Blog of the Year Award

When I started this blog back in July, the last thing I expected was to get the Blog of the Year Award. You can read my acceptance of it here. Of course, back in July I didn’t know this award even existed. When I was nominated in early December I was very happily surprised. Well, color me super surprised that I have been nominated for another, meaning two stars. This nomination came from Shaun at Looking For Reasoning to a Complicated World. If any of you don’t know Shaun or his blog, take my advise and mosey on over.

My next unexpected moment was when I got my third nomination and star from Doc Horty Rexach @ It Is What It Is. Please take a moment to check out her blog. She never fails to reveal injustice in the world while at the same time uplifting your spirits. She does her research, and writes intelligent, informative posts always. I came across her blog when I joined Shaun’s Facebook group which I have posted about a couple of times. In case you’ve missed it, ANYONE can join the group, which can be found HERE. Doc is a moderator and is always there to welcome you and to comment on or “like” all of your posts about your posts (ok, I know that sounds funny, but you’ll see). She’s like having your own personal cheering section.

Lastly, my jaw-dropping moment came when I received my fourth star, again from Shaun. Shaun has become a true friend over this past month or so. We have chatted and talked by way of Skype. To be honest, the fastest way to forget about my own pain is to have a conversation with Shaun. His lovely Scottish accent combined with his ability to make you laugh, or simply wrap you up in conversation or debate does the job in getting me to forget about my pain, even if for a moment.

The instructions for this award are as follows:

1- Select the blog(s) you think deserve the Blog of The Year 2013 Award.
2- Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.
3- Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them – (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)
4- Come over and say hello to the originator of the Blog Of The Year 2013 Award via this link: http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2-/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
5- You can now also join the Blog Of The Year Award Facebook Page Click the link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear
6- And as a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with this award – and proudly display the award on your blog – and start collecting stars!

Since I have procrastinated about accepting these awards and 2013 is over AND because it is seriously a CHORE to do them, I am not going to nominate anyone for this award. Instead, if you are reading this post, YOU are nominated. My New Years gift to you. I hope you enjoy your award, and I hope you enjoy checking out these two great blogs and the Facebook group. You won’t regret it!

The Connection Award

One award that I need to accept today is the Connection Award. It has taken me a while to accept because dealing with awards is quite the chore for me physically (sitting straight up) and mentally (all the open tabs, links, and notifications all going on at once). If it takes me a while to accept your award, please know that it is not for lack of appreciation, but from lack of energy.

This award, the Connection Award, was given to me by Jenn at MyFibrotasticLife.com. Jenn is such a sweetheart and has such a positive outlook on life, that she is truly inspiring to me. We met as followers, moved to a buyer/seller relationship and from there into a friendship. I believe that out of all the awards that I have received, I am most proud of this one since I was the only nominee. A whole post about me. I was surprised and it made quite an impression on my ego! However, I feel that the act of kindness she describes in her nomination post was just something I felt I should do. Nothing special, just me being me and respecting her as a crafter.

This is from the creator of the connection award, http://trynabpainfreemomma.wordpress.com

“After I re-read this post of Jenny’s, I felt connected. I felt I had cried on her shoulder and she was there for me. Sometimes, If you can’t be with some one physically, because they live in another state or country, connecting through real, unbridled blog posts is the next best thing.

So, I am creating this connection award. It’s intent is to give to bloggers when you feel particularly connected to someone through a post or posts they’ve written. The rules are simple. Write a post about how you were feeling and what specific post you read on another’s blog and give them this award, for them to display on their blog. That’s it. The simplest things are often the most meaningful.”

I am nominating Tammy @ Walk With Me On My Journey Of Illness…. I know when she reads this she is going to have a fit because she is receiving ANOTHER award. However, Tammy is the blogger I feel most connected to. My main illness is “pelvic and abdominal adhesions”. It is a problem that a great many people suffer from, but that is rarely diagnosed. Because of that, it can feel quite lonely sometimes that no one understands the unique sense of pain that they cause. Tammy has been diagnosed with other conditions, but the one she is suffering with the most right now is the adhesions. I know this because she and I have not only become friends, but best friends. I mention her frequently because she has just become that big a part of my life. If I had to choose a post that made me feel the most connected to her, it would probably be Adhesions- The Dark Monster Within, however my connection with her runs much deeper than a single post.  I hope she realizes how very much she means to me.

