John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #110: Strange Dreams...

"A dreamer is someone who can only find his way by the moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

-Oscar Wilde

Weekend Assignment #110: Recount a strange dream you've had recently. Any sort of dream is fine except the really explicit sex dreams. Because, you know, we're running a family show, here. Otherwise they can be as weird as you want them to be.

Extra Credit: Name a favorite song with the words "dream" or "sleep" ( or some variation of those words).

It's been a tough week. There have been some external stresses going on for me, ones that are hard to explain. Here or anywhere really. You know...sometimes it can be difficult...life that is...but I get up every day and deal with it anyway, because...LOL...that's all I can do. Sometimes I have trouble communicating with a friend of mine. Shrug. I don't always know why. Is it me? Is it him? Is it because we are both cancers? LOL. Who knows. Somehow...I think...it must be...that I am lacking. I'm just not enough of what he needs in a friend. Shrug. It happens I suppose. It doesn't have to feel good, and as a result, my sleeping is intermittent at times.

So, because of times like these, I take every opportunity I can to try and catch up on whatever sleep I have missed. It's not the amount of time that counts, it's the quality. So, today I took a nap in my back yard, under the pear tree. That tree is magical for sleeping, and it is especially wonderful right now because believe it or not...it is going through a second spring. Just a couple weeks ago, most of the pear blossoms fell from the tree, but to my delight, this week it began to blossom all over again...it's gorgeous. So, I took my pillow, by favorite quilt and I went into the yard to rest...and rest I did.


I was in the middle of a big meadow...flowers everywhere, and I was taking a nap, while listening to top 40 music, when all of a sudden an advertisement for Lima beans came on the radio. And not just any Lima beans, "Barry Manilow" brand Lima beans, "which contain no trans-fatty acid." Whew! Because goodness knows that would be something to be concerned about! LOL. Well, just the thought of a good can of Lima beans, had me get up...leave the beautiful meadow, and head straight for my favorite grocery store, Andronico's Market. Except they don't carry Lima beans, so I had to settle for a can of Skintimate, Apple-Berry Moisturizing Shave Gel.

It seems I had to shave my legs because David Duchovny was going to be meeting me back at the meadow, where the big tire swing was now hanging. I no sooner got my legs shaved then David showed up, with a bottle of white wine, a single perfect lavender rose...and a can of Lima beans. LOL. Then we pretty much played out the song, "Kiss Me," as played by Sixpense None The Richer." When I woke up...the Ethereal Musician was playing his sax...and all was very nice in the Berkeley hills. :)

Extra Credit: Dream A Little Dream Of Me...

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me
Say "Nigh-ie night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me.

-OndineMonet
"Dream A Little Dream"
Berkeley, California
May 4th, 2006
Afternoon

A Meme From T J :)

"She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes."

My friend T.J., author of the journal, "Photo Inclusions: Every Picture Tells A Story," included me in this neat little meme, that features one of my favorite things...photography. The idea is to post of 5 photos as answers to a certain 5 questions. Fun, fun, fun. Follow me...

1. One photo of something you made.

Here is a photo of what I prepared for St. Patrick's Day dinner. Traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage. I love to cook, almost as much as I love taking photos. I want to do more with that this year. I want to learn to take good photographs of food. :)

2. One picture of a gift someone gave you.

Here is a photo of my favorite pendant. Alan gave me this dragonfly for Christmas this past year. I have a dragonfly and butterfly motif throughout my house and in the garden. I have been collecting them for years. He bought me this dragonfly, the day after I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia...it is representational of change. :)

3. One picture of something strange.

LOL. ;) My Pillsbury Doughboy with a dirty face is kinda strange. LOL. So is my sense of humor. LOL.

4. One picture of something with a pig. Why? Why not?

See, this could qualify as both "strange" and Piggy. I don't know what came over me. One day I was shopping at the World Market, and I saw this plastic bag filled with these little pink piggies. I couldn't resist. What the heck was I going to do with a plastic bag of piggie? Well, take pictures of them I guess...that's my story and I am sticking to it! LOL.

5. One picture of something unique.

It doesn't get any more unique then this sculpture, which can be found on the Cal Berkeley campus. The university grounds has all kinds of wonderful sculptures and art pieces...this one is a favorite of mine. It's called, "Rotante Dal Foro Centrale," and is by Italian artist, Arnaldo Pomodoro.

Thank you T J for including me in the neat meme, it brought back some wonderful memories, just by looking at the photos. :)

-OndineMonet

"Meme"

Have You Met Miss Molly?

"Cats are dangerous companions for writers because cat watching is a near-perfect method of writing avoidance."

-Dan Greenberg

Meet Miss Molly, she is the sister of Elvis's best friend Ernst. She is a lovely, polite little girl, but she is really shy...and sometimes downright wee. Molly had been a little bit afraid to make friends, until about a week ago, when all of a sudden she decided to trust me. One bright, warm, morning last week, I stepped out the front door to go on some much needed errands, and there she was, sitting on my front stoop waiting patiently for whatever cats wait patiently for. Elvis, her brother Ernst, or maybe she was waiting for the morning delivery of the New York Times. I'm not too sure, but I do know that after 6 months of running away from me, this time Molly was wanting, more then anything else, was to say good morning...to me! :) It's a good feeling when a cat gives you their attention. They don't have to you know, as a good friend once reminded me, "Carly, you haven't been ignored, until you have been ignored by a cat."

So Miss Molly and I sat together on the porch, mewing and cooing with each other, we chased a toy mouse left over from Elvis's birthday party. We watched Ernst try to figure out what exactly the opossum was doing, as it made it's way through the ivy, you know, we contemplated all the great mysteries of the universe. And we enjoyed each other's company. I like my friend Molly, I bet she would be great fun at a tea party. :)

To see and share about other beautiful feline friends, be sure to visit my good friend Steven's blog, "(sometimes) photoblog" for his weekly meme, "Feline Friday." As Steven says, "Cats Rule."

-OndineMonet
"Miss Molly"
Berkeley, California
April 28th, 2006
Morning

Looking For You

"The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own."

-Susan Sontag

I took this photo a couple weeks ago, during my week long respite. I don't know, the bridges in the area just inspire me so much. Especially the Golden Gate. This photo kinda sheds some light on why they probably named it that I suppose. The light that comes in and out of this corridor is stunning. I don't know, it's hard to explain really. This photo was taken on April 18th, the night of the 100th anniversary of the great quake of 1906. I couldn't help but wonder, as I took the photo, could the sunset on the night of April 18th, 1906, have looked anything like this? Do you suppose that when Jack London was photographing the city, as it laid in ruins, he also noticed the sun, golden and smooth in color, dropping gently behind the Marin Headlands, even amid such devestation and chaos?

Jack London Exhibit

-OndineMonet
"Looking For You"
San Francisco, California
April 18, 2006
Early Evening

Art About Town: Santa Rosa

"Art is indeed not the bread but the wine of life."

-John Paul Richter

The town of Santa Rosa, California is an art lovers dream come true. The whole town has a rich history, with it's wine country past. There are nearly 200 wineries in the region, as well as some of the finest California cuisine to be found. The Area boasts 16 gold courses, some of the countries top spas, some awesome hot air ballooning adventures and of course, some of the best public art to be found, north of San Francisco.

Santa Rosa is also home to the Charles Schultz Museum. Last year I showed you some examples of the Charlie Brown sculptures that dotted the town throughout the summer of 2005. The 55 statues were auctioned off for charity at the end of the summer. This year it will be Woodstock, 77 of them to be exact, that will be positioned around town, from the end of May until September 24th, at which time they will also be auctioned off. But that is by no means the sum total of the art to be found in Santa Rosa, in fact sometimes art can also be found in the most unusual places.

