I’m having fun… and an award

I have been reading blogs for a couple of years- I started out with Pioneer Woman, then added The Reluctant Entertainer, The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor, To Love, Honor, and Vacuum, Hoe and Shovel, and of course the spiritual wisdom from my old longtime friend, Juliana at SimplyJuliana.

Juliana was a strong Christian even back in high school. Now I was a Christian- but a strong one? Did everyone I meet see Christ in my life? I’m not so sure. It’s easy for a mature woman to take a stand, but the older I get, (I seem to be saying that a lot lately *sigh*) the more I admire Juliana for her strong Christian witness for as long as I’ve known her.

Even though we both live in the town where we graduated, we did not stay in touch regularly until Facebook, but since then, we’ve made up for lost time, sharing prayers and requests. She even says I was instrumental in her starting her blog! She just has always been able to pull out Scripture and wisdom in any situation I needed, at the drop of a hat. So I’m really glad she’s writing and sharing it with a larger audience. She also encouraged me to start Auntie Em, and she’s nominated me for a Reader Appreciation Award! It’s sort of like an Academy Award *rolls eyes*, nominated by your peers- and then I get to nominate the blogs that I particularly love.  Thank you Juliana!

It’s been really fun (all 3 days of it lol) because, as you know, one of Auntie Em’s rules in the guide for life is to EXAMINE YOURSELF. When you write, you have to really think things out, and come up with things you might not have in normal life. For instance: My younger daughter, whom Auntie Em calls “Sunshine”, has always brightened rooms whenever she walks in. People have always said it- it’s just that obvious. She is strikingly beautiful (may I say that?), with dark blue eyes, blonde hair, and very fair skin. We always say Sunshine brings the party with her. She was very easy to name.

My older girl, Sis, is much more subdued than Sunshine. Auntie Em was trying to come up with an appropriate name for her so I began thinking- what has she been in my life? Help. Calmness. Stability. Joy. She was the child that I learned to mother with. I thought, “What a wonderful mother I must be!” when she rarely cried, and was so sweet-natured and easy to care for. (Then I had another child and realized that it was more about HER than ME!) Her teachers always said what a wonderful student she was. I find myself using the word “always” to describe her often- always a hard worker, always self-motivated, always helpful, always dependable. She lived at home until she got married, after college for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and while many times I would advise against that, I was happy to have her here because she made my life so much easier. (She too is very beautiful!)

Therefore (as the Apostle Paul so eloquently says when summing up what he’s said before, to come to the point), because of writing Auntie Em, I talked to Sis about her blog name, and said all these things to her, which otherwise I might not have. It was a good conversation to have.

So your assignment for today, my dears: Think about someone who has made a positive difference in your life– a teacher? Child, parent, sibling? Friend? Think about HOW, and be specific. Then tell them. You know- give them their flowers while they’re alive, instead of waiting to send them to the funeral.

So here are my award nominees.

1. The Pioneer Woman – recipes, funny and heartfelt “confessions”, beautiful photography, and now a show on the Food Network.

2. The Reluctant Entertainer – Sandy writes about overcoming your perfectionism, getting over your excuses and reasons not to get together with friends, and to JUST DO IT! To someone who thinks things to death, and is much better at PLANNING than DOING, her blog really hits home.

3. The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor – In case you don’t know, “sartorial” has to do with clothes and dressing. I have always loved the royal highnesses and majesties, especially the British ones, but I’ve discovered the Belgian, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish, and Norwegian ones too, as well as other “serenes”. And did I mention the JEWELS??

4. To Love, Honor, and Vacuum – Shelia writes about marriage and — dare I say it?– sex, from a Christian perspective. She is forthright but tasteful and talks about a lot of things that SHOULD be being taught in churches, but many times are not. Christians need to hear this message in the right context, not leave it to network TV.

5. Hoe and Shovel – Meems writes about her garden in Florida. Oh. My. Goodness. Such beauty. And and environment similar to mine, so I draw a lot of inspiration from her.

Please accept this award with my thanks for the inspiration you have given me! And follow these directions.

1. Add a picture of the award to your blog post.

2. Thank the blogger who nominated you and include a link to their blog.

3. Nominate 5-10 other Bloggers and inform those selected that they have been nominated.

And don’t forget your homework! Turn it in, right in the comments section!

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