Round Robin Challenge: Goodbye To 2012

“Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it.”

~Sarah Breathnach

RRC: Goodbye To 2012

2012! What a year! Personally speaking, I had more happiness, and adventure and triumph than in any year that I can remember, but it was not without it's sorrows and frustrations as well. Mostly, I appreciated the year and I am happy to be healthy, and happy. I am especially grateful for Alan and my fur babies. We are a family and there is a lot of love in our little cottage!

Now, onto those moments, that made a year!

"Forever is composed of nows."
~Emily Dickinson

Moments Filled With Faces In Unusual Places




 



Moments Filled With Light



Moments Filled With New York Moments And Seeing Stars

Hey, isn't that the naughty Times Square Elmo? Yep! That's him!

 


Woody Allen (Making inadvertent eye contact with me)  :)






Cate Blanchette


And Sally Hawkins


Moments Filled With Autumn Color

 

 





Moments Filled With Saying Goodbye And Hello

Saying goodbye to one of our favorite restaurants. A place Alan and I frequented our whole lives. 
Goodbye Bancheros...




I found out my friend Steven passed away...
I will miss you always my friend.
   (Photo by Steven)
 

And it came time to say goodbye to my car Lilith...



But I said hello to my new car Carl...



Moments Spent In The Garden With Alan. Roses And Tomatoes Were The Thing...

Hot Cocoa Roses



Mr. Stripey Heirloom Tomatoes



Black Krim Heirloom Tomatoes




Moments Of Lovely Serendipity

Finding The Famous Parrots Of San Francisco...

 



And A Double Rainbow Over The Ferry Building And The Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge



Enjoying and appreciating the beauty of the California coastline.



And finally the biggest moment of all, taking an aerial tour of the San Francisco Bay in a single engine Cessna. I always said I would never do it. Not in a single engine plane at least, but I enjoyed it so much. No fear. Just an amazing view of the city I love. Happiness beyond measure.




"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 All of the photos in this series were taken in the second half of 2012. I did almost no photography during the first half of the year due to illness. It's wonderful to be back taking photos every day again!

That was my 2012 in pictures. If you would like to share your own photo essay of 2012 I know Karen would be happy to have you join in. Click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official blog for the Round Robin Challenges. You can find all the information you need to know about the challenge, and the list of other current Round Robin participants. Go see what everyone else photographed this year! 

~Me :)

Make Photobombs Not War :)

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second."

~ Marc Ribond

Life At The Top...

 

I had NO idea I had taken this shot, until I went into the Pacific Grove, Lover's Park, file from last autumn, looking for previously unpublished butterfly images. I LOVE photobombs. I have always wanted to achieve one, legitimately of course, but in that I tend to choose my photo jaunts carefully, I didn't think I would have an opportunity. And what happens when I actually DO have a genuine photobomb? I nearly missed it, by not looking close enough at what I had accomplished that day with the camera. Shame on me! Bad photographer! LOL. Anyway, it had been a pretty good day that day, and I was enjoying the coast so much. It had all kinds of lighting opportunities, so finding this fun little picture after all this time just means that day was all the more productive.

It's fun when that happens.

More from the day...

 

 

 

It's a real LOVE/HATE thing I have going on with my Fuji camera. I need a lot more practice with it. I am looking forward to doing a lot of new photography this year. Perhaps maybe do some new takes on old, favorite subjects. One chance might be waiting in the Marin Headlands its beautiful there, and there is a lot to explore. Also the chance to work with shadows and light of the seasons is a good thing. I plan to take a single object and really delve into what happens to it during times of day and seasons. It will either be the most enlightening thing I have ever done, or end up being an amazing failure. LOL. We'll see. Either way, at least I will get in plenty of time with the camera.

Stay Tuned.

~Me :)

Do you have any photobombs in your files from 2012 that you would like to share? Or have already shared. Please feel free to link to your photobomb post by leaving the link in the comment thread. PG Rated Only Please.

Fiscal, Fiscal Cliff,

"God says to me, with kind of a smile, "Hey, how would you like to be God for a while and steer the world?" "Okay," I said, "I'll give it a try. Where do I sit? What time is lunch? When can I quit?" "Gimme back the wheel," says God, "I don't think you're quite ready yet."

