Kreative Blogger Award

I’ve just won the Kreative Blogger Award! While I have the impression many blog awards are the equivalent of a chain letter, it still feels good to be nominated. I write this blog primarily as a way to encourage myself and keep my spirits up during this challenging period of my life, so I am shocked every time I find there are people out there who think it is interesting enough to spend their time reading it. I truly appreciate all of you who virtually share my days with me. And a special thank you to Jessica, of Acting Adult, who nominated me.

Part of accepting this award is that I have to share seven things about myself that few people know.

1) No one I know in real life reads my blog. My husband is the only person I’ve even told I had a blog (and it took me a month to tell him), but I’ve never told him the name of it. I feel I have more freedom to express myself honestly because I don’t have to worry about how others are going to react to what I’m writing.
2) I have a very soft voice, but I swear all the time. People are usually immensely shocked the first time they hear a curse word fall from my lips I suppose because the juxtaposition of my voice and my vulgarity is more than most people can handle.
3) I hate dill, cilantro and celery. I’m not especially fond of bananas either, but I do like banana bread.
4) I love my cat, Zuzu. Most people think owning a cat makes me a cat person, but I don’t like any animals except her. I won’t even pet a cat at someone else’s house.
5) I’ve known since I was 12 years old that I never wanted to have children. In the last year I’ve been rethinking my position on this issue, but I suspect I’m only reconsidering it because everyone I know in real life has either just had a baby or is trying to get pregnant right now. Peer pressure.
6) Because I don’t have a job, I feel like I’m wasting my life. I know homemaking is a calling for some, but not for me. I love that this blog gives me an outlet and something to do.
7) My husband’s name is not Chuk. Chuk (rhymes with “book”) is what I’ve called him since the very beginning of our relationship. No one else calls him this but it is difficult for me to call him anything else. I occasionally forget his real name when referring to him in the third person.

The final part of accepting this award is that I have to nominate seven others for it. (Now you see what I mean about chain letters.) I read many wonderful and inspiring blogs, so the list below is by no means comprehensive, but rather other small blogs that you may not otherwise stumble upon.

1) Taryn in The Colorado Desert, one of my most loyal commenters and food dehydrator extraordinaire.
2) Katie with the Messy Kitchen. She isn’t blogging too much these days, but I’m loving her archives. I’m hoping if she gets a bunch of new hits she’ll start back up again.
3) Becca, author of The Earthling’s Notebook for her non-blog approach to blogging, the depth and variety of her articles, and the clarity of her writing.
4) Jill who was a Secret Genius but is now a Budding Genius because she is both an honest writer and a brilliant photographer.
5) Adele and her Musings on the Simple Life because she actually keeps the simple life simple.
6) Katie who is Making This Home because I long for expat life again and because anyone with a kitchen smaller than mine deserves many, many awards.
7) I’m just starting to “get to know” Amy who is defining New Nostalgia, but so far I’m loving her creativity.