What? It's March Already?

"Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is it's current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight, than it is swept by and another takes it's place, and this too will be swept away."

-Marcus Aurelius

I am so happy it's finally March! Jeepers, did it seem to anyone else like January wasn't going to end? Sigh. It went on, and on, and on, and on... ! February, had the class to end early, or on time, I am never quite sure what is up with that. Either way, here we are, firmly in the month of March. Finally. I have to be honest, my year hasn't gotten off to the best of starts, long story, so I would just be very happy if we were in June already, even with the fact that I turn 45 in June. I am OK with it, age has never been something I have had a problem with. Forgetting things, making weird noises when I have been sitting too long, the gray hair I have been collecting, and the sore, swollen muscles I have... now that I have a problem with! Gosh, I was watching an old episode of "Mama's Family" the other night, and it occurred to me that she wore support hose, and by golly, that might not be a bad idea for me. LOL. Hell's Bell's... as I actually sat pondering the idea, it dawned on me, can space diapers be far behind?

Anyway, I took a drive up Mt. Hamilton last Thursday, in search of snow, but unfortunately, like with Mt. Diablo, I wasn't allowed to go up to the very top, where Lick Observatory is, due to... SNOW. Lick Observatory... does that sound like the name of a strip club to you? I mean as opposed to a place where you look for heavenly bodies. ;) Anyway, I was able to take some photos from McCarthy Ranch, of the beautiful snow covered hills, and the not so snow covered hills, and well, what you see below...

I'm not in a bad mood, really I am not, but I am ready for 2007 to be over already. I am RESTLESS. And yes, I know, a watched pot never boils, and time flies whether we are having fun or not, and life is not fair, but it is not fair for everyone, so that is what makes it fair, and...

"It takes a long time to understand nothing."

-John Emerson Dalberg

Lick Observatory

-OndineMonet
"Mt. Hamilton"
San Jose, California
March 1, 2007
Mid-Morning

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #154: Your Car Or Your Computer

"If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG."

-Bill Gates

Weekend Assignment #154: Your Car or Your Computer: You must pick one. Which one do you choose? Yes! You must choose between the car - beloved icon of American greatness and freedom - and the computer - the defining machine of the 21st century. If you choose the car, you do not get to touch a computer again, except for basic work related purposes at work. If you choose the computer, no more personal wheels for you. And for those of you in a two-car family, there none of this "oh, I'll just ride in my spouse's car" stuff. Any rides you bum have to be outside your immediate family. Similarly, no using the spouse's or kid's computers, and those of you with super-enabled cell phones will henceforth use them only for phone calls. No Web-browsing, e-mail or text messaging. See, no it;s gotten harder, hasn't it?

Extra Credit: Which was more expensive: Your first car, or your most recent computer?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Car? Computer? What's a girl to do? Both objects mean a lot to me, however neither means everything to me. Sigh. Here are the pros and cons of both...

Car - Pros

1. My car takes me to all the beautiful places in the Bay Area, such as Fort Point, next to the Golden Gate Bridge.

2. My car is handy should an emergency occur, and I need to get to Alan.

3. My car takes me on my photo jaunts, and gets me out of the house, and into life.

Car - Cons

1. Gas is way to expensive.

2. Driving can be a bit scary in the Bay Area... lots of tense people on the road.

3. I was in a serious car accident when I was 16, I can sometimes still hear the sounds of it.

Computer - Pros

1. I have met some amazing people on the Internet, that I never would have, had the computer not been at my disposal. I really love my Internet friends. :)

2. I can keep in touch with friends and family who have moved out of my life, a lot easier this way.

3. I have a digital camera, which is in fact, now a part of my actual body. To own a digital camera, without a computer, would be silly, and make sharing photos a lot more difficult. So having a computer helps me realize my creativity a lot easier.

Computer - Cons

1. Sometimes, the time spent on my computer eats into time I could be spending out in the real world. And by real world, I simply mean, enjoying a pretty sunset, or seeing friends. Time in computer time seems to flow differently... it can get away from you, and before you know it, things have changed all around you.

2. Sometimes computers die, terrible, grizzly deaths, for no apparent reason. This is never good. And it is always expensive to just up and replace one at a moment's notice.

3. Ever see the Sandra Bullock movie, "The Net?" It had it's far fetched moments to be sure, but one thing is true, the computer does store a lot, if not most, of our information. Where we live, where we bank, who our friends are. And now Americans are, in fact, being watched regularly by our own government. EEEEEKKKK. Hackers, malicious virus creators, identity theft perpetrators, it can be a weird world sometimes, and let's face it, the computer has in some cases, made it easier for bottom dwellers to wreak a good deal of havoc on our lives.

My Choice In The Car v. Computer Debate?

"The car has become a secular sanctuary for the individual, his shrine to the self, his mobile Waldon Pond."