 

I Am Honored

I am honored to be the recipient of two (in my opinion) very important awards.  Both of them were given to me by Shaun @ Looking For Reasoning to a Complicated World.  Shaun has a great blog for anyone who is interested in…well, just about anything.  His posts range from his life with Chronic Pain to Current Events to music videos.  Not only am I honored to have been chosen for the award, I’m honored that Shaun felt me worthy.  He is not only a brilliant blogger, but a wonderful friend.  The first award is the Blog of the Year Award for 2013.  I was so surprised to be nominated for this award after less than six months of blogging.  It truly made my day and I humbly accept.  I regret not being able to accept it sooner.  The rules have come straight from the originator at thethoughtpalatte.co.uk:

The instructions for this award are simple:

1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.
3 Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them – (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)
4 Come over and say hello to the originator of the ‘Blog of the Year 2013’ Award via this link – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
5 You can now also join the ‘Blog of the Year’ Award Facebook page – click the link here https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear/ and share your blog posts with an even wider audience.
6 And as a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog … and start collecting stars…

 

  The second award that Shaun has nominated me for is The      Lighthouse Award: A blog that brings light to a dark world.  This is a fairly new award, so to receive it so soon is absolutely amazing!  Also the meaning behind it almost makes me teary-eyed.  Thank you so much, Shaun for considering me a light in your world.  This award originated at: goodtimestories.wordpress.com.  Here are the rules for this award:

1.  Display the Award certificate on your blog.
2.  Write a post and link back to the blogger that nominated you.
3.  Inform your nominees of their award nomination
4.  Share three ways that you like to help other people.
5.  There is no limit to the number of people that you can nominate.
6.  HAVE FUN!!!

So, three ways that I like to help other people:

1.  Be there for them when they need someone to talk to.

2.  Truly listen as they talk.

3.  Give advice only where called for…sometimes people just need a listening ear.

Now for my nominees.  Thanks to the rules of both awards, I have a little room as far as my nominees go.  I choose to nominate the following people for both awards:

1. Tammy @ Walk with me on my journey of illness to the road of happiness and a life of fulfillment.
Tammy’s blog is a no-holds-barred look into the life of an individual with an invisible illness. More specifically, Tammy deals with Fibromyalgia and Adhesions (the same as me) among other illnesses. On her blog you will find poems and prose as she deals with the difficulties of her illnesses and endeavors to overcome them. On a personal note, she has definitely brought light to my darkness by being a friend when I needed one the most. I am proud to consider her my new best friend. We seem to be able to talk for hours about absolutely nothing at all and those talks lend to me forgetting about my pain for a little while. She is truly a gem and I love her dearly.

2. Jenn @ My Fibrotastic Life!. Jenn’s blog is also based mainly on her day to day life with Fibromyalgia. She is very creative and one can find informative posts on how to deal with the symptoms that Fibro can bring with “The Weekly Buzz” and even follow a link to purchase handmade crocheted items through her online store. Jenn’s upbeat attitude could shed light on anyone’s dark world. We have thankfully become friends thanks to WordPress. She has been there for me to help me with my own crocheting (definitely a work in progress!) and to comment on my posts with words of encouragement and understanding.

3. Leslie @ Just Another F-bomb. Leslie’s blog is also deals with an invisible illness, namely Fibromyalgia (bet you couldn’t have guessed lol). On her blog one can find anything from personal experiences to beautiful photographs (Wordless Wednesday). Leslie has become another light on my sometimes dark world. No matter what I’m going through, she always finds the right words to say to make me feel better. She gives great advice, also!

4. PricelessJoy @ Someday I Will Get This Write. My fourth nominee is in name only since she has just recently become an award-free blog. However, she is more than deserving for both of these awards and I felt like she should be mentioned. On her blog one can find humorous stories about her younger years. These stories will definitely put a smile on your face if not make you laugh out loud, hence shedding light on a dark world. PricelessJoy has become a very important person in my life. Although we don’t chat or talk on the phone (why don’t we?), she has been a huge part of my support system and somehow her mere online presence is enough. If there was any way to be a “nearby friend” to someone who knows how many miles away, she has. Her thoughts and prayers have truly gotten me through some rough patches recently and she absolutely means the world to me.

 

It’s Raining Awards!

Today has been a yucky, rainy day.  However, to brighten my day, I went to church this morning and then figured that after my nap I could work on some of these awards you great people have sent me.  So, in this post, I will cover 3 (yes three)!