How about on a bus bench? Yep, the above photo is titled, "Wine Country," and it is a part of the Artstart Benches Program, which is a public art project in combination with a youth employment opportunity. 24 of these benches can be found all around the town, each with a unique theme. 21 apprentice artists from the Sonoma County area were selected to participate in the public art program, which also included a large mural. This particular bench paid homage to the rich history of wine making in the region. Other bench themes included one with a cow theme that was titled, "Sonoma Cow-nty," which sat outside Santa Rosa High School, and "Spirit of Santa Rosa," which was placed at the Sonoma County Indian Health Clinic.

I am looking forward to seeking out the Woodstock sculptures, I will of course have my camera in hand. LOL. Don't ya just love great art? :)

Your Monday Photo Shoot: The Birdies!

"The very idea of a bird is a symbol and a suggestion to the poet. A bird seems to be at the top of the scale, so vehement and intense his life...the beautiful vagabonds, endowed with every grace, masters of all climbs, and knowing no bounds. How many human aspirations are realized in their free, holiday lives...and how many suggestions to the poet in their flight and song!"

-John Burroughs ( Birds and Poets) 1887

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Snap some shots of the birds around you.

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

Don't ya just love spring? I am so blessed to have lots of fruit trees and Poplars for these wonderful creatures to nest in. I am also blessed with a kitty who brings me the injured ones when he finds them. Life is good.

-OndineMonet
"In My Yard"
Berkeley, California
April, 2006
Mid-morning

Yabba-dabba-doo

"An architect is the drawer of dreams."

-Gracie McGarvie

I love this house. If you are driving north, up the peninsula from San Jose heading for San Francisco on HWY 280, you can see this, "Town Of Bedrock" inspired home, sitting nestled on a hillside. There are all kinds of gorgeous, expensive, homes and mansions all around it, but this place steals the show. Every time I see it, I half imagine seeing, Fred and Barney at the next on-ramp, getting ready to merge into traffic. But alas, I never do, but I always look for them all the same. Now I ask you...How cool would it ne to live in a house that looks like it was built for a "Modern stone-age family?"

Opening Lyrics...

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones
They're the modern stone-age family
From the town of Bedrock
They're a page right out of history
Let's ride with the family down the street
Through the courtesy of Fred's two feet
When you're with the Flintstones
Have a yabba-dabba-doo-time
A dabba-doo-time
You'll have a gay old time

I guess, if one was in the right position to do so, they could have a house built modeled after any of the TV houses we all grew up watching. One of my favorite episodes of the X-Files, "Sunshine Days," features a young man named Oliver, who had the ability to to change the appearance of his house, at will, to resemble the Brady Bunch house. Oliver had grown-up feeling like a loser, kind of like the character of cousin Oliver, from the Brady Bunch, so he created a world where he felt secure and accepted.

I think when I was a little girl, if it had occurred to me that when I grew up I could have a house built to look like a TV house I would feel comfortable it, I would have chosen the Addams house from the Addams Family, complete with the artwork...no...especially including the artwork! LOL. I loved the marlin that had been stuffed and mounted on the wall, with a human leg hanging out of it's mouth. And who didn't want to blow-up trains with Gomez? Honestly, there are some days when I consider investing in two sets of trains and engaging in that very pursuit. LOL.

Closing lyrics...

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones
They're the modern stone-age family
From the town of Bedrock
They're a page right out of history
Some day, maybe Fred will win the fight
And that cat will stay out for the night
When you're with the Flintstones
Have a yabba-dabba-doo time
A dabba-doo time
You'll have a gay old time

So tell me, if you could have a house built that looked exactly like any TV house which one would you choose? Would you like to live like a Brady? How about a magical house like the one Darin and Samantha Stevens owned? Or maybe you would prefer the typical all American address of 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Of course, in the summertime I used to daydream about living in a hut like on Gilligan's Island. I had such a crush on the professor! LOL.

-OndineMonet
"Yabba-dabba-doo"
Hillsborough, California
April 19, 2006
Afternoon

Garden Gnomes And Codeine

"Do not all charms fly at the mere touch of cold philosophy? There was an awful rainbow once in heaven; we know her woof, her texture; she is given in the dull catalogue of common things. Philosophy will clip an angel's wings, conquer all mysteries by rule and line, empty the haunted air, and gnome mine unweave a rainbow."
- John Keats

Strange...Very strange. Tuesday will mark the fifth anniversary of when Alan and I moved into our little cottage in the hills. In some ways it has been a blink, in other ways it has seemed to drag. I was just thinking the other day about how we lived in our first home, a three story walk-up apartment, for the first eight years of our married life, and all was bliss...well...most of the time. LOL. No marriage is completely blissful, that is one of those things no one chooses to share with you before you get married. Oh, don't get me wrong, there were signs of such here and there. And if my some reason you do happen to miss the clues about marriage having it's moments, there are always soap operas to clue you in.

They always struggle to bring the hero and the heroine together, despite insurmountable odds, only to have them marry in an elaborate ceremony then within six months one or both of the lovers will be plotting the other ones untimely demise. LOL. Well, it's justified, I mean we can't have a boringly happily married couple saving the world...right? LOL.Fortunately Alan and I have always found the adventure in our life together. LOL. Well, I am happy to report...the adventure continues!

If you were reading Ellipsis when it was on AOL, you may remember my little run in with the freaky garden gnome that lives in my back yard. Just in case you missed that adventure here is the basic details. When I moved into my cottage, I was blessed with not just a comfy new home, but the property it sits on, which is more like a small park, then a back yard. It has five fruit trees, and a lot of space to get lost in. It is in a safe place, so I can pretty much feel safe about going for a walk on the property and taking a nap under one of those trees on a warm summer day. No worries. Well, except for the gnome. See, when I moved in here, there were two creatures that were here first, and who I would have to agree to share the space with. A black, ceramic duck, and a freaky garden gnome. I say freaky, because he tends to move about the yard...all on his own.

Truly. I will place him under the lemon tree, and then the next morning he will somehow be sitting on the patio. YIKES. I thought for a time that maybe the opossums, might be moving him, they have quite a sense of humor you know, but no, I think not. Hmmmm. Anyway, one day last year I fell out of a tree, and landed on the gnome, injuring my leg. LOL. Go ahead and laugh...it was funny. That will teach a forty-something woman to climb a tree in search of the perfect photo opportunity. LOL. So, I was off my feet for a few days, and thoroughly looped on pain killers, when the crazy thing ended up tripping me again. This time in my own office. No, he hadn't wandered into the house on his own, Alan had put him inside one night to give him a coat of paint, and he thought my office would be a good place to put him that was out of the way. Uh huh. Kaboom...

So, fast forward a year to now. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia late last year. I am doing well, learning to find my groove, and learning to take care of myself, but even though there are still the occasional days when it really doesn't matter how hard I try to concentrate...my brain simply won't work the way I want it to. That's ok, it makes for an interesting time. LOL. Like the conversation I had with Alan early yesterday morning, when I held a very intelligent conversation with him while I was sound asleep. It's one he won't forget anytime soon, and I learned that I can still get embarrassed, even around someone who I have been married to for almost 15 years.

Generally speaking, I usually do my writing and photo editing between the hours of 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM. See, Alan snores the roof off, so it makes sense to do my cleaning and creative pursuits during those hours, then I go to bed when he leaves for work. I sleep till about 12:00 noon, get up, and by the time he comes home at 2:30, I am ready to spend the afternoon with him. Well, sometimes I get tired easily now, and staying up all night simply isn't an option. Last night, I was tired, but I felt ok, so I kept to my usual schedule. Well, almost. What I did differently was to get up from my desk, sit back in my favorite recliner, and turn of a rerun of "Dharma and Greg." I don't know when I fell asleep, but I was out cold.

About 5:30 AM or so, I heard Alan, laughing his butt off, and asking me, "what the hell does THAT mean?" Well, I didn't know myself, but I knew somehow I had gone off course. I woke up with words coming out of my mouth, and NO idea who it was saying them. LOL. To the best of my knowledge, I have never heard myself talking in my sleep. LOL. I gotta tell you...it's weird! LOL. Ok, so here's how it went...

