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Awards times two

December 2, 2012 by

DSC_0262Awards are tremendous, especially when funky town seems to be the address on all the junk mail. Awards just make you feel better, lift up your spirits and stroke you spine. Awards are nearly better than the first cuppa coffee (note I said nearly cause nothing, not one single thing on the face of earth is better than that first cuppa joe).

Recently I received two fabulous awards from two fabulous fellow bloggers. I follow these gentlemen and scholars and adore their contributions to our communities. I am most humbled they would think to consider me of merit.

Each of these awards carries special properties so I must with due diligence address them separately. Without further ado, in the order received:

Beautiful Blogger Award from  http://chiefwritingwolf.com/

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The rules ask that I link back to the person awarding me, thank you Alejandro this is most kind of you. The rules also require me to list 7 random things about myself. Hmmmm…where shall I start? There isn’t much I haven’t already revealed about myself on these pages, not many things you don’t already know, here goes nothing.

  1. I know how to twirl tassels, left, right and in opposite directions
  2. I have belly danced in public
  3. I was born with a third nipple, my mother had it burned off when I was 11 she was embarrassed by it
  4. I sleep with a light on, always
  5. I am mostly night blind which is why I despise driving in the dark
  6. I love spicy foods and will eat them until my taste buds are burned out for the day
  7. I love the taste of Ten Gin, I don’t drink anymore due to epilepsy but when I did Ten straight up in a chilled glass was the only thing I drank (other than great wine)

I am supposed to nominate others for this award. There are so many on my list. So many I read and love, some new who deserve to be read and followed.

New to the blogging world, a wonderful voice whom I have been following since she put up her first post. http://63alicetea.wordpress.com/

Noleen astonishes me with her grit and bravery, her voice has been soaring lately and I am always happy to see her posts hit my in-box. http://wordsfallfrommyeyes.wordpress.com/

I am always breathless after visiting here. Breathless with gratitude for the open kindness, the giving heart and lessons: http://knowmyworth.com/

My friend at Daily Dose makes me think I could be braver, even if just by living vicariously through her! I await her wonderful postings and then scurry over to enjoy her adventures or simply sit back to take a bit of peace from her thoughtful offerings: http://yourdailydoseblog.com/

Soma over at http://somkritya.wordpress.com/ is simply a bit of this and a bit of that, sometimes great fun and laughter and at others, well she is simply thoughtful and beautiful.

To all those I have nominated for the Beautiful Blogger Award, if you don’t accept awards, I understand. I hope you will still accept my most heartfelt appreciation of your contributions to my life through your blogging.

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Now, to a slightly different one, my great appreciation to Jueseppi B over at http://theobamacrat.com/  for this nomination. It was very unexpected and so greatly appreciated. It is also very different, you will see.

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Jueseppi and I met through our politics. Yes, we were on the same team and we ran across each other frequently over the last campaign season. Ultimately, I ended up following his blog to keep up with news I didn’t always find elsewhere; he has an unerring ability to ferret out information!

The Rules as Stated from The Thought Palette

Notice there is only one star up there filled in but six waiting for gold, this award is one that just keeps giving until you collect all six. Pretty cool, right? I thought this was a great idea. So here are the rules:

  1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award
  2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
  3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
  4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
  5. You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
  6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect! Unlike other awards, which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!

When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

For more information, check the FAQ on The Thought Palette.

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There are so many great, wonderful, marvelous, thoughtful, funny …. I have run out of words for them suffice to say there are some great bloggers I follow, so many of them absolutely humble me. How do you pick just one or one hundred out of all of them? Do you pick from subject matter? Do scroll through and find some who have not received recognition for their wonderful contributions? I couldn’t decide, so I simply followed my heart and selected who had recently touched me.

Because she sometimes makes me think we might be sisters of another mother, she makes me laugh but she also makes me thoughtful: http://whyamihereinahandbasket.com/

Because she is living a life that makes perfect sense and she shares unstintingly: http://lazyhippiemama.wordpress.com/

Because her art never fails to make me smile, never once: http://adamsart.wordpress.com/

Because she is prolific, wise, funny, charming and the sister of my heart: http://mommasmoneymatters.com/

There are so many others I could elect to this award, I am going to stop here though. If you don’t accept awards, I understand just know I think you deserve it.

