Written by For our prompt of “Shell” today, I made a little sketch of a scallop shell with a pearl inside. I’m endlessly fascinated by the lovely things that appear in nature, and the incredible surprises that seem to magically appear. This time of year where I live the leaves on the trees start to change into a gorgeous tapestry of warm, bright colors against impossibly blue skies. There’s a chill in the air, but not too much, creating the perfect weather and reminding me why this is my absolute favorite time of year! Also, my Inner Child is fully in charge as we head toward Halloween and Christmas. These last three months seem to pass almost too quickly as I get to enjoy all of my favorite traditions. When something happens only once a year, it always becomes a bit more special. Memories of childhood come flooding back and I’m reminded once more that I’m truly only as old as that youthful glow in my heart!
While I’m often in a very nostalgic mood, this past week made me think about why. It’s true that I certainly haven’t grown up much in the years since I was young, but a lot about the world around me has changed quite dramatically. Back in the 70’s, there was no Internet as we know it or email to check. Though email was invented in 1971, the same year that I was born. So, technology and I did sort of grow up together. It’s been amazing to see all of the advances that have happened in the time that I’ve been on this planet. I adore that I can now share my thoughts and images with you by publishing a blog post right here or sending a newsletter! I’ve been blogging for a little over 7 years now and so much has changed even during that relatively short time. Along the way, however, I realized that an “always online” mentality wasn’t what I really wanted in my life, so I’ve just been posting here weekly and have pretty much taken the weekends off from social media.
This means that I get to spend more quality time with my husband Philippe and our dog Elliott. The latter very much approves of this schedule for the most part, though an “always with Elliott’ mentality would be his preferred approach. This past weekend, Philippe and I cleaned out our garage, which doesn’t sound fun at all and mostly wasn’t, but we felt so good after we made it happen together! The closets are next, but neither of us seem ready to be quite such overachievers, so they’ll likely wait until spring. For me, being offline and enjoying time with my family is the most amazing thing in the world. It’s far less commonplace these days, so also feels rather exceptional. It was just like when I was a kid, when whatever I was doing in the moment was my entire moment. That’s what I miss most. So, I now take breaks where the phone in my pocket gets silenced and the laptop is put to sleep like a baby. Everything will be waiting for me when I’m ready to return. Taking time to unplug and truly focus on spending time with those we love is definitely something precious.
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About the DoodlewashSketching Stuff Coloring Set – Da Vinci Watercolors: Charlie O’Blue, Quinacridone Red, Yellow Ochre, Ultramarine (Green Shade), and Indigo. ZIG Cartoonist Mangaka Pen with black ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Click Here! |
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You’re right Charlie, each day is precious, especially during this beautiful season.
Thanks, Laura! 😃💕 I hope you’re having a beautiful week!
I don’t take time off from online very often, though I’m on much less over the week-end.That makes it all the nicer when I do decide to take off a day or two. On the other hand, most of my socialization is on the internet. Most of my friends and family have moved out of state, or live in England. With the internet, I talk to most of them daily. What a blessing!
Indeed!! The Internet is definitely a wonderful way to stay connected with friends and family. I tend to use email and text now more and more as getting on social media overwhelms me these days. lol 😊
Charlie how could you have email in 1971 when computers were not in use then? The Pentagon had a huge one during WW2 but nobody else did. Or did you have one of those huge ones that cover the entire wall?
Yes I try to cut out computer time too. I fall asleep sitting here. Actually fell off the chair a couple times and hit the floor laughing.
Lol… I wasn’t emailing then… just found it interesting that it was invented when I was! 😉 I was 11 when I got my first actual computer… a Commodore 64. I’ve been trying to take time to read more, but often end up falling asleep before I’d like. hehe
Yep every time I sit bed with book, I wake up awhile later with hands on it and no reading done. Brain thinks couch feels like bed so the same thing happens there. Gotta sit table then it works.
That’s a beautiful shell, Charlie. The leaves are just started to change here as well. It’s feeling very autumnal.
Thanks so much, Gary! 😃💕 Yay! I love this time of year… so pretty!
Amazing Charlie 🙂
Thanks so much, Brenda! 😃💕
Beautiful shell and Pearl, Charlie! I’m in total agreement with you about social media. I’ve never had a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account and so glad ….although Pinterest can get me hooked sometimes. Family time and being present in the moment is so important. Life is way too short!
Yes it is! 😃💕 And I did enjoy social media when it first came out in its original form. But, the appeal of the current version escapes me most of the time. Instagram was always my favorite, but it keeps changing in ways that make it too difficult to see what you really want to see. Now you have to accept robots choosing for you… which is a bit too sci-fi weird for my tastes! lol
Hello Charlie,
I can’t decide which bit of the Doodlewash I like more – the shell, the pearl or the lovely bit of sky & sea. So I’ll say I LOVE all of it. And the timing of this post is interesting. I’ve spent the past three days trying to get a colleague to understand that not ever being on social media has not compromised any aspect of my life. In fact, I get a reason everyday for being proud of that old decision of mine! Please enjoy the autumn colors for me Charlie. I’ll enjoy some rain and hot soup for you – with tiramisu for dessert. 🙂
Love,
Mugdha
Thanks so much, Mugdha! 😃💕 And yeah… I LOVE having my blog and email connection with people, and it’s been my favorite form of social media. The kind that comes with personal choices and actually connecting. So, I’m just sticking with that and popping into the actual social media for just a few moments during the week now. And I LOVE tiramisu… so please enjoy some for me!! Much love to you! ❤️
Beautiful shell and pearl, Charlie! No change of leaf color here though Hurricane Ian did clear a lot of leaves off the branches around our house. I’m like Sandra and use the internet to stay in touch with family and friends who seem to be scattered across the country. Enjoy your beautiful Fall days!!!
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 Hope Ian didn’t do much more than steal leaves when you live. The weather is getting crazy! And, yes! Staying in touch with friends and family is the best part of the Internet! I can’t do that on social media anymore as the robots don’t show me the posts, so I just stick to text and email!