June 14, 2013

Fog and Sunshine

A big hello from me and this little fellow who visited our front yard this week. Isn't he a beauty?

The past few weeks have been quite a blur, dominated mostly by computer issues. We had two family computers encounter problems in the first part of May. My daughter's laptop was able to be nursed back to health. The family desktop computer where I do the bulk of my Etsy work (making art prints, etc.) started crashing and encountering unexpected shutdowns. We had it in for repairs twice and a technician visited here. Oh the time that was spent/wasted on it!

Last Friday, it started crashing again and I told my husband I couldn't deal with it anymore. On Sunday, we went and replaced it with a brand new iMac. We are now a two-Mac family. The black cloud that has been following me computer-wise continued this week with weird, ominous start-up error messages on our brand new computer that had the Apple technicians scratching their heads. Yesterday, I spent an hour and fifteen minutes on the phone with an Apple technician and we finally figured it out.

Next big challenge. My Etsy print files aren't printing exactly the same way. I am using the same printer but I am now using a different operating system and monitor. To say I've been feeling a little stress lately is an understatement. I have been waking up at 4:00 a.m. and can't get back to sleep because of thinking about the computer.

This morning, I started typing an email to my husband in the Google search bar. (Hmmmm...hello universe, can you direct this to the right person for me?) I began pouring coffee into a cup that was already full and I missed the turnoff on the highway--an exit I take all of the time.

I know that everything will be fine with time. Better than before. I am certain of it but still wish this transition was a little easier.

A sweet little bouquet gathered by Chloé. It still looks beautiful after a week.
I am behind in everything right now: my blog posts, Etsy team quotas, family responsibilities. I talk about home-cooked meals more than I make them. I haven't painted in over two weeks. There are still flats of annuals waiting for me in the backyard. Thankfully, Mother Nature has been looking after watering them.  The weeds have enjoyed that I've had my back turned to them and they have been sneakily growing taller than their annual and perennial companions.

Meeko keeps looking at me wistfully and occasionally doing this combination whimper/sigh that goes straight to the heart. I know what he's thinking--that a little more attention directed his way would be welcome along with a few extra walks.

What else? Emma turned 18 on June 1st. How did that happen? I am so proud of the wonderful, quirky (in a good, interesting way), beautiful young woman she is.

Emma's birthday cake. I did find time to make it!
Other news from the past couple of weeks? I sold two original watercolours to two separate buyers--both from Australia. I have sold many originals in the past but never on Etsy before and to so far away! It was quite a thrill. I have received lovely emails from both buyers confirming that they received the paintings and loved them. Phew! That makes my heart sing. I've talked before about how hard it is for me to let go of my originals. But when I know they are with someone who loves them, that makes all the difference to me. It's also encouraged me to add a few more to my shop and I'll continue to add originals every now and then.

I also have a couple of new prints ready to add to my shop but have been waiting for a day when I have both the time and enough sunlight to photograph them.

Emma finished school a few weeks ago. Chloé wrote her last exam this morning so the summer has officially started here. Did you hear that, weather? (Maybe it did, because the sun is out today.)

Oh yeah! I got my first pair of real glasses yesterday! So when the fog finally clears, I'll be able to see everything better than ever.
The view outside our front window very, very early yesterday morning.

14 comments:

  1. Haha, I have upside down days too and it always makes me giggle! :-) Congrats to your 18 year old!

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  2. Anonymous5:23 AM EDT

    Hello Kathleen,

    Sorry to hear of your computer problems. They can be so tiresome.
    Congratulations for your sales on Etsy. It is always a pleasure to know that our "babies" will hang in a new home.
    I like the photo of the little bouquet.

    Have a nice weekend

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think of them in the same way, Hélène. My 'children'.

      Tiny bouquets are always special. :)

      Delete
  3. What a wonderful post!! Your life sounds like most of our lives and we all have those, for want of a better word, "crappy" days. That last photo would make one darned awesome painting.

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    Replies
    1. We all have them, don't we.

      You're right. It would be a nice subject for a painting. Emma has been encouraging me to do more landscapes lately.

      Delete
  4. Hi Kathleen,
    sounds like a very frustrating and annoying time you have had over the last couple of weeks...Hope all gets straightened out soon!
    Congratulations for your daughters birthday, and for your sales!
    Go do something fun away from computers and your house, take your husband and go to a fun movie, have dinner out, laugh for a couple of hours...(take my wise advice!)LOL
    XO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right, Annamaria. A change of activity is the right answer. I decided to paint this afternoon. So nice to have a paintbrush back in my hand. :)

      Delete
  5. What a frustrating time, computers are meant to SAVE us time, but sometimes they drive us crazy with infuriating glitches! Congrats on the macs though, they are just beautiful, but take some getting used to. Congrats to your daughter, such milestones are quite momentous, where does the time go?? little babies in your arms and then..... wow! Hope you had good celebrations. Well done on selling the artwork, so nice to have originals.It's my sons birthday tomorrow and he has managed to celebrate for 3 days now!! Hope you get some happy gardening and painting days now. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's wonderful when they are functioning and WE are functioning but those other days...ugh!

      Emma had a several day long celebration with friends too. :) Happy Birthday to your son. You are right. The time goes so, so fast.

      I painted a little yesterday and gardened in the rain this morning. It felt good to be back doing both again. I almost missed seeing some of my flowers in bloom because of being in front of the computer so much lately.

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  6. Oh Kathleen, computer problems are the pills ... we are so lost without them, so happy when they do work properly. I've been there a couple of years ago. Wishing your new iMac a long happy life working for you !
    Sorry about the little bumps of the road, there are days & weeks like that, when nothing goes right or when everything seems to be shaken up. I hope everything is back to normal now. (as much as there is a "normal" !!)
    Yay for selling originals, you really deserve it !
    And happy birthday to your baby, my first born will be 11 on the 24th. Breastfeeding him does feel like yesterday, yet it was ages ago now. A whole decade. Oy, feeling old suddenly.
    Much love your way, Kathleen.
    xoxoxo

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sonia, for your ongoing encouragement. We are slowly working through the transitional bumps and are making progress. In terms of family life, everything goes so fast but you are still very young, my friend. xx

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  7. love these images
    all of them
    but the first one wins by a hare !

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog and to leave me a comment. I love reading them. -- Kathleen

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