Today's AWAD is:

grisaille (gri-ZAI, ZAYL) noun

A painting in tones of a single color, especially gray, to represent objects in relief.

[From French grisaille (grayness), from gris (gray).]

An example: Odalisque in Grisaille by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.

http://metmuseum.org/works_of_art/viewonezoom.asp?dep=11&item=38.65

Anu has saved "grisaille" for Day 3 which is clever of him [as usual] because Wednesday is the middle of the week.

Everyone who works for a living hits bottom in the middle of the week. The Mommas and The Papas sang a song about Monday, and Friday is shamelessly upbeat with TGIF parties and "Casual Fridays", but what can you say about Wednesday?
"It can only get better from here." That's about it. Let's face it. That's why Anu introduced "grisaille" on a Wednesday.

And that reminds me. If you are ashen faced, you look gray. Now what's the difference between "gray" and "grey"? The situation is not improved by the fact that "grisaille" comes from the French word "gris" which has an "i" where the "a" or the "e" ought to be. Is this another one of those American/British spelling things?* Everyone has to go there own way, right.

When you're feeling down, the first place it shows up is in your face. If someone says "Keep your chin up", it's because you've hit a low spot. And the situation is always grave in a low spot.

In fact, when you get to "the low spot", you're only one step away from "as bad as it can get". Which is why all the blood runs out of your head and you look ashen faced.

So, there it is. It all starts in the face**, and it all ends up in ashes -- if you don't turn things around. Which is why we have Thursdays.

I want to end my post on an up note so I'm going to make an unusual suggestion. Don't read today's ALAD until tomorrow [themilum excepted, of course].

* Charles Grey was a British Prime Minister, Lady Jane Grey was Queen of England for nine days, and Zane Gray was a popular American writer of western adventure novels but Dictionary.com says "grey" or "gray" is a "variant". Which means it's a grey area.

** Shakespeare gave us "prick your face" which might explain where the term "perk up" came from. [But then again, maybe not. Maybe it was inspired by the smell of coffee percolating first thing in the morning. Makes sense to me.]

"Prick thy face and over-red thy fear, thou lily-livered boy." Macbeth.

Monday, Monday
So good to me
Monday morning
It was all I hoped it would be
Oh, Monday morning
Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still
Be here with me