Through the deck window before dawn this morning
We awoke to another eight, ten, twelve inches of snow. Who knows without a ruler?
I offered to warm up and brush off Barry’s car before he left for work. (He does the same for me many days.)
It’s zero degrees (-17 C) again, supposedly dropping throughout the day. I am blogging solely for entertainment purposes, aiming to ward off Cabin Fever.
Snowflakes on windowpane
The photos you see today come courtesy of our deck window. Through the screen nonetheless! The blue-tinted views arrived before dawn; the lighter photos around 9 a.m.
Disclaimer: the flakes are not falling from the sky. They draped against the screen during night hours. I simply appreciated their artistic value.
Speaking of artistic value, do you recall the photo I shared in yesterday’s post entitled “Reflections”? Elisa from Purple Shoe Photography and Elisa’s Spot delighted in the picture and asked permission to “play with it” in some photo-editing software.
Please, might you visit one of her blogs and see what she created with the photo? (Click one of the links up above.) My goodness, to think one can digitally create wonders like this! She possesses such a talented eye.
Reflections photo from yesterday (in case you forgot)
I know nothing about photo editing. OK, maybe a teeny tiny bit. Enough to lighten, darken, highlight, crop and approve/disapprove. That’s about it.
Through the screen gently an hour later
May I change the subject entirely? Someone asked recently how I decide which blogs to read. What is my blog-reading philosophy? (OK, she didn’t ask in those words, but you get the drift. Pun intended.)
Here’s the snowy scoop: Almost every weekend, with a handful of weekday moments tossed in, I read the blogs of those wonderful readers who shared comments here on Lake Superior Spirit.
It’s my way of saying thank you. Of returning the favor. Of passing back the love.
Because there are often 30-40 commenters per week, I don’t always get to everyone’s blogs. I try. But sometimes it doesn’t happen. (I usually don’t have time to visit the blogs of non-commenters. Which is a dreadful pity, but there’s only so many hours in a week.)
Lightening up into another snowy day
In hopes of avoiding computer-time overload I’ve cut back hugely on Facebook time since 2014 started. It’s provided much more time to spend offline reading, catching up on chores, and staring mesmerized at snow patterns on screen windows.
Do you take regular breaks from social media and the Internet? Have you discovered a good rhythm between off-line and on-line interaction? Have you ever blogged solely for entertainment purposes, such as to ward off Cabin Fever?
Lake Superior Spirit 
I’m out braving the cold today – and incidentally taking a computer break. But first I have to turn this darn thing off and get moving! Cabin fever is rough, but the sun is shining and that helps some.
Sometimes it’s just hard to take that first step away from the computer–OR out the front door. Our sun decided to shine today, too! I hope you had fun outside, Lisa.
Oh my Kathy. First, congratulations on the gorgeous photographic collaboration. And secondly, on mustering the courage to admit to Cabin Fever. That is half the battle. I do take regular breaks from the Internet, like today, after this comment, I will turn off my computer and get to my art table for a few hours. I do love days when I am completely unplugged. But the steady stream of great content- oh heck, I am a social person and love reading other people’s thoughts…somehow it urges stuck places in my mind along….like cluttered runs in a creek that need to be flushed by a strong current, reading the words or seeing the images of others is a big psychic nudge for me. And I do have to protect myself and let myself do my own work. SO. with that. I will say, I have not blogged soley for entertainment purposes, but I have blogged to get over being stuck. Let’s see what I come up with today.
Suzi, oh how I love those completely unplugged days, too! (Of course the plugged in days are fun in a totally different way.) I adored reading your thoughts about the cluttered runs in a creek and how the images of others spur you on. I thought for a long time this morning about blogging to get over being stuck. What an interesting perspective.
Thank you! I get creatively stuck…what is in, cannot come out in the way that I see it. Blogging helps me to organize the ponders and to show some of who I am in a moment. Sometimes I write after I’ve done my thing on the computer and something has mirrored to me so that I can become unstuck.
I love your blogging policy, and may adopt something similar as I often feel overwhelmed. I haven’t been able to come up with a good balance yet, but I’m getting close. I think.
