Cat-ering on Facebook

Self-heating blanket. Cordless, no batteries required. Works with pellets only. Comes with purring and shedding options.

 

 

 

Sometimes, you can't beat the spontaneity of Facebook. Blogs are craftingly designed and written and thought over. When things just burst out, there's Facebook.

 

We Have Evolved

The Chinese used to bind girls feet to keep them from growing. The feet grew deformed, and women suffered a lifetime of excruciating pain, all in the name of some bizarre aesthetics. It seems hard to believe.

Thank god our civilisation has quite evolved. Today's society wouldn't dream of inflicting pain or discomfort to women in the name of strange beauty standards. Boy, am I glad!

Then again, primitive cultures have always had strange fashion fetishes, where gross deformity is considered appealing..

I'm just glad I live in 2014!

On Advertising

I used to work for a company that was fun and exciting. Advertising was our bread and butter. Have you noticed how you don't question your bread and butter?
Things change and years later, I find myself living a lifestyle that is almost completely advertising-free.
I never watch television.
I can't stand the radio.
I don't read newspapers and magazines.
I don't use public transportation.
I don't live in a big city anymore.
Circulars go straight to recycling.
The only advertisment exposure I get is via the Web, and it's not overwhelming yet, or the occasional email.
And... I LOVE it.
It's a bit like a life without Kim Kardashian in it. You don't really notice your bliss until she barges in.

The other day, I tried to watch a little TV. It had been so long since I had turned my TV on that I had to go over the instructions again. I'm not kidding. After a little while, my jaw dropped. It seems to me that TV has become full time advertising with short, sporadic bursts of programs to keep you hooked in between. I wondered how people can STAND to watch TV the way it is now. The assault on my senses was relentless. This store had a big sale. This cream does wonder for your skin. This pizza sure looks delicious. Isn't it time for a good beer? How can I live without all this information brought to my attention?
Actually, EXTREMELY well, thank you. I neither need it nor miss it.
The avowed goal of advertisement is to create a need where there was none in the first place. Why do we agree to play along????

Advertising is playful and creative when it's your job and I'm all for it.
For the audience, I think advertising remains acceptable only as long as you retain a measure of choice or agreement to the exposure. Whereas in everyday life, people tolerate publicity the way they deal with taxes: they shrugg in acceptance because they don't have a choice. It's EVERYWHERE.

I am not willing to pay the advertising-assault price for the privilege of watching TV or listening to the radio. So I don't. The latest jingle or slogan of the latest big corporation is not familiar to me. And my life is that much more serene.

Because... Estorbo

Every time I light a candle I do it for you kitty. I miss you, cad.

Epiphany

On Sunday, I visited with extended family and was struck by a visceral discovery : you can’t turn back the clock.

Life moves on, people change and it’s the natural Order of Things.

 

Then last night, on the birthday of my childhood neighbor, I had a sort of epiphany: I finally realized, understood, FELT that the past can never come back. I think a part of me had always been longing to go back to the Antibes days. I vaguely thought: “If I go back to Antibes, my family with me, we could pick up where we left off…”

For the first time, I realized it cannot happen. It’s where we were, at that time, at that age, with those people. Some of the people live on but they are no longer the same. Antibes itself has moved on. My childhood can never be recreated or revisited.

But what I can do is love it, love the people in it, and be intensely grateful for the privilege of having lived it: Antibes in the 70’s, family life, my beloved school, playing with my brother, the beauty all around us. Creating memories to be cherished for a lifetime.

 

I thought Time didn’t really exist. But Something flows, and it flows in one direction only.

I feel like I’ve grown up. I have finally accepted that there is no going back. But once, it was real. I lived IT, I shared IT and it’s in my heart forever.

 

Antibes. As I knew it.             (Photo Credit: Lesley Stern)

 

 

The Circle of Life

I have two entries in my obituary this week.
I would like to say thank you to and for Wynonna, the faithful pig who was with Linda for 18 years.

                                         Photo credit: Linda Carson

I would like to say thank you to and for Betsy, my boss's beloved dog who was her best friend for 12 years.
Thank you so much, guys, see you around.

And because life goes on, I would like to celebrate the new love in my friend Caroline's life, and what a love it is. I give you Olive...

Photo credit: Caroline Lamothe

Our friends keep coming and going. Blessed be our friends.

SumOfUs.org

I've just signed about 20 petitions on SumOfUs.org. Against Mosanto, against environmental threats, against Harper's schemes. Individuals against wealthy corporations: can we make a difference?

Misty Day

My pictures don't render justice to that bright bush. I wish it were in my garden!

The mountain in the mist.

Very Dian Fossey.

My brother remarked that I had a gorgeous "mountain" and a gorgeous river to photograph. I took that as a challenge. It might become repetitive but to an extent I will try to convey the 1001 moods of My mountain and My river, in different lights, hours, weather, seasons... For lack of the spectacular, I will turn to the chronicle and thus document: this is where I live. These are the sights, the light, the trees, the streets of my town. I won't have the photo opportunities of my Bahamian life. Once I accept that, I can still have fun with my camera.

The Weariness

Getting closer to my perfect hockey shot. I'm particularly fond of this one.

Lise Thibault

The evidence is overwhelming. Well, Ms. Thibault, time to pay the piper.  Your sense of entitlement is mind boggling. I hope the jury is severe on you.
From a tax payer.

Developments

Nothing comes easy in life. Being born doesn't come easy. The rest just follows suit. Fine. I'm NOT dropping the towel.

Blooms

The four daffodils... cue in the aaahhhhs.

The timid bush... witch never stays timid long, I must add.

