John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #144: Holiday Greetings

"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. but it warmed more than your body, it warmed your heart. Filled it too, with the melody that would last forever."

-Bess Streeter Aldrich

Weekend Assignment #144: Make a holiday greeting for your friends here on AOL Journals, and online. You were going to do that anyway, I bet, but now it'll fulfill your Weekend Assignment, too. See? Told you it would be easy.

Extra Credit: Uh, name your favorite of Santa's reindeer.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

It's not easy to know what to say to a fellow human this time of year, and at times, so many seem to be walking on egg shells when it comes to greetings of any type, be it written in a card, or upon meeting out in the world. Still, the assignment John gave us was to make a holiday greeting that could be posted on our blogs, so, after a lot of thought on the matter, here is what I came up with.

From Our House To Yours...

May your life, and the lives of those you love, be touched with hope and peace. May you find joy in the simplest of things, and may you experience good health and cheer, today, and everyday all through the year.

Whatever each day means to you, may it be lived to the fullest, never taken for granted, and remembered as one of the best days you had on earth. May happiness and prosperity be yours in 2007!

Love, Carly, Alan and Elvis too :)
December 23rd, 2006



Extra Credit: I have to admit, I never thought of which of Santa's reindeer might be my favorite, so, I took a quiz and found out I am most like reindeer Cupid. LOL. If you would like to take this quiz, click on the above graphic. :)

-OndineMonet

**Oops. LOL. Originally I put 2006, of course I actually meant 2007. LOL. Tis the season! :)

Steven's Feline Friday: Here's Your Host For This Week... Elvis!

"One of the nice things about Christmas is that you can make people forget the past with the present."

-Unknown

Welcome to another edition of Feline Friday! This week Elvis and I are hosting for Steven, and what a wonderful group of kitties we have participating. :) I am so pleased to be able to show off my cat, Elvis, and his official Christmas portrait for 2006. I will be sending it off in the New Year's cards I have made for family and friends. As you can see, Elvis is a born "Super Model." He loves wearing his blue sweater, which keeps the rain off him when he plays outside. I think it's safe to say, he is a pretty snazzy dresser. Always the gentleman. LOL. I can't wait to give him his presents this year, there are some wonderful new clothing pieces, and of course, a new toy or two. I may have to do another portrait of him for Valentine's Day. :)


Doesn't he have a wonderful smile?


Now OnTo The Featured Felines Of The Week!

1. We find Antonette's cat inspecting a snowflake here. :)

2. Here is Steven's niece Hannah, carrying Pickle. :)

3. Here are Deslily's cats, Peanut Chew and Boo-Boo Kitty, in a warm embrace. :)

4. Theresa's kitty Angel can be found here. :)

5. Tracy's cat, Felix, takes a nap. :)

6. And HestiaHomeSchool's kitty looking for an afghan. :)

7. Suzanne's kitty, Socks, is all set to enjoy his first Christmas!

Great turn-out, and a wonderful week of cat photos. Feline Friday returns to Steven's blog next Friday, December 29th. If you want to play along, post a photo of your feline friend, and share a story if you like, then come back here and leave your link in the comment thread for this entry. Next week, when Steven returns, a link your entry will posted to Steven's blog, (sometimes) photoblog. If you haven't visited her already, be sure to drop by the blog of last week's guest host, Julie, to see her entry from last week. You can find her here.

-OndineMonet
Elvis
Berkeley, California
December 21st, 2006
Evening

Absolutely We're Winning

"Yes, that was an indication of my belief we're going to win."

-George W. Bush, December 20th, 2006, White House Press Conference.

Earlier this month, I took a short car ride to the East Bay town of Lafayette, to see for myself, the memorial that has been placed on the side of a hill, honoring U.S. military troops killed in Iraq. You can read my original entry here. This particular memorial has been the subject of a great deal of debate, both pro and con, but I wanted to see it for myself, before deciding how I felt about this expression of remembrance for the fallen. I did see it in person, and I left feeling a good deal of sadness, mostly because the crosses themselves represent sons, fathers, wives, husbands, daughters, sisters, brothers, best friends, mothers, and almost any combination of relationships you care to think of. I took that photo on December 2, which at that time, there were 2,885 lost forever to this war, created through lies, and fought with the blood of our nations soldiers, to the ends of some unknown agenda. As of today, the total climbed to 3,284, but the point I want to make here has to do with what we hold as truth, as Americans and humans.