~Shel Silverstein

Doesn't that scene above look like a nice place to bring one's lunch to for a little respite from the world's woes? It is. In fact, it's one of my very favorite places to be at any time of the day, but at lunchtime it is especially nice, particularly when there is a tree, with some lovely autumn to it, practically glowing with leaves.

It's not such a great place however, when I can't get the tune that's been hopelessly stuck in my head for close to 3 weeks now to stop playing on a nonstop loop. It would be one thing if the tune was a song I actually liked, but it's arguably the worst song ever... Rick Dees "Disco Duck." Ugg!

I am pretty sure I am sole person to blame for it being in my head, as I made a stupid joke one day, and for whatever reason, it won't go away! You see, Alan and I were chatting about the "fiscal cliff" that everyone is nearly mad over, and how stupid it all is. Don't we all know that it will come down to the very last hour, the president and GOP will handshake on a deal with the devil, pat themselves on the back, and tell the rest of us we should all be grateful.

Isn't that about right and accurate?

Well, to be honest, we have all been here many times before. The outcome usually favors one side more than the other, and this time will be no different. Okay, I am a bit jaded at this point, I know, but should the fiscal cliff deal actually come out with even a microscopic advantage to fairness, I will be HAPPY TO SAY I WAS WRONG. I have NO problem with that. In fact, I really hope that's the case.

But what about the whole thing has that GOD AWFUL song stuck in my head? You ask.

Simple.

I made the mistake of trying to make Alan laugh by setting the whole, ridiculous "fiscal cliff, mess to the tune of... "Disco Duck." LOL. Yep, I knew I shouldn't do it, but my punchy side took over, and I ended up singing... "Fiscal, fiscal cliff. Fiscal, fiscal cliff. Try your luck, don't be a cluck. Fiscal, fiscal, fiscal fiscal cliff." Will I never learn? (Insert crossed eyes here). Sheesh. We both started laughing really hard, and it became the running joke of the day. And now it won't leave. And the only reason I can come up with is the fact that the news can't go a broadcast without mentioning the fact that the holidays are heartwarming, but isn't it too bad we might all be desperately broke come New Years Day.

I guess there is a part of me that simply NO LONGER CARES. I am tired of these made up dramas. I am tired of getting kicked in the knees and being told I should be grateful it wasn't worse. Sigh. I don't think I really care what happens anymore. It's not like voting had any impact. Neither side seems to be paying attention to what the rest of us wants. Our elected leaders have their own agendas, we mere mortals are lucky they let us in on it. Whatever "IT" is. And it's not like any of this nonsense is new or anything.

Some things never change. I am pretty sure I heard my father lament the very same things I do.

I wonder if Dad ever got so discouraged or jaded that he set it to music?

Hmmm.

Rick Dees... Disco Duck



(Singing) Fiscal, Fiscal Cliff.
 

~Me :)

December Days

"December is an old friend; it reminds you of the past, together you share some laughs and tears, you feel warm-hearted through it's freezing outside. But the goodbye is inevitable. May the memories we share with this friend next year be filled with comfort, peace and love."

~Mohamed Atef

 

The sun was out on Christmas Eve, just enough for me to finish shopping, put the last little details together for our Christmas, and meet Alan for our usual Christmas Eve date. It was a good day, as was Christmas Day! Alan let me sleep in really late, and when I did wake up, Dylan and Hendrix were both cuddled tightly next to me. One at my back, one at my shoulder.

Bliss.

Santa brought me some great new designer boots, a new bread maker, and a corn dog machine!

Overall I very fond of December days. I am loved, and that makes any day the best ever.

Happiness.

~Me :)

Merry Christmas To All

 

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope
The spirit of Christmas which is peace
The heart of Christmas which is love

~Ada V. Hendricks

We Wish You Love, Peace, Hope, and Happiness, Now and Always!

With Great Love...

Alan, Carly, Hendrix And Dylan

~Me

And Now Darlene Love, With My Favorite Christmas Tune,  

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)



Sing Along Why Don't Ya...

The snow's coming down
I'm watching it fall
Lots of people around
Baby please come home

The church bells in town
All singing in song
Full of happy sounds
Baby please come home

They're singing "Deck The Halls"
But it's not like Christmas at all
'Cause I remember when you were here
And all the fun we had last year

Pretty lights on the tree
I'm watching them shine
You should be here with me
Baby please come home

They're singing "Deck The Halls"
But it's not like Christmas at all
'Cause I remember when you were here
And all the fun we had last year

If there was a way
I'd hold back this tear
But it's Christmas day
Please
Please
Please
Please
Baby please come home


 ~Me :)

Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."

