The City of Buildings and Fog

We had fog this morning.

This is the building next door. Seriously thick fog.

Just Watched: Turtles Can Fly

Difficult to watch due to the subject matter - refugee children in Iran at the time of the fall of Saddam.

Gripping and horrifying and amazing and wow! We, as Americans, live in such a plentiful land and even in war time we are so blessed that we have so much of whatever we want or need - well, most of us anyway. Its an eye opener to see what a war torn country's people live through. And, the amazing thing is that so many do live through it and go on and we put up a stink when the local hugo-mart sells out of the hottest new toy or gadget or electronic device that we or our children just have to have. It helps to remind me of all that I have (family, friends, transportation, income, medical services) and all that I don't have (a war torn country, land mine maimed siblings, hunger, uncertainty).

I really do want to go to Africa or wherever and help those on this planet who "don't have". That is the truth of it. The other side of that truth coin is that, yes, I am comfortable and my life is MY life and giving that up is for those people who are more altruistic than I will ever be. Sad but true. Is that too much to admit here in cyberworld?

Worth watching for all the reasons noted above.

Preview

I don't have the official photos yet, but this impromptu one captures my heart. This is one of my nieces, a cute, cute, cute jr. bridesmaid with my Mister and his best man in the background. No one seems aware the photo is being taken. None are posing awkwardly, none have fake smiles, all are in their own element with their own thoughts in their own heads. The simplicity of it is so complex.

My multi-talented bro took the pic (I think) and I'm not sure if the way it turned out was planned or just a happy accident. Either way, my heart strings are tugged each time I see this.

Just Read: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Author: J.K. Rowling

A must read. I have many questions though. Must do internet research to find possible answers. Have you read it?

Just Read: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Author: Lisa See

Result: I liked this book. There were just tons of really personal reasons but it mostly centers on the closeness of the two women in the story and how I relate (well not the exact circumstances) but very certainly the emotions and thoughts they share. The love and longing and loss and joy and that inner, very innermost woman part of your heart that is saved and shared with only your closest women friends and maybe only your closest of closest women friends. Its a part of your heart reserved for women, one not shared with your closest man friend or husband or lovah. You know what I mean?

Another No Big Deal

really, its no big deal. i'm just getting married tomorrow and i live in the great northwest and (this may seem like a no-brainer, but) its raining and its been raining for several weeks now and not just a regular rain for october in our wonderful state, but a torrential pacific storm of notability and did i mention my wedding is an outside wedding. yes, we have a tent. we planned for the inevitable cold this time of year and have a tent with sides and a heater what we sort of hoped for was an indian summer which we are famous for and not for the global warming torrential (did I say that already) downpour which has saturated and muddified the ground where my guests will be walking soon in their prada and monolo blahniks (ok, well maybe not, but I'm watching a little sex and the city lately) and sinking into the mud will absolutely be an issue and can i say stressed out bride here. i can't even begin to tell you the feelings of 43b'dillion things still to do and on the top of that list is how to make this an event that guest's remember by the great food and smiling happy newlyweds rather than the shoes that had to be thrown in the garbage because they were ruined by the mud and muck and the outbreak of pneumonia from walking in the rain and cold. OY! i thought this here blogging would help, not so much. i had better go stress and worry a little more. ...breathe......and don't cry!!

Just Read: Eldest: The Inheritance Trilogy

Author: Christopher Paolini

Formula, but I expected that. Nice twist, or two, that I hadn't seen coming. Cliff hanger ending, of sorts, 'cause, you know its only part two of a trilogy. I am liking this series. I am liking this author. It will be interesting for Christopher Paolini to mature and age and have more life experience to see where he can take his thoughts and rather decent writing. Worth the read.

Just Watched: Fight the Future

Ok, yes, I know! Its the X-files movie from 11dy-nine years ago. But, I Netflix. I love my Netflix. So, I've been watching things movies, etc that I normally wouldn't rent or watch but wanted to see. For example, I watched all the Sex and the City. I'd seen the show on occassion, but, I'm not a cable girl so hadn't seen them all. It was great. There've been quite a few of teevee series I've watched just for the fun of it and currently, well I'm actually almost done with season 9, the last season, of the X-files hence just having also watched the X-files movie. Oh, oh, I watched the amazing Farscape series. If you haven't seen it, its really quite wonderful. It had this cult like following when it was on (I think) the sci-fi channel. Again, a channel I'd never seen. But a friend (who also Netflix's) recommended it one day. After getting over the goofiness of it, just like the original (and all the susequent by-the-by) Star Trek series its so much fun and you find yourself (well I did anyway) wrapped up in the emotions and lives of the characters. I just can't say enough good things. Oh, and I watched Weeds and the first two seasons of Lost. Can't think of anything else, but I am sure if I got a wild hair and decided to watch, oh, lets say the entire Brady Bunch series, I could most likely find it on Netflix.

So, Fight the Future was mediocre at best, but you sort of have to watch it to understand some subtleties in the series. And, let's face it, David Duchovny, not too bad on the eyes.

Weekend Breakfast

Mish-mosh, but yummy and relaxing and I didn't have any tri-color photos to post. Ran myself out of them and haven't had time to take any. It was a good run, well, I had fun anyway. I'll maybe reserve the last two tri-color days for the near future when I have photographing time.

Breathe... just too much going on. Not enough hours in the day nor energy in the body to do everything that needs done. Same old story I'm sure we all live each day. blah blah blah

Later.

Color Project - Week III: San Magenta, White and Green

Superfantastic weekend, if you don't count that Mister's mom's cat, which we are cat sitting, had an abscess that burst when I picked her up. ICK and SUPER ICK! We called the mom, rushed her to the animal hospital, and sat for 2 hours while they shaved her and cleaned her up. She is going to be fine, but, those minutes of cat wailing while on the drive to the vet were amazingly excruciating. Was she dieing or did she just hate the cat carrier? Turns out she just hates automobiles, a lot! On the way home, she peed all over herself and the cat carrier. So, on top of having gone through an horrific ordeal of abscess and hospital, she then has to have a bath.