I, at some point, got up from the recliner, and came into the bedroom with Alan. He was lying in bed, grabbing those last couple, "one more minute," moments. As I got into bed, he asked me if he could tell me what had happened at work the day before. "Sure", I said..."absolutely." Apparently, he began to tell me that he had some silliness come up regarding a supervisor who double scheduled him, and he was having trouble getting the time straightened out. It wasn't a big problem, but it was one of those stupid scenerios that happen in life. You know...silly stuff. Well, I was listening VERY closely, he said my eyes never blinked once. When he was finished conveying the situation to me, I responded by sharing that, "Well Alan, THAT's exactly my point. THAT is why America has a poet laureate after all. To make sure the opossums put the gnome back in it's proper place. And don't forget the cheese!" ROFLMAO! "Carly, we have a poet laureate to handle my scheduling woes?" LOL. "No, of course not Alan...huh?"

I heard the last few words, and wanted to know myself what that meant. LOL. Oh boy, is that what it's like? Talking in your sleep? It was so surreal. I was only a tiny bit spooked after that. I managed to get back to sleep, but I did wonder why the gnome had been on my mind, since I try so hard to not think about it. It gives me the wiggins, but I don't have the heart to get rid of it. I can be such a schmuck sometimes, but the thing is...he was here first. And besides...what if he came back? That would be a whole other deal completely! LOL. So, I have learned to peacefully co-exist with the gnome. Last night's little adventure probably had more to do with the Codeine I am taking for the back pain which is exacerabted by the Fibromyalgia. Still, there are times when I have to wonder, can an inanimate object REALLY be out to get you? LOL.

Tell me, have you ever encountered an inanimate object that for some reason, seemed as if it didn't like you? Share your story with us. Also, have you ever talked and or walked in your sleep? What did you do? Where did you go? What did you say? Was stress the cause or did you just spontaneously do it? As for the gnome in the above photo...he's isn't my freaky gnome, I have never wanted to photograph him, well, not without his permission. That would just be rude! LOL.

-OndineMonet
NOTE: Ted Kooser, is our current Poet Laureate. He was appointed in April of 2005 by, James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress. Kosser is the 2004 winner of the Pultizer Prize for poetry for "Delights and Shadows."

"Free"...A Round Robin Promotion

"If we shadows have offended
Think but this, and all is mended
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear."

-A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1

We have a marvelous new Round Robin Challenge coming up in a couple weeks, the topic has been chosen by our friend Phinney, author of the journal,"Paragon," and she has decided that our next challenge subject will be, "Free."

There are tons of ways to interpret that subject. "Buy One Get One Free,"Free To Be You And Me," remember that album? Or maybe you might want to tackle the subject by sharing your thoughts on the personal freedoms we embrace in America. Freedom of Speech, Freedom Of Religion...maybe even Free Love.

One thing that occurs to me, is that summer is almost here, and one of the best things about summer in California, is all the free summer festivals and parades that take place. One of my personal favorites is the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade, which is held each year, on the second Saturday in May, in the town of Castro Valley. The night before the parade features a free chili cookoff, in the Castro Village shopping center. I really look forward to this event...it's a lot of fun.

Another marvelous event is the free "Shakespeare in the Park." Held each year in Golden Gate Park, the company will be celebrating their 23rd anniversary this season. I love sitting in the park, especially when I get the chance to see my favorite of Shakespeare's comedies, "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream," being performed. The schedule for this season should be posted soon, and believe me I will be circling the dates on my calendar.

Finally, I think the best way to spend a hot, summer, Friday night, is to relax in the cool sand in Santa Cruz, on the beach, where the, "Free Summer Concert Series" is happening. Greg Kihn, The Drifters, and of course my favorite performer of the series, Micky Dolenz, were just a few of the musical attractions that played there last year. I think this year we are going to try to make it to more then one concert...especially now that the curse of Santa Cruz has been lifted! LOL.

So that's just a few ideas to spark your imagination. I am sure this will be one of those challenges where I will see a lot of great interpretations by the members of the Round Robin Challenges. If you would like to join us, please feel welcome to come along. All you have to do is visit the official Round Robin Blog to find out all the details and to sign up. If you have a camera, a blog or journal to display your photos, and a little imagination, then you have everything necessary to come along for the fun. Everyone is invited. :) As always if you have any questions feel free to drop either myself or Karen an email, with "Round Robin Question" in the subject line, and we will get back to you ASAP.

Carly (Ondinemonet@AOL.com)

Karen (Mavarin@AOL.com)

-OndineMonet
"A Dream"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Summer, 2005
Twilight

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 109: Your New Music

"When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had, and never will have."

-Edgar Watson Howe

Weekend Assignment: What are some of the most recent music albums you have bought? Name up to three. Note that I said, "bought"...I want to know what music you've liked so much that you've actually shelled out cash for them.

Extra Credit: Did you buy these albums on CD, or did you get them online through iTunes or another music service?

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

A few months back, just after I began studying T'ai Chi and practicing meditation and Yoga, I purchased some special music. I really wanted something that would set a calming mood, and I found it by way of a good friend's suggestion. I bought "Ancient Voices: Nature and Music in Harmony," by composers, Dennis Hysom and Dan Alvarez. It is truly one of the most beautiful CD's of music I have ever owned. The gorgeous music blends with the sounds of the natural world, and the result is music that soothes my soul, and allows me to transcend the stresses of everyday life. All I have to do is close my eyes...and allow the music to take me to the season of autumn, with the song, "Autumn Flyway," and soon, all I know is sweet, warm, peace. It's lovely and quite gentle. Ahhhh. I highly recommend it! :)

For Valentine's Day this year, I decided to treat myself to a couple CDs I found at Starbuck's. Paul McCartney's, "Chaos & Creation in the Backyard," and Eric Clapton's, "Back Home." Both artists are among my very favorite musicians. One song in particular that I enjoyed on Paul McCartney's CD is, "Friends To Go." It has a nice balance to it, and has me humming it to myself. That's always a good sign, right? I have been enjoying both CDs a lot. I listen to some type of music every day. Be it classical, such as Rachmaninoff or Vivaldi. Rock, like The Ramones or REM, or novelty groups such as the Electric Amish...music is a big part of my days, and makes my life a whole lot nicer. :)

-OndineMonet
"Music"
Berkeley, California
April 27th, 2006
Evening

Steven's Feline Friday & Elvis's Birthday

"Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional."

-Chilli Davis

Yesterday (Thursday) was Elvis's 9th birthday, so I thought it would be fun to share some photos from his party for Steven's Feline Friday. He is now 52 in human years. He is showing some signs of slowing down, but he sure isn't losing his inner kitten. He still has the same outrageous sense of humor, that one time allowed him to trick his father, Alan, when he very nearly stole Alan's cheesesteak from him. LOL. He still giggles and laughs out loud at noodles, he giggles when he and I blow bubbles together, and he still LOVES strawberry pie, and birthday parties...

and teddy bears...

and chicken baby food...

His birthday party was a great success. The sun came out just in time, it was nearly 80 degrees here today. His friends, Ernst and Sabastiani, came and brought presents, and he got to wear his Elmo hat most of the day. :) Right now he asleep, holding his new teddy bear...and he is still wearing his hat. :)

Take a blog jog on over to Steven's blog, (sometimes) photoblog, to see Pickle and find links to this week's entries for Feline Friday. You'll be glad you did! :)

-OndineMonet
"Elvis At 9"
Berkeley, California
April 27th, 2006
Afternoon

And I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For...

"Great art is as irrational as great music. It is mad with it's own loveliness."

