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A million thanks to Deborah Drucker from Notes Tied On the Sagebrush and Canaf from Faithful Homesteader for nominating my blog for the One Lovely Blog Award. I have been doubly blessed to be recognized by not just one but two of my peers. I am honored to be recognized as a new writer and am humbled that other bloggers appreciate my efforts, my story. ❤

The One Lovely Blog Award nominations are chosen by fellow bloggers for those newer and up-and-coming bloggers. The goal is to help give recognition and also to help the new blogger to reach more viewers. It also recognizes blogs that are considered to be “lovely” by the fellow bloggers who choose them. This award recognizes bloggers who share their story or thoughts in a beautiful manner to connect with viewers and followers. In order to “accept” the award the nominated blogger must follow several guidelines:

  • Thank the person who nominated you for the award.
  • Add the One Lovely Blog logo to your post.
  • Share 7 facts/or things about yourself
  • Nominate 15 bloggers you admire and inform the nominees by commenting on their blog. (You don’t have to explain why you chose them. It’s just something I wanted to do. Mostly because I don’t know how to be quiet. Except in person. 😉 )

Seven facts about me:

  1. I had to give myself shots of Heparin (blood thinners) every eight hours to control TIAs during pregnancy with both my children. That’s why I only have two kids. I thought TIAs in one pregnancy was a fluke. However, TIAs in two pregnancies was terrifying.
  2. I have been gluten-free for 25 years – far before it was trendy. (I have celiac.)
  3. I work in local government and because part of my job involves serving as an Election Administrator, I have taken an Ethics Oath to be apolitical. As such, you will rarely see me comment on or publicly follow political posts. (Even when I really, really want to.)
  4. I sleep with a stuffed Zombie cat.
  5. I have 18 nieces and nephews (Eight of them were homeschooled for at least some of the time.)
  6. I played in our high school jazz band with the writer/director of Monsters Inc, the Toy Story movies, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E and Up. He was hilarious and we all had crushes on him. However, I was a complete mouse in high school. I am pretty confident he wouldn’t have a clue who I am. But, I am still seeing his new movie – Inside Out – coming out June 2015. (Go Eagles!)
  7. I am super involved in my church. I was the Global Outreach Ministry Team Leader at the church my husband and I attended for years. While I no longer attend that church, I am still connected with the missionaries we supported in Brazil, Colombia, Belgium, France, Japan and South Sudan/Kenya. Now I am involved with a store-front start-up church (and new missionaries in Guatemala and Malaysia.) I am in love with the authenticity of the pastor, the genuinity of the people and the missional / servant-leader mode of operandi. Oh! I serve on the Transitional Leadership Team and was recently offered a part-time position as the church administrator. (Yup…. I don’t mean to be overly wordy but I am passionate about this!)
  8. I love to play games and sometimes the kids and I create our own (like our creation of ‘ODYSSEY” which is a re-worked version of LIFE based on Homer’s poem or like when we play Texas Hold-em with Pictionary Cards.) My son and I play something we call Blumer’s Rules even though it drives my daughter, the eldest child and rule-follower, absolutely nuts. Basically, Blumer’s Rules can be engaged during any game at any time. When they are employed, the object of the game is to win at all costs, cheating whenever possible. However… you can’t get caught cheating or it is an automatic loss. The best cheater wins. And it’s only a game. Clearly.
  9. I have an 89lb German Shorthaired Pointer but at one point we had an entire food chain – two rats, three cats and our dog.
  10. I love writing but tend to be wordy. (oops.)
  11. I am really bad at following directions.
  12. I am also really bad at math.

And the nominees are… (In no particular order) Begin a tabletop drumroll please…

Average Yogini

As someone who is NOT physically fit, hates exercise and is terrifically jealous of those who can stick with a program and see results, I love this blog. I am inspired by hearing of the author’s challenges and successes as every day she gets up and works at being the person she wants to be. I, too, am a firm believer that seemingly small things are important in winning big battles.

Far Out in Africa

Although it is a terrible thing, I feel connected to this author by the issue of displacement – even though the causes and circumstances surrounding our displacement are so different. I also have a friend who has worked for years in Camp Tumaini in Kenya, working with displaced people, setting up a micro-loan program to enable people to start small businesses – like jewelry-making, sewing and chicken farming. The author identifies her location only as a farm near a small town in Central/South Africa but the things she writes about remind me so much of Courtney’s stories. I am hooked.

Graduate of Life Lessons

The author writes to process childhood trauma and build a new life for herself. Her circumstances remind me of M and E and her attitude reminds me of my own kids. I have no doubt she is going to be successful. She is a brutally honest and eloquent writer and I have been really enjoying following her journey.

Janey Does Blogging

I am drawn in by the writer’s commitment to her anonymity as well as her droll sense of humor and wit. I’m positive she speaks for everyone’s favorite, sassy, outspoken and loveable friend who gets you into trouble just as often as she gets you out of it.

