Awards: Cherry on Top/Versatile Blogger

I've been privileged to receive a couple of awards from other bloggers over the past few weeks. Msfitzita at Certainly Not Cool Enough to Blog sent me this lovely Cherry on Top Award, while Rebecca at A Long & Winding Road was kind enough to bestow the Versatile Blogger Award on me!

Thank you, Msfitzita & Rebecca! : )

Cherry on Top Award: Here are the rules: Link back to the person who awarded you, and then pick five blogs to pass the award along to. Make sure to comment on the awarded blogs so they know they’ve been picked.

The Versatile Blogger: Here's how this works:

~Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
~Share 7 things about yourself.
~Pass the award along to 7 other bloggers who you think know are fabulous, inspiring and beautiful!

In my books, you are all fabulous, inspiring & beautiful, so consider yourselves tagged! (Yes, I know it's a cop-out, but I have gone long enough without acknowledging the senders, & have been finding it hard to pick 12 blogs to single out, lol. And I'll be publishing a couple of memes in the next week or so that I'm sure will fulfill the sharing requirement.) ; )

Thanks again!

Award: Happiness Today, Hope Tomorrow

Miss Ruby was kind enough to pass along an award to me recently... here are the rules, just as she posted them:

all you have to do is

put that picture
yup that one up there
on your blog

and

blog about one thing you're happy about
right now
and
one thing that you're hoping for in the future

you acknowledge something that's making you smile right now
and
also putting out there that you have hope for thing
one amazing thing
to happen in the future for you
to bring you even more happiness!

oh
and
then
you have to pass this award on
to
anyone who you believe would benefit from
looking at their surroundings, their life now
and
finding happiness in it!

One thing I'm happy about right now: Dh & I are going on vacation soon! & it will be the first vacation of more than three or four days that we've taken in a very long time where we haven't stayed at home, gone "home" (out west) to visit my family, or travelled somewhere with my family.

I know some people think that's weird... but for the first several years we were first married, we only had two or three weeks of vacation each. A week at Christmas, a week or two in the summer, maybe my mom would come here to visit for a week, & there goes the vacation time. Most of his immediate & extended family all live in this area so we don't have to travel to see them; all of mine are back west. (I don't think people who live within an easy drive from their families and get to see them often really understand or appreciate the implications that living far away from your family has for your vacation time.)

When you come from a large(r) family, siblings can take turns spending time with Mom & Dad. I am one of only two children (& neither of us has kids). There's not a lot of us to share the guilt, lol. So I feel sort of obligated to spend time with my parents.

But it's not just a matter of obligation. I LIKE my parents. I WANT to spend time with my parents. I like spending time at "home" (even though it's not a house or town that I grew up in, it's Mom & Dad and many of the old familiar things).

In a few more years, I will probably HAVE to spend more time with my parents, as they get older & need more assistance.

But believe me -- as much as I enjoy spending time with my family, I am VERY much looking forward to spending some time just with dh, exploring new places. I've always wanted to travel more -- here in Canada & elsewhere -- & for a variety of reasons, we haven't. We're at the point in our careers where we've both built up lots of vacation entitlement -- we have some money. I'm so glad we are finally starting to do it!

I promise to tell you more about it when we get back!

One thing I'm hoping for in the future: (Besides good weather on our vacation, lol.) More of the same, once we are finally able to retire (& time is not so much of an issue). Just lots of time to travel to some of the places we've always wanted to go, & see & experience new things together.

I'm passing this award along to: anyone who reads this. Who among us couldn't benefit from taking a good look at our life right now & finding happiness in it?

Mommyblogger me (??!!)

In my heart of hearts, I know I am a mother. It's just hard sometimes to remember that or to feel that way sometimes, when the rest of the world -- even when they know my story -- doesn't seem to see it that way.

That's why I'm always so grateful when other people acknowledge that, yes, I am a mother too, even if you don't see me pushing a stroller or sitting on the sidelines of my daughter's soccer game or chaperoning a school field trip.

And that's one reason why Melissa totally rocks -- because she understands, & because she's made it her mission to get more people whose lives might not have been directly touched by pregnancy loss &/or infertility to understand too.

Melissa e-mailed me last night -- as Katie's "anniversary" weekend was ending -- to tell me that she'd nominated me for Parenting.com's list of "Must-Read Moms," which was released at the BlogHer convention in New York last weekend. Not only was I nominated, "The Road Less Travelled" was named to the supplementary list of "More Must Reads." On page 15, to be exact.