The owners of this property in Lafayette placed this memorial here, on their own private property, to honor those who have died for our freedoms. Freedom of speech being one of many. The owners of the property have the right to display this memorial, and yet, they have been the subject of a great deal or community ire from the mostly conservative town, in which are some who consider the crosses not as representational of the fallen, but more as an affront to their memory. How can this be true? Help me with this one here. Are we not supposed to acknowledge to ourselves, and others, that those horrible numbers are people, not just numbers? Does it make the war somehow more palatable, if we can possibly find a way to march on to "victory," without feeling the pain of loss? Who is honoring who? I hear all the time, mostly from war supporters, that those very same sons, fathers, wives, husbands, daughters, sisters, brothers, best friends, mothers and any combination of relationships you care to think of, are in Iraq, to defend our freedoms. Is freedom of speech, one of our freedoms or isn't it? You can't have it both ways. I am offended that someone vandalized this memorial, sometime in the last couple days. Deeply offended.

To vandalize someone else's property, because you don't like their specific message, makes you a coward. A COWARD! And you do more to bring down the morale our troops, then any other slight that could be shown them. If you are for the war in Iraq, because you have weighed the situation, did your research, and came to that conclusion, I can respect that. If you are against the war, for the same reasons, again I have respect for you, but if you don't know why you feel the way you do, either way, then do something right now to educate yourself, and find out what you feel, and why you feel it. If you can't make that effort, then I don't think I even want to know you! Vandalizing this property is an act of cowardice, it isn't a statement that can be respected, and right now, if you are the one who did this deed, you are a criminal. Nice... real nice.

The Fallen

-OndineMonet
Lafayette, California
December 2, 2006
Late Afternoon

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

"If I were running the world, I would have it rain only between 2 and 5 a.m. Anyone who was out then ought to get wet."

-William Lyon Phelps

Winter is getting mighty pushy. LOL. This was the view this evening, looking towards San Francisco, from Grizzly Peak Boulevard, here in Berkeley. Over night last night, we experienced record breaking cold temperatures around the Bay Area. It was 31 degrees at 2:00 a.m. Brrrrrrrr. On the upside, Elvis is being a total love bug, he is staying right by my side keeping me warm, and I am planning two big days of baking holiday yumminess on Thursday and Friday. :) The weather man has been hinting that it just might be a white Christmas this year, which would be amazing, because I have always wanted to take Elvis sledding. LOL.

KGO (ABC) Weather Cams

Seven Day Forecast

-OndineMonet

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Festive Pets

"There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat."

-Tay Hohoff

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of your pet, festive for the holidays. Yes, you know you love dressing up your pets. No, your pets won't really be humiliated. At least not that they'll tell you.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Is this guy the James Bond of cats or what? Tee Hee. Meet my kitty Elvis. Here we see our hero in a very fashionable red silk bow tie, which he wore for his date with me, New Year's Eve, 2004. I took this photo at one minute past midnight. Elvis is my best little buddy, and quite a little charmer. I have a million stories... all true... about how he can make even the most difficult anti-cat person, instantly change their mind upon meeting him for the first time. He is charming, and he loves clothes, so he is usually pretty well dressed for the holidays and birthdays. Is this guy handsome or what? :) Thank you, thank you very much!

I will be posting Elvis's official Christmas Portrait for 2006, later this week, on Friday, when I guest host Feline Friday for Steven. Last week Feline Friday was hosted by Julie, author of the blog, "Stately Barrett Manor," and her feline friends, Abby & Midnight. This is a very cool week for cats! And why not? As Steven says, "Cats Rule!" :)

To play along with, John Scalzi's "Monday Photo Shoot: "Festive Pets," or Steven's, "Feline Friday," see the links below. Steven will begin posting his regular schedule of Feline Friday, once again on Friday, December 29th.

Monday Photo Shoot: Festive Pets

Feline Friday (at Julie's blog, for week ending, December 21st)


-OndineMonet
"Elvis"
Berkeley, California
January 1st, 2005
12:01 AM

Autumn...A Good Time For WooHoo! :)

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the earth, seeking the successive autumns."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

This coming Thursday, December 22, at 7:22 PM EST marks the beginning of the winter solstice. Sigh. Reluctantly, I will have to give up my favorite season yet again. I love autumn, so, I thought it would be nice, to give it a nice send off, by creating a WooHoo of some of the better photos I took during the autumn of 2006. To see all 35 in the series, you can click on the above graphic, or you can pay a visit to my AIM page. There is a nice viewer there, that displays them in a rotation. :)If you have an AIM page you can create an album of your own. It's a lot of fun. Enjoy!

-OndineMonet
Autumn WooHoo

Note: Click on the black space to activate the graphic viewer.

San Francisco's Answer To Rockefeller Center

"Instead if being a time of usual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself."

