On Black Friday... Seeking Successive Autumns

"Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love... that makes life and nature harmonize. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I was a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

~George Eliot

George Eliot's Life

As Related In Her Letters And Journals

Volume One

( Letter To Miss Lewis, October 1, 1841)

Another holiday has come and gone! It was a quiet and fun Thanksgiving in our home! Alan and I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Played with the cats, and bitched about politics, but even the bitching was more laughing then any genuine ire about the state of things in America! After that we made dinner and watched some movies. First Jaws, then The Shadow Of The Thin Man! Hows that for an eclectic mix of move genres? 

Tomorrow is an one of our favorite days... Black Friday! We usually sleep until we feel like getting up, then it's off to San Francisco to Union Square to people watch. There are always demonstrators. Shoppers clambering for that must have deal, and then there are the kids, who love the decorations and ice rink. There is something for everybody! It's just fun!

But if for whatever reason we don't make it there, we will usually come up with a great Plan B, because the point of the day is to not  lose a day together. It's about us. It's about enjoying every last minute we have together. You see, we have been married over 26 years now, and it seems like it has been a blink. You can't waste a moment. There will be plenty to bitch about in the coming weeks and months, for now, for the present, it's time to laugh! And love. And hopefully something beautiful will be seen along the way, like a purple flower in late autumn!                     

 Leaf Of The Day

November 25th 2016

Mood: Happy

 

~Me :)

 

 

FaLaLaLa... Black Friday Is Here!

"I went shopping at the general store...

 they wouldn't let me buy anything specific."

~Steven Wright

It's one of our favorite days of the year... BLACK FRIDAY! And Alan and I are ready for the fun! You see, it's not the shopping that really intrigues us, rather it's the people watching that we adore! People go crazy... they are rude, mean-spirited and selfish, but by the same token we have also seen folks let other folks take the very last "Black Friday Doorbuster" as well. Granted, not as often as we have seen the competitive shoppers, but it does happen. Once Alan and I saw two ladies carrying their super Black Friday bargains all lined up on a shower rod. There must have been thirty bags between them, and they were running onto the next bargain! Alan and I laughed for most of the day, and marveled at the amazing idea! So, off to the fun for 2015! What in the world will we see this time? Check back here this weekend to see what we saw!

Leaf Of The Day

Friday, November 27th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

1,000 Words

"When you have police officers who abuse citizens, you erode public confidence in law enforcement. That makes the job of good police officers unsafe."

~Mary Frances Berry

I photographed this young police officer, last month, on Black Friday, in San Francisco's Union Square. As you might expect, it was very busy there that day, there were shoppers, tourists, homeless folks, maintenance workers, the usual protesters of different causes, and there was the need for added security because of expected unrest due to the grand jury's decision in the Michael Brown case. Alan and I didn't stay that day, he simply circled the block so I could take a few random photos to post here on Ellipsis. It was just too crowded to stop as we usually do, so I did my photos and we decided to go down to the Embarcadero instead. After all, there is the Embarcadero Center for shopping, as well as a great ice skating rink, similar to the one at Union Square. And an added plus, there is a really nice underground garage which always seems to be warm! What more could a girl as for? And we had a pretty nice time that day, but there was plenty going on back at Union Square.

After we got home, came the live photos and news reports of the violence which had broken out at Union Square shortly after we left. As darkness fell, and the holiday shoppers waited for the Square's annual Christmas tree lighting, along came some protesters making their voices heard about the Michael Brown case, unfortunately their were accompanied by some bitter hearts and opportunists who were out to assault police officers and vandalize buildings that night. As it was, several San Francisco Police officers were injured, as they tried to protect innocent folks just there to shop and have fun with their families.  As I heard these reports, I couldn't help but wonder if the cop, whose photo I snapped that day, was among the injured for doing nothing more that doing his job? He was there to make people like me feel safe. The day after Thanksgiving has become something quite different than when I was a child... or even a young adult. While I understand the need for protest, and even applaud it, I don't understand the use of violence to protest violence.

