A Year in Review of Many Many Pieces

I started this blog in April with the somewhat unsettling name "Pieces of Me" when I was looking to convey myself in a more personal way than my writer 'piece' of my writing blog. It began with writing about dilapidated looking windows on the kibbutz and then became somewhat of a blog in transition as I recorded my fears of settling in Squirrel Hill and unpacking miseries ashamed to admit that perhaps I was moving too quickly for myself.

In this four month period, we've managed to acclimate realizing that Pittsburgh is doable and livable. I've used this blog to vent, share, and become a blog readership which has not fully taken off the ground since I still feel quite unsettled since arriving here but whe I read the first early posts I realize I was quite naive in thinking it's just a 'move'.

This brings me to a case in point: the world is an unsettling place to be in right now. I want our leaders back, I want the truth back, I want old writer and non-writer friends back in my living room of my childhood home so I can feel 'safe' again. (I think about this a lot.) I've also joined a LJ community and the readerships gather a good social networking community.

Writing has become that void I once thought could be severed easily, but is actually representing many pieces of me. I am slowly trying to find the one piece that fits. I've written web articles, magazine articles, blogs, journals, LJ diatribes, stories - all weaving something of a bitter-sweet journey.

After what I am hearing from my teacher colleagues in Israel about the education scene, I don't know if I want to return back after my leave of absence for the upcoming 2008-2009 school year. I don't know if that is my place in my world as much as I miss our dear dear kibbutz home.

But I'm learning from my book proposal, taking yoga classes and writing for children, that I can take control of my own life. And perhaps this is what I was meant to do.

Professional blogging is one option. Writing for magazines is another. As I said, I'm starting to write for children and mustering the courage. But first there's my book proposal, which I must must send out. I take each day at a day. I know I must research before making any decisions and I would like to extend this small community I already have to include those I have not yet 'met'.

What started as a kibbutz blog has emerged as a transatlantic blog reflecting real dreams, aspirations and goals. (I won't bother you with this right now) I know I need to update this blog in terms of more current activity such as my reading nightable, tips, excellent sites, which is actually the main content areas of my writing blog which I started in October of 2006.

But for now, I am taking the rest of today and a bit of tomorrow to relish in the fact that we've survived, Ivry is three years old tomorrow and today is our wedding anniversary of five years.

So, how do you sum up your year in review?