If you’re a follower of my blog, you’re likely a writer with dreams of hitting it big. Maybe even a screenplay worthy of an Oscar nomination. If you are, then prepare yourself and read John Howell’s Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Oscar Ceremony.
Tag: awards
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I have been rather remiss of late. I’ve been honored a few times recently with awards, but I’ve been slow to respond to the award givers. Time flies. Seems like just yesterday, I was posing for this picture …
But just last week, I posed for this one … (more…)
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Yes, indeed! I’ve been honored with two awards. First, Patty at http://petitemagique.wordpress.com/ nominated me for the 5 in 1 Award.
The rules for the 5 in 1 Award:
1. Display the award logos on your blog.
The Sunshine Award 2. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.
If you don’t already know Patty at http://petitemagique.wordpress.com/, then visit her blog right now. She is a truly gifted artist, blending song lyrics, her own poetry, and photography/artwork into her blog posts. Patty is a woman of tremendous feeling and she has experienced too many tragedies in her young life. Her poetry reflects her struggles … perhaps I should say, “our” struggles, for I believe Patty speaks for many of us who have suffered great loss. I find her poetry to be always beautiful and often cathartic. I am always in awe of her creativity. In spite of all she has gone through, her generosity and love know no bounds.
3. Nominate as many bloggers as you like.
If you are a follower of my blog, then you will know that I tend to “cheat” at this part. I hate to say “this blogger will get this award and this blogger will get the other award.” So at this end of this email, I will list as many bloggers as I can. I have at least several dozen favorites so I will try to pick those who may not have already received any or some of these awards.
4. Let your nominees know via a comment on their post.
Will do ;)
Second, I’ve been nominated by three amazing bloggers for the WordPress Family Award! The rules are the same as above, except that the list of nominees is limited to 10.
1. Here’s the award :)
2. Let me give a big thanks to:
Running to Her Dreams at http://runningtoherdreams.com/
Running to Her Dreams is about much more than training for a marathon. She’s also a mother, a dreamer, and a doer. She finds hearts in nature, takes photos of them and posts them to her blog. In her own words, she is a “smartassic woman running to her dreams, who follows her heart and occasionally drops the f-bomb.” Her motto: “always be true to yourself and think like a boss!”
Gwen Bristol at http://gwenbristol.com/
Gwen is a wonderful blogger, sharing her insights, her writing, and lots of great marketing tips on her blog. Hers is the kind of blog that you could spend days on, clicking from one informative tab to another, drinking up her knowledge, suggestions, and encouragement. She is a writer’s writer: someone who lives and breathes writing and who shares everything she learns.
S.K. Nicholls at http://redclayandroses1.wordpress.com/
S.K. Nicholls is a woman of many talents: she is an author, poet, lover of history, a Registered Nurse with a 30-year career spanning “everything from ER and CCU, pediatrics, geriatrics, hospice to psychiatry.” She grew up on a farm but now lives in a big city. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She most recently published Red Clay and Roses, a fictional account of a true story about life in the deep South during Jim Crow and before Roe vs. Wade. I reviewed her book here, and highly recommend it. It is an important work, a story that needed to be told and that needs to be read.
3. & 4. OK, when it’s awards time, it’s cheatin’ time for me. I’m combining my nominees and invite them to choose any (or none) of the awards here.
Without further ado, let me just share the love among:
Robynn Gabel’s Common Sense Experience at http://dupler.org/
According to Dave at http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/
Adventures and Misfortunes of Hector the Aimless at http://adventuresandmisfortunesofhectortheaimless.wordpress.com/
Araneus1 at http://araneus1.wordpress.com/
Ben’s Bitter Blog at http://bensbitterblog.wordpress.com/
Englishman in Italy at http://englishmaninitaly.org/
Expat Eye on Latvia at http://expateyeonlatvia.wordpress.com/
Dawn of Thoughts at http://moossama88.wordpress.com/
ericjohnbaker at http://ericjohnbaker.wordpress.com/
Helen Midgley at http://helenmidgley.wordpress.com/
howanxious at http://howanxious.wordpress.com/
Jill Weatherholt at http://jillweatherholt.wordpress.com/
Julie Green at http://juliegreenart.com/
Katie Cross at http://kcrosswriting.com/
What the Hell … at http://kevinbrennanbooks.wordpress.com/
Shannon Raelynn at http://shannonraelynn.com/
Now, stop reading this post and start following these bloggers :)
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I’ve been honored with TWO awards this week! I am rather awestruck since never in my life have I felt so popular then when I rebooted my blog :) The first award I received this week is the Shine On award given to me by the truly inspiring Running To Her Dreams blogger. If you haven’t visited her blog yet, then go now! You can always find your way back to me later ;)
As with all awards, there are a few rules (which I may or may not follow ;))1. Display the award logo on your blog. ‘Tis done.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you. Yup, did that, too :)
3. State 7 things about yourself. Anything? OK, here’s to my boring self:
- It’s Friday and I’m taking the day off because
- My kitchen is being “demolished” because
- We’re getting new kitchen cabinets!
