A Lovely Blog Award (Warning: Gushing)

Do you know that for as long as I have been writing this blog (my fledgling posts are here), in over five years, I have never won an award of any kind, in fact, until about a year ago I was pretty much certain that no-one, except for a handful of good friends, read my blog. I'd eye other blogs, with their awards and ribbons and accolades, enviously. I would think to myself, resolutely, I'm not doing this for the awards, dammit. But, gosh, it would be nice to have just one.

Well, my dreams have come true! And like a ninny, I didn't notice until now. The lovely Aurora who writes A Life Reclaimed has given me A Lovely Blog award, along with Helena Halme, What Katy Did Next, Everybody Says Don't and Liberty London Girl, and I have to say, without gushing, that I'm utterly thrilled. It's a wonderful start to a Tuesday morning. Thank you, Aurora.

The Maharishi has just pointed out that the One Lovely Blog Award could use a redesign,
but I think that's just sour grapes (and his job...)

Now, apparently, it is for me to nominate five bloggers that I love for the same award. This is a tremendously onerous task. The blog world has welcomed me with open arms and I have met so many wonderful writers & bloggers here and through Twitter, that to choose only five is very difficult. Many of the blogs I love are listed in the column on the right. And I discover new ones each day. But one has to choose just five. So here goes. Drum roll please.

• 43rd Year -- a new blog from my friend Mrs L, who, it must be said, has taken to blogging like a duck to water. Beautifully written posts about being a new wife and stepmother while holding down a high-powered job in the belly of Hollywood.
• What Would Katharine Hepburn Do? -- a writer and editor and baker of excellent brownies muses on life, literature and the empty nest as her daughter goes to college.
• North Stoke, a magpie's miscellany -- this blog notices the flora and fauna of England, the trees, the rivers, the mysteries and megaliths and the underlying magic of my homeland.
• Backwards in High Heels -- Tania Kindersley's exquisitely written, funny & provocative blog. Do also check out her four day writing seminar. Oh, and her potatoes squished with basil and garlic. Good stuff.
• Liberty London Girl -- I would be remiss in not mentioning this blog which is for me the glue that binds so many of my favorite bloggers together. LLG is primarily a fashion writer, but that would be rather like saying that Thoreau was fond of camping.
  

I know it's not the Oscars, but I would also like to thank every other wonderful blogger and Twitter friend for bringing me in to this lovely, warm community. It feels nothing like Hollywood, where I spent most of my working life. People are really nice out there. (With apologies to Sally Field).