And So The Doctor Said, "Carly..."

"If I'd known I was going to live so long, I'd taken better care of myself."

-Leon Eldred

I paid a visit to my doctor this past week, it was time for my 6 month Fibromyalgia health progress check. There was plenty for she and I to talk about, but the first thing she wanted to address was why my blood pressure was 190/96 at 8:45 a.m. on a Wednesday morning! "I don't know," said I, "George Bush maybe?" She was not amused, although she did grin a little bit. LOL. No, the true culprit was probably the swelling that tends to attack me on cold mornings, or it could have been my lack of sleep the night before. "Well...I don't go to bed most nights until 5:00 a.m., it is just my internal way of life." Ok, so again, she wasn't amused, although she was still grinning. "Carly, what are we going to do with you?" "We?" Now there's a "we?"

Yes, "we" consisted of herself, Alan, and the surgeon I had to have a visit with, as part of my Breast Cancer scare. You remember that...right? One day, while minding my own business, I found a large round lump in my left breast, just sitting there, doing nothing, but scaring the Noodle-Roni out of me. Well, one visit to Mr. Squishy and one visit to a technician for an Ultrasound, and I got the good news that it was a cyst that would resolve itself, but I also found out that while that cyst was benign, my chances for getting Breast Cancer had just increased...a bit. It's always something. I was a lucky girl the day I was told it was all going to be ok... other ladies aren't always given good news about such things.

As we talked, my doctor continued the exam, by listening to my heart. Then she asked, "Carly, do you snore?" "Snore?" Not me thank you very much! That is one of the things I have been most proud of in my life... I don't snore! "Nope," said I, "Why?" "Well, I hear an irregularity, and I suspect that is what is causing you to not reach that 4 stage of sleep you need. It might also be causing the pain in your legs, and the Restless Leg syndrome." YIKES! Now what? As it turns out, some folks with Fibromyalgia, had disturbed sleep patterns and some even experience Sleep Apnea. So, I am now on a medication for my heart, it's a very mild medication, and she thinks it will work to relieve the pain in my legs and ankles. That means that perhaps I won't go into hibernation this winter, like I did last year. :) I may have to change my office hours however. :( That will be difficult, I have always been a night owl.

If you are reading my journal the old fashioned way, by visiting in person and not through subscription, you may have noticed I have already begun displaying the pink ribbon, for Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. It's never too early to raise awareness to this disease. The statistics are scary and something needs to be done. I am making a plea to you ladies who supported me last spring, when I needed to get my first mammogram, to please schedule yourself and appointment for your own mammogram, the sooner the better, and share your own good news of a clean bill of health with us. Please feel free to swipe the dragonfly ribbon on my sidebar, I made it myself, and display it on your sidebar along with the link to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Let's get going...let's make a difference!

Here is what I am doing...

The Yoplait Lids For Life...



Yoplait yogurt is asking us to save the pink lids, now through December 31st. Clean them off and send them in to Yoplait for their "Save Lids To Save Lives," campaign. For every pink lid we send in, they will donate a dime to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This is really great, yogurt is so delicious, and my doctor actually recommended it to ease the stomach spasms I have sometimes. I like the idea of the yogurt a whole lot better then swallowing yet another pill. :) And now, I get the chance to help others, while taking better care of myself. Pay a visit to the Yoplait website to download your own badge for your sidebar.

Passionately Pink For The Cure



This is a great idea. The Susan G. Komen foundation has a great campaign all set for October, and you can be a part of it. All you have to do, is choose one day in October, and wear pink that day, and donate $5.00 to the foundation. It's not just your chance to make a difference, it's a chance to encourage others to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer, and make a difference. Just click on the above banner to visit the website and find out what you can do in your cities all through the month of October. I have chosen, Sunday, October 22nd. I will be sure and post my outfit, so you can see what I will be wearing that day. One hint... it will be pink! LOL.

About the above picture, well, that was my heart healthy lunch. A mug of tomato soup, and a fruit salad I invented. Mixed salad greens, strawberries, tomatoes, mandarin oranges, sliced red onion, crumbled french Feta cheese, fresh limes, and low-fat red wine vinaigrette. Too yummy! :) Fibromyalgia is such a strange condition to live with. It causes irritating things to happen, like when I lose whole words, or go to type one thing, only to have something completely different make it onto my blog. I have to check everything I do two or three times, and then there is no guarantees that it will be right. I am still searching for that groove Shelly told me about, but I count myself as a very lucky girl because I have all my friends here in Bloggerville, who don't worry about every little mistake I make, and in general, I am a healthy woman, with many more years of life to let George Bush raise my blood pressure! LOL. That's what I want for all of you! The healthy life... not the George Bush part. Tee Hee.

So, who else is going to join me, by choosing a day in October, and wearing pink to raise awareness of Breast Cancer?

Save Lids To Save Lives
P.O. Box 72716
Rockford Mn, 55572-7016

-OndineMonet
"Salad ala Carly"
Berkeley, California
September 22, 2006
Afternoon

The First Day Of Autumn

Blackberry Eating
By Gallway Kinnel

I love to go out in late September
among the fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries
to eat blackberries for breakfast
the stalks very prickly, a penalty
they earn for knowing the black art
of blackberry making; and as I stand among them
lifting the stalks to my mouth, the ripest berries
fall almost unfbidden to my tongue, (1.)
as words sometimes do, certain, peculiar words
like strengths or squinched,
many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps,
which I squeeze, squinceh open, and splurge well
in the silent, startled, icy, black language
of blackberry...eating in late September.

Welcome to autumn! :)

-OndineMonet
"Blackberries"
San Francisco, California
September 20, 2006
Late Afternoon

1. edit: unbidden

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #130: From Athena!

