Welcome To Summer :)

"Summer was here again. Summer, summer, summer. I loved and hated summers. Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought something out in me. Summer was supposed to be about freedom and youth and no school and possibilities and adventure and exploration. Summer was a book of hope. That's why I loved and hated summers. Because they made me want to believe."

~Benjamin Alire Saenz, Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe.

If it's 3:51 A.M. PST or later, it's officially summer 2014! Finally. I can last another 3 months until autumn comes back to me. I can. Although I seem to have a lot less patience in summer, than in the rest of the seasons combined! Maybe it's the heat, or maybe it's the HEAT, lol, who knows? All I know I am ready, really ready, to get back out with the camera and find the sun. Not that it went anywhere, no, I know it was I that went into hiding. But I am okay again, and summer is here. And so are summer nights. I love summer nights. 

Don't you?

And Now, A little music from one of my favorite summer movies, Grease!

         
Grease
Original Release Date: June 16th 1978






Summer Nights




I went to see the movie the day it opened! It was supposed to go for my birthday, which is on June 29th, but I couldn't wait! I had to go the day it opened! And then I also went on my birthday! LOL. God I loved that movie! John Travolta was the celebrity crush of the time! Everyone loved John Travolta, and so did I. He was hot! What seems like yesterday, also seems like forever ago. Time flies, one season at a time!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Soon...

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do."

~Helen Keller

 

From the archives. I took the photo back in the august of 2010. It instantly became one of my favorite photos of all time. Many times I have considered taking this photo and putting it on canvas. Maybe one day, we'll see. I haven't been out with the camera for a while. I just haven't felt like it. I am not really stuck per se, but I am in a bit of a funk. Summer begins tomorrow, and I know I will be out more with the camera. If I don't venture out on my own, Alan is going to make me go. LOL. If all else fails, we are planting next week, so there is always the sunflowers, roses and tomatoes... right? Or perhaps I should take up watercolor drawing. Look how nice the sunflower photo looks converted to that form!

But first... the summer solstice.  One thing at a time.

I think I will be back to normal soon. :)

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

In The Last Days Of Spring...

Julia Child Rose
June 17th, 2014
My Rose Garden.

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."

~Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

 
Hot Cocoa Rose
June 17th, 2014 
My Rose Garden

I am officially back in the garden! Alan and I spent a good part of Tuesday planning things out, and next week is when most of the prepping and planning, and planting will take place. It's time to get a move on if I am going to have any fresh flowers and vegetables  for the autumn and winter! My Japanese Maple, Paul, is looking yummy! His leaves are beginning to transition to a lovely copper color, and I am going to try to start a new maple from him.

Son of Paul. LOL. That's an idea! I would love to plant several more around the yard. It is amazing to have that burst of autumn color as the long hot days drag on. It would be a year before I would see the new leaves, but well worth the wait! Summer... a necessary evil to get to autumn! But oh how delicious the summer fruits and veggies are! Only 3 more months to go until autumn, and then hello delicious meals of heirloom tomatoes and eggplant. Fresh salsa and tea sandwiches. When it's from your own garden, there is nothing like it!

Life is good!

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

 

Plans

"It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun."

~Ray Kroc

For about 5 years in a row, my pal Steven, from my AOL Journal days, and I, challenged each other to come up with the perfect hamburger for Memorial Day. May is National Hamburger month, and May 28th is National Hamburger Day. I haven't done a good hamburger photo since Steven passed away, my heart just hasn't been in it. But maybe next year I will suggest it as a theme for the Round Robin Photo Challenges, or maybe I will just hold the challenge here. We'll see. All I know is that Steven would think it was stupid to not enjoy that challenge. It would be a nice way to honor his memory I think. :) I miss my friend, but the fun times still make me smile.

:)

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

"Keep Your Feet On The Ground, And Keep Reaching For The Stars."

"Despite all the technical improvements, it still boils down to a man or a woman and a microphone, playing music, sharing stories, talking about issues... communicating with an audience."

~Casey Kasem

When I was a kid I never missed American Top 40, co-founded and hosted by Casey Kasem. Music has the ability to heal, and Mr. Kasem's voice was the perfect accompaniment. His voice had a soothing and understanding quality to it. It was the kind of voice you wished your dad had. Casey had the best voice. I will miss him, but I am grateful for all the times he made me smile. Casey Kasem began hosting American Top 40 in July of 1970, and the top song at the time was...

Mama Told Me Not To Come
By Three Dog Night



In addition to American Top 40, Casey Kasem provided the voice of Shaggy in the Scooby Doo cartoons. I just had to post one. I kinda had a crush on Shaggy. Yeah, I knew it was a cartoon, but I definitely went for the shaggy type! LOL. Must love dogs... check! Must be nice... check! Must admit he gets scared too... check. Must be slightly messy... check! LOL.

