Farewell, oh Pigly One...

In July 2007 I was at a bit of a loss. Boy #1 was happily ensconsed in nursery, Boy #2 was well into toddlerhood. And this whole full time mum thing was, well, beginning to pall a bit, if I'm honest. (In fact, in the interests of full disclosure, it always did and still does - from time to time). I was looking for something else. Something extra. Something that was just for me.

Then, one day, I was googling for nut and sesame-free recipes and tips on how to deal with Boy #1's allergies, and I clicked unsuspectingly on this:

Pig in the kitchen blogspot
'Food allergy, food intolerance and food sensitivity support and information.'

The site I found myself in was a revelation, and not just for the fact that nut-free (in fact, practically everything free) cooking could look and taste delicious. The Pig can write. I read of her life as an expat in Paris with four (yes, count 'em, four) children, chuckled over her trips down memory lane, and wondered where on earth she found the time to put it all down on paper.

But she had started something. "I could do this." I thought to myself. "Well, not this, perhaps. Not with food. And not as well. But I could do something like it... I could write stuff down..." And then, hesitantly, because even then something warned me that I might be getting in deeper than I had planned, I started to explore her blog roll, and a whole new world opened up.

I discovered that there were a plethora of people 'doing this', and it was fun. It was rewarding. People were nice to each other. They gave praise where it was due, feedback when requested. Not something that you take for granted when one child is refusing to eat what he hoovered up yesterday, and the other is trashing the playpen. I was bowled over - and I wanted a piece of the action.

So I started to blog.

But now, the Pig has called it a day. I can't blame her. Time and again I talk to bloggers who tell me that blogging plays a very important role in their lives, but only for a limited period. That everyone will reach a point when they realise that the fun has gone, their juice is all used up, and it's time to move on.

So Pig, this is just to say that whilst it's totally understandable that you're stopping, you'll be missed. And any time you feel the need to post but don't want to start up your blog again, come on over and guest post here. I would be honoured, and really I think you owe the blogosphere that much, don't you? It's entirely your fault that I've been here bleating about potty training for nigh on two years, after all...

And assuming she doesn't take her blog down completely, if you've not ever visited, pop on over and have a look at Pig's fabulous recipes (all of which have full fat alternatives to the hypo-allergenic ingredients detailed as well) and her hilarious reminisences, whilst salivating over the pretty pictures.