~Andy Rooney, American writer, producer and humorist

Happy Christmas Eve!

It's Christmas Eve. In our house, Christmas Eve is the big event. We don't open packages until Christmas Day, but we have lots of fun on Christmas Eve. We play board games, and watch A Christmas Story, we make cookies, and just enjoy being together. Alan works so hard all year, and it's a wonderful chance for me to make a big fuss over him by fixing all his favorite appetizers and nibbles. Later in the evening we will track Santa's journey around the world. Santa At Norad is one of our favorite Christmas traditions. I wish it had been around when I was a child. Silly, I know, but I really enjoy watching his sleigh making it's way around the earth. It's magic.

:) 

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas!

A Christmas Story...
 
"I Double Dog Dare You"

 

And Now, Sir Paul McCartney, "Wonderful Christmas Time"

 

~Me :)

The Day After The Day The World Didn't End

"If the world were merely seductive, the would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day."

~E.B. White

Last Friday was supposed to be the end. And not just the end, it was supposed to be THE END OF ALL THINGS. Sigh. I have had mixed thoughts about that. On the one hand, there was a side to me that would be thankful to never have to hear hateful retoric. I could be happy to never hear about the murder of any child ever again, or justifications and excuses about why there is nothing that can be done to get assault weapons off the street.

On the other hand I would love to live long enough to see the world change for the better. I would be happy to just be able to see as many amazing sunsets as possible, and photograph as many cats and kittens as possible. Now that I have flown in a single engine Cessna, I want to fly in a helocoptor. That would be awesome. But to be able to do those things, the world must go on.

So, the question is...

Is it worth it? Is the world not ending worth it?

I don't know...

But I know my camera never lies to me.

With camera in hand, here is what I saw on December 21st, & 22nd 2012.

12/21/12
 


12/22/12






:)




What is it about watching other people have fun, that makes you feel all warm and happy inside? I saw parents with their children ice skating, and smiling. Happiness was all around. I think there was definitely a lot of love everywhere I went, and an air of gratefulness about being able to hold your family close. It's more than understandable, in fact isn't it what this time of year is all about? It made me sad to look up at the clock on the Ferry building, and see the American flag still flying at half staff, and know that the last of those children were buried yesterday, but it really warmed my soul and lifted my spirits to see all that love between families, being shared with everyone who stopped long enough to notice.

I noticed. The clock, and the passage of time, had quite a message.

:)

And as that one particular dad and daughter, who careened out of control on the ice and came barreling at me at great speed, we three were already laughing as they hit the side of the rink up close and personal with me. LOL. Strangers 30 seconds earlier, now friends in humor, and shared smiles.

Who would have thought that the END OF THE WORLD could result in such life affirming joy?

"Where there is love there is life."

~Mahatma Gandhi

~Happiness!

The Last Sunset Of Autumn 2012

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

~Lauren DeStefano, Wither

I couldn't resist! While the last autumn sunset is not as spectatular a sunset as I have seen lately, it is a gentle beauty, and I am glad I decided to photograph it. Autumn has come and gone for yet another year, and I already miss the amazing gift that it is. I feel better about everything during autumn. The lighting opportunities, the shadows, the earth tones, and the bursts of color. Oh my, it seems like forever until it comes back, but I am not sad because as of today, I begin planning for my photography jaunts for autumn 2013. :)

The Last Sunset Of 2012







Autumn is one of the great loves of my life. And I thank God for every last minute of it, and for the invention of the camera which freezes time for me. During the next 3 seasons, I know that if I get sad or down in the dumps, I can always take a walk through my archives, and revisit the moments I love most.

~Happiness

:) And look, my ghostly orbs came to watch it with me. :)

~Me

Don't Worry It's Not The End Of The World... It's Christmas

"On 12/ 21/12 People will be making End Of The World like there's no tomorrow."

~Unknown

 

Is it raining frogs yet? Horns... have you heard any SUPER LOUD horns? Have you heard about any wars or rumors of wars? Ooops... lets skip that last one. How about one world currency? Nah, not unless you consider that all money world wide is pretty much useless. I know, I know... how about a man with the number 666 walking around with glowing eyes? Hmmm... Ronald Wilson Reagan. Hmmm...! Oh wait, that's so 1985. Well, how about 1/2 the earth's population disappearing? Wait... let me check... sigh. No such luck, all the Palins are still here. No apocolaypse for me! 

