MoreCheese

Blogs I Love: Causerie

I am now a regular reader of Dina's blog, Causerie.  Who is Dina?  A pen pal.  An author I read every week.  A woman I've never met, but whom I can tell has a loving heart, a thoughtful and insightful nature, and a way with words.  I can also tell that she's strong, and brave, and funny, based on the voice that speaks from her blog.

When I first started blogging, I worried about what sort of readership niche I might fit into, because I'm sort of a niche-less person.  I'm in that generation that's between much bigger generations, so my demographics are slim to begin with. I'm a woman in my mid-30s without children, and there's not that many of us.  I'm way too amateur of a photographer to consider this a photography blog.  And I choose not to write about work or politics, but I'm a working professional, and a leftie liberal tree-huggin', arugula-eatin', wine-swillin', fashion-lovin' feminist.  So whose gonna read me?!

Well, I've since learned to forget about marketing, because I've met people like Dina, who write for the love of writing.  And I realized - that's why I keep coming up with new bloggy things for this blog.  Writing opens up a path of communication I wouldn't otherwise have.  I love writing, and hearing back from my friends and family.  I love meeting new people, like Dina, and sharing not only in her daily experiences, but in the joy of writing.  Learning from other's lives.  Connecting through the written word.  Building a new relationship that enriches my daily life.

I'll be moving Causerie from my "Art and Inspiration" blogroll to my "Friends" blogroll.  Thanks, Dina, for sharing your world, and visiting mine.  

Recipe Index and New Design

As you may have noticed, I've been playing around a bit with the layout of the blog.  I thought having only one side bar would de-clutter it a bit, and give me more room for photos.  Of course, I still haven't learned how to manage the size of my photos or figure out how to place them right, left, or center.... they just sort of pop up wherever the computer says they should... but one thing at a time, here, folks!

Which do you like better?  One sidebar or two (the old layout with one on each side)?

Oh -- also, I have a new Index of Recipes!!!!  See the sidebar to your left.  I only had to re-type it two or three times before I figured out how to make that work.  I still can't figure out how to remove the underlining of each recipe without losing the links function.  Fellow bloggers -- help?  Suggestions?  Thank you! 

Why you should take care of yourself... and coyote pups

For today's Friday Zen, I was inspired by a blogger that I read about on another blogger's blog.  I'm beginning to feel a bit derivative, but the story is so good, I've got to share.

First, read this:

"Whatever you’re doing, I thought it might be useful to know, because likely even you need reminding, from time to time, that you don’t just belong to yourself. Each one of the rest of us holds a small share, and we will all hold you accountable if you mistreat what’s ours."

(You out there.  You know who you are.  You're fiercely loved, even though you often forget that.  Take care of yourself.  For me, because you're a piece of my heart.)

The excerpt in quotes above was taken from a letter written by a man to his mother, about how after he was put in prison, he finally realized how much he was loved, and how much he had lost in being separated from the people that loved him so much.  However, that separation revealed to him the depth and profundity of the love in his life, and brought him peace and a sense of gratitude for his spiritual riches. 

This man's mother sent the letter to a 31-year old woman named Shreve, who published it on her blog.  Shreve lives in Montana and writes about her experience raising a coyote pup she found on her doorstep, after his parents had been killed for hunting sheep.  Charlie the coyote, now over a year old, completely bonded to Shreve and the rest of her little family: Eli the cat and Chloe the puppy.  You can check out her blog and her wonderful photography here and her new book, The Daily Coyote, here.

What all this made me think is:  even when you're completely unaware of it, you are loved.  Someone is thinking of you, worrying about you, or perhaps - having never met you before - is about to open their arms and take you into their hearts, wholely, completely, forever.  Love is all around us, and we need only close our eyes and look into our selves to connect to it.

(Thanks to the ever-popular, fantastic, half-way-there Dooce for linking me to the Daily Coyote...)