Goodnight Casey, and Thank You!

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

Father's Day

"I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom."

~Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum

I don't usually recognize Mother's Day or Father's Day. Both my parents are gone, dad died in 1995, and my mother in 2003. I wasn't close to either of them as my parents, but I was close to both of them as individuals. I hope that makes sense. I don't want to go too deeply into the disfunction, trust me it was significant, but I do find myself thinking about dad often, like now, Father's Day. I can't really help it I guess, I inherited so much from him, like his sense of humor. His flat feet, and assorted moles. We both have tender stomachs, and if left to our own for any length of time, we mess with people. Sometimes for sport. It's naughty, so I don't indulge often, but if someone really has it coming, I give it to them. Like I said, it's naughty so I don't.

 Dad taught me to be a progressive. He is the reason I have any values at all. My greatest phobia is my fear of fire. I acquired it one night, when I was 3 years old. It was a HOT summer night, and my dad was due home at any time, when we heard the familiar sound of his carpool pull up outside, but instead of the usual one door slam, on this night it was all the doors on the VW Bus slamming, and men were screaming "FIRE!" By the time my sister, mother and I reached the curb, we could smell the thick, heavy smoke coming from a neighbors house three doors away, that was fully engulfed in flames! And there was dad, and his friends, pulling the family to safety. You could almost feel the heat of the flames. I can still see it clearly after nearly 50 years!

My dad and I had a difficult relationship due to the mental illness that both he and my mother suffered from, but even in the middle of all the crazy there were certain constants. I think of them when I remember dad. I think of the best part of what made us father and daughter. The values he taught me. The way he could make candy bars materialize out of nowhere. His love of comedy and laughing. And so much more he taught me. Little by little. Little moments here and there. It was always about the little things. Like the time he bought me two laundry baskets, just after I got married, and brought them to my new apartment as a surprise. That was 23 years ago, and I still have them! 

Those two laundry baskets remain among my most cherished possessions.

Thank You, Dad!

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

PS... My father helped restore the SS Jeremiah O'Brien. He had an amazing time participating in it's restoration, and I know he was at his most happy when he was on the ship. :)

Round Robin Challenge: Sunrise, Sunset

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope."

~Bern Williams

RRC: Sunrise/Sunset

Okay, for this challenge Karen wants to see some sunrises and sunsets! Can do! Unfortunately, I am at a bit of a handicap this time around. You see, my carpal tunnel is flaring, and my shoulder is still out of whack from the kitten dislocating my shoulder. Imagine... I was taken out by a kitten! LOL. Anyway, I couldn't get out with the camera, so it was off to the archives. 

Enjoy!

Sunrise/Sunset Gallery

Sunrise...


Sunset...


Sunrise...


Sunset...








Yeah, I tried to find more sunrise photos, but, alas, I am just not a morning person! LOL. All of the sunrise photos in this post were taken on my way to the Sierra, mostly to do autumn photos! But it's okay I suppose, it just gives me one more idea to challenge myself with. Sunrise photos in 2014!

"There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them."

~Jo Walton

Karen, can we revisit this topic later this year?

Be sure to drop by the official Round Robin blog to find the links to the other participating Robins! Just click the link at the top of the post to be redirected! And while you are there, consider joining in this challenge! I know Karen would love to have you play along!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Chips Need Salsa, So...

"What is the good warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."

~John Steinbeck

I know the official start of summer is still about a week or so away, and I am not trying to rush things along, but the truth is, when we see the season begin it really won't mean much, because it's been so warm... no... HOT since late November! The trees are green, but with the dark, dry brown hillsides and the daily fire warnings, it's difficult to feel festive about it. The definite upsides are there, like my body not experiencing as much pain as in other seasons, but there is other worries like an unusual amount of rattlesnake reports. California is such a beautiful state, it doesn't deserve the drought it is having, and it's sad to know that some parks are having to close due to a lack of water, or in an effort to conserve water. What a year!

I think I will be doing a lot of things indoors this summer. One of my favorite things is to create new recipes. So, what are this yummy chips in the photo above calling for? Salsa! In past years I have stuck to tomato based salsas, but this year I think I will dabble in some fruit salsas. Mango, of course, and berry/melon. I am also planning on making some frozen yogurt. Maybe I will make some spicy ones to serve with grilled entrees. We'll see! I have some ideas for chilled soups as well. I love a bowl of Gazpacho and a nice salad on hot summer evenings. And a glass of chilled white wine never hurts either!