-Edward McDonagh

I have to go with my car. I love getting outside, and seeing the sights of the Bay Area. If you have been reading me for any length of time, you know that I would rather take photographs then breathe. I love my digital camera, but I also enjoy my good old-fashioned film camera. So, if I have to live without either a computer or a car... I am afraid the computer will have to go. Besides, hopefully whatever friends I have made on the Internet, might keep in touch with me by snail mail, and as for the family and friends who have moved away... ::smile:: ... in a perfect world, if we are important to each other, we will find a way to keep in touch, or we will simply, finally, let go. Life is for living, and at this point in my life, for the first time, in a long time, I kinda like the real world. Besides, look at my car Lilith... isn't she lovely?

Extra Credit: My first car, that was mine all mine, was a 1999 Saturn SL1. It was most definitely more expensive than my first computer.

""They think they can make fuel from horse manure... Now I don't know if your car will be able to get 30 miles to the gallon, but it's a sure gonna put a stop to siphoning."

-Billie Holiday

-OndineMonet
"Lilith At The Bridge"
Ft Point
San Francisco, California
Late Summer, 2006

Snow Days

"Excuse me everybody, I have to go to the bathroom. I really have to use the telephone, but I'm too embarrassed to say so."

-Dorothy Parker

After my appointment with Sarah yesterday, I took a ride through the Caldecott Tunnel into Contra Costa County. As I exited the tunnel, I caught a glimpse of Mount Diablo, and saw that it still had a fresh dusting of snow from the night before. How ironic is that? Tee Hee. Actually, the northern slope had much more snow on it, but this was the best point I could find to snap a photo. This is the view from the west. Most of the Bay Area hills, Mount Tamalpias, Mount Hamilton, all had a fair amount of snow on them, but cars weren't allowed up to where it was. We seldom get snow in the Bay Area, and folks don't know how to deal with the ice on the roads properly. Sigh. Later today however, the road up Mt. Hamilton should be open once again, so I am going to try to get as far up to the top as possible. I want to play in the snow. I could go to the Sierra, where there is plenty of snow, but it's too long of a car ride, it's about 4 hours one way, and I want to stick closer to home for the next few days till things warm up a bit.

A nice surprise was waiting for me when I got home. In my mailbox was my certificate for a free haircut from Supercuts, and a certificate for a free Giant Stuffed Burrito from La Salsa. How much fun is that? I got them from my local ABC affiliate, KGO, channel 7. The consumer reporter for the station, Michael Finney, does a weekly spot called, "Finney's Friday Free Stuff," and each week there is something new to try. Sometimes it's Starbuck's, or maybe a service of some kind in the area, it's always something kind of cool though. I have no idea why, but I never used to respond to the offers, I don't know, last week when he was describing the free Supercuts certificate and the free La Salsa certificate, it kind of sounded like a nice way to spend a day, sometime soon, all to myself.



It's time to cut the mermaid hair I think. It's too long. I am tired of my brunette looks, so it is time to go back to blond. It's been forever since I was a blond, but it sounds like a fun way to shake off the blahs. Alan always said being a blond suited me, so why not? I think I will go for a cut similar to Kassie DePaiva's. She plays Blair, on "One Life To Live." It is a natural flowing cut, that should be easy to manage, and at the same time it can be worn up or down. I like that versatility. I was blessed with fantastic hair. I have always been able to handle it, and except for a few bad perms in the 80's, it has pretty much behaved itself. So yes, one of these days, before my free "Girl's Day Out," certificates expire, I think I will declare it a snow day, and go have some time with myself... as someone else... and yet still just me. You ladies reading this know what I mean... right? ;) And hey, Cal Berkeley is looking for test subjects, so who knows, that could really round the day out nicely.

Volunteers Wanted For UC Berkeley Behavior Experiments

"Rivers pain you; rivers are damp; acids stain you; and drugs cause cramps. Guns aren't lawful; nooses give; gas smells awful; you might as well live."

-Dorothy Parker

-OndineMonet
"A Cold Day On Mt Diablo"
Berkeley, California
February 28, 2007
Afternoon

Wednesday's At 11 With Sarah

"I quit therapy because my analyst was trying to help me behind my back."

-Richard Lewis

Leonardo da Vinci once said about art that, " it is never finished, only abandoned." If that's true about art... then I believe it is certainly true about therapy. I have been in therapy, in one form or another since I was 7 years old. That is a long time. LOL. Actually, there was a brief time in the early 1990's when I was blissfully sane. All was right with the world. Then the inevitable happened... LIFE. Well, actually, LIFE and Death. And also in there came stupid health issues like Epstein-Barr, and the onset of Panic Attacks. I still don't exactly know how or why I began having those, but I tell you what, I resolved to stop them from happening, and I saw it through. I occasionally get a pang of anxiety out of nowhere, but it no longer paralyzes me. I worked hard. I still work hard, just like so many other folks out there who are brave enough to face their personal demons, and deal with pain.

