Autumn Leaf Of The Day #17

"The wind wafts to us the odor of forest leaves that hang wilted on the dripping branches, or drop into the stream... the leaves whirl in eddies through the air."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #15

 

"Falling leaves are like dancing dreams."

~Anonymous

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #12

 

"How beautifully autumn leaves grow old. 

How full of light and color are their last days."

~John Burroughs

American Naturalist

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #11

 

"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower."

~Albert Camus

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #10

 

"I think seasons complete me, for when autumn comes I can fall freely, 

along with every autumn leaf. 

I do not have to bloom and yet I must die, in every delicate line of autumn."

~Laura Chouette

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #9

 

"Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go."

~Unknown

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #7

 

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall."

~Oscar Wilde

Summer is still doing it's fair share of collapsing. We are still experiencing hot days, but we are having gentle evenings, where the temperature drops into sweater weather. But I am not complaining, I am actually grateful that we still have some dry weather to enjoy. This year's, El Nino, is promising to be quite the gusher. Lots and lots of rainy weather is due to hit northern California in late October, or early November. The state is already planning for it, Governor Newsom has declared a State of Emergency to get out ahead of what might be coming. So, I am trying to hope for the best, because if the worst happens, getting adorable shots like this one, which Hubby helped me with, or any autumn leaf shots for that matter, could be very difficult. I am just going to deal with it when it gets here.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #4

 

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

~Emily Bronte

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #3

 

"By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. 

With summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer."

Helen Hunt Jackson

A Slant Of Lovely Light

 

"As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have 

hands, canvas and colours enough

 to paint the beautiful things I see."

~Vincent Van Gogh

Can you feel it in the air? Is the sun seeming to be a little more yellow and bright? I know, I know, it's still summer, but it has seemed to me that both those things have begun happening out my window, for the last a couple weeks, so there is not doubt in my mind, it's already autumn! I guess pre-season football has also helped me feel, despite fighting a stomach virus, like autumn is here to heal me, just with a wave and a slant of lovely light. The last day of August is almost here, in fact it's tomorrow, so I really don't mean to rush the natural order of things, but this has been a brutal month as far as temperatures go, and I am really looking forward to the temperatures of autumn. Even the days that are hot, bring early, cool nights that require a sweater, or at least a cozy blanket at the end of the bed!

Anyway, autumn is almost here, so enjoy a little preview of what could be.

It's on 65 days to go until the midterm elections. The midterms should be the great healer this year! Here's to Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026!

Ellipsis At 23

 

Free Pexel Image (PerfectMom)

"Your life is a movie. You are the main character. You say your scripts and act your lines. Of course you do your lines in each scene. There is a hidden camera and director who you can ask for help, any time from up above."

~ Happy Positivity

Can it be? 23 years has passed so quickly! I kinda have to pinch myself. I was able to keep this blog going, despite making several social media exoduses and through any number of high stress situations both in the new, and in real life! I don't mind admitting, I am proud of what I have accomplished. I am keeping my commitment to keep myself sane. I am keeping my commitment to writing Ellipsis, because it is the story of me. It is 23 years out of my life. I haven't shared every inch and dusty corner, but I have shared what has been the most profound moments. Moves from hell, assorted cats, Trump drama, beautiful gardens, my wonderful birds. My first, second and third Mini Coopers. Movies. Twitter friends come and gone, my autumn leaf collections. You know... life. My life! This year, I am especially proud of this blog, because for the first time, in a long time, I didn't take spring and most of summer off! I feel good about that!

Onward!

The Full Buck Moon

 

"I will never be a morning person, for the moon and I are too much in love."

~Christopher Poindexter

Full Buck Moon

Tuesday, July 29th, 2026

The Mouse Who Found It's Balls

 

Visit the ABC website to learn more, and scan the QR code.

"Censorship it the child of fear, and the father of ignorance."

~Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak

On May 23rd, 2007, Rosie O'Donnell, and Elizabeth Hasselbeck, engaged in an argument so profound, that it ended up being Rosie's last day as moderator of ABC'S, The View. It was tough, and embarrassing to watch as the viewer, but it was hard to look away from. It was about more than politics, it was about respect in the workplace, friendship, and yes, changing political behaviors, beginning, in my opinion, with the Bush administration, when right-wing media reveled in the brutalities of opinion, and the ignorance of the voter/viewer. Back when politics encouraged division at all cost, and that is what has gotten us to this point. I have often said that you can lay the blame on Sarah Palin, and her ridiculous Tea Party Patriots, for the state of our nation, but in looking back at this old clip, I see a lot more was involved. And thank goodness we had that show that day, and thank god we have it now to refer back to, because at the time, we had no idea how lucky we were in that moment. We got to watch the argument happen, and decide for ourselves what was at the core.

