John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #108:Lesser-Known Art

"A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinion than anything else in the world."

-Edmond de Goncourt

Weekend Assignment #108: Show off (or link to) a lesser-known work from a favorite artist. Because there is more to Da Vinci than the Mona Lisa, and more to Van Gogh than Starry Night, I'm thinking of painters, but if you'd prefer to essay a lesser known book from a famous author, or song from a favorite musician, that works too.

Extra Credit: When was the last time you were in an art museum?

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

What a nice Weekend Assignment to do, just back from my week off. A week that I spent, mind you, filling my life with art. I did some photography, so I have new photos for you, and I visited some public art displays here and there around the Bay Area. I am soooo ready to discuss art! I bet you already knew I was ready to discuss not just art or just any old artist, but indeed my very favorite artist, Claude Monet.

When you think of Monet, which of his works come to mind? "Houses Of Parliament," "Water Lilies," or maybe, "Tulip Fields In Holland?" All of those are lovely examples of his talent as an Impressionist painter, but for purposes of this particular entry, I will show an example of Claude Monet's etchings, "Eva Gonzales."

Eva Gonzales was a contemporary of Claude Monet, and the only formal student of Edouard Manet. She was born into a family that truly embraced the arts. Her father, Emmanuel, was a well known author and her mother was a musician. Eva Gonzales showed her work at Salon, but declined to have her paintings displayed at independent exhibitions. She died early in life, when she passed away during childbirth in 1883. She was only 34 years old.

Extra Credit: I haven't been in a museum in several years. Way too long. That is all about to change. There is a wonderful exhibit of Monet's works,"Monet In Normandy," due to begin at the,The Legion Of Honor, in San Francisco,in June and running through the middle of September of this year. Oh...I am soooo there! :)

-OndineMonet
"Eva Gonzales" By Claude Monet

Peeking Inside The Door

"Rest when you are weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit...then get back to work."

-Ralph Marston

Hi All :)

No I am not back quite yet, I am just poking my head inside the blogroom door to say "hi" and let you know I haven't forgotten about this week's MadLibs game. I am extending the deadline to this coming Saturday, April 22nd, at 9:00 PM Eastern time. The winner will be announced on Sunday. Here is the link to this week's edition, feel free to enter more then once if you wish!

We are enjoying some awesome sunshine here in the East Bay, after setting records for rainfall for this spring, March specifically. I am finally feeling like going on some photo jaunts, and I am finding some incredible sights and sounds. I will be showing you some wonderful new photographs beginning next week, so be sure to come back and have a look see.

Ok, I am now off to do some research, and edit some new pictures, See ya soon!


-OndineMonet
"Lunch Companions"
San Mateo, California
April 19th, 2006
Early Afternoon

Remembering Pam

"When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight."

-Kahlil Gibran

I just reread the email from Nancy, Pam's sister, that said we lost our dear friend today. I am so very sad about that. Pam was my friend, someone I had come to like and love and appreciate very much. She is someone I will NEVER forget. She was someone who cared about people she met, people she hadn't met, and the animals she took such good care of. She had a beautiful heart and soul. I can't even begin to articulate about the hole that her passing will leave in my heart, but I can say that the love and friendship she gave me will always serve as a most gentle reminder of what a gift friendship is. Pam...darlin...I will miss you.

Love, Carly

NOTE: I will be taking a few days off from updating my blog. See everyone soon.

-OndineMonet
"At Peace"
Southern Marin County
Autumn, 2005
Early Evening

Happy Easter

"On Easter Day, the veil between time & eternity thins to gossamer."

-Douglas Horton

-OndineMonet
"Lily Life"
San Ramon, California
Spring, 2005
Morning

"Holy"...A Round Robin Promotion

"What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter...a soothing, calming influence on the mind rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue."

-Henri Matisse

One of the things I enjoy most about the Round Robin Challenges, is the complete artistic and creative freedom involved. We Robins come together to share our common love of photography, but leave each challenge with a fresh perspective to ponder, and sometimes to even challenge us further...even after we have moved on to another challenge. So many times, I have submitted an entry for a certain challenge, only to find another photo down the line, which would inspire me and make me want to go back and resubmit my entry. LOL. A recent example would be the subject of, "Signs." That happens to be one of my favorite subjects to look for, when I am out with my camera. Not signs as in OMENS, LOL, signs as in street signs or unique business signs. :) These challenges give me the opportunity to exercise my creativity...to try to think beyond the literal. I think our next challenge, "Holy," chosen by Robin, author of the journal, "Search The Sea," will provide all of us with some excellent opportunities to push the creative envelope.

Robin's suggestion for this challenge is for us to post a photo of something we consider to be holy. That can refer to our religious ideals, but it can also reflect our reverence for nature, or art, or as Karen said in the Round Robin Promotional entry, "Writing and the English language are holy for me." A very understandable idea, in that Karen is an awesome writer who has respected pursuid her talent most of her life. Like me, she fell in love with books when she was a child, and that love has grown into a devotion that will last a lifetime. What can be more perfect then the wish to share a talent, surely from above, with the world. I admire those who give freely of their talents, if they didn't the world would oh so much darker.

For me, as much as I would like to be a writer/photographer, there have been certain twists and turns in my life that make me believe that maybe both aren't necessarily meant to be. That is ok...I am simply allowing myself to go down the roads that are meant for me. So, I am concentrating more on my photography this year, with a greater sense of devotion and care. I am working on perfecting my patience, when attempting to achieve the perfect shot. Sometimes it takes looking at a subject, as if it were already a priceless piece of art. I had a special opportunity one day last year.

