Musings Receives Illuminating Blogger Award!

I just found out that my post “Belly Dance: A Celebration of Womanhood was nominated for and awarded the Illuminating Blogger Award for “informative, illuminating, blog content.”

The Illuminating Blogger Award was originated by a lovely woman named C. J. who runs a blog called Food Stories.  On her website, C.J. says, “When I visit other blogs, I always learn so much from the informative content, blogging techniques or personalities, etc … I always learn something so I wanted to be able to offer this to everyone. This is a great way to pay it forward and meet new people!”   

I love that concept: pay it forward.

As a condition of accepting the award I am supposed to share one random thing about myself. Hmmm…well, here is something about as random as I can think of:  I once toured the White House in my bare feet! 

It was the summer after I graduated from high school. Richard Nixon was President. I was a rebellious 18 year old, and I had won a trip to Washington D.C. by writing an essay on the topic of  How to Make America Great, sponsored by the Pepsi Cola corporation (people who know me and my political leanings will understand the irony of that). Neither of my parents were able to accompany me on the trip, so my high school English teacher, Sister Benilda (yes, I went to Catholic school), who’d assigned the essay as part of a class assignment, went with me.  Much to Sister Benilda's chagrin, I refused to put my sandals on as we went started the tour of the White House.  As an arrogant teenager and a nascent tax payer, I was adamant that this was “my house” and I could do as I please. I have no idea how I got past security with my sandals in my hand. But I can only imagine that Sister Benilda to this day must grimace every time she recalls the embarrassment I caused her during her one and only visit to the President’s home. 

As for the Illuminating Blogger Award, I am honored and pleased to have my work noticed and acknowledged by another blogger. Thank you, C. J.  

And in the spirit of the award I hereby nominate and present the award to five other bloggers whom I find to be illuminating:

• ElenaAitken – I love her motto: Don’t Forget to Breathe.  And I loved her “Somewhere Over the …Unifying Om” post. 
• AuthorTonya Kappes – this cozy mystery and fiction author provides advice for authors like me looking to market and promote our  work.  In her "The Well Writer" piece she uses humor to encourage writers to take time to stay fit.
• Parlez-MoiBlog – Kathleen Valentine reflects about writing, art, books, knitting, textiles, and life.  But in "Who Are These People???" she posts and reflects on fascinating old photos of people she doesn’t even know.
• CherieBurbach  – Cherie writes books on relationships and dating, but blogs about a variety of artsy topics. I thought this one on “Golden Glass Sculptures with Solar Lights” was…well, rather illuminating!
• Angler’sRest – Julie Goucher’s Ramblings & Obsessions of a Fisherman’s Wife caught my attention because of posts like "Carnival of Geneaology" in which she reflects on her love of geneaology.

Kudos to all these fine bloggers.  I hope you will check out their sites. And please leave a comment if you have other favorite bloggers that you’d like to bring to the attention of my readers.

And thank you again to C. J. at Food Stories for inventing the wonderful pay-it-forward Illuminating Blogger Award and for honoring me with it.