Your snow drapes on the window screens are beautiful, and I can see how you would want to spend time being mesmerized by them. 🙂 I’m going now to see what Elisa has done. I bet it’s wonderful.
Robin, I don’t think any blog-reading strategy is perfect. The challenges of this one is that sometimes it feels like you’re not reading perfectly fine blogging friends who simply–for whatever reason–stopped commenting on yours. I do try to visit these, too, but there’s often not enough time in a week. We must keep each other apprised if we ever figure out a perfect system for reading and commenting!
Just as soon as I finish my coffee – and maybe write a post in honor of my daughter’s birthday – I absolutely have to get up and get out of this house! I’ll be closed in again this afternoon with a webinar and a project I have to attend to, but the sun is shining on fresh snow and I intend to partake of both!
Happy Birthday to your daughter, Cindy! I hope to get over and read the blog before this weekend–you never know. It’s so lovely to contemplate the birthdays of our loved ones, and to celebrate them here. Hope you enjoyed the sunshine today. I know I did–although it was still darned cold outside!
Kathy, I have seen what Elisa has done with your pictures. Goodness!
How lovely! and could not have been done without your eye as well!!!!!
Thanks for such gifts, both of you!!!!! if Elisa is reading this as well!
I received several comments about my recent Christmas notecards as well!!!!!! I wonder why!!!!!!!!!???!!!
Fountainpen
I am so very glad you paused by Elisa’s blog to admire her photos. I hope she is reading these comments–she’s been missing in action today, probably off & about in the off-line world. You are so appreciate of visual art, Fountainpen! I always smile when reading your comments about photography.
Thank you for your kind words. Now I want to see the notecards too…
Kathy – I love your through-the-screen photographs. Beautiful. Simply beautiful (albeit doggone freezing cold)!
By 10:30 my time (I’m an hour behind you), I’ll shut everything off on my computer except for “pages” (Mac’s version of “Word) and work uninterrupted on a writing project until 3pm, at which time I’ll turn the internet connection back on and respond to people who’ve left comments for me either on Facebook or Tuesdays with Laurie.
I love what Elisa at Purple Shoe Photography did! 🙂
Oh, Laurie, I’m glad you appreciated the thought-the-screen pics. I was mesmerized by them. Appreciating the way you turn off the on-line world for scheduled writing times. And so thrilled you like what Elisa did. I was so impressed by her interpretations!
Thanks for taking time out to visit. A lot of my blog time is work time too, though I suppose from the looking at me, one would never really know if I work or if I play. I tend to do the engaged chair dance lol.
Yes, I took a break from blogging (and reading blogs) in December and part of January. I still don’t frequent Facebook much. I think I was overwhelmed with the holidays, family, being sick. My in-box was full to the brim. I told my husband that I was thinking of quitting blogging. Then I used the delete button and everything magically disappeared. I am back on track now though: back to reading and writing (a bit).
Janet, you’ve reappeared! I was thrilled to see you hear today and shall scurry over to read of your adventures–but probably not until the weekend. Isn’t it awful when we start feeling overwhelmed? I usually take a blogging/Internet break when that happens. Nice to see you back, my California friend.
I blog when I feel pulled to do it, which is more often sometimes than others. And sometimes I feel guilty about not having checked in for a while, but not guilty enough to share until it feels right 😉 As for social media, I check into FB several times through the work day. My job is quite tedious, and FB check-ins prevent long stretches of falling down the rabbit hole online. Other times, I reserve it for when we’re in the car between adventures.
Tony and I had to take Dominique to the vet today, and on our way, he looked at the thermometer, noting that it was 0, but by 9:00 it was supposed to be up to -1. Hahaha. Stay warm up there, and by all means, blog again if it keeps the cabin fever at bay. I’m going to struggle to be productive today with our bright sunshine.
Ms. Heather, I am glad that you find outlets to help you during your long Internet-oriented days of work. I’ll bet your FB page is doing marvelously–you post such lovely pics there. Hey, did it get warmer than expected down your way today with all the sunshine? We topped out about 6 degrees. Felt heavenly. OK, may I backtrack? It LOOKED heavenly. It still felt colder than cold.
