New Blog Digs
Posted
Tue, 09/16/14
I've wanted to change the overall design of Appetizing Muse for many years, but could never find or create a template that struck my fancy. I've found it now (you're looking at it): red and green scheme, with a fairly simple layout. I created page header buttons using the "Nadall" font, which reminds me of the print style found on old movie posters.
I've included blog archives from 2003 onwards, so in essence the history of Appetizing Muse has spanned fourteen years. The design has changed only three times. The first template (2003-2010) was narrow with blue-purple colors and linked calendar, while the second (2010-April 2014) was green and yellow. (Click on images below to view larger samples in a new window).
The design will not likely change for another several years. While tromping down memory lane during assembly of the archives was enjoyable, reconstituting more than a decade's worth of blog posts was a long, tedious process and not one I'll willingly undertake again. When all was said and done, 1,182 pages constituted the new blog (exhausting just to hear the number). Still, re-visiting my culinary and personal past was rather bittersweet. I was all of forty-one years old when Appetizing Muse began, so do the math. My late husband Wilbert Alviso was also frequently mentioned in blog posts during 2003-2007, which brought him back to life for me in an odd way as I edited the many archives.
The re-design process was also long because of several personal issues. My mother was diagnosed with stage five-into-six Alzheimer's disease in May 2014. The months (and to some extent, years) leading up to the diagnosis were nearly unbearable. The associated mind slippage has been growing worse over time, culminating with threats of self-harm and wanderings. The situation accelerated beyond anyone's control, therefore Mum was placed in a care facility which caters to patients with Alzheimer's disease. My own health issues - along with those of my father - have also grown worse recently, seeming to come on just as Mum was going through her transition into managed care. There were many days when I just wanted to give up and hide my head under a pillow, but I pressed on. Pecking away on the Appetizing Muse archives helped keep my mind occupied.
Some things haven't changed, though. I have yet to find a reliable or cost-realistic commenting system that works with my web host, so the ability to leave real-time comments after blog posts is still not available. However, anyone wishing to send a message or question about a particular blog post (whether new or ancient) can do so by filling out the general Comments form.
*Related Blog Posts:
A Bit of Explaining (03/22/03), Happy New Year! (01/05/05) and New Design & Such (10/12/10).
