a tradition. I like to go out in the world, on my birthday, and thank someone who has been especially nice to me at some point during the year. I give them a small thank you present, like a flower, and a little note just to say I appreciate how hard they work. Sometimes I do the same thing on or near New Year's Eve. It's just my way of giving back.

-OndineMonet
"First Kiss"
By Kim Anderson

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #184: From the Top of Mount TBR

"A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy."

-Edward P. Morgan

Weekend Assignment #184: What books do you want to read - but haven't yet? These could be new books, classic books you've just not gotten around to, books you've bought but haven't cracked the spines of, or a book you want to get, but for some reason haven't. The salient characteristic is that you want to read it, but just haven't yet.

Extra Credit: Do you usually prefer the book or the movie?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Books, books, books. I am an avid reader, so it would be a rarity to not see a stack of books on my desk. Most of them read, and kept close either for reference, or just because I liked the particular escape it provided, but there is also usually one or two books which I will purchase, and then give myself a month or so to read before I place them away in my book closet. Right now, the book depicted in the above photo, is the only one on my desk which I haven't gotten around to reading. "Creating A Charmed Life: Sensible, Spiritual Secrets Every Busy Woman Should Know."

It came highly recommended, so I will probably start reading it this weekend. I have had it for several months, but decided to save it for when the cold weather came back to the Bay Area. It is supposed to rain later today, and it is already pretty cold outside, so it looks like the time has come. I will more then likely be done with it in a couple weeks, and it will be time to pick up some new ones. Alan, however, will want me to put the titles on my Amazon Wish List, with Christmas being just around the corner. Which isn't a bad idea, because if you set me loose in a book store, it could be slightly frightening how many books I could purchase at one time, because there is nothing like a big TBR stack. Here are the latest titles I am interested in, and I hope appear under the Christmas tree...

1.The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World
By Alan Greenspan

2. Mere Anarchy
By Woody Allen

3. I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman
By Nora Ephron

4. A Photographer's Life: 1900-2005
By Annie Leibovitz

Extra Credit: It just depends. If the author of the book writes the screenplay, it is usually pretty good. Stephen King is a good example of that, also Alice Hoffman. But if I have to choose, I think I will always prefer the book to the movie.

-OndineMonet
"A Good Book"
Berkeley, California
September 21, 2007
Late Evening