I think almost always I blog for the pure pleasure of stringing words together and sharing photos. Most of my morning is spent online, checking Facebook (primary connection with grandkids, at least one of them), reading emails, reading blogs and either hitting the “like” button or commenting when I have something to say. I shop online a lot since our nearby town has a limited shopping. And then I move off to do what I need/want to do, but check back in often during the day.
Yes, Carol, I so get it–that “pure pleasure of stringing words together and sharing photos”. Isn’t it so fun? How wonderful that we have this outlet where we can share. As the Pope said, “The Internet is a gift from God.” I suspect it also has its shadow side.
looked at the photos. All are beautiful and so different. I don’t know how to do Photoshop either but maybe that’s a good thing for I’d be obsessing over lots of photos that I would try to “make better.”
Keep on writing Kathy. I love whatever you write. Don’t know exactly what it is about your style but I think you write very well. i’ve read lots of blogs and most are downright boring. You are one of 4 bloggers that write very well and in an entertaining manner.
Here in “these here parts” of Texas we are now again in the throes of your lovely North Pole winter. Perhaps you are getting some relief since it is now blessing us with huge gusts of wind that sucked the air from my lungs when I went outdoors this morning.
The weather man says that it might snow or sleet, or maybe rain? That is all too much for me to mentaly absorb as I look out the window and see barren branches whipping to and fro. Bleakness is upon the land and there is nothing pretty about the rawness of this new cold front.
I don’t “do Facebook” and maybe at some point I will but I don’t care about readig other people’s idle thoughts- except in a blog. Just my humble opinion maam. But as they say. “never say never.”
Gosh, I love that you like my writing, Yvonne. That makes me get all warm & fuzzy inside–because writing is my #1 true love. (Don’t tell Barry! tee hee.) Sorry to hear the North Pole winter came a’visiting you all down in Texas. Brrrr! (And i Know what you mean about “never say never”. Every time I definitely say something, I end up eating my words.)
Let’s see, answering your questions, sort of:
I’m not on FB so that’s not a thing for me. [I tried it then left after 6 months. What a time suck!]
As for posting to my blog, I made a commitment when I started it that I’d be there 2 or 3 times per week. This is freeing because once I’ve written my quota for the week, I’m finished.
I’m on Twitter, which is fast & easy to use. Plus, there are no expectations about how often you’ll tweet so that one is easy to control.
And as for cabin fever and blogging, I don’t write more. I just write longer comments on everyone else’s blog posts. 😉
Hi, Ally Bean! How interesting to read your approach to blog writing and commenting. (I personally adore long comments on my blogs, so feel free to come over and gab anytime you have Cabin Fever. *grin*)
When the weather is nice… i.e. when the ground isn’t frozen solid I spend as much time as possible in the garden. I don’t even turn on my computer till the evening when it’s too dark to garden. At this time of the year when I feel much more house-bound I spend too much time on the computer. I have recently stopped having breakfast staring at the computer screen. I have begun reading books again. Nothing deep. Science Fiction, history of Nova Scotia, Dean Koonz. I drag a chair in front of the front window to soak up any daylight I can, read my book, eat my toast and drink my peppermint tea. Only after reading for a while do I allow myself to turn the computer on. I like how F.B. keeps me in touch with family. Just a gentle touch. A “like” or a gentle comment, just to say “I’m here” and “you’re there” and “I care what you’re doing”. Blogging is good brain work. The composing, the checking of spelling and grammar rules. Reminding myself when to use that stupid colon.
I have trouble sometimes reading all the blogs I’m following. There are a few for which I’m hard core but others I flit in and out of.
Sorry. What was the question ? Again … lol
Sybil, I really enjoyed reading your comment. It meandered ever so gently like a bubbling brook in summer time. It was like peeking into a window at your life. The main reason I’m still on FB is to keep in touch with family. And private-messaging folks when the urge strikes. P.S. What else is there in life except a question? Smile.
oh and without my F.B. friends I would be missing out on headlines like “Wife stabs husband with a squirrel”. Bet you’re sorry you missed THAT one !
