"It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself. Makes you wonder what else you can do that you've forgotten about."
-Alan Ball, American Beauty, 1999
For the last full day of spring, I thought it would be nice to post some of my favorite photos from this season. Although I didn't get out as much with the camera as I wanted to, I worked really hard with it when I did. I think slowing down has been good for me. I have been really running the last couple years, and in doing so, I think I might have missed some opportunities. The summer is looking ripe with photo jaunts, but I think I am going to set a goal for myself to take 50 or less photos per photo trip, in an effort to slow down and pay closer attention to details. I need a lot of work on dealing with the wind blowing my subjects out of frame. I shoulder has been giving me a difficult time, since I hurt it last December. I must remember... the tripod is my friend. LOL. I think after my appointment with Sarah later today, I might pay a visit to the Botanical Garden, in Tilden park. There should be lots of chances to relax and get in some time practicing with light and shadows. And, thank goodness, it is going to be a mild day as far as the weather goes. Sigh. Perfect for the last full day of spring. :)
"Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be."
-Duane Michals
Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off a truly bad picture of yourself. One that's so bad it's not actually embarrassing, just, you know, inexplicably unrepresentative. If you would like, post a contrasting good picture, so people know what you really look like.
-John Scalzi
Bad picture you say? Got it! LOL. I have multitudes of bad pictures of me. Pictures going all the way back to 1974. I have bad pictures from every decade of my life! LOL. I hate pictures of me. I see them, and I always think... "That can't be right!" LOL. But alas... it is. LOL. I don't know. Either I have a goofy grin, or I have what Alan calls my "dirty," or I am looking away or, like with my DMV photo, I have just sneezed and my face is all wrinkled up like a peach that has died a horrible sun-drenched death in the summer noon sun. Tee Hee.
Now the terrible photo above is a special kind of terrible. As Dorothy Parker would say, "this wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was fancy terrible with raisins on it." LOL. It was my 39th birthday, and I had just finished a 12 hour car ride down to Santa Barbara and back. We were almost home, but really hungry, so we decided to stop for dinner at Red Robin. Somehow, (thanks a lot Alan) the good people at Red Robin found out it was my "special" day. LOL. I got a free burger, my picture taken with the hunky Red Robin, and a pretty pink balloon. Tee Hee. Oh well, it was all in fun. But jeepers... I usually look soooo much, if not somewhat, better then that!
See...
Now this photo was taken last year, just a few days before my 44th birthday. Not too shabby I suppose. :) Well, not frightening anyway. Passable. It's nothing special... it's just me. :) Shrug.
-OndineMonet "Always Me" Red Robin Pleasanton, California June 29th, 2001 8:30 PM
"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy."
-Anton Chekhov
I didn't get as much done on my flower garden as I wanted to yesterday. The temperature outside was a lot warmer then the previous days, and there was little breeze blowing. I guess I picked the hottest day of the week to try and get it all done. LOL. Isn't that always the way? :) Oh well, I did manage to get some pruning done on the old rose bush against the back fence and I got the new roses transplanted, and I also got the herb garden done. In a couple months I will be cooking my Italian dishes with some nice fresh basil. Hopefully. :) I think in the next few days I might add a few more items to the herb garden, maybe some cilantro, which I love, and some lavender, which I am told should be planted for good luck! Who couldn't use a little more of that? It was a productive day, but it is still frustrating that my Fibromyalgia keeps me from doing more. Sigh.
I gave the roses a fine misting this evening, with some plant food, and when I stepped back, it looked as each one had been edged with delicate lace. It was of course little water beads, but I thought it caught the sun just right. I took a few shots with the camera, and I really liked what I saw. I think I might try for the same photo, only next time with the softer color of a sunrise. My garden gets all the early sun, so it could be rather pretty I think. Lots and lots of color... yep... that's what I am looking for. Speaking of color... I am trying to talk Alan into getting a white-barked maple tree. I would love some autumn leaves to help bring the yard to life. Keep your fingers crossed for me. He and I are also talking about some additional dwarf fruit trees. I could go for that as well. :) I will be a happy girl either way.
