Author Archives: Enchanted Seashells

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About Enchanted Seashells

Also known as Princess Rosebud! MIDlifestyle blog. Mom of Professor Angel Boy and Grandma to Angel Boy 2.0 and Angel Girl 2.0. Love to camp and hike. I've been in a few films, am obsessed with seashells, sea glass, and rocks; gardening and baking, Hello Kitty, Chanel, Leon Russell, and anything sparkly. Veg since 1970 and an ardent animal activist forever. Fashionista...veganista...animal activista. I'm still trying to find the perfect shoe!

What Are You Watching?

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Actually, I don’t watch much TV, but when I do, it’s often because DIL tells me I NEED to watch something she binges as we tend to like similar themes.

Now it’s the new Dynasty on Netflix. I LOVE it. It’s trashy, campy, with often ridiculous plots, but I’m hooked. I never really watched the original Dynasty because I was busy being 1500% MOM to a newborn and didn’t have time. The star of the reboot is most definitely Fallon Carrington, played by Elizabeth Gillies. The surprise is when she first broke out in song. Her voice is beyond amazing and adds another element to outrageous musical episodes. If I were the writers, I’d figure out any way possible to showcase her voice, too.

And then there’s yummy Grant Show as Blake Carrington; I’ve had a secret crush on him for YEARS, ever since he was Jake on Melrose Place.

On Amazon Prime, I’m warming up to Silks, about the dilemmas and problems that modern day barristers have to face and what it means to become a silk. A Silk or Queen’s Counsel is an eminent lawyer who’s appointed by the Queen to be one of “Her Majesty’s Counsel learned in the law.” . Their gown is made of silk instead of cotton.

Dropping on July 8 is the reboot of one of my all time favorites, Gossip Girl. Based on the bestselling novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, the original show ran from 2007-2012. This extension of the pop culture classic series finds a new generation of entitled New York private school teens introduced to social surveillance nine years after the original blogger’s website went dark. The only sadness for me is that it features all new characters and while I understand, the truth is that NO ONE can replace these originals:

Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf, the Queen Bee, Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey, dreamy Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald, Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey, and sexy Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass. Top-notch casting for sure.

Of course, I’m also anticipating the new season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Filming was delayed due to Covid but I think they started up again.

What types of shows do you like or do you not watch anything at all?

Midnight Lily

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This Odessa Calla Lily (Zantedeschia rehmannii violacea) is dark as a moonless night. In shade, the deep purple bloom is nearly black. Today, sunshine illuminates the royal purple curve of the petals. It’s one of my favorite flowers, especially since it thrives in the hot summer sun of rain-deprived SoCal.

Lizard Love #WordlessWednesday

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These two very friendly lizards hope you all have a great Wednesday!

Open for Business

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After fifteen months, California is open today, June 15! For the most part, the mask mandate has been lifted.

Will you continue to wear a mask in public or in stores? Do you think we’re safe or should we still be cautious? Are you ready to go to a bar or restaurant?

I’ll continue to wear a mask in stores, not only because it kept me safe from Covid, but I didn’t get a cold or the flu at ALL.

There’s still a mask mandate on public transportation: buses, trains, and airplanes.

At the end of the day, I am really happy to wear lipstick again!

In my county, here’s the details:

  • Aquariums Open indoors with modifications
  • Bars (with no meals) Open indoors with modifications. Max 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. Capacity may increase to 37.5% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Breweries (with no meals) Open indoors and outdoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity, or 200 people, whichever is fewer. Capacity may increase to 75% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Cardrooms Open indoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity. Capacity may increase to 75% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Carwashes Open with modifications
  • Child care Open with modifications
  • Cultural ceremonies Indoor ceremonies permitted with modifications. Max 50% capacity recommended.
  • Day camps Open with modifications
  • Dine-in restaurants Open indoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity. Capacity may increase to 75% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Distilleries (with no meals) Open indoors and outdoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity, or 200 people, whichever is fewer. Capacity may increase to 75% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Doctors and dentists Open with modifications
  • Family entertainment Open outdoors only with modifications for kart racing, mini-golf, batting cages. Open indoors with modifications for naturally distanced activities like bowling, climbing walls. Open indoors for activities with increased risk of proximity and mixing with modifications. Max 50% capacity. Arcade games, ice and roller skating, indoor playgrounds
  • Food banks, gas stations and convenience stores Open with modifications
  • Gyms Open indoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity. Saunas, spas, steam rooms and indoor pools open. Capacity may increase to 75% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Hair salons and barbershops Open indoors with modifications
  • Higher education Capacity for indoor lectures and student gatherings must be limited to 50%. Some courses conducted in certain indoor settings, like labs and studio arts, may be open at regular capacity. Conduct student activities virtually when possible
  • Hotels for tourism and individual travel Open with modifications. Fitness centers max 50% capacity. Indoor pools, spa facilities open
  • K-12 schools Schools may reopen fully for in-person instruction. Local school officials will decide whether and when that will occur. Check with your school district.
  • Landscapers Open with modifications
  • Libraries Open with modifications
  • Movie theaters Open indoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity. Capacity may increase to 75% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Museums Open indoors with modifications
  • Nail salons Open indoors with modifications
  • Nonessential business offices Open indoors with modifications. Encourage working remotely
  • Pet groomers Open with modifications
  • Places of worship Open indoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity recommended
  • Professional sports Can open with modifications. Check with the venue for additional guidance.
  • Racetracks Open with modifications. Permanent venues with live audiences outdoors only. Max 25% capacity. Regional attendees only with reservations and assigned seating. In-seat concessions only.
  • Recreation Can open with modifications
  • Retailers Open with modifications
  • Shopping malls Open with modifications. Reduced capacity food courts
  • State and local government Open with modifications
  • Takeout restaurants Open with modifications
  • Tattoo parlors Open indoors with modifications
  • Theme parks Larger parks open with modifications 25% capacity. Reservations or advance tickets required
  • Wineries Open indoors and outdoors with modifications. Max 50% capacity, or 200 people, whichever is fewer. Capacity may increase to 75% if all guests show proof of negative test or full vaccination
  • Zoos Open indoors with modifications (Zoos suck and I don’t approve of them FYI)
    (Info curated from the LA Times)