I am devastated! Should go scroll through the home page to try and find THAT gem! With a squirrel?
Kathy:
I do not have a computer or the Internet at home but I have other ways of warding off cabin fever (i.e. listening to an audiobook or doing a puzzle from one of my many puzzle books). And, yes, I do take breaks from the Internet and blogging. My inner-writer and I always feel refreshed afterwards
Nancy
Nancy, do you go to a library to use the computer? I know some folks who do that. That would solve the problem of getting too addicted! Also, I have a couple of good friends who love audiobooks. They swear by them.
As an author, I’m supposed to spend lots of time on all social medias. As I may have mentioned before, I despise them all except blogging. I love blogging, so I spend most of my time reading others blogs and/or working on mine (outside of my job of writing). Stay warm. This winter is a doozy.
Lori, we are so the same in our love of blogging over every other form of social media. Trying to stay warm. Actually it’s a heat wave today. It hit 18 degrees. Of course, it’s spiraling back down to a high of -6 on Monday, so they say. You guys are cold down your way, too, yes?
Well, comparatively we are not cold, but it’s been in the 50’s for highs. This weekend it’s supposed to get nice, in the upper 60’s. But, when you melt down from your warm 18 degrees to -6, we’re supposed to get no higher than the 40’s (loving it, btw). I think if I see snow here, I might get worried about the apocalypse. 😉
Answers:
I read very few blogs…those who read my boring stuff and comment; if they hit the like button, I ignore,
Facebook is a bore. I keep it to interact with family when necessary.
Twitter…a diversion
Google+ is a better venue! but not much time spent there.
Reading takes up most of my time and sometimes I am moved to write if I find something to write about…
I write in my head at night…helps put me to sleep. I find I like commenting.
Well, this was exciting 🙂
Liked your photo Reflection. Do not like photos tinkered with…where is the authenticity of the original? Kinda like the painted cow….or the airbrushed photos of celebs…what do they really look like?
Just my opinion..
I really like the not liking photos tinkered with. I think that an image is good or it is not good. I alter in order to paint,as I feel that I have no skill with paints and with brush. I can also get very sick upon exposure to them. I like being able to express without a computer simply doing an effect and ‘making’ the photographic art piece for me. I think too, that I have issues with drawing and painting because I want them to be…”what do they really look like?” When I paint using an image as a base, I can show outwardly how they feel to me and how I see them when I look at the item in the flesh or in its image.
I understand what you are saying! We all like certain things for certain reasons, most often not visible. Thanks for the response.
Hullo, Linda. It is so interesting to read what everyone has to say about this subject. It makes me feel like I know everyone a bit better. Glad you liked the Reflection photo. I mostly like untinkered photos, too, except when people (like Elisa) just play around for the sure joy of it. You can feel the joy spreading out of her pictures like the rays of the sun. (At least I can…) Hope you have a nice upcoming weekend–I’ll be around to visit and see what you’ve shared this week.
Elisha wrote a very interesting and enlightening reply. I appreciate the time she spent in doing so.
I spent the week teaching French to K – 4 this week. Had a lot of fun with those tiny, little persons. Psychologically speaking, I could see so why some turn out as they do…and I had a sinus infection to help the day rather taxing. Now you have my week unless I write today.
Geez, excuse the errors.
I don’t blog…but I read just a few…and I am so glad I do, it gives me something to enjoy when I have cabin fever. It is cold as heck in Southern Ohio, but we don’t have any snow pack…it completely melts on the warm up days, 40 degrees +…then leaves plants and all unprotected when we plunge into “the dreaded vortex”. It has certainly been a long, cold winter…and I think I can safely say we will all be happy to see “Sunny and 75”. In the meantime…I hope you keep writing blogs;)
Barb, I so enjoy when you comment! 40 degrees sounds so magnificent, you can’t imagine. When (and if) our temp ever hits that high, we’ll probably all celebrate with shorts and tank tops. lol. (At least the kids will.) Sorry to think about the plant leaves. These winters can be so hard on nature, can’t they?
