Kay gets by with being outspokenly outspoken about everything that drives her batty in retirement, medical care, and modern politics, and her audience loves her for it. Darlene writes long, thoughtful posts about serious topics and laces her communication schedule through with light and fun. I can never complain as well as Kay. People think she's dead right and hysterically funny--they just think I'm embarrassing. Darlene makes those of us who are still way younger than her look like doddering foofs when it comes to expressing complicated matters simply and directly--at at length, too. And she sends out the funniest Maxines!!
Kay's and Darlene's awardees have to pick ten things that make us happy, and then we have to nominate ten more bloggers for the award.
(And after that, we're supposed to have a good, stiff drink and practice throwing tomatoes at pictures of politicians from Texas, Wyoming, Ohio, and Arizona--or the state of our choice. I pick Minnesota, North Dakota, Virginia, and Nebraska. Also Montana.)
Anyway, here are ten things that make me happy:
1. Trees
2. Dandelions
3. My bicycle
4. Grandma Carew's recipe for chocolate chip cookies
5. My children, grandchildren, nieces & nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews
6. Flying to Paris overnight
7. WIFI
8. Pictures of the Obama family
9. Safeway
10. My Mac
And, as every recipient of this award has said, "This is the hardest part"--Here are the ten bloggers I nominate for this award. I'm pretty sure most of them will not give this a moment's thought, but I have to tell the world how much I enjoy their blogs:
1. Peggy of Lazy Gardener
2. Esther of Ishtar News
3. Sherwood of SherWords
4. Antonia of Whoopee
5. The Prince of Prince of Petworth
6. Claude of Photoblogging in Paris
7. Susan V from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
8. Susan M from Major Reader
9. Peteykins from Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog (scroll down to Wednesday, March 24)
10. Naomi from A Little Red Hen
Thanks, all. While three-fourths of Xtreme English's readers today are in the US, and another good chunk come from the UK and Canada, intriguing small numbers have visited recently from Germany, France, Egypt, Australia, the Netherlands, India, Finland, Philippines, Chile, Hungary, Ireland, Argentina, Czech Republic, Russian Federation, Turks & Caicos Islands, Turkey, South Africa, Mongolia, Luxembourg, Singapore, Columbia, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Dominican Republic, Greece, Malta, Europe (??), United Arab Republic, Norway, Romania, New Zealand, and Pakistan. My most popular posts are a curious mix: "La Petite Godin" (about our woodburning stove in Iowa), "Hell explained by a chemistry student," "Deaf operated KFC in Cairo," "Pivetta Muir Trail" (about my favorite hiking boots--also Peggy's), "Michael Pollan's 12 Short Food Rules," and "Tuna hotdish." And you thought it was my scintillating commentary on current events all along? Ha.
Awwwwwwwwwww shucks!!!!! Thanks for your kind words!!!! I just rant about things that make me go "Duh?" (And my mother wanted me to be a nice polite lady who wouldn't say you-know-what if she had a mouthful!) Silly me -- I just want the world to make sense!
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, Darlene is the best!!!!
And yeah, so are you!!!!!
hey...go check out princess sparkle pony's blog...the wensday 3/24 post...haw...you'll love it.
ReplyDeleteMy good golly; I am so humbled by your kind words in accepting the award. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteKay and I seem to be on the same wave link and duplicated some of our list without knowing it. We are both lucky to have you for a sweet friend.
You really do have an International following. I only have several from India, Canada, Ireland, England, Germany and Australia.
Traveling is broadening and so is blogging.
i'm the lucky one, darlene...with blogging friends like you gurlz. and all of my favorite bloggers. it was hard to pick just ten, but some of those who aren't on there now got the last award, so they can wait for the next one. :)
ReplyDeletei love blogging, don't you?
Thanks, M.E! That's so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAwww! I am stunned, most particularly because I don't call posting a photo occasionally blogging any more. I still read other people's blogs but am sort of burnt out as far as blogging is concerned.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
Yay for Darlene & Kay--& ME of Xtreme.
ReplyDeleteI hardly read blogs at all--But like all the good books I don't read either, I value them LOTS--And I do occasionally indulge.
What I like about the complaints--Darlene's & ME's is not only the words but the subjects. You know what's important.
And let's give a cheer for earnest moms who didn't entirely kill us! Maybe this is the biggest success of motherhood.
Cat
I will have a look at all those blogs that I don't know. I already read Little Red Hen, and love it. I always like finding new blogs. Thanks, Xtreme.
ReplyDeleteComing from you, I'm humbled! So nice to know you think my blog is worthy. You've opened my eyes to lots of wonderful things - thanks!!
ReplyDeleteThe D.N.
Thanks Ma! You've always been a loyal reader, even when the output is a bit thin on the ground. You have been my prime target from the start.
ReplyDeleteI began blogging so that I could include my stateside family and friends in the little things that go on over here.
Dandelions make you happy?
ReplyDeleteIf you are not a rabbit, then I think you must be a nut.
cat: mothers are a sorry lot.
ReplyDelete20th century: you were one of the finalists, actually. but the relatives crowded you out.
peggy: my baby...i've missed you like crazy, but i'll never complain, knowing how happy you are. i adore all the homely stuff about your blog. it puts me back in your kitchen with a cup of strong black tea & sugar.
duchess: i never said i wasn't a nut, so you can drop that. dandelions DO make me happy. i adore them. they bloom every week of the year in these parts, and when you're tired and lonely, and there's a fookin dandelion smiling up at you through the fookin snow, that's comforting.
oops...missed esther and claude
ReplyDeleteesther: the award is for sweetness, i think (mad, hysterical laughter). nobody who knows me would ever call me sweet. i'm too much of a battleaxe.
claude: a picture is worth 1000 words!!! i adore your photos, and i look forward to every one, no matter how long it has to incubate.
ugh...missed the two sues, too :)
ReplyDeleteSueV: you have wonderful recipes and beautiful photos of them. (SueV's comment came via email)
SueM: don't forget who helped teach you how to read!!!
I like the ten things that make you happy, especially flying to Paris overnight. I also like dandelions, but the greens, which I make into a great salad with hard boiled eggs. Your picture of the pale mauve flower buds is quote nice.
ReplyDeletevagabonde...yes! dandelion greens and dandelion wine and dandelion root tea...all of it.
ReplyDeletem.e., many thanks for including me, then letting me off the hook about doing the listing something i've never been good doing.
ReplyDeletewhat impresses me in the list is the range of places of your readers. quite amazing! also, after being puzzled about your most recent move, i've realized that you and i are companions in a certain sort of restlessness. which is a good thing and stimulates new stuff.
love, naomi