"People as me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."

Roger Hornsby

This week we have a guest assigner for the Weekend Assignment: Athena!

Tell us if you like or don't like baseball (which is Athena's favorite sport), and (as extra credit) if you played it as a kid (or would play it, if you were a kid now). Write it up in your blog or journal and then come back here and leave us a link. Athena thanks you for your cooperation.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Well now let's see... "do I like baseball?" Yep... I sure do! LOL. You might even say I love the game, although I admit I haven't been keeping up with the game as steady as I used to. Sigh. My bad, because at one time, it was really quite a passion with me. Alan and I would go to baseball games all during the two years we officially dated. It was the bleacher seats for me! I loved sitting in the open, with the sun so bright, and besides, it is as close to nature as this city girl was willing to get! LOL. Oh my, the hot dogs, the promo days like, "Camera Day," and the BBQ's in the parking lot, how do you not love that? I was, at one time, a collector of baseball cards, and the highlight of my collection was a Tony Conigiaro rookie card, that Alan bought me for my birthday, the year we got engaged. He knew I was a big fan. "Tony C," passed away less then a year later, at the age of 45. Sigh.


At one time he had a very bright career ahead of him, when he was playing for the Boston Red Socks. On August 18th, 1967 everything changed for the slugger when he was struck by a fastball pitched to him by Angel's, pitcher, Jack Hamilton. His recovery took well over a year, but he made a short lived, but triuphant return to baseball in 1970. However, he was still plagued by vision problems, so he gave up his baseball career, and eventually went into sports broadcasting. He was the sports reporter for the Bay Area's ABC affiliate, KGO, for a time, in the late 1970's. I became a big fan, through hearing my brother and father talk about his playing, and seeing him present the sports in a way that, even a little girl who knew nothing of sports, could understand the game of baseball.

Extra Credit: I was a "girly girl" when I was little, so no I didn't play baseball as a child. I am still a "girly girl" as a grown up lady, so I think I would still prefer to watch from the bleachers. :) But I am with Athena on this one...baseball is my favorite form of sports. :) Cool choice, Athena!

The Last Day Of Summer

The morrow was a bright September morn;
The earth was beautiful as if newborn;
There was nameless splendor everywhere,
That wild exhilaration in the air,
Which makes the passers in the city street
Congratulate each other as they meet.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The sun yesterday was so bright! The air was really cool, there was some light dew overnight, so everything was glistening. All the roses and hydrangea,reminded me of how stunning life is, early in the morning. It was so gorgeous. I had to leave the house really early to make a doctor's appointment by 8:00 am. I am usually asleep at that time, so I have been missing that late September sun of the last couple weeks. I am learning to appreciate the sun, and the warmth a bit more then I used to. I have never been a summer girl, well, not until recently. :)

The last couple weeks a raccoon has been visiting the garden, and bold creatures that they are, my raccoon likes to come up to the back door to visit with Elvis. He is not too happy about our newest visitor, and to be honest, they kinda frighten me a bit. They are so beautiful to look at though. I am thinking of removing one of the screens and setting up the tripod. I don't want to approach them the way I did the opossums, as I learned they are more likely to carry rabies then most of the nocturnal creatures that come by the yard. There is still a lot of fruit and vegetables to pick, so that there won't be any encouragement for them to continue to visit. But soon, even if the raccoons move on to greener pastures, we will begin hearing the bats that like to hang up in the Juniper trees. Autumn is just a day away! :)

-OndineMonet
"Late September"
Wednesday, September 20th, 2006
Late Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: "Dream Homes"

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams."

-Ashley Smith

I love that quote. :) Think about it for a second, it is an amazing thought isn't it? Taking all the beauty of life in...fully understanding it...and embracing it. It's passion exploding. :) Yes, my dream home is a lighthouse or at least the house that sits next to a lighthouse. But, alas, the home I would want, probably doesn't exist anywhere on earth! See, I want my house to have 6 floors. Three above ground and three below. I want it to have secret tunnels and a dungeon. :) I want the doors to each room, to appear as bookcases and plant stands. I want a movie theatre that is only accessible through one of the tunnels, but once you get there, it seats 25 people, and has an old fashioned curtain that rolls back when the movie begins.

Every Friday night is Alfred Hitchcock night. MMMMM...can you smell the freshly popped popcorn? Hot dogs too, and you would all be invited, except I probably wouldn't attend the screening of the movies, because I always enjoyed how Jay Gatsby threw parties...as an observer. He enjoyed watching his guests have fun, from a distance. I would probably be in the tower of the lighthouse, looking for the ghost who walks on the beach below. I have dreamed of that "dream house," for the longest time. It exists only in my imagination, however. I would love it if my house was sitting in a spot like the grounds of the Point Montara Lighthouse in Montara, California. This lighthouse has a Youth Hostle on it's grounds. For a nominal charge, you can sit and watch the storms roll in. It is a very special place. :)

The sunsets off the coast are amazing at times. Depending on the conditions, it could be a soft, gentle, glow, or the sky can appear to be on fire! It's all passionate, and amazing, completely sensual for the creative mind to ponder. It also doesn't hurt that there is a legend about a ghost who supposedly walks the beach below the lighthouse. She is called the "Lady in Blue." She is, of course, searching for her lover!

There is only one green Adirondack chair on the premises. I love this chair. On visits, I sit right here and listen to the waves breaking against cliffs, and the happy sound of the birds singing, as as they fly about the coastline. God, I love the Pacific Ocean. I would be lost without this view!