For whatever reason, last year, there had been very few butterflies fluttering about here in the Bay Area. I was constantly looking for them, but just not finding them. I was beginning to think I would not be seeing any at all, until one day last August, when I went to Alamo Square Park , in San Francisco, there, to my amazement, was a small garden of flowers, and among them, were three bumble bees and this one butterfly. It was just floating from blossom to blossom, drinking in the nectar and quietly going about his life. I was mesmerized.

For the next hour or so, I photographed the butterfly from as many angles as I could think of. I tried to capture the way the butterfly and the flower seemed to be floating in mid-air, and not at all attached to the flowers stalk. I wanted to photograph this moment of complete beauty, with an impression of what was beyond just what was available to the eye To bring an element of my favorite art movement, Impressionism, to the scene in front of me. The flower was perfect, there wasn't a bit of browning on it. The butterfly was perfect, his wings were undamaged and spread out completely. Nature, and it's beauty are a perfect gift from God.

Also as Karen pointed out, we are in a special time of year right now. With this challenge, we can celebrate our faith and what it means to us. We can share a little about what we hold dear and holy, be it gifts from God, or our personal relationships that transcend this earth no matter what our religion might be. Maybe you aren't particularly religious, but maybe you still have an appreciation for the beautiful architecture of churches and places of worship. Don't feel left out. There are many possibilities to go with. In fact, I looked up some words which are synonymous with the word, "Holy."

Believing, blessed, chaste, clean, consecrated, deditcated, devoted, devotional, devote, divine, faithful, faultless, glorified, god-like, godly, good, hallowed, humble, immaculate, innocent, just,knee-bending, moral, perfect, pietistic, pious, revered, reverent, righteous, sacrosanct, sainted, saintlike, sanity, sanctified, seraphic, spiritual, spotless, sublime, uncorrupt, undefined.

All of these words could be used in your challenge to meet the subject of, "Holy." I hope you will consider joining us for fun. This challenge will play on Wednesday, April 26th. You can post any time between the midnights that day or up to one week after, but if you post on that day you will have the best chance of your photo entry being seen. For all the information you need to play the challenge, simply pay a visit to the official Round Robin journal. Be sure to read the ***Welcome Entry And Rules Of Play***. Then read the entry for, "Holy," and follow the directions. That's all there is to it! :) Come on and join us...you know you want to.

-OndineMonet
"Softly He Smiled"
Alamo Square Park, San Francisco, California
August, 2005
Afternoon

All Those Fridays Ago

Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise

-Luke 23:43

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit

-Luke 24:46

-OndineMonet
"At The End Of The Day"
Southern Marin County, California
January, 2005
Twilight

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 107: Tech You'd Miss

"Some people worry that artificial intelligence will make us feel inferior, but then, anybody in his right mind should have an inferiority complex every time he looks at a flower."

-Alan C. Kay

Weekend Assignment # 107: Which recent piece of technology would you miss the most if it suddenly disappeared tomorrow? By "recent," I mean in the last two decades or so (if you didn't have it in 1986, you can't have it now). You can also consider tech which did exist in 1986 but wasn't in common usage. For example, the Internet existed in 1986, but no one except a few geeks at universities used it. Any tech is up for consideration, whether it be consumer tech, medical tech, security tech, or whatever.

Extra Credit: If you were cut off from the Internet (like, say, me), how long would it take for you to go completely insane?

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

I bet you guys know me well enough by now, to know that my cell phone and I are as one! LOL. So, I am here to tell you to disregard what you may have heard. Cell phones are NOT instruments of the devil. They are NOT going to bring the world down into the bowels of the earth. LOL. It's just a matter of focusing on the more positive aspects of cell phone ownership. All it takes to change them from an irritation, to a God send, is to be stuck in a bathroom in Sacramento, California, in which there is no available tissue, to remind one just how wonderful technology really is. Yep, that happened to me, and it was on Christmas Eve, no less. LOL. It all had a happy ending though, because I had my handy little cell phone with me, so I was able to phone the manager of the restaurant to bring me, and the lady in the next stall, some bathroom tissue. Yep...true.

I was hoping to find a way to talk a bit about cell phones this week, because it just so happens I treated myself to a new one just yesterday. It is an upgrade through my carrier, Cingular, and is a Nokia 6102. Her name is Babbette. :) She isn't the most expensive, and she doesn't have every single bell and whistle available, but she has the features I care about the most. She has a camera and video feature, she can email, and IM. She plays great music and video clips, and really cool games. I customized her to play, "Brand New Day," by Sting, and I have a "Sex And The City," theme, with wallpapers, screensavers, theme song, and game, The game is called, "Psychic Cocktail." It is played like a "Magic 8 Ball." Just as the martini shaker a question, hit the button, and you will magically receive your answer to life's problems. How fun!

On a slightly serious note. We live in a strange age. Things happen with sudden intensity, and I think it has made some items, which may have seemed like luxuries before, seem much more practical now. I still think about the photos someone took with the camera phone, as they descended the stairs in tower 1 of the World Trade Center. The faces of the folks running down the stairs for their lives, and the faces of the heroes running up the stairs with no concern for their own safety. Sigh. Incredible moments...caught in time...thanks to the invention of the cell phone, and digital cameras. Digital cameras would have been my next choice, but you guys already know how I feel about them. :)

Like with all good inventions, things can be corrupted. If folks just practiced some common courtesy and sense, the cell phone wouldn't be so hated. I don't answer my phone while I am driving, I turn it off at appointments and when I go to the theatre, and if I have to take a call at a restaurant, I keep it brief...and I don't scream my business into the phone, so the whole restaurant has to deal with my life. It is very simple. I try to be mindful of others. It really isn't that difficult.

Extra Credit: I do enjoy the world that the Internet provides me. My friendships. Being able to research things that interest me, and to participate in group activities like the memes and the Round Robin Photo Challenges, but in truth, lately I have been thinking that maybe I should consider jumping off the web for a while, sometimes the Internet can be a lonely place to have a small voice.

