This awards ceremony might be a bit lengthy, so please sit down, be comfortable and thank you, in advance, for your compassionate patience!

Most of you know what has been happening in my life, thus, I am tardy in accepting several awards, for which I am extremely grateful for…I am going to post the awards, then my nominations at the end…

I received this FIRST award on January 25th:

“Reader Appreciation Award” (No Kidding???)

I hadn’t heard of this award, but thanks to my dear friend and blogging sister, Caddo, http://caddoveil.wordpress.com, I am now a recipient and have truly enjoyed her graceful and humorous writing talent.  She is also known as the Haiku Queen!  Thank you, Caddo!

 

As she wrote, awards are like gifts–they are meant to be a blessing.  Therefore, the “rules” are not legally binding–which means, if you’re not happy to be nominated, please have some mercy and grace for me.  (Caddo didn’t do compliance checks and neither will I!)  “List six nominations.  Link the Award Image back to the one who presented it to you.” But if you can’t manage it, please do not fuss and fret.

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The SECOND award is the Candle Lighter Award, received on February 8th, from my other dear friend, Celeste, celestealluvial.wordpress.com.  She is definitely a candle of grace and heart in this blogging world and sheds loving light on all of her readers.  I am deeply grateful for her to think of me in this light~Thank you, Celeste!

Candle Lighter Award

The Candle Lighter Award is an award for a blog or post that is positive and brings light into the world.

RULES > Whenever you see a blog or post you think brightens the world, give them The Candle Lighter Award. Recipients can accept or decline. What does the recipient have to do > simply accept and nothing more! You can paste this image on your blog, if you wish, and you are done! If you wish to honor someone else with a Candle, pass it on, anytime and as many times and to as many people.

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My THIRD nomination is for Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments & Just Kidding Awards, which was given to me on February 21st!  Dear Caddo nominated me again, and I am so honored she thought of me as “sparkly and humorous!”  She exemplifies sparkles and humor enough for all of us and truly shines light to my world, so Thank you, again, Caddo! 

Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award/Just Kidding Award:

The “Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award” has to do with a woman of the same name, known for being very elegant and having high expectations, and who is committed to maintaining integrity, good manners and behavior, as well as a rich sense of humor.  Well, thank you, Caddo, for considering me for this high honored award!  Now, I must answer 10 Questions “honestly” about myself, as part of my acceptance (rules) of this award, so here we go:

1. Describe yourself in 7 words—

 Grateful, compassionate, nice (sometimes, too nice?), an encourager (just like Caddo), funny, helpful, emotional (so much for 7 words!)

2. What keeps you up at night?

Thinking about life or worrying about things I probably shouldn’t worry about~

3. Who would you like to be?

There are so many wonderful people I admire and love, but I believe we should learn to be comfortable in our own skin.  Sometimes I slip, but most of the time, I’m pretty comfortable~

4. What are you wearing now?

It’s cold out, so jeans and long sleeved t-shirt~  (sorry I didn’t dress for this occasion!)

5. What scares you?

Losing a loved one, freak events in life, clicking the publish button (not too scary, but a little unnerving!)

6. What are the best and worst things about blogging.

I have to agree with Caddo…the Best by far is the incredibly wonderful people I’m meeting—and the opportunity I have everyday to bless and encourage others, and learn from them.  And it’s the closest I’ll likely come to being “published!”

The Worst—the spam comments: I received several rude comments from a gentleman, whose comments I did trash, but they were unnerving, as well.  I haven’t seen him lately, so for that I am grateful.

7. What was the last website you looked at?

Google.com and of course, WordPress.com

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Sometimes, I wish I weren’t so emotional and analytical~

9. Slankets—yes or no?

No Slankets, but am cozy enough with blankets and hubby!  Hee,hee! 

10. Tell us something about the person who tagged you.

Caddo is  compassionate, spiritual, giving, kindhearted, so funny (I love people who make me laugh), and a wonderful, elegant and graceful poet~

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Next is my FOURTH nomination for the “U are it!”  Well, I was tagged on February 24th, by lovely Aliza, http://alizaswindow.wordpress.com. She shares emotions with me and is also a loving soul~Thank you, Aliza, for including me in this fun post!

