The Things You See If You Look Close Enough

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

~George Eastman

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

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

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

That worked out well!

Preseason Autumn Leaf Of The Day

#2

Mood: Happy But Perplexed

~Me :)

When Every Leaf Is A Flower

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

~Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost

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

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

How lovely is that leaf?

Stay Tuned, There's More To Come!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Remembering The Love, Laughter And The Life Of The Angells

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

~Audry Hepburn

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

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

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

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

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

I will always honor the Angells in my heart. 

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

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

Please join me in that tribute.

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

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

The "Off Market" Anniversary

"Real love stores never have endings"

~Richard Bach

Love Story

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

But like I said, that was before Maggie Q.

Sigh.

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

THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT! 

Home

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

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

So much has happened in the last 13 years!

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

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

~Kamila Shamsie.

Broken Verses

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

Haunted Houses

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

~Patricia Briggs

Dragon Bones

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

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

 A charming old Victorian, circa 1905!

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

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

Does that make sense?

Life Takes Courage... right?

Mood: Thoughtful

~Me :)

My Dillybean

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

or even better... 

as the superior it knows itself to be."

Elizabeth Peters

The Snake, The Crocodile And The Dog

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

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

which believe me he can do, 

he is always just my little Dillybean. 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Who Does That?

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

~Marilyn Grey

Bloom

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

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

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

Who does that?

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

I'll get there, I promise.

Mood: Quiet

Fireworks July 4th, 2015

~Me

Next...

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

~Unknown

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

THAT DREAM WAS KILLED!

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

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

We will find an apartment, hopefully in the Bay Area

And we will move on.

Life Goes On!

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

In that case time pretty much stops.

Honestly... I HATE IT HERE!

Don't worry, the negativity will pass.

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

STRESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

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

 voluntarily, now and then,

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

 for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse,

 a little later on."

~Elbert Hubbard

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

Everything is going to be okay... right?

Everything Falls Into Place!

Mood: CRAZY

~Me :)

The Groupon Box

"What greater gift than the love of a cat?"

~Charles Dickens

Joey, is napping in a very beloved place, the sacred Groupon Box that my Birkin knockoff purse arrived in last October. Since then, Dylan and Joey have taken turns sleeping in the little brown and green box, and they have come to be friends as they worked out their own feline sharing negotiations. There was a day when I thought Dylan would never share that box with either of his brothers, but I was wrong, Dylan and Joey have actually bonded over the sharing of that chewed up box. And it is probably the least important thing we are taking with us to the new home, unless you consider that it would mean the world to those two wonderful cats to have that box. Dylan worked constantly over weeks to scallop the edges, and form it perfectly to his body, and Joey helped in his own way, and now it's as important to them as a catnip mouse, or Dylan's brush or Joey's Zsu Zsu pet Scoodles. But I couldn't help but wonder, why did they bond over a Groupon box, and why do they love all boxes so much?

Turns out, there is a reason...

And BIG cats love boxes also!

Yay! Boxes!

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

My Friend Gladys

"Every year, back comes spring, with nasty little birds yapping their fool heads off

 and the ground all mucked up with plants."

~Dorothy Parker

I flew into a fit of nostalgia yesterday, and went downtown for lunch and then a drive around Berkeley. One of my favorite spots to visit is my friend Gladys. She's the lady in the photo above. Gladys and her friends sit inside a special little garden, behind a pretty unique house on Ashby avenue. Gladys always makes me smile, and reminds me about how it's the unusual in life that makes living in this world whimsical and bearable. Gladys has her affairs in order. She knows who she is. She always makes you feel welcome. And when you leave, it's a huge comfort knowing that no matter how busy, or crazy life gets, Gladys will always be a constant in an ever changing world of birds yapping their nasty little heads off.

I don't think her real name is Gladys, but that's who she will always be to me. I am going to miss a lot of things about Berkeley, and Gladys is definitely one of them!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Almighty Dollar

"It's not easy to steal where the landlord is a thief"

Irish Saying

My landlord is a criminal. Period. He knowingly rented an apartment to me, well after he found out that my unit was illegal. That is against the law, so I sought legal help, and we have reached a monetary settlement, rather than I visit the District Attorney and press charges against him. The amount we settled on will help us, but it has placed our family in peril. We thought we were close to closing on our own home this weekend, but it all fell through on Wednesday. Now we are not sure what we will do, except try our best to find a new home that is ready to be purchased as soon as possible. We have the money for the down payment. We have the money for all the fees and closing costs. We have everything packed and pretty much ready to go. What we don't have is a place to go to. 

Having money doesn't make the world go round. With only 60 days to figure things out, rather than the year or more he could have given us, we are backed against the wall. Today I will get up, and get at it again, I will try to find us something... anything that we can maybe purchase and call home. Fortunately, we may have a solid line on someone willing to foster care the boys for a while, if we still haven't found a place by late next month. What a mess. Money doesn't buy happiness. And it doesn't buy love. It also can't buy a soul. My landlord sold his long ago, I can only imagine the look on his face, and the pain in his heart, when he finds out he won't be able to buy it back!

 For The Love Of Money

Mood: Sad

~Me

Condiments

"Failure is the condiment that gives success it's flavor."

~Truman Capote

That's kinda deep!

Mood: Okay... No Really... Okay Just Freaked Out.

~Me :)

Imagine The Possibilities

"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be.

 If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it.

 On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning."

~Mahatma Gandhi

A pumpkin made entirely out of New England Cheddar cheese! Can you just imagine that? I know, I know, it's not really a pumpkin made of cheese... it's New England Cheddar cheese made entirely out of a pumpkin! Yeah, I know, I know... it's not that either. But just for a moment, imagine the possibilities!

Cheese Meets Pumpkins.

What A Concept!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

My Favorite Tree

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself."

~William Blake

This is my favorite tree. I love coming by and looking in it's... eye? Yeah, I know, it's not really an eye, but somehow imagining it to be a tree, with one wise eye, makes me feel better about things. Oh my goodness, the conversations that lovely Liquid Amber tree and I have had! We have discussed the beauty of autumn, the folly of war. We have discussed my crazy sentimentality, and how much we miss certain people. We talk about weather and big life changing decisions. We have enjoyed many lunches together, and the occasional smoothie break. Put it all together and it just life. The tree's and mine. And it goes on for both of us, through the chill and the heat, and the seasons, but autumn is our favorite. We agree that everything seems more reasonable in the autumn.

My Favorite Tree In Autumn

Mood: Happy

~Me :)