-OndineMonet
"My Friend Babbette"
Berkeley, California
April 13, 2006
Evening

And The Maddie Goes To... (Madlibs)

"Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote the good and happiness of one another."

-Eustace

Hi Everyone :)

We had a good turn out for the return of Madlibs on Ellipsis. Thanks goes to Charley, Karen, Pat, and Wil, who it just so happens, is our winner. Please give Wil a big round of applause! Good going Wil! :)

Wil has been my buddy for a long time now, well over a year. In Internet time, that is a long time. I am proud to consider him among my oldest Internet friends. I first came to enjoy his journals, when he was a member of the AOL community and he was also a part of Andrea's writers group, the Whatifs. He has a nifty sense of humor, that always tickles me, and he writes his journals with a great deal of honesty. What a refreshing thing indeed. :) One other thing about Wil that impresses me, he is very honest with the comments he leaves me. :) He is a straight shooter, who isn't afraid to tell me when I have missed the mark. :) That honesty, coupled with some sound advise about both my writing and my photography, reminds me of how lucky I am to have him for a friend. If you haven't visited his journal, Daily Snooze, hop on over...quick as a bunny...and see what a rare find he is. Thanks Wil! Now on to his story, and the words for our next Madlibs round.

Little Red Riding Hood
By Wil (Olddog299)

One day, Little Purple Riding Hood was going through the forest carrying a basket Purple People Eaters for her grandmother. Suddenly, she met a big bloodiest wolf. "Gadzooks!" said the wolf, "where are you going, little Zoinks? "I'm going to my grandmother's house, she said, then the wolf finagled away. When Miss Riding Hood got to her grandmother's house, the wolf was in bed dressed like her grandmother, "My grandmother," she said, "What big Centaurs you have," the better to trample you with," said the wolf. And then she said, "What big cannibals you have, grandmother," The wolf said, "The better to pulverize you with," And she said, "What big appendages you have, grandmother," But the wolf said nothing. He had just died of indigestion from eating grandmother.

Tee Hee! ;) Ok...here are your words for next week. Please email me your words by Wednesday, April 19th at 9:00 PM Eastern time. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SUBMITTED WORDS IN THE COMMENTS! The winner, and the story will be announced on Thursday, April 20th. As always, the winning entry will receive a nifty prize, and their journal a proper pimping. Hmmm...can one actually have a proper pimping??? LOL.

1. Adjective
2. Noun
3. Part Of The Body
4. Adjective
5. Person In Journal/Blog Land
6. Noun
7. Adverb
8. Noun
9. Plural Noun
10. Adjective
11. Type Of Vegetable
12. Noun
13. Noun
14. Adjective
15. Part Of The Body
16. Noun
17. Adjective
18. Verb (Ending in "ing")
19. Adjective
20. Noun
21. Adjective
22. Noun

-OndineMonet
"Grandmother's House"
Yuba Gap, California
October 29th, 2005
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: New Life

"The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings then endings."

-David Weinbaum

New Life...

For our current Round Robin challenge, we have the subject of, "New Life." The challenge was chosen for us this time around by Sassy, author of the journal, "Sassy's EYE." I really like this topic a lot. Spring is the season of new life, and new beginnings. It was on a lovely spring day last year, that I had a chance to photograph a new life, just beginning, when I saw a couple posing for their wedding photos at the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, in Golden Gate Park.

It had been a grey, rainy day in the Bay Area, the whole week had been sorta cold and moody. By the time Sunday rolled around, Alan and I decided to go into the city and just sit at the park, just to see what we could see. Ocean Beach is literally steps away from the park, and it is always fun to watch the surf on days like this. So, we grabbed our favorite hot beverage from Starbuck's, and off we went. I didn't think it would be a good day to bring the camera, because of how dark it was, but at this point if I leave it at home, I kinda feel like I have left a part of my body behind! LOL. And besides, you never know what you might see in San Francisco.

It was never more true then on that day. As we sat in the park, enjoying the new life of the tulips and the poppies, along came the most beautiful couple. It was their wedding day, and they wanted to have the gorgeous blanket of flowers in the background of their wedding photos. Anyone could see, they were very much in love. The light between the two was almost blinding. When he looked at her...she smiled, and when she smiled...his whole face lit up. It was apparent, their new life together would outlast time itself. :)

It is not too late to play along with us if you like. You have up to one week to post your entry. Just pay a visit to the official Round Robin Blog to learn all the details. Be sure to visit the other participants for this challenge round, to see their interpretations of our current topic.

-OndineMonet
"New Life, New Love"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
March, 2005
Afternoon

Linking List

Sassy... Sassy's EYE POSTED

Karen... Outpost Mavarin POSTED

Carly... Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly POSTED

Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED

Erika... Photographs of My Soul

Sara... Animated Seasons POSTED

Kimberleigh... I Shaved My Legs For This POSTED

Pat... Here, There and Everywhere 2nd Edition (Blogspot) & (AOL) POSTED

Valorie... Keeping Our Human Mother On Her Toes & Retrospect USA

Patrick... Patrick's Portfolio POSTED

Derek... Derek's Picture Of The Day

Tess... First Digital Photos POSTED

Tammy... The Daily Warrior POSTED

Phinney... Paragon POSTED

Celeste... My Day And Thoughts (AOL) & My Day, My Thoughts (Blogspot)

Jessica... Quick Silver POSTED

Steven... (sometimes) photoblog POSTED

The Wikipedia Birthday Meme, Featuring Carly As Herself

"The secret of staying young, is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."

-Lucille Ball

I saw this meme over at John Scalzi's journal yesterday, and again later in the day at Patrick's. You know how much I enjoy a good meme...so I thought I would give it a try. :) The idea is to pay a visit to Wikipedia, put your date of birth, just the month and the day, in the search, and then share some facts about what has happened on that day in history. Here is the criteria, your post must have...

