Thursday, January 13

be gone scowling ways...

i must confess my 'smile' has slipped a little, being so soon into the new shiny year this has caused some fretting about my resolutions and if i have it in me to keep them up.
my new year smile started slipping on sunday and quite honestly by this morning i noted a terrible scowl had taken its place.

"no one likes a scowler Tif!" i hear you cry
"quite right you are, i am ashamed of my scowling ways" i say

fortunately for moi, a lovely nice young man (lordy, when did i get to the point of saying "oh yes he seems like a nice young man", i appear to be trilingual, i can talk english, american and now it would appear i talk 'granny')

the nice young man stopped by and twiddled with things that needed twiddling with, things that were causing my smile to slip. after a little bit of twiddling he declared my problemo sorted and he left with a smile on his face.

hurrah hooray, Mr Internet is ship shape again, no longer hit or miss, according to the nice young man, he will be 'a-okay' from now on out. of course the little voice inside my head pointed out this was the same thing the nice, slightly older man said just a few weeks back when he came to twiddle with things... but i told my little voice i did not have much choice but to trust those that know how to fiddle with such things

so whilst my smile was slipping over the past few days, i did things to make it cling on.
i stitched (almost obsessively i might add), patching lace and old linens together, i appear to be quite smitten once again with creams and whites, whilst listening to Radio 2.



i found one small ray of daylight in the shed to get some photos done for the book. i felt i was quite capable of doing this by myself (aided by Carlos my camera), but little olive felt otherwise.





i pondered my written word, for Janine tells me there can be no more procrastinating, i need to pull my knee socks up and get cracking with my tippity typing. i told her i would do my utmost best and so today i sat down to start!!!! i conquered my fear of the 'word document' and its automatic layout thingy.

actually that is a complete fib, i did not. instead i sat down, then immediately stood up. upon which i did 'a rant and a rave' in a very loud voice, about how 'Word' drives me to distraction, assuming all sorts of things i wish to do, that i do not, for i do not wish to double space, nor do i wish to suddenly be put into 'bullet point' mode. nor do i wish to have to tell 'word' this every single blimen' time i sit down to tippity type...

dearest readers, it all came out, every single thing that bugs the hell out of me on my computer (things my man felt it wise to install but on installation regretted due to his wife's meltdown, i do not like change, have i mentioned that before, technical change is not good for a dinosaur such as myself) my words continued to pour out, accompanied by flowery words and so my man with a sigh and no doubt a heavy heart (for he has heard it all before) put down his 'laptop bag', closed the front door and asked
"Tif, what exactly is it you wish to do with the word document?"

30 minutes later i am the proud owner of a blank, perfectly spaced, no bullet points, and other such nonsense popping up when and as it feels, fangle dangled word document. my smile was the biggest it had been all week, i reached for my cotton hankie, blew my nose (Mr Lurgy is hovering close by) and felt a sense of peace come over my little computer.

actually i might just blame Mr Lurgy for the slipped smile and terribly awful melt down, infact upon looking back at the evidence, this looks like his kind of doings.

in celebration of my new found love for my computer i have named him Colin. his namesake being my father, my father is quite the intelligent person and continues to be so after many years. so i felt it apt as computers are supposed to be super clever that i call him 'Colin the Computer'. i am hoping my father upon reading this will be most flattered just as i was when a friend many years ago named her guinea pig after me :)

my man left for work (never have i seen him so keen to get to his desk job), i did a token 'pottling and procrastinating' turn around the shed and then sat down to my new fresh 'saved format' word document and tippity typed my first words...
"many moons ago, i was born at home in 1968"

she is thanking you most kindly for the lovely comments from this past week ~ Tif

45 comments:

glam.spoon said...

Oh my goodness gracious I am right there with you! I don't care if your widgets and gadgets are better and faster, I like my own ways! ;)

mel @ loved handmade said...

I'm with you on the ever so frustrating topic of technology change & upgrades. 'Downgrade' I say!! Life was so much simpler then...

Team Chastain said...

I'm always so inspired by your lovely ideas...thanks for sharing and bringing lots of smiles to faces!

Anonymous said...

Computers do that to me too!! I think they change in the night just so they can annoy you!
Vivienne x

Francesca said...

oh god i know what you mean. those bloody bullet points. once they start, they just don't stop and then they have a mind of their own and move all your margins and you can't get them back. hmph! janine should've received my waffle yesterday. x

Vickie said...

Tif,

How I relate to the trials and tribulations of the computer age. If it weren't for the help of my dearest husband and son, I would still be tap-tapping on ye old typewriter. A week doesn't go by that my husband isn't asking me -"what did you do now" as he's holding the computer at me....."what buttons did you push?"...I'm still not quite sure how my cell phone works!!!!

Vickie in Seattle

Vicki K. said...

I like Colin the Computer. It makes him sound sensible and not flighty as I sometimes think computer brains act.

You have trained little Olive well - to feel a keen sense of duty and protective pride over the cream and white linens in the house. I just want to stroke her velvety looking little head and ears. But I'm sure she would just look at me with a "I'm sorry but I'm on duty, ma'am" look.

