Hello friends old and new who may stop by here.

DON'T FORGET.......................I am now posting on my new blog A BREATH OF FRESH AIR - http://abreathoffreshair-mary.blogspot.com/ as I'm unable to upload anymore photos on this original blog.

Hope you will stop by and visit me soon. Lots to share........home, garden, antiques, vintage, worldwide travels...........and the bits and bobs which make up everyday life!

Look forward to seeing you over at A Breath of Fresh Air.

Please visit my new blog..........

Good Morning dear friends.
No, as you can see, no images to share here as my ongoing problems with Google/Picasa storage continues.

BIG NEWS is...........I've started a new blog, at least for the time being, and will be posting news and images there. I'd love for you to visit me as I have lots to share with you as I get nearer to my African safari trip in May. I may not post as often but I just cannot stop cold turkey........the addiction must be in the blood after all these years!

My new blog is titled A BREATH OF FRESH AIR and hopefully it will be just that. Hope to see you soon and thanks again for all your recent comments and help tips.

Africa ~ The Journal

I plan to keep a daily journal while in Africa. Of course I hope to take a lot of photos, but a little journal with hard copy words will be a back up, an old-fashioned way of keeping up with day to day highlights. Several hours during the middle of the day, between game drives, I think writing will be a pleasant pastime....................and something I need to get used to again with no laptop at hand. I'm also taking my box of watercolor pencils and a few markers, and will try to render sketches when I see something that catches my eye. I'm no artist but no harm in trying to draw little items of interest to add some color to my journal.

Do you have any tips for me regarding sketching? I have friends whose journals have delightful drawings on the pages. It seems just a few well-placed lines and curves turn into palm trees, sailboats, street scenes, mountain ranges and meadows. Perhaps the secret is not to try too hard........just a smidgen of detail with a light washed color to give the eye the idea of a cheetah up a tree, an elephant plodding through the grasses, and the green delta stretching out from the camp with hippos bathing in the muddy waters.

BUT..........please, please cameras don't fail me. Photos will definitely show more than any sketches I can bring back from such a huge adventure.

I'm not certain in which direction my blog will go from hereon out. Right now my laptop is at the 'doctor'. Hopefully the virus it caught while I was trying desperately to find a solution to the photo upload problem will be cured! I'm quite enjoying my time away from the computer........I'm doing some much-needed household chores to ready for a new season, also a little decorating consisting mostly of moving things around, and some gardening, sewing and crafting.

Many thanks BUT more questions.............

Look how bland my poor blog looks. No photos still! Can't even participate in Pink Saturday today!

I certainly appreciate all the kind responses to my question regarding having to purchase additional storage for photos used on a Blogger blog. Typepad works differently I believe because you pay a monthly fee to own a Typepad blog, and maybe their photo storage is included at no extra charge.

I understand, and perhaps someone with more knowledge of the ins and outs of Google/Blogger/Picasa will correct me if I'm wrong, that even though you have your pictures stored in MY PICTURES on your computer, as I do, but have opted to use Google's PICASA for storage, once you upload your photos, they go automatically to PICASA where they are also stored in a safe place for backing up photos. However, that free storage space is just 1GB for use on your blog (and G-mail account if you use it). Once you have tapped out that free storage space you have to purchase additional space from Google. There are several tiers, e.g. 80GB cost $20 annually which isn't too bad. It can be self-renewing and they send an e-mail just before the year is up to ask what you want to do about renewing storage. All the storage you've paid for ends within 12 months, it is not carried over, so if you don't renew or buy another amount, you can no longer upload photos on your blog!

I've purchased more storage again (my third year of doing this because I do take/store/use a lot of photos for my blog) BUT, Google apparently does a very sad job in keeping up with migrating that storage to the Picasa account thereby causing everything to come to a halt when you want to load photos to your blog! They take your money, show your storage amount in your account, say you may have to wait 24 hours, but don't move it into Picasa, and then become impossible to reach. I have been waiting 8 days! There is no way you can communicate with customer NO-service at Google! No phone support, and from my hours of searching, no way to send an e-mail directly to anyone who can help. You are directed constantly to Help Forums and there you will see the frustration and disgust of hundreds of Blogger users such as myself.

Why you may ask, can you not delete photos from the Picasa albums to free up space? You supposedly can do this, BUT then the photos are also DELETED from your blog if you've posted them! This means anyone reading back through your blog will see blank squares instead of pictures.

