I'm mostly bored without anything to take my mind off how I feel. I was in the kitchen today and as usual, looked up at the 6 small paintings across the tops of the cabinets, and I like having them there. Soooo, I decided the cabinets that are one corner away need some color above them as well, and to that end I looked up some fruits and vegetables that I haven't painted. I think four pictures would do me fine for that wall. I selected a stalk of celery, 3 red potatoes (I will be careful when painting a few "eyes" on them), and some grapes, both purple and green. Some people refer to them as white grapes but I always think of them as green. I think I also downloaded a photo of blackberries but I'm not sure if I want to include those, as I'd prefer something with a lot of color.
I downloaded some free photos from the internet and have roughly sketched the celery and potatoes., with notations as to shades of color, background, etc. I'm not sure when I'll get started on them, but it's good to have a project or two going. I do have a "palm tree project" in the works also. I think I will enjoy working on them although I'm not sure how much I'll feel like painting for a while after dental surgery. I find I do better when painting a little at a time rather than sitting and doing it all at once. I'm trying to just mix a small amount of paint at a time so I can use it up rather than try to keep it moist and workable if I take a break.
The rain was really pelting down when I left the gym this morning and I wondered if Steve & Meg would bring the baby out in this. It turned out Liam wasn't feeling well so they decided to come over on Monday. I hope I'm lots better by then too.
Tomorrow I might make a run to Costco if I can get started early enough, so I can return a couple of items. I just hope I can keep walking on the treadmill every day. I was doing so well but really dropped the ball on my exercise and well being.
This morning I got up to a house that was fairly comfortable. Having the heater bring the temperature up just a few degrees before I get out of bed makes such a difference. I'm happy with the space heaters when I move from room to room, but first thing in the morning the furnace is a godsend.
The rain is falling hard again. The first clear day I need to go out and pull and spray weeds and grass. It's getting out of hand. Steve was planning to redo my back and side yards, but of course with a new baby I understand that is no longer on the drawing board.
Hope you are enjoying the weekend, whether you are a shopper who doesn't mind big crowds, or like me and will do most anything to avoid them. I just hope I can get going early enough in the morning to miss the mobs!
A word about photos. It was a decision I wish I'd made in the very beginning of my blogging life to not post photos of my family, especially the children. I sometimes look at my statistics and one interesting feature is the list of where viewers are coming from. Most of course are from the U.S. and Canada, with several from other countries where I know people who live there and read my blog. This month I have about 42 hits on my blog from Singapore. I don't know anyone from Singapore and am not sure how I get so many "readers"; same is true about Russia and China. To my knowledge I have never known anyone from those three countries.
I realize I don't know most of the readers from the U.S. either, but I just would prefer to not post my grandkids' pictures when I have no idea who is reading my blog in some of these places, or the attraction for them if they do read it. What we put on the blog can never be retrieved and the images are out there, like it or not. With facial recognition technology available to governments and individuals today, I just don't trust that it's all legit.
That brings up something I'd like to ask readers. I understand many people read blogs but don't want to comment. I'm ok with folks remaining anonymous, but I sure would appreciate hearing from some that have never left a comment, and especially those in other countries. I'd just like to say hello and welcome to all legitimate blog readers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Well, you know how I feel about lurkers. I think it is only polite to reciprocate. If you read someone's blog, they are giving you something and you should give back to them at least the knowledge that you cared enough to read it. If not then the situation is unfairly one sided IMO. Hope you hear from your readers. I don't understand people who read and don't comment.
ReplyDeleteI truly don't expect everyone who reads my blog to comment. I'm just sending out an invitation to say hi if they wish. The focus of my comments are about people in countries where I doubt very much so many people read it. Maybe they do.
DeleteI hardly ever have comments on my blog but by my stat counter and I can see that several hundred people read my blog a month don't know why they don't say hello ... I try to say something on every blog I read maybe not every time but at least a couple times a month ...
ReplyDeleteSometimes I have a list of blogs to read and it's not always easy to comment on every one. My main reason for even bringing it up is to invite anyone in China, Russia, Singaport, etc., to say hi if they actually read it.
DeleteHi Gypsy I read your blog faithfully. I can understand your reluctance to post photos. I sometimes feel the same way but then I think if we can make a difference with our opinions and experiences why not post a photo to put a face to who or what we are talking about. I think most people are just curious about how others live or to see the pictures of where people have been or what they are working on. I feel that it is relatively harmless for the most part. I agree with you about keeping active it is very difficult sometimes. Good luck with your projects and keep posting I love to hear from you. Kathy It's about time!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments and thanks for reading my blog. I think I mainly have developed a hesitancy to post pictures of the children. There are so many weird people in this world, and I think we all have to look out for children these days.