:)

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

Come On And Bring Your Jukebox Money...

"Keep your eyes open, especially if you're wearing a blindfold while driving. Closing your eyes in the situation could be dangerous."

~Jarod Kintz, This Book Has No Title

How about a little music about traveling to someplace fun. It's almost summer... right?

:)



Lord how I loved the B52's! Still do really. It wasn't easy to choose between this song and Roam! But In the end, Love Shack won. I loved it from the first day, and one day, hopefully a long time from now, I think it will be the theme of my funeral. That would be fun I think. LOL.

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

Gold Yarrow

Gold Yarrow 
Achillea filipendulina (Asteraceae)
June 9th, 2014 

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun."

~Pablo Picasso

 

Yellow is a pretty color. It's supposed to chase sadness away, and promote energy. Hmmm. I have very little yellow in my life except for a yellow and white polka dot duvet cover I bought at IKEA, and love. I think it looks amazing with the cornflower blue walls we have in the bedroom. Kinda like this picture of Gold Yarrow, against a Cornflower Blue sky. 

:)

Hey, look at that! I smiled just then. Maybe there's something to that theory after all!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Matilija Poppies At Twilight

Romneya (Matilija poppies)
May 8th 2014

"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer."

~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

 

My arm is still giving me trouble, it's definitely better, but it's aching and it's difficult to sleep. I don't know if I should go see my doctor or not, I am still considering it. It's been difficult to do anything with my right arm, which has made my photography difficult. I thought I would just try pushing through the pain, but I got really frustrated today and decided to try photographing these flowers with my left hand. It wasn't easy, but I did okay I think. I have always loved these summer beauties, but didn't realize they were from the poppy family! I am thinking about chasing summer flowers this year. You know, all the ones that grow wild. Alan bought me a wonderful book a while back... National Audubon Society Field Guide To Wildflowers. I think I might put it to good use this summer. I like learning about new beautiful things. 

Mood: Enthusiastic

~Me :)

Reflection Of A Waterlily

"Sometimes a girl just has to dive under the duvet and regroup."

~Jody Gehrman, Confessions Of A Triple Shot Betty

I think the cloud is beginning to pass. I hope so anyway. I am not pushing things, so today's photo is from the archives. September, 2005. Alan and I were visiting the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. We walked the whole place then finally visited the last room, that is kept extremely HOT and HUMID because all the wonderful tropical plants are at their happiest when it is HOT and Humid. The amazon waterlilies were thriving, and couldn't have been more lovely. I couldn't put the camera down! I was so pleased to be able to capture this pink one, with just the right angle and lighting, to bring it's reflection in focus so finely. It was a good day with the camera!

I am focusing on good memories as I work through the negativity.

Mood: Content

~Me :)

Just Like Yesterday, Or 7 Years Ago...

"When anybody asks me what time it is, I always say, "Yesterday, plus 24 hours."

~Jarod Kintz

Some of you reading this post might recognize the graphic above as the template I used for the AOL Journals version of Ellipsis. I think I still have a few readers from that era, but if you discovered me here on Blogger then I now get to give you a glimpse of the early days of my mental blogging meanderings. LOL. AOL Ellipsis was posted to for the first time on August 23rd 2003, and last posted to October 31st 2005, although I had made the trek to Blogger a year earlier, after the ridiculous banner ad drama. I posted my first post here on Wednesday, November 16th, 2005.


Hello Blogsphere...

Remember that show "Suddenly Susan?" The basic premise was that this slightly ditzy girl suddenly finds herself all on her own in the world...and suddenly it all opens up with a lot of previously unforeseen opportunities. Well, after the "Black Tuesday" that AOL just gave to Journal Land, I "suddenly" find myself here. I have a new home. Right now the walls are bare, I haven't met my neighbors, and my furniture hasn't arrived, but it's home. And it's got a great view of the future!

Always, Carly

And that's how I ended up here! At lot has happened since then, I might reflect on those things as we move through the summer, and approach the anniversary of when I began journaling/blogging, August 23rd. There is so much that has happened, that it stuns me when I think about all the changes. Some of them were good for me, others, well, I would give anything if they hadn't happened. But they did, and one learns to deal with them, to make peace with them, and then move on. It's a sink or swim world and one simply has to survive. I curled up in a ball once, and with good reason mind you, but I learned some coping skills from that experience that I carry with me to this day! Hopefully, if I am ever faced with that kind of stress again, I will be able to deal fully with it.