Since I decided to come in from the garden early yesterday, I thought I might do a little online shopping for Elvis's Halloween costume for this year. I like to price things early. I think I have it narrowed down to the choices below...
I think the Bandito costume would suit him, but the vampire cape would be easy for him to wear. Still, with the Bandito costume, he would have a new hat. Always a plus with him. In previous years he has been a clown, a pumpkin, a yellow and black bug, a Devil, Micky Mouse, and a pirate. LOL. Sometimes he still asks to wear his pumpkin hat, of course I let him. He looks so silly, but way too cute. I don't know which one we will go with. We'll see. :)
My day was a bit fragmented yesterday, but I know I am doing the best I can. That feels good. I need to return a call to H.P. in a little while. He called, but I was elsewhere. Sigh. I sent him a text and told him I would call late. Thank goodness he keeps the same hours I do. LOL. Our friendship was definitely meant to be! I have had the Goo Goo Dolls playing a concert in my head all day, so I looked them up on YouTube a little while ago, and found them singing with Elmo. Tee Hee. I LOVE Elmo, but have never been able to figure out what kind of monster he is. Do you know? :) Enjoy the video, it's just toooo cute. :)
-OndineMonet
"Lace Roses" Berkeley, California June 17th, 2007 Late Afternoon
"If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change."
-John A Simone Sr.
Once Upon A Time...
was on The View.
One day...
Had a fight with .
Suddenly, stormed away in a fit of... well... a fit.
And then there were 3.
Meanwhile...
was naughty. "45 days in the Hoosegow," said the judge.
"It's not fair", said . Sniff, sniff.
And...
ate onion rings for the last time.
The Nation became infuriated... "Grrrr."
"I feel like I have wasted the last 10 years of my life!" said one angry fan.
And if all that wasn't melodramatic enough...
retires after 600 years of hosting The Price Is Right!
"Oh no," said the world.
"Who, could EVER replace?
"How about "said.
" ?" said the world in a gasp!
But wait...Who would replace on The View?
"How about ," said a caller to .
"Yes" said Barbara "No" said Bill Gedde "Yes" said Barbara "No" said Bill Gedde
"I know!" said . How about...
replaces replaces replaces
And a new and improved gets her own reality show, "Paris Does The DMV."
All kidding aside, I could see Rosie O' Donnell hosting The Price is Right. Rosie O' Donnell is a lot of things, but mostly she is generous. She really does enjoy seeing folks happy. I think she would be a fine choice. Besides there aren't many female game show hosts, right now. I have always wondered why there haven't been, because look how good Meredith Vieira has been on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
As for Paris Hilton. Enough already. It's pretty damn easy to kick a person when they are down... isn't it? Here is the straight deal on the matter. She is indeed doing more time for that probation violation then most folks do. She is being treated differently because she is a celebrity. Shes being punished way more severe then the average person. It's the truth whether it wants to be admitted or not. I live in California, and I know this to be true. So, if her sentence for drunk driving didn't seem like enough initially, then stop whining about how unfair it is that a girl, who comes from an advantaged life is given probation, and put pressure on your political representatives to make tougher laws for drunk drivers, and demand those laws be enforced. It's my hope when she gets out of jail, folks will stop throwing those self-righteous stones her way. Remember... if you expect someone to fail, they probably won't let you down.
So tell me, what do you think about Rosie O' Donnell hosting "The Price Is Right?"
"Half the interest of a garden is the constant exercise of the imagination.
-Mrs. C.W. Earle (Pot-pourri from a Surrey Garden) 1897
Like I said in a previous entry... it's been a few years since I did much with my flower garden. I am basically starting all over with the corner of the garden. I like this area, because it is right inside my garden gate, and the ground is pretty good here. I have a rose bush against the fence, which was here when I moved in. The roses are nice, but they wouldn't have been what I would have chosen for this spot. I will prune it and by next autumn it will be in good shape again. I want to try and get it moving along the fence as a cover. We'll see. I am putting the new roses I bought the other day into medium sized containers on Sunday, and I am placing the campanula in-between each pot.
Last night, I made another trip to Home Depot to pickup some potting soil and decided to get a few more seeds while I was there. I saw some seeds that were specifically packaged to encourage hummingbirds and butterflies. It is your basic wildflower mix. Black-Eyed Susan, Painted Daisy, Alyssum, Purple Cornflower and some assorted others. I haven't decided if I want to try the large planter or if I want to place them directly in the ground and just let them spread. Again I might think on it for a couple days. I know for sure I am going to put the Cosmos and the California poppy in containers, but I might decide to extend the planting area so that whole side just comes alive with color.
If I do, I will probably get some decorative border rock or bricks. Or maybe some small picket fencing. That might be kinda cute. I want to see how the flowers do first. I suppose, in a way, this is an investment in next spring, but who knows, roses tend to bloom right into winter here in California, depending on the weather. :) What's nicer then roses in December?
Sunday afternoon is my day for gardening. I'm looking forward to that. Alan is working on his vegetable garden as well, then he is making dinner for us on the BBQ, so it should be a nice relaxing day together.
He is excited about my renewed interest in my garden, he hasn't seen me really animated about it in a long time :) This is going to be a good summer I think.
Hopefully, the Ethereal Musician will be home, and playing his sax on Sunday. I heard him for a few minutes today, he really loves the summer. There's lots of beautiful music here in the hills in summertime. It's hard not to think of him as a friend after all these years. He has brought a lot of smiles to Alan and I with his music. Maybe someday I will get to meet him, but for now I just think of him as a summer spirit. :) I'll post an entry on my gardening progress soon.
"There is a close relationship between the " ha-ha" of humor and the "aha!" of discovery."
-Roger Von Oech
It's Feline Friday time, over at my pal Steven's. Gosh this week has certainly got away from me. I had planned on doing this entry days ago. :) I had also planned on getting some new photos of Elvis. It just all got away from me. Oh well. I will be doing some new photos of him this coming week for sure, so y'all will see some new ones soon. In the mean time I hope these bring everyone a giggle or two. This is the first time I did a LolCat. I Can Has CheezBurger, is an intersting and fun site, but I am not sure if the photos I did are good enough for submission... what do you think? Should I try to make my Elvis a star????? Be sure to drop by (sometimes) photoblog to see the other submissions for this week.
Elvis Health Update: There was good news at the vet yesterday, it seems that increasing his insulin to 4cc twice a day is doing the trick. He is looking like his old self... and he is giggling more often. :) We are a happy family. :)
-OndineMonet "Elvis Is Awake" Berkeley, California Summer, 2006
"Cabbage: a familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and wise as a man's head."
-Ambrose Bierce
Weekend Assignment #170: Share a useful tip for the kitchen. It can be about anything from cooking to cleaning, as long as it involves something in the kitchen (which, for the purposes of this assignment, includes the pantry and the table you eat at).
Extra Credit: You're ten and allowed to cook a meal. What do you cook?
I like this Weekend Assignment John, as I am always looking for new ways to get things done, especially in the kitchen. I spend a lot of time cooking. I love it, but it can be kind of time consuming if you aren't prepared before you begin. I have learned over the years, that sometimes you simply have to invest time, to save time. So, here are a few of my ideas for making things run more smoothly in the kitchen.
The Ziploc Bag Is Your Friend :)
1. The Ziploc bag is your friend. :) When I buy the extra large containers of side dish products, such as Stove Top stuffing, I measure out into Ziploc bags what would constitute the correct servings for Alan and myself, and place the filled Ziploc bags back into the Stove Top container until ready to use. It also helps when I am busy, and Alan helps me out, if all he has to do is grab the pre-measured bag, and toss it in the boiling water for me. At Thanksgiving, it saves me a couple steps, and it also eliminates one more dirty thing in the sink to wash up, because my measuring cup doesn't get dirty. :) I like having one less thing to wash. :)
2. The Ziploc bag is your friend again! When I take meat or chicken out of the original packages for cooking, I always use small Ziploc bags on my hands to pick up the raw meat. That way I don't get bacteria on my hands. Then I fold and place the used package, and the smaller bags, inside a large Ziploc bag, before throwing it away. It is more sanitary then simply putting the package in the garbage, and it eliminates that yucky odor that sometimes comes up the next day, before you can take the garbage out. :)
3. When I purchase large quantities of frozen products, like say, a package of 24 frozen corn dogs, I take them out of the large box which takes up too much room in the freezer, and put maybe 4 or so into qt or gallon Ziploc bags. They stack easier, and all I have to do is cut the instructions off the box and place it inside one of the packages for referring back to when I go to cook.
