Brenda is my first :)

I have been blogging for a little over a year now, with a little more frequency and intention than when I first started, but still. It started out with just a handful of friends and family members reluctantly reading my blog, mostly to score some brownie points. The bulk of the time it was just me, with my thoughts, in front of my computer, figuring out what I wanted to say, who I was and what I wanted to contribute. On the occasion of my first blogiversary (it is too a real word), I briefly wrote about what it meant for me to undertake this solo journey (you can read about it here).

So you can understand how a lonely experience like blogging can be totally validated when a fellow blogger picks you as an award recipient. Yes, it's a silly award. I didn't do much to earn it. I won't be getting anything else for it other than this cute little badge, which, coincidentally happens to match the color scheme of my own blog... But I don't feel silly at all accepting it, in fact, I am positively beaming. That tends to happen when someone sends happy thoughts my way. I'll take it any day!

While not entirely sure about the protocol of receiving and "bestowing it forward" (thanks Brenda for the tip), here's my attempt to not screw this one completely. It will always be very special to me. It is my first.
So please be gentle :)

I would like to thank Brenda Youngerman (Ponderings of an author, I love that tag line) for giving the Sunshine Award to me. She is a prolific author, excellent blogger, and of course, has impeccable taste in friends (She must... I am one!!! she said).
You can check out her answers and the other recipients at Sunshine Award. 


And here are mine:

Favorite color?  Grey, as evidenced by my grey car and grey house. Don't ask me to pick a color, if you don't want grey as an answer. Even my first post as a blogger was about grey.
Favorite Animal? Why, Douglas (Douggy-Woggy) my chichuahua, of course. If in general, then a horse.
Favorite number? 9. There was this boy, there was a jersey number, it stuck.
Favorite non-alcoholic drink? Coffee, cappuccino to be exact.
Facebook or Twitter? Both.
My passion? Never wasting an opportunity to learn something new.
Getting or giving presents? Argh, they are both too much pressure.
Favorite Pattern? Solid. I'm a minimalist who likes clean, clear lines.
Favorite day of week? Thursday.
Favorite flower? White roses. My nieces have been given ample instructions to make sure I have them at my funeral. And in case they forget, they can always refer to this post :)

Feel free to play along. I'm always interested in why people pick their favorites, so feel free to expand your answers.


And here are my picks for recipients. This was hard to do, because I know so many fantastic bloggers/blogs, and I'm sure if I had a whole day to write this, I'd still be listing them.

• Hilary at Feeling Beachie ... I have a huge girl-crush on her and I love her hopping games.
• Heather at Creative Family Moments... She is amazingly creative and her family is a hoot.
• Denine at Words & music 365... She has an uncanny knack for spotting the most interesting stories.
• Suzi at Boca Frau... Sunshine is a word that describes her perfectly, in my mind. Great eye for photos, too.

and last but not least

• Karen at Karen Lynn whom I mostly follow on BlogHer, but also on Flickr, and Facebook, and Twitter, and Words With Friends, and the rest of the interwebz... She brings sunshine to my life in so many ways, I won't know where to start. My "purse sister"! I want to grow old with this woman. Norman, you old poop, don't make me choose between her and you, you might not like the answer.

Needless to say, what started out as a lonely experience turned into the wildest party I've ever attended. How about you: Whom would you nominate? Why?