Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A IS FOR AWARD! (Oh no! Not the A to Z again)


"In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy"   — Brother David Steindl-Rast  
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Ok.  So I am weeks late in posting my reflections on the A to Z Challenge 2012. 

To put this Challenge in perspective, let’s just say that from the time I first started putting the proverbial electronic pen to the electronic paper on this Blog in 2008, until the A to Z Challenge started this April, I published 28 total posts.  That’s right, a whopping 28 posts in almost 4 years- a nice leisurely pace.  Going from that pace to 26 posts in 30 days is no easy task.  It’s not called the A to Z Walk in the Park.  It’s called a Challenge for a reason -  and I discovered that reason first hand.   It’s like going from a 5K to a marathon with no training.

But, it was worth every post.  The Challenge introduced me to a whole new world of interesting, talented, kind and diverse writers posting on all kinds of topics from dancing, to road trips, to mental health and to gardening in a Citrus Grove in Australia.  Its humbling and motivating to read what others have written on their blogs and see what kind remarks they left on my posts.  Indeed, it has motivated me to started a new blog to allow me to go off topic and hone my observational and writing skills in a new environment.  I call it View from the Hydrant.  I don’t where it will go, or if it will go at all, but I thought I might give it the old college try.

Now on to more important news:  I RECEIVED AN AWARD!



Imagine my surprise to return to writing on the blog to find one of my new blogging friends has nominated this Blog of ISMS for an award.  "Liebster" in German means dearest, beloved, or favorite, and it is an award given to certain bloggers with under 200 followers!

Now I must fulfill my duties as an award winner:

First, thank the presenter and link back to that person.  That’s easy.  Thank you to Carrie at The Slow Dripped Life for nominating me for this award.  Carrie is a very talented writer with an unbelievably positive outlook on life.  Her optimism and kindness are infectious and I encourage everyone to go read her posts.  Great stuff.  She writes prolifically and be sure not to miss Fridge Poetry Friday – I am addicted to it.

Next, copy and paste the award on your blog:  Booyeah!

Now, the intriguing part: to nominate 5 others.  Here we go:

First, I nominate Amy at From the Mom Cave.  I stumbled upon Amy’s site many months ago when I was preparing my post on that darn Baby Einstein Company (curse you Julie Clark).  It is a must read blog for any parent of a child with Autism.  It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you think, and it will make you admire Amy and her family.  I learned of the A to Z Challenge from Amy’s blog and am very grateful to her for that.

Next, I nominate The Mommy Patient at Doctor’s Orders.  This was one of the first blogs I read as part of the A to Z Challenge and looked forward to reading it every day.  You will have fun going through the past posts, reading the random thoughts and looking at the hilarious photos/artwork. Be sure to check out the early A to Z Posts about dancing.  Great stuff with talented drawings.    Oh, and she is super kind to boot. 

Our next nominee is Jana at Shut the Front Door.  You want some funny real life stories coupled with some seriously off-color humor to get you through the day?  This is where you want you to go.  She speaks in French sometimes – if you know what I mean- so if you don’t have a problem with that – you should definitely add this to your must read list.

Next is Deb at “Annals from a A Citrus Grove in the Suburbs.  What is there not to love about reading about life gardening in Sydney,  Australia? If you even have a little bit of an inkling to cook, grow your own herbs or vegetables or start gardening, I recommend you to follow Deb from the beginning of her journey.

Last, but not least is Horst from Tangents.   Horst was one of the first people I met through A to Z.  He is a brave man who shares his journey with mental health challenges, while at the same time producing beautiful pictures and educational insights.

So there you have it you are now reading an award winning blog!  And now back to your regularly scheduled Autism blogging.

4 comments:

  1. Justin - Oui, I accept your award and am humbled. I promise to keep the smartassy humor going!

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  2. Yay! You're back! :) You and your blog deserve it!!!

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  3. I got so caught up reading all these great blogs you linked, I almost forgot to say "Congratulations!". If I ever received an award and got to nominate another blog for an award, yours would be at the top of my list. Oh, wait, I did just receive an award. Thank YOU! :o) ...can you tell my smiley face is blushing?

    I'm glad you are back. I look forward to a View from the Hydrant, too.

    ps- A pink award with a heart....yay!

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  4. Congratulations on finishing the challenge and on getting the award!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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