Time flies when I’m blogging, including the time spent commenting on faves. So, I spend entirely too much time sitting. On the other hand, if I’m snowed in and need to escape cabin fever, what better way is there to see the day fly by? I love your arty snow flakes stuck to the window, and of course always enjoy your take on things Kate.
Dor, I am delighted you liked the arty snowflakes, too. I was mesmerized by them! Yes, to everything you said. Do you have Cabin Fever way down there in Virginia, too?
OOOoooops – KATHY! Got in a terrible rush because I have to put more wood on the wood stove and forgot the time. Sorrrrry…….
Gosh, I was kinda liking the nickname “Kate”. You can make that mistake any time!
I love the snow flakes on the window pane. Gosh! That urge to touch those.. Kathy, do you think if I ever end up in such zero degrees cold I will die? I can’t imagine surviving such cold… but I love snow!
Sonali, you would dress up all warmly in layers and layers of cold with scarves and mittens and heavy winter boots and you would go outside and play and have a blast! (However, on a day like today you wouldn’t venture outside the front door because the wind is howling and snow blowing sideways and you would get so cold you’d turn around and head for the wood stove in the basement.)
I have yet to find the ‘perfect’ blog reading strategy, Kathy. I try to be consistent in my visits to the blogs of people who comment, but I also have a whole STACK of blogs I read just for fun, without commenting on them or expecting them to ever come to mine. It ends up being a whole lot of blogs, but they’re all so darn clever and inspiring! How can I decide which ones get the ax on my reading time? (Poor, poor us, right? We are so inspired and connected to the internet!)
Gosh, Dana, why CAN’T we find the perfect blog reading strategy? I’ve settled on this one because it feels the best for me, but it’s darn no where near perfect, dang it. I don’t have time (or won’t make time?) to read blogs just for fun, even if they ARE so clever and inspiring. So non-commenters fall by the wayside, sniff, sniff, even though they are sometimes the dearest and funniest and most entertaining people. Alas, alack…
Oh my goodness Kathy. 8:29 in the morning and I’m in tears. This was such a kind thing for you to do. I vacillate from feeling strong and joyous at the new medium so that I can paint, since I feel talentless, so far, with a brush–and wriggling inside about not just throwing away a work when I think it is done. I remember from when I started just straight photography, I truly disliked editing as that made a good image go unnoticed and a bad one look like it was excellent. I now mark my images, for those who care to look at the tags, as art, or photographic art pieces if I have to do anything to it out of my camera. Most of them unless further tagged digital art are simple exposure shifts. Both of my cameras have a diagram thing that is shifted too far to one direction and I’m not skilled enough to tell the camera how to do it. I don’t know how to use photoshop yet, it has crashed my computer and done less for me than even any free software. Perhaps some day I will learn to understand it. I really appreciate your kindness Kathy!
Z had OT yesterday and then I had to go to Susquehanna University to take things to K. K asked for him to stay with her. I am glad for the alone time but frightened some about his ability to do this. She said he’s being appropriate but had a tough time not bounding all night. He’s going to bio classes today with one of her friends. Thanks everyone who went to see the art.
Elisa, I was simply glad to share the beauty you created–AND the joy that I felt emanating from the digital art. It made me happy. Glad to hear that Z was being appropriate–and that you had some alone time. Have a good weekend!
The view from your window is so wonderful Kathy. If I were there, I would definitely not have time for Facebook or blogging, watching snow fall would have me riveted to the window screens.
My breaks from blogging are always unintentional. I find myself at times so caught up with work that I barely have time to eat, so blogging is out of the question. Hmm, I should be working right now, but I am taking a break, solely for entertainment purposes. 🙂
Joanne, the computer can pull us away from snowy window screens so easily, can’t it? Happy you enjoyed the view from our window. I like that your blogging breaks are unintentional and that you flow on & off as Life insists. I think blogging every day for a year at the start made me feel as if that was the “right” way to blog. It’s been several years of finding a rhythm with the flow…
You have such a wonderful view from your deck windows, and I like how the snowflakes stick to the screens.
