Okay, I must admit I do have a legitimate excuse, what with dismantling my life in the states and moving to Costa Rica where, admittedly, there are more paradise days than I thought I ever deserved and yet-still-it is a lot of work to unpack and rebuild. Things are a bit trickier here. My greatest challenge to date has been to find a mop bucket with a wringer and I can say-Hallelujah! My husband, the self proclaimed Hunter/Gatherer that he is, managed to find one. Now I can happily get on with the business of scrubbing, cleaning, mopping….wait, what’s wrong with this picture? Hmmmmm….seems like an evil plot to me. ;D
Anyway, I was very honored by two dear blogging friends very recently with awards for which I am-truly-humbly grateful. When I got into this business of blogging it was purely as a way to share my foreign life with family and friends back home; but it has morphed into so much more with my photography, poetry and novel, just about anything I felt like sharing. That is what is so wonderful about this world of blogging. And I have met so many wonderful and talented, dear people whom I consider close friends. I appreciate you all. So, along with awards come great responsibility. 😉 I must follow the criteria and pass the baton. Of course these awards are only surface kudos because everyone who chooses to go out there and bare their souls, take chances with their innermost hearts and share, reaching out to strangers like faithful bloggers do deserve awards. And truly, this is for all of you even if I don’t mention your name or your site. I have never unfollowed anyone but often get too busy to get to the over 300 or more I follow each and every week. I do my honest best.
Right now I want to thank my good friend at http://www.pinterest.com/jayes01/jayes-crafted-cards/ Jennifer Kirk Smith for this lovely award. I appreciate your kindness and friendship always. She is a talented creator of words and greeting cards that are truly works of art. You can check her out on Pinterest at the above location as well as on google+ at https://plus.google.com/+JenniferKirk/posts. Thank you my friend!
Now on to the rules.
1) Display the badge in a post.
2) Thank the nominating blogger and link back to their site
3) Using the alphabet, describe yourself in a word or phrase
4) Nominate a few bloggers
Okay so here goes with my list. Drumroll please…….(looks at floor, shuffles her feet and longs to head for the back door and freedom!)
Awed that anyone thinks what I do is special. Thanks Jennifer and everyone who has extended a hand of friendship across the ether to me.
Begging you to forgive my tardiness in tending to these awards as I am not the most organized or efficient person around. I can do a job well, I just procrastinate some things.
Casual in my life right now, which is gloriously freeing. I work hard to maintain my actual life, but the grind of mental pressure is finally in my rear view mirror.
Defiant. That is me and anyone who know me will tell you I am not lying. Whether it is fighting for my kids’ rights at school, a friend at work or the phone company for adding unfair charges to my bill, I am deserving of that name the White/Native American woman in Dances With Wolves was given. “Stands with Fist” Yep, that’s me.
Evolving every second of every day-sometimes a few steps back, but I am running to keep up!
Faithful. My friends know this and those who don’t understand don’t really know me as well as they should. 🙂
Girl- I love it when my husband calls me this. It is an endearment that is ours and I don’t take it in any way negatively.
Hopelessly romantic. Not in the “bring me roses and by me diamonds” kind of way. But in the way of “take my face in your hands, brush my hair from my eyes and kiss the tip of my nose” kind of way. Yep, that curls my toes.
Independent-fiercely so. Don’t ever tell me I can’t do something. It just does not compute. I once had a very unique director where I work tell me in a going away card that he envied me my sense of fierce independence. It was a compliment I always remember.
Jacks!- I love to play Jacks. I could only bring minimal things with me on this move and one of the games I chose was a set of vintage Jacks with a ball cos I knew we would have tile floors and I could play. Darn, now I want to go play! haha. We always played with my sisters when I was young. Such fun.
Kindness is a treasure. I have had some very lovely kind hearted friends and I try my best to be the same for others. It is a virtue that is worthy of emulation.
Laughter is indeed the best medicine. It is no cliche’. If you can’t laugh, I don’t know how one can live. It is like a tonic for my soul and I try to find the humor in most situations. I thank my Dad for that. He always taught me to laugh at myself first and when others teased me it didn’t matter so much.
