November has certainly been an interesting - if not always pleasant - ride. I can't remember the last time I had such an event-filled, whirlwind month. Is it really Thanksgiving today?
NaBloPoMo has played an integral role in how my November has shaped up and played out. I had no idea when I climbed into the NaBloPoMo cart on November 1 just what a roller coaster it was going to be.
I, of course, signed up for the Official NaBloPoMo roll call on BlogHer because YAY! Prizes. Daily prizes. And a chance to potentially be spotlighted or whatever it's called.
I haven't won any prizes. I haven't been spotlighted. I don't really expect to because, well, I've never won anything...
Until now.
I was in just the right mental space to dig into NaBloPoMo this year. Not as far as my writing was concerned - although I was ripe for that too - but I desperately wanted to find new bloggers to add to my feed reader...namely to keep me engaged and off Facebook *laughing*.
As I started reading new blogs, I, for the first time ever, understood the value of a comment - MY comment - and just how much something little 'ol me might have to say would mean to another blogger. Although, I'm not convinced the content of my comments are the point. I think just knowing someone out there is reading is what's important.
However, commenting did something else. It called other bloggers' attention to me and my writing. And they more than repaid the comment love back to me. This. Is. Cool.
So...about what I won.
Last night, I received a comment on my blog from Masked Mom - someone whose blog I truly love - letting me know she'd given me the Liebster Award.
"Liebster" is a German word meaning dearest and the award is given to up-and-coming bloggers with less than 200 followers.
Here's how it works:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your Top 5 blogs (with under 200 followers) and let them know by leaving comments on their blogs.
3. Post the Award on your blog.
4. Enjoy the love of some of the most supportive people on the Internet.
This is a big deal to me. It means that someone, particularly a person whose writing I love, thinks I'm pretty neat. And it's always awesome to find out someone else - a total stranger - thinks you're pretty neat.
What's awesome about this is that I'd just been thinking about asking people to share with me the Star small blogs they'd found during NaBloPoMo (and I'd encourage you to do that in comments) so that I could find them too. This award has led me down a rabbit hole of great blogs just by clicking through on the links Masked Mom presented. So the prize is two-fold! I love knowing someone else thinks enough of me and my writing to give me the award, yes, but it's also turning me on to even more people to read!
Yay!
OK. So, without further ado, I present to you, in no particular order, my very own list of newly discovered blogs to whom I give the Liebster Award. I'm just sorry I couldn't bestow it back to Masked Mom. This was WAY tougher than you can possibly imagine.
1) This n that that n this - This is one of the first blogs I found. I'm waiting to find out what her Super Power is any day now.
2) Is This the Middle? - She had me hooked from the very post of hers I read - Virginity Lost (and no, it's not that kind of virginity).
3) Livvy's Life - You guys! Her writing is perfectly elegant in a cashmere blanket sort of way. Never have I been able to picture the scenes as well as I do through her words. Simply beautiful.
4) The Process - Bon Steele. Social anxiety, blue hair, a love of stompy boots. There's not a thing not to love about her.
5) Simply Frances - Frances found me and showed me some blog love when she linked to me as a noteworthy find. What I found on her blog is a woman whose adventures around New York City, observations of her fellow train travelers, her food escapades, and her photo walks make me want to go to New York and hang out with her...RIGHT NOW.
Those are my picks. There are so many more I could have easily included. I may wait a few days and do this again because there are others who assuredly do deserve to be recognized.
(To my picks, you are under no obligation to pass on the Liebster Award. I just wanted you each to know just how neat I think you are!)
Happy Thanksgiving.
6 comments:
How, how lovely. Thank you so much Jane! Now I am going to HAVE to follow this through... I am feeling a mixture of delight and guilt, because another blogger contacted me about it a couple of days ago, but I haven't had the stamina so late at night, when I usually write, as you have, especially after the dreaded deadline I've just had. I like that you say don't worry about passing on if I can't but I will try, but please know that it might take me a few days. I want to comment on a couple of your other posts now, too, so see you later! And Happy Thanksgiving, Livvy
Congratulations! You are most deserving of this award. Enjoy your time in the spotlight!!!
This is great! Congratulations!! I for one am eager for NaBloPoMo to be over so that I finally have time to read all the blogs I've been bookmarking for future reference. Yours pops up on my Google page. Must say your headline caught my eye—I'm going to be interviewing Sally Field next year—and it made me stop everything to give it a read. So glad to have found your blog! Again, many congrats!!
Congrats!!! Oh, and I think the best way to find neat bloggers is by sharing, so I will use this post to check out your suggestions!!!
First - Congratulations! I agree with Masked Mom totally.
Secondly -- Thank you sososososo much. I was and am completely blown away by this.
http://bonsteele.com/2011/11/25/you-know-im-not-a-saint/
I'm in no way surprised that someone would grace you with such an award. You. Are. Awesome.
I both look forward to and dread the end of NaBloPoMo - because: I look forward to NOT having to blog every day AND I dread the thought that my favorite bloggers from this challenge will probably NOT blog every day as well. I think that when we are FORCED to blog every day that more pieces of ourselves get revealed (both good and not so spectacular)because we just have to dig deeper and create our inspiration instead of waiting for it to find us.
And...thank you...thank you so much for passing along the Liebster love to me. I'm going to plan my post to pass along this love on Monday, when I'm SURE that more people will see it. Write on, my friend!
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