I have done so much day dreaming while visiting this lovely lighthouse, and looking down at the cliffs below. I wish I could accurately explain how I feel when I am there. It is so still, and so calm, it makes me feel as if I am being embraced. I know that sounds odd, but it is the purest peace I know.

And of course... the sunset.
I really enjoyed this challenge. Thank you goes to Gem, author of the journal, "Journally Yours." I found a lot of inspiration in this subject. :) Be sure to pay a visit to all the participating Robins, Just click on the links below, or pay a visit to the official Round Robin blog, to get the full URL link to each journal. :)

Point Montara Lighthouse
Montara, California
August, 2006

Note: I will be gone until very late today, so it may take me a few days to visit everyone, but no fear, I will be by to see your entries. :) I am proud of you guys already!

Round Robin Linking List

Gem... Journally Yours
Karen... Outpost Mavarin POSTED!
Steven... (sometimes) photoblog POSTED!
Carly... Ellipsis... Suddenly Carly POSTED!
bolyiou... Percolation
Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix POSTED!
Maryanne... Inside The Gilded Cage POSTED!
Suzanne R... New Suzanne R's Life POSTED!
Patrick... Patrick's Portfolio POSTED!
Gina... Gina's Space POSTED!
Becky... Where Life Takes You POSTED!

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Color Opposites

"The Most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet."

-Andy Warhol

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Post a picture that focuses on the contrast between two opposing colors. What colors are opposites? Green and red are opposites, as are blue and yellow, and orange and purple. So, a picture that has something purple in front of something orange would work, or a picture that features blue and yellow in alternating stripes. The subject of the picture could be anything you like - but there have to be opposing colors in there."

-John Scalzi

I haven't been out with the camera in about a week, so I decided today might be a good day to do some more "still life" photos of the summer harvest from the garden. I will post some of those photos soon, but in the meantime, I am still finding inspiration in those lovely pears. My goodness are they ever delicious. I sat under the tree for a while yesterday, and just ate them right off the lower limbs. Juicy, buttery and sweet. Almost erotic. My goodness can my mind ever wander! :)

More moments of contrast...

Now this guy, is a study in contrasting colors!

A red butterfly with a green body! I wasn't able to get any info about it, but it was absolutely stunning! Ahhhh...things with wings! :)

Color Matters (An excellent resource for information on colors)


-OndineMonet
"Pear In Blue"
Berkeley, California
Monday, September 18th, 2006
Late Afternoon

Steven's Feline Friday: Cuddle Kitty

"Who among us hasn't envied a cat's ability to ignore the cares of daily life, and to relax completely?"

-Karen Brademeyer

Well, the cold is still present, and so is the fever. Sigh. I have a pretty good nurse, however, in my kitty Elvis. He took a long nap with me this afternoon, and we held paws. He is so snuggly warm, and even when he is in full snore mode, I feel all safe and happy. :) Is that a great belly or what?





If you have a kitty, be sure to play along with Steven's Feline Friday. You can find all the info about how to play along over at his blog, "(sometimes) photoblog." :)

-OndineMonet
"BellyBoy"
Berkeley, California
September 17th, 2006
Afternoon

The Family Day Challenge

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you want, and let the food fight it out inside."

-Mark Twain

LOL. Maybe it is the raging fever I have of, 103.5, or maybe it is because I have an odd sense of humor to begin with, but when I saw this giant can of Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce at Big Lot's yesterday afternoon... I just had to have it! I have to confess, I have no idea when I will actually use a 6 LB 11 OZ (3.03kg) container of Sloppy Joe sauce, but I will figure something out. LOL. According to the top of the can, it doesn't expire until, March 29th, 2008, so I will have plenty of time to figure it out. Some possibilities that come to mind are, awarding it to a lucky MadLibs winner, or giving to the 10th trick-or-treater who shows up at my door on Halloween. I could mail it to my friend Patrick, as a nifty housewarming gift, since he will be moving soon. Bwahahahahaha! Just kidding Patrick! :) If you haven't already done so, be sure to drop by his blog and wish him luck in his new endeavor!

Another thought that has come to mind, as to what I should do with the Manwich can, is to give him a makeover. You know, jazz up his personality with a nifty bowtie like that hunk, Tucker Carlson, wears. LOL. Jeepers...have you seen him on "Dancing with the Stars?" How strange is that? LOL. It's even stranger to watch when one has a fever...or so I would imagine...because I really didn't tape last week's episode...to watch this weekend...nope...not I! LOL. No, I only dreamed I did. That's my story and I am sticking to it! And in yet another possibility, I could create a new photo series here on Ellipsis, "Adventures Of Manwich," in which I take the giant can of Manwich and pose him at different landmarks... kinda like flat Scalzi! LOL. Where will Manwich turn up next? Only Manwich knows for sure! LOL.

So, have you heard about the Family Day Challenge? Created in 2001, by Columbia University's "National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse," it is a special day set aside to promot communication between parents and children by remembering to share a meal together. What a great idea. When I was a little girl, we rarely, if ever, all shared a meal at the same time. My mother had a lot of difficulties which left her to become emotionally distant, so she rarely cooked dinner for us. Dad was working all the time, so mealtime became the most fragmented time of the day, when it came to family contact. I don't know, a lot of things were assumed when I was a child, one of those things was that most families ate all their meals together. Sigh. It makes me feel really good that some honesty has finally been put into society, so that maybe one day, it will become something that everyone does...because they want to!

Alan, Elvis and I will be taking part. :) Yes, I do realize Elvis is a cat, not a child, but he is my little boy, and so why not have some fun? Alan and I don't get to eat together very often, due to his hours at work, so it will be good to make a special day of it, and take some time to slow down, and really share what's happening in our lives. For instance, he is writing a book, he is almost done, and is making notes for his next one. He shares with me all that he is doing to reach his goals, but sometimes it is while he is one the run with errands or on his way to work. It will be nice to just stop, turn off the TV, radio and computer, and just focus on each other over a nice meal.