Tree Bones

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I walked by the location of that big fire a few months ago (https://enchantedseashells.com/2021/01/20/fire-in-carlsbad/)

It no longer smells like charred wood, but the twisted and tangled bones of this burned tree is an ever constant reminder.

Galaxies in a Kaleidoscope: Contemplations

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From pickles to the contemplation of broken glass and mirrors; apparently that’s how my mind works!

I’ve always been fascinated by kaleidoscopes; pieces of things that collide to create something beautiful–but fleeting

Peering into one, it seems as if this human-made created and patterned universe of colorful swirling glass morphs into artificial realities.

What’s the question here? Is it that reality doesn’t seem real anymore.or are we simply a fractured, fragmented view of another reality?

In a kaleidoscope, that which exists for an instant will disappear; ephemeral, never to be seen again in that same way, even though the original, organic pieces are still there.

Reality: the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. Or, the state or quality of having existence or substance.

One small flick of the wrist and our entire universe can change. Just like a kaleidescope. In any reality. Or any sort of purgatory.

I like to share quotes from others:

“It was as if her life was a huge kaleidoscope, and the kaleidoscope had been turned and now everything was changed. The same stones shaken, no longer made the same design.”
Author: Betsy Byars

“Forrest Gump had it wrong. Life is not a box of chocolate; it’s a kaleidoscope. In the flip of a wrist, realities are shredded and the world takes on a totally new shape.”
Author: Carolyn Haines

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope; a slight change and all patterns alter.
Author: Sharon Salzberg

I like to know how things work. I like answers.

Science tells me that it’s the incline of the two mirrors inside a kaleidoscope that determines the number of times the pattern created by the reflection of an object is repeated. However, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a repeated pattern. At least, not that I remember.

A kaleidoscope is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces tilted to each other in an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of the mirrors are seen as a regular symmetrical pattern when viewed from the other end, due to repeated reflection.

Each component works together synergistically to create an illusion of reality–and then it’s gone.

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Obviously I have zero answers to all deep questions; my pondering and contemplations are ephemeral and transitory–kaleidoscopic. My brain can only handle a tiny bit of this at any given time; now I need to watch a couple of episodes of the new Dynasty. Balance. It’s all about balance.

If you have time for a great read, check this out via the Exploratorium: Facets of Light: Colors, Images, and Things that Glow in the Dark
https://www.exploratorium.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/facets_of_light1980.pdf

Mother Nature’s Green Screen

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This elusive Scott’s Oriole has been taunting me for years, sitting in one spot for great lengths of time ONLY when I don’t have a camera near me, and when I do, he flits around like a hummingbird.

This time I was able to capture his beauty for a single brief moment, his yellow vibrant against the green screen of a Giant Bird of Paradise.

What a beautiful profile of a beautiful boy!

May be an image of bird and nature

Sun/bow | Sun/dog

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Ah, proof there are still glittery sprinkles of enchantment in my little world. Or maybe more accurately; otherwordly.

I was diligently washing the deck yesterday, fully immersed in my terra firma (not on a ladder) project, looking down as I scrubbed the redwood planks before they dried in the sunshine. I can’t exactly recall why I looked up but I am SO GLAD I DID I because this rare and beautiful sight made me gasp: a rain’ess rainbow! I noted the time: it was close to high noon.

Check out my Sun Dog/Sun Bow!

They are iridescent rainbow clouds without a drop of rain in sight. This phenomenon is known as cloud iridescence or irisation. It’s a type of photometeor.

The term “sun dog” (or mock sun) originates from Greek mythology. It was believed the god Zeus walked his dogs across the sky and that the bright “false suns” in the sky on either side of the sun’s disk were the dogs.