Filed Under: Awards Tagged With: , , , ,

Awards, I suck at this

September 15, 2012 by

I have some catching up to do; I suck at this I think I might always suck at this. It isn’t that I am humble; I am just somewhat lazy I suspect. Some very kind and wonderful people have given me and my blog a nod, awarding my blog awards. This really is kind and I feel honored by their recognition, really I do; it is always nice when fellow bloggers recognize your work, not at least accepting their recognition is somewhat like giving the finger to the Academy Awards Show when you win Best anything.

Without further ado, let’s get right to it, shall we?

From Sapna at Just Another Wake Up Call, I was given the Sunshine Award. This was truly nice because compared to her frequently uplifting, insightful and truly loving entries I can be a bit of a downer. I encourage everyone to visit Sapna, I certainly do whenever I see she has posted again.

http://justanotherwakeupcall.wordpress.com/

Sunshine Award –

  • Love or Money

Why not both? Really I don’t believe love can withstand poverty any more than money can buy real love. Nevertheless, why do I have to choose? I want both, I want love and to work with that person I love to obtain a life together that is without abject poverty.

  • High Salary or Job Satisfaction

When we are young I think we should go for the most money we can make learning all the things we can learn. Unless we are lucky enough to land in the career we love the first time out, we should move about, skip jobs as often as possible, find mentors and continue to search for what we love. Go for it! Earn as much as possible. Fight for every dime you can make. The truth is you only have about thirty years of true productivity. Once you hit your fifties your earnings will start to diminish in most career paths, then you can follow your passions.

  • Favorite Book

The next award will delve into my favorite books so I am skipping this one for now.

  • Television Character you adore

I don’t actually have one of these. Can I say Rachel Maddow? Not really a character, but she is funny and smart.

  • Favorite music

70’s Rock –n- Roll, R & B, Soul, Blues and Lyle Lovett

  • Favorite type of movie

I don’t have a favorite type. I watch all types depending on my mood at the time I sit down. I could give you a few of my favorite all time movies, which might give you an idea of how truly, eclectic I am:

Streets of Fire The Commitments
Pretty Baby Million Dollar Baby
Little Shop of Horrors Heartbreak Ridge
American Werewolf In London Underworld
Dracula (with Frank Langella) Bram Stokers Dracula

Now that I have shown my mostly juvenile taste in movies, no class I know. Shall we move on?

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My friend at Fifty-Four and a Half often speaks her mind and my own. She does so with a great deal of wisdom and far more diplomacy than I am ever able to muster. I have enormous, gargantuan, gigantic respect for her. She is also kind, funny and compassionate. I am gratified that she offered me this –

Please visit my friend at: http://fiftyfourandahalf.com/

What do I have to do? Only tell you about five books I love. I could I suppose tell you about five books I love right now, that would perhaps make you rush to the store and buy them. Instead I am going to tell you about five books I simply love and why.

In no particular order:

Swan Song – a dark look at human nature at the apocalypse, the ultimate fight of good vs. evil. I think I have read this book at least five times. The author has a way with characters and words, with emotional balance. I have read most of his work, much of it is dark; Swan Song remains my favorite. If you read and enjoyed The Stand, this is graduate studies.

The Rights of Man – I read this first when I was 14 as a classroom assignment. My Social Studies teacher assigned it to his ‘advanced’ students; I suspect to make us shut the hell up. Since that time I have revisited Thomas Paine time and again, quoted him more than once. His views, while not always aligned with my own because of the two hundred years that separate us, are fascinating but especially in this book must be taken in context with the purpose of the book, a direct rebuke of Edmund Burke in “Reflections on the Revolution in France”.

Half The Sky – what can I say about this book? This is a modern day censure of all of us and any of us. We are so damned concerned about our small lives sometimes we conveniently forget the greater world that fails to thrive. Half the Sky reminds us that modern day slavery still exists; women especially are vulnerable, living without protection, living brutal lives. It is written in a way not to titillate but instead simply introduces us to another side of life and to some of life stories of women who escaped forced prostitution to make new lives, women who were willing to tell their stories so we could become more aware. This is an amazing book, an amazing outreach. I had to read it slowly, now I am searching for ways to help.

The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings – my father first gave me the Hobbit for Christmas when I was 12-years old. I curled into myself and read it straight through on rainy days and nights in Seattle. I begged for the remainder of the books after that and read them over the remainder of the year, one after the other. I have read this series more times than I can count between then and now, each time taking something different away from the stories. I have always believed the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings was the most finely crafted allegory ever written.