Pain. Does it ever amaze you just how many different directions pain can come at you from? Loss, unrealized desires, life frustrations, physical health issues, geographical moves, and so many more. I have dealt with my share, or so I always say just before some new stupid thing happens to make me sad. I like to think I have control over my own life... but realistically... of course I don't. My free will doesn't affect the decision someone else might make about their own life, which consequentially might spill over into mine. Take for example the drama that happened last week between my neighbors. I was sitting right here, happily working away on my computer, editing photos from a brilliantly lovely day, last year. All of a sudden, my neighbor is outside, screaming stupid, incoherent nonsense to the top of his lungs, which might be best described as a hissy fit. A grown man, stomping his feet and foaming at the mouth, because he was put out over something trivial.

That's not how I wanted to spend my night. Sheesh. "Hey buddy, do you need a plugsy (pacifier)?" Well, of course I didn't say that... but I wonder what he would have said, or done, if I had. Who knows? I wonder sometimes to myself, and I even asked Sarah a couple times, "Why should I be in therapy, working through stuff that is incredibly painful, trying to achieve good mental health, if nobody else is?" POUT. "Well," said Sarah, "Because you deserve to life the full happy life, and the truth is, you can't control how other's choose to live their life, but you can choose how you live yours." See, that's why she is the therapist. LOL.

"The Lamp" By Roy Lichtenstein

Sarah is the 45th therapist I have had in my lifetime. I asked her a little over a year ago, if she thought I might ever never need therapy, or was I doomed to have a standing appointment with the couch for Wednesday's, at 11, for the rest of my life. Does there come a point when, I will be done, finished, graduated to the world with a certificate in sanity? She smiled. She said nothing. For a long time. Then she said, " You have made amazing progress, you have all the skills you need for living in the world. So the question is... do you feel ready, or is there still some things you want to talk about?" I sat there, on that well worn in couch, where I am sure many tears have been shed over pain similar to my own, and suddenly I was aware of just how quiet the world seemed. I wasn't laughing, I wasn't crying, but inside my brain was a thousand questions... and I knew... I still had a ways to go.

Just before last Christmas, I asked her the same questions. Was I there yet? She said, "Yes." I anticipated that she might ask me if I felt I was there yet. She didn't, but I thought about that question anyway. Sigh. I think about a thousand questions came to mind, this time, however, I was answering them for myself. God I hate loss, I hate change. I hate that sometimes, people leave your life before you are ready to say goodbye. I hate the limbs that life makes us all go out on. I hate that love can be, at the same time, Ecstasy and Hell. I hate that I don't understand how it works, or how it can happen without our permission. But I know that I am happy it exists, and that I have it in my life in many forms. I don't really fear it like I once did, because sometimes love is just what happens to you, when you are busy making other plans. ;) My wonderful therapist Sarah, who has helped me find my way back to life, will be moving on to other opportunities at the end of the summer. I will miss our Wednesday at 11:00 appointments, but I am looking forward to just being in life again, flying solo, knowing I will land safely.

"Art enables us to find ourselves, and lose ourselves at the same time."

-Thomas Merton

-OndineMonet
"The Lamp"
Berkeley, California
Autumn, 2006
Morning

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Fridge Magnets

"The senses have been conditioned by attraction to the pleasant and aversion to the unpleasant. A man should not be ruled by them, they are obstacles in his path."

- Bhagavad Gita

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off your refrigerator magnets. Because you know you have 'em.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

What a fun and easy Monday Photo Shoot assignment! Well, except when it came to finding a quote to go with my entry. Oddly enough there isn't too many quotes about refrigerator magnets. Anyone want to leave an original quote about refrigerator magnets in the comment thread for this entry?

Now about my magnets. The ones you see in the above photo are, of course, not the only magnets I have, but they are some of my favorites. A giant purple butterfly, which is actually part of a 4 butterfly set. The Pillsbury Doughboy is part of the collection of Doughboy products I have all over my kitchen. The Crayola Crayon bears, came as a set of 6, all different colors. Next we see Fred Flintstone, holding his daughter, Pebbles. Again, that magnet came as a set with other Flintstone characters. The flowerpot in the upper left hand corner, is actually, a pad to write my grocery lists on, which I always forget to use, lol. Finally we come to the Eye in the lower left corner. That is not just a magnet, it is also a calendar that my eye doctor gave me, on a recent visit to his office. I can never have too many calendars, so that was kind of nifty.

There you have it. Those are the magnets I am displaying at this time, but comeback six months from now, and you will probably see something completely different on my fridge. I have a drawer full of magnets that were given to me over the years. Funny, I hadn't thought about the cute set of veggie magnets my mother gave me, along with a tablecloth, as a wedding shower gift. Funny how the silliest things catch you off guard sometimes. She and I had the best grin over those silly magnets. Sigh... :)

-OndineMonet
Berkeley, California
February 25, 2007
Evening

Four Seasons In One Day

"In those vernal seasons of the year, when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness against nature not to go out and see her riches, and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth."