Blogging has done a lot for me. It has been a great catharsis. I don't need to have a million readers. I don't need praise. I don't need to be coddled. All those things are nice, but at the end of the day, I just need a place where I can dispose of what my dear friend Pam called, head noise, that rattles in my mind. The good... and the bad. I have been blessed, because there has been way more good than bad. Way more friends than enemies. Way more happiness than sadness, and way more creativity than lack of it. Yes! I have been, and continue to be, BLESSED.

Can you believe that this summer will mark the 11th year of this blog? Where does time go?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Face In The Crowd: Have A Coke And A Smile :)

"The truest smiles are those which spread across our faces when no one's watching us."

~Minhal Mehdi

Coca~Cola Classic... I am hopelessly addicted. Have been since I was a small child. I know. I know. It's not the healthiest thing in the world, and as I have grown-up I find I actually prefer Diet Coke most of the time, but once in a while, after one of those really bad days, when all you want to do is climb back in bed and pull the covers over you, and pretend the day had never began in the first place, I find a drinking a super cold can of Coca~Cola Classic, right out of the frig, a better cure than Valium! :) I don't indulge often, but I do admit that on any given day, there is a full, unopened can just waiting for me at the back of the refrigerator waiting to make it all better!

 

Have a Coke, and a Smile. See, even the face in the Coke machine is smiling!

Mood: Happy (Slurp)

~Me :)

Please Do Not...

"You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles."

~Arthur Conan Doyle, The Boscombe Valley Mystery

In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter, and in fact, it's none of my business, but if you look very closely at the box, protruding from the back of the vehicle in the above photo, you see printed on the box the words... Please Do Not." Hmmmm... "Please Do Not"... what?

It's a mystery.

Unless you know the answer.

Care to hazard a guess, or provide the actual answer?

Hint: The item in the box is a hot water heater. No brand name.

"Not every puzzle is intended to be solved. Some are in place to test your limits. Other are, in fact, no puzzles at all... ."


~Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration


Mood: Inquisitive

~Me :)

Joey Pez Isn't A Kitten Anymore

"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshiped as gods, cats have never forgotten this."

~Anonymous

My Joey. He is still technically a kitten, and will be through the summer, but come early October he will turn a year old, and therefore, an adult. Sigh. I think that will be good, I don't have the energy to keep up with his kitten energy, thank goodness I have Dylan and Hendrix for that, but at the same time, I miss my little gray and orange fluff. My Joey Pez. Well, I guess he will always be that, no matter how old he gets. 

My Joey Pez.

~Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Yellow Daylily In Early Morning

href
="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/czMPwRrPEvMGperVVaeEkZY0r-ISDAEwkenT71RckUs?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OO6chbWkdMyjeFpp4_q2PafvP11Utvs6rlBJnjv4psoEzN6mhEKS8eUDOixAbjYXHjksAnDgfa3EEOdhXAILDc7VF-TkO803kDmGMP7VcA4A95qdH1ggT8Wevje-k1N46uf0Yg/s800/Morning%2520Daylily%2520May%252020th%25202014%2520HTC%2520Vivid%2520Posted%2520June%25203rd%25202014.jpg" height="473" width="800" />
"When you only have two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other."

~Chinese Proverb

I am really appreciating the flowers this spring. Nothing improves my mood quite like photographing a really beautiful flower. The last few weeks Daylilies (Hemerocallis) have been catching my photographer's eye. They are so alive and vibrant! I wish I could have some in the yard, but they are highly toxic to cats, and I will feel awful if one of the neighborhood vagabonds was accidentally hurt by one. So, I admire the flowers elsewhere! Maybe some day I will have one of the amazing outdoor greenhouses where I can grow all the things I wish I could now. It's a good dream I think.

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

 

9:19

"It's a match made in heaven... by a retarded angel."

~Woody Allen

Okay, I know, I know..."retarded" is no longer a politically correct term, and as a matter of fact, I don't used that term, but it was socially acceptable at the time Woody Allen used it, and I saw no reason to change it. So if that is all cleared up, let's get to today's blog post.


( Click The Photo To See A Larger Version )

See my car, well my former car, Lilith, well I knew there was a possibility that she had made it into Woody Allen's film Blue Jasmine, and here is the maybe, could-be, possible, confirmation. Look at the picture at the top. See the car silhouette in the window, just to the left of Cate Blanchette? Well, I think that might be Alan and I, inside Lilith, as we drove down Lexington avenue, on the day Woody filmed there. Now of course there is no way to know for sure, but that sure looks like my girl, and the sun seems to be in just the right place, plus the two young boys who played Ginger's sons were there that day, we saw them when the film crew broke for lunch! 

"What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream?"