The Handmaids Tale – I struggled with picking the last one on my list, there are so many I love. Ultimately I had to pick the one I just recently went back to, this book grabbed me off my bookshelf shook me like a wet dog and said “READ ME AGAIN, Dammit!” Margaret Atwood has the ability, with words to paint pictures of and for women, to make us consider options that we should not wish for and futures that are bleak in worlds not meant for freedoms or joy. This one is timely and frightening.

Now I am supposed to only tell you about five books, but I just have to give a shout out to one of my favorite giggle books:

 

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Finally, my friend at Why am I here in a handbasket nominated me for this one:

Her quick takes are funny and to the point. I love making stops at her blogs for outtakes on life; they are never off target even if sometimes uncomfortable. She often makes me laugh out loud in the middle of taking a drink of coffee. I encourage you to stop by.

That being said, here are seven (7) things about me:

  1. I have fourteen tattoos, no they don’t hurt but I surely felt the pain getting them
  2. I have five (5) full blood siblings, 3 known ½ siblings, 7 step-siblings, 1 adopted sibling
  3. I have been married more than two times, no I won’t tell you how many more than two
  4. I will be 55 years old this month
  5. I own 100 pairs of high heels
  6. I was born with three nipples, had I been born 200 years earlier they would have burned me at the stake as a witch
  7. I have had more than 30 surgeries

That is it. I am also supposed to pick bloggers I love, or bloggers who deserve awards. However, my notion is everyone I follow and read deserve them. If you haven’t got one of these, grab one and follow the rules!Or grab this one, the only rule on this one is link back to me and tell me and everyone else the one thing you would like to do to make the world better.

Filed Under: Awards, Personal Notes Tagged With: ,

Just a Thank You

May 31, 2012 by

 

Others often inspire me in the blogosphere, sometimes by what they say and sometimes by what they don’t say; that is what they leave unsaid after they have unfolded something of beauty or delicacy for us to draw in. My jealousy takes flight, oh I admit it I am envious of many. The green monster creeps up my spine and shakes me, back and forth until my eyes rattle in their sockets and my brain feels loosened. Then my sanity returns and I am simply grateful.

Why you ask and you should.

Some of those I follow have a delicacy of touch that I am forced to simply sit still and inhale slowly. I am regularly dumbfounded by their ability to communicate ideas or thoughts and still preserve dignity, their own or others. In their presence, reading their words I feel as if I write with a sledgehammer and two left thumbs.

I take slow breaths now and then, disappear for days on end to regroup and pull myself back from the edge. When I started this blog, I had intended something entirely different, something light, something carefree that trips across life and settles on lily pads, skips stones across ponds and chases rainbows. I had intended to learn to laugh at life, stick my tongue out at the silliness I find daily; sometimes I succeed at that I think though with a heavier hand than I plan. When I started out I did not intend to expose my secret self, my history or my skeletons; suddenly though they came dancing out, waltzing their way to my keyboard and demanding my attention; they are not done with me and thus I am not done with them.

I inhale and find my muses, heroes, dragon slayers and those that simply bring smiles to my face. Their stories, their poems and most importantly the generosity of their sharing brings me back to myself. Reminds me how gratified I am there are people in this world who share their gifts in such public forums and who have shared them with me.

In the blogosphere, we often send awards to others. We have to do awkward things once we receive these awards. I wanted to do something different, simply identify a few outstanding Blogs that recently have uplifted me, made me smile or stunned with their delicacy of touch. I hope, if you get a minute, you will take the time to read if you aren’t already.

RunningFromHellwithEl

Somkritya, Poetry, Prose and Lambretta

Debbie Adams

Dreamwalker Sanctuary

My Story to You

Monster in your Closet

My all the time, never fail inspiration and muse, sister of my heart:

Momma Money Matters, hosted by Red

I read so many blogs (though lately I have been slow). There isn’t one that I read that I don’t enjoy (I wouldn’t visit, comment and come back otherwise). Recently though I have found myself in a peculiar place in my life and in my blogging and have found inspiration and hope from these wonderful blogs. I wanted to share them with my blogging friends, in case you all find you could use a lift as well.