Fast forward, and it's suddenly, June 16th, 2015, and Donald Trump, seizing on the dangerous political rise of fuck you politics, rides down a fake golden escalator, and into American political history, as the first gameshow host in history to become president, in his first term, and the first convicted felon, to be elected to a second term. America, it seems, has quite the sense of humor! All joking aside, Donald Trump has been sticking his big nose into just about every area of our lives, including popular culture. He's sued the networks, accepted bribes in order to insure the successful merging of Paramount with Warner Bros/Discovery. David Ellison's wet dream is to  have eventual control of, Paramount, CNN, HBO, Warner Brother's, Discovery, and CBS. To that end, CBS has been kissing Donald Trump's ample butt! He waves a wand and David Ellison, and his minions, such as Bari Weiss, give him whatever he wants within the network, including the firings of Steven Colbert and Scott Pelley. It's embarrassing for them, and depressing for us. Gone are two important and powerful voices who spoke truth to power! CBS is dying, they just haven't pulled the plug yet.

ABC, who is also under constant threat from Donald Trump, hasn't been so easy to be kicked around. Jimmy Kimmel was yanked off the air last year, for one night, as the weak willed network caved to Trump's demands, not only with Kimmel, but with settling a multi-million dollar lawsuit, which most legal experts said the network could have won easily due to a lack of merit. They capitulated to him as they would a school yard bully, and in true bully fashion he keeps coming back for more. But wait... not so fast! ABC, which is owned by Disney, is now saying, ENOUGH! And what did it take? It took the insistence that, The View, change it's content to suit his liking, or face investigations by Trump's FCC, putting licensing of company owned stations on the line. Well, the network, and The View, is having none of it! They are fighting back, and it will more than likely play out over the summer. 

I suppose that saying the mouse has found his balls is a bit harsh. After all, the mouse found himself in uncharted waters, just like the rest of us, and they seem to be taking a stand now... finally... I just hope when all is said and done, they will never cave to the bully again. I don't know, maybe they see that everything has been failing for Trump, hard. In the last few weeks, his vanity projects. His hillbilly smackdown on the east lawn of the White House, and to a devastating effect, the war by choice in Iran. 13 lives... gone. A girls school in Iran bombed, and yes, he is trying to not take responsibility for, and last year the illegal tariffs, that threatened to bring down the world economy. Did I mention the reflecting pond? If the Democrats manage to take both the senate and the congress, impeachment and possibly removal, will be in his future. Please, God, Please. Of course that's assuming he won't try another coup on November 3rd.

Be brave Micky, be brave!

Summer Sun, Somethings Begun

 

"Bees do have a scent you know, and if they don't they should,

 for their feet are dusted with the spice from a million flowers."

~Ray Bradbury

Dandelion Wine

Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer, but reality says we have about three weeks until the season really begins. Either way, there are signs everywhere that cheer me up in a summer way, and one of them is roadside sunflowers, and little bees enjoying them. It's a pretty happy turn of events, and quite welcome. Especially when it's May 27th, and it's cold.

 Mother nature certainly has a strange sense of humor.

😂

Ellipsis Word Of The Week... Forplaint

 

"Never tell your problems to anyone... 20% don't care

 and 80% are glad you have them."

~Lou Holtz

Forplaint is a rare and obsolete Middle English word

 meaning, "wearied with complaining."

Forplaint used in a sentence... 

Trump's constant complaining about everything from what he deems the fake news, to how unfair it is that the congress doesn't just hand him billions for his stupid ballroom, has left me more than a little forplaint.

The Dear Only Knows

A rose is a rose,

And was always a rose.

But now the theory goes,

That the apple's a rose, 

And the pear is, and so's the plum I suppose.

The dear only knows,

What will next prove a rose,

You, of course, are a rose,

But were always a rose.

~Robert Frost

Something pretty and calm to begin another week on the calendar.

Just breathe.

Stardate 2020.23

 

"Better to lie saving lives, then to live with taking them."

Captain James Tiberius Kirk

William Shatner

Star Trek

Then... April 23rd, 2020

Now... May 12th, 2026

Katy Tur Reports 

May 12th, 2026

What will be the next disaster?

 Yet another, highly contagious virus?

 Another war... only with nukes?

Bioterrorism?

Cyberterrorism?

You know it's coming, because he doesn't care about Americans.

Yesterday, he finally said the quiet part out loud!

And by the way, he has been lying about just how capable Iran is at the moment!

Read All About It At, The New York Times

The Teacher Of The Month

 "If you're at the end of your rope... untie the knot in your heart."