-George Jean Nathan

I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you, only to be with you
I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
but I still haven't found what I'm looking for

Last week when I was in San Francisco, for the 100th anniversary celebrations of the 1906 earthquake, I got a chance to visit one of the most lovely spots along the Embarcadero, Justin Herman Plaza. The center is a shopping delight, but more then that, it is filled with some fascinating pieces of public art. One of the most controversial is the above sculpture/fountain which is titled, "Vaillancourt Fountain. This piece has been an object of debate, since it's unveiling in 1971 by it's artist, Armand Vaillancourt. It seems that folks either LOVE it or HATE it. Rarely do people take a lukewarm attitude toward it. Personally, I adore it. I like everything about it, but it seems that Bono, lead singer for U2 would disagree with me.

I have kissed honey lips
Felt my healing on his fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of the devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

In fact it was Bono which may have provided the fountain with it's most notorious moment, when during a free concert by U2, the lead-singer spray-painted the words, "Rock and Roll Stops The Traffic," across the fountain. This act of vandalism angered then mayor Dianne Feinstein and it resulted in a citation for malicious mischief, but Bono had something to say...

"We're the Batman & Robin of rock'n' roll... I am an artist, and that was not an act of vandalism."

This incident was the beginning of the end of free concerts held at Justin Herman Plaza. Over time the sculpture took a lot of beating by petitions to have it removed and by wear and tear of time and the homeless who tended to take up refuge in it, but in the summer of 2004, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who led an effort in collaboration with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, to turn the fountain back on, and restore it, after the city had shut it off in 2000 to conserve resources. It was finally back on and beautiful again. :)

I believe in kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed to one
Bleed to one
Well yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

-OndineMonet
"Vaillancourt Fountain"
Justin Herman Plaza
San Francisco, California
April 16th, 2006
Early Evening
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" lyrics By U2

Round Robin Challenge: Holy

"The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization."

-Frank Lloyd Wright

When I first found out what the topic for this challenge was, I couldn't help but smile. Our challenge, "Holy," was chosen this time around by Robin, author of the journal, "Search The Sea." The reason I smiled about the topic was because lately I have been appreciating the astounding architecture here in the Bay Area, particularly in the lovely houses of worship. From the old California missions, to the newer more modern designed churches, all of them are lovely to look at and HOLY places to visit and reflect.

Sts. Peter & Paul, San Francisco, Ca.

This is such a beautiful church. You can see the gorgeous steeples from all over the city. This view is from Coit Tower, looking down on it's neighborhood at Washington Square Park. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married on January 14, 1954 at the City Hall in San Francisco, but they posed for their wedding photos later that day on the steps of this church, where DiMaggio had worshipped in his childhood.

St Paul's Episcopal, Virginia City, Nv.

Last October, Alan and I visited the small, old west town of Virginia City Nevada. There were two churches that sat in the middle of town, and they were lovely examples of the serene beauty one sees, and the peace one feels when visiting a town that is straight out of the past.

Saint Mary in the Mountains, Virginia City, Nv.

This church sits just one block up the hill from St Paul's, in Virginia City. When we were in this part of Virginia City, there didn't seem to be any sound at all. It was a place of calm and peacefulness. I could have spent the whole day right here snapping off photos of the lovely churches in town.

The Mormon Temple of Oakland, California

When I was a little girl, and we would pass the temple as we drove on the freeway, I imagined it to be a castle sitting high above us in the Oakland Hills. You can see the temple from across the bay in San Francisco. It is an absolutely lovely church, and when it is lit up at night, it is absolutely stunning. It always catches my eye as I pass it...day or night.

Neighborhood Church, Castro Valley, Ca

You can see the large three crosses of the neighborhood church for miles. When I was a little girl, we attended the neighborhood church for a brief time. I remember to this day, how I used to gaze up at the crosses. They were so tall. It is another place that always catches my eye when I am in the area...and reminds me of quieter times. Their yearly Christmas program is especially well done, and of course, quite moving.

Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Ca.

A few years ago, I began a photo series of the California Missions. To date, Mission Santa Barbara is my favorite to photograph. It is also the most lovely of this missions I have been to so far. The grounds of the mission are breathtaking with a view of the Pacific Ocean, and a huge rose garden with over 500 varieties of roses. June is a wonderful month to visit and see them all in glorious bloom.

-OndineMonet

Be sure to visit the other Round Robin participants to see their interpretations of our current challenge, "Holy." If you would like to join us for the fun, just pay a visit to the official Round Robin Blog to learn all the details.

Robin... Search The Sea POSTED!

Karen... Outpost MavarinPOSTED!

Carly... Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly POSTED!

Erika... Photographs Of My Soul POSTED!

Tammy... The Daily Warrior POSTED!

Jessica... QuickSilver Dreams POSTED!

Patrick... Patrick's Portfolio POSTED!

Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED!

Steven... (sometimes) photoblog POSTED!

Connie... Connie's Photo Pages POSTED!

TJ... Photo Inclusions: Every Picture Tells A Story POSTED!

Deslily... Here, There and Everywhere 2nd Edition POSTED!
Here, There and Everywhere (AOL) POSTED!

Tess... First Digital Photos POSTED!

After 100 Years: The Survival Of The Ferry Building

"I kind of like things slightly out of tune. It makes me feel...intoxicated almost, but in a good way. Like I'm at a carnival in a dream."

-Christine Anderson

Last Tuesday, April 18th, the city of San Francisco, and many Bay Area cities for that matter, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the great earthquake of 1906. The quake registered 7.9 on the Reichter scale and shook the ground between 40 and 60 seconds. The devastation was widespread. San Jose, to the south was left in ruins, as well as Santa Rosa to the north. Nearly the entire area south of Market in San Francisco crumbled to the ground, while other areas of the city, such as Nob Hill, Pacific Heights and Russian Hill emerged with little damage. With the city in ruins, there was some extraordinary individuals who were on hand to do some early documentation of what was left after the ground stopped shaking. Author Jack London, was one of those who grabbed a camera...and in doing so recorded the quakes aftermath.

The light show at the Ferry Building, on the Embarcadero, was gorgeous. It was hard to believe that 100 years had gone by. Growing up in the Bay Area, meant that I had been through many different quakes, of many different intensities, so when looking at the historical photographs of the quake of 1906, it never really seemed possible for that to happen again. My attitude about that changed, after I experienced the 7.1 Loma Prieda earthquake of 1989. It hit just after 5:00 PM and shook for approximately 20 seconds. Like the San Francisco quake of 1906, there was widespread damage. Buildings toppled as far south as Santa Cruz.

Interesting Fact: The San Francisco quake struck at 5:12 am Pacific Time. The Loma Prieta quake, of 1989 hit at 5:04 pm Pacific Time. The clock on the Ferry Building stopped running after the 1906 quake, and remained stuck at 5:16 for over a year before it was repaired.

The Ferry Building was designed in late 1892 by A. Page Brown, a graduate of Cornell University. The inspiration for it came from the design of the La Giralda bell tower of Seville Cathedral.

At one time the Ferry Building was one of the most used transportation halls in the world. The completion of the Bay Bridge, and decline of Ferry usage made the building somewhat obsolete. At one time as many as 170 ferry boats a day had bought commuters and transcontinental railroad passengers to the foot of Market Street, where the city streetcar lines ended.

The Ferry Building was designated as a landmark in 1977 by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and was reopened on March 21, 2003 after a $75,000,000 restoration project. The clock and ferry Building were named City Landmark #90 on July 9, 1977.

The clock, with it's four 22-foot diameter clock faces, was officially re-started on June 17, 2003 at 12 noon by Mayor Willie Brown.

