Past Interpretations

"A path is a prior interpretation

 of the best way to traverse a landscape."

~Rebecca Solnit

Wanderlust: A History Of Walking

This past summer I was on a path. A path that came along suddenly, and seemed to only have one direction. When my rental cottage was ripped out from under me, it meant one thing, Alan and I would be moving on, and moving on meant one thing, it was time to buy our own place. Buying our own place meant one thing... we would be leaving the Bay Area and heading east. And that's what we did! We moved east! Well, not at first. At first we planned to move slightly southeast, but when that all changed we took out a map, and a Zillow app, and ended up in Stockton, California. Oddly enough, Stockton was where I thought we might move to, prior to the ill fated decision to move southeast. Anyway, to get to either place from the Bay Area, one must travel through the Altamont Pass.

 The pass can be one of the most tranquil drives in the area, or a bumper to bumper nightmare, depending on time of day, and the day of the week. I took this picture almost a month ago, on one of those bumper to bumper drives, which as it turns out, would be my last trip over the pass. A bit of information I didn't know at the time. But that day, as I looked at that moon shining in the sky, I felt tranquil and ready for the future, whatever that meant. I don't know why, but the sight of the moon made me feel safe somehow. I had my camera out, the moon was posing for me, and the landscape was serene. I am smiling now just thinking about it, and I know that it makes me want to try really hard later tonight when the moon goes into it's eclipse.

 After all, I will be photographing it from the comfort of my own back yard! How awesome is that? My first lunar eclipse, in my own back yard! I have all the cameras charged and loaded with batteries! I have some snacks and beverages ready. My tripods are all set up, and everything is a go! Well, except for the ridiculous end of the world theories and the possibility of some low fog out here in the San Joaquin valley. It's always something! If the end of the world doesn't get ya, there is a "possibility of fog!"

LOL.

Am I worried? Nah! I am not worried in the slightest! If the end of the world comes, then so be it! All I ask is that I am not in the shower when the trumpets blare.And as for the fog, well, who knows, maybe some fog will give the photos just the edge I am looking for! Phooey on fog and end of the drama junkies. I am happy. 

And I am home!

Leaf Of The Day

September 26th, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Too Pretty To Eat? Nah...

"That's it cupcake, you're going down."

~Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero

Dangerous? Yes! Necessary? Yes! Worth it? You bet!

Need I say more?

Go... skidaddle...Get Thee To A Bakery And Buy Yourself Something Delicious!

That's my advice for this weekend!

You're Welcome!

Leaf Of The Day

September 26th, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Hoot... Hoot Hoot

"You are Mr. Owl. I am Ms. Hummingbird.

 We may be from different species but as long as you're a bird,

 I'm a bird too."

~Glad Munaiseche

Isn't this owl basket adorable? I found it at Michael's for 50% off, so I purchased two of them. Right now they are sitting in the living room, on the cubby stands we bought recently at IKEA. They bring a whimsical touch to the room, but let's face it, the add that autumn flavor as well. LOL. I have been becoming a fan of owls in the last couple years or so. The new key chain I treated myself to, after purchasing my Chevy Spark, has an antique-like owl on it, and over the summer I purchased a set of owl figurines, which I thought were just too dam cute to pass up! Also on the list of new owl objects is a set of four mugs which have different colored owls sitting in a rather bare tree. Okay. Yes. I guess it's official, I am now an owl person, which kinda makes me sound like I perch in barns late at night, and hunt small rodents. LOL. How about instead we say I am an owl enthusiast!

Leaf Of The Day

 September 25th 2015

 Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Knowing When To Stop... Decorating

"Behind every attractive room should be a reason."

~Sister Parish

Okay, this is going to be one of those posts where you might go away thinking to yourself... sometimes Carly is not a nice person. Okay, so be it. I get it. It's not nice to make fun of people. Not even ones self. But there does come a time when a little harmless venting, which might be at someone elses expense, just feels good! Now you know me, for the most part I am a positive person, well, accept for the occasional Sarah Palin jab, but come on, when I shoot an arrow her way, she usually deserves it! And also, lets be honest, she is on the public stage, at not just on a whim, but rather her chosen ambition! She knows the arrows will be coming, so how sorry can one really feel about it? Especially if the jab isn't so much of a jab, but rather a calling of, well, bullshit! Right?