Turid Holm Flaa said...

Nice.

Turid Holm Flaa said...

Nice.

Tamara said...

oh! i loved reading this! your "word" frustrations are so perfectly stated...why does the program do that stuff? i'm a new dottie angel fan...i love the space you have created here in blog-land!

marian said...

I love the the way you are doing things. I am often here in your blogg - it is a good place for dreaming!

Marian in Norway

Sue H @ Astrachic Studio said...

Hello fellow 60's child,
We who grew up with the manual
typewriter that did just as it
was told are challenged with
all the spangle of technology.
All is fine when it works as it
should!
Lucky we both have hubbys that
enjoy the challenge more than us!
When you are so beautifully
creatively skilled you should
need to fuss the tech stuff!
Good luck,
Sue

Janis Morris said...

Boy can I relate! I just paid $202 last week for someone to come in and fix this blinkity-blank laptop, and it is still doing the same blinkity-blank things he was supposed to fix. I took it in last week so the manager could see what it was doing, and of course, it worked better than it has in a year. Oh how I wish I could stomp it and beat it to pieces! I have a Mac desktop computer, and I have been working on it this week now that I have it set up with my Verizon modem, and there is no comparison between it and my Windows laptop. Everything goes so smoothly on the Mac, and NOTHING goes smoothly on the laptop. I have been scowling, cussing, gritting my teeth, and pumping enough cortisol to kill me. They used to say that a computer only does what you tell it to, but I don't hear anyone saying that anymore! Heck no! Everyone pretty well knows that computers are demon-possessed and have minds of their own. Not only do they do what THEY want to do, but they refuse to do what YOU want to do. OK, I will stop my rant now. I hope yours is working better for you now.

Anonymous said...

Looks to me as though little Olive is as much a lover of lace and crochet as I am! That was adorable, as was the funny and comical read you have provided for me tonight to accompany my hot cup of coffee!

Computers can be frustrating, for sure, but when they are functioning like they should, they sure are great creative partners! Here's hoping Collin behaves as he ought to!
(both your father and your computer)!

Happy stitching like mad...and may you find yourself typing with an unmatched fervor!

Ciao Bella!
Stop in and visit for a break at some point!
Creative Carmelina

Shabby Vintage Junk said...

LOL Tif I feel EXACTLY the same about 'word'....Drives me to complete distraction sometimes suggesting I do this that & the other when I want to do NOTHING of the sort....I'm GLAD your woes were sorted....!

Cheers from Oz,
Tamarah :o)

guerrillartmomma said...

I love your radio, and am happy to hear that your smile is back. Can't wait for the new book. Keep typedy typing!

Jill said...

Oh my gosh..what a fun post. Thanks for the smile/laugh/giggle. Really.

Debby said...

You are so funny. I feel like a dinosaur as well in this computer world. I'd love to buy your book. Love Olive.

Rachaeldaisy said...

Colin is a great name for your computer. I call my computer Coco, short for Coconut Ice. I hate those scowly days but without them the smiley days wouldn't seem as smiley.

gold fawn said...

that curtain is delightful! seriously, perfection! xo

Shelley in SC said...

So glad Mr. Colin is up and running properly. I love finding a new post in my reader file. It's just like having a visit from a friend. Your writing is delightful.

Daydream Living said...

With this post you made me smile!
Enjoy the weekend,
Maureen

Anonymous said...

When ever I am sewing my cat Bernard always has to come and supervise, sticking his little nose in, patting things with his paws,checking that everything is put together corrrectly,sometimes running off with tiny embroidery scissors and to be fair, on the odd occasions when he has not been around to keep an eye on things I have had to double check whether sewn items really do look okay. At the moment I am having to unpick some expensive Japanese linens that I had lovingly handsewn together to make very beautiful and elegant patchwork quilt top for boyfirneds birthday which is now only 5 weeks away, all because I had tried not to sew too much when cat was nearby, and certainly not to spread it out on floor to check how the patchwork was filling...Bernard does like to walk muddy little footprints across pretty much everything..including cleanly washed kitchen floors, freshly laundered table cloths, carefully handsewn patchworks...so, much colourful language as unpicking carries on, then will get cat to check that I have not sewn things wrongly again. You should be thanking the dear Miss Olive for keeping an eye on things, especially if you have been poorly. You do know that the best ever cure for colds, sniffles and the like are chocolate hob nobs, big mug of tea, a black and white film (planning on watching Black Narcissus this afternoon...you just can't beat Powel and Pressburger) and maybe a little light hookery! Do get well soon x

Donna -Little Tiny Stitches said...

Gosh, you were born that long ago Tif? ;0) (says I who is 40 this year.)
Please can your man come and visit me and deal kindly with my 'word document' too!
I can't even type a letter to the school on mine!
OOoo.., pleased you're back.
Hope your weekend is better than your week, although is does look like you've been upto some goodie goodness without Colin's help..
Have a great weekend Tif.
Kindest regards,
Donna x
Ps. I, too, can and often do speak 'Granny' I didn't realise that was the name for it, so now when my husband and children ask where I get such words/saying from I can clearly say "I speak Granny and I'm not the only one anymore, it's a real bonafide language as Dottie Angel also speaks it, so now you can just stop calling me old fashioned" :0)

Carol said...