To be able to sit at Justin Herman Plaza last week, and enjoy this beautiful display of sound and color was a complete joy.Throughout the day there had been many different ceremonies in remembrance of the event. There were survivors of the 1906 quake on hand to share their memories of the day. Listening to their first person accounts was quite moving, and at time amusing, as one survivor recounted how she had been raised by day by the prostitutes of San Francisco, while her parents sought gainful employment after losing all they owned to the quake.The events of the day, the colors moving over the tower, and the warm spring weather all seemed somewhat surreal. The only thing that seemed to be missing was the sound of the Ethereal Musician playing something appropriate on his saxophone. :) I love searching for, and then finding the light. :)

-OndineMonet
"San Francisco Ferry Building"
San Francisco, California
April 18, 2006
Evening

Memories Above The City Lights

"Art is like a border of flowers along the course of civilization."

-Lincoln Stevens

This past week was one of the most unusual weeks I have ever had. I think it was good that I took some time off to renew my soul a bit. I suppose it is a good thing for everyone to do from time to time, to see things from a new appreciation, and perspective. To remember what we are passionate about and why we care so deeply about those interests. Last week was time to really look at what I love, and who I love, and the places I love, and remember to not take any of it for granted.

I was so sad to hear about Pam's passing away last Sunday. Still doesn't seem like it could be true. Sometimes, I think...maybe I got it wrong...but then I am all too aware that in fact, I won't ever get another email from her again. I won't ever get another chance to tell her how much I appreciated her laugh, and her voice, and the way she cared...without end. Yeah...without end. Somehow I don't believe that just because she is gone, that is the end of her on this earth. I will always have my friend through those emails, the comments she left me...and the smile that comes to my face when I think of her. Like our dear friend Frank...she's still right here.

When I was out last week with the camera, I saw art everywhere. Some of it I sought out. There are some marvelous public art displays that dot the Bay Area from San Francisco to San Jose. I took numerous photos to bring back here and show you. I was also seeing art in the natural world as well. Some incredible sunsets, some gorgeous flowers with tiny tears of rain on their petals...people out and about enjoying the first sunny days of spring, 2006. It was finally warm and clear in the Bay Area, after we had set, and then broke, the record for rainfall in March. Sometimes, before I knew it I would feel so much emotion for Pam wash over me, and it made me appreciate being able to see a sunset or a flower all the more. In some ways it was as if she was there with me, even though she and I had never met in person. Everything just seemed peaceful.

I went to some of the ceremonies in observance of the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Last Tuesday night, the exterior of the Ferry Building, was transformed by a beautiful display of rotating lights and images. The colors were breathtaking. As I sat at Justin Herman plaza watching the crowd and the lightshow, I observed that it was almost perfectly quiet, except for the awe of the crowd, as each color combination shined on the clock tower to light up the night. I mused to Alan, that this was perhaps the closest I would ever get to the Aurora Borealis. :) I snapped photo after photo along the waterfront, then took a few more shots from Treasure Island, facing back toward the city.

And that was just the first day out with the camera. :) I will be posting a lot of art this week on my journal, talking a lot about what I see and why I feel so passionate about it. And you know me...there will be more then on observation on politics thrown in, because lets face it...there are some things that need to change, and I think California is a pretty good place to start. Like maybe with our Governor. We need someone who is willing to stand up to George Bush, and harsh words alone is not going to get the job done. If you look on my sidebar you will see who I would like to become California's next governor, Steve Westly. Go, click on the link and find out what he is about. I will be saying a lot more about him over the next few months, but you should do a little looking on your own.

With the mid-term elections coming up in November, what changes would you like to see? Have any thoughts about the governor's race in your state? How about the Bush administration? What changes still need to occur? Tell me, if one supports the 6 generals who spoke out against Donald Rumsfeld...asking that he step down...is that considered supporting the troops? Are they really any less military because they are now in the private sector? Leave me your thoughts. Beginning Tuesday, art around the bay, beginning with the Ferry Building, and the 1906 Earthquake remembrances.

Note: The dome on top of City Hall in the above picture, is the original dome that survived the great quake, and if you look at the dots of gold on the hills in the background of the photo,that gives you a perspective of where I live in relation to San Francisco. God I love it here! :)

-OndineMonet
"Memories Above The City Lights"
San Francisco, California
April 18th, 2006
Evening.

And The Maddie Goes To... (MadLibs)

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."

-Katherine Hepburn

Applause, applause everyone, we have a MadLibs winner! Congratulations goes to Charley, author of the journal, "Courage." If you haven't been by his journal before, be sure to drop by and say "hi." While you are there, have a look around. Charley has a wonderful, truly unique journal, that is written with a lot of heart and soul. I know I am quite pleased that I discovered it, just a couple months ago. Thanks Charley for playing along with this round of MadLibs, and indeed thanks to all who played. Ok,now on with the story...

Lost And Found
By Charley (Courage)

Lost:
Dog. Black and white BLOOMING Cocker ONION, with deep brown PHALANGE and a very CRACKLING tail. Answers to the name of, PATRICK.

Lost:
A solid gold EMU with a LUSCIOUSLY carved wooden GOLF BALL hanging from it. Reward of 50 PUTTERS for return of this THROWN heirloom.

Lost:
Seven ENDIVE diamond PAPER with a sterling TEA BAG clasp. Gift from HOT grandmother. Owner is FOLLICLE broken. Generous HAIR offered upon return.

Found:
A GREASY elephant in my SWEATING pool. He has OILY marks on his hide, a short CALENDAR and a very GREEN trunk. Please come and get him. He's eating me out of house and WEBCAM.

Tee Hee :)

-OndineMonet
"Blue Moments"
San Francisco, California
April 21, 2006
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #108:Lesser-Known Art

"A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinion than anything else in the world."

-Edmond de Goncourt

Weekend Assignment #108: Show off (or link to) a lesser-known work from a favorite artist. Because there is more to Da Vinci than the Mona Lisa, and more to Van Gogh than Starry Night, I'm thinking of painters, but if you'd prefer to essay a lesser known book from a famous author, or song from a favorite musician, that works too.

Extra Credit: When was the last time you were in an art museum?

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

What a nice Weekend Assignment to do, just back from my week off. A week that I spent, mind you, filling my life with art. I did some photography, so I have new photos for you, and I visited some public art displays here and there around the Bay Area. I am soooo ready to discuss art! I bet you already knew I was ready to discuss not just art or just any old artist, but indeed my very favorite artist, Claude Monet.

When you think of Monet, which of his works come to mind? "Houses Of Parliament," "Water Lilies," or maybe, "Tulip Fields In Holland?" All of those are lovely examples of his talent as an Impressionist painter, but for purposes of this particular entry, I will show an example of Claude Monet's etchings, "Eva Gonzales."

Eva Gonzales was a contemporary of Claude Monet, and the only formal student of Edouard Manet. She was born into a family that truly embraced the arts. Her father, Emmanuel, was a well known author and her mother was a musician. Eva Gonzales showed her work at Salon, but declined to have her paintings displayed at independent exhibitions. She died early in life, when she passed away during childbirth in 1883. She was only 34 years old.

Extra Credit: I haven't been in a museum in several years. Way too long. That is all about to change. There is a wonderful exhibit of Monet's works,"Monet In Normandy," due to begin at the,The Legion Of Honor, in San Francisco,in June and running through the middle of September of this year. Oh...I am soooo there! :)

-OndineMonet
"Eva Gonzales" By Claude Monet

Peeking Inside The Door

"Rest when you are weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit...then get back to work."

-Ralph Marston

Hi All :)

No I am not back quite yet, I am just poking my head inside the blogroom door to say "hi" and let you know I haven't forgotten about this week's MadLibs game. I am extending the deadline to this coming Saturday, April 22nd, at 9:00 PM Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Sunday. Here is the link to this week's edition, feel free to enter more then once if you wish!

We are enjoying some awesome sunshine here in the East Bay, after setting records for rainfall for this spring, March specifically. I am finally feeling like going on some photo jaunts, and I am finding some incredible sights and sounds. I will be showing you some wonderful new photographs beginning next week, so be sure to come back and have a look see.

Ok, I am now off to do some research, and edit some new pictures, See ya soon!


