Happy Halloween 2025

 

"There is magic in the night

 when pumpkins glow by moonlight."

 

  ~Unknown 

 Aren't these bears great? The big white bear, and his trick or treating pals, sit on a post at the corner of, Clifton Court Forebay, and the, Old Byron Highway, in Byron, California. They watch over the road, and keep us all safe and smiling. I am sure they got their start as a memorial, but now they greet us like we're old friends. The bear has been there for months, and kinda steps in for the driftwood moose that sadly fell apart earlier this year. I took these photos on September 30th, and held onto them until now, because I couldn't think of a better subject for a post devoted to Halloween. Personally, I've become attached, so I always look forward to them, no matter what day of the year it is!

Happy Halloween!

 

 

"Ghoul's just wanna have fun"

 

~Unknown 

 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #17... Benny Loves You

 

 

Hell hath no fury like a teddy scorned.

 

What do you do when your beloved teddy bear friend goes... apeshit? Well, I guess like with any friendship gone stale, you work on the relationship, right? But sometimes, you have to work really hard, and bring a lot of patience. I mean my gosh, it's not easy dealing with a homicidal teddy bear, is it? This is hands down, one of the funniest horror movies I have ever seen. Truly strange, and oddly heartwarming, grab your favorite teddy bear, and watch it together!

 

See the trailer here. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

 

Yes, it's true, this Thanksgiving will be very different, but it's the little things that will get me by, like holding onto the whimsy when I can. My amazing, husband is making dinner tonight, so what more can I ask for on this day? 

 

I am thankful, for this one day.

 

“Give thanks as if you are living just to appreciate life. Live as if your life depends on love, kindness, gratitude, and thanksgiving.” 

 ~Debasish Mridha

 

 

Wendy And The Leaves

 

"It was one of those red-gold early October days, the air was crisp and tart, as a heady as applejack and even at dawn the sky was the clear, purplish blue that only the finest of autumn days brings."

 

Joanne Harris

Five Quarters Of The Orange

 

This is Wendy. She is the last of the teddy bear models for 2020. It has been a challenging year for coming up with something different to photograph, and autumn was a challenge, within a challenge. Long drives this year were difficult, because things from county to county were being handled different. Some have restaurants open. Some are observing all the rules, others aren't. But some of the ones who are taking it seriously, have decided on a system of fines for those not wearing masks or being outdoors, engaging in non-essential activities, when told not to. Most don't, but a few can make it bad for everyone.The parks were open, but now you need a reservation to visit Yosemite. It's a headache to do whats right, so I got out the Boyd's Bears collection and tried to do something new. I think it went okay.

 

 I will probably revisit it next year, because I think I can do a lot more with it. I had the idea to maybe feature a honey bear next time, and hopefully get a photo of just the bear's head, with the sun illuminating the crystallized sugar. We will see. The bear with the just the leaves is pretty nice too. The leaves this autumn were lovely, even with all the challenges of the red cast on everything from the wildfires. No need to fret over it, it was a part of this year. It was part of 2020's history, but it feels like we have all been living inside a Stephen King story, and who knows, maybe we have. I am tired. I am sad. I am scared. But I know that autumn will be waiting for me and on, September 22nd 2021, at 3:20 PM EST, I will be there, planning new autumn roads to travel.

~Carly

Stockton California

December 11th 2020

Brown Sugar And Cimmonette

 

"It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust

 of brown sugar and cinnamon."

 

~Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost

 

 I said I might do some more teddy bear photos, and I did and I think this one came out pretty good! Heidi is a good pal, and so is her little pal, Cimmonette. I love the name, Cimmonette. I had a friend, when I was a small child, who was named that. I loved that it sounded so girly and a little like my favorite spice, cinnamon. I never really liked my name, but what can you do? Funny how that works. Anyway, I always liked the name, and figured I would name a beloved pet Cimmonette one day, but then Alan and I decided to name our cats after singers because of our love of different genres of music. It just worked out that way. I don't know... all's well that ends well I guess. I think my next object to photograph will be a honey bear, which, as it turns out, looks good in any lighting or setting. Some things just aren't fair!

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

November 21st 2020

Arlo

 

"Don't you imagine the leaves dream now

how comfortable it will be to touch

the earth instead of the nothingness of the air and the endless

freshets of wind? And don't you think the trees, especially those with mossy hollows, are beginning to look for the birds that will come...

six, a dozen... to sleep inside their bodies?

And don't you hear the goldenrod whispering goodbye,

the everlasting being crowned with the first tuffets of snow?

