Winning Awards

Both Seeking Solace and post-doc have selected me for the Versatile Blogger Award.  I am thrilled and honored as I have been reading and loving their blogs since I first started this whole blogging business.

As part of the award, I need to list seven things about me.

1. As a child I loved to climb.  I also loved small spaces.  I spent a lot of time cramming myself into the top shelves of the closets in our house.
2. As an adult I've tried rock-climbing in a gym twice.  Both times I was filled with an irrational fear the minute I got off the ground.
3. I hate to shop and prefer to do it, when I have to, online.  When I do go shopping in a store I make very quick decisions.
4. I could drink coffee (decaffeinated these days) all day long.  Coffee and writing go hand-in-hand for me.
5. I write and rewrite my To Do list constantly.
6. The furthest I have traveled has been to South Africa.
7. If I could live anywhere, it would be the Oregon coast.  

The second part of the award is to give it away to 7 other deserving bloggers.  This is the hard part, as I follow so many deserving blogs.  In no particular order they are:

1. giddings
2. Dr. Four Eyes
3. jo(e)
4. MFA Mama
5. anastasia
6. Ianqui
7. Maggie May

One of those Days

• A colleague of b's dropped by the house half an hour early to ride into work with him. I was still in bed and asleep. Nice guy but NOT how I like to start my day.
• b had another flat.
• I was supposed to work at home but had to go in for a "appreciation luncheon" with my Dean, the Provost and the Chancellor. I had been nominated for a school-wide teaching award and they decided to have an event for all of us who did NOT win (aka "Loser's Lunch").*
• The lunch was highly fattening and not very tasty.
• After lunch I worked on my grant a bit and then headed home to work. When I got home I received an email informing me a paper I submitted over NINE months ago was rejected.**
• One of our Netflix DVDs seems to be missing in action. It was supposed to arrive yesterday but nothing yet.
• I was way too tired and cold and full to go to the gym so today is the first day I've skipped in 11 days.
• b's still having problems with his bike so I'm off to pick him up from work.

*I never expected to win and am fine with that....just would have preferred to skip the lunch.

**The reviews themselves weren't bad and could be helpful but the 9 months is painful. Plus one of the reviewers feels there's a fatal flaw with the data...don't know if I agree or how I feel about that.

More Awards

I guess when it rains it pours--although that's a rather negative analogy for such a positive event as receiving an award. This time it is Seeking Solace who has been kind enough to bestow the Proximity Award upon this blog.


"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

I'm not really sure why I am deserving of this award, although I am honored to receive it. I guess I've never seen myself as charming or excessively kind, but I do believe strongly in building relationships, so perhaps that comes through. But now it is my turn to name 8 bloggers that I feel uphold the virtue of Proximity and I am happy to do so:

Julie - Julie could easily have received the inspiration award, as her beautiful poems always inspire me. However Julie is also an exceptionally kind and generous blogger, responding to all comments, checking in on all the blogs she follows and leaving sweet and encouraging comments, and sharing with her readers any poetic tidbits and websites she comes across.
Life Of A Fool - LOF blogs frequently and is also quick to respond to comments. This is something I aspire to, but alas, can never seem to accomplish. LOF's blog always makes you feel welcome.
Soxy Deb - I really can't say enough about my Soxy Deb--wit, beauty, and grace all rolled into one amazing package. In a far shorter time than I've been blogging (which is a blink of the eye), Soxy Deb has built up quite a large and loyal following. You really can't help but love her.
A Soldier's Girl - Her blogging has decreased recently but Nit upholds all the values of the Proximity Award. She is kind, generous and patient.
Adventures of a Bad Ass - Dr. Bad Ass has recently succumbed to Facebook and I'm hoping this award revives her zest for blogging. The blogosphere would definitely suffer if she closed up shop.
Clashing Hats - Hilaire's luck is turning around this year--I can feel it. She has been maintaining close and personal bloggy relations while trying to make a home in Scary City. She is a fighter and very deserving of this award.
Giddings - Life over at Confessions of A Stay At Homo (SAHM) can be challenging but Giddings meets all challenges with grace and dignity. I especially appreciate her new Meditations On Mindful Parenting series.
Minor Revisions - How could I NOT give this award to the lovely Katie? She is taking a brief hiatus from blogging but I'm hopeful she'll be back soon. Her blog is always so warm and inviting. Reading it you truly feel like your sitting snuggled in one of her new large comfy chairs close to the fire with Chienne at your side while the snow builds up and the wind howls outside. Now if only I had a cup of cocoa.