The Versatile Blogger Award

The first award that I would like to accept is The Versatile Blogger Award. While visiting the VBA site, I noticed that they have a new badge (button…whatever it’s called), so this will be different from the one given to me…sorry Dr. Rex. I liked this one better! If you get a chance to check out Dr. Rex’s website It Is What It Is, please do so! Her stories will make you laugh, make you cry, and sometimes even make you angry. However, love and peace are the cornerstone of each post published. Let me also say here that Dr. Rex nominated me for the other two awards that i will get to later. Again, plase if you have the time check her out. Now, onto the VBA. The VBA website says:

When you consider nominating a fellow blogger for the Versatile Blogger Award, consider the quality of the writing, the uniqueness of the subjects covered, the level of love displayed in the words on the virtual page. Or, of course, the quality of the photographs and the level of love displayed in the taking of them.

Honor those bloggers who bring something special to your life whether every day or only now and then.

So, now that you know what The Versatile Blogger Award is all about, here are the rules (also straight from the website http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/):

Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

So, here are seven things about me:

1. This is the third time I have received The Versatile Blogger Award. Yay me!!!

2. My first pet was a chihuahua named Betty (short for Beethoven…and since she was a girl. No, I didn’t pick out the name 🙂 ).

3. I slept in the bed with my mother until I was 5 yrs. old and decided that I was ready to sleep in my own bed.

4. I was my mother’s only child (and raised as one) but I also have 4 half-sisters and one half-brother.

5. The reason that I was raised as an only child is because the youngest of my half-brother and sisters is 20 years older than me. Yeah, big age difference.

6. One of the aforementioned half-sisters I have only seen twice in my whole life.

7. My yoga mats are pink and green and my foam roller is blue. (Yes I know that is dull, but this is my third VBA…I’m running out of facts)

The second (and third) award that I will be accepting today came to me from Dr. Rex as a “duet award”. The first one is The Imagine Award and the second is the I Am Part Of The WordPress Family Award.

The Imagine Award was started by a good friend of mine at thefibrotasticlife.com. So, I will let Jenn herself tell you all about it:

What is The Imagine Award?

“The Imagine Award” is an award created by Jenn Mulherin (who is the writer of the blog “My Fibrotastic Life!”) in October of 2013. This award was made in order to recognize the bloggers who express their passion and dedication towards their blogs through their creativity.

How is creativity found in a blog?

Just like beauty, creativity is in the eye of the beholder. There are many unique ways which bloggers can express their creativity. Creativity can be displayed through:

Words (such as writing fictional stories or real life experiences, poetry, quotes, using metaphors, etc.)
Pictures (this can include photos, comics, computer-drawn pictures, etc.)
Videos
The layout of the blog page
The degree of creativity is one of the qualities in a blog which not only draws more readers, but it shows how much the blogger cares about their blog. The caretaking of a blog is like taking care of a plant. In order to keep it healthy and growing, you need to feed the blog with your ideas and give it a lot of love.

If I am nominated for The Imagine Award…then what??

In your post which is dedicated to your award…

1. Copy and paste the award to your post.
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their blog page to your post.
3. List 3-5 things about the nominator’s blog that you like (which you think are very creative).
4. Nominate 5 other bloggers/blogs which you think display a fantastic use of creativity and imagination.
5. Notify your nominees.
6. Copy and paste The Imagine Award to your blog page.

*If you decline The Imagine Award, that is okay, but please pass the award to a blog that you find to be very creative.

So, I have already written some about Dr. Rex’s blog It Is What It Is.  I like that she uses a lot of visual components to her blogs (which I sometimes fall short on).  Also, she usually has a piece of music from YouTube to go with her posts.  I also like that what she has some elements of love, peace, harmony, or civil rights that underline the majority of her posts (well the ones I’ve seen).

And last but not least is The WordPress Family Award. This award was created by Shaun at Looking For Reasoning to A Complicated World.  He is a great blogger in his own right with tons of awards under his belt.  Again, if you’re looking for a good read, you should really check him out.  So without further adieu, here are Shaun’s words about the award:

This is why I created the Award:

This is an award for everyone who is part of the “Word Press Family” I start this award on the basis that the WordPress family has taken me in, and showed me love and a caring side only WordPress can. The way people take a second to be nice, to answer a question and not make things a competition amazes me here. I know I have been given many awards, but I wanted to leave my own legacy on here by creating my own award, as many have done before. This represents “Family” we never meet, but are there for us as family. It is my honour to start this award. Thank you, Shaun @ http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/

Rules:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.

