I've been busy. I've been stressed.
We're preparing for what may be a few days of inclement weather again here in the southeast. We've had snowflakes this morning. Rain, sleet, snow, ice, possible power outages, some or ALL of these nasties forecast for the coming
3-4 days! More stress.
Technology causes stress. Why do we allow ourselves to be part of this crazy computerized world? I'm thinking that perhaps my own days of blogging and spending far too much time at a keyboard may be coming to a close before too long. Blogger is acting up. PicMonkey changes, and the inability to save any edited pics since last week (this after losing so many pics in my iPhoto library), have caused me, yes that word again, stress.
My favorite part of this past weekend was walking with my love. Out there in the fresh air and sunshine. Dressed for cool, but getting warmer the longer we walked. Hearing birds singing, seeing them perched in leafless trees. Knowing that a miracle will happen, after the storm. The greens will return, Spring will arrive. I can be patient. I will wait. I know there is a silver lining - every cloud has one, doesn't it?
Today?
Well today, my painter has been here. He did a little ceiling repair, caused by house settlement most likely, in the upstairs bathroom, then he repainted my entry and small hallway downstairs.
It's impossible to get a photo showing the color accurately - too many shadows - but the shade we used is Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy - similar to #3 on this chart below.
These walls were already painted a couple of years ago in very dark charcoal called Hematite (Valspar Paints), a wee bit darker such as #4. Lovely color but looking a bit scratched and dusty after having the new floors laid before Christmas. The new paint has a very slight touch of navy but is not navy blue - I'm really pleased with it.
Next cottage project will be happening next month. A room needs rejuvenation, a facelift, a total makeover. Funnily enough, with the February 'blues' hanging about here that's just what I feel I need too! Do you get down this time of year?
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Oh Mary
ReplyDeleteI understand your "blues" - every year on returning from France those blue feelings creep in and surround me - it takes me a couple of months to snap out of it and as it happens that is usually the beginning of Spring here too!
One can't help but feel good at the sight of snowdrops, primulas, cowslips, paper whites bursting into flower!
You can be patient a little longer - dress yourself in woolies, grab Bob's hand and head out the gate - there's nothing like "a breath of fresh air" to make you feel better (there did you enjoy my pun?)!
Love your navy - you're such a beaver!
I for one hope you don't give up blogging but I feel your frustration - hang in there please!
BIG HUGS
Shane xox
Oh dear! I can't wait to see the changes, the color looks fabulous! I wonder what you'll be doing with next month bedroom project... I really miss sharing decorating ideas with you, miss you tons! We may be in town sometime this weekend if weather is fine. Perhaps a quick trip to SuzAnna's? Much love, Vanessa
ReplyDeleteYeah... I'm pretty crabby!!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, January and February just about do me in. Then March shows her pretty face and my heart starts to sing again.
ReplyDeleteWe have been house bound since last Thursday with a snow and ice storm. About 6-12 inches depending on where you
look and measure with 1/2" of ice on top. It was quite pretty, but I am ready for it to be gone.
Oh computer, especially picture issues. I am very disgusted with Picassa/Google right now. Can't load pics on blog from
Picassa, but they say it is a Google issue and no is fixing it. Well thinking I need to get outside for a bit here today.
Hugs, m
BTW - I love the color of your paint, just love it! Fresh paint is a thing of JOY.
ReplyDeleteMay be February is like that for everyone - you imagine that it will be warmer, brighter, sunnier than it ever is. We mislead ourselves, it is the way we get through the winter, but brighter times are definitely on the horizon.
ReplyDeleteYes, Picmonkey seems to reinvent itself every few months - you get used to it, and then it is all change again.
Love your paint colour - but please don't leave us dear Mary.
Oh Mary, I do hope things begin looking up soon. We are suppose to get a bit of winter weather tonight. We have had incredibly low temperatures, but very little precipitation this year. I wouldn't mind another snow day, but I am also looking forward to the rebirth of spring. Enjoy the week! Bonnie
ReplyDeleteWe'd miss you so if you stopped blogging. Love the paint.
ReplyDeleteI'm a rather odd duck - I love the stormy, rainy days of winter (mostly we don't get snow here). I like a good "dismal" looking day - it inspires me to be busy in my little nest. Don't get me wrong - I love spring and adore summer - but winter too - it is a good time for reorganizing my house and my head - and a time for lots of tea and thinking.
