Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #8: Reflections

"There are always flowers for those want to see them"

-Henri Matisse

THIS PHOTO SHOOT IS NOW CLOSED!

EMPS #8: Reflections.
We have a simple subject this week folks... Reflections. Grab your cameras, and show me a reflection of some sort. It could be in water, or in glass, or in any reflective surface. You might come up with something spooky, or something beautiful, even or someone deep in thought! Get it? Think about it! Be creative. Be daring. Be Reflective!

Extra Credit: Show me a REFLECTION of, well, you! :)

** You have until next Sunday, at 9:00 PM to post your entry to your blog or journal, and then come back here with the direct link to the entry specific to your EMPS entry. DO NOT LEAVE A GENERAL LINK TO YOUR BLOG OR JOURNAL.

Linking List for EMPS #7: Furniture. 10/13/08

Now Closed!

Jama shows us a gorgeous dining set. :) Very, very nice indeed!

Judi's favorite piece of comfy furniture is a honey pine 4 - poster bed.

Laura allowed my favorite Internet sensation, the Watchful Scuba Duck, to relax in her favorite comfy, cozy chair. I am loving that duck! GO SCUBA DUCK!

Martha has a gorgeous, comfy dining room all set all ready for dinner guests! I'll be right there Martha!

Karen, and her hubby, have two favorite places to sit. A "chartreuse whatchamacallit", and a "pink chair like thing." Both look like good places to catch a quick nap! :)

Julia has a lovely antique rocker, with a pretty tapestry covered seat. Aren't family heirlooms just the best!

Steven has a really nifty entertainment center, which pretty much takes up an entire wall!

Wammy photographed some outdoor furniture, including some that she bought at a sale. An excellent bargain to be sure!

Tammy's favorite place to cuddle with her kitty and dog, is a on a recliner in her living room. Everyone looks mighty comfy in her photo, and now I need a nap! LOL. Yawn. :)

Connie shows us an outdoor swing, with an attached awning, in a blue and white stripped pattern. Outdoor swings

Wonderful photos as always everyone! See you in one week with the Linking List for this week's challenge, and an all new photography assignment!

-Carly

Carly's Vacation Schedule

"Those who say you can't take it with you, never saw a car packed for a vacation trip."

-Unknown

Vacation Picture #1 "Sunset Over The Marin Headlands"

Just a little reminder for everyone, Alan and I are on vacation until November 5th, so, I will be a bit sporadic in my posting. The Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot will post on schedule tomorrow, with a new topic and the complete Linking List, but it will be later in the week before I will be able to get around to all your entries. The Round Robin Photo Challenges, will be played as scheduled, but as for my regular posting on Ellipsis, well, I will be taking some time off here and there, but when I get back you will be treated to some all new photos. I am starting you off with the one you see above!

This week, I will be gone from Tuesday until Friday. It is our annual trip up north to see the autumn colors, with a stop over in Reno for some fun! Wish us luck! When we get back, there will be several more day trips, which will probably require a little time off. The long car rides really play havoc with my Fibromyalgia, and the arthritis in my knee. On the other hand, the photography and the sights and sounds makes my creative side very happy. Life is all about finding the balance. Alan and I are a good team, we do well for each other. That automatically makes life just about perfect. With or without silly little things like chronic pain!

:)

-Carly
"Sunset Over The Marin Headlands"
Berkeley, California
October 16th, 2008
Twilight

Round Robin Challenge: Your Home Town

"Your hometown is where they can't figure out how you did as well as you did."

-Unknown

Welcome to our latest Round Robin Challenge: Your Hometown. Marie, who authors the blog, Photographs and Memories, and hosts the Blogger's Community Photo Challenge, submitted this idea for consideration when we did a roundup of new ideas a while back. What a great idea, Marie! I love showing off where I live, the only problem is, I have probably shown just about everything there is to see. What to do, what to do?

Ok folks, here are some photos old and new. The East Bay hills is a gorgeous place to live, I don't see myself living anywhere else for the rest of my life, although I do daydream of retiring with Alan to the East coast sometimes. Someplace where I can get snowed in with a bunch of cats for months at a time. Someplace where the leaves really put on a show in autumn, and everybody has a fireplace. Don't you just love the smell outside, when everyone has their fireplaces going?

And yet, I am completely convinced I live in the most beautiful place in the world. If I had to choose, I would visit all those places I just mentioned, but I would always comeback here in my heart. I have fallen hopelessly in love with the view from Grizzly Peak Boulevard, and the Berkeley Marina, with it's view of San Francisco, and of course, you know how much I enjoy Tilden Park, especially in autumn. Yep... I am a true California Girl.