2. Link back to the person who nominated you.

3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your wordpress experience and family

4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them

5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people that have taken you as  a friend, and spread the love

Now, instead of choosing 15 for one award, five for the second and 10 for the third (this post has already taken me hours, I have no energy to do such a thing) I am bending the rules a little bit (no surprise, huh?) and only nominating five people.  However those five people are nominated for all three awards.  So, here they are, my five nominees for these three outstanding awards.  I have greatly enjoyed reading all of your blogs and feel you are like family!  Congratulations to you all!

1.  In Loving Memory of Jody Ann Bales

2.  Bishop Eddie Tatro’s Study

3.  Mountains or Molehills

4.  Having Something No One Can See

5.  GreenGrowsDark

The Parliament Award

I have written many times before about the strength of the bonds made by people on WordPress.  I was a sad, lonely, misunderstood woman living in chronic pain and without anyone to understand what I was going through.  The closest I had was my Ob/Gyn, but you can hardly consider a doctor your friend (not a close friend) because you can’t call them to talk when you’re lonely or write to them to tell someone what’s really going on in your life.

I have made some of the best friends since joining WordPress.  Friends that I can talk with on the phone when I need to forget about my pain for a little while, or chat with on Facebook just because.  Friends that know how I feel either because they are in pain themselves, or because they are going through some of the same issues that I am at home.  One of these friends, Bishop Eddie Tatro has done me the honor of receiving his Parliament Award. Fr. Eddie has a great blog where he writes on issues spanning from religious articles to articles on chronic pain issues.  Here’s the background on The Parliament Award:

Everyone knows that I love owls and wolves.  We know that a group of wolves is called a pack, but did you know that a group of owls is called a Parliament?  Owls have for centuries been symbols of wisdom and love, and wolves are a symbol of strength, loyalty and family.

I’ve created this award for those people who are in my Parliament & Pack.  You mean so very much to me, and you all show what I stand for: Love.  Hate is not part of your vocabulary.

 

Here are the Rules:

1.  Firstly, display the Award on your site (see Award page or sidebar!) You earned it and you deserve it!

2.  List a few things that make you a loyal member.

3.  Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

4.  Nominate at least five (5) well deserving bloggers whose loyalty and love you value and consider part of your Parliament and Pack; for the Award and let them know the wonderful news by sending them a message on their site.

 

Ok, here goes nothing.  I am a loyal member because:

1)  I am always there for a friend when needed.

2)  I am loyal and supportive.

3)  I am sensitive to other’s needs and know how to listen.

 

Five bloggers who I consider part of my Parliament:

1) Tammy: Walk With Me on My Journey of Illness…
2) Brian: Mountains or Mohills
3) Julie: The Nocturnal Laundress
4) Jenn: My Fibrotastic Life
5) Leslie: Just Another F-Bomb

Versatility

The awards keep coming. I never thought when I started this little blog that I would have awards backed up to be received. But since I do, I will accept another one today.

I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Priceless Joy. She has been a wonderful friend to me since we found each other here on WordPress. I am thankful for her help through some really rough spots and I truly believe that her prayers and well-wishes have made me a stronger person.

Here are the VBA rules that can be found at versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com.

If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

So, here goes another 7 things about myself:

1) I love pizza.

2) I was almost done with my third year of college when I had to quit for medical reasons.

3) I speak fluent Spanish.

4) I have only been out of the country one time…I went to Mexico for a month.

5) I would love to visit Europe some day.

6) I no longer have a belly button (weird, right?)

7) I have an ISFJ personality type according to http://16personalities.com.

And here are my nominees (I’m choosing to nominate 10 people instead of 15…this award stuff is tiring!)

1) FighterZine
2) Walking Through Pain
3) Painfully Aware
4) the REmissionary
5) Just A Little Background Noise 2.0
6) Green Grows Dark
7) Chronic Rants
8) Anonymous Real Thoughts
9) Speaking of Marriage
10) Oh What A Pain in the …

It’s Time to Battle the Dragon

I have been doubly nominated for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award. The nominations came from two wonderful ladies: Julie, The Nocturnal Laundress
and Jenn @ My Fibrotastic Life.  Both are excellent blogs about Fibromyalgia and how it affects their lives. I highly recommend these blogs, even if you don’t suffer from Fibromyalgia.