-John Milton

My friend Steven gave me a great suggestion this past week, for how to break out of the winter blahs. He suggested to me to "go out and find spring." It was a good idea, I knew it was a good idea, but I was wondering to myself, if I would even recognize it if I actually did find it. Sometimes when my Fibromyalgia has been especially problematic, and I am in pain, it is nearly impossible to go anywhere, let alone have the energy to pick up the camera. I worry in those phases, that I will somehow slip back into Anhedonia. Truthfully, now that I know what it's like to have it, I don't think I will ever let that happen again, but the thought crosses my mind all the same. "What if I wake up today, and suddenly no longer have any creativity?"

Another piece of advice Steven gave me a couple years back, was to suggest that I do "still life" photography during those times when I am housebound. It will keep the creative juices flowing, and it is a good way to practice with lighting and settings I don't use as often, such as the portrait setting. Good idea. I have been enjoying doing that very much this past autumn and winter, but for this weekend, I needed to get out and smell the fresh, cold air... despite whatever grasp the Fibromyalgia had on me. I decided to push my assignment a bit further than just looking for spring, I challenged myself to find all four seasons in one day. Here is what I found...

Autumn

Spring

Winter

Summer

"Four seasons in one day
Lying in the depths of your imagination
Worlds above and worlds below
The sun shines on the black clouds hanging over the domain

Even when you're feeling warm
The temperature could drop anyway
Like four seasons in one day"

From "Four Seasons In One Day" Crowded House


-OndineMonet
"Spring Mist"
Berkeley, California
February 24, 2007
Afternoon

The Dragon & The Buddha's Hand

"As the soil, however rich it might be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit."

-Seneca

San Francisco will hold it's annual Chinese New Year Parade this Sunday afternoon, come rain or come shine. It will definitely be raining according to the weatherman, which means I will have to miss this year's celebrations. Oh well, there will be other years, and I will be looking forward to it. I am not to sad about it, because I had a pretty good time recently at the Conservatory of Flowers, enjoying their citrus blossom exhibit in honor of the Chinese New Year. I loved photographing the gorgeous citrus blossoms and fruits, and of course, this festive dragon that was hanging in the lobby of the conservatory. I considered using this picture for my recent Round Robin Challenge entry as the subject of "RED."

All the citrus fruits looked wonderful, and mighty yummy, but one fruit in particular that I found interesting was the, Buddha's Hand. I had never seen it before, but through a little searching on the Internet I found out that it is also known as citron, and it is used often in fruitcakes. I have been eating it for years, I just had no idea how interesting it was in appearance. It is more sweet then most citrus fruits and therefore it can be used in a lot of different dishes from rice pilaf to candied fruit or even a light topping for fish. I also found out that it can be used as a natural room freshener, because of it's clean, sweet fragrance. I am going to see if I can't drop by one of the markets in Chinatown, and see if I can pick one up. I would love to try some new recipes with this exotic fruit. I will let you know what I come up with. :)

-OndineMonet
"Dragon"
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
February 14, 2007
Afternoon

Oscar Time, A New Poll, And Thee...

"At least when Ronald Reagan rode off in the movies, into the sunset, he didn't take us with him."

-Walter Mondale

The Academy Awards is on tomorrow night (Sunday) do you know where your Black Tie attire is? LOL. Gosh I miss June's Oscar night parties sometimes. I guess sometimes I just still miss June. If you aren't sure who June is, she was a dear friend of mine who passed away a couple years ago. She was a snazzy lady, not perfect mind you, but she was funny, sharp as a tack, opinionated, compassionate, a pain in the butt, and the closest thing to a real mom I ever had. She was more of a mom to me then my real mother was. Sigh. Mostly she was my friend. If she were here, watching me miss her this much, she would tell me, "Oh Pook...snap out of it... go enjoy life." Ok June, I hear ya... :)

So, tell me, are you going to watch the Academy Awards this year? I think I will. I haven't seen many of the movies that were nominated, but I am thrilled to see Ellen DeGeneres on-board as host. She is so sweet, and so funny, and I think I will enjoy seeing someone with a lighter touch as host. I didn't particularly care for Jon Stewart last year, somehow he just didn't seem to have the timing down. LOL. Listen to me go on... almost like June and I are discussing the ins and outs of Oscar night, like we did for so many years. Sigh. Well, while I won't be putting on an evening gown and my best gorgeous shoes this year, I will still probably make something yummy to snack on, while I watch the show. If June were here, she would say, "It's a must."

In honor of the Academy Awards, I have placed a new Ellipsis Poll on the sidebar. Go take the poll. All of the movies listed are among my favorites, and I tried to put in a nice variety for you to choose from. You can view the results of last month's Ellipsis Poll here. Thanks everyone for the amazing response. It seems we all enjoy a good romantic song from time to time.

So tell me, what are your choices for this year's awards in the top categories?

Best Actor - Leonardo DiCaprio - "Blood Diamonds"
Best Actress - Helen Mirren - "The Queen"
Best Picture - "The Queen"
Best Song- "I Need To Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth"
Best Supporting Actor - Mark Wahlberg - "The Departed"
Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson - "Dream Girls"
Best Director - Clint Eastwood - "Letters From Iwo Jima"

-OndineMonet
"Signs"
Berkeley, California
January 30, 2007
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #153: When Computers Attack

"My computer must be broken, whenever I ask a wrong question, it gives a wrong answer."

