A new series

I am having a writers identity crisis. My writers block is never the absence of ideas, it is always an overwhelming abundance. I do write creatively, but I do not post those writings here. I used to post them to my VOX blog, but VOX as a platform shut down well over a year ago. I miss VOX a bit. It is where I got my blogging start. I have copies of all I had posted there, but I have not reposted much of that content. I could - I have a blog for my alter ego, but reposting can be a chore. Maybe I will give some of the good bits again, it couldn't hurt I suppose.

My creative work routinely appears in the Naked Sunfish. It is an honor to publish with that group of talented writers. In the last few years I have only missed on issue and that was the issue around the time my mother passed away, I was just not up for writing, much of anything at that point.

For awhile, I was writing and publishing over at Stiletto Woman. I actually like writing about business. I think business is interesting. (I know right, I have an MBA.) I am a business geek in many ways, less interested in actually do business but more interesting in understanding how other people do business. I am interested in what businesses say they do and comparing that to how they actually do it.

I am also flexing my creative muscles of late. I enjoy the creation process. I used to think I had no art talent. Let's face it, I can't draw. I really can't and in school, most of our art classes where drawing intensive. Honestly, there is so much more to art than drawing. In high school, I gave up on art because I was tired of being told I wasn't an artist because I couldn't draw.

I still can't draw, but my definition of art has expanded greatly. I am committed to exploring this creative side of me. (In case the photos on this blog haven't been a clue or anything.)

Focus has been an issue for me and over the coming months, you may see some changes to the blog. (This may include a move to Word Press - I am undecided - but there are so many cool plug ins and gadgets. The cool kids often say they are on WP, I will let other cooler people decide that.) I never set out to have any focus, it was random, is random and in many ways that is its edge, it is very much where I am in the moment, I am on the edge... the edge of something great, the edge of writing something I am very proud, the edge of my parenting sanity, the edge of a project, on the edge of an idea... it really is hard to say. Sometimes the world around me, particularly popular media, news or what have you will push me to my edge.

All of that has its place. At least in my head and this is my struggle. Do I write this blog to please me or am I writing it for a given readership.

The answer is I don't know. I don't know which master I want to serve. Do I want this space to be a place where I can write what pleases me or should I become more focused for the sake of my readers (if I even have any readers.) I will admit, sometimes of late I have been testing out various social media ideas, in part to satisfy my curiosity and in part to just see what will happen. This blog is not and will not be about commanding an audience or achieving any type of social media rank. I am not looking of advertisers, not here. This is my own playground.

And sometimes I am unfaithful to this blog. I keep other blogs elsewhere. One is private and the other one is sporadic at best. That is how I have been focused in the past - I segmented in order to be focused. Weird I know...

For now, I will commit to my faithful readers and new readers and to the guy who is reading this because he got here by accident while googling Post Cards from the Edge for his mother in law, to the following reasonably regular feature. I say reasonably regular because my schedule is fluid and I do not want to tied down to a schedule.

1. Music Monday. This may not be every Monday, but I like this feature and it is fun to write.

2. Social Media - I am becoming increasing obsessed with social media and I am thinking of doing a round up on articles or providing some sort of comment about social media.

3. My DIY and Craft features. I like writing these. I like sharing my creative process.

4. Travel bits. I still owe you all some pictures of Iceland and I aim to deliver, soon.

5. Gluten free and cooking tips. This is an on an off again offering.

6. Reviews when and if I have something I want to share. I shop in sporadic bursts, there is no telling about my shopping mood.

This is the working list for now. I also think there will be another category - like other... sometimes I just have things on my mind and I am going to share it.

This is not a craft or cooking blog.

I know, I have been posting alot of entries which have to do with cooking and crafting and this may be causing many of you to think that I am morphing into a Domestic Diva and while it is true, I am no longer fighting the economy and have embraced enjoying motherhood and writing creatively and to suit myself, I am not gunning for the Martha Stewart homemaker of the year award. (not that I have a chance of getting it, the house is cluttered and the laundry is frequently in piles and the kitchen gets torn up routinely.)

What I am doing is enjoying my children, who are 8 and 5 years old. I am home to get them off to school in the morning and I am home to hear about their days in the afternoon after school. I can afford to devote many weekends to taking them here and there. I organize trips to the library and the conservatory.  I waited well into my late twenties and early thirties to have children and for a good portion of their toddler years I fought the notion of being a stay at home mom. I worked sometimes 3 jobs to put myself through the finally two years of college. I worked hard to complete that MBA. I wanted to put all that work to use and then it dawned on me - I am. I am focusing on my children and my family and my writing and I am showing my children, that I define success on my own terms.

I thought about applying for a job or two this fall, but the reality is H is now based back at home, after a long stint in NYC and if I adopt a traditional 9 to 5 M-F work schedule, we would never see each other. Also, E was sick a week or so ago and it was totally on me, H was traveling and E was home 2.5 days, one only gets so much sick time. (I was sick the following week, totally unrelated, but still.)

I feel like, while I am busy, it is all manageable. I can make time to write. I can make time to cook, I can make time to make dolls with L and not feel like I am trying to keep the damn from bursting. I can roast a whole pumpkin, puree and make ginger pumpkin bread and homemade pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. I can spend time with friends and love ones and not constantly feel as if I am behind and overwhelmed.

So while this is not a cooking nor craft blog, it is my blog and for now, during this season of my life, I am cooking, crafting and writing and that is exactly what I should be doing.

It is not easy being green...

I decided to make some changes to the blog - most notably a color change. Also I am now looking over the edge from the right side of the blog verses the left - change of scenery is good every now and again. (Make no mistake the change of scenery is in no way an indication of political sentiment change - oh no - we are still LEFT over here!)

Also - please welcome Felix my new tree frog, he was in need of a place to stay and well he is GREEN - so we have reached an arrangement - whereby he can stay for awhile.

I am also looking for some new items for my sidebar - I would like to find an achieve randomizer or something similar where you - my Beloved readers- can hop around and read some of my previous posts. Now that I have been blogging for over a year, there is a wealth of information on the blog and I would like to be able to highlight or spotlight some of my better blogs. Always trying to save my lovely readers time.

I also monkeyed with the comment options - It is even easier to make comments here on the Edge!

My pet Moji is also still with us - at the very bottom of the page. She is a sweetheart - my little emotional barometer of sorts!

So Welcome to our Newly spruced up and redecorated Home on the Web - glad you could stop by!