At least 3 events
Two births
One death

Let's see what all has happened on my birthday, June 29th!

Events...

In 1613- The Globe Theatre in London, England burns to the ground.
In 1863- George Custer is appointed as a U.S. Union brigadier-general.
In 1891- United States forest Service is organized.
In 2000- Vandals break into the tombs of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines.

Births...

In 1397- King John II of Aragon
In 1943- Little Eva

Death...
In 1861- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

So that's what happened on my birthday, tell us about yours. If you do an entry, be sure to leave your link over at Scalzi's journal, "By The Way... ." And don't forget to circle my birthday on your calendars...LOL...I happily accept gift cards. ;)

-OndineMonet

Note: There is still time to sign-up for our current Round Robin photo challenge. Just pay a visit to the official Round Robin blog, read the entry, follow the instructions, and you are all set. :)

Note2: There is also time to play along with the return of Madlibs! See my entry here, for all the details! Don't forget there is a nifty prize for the winner!

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Get Close, Part II

"I wish more people felt that photography was an adventure the same as life itself, and felt that their individual feelings were worth expressing. To me, that makes photography more exciting."

-Harry Callahan

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of something in extreme close-up -- so close it's hard to tell what you're looking at. Ask people to guess. On Thursday, reveal what you've photographed.

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

I thought it might be fun to post 2 photos, one beforeI bought my digital, and one after. Photo (1) was taken with in the last 6 months, with my Konica/Minolta Dimage 1Z Digital camera. Photo (2) was taken about 8 years ago with my Minolta Maxxum 300sl 35.mm. Both photos have been posted on my Ellipsis & Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly. Hmmm...what could they be?

-OndineMonet

One Of The Reasons Why I Will Miss The West Wing

"Anyway, after we go out and work our hearts out, after you go out and helps us turn out the vote, after we've convinced the good Americans to vote, and while they're at it, pull that old George W. lever, if I'm the one, when I put my hand on the Bible, that day when they swear us in, when I put my hand on the bible, I will swear to not...to up hold the laws of the land."

-George W. Bush
Toledo, Ohio, October 27, 2000

I don't know...things in America are just sad right now. I suppose, given how I feel about George Bush, and his administration, you would think I would practically be doing back flips of joy at how terrible things seem to be going for the White House. Not true. I feel a lot of things, but joy isn't one of them. I guess, more then anything I feel...sad. Forget party lines, I want to know how an American could have done the things Bush has done, let alone our Commander-in-Chief. Sigh.

This past weekend, Senator Arlen Specter, (R) Pennsylvania, called on President Bush and Vice President Cheney to explain their roles in the CIA leak case. "I think it is necessary for the president and the vice president to tell the American people exactly what happened." I would like to know that myself. The fact that both Bush and Cheney have been silent regarding this issue since the news broke on Friday, that Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I "Scooter" Libby had testified, under oath, that he was given permission from both Bush and Cheney to leak information to the press. It is all a very thin line. The president has the authority to disclose information, so the act of disclosing this information is not illegal, but why did he choose to disclose information which had been proven to be unreliable before we ever went to war with Iraq?

I think at this point I have to wonder, what could have possibly been so important to Bush, that he was willing to engage the United States in a war based on lies? Helen Thomas, asked the president, just a couple weeks ago, "what was the real reason was we invaded Iraq?" he didn't answer the question then, and he probably won't anytime soon either. If he does tell us the REAL reason we invaded Iraq, I will update this entry, but it will have to be more then the same old double talk about what a fine thing democracy is. It is pretty clear that there is a much deeper reason hidden in the shadows. You know it's so bazaar...here we have a president who claims to be Christian. He sure likes to spout family values this, and family values that.

"It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."
-George W. Bush
Arlington Heights, Illinois, October 24, 2000

Life is important. Sigh. Our military is dying everyday in Iraq, fighting for a lie. I think at this point, in that the gig is up, we need to demand we be told the truth. Imagine what it would be like if every single person, great and small all sat down and wrote the president a letter, and we all mailed it on the same day. Just a simple question written on a plain white piece of paper. Something like...

"What is the REAL reason we invaded Iraq?"

If you are a republican, and you give our president your full support, no big deal, that question isn't harmful in any way. If you are a republican who may be starting to wonder why you voted for President Bush, it's an honest question. If you are a democrat, and you saw the war in Iraq as a lie from the very beginning, again, all you want is to know why we are in Iraq. If you are undecided...don't know what to think, then who needs answers more then you? It was apparent that even members of his own party want some answers, and they are getting impatient waiting. I sure thought Bush or Cheney or both might answer those questions this weekend, but alas, the weekend is gone now...and all we hear is the sound of silence coming from the White House regarding this issue, but boy they sure are doing a lot of talk, regarding a military strike against Iran.

What will I miss most about the West Wing? I suppose the hope it gave me. So many times, after watching an episode, I have gone to bed clicking my heels together, wishing, "If only Bartlett were really the president, if only Bartlett were really the president." But it wasn't to be. No, I woke up to Bush, saying something stupid...

"My administration has been calling upon all the leaders in the , in the Middle East to do everything they can to stop the violence, to tell the different parties involved that peace will never happen."
-George W. Bush
Crawford Texas, August 13, 2001 (Interesting Date)

And then there was the nice thought that not all republicans are liars, war mongers, sexual preditors, leakers of classifed information, petty thieves, imcompetent, oblivious, mean-spirited, dangerous , mean-spirited again, or Tom DeLay. Why can't all republicans be like Arnold Vinick? Show me a republican I would vote for, and I will show you a West Wing character! ;) Somehow, I think Bartlett or Vinick would have found Bin Laden by now. Sigh.