DeleteI agree about your desire for your family's privacy. I don't even belong to face book and am selective with my comments.
ReplyDeleteYou were mentioning fruit to paint that was colorful and strawberries came to mind.
Also, when I needed a soft high calorie food in the past, quiche was a favorite. I finally found a fail proof easy pie crust in my old age (lol) and the filling is the easy part. I think you can find recipes for "crustless" quiche and I love the broccoli and spinach ones.
I used to make a mean Quiche Lorraine and would love to do it again, but 8 eggs? I'd end up eating it all myself. What I need to do is to make a few mini quiches.
DeleteI've thought about strawberries as a suject for painting. I have the feeling I'd mess up the seeds. Believe it or not those are the kinds of things that should be foolproof but I have trouble with them!
I know what you mean about eating the whole quiche. I like it far too well to make it often. It sounds like you can use the calories though.
ReplyDeleteI think I've bought a box of mini quiches from Costco in the past, but I thought I'd never eat them all. I will do some intense grocery shopping beginning Monday and try t find a variety of things I'll be able to eat (and that I like).
DeleteI read your Blog faithfully but only comment occasionally. Will try to do better ;-)
ReplyDeleteI understand your reluctance to not post pictures of the children. When I still wrote my Blog I never posted family pictures where people could be recognized.
Vera, I know you read my blog and comment once in a while. I'm not asking for regular comments from readers, but would like to know some of the readers from far away or who might want to drop a line now and then. I really love hearing from you as well as getting your perspective on what I've written.
DeleteI cannot begin to do a painting in one sitting. The initial sketching alone my take a month. Then I can piddle around on the "painting" part for weeks. Take your time and enjoy the doing of the art. A hurried painting looks hurried.
ReplyDeleteI'm not in a hurrying mode about anything right now, but it is fun to think about what I want to do in the coming weeks. I'm doing very small paintings and hope to learn from the mistakes I made on the other ones I finished.
DeleteLots of controversy about posting family pictures lately mostly about children. I love to share my kids but have slowed down a bit on it.
ReplyDeleteOnce you add a pop of color you realize how much happier a place looks. I love color and adding your own art is even better. Have fun with your new fruits and veggies.
I try and comment on the blogs I read but I have such a hard time with this google account. I either forget my password or for some reason this account just hates me lol. So if you don't hear from me for months on end it is because I am locked out of my account again lol. I understand what you are saying about the people from other countries as well though. I feel the same way about the people that friend me on Facebook. The ask to be my friend ( people I don't know at all) and then they don't say a word about my posts. It just seems weird. I stopped accepting friend request now from people I don't know and have deleted many that I had accepted in the past. I enjoy reading your blog every morning.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Brenda. I know you, and many others, read my blog but only comment occasionally. There are also hundreds who read it and never comment, and I really don't mind that either. I just worry about posting photos of my family when I have no idea who is out there. I shouldn't worry when just about everyone has a facebook account and writes about and shows photos without worrying who sees it.
DeleteI hope no one stops reading my blog because they prefer not to comment. But I always enjoy hearing from someone who says they read my blog but have never commented before. And if that's the only comment they ever make, I'm ok with that also.
Hi, Gypsy. You know very well that I follow your blog faithfully. You can tell because of the times I have commented, and emailed you. I have a little different philosophy regarding comments. If you say something in your blog that triggers thoughts in my mind---similar experiences, ideas, fun times, bad times, etc.----then I will comment. I still remember with a smile a certain accident in a hospital room!!
ReplyDeleteA group of knitting/crocheting friends meets here at my house every Monday. Many things are discussed. Sometimes I comment. Many times I just listen. To me, being a blog reader is sort of like that. You see me comment on many of the blogs you follow. Al, Barney, Billy Bob ( I wish he would post!), several others. If I think I have something to contribute to a discussion, I will do so. I think most bloggers like posting on their blogs, I don't think they should do it just so they can count how many comments they get. I mean, am I expected to just say "hello", even if I have nothing else to say? Seems silly to me!! Some bloggers show many pictures of places they are visiting. All I can say is "great pictures". I would have to say the same thing every time!