Here, have a look and see for yourself... Sather Tower

Protesting On The Berkeley Campus

Hwy 13 Going South

Berkeley Marina

Tie Dye

Biking is the Preferred Mode of Transportation

Autumn In Tilden
Isn't it beautiful here?

Now that you have seen my hometown, go have a look at where the other participating Robins live! Or better yet, post your own hometown entry. There is still time, just pay a quick visit to the official Round Robin blog to learn all the details!

Linking List

Marie... Photographs And Memories
Posted!

Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
Posted!

Monica... Family Affair Photography


Karen... Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

Wammy... The Ellis Family
Posted!

Martha... Menagerie
Posted!

Jill... South Bay Soliloquy
Posted!

Cheryl... Life Through My Lens


Erin... Life Of A College Student


Jama Hameed... Sweet Memories
Posted!

Connie... Far Side of Fifty
Posted!

Carly... Ellipsis
Posted!

Kat... In My Dreams I Can Fly


Teena... It's All About Me!
Posted!

Ellen B... The Happy Wonderer
Posted!

Mary... Hippie Gypsy
Posted!

Weekend Assignment #237: Spending Spree

"Inflation hasn't ruined everything. A dime can still be used as a screwdriver.

-Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by J. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Weekend Assignment #237: A long-lost relative dies and leaves you $10,000. But there's a catch: the will states that it cannot be saved, invested, given to charity or used to pay bills. You've got a week (sorry, lets make it two weeks) to spend it all. (Anything left over will be used to buy tiny wheelchairs for injured pigeons.) What will you do with the dough?

Extra Credit: Excluding food and necessities, what is the most recent thing you've bought for yourself?

-Karen Funk Blocher, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin


Extra Money? What's that?! Tee Hee. This has been a difficult year for us, financially speaking, but we are slowly making our way back to having a little saved. We are not complaining mind you, we spent it wisely taking care of Mr. Elvis, but there hasn't been much room for extras, thanks not as much to his medical bills, as to the sagging economy and gas prices! Still, as difficult as it has been, I know as sure as I am sitting here, we haven't had it as difficult as those folks trying to raise a family. Over all, I am ok with how we spent our money this year, Alan and I have made some smart choices, such as not eating out all the time. That is probably the number one drain on bank accounts, and the easiest expense to eliminate.

But the point here is to blow the pennies from heaven, so, lets do a little daydreaming, shall we? I can't do much about changing my priorities at this point, so I think I will find some things that will aid me in my life. Not necessities, but practical all the same. For example; I love to cook, so I would love to purchase a new set of cookware, and some new food processors. Also, I have never owned a really nice set of China, so I would buy me some dishes and flatware in a pretty pattern for all those gourmet meals I like to make! With what's left over, I will pick up some new clothes, like the ones I found this past week at my favorite store, Old Navy. I got two new outfits for under $15.00! Can you believe it? Two skirts and two tops, both interchangeable. Excellent! And of course, I would love to get down to Southern California to do some photography there!

That's it. That's what I would do. :) I would just like to spend it wisely, and be able to stretch it as far as possible. Luxury and Necessity can live together if planned for properly. :) Although spending the money just on myself wouldn't be very satisfying, so, I would purchase a few catnip mousies for any new friend I might have at the time. :) And Alan could use some new things too.

Extra Credit: The most recent thing I bought was my $6 outfits from Old Navy. I could have gotten by without them, but it was nice to have them all the same.

-Carly
"Old Navy Mini Skirt and Top"
Berkeley, California
October 16th, 2008
Afternoon

A Visit To Tilden Park's Little Farm

"I have been studying the traits and dispositions of the "lower animals" (so called) and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me."

-Mark Twain, Letters From Earth, 1907



As I mentioned in a previous entry, Alan and I celebrated our 18th anniversary last Monday. We went out to a nice relaxing dinner, then engaged in some minor shopping therapy. I will share more about that later, I found some neat little bargains, and it was a hoot to be sure! Anyway, Alan is on vacation for the next three weeks, so we are planning some fun things close to home, but we have at least two long drive day trips coming up which should result in a ton of new autumn photos for the blog. Stay tuned on that. But first I have the pictures of my visit to the Little Farm, that sits in Berkeley's Tilden Park.



A day spent with the farm animals was just what the doctor ordered. Alan and I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a bunch of celery to take with us. Goats LOVE celery, and the farm encourages visitors to bring either celery or lettuce to feed the animals. I had so much fun. Alan feed the entire bunch of celery to the goats, poor little sheep didn't get any! We will be going back soon I think, so I will bring them some then. LOL. Spending the day on this little farm was relaxing and enjoyable, because the animals are well feed and have plenty of room to wander and be happy. Not all farm animals are treated humanly. I am voting "YES" on California Prop 2 in November. I hope you will too, if you are a California resident.



So, that was our first big outing on our vacation 2008! Next up, we have a date this Friday night to see the film, "W." I can't wait. I have been looking forward to that all summer. Sheesh. George Bush. We are going to the movie in the evening, then out for a slice of pizza and a sundae afterward. We have such a good time together, and lately we have been hugging each other just a little bit closer. We are doing better in our grief, it's a one day at a time proposition. In some ways Alan has had a much more difficult year then I have, in that it was his brother who passed away last February, and it was our friend Paul who passed away just a couple weeks later. One thing about years like this, we know 2009 will definitely be better! Years rarely run bad consecutively... although I probably shouldn't have said that! Way to go Carly! LOL. :) See, I have my sense of humor back! :)

Vote "YES" on California State Proposition 2: Standards For Confining Farm Animals Initive Statute.

-Carly
"Silly Goose"
Tilden Park Little Farm
Berkeley, California
October 15th 2008
Afternoon

Elvis In The Light

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."

-From A Headstone In Ireland

First of all, thank you for all your wonderful emails, comments and phone calls. Each and every one of you have made the last week so much easier to take. :) A few of you have written some really wonderful tributes to my boy, the links are at the bottom of the page. If I missed anyone, please forgive me. Just send me the link and I will add it on to the list below. :)

This is the last photograph I took of my boy. I took it the morning he passed away. He loved sitting in the early morning sun, as it came through the back door in the kitchen. He hadn't been experiencing much joy in recent days, and getting up to sit in the sun was one of the things he had all but given up on. It was nice to see him enjoying it that morning, and looking at the sun on his beautiful fur was always one of my joys. He was such a handsome cat.

My boy is back home now, in a small little wooden box that I have placed in my cedar chest. It was a good thing to pick him up and bring him home once again. I am better now. I thought it would be more difficult than it was, but actually, in some ways, it made me feel better. Closure I suppose. Anyway I am ok, I miss him, but I am thinking about the million or so memories of the best cat ever, and I am just really glad that we found each other in this life. We will meet again someday.

Rainbow Bridge
Author Unknown


Just this side of Heaven is a placed called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old have been restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together...



Karen - Outpost Mavarin "A Good Dog Gets Better; A Great Cats Says Goodbye"

Steven - (sometimes) photoblog "Feline And Furball Friday"

Martha - "Mrs. Claws"

-Carly
"Elvis In The Light"
Berkeley, California
October 8th, 2008
Early Morning

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #7: Furniture

"Arguments with furniture are rarely productive."

-Kehlog Albran

THIS PHOTO SHOOT IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS FOR PLAYING!

We had a wonderful turnout this week! Thanks so much for playing, I was so pleased you enjoyed the subject that much! Visiting all of your blogs and journals was just what I needed, good therapy indeed. Today, Alan and I are celebrating our 18th anniversary! So, I am taking a few more days off, but I will be back to regular posting later this week. Look for me on Wednesday.

Now, on to a new subject...

EMPS #7: Furniture.
Ahhh... is there anything better after a long, difficult day then to come home and sink into a favorite couch or chair? It's one of the best comforts ever! So, for this week, lets pay tribute to the comfy, well worn, furniture in our lives! Do you have a favorite chair, either indoor or out, that you love to escape to when you want to read a good book? Does your hubby have one of those old tacky... um... well lived in ... recliners only a guy could love? I know, you have a nifty orange futon that was well loved. Or how about a bean bag chair left over from the 70's, or a Barcalounger you may have won on Let's Make A Deal? Well this is your chance to show it off! Show me your favorite piece of comfy, cozy FURNITURE!

Extra Credit: It would be just nifty, if the furniture in question, has a few dents, bruises, or misplaced stuffing! That would mean it was loved, and has served you well. :)

**You have until next Sunday evening, at 9:00 PM, to submit your EMPS entry. After you post your entry, comeback here and leave me the link to that specific entry. And don't forget to link back to this entry on your journal or blog so other folks can play along as well!

