Friday, October 31, 2014

A BIG TRICK..NO TREAT!!!







This is not a Happy Post

I am mad and crazy over this.

Maybe someone might think I am making too much of it but I'm doing it anyway.

A few days ago, I noticed an "X" rated blog was showing up on my Bloglovin roll.

I contacted Bloglovin but did not get any response,
 however, I didn't see it again so thought maybe they had taken care of it, and to be truthful, I don't even know if it is in their power to do so.

One of my good blogging buddies brought it to my attention that it was being played out on my sidebar. Sure enough, there it was for all to see that cared to. You can't even imagine how much I wanted to click on the filth, to give them a piece of my mind,  but didn't.

I have seen that at least one other blogger (that's all that I looked at) is receiving the same thing and I have notified her. I imagine there are quite a few more that have it also.

The blog is Bluff Area Daily and it is noted that it was the Home of Barn Charm.

I went to my blog list and deleted it after I panicked and was told how to do it.

I hope that this is helpful to all concerned.

It takes a lot to get me riled up but, boy howdy, this did it!

Now, everyone go out there and have a safe and happy Halloween.

...Judy...






Tuesday, October 28, 2014

A FEW FAVORITE THINGS...






Picture submitted by Tami McConnell


Have you ever been flocked?...

Neither have I, but...

Tami, our daughter, has...




Picture submitted by Tami McConnell


Jake came home around midnight the other night...
and woke up Tami and Tim,
 telling them to come look outside.




Picture submitted by Tami McConnell

When she opened the door
 she thought the whole pink flamingo population had exploded 
all over their front yard.

Tami is the physical education coordinator
 for Main Street Elementary School in Soquel.
  One of her young students and her girl scout troop,
 honored Tami with this surprise.

For a small fee,
 a person can call the company and they will send the birds to brighten up a special recipient's day. 
 They leave them on the property for 48 hours. 
 After that time period, Tami called me to say,
 "Mom, I've been deflocked!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Picture submitted by Jake McConnell

This is Jacenda.
  She is our grandson's girlfriend.
  She is such a sweetheart
 and is attending her first year at Santa Clara University.
  She has hopes of becoming a doctor.
  She donated 13 inches of her beautiful hair
 to a breast cancer patient.




Picture submitted by Jake McConnell



Jake and Jacenda
Picture submitted by Jake McConnell

We are so proud of these young people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





I looked out the front door the other morning and saw,
 what to me,
 looked like a perfect picture.
  A beautiful piece of nature:
 a fallen autumn leaf, which the wind had purposely set down on my front porch
 and to top it off,
Mother Nature sprinkled it with perfect shining gems of raindrops. 
 The sun was in the perfect spot
 and the little gems were glowing like polished diamonds. 
 What looked so beautiful to my naked eye,
 looked totally different to a full dressed camera lens...





How does that song go?...

"Raindrops on fall leaves
Cat hairs on carpets... ."

That doesn't sound right, does it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


THERE IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME...

I am a huge fan of horror movies
 and scary stories
 and I love anything written by
  Stephen King.




American Horror Story - Freak Show
Channel FX
Wednesdays at 10:00 PM
Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly


For some time now, we have been watching American Horror Story.

The show has an interesting premise.
  Each season has a different story line
 in which most of the same actors return as new characters. 
 In the current season,
 which is it's fourth,
 "Freak Show",a group of misfits are part of a circus side-show act
 set in a time when these types of shows were on their way to becoming extinct. 
 The members of the show are being ridiculed and looked down upon 
by the citizens of the town 
just because of who they are and what they look like. 
 They are all members of a troupe
 led by a has-been performer,
 who sees herself as she was in her hey-day.
  She is brilliantly portrayed by Jessica Lange.




Elsa Mars
As portrayed by Jessica Lange
Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly


She believes that she
 and her show
 will all shine 
once again.




Bess and Dot, conjoined twins
As portrayed by Sarah Paulson
Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly


There is Bess and Dot, 
the 'head-liners'
 of the show. 
 One is demure and soft spoken and doesn't want any trouble 
and is happy with the way things are
 and the other is intent on being the only one 
and is argumentative
 and outspoken.




Jimmie Darling, the Lobster Boy
As portrayed by Evan Peters
Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly



A young man billed as Lobster Boy,
 because of his deformed hands. 
 He is full of hope that all of them can be viewed as normal people
 with the same hopes and dreams 
as anyone else.

There are numerous characters with interesting stories,
 played very convincingly by actors
 with excellent abilities.




Ethel Darling, the Bearded Lady
As portrayed by Kathy Bates
Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly



In my opinion,
 the outstanding member of the cast is
 the Bearded Lady,
 played with humility and believability,
 by Kathy Bates.


Now, to my point of telling you this story...




Twisty the Clown
Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly


While the Freak Show is going on,
 there is a presence in the community that is taking place,
 one that has the police going after the freaks
 in a "Sgt. Joe Friday"
sort of way.

Children are missing
 and being held against their will
 and citizens are being killed.
  Only known to us, the viewers,
 a very large and scary clown is responsible
 for all the mayhem that is going on
 and for the reasons the authorities
 are constantly showing up to question and harrass the freaks.

I don't know who plays Twisty the Clown but he is very convincing.
  He is larger that life 
with a mask of giant teeth,
 which we get a sneak peek of him removing,
 to reveal a gaping hole in his face
 where his mouth should be.
  He carries a sack full of juggling pins
 and other out of the ordinary items.

~~~~~


Of course, this show only takes up one night of my life each week.
  The other six nights are spent doing mundane things. 
 While in the process of doing some of these mundane things last week,
 what do you think we spotted walking down the street?...





We turned around and came face to face with...





...perhaps,
 a Grass Valley version 
of our own Freak Show!





The only thing left to fear is our own imagination!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Tami, a not-so-scary-but-sleepy clown
 and the Captain
 back in the day.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Have a safe and Happy Halloween
 and as we bid farewell,
 for another year,
 to the Cottage Witch 
and the month of October...





...Judy...


**All photos are my own unless otherwise stated.

***All opinions are my own. 
 I am not being compensated for anything in this writing...
well, the Captain did say he would take me out for ice cream 
if I would hurry up and finish this!





??? Watch for it.


Sharing today at:












Tuesday, October 21, 2014

THE CONVENTION...











They have 
started to assemble




The ambassadors
 of the night




They have made 
their reservations




And soon 
they will 
take flight.




One by one,
 the rules were set
and all are signed and sealed




The Great High Mistress
 of the Dark
 has spoken...
no one can appeal




Between the moonlight...





And the magic...





There will be
 no usual spells...




Can they be on good behavior...




Only time will tell.





This year will be different...
no eye of newt
 or bats




No potions in the cauldron
No tricks
 or
 old black cats







Yes, 
this year will be different..

Because you see...



This year will be...






ALL ABOUT THE HATS!



Self- Portrait 


...Judy...
The Cottage Witch
Halloween
October, 2014

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!




All photos shot in Chula Vista, CA.
No crows were harmed during the shooting, but this crow wanted to shoot a couple of geese.

Sharing today at: