Perhaps it is because I have just returned from the scary pulmonary embolic experience and want to refresh my take on things. Perhaps it is because it is that time of year when you want to clear out old stuff and bring in new. Perhaps it is because I feel as if I am moving into a new kind of phase, and need to clarify my mind and direction. Perhaps it is a bit of all of these.
Whatever the reason, one thing is clear. I very much feel the need for an overhaul. And more than the physical overhaul I have just been through.
As a start, I have been playing with the “look” of the blog. I have had a hankering to do this for a while but was afraid (being a very non techy soul) of ruining my widgets. There is nothing worse than ruined widgets in this day and age! I was particularly afraid of losing my world visitor widget which continues to give me inordinate levels of pleasure when I see a new flag or a new dot on the globe. That would effectively wipe the gecko’s passport clean, which would be devastating. The blog has reached more countries even than Hillary Clinton’ in her record breaking period in office. ” Since becoming secretary of state in 2009, Ms. Clinton has ….. travelled to 102 countries ………. according to the State Department.” And in a shorter time span, given that the blog has been visited in a mind-boggling 148 countries since it was installed in April 2010! So losing my widgets would be nothing short of disastrous when choosing a new “look” for the blog. The tinkering may continue a bit as connectivity is slow which means that it is time consuming making visual changes.
In parallel with the visual side of the blog, a great deal of thinking has also been going on. As well as a fair amount of reading of fellow blogs and reflection. The thinking has yet to be transformed properly into cohesive thoughts and then words on the page. But it is in process and will appear here very shortly, as long as my non expert finnicking does not result in a disappearance of all things gecko into the cyberspace without trace!
It seems I am not alone in overhauling thoughts on the meaning of life and blogging…..
Feisty Blue Gecko - a tail of the unexpected 
I completely understand your need for an overhaul, P. The therapeutic value of such an exercise can’t be underestimated. I love the banner image you already have, but you have to do what you deem appropriate. I applaud you! I’m afraid to do anything techy with my website or blog without my youngest son’s help. And he’s hardly ever around. xox
Thanks Jan – yes, it is very refreshing isn’t it! I am experimenting with images and “looks” so it may be a bit random until I settle on something which I feel works. And oh how I could do with some techy intervention on this too! My “in-house” tech support is on the other side of the world! I am glad you like the original banner – I may even revert to that in the long run as I also like that too. xox
I overhauled Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer a short while ago too and it helped freshen my outlook too. Love the new look!
Thanks Marie – and actually your overhaul was one of the prompts for my own overhaul, thanks for the inspiration. And the discussion we had about “reasons about blogging” will for sure feature in the wordy part of the process, as I am keen to revisit and refine the rationale for the blog’s existence. I am glad you like the new lo0o0k – it does feel a lot cleaner and crisper. I am still playing with images though…… xox
Looking good Philippa!
Thanks Max – I REALLY need your techy advice 0on this, how can I get my blog looking as snazzy as yours! It is worth a raid of the mango tree next mango season! Glad you are back in Yangon – look forward to catching up with you both, I mean all three of you. Plus kitten of course 😉 xox
I love the new look, Philippa! Great to hear you’re back home. I look forward to reading your reflections. And I had quite a chuckle at the gecko at the bottom of your post! We’re very big on geckos here in Darwin, and to add to the ones that adorn the underside of our verandah roof I bought a cute little green one sculpted out of metal from one of our local markets. He has hooks on his feet so he can be hung outside from the flyscreen of a window – and (apart from the colour) he looks very like your little fellow!
Aaw thanks Liz, and great to connect on our gecko life! I would love to see a pic of your green metal gecko! I am amassing quite an assortment of gecko pics and trinkets! We don’t get geckos in Scotland, just the occasional lizard, and my fascination for geckos has never waned all the time I have been in Asia, where they are as prolific as they are in Darwin. We have so many geckos, of all sizes scuttling around the house, I love it 🙂
I really like the look, P. And very pleased you haven’t lost the widget! E xx
Thanks E 🙂 I am enjoying the messing around 🙂 And yes, thank heavens the widgets are intact! xx
Philippa,
Sometimes an overhaul is just what’s needed! I am in the process of overhauling the look of my blog, too. Great minds think alike, eh? And I’m so impressed by your blog being read throughout the globe. Pretty impressive.
Gosh, it seems that there really is something in the air, or the blogosphere – lots of overhauling and rethinking, and stepping back…And of course, many great minds indeed 😉
I love the fact that the blog has been to so many places, but I do know that some very unusual google searches are responsible for many inadvertant visits! I wish I had been to half of these places though!
Thanks 🙂
Pingback: The Meaning of Life and the Why of Blogging | Feisty Blue Gecko – a tail of the unexpected
Pingback: In praise of my fish pickling flair | Feisty Blue Gecko – a tail of the unexpected