I am really looking forward to fixing something special for dinner that night. I am thinking of a recipe for, Mediterranean Pot Roast, I created a few years ago. And as for Elvis, well, he has always enjoyed sitting on a step stool in the kitchen, while watching me as I fix dinner. Sometimes it really does seem like he is taking notes, so he can one day, fix a baked chicken like his mommy does. Gee... I really love that cat. He will have a place setting at the end of the table, right along with us. :) He is quite polite...and minds his manners. With the exception of how loud he can be, when he belches Mr. Pibb! But oh how funny it is! LOL.

Ours is not a traditional family, but we make it work. How about you? I don't think "Family Day" has any barriers on what constitutes a family, so if your children are grown or you don't have kids, how about a best friend, a neighbor or co-worker joining you for some companionship and a good meal. You could even make it pot luck, and invite several people over for the evening. It's about taking time for the people in our lives, and reminding them how important they are to us. It's about giving ourselves the gift of those we love. That includes our pets too, by the way, so be sure to include them! If you don't encourage your pets eating at the family table, serve them something special in a new bowl. Make it a treat. Now, if you want to take the challenge, you can find out all the information you need to sign the pledge to share "Family Day" with those you love. See the link below. If you do sign up for the challenge, take some photos, post an entry, and comeback here and leave your link in the comment thread for this entry. But remember that Family Day is Monday, September 25th, so I will not be doing the follow-up entry until Wednesday, September 27th. So no fair posting early! You MUST post on September 25th or after to be linked to. Hope to see you take the challenge!

Family Day Challenge

-OndineMonet
"Manwich"
Berkeley, California
September, 2006
Evening

Dancing Through The Paranormal

"Cease trying to work everything out with your own minds. It will get you nowhere. Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole be revelation."

-Eileen Caddy

I read an interesting article today, from USA Today, by way of AOL news. "Millions Believe In The Paranormal - Particulary Women." According to the article many in America, more women then men, believe in some type of paranormal activity, that apparently, "don't fall under any particular religious umbrella," according to the a Baylor University sociologist who analyzed the survey.

So what comes to mind when we think of the paranormal? If you have been reading my for a while you already know my personal favorite category of the paranormal would be ghosts and haunting's. It fascinates me to think of life after death, and what it might be like. I have always enjoyed some of the first hand accounts of the many sightings of Abraham Lincoln, in the Lincoln bedroom, which have now become part of American folklore. When Winston Churchill stayed as a guest of the White House, he reported seeing the former president, late one evening, walking down the hallway just outside his bedroom door. But Lincoln is not the only ghost to have reportedly been seen. Abigail Adams, and Dolly Madison are said to have been seen roaming the halls and in the Rose Garden area.

Ghosts are not the only thing you will find under the category of the paranormal. UFO's, Spirit Photography, Automatic Writing, Prophetic Dreams, and the belief in advanced civilizations like Atlantis also made the survey. Personally, I think the one thing that we can all identify with is a little something I like to call the, "wiggins." You know, you will be going about your business, when suddenly you will get the distinct feeling that you are not alone, or that something unseen, has changed in the room you are in. The air feels thick and maybe even the hair on the back of your neck or arms will stand on end. Is this feeling actually a dance into the paranormal, or is there some more easily explained idea behind it? Is it merely another form of intuition, or is it pure and simple panic? As a former sufferer of panic attacks, I know a little something about the sudden onset of fear for no apparent reason. I also know that while it might seem as though there is no reason for panic attacks, often times the happen due to subliminal triggers. Triggers that can be a scent, or something you see out of the corner of your eye, that your mind accepts then files away till something triggers it's associative memory.

What about when two people have the "wiggins" at the same time? One summer evening, I went out to dinner with my friend Judy. We went across the bay to San Mateo, to the Red Robin which had been located at the now defunct Fashion Island Mall. We had a very pleasant time at dinner, and then decided to take a drive along the coast from Half Moon Bay, to Santa Cruz. It was a clear, warm summer night, and the conditions along the coastal highway were perfect. Judy was driving, and as we went along we held a conversation in-between the music on the radio. At one point a song came on the station we were listening to, which happened to be a favorite of both of us, and so the conversation went silent. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was Dion Warwick's, "Heartbreaker." That was a mellow little tune, that always reminded me of one of my past loves. Sigh. Anyway, the song was about 2/3 of the way through, when I felt the strangest feeling as if there was something or someone was in the back seat of the car. At the very same moment, so did Judy. We both looked into the back seat at the same time! Then we looked at each other...and asked the same question, "Did you feel it too?" We had both felt a presence at the same time! It was uncomfortable, and with no real way to know what had just happened, we decided to call it an early evening.

Personally, I happen to believe that some souls wander the earth, and to be honest, while I am a believer, I don't always associate the paranormal experiences I have had with spirituality. Truth is, I am not completely sure where the feelings and experiences come from. And like learning the secrets to a great magicians feats of magic, I don't think I ever really want to know their origins. Knowing the answer to all of life's mysteries would make for a boring world, and perhaps a stressful one. Some reportedly "haunted" houses have turned out to have been infected not so much with a ghost, as with toxic mold, which can many types of seemingly spooky happenings, such as strange odors and feelings of depression or oppression by the homes occupants. In those cases however, it is best to take care of it as soon as possible for the good of one's over all health and well being.