To say I was flattered would be an understatement. Flabbergasted is more like it, lol. I'm always thrilled whenever one of my posts makes Melissa's Friday roundup. Recognition from your peers (in the ALI blogging community) is so incredibly special. But to be recognized outside that community -- to have the opportunity to open some minds & perhaps get people to consider a different perspective -- to be recognized by non-deadbabymamas as a mother -- well, that's pretty special too.

It was even better when I clicked through the list today & saw the wonderful company I was in -- some familiar names included Lori (who made the top 10!), Calliope, Angie, Ali Edwards (a scrapbooker I greatly admire) & even the great Dooce. In fact, we saw a story about her on PBS's Need to Know earlier in the day. I had to dissuade dh from the notion that this means I will be earning $40,000 a month from blogging now like she does, lol.

Lots of new blogs to explore, too. One thing that struck me as I clicked through the list was how great some of these blogs LOOK, before I ever even read a word. (Needless to say, I'm glad I recently switched my template from Basic Blogger to something with a touch more pizzazz, lol.)

Thank you, Mel. Thank you thank you thank you.

Thank you, Parenting.com, and thank you, BlogHer.

I am deeply, deeply honoured.

(Very) belated thanks are in order...

I'm still dealing with the fallout of getting behind on all things blog-related (reading, writing and commenting) during the Olympics. (insert red-faced icon here) During that time, back in mid-February (two months ago now!!), I was honoured with not just one but two awards from two lovely bloggers! And now, I can finally get rid of the yellow Post-It note that's been stuck to my computer by thanking them!

I'm not going to pass these along right now, but I did want to acknowledge receiving them. : ) Feel free to do the memes yourself if the fancy strikes you (& let me know if you do!).

First, many thanks to Emily at Apron Strings for Emily, who gave me this "Beautiful Blogger Award." Emily & her dh recently made the difficult decision to continue living childfree. Within the past year, they also pulled up stakes & moved to a new city. Most recently, Emily completed an awesome triple-header blogging feat: (1) she posted every single day for 64 days, beginning in February and ending at Easter, (2) she performed one random act of kindness every day during Lent, and documented it in her blog, and (3) also during Lent, she wrote about one thing every day that she was thankful for. (She also recently moved to self-hosting her newly redesigned blog!) I am in awe of her accomplishments!!

Here are the rules that go with this award:

• Thank the per­son who nom­i­nated you for this award. (Done.)
• Copy the award and place it in your blog. (Done.)
• Link the per­son who nom­i­nated you for this award. (Done.)
• Tell us 7 inter­est­ing things about you. (See below.)
• Nom­i­nate 7 bloggers. (See above.)
• Post the links to the 7 blog­gers you nominate. (Ditto.)

I've done a few of these types of memes before so I hope I'm not repeating myself too much!! OK, 7 (more) things about me:

1) I am known around the office as the Grammar & Spelling Lady. I even get calls from other departments asking for advice. I don't claim to know it all, but I usually know where to look things up quickly to provide a ruling. (I credit my journalism school profs, who drilled the Canadian Press Stylebook and Caps & Spelling into our heads, & docked us marks for errors)(misspelling a proper name got you an automatic zero on the assignment). My pet peeves are corporate jargon of all kinds (it's an uphill battle...!), the overuse of sports metaphors in business communication, & the trend to using nouns as verbs (e.g., impact, medal, podium).

2) I have a mirror in my desk drawer at work that my mom gave me for Christmas when I was in Grade 8. (I won't tell you how long ago THAT was...!) It has "You're Gorgeous" (!) lettered on it at the bottom in a 70s-style font, lol. I used to keep it in my locker at school for touch-ups. It is falling out of its plastic frame, the little tab that made it stand up has long since broken off, & it's chipped around the edges, but I love having it around. It's a link to my mom, to the young girl I once was and to the life I led back then.

3) I recently got bitten by the spring cleaning bug. We took four garbage bags full of clothing, shoes & purses to the Goodwill dropoff box two weekends ago (some of it was dh's stuff), & last weekend, we just about burned out the paper shredder. We had a huge bag full of shredded paper (old bills, statements, etc.) to set out on recycling day!

