I have been lax, very lax indeed, in acting on the awards that have been so generously blown in my direction. There was the side trip to Costa Rica that consumed my life in July and August 2012, a trip to my familial heartland at the end of August 2012, the back-to-school rush of soccer, baseball, a library remodel, Halloween, son’s birthday, death of my father, the winter holidays, the final touches to the library remodel in January, and the mad revision process for my picture book trilogy that is ongoing until I head out to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference at Asilomar on March 1.
I know, excuses, excuses…but now I’m making good on my promise to thank and then send out my sincerest admiration of other bloggers’ efforts, send it out into the ether, the abyss. Here goes in the order in which they were awarded:
I received The Illuminating Blogger Award from ReadnCook,
a blogger who is also an extremely dedicated and talented teacher in California, willing to take high school students to Europe–by HERSELF!!!!! For that she deserves more than a round of applause; she should be crowned “Queen Courageous!”
The Inspiring Blogger Award from NYParrot,
an East Coast blogger who’s also a self-professed shop-a-holic. I cannot identify with this aspect of her nature, but she has other redeeming qualities. :o)
And finally, I received Beautiful Blogger and Reader Appreciation Awards from Scribblerbean,
a blogger who lets everyone know how she spends her “life in the margins–caffeinated.” I’m sure you all can relate! Now go wipe off your desks.
Thank you again for the thoughtfulness and generosity that shines through these awards. So now it’s my turn.
I’m just going to list a few bloggers who give me food for thought (and lots of laughs), something to look forward to when I start those longs days and nights in front of the demanding, flashing cursor. They are:
HeyLookAWriterFellow, a children’s book writer who thinks (rightfully so) that celebrities ought to stick with what they do best and leave the writing to professionals. The movement is called Humans Against Celebrity Kid Stories (H.A.C.K.S.). Check out his site and join the movement!!
101 Books, a blogger who’s determined to read and review Time Magazine’s 100 Greatest Novels + Ulysses. His current Valentine post asks the burning question: Who are the worst couples in literature? Give him an answer!!
Limebird Writers, a group of bloggers spread far and wide, always have some insightful tidbit to share about the writing process or writing life, from soup to–well, birds.
Cecile’s Writers, a group of bloggers centered in The Hague, is starting a literary magazine, featuring intercultural writers. Check out their writers’ guidelines to see if you qualify.
Reading Interrupted, an erudite English professor, lover of dogs (of course!), lover of all things folio, and researcher of reading habits. Please answer her questionnaire.
Julia’s Place, a blogger who issues 100-word writing challenges every Friday. Give one a try!
LaurelLeigh, a fabulous editor/writer/teacher (and co-conspirator in the Dogpatch) whose posts make me smirk. She heads up an Open Mic Night at Village Books in Bellingham Washington, so if you’re in that neck of the woods—
GO!!
There you have it. I’m giving them all a:
Thank you to this glorious tangled Web of communication that flows from East to West, North to South, and from the very Center of the Heart to Infinity–and Beyond!! (Thank you, Buzz.)
Jilanne Hoffmann 
Thank you kindly, Jilanne!
And just so ya know, I will debut your son’s “celebrate” stamp on my blog this time next week.
Do send me your mailing address so I can send you the original drawing.
http://mikeallegra.com/write-me-a-note/
Coolio! I’ll let my son know. You’re the best!
If Mike loves you, I love you!
Maybe he should draw a “HeyLookAWriterFellow” stamp of approval.
Yes, he should. Like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
Congratulations and thank you for the nomination; that’s very sweet! Looking forward to reading more posts in the future!
Dogpatch Writers Collective is proud to have Jill as a founding member! These praises are all well-deserved. Keep up the good work, Jill!
Thanks for the shout out! You are inspiring to all of us out here. Keep it up! xo
Thanks so much Jilanne! 🙂 Beth
I think we all know how it feels to have plans for updating our blogs … and then getting sidetracked by life. There’s no better procrastination, though, then a trip to Costa Rica, something that my family did a year ago. A magic land. I hope you were there for enjoyment and not a bigger obligation… and that it refilled your reservoirs!
It was a a wonderful trip. We “telecommuted” sporadically, but still made it to Turrialba for a week of Spanish immersion and volcano-watching, Tortugero, Puerto Viejo, Puntarenas, and the Osa Peninsula. We loved Osa best, much less developed than other areas. We avoided Manuel Antonio Park as well as the Guanacaste and Nicoya Peninsula areas. We took some amazing footage of Scarlet Macaws in Osa while staying at a lodge owned by a couple of former lawyers from Colorado, one of them a public defender for death row inmates. She has earned her charmed life in Osa. Anyway, I promised to write a post about Costa Rica, but I’ve had other pressing matters to take care of. One of these days…I love the people of Costa Rica, so warm and generous. Everywhere we went, though, we found older Costa Ricans lamenting the influx of electronics that draw their kids indoors and away from their glorious natural environment. It seems to be a huge concern that is probably well-founded.
Sounds like you had a fantastic time. When we return, the volcanos will be a part of our next visit. We stayed in teh Manuel Antonio area, which was actually pretty nice even though it’s a heavy tourist area.
The people are really wonderful and generous, I agree. Whenever you have time to write that post, I’ll be reading it!