The rules to accept this award is as follows:

“The philosophy of the award is: The Dragon’s Loyalty Award is an award for the loyal fan/commenter, whether the recipient is a fellow blogger or just someone who follows and comments regularly”.

There are some rules that one must follow in order to fully accept the award and they are as follows:

1. Firstly, display the Award on your site. You earned it and you deserve it!

2. Link back to the person who gave you the award in your acceptance post;

3. Nominate 15 well deserving bloggers for the Award and let them know the wonderful news by sending them a message on their site;

4. List 7 interesting facts about yourself”

Ok, so here goes, 7 interesting facts about me:

1) I love to sing. I was in choir in Junior and Senior High School. At that time I could sing really well, but that was before the tracheotomy. I still love to sing and when I feel like singing I sing…if you don’t like it, don’t listen!

2) My first job was as a nail technician. I interned until I completed the necessary hours to get my license, then I worked doing nails. I got as far as Master Manicurist in my almost 8 years at this job.

3) one of my favorite channels is the Food Network Channel. I love cooking when I’m able to do so.

4) I rarely wear blue jeans anymore. I’m usually in Yoga, pajama, or sweat pants.

5) When I do dress up, my favorite pair of shoes is a pair of leopard-print heels. My second favorite pair are lime green heels.

6) My middle name is Elizabeth. I was named Elizabeth after my grandmother.

7) I married my first husband at 19. Yes…young and stupid…enough said. One positive thing I got out of my first marriage: Gastric Bypass surgery.

As far as nominees go, I don’t believe I can come up with 15, especially not counting these two beautiful ladies. I could only come up with 9.

1) Tammy : http://tlohuis.wordpress.com
2) Emily: http://painfulhilarity.wordpress.com
3) Richard: http://iamawakenowtvm.com
4) Tami: http://tjgypsyhippie.wordpress.com
5) Inga: http://ingaflaherty.wordpress.com
6) Dawn: http://dawnyhosking.wordpress.com
7) Leslie: http://justanotherfbomb.wordpress.com
8) Joy?: http://pricelessjoy.co
9) Eddie: http://bishoptatro.wordpress.com

 

The Unique Leaves Award

Thanks to Julie @ The Nocturnal Laundress, I. Have been nominated for the Unique Leaves Award. I am honored to be nominated for another award, and especially one so, well, unique ;).

Here are the rules to accept the award:

The “Unique Leaves Award” Rules

1) Display the award logo in your blog.
2) Link back to the person who nominated you.
3) Tell us how you and your blog are unique.
4) What are your thoughts about being unique?
5) Nominate 10 others blogger for this award and link to them.
6) Notify those bloggers for the nomination.

Rules 1 & 2, check.

Rule #3: Tell us how you and your blog are unique.

My blog is unique because I put my heart and soul into it. Many of my posts were written with tears rolling down my face as my emotion poured out into the writing. I may say a little too much at times, but I feel that in order to help others the most, I have to be transparent.

Rule #4: What are your thoughts about being unique?

I think that we are all unique in our own ways. That’s what makes us different…special. It is a humbling thought that nowhere in the world is another person just like you nor will there ever be one. You have to make your mark somehow…this is how I’ve chosen to make mine.

So, without further adieu, here are my ten nominees:

1) The War in My Brain
2) The Wine Wankers
3) Mad Man Knitting
4) One Woman
5) Midnightdemons7
6) Mr. G Kids
7) Sweet Mother
8) the REmissionary
9) An Apple A Day
10) Jack Saunsea

Again, thank you Julie for the award. I will proudly add it to my wall.

 

My Awards Ceremony Continues…

Well, obviously I had to break them down into two posts, but I am proud to have been able to accept four awards in one day (well, two if you count my homework…writing questions, picking new nominees).  I just wish I had gotten to get all dressed up or something 😉 …I am having a good day today. I guess that’s what counts.  Besides, when I feel great and decide to get all dressed up for one reason or another, these posts can always be updated with pictures.  🙂

Speaking of pictures, I was terrified to put a photo to my blog at the beginning because it was supposed to be an anonymous blog. Of course we have been through that subject and I am slowly starting to share my illness with the world. I had a couple of friends on Facebook that just said ‘oh, so that’s why you’ve been hiding away from us’…and it was. Who wants to ‘shop talk’ bodily functions? I mean really?   But, that is exactly what I have found here on WordPress. I have found people who COMPLETELY understand what I’m going through when NO ONE in my real life understands (except maybe doctors, but they don’t count). I have met a new group of people who are not only willing to listen to me but who understand what I am going through and don’t judge me. That is why this first award means so much to me.  I was nominated for this award by Tammy @ Walk with me on my journey of illness to the road of happiness and a life of fulfillment.   She has truly become one of my family.  We talk every day by email (health permitting) and usually during the weekend or if something really important has happened during the week, we speak by phone.  She has become my best friend.  And as much of a wildcat as she is, surprisingly I am not too far behind.  She is my “adhesion sister”, and I love her. We can somehow gently glide from “shop talk” to family issues to what we had for dinner…she is so easy to talk to and, like I said, my best friend.