Still, I think I am digging sitting here, waiting for the precise moment autumn transcends into winter, and the world ends or  it doesn't. If you believe your bible, we won't know the exact day or time, it's gonna be the best darn surprise apocalypse ever! I just hope I won't be doing anything embarrassing, like... oh... say... showering or picking my nose. Not that I pick my nose, but you know, something like that. I jest, but truth is, I think stuff will end one day. And to that end, I plan to live my life, try to be a smart person, and party like it's 1999. 

And keep the faith.

It's Christmas. My 50th. That is a minor miracle in and of itself. 

~Happiness

Yesterday's Joke...

Q. How does Al Gore's household keep Christmas politically correct?

A. On Christmas morning, they give the presents to the tree.

 Today's Joke...

Q. What goes Ho, Ho, Ho, Swoosh, Ho, Ho, Swoosh?

~Me :)

 

It's Christmas Time In The City

"I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas, with a note on it saying, toys not included."

~Bernard Manning

 

If the world ends on Friday, I hope the last thing I see is San Francisco as I rise up into the clouds. I love it here. It's beautiful. And fun. And inspiring. And a little odd. And friendly. And anytime I am down in the dumps, a simple trip across any of the bridges that lead to the city, usually awakens the happiness in me. It heals me. It dries my tears. Unless it is making me laugh till I cry. God I love that feeling. Laughing till I cry, with my sides in spasms... oh how I love that feeling.

 

Tuesday, Alan and I decided to fill up our life with fun. It doesn't take a lot to improve our moods, for us it mostly consists of going out and letting life show us the big picture. Our first destination was a visit to the Tilden Park Christmas Carousel. There is a lot of joy to be had there. The whole place is decorated with different themed Christmas trees, with beautiful ornaments which can be purchased off any of the trees. It's a long standing tradition to purchase each other a new ornament each year, and we always grab ones for the cats as well. I love hanging those ornaments on the trees year after year, and remembering all the joy we got from finding just the right one.

After the park, we left for Union Square, in San Francisco. Where it was COLD! :) I smile because I bought myself an early Christmas present a couple weeks ago. I new, incredibly warm, gorgeous leopard print coat from Old Navy. GOD I LOVE OLD NAVY! :) I call my new coat my "Jersey Housewife" coat in honor of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and their love of... ahem... all things leopard. LOL. It's a fun coat, and it makes me happy. And warm. Although for some odd reason whenever I wear it I seem to pronounce stuff weird. Like if I want Alan to buy me a hot dog from the hot dog vendor on the corner, rather than say... Alan, please get me a hot dog... I tend to say something like... Hey Guido, I could really use a Dwag. LOL. Just kidding, but you knew that... right?

Anyway, we had an amazing time, sitting in Starbucks, upstairs at Macy's in Union Square. It's a lot of fun watching the shoppers, and the ice skaters, and the happiness everyone gets from a little shopping therapy, and holiday fun. Sometimes I wish I could go ice skating, but alas I never learned how. Sigh. That's one of my minor regrets, because it looks like amazing fun. About the only way I could even consider it at this point in life is if there is such a thing as training blades, which I am pretty sure doesn't exist. Nope, I might just have to face the fact that I am now too old to learn to ice skate. Woe is me. Although my knees applaud my maturity. LOL. It's not easy to know that I was able to conquer my fear of flying, but learning to ice skate is simply off the table.

Weird That.

Except for our holiday ornaments, we haven't bought a single thing for each other yet. Yikes! I think I will be doing some shopping later today, and he is planning on shopping this weekend. So, we will be back in the city over the weekend for some fun, so I will have plenty of time to enjoy the holiday sights, sounds, and shopping. Ahhh... bliss. :) Sometimes, when the world really gets to me I think the world can't end soon enough, but then I see a cute little snowman ice skating, or the most adorable elderly couple ice skating, holding hands, and looking at each other like they fell in love just a few moments ago, or I catch a glimpse of San Francisco at holiday time, and I want to grab onto life, even with it's sorrows, and embrace every bit of it.

It's Christmas Time In The City...







"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a lot more."

~Dr. Suess, How The Grinch Stole Christmas

~Happiness

~Me :)

Last Night's Christmas Joke...

