Our Nelly Isler Red Velvet Cambria orchid has completely opened, as you can see. It certainly brightens up the kitchen on these dark autumn days!
Actually, the last few days have been sunny, but of course I've been at work so I can only look out the windows and enjoy the brief, bright midday light. That's better than nothing, though. I'm glad I work in a room with big windows.
Yesterday my boss showed me a website called Canva that we could use to create posters for the library. I made a couple for a new display, and they turned out pretty well if I do say so myself, but I wrestled with some of the features of the program that just did not seem intuitive. (Part of the problem was that certain templates and images are only available with the paid version of Canva, which we don't have.) I'm sometimes afraid I'm losing my ability to figure out modern technology. I swear I used to be able to open up a new program and just click around a bit, and then I'd know how it works. Lately I've found myself staring at the screen, thinking, "Wha?" I suppose it's good exercise for my brain, but like the rest of my body, my brain seems less adaptable and flexible than it once did!
Remember those controversial books I wrote about a couple of weeks ago? Well, I finally successfully found a copy of "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison. I had to order a used copy because there are simply no new ones available -- Amazon is out, bookstores are out, the publisher is out. So I'll be reading that after my next Newbery, "The One and Only Ivan" (which thankfully looks very short). I'm curious to see what all the fuss is about.
Oh, and I signed up to get a flu shot at work. So that should also be happening some time in the near future.
Olga and I have a routine when I come home from work. I make a tonic (with or without gin, depending on the day I've had) and I eat a handful of salted peanuts on the couch. I always give Olga a few peanuts, and on Tuesday she was so funny because she wouldn't even lift her head to eat them -- she'd just lie there against my leg, waiting to be fed individual morsels by hand like Caesar.
Incidentally, I experimented with iMovie in making this video. I filmed it in a relatively dark room, so it was murky and grainy, but I adjusted some settings to brighten it up a bit*. I guess my brain is still capable of learning some new things!
*It doesn't look nearly as bright on my work computer, so, hmmmm...limited success!
Must be an easy life being a much loved dog! Alexi enjoys peanut butter on his " licky mat" (Special peanut "mutter" for dogs....Xylitol in some butters is extremely toxic to dogs.)
ReplyDeletePeanut "mutter" -- I like that! Olga rarely gets peanut butter and we never buy the sugar-free kind, which as I recall is where xylitol is found.
DeleteWhen you said you were going to show footage of Olga eating Peanuts, I picture her first crunching Lucy van Pelt and Woodstock before chowing down on Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Do the Canva posters say "NO MORE CHARGERS WILL BE LENT OUT!" and "MR REED SAYS READ!"?
ReplyDeleteI SHOULD make a charger poster like that. The kids are still asking for chargers and we haven't loaned them out in almost two years!
DeleteI love Olga! This was such a sweet video. I think your after work ritual sounds wonderful, and I bet it's one of the highlights of Olga's day! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely one of the highlights of MY day!
DeleteAh, what a contented dog! The video makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteIt may not be your brain at all regarding new technology. It seems everything has to be made new and improved, not just dish detergent or toothpaste. I find a lot of programs we use at work get tweaked so much each year, supposedly to provide new features, and they end up more time-consuming and annoying to use.
It is frustrating how product developers can't leave well enough alone. (The people behind Blogger are guilty of this!)
DeleteGlen and I were talking last night about how we are afraid that technology is getting ahead of us.
ReplyDeleteWe have a friend who completely missed the boat on all of it and his life is harder because of that and of course we're not on that level but...
We agreed though that from where we started back when transistor radios with little leather cases were the highest tech thing going, we've come a long way.
Queen Olga, eating her peanuts- she's a hoot.
I do think it's important to "stay in the game," so to speak, but it's surprising how it gets harder over time. It's amazing to think how far we've all come technologically. I still have my old transistor radio!
DeleteI'm thinking that's how Olga should be fed from now on!! Too cute.
ReplyDeleteShe clearly thinks so too, though she'd have trouble eating an entire meal that way.