-OndineMonet
"Lunch Companions"
San Mateo, California
April 19th, 2006
Early Afternoon

Remembering Pam

"When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight."

-Kahlil Gibran

I just reread the email from Nancy, Pam's sister, that said we lost our dear friend today. I am so very sad about that. Pam was my friend, someone I had come to like and love and appreciate very much. She is someone I will NEVER forget. She was someone who cared about people she met, people she hadn't met, and the animals she took such good care of. She had a beautiful heart and soul. I can't even begin to articulate about the hole that her passing will leave in my heart, but I can say that the love and friendship she gave me will always serve as a most gentle reminder of what a gift friendship is. Pam...darlin...I will miss you.

Love, Carly

NOTE: I will be taking a few days off from updating my blog. See everyone soon.

-OndineMonet
"At Peace"
Southern Marin County
Autumn, 2005
Early Evening

Happy Easter

"On Easter Day, the veil between time & eternity thins to gossamer."

-Douglas Horton

-OndineMonet
"Lily Life"
San Ramon, California
Spring, 2005
Morning

"Holy"...A Round Robin Promotion

"What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter...a soothing, calming influence on the mind rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue."

-Henri Matisse

One of the things I enjoy most about the Round Robin Challenges, is the complete artistic and creative freedom involved. We Robins come together to share our common love of photography, but leave each challenge with a fresh perspective to ponder, and sometimes to even challenge us further...even after we have moved on to another challenge. So many times, I have submitted an entry for a certain challenge, only to find another photo down the line, which would inspire me and make me want to go back and resubmit my entry. LOL. A recent example would be the subject of, "Signs." That happens to be one of my favorite subjects to look for, when I am out with my camera. Not signs as in OMENS, LOL, signs as in street signs or unique business signs. :) These challenges give me the opportunity to exercise my creativity...to try to think beyond the literal. I think our next challenge, "Holy," chosen by Robin, author of the journal, "Search The Sea," will provide all of us with some excellent opportunities to push the creative envelope.

Robin's suggestion for this challenge is for us to post a photo of something we consider to be holy. That can refer to our religious ideals, but it can also reflect our reverence for nature, or art, or as Karen said in the Round Robin Promotional entry, "Writing and the English language are holy for me." A very understandable idea, in that Karen is an awesome writer who has respected pursuid her talent most of her life. Like me, she fell in love with books when she was a child, and that love has grown into a devotion that will last a lifetime. What can be more perfect then the wish to share a talent, surely from above, with the world. I admire those who give freely of their talents, if they didn't the world would oh so much darker.

For me, as much as I would like to be a writer/photographer, there have been certain twists and turns in my life that make me believe that maybe both aren't necessarily meant to be. That is ok...I am simply allowing myself to go down the roads that are meant for me. So, I am concentrating more on my photography this year, with a greater sense of devotion and care. I am working on perfecting my patience, when attempting to achieve the perfect shot. Sometimes it takes looking at a subject, as if it were already a priceless piece of art. I had a special opportunity one day last year.

For whatever reason, last year, there had been very few butterflies fluttering about here in the Bay Area. I was constantly looking for them, but just not finding them. I was beginning to think I would not be seeing any at all, until one day last August, when I went to Alamo Square Park , in San Francisco, there, to my amazement, was a small garden of flowers, and among them, were three bumble bees and this one butterfly. It was just floating from blossom to blossom, drinking in the nectar and quietly going about his life. I was mesmerized.

For the next hour or so, I photographed the butterfly from as many angles as I could think of. I tried to capture the way the butterfly and the flower seemed to be floating in mid-air, and not at all attached to the flowers stalk. I wanted to photograph this moment of complete beauty, with an impression of what was beyond just what was available to the eye To bring an element of my favorite art movement, Impressionism, to the scene in front of me. The flower was perfect, there wasn't a bit of browning on it. The butterfly was perfect, his wings were undamaged and spread out completely. Nature, and it's beauty are a perfect gift from God.

Also as Karen pointed out, we are in a special time of year right now. With this challenge, we can celebrate our faith and what it means to us. We can share a little about what we hold dear and holy, be it gifts from God, or our personal relationships that transcend this earth no matter what our religion might be. Maybe you aren't particularly religious, but maybe you still have an appreciation for the beautiful architecture of churches and places of worship. Don't feel left out. There are many possibilities to go with. In fact, I looked up some words which are synonymous with the word, "Holy."

Believing, blessed, chaste, clean, consecrated, deditcated, devoted, devotional, devote, divine, faithful, faultless, glorified, god-like, godly, good, hallowed, humble, immaculate, innocent, just,knee-bending, moral, perfect, pietistic, pious, revered, reverent, righteous, sacrosanct, sainted, saintlike, sanity, sanctified, seraphic, spiritual, spotless, sublime, uncorrupt, undefined.

All of these words could be used in your challenge to meet the subject of, "Holy." I hope you will consider joining us for fun. This challenge will play on Wednesday, April 26th. You can post any time between the midnights that day or up to one week after, but if you post on that day you will have the best chance of your photo entry being seen. For all the information you need to play the challenge, simply pay a visit to the official Round Robin journal. Be sure to read the ***Welcome Entry And Rules Of Play***. Then read the entry for, "Holy," and follow the directions. That's all there is to it! :) Come on and join us...you know you want to.

-OndineMonet
"Softly He Smiled"
Alamo Square Park, San Francisco, California
August, 2005
Afternoon

All Those Fridays Ago

Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise

-Luke 23:43

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit

-Luke 24:46

-OndineMonet
"At The End Of The Day"
Southern Marin County, California
January, 2005
Twilight

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 107: Tech You'd Miss

"Some people worry that artificial intelligence will make us feel inferior, but then, anybody in his right mind should have an inferiority complex every time he looks at a flower."

-Alan C. Kay

Weekend Assignment # 107: Which recent piece of technology would you miss the most if it suddenly disappeared tomorrow? By "recent," I mean in the last two decades or so (if you didn't have it in 1986, you can't have it now). You can also consider tech which did exist in 1986 but wasn't in common usage. For example, the Internet existed in 1986, but no one except a few geeks at universities used it. Any tech is up for consideration, whether it be consumer tech, medical tech, security tech, or whatever.

Extra Credit: If you were cut off from the Internet (like, say, me), how long would it take for you to go completely insane?

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

I bet you guys know me well enough by now, to know that my cell phone and I are as one! LOL. So, I am here to tell you to disregard what you may have heard. Cell phones are NOT instruments of the devil. They are NOT going to bring the world down into the bowels of the earth. LOL. It's just a matter of focusing on the more positive aspects of cell phone ownership. All it takes to change them from an irritation, to a God send, is to be stuck in a bathroom in Sacramento, California, in which there is no available tissue, to remind one just how wonderful technology really is. Yep, that happened to me, and it was on Christmas Eve, no less. LOL. It all had a happy ending though, because I had my handy little cell phone with me, so I was able to phone the manager of the restaurant to bring me, and the lady in the next stall, some bathroom tissue. Yep...true.

I was hoping to find a way to talk a bit about cell phones this week, because it just so happens I treated myself to a new one just yesterday. It is an upgrade through my carrier, Cingular, and is a Nokia 6102. Her name is Babbette. :) She isn't the most expensive, and she doesn't have every single bell and whistle available, but she has the features I care about the most. She has a camera and video feature, she can email, and IM. She plays great music and video clips, and really cool games. I customized her to play, "Brand New Day," by Sting, and I have a "Sex And The City," theme, with wallpapers, screensavers, theme song, and game, The game is called, "Psychic Cocktail." It is played like a "Magic 8 Ball." Just as the martini shaker a question, hit the button, and you will magically receive your answer to life's problems. How fun!