 

The pond stiffens and the white field over which

the fox runs so quickly brings out

it's long blue shadows. The wind wags

its many tails. And in the evening

the piled firewood shifts a little

longing to be on its way." 

 

~Mary Oliver

Song For Autumn

 

Covid-19 Update 

Every single prediction came true, just as I believed it would from the beginning. And I believe predictive models will too. That means it will be perhaps another 200,000 dead by March 1st, and if that does happen, I am not sure if I will be here to see another autumn. And worse, will I lose my darling? I love him. Very much. I'm not going there. It's unimaginable. All I know is, things in the world better change! I hate it, but beginning tomorrow new restrictive measures will be implemented in California, and while I hate that it's necessary at this point, I applaud the move by the governor. Governor Newsom is even considering imposing curfews. Not sure how that will work, but I will be taking my last holiday grocery trip this week, and will be back home, well before dark. Holidays. The word almost sounds obscene. I better do plenty of photographs while I shop, because who knows when I will be able to venture into another store. What is so fucking hard about wearing a mask? How can there not be laws preventing what Donald Trump has done? And is doing? And I haven't even mentioned he sought what his options were for launching a war with Iran! Oops. I just did! Will he plunge the United States into war, just to fuck with Joe Biden? Nah... that doesn't sound like him at all! I wonder if he realizes that once he leaves office, he no longer has access to the bunker?

On the other hand, isn't Arlo adorable? If you're wondering, I turn to poetry and comforting stuff when I am sad and frightened. I still have a small stuffed cat I bought at the San Jose Manetta Airport, when Alan and I flew back east in 1992. Lordy I hate flying in the big planes. So, sometimes I cling to a stuffed animal. Who doesn't? Is there a poem or stuffed bear big enough to handle what's coming? I don't know, but I know Arlo helps me. How do you not smile, when you see that silly face, and his sweater, which doesn't quite fit?

John Hopkins

~Carly

November 17th 2020

Stockton, California

 

Here's Your Fucking Christmas Card ( Rated R For Colorful Language )

"Money's scarce and times are hard

 so here's your fucking Christmas card."

~Phyllis Diller

Disclaimer: If colorful language gives you the vapors, move along, because there is enough in the post to... well... give you the vapors!

I wish I hadn't waited so long to come across that quote, because I swear I would have sent Trump as nice Christmas card, with just that quote written inside! Do I dare and Tweet it to him on Christmas Eve? Will the Twitter gods, kick me off Twitter for a third time? Can you believe it? I have been put in a Twitter corner twice, for being disrespectful to our DEAR LEADER. Honest to Gingerbread men, what the actual fuck? We have free speech in America, at least we did. Honestly, I don't know about that anymore. He routinely breaks their TOS, but no one else can. Sometimes it feels like Twitter is one of Trump's biggest enablers, and in a way, they are. He can't be kicked off their platform, because the president's tweets are newsworthy. I guess it will be newsworthy when he bombs the shit out of North Korea, provided there is anyone around to read about it on Twitter... if Twitter still exists.

But that wasn't what this post was going to be about. I was going to write about how much I enjoy sparkly Christmas ornaments, and how much I would like to be able to collect enough to fill the Christmas tree eventually, but once again, all I can think about is the horror that sits in the White House, and who insists there is a War on Christmas, which of course, there isn't! But the insane GOP Right in this country insist it does, and each year, into battle they go, and then they make a stop at Amazon.com, to purchase a Trump, MAGA/Made in China, piece of shit ornament! Because everyone knows that the three wise men brought the baby Jesus, gold, frankincense and myrrh, and an ornament from the Trump campaign store!

Sorry, as I said in my last post, I am not feeling the holiday spirit.

But I wish I was.

Tomorrow, when I wake up, I'm going to try again. Really I am.

#16 Leaf Of The Day

December 16th, 2017 

Berkeley, Ca

 Mood: GRRRR

~Me 

Round Robin Challenge: Blog Spot

"My ideas usually come not at my desk writing, but in the midst of living."

-Anais Nin

Alan teases me when he says that "most of my friends now live in a box on my desk." LOL. Yeah, I have gained a lot of wonderful blogging buddies over the years, you know who you are, but they hardly live in a box on my desk! Nope! They live in the computer on my desk! And there it is! Tee Hee.

I have been thinking about the subject of my desk for quite a while, in fact, a similar topic to this one was going to be the first photo assignment for the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot, but Steven beat me to it! LOL. Great minds think alike I guess. It happens. Anyway, like I said, this is my blogging spot. I am happy with it, it is comfortable. What you don't see is the little area under my desk where Elvis sleeps and gnaws on my knees. It's more of a tickle then a bite mind you, but I will save that for another entry!