A sundog is seen about 22° to the left or right of the Sun. Sundogs often form in pairs on either side of the Sun. Often they appear white but sometimes they are quite colorful, looking like patches of rainbow. The colors usually go from red closest to the Sun, out to blue on the outside of the sundog.

Probably the biggest difference between a sundog and a rainbow is that a rainbow usually signals an end to rain, while a sundog can mean that rain or snow is on the way. Next time you see a sundog, look out for wet weather! https://www.almanac.com/what-are-sundogs#

However, here in very DRY Southern California, there is no moisture in the forecast.

The rainbow always held special significance among the different Native American Indian Nations. It is connected to the Spirit (Supreme God/Creator/Source/All-That-Is) in all things. There are many prophecies and stories from the Cree, the Hopi, the Zuni, and the Cherokee related to the rainbow warriors.

One source says: “While meteorologists have a physical understanding of the circular rainbow around the sun, wisdom keepers of the Americas and Tibet have complementary spiritual understandings about this dramatic omen around the Sun which is known as the Whirling Rainbow or the Sunbow.”

For some native people, the Sunbow or Whirling Rainbow is considered to be a sign from Creator, marking a time of great change, or transition on the Earth. This full-circle rainbow around the Sun, some elders say, can be understood as a sign to people of the necessity to live a life in respect and harmony with all the creations that make life possible: plants, animals, waters, minerals, fires, winds, and other human beings.” https://lifeheartandsoulblog.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/rainbow-around-the-sun/

According to the prophecy, “There will come a day when people of all races, colors, and creeds will put aside their differences. They will come together in love, joining hands in unification, to heal the Earth and all Her children. They will move over the Earth like a great Whirling Rainbow, bringing peace, understanding and healing everywhere they go. Many creatures thought to be extinct or mythical will resurface at this time; the great trees that perished will return almost overnight. All living things will flourish, drawing sustenance from the breast of our Mother, the Earth.

The great spiritual Teachers who walked the Earth and taught the basics of the truths of the Whirling Rainbow Prophecy will return and walk amongst us once more, sharing their power and understanding with all. We will learn how to see and hear in a sacred manner. Men and women will be equals in the way Creator intended them to be; all children will be safe anywhere they want to go. Elders will be respected and valued for their contributions to life. Their wisdom will be sought out. The whole Human race will be called The People and there will be no more war, sickness or hunger forever.” Navajo-Hopi Prophecy of the Whirling Rainbow

I curated info from a few different sources. I have never before experienced this marvelous sky show. I watched it until it disappeared and was lucky enough to snap a few photos to remember an enchanted and precious moment in time.

Super Flower Blood Moon

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This is a great explanation of what’s happening from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, one of my favorite places to hike with lots of mountain lion and coyote sightings.

Tomorrow, May 26th, 2021 the Earth, Moon, and Sun will be in such a configuration that the Moon will be completely covered by the darkest part of Earth’s shadow.

This is known as a total lunar eclipse. But what do all the adjectives mean?

The term ‘super’ comes from the Moon appearing larger due to its position and the phase it is in. The Moon will be at a point in its orbit that corresponds with its closest approach to Earth, known as perigee. The Moon must also be a full moon. These factors together mean the Moon looks bigger to us, and thus super.

The term ‘flower’ signifies that this eclipse is happening in the springtime in the northern hemisphere.

We use the term ‘blood’ because the Moon will appear red. Not all sunlight is blocked from reaching the Moon. The light that does make it to the Moon passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters blue light and leaves red light, casting a red shadow on the Moon. In my SoCal area, the eclipse will reach totality at 4:11 a.m. and lasts roughly 14 minutes.

If you’re located elsewhere and interested in if you will be able to see the eclipse, check out this link: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2021-may-26

Will YOU be getting out of bed to check it out? (I will, I’ve set my alarm to 4:00 a.m.)

Black and Blue

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Sunday afternoon in SoCal was warm, sunny, and windy. I was intent on my project, hanging outdoor lights from the deck all the way to the grape arbor.

Picture me standing on the highest rung of a medium-sized step ladder. As I reached my arm as far as possible to secure a line of bright lights, I felt one of the ladder feet sink deeper into the soil than the others, creating an uneven support system.

In a split second that seemed to last an eon in slow motion, I knew before it happened that I was going to fall, that there would be no way to recover, nothing to hold to break the inevitable tumble.

And so I fell.

Arm still outstretched, I became airborne as I crashed to the ground, step ladder tangled in my legs.

I thought for sure I broke something (I’m no stranger to broken bones) but I suffered only bruising, no more damage than black and blue discoloration to remind me to be MORE careful in the future. My luck might not hold out if I tempted fate again.

If anyone had been filming me, I’m sure it would become a viral vid on YouTube or TikTok with the hashtag #stupidity, but alas, I was alone with my bunnies and butterflies and the lizards that got scared and ran off to hide under a rock.

There are more planets than Mercury in retrograde; maybe this was a message from one of them? I dunno, but I can verify that the lights look festive and perfect for late nights in the garden, just the effect I was looking for, well worth the pain.