You might've noticed that I've been on a 2-month-long hiatus. Sorry? Except I'm not really sorry, though. Let me explain.
After a four-year battle with cancer, my mom passed away in early May, so I took a bit of a break. My mom was a pretty awesome woman, and it's definitely a big loss. Trying to be present for family/friends, help take care of the ridiculous amount of paperwork/logistical junk that seems to pop up in these circumstances, and also make sure I'm taking care of myself is already overwhelming on it's own, and I just didn't have the time or energy to keep up with blogging and/or share the ins and outs of the situation as it was happening.
As a blogger in the big ol' scary world of the interwebs, there's this constant struggle over what to/not to share. You don't ever really know who your readers are (if there are any at all), and you never know who might eventually come across your blog and get hold of any information shared. Bloggers far, far more awesome than I am have seen their shared stories and info used as ammo for the creation of hate-filled message boards and commentary. Bloggers get judged like crazy for the things they choose to post, whether subject-specific (food, in the case of this blog) or entirely personal. Even further, you also never know what sort of creepers are out there, lurking behind their screens. I could go on and on, but do you see what I mean? It's never really safe to share on the internet. And so, the dilemma persists: do I share this, or not? Sometimes, it's easier just to be blog-MIA for a while.
I haven't offered up a ton of personal stories in the year and a half that this blog has existed. I'm a pretty private person as it is and I generally prefer to keep it that way, though lately I've been considering sharing little life bits with you more frequently....I mean, let's be real here: the best blogs are always the ones where, in addition to whatever awesome project, recipe, or other great information they're sharing, you also get a small window into what real life is like for that individual. It's part of the beauty of blogging, and even one of the best things about the internet. Don't have anyone nearby you can relate to about a specific incident, feeling, etc? I'm willing to bet you there is at least one person out there who has blogged about it, who you can connect to directly or indirectly, and feel like you're not the only one in that situation. The internet is definitely creepy and gross a lot of the time. Probably even most of the time. That's a scientific fact, I'm pretty sure. But it can be a helpful place too, when it's used for community building and connecting and information sharing, instead of being a grade-A asshat/creeper.
After something like this happens, it's always tough to get back to "normal." It has taken over a month for me to actually sit down and write this blog post. I just didn't (and maybe still don't?) feel like it, yet. It's been a weird mix of not quite feeling motivated to jump back into the normal, and really wishing that the motivation was there, because dammit I've worked too hard on this blog to let it fall off the map altogether. There's another part of me, too, that knows that I have to keep this blog going. My mom was weirdly proud of it, and I know she'd want me to keep it up.
So, I'm back, though it might be slow going at first. Have patience...I'll be filling your screen with tasty recipes (and hopefully, some life bits and other things) soon.