Well, okay, Sarah Palin, and her mean-spirited minions occasionally have it coming. Lord knows I take a knock, now and then, from folks on the right who think my opinion, usually expressed over Twitter, is nothing but hooey. Fine! Hooey it is! Hooey, if decided in honesty, what can you do? People feel the way they feel, and when it's that black and white it's best not to try to argue, but rather let them go on their merry misguided way. Again... right?

Well, once in a while, I tend to meet in real life, someone who rivals Sarah Palin on the stupid scale. There, I said it. An actual, card carrying, stupid person. This past summer I did just that. AND SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS! This person hurt Alan and I. Financially, and in morale. She made a decision to lie, knowing what the consequences would be for us. She had only her own needs at heart. She had an agenda and she did all she could... whatever it took... to meet those ends. In the end, when I looked back over what happened, I have to remind myself that it really did happen, otherwise I tend to think of this past summer as a cheesy Lifetime movie.

The one thing I have, late at night, that keeps me from crying myself to sleep is the knowledge that she was a genuinely stupid person. A moron. A simp. How and why do I form this opinion? Well, one day she invited me to "her place" for a lovely afternoon of wasted time. She went on and on about mostly useless subjects, then invited me to take a look around "her place" to see how busy she had been the previous weekend. A weekend she spent decorating. 

Olive drab isn't really my thing, but it's not absolutely tragic either. I like earth-tones, so you can find it among my decorating touches. She had it everywhere! Okay, fine, if that is your deal, who cares? There were lots and lots of... well... pictures of wine, and wine glasses. Which again... who cares? Apparently her favorite flower was the Bird of Paradise, because she had them in every single room! Curtains. Drapes. Carpeting in the second bedroom. Towels. Dish cloths. Dishes. Glasses. Refrigerator decals. Oven decals. Wall tiles in the bathroom. Wall tiles in the kitchen. Bird of Paradise flocked and roosted everywhere!

EVERYWHERE!

But it was the sign she had hanging over the toilet in the guest bathroom that made me double over in pain and laughter. There it was... a sign.. made of wood and glitter, which read...

"And They Lived Happily Every After."

Hanging over the toilet.

So.. what? They pooped "And They Lived Happily Every After?"

He pooped?

She pooped?

They pooped?

Or was it they flushed poop "And They Lived Happily Ever After?"

I know there have been times when I needed to poop so badly, that I couldn't imagine not pooping, and when I did, I actually did live happily ever after, at least until my next urge to poop anyway! So in that light I get what she was saying! But the other side of my brain just found it amazingly funny that in all the places that sign could have been displayed, she chose to hang it over the toilet in the guest bathroom!

Oh well. I am going have to admit it. I had already came to the conclusion this lady was stupid. Not because of her decorating skills mind you, but because she was probably one of the most mean-spirited, narrow minded, racist assholes I had ever had the misfortune to be in the presence of. That day she shared her personal feelings about who she wanted to live around, and how relieved she was that I was her kind of people. When she finally revealed her true feelings about anyone who didn't look like her, I just felt covered in the crap she slung. It was disgusting and unnecessary. I never thought I would meet a true racist in 2015, or at any other point in life, but I did. And it's not something I will not forget soon. The scars that were inflicted this past summer may not ever heal. But I am going to try my best to try to heal because the pain is useless. It's complicated, but one thing I know, I will NEVER ASSOCIATE MYSELF WITH RACISTS!

It wasn't the birds of paradise everywhere. It wasn't the over use of glitter. It was her. She can decorate her life all she wants, in the end, she is a racist. End of the story.

She was, and as far as I know, stupid by choice.

But you know what they say...

Ignorance Is Bliss.

And I am sure she and those she surrounds herself with will be fine in their awful little worlds.

And Will Live Happily Every After.