-Ashleigh Brilliant

Weekend Assignment #153: with one person but in fact were Share a story of true computer horror. Your computer blow up just before a big presentation? You forgot to take down a compromising picture before the in-laws come over? Ever thought you were IMingIMing someone else? Share! You'll feel better. Really.

Extra Credit: So, ever actually hit your computer in frustration?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Tee Hee. I am so boring. I have never really had a problem with my computer. While I jokingly refer to her as, "Megan," as in "this computer is making me crazy," she, in fact, has been very well behaved and quite fun to be around. In fact, she is my friend. LOL. I celebrate her birthday and everything. She is a Libra, same as my car, Lilith. :)

Oh there have been the occasional moments of frustrating computer incidents over the years, such as the time my beloved computer interacted with the wrong riff-raff computer and got a nasty virus. That was a nightmare in a half, but at the same time I learned about how important it is to run full virus scans... often. And there are times when it seems like it takes forever to get an Internet page to load. That is when I tend to make this little... GRRRRRRRRR... sound, which my cat Elvis has now picked up the sound, and tends to use it, during moments he finds frustrating. It's too funny to see and hear that little mutter coming from him, but at the same time, I am reminded about how little patience I have at times, especially when it comes to my computer. Sigh... something to work on I suppose.

Extra Credit: Hit Megan? Never... she is my friend... she shares the world with me, takes me to exotic lands, and allows me to see my friends and family whenever I want. She helped me find my pal H. P. in this big world, and she helps me keep in touch with, among others, Mr. November. No, even with all the frustration she can provide at times, I am pretty happy I have her. :) No worries.

-OndineMonet
"Megan"
Berkeley, California
Spring, 2005
Late Evening

In Search Of...

"A person without a sense of humor, is like a wagon without spring. It's jolted by every pebble on the road."

-Henry Ward Beecher

Ever have one of those weeks when, for whatever reason, you seem to be an unwilling observer/participant in other people's drama? You know... you see two motorists ready to duke it out, over the last available parking space, or two consumers, who insist that the last box of hemorrhoid cream on the shelf, is the very last one in the whole, wide world, and therefore they must conduct their silly twit fight over it, right there in the aisle that you had just chosen as a shortcut to the aisle with the antacid on it? Or some rabid neighbor decides to begin yelling at another neighbor about how offended they are about the politically incorrect homemade windsock they have hanging in their yard. I found it funny, but then again... you already know about my sense of humor. Tee Hee.

I FEEL STRESSED!

Although, I have to say, I am pretty sure I have someone up there (pointing to the heavens) who kinda likes me, because not only have I gotten some pretty good advice about how to break through this period of winter blues I am having, but two good friends of mine in the last couple days, who don't know each other, have made me laugh... OUT LOUD! Isn't that the best feeling? It's so important to have good people in your life, who always know when you simply need a kind word, or sometimes, no words at all. So thank you Mr. November, H.P, and the anonymous one, for helping me to be able to think again. :)

There are ways to take care of myself when I feel this way... restless... I am going to take one of my pals advice, and go tomorrow to find some spring, but I think I might challenge myself a bit further by trying to find moments of all four seasons through my camera lens, which might be a bit difficult, but will be good for my life focus. Yes... it's time to realign my life focus. Wish me luck! :) I will post the results of my adventure this weekend.

-OndineMonet
"Focus In The Light"
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
February 14th, 2007
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: Red

"When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple. With a red hat, which doesn't go and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves. And satin sandals, and say we have no money for butter."

-Jenny Joseph

One day, in the spring of 2005, I went to the, Japanese Tea Garden, in Golden Gate Park, to take some photos of the new spring blossoms. The place was so alive with wisteria, and azaleas and cherry blossoms, but it was also alive with beautiful winged creatures, such as this red dragonfly. I had no idea dragonflies came in this color, so I was absolutely amazed and inspired, as I watched her float from lily pad to lily pad. Beautiful and graceful. I know I have shared her picture with you before, but really, when I think of the color red... I always think of her. :)

Here is another example of RED that I found with my camera, while visiting Alamo Square Park, in San Francisco. The park sits across the street from the famous, "Six Sisters," row of beautiful Victorian houses, so not only does it have one of the most stunning views of the city, but it also has a "Shoe Garden," which sits at the highest peak in the park. It's fascinating and magical to try and figure out, who may have contributed shoes over the years. Someday, I would like to donate a pair of my own shoes to the garden, just my little grab at immortality I guess. :)

Ruby Red Slippers, Alamo Square Park (Shoe Garden), San Francisco.