Filed Under: Personal Notes, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sunshine Days

April 21, 2012 by

One of my personal muses is Red at Mommas Money Matters. She is funny, irreverent, brilliant and insightful and without doubt one of the great social commentators of our time. Today she posted http://mommasmoneymatters.com/sunshine-2/ a fun pick your own award challenge that I couldn’t resist. Not because I wanted an award, rather because I wanted the challenge (you’ll see).

Red has changed the rules of the Sunshine Award. I liked her change and her challenge. I have taken it up; I will leave it for all of you to also accept, though I will pick a different challenge for you I think.

The original Sunshine challenge includes ten questions.

  1. Favorite color –
    1. Hair – Tiger Striped including a swath of lavender
    2. Gems – any Blue
    3. Clothing – Scarlet and Black
  2. Favorite animal
    1. Dogs, Cats and Merlin the Cockatoo
    2. Dragons (yeah, yeah I know)
  3. Favorite number – Nine
  4. Favorite non-alcoholic drink – Coffee (stronger the better)
  5. Facebook or Twitter – Facebook
  6. My passion – My kids, Wanderlust
  7. Giving or getting presents – Giving always
  8. Favorite pattern – Sparkly (yeah, yeah I know)
  9. Favorite day of the week – (Sunday)
  10. Favorite flower – (Orchids, nearly all of them)

Reds Seamed Up

I am supposed to tell five secrets, both guess at five of Red’s previous answers to a previous award and finally write a one hundred word Flash Fiction using the word Sunshine. Because I want the big pretty award picture I am going to do all of this in just that order.

My Five Secrets (sort of):

  1. I drove for 5 years without a driver’s license; I didn’t apply till I was 22.
  2. I am depressed (clinically) without sunlight.
  3. I’ve had gray hair since I was 17.
  4. I truly despise disingenuous people more than just about anything else.
  5. I have smoked for 45 years; no I don’t cough in the morning!

Red’s answers (she had better answers in her second award I checked)

  1. Her Favorite Animal – Polar Bear
  2. Her Favorite Pattern – Paisley
  3. Her Facebook or Twitter – Google +
  4. Her Favorite non-alcoholic drink – Coffee
  5. Her Favorite Passion – Creating

Finally, Red asked that those of us who wanted to claim her pretty and intriguing new Sunshine award write a 100-word Flash Fiction, here is my entry.

“Sparkling white diamond raindrops, it seems the rain will never end. Five days and the sky is blanketed with grey to the horizon, one never ending ribbon of steel. Even the waves had taken on the same dull hues, intercepted only occasionally with the deep foaming blues and greens, as if the sea demanded attention and battled the monotony of the skies above. Would it never end? Sunset in less than five minutes the world would go from grey to black. Suddenly, the horizon flashes brilliant pink with sunshine, just one minute before dropping in the sea for the night.”

Claim Your Own –

I follow so many great Bloggers, I am not going to pick any to abuse with an Award that must in turn answer questions and follow rules. I don’t like rules myself and so won’t ask others to follow them. What I will do is this;

Add your name to My Blog Roll if you haven’t already: https://valentinelogar.com/the-blog-roll/

Pass the award on if you want or do what I and Red have done, off them up to be claimed.

Claim Sunshine Award – Answer the 10 Questions.

Claim Wendy’s Sunshine Award – Answer 10 Questions + 5 Secrets.

Claim Red’s Sunshine Award – Answer 10 Questions + 5 Secrets, Add your name to the Blog Roll, Write 100-word Flash Fiction using the word Sunshine.

Filed Under: Awards Tagged With: ,

ABC Award

April 14, 2012 by

ABC Award – from Channel Comfort

Channel Comfort is one of the kindest blogs I know, sound odd? It isn’t really this is a place of peace and restful contemplation. She practices both Reiki and yoga the balance she achieves shines through in her blog (one of these days, I will ask outright how to get there from here).

I encourage you to check her blog out she is inspiring.