Q. Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?

A. You do all the work, and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

Tonight's Joke...

Q. How does Al Gore's household keep Christmas politically correct?

*Comeback tomorrow for the punchline. But feel free to take a guess, or leave a FAMILY FRIENDLY holiday joke in the comment thread.

Peace On Earth

Christmas gift suggestions...

To your enemy... FORGIVENESS
To and opponent... TOLERANCE
To a friend... YOU'RE HEART
To a customer... SERVICE
To all... CHARITY
To every child... A GOOD EXAMPLE
To yourself... RESPECT

~Oren Arnold

I am struggling this Christmas, like no other one that I remember. Alan and I have a wonderful time together, but this year... well... you know. But I am trying to not let the sadness in, but it's not all that easy or practice, or realistic. And like when you try not to laugh at an inappropriate time, trying not to cry at an inappropriate time can be just as difficult, if not more so. I know, this to shall pass, of course it will, but right now the sadness seems to have a mind of it's own. But I try.

So, in the spirit of trying, lets share a grin... shall we?

I love Mondegreens, you know... misheard lyrics, any time of the year, but at Christmas time, it's amusing on a whole different level. Let's share a laugh, or even just a grin, it's all good.

:) Here are some of my favorites...

Real Lyrics: Jingle Bells

Bells on Bobtails ring.
Making Spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight.

Not So Real Lyrics

Bells on Bob's tail
Making spareribs bright
What fun it is to write and sing
A slaying song to knives

Real Lyrics: Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even

Good King Wences' car backed out
On the feet of heathens
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even

Real Lyrics: The First Noel

The first Noel
The angels did say
Was to certain poor shepards in fields
As they lay

 Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel.

Not So Real Lyrics...

The first Noel
The angels did say
Was to frighten poor shepards in fields
As they lay

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Barney's the King of Israel.

And now, here is the punchline to last night's joke...

Q. Why did the elf push his bed into the fireplace?

A. Because he wanted to sleep like a log. :)

Tonight's Joke...

Q. Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?


Comeback tomorrow for the answer. But feel free to take a guess! Also, if you have a favorite Mondegreen, please share in the comment thread!

Okay, see ya tomorrow with more bad jokes, and depressing Christmas observations. LOL. Nah... not really!

:)

"Christmas is a bridge. We need bridges as the river of time flows past. Today's Christmas should mean creating happy hours for tomorrow and reliving those of yesterday."

~Gladys Tabor

 ~Me :)

Happy Holidays Bill O'Reilly

"Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living."

~Amanda Bradley

It's War... WAR I TELL YOU!

Sorry, but I have a bit of the devil in me, and I just had to wish Bill O' Reilly a Happy Holiday! Bill insists that there is some big conspiracy being perpetrated on Christmas. His facts consist of people who wish others a Happy Holiday, rather than a Merry Christmas. (Insert rolling eyes here.) Wouldn't it be nice if Bill O'Reilly would relax and allow himself to simply enjoy the season? I would be lying if I said I like Bill O'Reilly... I don't. But I think like Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew, who wished his uncle some holiday spirit and peace of mind, I wish that same thing for Bill. I really do. There's no war on Christmas, except on his mind. Maybe one day he will take all that passion, and channel it toward a cause that will bring folks together, rather than give already disheartened folks yet one more reason and means to feel anything but utter disdain for their fellow man, just because they had the gall to wish someone a Happy Holiday.

Relax Bill. And Happy Holidays. :)

~Me :)

Last Night's Joke...

Q.Why was Santa's little depressed?

A. Because he had a low elf-esteem.

Now Tonight's Joke...

Q. Why Did The Elf Push His Bed Into The Fireplace?

*Come back tomorrow night to learn the answer. But feel free to leave a guess if you like. :)

Finding The Christmas Spirit Hiding Near The End Of The World

"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?

~Bob Hope



It's Monday. And as I was sharing on Twitter, I am thankful for this day, and a new start. I won't dwell on last week except to say, it was a soul wrenching time, Friday will be a day I will never forget, even if it were possible to do so. It's an incredibly frustrating event, and my heart is broken, but I have to believe that not only will the pain be eased, but the future will bring about the positive change we all yearn for. So, I am going to spend the next week or so leading up to Christmas with as much holiday spirit as I can find, and if it's okay, I would like to share it with you!