4) I love getting dressed up now & then, & wearing pretty dresses -- but there are so few places to wear them these days, with the possible exception of weddings (which are also getting more & more casual, it seems). Well, we do have a couple of weddings coming up, and I found a dress at Winners to wear (see photo). Best of all: the price tag: $39.99!!!

5) We are thinking about a trip to Prince Edward Island &/or Nova Scotia to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary this summer. I was in Halifax on business 13 years ago in November & loved it. I figured I would love it even more in June or September, lol.

6) Sometimes I think about everything that I need &/or want to get accomplished this summer, & it makes my head spin.

7) I've gotten into the habit lately of eating yogurt just about every night as a snack -- Activia fat-free. My favourite flavour is strawberry.

*** *** ***

The second honour I received, right around the same time, came from Dot/Sweet Pea at Hopes and Dreams for Us. Dot has also been trying on childfree living for size (although, excitingly, the "A" word came up in a recent post!) while, at the same time, downsizing herself through a successful weight loss program. She has a positive attitude & resilient spirit that is truly inspirational. Thank you, Dot!

The rules for this award:

List 10 things that make you happy and then pass it along to 10 other blogs!

1) My dh. : )

2) Curling up under a cozy blanket while the rain pounds outside.

3) Seeing the tulips and daffodils coming up outside -- it's (finally!) spring!

4) Likewise -- being able to go outside with just a spring jacket over my clothes. No heavy winter coat, no boots, no hat & scarf weighing me down.

5) The Beatles. A Beatles song never fails to put a smile on my face!

6) Spending time with my family.

7) Our two tall, handsome nephews (& looking at pictures of them when they were adorable little boys -- not that long ago...!!).

8) Going to the movies (& getting a big tub of popcorn to eat -- preferably hot & freshly popped!).

9) Getting together with old friends & feeling like nothing has changed since the last time you saw them, even if it was actually years ago.

10) Piles of brightly coloured T-shirts at the Gap (I always want to buy them all!).

LOVE getting awards! ; )

The lovely Dot/Sweet Pea at Hopes & Dreams for Us was kind enough to bestow an award on me last week. Here's how it goes:

All we need is a little LOVE! The rules for this award is simple. 
I LOVE YOU = 8 letters which gives you 8 rules :)
Here are the rules:


1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and write a little bit about why you love them.

I already thanked Dot on her blog, but am happy to thank her again here. : ) I believe I found her blog a few months ago, when I noticed her on my list of followers. I learned that she too has taken the difficult step of stopping IF treatment & trying to live without children. Her upbeat, positive attitude & pleasure in the good things about her childfree life is a huge inspiration.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (See above)

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.


(See hyperlinks above.)

4. Nominate no more than 17 people you think could use some love.


5. Write one word (you can only use a word once) about what you love about their blog.


6. You cannot nominate someone who has already been nominated-the love has to spread to all.

7. Post links to the 17 blogs you nominate.

Like Dot, I will nominate 5! I don't believe any of them have been nominated for this yet. I also tried to pick people that I haven't tagged for an award before (or at least, not lately, lol):

1. Heather @ Rising & Setting: perseverance

2. Mrs. Spit @ Mrs. Spit Spouts Off: eloquence

3. Silya @ A Real Life: intelligence

4. Quiet Dreams @ Dreaming of Quiet Places: courage

5. Luna @ Life From Here: Musings from the Edge: thoughfulness

8. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated.

(I will, as soon as I hit "publish," lol.)

Thank you, again!

Thank you x3

I've been tagged with not just one, not just two, but THREE awards over the past little while from kind readers.

First, one from Rebecca of Into the Light Again. I haven't done this meme before & it looked like fun, so here it is:

Here are the rules:
1. you can only use one word!
2. pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers
3. alert them that you have given them this award!
4. have fun!


