The New Deal was an economic policy that attempted to pull the United States out of the Great Depression. I wasn’t really thinking about the New Deal itself when I came up with the name of this blog, but for some reason I couldn’t get it out of my head that night, so here it is. As I’ve been thinking about how to design this page (which, by the way, I have no earthly idea how to even begin!) I’ve been reading more about it and reflecting on what it must have meant to the far too many people suffering during the Great Depression. It was controversial and pissed a lot of people off, but despite all that, it sent a message of hope to so many who thought there was none to be found.

I’m finding more and more that particular message is really speaking to me. There were three main focuses of the New Deal: relief, recovery, and reform.

Those focuses seem particularly apt. I’m going through all of them simultaneously, and with each day that passes, the future seems brighter and more manageable.

As part of the recovery process, I bought this ring:

The Etsy seller lets you customize how many notches you want in the ring, so I requested three, for obvious reasons. I need something tangible to memorialize (not quite the word I’m looking for, but it’ll suffice) everything that has happened, and this worked for me. Copper is such a warm metal, and because it is a ring, I’ll wear it a lot more often–it’s not a beautiful piece, but I think it is exactly what I need.

I basically named the blog exactly what I needed to unintentionally. I was trying to evoke a fresh start in the blogging world, but the New Deal was so much more than that, and my new start will be too. I’m not planning for it to be a miscarriage or pregnancy blog forever. It’s just a record of my life as I comprehend my ever increasing world. Life is beautiful and precious and rare–I want to capture it with words, not just pictures. So, yes, this is a part of my New Deal; my compact with myself to claim this time, and all time, for growth and constant progress both for myself and for the world around me.

On an unrelated note, I’m shipping my desktop to Boston on Wednesday, so I’ll be stuck with the laptop after that. It looks like any attempt at gussying this place up is going to have to wait a little bit, but I’m bookmarking ideas. I’ve been playing with kuler, and found a scheme I really like, inspired by Greta Garbo. It’s so fun to play around on there, so if you’re a geek at all, definitely check it out. I really have no idea how to make pages look cohesive or pretty, but I’m going to give it a shot. I know what I like (typography) and don’t like, so that’s a start. I want to stick with the New Deal roots and go with a 1930s flair–if you have any suggestions or tips on getting started, I’m game. I have Creative Suite, and can work Photoshop on photos like nobody’s business, but beyond that, whoa.