Most of us have probably had a "psychic" moment. You know, moments when you just know someone you love needs you, or the phone will ring and somehow you know who is on the other end. According to the survey, about 52% believed in prophetic dreams, and a little more than 40% believed that places can be haunted, but the most striking statistic of the survey said that alternative treatments and therapies such as yoga and aromatherapy are as affective as traditional medicines. I know since beginning a new regime of Yoga, Qi Gong, Meditation and T'ai Chi, this past year, I have found some comfort and peace from the pain that Fibromylagia. I don't use those disciplines exclusively, but coupled with regular check-ups with my doctor and watching my diet, I have found a great deal of benefit from them when practiced together.





Now for some fun, I thought it might be kinda cool to see where we all are on a psychic level. I scored a whopping 82%. LOL. So don't even try to fool me, because I can read your mind! LOL. Seriously, if you want to, feel free to share with me in the comment thread for this entry, how you feel about the world of the paranormal. Have you ever had a psychic experience? Seen a UFO, or a ghost? How do you feel about alternative or new age remedies such as crystals or acupuncture? And, for fun, take the, "Are You Psychic" quiz and share with us your score. Come on... you know you want to. ;) Just click on the above graphic.

-OndineMonet
"Viceroy"
Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco, California
August 30, 2006
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #129: It Just Doesn't Make Sense!

"Actually I think all addiction begins with soda. Every junkie did soda first. But no one counts that. Maybe they should. The soda connection is clear. Why isn't a presidential commission looking into this? Or at least some guys from the National Carbonation Council."

-Chris Rock

Weekend Assignment #129: Write about something that makes absolutely no sense to you, or that you find almost impossibly ironic. This covers a lot of ground, so let me make it simpler. Write about something you just don't get. You've rolled it around in your brain, you've thought about it, and it just doesn't add up. Yeah. Tell us about that thing. From the enduring popularity of talentless celebrities to people who put mayonnaise on their french fries (yes, I'm looking at you, Belgium,), there's got to be something out there that makes you go, "huh?" Or, for the kids, something that makes you go "WTF?"

Extra Credit: There's a song playing in your head right now. Tell us what it is.

-John Scalzi

Ut oh! I could get myself into big trouble pondering this assignment too much. Most of the time, when I can't seem to make something come together in my brain, it has to do with politics, and why in the world someone would support a certain politician. YIKES. My brain melts because, to date, I don't seem to be able to get a satisfying answer as to why it was good enough for George Bush's parents that he did so academically poor in school. I posed the question some time back, on my AOL journal Ellipsis, "Couldn't they have got him a tutor?" Ok, enough said about politics. How about a couple other things I find bizarre.

The Cola Wars...

I love soda, and Coco-Cola Classic is my very favorite guilty pleasure. I try not to drink the fully leaded sodas with caffeine/sugar, but it has such a yummy taste to me, that in times of stress...well... just one nice, very cold can of the delicious elixir makes everything right with the world. LOL. Also, it goes so well with a nice Black Forest Ham sandwich. LOL. So, when I indulge, I usually purchase that particular flavor exclusively, but lately, I have been noticing all kinds of new, and creative soda varieties of my favorite drink, and even those who consider themselves, "P" people can get in on the newness. Flavors like...

Coca-Cola BlaK, Mountain Dew Pitch Black, Coke Black Cherry Vanilla, Dr. Pepper Berries & Cream, Pepsi JAZZ Strawberries & Cream, Mountain Dew Baja Blast, and Coke with lemon and lime.

Sometimes it seems like cola companies are trying too hard. For years and years the straight up, regular or classic colas did pretty well for themselves. Then one day, someone came up with a genuinely good idea, and offered us our favorite sodas, sans caffeine. A great idea, because I had just discovered the wonderful world of panic attacks, and one of the things I learned was, to cut down on my caffeine intake. Duh me! It had never occurred to me that the sodas that had seen me through so many difficult times, would at some point, be the cause of some very difficult times. Well, that's not completely accurate, the sodas themselves probably never caused one of my panic attacks, but they sure didn't help it.

Now don't get me wrong here, variety is the spice of life, and soda, but with so many combinations available, how does someone, who already has a hard time being decisive, ever make up their mind? I suppose for most, it is as easy as ordering a coffee at Starbuck's. If the old-fashioned soda fountain ever comes back in style, ordering will probably be a lot like how you order your coffee at a trendy coffee house. "I would like a large, no ice, non-caffeine, classic coke, with one shot of cherry syrup and a hint of nutmeg." Or if one happens to have a terrible allergy to cherries, berries, or cream, I am sure the good old-fashioned classic sodas will be still be available and waiting for me, the soda puritans and the allergic consumers of the world. :)

FX...

Does anyone else find it annoying that cable networks like, FX, are able to turn the volume up on our televisions when the shows they air cut to commercials? Every morning when I go to bed at 5:00 am, I turn on FX to watch reruns of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." I snuggle into the blankets, bring Elvis up really close for a cuddle, and try really hard to fall asleep to the comforting sounds of Buffy saving the world from some otherworldly ugly pugly, only to have my sleepy bliss shattered by some loud obnoxious commercials for "Nip Tuck" that is blasting at me. I know the FCC gave the networks their blessing to do such things, but really, I wish someone would ask me how I feel about it. I have a volume control on my remote for a reason. Thank goodness for the DVD boxed sets of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." I own all seven seasons, which is good for those days when I simply am not in the mood to have my eardrums blasted.On the other hand, for days when I want that, I turn up the volumn...awww...open a Coke Classic, and let my nerves go where they may. It does a body good! Kinda. LOL.

Extra Credit: The song running through my mind right now is, "I Go Blind" by Hootie & The Blowfish. :)


-OndineMonet

Soup On A Late Summer's Day

"Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens the appetite."