OK, next question for you great blogging friends. If you use Typepad, are you pleased with it? Do they store your photos for free? I'm seriously contemplating switching which will of course mean starting an entirely new blog. Meanwhile, watch this space, and IF Google wakes up and loads my paid storage I will be back with photos of my new treasure hunting finds, Spring blossoms, and more about my upcoming African safari!

Brushes with Frustration

HAPPY PATRICK'S DAY

According to a magazine layout with this image, these words made sense........" Still life arrangements of decorative pieces add character and beauty......................"

When I saw a group of old silver-backed brushes at SuzAnna's Antiques recently ~ in Jeannie of Uniquitiques booth ~ I took a photo of them thinking them lovely and wondering what stories they could tell!

When I came home and looked at my photos after uploading, I saw the brushes again and decided their old silver backs really were beautiful. The etched borders, repousse work depicting tiny roses and leaves, monograms GWH, FEL, HGB, the soft natural bristles, all mean these do have a history going back long before blow dryers and flat irons!

So I returned and purchased the brushes thanks to Jeannie giving me a bargain price for all five. They are displayed in this equally old ironstone bowl.

OK Blogger friends.................what's with Google's storage problem with Picasa? It's been 5 long days since I purchased more annual storage from Google and still I can't load any pictures to my blog (these above were in a draft so already loaded). The max time for storage renewal is supposedly 24 hours but obviously that is not true.

Anyone else out there having a similar problem? I do see dozens of complaints such as mine in the Google help forums. People are so frustrated, tempers are flaring, Google is being called nasty names. Where do you store your photos to upload to your blog? Can anyone give me a good alternative to Picasa please.

Heaven forbid.....can my blogging days be coming to an end?

Woodland walk...........

This is what I could have used today - a calming woodland walk! No, my weekend company (family visiting from Arizona) didn't drive me crazy, but Google certainly did!! Have you experienced the same problem......trying to get Google to upload your purchased photo storage via Picasa? I cannot add any photos as yet, despite having purchased storage a couple of weeks ago and again 2 days ago. Have you had this problem?



I actually took these photos early last week after dropping DH at the airport and coming back to walk in the woods and a nearby park. As you can see, Carolina blue sky and budding trees displayed squirrel nests..........Canada geese were starting their Spring mating rituals...........

...............and best of all, a beautiful Blue Heron was visiting the pond!

He (she?) looked this way and then that way, standing for the longest time on the deck railing, scanning the water for a fishy breakfast I'm sure.

It's obvious that there was little green in the woods that morning, however they were still beautiful. Squirrels scurried through the leaves and up the grey tree trunks. A large red-tailed hawk flew overhead and landed high in a wizened oak, making its high-pitched call. Three black crows cawed noisily, telling the tiny rodents in the undergrowth to watch out.

Now, a week later, following several warm, sunny days, a little light rain and no freezing nights, I'm almost certain a return visit this week will be quite different. The swelling buds may be bursting, showing peeks of lime green..........that fresh, new green that almost hurts the eye because it is so vibrant. I notice the male Cardinals are already singing very early in the morning even here in my garden. Today I saw one take a seed from the feeder and carry it to a waiting female standing on the wrought iron table.............I believe Nature's dance of life is underway. Yes, with the clocks springing forward today, the daffodils swaying in the breeze, and the bright green spears of bluebell leaves suddenly pushing upward all around the garden, I can assure you, even without pictures, Spring time is imminent here in the Carolinas!

Bent Creek trail ~ early March 2010.

More Tempting Tulips for Pink Saturday

Tulip time has arrived ~ and bunches of pink tulips have been airlifted from Holland to my local Trader Joe's. I found these as I shopped for other favorites such as fresh veggies and fruits, goat cheese, an artisinal French baguette, Greek yogurt, and of course some wine.

I love to have them close by as I work in the kitchen. Do you know that tulip stems continue to grow when placed in water? These little beauties were in a short tight bunch when I purchased them. I've already trimmed them twice but they're growing rapidly once again.

These are peeking out from a wall planter by the front door, and I must admit, are faux tulips - nice ones purchased at Pottery Barn a few years back. I bring these out only in Spring when real tulips are blooming. I do not buy many faux flowers however must say these look really great in a place where it would be difficult to keep live flowers.
The front porch is awaiting a good clean up and rearrangement after the wind and snow of Winter.

Stop by to see Beverly at How Sweet the Sound - lots more pink to enjoy!

Reposted from 2009 - I'm still on Spring Break!