-Francis C. Farley

Ok, so the Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Rink, at Justin Herman Plaza, on the Embarcadero, is not nearly as big as the ice arena at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, but it does a big job making folks around here happy. :) I have always wanted to see New York City, during the holidays, starting with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. In fact, I have a whole day planned out in my dreams. I guess I do my share of daydreaming about this or that... or who. LOL. I want to stand near Macy's to watch the parade, then take a long walk through Central Park, then have lunch at the Carnegie Deli, take a long, delicious nap, then finish the day by going to Rockefeller Center to watch the ice skaters. It would be nice if a nice soft snow could be falling, but one can't have it all! LOL.

San Francisco is wonderful right now... simply beautiful. Golden Gate Park is bigger then Central Park, and there is plenty to do and see. While it's not the Carnegie Deli, Tony's Cable Car restaurant does have some of the best hamburgers in the city. And the milk shakes are too yummy for words. I love going to San Francisco to look for adventures, relax, and feel inspired, and to seek out the amazing public art, such as "The Tulip" you see in the background. That is a 3-story concrete sculpture with lights, by John C. Portman. Isn't it amazing?

As much as I enjoy my fantasy about seeing, and experiencing, New York City one day, I am pretty happy with what San Francisco has to offer. I may never meet Woody Allen here, but Gavin Newsome could be kinda fun to meet at an ice rink. Damn that man is gorgeous! :)

Golden Gate Park
San Francisco Neighborhood Guide

Rockefeller Center Ice Arena

Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Rink

-OndineMonet
Kristi Yamaguchi Ice Rink
Justin Herman Plaza
Embarcadero
San Francisco, California
December 10th, 2006
Early Evening

Into The Christmas Woods

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fireside and his quiet home!"

-Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers

My back pain is getting worse, Karen talked me into calling my doctor so I could get an appointment to be seen. It takes a lot of pain to make me give in, and see a doctor. Ok... I give! Like my good friend said, "take care of it now, so you won't have to possibly miss Christmas." Yep. Monday afternoon was the soonest I can be seen, but it won't be my regular doctor. YIKES! Still, I am sure it will go smoothly.
In the mean time, I took a small car ride up into Tiden park, here in Berkeley, to see the "Christmas Fantasy In The Woods."

Nestled deep into the middle of the park, is a wonderland of beautiful Christmas lights and decorations, which are just a part of the fantasy, the star of the show was the fabulous Merry-Go-Round, that has been a part of Tiden Park's history since 1948. This was my first visit to the Christmas Fantasy display, but now I think we will be making it an annual tradition. It's the perfect place to go, if one wants to step back in time, and enjoy a more simpler, less commercial aspect of Christmas. I hope to get back to the park, before it closes on December 23rd. I have to ride this Merry-Go-Round! It is a Bay Area MUST SEE!

Tilden Park

Holiday Fantasy Tree

Peace On Earth Is The Message That Greets You!

This Bear Was Too Cute!

I Say It's An Egret. Alan Says It Is A Stork. Hmmmm... Any Guesses?

A Cute Little Snack Bar. The Hot Spiced Apple Cider Was Wondeful! Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

The cafe also serves candy, snacks, corn dogs, and sandwiches. :)

East Bay Parks Special Events

Tilden Merry-Go-Round History

Hours 5:30 - 8:30 PM Till December 23rd

-OndineMonet
Tilden Merry-Go-Round
Tilden Park
Berkeley, California
December 15, 2006
Early Evening

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 143: What You'd Want, If You Were A Kid

"...And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

-Dr. Seuss

Weekend Assignment #143: Imagine you are a kid today, age 10 or under. What would you want for Christmas/Hanukkah/Seasonal Holiday of Your Preference? Don't look back on the toys of your youth, now - think about what kids have NOW that you would want if you were their age. Also, if you're a parent, don't ask your kids what they want, this is supposed to be about what you would want. If you were their age. I love my daughter, but I guarantee you, there are things she wants that if I were a kid her age I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

Extra Credit: Do you kinda want the same toy now that you're an adult? Come on, you can admit it if you do.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Dear Santa Claus

My name is Carly Elizabeth Gordon, I am 10 years old, and have been a very good girl this year, or so I have been told. ;) Here is my list for you, complete with pictures. I promise to have cold milk, and warm cookies waiting for you on Christmas Eve. I know you have a million places to be that night, but I hope you will come by my place for a holiday visit. You like Snickerdoodles with extra cinnamon... right?

Always, Carly

PS Just in case, I will also have a Latte waiting, it's December after all.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 5 "Anya"Action Figure

Lil Bratz Dolls "Twins"

Bratz Accessories

Calico Critters "Wiskers" Family

Elmo... Any Elmo will do!

FurReal Cuddle Chimp ... I LOVE Monkeys

Quiddler Card Game. I Love this game!