-Auguste Escoffier

I wasn't sure about today. The air was cool, but the sun was brilliantly hot. The fog rolled up from the bay earlier than usual, but the temperature stayed warm till late in the afternoon. It was the perfect late summer day, and yet, it was also the perfect early autumn day. I guess it was both. Sigh. My thoughts get all scattered on days like that. Decisions are especially difficult to reach, if they can be reached at all. I don't know why, but I tend to miss people more, and if I can find my own car keys, it is an event. But then again, I am not complaining, because misplacing my car keys isn't as bad as misplacing my shoes, which I also do from time to time. LOL.

With my keys, resting comfortably in some secret place, I decided to do a bit of walking today, between appointment. I am never without my camera when I go out, and I was feeling especially inspired today, because the leaves around town have started to turn. In another couple weeks, the whole town of Berkeley will explode into brilliant autumn lights. Right now, the most prominent indication of the end of summer, are the brown and gold leaves, that are serving as a crisp blanket along almost every street. Sigh.

I was a bit world weary today, my knee was acting up, I forgot my Yoga mat when I left the house, therapy was super nifty fun, and I forgot to eat, so I was feeling a teeny bit off-center. But I had my camera, so while it may not have been the most ideal day, it wasn't all that bad either. As I was coming out of my appointment with Sarah, I saw this old can of Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup laying in the leaves outside her office. It was old and rusty, the label was faded and worn, but it made me smile because it reminded me of how a bowl of warm Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup, would always make me feel better when I was a little girl. I thought of a couple days when I was around 6 or 7, that had been just awful, at least it had seemed so at the time. I came home from school, refusing to speak, so my mom went into the kitchen, and made me a can of soup. Yum.

To this day, when I am feeling blue, or indecisive, or just off-center, I know I can fix myself a bowl of soup and soon I am all better. I always stop for some veggie pizza on Wednesdays from my favorite pizza shop down on Shattuck. Today's featured pizza was goat cheese and fennel. It was delicious with a bowl of Campbell's Tomato Bisque. :) So, in honor of the goodness of soup, I have created a new poll which you will find on my sidebar, so be sure to vote for your favorite flavor of Campbell's soup! And feel free to share any fun stories you might have about soup in the comments thread of this entry. Sometimes, the simplest times are the best...aren't they?

Your pick for "Favorite TV Supporting Character."

Cpl. Walter Eugene "Radar" O' Reilly - M*A*S*H

"I don't think that this place is turning out to be that great an experience for me. I mean, I work under terrible pressure, and there's lots of death and destruction and stuff, but other than that, I don't think I'm getting much out of it." - M*A*S*H (Fallen Idol)
Click here to see the full results from our last poll, "Your Favorite TV Supporting Character."

-OndineMonet
"Soup On A Late Summer's Day"
Berkeley, California
September 13th, 2006
Afternoon

However You Choose To Look At It

"Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got."

-Art Buchwald

The Cities.

The last five days or so have been difficult, I felt an anxiety and depression over the events of 9/11 like I haven't in previous years. Not sure why. It might be because it has been five years since that day, or half a decade...however you choose to look at it. Somehow, it doesn't seem like it has been that long, and yet, doesn't seem like it actually happened a million years ago, instead of inside of our lifetime? There have been many things that occurred since then that I never thought I would see in my lifetime either... who would have even imagined that New Orleans would, in effect, be washed off the planet, and who would have thought that our own government would have done so little to bring that once vital and engaging city back to it's former glory...or even just to a livable existence. The people who live in those two cities are being let down.

The Heroes.

According to the documentary, "9/11: Toxic Legacy," which is airing on the Discover Times Channel, the Bush Administration pledged $175 million in compensation funds for the medical claims of the over 15,000 clean-up workers at ground zero who have become ill since 9/11, and then took $125 million of those funds back, when the money was not used within a certain time window. There were 40,000 men and women working to clean up ground zero, as first responders, inhaling toxic fumes and contaminents, and doing so without the proper safety equipment such as proper masks and gloves. Over 15,000, of the 40,000 have filed claims. That is a staggering statistic. It made me sick last night to listen to George Bush politicize 9/11. His insistence that the war in Iraq is a vital part to winning the war on terror, is irrational and dangerous. He and his administration are lying to us everyday, just as he did when he said that he was there for the people of New York City and New Orleans.

You and I.

As you probably know, ABC aired a two-part miniseries on Sunday and Monday night called, "The Path To 9/11," which was supposedly based on the 9/11 Commission Report. When I first saw promos for the series, it looked like it would be done in documentary form. Although I have read the report...many times...I was interested in seeing a documentary based on that report. I spend a lot of time watching factual documentaries on the History Channel, Discovery Times, and the National Geographic Channel. The thought of seeing a factual documentary, produced by one of the major networks, was a refreshing idea. Then the truth came out that it was, in fact, a dramatization of the 9/11 Commission Report.

A dramatization? What does that mean? Apparently what it meant was that the producers and writers of the television movie believed it would be ok to "dramatize" certain portions for dramatic effect. In some cases, to blatently mislead anyone who didn't actually read the report as to place considerable blame on the Clinton administration, by stating facts that never occurred in history or during the course of the commissions fact finding hearings. It's inconscionable to me. Given the events of 9/11 what exactly needed to be dramatized? Is it possible that we have become so numb to the facts of this world, that we can't tell reality from fantasy anymore? I hate the term "reality TV," and I wish it would go away. The sad truth is, sleaze sells. And we buy it. We let each other down.

Carly The Republican?