Meanwhile, you know you are appreciated here. For the person we--my dear old man and I---- know you to be. Sincere, honest, funny at times. We consider you a part of our family. If I say, "Gypsy says..." my husband knows I am talking about you. We treasure you. We thank you for sharing. But I don't need to tell you this every time I read a post, do I??? Oh. About pictures. I hear you re your worries. On the other hand, I am mighty thankful for the pictures in my head that go with the names of your kids and grandkids.
I hope things look up for you. Want you to feel better soon. And I want to see more paintings! You are good at that!
You should know that I'm not asking for a comment from every reader, every time. My feeling is that if my blog has been read in Singapore (as an example) 40+ times this month, then I would really like to hear from them. I have readers in several different countries who don't always comment, but once in a while they do. I'm sorry I brought anything up about comments, because that's not what I'm looking for although I do love and enjoy them. But if read a blog written by someone who lives in Russia or Romania or Singapore, I might just dash off a quick comment just so they know that someone in the U.S. is reading and appreciates them.
DeleteI just want to add that the last thing I want to do is to offend any of my wonderful readers. I'm feeling awful and getting worse by the day, and the thing for me to do is to hang up the blogging until I'm back to feeling somewhat normal. I probably won't do that however, so please bear with me while I try to get my act together.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon....once you have the extraction how about scrambled eggs? They should be east to eat also mashed bananas. Hope you heal quickly. I would be a wreck just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteWe have a painting in the thrift store where I volunteer. It is much like what you are doing with fruit & vegetables, except they have put a bowl or pot between...I think of you when I see it. Might take a pic of it if I am in there tomorrow to show you.
Thanks, I'd love to see it, and also it seems like a different way to present the art. I've sketched some red potatoes, celery, and want to try blackberries (some of them have red tints) for the adjacent wall. I don't have much energy but I did get the potatoes on canvas using water color pencils that seem to work out beautifully. I would think when I cover the lines with acrylic paint they will just blend in nicely. I also want to do a series of trees - palm trees mostly but others as well. It's good to have my eye on the future but don't now when I'll ever get anything accomplished. I hope you can take the photos you mentioned.
DeleteI am one of those so called lurkers...lol. Lately I have felt bad that I spend time reading your blog and you dont know it. So here I am...my name is Deb and I have been following your blog for a long time. Just want you to know that I enjoy it. Thank you.
DeleteI am one of those so called lurkers...lol. Lately I have felt bad that I spend time reading your blog and you dont know it. So here I am...my name is Deb and I have been following your blog for a long time. Just want you to know that I enjoy it. Thank you.
DeleteDeb, I'm so glad to hear from you. Thanks for letting me know you are there, and enjoy my blog.
DeleteFinally caught up with your blog. I am a little worried that it has been a while since you have felt well. I am hoping that after your tooth extraction you will be back to your old self.
ReplyDeleteIn my blog stats I too have seen an increase in traffic from Singapore but did not give it much thought as I get a lot of traffic of people in Asia and Europe during the chili cook-off.
I understand completely you wanting to get a comment from readers in other parts of the world. A couple of years ago I posed the same question on my blog but did not get a single comment. However, I did get a couple of e-mails from Ukraine, Italy and I think Turkey (darn my CRS) they said that their English was not up to par and they did not want to comment on the blog because of it. Others mentioned that they found it difficult to create an account. So do not be surprised if you get e-mails instead.
Here is hoping you get to meet your little granddaughter soon.
I'm glad you wrote this, Belinda. I just really was hoping to know if there were actual people behind those stats who are reading my blog, and I just accept that there are readers everywhere and let it go at that. I would like to welcome everyone, whether you comment or not.
DeleteStumbled across your blog from someone else's, perhaps one you follow as well. I'm located not too far from Sacramento, live in Tracy having relocated from Southern California. I too have some eye issues, diagnosed as narrow-angle glaucoma, but hopefully caught early enough with minor damage and treated with laser surgery and drops. Keep up the great work with your painting, you seem really to enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my blog, Pat. I can empathize with anyone who has eye disease, and am so glad for you that you can treat it. The best of luck to you. I do enjoy my painting but sometimes I have to laugh at myself - today I sketched out a subject on a small canvas. It looks good so far, but when I look closely I see I've done it again and everything is too far to one side. I'm not going to try to change it because it's the way my vision is and it's never going to change. I will just make it part of my work!
DeleteThanks so much for commenting.