Leaf Of The Day

September 24th, 2015

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

Autumn Begins

"I cannot endure to waste anything,

 so precious as autumnal sunshine, by staying in the house."

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

The American Notebooks

Can you smell the pumpkin pies and cookies baking yet? How about the cinnamon scones and cranberry/pear tart-lets? I know... it's the cinnamon/maple pecans slowly roasting in the oven that has your mouth watering! Yeah, I know, it's still hot as blue blazes outside as summer continues to inflict it's opinion on the world, but a girl can turn up the air-conditioner and dream can't she! 

Today, Alan and I are going on a little trip down to the Bay Area. It will be a blend of chores and leaf peeping in some of my favorite leaf peeping places, because who could spend a glorious autumn day in the house when the first day of autumn comes but once a year! And besides, it's time to pop down to Berkeley and grab some cheese, from the Cheese Board Collective. Yum!

Go out today and say hello to autumn.

Grab yourself a pumpkin latte.

Watch the early leaves dance along the street.

Photograph something beautiful.

Take nothing for granted.

SMILE!

It's Autumn!

Leaf Of The Day

September 23rd 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Surreal Of Summer

"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

Summer and I are not friends. We never were. I do have to admit, however, that we have understood each other from time to time, and for the most part, found enough in common that we could tolerate each other. For example, who doesn't love a long summer day at the beach? Who doesn't love all the flying winged creatures of summer? Butterflies. Dragonflies. And then there are all the summer fruits and veggies. Oh my... delicious! Yes, I have come to understand that summer is one of those necessary parts of life. One quarter of the year. And summer must be accepted and dealt with, so in my old age, I finally made my peace with it.

This past summer, which ends mercifully today, was surreal. While most of what happened to us, happened in the summer share of the year, it wasn't the season's fault. No, the fault for the last few months lies solely with one person! She knows who she is. I will disclose the full story in time, but it is still hard for me to deal with on a public level. And unfortunately, I still have some pending decisions to make about how far legally I want to take things, so discretion is best at this point.

A part of me wants to put the whole thing behind me. We have found our home. We are settling in... very slowly... and with $12,000 less in the bank then we should have, thanks to that person, but we are getting by. We even have moments of amazing joy, so it's not all bad. Not at all. I guess you could say we are just tired. And we just finished a 4 month stay at a hotel in Turlock, which believe me, was it's own kind of HELL. 

How is staying in a hotel for 4 months HELL? Glad you asked, I will be sharing about that later this week. For now, I am going to say GOODBYE to Summer 2015 as quietly, and as gently as I can. The last few months were not the fault of the season.

A little side note: When I checked with the board of tourism for Turlock, California, about what there was to do in Turlock, in the summer, for fun, it suggested... 

Go To Santa Cruz!

So, it's not like there wasn't a joke or two along the way.

If I NEVER SEE TURLOCK AGAIN, 

PARTICULARLY IN SUMMER, 

IT WILL BE TOO SOON!

 Wherever You Are, Go And Enjoy The Last Day Of Summer

And Never Take It For Granted!

Mood: Okay

~Me :)

The Things You See If You Look Close Enough

"Light makes photography. Embrace it. Admire it. Love it. But above all know it. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography."

~George Eastman

That quote about light it true! Know your lighting! Photography, like most things, is about practice, practice, practice. You need to take photos of everything, and you need to take photographs in as many lighting situations, and opportunities, as you can! It is in practice that you will see things through your camera lens, that you would probably miss otherwise. Take this lamp for example. Alan and I are in full decorating mode, having just bought our first house, but he gets a little lost in some of the smaller details, so he left to me the task of picking out the lamps for our living-room. I took my time. I waded through catalogs, and visited store after store. I finally found this lovely Victorian style torch lamp, by Better Homes & Gardens, at Walmart. I bought two, and now they sit along the long wall in the living room, at right and left sides of our couch. They look really nice, and they compliment the general decor nicely. There is just one thing... do you see it? Maybe you don't. Maybe you won't see it even after I point it out. But here goes... do you see a BAT in the scroll-work of the shade?