- Because the old ones were original (32 years and counting) and I tend to be slow to start home improvement projects
- I picked out the new cabinets which are white and double-wrapped with polymer to protect from water damage
- To my chagrin, the new cabinets are from the Martha Stewart line because
- I don’t like Martha Stewart the person, but I know I will love my new cabinets ;)
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.
This is always the biggest challenge for me because I haven’t yet figured out a seamless way to copy and paste these links without having multiple windows open :( But I’ve got time on my hands today so here goes:- Bastet and Sekhmet
- Teri Polen
- Readful Things Blog
- Busy Mind Thinking
- Running Father
- Jade Reyner
- The D/A Dialogues
- Julian Froment’s Blog
- The Write Place
- Pat Bean’s Blog
- Aging Abundantly
- Saunved
- Green Embers
- Year ‘Round Thanksgiving Project
- Talking Experience
I will now proceed to the second award, the Liebster Award, bestowed upon me by the ever erudite John W. Howell at http://johnwhowell.com/. Do not hesitate to visit his blog! I’ll still be here when you get back ;)
In accordance with the Liebster rules:A. List eleven random facts about yourself
- My birthday is tomorrow (for those of you in a different time zone, tomorrow could be yesterday, it could be today or it could still be tomorrow ;))
- I will be six years shy of eligibility for Social Security, but something tells me I’ll keep working
- I don’t have kids so I have no sense of time passing which means I have no sense of myself aging …
- Until I take a look in the mirror and do not immediately recognize myself
- Even though my hair is gray, in my mind it’s still dark brown
- I think I’m more physically fit than I was in my 20s
- But I also have more aches and pains than I did in my 20s
- To celebrate the arrival of our new kitchen cabinets, we had a beer before dinner and then wine with dinner
- We both woke up the next morning remembering why we shouldn’t do that
- I’m looking forward to getting my house back in order after our kitchen is done
- I would like someone else to get my house back in order after our kitchen is done
B. Nominate eleven other bloggers for the Liebster Award (why not … I’m on a roll!)
- Running for Her Dreams
- Robynn Gabel’s Common Sense Experience
- Eric John Baker
- Amber Skye Forbes
- mybrandofgenius
- Jill Weatherholt
- The Crossover
- 30 Days of Self Discovery
- Word Savant
- kiralynblue
- lindaghill
C. Notify these bloggers: In due time, I have to finish this post first …
D. Ask eleven questions that the bloggers must answer upon accepting the Liebster Award.
- What would be your perfect meal (if calories and expense were of no concern)?
- What is your favorite footwear?
- What is your favorite automobile (if any)?
- How do we achieve world peace?
- Who or what is your muse?
- What is your favorite time of day?
- Do you see dead people? (If yes, explain. If no, then I am relieved.)
- What is your favorite form of exercise?
- When is your favorite time to work on your blog?
- What is your top pet peeve?
- What makes you the most happy?
E. Answer the eleven questions that you were asked when you were nominated
- Do you want to be rich and famous? Rich but not famous (I don’t want no stinkn’ paparazzi following me around)
- If yes why and if no why? I answered Yes and No because why wouldn’t I want to be rich and why would I want to be famous if I could just be rich?
- What is the most important day of the week for you? Saturday
- What is your favorite dessert? Ben and Jerry’s Americone ice cream
- How long did it take you to feel good about writing? About 40 years
- What is your favorite time of day? Whenever my cat Luisa has finally fallen asleep
- Who do you depend upon? My husband
- Has anyone ever let you down? Of course, but it was usually my fault.
- Where on Earth do you think is closest to heaven? Atop Black Point at Mono Lake, California
- What was the most valuable advice anyone ever gave you? Trust your intuition
- What is the most indulgent gift you ever received or given? I don’t know if I would call it an indulgence, but the most $$ gift was when I gave a family member $1,000 to help him go to Costa Rica for experimental treatment of MS. We can’t say the treatments actually helped, but I’ve never regretted helping him get the chance to try.
I end this post, with both hands patting myself on the back :) Cheers, everyone!
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I’ve been nominated for another Liebster by the lovely Briana Vested at When I Became An Author. I don’t want to disappoint anyone by following the rules, so I am going to answer Briana’s questions and stop there ;) At a later date I may come back to this post and nominate a bunch of unruly bloggers, but for the time being, I just want to acknowledge Briana. She’s a wonderful writer of young adult westerns so do please skip over to her blog and see about purchasing her books :)
Briana’s Questions for Her Nominees:
What is your favorite part about winter? When I lived in the north, it was the snow, especially on moonlit nights. Now, in the south, my favorite part is that there are fewer and slower mosquitoes.