Thank you Pam, for challenging us with such a pretty subject. Pam is the author of the AOL journal, "My Photos," please be sure to pay her a visit to see her entry, and also check out the entries of the other participating Robins. Simply follow the links below. :) Don't forget to come by the official Round Robin Photo Challenge Blog on Thursday of this week, to find out what our next challenge will be. Hope to see you then. :)

Round Robin Linking List

1. Pamela... My Photos
POSTED!

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

3. Janet... Fond Of Photography
POSTED!

4. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

5. Schelle... Fractal Myth


6. Kimberleigh... I Shaved My Legs For This?
POSTED!

7. Suzanne R... New Suzanne R's Life
POSTED!

8. Linda (Lou)... Blah Blah Blog
POSTED!

9. Kerrin... Kerrin's Daily Photo
POSTED!

10. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!

11. Steven... (sometimes) photoblog
POSTED!

12. _rRose... WAIT-NOTYET-/
POSTED!

13. Julie... Julie's Web Journal
POSTED!

14. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pics
POSTED!

15. Annie... The Lights Are On... But No One's Home
***WELCOME NEW MEMBER***

POSTED!
16. Gina... Gina's Space

POSTED!
17. John... Personal Effects
POSTED!

18. Teena... It's all about me!
POSTED!

19. Patrick... Patrick's Portfolio
POSTED!

20. Brad... We-IS
POSTED!

-OndineMonet

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Such Great Heights

"I failed to make the chess team because of my height."

-Woody Allen

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off a picture taken from a height. "A height" you can define as "Higher that I could shoot by holding the camera over my head." Pictures from planes, from the observation decks of skyscrapers, from the roof of your house (although I don't want to put yourself in physical danger to take a picture) or wherever is up there in the air.

-John Scalzi

I know, I know, I have showed this view a few times before, but it is one of my favorite places to go, in all the world, to just get away from the noise in my head. This is the view from atop Twin Peaks, in San Francisco. The view you see is of San Francisco, the long street being Market street. To the right you see the lights of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge, and in the background you see the lights that dot the Oakland/Berkeley hills. Twin Peaks is 925 feet above sea level, and while I am actually kind of afraid of heights, I never feel frightened up here... I just feel really happy. :)


The View From The 9th Floor Of The Caltrans District
Office, Located In Oakland, California.

Now, if you want to talk about heights that scare me to death, it would be the one in the above picture. The funny part was that I didn't know I had a fear of heights, until I leaned over the railing to take this photo. YIKES! The world began to spin, I felt queasy, my head began to hurt, but by golly, that wasn't going to stop me from getting this shot, and so I took the photo, but I learned a little about myself in the process. OK, I am afraid of heights. Good. Now I can work on that fear, and perhaps there will be one less thing in my life that will give me stress. Make sense? So now, when I can, I try to visit places with observation decks, I look over the edge when I am on the roof of parking garages, and I ride in elevators that have a view. It's not always the easiest feeling in the world, but I at least feel like I am making progress in controlling my fears. :)

-OndineMonet
"High Above Market"
Twin Peaks
San Francisco, California
Spring, 2006
Evening

Dancing In The Mist

"Dancing is the perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire."

-Unknown

Back in early December, I injured my shoulder. At first I thought it was a pulled muscle. It hurt, but it wasn't so painful that I couldn't finish decorating my Christmas tree, or put up decorations, or do my general household "need be's." Soon however, the painful area grew to the point that my back began to hurt, then the pain moved down my arm. Next came this strange sensation of a sort of spasm or maybe more like a slight trembling in my shoulder. Finally I went to see my physician, just before Christmas, who diagnosed me with a torn Rotator Cuff. YIKES!

Well, the doc gave me some super comforting pain medication, and told me to give it a month or so. Can do! Said I. And sure enough, I got better in just about a month, of course it didn't hurt that along the way I also caught a lovely cold, that lasted nearly the entire month of January. I got lots and lots of bed rest, and lo and behold, my shoulder felt better about the same time my head cleared and I stopped coughing. :) It's so nice when things come together.

That brings us to about a week ago, when I got a letter from my doctor saying that I needed to make an appointment for a follow up appointment. Tee Hee, I am all better, I thought to myself. Never think out loud to yourself! I am convinced that there are evil elves, or psychotic faeries or maybe a pugnacious garden gnome, just waiting to trip us up. And tripped up I have been. My shoulder has started hurting, for some unknown reason. Maybe I picked up one catnip mouse too many, or zigged when I should have zagged...who knows? Anyway, I am in pain tonight, and even sitting here typing this entry seems like more than I am able to handle, of course the pain killers haven't kicked in yet, so no worries, soon I will be feeling, well, in pain...but not to terribly worried about it.

What does all this have to do with a butterfly picture? Well, if you look really close you will see some mist falling on the butterfly. That is because the butterflies at last year's butterfly exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers would occasionally be misted down because of the sometimes, overwhelming heat of the exhibit. I happened to be in the exhibit during one of those misty moments, and I have to say, it was a little bit of heaven to be sure. As distracting as it was, I kept my focus on this gorgeous butterfly, and when the mist was over, she looked like this...