I LOVE opossums

Extra Credit: I want every single thing on this list, especially the stuffed opossum. There's just something about opposable thumbs that intrigues me. :) And ok, I can admit it, the Anya action figure would be cool. She was one of my favorite characters from BTVS. :)


-OndineMonet
"Leaf Skiing"
Moraga, California
December 11th, 2006
Morning

Not Really Autumn, But Not Really Winter

"Spring, summer, and fall fill us with hope; winter alone reminds us of the human condition."

-Mignon Mc Laughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

It was December 13th yesterday, and the weatherman promised a little reprieve from the days of rain that has assaulted the Bay Area lately. I was ready for the sun to peek through... it was not to be. Sigh. Just as well. As it turns out the weather matched my mood, as memories and faces went drifting through my thoughts, like rain and fog, across the hills behind my house. My horoscope for yesterday, gave me the following advice...

"You know what is in your heart now, but you might want to whitewash it to make it all nicer than it truly is. Circumstances aren't necessarily bad; it's just that there is more going on than you want to talk about. Don't be hard on yourself. Today it's ok to sit quietly with your own feelings, knowing that you will soon need to peel another layer off the onion to reveal what's next."

Sure, easy for you to say!

I got a lot accomplished yesterday. I kept all my usual appointments, did some Christmas shopping, did the annual "Toys for Tots," donation, did some mood photography, and encountered Mr. November. Yes, as usual, two people, two paths, nothing ever really changes... you know? You would think I would understand my own thoughts by now, but you know how it goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. My back is still sore, really sore. I suppose that has a lot to do with my mood, but I can't help but think it was too bad I didn't read my horoscope until last evening, if I had read it before I left the house, I might have did things a lot differently. On the other hand, I wouldn't have missed that smile for anything. For a moment I didn't hurt, and the weather felt warm. Go figure.

-OndineMonet
"Seasons"
Berkeley, California
Tilden Park
December 13th, 2006
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: Lights Of The Holidays

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

-Norman Vincent Peale

I love the challenge Suzanne, author of the blog, "New Suzanne R's Life," chose for us this time around, "Lights Of The Holiday's." This is such a pretty time of year. There is still a little bit of autumn hanging around to inspire me, and winter is already doing her best to make a joyful noise.:) I was noticing today, that the light outside is already beginning to put on her winter coat, even though we have a couple more weeks. While both seasons inspire me, I am kinda glad that Christmas is officially a part of winter. The winter light is a bit softer, and the night comes on with such loveliness. All the more lovely for the showing off of Christmas lights, like the ones in the above photo. That is a view of San Francisco, as taken from Treasure Island. As you can see, the "City By The Bay" has made it's buildings to look like packages. I could stare look at that view forever! :) I wish I could show it to you in person. :)

It's Christmas Time In The City...

Macy's, Union Square, San Francisco, Ca

Sak's Fifth Avenue, Union Square, San Francisco, Ca.

Holiday Display, Union Square

My Kind Of Lights... Holiday Shoes On Sale!

My second favorite place to see holiday lights has to be, Union Square, in the city. As you can see, they pull out all the stops, to make it a beautiful place to shop, or to just sit with a hot beverage, and enjoy the holiday shoppers, street performers, and the excitment of the children as they take in all there is to see. Take a peek at what caught my eye, then go have a look at the entries posted by the other Round Robin participants. Just click on the links below, to be redirected to their journals and blogs. :) Happy Holidays! :)


Round Robin Challenges

Linking List

1. Suzanne... New Suzanne R's Life POSTED!

2. Carly... Ellipsis... Suddenly Carly POSTED!

3. Janet... Fond Of Photography POSTED!

4. Linda... Blah Blah Blog

5. Karen... Outpost Mavarin POSTED!

6. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix POSTED!

7. Sassy... Sassy's EYE POSTED!

8. Connie... Windswept/Connie's Country Life

9. Danella... Deep Red Style POSTED!

10. Julie... Julie's Web Journal POSTED!

11. Steven... (sometimes) photoblog POSTED!

12. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures POSTED!

13. Teena... It's all about me! POSTED!

14. Phinney... Paragon POSTED!

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Trees And Menorahs!

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles."

-Unknown

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off your Christmas tree and/or Menorah or other seasonably appropriate holiday centerpiece. So, if you celebrate the Solstice or commemorate Kwanzaa, or, heck, just plain like the all, you're covered. We're focusing on this year's decorations, so recent pictures are preferred. But if you haven't gotten all set up yet, you can reach back in your archives.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah :)

I have showed plenty of photos of my official Christmas tree, but I don't show off the little mini-Christmas tree that I keep on my desk, so here it is! Sitting beside the tree, you see a white container of Hanukkah cookie mix, with a little dreidle cookie cutter. I couldn't pass it up. Next weekend I will make dreidle cookies, as we light the menorah. Yep, I have a Christmas tree, and we observe Hanukkah, because, see, I am Jewish by heritage, and Methodist by choice. Lonnnnnggggg story, but the short version is that I found out in my late 30's that my mother was Jewish. The way I feel about it, all believers can celebrate Hanukkah, so why not appreciate it right along with the traditions of Christmas? It's the best of all possible messages and spirit of this time of year!