When I purchased these lamps, I did something I almost never do, I bought them without photographing them first! You see, I usually take my camera everywhere with me. The doctor. The post office. The zoo. The bank. I  especially like to take my camera with me shopping, so I can refer back to items I really like, but for whatever reason I find myself sitting on the fence over. But the day I went shopping for the lamps, I forgot my camera and I was too tired to go all the way back home for it. Now I remember why I got so obsessive about bringing my camera with me everywhere! Bats on shades! LOL. I know, I know, it's supposed to be a leaf design, and yeah I can see that it's leaves, but at the same time, I still see the bat too! LOL. 

Oh well... that's okay... I love Halloween and now I have a lamp that will remind me of it every day!

That worked out well!

Preseason Autumn Leaf Of The Day

#2

Mood: Happy But Perplexed

~Me :)

When Every Leaf Is A Flower

"Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale."

~Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost

Here we are. But how did I get here? LOL. The last five months have been a blink. A BIG STUPID BLINK. Oh my, it's such a long story. And I will be sharing what has led me to own a house in Stockton, but not right now... maybe in a few days... I want to think on things before I begin to share the details. For now, lets concentrate on autumn. Yes, I know, it's not officially autumn for about 10 days or so, but you know me, I am usually in a big hurry to start my favorite season! This year is NO different. I am seeing the first colors of autumn everywhere. In the sunlight. In the twilight. In the flowers and the cool, crisp mornings, but of all the signs around me, the leaves are still what makes my heart sing! 

I am planning to do an autumn leaf album on Flickr, like the one I did last year! And to get this year off on the right footing, I went leaf peeping this past week, in the Bay Area. I was in the East Bay for a doctor's appointment, when I found myself with some extra time, so I paid a visit to my favorite Liquid Amber tree, which is in Cull Canyon Park, in Castro Valley. Too my delight, my tree is beginning to show off the color a little early! Oh my. Isn't it beautiful?

How lovely is that leaf?

Stay Tuned, There's More To Come!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Remembering The Love, Laughter And The Life Of The Angells

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like the most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."

~Audry Hepburn

If you have been reading my blog for a year, or more, then you know that every September 11th, I honor and remember two extraordinary people, David and Lynn Angell, whose lives were cute short by the tragedy of 911. The Angell's were aboard American Airlines, Flight 11, when it slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 

That day saw a lot of tragedy. The Angells have always stood out to me on a personal level because I had enjoyed Mr. Angell's many contributions to the world of television. He had a gift. He made people laugh through his writing and ability to make us laugh with projects such as Wings, and Cheers and Frasier. 

He made my life better... just by sharing his talent with the world. Both of those shows got me through some tough times. What a wonderful escape it is, to come home from a bad day, turn on the TV and enjoy a good solid laugh by way of a sitcom. Mr. Angell made my life a happier place, and I will remember him often, but especially on 9/11.

I didn't know much about Lynn Angell until after I began researching the life of David Angell, but what I found out about her was awesome! She, like her husband, had a wonderful ability to make those around her feel at ease. She loved children and was devoted to bringing some help to them, and those less fortunate through charitable hearts that continue to shine today by way of the Angell Foundation, which provides help and teaches self-sufficiency to those who need a hand up in life.

The Angells were extraordinary people who made the world a better place, and because of their love and kindness, their legacy continues to this day! I can't help but smile when I think of them, and I am grateful to have learned about their lives and the example they set for all of us! They remind me to be grateful, and pass on whatever good fortune that comes my way. They remind me to smile. They remind me to go forth each day, trying my best to be the change I want to see in the world.

I will always honor the Angells in my heart. 

You don't have to have ever met someone in life, to love them!

Today I will be honoring them by smiling as much as possible.

Please join me in that tribute.

Thank You, David And Lynn Angell, for making the world a better place!

