Workflow 1

You know the kind of thing.  We settle into a kind of routine and in a surprisingly short time, get used to it so much that we hardly think about what we are doing.  In my professional life, I'd be referring to  unconscious competence but here at home, I just think of it as doing what I do.  From time to time though, I find myself a bit challenged when I need to make some changes.

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at my blog and thinking it could do with a spruce up.  It's not that I feel the need to go with any design trends, to keep up with fashion or embed any clever functions in it, but slowly, the programs I've been using are being discontinued or superseded by newer editions.  Though I don't necessarily need the newest, latest program and frequently resist the continual pressure to upgrade, from time to time I'm reminded of the fact that I might be missing out on a useful improvement.

Of course, there is also the creeping realisation that by being resistant to change, I run the risk of being left behind and where technology is concerned, that's quite a big deal.   I'm sure Bettine would not mind me citing her as an example because she agrees that, had she embraced the concept of the cash machine twenty years ago, she wouldn't have the problem of obtaining cash now all the local bank branches are closing.  So settling into a comfort zone isn't always to be encouraged!

Remember this?

It was a conversation with the Microsoft chap in John Lewis a few weeks ago that kick started all of this.  We were looking at new computers, seduced by the pretty amazing details of the birthday surprise which my Hero loves to bits, but originally, looking for ideas to replace my desktop eventually.  We'd just bought a new smart TV and chatted about it being a computer in our sitting room,  even if we didn't quite think of (or use) it as such.  "Indeed", said Mr MS "you could completely rethink your technology set up".

Well, like almost everyone we know, our straightforward working set up at home has evolved over the years.  We each have a PC and we share a wifi printer/scanner.  We each have a tablet and mobile phone, have a laptop PC to take on holiday and the house is broadband enabled by means of a fast modem and a new mesh network.  We listen to music by means of a Sonos network, have two smart TVs and Alexa in the kitchen.   How many computers is that, then?  Nine? Ten?  Eleven? (aaaagh!)

The JL/MS chap described an alternative, replacing my PC with a simple monitor to which  the new MS Surface detachable tablet or our existing phones could be connected.  His suggestions were persuasive - after all, we can only use one PC at a time and the flexibility (simplicity?) of the concept started us thinking.  The real selling point was the idea that we wouldn't need to carry both laptop and tablet on holiday with us, because, my Hero explained, "we only take the laptop PC so Gill can do her blog".

Well yes.  Hands up!  My current Squarespace 5 blog platform doesn't work well as an Android app.  For that, the newer, upgraded Squarespace7 is better...and you can see where this is going, perhaps?  SqSp7 has a far more intuitive interface, is more powerful and the design is bang on trend.  But it's different. 

You might have noticed I've been quiet this last week?  So far, it's all been behind the scenes and although it’s almost done,  I still have a long list of things to resolve.  In my usual infuriating way, I seem to be sorting out change for my car parking purse, getting lunch together, deciding what to cook at the weekend and chatting to a friend online whilst designing icons, trying to work out how to edit a website menu and identifying fonts. 

Before too long, I might have to hit "publish" and be damned delighted!

Fingers crossed.  Everything crossed!  Watch this space!

Photographs

A friend has emailed to say that she is having trouble with the photographs loading on my blog.  She is using Firefox on a PC and I am wondering if anyone else is experiencing similar issues.  If you are, would you please drop me an email or leave a comment below and I’ll see what I can do.

Thank you x

Enough

When I began my blog and was looking for a name, I hit upon the phrase frequently used by my Hero’s Grandpy.  After a meal, he’d sit back in his chair, release some imaginary air from each cuff (not well explained but no matter) and declare that he had enjoyed “an elegant sufficiency”.  A few years previously we had been through a life-changing experience which caused us to reflect on our priorities and one word seemed to crop up frequently.

Enough.

Whenever I thought of the word, I remembered a poster which hung on the wall at a school where I taught and thanks to the wonders of Google, I did a quick search and bingo!  there it was here!  More is most certainly not always better and then, as now, enough sums it up nicely.

Can I ever have enough ice cream though?    (photo taken in Azugar last week)

This morning, I came across the word Lagom.

I appreciate, I’m behind a bit here.  I wasn’t reading the papers last month when lagom was declared as the Scandi trend taking over from but not as much fun as hygge.  So forgive me when I explain that I just came across this blog post here this morning

Yes!  An Elegant Sufficiency! 

Is it time to embrace the newest, latest trend then and rename my blog Lagom?

I don’t think so.  I’ll just continue to live my life in the same elegantly sufficient style as I always have done.  It’s good to think that the rest of the world is catching on, though

Still here

Who’d have thought it?

Ten years ago today, I was chatting to a couple of online chums about starting a blog.  One of them directed me to Blogger…and the rest is water under the bridge  an Elegant Sufficiency!  I thought that perhaps I’d have run out of things to write about by now, but it doesn’t seem to have happened yet   

Anyway, thank you sweet friends for sticking with me through thick and thin.  Most of all, thank you for offering your support and thoughts from time to time.  There are promising events on the horizon as we count down days to this year’s big adventure; there’s a summer road trip planned with three new US states to tick off and of course, there will be the usual agonising decisions to be taken about quilt block arrangements and suchlike (I’m going with the random as you all suggested, btw).

Here’s to the next decade, eh?

Belt and braces

I finished my travel journal from our recent trip yesterday.  I’d worked on it throughout the journey, usually sitting at the table in the evening and cutting and sticking whilst we watched HGTV and whatever home renovation show was on that night.  I’d taken my usual bag of tricks with me – a basic kit supplemented by a couple of rolls of washi tape and a few stickers bought along the way.

The advantage of keeping it going whilst we are travelling is that I can record all those small details which prompt the conversations later – like the man in the McDonalds by the filling station in Mount Vernon, OH, who came in wearing a T shirt with no sides.

How could I have forgotten that?!  (However hard I tried)  It’s a bit too personal to write about on my blog though, even though it’s those small details which make for the fun and provide the trigger for other stories.

So why keep the blog and the journal then?

Well, I had two days left to record in the journal to finish it off.  Our last evening in Chicago was spent sorting and packing, so I didn’t write and draw about the Field Museum.  Then of course, when we travelled home, all the journalling stuff was packed away, so plenty of time but no materials to record that.   Yesterday, I wanted to tie up all the loose ends so gathered the bits and pieces and wrote the last few pages.  Just as I was about to put it all together, I thought I’d check to see if I’d missed anything and opened up my blog of those two days.

I’d forgotten those awful five or ten minutes when I panicked, but thankfully, I’d told the story here.

I quickly added an extra page and the journal was complete.

See, I need both belt and braces!