Both traditions mean a lot to me, but I have one other holiday tradition in the way of a decoration that is always a part of our seasonal displays, my stuffed moose Ross, "Protector of the Presents." Ross sits under the tree, among the packages, on the "Bench of Importance." He is there to remind us, not to be naughty, by trying to figure out what might be in the wrapped up boxes and bags under the tree. I guess you could say Alan and I have a firm grasp on the silliness of the season, as well as an appreciation for it's deep significance. :) Our's is a happy house.

-OndineMonet
Berkeley, California
December 12, 2006

Are You Gonna Need A Bag For Your Bubble Wrap?

"Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption , popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously?

-Bill Watterson, "Calvin & Hobbes"

Do you ever encounter someone so completely grouchy, so completely rude and disagreeable that they actually amused you with their stick-up-the-buttness? LOL. It must be because I am thoroughly in the holiday spirit this year, but for a change, it is other folks who seem to be grouchy... not me! There also seem to be less holiday decorations in the stores out here, then in previous years, but that's a different story. For this entry, I will share a true story of holiday hilarity and histrionics, that I am sure will become a beloved holiday classic... and may in fact be made into a TV movie produced by Irwin Allen. :) Is he still alive?

It all started on a cool December 10th afternoon, when I paid a visit to a national chain office supply store. Yes, there might be one in your neck of the woods... so pay attention. The nerves you save may be your own. Ok, see, I have these two boxes that I need to put into the mail tomorrow, so that they will get to their two destinations in time for Christmas. I needed a medium sized brown box, and some other assorted office supplies, so off I went. When I first walked into the store, I was greeted with a smile from a nice lady, who wished me a good day. I smiled and returned the sentiment, and went about my shopping.

About 20 minutes later, I got in line behind a very tall, bald, man who was dressed as a elf. Complete with assorted bells about his clothing. Jingle, jingle. jingle. All the way! I couldn't help but smile, but I noticed that the young lady who was working the register was NOT smiling. 'Poor thing, she must be tired, ' I thought to myself. When it came my turn to approach the check-out, the lady turned to the man four aisles to my right... "Sir, I can help you over here." What? It was my turn... had she not seen me? "Yes, ummm... there is a lady right there who is next in line." Said the nice consumer 4 aisles over. "Sir! I can HELP you OVER HERE!" The checkout artist barked at the now surprised man 4 aisles to my right. This time, the man pointed to me, and said, "THAT lady was here first." And with that he turned away to let we two ladies work it out. LOL. Good idea! :)

"SIGH.... Ma'am... come here... I will help you!" Jeepers, what did I do? Was it my mere presence? Did I remind her of someone she hated? Who knows. Anyway, I decided to make the best of it, after all, we wouldn't have to see each other ever again, so why sweat her poor mood? Right? In my cart was 6 items, one of which needed to be price checked before I could purchase it. That did not help the young ladies mood. "Excuse me miss, could you tell me the price of this item? There was no tag on it? "SIGH," said the employee of the month, "I suppossssse I can do that for you... sinnnnncccce you didn't see it yourrrrrrrrrself!!!" LOL. Oh my, I think she likes me! :)

So she scanned the product, and the price was acceptable, so it was a go! Good, that was easy, but then things in general began to fall apart. With each item came a snippy comment from the check-out girl. "Card stock huh? I suppose you make your own greeting cards!" "Yes, actually I do," I responded. "Well, are you sure you don't need ink?" LOL. I think I would know if I needed ink...but I answered her inquiry anyway, "No, I have enough ink." SIIIIIIIIGGHHHHHHH," said the clerk. There was a really long silence, and I didn't know what to say next, if indeed if I should say anything at all. The next item she scanned was a roll of bubble wrap, and with that item she said, "Are you gonna need a bag for your bubble wrap?" "Well, yes," I said, "I think that would be most helpful." With my reply she stopped cold, and stared at me for what felt like an hour. LOL. In actuality, it was probably only about 10 seconds. That is when I took out my Mastercard to run through the little slide machine.