Anyway, we survived and a shave and some antibiotics later and she's a happy kitty again. Mister and I walked to the grocery twice this weekend. The first time, I didn't have my camera and saw an unlimited number of things to photograph, the second time I had camera in hand and found nearly nothing that grabbed my attention. I'm that way with money and shopping too. If I don't have any money to spend, I can find just dozens of cute outfits, but the minute I decide I'm actually going to shop 'cause I have some funds, all clothing looks unappealing. Digressing a bit... Its really nice to be able to walk to the grocery, 'cause we have a tendency to only buy what we want to eat at that particular meal and not stock up all that often. Or we get a wild hair and want something other than what we have on hand... so, we walked through our lovely neighborhood in yesterday's lovely warm, almost tropical weather and took some (not many) pics. These are the product of that endeavor.

Color Project - Week III: Ni Orange, Tan and White

Pumpkins, gourds, squash ... whatever you call them, to me they 'felt' soft and fluffy and firm and marshmallowy. Like the candy corn(ish) pumpkins and witches and ears of corn you can buy only at this time of year. They aren't quite candy corn, but its the closest thing to compare it to. Anyway.

I especially love the white one in the forefront. No time or energy to actually purchase it, but I'd love to see the inside and know what people who do buy this DO with it. Is it white on the inside? Does it taste like pumpkin? Would it make a white pumpkin pie? How cool and eery would that be!

Sunrise

I arrive at the office this morning as per usual and as I wander around, turning on lights, computers, putting my lunch in the fridge, making coffee, eating flax cereal, to my ultimate surprise, what was that glow coming through the closed shades. I open them up and this AMAZING sunrise has begun and the layers of yellow and orange are brilliant and I grab the office camera and step out onto the deck. So wonderful. As I download them for this here blog, I look out and again, the entire sky is this incredible cloud strata of innumerable oranges and yellows. The photos really don't do it justice.

Oh that this would have been a sunrise during my week of Orange!

I am so grateful for the sunsets here on the west coast of our country. I think I am partial just due to a life long proximity to them over the Pacific Ocean. I am in awe, however, of what the sunrise possibilities must be for east-coasters.

Color Project - Week III: Ichi Purple, White & Black

Isn't this Lovely! When I arrived at work this very morning, a beautiful vase of orchids was waiting for me with a sweet note from one of my favorite tenants. He will be in Europe for a conference then hiking for the next two weeks. He and his wonderful wife won't be able to attend our wedding so before he left town he left this token. It was so wonderful and cheery and heartwarming. You know that people like and care about you but sort of don't really think about it much, its just sort of taken for granted. But then some small jesture reminds us that there are those people out there who do care.

It was this morning and will be for days to come, such a treat to arrive at my desk and have these tropical and marvelous beauties greeting me.

Color Project - Week II: Cinco Green & Crystal

Trust me, crystal IS a color. I realized this after writing yesterday's post. I liked these two photos and decided they were worthy enough.

I am aware I am not a great photographer and that this isn't exactly National Geographic stuff. But, I liked it anyway. Not so much for its clarity, but for the beauty that is inate in water and for the 'swirlyness' of it.

I think the out-of-focusness (partially due to the upload interface with Blogger - it really is amazingly more clear on the camera) is what makes it ineteresting. Like a wavery crystal ball in the shadowy, frankincense inundated tent of a bejewelled and mysterious, dark-haired gypsy woman fortune teller...

ahem... I digress.

There you go week two. Wonderful weekends all!

xo

Color Project - Week II: Cuatro Pink & Green

Its rainy and dreary here and I didn't want to use grey and wet as my two colors today. So, yes, I sort of cheated and went into my floral archives and pulled these two out for todays submission. I don't think its REALLY cheating since I don't think I've posted either of these photos in the past. In other news, you may remember that a rather wonderful woman absconded with my originally planned wedding date just mere moments before I walked into the Overlook House. I was quite literally despondent at that moment. We talked about switching dates 'cause she wasn't really tied to that specific date like I was, but in the end she kept my date. And this is the same woman that I've had 'tent' issues with for months. She chose a more expensive tent company, she was having three or four tents and I just needed one, we were going to share the cost so we'd each see some savings in the tent rental area, she had changed her tent scheme several times, we decided to h*e*c*k* with her and her tents we were going to have our own, we were having some difficulty with getting her tents out of the venue so my tents could be put up... its a long story. So the ending of the story is that last night, I heard that this woman has (less than three weeks before her wedding date) decided to change venues altogether. I had a lot of thoughts when I read this - humor, relief, joy, serious irritation. I hope she has a wonderful wedding wherever she ends up. For my sake, join me my friends in praying that the weekend weather is unseasonably beautiful and warm with no rain.

Color Project - Week II: Tres Yellow & Green

Hopelessly out of words.

Color Project - Week II: Dos Brown & Blue

Wha..?

Sometimes no inspiration is necessary at all. Sometimes you are minding your own business, driving down the highway when you think you see something on the side of road you didn't expect. Mister missed it so I actually turned the Jeep around and went back for a second drive by. Well, we did a stop by and here's what we saw. What is it?

Well, it seems to be a dragon of sorts.

Its sort of cool and sort of funny and sort of a little bit odd, but hey, maybe they were in a parade or something.

When opportunity sets itself up on the side of the freeway and begs to be photographed, well, you just do what comes naturally. Photograph it and put it on your blog that is.

Color Project - Week II: Uno Yellow & Green

Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of low acid tomatoes.