Versatile Blogger Recognition

One of my fellow bloggers, JP Brandano, has honored me and 7 others with the Versatile Blogger Award. Jim is a fellow photographer and his work is super sensational! I'll post a link to his blog below. Please visit and leave comments - we all love those.

So, here’s how the award works: I’m supposed to list seven things about myself and then share the award with seven other bloggers. I've listed my 7 award winners below but first, a bit about me. Hmmmm, always tough, why oh why does my mind go blank when asked about myself? I'm stalling for time :D.

Everyone in my life knows Not (capital N) to talk to me until I've had my first cup of morning coffee. Without that first cup things can get ugly fast!
My hubby and I are "of an age". Seniors. Grey hair, a few "laugh crinkles" as I call wrinkles. We walk around holding hands and smiling. People get a kick out of us and I guess think we're cute. We get great service and smiles back most places we go. It's a nice thing.
I ride English style in horse shows. My horse, Mica (registered name Slightly Painted) is a strawberry roan and beautiful. I usually place within the top 3 riders in my age division. We also trail ride in a beautiful 500 acre state forest. Grooming her is a Zen experience for both of us - peaceful and relaxing. I brush, she falls asleep.
Along with photography I paint using acrylics, make collages, pottery and mosaics. I made jewelry for a long time but how many necklaces and earrings can you own or give away? :D With all our Pacific Northwest rain indoor hobbies is a necessity.
Until my mid-50's I ran in 1/2 marathons (I could never get past 18 miles), and rode my bicycle in centuries (100 mile bike rides). I was bummed that I never ran a marathon. I wanted to ride in the Davis Double (California) bike marathon. 200 miles in one day. Never made that one either. Riding a horse is much easier. :D
We live on l.5 acres outside Seattle, Wa with 3 dogs and 3 pygmy goats. Our pygmy goats are our meadow maintenance; they eat all the dandelions. Mica lives at a local stable. It's very peaceful and quiet here. We are surrounded by a variety of fir trees. My favorite is the fragrant cedars.
Summers are spent landscaping with native plants and perennials. We've been here 5 years and our hard work is paying off. We have two decks and are rarely indoors during nice weather.

Oh, and I love to bake and cook! There, 8 items - I never could follow the rules lol.

Now, drum roll please, my 7 Versatile Blogger Award picks.

Here's someone I recently discovered and absolutely love. Sunny Sings the Blues. She writes with humor, pathos and passion about very personal issues. Or, as she puts it, "Cultivating plucky blooms from the fertilizer of grief."

Another fave is Creative Cakes by Saru. The page can be translated from Italian to any other language through Google translator. Her cakes and pasties are truly works of art. Saru includes recipes and photos to help you along. Yum, yummy, yummiest!

Benjamin Heine is an amazing photographer, painter, illustrator, portraitist, and caricaturist. He's a terrifically talented guy and a must see. His blog includes videos of his work including pencil vs camera and digital circlism. Take a look at his flickr site if you like what you see. He shares a link from his blog to his flickr account.

Phew - this is tough! There's so many talented bloggers I like. Okay, on to #4.

As soon as I spotted the following blog I knew I had to subscribe. Erin Is Love: "Reflections on life with the world's best dog, world traveler, therapy dog, church attendee, stage performer and beloved friend." I enjoy following Erin's stories. It's rewarding to read David's recounting of her life.

Wan has been a tremendous help in explaining some of the ins and outs of blogger which has helped me get my blog going. Thank you Wan. Her recipes are delish and easy to follow. Her blog, Cooking Varieties, includes excellent photos of each dish she prepares. She also writes and publishes eCookbooks. Smart lady. If some of the ingredients in her recipes are not available in your area she may be able to give you substitutes if you contact her.

A Kindle In Hong Kong Shannon used to have a love/hate relationship with bookstores. Every time she went into one it made her sad that she didn't have time to read every book that jumped off the shelves. Then she moved to Hong Kong and got a 35 minute commute and a Kindle. Now she's catching up. Her blog is interesting and she includes lovely photos to match her posts. Best of all she reviews books in a very insightful way.

And last but hardly least here is Alida, Blackpurl's Knitpickings. She's an expat journalist living in

Belize

and chronicling her experiences through her blog. She is a missionary to people recovering from alcoholism and/or drug addiction. Alida is also in training to be a Family Intervention Specialist with The Child Development Foundation of Belize. This organization is working to educate the public about the growing problem of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in

Belize

. Her blog is filled with great photos and inspiration. It's very impressive and so is she.

Thank you to Jim Brandano for giving me the Versatile Blogger Award along with his other fave bloggers. Check his blog out and be sure to leave your comments. His photos are beautiful.

Here's a few snapshots of our "family" that you might enjoy: