Do I really need Social media?

 

Social media - who needs it?

 

Seriously. At first I loved the idea of instantly being in the groove with all my friends and family. I mean, who doesn’t love to be in the know by simply clicking your finger? Almost instantly, I discover which one of my friends got a new car. A new house. Scrolling on, I learn who may have lost their pet, a job, or even a loved one. And while some go out for pizza, others dine on steak or burgers on the grill. I receive at least a dozen requests asking that I send them on to ten beautiful ladies, myself included, to find out who has your heart.

 

Truth is, I’m learning that the more time I spend online, the less focused I am on real life going on around me. I’m becoming so accustomed to grabbing a few minutes to scroll the continuous stream on Facebook, compelled to catch up on all the latest news stories (true or not) that I have a much bigger issue- staying motivated to do anything else! I’ve seen heartbreaking videos of car crashes, police violence, even funny dancing dogs and classic cartoons. With just the click of my mouse, I gain a new friend or answer an instant message. After all, no one actually talks on the telephone anymore when it’s so easy to text.

 

My brain is buzzing. Why would I read a book, go for a walk, or fold the laundry when I can literally watch someone’s life unfold RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES?

And sadly, every few minutes I’m drawn back to the dark screen with a magnetic pull, checking for the latest update.

 

If I were to tally my time spent peeking into other people’s lives, it would be embarrassing. 

 

So, feeling the need for a change, I've decided to find a new outlet. Something to occupy my time (other than writing, of course)

What, you ask? It's watercolors! 

 I've always loved coloring pictures, and the crafty side of me is dying to dive in and discover if I'm any good with water coloring them, too. 

I selected this easy beginner's book complete with paint and two brushes.  

I'm going to love this! 

 

 

 

Discovering new tricks

 

So, I happened across an author’s bio page recently, and I thought it was clever to have so much information in one place. I decided to give it a try, and this is what I’ve got so far. 

Teresa Blue

Teresa Blue grew up in a Southwest Michigan town so small it didn’t even have a stoplight. Sweltering summer evenings were spent on the front porch hoping to catch a breeze, and life seemed to crawl. She discovered books, and by the time she entered high school, had sailed the high seas with Captains and rode the English countryside with highwaymen, robbed stages— well, you get the idea. She fell head over heels in love reading romance. And for a while reading was enough, until the day it wasn't. For whatever reason, she picked up a pen and just wrote. And has been at it ever since. Happily married for forty years, the mother of three, she’s also a grandmother to five. Her favorite day of the week is Monday when the kids- and grandkids- all return home for a hot cooked meal. And for a few hours, the house is filled again with kids, cartoons, and chaos.

Weekends, I can usually be found searching through bins, shelves and baskets for that special something. A hopeless collector of odds and ends, trinkets and more. Tarnished silver or faded dishes from another’s life stir my imagination. Who were they? And how did they come to be separated from the treasure I found?

Discover just a fraction of my marvelous finds.

Visit me here:

http://tereasa-thingfinder.blogspot.com/

          

     Letters From Inside-     This one is for me. Because it all started with a simple evening drive and the squeal from your tires as you recklessly sped past. You nearly ran me off the road, and your blurry gaze left me wondering… If you were coming back.

Of course, as with any new trick, it’s not without frustration. Things move, pages multiply, and links won’t work. The soft yellow background doesn't show up. Still, it’s a cool concept. 

I’ll keep at it.