What's Up with Me and This Blog?
Hello! Thanks for stopping by Peach Coglo! Let me introduce myself. My name is Angela and I live in Connecticut with my family. I spend my days attempting to be a mindful mama to four kiddos (Doran, Elijah, Helena and Eden), a present partner to my husband Greg, writing, as well as advocating for my son Doran and other children living with autism. Amongst all of that activity, I am realizing my lifelong dream of being an artist. I especially enjoy creating bright, colorful watercolors of everyday objects and people.
In late 2004, I left my job as an attorney in a legal aid law firm to stay at home with my then three children. As rewarding as my law practice was, I found that I needed to stay home to raise my newborn twins and meet the challenges of our son's new autism diagnosis. Staying at home led to a rediscovery of my passions which had lain dormant for years.
I have always had an interest in the domestic creativity, but was too embarrassed to say so for a long, long time. Presently, I sew, knit, and embroider; things that I longed to do since I was a little girl. I love looking at fabric, the vibrant colors of embroidery floss and feeling soft yarn (the only yarn I used to know was acrylic-yikes). Like my grandmother, I enjoy embroidering. She worked long and hard days in Augusta, Georgia. I often imagine how much calm and contentment she felt while creating art to adorn her home. She also had a wondrous vegetable garden and a house full of beautiful green plants which spilled over to the back of her house as well as her front porch. She was a pillar of support in my life and an incredible influence. Many of the things I do today are inspired by her special way of being in this world. Through my grandmother I learned to appreciate the beauty of the "Commonplace" or Everyday - people and things usually regarded as mundane, not even worth a second glance.
Thank you for stopping by! I do read and appreciate every comment and I try to respond to all of them. I hope you enjoy your visit. Please come by again and join me as I explore the grace and beauty of our everyday experiences through prose, watercolor, needlework, photography and gardening with my family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What the heck is a Peach Coglo? Peach Coglo is of course my blog's namesake. It was inspired by my son, Doran, who was diagnosed with autism around the age of three. I grew up in Georgia, the Peach State. Being Southern, we have our special little foods, like any other region of the country. Anyway, for family gatherings, special days and holidays, I often make southern desserts like Red Velvet Cake and Peach Cobbler. When Doran was about three, he pronounced peach cobbler as "peach coglo". So the name of this blog honors him and reflects my affinity for the beauty found in imperfect, everyday things and people.
Why do I get linked to an Amazon purchase page when I click on books or music you have listed? I first conceived Peach Coglo as a way to keep up with faraway friends and family. Part of that "keeping up" is sharing the books, music and other things we treasure. The Amazon links allow me to quickly share our favorites with anyone reading this blog. I do not get paid by Amazon or any publisher for linking to these items. You should also know that I only link to people and things that I personally find inspiring.
Can I Link to You Blog? Yes! I'd be delighted for you to link to my blog if something resonates with you.
Can I Use Your Photos and Content? I am happy to share my photos and content as long as they are credited. If you would like to use my written content and/or photographs for your own use on your website or a project, please do not do so without first contacting me for permission (angelashenk@comcast.net). I've learned that unfortunately it can be rough out there. Thank you very, very much for respecting copyrights. ;-)
How can your life really be as a calm and carefree as it looks? It isn't always calm and carefree! It is also not my intent to pretend like l live in a fairy village. Our lives are filled with challenges of parenting, of puzzling out the fears that come with autism, and of getting through the day to day while keeping our heads up and trying our best to live a good and decent life. Our lives are also filled with grace, beauty, wonderful surprises, and happiness. I explore and document these moments. I almost feel that if I don't, the memories of these special moments will fade. So just because this blogs focuses mostly on the beautiful and grace-filled moments, does not mean we don't have the same struggles as everyone else.
How often do you post on your blog? You can usually find me here Monday through Friday. I usually take major holidays away from Peach Coglo as a break, but for better or worse I always come back.
Okay, that's over. I know I write a blog, but writing this whole "About me" thing was a little weird and embarassing. ;-)