Where do you see yourself living in 5 years? Unfortunately, we’ll probably still be where we are now, although plans are to head to the West Coast as soon as I retire :)
How many books are in the room you’re in right now? If you include ebooks, too many to count!
Look in your wallet/purse, is there more money or receipts in there? That’s good one! About 50-50 right now!
What was your first paying job? Worked summers at a cafeteria doing everything from cleaning tables to cashier.
Favorite vegetable: Sweet corn on the cob
How long have you had your blog? Started it in November 2007, ran for about 3 years, took a 3-year hiatus and rebooted in Feb 2013. You do the math.
What is the best dream you’ve ever had? The one I don’t remember.
What did you have for dinner last night? Pizza with eggplant, zuchinni and red peppers and two beers (it was Friday night; I’m allowed to drink then).
Are you happy right now? When working on my blog, I’m always happy.
If you could change one thing about your appearance, what would you change? I would make the scars on my legs disappear. -
Patty over at Petite Magique had honored me with The Loyal Reader Award! I am truly honored by this as I do try to be a loyal reader. I am following so many wonderful bloggers. It’s a challenge to keep up, but it’s also fun, educational, heartwarming and uplifting.
The rules are simple.
1. Display the award on your blog. (Done)
2. Thank the person who sent it to you. (Done)
3. Answer a rhetorical question of the authors choosing. (See below)
4. Send on the award to everyone you consider a loyal reader. (Uh oh)
Rhetorical question:
If you were on a deserted island, how would you survive? If there’s a wireless network on the island and an outlet, then me and my iPad would be just fine. There isn’t? I’m doomed.
Loyal reader nominations:
[Disclaimer: I’m cheating.]
If you are reading this post, then you are a loyal reader :) You know who you are (yup, I’m talking to you, Linda; to you, Shareen; to et al.). You know that some of you are the same bloggers that Patty nominated (yea, RCC!). Really, truly. Make a copy of the award image, upload it to your blog and follow the rules. Even if you think you don’t deserve it, I argue that you deserve it because you are reading this blog post right now! Duh!
At the risk of getting sappy: a big hug to each one of you :)
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The Liebster Award I have been honored with another award! This one–the Liebster Award–comes from Olivia Stocum of The Claymor and Surcoat blog. As an Irish friend in Latvia would say, “You like me, you really like me!” The rules of this award are simple (but lengthy): first, thank the person who honored me (Thank you, Olivia!), list 11 unknown facts about myself, and answer 11 questions. Then choose 11 nominees and give them 11 new questions to answer. I will endeavor to abide by the rules, although I am known for cheating :)
11 Unknown Facts About Me:
- My life is an open book (no, wait, you all already knew that)
- I love cats (whoops! I think most of you have figured that out too)
- I’m married (no surprise there!)
- I have two graduate degrees: one in English and one in Social Work (ok, now we’re getting somewhere)
- My hair is not naturally straight (boring)
- But it is naturally gray (boring)
- My mom is one of 12 (makes for a lot of cousins)
- I brake for turtles (and move them out of the road because they take forever to cross)
- I once had a pet raccoon named Bartholomew (actually, he belonged to a boyfriend but we both raised him until he mysteriously died)
- I drove a ’66 Dodge van cross-country in 1978 (totally out of character)
- I like snakes (just not in my house)
Answer 11 Questions:
- What’s your favorite vacation destination and why? San Francisco, CA, because I used to live there. It’s also where my husband and I met and started our life together.
- What’s your favorite book? Book as in singular? No can do. I can’t pick just one. I’ve enjoyed too many and they all speak to me in different ways, from Dickens’ Bleak House to Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones to Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake to George Eliot’s Middlemarch.
- What do you like on pizza? Veggies with a little pesto sauce to taste
- Do you have a favorite song? Again, singular? Depends on my mood, but I can say that B.B. King is The Man ;)
- If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? Establish trusts for my grandniece and grandnephews; buy a home in the San Francisco Bay Area; and partition the rest to ensure that we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives (yes, I know, that was terribly boring)
- What was your favorite pet? Don’t tell the other cats, but it was Mikey, my orange kitty (RIP)
- If you had a time machine, where would you go? I’d stay put. If I go back in time, I’m afraid I’ll get marked as a witch. If I go forward, my worst fears might be realized.
- Do you wish I would stop asking so many questions? Now that you’ve mentioned it, yes :)
- If you found a magic lamp and was given three wishes, what would they be? Love, Happiness and Good Health for everyone
- How many cups of coffee do you drink in one day? A 12-ounce mug during the work week, maybe twice that on weekends. Most times I drink Earl Grey.
- Where do you see yourself in ten years? Hopefully back on the West Coast.
