Queen of Awesumm

My new blogging friend Anne at Imprisoned in My Bones bestowed this wonderful Queen of the Day: Awesummm! award upon me last week, and I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to thank her. So, Anne, THANK YOU!

Now, two conditions accompany this award. To quote Anne's blog: "One rule is that I am to list seven things about myself that make me awesumm. This is hard, but even harder, I am to list and tag seven fellow bloggers who are also awesumm." Like Anne, I prefer to list the awesumm bloggers first and hope you run out of time or the timer on your cookies goes off or something else interrupts your reading of this post before you scroll down to the second half of the "deal"
[grin].

So, I tag the following seven awesumm bloggers -- you amuse me, challenge me, inspire me, keep me writing when I would much rather quit, and help shape me into the likeness of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. So check out these amazing, awesumm women:

1. Ann Voskamp at Holy Experience writes some of the most scintillating prose I have ever read and accompanies her words with stunning photos. She is simply incredible, and her blog is my absolute favorite at this time; I read it daily with real anticipation. Don't miss it!

2. Katharine at 10 Minute Writer gives great advice and encouragement to busy moms who attempt to write novels whilst force-feeding toddlers green beans and who compose poetry whilst teaching four levels of math at once. Her dry sense of humor makes writing/publishing while raising and homeschooling within the realm of possibility ... and, on good days, perhaps even a probability. Plus, Katharine's encouragement helped me to survive and succeed at the last NaNoWriMo. She's the real deal, Katherine is.

3. And I must present the Queen of the Day Award to the one who gave it to me -- to Anne at Imprisoned in My Bones - Releasing My Inner Jeremiah. She's absolutely wonderful -- a great writer and one who shows me who Jesus is by living out her faith so beautifully and extravagantly. Her faith is infectious -- very much so. She deserves this crown and has many more waiting for her in Heaven.

4. Sarah is a poet of depth and craft, and she writes at knitting the wind. A New Zealand home schooling mom, Sarah writes about her beautiful land, the sea, and her lovely daughter. Her writings are well-worth reading -- free verse ponderings on grace.

5. Jane at Trying to Find Me writes about her life in England as a Children's Pastor in the Anglican Church. Jane and I have a great deal in common, including our physical challenges. We also love gardening and many other similarities ... kindred spirits, we are.

6. Deborah at Journey of a Soul also relates details of her Catholic faith, deep and wide in His Holy Spirit. I'm rather new to following her blog, but every post is used by the Spirit to burrow more deeply into my soul as we walk this Pilgrim Pathway together, seeking His face.

7. And, finally, Jen at Conversion Diary, a former feminist atheist who is now a Catholic wife and mother as well as a perceptive and humorous writer. Working on a book while raising little ones, Jen writes insightful posts that help me grow my faith more deeply, anchored to the One we love and Who first loved us. And her scorpion and Yaya stories bring a little laughter into my world.

Okay, now onto the "seven awesumm things about me" --- gotta think about this for a minute or two....

1. I have an awesumm family -- a genius of a husband and four incredible children.

2. I attend two churches, Anglo-Catholic (Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity) for five years, and Evangelical Protestant (Lake Murray Community Church, Evangelical Free) for sixteen years. I love the commitment to Scripture I find in both churches, even more so in the Anglican Church much of the time.

3. Old movies are one of my passions -- give me Cary Grant, Clark Gable, or Myrna Loy any old time. Black and white movies are so cool!

4. I had my "dream job," teaching English at a Christian liberal arts university. I hope to return to college instruction sometime in the future -- perhaps after getting my doctorate, if I do.

5. I own close to 3,000 books and my husband hates the very thought of the possibility of moving. Perhaps working in bookstores for ten years wasn't the best place for a book addict to work.... ya think?

6. I am a native San Diegan -- my family came here in 1900 and designed many of the landmarks of this fine city.

7. I enjoy genealogy research -- I just filled in my chart with ALL of my great-great grandparents, born in 1850's and 1860's -- will now work on the preceding generation. :)

So now I have passed along the crown of Queen of the Day to seven worthy recipients, and I have related seven awesumm facts about me, so I think that's it. Again, I want to thank Anne for bestowing the crown upon me ... and now she has it back [grin]. Sorry, Anne, I couldn't resist....