~Cooper Edens 

If You're Afraid Of The Dark,

 Remember The Night Rainbow/Add One More Star To The Night

Okay, so it happened again. Someone tried to assassinate Trump. Again. For the third time to be exact. History will fill in the details. Was it real? Was it fake? There are reasons to believe both! I am not a conspiracy theorist, but there are oddities to this one. Ugh, I don't even want to discus my doubts because it's all so strange, but then w are talking about an event around Trump, so of course it's strange. It would be strange if it wasn't strange. All I know is, watching it all unfold live on, MS Now, was... strange. One minute hubby and I were discussing what we would serve at the dinner, if we were the caterers, the next minute men were climbing across chairs, and folks were ducking. Strange. Wanna know something else strange? The apparent bad guy was named Teacher of the Month, in December 2024. Before Trump took office for the second time.

 I am not giving any passes there is, NO ROOM FOR POLITICAL VIOLENCE, but the last year and a half has seemed more like 5 years, than 18 months. It hasn't been an easy time to take. So much bad, in so little time, so I understand the desperate frustration, but for our own mental health we have to find things for ourselves, for self care. I get a lot of help from turning off the TV, after, Deadline White House... with Nicolle Wallace, and I nap for a couple hours. I have anemia, left over from my last bout with Covid-XEC, so I need a little extra rest anyway. You don't have to nap, but turning off the TV is mandatory. Believe it or not, essential oils, help. I keep a small bottle, on my desk, of cinnamon oil. I take a little sniff, when I start to fell stressed, and it brings calmness and serenity to my soul. That's my favorite scent, yours is probably different, but you get the point. Lavender is pretty good too! And if all else fails, find yourself a good therapist!

Donald Trump is not worth it! Truly he isn't.

Remember, you love pizza more than you hate Trump!

Losing your whole life, by going to prison for life, isn't necessary, when we have so much to be hopeful about. We just need to concentrate on seeing those things, more than what sits in the darkness. The midterms are right around the corner!

Anyway, here are a few scenes from the other night.

The ever loving RFK jr., and his wife, Cheryl Hines

The super creepy, ever loving, big boob Stephen Miller and Wife

The TEACHER OF THE MONTH

Trump want's to reschedule the event for sometime in the next 30 days, we'll see if he can pull that off. It costs money to produce these things, but the again, when did he ever worry about spending other peoples money? Also, there are schedules to be considered, both personally and professionally. I imagine some new evening gowns must be purchased, as we ladies don't like wearing the same gowns to a rescheduled rubber chicken event, especially after a gunman scares the ever loving boredom out of us! There is a whole lot to consider. As for me, if the WHCD does get another chance, I will probably tune in. I will be wearing my comfy leggings, my long soft shirt and my slippers, and I will have my Bingo card ready to go!

Ellipsis Word Of The Week... Makebate

 

"Selfish and contentious people will not cohere, and without coherence, nothing can be effected."

~Andrew Hall

In that the word "Makebate" is an archaic word, I had a bear of a time find an example of a proper usage, here are some quotes the fit as alternative definitions. The word  dates bake to the early 1500's, so I'm guessing that it's usage in modern English is pretty much a rare event. 

Although perhaps we should bring it back!

Does the word remind you of anyone?

"Trump relies on his abilities as a MAKEBATE,

 to sew contention and quarrels among his cabinet, 

all for his own entertainment."

~Me

The word "MAKEBATES" appears in the King James version of the Bible.

 It refers to slanderers and false accusers.

2 Timothy 3:3 Makebate is mentioned in the margins.

A Pinch Of This, And OH HELL NO TO THAT

"A recipe has no soul. 

You, as the cook, must bring soul to your recipe."

~Thomas Keller

As you know, I like to cook. But things are getting way to expensive to make the recipes I want to make. But here's the thing, it's just as expensive, if not more, to eat out! So, what's the solution? Well, eat at home, but it doesn't have to be boring! There are so many fantastic recipes available, why am I paying $8.79 for a Garden Salad, with Crispy Chicken, from, Jack In The Box? A Big Mac Meal is now $11.00! I refuse! But Like everyone else, I loved my fast food.

 A Big Mac, once in a while, was really enjoyable, but in the last few years I have watched big corporations take advantage of everything from the Covid-19 Virus, to Trump's idiotic tariffs. Prices have inched up to a noticeable degree since 2021, sigh, what can I do? If I just have to eat out, Olive Garden, and B.J.'s Brewhouse, both offer reasonable lunch menu specials, which tastes better, and dining in the restaurant, is so much more comfortable. Anyway, in favor of eating at home, here is a yummy menu I put together from recipes from the New York Times cooking section. I think it sounds delicious, and the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen!

Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken Provencal

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Chocolate Souffles