Boy, was I surprised the other day.
It wasn’t the dog displaying some new talent. But if he ever learns to tap dance I will certainly tell you.
It wasn’t a bag of money appearing in my bank account or a shiny new set of cabinets in my kitchen. Nor have I been at a Oprah taping to receive ‘stuff.’
The witty and wonderful Jeanne at Another Stir of the Spoon was awarded with the Stylish Blogger award. Those of us who head over there on a regular basis know it is totally deserved on Jeanne’s part. I can even look over the fact that she is a Packers fan. Do you even get a choice when you live in northeastern Wisconsin? I mean, what else is there to do up there beyond gawk at flora and fauna or cook? If I had Jeanne’s kitchen, I might cook all of the time as well.
As I was reading through the winners – a lot of book people by the way – I suddenly noticed my name. Notes From Rumbly Cottage. She gave me the award and said many nice things about my blog!!!!! Woo-hoo.
The funny thing is the week before we were having a discussion in one of my posts about being freshly pressed. I was told that particular entry should have been featured for the day and it was a shame it was not. That is when I replied that I do not expect to get pressed – ever. From what people have told me it is a crap shoot at best although it is quite the ego boost when it happens. Though I have written some funny pieces and some heavy emotional pieces that I think should have gotten pressed, it hasn’t happened. And I am not going to obsess about it – too much.
Now, onto the business of the award. The Stylish Blogger award requires the winner to 1) acknowledge and link to your nominator; 2)write seven things about yourself; 3)nominate six other worthy bloggers; and 4) inform those worthy bloggers of their award.
Since No. 1 has been taken care of in such a grand style, let’s move on to the rest.
Seven Things You May or May Not Know About Me.
1. I am truly self-absorbed. The world does revolve around me and no one else. I am happy to share my universe with you.
2. One of my favorite books in the world is Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I haven’t read it in a while which means I need to put that on my list of things to do.
3. I love to garden. I like getting my hands in the dirt and putting in new plants every year. However, I do not like formal gardens all that much.
4. I miss having a cat. My husband is a dog person and our current dog would not tolerate having a cat in the house. Someday, I will have a cat in the house again.
5. I make more spelling and grammar mistakes than anyone should. I have to force myself to read all of my posts and comments in case I have typed too fast and left out an important ltter or to.
6. I grew up on a farm with a big red barn and a corn crib. We had chickens and a big garden. That farmland is now a subdivision that knocked out every little hill and the hedgerows.
7. If I work for you, I will work my ass off. I will try to come up with ideas to make things work better although I will have my days to be a total idiot as well. All I ask in return is to be treated decently and for you to act in an ethical manner so I do not have to bring it to your attention in case you do not.
Now for those who will receive a Stylish Blogger award from me. This was really hard to do. I visit a number of good writers, some of whom have already received this kind of award. I also wanted to honor those whose pictures give me joy and inspiration on a regular basis.
1. Living Dilbert may have taken a break for a while but I have consistently laughed at her posts about outrageous behavior from her bad bosses. Two months ago, she escaped with her sense of humor firmly intact and has returned this week to the blogging scene. Just the header photo alone gives you a sense of the topic.
2. The one blog I share with my kids is Lego My Photo. We love seeing what the Lego guys are up to every week and the kids wonder how they can create what this guy does. Gorilla on a bicycle, hiker building his dream house (with an outdoor grilling area), easy vader are just a few of the gems you have to check out.
3. When I need to be emotionally inspired I check out They Call Me Jane. Jane has never failed to uplift or put words to something I had been feeling and wanted to write about. Problem is, she does it before I do and much more succinctly. I hate her, I love her, I hate her, I wish I wrote half as well.
4. Mia’s Country Living is done by a blogger in Norway. Mia has a homestead with farm animals and she spends a lot of time crafting. Her denim quilt inspired me to post my quilt. Her work inspires me to get out the fabric, especially blue and white which looks so crisp and clean. Her tiny home is un-naturally neat, something I look forward to having when my house is not filled with children.
5. Another inspiring crafter blog I like to visit is Terri’s Notebook. Whether it is a color project for class or taking time to use scraps to create quilt blocks that are used to make a purse, I am always fascinated by Terri’s color combinations. Plus, she likes to hike and garden, then show the pictures.
6. As I said before, I visit a number of good writers. I love them all but, obviously, I cannot list them all. Well, I do in my blog roll. But here and now my sixth and final Stylish Blogger award goes to Plane Janer’s Journey. Jane is the smart and funny and occasionally whacked out friend I have yet to acquire. I feel like I am listening to sage advice, an understanding of life that I have not yet attained with a dollop of good humor. I laugh, I cry and sometimes I really hate her for writing at such a higher level. But then she comes back with some smart-ass remark and I remember why I love her so.
So please visit all of these wonderful people who do good work on a daily basis. All have been informed and I hope making nominations of their own. After I get done reading my fellow award winners I am off to the award ceremony.
Jeanne, there had better be some Pinot Grigio and really good Wisconsin cheese on the hors d’oeuvre table. Perhaps, I will bring my triple chocolate pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. It is worth breaking every diet in the world.