Spreading Sunshine

I’m excited to accept a nomination for the Sunshine Award from Jeny of Running Brook Reflections. I like how Jeny defines the process of giving and receiving blogging awards.

It’s my belief that awarding and receiving these awards help in connecting the blogging community, help in encouraging one another, and help in promoting honor, respect and recognition. Jeny Running Brook

Visit her blog to see why she was nominated for the Sunshine Award.

The Sunshine Award “is an award for bloggers whose blogs are bright and full of life.” I’m delighted to be recognized in this way. Thank you.

Here are the rules for accepting the Sunshine Award:
◾Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
◾List 11 facts about you.
◾Nominate 10 other blogs to receive the award.
◾Announce the nominations to the nominee.

Many of the writers behind the blogs listed below have made conscious choices in crafting their stories. They aren’t just writing a few paragraphs and clicking the publish button. They are writing to entertain, inspire, reflect, and most importantly, to connect with their audiences. Some of the blogs on the list I have been reading/following for awhile. Some I chose because the writing is lively and fun to read. In either case, these are blogs I return to because they brighten my day.

But enough about them. Here are 11 facts about little ol’ me.

1. My favorite time of day is a summer morning.
2. I am a mom, wife, teacher, writer.
3. I didn’t know until I became a parent that parents sneak things, too. Chocolate anyone?
4. The theater major in me stresses out when helping my fourth grader prep her science fair project.
5. I like yoga and volleyball.
6. I am a farm kid.
7. I lose track of time when I “farm” my small vegetable and flower gardens.
8. My dad called the color of my junior prom dress John Deere Green.
9. I proposed to my husband with rings of pasta and bologna.
10. Friends surprised me with the gift of two apple trees after my daughter was born.
11. I went to New Orleans to celebrate turning the big 4-0 and loved it.

And now, the nominees for the Sunshine Award.

Tea Cup Chronicles This writer connects narrative essays with recipes. One of my favorites is a story about why she gave up potatoes.

Butterfly Mind On her About page, this writer says she wants to be “authentic, and be her best self.” She writes about parenthood, literature, and being human. I connected greatly to her latest post “Tiny Buddha.”

Nonsense to Mom’s Sense (of Humor) This comedian/writer/speaker tells tales about being a mom to two talented musicians, going on first dates, attending movie festivals, being accident prone, and most recently, naming her Wi-Fi.

Looking for the Sweet Spot This blog was one of the first I followed when I landed at WordPress. If you’re from the Midwest and in need of a giggle, check out her post “You Deserve A Wave Today.”

IA Soup Mama Though she is a long-time writer/blogger, I just discovered Soup: Midwestern Mama Cooking Up Life in the Heartland and her post “Red Dress” a few weeks ago on the Yeah Write grid.

Finding Our Spirit This Reiki Master wrote an interesting series of posts based on the book E Squared by Pam Grout. She writes about parenthood and her quest to find the spiritual in everyday life.

Funny Sweet Chocolate His recent post on sneezing concludes with a lovely tribute to his wife. His post “Ice: The Nearer Your Destination, The More You’re Slip-Sliding Away” had a few memorable lines I have to share here:

Snow is what normally falls out of the sky in winter. Snow is cold but soft and fluffy. If you fall on snow, it’s no big deal. Throwing snowballs at a friend is fun, safe and good exercise. … Ice is granite-hard and very, very non-fluffy. If you fall on ice, it’s no surprise if you break a leg or a hip or a cellphone or die. Throwing ice at a friend is assault and you’ll serve prison time for it!

Rarasaur Visit her bright and lively blog where “frightfully wonderful things happen.”

This Man’s Journey The blog of a father who writes about his “past, present, and dreams for the future.”

Becky Says Things Becky (and the Stickman) present laugh-out-loud commentary on customer service, being cheerful, giving up booze, and the “toils of being a grown up.”  This blog was Freshly Pressed this week.

Thank you all for your wonderful work.