Sugar Doll Awards.... cute!

If you don't already follow Little Ms Blogger then I insist, yes insist, that you go over there now and officially follow that woman... go on.. do it now, you can come back and read my post later.... we no... on second thoughts you may never come back to me so finish reading this first and then go see her.

LMS recently... ahem.. like a month ago... gosh time flies... presented me with this award, the rules of which are as follows... (beastly stings attached!!)... I have to tell you ten things about myself which you may not already know and then tag ten other bloggers to do the same.

Here goes........

1) After leaving school I worked for the Gov in England, I was a Civil Servant!

Do they still call them that? Or are they now just Gov contractors in India? I was

what you might call a Welfare Officer, I would interview and assess claimants who

needed benefits on top of Unemployment or Disability.. yes folks it was a charming

little starter job. Although I gotta tell you I was good at it!!!

2) I once sent an email to the wrong person inviting him to a Birthday Bash, it

blossomed into a little online friendship of sorts and we even met in a pub

in London for drinks. Which is when I discovered he was a red head.

3) I am addicted to HGTV's Househunters...I know... it's awesome!

4) I have this freakish germ phobia, not your average afraid to shake hands thing,

but a fear of airborne germs, like breath and farts in particular! When I eat

at my desk I cover my food with a napkin in case someone accidentally

spills their air on it!!!

5) OK those of you who know me or keep up with my blog may already

know that I will marry John Travolta one day....but what you don't

know is that I will also date Nick Cage and John Cuzack before

marrying John just to make sure.

6) Scratch the above, I am truly, madly, deeply in love with my

wonderful hubby who is also tall dark and handsome ..

.. who needs John, Nick or John??? not me.

7) I am a really good driver, yes I said it, I know it.

I rock the road people!!!!

8) Music has always been a big part of my life and when I

was in High School I played the oboe... funny now I think of it.

What the heck do you do with that later in life?

9) Before getting married I had a bunch of hen nights, English for

bachelorette parties. It was a constant celebration for months because

I was moving to the other side of the world and would miss my girlfriends.

What you might not guess is that I also had a Stag Party, yes a bachelor

party, myself and a bunch of my good male friends. We took a bus to the

Racetrack and bet on horses all afternoon, then went on a pub crawl in the

evening.... still a memorable day!!!

10) Travelling is my first love, there's nothing like the feeling of a journey

to the unknown, checking out historic sites, sampling local traditions

and cuisine. Meeting people of other cultures and lifestyles is a

huge rush for me. If I could just one day pack up a change of

clothes, some fab accessories and my camera and take hubby

around the world I think I would. He's a good traveler too.

Well that's it folks, hope you enjoyed my ten things you didn't know.... it's quite

therapeutic to dig up these hidden loves, hates and experiences.

Now to pass the baton.....

 Fragrant Liar 

Blognut

The Bumbles 

Optimistic Pessimist

Ohfortheloveofblog

State of Bliss 

Tales from Twisty Lane

Good for the Goose

Brown's Zoo Tales

You've got to be Kidding me

I blog, you blog, we all blog...yippeeeee!!

Why do we blog?

Green Eyed Momster recently did a post the reasons for blogging and how come we “meet” the people we do online.

Well, I am copying taking this opportunity to  bore you to death with my own reasons for doing what I do. I loved Green Eyed’s post and thought I could do a little big one of my own.

I started my blog just after turning 40 when I thought there might be something I have to say, I thought there might just be someone out there willing to listen read and it would be fun. There was no real intention of finding friends and making connections. We all talk about it from time to time how we intertwine and feel good about checking in on our bloggy friends every day, but I have gotten so much MORE and not only for me, myself and I but also the kids in the town where I live.

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about having a fund raiser coming up and how I was trying to get some auction items together in order to raise money, this is where Kim comes in. Kim lives pretty close to me and runs a couple of businesses as well as blogging (a terrific blog ) and raising teenagers. Now let me tell you, I was touched beyond belief at her kindness, Kim was Johnny on the spot and sent me a gift basket from her lovely website full of delish items that we love in the south.  Honey, grits, peanuts, cookbooks you name it!!! Then if that wasn’t enough she also offered up her fabulous condo on the beach at Tybee Island for a long weekend!!! I was beside myself… here’s someone I have never met in person but she’s so generous and kind and it’s all because of the blogging that we connected. All because one day she decided, and one day I decided, to write something online and take some pictures and share a little of our lives. I am so thankful for Kim, I hope you all head over there and tell her what a terrific person she is.

Then there’s Marinik and Spud… they are always there to encourage me when I pretend to go on a diet and lose weight. Even though they’ve been hearing the same old crap since July they are still my cheerleaders when I announced the start of yet another real diet!!! How many is that now? Anyway, this time I was again touched that they are encouraging me so I’m determined not to disappoint. Spud takes the best pictures and Marinik is the sweetest lady around with great recipes that I will not be trying for myself but may test on my family.

