When I found out the other morning
that I’d been nominated for a blog award, I realized it was just what I needed.
Catsby—the kitty who appeared on our doorstep just two years ago—has been sick. The
nice thing about adopting a senior kitty is that he arrived neutered and
declawed, and with very nice manners. The bad thing about adopting a senior kitty
is…this. Just the other day I was thinking how much I’ve grown to love the
little guy. If you can spare a prayer for his comfort and ease, we’d sure appreciate it.
So this award has been a bright
spot, as is the blogger who was kind and thoughtful enough to nominate me, Lisa Ricard Claro of Writing in the Buff. I’ve been a fan of hers since I first happened across her blog,
oh, years ago now. She is a fierce spirit who captures that combination of strength and grace and warmth for which the
quintessential Southern woman is known. Add to that her own brands of wit, wisdom, and cleverness, and she never fails to inspire me in the most delightful ways. Her
posts make me think, but she adds deft touches of humor while never, ever
allowing those naked truths to approach the bad kind of naked. In fact, they
never cease to be art.
On to the Very Inspiring Blogger
Award! The rules are these:
• Display the award on your
blog
• Link back to the person who
nominated you
• State 7 things about
yourself
• Nominate 3 bloggers (I guess
it was originally 15, but Lisa changed it and so am I), link to them, and
notify them about their nominations.
- The day before I was
born, my mother—who apparently couldn’t see over her giant baby bump—tripped
on the dog dish and broke her leg. It was after her due date, so when they took
her to the hospital no one knew whether to put her on the maternity floor
or the one for breaks. They couldn’t give her the pain medication
necessary to set the leg, so they put her in traction and left her there,
and then later discovered they couldn’t get her in the door to delivery
because of the traction-contraption. When they gave her a spinal for the
delivery, she was so overcome with relief that she flopped back and set
her own leg.
- There’s a congratulatory
card tucked into my baby book that says, “At least it wasn’t two broken
legs and twins.”
- Supposedly my name means
“trouble.”
- Almost majored in earth
science in college because it’s hard to make a living as a writer, and I did
major in psychology for the first couple of years before switching to
English. Have possibly spent more of my life trying not to be a writer
than trying to be one. It’s just that every time I get away from it, I
seem to be drawn back in.
- Okay, I admit it: I’m a Downton Abbey fan. But now that
this season just got over for those of us in the U.S., I’ve been awarded a
new Sunday night love: The Last Man
on Earth. I don’t want to
like it, and I’m probably the only middle aged woman in the world who
considers what is practically the antithesis of Downton Abbey to be a welcome
replacement for the show, but so far (only two episodes in), I love it.
Only don’t tell anyone, or they’ll cancel the show the way they do most of
my favorites.
- I’m a little creeped out
by beards. I know it's weird, and heck, my own son has one, but still.
- For some reason I attract:
small children, large dogs, and the guy with the phlegmy cough on the bus
who wants to tell me his life story.
Librarians love me—or maybe they love everyone and I’m just taking
it too personally—and so do the clinically insane. Also spiders love me,
or maybe hate me as I seem to get more spider bites than other people do. Oh, and I also attract men
with beards.
Lisa Ricard Claro’s revised rules state that I need to
nominate three bloggers. So I hereby nominate these women who always seem to
inspire me:
- Lynn Obermoeller of Present Letters. I don’t know if she will accept the award, but I do know
she just had an anniversary, so stop by and wish her well. Multitalented
Lynn is a critiquer extraordinaire who inspires me often with her
disarming honesty, her unwavering spirituality, and her writing that
positively soars on wings.
- Donna Volkennant of Donna's Book Pub. Donna is
a polished professional and a lovely human being. It doesn’t matter if I’m
reading her work or meeting her at a writers’ group—I am always left feeling
as if I’ve been in the presence of greatness. She truly is as gracious as
she is talented and vice versa. Wow.
- Pat Wahler of Critter Alley. I don’t think
Pat accepts awards, and I respect that. I’m nominating her anyway because
I think of her blog as an inspiring treat. It has a clear, focused brand,
top-quality pictures, and short, pithy prose. I don’t know her well, but
every time I’ve talked to her, I leave thinking that she, too, has her own
grace and style. She also just got published in Sasee. Congratulations,
Pat!
But the thing you
don’t realize is that there’s good naked and bad naked. Naked hair brushing,
good. Naked crouching, bad.
~Seinfeld, The Apology, 1997