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

The "Off Market" Anniversary

"Real love stores never have endings"

~Richard Bach

Love Story

Today is a big day for me. It is the anniversary of my blogging on Ellipsis... yep... it was 13 years ago today that I began sharing my life on the World Wide Web! Well, on AOL at first, then on Blogger. It's been a wild ride, and if you asked me back then if I thought I would be buying a house in Stockton, California one day, I would have laughed and laughed and laughed. 13 years ago today I had just come in from a swim, and Elvis was tickling my knees as I toyed with the idea of blogging. Would I have enough interesting things to say? Would I enjoy sharing my thoughts with total strangers? How would my photography fit in? LOL. The answer to all the questions seemed to be positive, so off I went... into the big pond of AOL blogging. And here we are today! Now, not only do I blog, I mircoblog on Twitter, and share my photography on Flickr and Pintrest and I have made some amazingly supportive friends on Twitter and even flirted... OUT LOUD... with Dylan McDermott, before Maggie Q of course! I know, I know... the flirting was minor and I wasn't keeping Dylan McDermott awake at night, but it still feels creepy to flirt with another girl's fella... right? Didn't Alan mind me flirting with Dylan McDermott? You ask.Well, no, he found it amusing, especially when I would blush with each little alert that beeped on my phone that told me he had just favorited something stupid I had just said. LOL. I don't know who enjoyed my flirting with Dylan McDermott more, me or Alan! I would like to think I at least made #Mcdillet smile a little too!

But like I said, that was before Maggie Q.

Sigh.

But here we are. I will be explaining what happened this summer soon. Probably this Autumn when I get back to blogging daily, but for now here is a look at our new home. We get the keys either late this week or early next week. Until then we are still in Turlock, or as I like to call it...

THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT! 

Home

Yeah, I know, I have a "Mad Men" styled kitchen, complete with a PINK oven. LOL. But that's just temporary. We need to get moved in and all the utilities put into place, and some painting done, then we are going to renovate this fall. Probably in October. You'll see... it's going to look amazing. I am going for a Tuscan theme, so give it some time. You'll see! But until then, how completely cool is a PINK oven? I am tempted to leave it for nostalgia sake, but I miss my stove and oven Alan bought me a few years ago. Shrug. Still... it's kinda cool to have Barbie's Dream Kitchen!

In Real Estate terms the words "Off Market" are AWESOME!

So much has happened in the last 13 years!

Thank you so much for supporting me, and coming along with me for the ride! I love you, my friends!

"There is no mystery... that's the beauty of it. We are entirely explicable to each other, and yet we stay. What a miracle that is!"

~Kamila Shamsie.

Broken Verses

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

Haunted Houses

"It's easier to dismiss ghosts in the daylight."

~Patricia Briggs

Dragon Bones

Alan and I have begun looking for a house in Stockton. We saw 5 yesterday, all of them had something going for them, and all of them had some quirk that made them not exactly right for us. You know how it is... no house will be exactly perfect. At the moment we are just happy that the houses in our price range, also happen to be in a pretty good part of town! Stockton has a reputation for being, well, dangerous. In fact, according to one study, it is the 6th most dangerous city in America! But like with all major metropolitan areas, it also has a side to it that is lovely, and quite inviting! And, as I said, we can afford that part of town!

We looked through some lovely single story homes, mostly 2 bedrooms with huge backyards. That seems about right for us, in that we are coming up on retirement age, and we have no children or grandchildren to raise. Still, having a little extra room after having lived in a small cottage for as long as we did is an attractive idea! And boy did we ever find a house with a lot of room to it!

 A charming old Victorian, circa 1905!

4 bedrooms. A large Great Room. A full, gorgeous cherry-wood bar, with Tiffany lamps and window treatments, and old fashioned bar stools. A basement. A Study. A kitchen with gourmet oven and stove. Two bathrooms with a gorgeous free standing deep tub. It is really something to behold! Alan and I both fell in love with it, and at $189.900 it is well within our budget, but is it practical for just the two of us? Should we worry about practicality? It is a dream house, and a bit of a nightmare rolled into one!