"DON'T SCAN IT NOW... WAIT FOR ME TO TELL YOU WHEN!" LOL. Ok, it was just getting funny now. What could I have possibly done? This lady was getting dangerously close to fulfilling my Christmas Eve tradition of being called a "Bitch" by a total stranger. Do you suppose it was the curse of December 10th kicking in? What could it possibly be? I stood patiently as the lady finished up totaling my merchandise, and then I scanned my card, and exited the store. I had been polite, and like I said, I was a little amused that she was so rude to me. After all, what could I do realistically? Tell her boss? Maybe, but somehow it didn't feel like it would have been the right thing to do. If this young lady lives her life as a grumpy, grouchy, grinch, then she has her own troubles. She will figure it all out on her own, and besides, isn't that the best way to learn a lesson?

Gentle readers, have patience with those you encounter for the next couple weeks. It is a tough time of year for a lot of folks. The world is a scary place. Wars, rumors of wars, high prices for everything, and such sadness in the news. We humans must remember that we are human first, and we should give ourselves a break, but we should also try to pass that break along, to those we meet along the way, because you never know who you will meet on your way from here to there. That girl I met was clearly hurting, but it isn't always someone crying, who might be calling out for our compassion. Tis the season you know.

-OndineMonet
"Jack, The Pumpkin King"
Berkeley, California
December 10th, 2006
Late Evening

Saturday In The Park In Early December

"They're most festive. When you think holidays, you think Egrets."

-Alan Pelzer

The weather here in the Bay Area has been all kinds of crazy the last couple days. This weekend is stormy. Overnight there are supposed to be some thunderstorms. I hope so, I love watching them dance off the bay, and the way it makes the air smell is intoxicating to me. Everything is so fresh and new the morning after a good storm. The downside is that the temperature is too cold for my achy joints and muscles. I injured my back last week, and the pain persists. Sigh. In the middle of the afternoon yesterday, I got a bit of cabin fever, and decided to go for a ride, in search of the last of autumn.

I thought it might be fun to drive down to Cull Canyon in Castro Valley, I haven't been there for a while. It was a good choice, because the trees, which still had colorful leaves on them, were just glowing! The sun was waxing and waning, so I got a lot of practice in dealing with lighting. I took most of the photos from my car, my back was hurting too bad to do much walking around. Still, I was happy with what I saw. :)

Towards the later part of Saturday afternoon, I parked my car closer to the pond, and to my happy surprise, there was a beautiful Egret, sitting in the water, pretty close to a pathway. I sat in my car for a few moments, before deciding to go ahead and try walking down the small hill to where the bird was wading. I will know tomorrow if it was a major mistake or not. My back has been really sore, but it was a marvelous opportunity to sit and photograph that amazing bird. I guess it was a case of take the photograph now... pay for it later... kind of opportunity. :) The camera won! LOL.

This was a moment I wouldn't have wanted to miss. I caught the Egret, catching his dinner! I am not sure what kind of little fish it might have been, but when I looked down at the water's edge, there were quite a few just below the surface. A quick visit to the parks district page told me that they stock the pond with bass, catfish and sunfish. To me it kinda looks like a baby bass. If you recognize it... name that fish!

After reading a little bit more about Egrets, I found out that this type of Egret is not a Snowy Egret, but instead, it is the Great Egret. The Great Egret is a much larger bird then the Snowy Egret, and has a yellow bill and black feet, as opposed to a black bill and yellow feet that is characteristic of the Snowy Egret. Sigh. My quest for the Snowy Egret continues. LOL. In the mean time, I am happy with this fellow, yes, I think I will be paying him a visit from time to time this winter, if my back is on the mend. :) I may be in pain tomorrow... but I think I will still be happy I went for the photos all the same. :)

You can get info on Cull Canyon, including a map, here. :) Lovely place.


-OndineMonet
Cull Canyon
Castro Valley, California
December 9th, 2006
Late Afternoon

Steven's Feline Friday: ZzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzz

"There is something about the presence of the cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone."

-Louis Camuth

Steven's Feline Friday

Elvis is my boy. He and I have so much fun together, and we even have real adventures from time to time. He takes care of me when I am ill, and never leaves my side when I am too tired to do much, because of my Fibromyalgia. He loves me, but he adores Alan. :) They are the best of buddies, and at times, I have even seen Elvis try to sit like him. LOL. At night, Elvis puts his daddy to bed at about 10:00 PM, and then usually snuggles in with him for a while. Right about 3:00 AM, my kitty will come into my office, and lay at my feet on a pillow, next to a space heater, where he stays with me until time for me to call it a day...ummm...night... morning...umm... until the clock strikes 4:00 AM. :) Last night however, he didn't keep to is normal routine, so I went to check on him. I found him at the foot of the bed, cuddling his daddy's foot. How cute is that? Elvis is my best buddy, and he loves me, but he is a guy's cat... he adores his daddy. :)

It's fun playing along with Feline Friday! It's easy too. Just post a photo of your kitty pal, and leave a link to your entry over at Steven's. Just click the link above.