Now for the 11 nominees:
http://agingabundantly.wordpress.com/
http://petitemagique.wordpress.com/
http://18yearsyoung.wordpress.com/
http://jillweatherholt.wordpress.com/
http://todayschapter.wordpress.com/
http://kevinbrennanbooks.wordpress.com/
http://damyantiwrites.wordpress.com
11 Questions for the Nominees (if they choose to answer):
- Are you a spy?
- What has to happen for you to say you had a perfect writing day?
- If you won a two-week all-expenses-paid trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
- What do you enjoy most about blogging?
- Do you have a master plan to take over the world?
- Who do you think should inherit the earth and why?
- If you had the funds to design your perfect writing space, what would it look like?
- What is your favorite animal (wild or domesticated)?
- Where did you hide the money?
- Have you ever been in a witness protection program?
- Do you think I’m crazy? (trick question)
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This week I’ve been honored with two awards: the Super-Sweet Award from Isabella Stines and the Liebster Award from Sara Letourneau. As most WP awards do, these both have rules, in part questions which I will answer below. I’m also obliged to nominate a number of other bloggers (13 and 11, respectively). I’m going to cheat a bit here and provide a list of bloggers that I think everyone should visit if you don’t already. And they in turn can jump over to my blog and pick one or both of these awards, and the cycle will continue :)
The Super_Sweet Questions!
Q: Cookies or Cake?
A: Cookie, preferably the maple-ginger that B&N offers during the winter holidays ;)
Q: Chocolate or Vanilla?
A: Actually vanilla, although I have a bite-size square of chocolate every night after dinner. It’s for medicinal purposes.
Q: Favorite sweet treat?
A: Ice cream. Years ago in San Francisco we had homemade vanilla ice cream with macadamia nuts and chocolate syrup … it was heaven!
Q: When do you crave sweets the most:
A: When I’m bored
Q: Sweet nickname?
A: Honey, sweetie, baby … whatever my husband is calling me at the moment ;)
The Liebster Questions (which Sara herself thought up)!
- What book are you currently reading? An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. Somehow I managed to get through six years of college without ever reading it.
- Do you read any poetry – and if so, who are your favorite poets? I actually don’t read much poetry, but on occasion I have enjoyed Billy Collins and Robert Pinsky
- What is your favorite “escape”? (A vacation spot, a place to go and do your creative work, etc.) San Francisco, San Francisco, San Francisco
- What song (either instrumental or with vocals) left an intense emotional impact on you the first time you heard it? Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
- Are you an early worm or a night owl? Night owl, but I fear I’m getting too old for that. I’ve never liked getting up early.
- If you could pick any meal for dinner tonight, what would it be? I already ate, and it was pizza and salad
- What is your favorite word at the moment? Sleep
- What is your favorite social media website? WordPress has it hands down
- Describe the room you’re sitting in right now. My bedroom, which has pale pink walls, one window, a single twin bed, and a lot of clutter (yarns, fabrics, books)
- If you had a newspaper in front of you, what section would you read first? The op-ed pages
- Name one thing you are grateful for, regardless of whether it’s tangible or intangible, great or small. I’m alive
Now, a list of bloggers that I nominate for all and future awards ;)
http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com/
http://tucsonblonde.wordpress.com/
http://shareenayoub.wordpress.com/
http://ofallthebeautifulcreatures.wordpress.com/
http://shapingdestinythebook.com/
http://ericjohnbaker.wordpress.com/
http://expateyeonlatvia.wordpress.com/
http://followyourheartandlifewillfollow.wordpress.com/
http://leajurock.wordpress.com/
http://secondbreakfas.wordpress.com/
http://whenibecameanauthor.wordpress.com/
http://writingsofamrs.wordpress.com/
This list is by no means exhaustive. Check on the right side of my blog for more fascinating bloggers :)
Past my bedtime. ‘Night, y’all …
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Many thanks to Jade Reyner for the lovely The Seed of Light Award. I feel very honored to receive this from Jade, and am happy to pass it on to other bloggers who have inspired me.To the others that I will pass this award to: this simply is another way for me to say thank you. There are no rules (as far as I can tell) to this award beyond passing it on, so enjoy and know how deeply you inspire me.
http://runningfather.wordpress.com
I suspect that both RunningFather and BusyMindThinking are well-known to those who follow my blog. They both inspired me to write poetry, to reach and realize that some things, some ideas, some feelings are best expressed in poetic form, that a few lines can say much more a 500-page novel.
http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com
I am learning so much by following the publishing adventures and writing insights of Sarah Cradit, Shannon A Thompson and Victoria Grefer. All three are wonderful young writers who freely share what they are learning as they follow the tortuous road of publishing (whether its traditional or self-publishing, either route seems tortuous ;)) They inspire me by their efforts and their generosity.
Namaste,
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Marie at 1 Write Way 