d at my house, and it needs attention, too. And I want to keep blogging, as well. How to get everything done??Late Monday night I was working on my last post to ensure it got done in time for the April Garden Bloggers Day and decided to check a few of my favorite blogs before finally going to bed. To my surprise, my friend Beckie of Dragonflycorner gave me this award. Thank you, Beckie! However, I am sure I don't deserve it and that Beckie gave it to me just because we have been best friends for years. I just celebrated my one-month anniversary of blogging last week and still have so much to learn (like how to move photos around or eliminating all those darned spaces that Blogger seems to put in where I don't want them).
Last week when I published my "Rainy Day Blues" post, I think I was feeling a little inadequate after viewing so many wonderful blogs with beautiful photos. So it's time for some true confessions:
1. I have flowerbeds, not a huge garden like many other bloggers.
2. I don't take very good pictures, especially close-ups. I was thrilled to get a new Sony Cybershot camera for Christmas, and it takes great photos of my grandkids. However, it doesn't zoom very far, so photos of moving objects, like birds, are almost impossible to take (see my pathetic attempt to take a photo of a cardinal below). I have discovered recently, though, that it does pay to read the manual first.
3. I am, as my header says, a novice gardener. I do not know the genus names of plants. Up until a few years ago, I couldn't have told you the difference between an echinacea and a rubedeckia, just that one was a pink flower and the other one yellow. So this is not the place to come for gardening advice. (But if you want to give me advice, I will certainly welcome it.)
But enough with the self-deprecating talk (I may not know much about gardening, but I do have a pretty good vocabulary!). The object of the award is to pass it along to ten other blogs that you consider excellent. This presents another problem. Since Beckie is the one who started me reading blogs, I read many of the same blogs as she, and she has already nominated many of the blogs I would have recommended. For example, Cheryl of My Wildlife Sanctuary is one I regularly read, and I think of Cheryl as a good friend now. She always comes to visit me and leaves such kind words of encouragement. Beckie suggested one day I visit Mary of Mary's View, and now I read her regularly as well. Besides her beautiful close-up photos of birds, she is witty and makes me laugh. Then there are the "master" bloggers who post almost every day and share an amazing wealth of gardening knowledge, like Jodi of Bloomingwriter or Carol of May Dreams. I won't mention other names for fear I'll leave someone out, but the problem is all of these have certainly won the Excellence in Blogging Award some time ago.
So, if you will forgive me, I am going to nominate only two blogs for this award. (I intended to make it three, but I just discovered Joey of The Village Voice has already won this award. If you haven't visited her, she takes stunning photographs.) So....drum roll please....my nominations for Excellent Blogs are:
1. Moments from Suburbia--She captures moments in everyday life and writes about them in such a witty way. I am often laughing out loud after reading her posts.
2. Vegplotting--another UK blog I enjoy. She shares the obstacles of trying to garden in the city and writes about a variety of topics, usually in a humorous way. Besides, her cats are adorable.
Congratulations to the two of you! Now you get to choose who you would like to nominate. The rules are that when you receive the award, you should pass it on to 10 other nominees (or you can break the rules, like me, and pass it on to however many you choose). Then leave a comment on their site to pick up their award.
Thanks, Beckie, for nominating me. I do appreciate it despite all my reservations. Now I guess I'll have to work harder to earn this award. (The first step will be learning how to take better photos than this one.)
In addition to that award, last week Suburbia gave me the "good chat" award. Thank you! I must say I am flattered by this one, too; I like the idea of a blog being like a good chat with a friend. I'm not sure about whether I am supposed to pass this one on, so for now I'll wait to nominate anyone until I hear from her.
And there's more...earlier this week, Suburbia "tagged" me for a meme.
However, it's a beautiful day outside and I want to take advantage of it, so I think I'll postpone the meme for another day.
Happy Spring, everyone!
Wise advice from Toby: "Chill out. Enjoy the day."
Shall I tell you something about blogs Rose, they are all taken a bit too seriously. For me it is just a record of what I do in my garden, and the wildlife that visits. If people read it and comment, I am honoured, but I will always have my favourites. The ones who visit regularly, always comment, and whose blogs show a true reflection of them. I like the way that you are honest. If things go wrong you say, I like that. Photos, ok we all appreciate a work of art, but we don't need that to tell the story. Don't change Rose, I would miss the real you.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on both your awards, you deserve them.
Thanks for your kind words once again, Cheryl. If you had known me for a long time, you would know that I get easily "stressed-out," but so much of that is self-imposed. In too many ways I am a perfectionist who almost always falls short of perfection.
ReplyDeleteRetirement has helped a great deal in easing my stress. I'm working on the self-imposed standards; my best defense is to laugh at myself.
And believe me, I laugh often!
Rose I have so much to say!
ReplyDeleteFirstly thanks for my award. I may not be able to find 10 people to pass it to but will try a few!
Thanks for explaning 'nightcrawlers'! Such a vivid name, big worms yuck!
Also is your cat a burman? I used to have 2 burmans. One blue (Jazzy), a little like yours and one(Monty, who was just a character and a half) he was chocolate. I still miss them.
That is a great picture of a cardinal. We don't get those here, he is an amazing colour.
Hope your upcoming get togethers are great fun!
Suburbia
Rose - thank you so much! And congratulations on your award - not bad for a blogging newbie who was down on herself so much the other day eh! :)
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know - I've already been awarded this one this week and have a post scheduled for tomorrow whilst I'm away. I can't go in to change it to thank you as well as this causes all kinds of problems in Blogger - it's a new feature that still has some bugs to be ironed out. So I'd like to thank you properly in a new post when I'm back from hols. Is that OK?
Just picking up on your conversation here with Cheryl. Don't go for perfection, just be you. I started to beat myself up the same way when I started blogging last November, then I gave myself a good talking to and starting writing the kind of things I want to read. The fact that so many of you seem to enjoy it too is a real bonus! Remember if we all went for writing the 'best blog' all but 1 of us would be failures, there'd just be 1 blog to view and the world would be a less interesting place!
Rose, you know I didn't nominate you because we are friends...I really like what you share with us!
ReplyDeleteGee, does Cheryl, Suburbia, and Vp's advice sound familiar!?? Pretty much the same thing I have been telling you for..(I won't tell how many years if you don't)
I like your cardinal. And your close ups are really getting good. Now isn't this blogging like having a cup of coffee and chatting with friends?
Suburbia, Glad I could help you out on the nightcrawlers. LOL
ReplyDeleteAs for Toby, I'm not sure what he is. My daughter rescued him several years ago from an apartment full of college football players who were mistreating him.
I always thought he was part Siamese because of his blue eyes. But he is white with gray markings and has longer hair than a Siamese.
VP, I'm glad you have already gotten this award--obviously I'm not the only one who enjoys your blog!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks so much for the pep talk. I like the idea about only one blog being #1--very profound.
You're not only a poet, but a philosopher!
Beckie, Yes, yes, you're right. (And I won't tell how many years either.) You know me...
Chatting over coffee--I'm going to remember that. Of course, our chats usually turn into a couple hours, and I find once I start writing a post, I can't stop! Maybe I'll think of it as writing in installments.
Thanks for the nice comments about my blog. I'd say if your camera takes good pictures of your grandkids, it is the best camera for you! You'll enjoy those far more than any picture of a bird or a flower.
ReplyDeleteCarol, May Dreams Gardens