-OndineMonet
"Elvis Loves His Daddy"
Berkeley, California
December 8th, 2006
Early Morning

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #142: Kill These Christmas Songs

"Did you ever notice that life seems to follow certain patterns? Like I noticed that every year around this time, I hear Christmas music."

-Tom Sims

Weekend Assignment #142: Your Christmas/Holiday gift is the ability to expunge one highly annoying, yet popular Christmas/Holiday song from the history of the world. Which one is it?

Extra Credit: Fruitcake: Ever actually eat any?

Sigh. Christmas music. Bah... freaking... Humbug! LOL. OK, that was a minor overreaction. I am trying to get over my dislike of it. Really... I am! There are a few Christmas songs I really enjoy, but for the most part, I am not a big fan of holiday music. I wouldn't want to see it all go away because I know there are a lot of folks who enjoy it as a part of the season, but the assignment is to do away with one song of yuletide significance, so I guess that song would be, "I'll Be Home For Christmas."

I have some very personal reasons why I dislike that song so much, but I will share that it is just way to sad for me. It reminds me of those I have lost. Friends, relatives, pets, and how we can't see one another at Christmas. I know the over all message of the song is about being reunited, but when one really feels a deep loss during this season, that song can be such a sad thought to have running through you mind...

I'll be Home For Christmas

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please bring snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find you me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams.



Extra Credit: Fruitcake! Have I ever tried it? Yep... I have. I love fruitcake, and in fact, I used to purchase a special one, each Christmas, from a bakery in New Orleans. Since Hurricane Katrina the bakery is no longer in business. :( I sure miss that special treat, but it has inspired me to make one myself. I like playing recipe detective, and last year I came close to discovering the exact recipe, so this year I will give it a go again. Wish me luck. For me, it is one of the best traditions of Christmas. :)

-OndineMonet
"Christmas Present"
Berkeley, California
December 7th, 2006
Evening

See! This Is Why I Have A Yule Protection Pumpkin On My Desk!

"I think most people consider the reality of reality TV, as they do the reality of Santa Claus."

-Robert Thompson


Fear! We all know what it's like to be afraid of something. Bees, marriage, commitment, ghosts, Income Tax Day, Election Day, crabapples, string, upholstery, ants, water, math, thimbles, nudity, sugar cookies, motor oil, flat tires, soup,but do you know what the number one scariest thing this time of year is, at least for me? Yep, you guessed it... Santa Claus! The jolly old fellow scares the elfin cookies right out of me! I have been known to walk way out of my way at the mall, during this time of year, just to avoid the Santa house. It's the weirdest thing really. I mean, I love the image of Santa, and what he stands for, I love the Coke-A-Cola Santa's most of all. I love the movie "Miracle on 34th Street," especially the 1973 TV which starred Sebastian Cabot, as old St. Nicholas. Wasn't that the best version? See, I know Santa isn't real, yet fear him I do. Of course it doesn't help that he has a evil sidekick named Krampas!

"Krampas"

KRAMPAS! YIKES! Just the name makes me tremble with dread. I came across and interesting article tonight about him, while searching through Yahoo news. It seems Krampas is still making his annual visits to small towns in Europe, as he has been for years and years, chasing away evil spirits, in the same manner as the gargoyle, always around December 6th, during the feast of St. Nicholas. Actually, it is almost always young men dressed up to resemble Krampas, but oh how scary they can be! So scary in fact, that some towns in Austria are considering the banning of Krampas impersonators, because of how bad they have frightened the young children of the villages. On the other hand, according to the article, as many as 3,000 people, including children, packed the city streets of one town, to watch the Krampas's arrival. I guess sometimes it's kinda fun to be scared. :)

Ok, I admit it. I would probably be one of those people who would be sitting in my backyard, on the dark cold night of December 6th, just awaiting for Krampas to appear. I have been known to sit in the pumpkin patch in my garden waiting for the Great Pumpkin after all. I don't know. Hmmmm.... remember last December when that weird little gargoyle thing suddenly appeared on my fence? I wrote about it here. Do you suppose a Krampas had visited me in the night? The strange little statue disappeared, as strangely as it had appeared, a couple days later. Maybe a neighborhood cat, opossum or raccoon dragged it off. Still... spooky! :)

Weird, unnamed friend.