Linking List for EMPS #6: Fences And Whats Behind Them 10/06/08

NOW CLOSED!

Wammy was the first to play, and shows us a display of beautiful quilts along a brown fence.

Judi joined us for the first time this week, and showed us a fence covered in snow.
Welcome Judi!

Gina also joined us for the first time, and displayed a series of fence photos, one of which held in a Giraffe! Welcome to you as well, m'dear!

Karen shows us the fence at Miko's Corner Playground! A great park for doggies!

Marie showed us a wonderfully rustic barn, during different times of year, which sits behind a fence in Old Bethpage Village, Long Island, New York.

Vicki attended a wedding on Lake Erie, and behind a fence at the reception, was a romantic sunset!

Jama found something absolutely creepy behind a fence! EEEEEKKKK! Perfect for the month of October!

Martha photographed a walkway between two fences that separate two tennis courts. I felt like I could just walk into the picture! It's seems to go on forever!

Connie introduced us to Chance, a Border Collie, who like to chase wild turkeys, bark at the deer, and run like the wind! He takes a mighty handsome photo while posing next to a fence. :)

Mary shows a sunset that seems to be held in by, you guessed it, a fence! :) Neat photo!

Vicki, also a new player and friend, photographed a fence line in Sandy Hook National Park. A peaceful place to be sure! Welcome Vicki!

Tammy has a natural colored picket fence in her garden, and behind it you will find some lovely spring bloom, and someone very, very special!

Nancy shows us a series of different kinds of fences, some with horses behind them, some with a puppy dog behind them, and one with a shadow waving hello! Hi Nance! :)

Laura has a happy little Scuba Duck that sits on her fence, and protects the yard. Good job Scuba Duck!

Kiva found some gorgeous roses, and a couple palm trees behind two different types of white fences. Excellent!

Ok, you know what to do! GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS and GO GET THE PICTURE! See you in one week!

-Carly

The World's Best Kitty

"Love is stronger then death, though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries, it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger then death."

-Unknown

The Song Of Jellicles
*Click to read the full poem*

Jellicle cats are white and black,
Jellicle cats are of moderate size;
Jellicles jump like a jumping-jack
Jellicle cats have moonlit eyes.
They're quiet enough in the morning hours
They're quiet enough in the afternoon
Reserving their terpsichorean powers
To dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon

-T.S Eliot, Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats

My little fella will slip away peacefully today. His appointment is scheduled for 11:30 am. We know the time is right. His quality of life has begun to diminish at an accelerated rate for the past week or so. His cancer was being so aggressive with him. It is time to let go. I loved him so deeply, so deeply that I didn't even know I could love something as much as I loved him. But I did. And Alan did too. And oddly enough, there is a huge comfort in the love we all shared. Elvis was an amazing cat, and my best friend. He will still be a big presence in my life. I will keep his heart shaped diabetes tag on my key chain, and his favorite little shirt on my desk. Alan will keep his Angel tag on a chain around his neck, so Elvis will always be close to his heart. Elvis is the one you don't get over. There are too many happy memories to forget what a gift he has been. It was an honor to be his mommy, and somehow I know he will be right by my side in spirit for as long as I need him. He always did take such good care of me.

Here Are Some Of Our Favorite Memories...






















"When I am lost, or maybe gone astray, my guardian angel will show me the way."

-From Elvis's Angel Tag

Thank You Dr. B, Mary and Donna, for taking such good, kind, and loving care of my boy. You are family to us.

-Carly & Alan

Note: I am taking a few days off, but the Monday Photo Shoot will go on as planned. Be sure to join us next Monday for this week's Linking List, and an all new subject!

Blogger's Community Photo Challenge: Change

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."

-Flora Whittmore

The subject for this round of the Blogger's Community Photo Challenge is "Change." What a great idea. We are in autumn now, and change is all around us. Last weekend, here in the Bay Area, we had a wonderful mixture of weather, as the transition to those shorter colder days inch their way in. The change in the weather leaves me with mixed emotions. I have come to enjoy those warm days, but those cool nights are great for cuddling. I guess in some ways it's the best of both worlds. And my favorite of all change, has to be the way the leaves on the trees turn such beautiful colors and then fall to the earth. Sigh. I love leaves. The way to this girl's heart isn't with a bouquet of flowers, it's with a bouquet of leaves.