The first Tuesday in November is midterm election day here in California, as it is in many other states as well. I am a registered democrat, but it doesn't mean that I go to the polls and cast my vote without looking closely at my options. The thing is, the democratic party has given us very little to work with. Back in June, when we held our primary, I was supporting Steve Westly for governor, however, there was one thing he said during the last few days of his campaigning that put me off a good but, he looked into the camera, smiled, and said, "I am the only politician that can beat Arnold Schwarzenegger." That is supposed to be a reason to vote for him? Because he can beat Arnold Schwarzenegger? Over all I thought he was a good choice to run against Schwarzeneggar, and I voted for him, however, he lost the primary to Phil Angelides.

In the last few days, so dirty politics has taken place here in California. So dirty that I have just about come to the decision to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger for governor. I would be voting republican for the first time since I was old enough to vote. Schwarzenegger has made his share of mistakes in office. Who could forget that amazingly bad idea from last fall known as the, "Special Election." The people of California, including myself, sent him a clear message about how we felt about that incredible waste of taxpayer money. We sent it loud, in that every single initiative he placed on the ballot was shot down. Now, here is where I have to be fair to the man, see, I really think he listened to that message, because he took personal responsibility for that failure, and in fact, apologized for not listening to the voters in the first place.

I can respect that. He is by no means the worst governor California has ever had, and I have agreed with many things he has done since he took office. He is a republican, so there are many things I don't agree with his handling of, but over all I would not completely disregard him as a governor just because of political party affiliation. Angelides is a democrat, and he is running against Schwarzenegger in November. I have very little respect for Angiledes, especially in that last few days, since the story broke about staff members from the Angelides camp, lifting audio from Schwarzenegger's web site, in an apparent move to embarrass the governor for racial remarks made during a closed door meeting last week. The Angelides camp admitted to leaking the tape to the Los Angeles Times, only after and FBI investigations indicated that they were investigating whether or not Schwarzenegger's web site had been hacked into. Angelides campaign manager insists that the audio was downloaded legally, and that anyone could have done it. So here is the question I have... If everything was so ethical, why was it leaked to the press, instead of issued to the press out in the open?

Thinking It Through...

A lot of things have been on my mind the last few days, some made me sad, some confused me, some made me angry and frustrated. The most pronounced thing that I felt, was the incredible loss of 9/11. I had the honor of dedicating and entry to one of those lost all those Tuesday's ago, David Angell. He was a fine man, and his wife was a lady of great compassion and grace. I will never feel like I did good enough with the tribute I wrote to him. In the research I did about his life, I came to know him a little bit and what he was about. He put a face and a soul on 9/11 for me.

I had actually written a tribute to the Angells' for one of my 9/11 entries, several years ago, on my AOL journal Ellipsis, so I thought writing another one would be easier somehow. It wasn't. In many ways it was much more difficult to pay true honor to him, and for the last few days I hadn't been sure why. I think I know now, as I sit here it occurs to me that since the first tribute I wrote to him in 2004, this country has had to endure two additional years of dirty politics, regarding the events of 9/11. It all adds up, and it hits one when it is least expected, and it hurts that this is what America has become in five short years, or half a decade, however you choose to look at it.

-OndineMonet
"Calla At Night"
Berkeley, California

Angelides' Aides Leaked Gov. Tape (ABC/KGO TV)

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Profiles

"The problem with cats is that they get the same exact look , whether they see a moth or an ax-murderer.

-Paula Poundstone

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Get a picture of someone in profile. Could be you, a family member, a friend, a pet - just as long as we see their side.

-John Scalzi

I like this photo shoot assignment. It was a lot of fun looking through my archives to see what I had in the way of profiles. To my surprise, I had more then I thought I had. That gives me something to consider with my photography, being more aware of the angles I an shooting. Sometimes, like with the butterflies, I don't have time to consider all that I should, I get busy with background and foreground. Sometimes both area's look better to me if I had a side view of the subject. I enjoy making quick decisions, reminds me that instinct does indeed play a big part of what I try to accomplish. :)

And now, a view from the side...

"Yeah I flirt, I'm not blind and I'm not dead."
-Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford 10/99

"Julia" butterfly closed wings

"Julia" sideview, open wings

Penguin

Ground Squirrel

"We told you a hundred times, good officer, sir. We last saw him inside the john... er...comfort room."
-Micky Dolenz, from the movie, "Head"

Micky Dolenz of The Monkees

The other Elvis...thank you, thank you very much! :)

The first photo at the very top is of comedienne Paula Poundstone. I went to one of her shows at the Alameda County Fair, in June of 2000. She was so funny, and so sweet. We had a good time. The second photo was taken in San Francisco, on the Marina Green. We were members of the studio audience, for a taping of "Live With Regis & Kathie Lee." Dolly Parton, former mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown and Barry Bonds were also guests that day. All of them were quite personable. Regis was the most impressive however, he really seemed to love interacting with the audience. :) Nice man.

-OndineMonet

The 2996 Project: I Am Honoring The Life of David Angell

"David Angell was unique among the comedy writers I've met. Like David himself, his humor was gentle and kind, yet deeply funny. He had a brilliant comedy mind, but more importantly he was a good man, and nice person."

-Bruce Rasmussen, Executive Producer, The Drew Carey Show


David Angell was a man of many talents, but his greatest talent might have been his ability to make others laugh. As a co-executive producer of the NBC series, "Frasier," he made his living by bringing laughter into the homes of millions of viewers each week, but not just with "Frasier," but also through the brilliance of the hit NBC shows, "Wings," which he co-created, and "Cheers," a show that earned him numerous Emmy awards. In total, David Angell received 8 Emmy awards for his work on "Cheers," Wings" and "Frasier."