Money. I wish with all sincerity I didn’t need it. It is indeed the root of all evil and I am by no means a traditional religious person. The want of money, the abuse of its power and the tragedy of keeping people hostage due to the lack of it is our great sin as a society.
Nose. I used to wish I could have a nose job because I always thought my nose too big. Then one day an in law said she was jealous of my nose because it was long and straight while hers was fat. Since then I never think about it.
Open book. That is pretty much me. I am willing to share 99% of my life’s experiences because I think that is what we are all here for. Our experiences are meant to prepare us for the day that we can relate to someone going through a similar situation and offer support.
Peacekeeper. I don’t like to be at odds with anyone and I used to always take the blame in arguments just so it would end. I no longer do that but I still work to make peace wherever I go. Unless I am in a defiant mood! haha!
Quiet. I love spending time alone. I have no trouble being with just my own thoughts or being alone with nature. It is in those times that I am able to hear the voice of the Creator and that is when I know I am truly never alone in the way that matters.
Read. I love, love to read and always have. From my first preteen Nancy Drew books to Virginia Dare, the first biography that I ever read, I knew books were a magical device that could transport and transform me to anywhere and anyone I wanted to be.
Stubborn. And that’s all I am going to say about that. 
Tenacious. I see something that needs doing and will go at it until someone proves it cannot be done. Not to be confused with confidence. I am often lacking in that. But once the shields are down, I am on the mission to completion and will have fun doing it!
Unafraid. Mostly I am these days, but I work to remove fear from every aspect of my existence; for I believe Fear to be the opposite of Love and that all things born of fear turn to works of transgression and error.
Vintage. I like to think of my soul this way. I love things of the past and would love to slip into a time machine to visit different ages of long ago, sip tea in an English garden, walk through French gardens, look at vast untamed Irish lands and feel a true pioneer spirit.
Wistful. For the things that might have been and I could not accomplish. I never feel regret for it does no good. We choose and we go on. But some things I know could have been much sweeter.
Xylophone because it is the only word I ever use for X and I always made sure my boys had one when they were little! ha.
You. Because if you weren’t visiting my blog, if you weren’t looking at me, if you weren’t by my side, there would be no reason for me to express myself. Thank you.
Zephyr is my very favorite ride at the mini fairs that always come to town. Going round and round with music blaring in my ears and the world whirring by in a colorful blur makes my body tingle and my heart happy, happy, happy!
Thank you Jennifer for this award. Janey, you are up next and I thank you here right now. This weekend, my friend.
And speaking of Janey, you, my dear(I know, I know) are first up on my list because you are the most enthusiastic blogger I know.
Janey at https://cupidorcats.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/owl-make-you-smile/
She has a brilliant sense of humor, even in the face of life’s challenges. This is a link to one of her most recent posts.
http://authorshonique.wordpress.com/ My good friend Author Shonique, who is about to release a well needed book of loving words for those who feel alone, abandoned and confused. The title is I Am Not Listening but Tell Me Anyway. Check her out also at @IAmNotListenin on Twitter.
I know you don’t have a lot of time my friend. I just like this award for you because it is really a lot of them-enough for everyone. :))
Sharukh Bamboat at http://indiadestinationsblog.wordpress.com/hire-freelance-writing-services
He writes wonderful content about travel in his homeland of India. His posts are colorful, honest and full of helpful tips for tourists about where to-and where not to-visit in India. He also writes about film and music in his country. Take a look for an entirely new perspective on the beautiful country of India.
http://ajwrites57.blogspot.com/ Here the talented and wonderfully funny A Long shares his beautiful and creative poetry. He is about as diverse a poet as I have met on google+ and he is also a great ambassador for all of us struggling writers out there, sharing our words and our works. Keep going pal! I love your style.
Lastly, but by no means are there an end to the wonderful, deserving bloggers out there. I simply must move on. I will bring more to the table when I get to the “other” award.
Here is a blogger who is inspired, uplifting and a true humanitarian in spirit. She is also a beautiful poet and fantastic photographer. Do go by and check out her fantastic blog at http://herladypinkrose.wordpress.com/about/
I wish you all a wonderful weekend. I will leave you with a bit of beauty. :))
Tropical Affair 