None of my kitchen tips are anything new, and they probably aren't all the clever either, but they work us. :)
Extra Credit: Ok, I am 10 years old, and I am allowed to cook a meal. Hmmm. Well, with it being very nearly summer, I think I would probably prepare something cool and summery, like a delicious dinner salad.I like my veggies, but it doesn't have to be made with just vegetables. A really delicious dinner salad can be made with leftover steak cut into strips, or with cooked chicken or even ground beef. Taco Salads are yummy, and they are really easy to make. Also yummy, stuffed tomatoes with tuna/chicken or egg salad.
On the other hand, if you want a hot dinner, which isn't too fussy, how about Stuffed Peppers? Vegetable Lasagna, or maybe Chicken Pot Pie. All those sound much more complicated then they really are. Simple choice of meat and rice or risotto for the peppers, cheeses, veggies and a jar of Alfredo sauce for the Lasagna. The Pot Pie can be made really quick with some cut up chicken, a couple cans of cooking soup like cheddar cheese, cream of chicken, or cream of mushroom soup, a small bag of frozen veggies (can't forget the veggies) and a frozen two layer pie crust. :) My nephew asked me to teach him to cook when he was about 8, and I started him with those dishes. He did very well with them. I assisted him with the oven, but heck, who doesn't need help with that from time to time? :)
For dessert, can't forget dessert, chocolate dipped strawberries. All you have to do is melt the chocolate in the container and dip away. Chocolate strawberries are just yummy every single day, and they're fun to make. :)
PS Don't forget to check out the YouTube retromercial above. Stove Top Stuffing, circa 1985. :)
"Then followed that beautiful season, summer. Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I am ready to move on to a new season, and I think this is going to be a good summer. Alan and I have been really busy the last few days, getting the garden prepared for planting. He does the vegetables, fruits and gourds, and I tend to the flowers and herbs. It has been a couple years since I have felt like taking care of a garden, so it will take a little bit of work to get everything prepared, but I found some amazing miniature roses at Home Depot the other day, and they are all set and ready to go. :) I also bought some Cosmos seed and some multi-colored Four O' Clocks. I am hoping to encourage some butterflies to pay me a visit this autumn. I haven't had many in the yard the last few years. Since I have been too tired this year to do much traveling with the camera, I hoping the garden will bring me some good opportunities. :)
We also got some bird seed for the feeder, to encourage our Wrens, California song birds, and Robins to come by for a visit. A garden filled with happy sounds in summer is a good thing, in fact, it should be just what the doctor ordered. :) We have set up the canopy, so I will have some shade in the middle of the day. I like to go outside with the sketch book, if it isn't too hot. The last couple days have been really warm, but we will be cooling off by the weekend, time to play with Elvis outdoors I think. I am thinking about hanging some colored lights from the canopy, to create a nice mood. We'll see. I love setting a nice table, especially when Alan cooks. He is amazing with the BBQ, I am so lucky to have found a guy who likes to cook as much as I do. I can't wait for the vegetables later this summer, a nice veggie kabob, with either his favorite Raspberry Chipotle sauce or a Balsamic Vinegrette, is a nice low maintenance dinner on a hot summer evening. Summer begins in just 7 days... yikes... I better get busy! :) More pictures to come as the garden progresses.
-OndineMonet "A New Mini Rose" Berkeley, California June 12, 2007 Early Evening
"It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself. Makes you wonder what else you can do that you've forgotten about."
was on The View. 
.
was naughty. "45 days in the Hoosegow," said the judge.
ate onion rings for the last time.
retires after 600 years of hosting The Price Is Right!
.
. How about...
