Defying Gloom Defying Gloom (Daily Break‪)‬

Granite and concrete. Slate gray and ash. // Those are the hues of the midwinter landscape, a palette brightened only by a smear of spiritless sun. // Spring is still seven weeks distant, too long to wait for a glimpse of yellow daffodils against emerald green lawns. // But all around us are hidden enclaves of color, bright corners to tide us over until the chill subsides, the crocus comes and the landscape blooms once more. - Lorraine Eaton, The Virginian-Pilot top | Saturate yourself with color by stepping into a fabrics store, such as Fabric Hut in Norfolk. Bolts of fabrics - cotton batiks, color gradations, florals, novelty prints, geometrics - are guaranteed to brighten your mood. Even the descriptions are delicious. A Bali batik contains "fern and leaf green, amethyst and hyacinth purple, periwinkle, slate and denim blue." We defy even the gloomiest day to subdue those colors. - Diane Tennant