That was a great moment, as it always reminds me that the mist falls on all of us. A few minutes later, she shook off the water that had been weighing her down, and happily flew away. :) It's about hope I suppose, soon I will shake off this pain once again... and go about my flying from photo op to photo op, but until then... well... you know. Grrrrrrrrr. I am going to take a brief blog break, probably just through the weekend, so look for me early next week. I just need to take care of my shoulder, and maybe slow down a bit... you know? Till I come back, if you can, don't forget to check out the latest subject of our Round Robin Challenges. Our next challenge date will be Wednesday, February 21. I hope you will consider joining us. :)

Round Robin Photo Challenges

-OndineMonet
"Misty"
Conservatory Of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Summer, 2006
Afternoon

Blossoms In Winter

"Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it."

-Johan Wolfgang Goethe

Alan and I had such a good time for Valentine's Day, we spent the day in San Francisco, at the Conservatory of Flowers. There were two exhibits in particular that we wanted to see. The first one was, "One: An Earth Installation," by artist, Stanley Gatti, which I will share with you in a few days, and the second display was the, "Chinese New Year Floral Display," of various types of spring blossoms and fruit, including mandarin oranges, quince, and pomelo.

The fruit and blossom display was held in the potted plant room, so along with the special blossoms, there were some of the usual sights I have seen there, such as the amazing hibiscus and azaleas plants, which is always beautiful, but yesterday, set against the stark white ceiling, were red Chinese lanterns, and yards of oriental silk fabric, which provided a dramatic effect to the exhibit. One absolutely stunning sight was a display of yellow, and deep purple colored orchids, that had the red fabric running like a ribbon just above the flowers.

The weather outside yesterday was lovely and warm, and it seemed everywhere I looked, there were folks walking along with flower bouquets or balloons, or even the occassional stuffed bear or gorilla. It all made for a really nice way to spend a day with someone you love. It was the perfect Valentine's Day... thanks Alan! :)

"The year is unfolding... like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within."

-Unknown

One: An Earth Installation
By Stanley Gatti - November 17 - April 15

Chinese New Year Floral Display
February 6 - March 4

NOTE: If you want a giggle, see this story here. It seems for the second year in a row, as many as 1,000 people have been gathering at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco to engage in a bit of lighthearted fun... a good old fashioned... pillow fight! The link to the above article is all about the 2006 gathering. :) Go have a look. :)

-OndineMonet
"Blossoms"
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
February 14th, 2007
Afternoon

To All The Men I've Loved Before...

"Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love."

-Albert Einstein

It's such nonsense, but I have been thinking about all my past boyfriends the last couple days. With very few exceptions, I was lucky enough to remain friends with most of them, there are only a couple I no longer have contact with...which believe me...is really just as well! One such Ex-File, was "Empty Vase Guy." I don't think I shared about him, when I was writing my EX-FILES series on my AOL journal Ellipsis. "Empty Vase Guy," was just that...shallow as they come, and when we broke up, it was a great day in the universe. We kinda stayed friends, as well were in the same circle of friends, and then one day that all changed. See, I was selling Avon at the time, to try and supplement my income, and occasionally he would help me out by buying something from one of my catalogs. His way of keeping in touch with me no doubt. Well, one promotion that just happened to fall a couple week's before Valentine's Day, offered a certificate for a free bouquet of roses, a $12.99 value, with the purchase of a very pretty cut glass vase from the catalog.

"Empty Vase Guy," loved a bargain! He ordered the vase and it arrived just in time for Valentine's Day. 6 months earlier we had broken up, and he immediately began dating "Dora," a lovely girl, who I liked very much. So much so, that I kind felt sorry for her that he was apparently the love of her life, kinda like the way I feel sorry for Laura Bush having George as the love of her life. Tee Hee. Anyway, I called "Empty Vase Guy" to tell him his vase had arrived. A few hours later, he came to my place to pick it up. I had it packaged and ready for him. As I handed him the bag, he reached inside of the package and pulled out the certificate for the free flowers, and then handed the bag with the vase back to me. "What's this I asked?" "Here," he said, "You keep the vase." I didn't know what to say." But "L" I think the idea is for you to redeem the certificate for the flowers, and then put them in the vase for your girlfriend. "No," said he, "I want you to have the vase, cause I know you had a hard time getting over me."

ROFLMAO!

Two years later I sold it at a yard sale for $2.99! Tee Hee! :)

Here is a partial list of my great crushes over the years, in no particular order. Can you guess my top 5 from this list? Come on, give it a try...

Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman (The West Wing)

Shaggy (Scooby Doo)

Robert Wagner as Jonathon Hart (Hart To Hart)

John Ritter as Himself

Barney Rubble

Woody Allen as Himself

Richard Thomas as John-Boy Walton (The Waltons)

Bobby Sherman as Himself

Hubert Humphrey as Himself

Bruce Boxleitner as Lee Stetson (Scarecrow And Mrs. King)

Fred Grandy as Gopher Smith (The Love Boat)

George of the Jungle... Friend to you and Me!

Al Gore :)

David Duchovny as Himself

Harry Connick Jr. as Himself

Micky Dolenz...ahem...as Himself ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

"No, this trick won't work... how on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemisty and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?"

