Friday, Rain in Paradise, and Awards…What could be more perfect?

I’m sitting here just like I so often used to each day, wondering where I should begin. No, not with my writing. That’s rarely an issue because I can just sit down and write most anything I feel like writing. Whether anyone wants to read it is a completely different issue, isn’t it? Sometimes, it’s more of a battle with respect to what tone I want to indulge in, or how many distractions there are on my screen that also vie for my attention. I look at the clock in the upper right corner of my toolbar and am always alarmed at where the time has gone.

Some of my diversions are quite relevant, as they relate to current events that occupy my mind like the debate between Hillary and Obama last night (and I’ll bet you just can’t wait for me to spew about the whole health care issue, right?) Or the outcome of the first round of eliminations on American Noodle (and wasn’t that cut throat the way the first kid went out?). But many of the distractions that delay my writing when I actually get to wallow in Bloggsville now, are anything but. They’re more like pleasant detours involving the people I’ve met along the way for nearly a year now that I’ve been writing at kellementology and in the land of foodies. Very pleasant detours, diversions, and distractions, all.

I’ve been trying to get organized, finding that I don’t use my blogroll in either of my blogs. I know. You’re thinking that a blogroll isn’t for me — it’s more to let everyone else know whom I enjoy reading, and to share a link which helps them in the land of Google and Technorati, and all things virtually searchable or something like that.

So in an attempt to keep in better touch with others, I’ve begun to collect feeds in the reader I chose — Netvibes. I know everyone else seems to use Google Reader, but my affiliation with Google is only through my membership in the Daring Bakers, the ever expanding group (I think there are well over 500 members now…) of loveable foodies with whom I bake once a month. My food blog is hosted by TypePad (which is a network I almost never wander around in for some reason), and this one is my very own, of course. Without my connections to MyBlogLog, Blog Catalog, and more recently, EntreCard (which I haven’t developed a strong opinion about one way or the other), I wouldn’t be very good at keeping up with people. Feh, like I have actually been doing that successfully anyway.

So I’ve changed the settings on my Mac to open to my Netvibes home page and am racking up the feeds. I know you’re snickering right now thinking that I’ve been under some rock and that having recently freed myself, have discovered something that has been around since Al Gore discovered the Internet.

Go ahead an laugh. I can take it.

But the big question is — are YOU in my reader?

Francis of Caught In The Stream is. He graciously bestowed upon me two awards. This one Flower Smeller which began at Go! Smell the flowers and embraces those who, according to the author, “have recovered from an illness, written a book, made waves in the blogosphere, won the lottery, made a major shift in their life, won promotion, quit the rat race, [are] raising a family, discovering their greatness…” Pretty cool, isn’t it? I’ve got five of those covered and am actively waiting for a notice in the mail saying I’m the world’s first Trillionaire. The second award is this one, Award for Global Communities Award for Global Communities which began at From Italy with Love and is awarded to, “…the special people to my notice for appointment, genius, quality and liking” which of course, has caused my head to swell and my face to blush profusely from more than the hot-flashes that have become something I am quite capable of taking in stride. Thank you very much Francis. Your artwork, knowledge of music, dedication to the art of serious writing, and thoughtful approach to your blog in general are a wonder. I don’t know how you do it, but I’m paying attention.

In posting this today, I scrolled through my “pictures” file and am feeling sheepish about how many awards I have collected and haven’t passed along. What. A. Loser. It certainly isn’t because I don’t think people deserve them. Somehow, I think it was because I kept wanting to add a page to kellementology to recognize those who have given me their attention. Great idea, but zero execution. And as I began to try and redo this blog, I began my J.O.B. and the rest is history.

I will pass these two along, begin to redeem myself and make a promise (number eight-thousand-two-hundred-forty-three point five…) to do better beginning with the following five nominees for the Go! Smell the flowers award for “discovering their greatness and making waves in the Blogosphere. Don’t forget to check out the information about this award…

Congrats to:

Ben at What’s Cooking? who can roll a mean puff pastry and keeps me on my toes about Mexican food a la his family’s long owned fonda or family restaurant.

Gina at Upside Down Cats who is a fellow cat lover, excellent writer, and far more organized human than I could ever hope to be.

Lisa at Omyword! who can set a page on fire with her writing, tell a story like there’s no tomorrow, AND lives in Paris for gawdsakes.

Scott at My Thermos who also loves cats, knows way more about music than I ever will, is a great techie and kind person who helped steer me in the right direction when the RTR decided he wanted an electric guitar.