Enjoy your awards folks. I've enjoyed giving them out.

Inspiration

The very inspiring Mel has given me the Inspiration Award (see below). As teachers we all aim to inspire but most of the time I'm afraid we fall short. At least I feel I do. So it was very affirming to be chosen for this particular award and a nice way to start the semester. I will do my best to live up to it both here and in the classroom.

Awards in the blogosphere come with rules and those rules mostly have to do with sharing. The rules as per Mel are:

1. Please put the logo of the award (above) on your blog if you can make it work with your format.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 7 or more blogs.
4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.
   

And without further ado, here are my award recipients:

Dr. Curmudgeon - some of the funniest posts--like laugh out loud when no one is around funny--that I've read have been on The Doctor Isn't. He inspires me to continually work on my cultivating my voice. Unfortunately humor is beyond my reach.
Seeking Solace - Seeking Solace has not only revamped her blog but has changed her name to reflect the new life she and her husband are pursuing. She has shown remarkable strength in leaving a position that seriously undervalued her and now after living in their current location for over 16 years, they are picking up and moving to southern climes --truly inspiring. I can only hope she ends up close to SouthLite, we would love to welcome her here.
PunkinDunk - Nessa, who has upped and moved herself, her partner, and their 4 children to a big cold city recently, inspires me when she posts so openly and sincerely about her children. Then she blows me away with her efforts to remain green in a large city and her bread baking.
Lee - Lee's doodle's always make me think and I'm inspired by anyone who can do that without using a lot of words.
K8 - K8's knowledge of YA literature is very inspiring and she has not only inspired me to read more of it but often inspires me to bake. I just wish the kitty love that goes on in her home would inspire the Brute to be nice to TOC.
Profgrrrrl - Profgrrrrl is inspiring enough as a strong women who knows what she wants and is smart enough to balance her life to get it (and I just love her "Dear Stu Dent" letters), but she has had an awe-inspiring year or so that has included tenure, travel to exotic lands, a wonderful new relationship, marriage and a baby on the way.
Dr. Isis - what is more inspiring than a domestic and laboratory goddess? A domestic and laboratory goddess who walks around in killer shoes.

Awards! Awards!

deb is swelling my head to enormous proportions. She has awarded me my 2nd award and this one is for brilliance--of all things. Here it is:


Like all things bloggy, there are rules. Here they are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Add links to these blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

While nominating 7 bloggers may seem like a daunting task I am blessed with reading many many brilliant blogs (including the divine miss deb). But for today I am nominating:

K8
blue milk
khora
Wayfarer Scientista
Amanda
Dr. Bad Ass
Hilaire

Go forth and continue your brilliant blogging.

Awards Day

The fun and fabulous deb has bestowed upon me the prestigious and lovely Arte y Pico award. I have displayed it in the sidebar for all to admire. This award is for "the best art." She was obviously way off base in honoring me but I love her none-the-less.

As with most things in blogdom, this award comes with rules:

1. Pick 5 blogs that you would like to award this honor to.
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that gave them the award.
4. Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

Having already complied with Rules #3 & 4, I will now commence with the awarding of the said award:

1. Ms Prufrock, who--although currently on vacation in the States--provides weekly musical interludes where I am introduced to new tastes and talents.

2. Julie, a true artist, who's website is filled with the most amazing poems and stories.

3. Calliope, who creates beautiful blog banners and is currently busy creating a little one (or two) inside of her.

4. Katie, who's posts are written as beautiful stories come complete with lovely photos. She too is creating a new life - her own.

5. Psycgirl, who writes brave and honest posts about difficult times and deserves the recognition.