I created my first blog in 2002 when my oldest child was born. I maintained “Sally Says” for 16 years! But then we moved to Washington DC for a couple years, and my children became teenagers. Once we returned to Albuquerque, it felt necessary to stop blogging. Being a Mommy Blogger didn’t feel like something I should continue. I never thought of my kids as “content,” and the blog was always just a family journal and photo album that I shared with family and friends, but I worried about privacy and sharing too much, so I stopped blogging in September 2018.

A lot has happened since then! My oldest came out as transgender about a year later. Both of my kids grew into wonderfully independent adults. They’re 21 and 18 now, and have their own lives. I’m still their Mom, but I’m no longer a Mommy Blogger.

When I stopped blogging, I needed to find something to do that would add another dimension to my life. I wanted to be more than just mom. I took on a volunteer role in 2018 that I thought would be my purpose and focus for many years. I loved my volunteer job. I poured my heart and soul into the work, and made it a central part of my identity. Then I lost that work in 2023. I was devastated. I had to find a new purpose. I had to find myself again.

In the fall of 2023, I started learning to paint with watercolors to fill the hole in my life. I stuck with it. I painted something every week for over a year, and I worked hard to learn this new skill. I’m so proud of myself for doing this new thing consistently and with focused dedication.

I’ve done nature photography has a hobby for 15 years, and now I paint too. I have never thought of myself as an artist, but this next chapter of my life is going to be all about creating beautiful, meaningful things for myself. I love to share the things I create, so I’ve decided to start this website and blog as a place for this.

So that’s where I am and how I got here. It will probably take me a few months to figure out how I want this site to look, but I know I can figure it out. I’m good at learning new things. I hope you enjoy it, but it’s OK with me if nobody reads this. I’m doing it for myself.

I’m still a Mom. And I’m still someone who wants to volunteer and help make a difference in the world. But I’m an artist now too.