I suppose I can use all the help I can get, in that we are coming up on the "hexed" days of December. Something strange always happens to me on December 10th, and you already know about my Christmas Eve tradition. LOL. December 10th of last year, came and went, and was relatively uneventful. Do you suppose I have my very own Krampas? Did he chase the "Curse of December 10th," away? Hmmm... maybe I should keep an eye on the back yard, and keep a trusty protection pumpkin at the front door, the back door, and on my desk, just in case a fat, white stranger tries to bring me presents.YIKES! I just love a traditional Christmas. ;)

PS If you happen to know what that strange little statue is, feel free to leave me a comment in the thread for this entry. :)

-OndineMonet
Berkeley, California
December 6th, 2006
Evening

Fate? Ramdomosity? God? Dumb Luck? Happenstance?

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."

-Jean de La Fontaine

Last summer, on a certain hot day here in the Bay Area, I decided to skip fixing dinner, and instead, grabbed some Chinese food take-out. It was 109 that day, and to be honest, I had thought about not having any meal at all. I don't do well on days like that, in fact, all thinking tends to come to a full stop for me, if it is too hot outside. And on that day it was TOO hot! But there had been a raging heat wave for most of that week, so I think I was sorta getting used to it. No such thing as Global Warming my pet goat! LOL. Anyway, the restaurant was blissfully cool, and I knew that if I spent a little while, in a different setting, my mood would more then likely improve. It did. :) I brought the meal home, and when I was finished eating, I broke open the fortune cookie closest to me. The message, in the above picture, is what I found.

"You will have good luck in the autumn." How strange that I would get a fortune cookie, that would contain a message of such specific hope. How did the cookie know that I regard autumn as the best season of the year? As the season when all good things would happen to me? My whole life I have been convinced that autumn held some special power over me, and that nothing wicked or evil could possible occur in the autumn. I still do. I have to admit however, that some incredibly bad incidents have happened to me in autumn, yet for some reason, I never blame the season. Go figure. After all, don't most things happen randomly? I have had some bad luck in most all the seasons, just like everyone else. Yet here I sit, almost lamenting the fact that soon, my wonderful season of leaves, and harvested fruits and vegetables, and darkening days, is almost over for another year. :(

What about the fortune cookie prediction? Well, as luck goes mine wasn't bad at all this autumn, but I was thinking tonight, as I looked at that photo, 2006 has treated me pretty well, personally, as years go. I had a great time with my camera, and learned a few things about natural lighting and patience. I did some fixing up of my house, it's so comfy right now. The T'ai Chi has been an amazing experience in discipline. I do the Qi Gong while sitting at my desk, and it has helped a lot with some of the stress I feel from time to time. Like when AOL drops me off every 35 minutes. Tee Hee.

So tell me, how has 2006 treated you? Has this been a good year for you? How about for your creative pursuits? Have you felt creative this year? Do you feel like you have better luck during certain times of the year? Is life all directed by Fate? God? Happenstance? Dumb Luck? Or are we all apart of a bigger Randomosity?

Here are some random moments of 2006... Enjoy!

The end of a water lily's life.

Seals on a rock in the Monterey Bay.

Awesome kite sculpture and a rainbow sunset.

M&M snack attack!

The underside of a Buckeye butterfly. Amazing beauty!

Driving through the Caldecott Tunnel gives me the wiggins. I did it anyway, but I waited for autumn first! :) Maybe that was my good luck... a safe journey.

-OndineMonet

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Winter Decorations

"They seemed to come suddenly upon happiness, as if they had surprised a butterfly in the winter woods."

-Edith Wharton

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Show off your winter home decorations. If you've put up something seasonal (or have shots of decorations from seasons gone by) let's see what they look like. These can include lights and lawn decorations. However, don't post pictures of Christmas trees or menorahs. We'll save those for another Photo Shoot, probably next week.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Ut-Oh... someone said the "W" word! Winter! Well, as much as I enjoy winter, I hold onto autumn for dear life. Autumn, as you know, is my favorite season and it always seems to go by the fastest of all the seasons. Sigh. Oh well, it's kinda fun to look ahead a bit, since I have some decorations already put up in anticipation of the winter holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah and New Years. In fact, Elvis and I have matching elf hats, but I will save that for a different entry. :) Here are some decorations that mean a little something to me.

My Favorite Nutcracker

Christmas in Downtown Berkeley, California

Frosty The Snowman & Friend

Heirloom Elves :)

The elves, aren't just decorations, they are family heirlooms. The green one is Alan's, and was his official ornament since he was a little boy. The red one is mine, and was given to me by my mother-in-law, for Christmas in 1990, which was mine and Alan's first Christmas as married's. :) She had bought a big set of elves when Alan, and his siblings were children. After each of her children was married, she handed out an elf to each new family member. The Christmas when she and Alan handed me my official elf, is one of my very favorite memories. :)


-OndineMonet
Berkeley, California
December 4th, 2006
Evening