To paraphrase: "Are you not entertained?!?!!!"

Morning Visitor

I own a super camera. But of course, the Visitor would show up when all I have is my Iphone. Figures.
Notice anything about this awesome picture? That's right, it's upside down! Why? Because after trying every d*** trick,  it was "publish it like that or throw the computer out the window". Which I'm awfully close to doing.
Maybe I can start a new trend in blogs.

Because I Can't Forget

Photo credit: The Krim Family


www.lululeofund.org

Sunny Day

Sunny but Bleak

Woke up to a life in dark greys. It cleared up a bit but we are losing to New York. And Carey is being replaced. Not a great Saturday overall.

The Canadians

Before the series, I didn't even know we had a player called Dale Weise... Goes to show... I'm firing my intel guy.

2006

2006. That's when I started this blog. Mademoiselle Caroline was a regular. I believed in it. I've just been on a trip down memory lane. I cannot believe it's been 8 years. So much has happened in 8 years, so much. Yet some things are still the same. I still have Loukhi, sole survivor of that era. The house still stands around me, scarred, altered, but still warm and beautiful.
I still have this outlet to voice my thoughts, an outlet neglected for several years. Overall I think creativity is very important. So even though i've lost all my following, no wonder, in the hiatus, this blog is still alive. I'll try and keep it that way.

Received a back-pack to hold my camera and lenses today. I'm now ready to go!!! Next shoot, tomorrow at the arena.
Daffodils ready to bloom any day now. All three of them. I'm so excited.

Thrilled

An awesome match, regardless of how number seven turns out, big win, Habs!

A House in Bloom

Happy Mother's Day

Hair

Timid Spring

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Err.. Wait! I see it! There's a long-haired cat lying among my Clean Laundry piles! 

Yup. Sigh again. 

How Not to Get Tongue Tied When Speaking to an Astronaut

I've no idea. If you find out, let me know. Though I fake I'm not, my brain goes dead every time. Sigh.

Meanwhile at Home

The Princess is alive and doing well, playing Princess at every turn.

The other cats are by no means unwell but I'm testing my lenses.

My "garden" is not exactly "flower prone" which makes this all the more delightful.

The Beauty Around You

"But yes, there is a quality of life in SA - an environmentally beautiful one i mean, that is very special."
Marie Viljoen

With these words, my sister-in-law gave me a sudden flash of " déjà vu" and i thought : "that 's exactly it!".

I was thinking of my own childhood on the French Riviera. May be you cannot heal from a beautiful place. I think it haunts you forever more.
It can leave you starved, even in the most friendly places.

In Search of the Perfect Hockey Shot

Will it be an action shot? A close-up? I'm not sure yet. I have many obstacles against me: low light, shooting through thick, damaged protective glass, the speed of the action, the limitations of lenses... Still, it's a Quest. I love a challenge.

Eating Ham... Or Trying Too

Tuna you said? Forget it. HAM is the new " it " thing in the cat world. Bring home a nice smelling roasted ham. Try, just try, to cut yourself a piece. Then try, just Try to eat it.
You've never been this harassed! Relentless purring cats just all over you, several at a time so all the angles are covered. Pushy, demanding, sneaky, ferocious, anything it will take.
You fend them off with one hand, dodge, keep eating with the other, until that wonderful, delicious piece of ham has just been wolfed down in the most un-ceremonial way and you haven't enjoyed a bite of it. You're just happy YOU ate it, and not them.
That's no way to savour a delightful ham.
Some things have got to change.
This is no way to live or eat.
I'm writing a complaint and having it notarized as we speak, for all cats to share.
If you want to join me, Free Ham Eating.com
Because we have to make a stand.*



*please note this is complete jest. Terrible issues are worth making a stand for. This is not one of them.

Creative Toys

I got me a new toy!!!!!

Except when i got it, it made a little jiggling sound of a lose or broken little part in the case.

Not Good.

Brother said: "Send it back!"

I sighed and said: "Yes, Brother".

I did.

I ordered again this time straight from Canon.

I should be getting my new Rebel camera within a week.

And i'm excited!!! (Add sparks here)

I've missed having a real camera badly. The pockets versions simply never did it for me.

Can't wait to shoot some more bad pictures ;)

Life, according to Chris Hadfield. Life, according to Sasha.
Chris Hadfield says: "Be prepared!"
Sasha says: "What?"
I like to vary my philosophies.

Pistorius

It has been intriguing me. I haven't lost any sleep over it, but i have been wondering: which opposite side of the tale is the truth? Accident or intentional?
After analyzing every information in my possesion, and i might be missing crucial pieces for I'm so far remote, my conclusion is drawn: i believe Pistorius murdered his girlfriend. I feel like the truth is out there, if only the right questions were asked.
Why would she lock the bathroom door if they didn't argue?
Why, while you girlfriend is sleeping over, do you first think of an intruder when you hear noises in the bathroom?
WHY WOULD SHE TAKE HER PHONE TO THE BATHROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHGT?
Why doesn't he insist on a lie detector test?
Who would blindly shoot through a closed bathroom door, even in a dangerous country?
A friend of mine said: well if he killed her on purpose, he's a very good actor since he's been breaking down so bad.
That argument is empty. I believe he killed her. And i believe the decent human being took over and he is crushed by remorse and fear of consequences. I believe that's what making him cry and throw up. I don't believe he is a cold-blooded killer. But I do believe he murdered her. Crime of passion. Male egos get so big.
I could be wrong. Good luck to the judge. I've been on the fence for a while, but currently, my opinion is formed.
Not that it makes a single difference anywhere.