My first impression was that it reminded me of the "Murder House" from American Horror Story. But it also has a "Coven" vibe from season three! It's quirky, but that appeals to us! We hate to pass it up because when would you ever have another chance to get a genuine Victorian for this price? But again, would it be better suited for a family who could get a lot of use from a 4 bedroom house? I don't know. But it is on my mind as I write this. I know I saw something unusual yesterday as we walked through it. I saw it's spirit, and felt the ghosts of dwellings of my past.

Does that make sense?

Life Takes Courage... right?

Mood: Thoughtful

~Me :)

My Dillybean

"The way to get on with a cat is to treat it as an equal... 

or even better... 

as the superior it knows itself to be."

Elizabeth Peters

The Snake, The Crocodile And The Dog

Dillybean. My soul mate. He is Dylan. He is Mr. Pissypants. He is His Orangeness. He is The Little Corn Muffin. At the end of the day, he is my Dillybean. My kitty soul mate. 

One of the best friends I have ever had, and even while he is bitching a blue streak, 

which believe me he can do, 

he is always just my little Dillybean. 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Who Does That?

"Life isn't always about fireworks. Your fireworks will come Sarah, and they will fizzle out just as fast. Life is an experience, not a destination. All of us has the same destination, but not one of us has had an identical experince. You'll find someone who will be there when the fireworks fizzle out and the sky turns black and love you just the same. That's the one to hold onto."

~Marilyn Grey

Bloom

Okay. Life is many things. I got that! It's at times... BORING, HECTIC, SEXY, FUN, MYSTERIOUS, STUPID, MEAN-SPIRITED, HAPPY, DEVASTATING, LOVELY, COZY, FUCKED UP, UNFAIR, BARELY TOLERABLE, AMAZING, SCARY, PAINFUL, JOYOUS, and we defy the odds to even make it here for the brief time we are allotted. I am in the middle of all those things that make life worth living. Everything you see listed above and more. All I really want is to put the last few months into a tidy little file and forget it ever happened, but that isn't really possible... is it? 

Alan and I are still mulling over our options. We need to reconsider how much we can afford for rent, and if we can afford to go home again. I think it's possible, especially in that we were smart and didn't spend the settlement money we got back in May. We can pay all our bills off, which will free up a sum to put toward rent. It's just now a matter of finding an apartment or a house to rent. Wish us luck. We are going to need it.

I wish I could say more about what happened, but for right now I don't think I will. I don't want to dwell on my blog, not now. The negativity is sitting on my soul every single day when I wake up. It probably will until we find a place to rent. I just keep wondering how someone could have done what they did? How could they sit in front of us and LIE... with no thought of how it would damage us?

Who does that?

Don't worry friends, posting to Ellipsis daily is how I find the beauty and happiness in the world, so as the next few days and weeks go, my posts will come around to the beauty in the world and eventually the comically absurd. That is why posting daily is so important for me. Please don't give up on me because of this temporary negativity, I have some beautiful photos planned for later this week, Just be patient while I wade through the muck on my way to the shore

I'll get there, I promise.

Mood: Quiet

Fireworks July 4th, 2015

~Me

Next...

"Love sometimes comes like a dream... and leaves like a nightmare."

~Unknown

Wow I am tired. I suppose you might know by now that our plans have changed... drastically. We aren't moving into the place we picked out... planned for... bought curtains and appliances for. Nope. Not going to happen!

THAT DREAM WAS KILLED!

And when we realized that the dream was dead, we grieved.

It's been a rough few months. but as of Monday we begin putting the pieces back together.

We will find an apartment, hopefully in the Bay Area

And we will move on.

Life Goes On!

And time goes by so slowly, unless you are in a crappy hotel in the Central Valley!

In that case time pretty much stops.

Honestly... I HATE IT HERE!

Don't worry, the negativity will pass.

Mood: Quiet/Pissed Off/ Sad/ Disappointed/Homesick

STRESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"The man who doesn't relax and hoot a few hoots

 voluntarily, now and then,

 is in great danger of hooting hoots and standing on his head

 for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse,

 a little later on."

~Elbert Hubbard

Okay, so some days are a little better than others.

Everything is going to be okay... right?

Everything Falls Into Place!

Mood: CRAZY

~Me :)