Passing Along A Bit of Lovely

Last week, a wonderful blogger whose icon is a ladybug delivered a LOVELY BLOG AWARD to me.

Patricia is the woman behind the ladybug, and she has become a delightful supporter of my creative endeavors. Her blog – patriciaswisdom.com – exposes her spiritual side, her recipes for joy, and her love of carrots. (And you may feel quite envious, by the way, when you learn about what she gets to look at while she eats those carrots!) You should visit her. (I don’t mean in person, of course, though based on what I’ve read about her physical environment, I certainly wouldn’t turn down an invitation!)

Anyway, as the recipient of this Lovely Blog Award, I was asked to do a few things. One of them is to link you to some worthy bloggers. Although I am supposed to provide 15 links, that request overwhelms me. I tend to take responsibilities – particularly those I am not paid for – quite seriously. I didn’t want to just toss out the names/sites of the first 15 bloggers who crossed my mind. So, I decided I’d shoot for five.

I also tend to take words seriously. And the word “lovely” really resonated with me. (So much so, in fact, that if my criteria for “loveliness” had been applied to Patricia’s choices, I’m not sure I’d have made the cut!) So… I thought “lovely.” And then I just sat there. Awaiting the arrival of some ideas. I also decided that whichever ideas arrived would have to make another cut: these bloggers would need to have shown me more words than imagery. I didn’t want to compare words to pictures or vice versa, and since I tend to default to words, I felt I could speak more adequately about word-oriented blogs.

That being said, here are five writers I’ve targeted for

~ ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD ~

Deb Shucka: Her mastery of the language and her capacity to discover metaphor – in nature and elsewhere – amaze me. I invariably head to the comment arena thinking, “Beautiful!” – only to see that several others have already shared that word. Her prose is poetry in motion. A resident of the Pacific Northwest, Deb gently embraces her readers with her enchanting gift. I never tire of it.

Sam Liu: This 15-year-old from Liverpool gives me hope for the future. Wise beyond his years, he is equally comfortable and engaging whether sharing a profound poem or a personal account of his experiences in a local theatre company. When I get a positive comment from Sam, I feel validated. (So, Sam, where were you 32 years ago when I started this venture in writing? Never mind. It’s an obviously rhetorical question!)

Deborah J. Barker: Another wonderful Brit in the blogosphere, Deborah will take you on a boat, into a fabric store, or to the park with her dogs. And when she does, you will be there. You will see everything she sees and feel everything she feels – clearly. Her descriptive style is remarkable, and going along on the ride with her is a consistently relaxing (and often amusing) pleasure.

Claudia Schlottman: “CJ” is probably the most visceral writer I’ve come across in the blogosphere. A widow since June of ’09 and a nurse whose calling is evident, she never shies from sharing her feelings and her personal processes. Whether through honest prose or eloquent poetry, she extends her heart into cyberspace and immediately feels like a friend. She hails from Macon, Georgia – which, occasionally, has a middle name that children should not hear.

Lora Neely: “Fever” is the appropriate title of Lora’s blog. And that word makes me think of Peggy Lee’s sensuous sounds. And jazz. That’s the type of writing you’ll find on this site. Lora’s narrative style is often reminiscent of musical riffing, and it can go deep. “Fever” posts can make you feel as if you’re in a cyberspace speakeasy. Rhythms, candor, and sometimes a wicked sense of humor take center stage when this resident of Philadelphia hits the keyboard.

Please visit these amazing writers if you have not done so already.

As for my message to you, you amazing writers? I am supposed to copy here the criteria for “accepting” your award.

1) Borrow some baubles from Harry Winston.
2) Prepare your talking points for when the E! folks throw a microphone in your face.
3) Rent a limo.
4) Show up in time for the televised red-carpet bullshit.

Oh, jeez, sorry… Totally wrong list!

Following are the official criteria (and see why I don’t consider myself “lovely” all the time?!):

1) Announce the award, including the name of the person who gave it to you and a link to her/his website. (Note, my instructions said “Post the award,” but I didn’t find a button to copy. Hence, the lack of iconography accompanying this post!)
2) Pass the award on to 15 blogs that you have newly discovered (if possible).
3) Contact the bloggers to notify them they have received the award.

My responsibilities now met, I say: Scroll up. Hit the links. And read some truly awesome writing.

You won’t regret it.

Cheers.