Here is a close up tour of my desk...

I am currently reading "Fair Game" by Valerie Plame Wilson

One of my favorite bears Windy :)

My Favorite games; 5 Crowns, Quiddler, Backgammon, SET

My favorite CD ROM game The SIMS2

A box of holiday tea, that sits in a little cubby hole with all my favorite calming teas and potions. :)

The idea for this challenge came to us by way of Martha, who journals at "Perception." Great idea my dear! Go and see what her blogging space looks like, and then be sure to visit all the participating Robins. Just follow the links below!

Linking List

1. Martha... Perception
Posted!

3. Carly... Ellipsis
Posted!

4. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

5. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
Posted!

6. T.J. ... T.J.'s Photo Blog
Posted!

7. Annie... Pictures of Craziness and Me and my Phone
Posted!

8. Whammy... The Ellis Family Cincinnati
Posted!

9. Jama Hameed... Sweet Memories
Posted!

10.Kiva... The Eclectic Granny
Posted!

11. Maryt... Work of the Poet
Posted!

13. Greg... Photo Trek (Welcome New Member)
Posted!

14. Raven... Raven's Lament (Welcome New Member)
Posted!



If you would like to play along there is still time! Just visit the official Round Robin blog for all the details!


-OndineMonet
"My Blog Spot"
Berkeley, California
September 3 2008
Morning

Monday Photo Shoot: Personal Gifts

"I don't think my parents liked me. They put a live teddy bear in my crib."

-Woody Allen

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of something nice/fun/interesting that you recently bought for yourself. That means something you bought because you said to yourself "hey, that would be nice to have," as opposed to, say "hey, this is something I have to get." So, for example, that package of tube socks that you just bought would not qualify for photo shoot - but a pair of multicolored knee-high socks with kittens on them would. It's all about the delivery, you see.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

This was a difficult Monday Photo Shoot for me. I haven't really indulged in anything recently, well, not since my last birthday in June, and I think I pretty much shared everything I have purchased since then. So, here are a couple items that I keep on my desk, which represent personal treasures to me. They were both purchased as a little something to pick up my spirits, neither qualifies as having been needed. So I hope it is ok to use these for the assignment.

The first picture is of my pal Arlo, which I named after singer, Arlo Guthrie. He is a member of my Boyd's Bears collection. I have an attachment to this fella, there is just something about him that makes me smile. :) I have a pretty big Boyd's collection, but this bear is very special. I hold him sometimes when I am feeling a little down. He helps.



This photo is of my lavender bracelet. It was really inexpensive, but it is fun and lovely. I wear it often, and feel really good when I do. :) It was only about $5.99, but it means a lot to me. I will always keep it close.

And there you have it, two examples of a recent indulgence. Just two little gifts to me, because, after all, I like me. Me is good. :) Go me!

-OndineMonet
"Arlo"
Berkeley, California
October 1, 2007
Late Evening

Steven's Feline Friday: Happy Birthday Elvis!

"Inside every older person, is a younger person wondering what happened."

- Jennifer Yane

Elvis's 10th birthday party... finally! :) A day late, but that's okay. We had such a good time with our little boy! He knew the day was for him, and he was a sweetie. On his best behavior, and snuggly. It was just the three of us, his pal Sebastiani couldn't make it, seems he was in a little tiff with the new neighbor cat, but we had a good time. We played with a laser light, and we opened presents. A new brown bear, a new fork and spoon set, and a jar of baby food. Beef in Beef Gravy by Gerber. After the presents, came the pie, and then we played a little more, before releasing the "wish balloons" for their flight up in the sky to the moon. Legend goes, it they actually reach the moon, or if they are found by a friend, the wish you make on them comes true. :) One balloon for Elvis, one balloon for Alan, one for me, and one for our family. I have had more than one wish made on a wish balloon come true. :) I'm a believer!

YUM! Lemon Supreme Pie!

New Bear, Yummy Pie, and SpongeBob Balloon

Alan, Carly and Elvis... spending lots of time in the garden. :)

Sending the wish balloon off to the moon! Silly... but it's our tradition. We have made a million or so wishes over the years. :) Sometimes they come true in the best of ways!

If you have a kitty in your life that you want to share, pop over to my friend Steven's blog, (sometimes) photoblog, to get all the details. :)

-OndineMonet
"Happy 10th Birthday Elvis"
Berkeley, California
April 28th, 2007
Early Evening