She is not the only one that I have found myself talking “touchy subjects” with.  These illnesses have brought us all together on this site and made us a family.  A family of “misunderstood”  and often (emotionally) hurting people who benefit from having others who truly “get” what they’re saying.

More information about this award can be found on this page here.  The rules are simple:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your wordpress experience and family
4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them
5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people that have taken you as a friend, and spread the love.

In honor of receiving the ‘I Am Part of the WordPress Family Award’, I am finally going to link my Facebook page to my blog.  You will all be able to know more about who I am (although I’m warning you I’m not on Facebook that much) but since you have become my family, I will share those things with you same as I do my own family.

(Update: Facebook won’t let me share my ‘regular’ page..it has to be a fan page or something.  So, you should be able to find me at http://facebook.com/joy.streetman.  please mention your WordPress “name” so that I will know who you are. If you find that this link doesn’t work, please let me know so that I can figure out why!)

So, without further ado, ten other people who have made me feel completely at home here from day one would be the following people:

1.  I Am Awake Now Thank You VERY MUCH

2.  Spicyt’s Blog

3.   MySexyEndo

4.  Ememelle

5.  Living Bendy

6. The Never Ending Headache

7.  The Nocternal Laundress

8.  Midnightdemons7

9.  Painful Hilarity

10.  PEACE. PURPOSE. PONDERING.

 

Next…

I hate to put this in the same post, but guys, it has been a VERY long day.  The last award that I have been nominated for is The Versatile Blogger Award.  This was also given to me  by Ms. Tammy @Walk with me on my journey of illness to the road of happiness and a life of fulfillment.

The rules for this one are as follows:

1. Display the Award on your Blog.
2. Announce your win with a post and thank the Blogger who nominated you.
3. Present 15 deserving Bloggers with the Award.
4. Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.
5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself

So, I suppose I will start with the 7 interesting things about myself.

1)  I love the color pink.  October is one of my favorite months because the weather is just starting to cool down in Alabama and I have the best excuse EVER (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) to wear as much pink as I want to and not look childish.  Oh, and they light up the courthouse with pink lightbulbs also.  Pretty cool.

2)  I love the Rocky (Smoky) Mountains.  As a child, we used to take all of our vacations there with the end point being Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  We always drove through the mountains just to look at their beauty.

3)  I love Dolly Parton.  Ok, I know that sounded a little strange, but she has a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee called Dollywood.  Besides learning about “the good old days”, listening to some of the best gospel music you’ll ever hear, and riding the rides, I met Dolly Parton on a couple of occasions.  She was always quick to give a hug and get her picture made with you.  I also love the sound of her voice.  A lot of people aren’t as fond of her voice as I am, but I love it. I remember having a friend in school, and one of the first things we found we had in common was being Dolly Parton fans (which was just not ‘cool’ at the time. Oh yeah, instant friends.

4)  I am a total foodie.  I love to cook and if I had unlimited means, would probably have a professional kitchen put in my house.  Cooking relaxes me and the food at the end isn’t too bad either 🙂  It’s one of the things that I miss the most right now and one that is high on my list of priorities as far as getting better goes.  I want to be able to cook a full meal again.  I am hoping that by Thanksgiving or Christmas I will be able to cook the meal without having to lie down to rest afterwards or being in so much pain that I’m nauseated and can’t  enjoy the food with everyone else.

5) My mother was my best friend growing up (yes, I had other best friends too, geez).  What I mean is that we were very close.  This December 27 will be the 10th anniversary of her death.  I expect it will be pretty hard on me.  I would like to be able to do something special to celebrate.  I just haven’t decided what. (Any suggestions? Remember I’m on a limited budget.)

