Bloggy Love....

I received an award today! The wonderful Lani from Me & Boo gave me one.... which prompted me to realise that she also gave me one back in October. One which I instantly forgot about and didn’t acknowledge. I’m so sorry Lani. I can only guess that I was a bit stressed at the time.

So today I’m acknowledging the first one....


.. This one has a questionnaire attached. So, here goes....

1. Have you had the same friends since childhood?

No. I lived outside Australia for too long in the years prior to email and lost contact with most of them. When I came home I found that we didn’t seem to have much in common and so I didn’t put the effort required into re-kindling the friendships. That shortsightedness on my behalf saddens me now.

I do, however, have friends from my late teens and early twenties. And I have kept pretty much every friend that I made when I lived overseas.

2. What do you value most about your friends?

Honesty. Trust. Kindness. Acceptance. Laughter. Our differences.

3. Are your friends your sounding boards?

Not all of the time. I’m actually mostly pretty uncomfortable when it comes to talking about myself in the real world. I think that’s why I’ve taken to the blogging world so eagerly.

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends?

Fun stuff. That includes, but is not limited to, indoor games, outdoor activities, sharing meals, holidays, e-mails. I’m not good at talking on the telephone. Oh, and I’d rather eat live maggots than go shopping with a friend. (What a cheerful girl I am today!)

Now... I am supposed to award this to four friends, but I’m going to give it to every one of my readers who is doing NaBloPoMo. We need all the help we can get!!

I’m saving the other award for another NaBloPoMo struggle-day.

PS. She’s home. A bit wobbly, but so-far so-good. Thanks for all support and good wishes. I know they all help.

PPS. Thank you Lani for all the bloggy-love!

Taking wobbly credit...

I have received TWO blog awards. One of them was given to me a while ago, when I was feeling completely unworthy and unable to properly appreciate it. The other was given to me today.

These awards mean an awful lot to me, mainly because of the respect I have for the people who gave them to me.

The first one.....



.... was given to me by the beautiful and talented Lara at Disco Knitter. She is a "real life" friend as well as a blog-pal, and has been through her own journey of ups and downs, which she has blogged about honestly and articulately along the way. She's intelligent, strong and has amazing qualities of perception. She is also the mother of one of my favourite "opb" (Other Peoples' Babies)..... Inigo.

And the second one.....



...... was given to me by the amazing and incredible Tiff from My Three Ring Circus. Tiff is the mother of Amy (as well as 6 other beautiful children) and has been to hell and back on more than one occasion, and yet always finds a way to see the positive and beautiful around her. She's also a phenomenal photographer.

Now, along with the secret smile and the joy of being liked, comes the responsibility attached to accepting these awards. The rules, as I understand them, are as follows:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. (ummm.... I'd better make that 14)
4. Add links to these blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

So... I have done the first two things, and now I'm going to do step 3. I nominate.... (in no particular order)....

Our Name is Blog. The wonderful Lorrie gives me constant giggles, miles of loving support, and I get to think of her everyday because I have her "whatever" clock hanging on my wall.

Pea Soup. Suze takes me away for a few minutes every day or so with her stunning photography and quiet approach to a hectic world.

Blue Yonder. Because (just quietly) I wish I could be her.

Uncommon Grace. Photos photos photos. And an amazing approach to life.

Sheeps Clothing. She's a little bit me and a little bit you and VERY observant. Always makes me smile.

Super Whites. I'm a recent follower of this blog. Sarah is articulate and caring and is the mother of the very adventurous (and photogenic) Amy. Her perspective is always interesting.

Eastern Max. M may be a friend of mine (we're actually cousins if you must know) but she's also one of the most competent and intelligent chicky-babes that I know. Never ever boring.

Me & Boo. Lani makes me cry, often. They're always good tears. She's kind of a soul mate, I feel, although we haven't met (yet).

Light. Sweet. Crude. Trish keeps me feeling that I'm not obsessed with US politics (if only because she is!!). She sources the best stuff on the interweb, and layers it with brilliant photos and observant and well-informed comments. Go Trish!

My Little Drummer Boys. Another new blog for me. Trish has two beautiful twin sons and a teenage son. She has also faced a long and sometimes tragic journey with fertility. Her words are poignant and powerful and a must read.

Third On The Right. What can I say that hasn't been said already? Le is always interesting, always clever and always blogging. What a combination!

Around the Traps. Fairlie is fun. She is artistic and creative and an inspiration to me.

Blue. Photography. Stories. Amazing ability to articulate emotion. Blue.


Some of these people don't even know that I follow their blogs (I'm such a crap commenter). I hope that all my nominees smile just to know that I thought of them (and forgive me for abridged descriptions of why I nominated them). And that they know that they contribute to my day.

And I hope that everyone else knows that I had a long list to cull. And that I decided to limit my nominees to English blogs Ed: I mean written in English (doesn't mean I don't love you if you don't blog in English!)

Ed: And I didn't include you in my list if you were nominated by Lara or Tiff as well. It kind of made my job easier, but some of you would definitely have been on my list too.