Reinventing

I have had to rethink my life quite a bit lately so I thought it fitting that my blog should reflect that.

I've changed the way it looks. And I'm showing my face. The look of the blog is more "Now". It's cleaner and more streamlined. With fewer elements. Like my life. It has been in limbo, like this blog for quite some time. With something looming and no one quite knowing what the outcome would be. Or when it would be clear which direction life would take. But now it has been decided for me. My life is going to be a more streamlined life. With fewer elements. I've lost the biggest part of my life, but there still is much left to live for and much left to be thankful for. But the loss will be there and I, as so many before me, will have to live with it. On my own. I've no idea how to go about it. My profile description needs to change. It used to say: I have two daughters, two dogs, one son in law and one husband. Now it needs to change to: I am a widdow, I have two daughters, one son in law, one granddaughter and one dog.

It's been a while since I've written a post. Not because I stopped doing stuff. The words just didn't come anymore. I have many saved drafts and I have continued to take photos of almost everything I do. I have no idea if anyone actively follows my blog anymore and that's ok. I always wrote it for myself, to be an archive of my exploits and an outlet for me to express myself. And to be honest, in the beginning it was all about getting in touch with the soaping comunity. I really wanted to learn to make soap and I was so happy when some of the women I had been following and learning from started to comment and follow me. I felt I belonged to a community. It was a nice feeling. I still follow them. Those who are still blogging.

But I have many interests as well and those have taken up much more of my time in the past few years. I have been making my own yoghurt, sourdough bread, and various fermented food. I have learned to wash, card, spin, weave and dye wool. I've started silversmithing, something that was a part in my fine art education many, many years ago. I'm working on making my Icelandic national costume and that is almost finished. I always have a few unfinished knitting or crochet projects. I'm still an avid DIYer and have to admit to a few works in progress there too. I'm still interested in gardening, but haven't tended it as well as I used to. But I use my blog every time I bake one of my favorite cakes and I also use it to look up my soap recipes. And yes I'm still making soaps. I just can't go back to the commercial kind. And I make facecreams to use myself. It's just for me now, but occationally I give some away.

I have put a lot on hold, but only temporarily. This year needs to be different from the last two and my blog may be one of the ways to help me relearn to live life. I made the decision to continue the blog. Maybe not as frequently as I used to, but I want to keep doing it. I need to add some recipes to it and document some more of my processes and adventures.

I am preparing for some major changes in the coming months. It's going to be strange but that can also be said of the last two years. It's the beginning of something new. Who knows what, only time will tell. But I do know that I want to continue with my hobbies and interests and I also do hope to find the time to write that book :)

You'll be first to know when that happens. Happy New Year :)