A. Ambivalent

B. Balanced

C. Colorful (so I have been told, suspect it might be my language)

D. Determined

E. Enlightened

F. Free-thinking

G. Generous (sometimes to a fault)

H. Hellion (my late father(s) description of me)

I. Irreverent

J. Just

K. Kind (most of the time)

L. Learner (this is my favorite occupation)

M. Measured

N. Nuanced

O. Obstinate (only sometimes, only about some things)

P. Pragmatic

Q. Quirky (about some things)

R. Rational

S. Seeker (constantly and till the day I lay down for the last time)

T. Tolerant (perhaps more than I should be)

U. Unwavering (in my principles and beliefs, which doesn’t mean you can’t have your own, thus T)

V. Vulnerable

W. Wayfaring (given my job what else could I be)

X. Xerophobous (why I still miss S Tejas)

Y. Youthful (very unimaginative I know, but truth nonetheless)

Z. Zaftig (hey it is a better word than Fat, which was what F originally was)

I know, I know….I am supposed to pass this on; but this is a real PITA (figure the acronym out please). I will not pass it on, but offer any and all who read this a challenge instead, if you want to sit down and try to describe yourself using the alphabet please do so, it is an interesting exercise. It took me two days to complete and I finally had to resort to the my favorite Scrabble Word Book for two of the letters, can you guess which ones?

Filed Under: Awards Tagged With: , ,

Versatile Blogger

April 12, 2012 by

Who Nominated (Link) – Airports Made Simple

As a frequent traveler, it was great to stumble on Airports Made Simple! Full of great tips and tricks not just on Airports but travel tips as well. The airport tips alone are wonderful but when you add parking and drive times, well these are the stuff of dreams for those who travel for work and are often rushing to make planes.

Seven things most people don’t know and may not want to know about me:

  1. In keeping with where this award came from, I used to be so afraid of flying I would break out in a cold sweat and be nauseous before every take-off and landing. I had to take valium for years before flying.
  2. I have 14 tattoos including having my eyeliner done (needs to be redone soon). My first one was done when I was 17 and my most recent just last year. I will not reveal the span of years in between.
  3. Counting all that I know or suspect, based on rumors and family history, I have between 17 and 23 siblings, some of whom I have never met.
  4. I drove a racecar when I was 18 that was the fastest I ever drove where I wasn’t afraid of getting a ticket at 118 mph. It was awesome!
  5. I wanted to be a prima ballerina when I was young, danced from the time I was 4 years-old until I was unfortunately ‘blessed’ with T&A at the ripe age of 11, my dreams were dashed at the barre.
  6. I hate having my picture taken. I have been known to destroy all photo images of myself unless commanded to retain them.
  7. I despise, no really, I despise cold weather, rain, snow all of it and I really despise it intensely. I understand there is a need for precipitation I just wish I didn’t have to ever be in it, surrounded by it, under it or otherwise associated with it.

Now to the important things in life, I have picked four of my favorite bloggers to mention, one important note from me to them, please do not feel obligated to do anything other than know I truly enjoy your writing. Don’t pass it on, play it forward, post the pretty picture or otherwise jump through hoops.

Not Quite Old indeed the title says it all. When I need a quick lift in my spirit this is one of the best remedies I know of. Full of great views from the peak without a wink and sly grin at, not quite ready yet.

Fifty-Four and a Half hits with all cylinders and leaves me breathless and always wanting more. With a bit of politics, a look at the world and a dash of humor she gets the party started and nary a grumble or acrimonious sound bite to be typed. Don’t be afraid to stop by though, it isn’t all politics; this blog is filled with the humor of the world around us through the eyes of this wonderfully observant blogger.

Totsymae reminds me of every woman my age that walked down the street hips swinging and eyes wide-open, aware life handed them everything they needed they day they were born. She speaks truth with the cadence of poetry and street rolled into one. Her art should be hanging on my walls simply to bring me joy, perhaps one of these days I will stroll into the museums and galleries where it belongs, simply for the pleasure of sitting before it.

Barking in the Dark is a humorous look at politics and what is wrong with the nation today. Fair warning if you are easily offended by off-color language, if your only source of news is Fox, if you think the GOP is the Bee’s Knees I would suggest skipping this site. However, if you have a bit of a dark side and enjoy Satire and a truly ironic look at our world and the Body Politic, this is a can’t miss.

M3 aka MommaMoneyMatters saving my favorite for last, Red provides a look into the world and sometimes ourselves that is always enlightening, though not always comfortable. Filled with humor, a view of the world that comes from being solidly in it and firm grasp of reality Red makes you feel at home and welcome, at once. She is always worth a visit, whether for Friday Follies or to follow her one of her serial posts through a variety of subjects, she is consistently on-point. Pull up a chair at M3 you won’t be disappointed.

Filed Under: Awards Tagged With: , ,
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