While this police officer didn't look especially happy that I was photographing him, he never once told me to put the camera away. He never once demanded that I erase the photo of him doing his job, if anything he just went about what he was asked to do... his job! It wasn't an easy thought. It wasn't easy to decided when, if ever, to show this photo. In the weeks to come, after Black Friday, the violence and protests have gotten bigger and more intense. In fact now we have two dead NYPD officers, executed in their patrol car in Brooklyn. Two men with families. Two men who had nothing to do with the killing of Eric Garner, a man killed for doing nothing, but refusing to be arrested for... doing nothing. He wasn't committing a crime when one particular NYPD officer used deadly force on him. The New York city Coroner declared Eric Garner's death a homicide, but the grand jury in that case also chose to not charge a white police officer in the death of an unarmed black man.

Where will 2015 lead us?
  As the year ends I find myself with more questions than answers about the year that is about to end. 

1.Why did Phillip Seymour Hoffman not simply enjoy what he had, why did he have to lean on drugs to fulfill him? 

2. What happened to Malaysian Airlines 370?

3. Why did all those poor folks have to die when their plane was shot down over the Ukraine?

4. Why did Robin Williams kill himself?

5. Why didn't Joan River's doctor just do her job and take good care of her?

6. Why did an entire nation of voters, vote against their own interests and put so many Republicans in office?

7. Why won't Obama stop looking for respect and admiration from Republicans?

8. Why did North Korea take a ridiculous little movie so damn hard?

9. Why aren't big corporations taking cyber security seriously?

10. Hell, why doesn't the United States take it more serious?

11. Why are there so many holes in the Secret Service protection of our president?

12. Why did our friend have to kill himself one dark night?
13. Why can't I seem to lose these 10... no 12... pounds I want to lose?
14. Will my stupid HTC Vivid phone, that takes amazing photos, just hang on for one more month?
15. Where the HELL did my brand new pink Nikon CoolPix S3600 go? I got it in August, and it's been missing since October!
16. Why did an unarmed man in Brooklyn, not committing a crime, have to die in a choke-hold?
17. Why did an unarmed man die at the hands of the police, in a Walmart, for holding an air rifle, an item sold in that store?
18. Why did the police use deadly force on a 12 year old African American boy, for holding a toy gun?
19. Why did so many young black men and boys die this year?
20. Are we done fretting over Ebola yet?
21. Will the Hague ever come get the torturers? DICK CHENEY AND COMPANY?
22. Are we over the Kardashians yet? No? Why?
23. Why is Teresa Giudice going to prison, but not DICK CHENEY AND COMPANY?
24. Was the young policeman in this photo okay when the day ended on Black Friday?
25. As I type this, yet another plane filled with people has disappeared. Why? What happened?
26. Is the California drought finally over?
27. Why can we find enough budget for war, but not body cameras for all police officers. It makes everyone safer!
28. Did that young police officer mind me taking his photo that day?
30. Isn't that photo worth a thousand words?

Has Black Friday taken on a new meaning?

. Why... why... why... why... why... why... why... why... why... ?

2014 was just all about the WHY?

I am ready for 2015 to be here already.

Mood: Quiet

~Me 

PS... This post contains exactly 1051 words, not including this post script.

What's Left?

"The whole world can become the enemy,

 when you lose what you love."

~Kristina McMorris

Bridge Of Scarlet Leaves

 Yesterday was Friday, but not just any Friday... Black Friday. A day Alan and I cherish as much as any other holiday celebrated during the year. We look forward to this day, because we are avid people watchers. People are interesting, and Black Friday can bring out the best, worst, and eccentric in the people who clammer for bargains! So, Alan and I make the trek to our favorite place to watch the Black Friday holiday tradition, Union Square in San Francisco.

 

We had planned to leave the house at 10:00 am, but we ended up sleeping in. As midday rolled around we decided to make our way over to the city. When we got there, we found that the crowds in and around the city were larger than we had seen in recent years, so much so, that finding a place to park proved impossible. That, coupled with more than one grouchy driver, also looking for a place to park, made us come to the conclusion that we had just left the house too late to find a place to park. So, with a bit of sadness, we left Union Square, and headed instead for the Embarcadero Center.