-Albert Einstein

-OndineMonet
"Kiss Me"
Berkeley, California
February 12, 2007
Evening

Your Monday Photo Shoot: On The Phone

"If we discovered that we only had five minutes left to say all that we wanted to say, ever telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they loved them."

-Christopher Morley

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off your phone (provided you have one). Lets put the spotlight on perhaps the quintessential technological doodad of the early 21st century.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Here she be... my cell phone. She is a Nokia 6102 Camera phone. She is basic, she doesn't have every one of the bells and whistles available, but she is fun and she gets the job done. I have some cute wallpapers of "Sex and the City," and classic art such as Monet's "Waterlilies." My current ring tone is the theme from Bewitched, but for the December holiday season, I had Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton singing, "Baby It's Cold Outside."

I have said it before, and I will take this opportunity to say it again, in this day and age... post 911... cell phones are a necessity. Like with anything else, there is a right and wrong way to use them. I try to be aware of folks around me, therefore I turn it off when appropriate, such as in restaurants and theaters. Every time I hear news stories, like the one I heard tonight about the shooting at the mall in Utah earlier this evening, I am glad I have me cell phone. I would want to be able to communicate with Alan, should we ever find ourselves in that position.

And OK, I will admit it, I enjoy the fun aspects of having a cell phone, such as being able to Text Message with my pal H. P. . Due to his weird, hectic schedule, sometimes that is the only we can connect and keep up with each other. We live in a hectic, fast paced world, sometimes we do what we must to maintain those connections that are most important to us. Alan and I are able to call each other several times a day, just to say "I Love You" or "Hi." We are just funny that way, but it is good to know we are never too far out of touch with each other. OK, rant over. :)

"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil, which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."

-Ambrose Bierce

Gunman kills 5 in Utah Shopping Mall

-OndineMonet
My Phone
Berkeley, California
October 5th, 2006
Evening

The Nightmare Before Valentine's Day

"Love is something eternal; the aspect may change but not the essence."

-Vincent Van Gogh

Is this story romantic or what? Imagine spending eternity wrapped in the arms of your lover. Eternal compassion and comfort. No fear, no pain, no seperation. Only time. A future certain, and a past forgotten. I mean that the couple in the above photo, is the perfect illustration of what it is like to find your soul mate. They have been together between 5,000 and 6,000 years, and I bet they saw forever the first moment their eyes met. I can only imagine what it must have been like for archaeologist, Elena Menotti, when her team uncovered the couple, earlier this month, near the town of Mantova, located in northern Italy. Forgive me, sometimes I get all caught up in the romantic notions of life, but you have to remember, I come by it honestly. I am a Cancer after all, and nothing inspires me more, than the thought of there actually being a love, that even time will stop for.




"Lovers" By Danny Hahlbohm

Forever (Haiku)
By OndineMonet

Hold Me To Your Soul
And We Will See Forever
In Each Other's Eyes

Now In Italian...

Per sempre (Haiku)
By OndineMonet

Tenerlo alla vostra anima
E verdremo per sempre
In occhi di ciascunno

Google Language Tools Translator

-OndineMonet

Carly's Stuffed Bell Peppers

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience."

-James Beard

It's been raining the last couple days, so I have been housebound... and a little bored. But it's not all that bad, because one of the things I enjoy the most about winter, and long weekends when it's raining, is spending time developing new recipes, or maybe even revisiting recipes I haven't made for a while. This weekend I made Stuffed Bell Peppers. This batch was a new take on an old recipe. Instead of using just plain tomato sauce, I tried using a tomato cream sauce, that had the added kick of sun-dried tomatoes. I think it turned out well. :) Here is the recipe, if you try it, let me know how it comes out.

Carly's Stuffed Bell Peppers

6-8 medium sized green, red and/or yellow bell peppers
2 lbs. ground beef
6-8 marinated sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups cooked plain white rice (cooked to pkg directions)
2 sm. cans tomato sauce
1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbs dried chopped onion
1sp. garlic powder

Directions...

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a heavy skillet, cook ground beef, seasoned with garlic powder, until no longer pink. Drain and set aside. Cook rice in medium sized pot, according to package directions. When rice is ready, transfer to a large mixing bowl and add in cheese, chopped onion, Parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. Blend mixture well. Remove the sun-dried tomatoes and drain on a paper towel. Wash, and slice open bell peppers, saving the tops to the side. Fill each pepper with meat/cheese mixture. Put one, drained, sun-dried tomato on the top of each bell pepper, after it's filled, and press down gently. Replace the bell pepper tops, and place in a medium to large baking dish, allowing room around each pepper. Pour Classico sauce around each pepper, and drizzle some on top. Cook in 375 oven for 45-60 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serves 4-6. Enjoy!

Note: If you can purchase red, green and red peppers, it tastes the same, and it makes a nice presentation. :)

-OndineMonet
Berkeley, California
February 9, 2007
Morning