And of course I blog for entertainment purposes! 😉 Sometimes more for the entertainment of others than mine LOL but being the “daily” click, I feel obligated to post something every day (I’ll know better next time I choose a blog name 😉 )
Michaela, grinning at your sentence “of course I blog for entertainment purposes!” I suppose all of us could say that, most of the time. Part of me admires so much those who post every day. The other part likes the simplicity of not being on-line all that much. Can see why your Daily Click blog name might get to be too much at times!
Kathy:
Yes, I use the computer at my local library. At times I think that it would be nice to have the internet at home but if I did it would be too much of a temptation be using it more than I do now.
Nancy
I kind of like your philosophy, Nancy. Temptation-free Internet use!
What an interesting discussion! I wish I had more time to blog and read blogs. At the moment, I always have more ideas for blog posts than I have time to write up. I have a core group of blogs that I like to keep up with – many of them are regular commenters on my blog posts, but some of them are blogs with a large following and I hardly ever comment on those. I always try to answer comments left on my blog, albeit not always each comment separately. I try to acknowledge commenters on my blog by visiting their blog, but occasionally I have absolutely nothing to contribute! I tend not to use the “Like” button because I feel it’s so easy to do that rather than write a comment. Because I’m home so much, caring for my daughter, I’m quite isolated at the moment so the internet is a wonderful way to feel connected to the outside world. I know what you mean about cabin fever!
I did start using Facebook when I moved to a new city six months ago, but just to keep up with a certain group of friends in my former home. I don’t “like” many pages, or play games, or do shares, or spend a lot of time on it. But it’s good to feel there’s a connection with folks I miss so much – and in some cases I feel I know them better via Facebook than I did when I saw them every week in person. There are some hilarious and witty conversations on there.
Christine, thank you so much for sharing your blogging and Facebook thoughts and feelings. It has been so fun reading what everyone has to say. For four years–or more–I replied to each and every comment on my blog. It felt like the only thing to do. And it fed me (and maybe others) so much. However, in the last year it suddenly started to feel like an obligation. So now I only reply to comments on certain posts when the urge feels right. Sometimes I email replies, but mostly just go over and visit the blogs and get to know the commenter better that way. Thanks again for pausing to share your thoughts.
When I lived in New England, I lived with Cabin Fever from January through March. I called it “Claustrophobia.” I am one of those people who feel the need to walk at least an hour a day, OUTSIDE. And that was difficult in the amounts of snow and cold we received almost daily. Anyway, that was also before I began to blog. I think blogging would have helped my Claustrophobia – I would have visited with you in your little space in the woods, and with blogging friends in Scotland and Australia, Guatemala and California. I would have been ‘outside walking,’ in a sense!
Pamela, I can understand why you would call it “claustrophobia”. For me it feels like something way way way deep inside closes down. Like some part of the soul settles around the internal fire to protect it, to keep it burning. Blogging IS a big help for Cabin Fever, except when I can’t unglue my eyes from the computer. That it becomes a wee bit compulsive.
I hope this comment finds you finding a bit of relief from cabin fever. My winter blues worsened just a tiny bit today when Facebook presented me first thing with my dear sister’s beautiful views of Aruba on her much-anticipated week’s vacation. Been daydreaming that I could be there too.
Karma, here’s a little secret I’ll share with you. I really haven’t had cabin fever yet very badly this year. Keep thinking I SHOULD be feeling it more, but have mostly been content. Thanks to blogging for entertainment purposes. 🙂 P.S. May I Aruba daydream with you?
Such artistry in nature, Kathy. You do have a keen eye for photography. And thanks for sending some of the white stuff (eh, snow) our way. We really enjoyed it down here in Dixie.
As for the social media thing, I rarely go on any of it, except for blogs. My blog feeds to my Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, so my readers can be informed when I write a new post. However, I much prefer to spend my internet reading time on blogs – so much more content, so much more to learn from bloggers rather than “blurbs” on social media. As you said, only so many hours in the week, and I prefer to spend my time deliberately, to borrow from Thoreau. ❤
Thanks Stacy! An eye for photography is all I have–absolutely no technical knowledge. So glad you got the white stuff we sent your way, lol! Glad to hear you’re another deliberate blog reader. I get so disturbed on other social media but may have just found a peace lately. Happy week!