The Fun Part:

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your hair? short
3. your mother? whirlwind
4. Your father? steady
5. Your favorite food? pasta
6. Your dream last night? unremembered
7. Your favorite drink? tea
8. Your dream/goal? retirement!
9. What room are you in? "office"
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? near-retired : ) (do hyphenated words count as one?)
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren't? assertive
15. Muffins? cornmeal
16. Wish list item? time
17. Where did you grow up? Manitoba
18. Last thing you did? TV
19. What are you wearing? sweats
20. Your TV? Sony
21. Your pets? none
22. Friends? loyal
23. Your life? good
24. Your mood? happy
25. Missing someone? always
26. Vehicle? Camry
27. Something you're not wearing? bra ; )
28. Your favorite store? Chapters
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? tonight
31. Last time you cried? a week ago?
32. Your best friend? dh
33. One place that I go to over and over? Starbucks ; )
34. One person who emails me regularly? Mom
35. Favorite place to eat? Montana's

*** *** ***

HC of May I Say Something nominated me for the "Kreativ Blogger Award" because she likes the articles, books & news that I highlight here. I'm not sure just how truly creative that makes me ; ) but I thank her for the honour!

The rules for the award:

1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Done.)
2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (Done.)
3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award. (Done)
4) Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6) Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7) Leave a comment on each.

Seven Things that People May Not Know About Me:

1. I'm a skincare/makeup junkie. My favourite brands include Clinique, Estee Lauder & Prescriptives -- which, sadly, is being discontinued as of January 31, 2010. (Needless to say, I have been stocking up...!) I am a complete sucker for gift-with-purchase promotions.

2. Oddly enough, although I have literally dozens of lipsticks, I tend to put some on in the morning & never remember to reapply it during the day.

3. I line up the milk cartons in the fridge with the plastic spouts facing the same way (right).

4. My LPs, cassette tapes & CDs are all filed alphabetically. (Yes, I still have all my LPs and cassettes).

5. The first album I ever got (along with a record player -- a joint Christmas gift to me & my sister) was the "Mary Poppins" soundtrack. (I can still sing all the songs.)

6. We did a stage version of "Mary Poppins" when I was in high school. I got to be Mrs. Banks (Jane & Michael's mother) & sing "Sister Suffragette."

7. The second album was a present for my 6th birthday, shortly after Christmas. It was "The Best of Herman's Hermits, Vol. II." My mother had taken me not long before that to see a Herman's Hermits movie & my best friend's older sister had one of their records. (I still have it.)

*** *** ***


And finally, Illanare of My Words Fly Up nominated me for the Honest Scrap award. I did receive this award from another blogger earlier this year, but I thank her just the same!

The rules are that you reveal 10 things not previously known about you, and pass along the award to others (number not specified).

So here are (another!) 10 things about me that you may or may not have already known (I'm starting to run out of things to list, lol):

1. Other stage roles in school productions (referring to Mrs. Banks, above) included Auntie Em and Gloria (a character not in the movie) in "The Wizard of Oz," and Josie Pye in a non-musical version of "Anne of Green Gables."

2. I played alto saxophone in our school band. And for a long time, I was the only girl saxophonist. (I was Lisa Simpson long before there was Lisa Simpson, lol.)

3. I learned to read when I was 4 (& haven't stopped since!).

4. When I was in Grade 1, they were still using Dick & Jane readers

5. I bought my first computer in 1996. (It was replace by the one I'm using right now in 2003. Almost time for a new one, I think....)

6. When I was in high school and a (gulp) Bay City Rollers fan, I had something like 100 penpals. All at once. Needless to say, most of those relationships didn't last very long (some just one exchange of letters.) This was pre-Internet, of course, so everything was written longhand & sent through the mail. My sister & our friends used to "compete" to see who had the most penpals & from where. Penpals from outside Canada & the U.S. were the most prestigious, and a penpal from Scotland was like gold.

7. I am still in touch with one penpal from those days, from New Zealand. We have been writing each other for more than 30 years, although these days, it's mostly just at Christmastime. At one time, we used to exchange letters that were 20, 40, 50 pages & longer. (Again, all written longhand, sometimes over a period of weeks....!)

8. I think I like blogging & message boards because it reminds me of those days...!

9. I tend to be a bit of a packrat. I find it very hard to throw things away. Once in awhile, though, I will get a burst of energy/inspiration, & two hours later you'll find me in the middle of a closet with piles of stuff in garbage bags around me.

10. Dh is the opposite, & it's probably one of the main sources of conflict in our marriage. (His mother threw out his high school yearbooks, for crying out loud.)

Thank you for your kindness. While I am breaking some of the rules, I'm not going to pass these on right now -- since that would mean coming up with well over a dozen names (!) & linking to them -- & I am just too darned tired right now. ; ) (Which is NOT to say I don't know a dozen awesome bloggers!) But feel free to use any of these memes in your own blogs if you like.