Look Up

The Christmas tree in the foyer of Pasadena City Hall is a big one. We're looking up up up toward the ceiling. City Hall has an open plan; anyone can visit the tree any time. If you do, be sure to visit the inner courtyard, too. It's a nice place to sit and enjoy the fountain while you eat a sandwich or read your book or give someone a present.

Seeing Red

I don't know what this plant is. It's not toyon, a red-berried plant with evergreen leaves of a rounder shape. I've spent a fair amount of time searching on the web with no luck. I don't know what words to use in my search string: "red berries," "pointy red leaves," "red stems," etc.; these are getting me nowhere. Any clues?

I'd fill my house with these berries if they weren't so much prettier outside where they belong.

Boz is having eye surgery today. He has a corneal ulcer--a sore cornea that won't heal on its own and has to be treated surgically. I wasn't going to post about it but damn it, I feel bad and I want to say so. I don't feel nearly as bad as Boz is going to feel when the anaesthetic wears off. He's an innocent creature and I can't explain to him why I'm leaving him alone at that scary place where he was fine when he went in and in pain when he came out.

Boz doesn't care as much for colors as I do. He doesn't see the berries as red. I don't think he cares about berries at all.

Not the Moon

You could bray at it, but you'd be barking up the wrong Christmas tree.

Three guesses.

Never mind. You can have all the guesses you want. You'll probably get it on the first try anyway.

Twinkle

The lights might just be the best part of December. I also like the food. I do not, however, enjoy the tightening of my pants.

What part of the holidays do you revel in the most?

I don't have to buy them anything.

Large, hairless dog has an idea.

Small, brown dog has a thought.

Yikes!

Hairless dog is a genius!

Big dog enjoys himself as much as small dog does.

Zen Monday: #175

photo by John Sandel

Zen Monday's the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the picture's about. There's no competition, no right or wrong. We're here to have fun.

John took this one in Hollywood. It's a bit of a cheat, maybe, but too good not to share.

Bring It

Well yay, we did not have another big horrible storm this weekend. Fingers crossed, I post at midnight and you never know what'll happen while I'm sleeping. But it looks like we can stop talking about "Hurricane Pasadena" as my neighbor called it, and move on to what's really important: the Tournament of Roses.

The giant logs on my street can wait. This is solely my opinion, of course. I don't know how the Hurricane Pasadena neighbor feels about it, or the California Cyclone neighbor, or the San Gabriel Gale neighbor (have at it, you have a thesaurus) or any other neighbor for that matter, I'm just talkin'.

The bleachers are up and they're not coming down 'til January. We are getting spruced up (spruce, okay, bad word choice)--we're (shut up! I'm not going to say that!)--my inner devil wants me to say "pining for yew to visit" but I'm not going to say it--we're going to be ready! Yes, Pasadena will be ready on time for the Tournament of Roses, both parade and game, and our fair city will look better than ever because this year every single tree has been trimmed for the occasion.