Thank you all so much for your lovely and thoughtful words about my recent post about taking a break. I feel so honoured that you think so kindly about me, and it means so much that you took the time to offer support and share your experiences. 
Raymond and I travelled this past weekend to a place my mother loved very much, and scattered some of her ashes here while we celebrated her life. It was a surprisingly lovely weekend considering the task at hand, and one I'm glad we could have together with few interruptions. 
I'm still taking a few steps back from the blog as I try to let my arm heal, but it's killing me not to write! I have so many amazing ingredients, formulas, and other things that I think are interesting to share, but I have to listen to the boundaries my body is setting and be patient lest this be a forever thing.  Having said that, I tried a few hours at the laptop today to prepare my handouts for my classes at Voyageur Soap & Candle this weekend, and that took painkillers and a lot of ice, so I'm still in rest mode. (I'm writing things by hand so Raymond can type them out, but it's amazing how much pressure I put on my left arm to hold down my papers or notebook!) 
Thank you for all your suggestions and support. Hearing that it's okay to take a break or reduce my workload means so much to me, and it's what I need to help me process all of the last year and what's to come ahead. (Us counsellors are the worst at taking our own advice! ...