-OndineMonet

Update: "Bush Says He Declassified Pre-war Intel"

Seems Like Old Times

"If you're yearning for the good old days, turn off the air conditioning."

-Griff Niblask

Ok, so I have a secret guilty pleasure, I like cookies and milk late at night! LOL. I don't indulge in this particular pleasure very often, but when I do there is a particular brand of cookie I enjoy. "Mother's" brand. I especially enjoy the frosted animal cookies with the little sprinkles on top, but I like the chocolate chip cookie Parade, which consists of chocolate chip, oatmeal chocolate chip, and chocolate/chocolate chip. :) Oh the will power it takes! I grew up eating these cookies. They were in my lunch box, they were there when I would come home from a particularly bad day at school, they were there when I broke up with my first boyfriend...and my last boyfriend. LOL. They were there when I got food poisoning that time the one boyfriend's mother tried to kill me. Sigh. Trust me the Mother's ginger cookies will settle your stomach, and make you feel loved. There are a lot of brands on the market that might be able to rival, Mother's Cookies, but there aren't any, at least for me, that can bring back memories like this cookie can.

Mother's Cookies, has been a Bay Area mainstay since 1914. The bakery and distribution center has been located in Oakland, California for over 92 years, so you can imagine what a shock it was to hear last week that the bakery will soon be closed, and operations moved to plants in Ashland Ohio, and Kitchner, Canada. The workers at the cookie factory just found out about the closure that will take place on May 31st. It will put 230 workers out of a job, some of which had never worked for any other company.

In recent years, the Bay Area, and Oakland specifically, has lost a lot of well established companies. Among them Granny Goose, Fleishmann's and Red Star Yeast. It is expensive to live in the Bay Area, and to lose yet one more beloved company is cause for concern. Sometimes I wonder if recent indicators of a stable economy and lower unemployment rates are all together accurate. It seems like the news speaks of the unemployment rate dropping, yet there is news all the time of size downs, and plant cuts. Sigh. This plant closure is only a partial move of operations to Canada, but it is not so for more and more companies.

I would like to see more jobs stay in the U.S. as opposed to jobs being outsourced to other countries. I don't happen to believe that illegal immigrants are to blame for our economy woes, I think it has to do directly with how American workers are treated by the companies they work for, and the fact that the minimum wage hasn't been raised since 1997. Does that seem reasonable? Sometimes I think all presidents should have to live, for one year, on the same minimum wage pay scale as average citizens. Dream on...right? I also wish there was a box on the ballot marked, "None of the Above, " but I doubt that will ever come about either.

The employees of Mother's Cookies will be receiving a severance package, and the Economic Development Department is "actively" trying to find new jobs for the employees who have lost their jobs. I hope that they have an easy transition, but with the way things are moving in the area, I think there will be quite a period of adjustment. I doubt that that owners of Archway and Mother's cookies will cease production of the two brands after they move to the plants in Ohio and Canada, so I know I will still be able to get this particular cookie fix, but somehow it won't be the same. Sigh.

So tell me, is the minimum wage, too low, too high, or just about right? If the economy is so strong, why doesn't congress and the president raise the minimum wage? Is outsourcing a good idea? Does outsourcing help our economy? Do illegal immigrants drive wages down? Leave me your thoughts.

-OndineMonet
"Mother's Cookies"
Berkeley, California
April 4th, 2005

Steven's Feline Friday

Click on the above photo to see a larger version!

"The word 'happiness' would lose it's meaning if it were not balanced by sadness."

-Carl Jung

I had a rare chance yesterday, to photograph Elvis when he was crying tears. It doesn't happen very often, the last time I remember it happening, was about 3 years ago, when he had found one of his opossum friends in the backyard, that he thought was ill. As it turned out, it was doing what opossums do...it was playing opossum. At that time we didn't know much about those wonderful little creatures, so it had Alan and I a bit worried as well. With a little research, I came to find out what marvelous creatures they really are. Now, Elvis has many opossum friends in the back yard, and they don't fear him, because of how sweet and friendly a cat he is.

Elvis has a best friend, Ernst, who comes by each afternoon to romp and chase Elvis, and sometimes another neighborhood kitty, Sabastiani, will hop the fence and that makes for a great time. I have been amazed at how these three play together with such spunk, and fun, while always remembering their manners. :) It's pretty cool. Lately however, there has been a new cat that has been showing up in the yard, a large Russian Blue. He is trying to establish his identity in the neighborhood, so he has been beating up on the cats in the neighborhood. Sigh. Elvis, had a run in with the new neighbor...and I think he got his feelings hurt.

Elvis will be 9 years old on April 27th, and so he is not as quick as the other cats, but then it was never really an issue. He can run and romp, and when he gets tired, Ernst will usually just curl up with him till Elvis gets his second wind. Yesterday, when the new cat began to beat up Ernst, in our yard, Elvis flexed his muscle, and tried to run the mean cat out of the yard. Well, Elvis got knocked down, no injuries, we saw it happen, but Elvis did get his pride hurt a bit. Ernst ended up running the new cat from the yard, but Elvis got mad...really mad, and so he actually hissed at us. He needed to be left alone, so that's what we did.