6)  I was always an overweight child.  Obesity runs in my family, so at 18 1/2 years old I had gastric bypass surgery.  I did really, really well with it (maybe because I was so young).  I weighed 299 the day of surgery and my normal weight now is 150.  At the moment I am a little over at 160, but I am still happy.  The reason it worked for me was because I was mentally prepared for it.  I knew it wasn’t an easy fix and that it would change my life forever.  I think that is why so many GB surgeries fail.  The patient isn’t prepared for the physical or emotional changes that come with gastric bypass surgery.  They think it is a quick fix and then they will be thin and life will be perfect…it’s nothing like that.

7) Last but not least…I know this sort of hits on number 3, but I am a diehard country music fan.  I grew up listening to the greats like Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, and the Oak Ridge Boys.  I still love country music.  Boy has it changed, but no other music can tell a story, or touch your soul, the way country music can.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t like other music.  My other favorite is Latino Pop.  i bet you weren’t expecting that one, huh?

Ok, my 15 deserving bloggers are as follows:

1.  I Am Awake Now Thank You VERY MUCH

2.  Spicyt’s Blog

3.   MySexyEndo

4.  Ememelle

5.  Living Bendy

6. The Never Ending Headache

7.  The Nocternal Laundress

8.  Midnightdemons7

9.  Painful Hilarity

10.  PEACE. PURPOSE. PONDERING.

11.  StoryShucker

12. BoredSick

13. Just Another F-bomb

14. EDS Info (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome)

15. RachelMankowitz

My Leibster Awards Ceremony

AWARD NUMBER ONE:

I have surprisingly just been (quite a few days ago, but I’ve been busy, guys) nominated for my first award, the Liebster Award. I was nominated by Tammy  one of the sweetest people I know, , a wonderful woman who also suffers with adhesions and a whole host of other illnesses. She, her battle and her spunk 😉 inspire me every day.

As far as receiving this award goes, it was definitely a surprise. Who knew that my ramblings would one day warrant an award? I am grateful and somewhat humbled. Maybe people are paying attention and if nothing else, they know more about adhesions than they did before.

I copied (SHAME ON ME!) this information about the Leibster Award from one of the best I’ve seen:
Info About the “Liebster Award”

 

The Liebster Award, or “the favorite blog award”, is an internet-based award that is given to bloggers by other bloggers. In Germany, the word “liebster” has the same meaning as “favorite, beloved, or dearest.” This award is primarily given to blogs that have less than 200 followers. That way, it helps the blogger with being more known to the world as well as giving the blogger the opportunity to learn about more amazing bloggers.

As part of this award, I have been asked to answer ten questions, so here goes:

1. If you had $1,000,000, what would you do?
If I had a million dollars, I would probably cry about it first (I know me). After that, I would do the basic, buy a small house (who wants a big one they’re too hard to clean…maybe a condo, then), buy a car, and probably do the same for my sister. I would try to start a non-profit to raise awareness for adhesions (all though I have no idea how one would go about doing that, I guess I would figure it out because it is desperately needed), and the rest would go in the bank to pay my bills for the rest of my life :).

2. Are you more of a tea or coffee person?
You know it’s funny, I used to be more of a coffee person, but I have gotten to where I drink a lot of tea. Black teas are my favorite (I guess they remind me of coffee) but I have also began to drink green tea (I like the kind with flavors like dragon fruit and pomegranate. YUM!

3. What is your favorite Disney movie?
It’s a tie between The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. I loved them both. And I loved singing along.

4. What was your favorite childhood game?
I was always an “indoors” kind of girl. I liked to play school. If I had to pick an actual team sport, I really liked volleyball. I even tried out for the team as a freshman, but then quit when none of the uniforms fit me (I always had weight issues).

5. Who do you look up to and why?
I look(ed) up to my mother. I think that if I could be more like her, I would be a better person. I know that I am a lot like her, but I still strive for more. Never in my life have I known a love like hers…and I probably never will again. When she loved, she loved unconditionally.

6. What kind of color would you describe yourself as today?
Today I am pink.

7. If you could go to any country in the world, which country would it be?
I can’t pick just one. I want at least two. Spain and Ireland. I have always wanted to go to go to Europe, I figure the best countries to start in would be the ones where you can communicate

8. Think of one descriptive word about yourself that begins with the first letter in your name.
Jaded

9. What is your favorite food?
Right now, I am stuck on white rice, butter, salt, pepper, and a little chipotle sauce. I have always been one to get on food “kicks” and that is mine for now. Ask me again in another month and it’ll be something different. Actually, a BBQ sandwich sounds really good…

10. What type of exercise is your favorite?
Well, since I don’t really like to exercise (never have) and it has only become more difficult over the years, I am going to have to say yoga (or the stretches my PT gives me…which is pretty close to the same thing).

