I decided I won’t talk about the weather in my little Four Things preamble today.  (Although we have been having wonderful Spring weather, and I’ve been delighting in my morning walks and time in the garden.)  I’m going to share some thoughts on embracing change…  I used to love Instagram.  It was such a fun community and an easy way to share and connect.  Once the algorithm was imposed and Meta acquired it several years ago, it slowly became less enjoyable.  You’re constantly pushed to pay to promote posts to people who already follow you, and the number of people who organically see your post continues to dwindle.  You’re flooded with ads and hardly see posts from your online friends.  And there are regular prompts telling you how to post and share, how to increase your numbers, and how to play the social media game. I felt burned out on

We’re in the middle of a mid-April heatwave.  This time of year, I will wear a hoodie in protest when summer weather rears its head early, which is sort of ridiculous.  I’ve still been making a point to get outside by walking in the morning before it gets hot and then spending about 15-20 minutes filling a bucket with weeds and maple saplings from the garden beds.  Maple saplings are my lot in life at the moment, but they are at least very easy to pluck, and I’m making some good progress.  It cools off a bit more tomorrow, then it’s back in the 40s on Sunday.  There is your Washington County, Maryland weather report and my commentary on it.  You’re welcome. I’m not sure why I’ve started so many Four Things posts with weather updates lately, but I suppose it’s just a sign that I’m getting older.  I remember

It’s been my favorite early spring weather.  Cool enough for a hoodie, but warm enough to spend lots of time outside.  I donned my overalls for the first time this year, and Jeff and I worked together in the backyard on Tuesday.  We pulled weeds, mowed the small patch of grass, pruned the hydrangeas, trimmed back the liriope, and cleaned up the leaves.  I remembered looking out the window last week and feeling overwhelmed at all of the tasks that needed to be done to get the garden beds and patio ready for spring, but it only took a couple of hours, and it looks noticeably better.  There are a few more things to do, but it’s looking great already. I know that small amounts of work, one or two hours, devoted regularly to something can make a big difference, but I’m glad when I’m still delighted and surprised at

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s April.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.  Wasn’t it just January?  With the warmer weather and longer days, I am feeling my usual pull to home and garden projects, but I haven’t had much time with my current workload.  Home projects are usually a large part of my work, but with oil painting and writing becoming more prominent this year, they are getting pushed to the weekend and evenings, just like everyone else with full-time jobs!  Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll start by trimming hedges, mulching, applying fertilizer, seeding patchy spots in the lawn, and cleaning up the patio to get ready to open the pool. Here are my four things for this week – Paper & Van Gogh (still), Masterclass, “it would be that way”, and playing with a new medium.   what I’m reading I’m

I didn’t get a Four Things post written last week.  There was a lot of catch-up to do after being at the beach for ten days, and my work days just got away from me.  As I shared at the beginning of this year, my business is also evolving, and I’m still figuring out how to balance blogging and sharing online with working on my books and painting commissions.  I feel like I’m slowly getting into a rhythm, though, and I’m trying to lean into the change. As my days have been very full lately, I am so thankful for the longer days and more sunshine! Here are my four things for the week: exploring charcoal, revisiting a childhood favorite, seasonal purpose, and carefully planning.     what I’m reading When it comes to drawing, I struggle with line.  I have always preferred paint over a pencil, but I do

It’s Four Things: Isle of Palms edition!  We’ve been at the beach since last Friday, so we’ve been going for lots of walks, eating great Lowcountry food, preparing for the annual shell-collection competition, doing puzzles, playing Bananagrams, and visiting family.  We always have a grand time, and it’s been a great week.  Here are my Four Things…     what I’m reading My friend Cheri gave me the book Theo of Golden a few months ago, and I’ve been saving it to read here at the beach.  I’m partway through it and, she was right, it’s right up my alley.  The funny thing is that my parents actually know the author, Allen Levi, and his family through their work at a mission agency.  When I was telling my mom about the book, she said, “Allen Levi?  From Georgia??  I know him!”  He is such a talented person – a singer,

A few days ago, we were tempted into thinking we had turned the corner into spring.  We had some warmish, sunny days that couldn’t be missed. I enjoyed walking outside without my face turning pink from the cold.  But this week, I went out walking in the morning and realized it was in the 20s again, much colder than I thought, and I was back to coming home pink-faced.  The last remnants of snow have almost melted, though, and I know from looking at posts from previous Marches that we’re not far from the garden waking up. I need to make some time soon to do a bit of weeding, pruning, and tidying. Until then, here are my four things: Alla Prima, sea shanties, lightning bolts, and the latest commission paintings.   what I’m reading I decided I would pick up Alla Prima II by Richard Schmid and read it