When things are not "working" I tend to be stressed so I hear your frustrations with blogging and changes. Your home must be looking fresh and bright with all the new painting. I hope that you plan your snowbound days with intent so that you'll sail through them. I know that I have some movies lined up for the end of the week when the storm comes here. A baking project, a puzzle, some books. Good thing that every day brings us closer to spring!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could say something to cheer you up, Mary. You do have some real computer/photo issues to be stressed about. The weather, I'm trying but I just can't seem to get active. Projects for January are not done and looming in front of me. But I agree in part with JoAnn, the dreary weather inspires me to lay low, putter and escape from the world into some quiet time.
ReplyDeleteTake care, my friend.
XO,
Jane
Yes, I'm another who is feeling not exactly blue but lethargic - all the long weeks of grey, wet days in this awful English winter has affected me in a way that winter doesn't normally do. Blogging does take a lot of time which is why my posts have become less frequent recently, I'd still like to get back into it properly as my blog has always acted as a diary for me. Hopefully we'll both feel better once Spring arrives.
ReplyDeleteHello Mary
ReplyDeleteLove the paint colour you have chosen .....having similar weather here just now, on my dog walk this morning we had rain, sleet then heavy snow pooch and I were were both glad to get back in the warm. Love your silver lining ending. Annie
I love that paint color Mary. It is snowing here even as I type this. We are predicted to have 12 inches by the end of Thursday. I am so over winter. I want to work in the garden.
ReplyDeletexo
Penny
Dear Mary, The only good thing about this time of year is that it is February and not October and soon there will be green grass and lovely Spring flowers.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you are having so many computer issues. I was worried when I saw the new PicMonkey page because I liked everything just the way it was. They keep improving their site and it was easy once I gave it a try. So, please don't give up. We would all miss you terribly. There is so little for me to write about this time of year that I have not been blogging as much. I feel that that is all right too.
Dear Mary, thank you so very much for your lovely note. The golden hearts tumbling out of the envelope made my day. And by the way, I tested the aster seeds. They are viable, they have germinated. On a nice day you can now seed your first batch into the ground and follow up with another group in a few weeks. Just rake the seeds in and press them down so that the birds won't steal them.
Oh, Mary, please don't give up blogging. I would miss you terribly! I hear and empathize with your tech frustration. I, too, get agitated with computers, even though through my work I used them for 28 years. The changes come fast lately.
ReplyDeleteYour paint looks great! Can't wait to see the what you have in store for the next project. Enjoy the cozy snow days and hang in there - Spring really is just around the corner! :-)
I agree with all the comments above Mary, please don't give up blogging. We love your posts with its beautiful photography and wonderful words making everything come alive. I too have had problems with blogger lately, along with bloglovin (which turns out was me using the wrong email address!!) and picmonkey. It's the time of year with impatience waiting for some sunshine, the spring bulbs and more time outside (without getting soaked in the process). February will soon be over and the plans for Easter will start. 41 days to Spring! Have a wonderful week xx
ReplyDeleteLike the others, I hope you won't give up blogging, Mary. However, there is a time for everything. January and February are hard months for me, too. I finding myself longing for something indefinable, some change in the wind, something positive. And we don't even have hard winters here!
ReplyDeleteI painted our hall/entrance/stairway on the weekend. What a job. It's light, not dark like your beautiful blue. New paint freshens certainly freshens things up, doesn't it?
We can either let the electronic gizmos control our lives or else choose to control them! Perhaps you need to go for some more walks (after the ice storm, of course) and just take it easy for a while. I used January and February as my "catch up" months, organizing, taking video courses, getting taxes done, etc. So I stay too busy to get down. I hope you continue with blogging after a respite. I'd miss you if you were gone! Picmonkey has worked just fine for me, the few times I've used it in the past week. No blogger problems either except for some wonky formatting issues this past Friday. But I have always had trouble with Blogger's formatting, and whenever I accidentally do things differently, then it escalates to a total mess. So I end up deleting everything and starting all over.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on surviving the ice storm! Stay warm and safe! {{{hugs}}}
Hi Mary. Hope you are snug and warm in your cottage during this snowstorm. I am spending the afternoon visiting with my blog friends I am so sorry to hear you have had so much trouble with your pictures and everything else :( Take care dear friend. Hugs, Rhondi
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