Blog Vs. IRL

So, for obvious privacy reasons, I've been keeping identifying details on the down-low. If I'm going to write about my family (my stepdaughter, my partner, and my stepdaughter's mom / stepdad), it's important that I respect their right to privacy. I've been struggling a bit, then, with how to make the blog personal without being an identity giveaway. So, without further ado, a top-10 list of some of my favourite things, in random order:

1. Knitting--I'm a beginner knitter, but I'm already hooked. I think it's the visual and tactile stimulation of the beautiful yarns that does it, coupled with the fairly zen feeling I get whenever I zone out and start working on a piece.

2. Reading--ever since I was about 4, I'm rarely found without a book on my person. I'm currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett, which is an amazing read. If you have any interest in American race relations in the 1960s, I've found few fiction books so engrossing. Past favourite books include: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Book of Negroes, Through Black Spruce, and House of Hate.

3. Hiking--again, I'm by no means an advanced hiker, but I do love being in the woods with my partner for days on end, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. There's something pretty cool about knowing all of your essentials for survival are on your back, and you're responsible for setting up your shelter and fire every night.

4. Camping--see above.

5. Blogging--this is fairly new. I've started and abandoned blogs in the past, and I think part of my problem was lack of a clear theme. Writing about stepparenting has given me a bit of a hook, and with my newfound interest in communication and PR, this has been a good experience so far.

6. Tea--black, white, green, herbal. You name it, I'm drinking it.

7. Sushi--I have a serious problem. I could eat spicy tuna roll and miso soup Every. Single. Day. No joke. My friends have embarrassing stories related to sushi binges and their horrifying aftermaths.

8. The Whedon-Verse--I've mostly failed to get into the whole vampire-genre thing. True Blood? Not that interesting / a little too gory for my liking. Stoker's Dracula? Kinda long-winded and dull. But Buffy and Angel? Sheer brilliance. I get flack from other Whedon fans for saying I prefer Angel to Buffy, but I think noir-detective does more for me than teen-angst. Add to these Firefly and Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog (among others), and Joss Whedon is the greatest artistic genius of our time. Seriously.

9. Baking/cooking--this is a fairly new hobby for me, but one I'm enjoying. My favourite homemade dish to date is a cashew cream of asparagus soup. Delicious.

10. I'm going to avoid being mushy and NOT tell you that my family means the world to me, and that  they are definitely the greatest part of my life. I'm also not going to say that my stepdaughter and partner are the coolest and funnest people I've had the privilege of knowing. Saying that, I'm afraid, would just cross the line. So I won't go there.