Friday, March 28, 2008

Out and about on a Thursday night



Last night I was out and about doing some shopping. I need a new computer. Notice I don't just want a new computer, I need a new computer. By nature I am a frugal sort of gal and I am definitely not much of a consumer. That is why I always find myself waiting until something has completely stopped working before I go out and shop for a new one. Well, my computer is 10 years old and it is definitely on its way out. It has been giving me problems for about four months now and the frequency of its mishaps are getting in the way of accomplishing much on the computer. It locks up and stops working, it has dropped attachments, renamed files (that was weird) and in general just struggles to get through the various tasks. So, while it hasn't completely failed to boot up, I am mindful that a replacement needs to be found and fast. Okay, so I am in an electronics store checking out different brands. They have these things hooked up to the internet and everything! So, what do I do? I visit my favourite website, which is of course my own!! (Tells you a lot about me doesn't it!) www.teresamallenstudio.com Actually I wanted to see how my website looked on a new screen, LCD and all...The website looked pretty much the same, except the background colours and the colours I chose for text etc. weren't quite what I had intended. So I decided to check out my blog. That was informative! My photos looked quite different from what I see on my home computer. Perhaps the florescent lights in the store had something to do with it and it wasn't just the computer?? I had to laugh at myself because I have been saying things like "Please note that the background colour isn't as dark as it appears in the photo" when on this computer, my orchids on Stonehenge looked rather anemic. Same for the photos of the pastel paper orchids. This time the colours looked more like my original, unlike the photos I saw on my screen at home. So much for trying to lighten photos or to give disclaimers. I have no idea what you see on your end. I don't assume that you are all viewing my blog on ancient computers. I shall have to wait and see what it looks like here at home once I actually buy a new computer.

I also bought groceries last night and the grocery store I frequent has a wonderful flower shop area. Now I can wheel my cart past the Doritos, past all the chocolate, as well as the icecream refrigerator but it is rather difficult for me to get past this section. To wheel past the flowers and not buy, is I imagine a bit like how a crack addict feels driving past their dealer's house. There is a reason I frequent this particular grocery store and it isn't because of the selection in produce or the prices. And oh the floral extravaganza this spring! Now I did restrain myself when shopping before Easter and I felt quite virtuous. There I was, admiring all the blooming hyacinths, the gigantic hydrangeas, the glorious tulips and daffodils and of course those Easter lilies. But my cart was already overloaded and the bill was going to be big...so I wheeled on. Oh but last night was different...there was room in my cart and there was a sale on. What else to do with those Easter lilies one week after Easter but to pratically give them away. Okay, I paid $1.99 but it felt like a give away. The blossoms are just opening so I have many days ahead to enjoy them. I also made room in my cart for a lucious purple azalea and a pot of campanula (bell flower). My weakness was the campanula (see picture above). I love this plant, in all of its varieties. A picture I did of a this 'bell flower' is on my business card and the painting isn't for sale. I was delighted to see campanulas in the garden here when my husband and I had showings on the property last summer. Campanulas and a studio... might as well draw up the offer to purchase right then and there. So once I saw my favourite purple posies out in the aisle, I knew I was a goner...might as well jump in with both feet and buy some others as well. The campanula and the lily will end up in the garden for future blooming. I am going to pot up the azalea to stay indoors.

I also might as well confess that my house is not blossom deprived. I currently have a primula in bloom as well as paperwhites, christmas cactus plants, geraniums and shamrocks. I also have a large container of impatiens that I brought in from outside last fall. It has been amazing, blooming like it is on steroids or something (but then again maybe that is what Miracle-Gro is to plants). I am delighted to see that my plants like the light in this house.

I also did my art magazine ritual last evening (I will explain later.) While going through the latest issue of International Artist magazine, I had the thought that I should post a blog entry regarding 'keeping it simple'. This is turning out to be a long blog post so I shall save this topic until tomorrow. I need to get back to the studio and to my orchid piece.

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