Tuesday, January 3, 2012

A Retrospective, An Award, and a Baton to Pass


2011. What a year! Last January I had no more idea of starting a blog than I had of sprouting wings and learning to fly - but the second seems to have followed upon the first, and I've flown all around the virtual world in the last 9 months: making new friends, learning new things, admiring, marvelling, commenting (often at too great a length), being inspired, connecting.

Why start a blog? For me, the surface reason was a severe cutback in (paid) work hours, resulting in idle hands and mind seeking a creative outlet. Beneath that was the desire to give back some of what I'd been enjoying for so long from others: recipes, patterns, tips - the free and generous exchange of ideas. And so Mr. Micawber's Recipe for Happiness was born, and became so much more than I ever dreamed it could.

As iron sharpens iron, the rubbing of so many virtual elbows and the contact with so many talented minds sparked my creativity, and I found myself doing things I had never done before (or done but rarely): composing haiku, designing crochet, writing. Writing! How much fun it was, and still is, to sit down and pour out my thoughts like seeds; to water and hoe and weed the words; to thin and pinch back and leave only what is best, hoping that in the end a pleasant posy of ideas or some wholesome dish of the mind might result, to the enjoyment and benefit of all. What a joy it's all been, and how the year has flown.

Back in November (B.C. or Before Christmas, which now seems part of the dim and distant past), Annie of Knitsofacto very kindly bestowed upon me a Versatile Blogger Award - which lovely button has since been decorating my sidebar.

On the topic of blog awards, I can do no better than to quote Annie's excellent words:

"Contentious things, blog awards, not welcomed by some.
Validation arriving hand in hand with obligation. The obligation
to post a response that might require you to dance to another's tune,
the obligation to pass the obligation on."

With the award (thank you again, Annie!) came the option to "bin it, merely bask in the glory for a while and move on, or bestow it upon others you believe to be worthy...."

Basking done, it's time now for bestowal. Many of the bloggers I most admire have already won this or similar awards, but here are six talented women I simply must honour:

Anne at Andamento
Astri at Apple Blossom Dreams
Deb at Snowcatcher
Ginnie at Becoming
Lolly at This Domestic Life and Look for a Lovely Thing
Regula at Babajezas Wundertüte

Crocheters, cyclists, poets, cooks; knitters, photographers and patient dreamers; all amazingly talented and creative; all (again amazingly) my friends, thanks to their own generous natures and the cobweb magic of computers.

Ladies, I salute you. Take the button (or not) as you please. Wear it, pass it on, or decline if you prefer - the choice is yours. Thank you for all that you do and give.


And a Happy New Year to everyone!

P.S. Previous bloggers have, upon acknowledgement of this Award, indulged in the revelation of a few personal idiosyncrasies. While the practice is not mandatory, it seems to add to the general mirth. So here are some of my own quirks:

I like to drink my hot tea out of a pint glass jar. (Like C.S. Lewis, I can never get a cup of tea large enough to suit me.)

I crochet in public. Who wouldn't?

I carry a stash of New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles in my purse, against times of tedium while travelling or standing in line. (And for the times I forget to bring crocheting along.)

I have never sent or received a text message, and couldn't tweet to save my life. (My pay-as-you-go cell phone only gets turned on when I travel. I like being unreachable for large chunks of time.)

Although I love flowers, I can't bear to pick them. (But I gladly accept bouquets from others.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

13 comments:

  1. Congratulations again, well-deserved, and thank you for those tidbits about you. The more and more I find out about you, the more I think we may have been twins separated at birth! Except for the crossword puzzles. I'm always too busy knitting or crocheting. :)

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  2. Thank you, Sue! I'm so glad we are in the same circle - it's been a pleasure reading what you have to share, learning new things, being touched by your reminiscences, haikus, and beautiful images. You are a blessing to so many of us!

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  3. Isn't the World Of Blogging grand?!? Yes, of course it is. :-) Continue on with Joy!!!

    "It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."
    - Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

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  4. Oh Sue, I love you so much. (((big hugs)))

    You're just the most talented and sweetest, most supportive person I've ever met and so congratulations on receiving the Versatile Blogger award. You deserve it.

    And I knew you when your blog was just started. And now look at it! Holy Smokes! I am so impressed.

    I am humbled and honored to receive "The Versatile Blogger" award too. Thank you for thinking of me.

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  5. Thank you Sue, I'm really touched! I have to say you do leave the best comments - no such thing as too great a length there. Long may you continue...

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  6. Congratulations! A Peanut to you! :)

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  7. It was a no brainer really Sue, you are one of the most versatile bloggers I know ... a writer who crochets, a cook who cycles, and a poet who dreams :) And how could a comment ever be too long!

    Keep doing what you do my bloggy friend, the world is richer for it :)

    And congratulations to the newly crowned :) Regula and Ginnie's lovely blogs I know but that still leaves four new-to-me blogs to visit, how exciting!

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  8. My heart is warmed, Sue. I always feel a little lift in my day when I see that you've posted something, and now this...so sweet.

    You are so kind to include me/my blog in this list. I so love Lolly and her blog; so you can imagine my delight to be surrounded by this greatness. Thank you, it feels so good to be included.

    I'm with Annie, I am excited to check out these other blogs, as a matter of fact I think I will do that right now. :-)

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  9. Thank you so much! I really feel honoured.

    If only people knew better here in Switzerland how much fun it is to blog (reading and writing), how inspiring and uplifting, they'd do it more. But for me, this is actually a win because I made so many friends in the English speaking world. :-)

    Thanks again, you've made my day!

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  10. Your writing is a joy to read, your grammar is perfect and you must take the time to read what you have written, since I have never spotted even a spelling mistake. So many bloggers do a slap-dash job that I stop reading them. You are, indeed, a versatile blogger so congratulations for the award.

    Thank you also for five new blogs to read (I already enjoy Andamento's writing). It is nice to know that you can't bear to pick flowers, I am the same.

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  11. Ha, I have a pre-paid cell phone too! I do send text messages though--they are cheaper at 1 minute per than even a quick phone call, which invariably seem to run 1:05, costing double. Happy New Year! Looking forward to more bike rides in 2012.

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  12. Jan. 4th

    Ahhhhhhhh, you are familiar with compounding. In a Pharmacy. Wonderful.

    And yes, we are lucky enough to have both doctors and vets, around here, who do "think outside the box" and are happy to write for such prescriptions. And also, happily, we have people who are willing to pay for such.

    My son would have had to go out of business, if he kept trying to keep filling regular prescriptions, which are *paid for* by Government and Insurance. Which are horribly tardy, in payments.

    Big Drug Store Chains can "swallow a lot of loss," which this process produces. Little independent Drug Stores have to purchase the meds----Gives them to people-----Wait and wait, for Gov./Ins. to pay. The little owner owned pharmacy, can not carry the loss load. And they close....

    Please try to frequent the small independent Drug Store which is still open, near you. Even if things might cost a few pennies more, than in the Big Chains.... Betcha' the "friendly-I-know-my-customers" aspect of the small independent Drug Store, will more than make up for the difference.

    And it is another part of Original Americana, which is dying off. -sigh- Many small neighborhood Grocery Stores have closed. Same with small Hardware Stores. The CHAINS have gobbled up all the customers. -sigh-

    OK, sorry for the rant. :-) But it's a subject, close to my heart, of course.

    Gentle hugs...

    I am not young enough to know everything."
    - Oscar Wilde

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  13. Congratulations, Sue! You are most definitely deserving of such an award, as are all the ladies whose blogs you've linked to. Your blog is a joy to read.

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