Oh begone indeed bad scowling ways, yes, I bet Mr. Lurgy was the villain.
How could you not be smiling when totally gorgeous little Olive turned up to inspect your work?
AND young lady, what is wrong with speaking "granny"?
Glad to hear you are friends with Colin, I often christen my computer with unprintable names!
Have a great weekend Tif......... and calm.
Carol xxx

Sarsaparilla said...

Word! I hate it too! Those darn automatic bullet points will be the death of me someday...

I do hope the nice young man fixed your computer problems permanently! And I also hope you will continue to keep a bit of "grannie" talk in your posts - it suits you well!

britt said...

wow. sounds like an ordeal! good luck with the book! looking forward to it.

Unknown said...

I'm glad you're 'up and digitaly running'again..missed you're blog-pieces! Great work you make, love the new patches with the embroidery and lace. Keep up the good work.

Minx's Den said...

i have had problems with my internet, and it is indeed frustrating! glad to know everything is in ship shape....

ColinTheComputer said...

Hi Dottie Angel,
This is my first ever comment, but as you had used my name in your post, I decided it was time to respond to your wonderful blog. I am a fairly ancient computer but I still seem to work OK most of the time. Just the occasional lapse. Drives my master round the bend just like my namesake in your house when that happens. However as we computers always say: The problem is nearly always garbage in, garbage out. Anyway, hope your Colin does the business for you from now on and the book goes well. Looking forward to reading it (or at least looking at the pretty pictures).
Lots of love, CTC

Unknown said...

Whenever my smile slips, I feed it and find it pushes back up. I have the unfortunate habit of getting cranky when I forget to eat. My kids and hubby now offer food when I snap.

I hope you feel better and rest up.

Unknown said...

Your lovely words always make me smile, I have many days when my smile slips so its good to know there are peeps out there to put it back where it belongs x

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

*The light shining through your curtain is heavenly.

*I'm sure Olive was a great help.

*Thank you for bringing a smile to MY face.

*All the most lovely people are born at home (like my littles).

*Wishing you many quiet hours to tippity type in peace.

PSbyDila said...

Gorgeous!

blog.PSbyDila.com

Catherine said...

I love your pieced linens and old embroideries. I am beginning to collect old pieces of table linen and embroidered sheets, mostly 1950s stuff. I had intended to make all sorts of things outof them but cant bear to cut any up yet, apart from the ones that are already showing bad wear. I hope your writing continues to progress!
C x

The Muse of The Day said...

I am right there with you - the whole computer thing that is. Nothing can be more frustrating than technology getting in my way when I am trying to do something creative but have to use technology to share it with the rest of the world. Nobody in the family wants to be in the house when that is happening to me. On another note, I am totally in love with the pieced together marvel you have made. I love the way the light shines through it. Now, get to typing - I can't wait to read the book. Carolina

Anonymous said...

I have to name my computer
Maybe im going to name it
lotsa
Because i loose lotsa time on it everyday when i could be doing something else
I named my tree
And my car
So why not my computer hu?

dottie angel said...

you never ever fail to cheer me with your lovely words dearest readers!! my smile has been firmly in place the whole time i have been reading your comments! so wonderful to know i am not alone in the frustrations that follow from using 'Word' and anything else remotely techie!

eagle eyes amongst you may note we have a comment from 'colin the computer'!!!! this is tres delightful and has made my day :)

peachy smiley weekends all round i feel...

Donna -Little Tiny Stitches said...

Love, love, love your friend rabbit in your blog title :0)

maepress said...

Do not fear, you are clearly quite clever with technology as evidenced by your lovely blog! It is the bloated and forever frustrating Word that is the culprit. Streamline your life as I and many other writers have done. There are so many lovely writing programs out there (many of them free). If you have a mac I can't recommend Scrivener enough. And for windows, the free and easy PageFour is a really lovely program. There's always Google docs as well.

All of these programs export your file to a Word document so none will be the wiser.

Trust me, writing will be something you will look forward to and you will breathe easy when you sit at your computer, if you have a platform that is as lovely to look at as your lovely life!

Brenda Pruitt said...

Love your writing style! I too have Word. Works was so much easier. Dell told me, while I was ordering a new laptop a few weeks ago, that they've "done away" with Microsoft Works. A pity.
Brenda

dottie angel said...

maepress! thank you kindly for your grand advice!

Kerri said...

Oh my goodness I think your gorgeous patchwork curtain is beyond compare!

furrybees said...

Word also (almost) drives me to drink somedays. And that is after I think I've fixed it for the 47th time. Love the name of your computer, although my mother has a mole on her arm called Colin that we've all been very fond of for years :-)

Anonymous said...

The men in my family are always "upgrading" my computer and I do not consider it an upgrade. It is downright maddening.