If the Doctor can do it, why can't I?

Yep, my blog's getting a reboot.

Why, you ask? (Those of you not asking "Who?" because you're confused by the title, that is...)

Well, mainly because I feel like it. I started my blog nearly 12 years ago, and wrote in it regularly for just over six years. When I started, I was married, and my kids were 5 and 3. In the years that I was blogging regularly, I separated, divorced, began dating again, and (obvs) my kids moved from toddler/childhood to tween-hood. And in the six years since I stopped, I've gotten remarried (increasing my kids by three), saw my son diagnosed with a chronic illness and my daughter struggle with anxiety and depression, lost my father, became a dog-owner, and (again, obvs) my kids now range in age from 15-25.

That's a lot of life, folks.

To paraphrase a character in For Better or For Worse (a sadly unappreciated comic), writing doesn't always help me find the answers, but it does help me understand the questions.

"OK, fine, but why blog?" I hear the skeptics ask, "If you blog, people have to come find you; if you post on Facebook, the whole world can see you (depending on your privacy settings, of course)."

Well, yes, and that's kinda the point. I have posted on Facebook, lots, and I still will. But Facebook's news feed is weird; between "Top Stories," "Recent Posts" from two years ago that someone just recently liked, and promoted stories, I admit to some confusion about how on earth the stories in my News Feed get there. Plus, periodically Facebook wants me to read stories about, say, ultra-conservatives (I'm not), or constipation pain in kids (my son does have GI issues, but trust me, constipation is NOT one of them). Let's just say that I'm not entirely sure that Facebook really understands my world.

And Facebook is somewhat, shall we say, in-your-face. I have in the past, and will in the future, write about difficult topics. On Facebook, I need to be aware that my kids, my husband, my ex, and my siblings are all FB Friends. I don't completely censor myself, but I am at least cognizant that they may not want to get hit with a particularly over-the-top post first thing in the morning. With a blog, people choose to come and read, which gives me a little more freedom. Plus, I can always post a link on Facebook!

I will try to be insightful and witty at least some of the time. I will quietly rejoice if I occasionally bring a reader to tears, either of emotion or laughter. I will typically use standard grammar and spellings, and if I don't, it will be deliberate, to make a point. I have no illusions that I either have all the answers or know all the questions, but neither does anyone else, so we're all good there.

So, here we go!