Finally, A Tag I Like!!!

Note at 7:50 PM
I apologize that I apparently blocked comments on this post. Not sure what happened, but . . .
The fact that I was gone all day today and didn't catch it til now didn't help. Hope everyone had a good day.

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I am amazed, humbled and about a dozen other emotions rolled together. I've been honored by being tagged by three of my blogger friends for the Thinking Blogger Award. My thanks to Loving Annie, Sandra, and Dawn for their nominations and the kind words they had for me in their blogs. What makes this interesting is that I would tag each of them in return, but it is against the rules. However, I'm still going to remark on each of them, an Honorable Mention, if you will.

Loving Annie tagged me on Sunday. Her blog is What My Heart Knows Inside. Her blog is rather new to me, and in this short time, I've been admiring her for her strength in keeping a positive outlook and believing in herself, and her determination to push through a tough time in her life without letting the past dictate her path. I get the sense that Annie is the kind of person you'd like to have around when you're sipping on a glass of lemonade, because she would add to the calm pleasantness of a cool drink on a hot afternoon. She is a woman to be admired for many reasons.

Sandra from Not That Desperate was the next to send me a tag. I've held Sandra in esteem for several months. Again, the reasons are many, but my top reason for wishing I could nominate Sandra is her love for animals and the fact that she doesn't just sit around whining and waiting for someone to make it right. She is an activist and unwavering champion of our four-legged friends, being a foster parent to homeless and/or abused and neglected animals, rescuing animals at risk, and campaigning for animal rights. Sandra is the kind of woman I want beside me in a crisis for her strength and sense of right.

Then, one of my newest blogging friends, Dawn, tagged me today. Dawns' blog, Be Inspired .... I am! is, well, inspiring! Dawn has a delightfully positive outlook on life, a strong and joyful spirituality, and loves her beautiful family. Her love for the beauty in the world around her is reflected in the pictures on her post. I'll bet if we could meet Dawn, she would be one of those wonderfully happy people, the kind that makes you happy just to be in her presence.

Then there are two that deserve to be mentioned, but are just out of the running at this time. Most of you know my delightful friend 7even. He has shut his blog down for a while because he is devoting time to training for his upcoming competition in the World Track events later this year and needed to be less distracted. Of course, I notice he didn't quit working, nor did he leave his beloved Brown Eyed Girl, so I guess we all know where we stand, but that's another story. 7even has often challenged me to think more deeply than I cared to. He frequently made me laugh, at him, at circumstances, at myself. And he never failed to make me feel as if I mattered, that my thoughts and ideas were worth sharing. Finally he validated my spiritual journey, helping me to know that my life is exactly as I need it to be, and helping me believe in myself. He's been away just days, but I miss him greatly already. Since his blog is down for now, I can't tag him, and that's a shame.

Another person who is on a hiatus is Eileen from Feelings Aloud. I won't tag her since she is not around to pass it on at this time. To know why I find her blog worthy you simply need to read some of the entries. Eileen has often written posts that make me look more closely at myself and my surrounding world. Her gentle manner never fails to make me feel peace.

OK, now my five nominations for the Thinking Award. Oh wait .... first the obligatory instructions:

The Participation Rules Are Simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

My first nominee is Steve over at 3D Poetry. I found Steve's blog a long time ago when he was on his way to New Mexico from Florida. I was fascinated because he was heading where I wanted desperately to be and I was so envious. At first his blog was not really very active, but for some reason I kept going back. I'm so glad I did because he has posted sensitive poetry that challenged my thoughts and my emotional side. Then he began posting some of his art works. Steve's styles in his various forms of expression always challenge me to think with a different part of my brain than I use on a regular basis, always a good thing.

I've enjoyed reading about the challenges of Jenn over at The Upbeat Divorceé. She has survived an incredible divorce experience, and she did it with her humor intact. Well, most of the time, anyway! I'm impressed with Jenn's survival skills and she has made me aware of just how amazingly blessed my life is. I wonder if I would survive a challenging divorce as she did with as much grace. I love the kind of mom Jenn is. She is so right there with that darling little daughter.

Next is Casey from Dancing On The Edge. Again, an awesome mom to her two children, who makes me think about how balancing parenting with the rest of life's tribulations can be a lot of work. Casey is also facing the loss of her mother in the near future. I've been struck with how she manages to be present for her kids at what is probably the worst tie of her life, and she still finds time to visit our blogs and give encouragement for some of us who need it. Casey is obviously a pretty unique person, and reading her blog reminds me that life's challenges and joys are often poured out of the same shaken bag.

Another fairly new blog friend is Pepper from Little House On Wheels. How many of us could just walk out of our everyday lives, get in an RV with our moms and four-legger buddy and set off to see the US? I'm not saying would you want to; I'm saying could you? I really enjoy her posts about where they visit, what they see, the history and people, and I live vicariously through her. She's not just rolling around the country, she is digging into it as she goes. If you want to join the RV caravan and see the US, check out her blog.

I enjoy reading Patti-Cake Land, especially when I need some cheering up and fun. Patti cracks me up with some of her descriptions of her coworkers and the office antics. If nothing else, it makes me really glad that I'm retired. I like that Patti is a dedicated mom to her little girl I'm always inspired by mothers life Patti, Jenn, and Dawn. You know when you read their blogs that they are involved, caring moms, and after 20 years of working with dysfunctional families, it is so reassuring to me to find "functional" ones. Patti is just special in many ways. Check her out for some fun, some tender stories, and things that make you glad you have your work life, not hers.

Finally, there is Fatty at The Notorious F.A.T.T.Y about her that surprises most of us. Her posts are usually thoughtful well beyond her years. At one time Fatty and I talked about how wonderful is the world of the . Fatty was just 17 when I began reading her blog, She's 18 now, but you won't believe it when you read her posts. She has a matureness that is often surprising. Thank goodness for the Internet and blogs, because they allow us to get to know people that we probably wouldn't in the "real" world. She and I have many things that are so different in our lives: 45 years age spread; she is an Australian of Asian descent and I'm an American of typical multinational European background; etc. But we have had many times when all those issues simply evaporated. Fatty makes me think about life today compared to life when I was her age. I'm so glad she came into my blog life.

Oops! That makes six people I just tagged. But if you think I'm taking one back, you don't know me well!!