Tag-Teamed.......

Last week, Anna from Anna's Photo of The Day let me know that she had bestowed on me a "Thinking Blogger Award." Apparently, this is a tag going around in which you choose 5 blogs that you enjoy and that make you think....I felt very honored and humbled by the kind words she said on her post about my blog. Well, lazy blogger that I am, I hadn't gotten around to accepting the Award and posting.... so I just received news from Elise at A Path Made Straight that she had given me the award, also. Needless to say, I was especially shocked and again, humbled, to receive it a second time. So, thank you, Anna and Elise- you both inspire me so much as well....both as mothers, and as creative individuals. If you haven't visited these two amazing ladies, I highly recommend a stop-over at their sites.

So, here I am..... and I must only choose 5...... a very difficult task. Just to note, Anna and Elise would have been on this list if they hadn't already been tagged. So, here it goes.....

1. Fragments From Floyd : If you have been reading my blog for a while, the name Fred First will be familiar to you. His was the first blog I ever read and I discovered it at a time in my life when my "cyber" visits to his front porch on Goose Creek were just what I needed. Writing from his old, white farmhouse in a narrow valley of southwest Virginia, his writings flood me with memories of my childhood....growing up in an old , white farmhouse on 65 acres in Kentucky. He is a wonderfully gifted writer and photographer, and he has an incredibly amazing gift of drawing attention to the small, simple, and beautiful details of the natural world around us. He also, through this gift, encourages good stewardship of the earth and always has great resources to check out. I have dubbed him "the Blogfather", as I feel he is somewhat of a blogging pioneer...... and through his 5 or 6 years of blogging, he has produced a wonderful book titled Slow Road Home. A great read for warm summer mornings while sitting on your porch drinking coffee.... :)

2. Loose Leaf Notes : Colleen Redman has also been an inspiration to me and I asked her advice before starting my own blog. She had the same reservations as me when she first started blogging, so she was a great resource. Colleen is a witty, intelligent, free-spirited woman who also happens to be a great writer and poet. I never know what to expect when I click over to her site each day, and that's what I love about it. We are on opposite poles in regards to politics and certain other subjects, but that is part of the fun. It's a bore to me to always be around like-minded individuals. Colleen makes me think, makes me smile, and moves me on a regular basis. She also keeps me in touch with that little bit of bohemian free-spirit in me that tends to get buried as I grow older....

3. The Creativity Blog : Tom Atkins is the consummate romantic, poet, and photographer . He is currently taking a blogging sabbatical, but I had to tag him because until then, he gave me my daily dose of poetry. He sees poetry in everything......nature, people, photographs, life. Anyone that can write poetry every day, and good poetry, at that, is high on my list. He has plenty of poetry still on his site, so go over and take a peek.

4. Lilies Have Dreams: Christianne is a blogger that I have crossed paths with over the past several months. I think the name of her blog fits her perfectly....she is a blooming writer and a lovely flower. She is honest and open about her life as a young woman trying to follow her dreams and calling within the context of being a Christian. She is a dreamer and an encourager....... and I know she is going to be blossoming within her giftings and writing as she continues to hold it up to the Light.....

5. Lattes and Rainy Days : Kirsten is a package deal with Christianne :) ....I "met" them both around the same time and through each others blogs. First, let me say that anyone with the word latte in their title HAS to be a kindred spirit. Kirsten is also a wonderful writer and encourager. She has recently bought a camera and has been gracing her blog with wonderful photos of the Pacific Northwest.... a beautiful part of our country that is still foreign to me. Kirsten keeps me in touch with my young, hip side and I love her stories about her adventures with her Comedian boyfriend.

There are SO many other great blogs out there, as most of you know. The blogging world has opened up so many windows for me and it has been so cool to come in to contact with people from all over the world that I would never know otherwise. I have enjoyed all you guys that I visit regularly and who visit me....

For those I tagged, The participation rules are simple:
1) If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2) Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3) Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.