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Beyond the Lone Islands

http://dawntreader-island2.blogspot.com

Friday 30 July 2010

Time For A Change

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Maybe it was all the talk of resurrection and renewal lately that made me finally take the leap and explore the new Blogger templates. 

Here’s a tip if you haven’t already thought of it: I have a hidden, secret “testblog” that no one can see but me. Its only purpose is for me to be able to play about with layout without any risk of messing the real blog up until I feel that I have at least an inkling of what I’m doing.

In spite of that, I haven’t really been playing much with layout. Since I started this blog 1½ years ago, I have only made one change of basic template, and the other big change was when I figured out how to add my own header picture. And I have been rather happy with that.

However. The world around us keeps changing, and sometimes we get hit by a need to make a bit of an effort to keep on top of things…

Because of the blog name, I wanted to keep to the sea and island kind of colour scheme. I also prefer to keep backgrounds simple, not taking too much attention from the actual content of the blog. But I found this wooden background picture that I really like... I find it restful to the eye, and I hope that my readers will like it too.

If any of you have trouble loading the blog or anything like that after the changes, please let me know.

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The wooden clock-sculpture with the cat on top is of course another masterpiece by Uno Axelsson. (For more of of his animal sculptures, look in my Blog Archive for July.) There was a sign on the wall telling exactly how old that tree trunk was (I think it was oak?) and where it had grown, before it came into Uno’s hands. I have forgotten the details now.

That cat on the top might have something to do with a Swedish saying that I’m afraid probably makes even less sense in English than in Swedish. Even the origin of the Swedish word is unknown: klockarkatt, which would mean “cat belonging to a bell-ringer”. (We use one and the same word in Swedish for bell, clock and watch.) The saying goes “to be in love like a bell-ringer’s cat”, and refers to being a bit crazy and obsessed with the object of your affection. It seems there is also a German word Klosterkatze (“abbey cat”) which might possibly be connected to the Swedish one. If anyone knows more about it, please share.

Anyway… It seems to me that the cat on the top of that clock is keeping close watch on something

6 comments:

MadSnapper said...

i really like the wooden fence type background and love the header photo. i see you put the lily i like on your side bar. loaded fine for me. I had a ball playing with mine and today I changed the fourpaws one. I like change so keep changing things around. i love blogger draft

Heather said...

I really like your new look!! Very much. The photo sculpture clock is really cute, too.

DawnTreader said...

Thanks Sandra & Heather. How appropriate that you two should be the first to comment on my change of blog template. I can't think of any blogging friends who make more frequent changes to their blog layouts than you do ;)

Ginny Hartzler said...

Oh, wow!! Bravo, you are braver than me! And I am more chicken than most! First,the beautiful header. But the wood background goes perfectly with the wood of the trees and also matches that sea grass in the background, just lovely! I am like you used to be, too afraid. I went to the new thing and just am afraid and it confuses me. Your other test blog is a good idea, though. I've noticed you can't change your background color on the old one anymore, so I am really stuck unless I want to give in and try to learn the new one. I was SO happy when Sandra taught me how to change headers, and that's still a big deal to me. I guess I'm stuck in the past. How I love the cat clock!!! Is the cat part of that trunk or separate? I've never heard that saying, but I do like it, it's charming.

DawnTreader said...

Ginny, I think the cat is in one piece with the rest, most of his sculptures were made that way.

As for your blog, at least you keep changing the header almost daily! I never saw anyone do that until I "met" you and Sandra ;) I won't be doing that with mine... With the Picture Book though I think I'll try to change the header with the seasons, perhaps.

rae said...

Your blog looks lovely!

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