I forgot to mention it back in October, but Alan and I are on a new adventure. We are learning French through Rosetta Stone. So far we are both doing really well with the lessons, and its so much fun I actually look forward to each lesson! When we are finished with French, I would love to try German next, and then perhaps Italian. We'll see... one day at a time. ONE DAY AT A TIME. There is no hurry, well, unless the world really does in later in the week. LOL. Somehow I don't think it will. I don't have that kind of luck!  LOL.

I am getting the spirit of the season back, and I am holding on with BOTH HANDS.

:)

Now, how about a fun little holiday joke?

Q. Why was Santa's Little Helper depressed?

A. (Comeback tomorrow for the punchline, but feel free to leave your own in the comment thread.)

~Me :)

With The Permission Of The Ignorant

"It was the meanest moment of eternity."

~Zora Fuller Ross, Independence!


It's Sunday. I am sure of that. I have been talking to God quite a bit in the last couple days, barely able to put my feelings into understandable thoughts. Thank God, God knows me and understands me before I even begin. Horrible things happen every single day. Awful obscene things. They happen to the elderly, and the babies. They happen to the rich and the poor. Awful moments know nothing of race or religion. The hour and day makes no difference to the turning of the world. No one who wakes up in the morning, knows if they will have the distinct joy of seeing an amazing sunset as the day slips into night. And just as I was sharing with my friend Paul the other day, life is pretty darned random, but yet when you least expect it, a pattern will occur to once again remind you that sometimes things happen specifically in some scheduled universe we mortals are not necessarily privy to, and sometimes we do know it's coming and we ignorantly choose to ignore it.

In my life I have been guilty of relying on the random to explain away responsibility. It wasn't my fault that I got a flat, who could have known that if I hit that pot hole, it would leave my tire damaged. The pothole was perfectly random, but the knowledge that there was at least a small chance of hitting one, rather than paying attention to traffic hazards, was somehow pushed to the back of my mind as just one more of God's little jests in a random universe. God had nothing to do with it. If God does indeed have a sense of humor, he wouldn't have used it to flatten my tire. He would have used it to help me find a random banana skin to slip on. Which let's face it... is not only hilarious, but makes a good use of all parts of a delicious fruit.

The shooting that happened on Friday... :::weep::: seems in some ways to be a random act of a sick mind, when in fact, I think we all know, it was as far from random as anything gets. The Aurora Colorado shooting last summer could be explained as a random act of a dangerous mind, as could the mall shooting a week ago in Washington, as could the shooting at Virginia Tech, and Columbine, and the Luby's massacre, and the shooting of Gabby Giffords, 1 California Street, and just Saturday evening a man was arrested in Southern California for shooting more than 50 rounds into a parking lot near Macy's at the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach, and the murder/suicide in Las Vegas yesterday, the football player who killed the mother of his infant daughter and then himself. All random acts of the deranged. The psychotic. The evil. The mentally disturbed. The sick.

Actually, each and every time someone is murdered with a gun, either as part of a mass shooting, or suicide by one's own hand, the responsibility lies not just with the one holding the gun, as they couldn't have done it without the permission of the ignorant.

As our president wept yesterday on live TV, I felt nothing but disgust at his inaction on gun control. That is one of the reasons I can very close to not voting last November. As he spoke of the shooting in Connecticut, I couldn't feel sorry for him, I was too busy grieving for the children and teachers who did nothing wrong. They were innocent. But they paid for the selfishness of those too worried about their own self-serving agenda. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." "If you take all the guns off the street than only the criminals will have guns." "It's my right under the 2nd Amendment." BLAH... BLAH... BLAH. The ridiculous justifications make me sick. Physically sick. Twice yesterday. Once today.

How many more children?

I don't know. I hope I don't find out. But I am fairly sure... someday... it will happen again. Especially if we Americans continue to live in the fantasy that we are the best country on the planet. That we can do no wrong as a society. That the world wants to be just like us.

No They Don't.

Want a wake-up call?

Yesterday, some Pakistani school children held a prayer vigil for the victims of the shooting in Connecticut.

I am proud to say that I live in the state with the toughest gun laws in the country, but it didn't come about without the tragic loss of life. Too many lives.

Will anything change?

Not without the permission of the ignorant. Sleep well tonight, knowing your life is, for now, in their hands.

Please visit the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence to leave a message of condolence and learn the facts.

~Me