On a slightly serious note. We live in a strange age. Things happen with sudden intensity, and I think it has made some items, which may have seemed like luxuries before, seem much more practical now. I still think about the photos someone took with the camera phone, as they descended the stairs in tower 1 of the World Trade Center. The faces of the folks running down the stairs for their lives, and the faces of the heroes running up the stairs with no concern for their own safety. Sigh. Incredible moments...caught in time...thanks to the invention of the cell phone, and digital cameras. Digital cameras would have been my next choice, but you guys already know how I feel about them. :)

Like with all good inventions, things can be corrupted. If folks just practiced some common courtesy and sense, the cell phone wouldn't be so hated. I don't answer my phone while I am driving, I turn it off at appointments and when I go to the theatre, and if I have to take a call at a restaurant, I keep it brief...and I don't scream my business into the phone, so the whole restaurant has to deal with my life. It is very simple. I try to be mindful of others. It really isn't that difficult.

Extra Credit: I do enjoy the world that the Internet provides me. My friendships. Being able to research things that interest me, and to participate in group activities like the memes and the Round Robin Photo Challenges, but in truth, lately I have been thinking that maybe I should consider jumping off the web for a while, sometimes the Internet can be a lonely place to have a small voice.

-OndineMonet
"My Friend Babbette"
Berkeley, California
April 13, 2006
Evening

And The Maddie Goes To... (Madlibs)

"Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote the good and happiness of one another."

-Eustace

Hi Everyone :)

We had a good turn out for the return of Madlibs on Ellipsis. Thanks goes to Charley, Karen, Pat, and Wil, who it just so happens, is our winner. Please give Wil a big round of applause! Good going Wil! :)

Wil has been my buddy for a long time now, well over a year. In Internet time, that is a long time. I am proud to consider him among my oldest Internet friends. I first came to enjoy his journals, when he was a member of the AOL community and he was also a part of Andrea's writers group, the Whatifs. He has a nifty sense of humor, that always tickles me, and he writes his journals with a great deal of honesty. What a refreshing thing indeed. :) One other thing about Wil that impresses me, he is very honest with the comments he leaves me. :) He is a straight shooter, who isn't afraid to tell me when I have missed the mark. :) That honesty, coupled with some sound advise about both my writing and my photography, reminds me of how lucky I am to have him for a friend. If you haven't visited his journal, Daily Snooze, hop on over...quick as a bunny...and see what a rare find he is. Thanks Wil! Now on to his story, and the words for our next Madlibs round.

Little Red Riding Hood
By Wil (Olddog299)

One day, Little Purple Riding Hood was going through the forest carrying a basket Purple People Eaters for her grandmother. Suddenly, she met a big bloodiest wolf. "Gadzooks!" said the wolf, "where are you going, little Zoinks? "I'm going to my grandmother's house, she said, then the wolf finagled away. When Miss Riding Hood got to her grandmother's house, the wolf was in bed dressed like her grandmother, "My grandmother," she said, "What big Centaurs you have," the better to trample you with," said the wolf. And then she said, "What big cannibals you have, grandmother," The wolf said, "The better to pulverize you with," And she said, "What big appendages you have, grandmother," But the wolf said nothing. He had just died of indigestion from eating grandmother.

Tee Hee! ;) Ok...here are your words for next week. Please email me your words by Wednesday, April 19th at 9:00 PM Eastern time. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SUBMITTED WORDS IN THE COMMENTS! The winner, and the story will be announced on Thursday, April 20th. As always, the winning entry will receive a nifty prize, and their journal a proper pimping. Hmmm...can one actually have a proper pimping??? LOL.

1. Adjective
2. Noun
3. Part Of The Body
4. Adjective
5. Person In Journal/Blog Land
6. Noun
7. Adverb
8. Noun
9. Plural Noun
10. Adjective
11. Type Of Vegetable
12. Noun
13. Noun
14. Adjective
15. Part Of The Body
16. Noun
17. Adjective
18. Verb (Ending in "ing")
19. Adjective
20. Noun
21. Adjective
22. Noun

-OndineMonet
"Grandmother's House"
Yuba Gap, California
October 29th, 2005
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: New Life

"The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings then endings."

-David Weinbaum

New Life...

For our current Round Robin challenge, we have the subject of, "New Life." The challenge was chosen for us this time around by Sassy, author of the journal, "Sassy's EYE." I really like this topic a lot. Spring is the season of new life, and new beginnings. It was on a lovely spring day last year, that I had a chance to photograph a new life, just beginning, when I saw a couple posing for their wedding photos at the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, in Golden Gate Park.

It had been a grey, rainy day in the Bay Area, the whole week had been sorta cold and moody. By the time Sunday rolled around, Alan and I decided to go into the city and just sit at the park, just to see what we could see. Ocean Beach is literally steps away from the park, and it is always fun to watch the surf on days like this. So, we grabbed our favorite hot beverage from Starbuck's, and off we went. I didn't think it would be a good day to bring the camera, because of how dark it was, but at this point if I leave it at home, I kinda feel like I have left a part of my body behind! LOL. And besides, you never know what you might see in San Francisco.

It was never more true then on that day. As we sat in the park, enjoying the new life of the tulips and the poppies, along came the most beautiful couple. It was their wedding day, and they wanted to have the gorgeous blanket of flowers in the background of their wedding photos. Anyone could see, they were very much in love. The light between the two was almost blinding. When he looked at her...she smiled, and when she smiled...his whole face lit up. It was apparent, their new life together would outlast time itself. :)

It is not too late to play along with us if you like. You have up to one week to post your entry. Just pay a visit to the official Round Robin Blog to learn all the details. Be sure to visit the other participants for this challenge round, to see their interpretations of our current topic.

-OndineMonet
"New Life, New Love"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
March, 2005
Afternoon

Linking List

Sassy... Sassy's EYE POSTED

Karen... Outpost Mavarin POSTED

Carly... Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly POSTED

Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED

Erika... Photographs of My Soul

Sara... Animated Seasons POSTED

Kimberleigh... I Shaved My Legs For This POSTED

Pat... Here, There and Everywhere 2nd Edition (Blogspot) & (AOL) POSTED

Valorie... Keeping Our Human Mother On Her Toes & Retrospect USA

Patrick... Patrick's Portfolio POSTED

Derek... Derek's Picture Of The Day

Tess... First Digital Photos POSTED

Tammy... The Daily Warrior POSTED

Phinney... Paragon POSTED

Celeste... My Day And Thoughts (AOL) & My Day, My Thoughts (Blogspot)

Jessica... Quick Silver POSTED

Steven... (sometimes) photoblog POSTED

The Wikipedia Birthday Meme, Featuring Carly As Herself

"The secret of staying young, is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."

-Lucille Ball

I saw this meme over at John Scalzi's journal yesterday, and again later in the day at Patrick's. You know how much I enjoy a good meme...so I thought I would give it a try. :) The idea is to pay a visit to Wikipedia, put your date of birth, just the month and the day, in the search, and then share some facts about what has happened on that day in history. Here is the criteria, your post must have...

At least 3 events
Two births
One death

Let's see what all has happened on my birthday, June 29th!

Events...

In 1613- The Globe Theatre in London, England burns to the ground.
In 1863- George Custer is appointed as a U.S. Union brigadier-general.
In 1891- United States forest Service is organized.
In 2000- Vandals break into the tombs of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines.

Births...

In 1397- King John II of Aragon
In 1943- Little Eva

Death...
In 1861- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

So that's what happened on my birthday, tell us about yours. If you do an entry, be sure to leave your link over at Scalzi's journal, "By The Way... ." And don't forget to circle my birthday on your calendars...LOL...I happily accept gift cards. ;)

-OndineMonet

Note: There is still time to sign-up for our current Round Robin photo challenge. Just pay a visit to the official Round Robin blog, read the entry, follow the instructions, and you are all set. :)

Note2: There is also time to play along with the return of Madlibs! See my entry here, for all the details! Don't forget there is a nifty prize for the winner!

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Get Close, Part II

"I wish more people felt that photography was an adventure the same as life itself, and felt that their individual feelings were worth expressing. To me, that makes photography more exciting."