Who can do a post on blog friends without mentioning the Blog Campers… yay for the fearless females who travelled to Reno and enjoyed the marvelous hospitality of Sara. Great memories that will last a long, long time. That’s where I met the vivacious Bambi, it all started when she emailed me one day and begged me to go to Reno, even though it could well have gone pear shaped if I had boiled her Mama’s cat. But I didn’t. Her Mama is a doll too. Otin, although I have never met him I know he’s weird in a Jersey/SC kind of a way, and I enjoy his blog and his comments, he’s just one of the girls and we love him. There is Willow and Little Ms Blogger and Michel who’s a riot, or a mess or whatever she is, she’s hilarious.

I really don't give a crap about the reasoning behind it and I'm not into over analyzing everything, i really just want to make a statement that I love my new found hobby, pastime, recreational do-dad, whatever you want to call it.... it ROCKS!!! 

As well as the friendships and the fun and the banter I'm learning all kind of weird stuff, stuff about drugs, quilting, crocheting, photography and cooking...who'da thunk it. 

I've also started to do the Postcrossing thing with Syd and she's ecstatic about it every time a new post card drops in the mail box. She's learning about other places around the world, I know she'd love to blog, I tried to find a kid out there she can share a blog with, they will present themselves one of these days. For now she's content with the postcards. I don't let her read my blog of course there's way too much of me she doesn't need to know about right now, but it would be cool to help her with one of her own. 

Anyway, you little cyber peeps out there, let me know what you think? Have you met your online friends for real? where they what you thought they'd be? Who is game to host another Blog Camp? (there may already be one planned I haven't checked the original site in a long time!!). Talk to me, people, talk to me!!!!

For Me?? For real???

How wonderful to have an award bestowed upon one!!!! Especially one which really represents my true motive for my blog.... Friendship... it's one of my strong points even if I do say so myself! Thanks to Marinik for this.... go check her out, she's a remarkable woman who I am proud to be friends with even if we've never met in person... You Rock Mari!!!!

Here are the rules:

"This award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

And the winners are......

Spudballoo at Chez Spud

Sara at Turning Stones

Otin at Wizard of Otin (someone had to do him I mean it!)

Jules at Just Jules

Snap at Tales from Twisty Lane

Liz the Fragrant Muse

Liz at A Pub Landladies Life

Stacey at The Brown Zoo Tales

Barb at Sassy and Ginger Chronicles

As we all know there are tons more and I have deliberately left some out because I know they have already received this award.... and I still love you!!!! The only thing I don't like about these awards is all the freakin' linking you have to do!!! aarrrgggg but a little effort is worth it if someone discovers a new blog to be friends with. Cheerio for now, dahhlings.

Ode to Courtney.....

OK it's been all of about ten minutes since my last blog and I have another idea to get down in writing!!!! The girls are now outside with Katie Next Door and therefore adequetly looked after by Katie Next Door's adoring Daddy (thanks Trace). So here I go......

Miss Courtney is one of my co-workers and one who, as yet, hasn't received a mention in my blogs, simply because I knew that when she did get in here it would be in a big way!!! You see Court is a lot younger than me but SO on my wavelength it's scarey, I have brought up the fact that we are twins separated at birth many times and she reminds me that I am an old mare and she's a young filly. The horse reference comes from the fact that Courtney (or Cricket as I like to call her) is a country girl through and through. She lives on a farm with hubby Kris and they have horses, cows, dogs and cats. I am pretty sure there are no chickens or pigs but she could probably get some cheap hogs what with the swine flu and all. She does buy a pig once a year and fatten it up for her step-daughter to "show", they wash it in Downy or something and then parade it in a ring, win ribbons and finally take it home and eat it. What an idylic lifestyle, I am so in awe of Courtney and her farm stuff.

She's a funny gal with an infantile sence of humor like mine, she likes to play on words like I do and she takes my silly pranks with a pinch of salt. There have only been a couple of occasions that she has felt the need to threaten to "kill me". I am a little nervous I have to say because I overheard her telling Holli today that she had taken out a mocking bird once at her mother's house..... she shot the thing.... then she probably grilled it but I don't know that that is true so don't repeat it.

I asked her today if she would "follow" my blog because I know she reads it and I aspire to have a gazillion followers just like Julochka. Well we couldn't do it because it was blocked at work so I came home and made a google account for her (there are no computers or cable tv on the farm) and now she's a follower, the idea for the blog came when I added a horses head as her picture on her profile!!! She's probably going to "kill me" again tomorrow. But then she will love me all over again when I tell her how much it means to me to now have FIVE whole followers.... only 728 to go. Courtney you're a diamond!!! a gem!!! a little gold corn cob!!!!! Now get out there and tell your friends to FOLLOW ME!!!!!