-Carly
"The Old Blue Wheelbarrow"
Berkeley, California
October 5th, 2008
Late Afternoon

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #6: Fences And What's Behind Them

"A fence lasts three years, a dog lasts three fences, a horse lasts three dogs, and a man lasts three horses."

-German Proverb

Now Closed. Thanks For Playing!

EMPS #6: Fences And What's Behind Them.
I love photographing fences. I have been intrigued by them since I was a little girl. There is a big variety of them out there, and each one tells a different story. Sometimes they are large iron ones with big heavy gates, sometimes they are the little white picket kind, with sunflowers growing next to them, sometimes they are a simple chain link, while other times the fence you see might be a beautiful weather beaten fence, holding in the daisies. Good fences keep things out, but they also keep things in. The idea here is for you to find a fence, hopefully a photogenic one, and share with your photography not just the fence, but what's behind the fence as well.

**You have until next Sunday night at, 9:00 PM Eastern time, to post your EMPS entry and comeback here with the direct link to the post in your blog, journal or website. Remember, your link must be to the specific entry for this photo shoot.

Linking List for EMPS #5: Still Life Photography: Fruit (9/29/08)

NOW CLOSED!

Marie did a still life with grapes and wine. Lovely!

Jama shows us some fabulous Fiji apples that are so pretty, you can almost smell the apple scent!

Karen found some beautiful fruit at Safeway, and got psychedelic with it! Fun!

Wammy photographed a Honey Crisp apple, and a caramel apple also! YUM!

Connie chose frozen raspberries for her still life. YUM! A Great Treat!

Laura displays a double-decker of delicious fruit, just waiting to be eaten! :)

Tammy shows us some crisp, ripe autumn apples, still on the tree. Beautiful!

Martha photographed a variety of apples, and a pretty blue dish. Very, very nice!

Kiva rounded things up with that other fruit... the tomato! :) I was so pleased someone thought of that! Excellent!


As always, it was a tasty round-up of delicious photography! Good job! Ok, GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS, and GET THE PICTURE! Show me Fences And What's Behind Them! I will see you next Monday with an all new challenge!

-Carly

His Own Worst Enemy

"No man suffers injustice without learning vaguely, but surely, what justice is."

-Isaac Rosenfeld

I wonder, do you think O.J. Simpson is smirking today, as he was in this photo taken during his arrest in Las Vegas in the autumn of 2007? Last Friday, 13 years to the day of his acquittal for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman, O.J. found himself in yet another courtroom, but this time the word on the moment was GUILTY! No one was killed this time around, thank goodness, but it didn't make his latest crimes any less repugnant. As a result of his actions, he could be sentenced to life in prison. I hope that is the exact sentence he gets. We will all be safer. It's a shame about the people he has hurt, most pointedly his children, who will always be hurt because of him. My heart goes out to them. O.J. Simpson is a selfish, and dangerous human being, and now he will have plenty of time to face that fact. I hope he uses his time well.

"The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making excuses, that's the day you start to the top."

-O.J. Simpson

-Carly

Round Robin Challenge: The End Of Summer

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."

-Wallace Stevens

Ahhh... the end of summer. Some years I can't wait to see summer go, and other years it is so mild and sweet, that I almost mourn it's passing. I think the summer that just ended will fall somewhere in the middle. It wasn't very hot, which was a very good thing, especially for my boy Elvis, who, like his mommy, doesn't do well when it is too hot outside. Poor little fella nearly melted in the early part of the summer of 2006, when, during a two week heatwave, it reached 108 degrees in the Bay Area. I thought I might possibly lose him that year. I was worried for him this past spring when he was diagnosed with cancer, that the weather might play into how long he would survive, but the summer was quite kind to us. He did well, and so did I.

I like summers that are cool enough for me to wear my favorite sweater. I enjoyed the evenings, with the light breezes and the amazing sunsets. I took very few photos this summer, certainly a lot less then in previous years. I don't know why, but I have been struggling a bit lately with things. It's difficult to know I will be losing my best friend in the world soon. Elvis is my little kitty soul mate, and he loves me, so to know I will be losing that is sometimes more then I can take. On the other hand, he is such a joy every single day, and I will always be grateful that we had this past summer together, and that it was a mild one.

I took this series of photos at one of my favorite places on earth, Point Montara Lighthouse. If you ever make it to the Bay Area, you must stop by this gorgeous lighthouse and see it for yourself. I don't come close to doing it's beauty justice. I love this place, and its gentle ambiance. I feel at peace there. I took these photos in the evening, of the last Wednesday, of the summer of 2008. Enjoy.





Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne

-Barry Cornwall

I enjoyed this challenge, so thanks goes to Janet, who authors the blog, Fond of Snape. She submitted it our suggestion pool a while back, so be sure to pay her a visit and all the participating Robins, to see how they wanted to say goodbye to summer. By the way, we are always looking for new topics, so feel free to send your ideas to Steven, Karen and myself. Who knows, your idea could be our next challenge! Be sure to check the official Round Robin blog tomorrow, to find out what our next challenge will be!

1. Janet... Fond Of Snape
Posted!

2. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

3. Wammy... The Ellis Family Cincinnati
Posted!

4. Ellen B. ... The Happy Wanderer **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

5. Carly... Ellipsis
Posted!

6. Connie... Far Side Of Fifty
Posted!

7. Erin... Life Of A College Student
Posted!

8. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
Posted!

9. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix


10. Kiva... The Eclectic Granny
Posted!

11. Valerie... Soulfully Blond
Posted!

12. Sandra... Strong Chemistry
Posted!

13. Mary... Work of the Poet
Posted!

14. Jill... South Bay Soliloquy
Posted!

15. _rRose... WAIT-NOTYET-MOUNTAIN RIVER WHISPERS
Posted!

16. Jennifer Robin... Robin's Woods
Posted!

17. Teena... It's All About Me!
Posted!

18. Arti... Ripple Effects **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

19. Mary... Just A Hippie Gypsy
Posted!

20. Chrissie... Chris-seas Corner
Posted!

21. Abby... {Hello}
Posted!



-Carly
"The End Of Summer In Montara"
Point Montara Lighthouse
Point Montara, California
Summer, 2008
Twilight

Joe v Sarah

"Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge where there is no river."

-Nikita Khrushchev

Ok, I can admit it, last night's debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin wasn't the laugh out loud laugh fest event I had envisioned it would be, in fact, I have to admit I found it, at times, fascinating. Yes, fascinating. Sarah Paling was well rehearsed and on her game, while Joe Biden was restrained and personable. Sarah Palin displayed the kind of folksy humor and everyday appeal that turned republicans on to George Bush in 2000. Joe Biden is a sharp individual, who has 35 years experience in all the areas, that Sarah Palin is just learning about. And that was evident last night too.

As a democrat/liberal/woman there probably wasn't much that could have been said to change my mind at this point about who I will be voting for in November. I don't happen to think last night's debate will do much to change most people's opinions, in that nothing new was said. Last night's debate accomplished one thing. We got a better look at Sarah Palin. She came off extremely competent in the debate, but in that she was rehearsed, did we really get to see who she is on any given day? I would like to see more of her in interviews, as opposed to on a stage. Was she merely tired or uncomfortable when she was interviewed by Katie Couric and Charles Gibson? Or is she still somewhat lost without a script? She certainly showed last night that with the right amount of coaching, she can do very well, but what happens when she has to think on her feet? Will she know what to do?

As personable and folksy as she was last night, I found myself thinking about George Bush, and his every day guy persona. Honestly, he and Karl Rove managed to make Al Gore's accomplishments sound boorish and elitist. And it happened again with John Kerry, although Kerry, in my opinion lost a good bit of support by not fighting back against the lies and attacks. Fear was the theme for most of the Bush administration's time in the White House. If George Bush wasn't trying to scare us, he was patting us on the back and telling us everything will be ok. Which of course as we all know now, everything wasn't ok.

Granted, Sarah Palin isn't running for president, she will be the vice president, but she will be only a heartbeat away from the presidency, and I don't happen to think she is ready for that. It might be that her time hasn't quite come yet. Maybe she needs to consider a run for the senate when her governorship is up, but I just can't see her serving as vice president with any kind of real leadership. Joe Biden on the other hand is no push over. I don't think he would be as open to Washington manipulation quite the way Palin might. And before you call me sexist, think about what I am saying. Sometimes lack of Washington experience is a good thing, but sometimes it lends to being more pliable to the inner politics. The not so nice side of things.

To a certain degree that is what I think happened with George Bush. Looking back over the last 8 years, there are times when he seemed more like a wind up doll, rather then a real leader. Dick Cheney seems to be the one running the show. He didn't make a run for the presidency, because he has been the president for the last 8 years! A lot will be blamed on George Bush, and it should, but no real responsibility will ever happen. I am not interested in seeing that dynamic repeat.

