Day 81. Joining the Award Sisterhood

What a surprise it was to be nominated for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award and the Tell Me About Yourself Award, particularly since it has been over a month since I have written.  Forgive me, readers.  I will explain in a future entry.

My friend, phenomenal writer and blogger, Michele Berger of The Practice of Creativity  was kind enough to nominate me for these awards, and I am so honored to receive such a distinction, particularly from a writer I so admire.  If you don’t know about Michele’s blog, please make sure you read several entries and subscribe. She interviews writers from various genres as well as writes her own excellent entries.  When I see her blog come in, I stop everything to read it, and prepare to take notes, because I always learn something.  So, thanks to Michele.  

The terms of the nomination require nominees to link back to nominator (as above) and to write the following:  Seven things you should know about me, and then to nominate seven bloggers worthy of the awards. Read on for more excitement.  I’ll be back to posting more this week, Girl Scout’s honor.

Seven Things You Should Know About Me

1. I love electrical storms.  They change the electrical charge of the atmosphere and inspire creativity.  Sometimes the best writing, the best sex, or just the best sleep happens on a stormy night. Like tonight!
2. I once ran a sewing machine needle all the way through my index finger, right through the center of my fingernail. I was nine years old, at my grandparents’ house working on a quilt. My grandfather was downstairs working at the crossword puzzle. I knew if I told him it happened I wouldn’t be allowed to sew on the machine anymore. So I just breathed slowly and backed the needle out of my finger.
3. One of my favorite things to do, if not my supreme favorite thing to do in my world, is to hang out with my two nephews.  My oldest nephew and I like to stay up into the wee hours and watch TV. I will watch whatever he likes; at the moment it’s King of the Hill, American Dad, and Family Guy. My job is to interpret all the sex and drug humor. To a fourteen year-old. Oy.
4. We lived in Costa Rica in 1976, when I was in sixth grade. Our school was the very liberal, 1970’s-style English-speaking Costa Rica Academy. My brother and I worked the whole first semester to earn our way into the Spanish class taught by Milagro, where the native speakers were.  It took us until after Christmas, but miraculously we did it.
5. I just learned I have pulmonary emboli on my right lung.  If it’s not one fatal illness, it’s another, right?  Oddly, I am generally at peace at this diagnosis—even though I have a cough right now.  I have too much to do, to think about, to occupy my mind to let it bother me.
6. My handwriting has always been terrible.  Though I have long, deceptively graceful appearing fingers, my hands just never could grasp the pencil properly to make the pencil move in the way I want it.  My first grade teacher, Mrs. Leydon, was hip to that right away.  She had the class save Green Stamps to buy me a typewriter.  When I got it, I sat in the back writing stories, while they practiced writing their ABCs.  That seemed to work out well for me.
7. I’m a strict vegetarian (that’s vegan, friends), but I sin on butter. I just have to have it. Apologies to the cows: cholesterol is the least of my worries.

Seven Bloggers You Should Know

I have chosen to award the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award and the Tell Me About Yourself Award to the following outstanding bloggers:

1. 21^st Century Housewife – http://twenty-firstcenturyhousewife.blogspot.com/ I love this blog because it is the insightful, clever, kind writing that makes me feel good and makes me think at the same time, every time I read it. Her profiles of family members (“the tall one” or “the ballerina” or “the soldier” or “Uncle Doctor” or “my fairy godsister” — who I think is me!  What a delightful title.  That, dear readers has nothing to do with my awarding her these awards.  Rather, it is her wonderful writing skills.  She has created a great family blog, with characters we want to come back and follow.  Interestingly, she also has her own genre. This is not your “Sally Homemaker Blog.”  A college professor writes it with an analytical eye, but at the same someone who is a lot of fun is at the helm…so expect to be funned.
2. Superhero Lunchbox at http://superherolunchbox.blogspot.com/ is written by an immensely talented writer (of blogs, comedy, television soap operas, serial comedies, and the like, who should write more, more, more).  Her postings are in the form of personal essays on whatever topic that strikes her, which means they will strike us too. She is a rare truth teller in the world.  If more people knew of her, she would be president.
3. Eloquent Scientist for Water Literacy + at http://eloquentscientist.com/ Written by a true genius, this blog translates science-ese to language we can read, so that we can follow what is happening in a serious situation with the planet’s water supply that we might call “the big thirst.”  Consider that no new water has been made since the earth was formed; then you have to begin to think, Eloquent Scientist explains, about how carefully the water you’re drinking has been recycled. Wow:  suddenly science becomes relevant and very interesting.  Not to miss!
4. Ana Lydic for Confessions of a Recovering Analytaholic http://analytaholic.wordpress.com/ Ana Lydic is “taking imperfect action and living outside of her head,” which means that in her blog, she writes delightful essays about her slightly compulsive ways. In a recent post, she agonizes over the possible meaning over the crushed fortune cookie at the bottom of the bag of her Chinese dinner—could it mean her future is broken? Destroyed? Clearly not. Yet although she is almost home, entering the safety of her apartment is not an option; she must turn around, walk all the way back to the restaurant, and ask for a replacement. When she gets it home, she is shocked to find the cookie is—albeit whole—, like a Zen koan, a single hand clapping, empty, void of a fortune.
5. Chronic Pain Survivor http://chronicpainsurvivor.wordpress.com/ – Her tag line is “Living life with chronic pain and making the most of each day!”  This young woman has a fantastic attitude about confronting a horrific illness, pudendal neuralgia.  In just a few minutes, she can go from feeling just fine to requiring an ambulance because she is screaming from the pain.  Just having to sit and wait a few unplanned minutes can cause that.  Imagine the suffering.  Her blog is a great read for anyone who endures chronic pain or an invisible illness, particularly those of us who want to learn how to do it with a sunny disposition. In fact, she’s a great read for anyone, because life isn’t easy for anyone, and she’s just a damn fine example of grace.
6. Brain Injury Self Rehabilitation – http://braininjuryselfrehabilitation.com/ Edie is a certified rehabilitation nurse, who is highly trained with a BsN who founded The Caring Children’s Program in 1991.  She specialized her studies in trauma in children; it was in the practice of her job when a violent patient attacked her, causing her to fall on her head.  It didn’t seem at the time as though a traumatic injury had occurred, so her employer, and her medical providers, did not provide her with the proper medical care.  The result was that Edie ended up having a hemorrhage that resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury, that has caused permanent damage.  She writes a phenomenal blog that tells about the small steps she takes to live—but she is very positive, and frequently she writes about the humorous situations that occur as a result of living with an invisible disability, and they DO occur! In addition, Edie’s blog has a great deal of practical information for Chronic Pain patients to aid them in living safely.
7. Tickalongnice – http://tickalongnice.wordpress.com/ This is a lovely blog of a young woman who has a congenital heart disease, whose heart, clearly is ticking along nicely, in every sense of the word.  Since her lifestyle is considerably limited by where she can go, and how quickly, she inspires me with the energy she displays by keeping a garden and going out at night—and generally being clever and cheeky.

Goooooo writing sisterhood!