 Embarcadero Center is also a wonderful place to shop, but it's parking is always easy to deal with, and with the added attraction of the Holiday Ice Rink, it made for a much calmer day. The trees that line the plaza are all lit up with Autumn color, and the happiness of the folks enjoying the ice rink was downright contagious! Oh my, I love it there! I even took a short walk through Sue Bierman park in search of the famous San Francisco parrots, but they had decided to fly elsewhere in the city, I will have to try again next week. 

Anyway, we decided to leave the city and head home for dinner around 4 pm. When we got home, about an hour later, we heard on the news that Union Square had been overrun by protesters just after we left. Protestors still fighting the injustice that happened earlier this week in Ferguson Missouri. Ferguson... a heartbreaking situation if ever there was one. I remember being told "policeman are our friends" as a child. I remember being told, "If you are ever scared or lost, find a policeman and he, or she, will help you." Sigh. I don't believe that anymore. 

Children are dying. The enemy... what does the enemy look like? Is he black? Is he white? Does he look like a cop? Does he wear a mask? Does she carry a stick? How about a stone? Does the name he or she call me really not hurt me? How about the preconceived notions about who I am and what I am about based on the most superficial information? Will that hurt me? Will the enemy scream in my ear, nearly breaking my eardrum, because I am wearing a leopard print coat, like I was wearing that one year? No... wait... Peta are the good guys, fighting the good fight, right?

Who is the enemy? 

Who is the friend?

As I sit here writing this, it has already been reported that just after the Union Square tree lighting ceremony had finished, windows had been knocked out at Macy's. Protestors were walking to the square with hammers in their hands. Workers at a nearby jewelry store were cowering in the corner of the store. Protestors were shouting... "Black Friday Doesn't Matter, Black Lives Do!"

I couldn't agree more. I haven't purchased a single thing on Black Friday in over 20 years. Not one thing. My heart aches for Michael Brown. I understand the need for protesting your beliefs and will defend it with my dying breath, but not the violence. Not the breaking of windows and looting. It's sad, and desperate and the message gets lost in the violence. 

That's the saddest part... The Message Gets Lost In The Violence. 

And when that happens, what's left?

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: On Location

Painted Ladies or The Six Sisters
Alamo Square Park
San Francisco, California

"You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person."

~Alec Waugh

RRC: On Location

Hollywood Location Scouts listen up! I have found your next awesome places to feature in a movie!



I bet you have seen this lovely row of six Victorian houses somewhere before! If they look kind of familiar, bet you can't place them, let me help. They were featured in the opening credits of the ABC comedy, Full House, and have at least made an appearance in approximately 70 or so other TV shows and movies! The park across the street from the houses, Alamo Square Park, is lovely and interesting all o it's own. Not only does it face these famous houses, but features a rather interesting attraction called a shoe garden, which contains every size, shape, color and style of shoes you can think of, all placed in loving tribute to someone. That's the cool thing about places like San Francisco, there is so much beauty right in front of you, but you never know what wonderful, magical gem might be just across the street, hidden away, waiting to be discovered.

Now, I Give You San Francisco At Christmas...


Union Square
December, 2012
San Francisco, California

It's not that Union Square, in San Francisco, hasn't been seen in a major motion picture, as a matter of fact it can be seen in the opening scenes of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but wouldn't a movie about a romance set during Christmas be beautifully filmed in San Francisco? Our skating rinks could give the Rockefeller Center ice rink run for it's money!

Need A Great Picturesque Place For A Character To Grab A Bite To Eat?


Tony's Cable Car (Menu)
2500 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, California

Look no further! Tony's Cable Car serves up the BEST burgers in San Francisco! Not only is it conveniently located on Geary boulevard, but it would be adorable featured in a movie as just what it is... a quaint neighborhood burger place. God, I get hungry for their burgers just considering it! Hollywood needs to make this place a STAR!

And Now For The East Bay... Berkeley


Tilden Park Berkeley, California

If you can't find a place to relax in Tilden Park... you don't want to relax! On the other hand, if you can find something to do in Tilden Park... you don't want to do anything fun! Tilden has Little Farm, The open space botanic garden, Lake Anza for swimming, plenty of trails for jogging, the carousel and steam trains for the kids. I love this place! Berkeley in general is a pretty photogenic place, and it's not that it hasn't had it's share of movie moments! The Graduate was partially filmed here, but I think 40 years later, it should get another chance to shine!

More From Berkeley...