Firefly at I live on a farm whom I most likely found the very first week I began blogging. I visit her site when I want to sigh, dream, relax, and smile about all the amazing things that a person can accomplish by having hope and trusting that things will work out. Do yourself a favor and read the entire piece entitled, “Preparation for Snowmen” in the first link.

And as for the Global Community Award, I have to commend the people I seem to see everywhere in Bloggsville, whether they’re writing, or commenting, or linking, or just letting everyone know they’re appreciated (and I’m sure they’ve already received this, but maybe not…) even though I don’t visit as much as I used to *sigh*.

I appreciate all of you!

meleah, robert, “olga,” dawn, “chick,” paisley, and …well, you understand, right?

Hmmm…now what was I going to get done today?

Comments

13 responses to “Friday, Rain in Paradise, and Awards…What could be more perfect?”

  1. girl.. you know i am forever lurking about somewhere… i am so happy to have this one… i not only don’t have it but never even saw it before!!! you are the shit kellz…..

    i am on my way to place it on my mantel as we speak…..

  2. I stumbled on to your blog and I think you should check out Pageflakes. It basically works the same way as Netvibes, but the sharing feature originated with Pageflakes. This allows you to share with all your blogger fans your “Pagecast” that you have created. Also Pageflakes is just plain old easier to use and has way better themes!

  3. Hey paisley — w00t! that you don’t already have this award. Much deserved, gurrrrrlllll. I need to pour myself a glass of wine this weekend and hunker down with your writing…

    Hi Allison — funny you should mention Pageflakes. I think I signed up for that a while back (at about the same time I did Netvibes) and for some reason forgot about it. I’ll check it out. I have noticed that Netvibes is pretty sluggish, and I do like the sharing feature you mentioned. THANKS!

  4. Allison — Hilarious. I checked, and sure enough, I have a page already set up. Jeez. See what I mean about distractions?

  5. Oh my god! An award πŸ˜€ I have collected some awards on my Spanish blog, but my cooking blog didn’t have any, until this week, when I got two of them! Yay! It is so exciting. I have to pass it along to 5 people right?
    Here is the hard part :/
    Thanks so much you’re lovely πŸ˜€

  6. This is my very first blog award and it means a lot to me!

    Kelly, I am touched by your recognition! I’d like to thank the academy…

    You like me…you really, really like me!

    (All right…I’ll stop now…)

    You got me all excited and giddy!

    But seriously, thank you!

  7. Much deserved awards, one of these days I am going to make an award. When I’m less lazy. Tonight I’m semi-iced in, hating winter and thanking the land of blogs for entertainment.

  8. Two great surprises upon my visit today. First being greeted by the familiar Kellementology theme and header (it feels like home again) and then seeing my name associated with the Go! Smell the Flowers award.

    I read the details of the award and the spirit behind it and just love the concept – I do like to think that I am discovering my greatness. I really am doubly honored to get this, for the award in general but also because it is coming from you. Thanks so much.

    SB

  9. Ciao!
    “from italy with love”
    take care amica,
    πŸ˜‰

  10. Thanks for the way too many kind words Kelly. Enjoy the awards!

  11. Ben — well deserved, in my opinion. Your food blog makes me wince with all the hard work I know you put into it when I just write and load photos onto mine. I guess I better get busy or something, right? Enjoy the spotlight!

    Yay Gina! You are MOST welcome! Now you need to think about where on your mantel you’ll be placing it. I need to go back and put mine on (they came off when I started changing themes…)

    Cooper, I can think of quite a few pithy awards you could dole out and it would be sooooooooooooo awesome.

    Scott, I know exactly what you mean about the change back to the old theme. I decided to play with it instead of starting all over with another. Maybe I’ll actually learn something in the process. This one has an option for a rotating header, and I haven’t used it, so thought about creating a few around a theme and then letting them roll. And so glad you are happy with the award. I agree that the idea behind it is a very good one and was amazed when I read about it. Enjoy your well-deserved time in the sun!

    Ciao back to you, Hanna! Thanks for stopping by and for creating such a great award.

    Hi Francis — it’s all true. I wouldn’t waste words on anything that wasn’t, so enjoy!

  12. Congrats πŸ™‚ and thank you!
    As Paisley said…
    i not only don’t have it but never even saw it before!!!

  13. I just love awards….sigh. And you’re back to your old look! AND I can leave comments again! Life is good!

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