Judah Bloom

This is a simple, elegant and profound blog that features poems, songs (I’ve only seen one but they are there), short essays and the most beautiful family photos. The author writes about living out traditional family values (implicitly) through a nontraditional family structure (Dad takes primary responsibility for the child rearing in order to allow his wife to pursue her career goals). It is filled with hope and wonder and simply makes me happy.

Katherine Scrivens the Silhouette Artist

Okay… I know this blog is not that new but I adore it. It is another one that just makes me happy. Is her work neo-Kahlo? Matisse-like? de Kooning goes Paleo and meets happier women? Yes, yes and yes. Fascinating and inspiring.  And lovely.

Living the Dream

Because following your dreams and pursuing them no matter how afraid of rejection and failure you are is worthy and admirable. I have friends in the military as well as friends who have left the military (mostly the Army 160th 😉 ) and have started civilian careers. I have found the wisdom, motivation and hints I get from my military / former military friends to be the most beneficial, helpful and realistic advice I get. (Such as their advice for handling trolls – “Never negotiate with terrorists.” and their advice for achieving new life goals – “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory; Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”) I look forward to your take on this type of wisdom and motivation.

Lucile de godoy, On Life

Because oh my goodness, the pictures! They are beyond lovely! E porque, apesar de o Inglês não é sua primeira língua, suas palavras são eloqüentes e engraçado. E porque o meu primo Karla é de São Paulo e meus amigos Wainer e Magui são do Rio e quero mostrar apoio (mesmo que o autor está agora a viver em Amesterdão. 😉 )

Maxine Billings, Author

Because she always leaves such lovely comments and I adore what she is doing with her books. Of course she is trying to drum up interest in her books but there is so much thought and personality in it, I love reading her posts. And, that’s all any of us are trying to do, right? Get people to read what is near and dear to our hearts. ❤

Midnight Rant

Because I also write in the middle of the night. Because I, too, was “a quiet child, well-behaved, a little sad but always smiling.” I tried really hard to morph into a rebellious youth but I was not as good at it as the author of this blog. My rebellion was limited to sneaking out of my house and T.P.ing my friends’ homes only to find out that, in the dark, I had always missed the mark. Instead of my friend’s house, I always hit the home of the sweet older couple who gave me homemade cookies. It was always the home of abused woman who was outside just finishing cleaning up my mess when I walked past at 9am. Awkward me is insanely jealous the author pulled off her rebellion so flawlessly and she was able to develop it into a lovely adult awesomeness. (And it doesn’t hurt that her writing has just the right balance of humor and seriousness. It doesn’t hurt that her blog does not look like it came from the same cookie cutter set so many of us newer bloggers use. 😉 )

Miss Empty Nest

Solidarity. Absolute solidarity. In a similar station in life, I look forward to reading the author’s posts. She is able to succinctly, precisely and concisely get to the heart of what I feel, too.

Never Too Broken

Because the title is so completely and entirely true. And because the author paints pictures with her words. Glorious masterpieces in oil. True story. Check it out.

Phoenix Grey would have been nominated here but… as her blog was just nominated by InspiringMax, I’m going to use this spot for someone else. 😉

Rhoda in Manilla

I love the author’s honesty. She talks about serious and important topics but at the same time, makes them palatable and not overly pretentious. Her writing style makes it feel like she is part of your friend group. She’s the one sitting at the edge of the crowd cheering you on while criticizing you for your ignorance as she hands you a drink.

Tales From Transylvania

The author talks about growing up in Transylvania and emigrating to the United States. She is working on mastering her tech skills and her English but her stories are fascinating, lovely.

The Cosmic Snowflake

Because I haven’t included any recipe blogs yet and yum! I have made the Pad Thai (without having to track down fresh  lemongrass) and it was delicious. And, somehow the author has mastered the art of food photography. Lovely.

The Making of Mediocre Meg

Because her blog is freaking adorable. And because she is stronger than she thinks. And because us searching, seeking, reinventing ourselves types need to stick together. ❤

The Sugar Peddler

Because her photos are gorgeous, she has only 19 followers and she is showing us how to make delicious, somewhat healthy desserts. HEALTHY-ish desserts people! Yum!

Victo Delore

Victorian medical treatments! An entire (almost an entire) novel full. Steampunk, historic, interesting and horrifyingly true/real all at once. 🙂

Welcome Home

Because I adore this blog. I love her passion, her writing style, her layout and pictures. I love how she speaks her mind, calls it like it is, and is the same person on-line as I imagine she is in real life. The author of this blog is someone I would totally be friends with, talk with, have discussions with, hang out with. You want poetry? Essays? Rants? Witnessing? A really interesting take on Christianity that will add a lot to your own walk?  Kid stories? Videos? A whole, non-compartmentalized human being in a blog? Yup! It’s all here. Lovely!

And, I guess if I had a few more than 15, well… I already warned you I was bad at following directions and am terrible at math. In truth, I didn’t have the heart to leave any of my favorites out.

P.S. There will be no installment of T-Sizzle’s Acquisition today. I need to get some actual work done. Watch for the next post tomorrow. ❤