About 5 minutes or so later, Elvis came to the back door, and asked to come in. He was so sad. He refused to purr. He jumped up on the end of the bed and curled up with his monkey, Cap-n-Federick. I tried to reassure him, but he would have none of it. He was in full pout mode. I didn't give up on my best little fella. I got a jar of his favorite baby food, Beef in Beef Gravy, and a small cup of milk, and he and I had some parent/child bonding time. We cooed and mewed for a couple hours, and finally he began to purr, but in the mean time, he just needed to cry those tears, and then let himself feel better. I will never be a mommy to a real child, but I have this little guy who depends on me for everything. That is a good feeling. He has always been there to pat my tears when I cry, and I am there for him. :)

Be sure to drop by Steven's blog to see Pickle show off a little cat-attitude. :) It's fun to play along with Feline Friday. If you have a kitty you want to show off, just drop by Steven's blog to get all the details. Fridays are for Felines! Thanks Steven for this fun meme. :)

-OndineMonet
"Tears"
Berkeley, California
April 6th, 2006
Evening

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 106: Scalzi's Somewhat Pathetic Cry For Help

'Believing hear, what you deserve to hear:
Your birthday as my own to me is dear...
But yours gives most; for mine did only lend to me the world
Yours gave to me a friend"

-Unknown

Weekend Assignment # 106: Suggest a really cool birthday gift for my wife. By which I mean...if you're a women, what would you want for a birthday gift, and if you're a man, what would you get for your significant other?

Now, here are the ground rules:

1. Money is not necessarily an object, but come on, be reasonable.
2. Don't suggest anything that Krissy couldn't unwrap in public.
3. Your gift idea doesn't actually have to be something you can buy...if you want to suggest something intangible, go ahead.
4. Don't tell Krissy I'm doing this. Like, shhhh.

Extra Credit: How good of a job do you do in getting your spouse/significant other gifts they like?

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

I love birthdays. :) I especially love birthdays since Alan and I were married. :) He always makes the day special for me, in one way or another, but in recent years he has been giving me a special gift, see, he has been writing me a "Book Of Carly." On a golden, crisp, autumn morning, several years ago, I woke up to find on the pillow next to me, a beautiful, "Fire & Ice" rose, and a poem that he had written for me, as he watched me sleeping the night before...

"Quietly I listen as you fill each corner of my life with
the sounds of angels, and hues that would inspire a muse.
I know the reality of winter and the promise of spring
but in the eyes and arms, of my autumn, I find the greatest love."

-Alan

So John, here is my suggestion. Make Krissy her own, "Book Of Krissy." Take some photos from little moments past, take some current, candid, photos, and maybe some photos of the two of you together, and as a family, then write her short poems to put alongside the photos. It could be done pretty easily in this age of computers, then when you have compiled it all together, have it bound in leather, with a unique title. In short, Mr. Author, write her a book. :) A book no one else will ever own but she, and don't forget to autograph it! :) Homemade gifts mean so much, and so does being able to really see your life through the eyes of the person who loves your the most. :) Trust me. :)

Extra Credit: It is hit and miss. LOL. Alan usually writes me a wish list. It works for us.

-OndineMonet
"Passionate Sunset"
Point Montara, California
Winter, 2005
Early Evening

My Pet Goat!

There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington...And if there's a leak out of the administration, I want to know who it is. And if a person violated the law, the person will be taken care of."

-George W. Bush, September 30, 2003

In a December 15th, 2005 interview with Fox News, President Bush said he was confident that House majority leader, Tom DeLay would be found innocent of money laundering charges.

"I hope that he will be cleared, 'cause I like him, and plus, when he's over there, we get our votes through the House."

When asked about his relationship with Karl Rove, he had this to say...

"We are still as close as we have ever been. You know, when we look back at the presidency and my time in politics, no question that Karl had a lot to do with me getting here, and I value his friendship. We're very close."

His displeasure with White House leaking information to the press...

"I've constantly expressed my displeasure with leaks, particularly of classified information."
-September 30, 2003

"Mr. President, the country is under attack."

-Andy Card, September 11th, 2001

And Mr. Bush sat there, still, for an additional 7 minutes. Sigh. How much more evidence does America need? This man is an irrational, liar. He looks at us in the face every single day...and lies to further his own agenda. How much longer, before America stands up and collectively says the word..."IMPEACHMENT!?

-OndineMonet

You Want Me To Eat What?

"Insanity is my only means of relaxation."

-Unknown

One day I was driving south on Hwy 80, on my way to the Bay Bridge, when I saw this car. I thought it was the neatest thing. He is probably one of the many enthusiasts of one of our favorite days to party, here in Berkeley, "How Berkeley Can You Be? Day." :) That is the day, we folks of Berkeley, celebrate the unusual, the eccentric, and the wild side of life. For me it is a time to go out into the world, and just experience...life, sans it's inhibitions. You know, that inner voice that says you must be proper, follow all the rules, and be normal to be accepted. Now, I believe in being on one's best behavior, treating others they way I would want to be treated, remembering that manners is a GOOD thing, and so on, but every once in a while I like to just go and enjoy, and see and be a part of life less routine.

Maybe it is because one day, a few years ago, there came a terrible day in the universe, a day which in effect changed my life, and how I live it, and it wasn't necessarily for the better...at least not right away. See, everything crashed in on this one day, and be the late afternoon of that day...I had lost my ability to speak. I didn't know what to say. People kept asking me," what is wrong?" "How can I help you?" All perfectly good questions, but I had no words to tell them. It was like, for a brief time, I had lost the English language. I had gone eccentric.

So, off I went on a brief adventure to, "The Home For What-The Hell Happened." LOL. Now THAT is a place where one should really have a digital camera with them. Nah, it is actually a place of many things, sadness, loneliness, but in a strange way, it is also a place of hope, when you realize that you are not alone, in having a day that changes your life. So, there is I was, on my own, in a very strange environment, Alan had just left, and I wasn't really sure what was going to happen next. I had no real feeling at this point, I was just going on faith I think, and I was just along for the ride.

What came next was a series of tests. The usual ones. Ink sqigglies on white cardboard, Where's Waldo? And my personal favorite...Free Expression drawing...with Crayons. LOL. It was a bit overwhelming, and it was a bit funky, and like it or not...there I was. So, I did all the tests, and passed all of them fabulously, but still, NO words could be spoken. The doctor, a nice man 5 or 6 years younger then I was, UGG, didn't prescribe me any medication, because he wasn't sure what was going on with me. I think that was a good idea, I have never been one for weird stuff like that. Now there were folks who had clearly been diagnosed, all around me, because when it came time for medication time, the nurse brought a HUGE cart of drugs onto the floor where I was, and I am pretty sure it contained more then Valium.