~Woody Allen

Okay, I am going to admit it, it would be the thrill of a lifetime to have accidentally made it into a Woody Allen movie, so yeah, I kinda really want it to be true. But at the same time, the car does look an awful lot like my car, so I am not completely delusional... maybe just partly so. LOL. At least as delusions and mistaken identities go, its harmless. You know the more I look at that photo, the more I am sure of it. It's Lilith. It was her last great hurrah. Less than a month later she died, and we traded her in for a new car. Our Denim Blue, 2013 Chevy Spark, that we named Carl.

It's strange to think that someone may be driving around in my movie star car. My Lilith, an uncredited extra in Woody Allen's amazing film, Blue Jasmine. And they don't even know it.

 
( Click The Photo To See A Larger Version )


Life is odd.

But seriously, it could be her... right?

"Eighty percent of success in life is showing up."

~Woody Allen

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

Unconditionally

"Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience."

~Pam Brown

Hendrix. He is the alpha cat. He is the caregiver. The Love Bug. The best friend anyone could ask for. I don't ever have to wonder if I am loved... Hendrix showers me with love. It doesn't matter how I look, or if my Fibromyalgia has stolen all my words, Hendrix is always there to shower me with love. And every night, when it's time for bed, he climbs in and snuggles me, and gives me kitty kisses, and insists on looking me in the eye, which is amazing because most cats don't like looking humans in the eye. He wants me to know... without a doubt... he loves me. Unconditionally.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Look Back At May 2014...

"Lots of people go mad in January. Not as many as in May, of course. Nor June. But January is your third most common month for madness."

~Karen Joy Fowler, Sarah Canary

I wouldn't say I went MAD in May, but there were definitely things getting on my nerves and playing with my emotions. As a result, I struggled with a good bit of lethargy, and a long bout of not feeling particularly inspired to get out doors with the camera. Shrug. It happens... right? Fortunately I have been finding pleasure in looking at other peoples photos on Instagram, and letting them inspire me with their choice of varied subjects. 

I know, I know... Steven would say... "Photograph something every day, and push through the bouts of absent creativity." He knew, I think from experience, that sometimes the only way to silence the inner naysayer is to ignore them and go about your way. And that's what I am telling myself right now. My goal for June is to take at least one photo a day, of whatever comes my way, and we will see where we are on June 30th. Should be interesting, as that's the day after my birthday! LOL.

Anyway, here is what caught my eye in May...







On to June...

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Round Robin Photo Challenge: Really Old

Sather Tower
Cal Berkeley Campus
Berkeley, California
1914 Opened to the public in 1917

"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

~Marcel Proust, In Search Of Lost Time

RRC: Really Old

When I read the concept for this challenge, I just knew I had to feature some of the gorgeous buildings around the Bay Area! I love that there is such variety in architectural styles all around the bay, it definitely offers something for everyone! And what better to showcase first? Why the photo above... Sather Tower which sits on the Cal Berkeley campus! The tower can be seen from San Francisco, and every time I am in the city, I always find myself looking for it. It is a nice feeling to see home, just across the bay! Now, on to some different buildings I love to photograph!

#1. Dunsmuir-Hellman Estate and Gardens. Oakland, California. 1878.


#2. Tower Bridge. Old Sacramento, California. Opened December 15th 1935


#3. James Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton, San Jose, California. 1887


#4. Alcatraz Prison, San Francisco Bay, California. First Building Built 1853.




#5. Conservatory Of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. 1878.


#6. Palace Of Fine Arts, San Francisco. Built For The 1915 Pan-American Expo.


#7. Potter Schoolhouse (1873) And St. Teresa Of Avila Church (1859), Bodega Bay, California



Okay, so I threw in one bridge... I couldn't help myself! It is so beautiful, and I am so fond of it, plus it has a wonderful, rich history! In fact all the buildings I featured here do, so click on all the links to see what these buildings are about! Most of them have been designated Historical Landmarks, so you can bet there are some stories behind those walls! Take the Potter Schoolhouse as one example. It had been closed a year before Alfred Hitchcock featured it in the movie, The Birds. In fact, Hitchcock is credited with saving the building from demolition! It has not only endured all these years, but has in fact thrived! 

It is currently owned by private party, and is rumored to be haunted It has been seen on several reality shows dealing with paranormal phenomena. Isn't that fun? Spooky! Maybe a former owner couldn't bear to part with such a beautiful building. If ever a building could inspire a story, it would be the Potter Schoolhouse. But that's whats so wonderful about REALLY OLD buildings... right? :)

If you would like to participate in this challenge, or if you want to see what the other Robins have come up with, click the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog, where you will find all the information you need to play along and links to the participating photographers!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)