So, when Sarah Palin, said last night, "Say it isn't so Joe, you are always looking back, we have to start looking forward," I wished I could say to her, "Sarah, we have to look back until we learn from those failures." Ignoring the past won't change the damage that has been done. The republican party wants to forget the failures that have taken place, and move on so that they can repair the damage done to the party, but along with it accountability gets lost, and to them, that might just be the sweetest part of their selective amnesia.

Opinions, opinions. Tell me, what did you think of last night's debate? Do you think more positively toward Sarah Palin then you did before the debate? Have you made a final decision as to who you will be voting for? Tell me everything.


-Carly

Weekend Assignmnet #235: Button Up

"It's not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something."

-Leo Buscaglia

Weekend Assignment #236: Design a button ( a badge, a pin...). It can say anything you like as long as it's clean and not defamatory. Or maybe you prefer a photo button. You can just describe it if you like, or tell us what it says - or you can actually create the complete design.

Extra Credit: Have you ever designed a button or other apparel before now?

-Karen Funk Blocher, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

Two things that mean a lot to me are coming up very soon, so I kinda got excited about this Weekend Assignment. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and of course with the election in November, it's a good time to remind folks to get out and vote on election day. Although, given the recent events with the on again, off again, she says bailout, he says relief package machinations, I think folks will be going to the polls in great numbers this election to make their feelings known. Oh well, I made the effort anyway. I never really know if my little voice is heard, but at least I know I put it out there, so I can feel good about that.

It disturbs me that we spend so little on cancer research, and yet money can always be found to fund this idiotic war in Iraq. Cancer is a very real threat to us, attacking someone new every day, and yet very little is being accomplished to get a comprehensive health care package together so that more folks will be able to afford the tests that can save their lives. Diabetes is on the rise, to an alarming rate, and because there are so few subtle symptoms to it, people are walking around not even realizing they have diabetes. So, here are the buttons I would distribute if I could, they are messages that ask folks to take some personal interest in the world, themselves, and those they love.




Extra Credit: Nope, I haven't designed any badges or buttons before, but I do design some graphics for my sidebar from time to time. Especially to bring awareness to certain causes and charities I feel particularly passionate about.

-Carly
"October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month"

AOL DOA WTF?

"A conclusion is simply a place where someone got tired of thinking."

-Unknown

Before the official AOL email arrived in my inbox yesterday, the word had already gotten around. AOL Journals is closing it's doors on October 31st of this year. You know, I wasn't terribly surprised. AOL announced over the summer, July actually, that they were doing away with AOL Pictures and so it crossed my mind that the Journals community probably wouldn't be far behind. It was just common sense in that it would make it more difficult to be creative with the journals. Still, when I heard the news yesterday, I felt sad to a degree. Not for me, but for all the folks who have shown such fervent loyalty to AOL over the years. A lot has happened, and I think that AOL has once again that they are dead last in terms of customer loyalty.

When the mad Exodus To Blogger happened, on November 15th 2005, some things changed. Pardon what I am about to say, but AOL (the corporation) displayed a FUCK YOU attitude toward their customers, and for many of us it was the last straw. A Journal or Blog is a very personal thing for most folks. It represents an important part of a person, and to not be given a choice in something as important as to who is advertising on one's blog, or even if someone is advertising on a blog is also a very important thing. To some folks it wasn't a big deal, but to others it represented selling of one's creativity to the highest bidder. AOL never got that. It was merely another place to sell advertisements. Period. Money, it seems, will always... always be the bottom line.

How AOL (the corporation) felt didn't make any difference to me, but how AOL (the people who made up the Journals Community) did. I was saddened by all the hard feelings that were expressed. I never stopped loving the community, but I didn't love AOL and somehow, at times, I felt like... well... I was some kind of turncoat for doing nothing more then changing my journal address. I stopped letting it hurt my feelings that some folks decided not to follow me over here. Folks were always welcome to come and visit, or join in the Round Robins any time they wanted. And eventually some of my dear friends did comeback to me. I am hoping when folks make the next big exodus, they will look me up, or send me their new links. There is a good chance we can repair whatever damage was done, by doing nothing more then extending our hands to each other and saying "Welcome Back Into My Life Old Friend, It's As If No Time Has Passed." At least that is my hope.