About an hour after med time, came the dinner hour. Now this was an event. A tiny little nurse of about 4 ft tall called all of us to line up so we could, "attend the dining hour." Oh my goodness, was it dinner already? No, as it turns out I was a bit confused, it was time for breakfast! I guess I got my hours backwards, when I lost my ability to form words. It didn't matter, I was just going along with the flow anyway, so off i went to have breakfast. Funny thing...I still didn't care about where I was heading to. It could have been Denny's for a "Grand Slam," or the IHOP for a, "Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity." It was all good...or was it all bad? Whatever.

So, we all lined up, and went into the elevator, and down to the diningroom we went. I had the tune, Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Work We Go," in my head, thank goodness I wasn't speaking at that point, or I may have burst into song! LOL. As the others each took a tray, I was whisked away by the hospital Laison, which is another doctor who basically sits with you, to help you feel more comfortable. My person was a nice little lady of about 50, who was wonderful. She didn't talk down to me, she didn't speak in hushed tones, she just spoke to me like I was normal. "Carly, since this is your first morning with us, I am going to prepare your breakfast tray, then every day from now on you can go through the line yourself." "Ok," I thought silently to myself..."Whatever."

When the nice doctor came back to the table, she had a 16 oz. glass of orange juice for me, and a juice box for her, she then excused herself and said my meal was on it's way. I looked around, and suddenly I became VERY aware of those around me, and what they were eating. It was huge. All the platters were piled high with food. "It must be an all you can eat," I reasoned. Shrug. That must be nice. :) As it turns out, it wasn't an, "All you can eat," it was, "this is what we want you eat." It all sunk in as my liaison put my tray in front of me.

It contained, 12 scrambled eggs, 2 Lg Blueberry muffins in a cute little basket, 4 slices of toast, a Lg. fruit cup, 8 pieces of crispy bacon, and 4 sm. Buttermilk pancakes. Ugg. Huh? LOL. Ugg again. "Carly, I know it looks like a lot, but we need to keep your strength up, and get plenty of all the right nutrition in you. So eat up. I sat there, began to cry, began to laugh, felt completely lost, and all at once, suddenly I felt found. I began to eat. I picked up my fork, set it back down, and looked at my liaison and asked of her, "You want me to eat what?" Sigh :)

She looked at me, and gave me the biggest smile. "So, the cat doesn't have your tongue." "No, I guess not," I said smiling through my tears. I hadn't spoken a word in 24 hours, I kinda thought maybe I wouldn't speak again, but here I was...speaking, because somewhere in me, I thought it would be rude to not say why I couldn't possibly eat this meal. LOL. As it turned out, I wouldn't have had to eat all that anyway. That meal is given, on a very limited basis, to those who have been prescribed some of the more serious medications, usually in higher doses. It helps them to have a lot of proteins and other nutrients to help with digesting their food properly. The next words out of my mouth were, "can I have a toothbrush?" This made the doctor smile as well. If I cared enough to ask for a toothbrush, then I would be ok to go home. And I was released a couple hours later. Slowly over the next few months, I got back up on my feet and regained my ability to express myself. :) Therapy is a good thing.

We humans should never think we have to handle life alone. I get so frustrated with people who think the hard work Princess Diana, in trying to bring awareness about mental illness out of the shadows and into the light, was a waste of time. She was one of the first of the big celebrities to have the courage to stand up and share her problems, to provide hope for depressed individuals, and those suffering from eating disorders. It takes courage to do that, especially given her life, and how appearances seem to be what matters in certain circles. Therapy is hard, painful work, but so worthwhile. Here I am, years later, and while I really feel that somehow my vocabulary was affected by my momentary snap, I feel emotion again. I can enjoy days like, "How Berkeley Can You Be?" While it may not be for everyone, it is a day to shun the inhibitions that hold us back from sharing ourselves...our true, eccentric, free, selves. We all have joy and fun in us, but if we don't use it once in a while, we stand a good chance of losing it. ;)

Go somewhere today and be silly! Make a child laugh! Make yourself laugh, and give yourself a, "How Me Can I Be Day." :)

How Berkeley Can You Be Day? (2005)

-OndineMonet
"Baby, You Can Drive My Car"
Berkeley, California
Spring, 2005
Early Afternoon

The Return Of Madlibs :)

"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one."

-Dr. Seuss

It has been way too long since we have played a round of Madlibs. :) I thought it might be fun to bring the game back , because all of us just need a little time for whimsy. Life can get so...so...sad. I think we could all use a healthy dose of the silly. Balance in all things...otherwise one can become unbalanced! LOL. Trust me! :) Maybe one day this week, I will share what they fed me on the first day I spent in the "Home-For-The-What-The-Hell-Happened." I hope you will play along, as always there will be a nifty prize for the winner. This month I will Pimp the winner outrageously, and email them an original photo taken by moi, which will be retired and will belong solely to the winner!

Here is your word list...

1. Color
2. Plural noun
3. Adjective
4. Exclamation
5. Silly word
6. Verb...Past tense
7. Plural Noun
8. Verb
9. Plural Noun
10. Verb
11. Plural Noun

Here are the rules...