Last, But Not Least, I Bring You To One Very Photogenic Spot In Sacramento...

 
Tower Bridge
Sacramento, California

Wouldn't the Tower Bridge make a spooky movie... spookier? I always have the best time photographing this bridge. And to make it all a little bit more spooky, it is located near Old Sacramento, which gives one a small step back in time to wooden streets and Old West storefronts!

Hollywood... Have I Made My Case?

Okay, now that you have seen my On Location  destinations, go see what the other participants are up to. Just click the link at the beginning of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog where you can find the list of participants, and all the information you need to play along!

See You At The Movies!

~Me :)

It's Christmas Time In The City

"I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas, with a note on it saying, toys not included."

~Bernard Manning

 

If the world ends on Friday, I hope the last thing I see is San Francisco as I rise up into the clouds. I love it here. It's beautiful. And fun. And inspiring. And a little odd. And friendly. And anytime I am down in the dumps, a simple trip across any of the bridges that lead to the city, usually awakens the happiness in me. It heals me. It dries my tears. Unless it is making me laugh till I cry. God I love that feeling. Laughing till I cry, with my sides in spasms... oh how I love that feeling.

 

Tuesday, Alan and I decided to fill up our life with fun. It doesn't take a lot to improve our moods, for us it mostly consists of going out and letting life show us the big picture. Our first destination was a visit to the Tilden Park Christmas Carousel. There is a lot of joy to be had there. The whole place is decorated with different themed Christmas trees, with beautiful ornaments which can be purchased off any of the trees. It's a long standing tradition to purchase each other a new ornament each year, and we always grab ones for the cats as well. I love hanging those ornaments on the trees year after year, and remembering all the joy we got from finding just the right one.

After the park, we left for Union Square, in San Francisco. Where it was COLD! :) I smile because I bought myself an early Christmas present a couple weeks ago. I new, incredibly warm, gorgeous leopard print coat from Old Navy. GOD I LOVE OLD NAVY! :) I call my new coat my "Jersey Housewife" coat in honor of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and their love of... ahem... all things leopard. LOL. It's a fun coat, and it makes me happy. And warm. Although for some odd reason whenever I wear it I seem to pronounce stuff weird. Like if I want Alan to buy me a hot dog from the hot dog vendor on the corner, rather than say... Alan, please get me a hot dog... I tend to say something like... Hey Guido, I could really use a Dwag. LOL. Just kidding, but you knew that... right?

Anyway, we had an amazing time, sitting in Starbucks, upstairs at Macy's in Union Square. It's a lot of fun watching the shoppers, and the ice skaters, and the happiness everyone gets from a little shopping therapy, and holiday fun. Sometimes I wish I could go ice skating, but alas I never learned how. Sigh. That's one of my minor regrets, because it looks like amazing fun. About the only way I could even consider it at this point in life is if there is such a thing as training blades, which I am pretty sure doesn't exist. Nope, I might just have to face the fact that I am now too old to learn to ice skate. Woe is me. Although my knees applaud my maturity. LOL. It's not easy to know that I was able to conquer my fear of flying, but learning to ice skate is simply off the table.

Weird That.

Except for our holiday ornaments, we haven't bought a single thing for each other yet. Yikes! I think I will be doing some shopping later today, and he is planning on shopping this weekend. So, we will be back in the city over the weekend for some fun, so I will have plenty of time to enjoy the holiday sights, sounds, and shopping. Ahhh... bliss. :) Sometimes, when the world really gets to me I think the world can't end soon enough, but then I see a cute little snowman ice skating, or the most adorable elderly couple ice skating, holding hands, and looking at each other like they fell in love just a few moments ago, or I catch a glimpse of San Francisco at holiday time, and I want to grab onto life, even with it's sorrows, and embrace every bit of it.

It's Christmas Time In The City...







"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a lot more."

~Dr. Suess, How The Grinch Stole Christmas

~Happiness

~Me :)

Last Night's Christmas Joke...

Q. Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?

A. You do all the work, and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

Tonight's Joke...

Q. How does Al Gore's household keep Christmas politically correct?

*Comeback tomorrow for the punchline. But feel free to take a guess, or leave a FAMILY FRIENDLY holiday joke in the comment thread.