DeleteMy 6 year old grandson can do more with technology than I can! Video games, streaming TV shows. Some things I just don't use and so I'll ask him to help! :)
ReplyDeleteOlga certainly lives the good life!
It's amazing to give a little kid an iPad and watch them go to town on it. You'd think they'd been born with it in their hands.
DeleteOlga knows she's in charge! Also I love Canva, though I too find some of its templates less than intuitive. And you really have a wonderful eye, Steve. That top photo of the red cambria orchid could have been done straight on, instead you made a wonderful off center composition with the bottles providing a subtle gradation of color that sets off to perfection the vibrant red of the flower. I looked at the photo for a long time. It's art.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much re. the photo. One of the things I learned in photography classes years ago is to always pay attention to your backgrounds!
DeleteLovely orchid! I like the bright red (and also that it makes me think of Red Velvet Cake!).
ReplyDeleteI feel the SAME WAY about technology - when PicMonkey completely revamped its site I had to email technical support. I was practically yelling get off my lawn at the poor tech support guy. Ha!
It makes me think of Red Velvet cake too! Fortunately I haven't had to deal with tech support on anything in a long, long time. (And now I've jinxed myself.)
DeleteOlga looks so sweet in that video.
ReplyDeleteThe orchid is beautiful. I love the color.
Don't feel bad, I work in technology and I am constantly mystified by new programs and sometimes old ones too.
Well that DOES make me feel better!
DeleteIt's true about technology getting ahead of us. I tried to download an Adobe Photoshop Elements application the other day. Got the program, but couldn't install it, had to restart my computer, and then I found the application and deleted it. I texted Adobe and had an absurd chat with a robot, and I still don't haven't tried to download the application again. It's good thing it was a 30-day free trial.
ReplyDeleteLove that video of Olga eating a peanut one nut at a time. She's so sweet.
What is it about Adobe? I have trouble with some of their products too. Maybe you need to upgrade your operating system?
DeleteYour orchid is beautiful. I love the video of Olga. She's such a sweetie. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteShe's a good dog as long as she gets her peanuts.
DeleteI used to be the technology guru of my family and was always asked to set up or configure the latest new gadget. Then came the day when my oldest daughter just set up her own stuff without needing my help. More recently, I've had to ask her how to do a few things on my own gadgets. Sigh. It won't be long now before I just scratch my head and decide I don't need that new gadget because I have no hope of every learning how to use it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, that's a very freeing place to be, isn't it? When you no longer feel the need to keep up? I say we embrace it!
DeleteI love orchids but would kill them in a week if they lived with me. I can usually do things but then can't remember what I did for the next time.
ReplyDeleteFor years I never had much luck with orchids and then it's like I finally, magically, figured them out. I'm not growing any difficult ones, though.
DeleteThere is so much love going on in that video. It did my heart good. 😊
ReplyDeleteLawn Boy is available through my digital library app, so I tagged it when you mentioned it before. I look forward to your thoughts on it. Might make me get to it sooner than later!
I will definitely let you know! (As soon as I get to it myself!)
DeleteFunny. In the evening when I'm done with whatever work I accomplished for the day, I fix my drink, get a handful of unsalted mixed nuts and Minnie always gets a cashew. I know what you mean. The technology is getting harder for me too. I used to update my website several times a year but when I went through that period of no making I didn't bother. Now when I update it, it seems tougher even though I'm doing things I supposedly know how to do.
ReplyDeleteOh, and that orchid is gorgeous.
DeleteThat's so funny, that our routines are so similar! I never knew dogs would eat nuts, but Olga really likes them. Salt and fat, I suppose!
DeleteCanva ads on YouTube are driving me mad. They are also on electronic rotating advertising at tram shelters.
ReplyDeleteFortunately I have been spared Canva ads on YouTube. (Although maybe I just haven't noticed them.)
DeleteBest video ever - as Kelly says, there's so much love going on in it.
ReplyDeleteAnd that orchid - wow! What a stunner.
Chris from Boise (on Mike's computer again).
Glad you liked the video! Olga enjoyed making it. :)
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