I imagine that most folks over on AOL are a bit shell shocked today. I know how they feel. It can't be easy to find out that you are being evicted, and you have 30 days to gather up your memories and get out! For some it will mean 5 years of memories. The part that makes me just heartsick, it the loss of Pam's journal, and Frank's journal. I loved those two people very much, and even after their deaths I would visit from time to time just to be close them. To read the words they wrote. At the end of the month, it will be like they never existed on AOL at all. I wish there was some way of bringing them along, but there isn't. And it probably wouldn't be right to. Sigh. I still miss Slomo It's going to be hard knowing that I will probably never hear from her again.

It's a very sad situation. However, it doesn't have to stay a sad situation. If you are about to become a new AOL refugee, please know how very welcome you are over here on Blogger. Please know you are more then invited to join us for the Round Robin Challenges, and the Monday Photo Shoot. It is the very same project John Scalzi ran for years, and as always, everyone is invited to play. I would like to see some wounds heal, and I am here to help in that. If you are going to be new to Blogger, and need some help, send me an email and I will do my best to help out. The neighborhood might be different, but the community is what's important... right?

-Carly

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #5: Still Life Photography: Fruit

"As I have practiced it, photography produces pleasure by simplicity. I see something special and show it to the camera. A picture is produced. The moment is held until someone sees it."

-Sam Abell

NOW CLOSED!

EMPS #5: Still Life Photography: Fruit.
I think it will be fun to do some Still Life Photography from time to time as an EMPS, and now seems like a great time to get started! I love doing Still Life photography, because it opens all kinds of possibilities, and gives me much more creative control. I can play with lighting, and props, and get really excited about taking what I can imagine, and transforming it into art. So, let's give it a try this week using Fruit.

**You have until next Sunday evening at, 9:00 PM Eastern time, to post your photo entry, and come back here with the direct link to your post. Please remember, I need the direct link to your EMPS entry, NOT your main blog or journal address.

Linking List for EMPS #4: Welcome To Autumn (9/22/08)

Now Closed!

Karen shows us autumn in Tucson, complete with time, temperature and sunset.

Greg reached into his archives to bring us the color.

Marie shows us some pumpkins, gourds and flowers.

Connie took a walk on an autumn lane, and found some Aster in bloom, with some colorful leaves around it.

Laura posted an early autumn recipe. YUM!

Vicki and Nancy share with us the autumn sights around their new homes.

Martha found a gorgeous red and yellow flower in the first week of autumn.

Wammy photographed a beautiful old barn, framed by a tree just beginning to transition into autumn.

Kiva's Wisteria plant has an autumny yellow glow to it.

Everyone did beautifully this week. It was a lovely way to welcome autumn for 2008!

Ok, you have your assignment, now, GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS! GET THE PICTURE! I will see you in one week with a new assignment and your Linking List for this week. :)

-Carly

The Plays The Thing

"Neither a borrower, nor a lender be, do not forget, stay out of debt. Think twice and take this good advice from me, guard that old solvency. There's just one other thing, you aught to do, to thy own self be true."

-Skipper Jonas Grumby (Alan Hale Jr.) Gilligan's Island

Tee Hee. My sense of humor has kicked in this afternoon. I know this to be true because just as the "Breaking News" about the new deal that was reached in Washington D.C., to bail out Wall Street was announced, I suddenly had the soundtrack from episode #72 of Gilligan's Island, in which the castaways produced and starred in their rendition of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. They set it to music, and one of the songs, sung by the Skipper, seems particularly timely right now. Have a watch and see if you agree with me. Go ahead... it's just fun!

So tell me, what to do think of the new deal to bailout Wall Street, and supposedly Main Street? Good idea? Bad idea? Tell me what you think.

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

-Carly

The Blues They Send To Meet Me Won't Defeat Me...

"Everytime I get a script it's a matter of knowing what I can do with it. I see colors, imagry. It has to have a smell. It's like falling in love, you can't give a reason why."

-Paul Newman

I couldn't let the weekend come to a close, without mentioning the passing of one of my favorite actors, Paul Newman. He was a wonderful man, on and off the screen. His acting touched so many, and his charity work even more. I had so many favorite Paul Newman movies, but out of all those films, my favorite scene comes from the 1969 film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I think the scene where he and Etta Place ride a bicycle together, in the early morning sun, is one of the sexiest moments in film... EVER! I loved it, and I loved them. When I watched for the first time, I was mesmerized. And the extraordinary thing was, there hadn't been a spoken word between the two. No dialog was needed. It was amazing eye sex! Watch the above YouTube clip, and see for yourself.

Thank You Paul Newman (1925 - 2008)

"...The blues the send to meet me, won't defeat me. It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me."

-Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Carly