A look Back At November 2012

"Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. It's going on all the time."

~Charlotte Perkins Gilman

It's time to remember November. When I was deciding which images to choose for my November review, I found myself wanting to go back so badly. I loved being on the San Francisco Bay on November 5th, watching that wonderful golden autumn sun fade behind the bridge. I wanted to be back in Union Square on Black Friday, enjoying that amazing hot chocolate we get every year at Il Cafe, and playing with Dylan as he hugged his favorite brush. Ahh... but I know... there's no going back. But just for fun, let's say I could. Just for a day. Which one would I choose? The Eco tour of the bay? That awesome election day? Thanksgiving?

I couldn't choose, and that is the real problem.

LOL.

I will just stay here in the present thank you.

But while we are here, let's enjoy the view, shall we?





"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

Happiness.

~Me :)

Scenes From Black Friday: The 2012 Edition

"You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need."

~Vernon Howard

Oh well, another Black Friday has come and gone. I love Black Friday, it's been a big deal to Alan and I since before we were a couple... yes... that long ago... when we realized one day that we both like to watch people be people. But what's so special about people being people? Glad you asked. People, being for the most part creatures of habit, are also individual in their their daily goings on and pursuits. Well, DUH you say... and you would be right. It is an obvious thing for me to say, but you see, we enjoy seeing all those different individual styles and actions, and customs and attitudes come together in large groups.

Yesterday, we saw families, friends, friends of families. Loners. Friends and family of loners. Business folk, casual folk, stylish folk, generous folk. Happy people. Sad people. Bored people. Conservatives. Democrats. Those who want peace in the Middle East. Those who would rather have war. Homeless. Those who want to share the "good news." Those who don't watch the news. Those who would rather not see anyone, at anytime, wear fur. There were people protesting the support of some guy named Donald Trump... whoever HE is. Moms. Dads. Sons. Daughters. Grannies and Grandpas. Ladies who lunch... and shop till they drop. Tourists. The list of who one could encounter on Black Friday is endless... but it's never boring! And neither is the general scene that is there every year, and that can be counted on like a dear old friend.

Here... Take A Look..

Union Square, San Francisco November 23rd 2012

"Victory" at the top of the 97ft statue dedicated to Admiral Dewey

 

Saks And Tiffanys

 

Union Square Christmas Tree



Our Favorite Union Square Cafe



MMmmm... Hot Chocolate w/Cinnamon



The Amazing Neiman Marcus Christmas Tree



Shoppers



San Francisco's Finest




 Swarovski Crysral



"Budget: A mathematical confirmation of your suspicions."

~ A.A. Latimer

It would seem that consumer spending is up this year. That means confidence is up as well! That is a very good sign. Dare I say it? THINGS MIGHT JUST BE GETTING BETTER! America is finally healing! That is a really good feeling, being able to say it out loud and fully mean it! Yesterday was a lovely day, and there is still a lot of things to photograph on another occasion. I will be visiting the square again before the holidays are over. I want to do some night photography in and around Union Square, as well as other areas of the city, during the holiday season. It's a gorgeous city any day of the year, but it is especially lovely this time of year!

Am I in love with San Francisco?

You bet!

:)

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 137~ Hot Chocolate

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

~Charles M. Schulz

A truly well done Hot Chocolate is a thing of beauty. :) One of our favorite traditions in autumn, is to spend the day after Thanksgiving in San Francisco, watching the mad dash of holiday shoppers going here and there in Union Square. Alan and I consider that day, known in shopping circles as, Black Friday, one of our favorite holidays. We have our turkey feast the night before, pass out cold by 7:30 pm, and get up in the wee early hours of the day after Thanksgiving, to get a head start on watching the shopping crazies try to beat their fellow shoppers to Macy's or Bloomingdales or even Walmart, with the goal of getting one of the specialty priced... oh... say... left-handed monkey pliers for Great-Aunt Mauggie. You remember her... right? She is your aunt 17 times removed. LOL But she always remembers you during the holidays by sending you an over sized, musical Christmas card, with postage due.