Compose a list of words following the list above exactly. The words you send me must be in that order, so that they fit the short Madlib story, which has already been chosen. Email your list to me. (OndineMonet@AOL.com). DO NOT POST YOUR LIST IN THE COMMENTS! Feel free to ask me a question in the comments if you need to know something, that way we can all share the answer. Please put "Madlibs Submission," in the subject line, so I know it isn't SPAM. You must submit your entry no later then Wednesday, April 12th, at 9:00 PM Eastern Time. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 13th! The winner will receive an email from me, and as I said before I will give their journal a good promotion. Alan is back on board as the official judge of the game, to keep it all fair. Instead of playing once a month like we did on AOL...how about once a week or twice a month? Leave me your ideas. :)

Ok, tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your friends neighbors...everyone is invited. :) Lets see if we can have a good turnout for our return to fun!

-OndineMonet
"Sign Of The Time"
Daly City, California
April 2nd, 2006
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Opening Day!

"If people don't want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?

-Yogi Berra

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Present a picture of something baseball related. It could be of opening day, if you happen to be at opening day this year, or it could be a picture from previous years of you enjoying a day at the park, or just batting a ball with friends.

Remember that although this is called the Monday Photo Shoot, posting your pictures on Tuesday, Wednesday, or even Thursday morning is perfectly acceptable as well.

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

I love baseball. :) I haven't been to a professional baseball game in a number of years, however. I don't know...it seems things, life, keeps getting in the way. This is a condition I plan to remedy this season. I want to head out to the ball park, if we can work it into Alan's schedule, but if not, I am going to spend my weekends getting reacquainted with my favorite sport. :) I thought it might be fun to do this entry with more then one image, and to share with you some of my favorite quotes from baseball great, Yogi Berra. He was quite a character. :)

"Never answer an anonymous letter."

" The future ain't what it used to be."

"If you come to a fork in the road...take it."

" I don't remember leaving so I guess we didn't go."

This is a madame Alexander doll I keep on my desk. It is called, "Team Mates Girl." She came to me by way of an McDonald's Happy Meal, sometime back. Yes, I buy the Happy Meals for the toys. LOL. I used to collect the original Madam Alexander dolls for a while, and I was feeling kind of nostalgic, so I bought her. :) Hey, it's my way of keeping in touch with my inner child. :)

"If you don't know where you're going, chances are you will end up somewhere else."

"It's deja-vu all over again."

"It's not too far, it just seems like it is."

"We were overwhelmed underdogs."

"We're lost, but we're making good time."

One night, Alan and I were at the first vista, after you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, on the Marin County side, taking some night photographs of the bridge and the Lone Sailor Memorial, when the most beautiful fireworks display began at the conclusion of a San Francisco Giant's Game. I was very lucky to be able to capture this photo. The fireworks over the San Francisco skyline was nothing short of breathtaking. Ahhh...magic! :)

"Little League baseball is very good, it keeps the parents off the street."

"You should always go to other peoples funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours."

"Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical."

"You can observe a lot just by watching."

"I knew exactly where it was, I just couldn't find it."

The first picture above, is of the direction you would go,if you were attending a game being played by the San Francisco Giants, and you were coming westbound across the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge. I took this photo sometime, early last year, before the ballpark's name was changed from, "SBC Park to AT & T Park." The Oakland Coliseum, home to the Oakland A's, has now become, McAfee Coliseum. There is a possibility that will change soon, the owners of the Oakland A's are considering moving the team down to Fremont, California. Still the East Bay, but closer to San Jose, then San Francisco.

And here are the scores for both Bay Area Teams, for Opening Day, 2006. Click on the team names to view their schedule for the year!

Oakland A's (2) Yankees (15)

San Francisco Giants (1) Padres (6)

-OndineMonet

"Baseball Directions, Team Mates Girl, After The Game"

Bay Area, 2005/2006

The Resting Place

"Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills."

-Voltaire

Recently, I decided to visit the Presidio Pet Cemetery. I wasn't sure how it would feel to see all the tiny headstones that dot the small piece of ground it sits on. Placed just beneath the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, it is a place of peace and quiet reflection. This was a place, where soldiers of the military, stationed at the Presidio, could place their beloved pets, who served them so diligently. That sentiment is reflected over and over, through the epitaphs on the markers and headstones. Some speak of their pets as, "true friends,"while others remain blank, providing no information at all.

I was expecting to find tributes to mostly dogs and cats, but in actuality, there were many different types of pets who were laid to rest here. Hamsters, goldfish, birds, rats, rabbits, cats, and of course, "man's best friend." It was touching to think that soldiers of all ranks in the military, had this little spot to honor their pets in a dignified manner. Some monuments were made from granite, while others were made up of a simple wooden sign, with the animal's name and age written on it.

When I did some research into the cemetery, I found that this quiet, gentle, little place of rest has been the object of controversy over the years. It seems it was even used to make a political point when Representative John J Duncan Jr., (R) of Tennessee, in 1994, referred to the Presidio as the country's "smallest and most expensive national park. Duncan was drawing attention to the fact that the Presidio had been recently converted into a national park, and was therefore yet another burden on the national deficit. He sent out letters to his supporters with a picture of the Presidio Pet cemetery, with the headline, "Is This Your Vision Of A National Park?" All one has to do is walk around the cemetery, and read the headstones, to appreciate the compassion that was shown by the servicemen who had laid to rest their animal friends. It is a tiny, yet very powerful part of the park...it is a place of peace. Is there a more fitting place, for these loyal animals to be laid to rest?

The Presidio became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in late 1994, and it is believed that it was the debate regarding the pet cemetery's merits, that led Congress to establish the Presidio Trust, a public-private government agency which will attempt to make the Presidio self-sufficient by 2013. The cemetery has been officially closed since, 2001, but is being cared for by a nonprofit organization, Swords to Plowshares. Whether or not the tiny parcel of land will remain in the Presidio is unclear, there are plans for possibly building a new approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, which may necessitate the removal of the cemetery.

-OndineMonet
"Pet Cemetery"
Presidio
San Francisco, California
March 29th, 2006
Afternoon