Warm thanks to rococonnor for honoring me with the Beautiful Blogger Award. In her announcement, she describes me as “another fellow journeyer, with a knack for description and a wit and wisdom that always makes me smile.”  Thanks, sweetie… your daily insight about the challenges of meditation and reflections as a result of meditation remind me to feel grateful every day of my life and to forgive myself when I fall short of my goals. Together, they are the makings for a really interesting book some day. I recommend that anyone curious about meditation give her blog a read. I have a respect for anyone who can manage this skill.

The Beautiful Blogger Award is for creativity, originality, and overall contribution to the blogging community.

Those that choose to accept this award should:

- Post a link to the blog of the person who nominated them

- List seven random tid-bits about themselves

- Extend the award to 7 other bloggers and post links to them on their page

- Notify those bloggers that they have received the award and what they should do if they wish to accept.

Here are 7 things about me you may not know:

1. Music makes my soul sing, my body dance, and closely connects me with those I love the most.

2. I love, love, LOVE to LAUGH!!!!

3. I’ve done skydiving, skiing, scuba, karate, backpacking, windsurfing, white-water rafting.

4. I easily get teary-eyed.

5. I LOVE to HUG.

6. I’m a fan of HABITAT for HUMANITY and have helped them build several houses for those in need.

7. I embrace that my life is what I make it.

I’d like to nominate the following 7 bloggers for the BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD. Even though life gets a little busy and I sometimes fall behind on reading blogs, I always make room to read yours.   Whether it is unique recipes, art in all its forms, or reflections on life in general, you are part of what I feed my soul. Thank you for the gift.

1)  semiswede – delightful recipes of Swedish persuasion garnished with equally delightful personal stories and/or insights into Swedish culture

2)  Write Now – lovely stories about the everyday magic of being a special mom with a special child

3)  Divine Rhythm – poetry and images to taunt and sooth the heart and mind

4)  The Lonely Walkers Blog – lovely photographs often accompanied by lovely narratives and insight

5)  born by a river – an honest and often beautiful collection of words and thoughts in the wake of death

6)  knowthesphere – a gentle philosopher’s view of the harsh and beautiful world we live in

7)  Inspiration Lab – making the blogosphere more beautiful by spreading the love of art