TAG! You are IT!

This is a fun game where I answer her eleven questions and then I get to ask 11 new questions of my WP friends!

Rules:

1. You must post the rules.
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4. Let them know you’ve tagged them

 

Okay, here are the questions Aliza asked me and I’m going to modify this award, so instead of making up 11 new questions for my friends, I’m going to use these, because I like them!  So, to the bloggers I tag, please answer the same questions below, of course, if you have time, but if you don’t, it’s really okay…this is supposed to be fun, nothing to stress over!

1.  Your nickname? Pie Girl (my hubby calls me this ‘cuz I’m sweet..I know, too mushy?)

2.  The wildest thing that you have ever done?  I was never that wild, a good girl (boring? Not really) but, I remember a time when I drank two Long Island Iced Teas (young and invincible) and drove home.  Very stupid and not smart, because I’m a light weight when it comes to drinking, but needless to say, I’m safe!

3.  Have you found true love in life?  Definitely, married for 23 years and together for 24!

4.  Your special quality?  Kindness

5.  Your most clear memory of your childhood? Going to Disneyland with my best friend, Cindy, many times!  I am a Disney fanatic and we lived 5 minutes away from Mickey and Minnie!

6.  The color which describes you best?  Orange, because of my (most of the time) sunny disposition~

7.  Your favorite movie?  So hard to choose, but one that comes to mind is The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock; wonderful and touching story~

8.  One thing you would like to change about yourself?  Lose 10 lbs 🙂

9.  A song which describes you?  “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze  ♫

10.  Your favorite novel? Again, too many to choose from, so will have to pass on this one~

I’m going to tag 6 favorites of mine, but my list is endless:

http://adamsart.wordpress.com – Deb

http://poeticjourney251.com – PJ

http://cenicitas.com – Nanda

http://juliecatherinevigna.wordpress.com – Julie

http://poeticparfait.wordpress.com – Christy

http://willofheart.wordpress.com – Lane

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST is the Sunshine Blog Appreciation Award and I was given this by my wonderful friend, Deb, http://adamsart.wordpress.com, on February 25th!  Deb brings me much sunshine whenever I visit her blog.  She is a wonderful painter and poet and has two adorable dogs, who also blog!  🙂  Thank you, Deb!

This bright and cheery award comes with another list of questions, so here we go:

• Favorite color:  blue
• Favorite animal: dog
• Favorite number:  5
• Favorite non-alcoholic drink: water and non-fat vanilla lattes
• Facebook or Twitter: Facebook
• My passion:  Writing and Helping others
• Getting or giving presents: Giving is rewarding in itself, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy receiving, too! 🙂
• Favorite pattern: I haven’t thought about this…
• Favorite day of the week: Friday, last day of work week, anticipating the weekend
• Favorite flower:  Alstroemeria from South America

WHEW!  I think this ceremony is coming to an end…but, before I conclude, I have to include that I am unable to pay these awards forward as normally done, so I hope you forgive me (please?).  This is due to time constraints, so instead, please check out my blog roll, any comments made on my posts to find new bloggers or simply take the time to visit new blogs to show your interest and appreciation of new thoughts, writing, art and photography on WordPress…as we do this, awards or no awards, we’re paying “it” forward~

 

Everyone I’ve met has been a blessing to me in more ways than one!  I am thrilled and grateful to be a part of this blogging world, even though, at times, I get behind in responding, visiting and so forth…I’ve enjoyed the emotions I’ve felt from reading other’s awesome writing, the giggles, the tears and the “Awww’s and the sigh’s!”

 

So, again, I apologize for the lengthy post, but I thought this would be better, so thank you to those who continue to support me and have also kept me in your prayers and positive thoughts during this somber month of February!  Blessings and Happy Wishes to you All!

 

Lauren

 

p.s. I sincerely hope I have not made any errors!  🙂