David Lawrence Angell, was born in West Barrington, Rhode Island, on April 10th, 1946, he was the youngest of three children. In college he received a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Providence College. Upon graduation, he entered into the U.S. military, and served in the army at the Pentagon until 1972. After leaving military service, he moved to Boston, where he worked as a methods analyst at an engineering company, and then later he was employed at an insurance firm in Rhode Island. But comedy was calling his name, and in 1977 he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy writing. One of his first scripts was sold for an episode of "Archie Bunker's Place," and in 1983 he joined "Cheers," as a staff writer. Eventually, David Angell became partners with Peter Casey and David Lee. By 2001, the trio's production company, Grub Street Productions, had been nominated for 37 Emmy Award nominations and collectively had won 24.


David Angell and his wife Lynn, shared an amazing love and enthusiasm for life. Together, they were well known for not just their kindness and humor, but also for their humanitarian efforts. The two gave of their time to many charities and built a library, for their favorite charity, "Hillsides," which is now named in Lynn Angell's honor. "Hillsides," is a residential facility located in Pasadena, California, for abused and neglected children. The Angells were also benefactors of the Boch Center. In life, the Angells fought passionately for many social causes, by writing their senators and congressmen on issues close to their hearts. Their tireless efforts for charitable causes, earned them the love and respect of their peers in the entertainment industry. After his death, the American Screenwriter's Association, created the "David Angell Humanitarian Award," in his honor. An award which is given to an individual in the entertainment industry, who contributes to global well being through their donations of time, expertise or other support, to improve the human condition.

So many remember the Angells as having one of those marriages, that you just know, was truly made in heaven.Their love story began at a beach party when a shy David Angel introduced himself to a woman he had seen in the crowd, a woman who captivated him, her name was Lynn Edwards. By all accounts, it was love at first sight for the couple, and two years later they were married. On her wedding day, Lynn's mother told her ,"It's taken you twenty-two years to become an angel." The Angells loved each other to an infinite degree, telling friends that neither would have wanted to live without the other one. Lynn Angell loved ice cream and children, and she enjoyed planning visits to New England, for she and her husband. It was a place they visited as much as possible. The Angells, were returning home from a summer long vacation in Cape Cod, where they had just attended a family wedding, and were overseeing the building of their future retirement home, when they were killed onboard American Airlines Flight 11, after it was hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center, in New York, on September 11, 2001. They had just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, less then a month earlier, on August 14th.

I never got the chance to meet David Angell, to tell him how much I enjoyed his work, and how much it enriched my life, but through researching his life, I came to feel as if we had been old friends. The Angells were rare people, who gave of themselves for the good of others. It was apparent, through the many memorials and tributes in their honor, that they were well loved on this earth. David Angell lives on every time you laugh at one of the marvelous shows he was a part of, and Lynn every time you see a child smile. Bringing joy, compassion and relief from the woes of life, is their legacy. The next time you find yourself laughing out loud at one of the marvelous shows that David Angell was a part of... remember David Angell and smile. Thank you, David and Lynn Angell, for sharing your lives with us.

Besides their many friends, and entertainment colleagues, David Angell is survived by a brother, the Most Reverend Kenneth A. Angell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, and a sister, Claire Miller and her husband Bernard. Lynn Angell was survived by her mother, Marilyn Edwards, and her brother, Dr. Thomas Edwards, and his wife Rennie.

Hillsides Home For Children
940 Avenue 64, Pasadena, Ca 91105
(323) 255-9005

-OndineMonet
Click the above banner to visit the 2996 Project web site.

Missing John Ritter

September 17th, 1948 - September 11, 2003

I miss his talent for humor so much. There is not enough laughter in the world.

"John was the kind of person, that if you spent 2 minutes with him, you felt as if you knew him for about 20 years."

-Martin Short

"He just had a way of making you feel special"

-Katey Segal

"I think the best way to pay a tribute to John Ritter and for the people who care about John, you should do two things. Do something really nice for somebody, and do something really goofy. You know, just stick your tongue out at the kid in the car next to you and I think that would make John happy."

-Paul Reiser

Is there ever enough laughter in the world?

-OndineMonet

A Summer Song

"I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of summer. My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music. It is a fire that solitude presses againist my lips."

-Violette Ludec Mad in Pursuit

Ok, I admit it, this is a sad weekend, and Monday is the sadest day in the universe, so I think I will concentrate on what was absolutely perfect about this summer, which is about to end...as all things eventually do...

A Summer Song (Chad & Jeremy)

Soft kisses on a summer's day, laughing all our cares away, just you and I.
Sweet sleepy warmth of summer nights, gazing at the distant lights
In the starry sky...

I went to a summer rock concert...

I saw the brush strokes of the master,Claude Monet...

I watched a sunset over San Francisco, from Twin Peaks...

Elvis and I nearly melted in the heat wave, but loved each other through it! :)

I photographed new beginnings...

Shared an afternoon with a new friend :)

I met a squirrel... :)

I watched as a new marriage began...

I photographed perfection of beauty and grace...

And saw the Dahlias bloom in Golden Gate Park...

Chased the Woodstock sculptures around Santa Rosa...

Witnessed true beauty...

Shared an afternoon, and lunch, with a singer...

Visited the wind farm at Altamont...

I saw the inspiration in water lilies...

And watched the fog roll into the Monterey Bay...

They say that all good things must end one day, autumn leaves must fall
But don't you know that it hurt's me so to say goodbye to you
Wish you didn't have to go, oh no, no, no...

And when the rain, beats against my window pane, I'll think of summer days again...and dream of you, and dream of you.

-OndineMonet
"Summer Series 2006"