Post Holiday Stream Of Consciousness
So. I bet you thought I’d forgotten about my blog again, didn’t you.
Well, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that … heaven knows I’ve gone off and neglected this poor thing more than once over the years. But no, that’s not what’s been happening. In fact, I’ve spent many hours laboring over it. Not bright shiny clever new posts, sadly, but behind the scenes stuff. Talk about going down rabbit holes. The more I tried to fix things, the more trouble I got into … and the more hair I pulled out. And I still haven’t even begun to tackle the theme issue, which is what got me going in the first place.
Well. Enough fussing. Either it’ll get worked out or it won’t.
Since my last post, we’ve gone through yet another Holiday Season, haven’t we. I do truly and sincerely hope that everyone’s festivities went well? Seems like there’s more work involved each year … and there really isn’t, not in my case … but the holidays themselves whiz by faster and faster! Of course, my best wishes to all for a healthy, happy and more “normal” 2022!!!
Speaking of the holidays, I always wondered why my Christmas Cactus seemed to want to jump the gun every year. Well I made a discovery … did some research and found out that my Christmas Cactus (cactus-es .. cacti?) are actually Thanksgiving Cactus … es. They were more glorious this year than I’ve ever seen them … apparently it pays to add a little more soil … real cactus / succulent soil … and do some fertilizing now and then. Who knew! I have three of them now, one of which was my mom’s. She passed away in 2000 … and I’m pretty sure she had it for a long, long time herself. But that little plant is still going strong. Amazing, really, because I’ve gotten pretty good at killing green things.
There’s that crazy orange and purple color combination. I don’t know what got me started on it, but I can’t seem to get away from those colors for very long. I’ve got another one that I like … don’t think I’ve added it here to the blog yet, but it’s in the other computer and I’m too lazy to go get it. I’ll have to root it out and post it one of these days, too. It is a pretty one.
Here’s another example of the colors, though the oranges got a bit more golden.
This started with a snowstorm at sunset that was so beautiful. I went out onto the back porch with the camera and was just able to snap the colors. That’s one of the awesome things about digital painting … I can use colors that I capture with the camera and put them into any scene I like. In this case, I started with the lines of a photo taken in the middle of a high-summer afternoon. The waterfalls were a trickle, and the snow-covered trees were bright, emerald greens. Sky as blue as you could want.
Caledonia falls is a real place, not too far from Harrisburg, PA. If you managed to scramble past the No Trespassing sign and the hole in the fence … over the broken path … leap over a couple of serious-looking chasms (carrying a heavy backpack, two big Nikons with lenses swinging from your neck and carrying a tripod) and butt-scoot down a steep embankment to the bottom of the falls (in your 60s btw), this isn’t what you’d see. Not at all. But that’s what’s so fun about what I do. Sometimes I don’t stray far too from the original photo … like the cactus and chair pic above, and sometimes I wander off the path like the waterfall pic, and sometimes … no photo at all … just freehand. Big fun!
Haven’t been doing too much new stuff lately of any sort. Taking classes here and there. But been in a bit of a creative slump. Been there before and surely will be again. I’ll get back up on the horse again eventually. I always do.
Just read over what I’ve written and I must say I don’t think I’ve ever rambled as badly as this … ever. Started out fussing about the blog, then drifted into chatting about the holidays, then went off on my orange and purple obsession. Oh, just bought a new rug for the great room. It’s orange!!! 😁 Well, it’s got orange in it. I wonder. Should I get purple pillows for the sofa??
As always, clicking into the pics will take you to my website where you can mouse over them to see detail-y bits magnified, if you’re into that sort of thing. And also, as always, I’d love to hear how you’re doing. Got any good stories about your holidays?
Beautiful artworks, Lois ~ I especially like your Caledonia Falls painting. 🙂
Hey Phil!!! A very late thank you!!!! I think the inner workings of the blog that had me so kerflummoxed have finally been ironed out. Now all I need to do is take a few deeeep breaths and leap into the re-working of the WP theme. Btw … so glad you liked that Caledonia piece … when the imagination gets fired up, one never knows what will happen!!!
I’m a big fan so of course I like the new additions a lot! Also, one has to give major respect to any work that involves butt scooting. Miss Lilly probably butt scoots too but that has nothing to do with this discussion, does it? No, of course not. Anyway the combo of orange and blue will always remind me of tropical sunsets and those spectacular splashes of color that seem most vibrant near southern Pacific oceans. Quite the opposite from chilly Caledonia Falls. Happy New Year to you and yours Lois and a holiday scritch to our favorite Basset. So happy to see that your fingers have re-grown and you are posting again!
Thank you, thank you dear boy!!! And glad you got a kick out of the visual of me and all my fancy camera gear scooting down that blessed slope. Thank heavens for sturdy denim. I apologize for responding so late … somehow this blog thing got away from me Yet Again!!!! GAK!!!
I love your blogs. I’m sorry you had so much trouble with getting it up and going again.
You weren’t rambling at all, you held my interest all the way thru and was interesting and you made it a little comical too.
Beautiful images and your work is so impeccably beautiful.
Mary, a million thanks!!! i thought I had responded to you but maybe the WordPress Gremlins got it … ?? One never knows!!!! Thanks so much for dropping by … and sooo glad you could leave a comment finally!! YAY!!!
Love “Here Comes the Puppy!” I’m a huge dog lover. Very nice work. It is so easy to get behind on blogging.
Hey Bob thanks so much … and glad you enjoyed “Here Comes The Puppy.” I’ve just added a black and white version to my galleries … and even have a sort of rosy version that I’ll probably add one of these days. One never knows what color scheme potential clients might be looking for, so I try to cover all the bases. Well, now and then i do! And thanks for your comforting words about getting behind on the blogging. Good me, I’ve got a new idea brewing which may spill over in the written word … well, typed words, soon. Thanks again for dropping by!!!
Lovely works. Glad to see you’re back to blogging. Here’s a wish for a wonderful new year.
Hey Bob!! Thanks so much!!! I have been biting my nails over the behind the scenes stuff, but I think we’re finally on the right track. I need to take the plunge and get the theme looking spiffy again … but I’m seriously too chicken to mess with it yet!!! Thanks for dropping by!!!!
I love, LOVE the Thanksgiving Cactus piece. The way the sunlight hits the chair is stunning.
Thank you!!! It’s such fun to see the “pretty” in the “ordinary” … so glad you enjoyed it, too!!!!