AWARD NUMBER TWO:
And wouldn’t you know that during this hiatus of mine (where honestly I’ve been procrastinating about receiving these awards) I received another Liebster Award.

This Liebster Award is from Leslie @ Just Another F-Bomb. I can’t say I know Leslie as personally as Tammy, but honestly when you read these blogs you truly feel like you come to know the other person. You feel their pains because you’ve felt them before, and they feel yours for the same reason.

Now, the ten questions that I must answer for Leslie are:

1. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be?
I honestly have no idea. Wherever the weather is a constant 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit would probably be my answer.

2. What is your favorite vacation spot and why?
As an adult I haven’t had the luxury to vacation much. Just once in Mexico. And as much as I loved it there…now that I think about it, that is probably where I would want to live…my mind keeps going back to the vacation spot of my childhood. Every year (sometimes a couple of times a year) we would go to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I know that may seem boring to some of you, but I have never been anywhere more beautiful than there during these autumn months when the leaves turn almost every color in the rainbow. Plus, the memories I have from going there with my mother, uncle, and grandmother are priceless.

3. If you could do any job in the world, what would it be?
When I was a kid, I wanted to work for the CDC. You know, in the laboratory in those funny-looking suits saving the world from diseases unknown. However, after careful consideration (and one hell of a long hospital stay) I decided the medical field just wasn’t for me. I enjoy languages and linguistics much more. I was studying Spanish linguistics when the adhesions finally grabbed hold too tight. I intended to translate (written documents) instead of teaching or interpreting.

4. Do you have a favorite teacher who inspired you?
Absolutely. One of my college professors, Belita Faki. She spoke five different languages fluently (as did her 11 yr. old daughter!). She pushed me much farther than I thought I could go. I still feel like I let her down in some way. I hope she doesn’t feel the same.

5. Why do you blog?
I decided to start blogging in order to meet other people with adhesions, but realized along the way that I was meant to meet so many more people than that. Now, I hope to bring attention to adhesions, “the medical community’s best kept secret” and help people to avoid them, or at least be able to have them diagnosed before they are too bad to be repaired like mine are.

6. If you had a magic wand, what would you use it to change?
I try not to have regrets…they cause more harm than they’re worth. With that said, I would have to change something from the future not the past…and since I’m not there yet, I don’t know what I would change.

7. Do you dress up for Halloween?
Absolutely not…but I do dress up my dogs!

8. What was your most memorable day and why?
Man, these are hard questions! I have so many…

9. Kids or pets, which do you prefer?
My pets are my kids, so I don’t have much choice in the matter. I was dealt this health card at a pretty young age. At that time, I wasn’t ready for kids. Now that I would give anything to be able to have a child, I probably wouldn’t be able to even have one much less take care of it. My dogs suit me just fine.

10. How long did it take you to complete the Liebster “task”?
Too long! 🙂

Ok, as part of my accepting these awards, I must choose 10 nominees of my own and give them 10 questions to answer…here goes.

My nominees are:
1.) http://forwomenseyesonly.com
2.) http://boredsick.wordpress.com
3.) http://briannakateiam.wordpress.com
4.) http://chronicerrata.com
5.) http://edsinfo.wordpress.com
6.) http://theinvisiblef.com
7.) http://karennorrod.wordpress.com
8.) http://fighterzblog.wordpress.com
9.) http://disabilitysexy.wordpress.com
10.) http://livingbendy.com

 

Fear not, my friends! If you are nominated for the Liebster Award, these are the following steps you need to take in order to graciously accept your award…

1. Link back and recognize the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer ten questions given to you, by the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate ten other bloggers for the award.
4. Create ten questions for your nominees to answer.
5. Notify your nominees.

My ten questions for you  guys are:

1.  Are you a “foodie”

2.  Why did you decide to publish a blog instead of just journaling privately?

3.  What is your favorite pet i.e. cats, dogs, goldfish, and why?

4.  Do you feel less lonely since beginning to blog than you did before?

5.  Have you made many new friends in “Blogland”?

6.  If you could be any Disney character, which one would you be and why?

7.  If you were able, what would you volunteer your time doing?

8.  Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie?

9.  What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

10.  I love to cook…what about you?  Are you able to cook or are you one of those that burns boiling water? 🙂