-Harry Callahan

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of something in extreme close-up -- so close it's hard to tell what you're looking at. Ask people to guess. On Thursday, reveal what you've photographed.

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

I thought it might be fun to post 2 photos, one beforeI bought my digital, and one after. Photo (1) was taken with in the last 6 months, with my Konica/Minolta Dimage 1Z Digital camera. Photo (2) was taken about 8 years ago with my Minolta Maxxum 300sl 35.mm. Both photos have been posted on my Ellipsis & Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly. Hmmm...what could they be?

-OndineMonet

One Of The Reasons Why I Will Miss The West Wing

"Anyway, after we go out and work our hearts out, after you go out and helps us turn out the vote, after we've convinced the good Americans to vote, and while they're at it, pull that old George W. lever, if I'm the one, when I put my hand on the Bible, that day when they swear us in, when I put my hand on the bible, I will swear to not...to up hold the laws of the land."

-George W. Bush
Toledo, Ohio, October 27, 2000

I don't know...things in America are just sad right now. I suppose, given how I feel about George Bush, and his administration, you would think I would practically be doing back flips of joy at how terrible things seem to be going for the White House. Not true. I feel a lot of things, but joy isn't one of them. I guess, more then anything I feel...sad. Forget party lines, I want to know how an American could have done the things Bush has done, let alone our Commander-in-Chief. Sigh.

This past weekend, Senator Arlen Specter, (R) Pennsylvania, called on President Bush and Vice President Cheney to explain their roles in the CIA leak case. "I think it is necessary for the president and the vice president to tell the American people exactly what happened." I would like to know that myself. The fact that both Bush and Cheney have been silent regarding this issue since the news broke on Friday, that Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I "Scooter" Libby had testified, under oath, that he was given permission from both Bush and Cheney to leak information to the press. It is all a very thin line. The president has the authority to disclose information, so the act of disclosing this information is not illegal, but why did he choose to disclose information which had been proven to be unreliable before we ever went to war with Iraq?

I think at this point I have to wonder, what could have possibly been so important to Bush, that he was willing to engage the United States in a war based on lies? Helen Thomas, asked the president, just a couple weeks ago, "what was the real reason was we invaded Iraq?" he didn't answer the question then, and he probably won't anytime soon either. If he does tell us the REAL reason we invaded Iraq, I will update this entry, but it will have to be more then the same old double talk about what a fine thing democracy is. It is pretty clear that there is a much deeper reason hidden in the shadows. You know it's so bazaar...here we have a president who claims to be Christian. He sure likes to spout family values this, and family values that.

"It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."
-George W. Bush
Arlington Heights, Illinois, October 24, 2000

Life is important. Sigh. Our military is dying everyday in Iraq, fighting for a lie. I think at this point, in that the gig is up, we need to demand we be told the truth. Imagine what it would be like if every single person, great and small all sat down and wrote the president a letter, and we all mailed it on the same day. Just a simple question written on a plain white piece of paper. Something like...

"What is the REAL reason we invaded Iraq?"

If you are a republican, and you give our president your full support, no big deal, that question isn't harmful in any way. If you are a republican who may be starting to wonder why you voted for President Bush, it's an honest question. If you are a democrat, and you saw the war in Iraq as a lie from the very beginning, again, all you want is to know why we are in Iraq. If you are undecided...don't know what to think, then who needs answers more then you? It was apparent that even members of his own party want some answers, and they are getting impatient waiting. I sure thought Bush or Cheney or both might answer those questions this weekend, but alas, the weekend is gone now...and all we hear is the sound of silence coming from the White House regarding this issue, but boy they sure are doing a lot of talk, regarding a military strike against Iran.

What will I miss most about the West Wing? I suppose the hope it gave me. So many times, after watching an episode, I have gone to bed clicking my heels together, wishing, "If only Bartlett were really the president, if only Bartlett were really the president." But it wasn't to be. No, I woke up to Bush, saying something stupid...

"My administration has been calling upon all the leaders in the , in the Middle East to do everything they can to stop the violence, to tell the different parties involved that peace will never happen."
-George W. Bush
Crawford Texas, August 13, 2001 (Interesting Date)

And then there was the nice thought that not all republicans are liars, war mongers, sexual preditors, leakers of classifed information, petty thieves, imcompetent, oblivious, mean-spirited, dangerous , mean-spirited again, or Tom DeLay. Why can't all republicans be like Arnold Vinick? Show me a republican I would vote for, and I will show you a West Wing character! ;) Somehow, I think Bartlett or Vinick would have found Bin Laden by now. Sigh.

-OndineMonet

Update: "Bush Says He Declassified Pre-war Intel"

Seems Like Old Times

"If you're yearning for the good old days, turn off the air conditioning."

-Griff Niblask

Ok, so I have a secret guilty pleasure, I like cookies and milk late at night! LOL. I don't indulge in this particular pleasure very often, but when I do there is a particular brand of cookie I enjoy. "Mother's" brand. I especially enjoy the frosted animal cookies with the little sprinkles on top, but I like the chocolate chip cookie Parade, which consists of chocolate chip, oatmeal chocolate chip, and chocolate/chocolate chip. :) Oh the will power it takes! I grew up eating these cookies. They were in my lunch box, they were there when I would come home from a particularly bad day at school, they were there when I broke up with my first boyfriend...and my last boyfriend. LOL. They were there when I got food poisoning that time the one boyfriend's mother tried to kill me. Sigh. Trust me the Mother's ginger cookies will settle your stomach, and make you feel loved. There are a lot of brands on the market that might be able to rival, Mother's Cookies, but there aren't any, at least for me, that can bring back memories like this cookie can.

Mother's Cookies, has been a Bay Area mainstay since 1914. The bakery and distribution center has been located in Oakland, California for over 92 years, so you can imagine what a shock it was to hear last week that the bakery will soon be closed, and operations moved to plants in Ashland Ohio, and Kitchner, Canada. The workers at the cookie factory just found out about the closure that will take place on May 31st. It will put 230 workers out of a job, some of which had never worked for any other company.

In recent years, the Bay Area, and Oakland specifically, has lost a lot of well established companies. Among them Granny Goose, Fleishmann's and Red Star Yeast. It is expensive to live in the Bay Area, and to lose yet one more beloved company is cause for concern. Sometimes I wonder if recent indicators of a stable economy and lower unemployment rates are all together accurate. It seems like the news speaks of the unemployment rate dropping, yet there is news all the time of size downs, and plant cuts. Sigh. This plant closure is only a partial move of operations to Canada, but it is not so for more and more companies.

I would like to see more jobs stay in the U.S. as opposed to jobs being outsourced to other countries. I don't happen to believe that illegal immigrants are to blame for our economy woes, I think it has to do directly with how American workers are treated by the companies they work for, and the fact that the minimum wage hasn't been raised since 1997. Does that seem reasonable? Sometimes I think all presidents should have to live, for one year, on the same minimum wage pay scale as average citizens. Dream on...right? I also wish there was a box on the ballot marked, "None of the Above, " but I doubt that will ever come about either.

The employees of Mother's Cookies will be receiving a severance package, and the Economic Development Department is "actively" trying to find new jobs for the employees who have lost their jobs. I hope that they have an easy transition, but with the way things are moving in the area, I think there will be quite a period of adjustment. I doubt that that owners of Archway and Mother's cookies will cease production of the two brands after they move to the plants in Ohio and Canada, so I know I will still be able to get this particular cookie fix, but somehow it won't be the same. Sigh.

So tell me, is the minimum wage, too low, too high, or just about right? If the economy is so strong, why doesn't congress and the president raise the minimum wage? Is outsourcing a good idea? Does outsourcing help our economy? Do illegal immigrants drive wages down? Leave me your thoughts.

-OndineMonet
"Mother's Cookies"
Berkeley, California
April 4th, 2005