blackbird

this song is so beautiful to me.....listening to it makes me feel so happy, and so inspired.

just thought i'd share a little of that inspiration with you.







(if you haven't seen Across the Universe, you definitely should....LOVE that movie.)

the make a difference award

this is an award i have decided to create. there are so many blogs out there that i think truly make a difference--bloggers who use their personal experiences to boost others up. those who spread awareness by sharing their stories.

i'm not going to make any "rules" for this award. i think this is an award that should be passed on to as few or as many blogs that have made a difference in your life. even if it's a small difference. even if i haven't awarded it to you, feel free to take it and pass it on.

i would like to give this award to a few of my fellow survivors of child abuse--those bloggers whose blogs constantly inspire me and help me to know that i am not alone.

marj aka thriver at survivors can thrive

grace at grace uncensored

mile 191 at come into my closet

enola

mike at child abuse survivor

cassandra at determined to overcome and heal

sapphire dreams at hush puppy don't say finding me

ethereal highway

so thank you for your inspiring thoughts and journeys....i appreciate your courage in sharing your experiences!

my very first award!

so it's 10:00 pm and (again, woohoo) i can't sleep. i wander my little ol' self down the stairs and turn on the computer. check my gmail, and lo and behold, i have a new comment! yay! (i do a little dance when i get comments.) so i open it up. it's from kathleen, a new friend who has been leaving me comments. she blogs at so grateful to be mormon, which is a fantastic blog, so you should all check it out. (she also writes without a whole lot of capitals, like me, which makes her awesome.) anywho. so i look at her comment. she says she has given me an award! i reread that about ten times. and did an extra long dance. i link myself over to her blog, and there i see this. an award for "writing with honesty, heart and passion."

and then i read this.

"this weekend, i spent some time branching out and reading and commenting on blogs who i have never gone to .. i just followed comments from my blog to other blogs and who they commented on and continued an endless chain. in doing that, i accidentally stumbled upon one blog that i was instantly mesmerized by and i included it in my list of awardees here. rarely does a blog/writer get to me in the very first or second post i read but if i hadn’t decided to branch out of my comfort zone of mostly just who i am used to reading, i wouldn’t have found this new gem that i immediately added to my google reader list of favorites this weekend so i can continue to be wowed by her amazing heart that she writes with.

cornnut, of “Picture of Experience,” is the one above who i was saying i happened to stumble upon this weekend when i was just hopping from blog to blog from comment chains. i read a couple of her posts and my heart was so touched, i immediately added her to my google reader of favorites so i will be able to see her new posts when she puts them out there. rarely do i love a blog when i first start to read it. i usually have to spend a good bit of time there before i sometimes decide to add it to my favorites list. but she got to me. the pain and path she talked of recently going through made me want to reach out to her right now and i had never even read her before. i was overcome with the way she shared so openly and honestly and i felt like offering any encouragement i could think of to share and ultimately, i knew i was hooked and that i would be back."

i was bawling. i mean, not only is she incredibly sweet, but i could not believe that my writing would touch someone so much. that is my goal, of course, in sharing my thoughts and experiences. and like i told her: i cannot express how thrilled i am. so thank you, kathleen, for touching me by giving me this beautiful award!

and on to the fun stuff i get to do now! give it away to some of my favorite bloggy bloggers!

so here are the rules.
•Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
•Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
•Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
•Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.•Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

and now for what you're all waiting for: the bloggers i choose for this award.

1- cheryl, who blogs at happy meets crazy. i love cheryl's blog. she also writes about her experience dealing with depression. she has been an inspiration to me! i love reading about how she handles her struggles. she has a great perspective on life. plus she rocks.

2- kymburlee (teehee) who blogs at temporary? insanity. she says she's not extraordinary, but she is. i adore her writing style, and her descriptions of what she sees and thinks crack me up.

3- jane, who blogs at what about mom? is my next recipient. (we share the dream of a one dishtowel day.) she's way entertaining and i have loved her blog since the second i happened upon it.

4- april, who blogs at april showers. i think she and i are from a similar mold. she adores bubblegum pop just like me! and she squeals when it comes on the radio! plus she's smart and candid and i love that.

5- mother goose, whose writing i found just a few days ago. she blogs at solomon surprises. her post titled "leap of faith" really touched me. then she had me laughing out loud when i read "dragged through the dirt." she does serious and funny equally well.

6- i also bestow this award upon one more blogger. this blogger and i have serious history. she is, in fact, the one who got be blogging to begin with. so kaitlyn, my dear friend, this award is for you. thanks for all you have done for me. thank you for getting me involved in this wonderful blogging world. you're the best! readers, you can check out kaitlyn's blog at a melody softly soaring.

and the final award goes to--a non-blogger. but my greatest support. he is the best thing in my life. my darling husband. every woman should be so lucky to have a man like him in her life. thank you for supporting me, for understanding how important this is to me. thank you for being there through the ups and downs, no matter what.

so. they started playing the music to get me off the stage about an hour ago. and the next six presenters are going to have their bit cut. (just like at this years emmy's...haha! so sorry!)