Oh... I kid the strange aunt. LOL. Alan and I don't have anyone all that dramatic to deal with, in fact except for his parents, that's the only family we have. Otherwise we are just us in this world. Gosh, I miss his brother this time of year. Daryl passed away in 2008 at age 50. We talked a few times a year, especially during the holidays, so I think of him and miss him, but I also smile because of all the games of Monopoly we played on holidays when we were kids. I met Alan and Daryl on Memorial day in 1977, and after that when our families got together for Christmas breakfast, or New Year's celebration, the three of us, and whoever else was there, always played board games after dinner. But that was back when I was a kid, and could eat a heavy Thanksgiving dinner, without succumbing to a carbohydrate coma.

Daryl was a great guy, it doesn't hurt to think of him anymore. In fact, this might sound strange, but sometimes I swear I can hear him laughing. Especially during those times when I trip or some other self embarrassing moment. LOL. He and Alan were the only ones who could get away with teasing me about my stumbles. LOL. We were the best kind of family, family you wanted to have as opposed to the ones God, in his odd sense of humor, gives you. I have a lot to ask God about. LOL. Daryl was a gift to everyone who knew him. He knew Alan and I were in love long before we did, but he let us come to that realization on our own, and in our own time. The day we got engaged, we called to tell him, and in a voice soft with happiness he asked... "What took you guys so long?"

Daryl would have loved Black Friday as much as we do. I can almost see the three of us, sitting at the shiny silver outdoor table at Emporio Rulli Il Cafe in Union Square, laughing at all the shoppers fighting over the awesome bargains. LOL. Is there anything more relaxing than finding your zen in the middle of complete Chaos? LOL. But it's just Alan and I and our memories of all the holidays, and laughter, and wild debates about whether or not Alan and I make up our own words when playing Password. LOL. If I had a nickle for every time Daryl said... "THAT'S NOT A WORD!"

I hope Daryl knows that when we meet again one day, the Hot Chocolate is on me! LOL. And I can already hear my friend/brother laughing about it!

~Me :)

Now go check out what my pal JR is up to with his camera!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-132.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 114~ Ellipsis... Starring Cate Blanchett As Herself

"If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously."

~Cate Blanchett

 

Isn't Cate Blanchett Lovely?

Sigh. It's not like Woody Allen is the first celebrity I have ever photographed, but there I was, dumbstruck like Lucy Ricardo meeting Charles Boyer. Like Lucy Ricardo meeting John Wayne. Like Lucy Ricardo meeting William Holden. Like Lucy Ricardo... well... you get the picture! Pun intended! It wouldn't have mattered how many filming locations I had tracked him down at, I was hopelessly dumbstruck by Woody Allen, and that was where my literal focus was. It's like my brain simply didn't have enough power to grasp two stars at the same time. And let's face it, Cate Blanchett is as stunning as they come. It might have been different if I had made it to the filming off Union Square at Shreve & Company. She was present, and from the pictures I have seen, amazingly lovely, plus there was a lot longer opportunity to focus on the total picture.

 While in Union Square, they were outside for most of the day, but the particular days filming I made it to involved the actors doing scenes inside buildings. The only opportunities that presented themselves for capturing a photo were in the comings and goings. The amateur shutterbug such as myself, had to be ready at the shutter, and hope for the best. Hey, at least I have a pretty good shot of her profile here, but she is such a lovely lady, I wish I had done better. It's a good set of photos to consider the next time a celebrity sighting presents itself. Focus. Focus. Focus. Again... pun intended! LOL. In the meantime, I can add Cate Blanchett to my file of celebrity photography opportunities. I have learned something from each celebrity in my file, and anytime you can learn from your photography it's a good thing... right?

 

"If I had my way, if I was lucky enough, if I could be on the brink my entire life... that great sense of expectation and excitement without disappointment... that would be the perfect state."

~Cate Blanchett

 ~Me :)

Scenes From Christmastime In The City

From For Ellipsis

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

-Norman Vincent Peale

Alan and I went over to San Francisco Saturday night. It is so beautiful this time of year, everything is decorated for the holidays and it's just so festive you can't help but be in a good mood! It's wonderful...

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

It's so much fun in San Francisco. We got a hot chocolate, and watched all the shoppers just come and go! Then we went by Justin Herman Plaza and watched folks skating, and sometimes dancing, on the ice. Beautiful!

-Carly